whisk. write. repeat.

breakfast salad

2012-01-21T19:14:00.000-05:00

This is what I want to eat all the time lately — and have, in fact, been eating practically daily for the past week. It's called a "breakfast salad," but I've made it for dinner, too.

Here's the deal: Soft-boiled eggs and buttered toast meet leafy greens. (The original recipes calls for arugula, but I've been using spinach because I have a lot on hand.) I love to douse this with a good amount of lemon juice, too. You've got the eggs and toast to sustain you, but the end result is light and fresh. The mix of textures — soft eggs, crunchy bread — is great, too.

Breakfast (or anytime) Salad
adapted from Yummy Supper
serves 1

one or two eggs, at room temperature
one or two slices of your favorite bread for toasting (I like sourdough)
unsalted butter
handful of leafy greens (arugula, spinach, etc.)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
juice and zest of half a lemon

Bring your eggs to room temperature by submerging them in a bowl of really warm, but not boiling hot, tap water.

Fill a small sauce pan with 3 to 4 inches of water. Bring to a boil.

Put the bread in the toaster.

When the water is boiling, reduce to a nice, even simmer. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower the eggs into the pan and set a timer to 5 minutes and 15 seconds. As the eggs cook, dump out the bowl of water used to warm the uncooked eggs. Refill this bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes. When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs immediately into the ice water bath. Let them cool slightly as you make the rest of the salad.

When the toast is ready, butter it and tear into small pieces. Nestle the pieces into a bowl with the leafy greens. Toss with salt and pepper to taste, as well as the lemon juice and zest.

Use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the egg(s). Scoop the egg(s) out of the shell and place on top of the toast and greens. (I've also simply rolled the eggs gently to remove the shell, and then sliced in half). EAT.

gooey butter cookies

2012-01-14T18:26:00.001-05:00

How is it mid-January already??

As usual, I've come out on the other side of my long, amazing, thank-you-independently-owned-newspapers 12-day winter vacation by way of a reluctant crawl. Rather than hitting the new year in full stride, it always takes me about two weeks of returning to regular work hours to resume a guise of normalcy in my life — you know, the one where I don't watch two episodes of "Gossip Girl" a day and spend the rest of the time eyeing my new, 1056-page copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything with a mix of longing and fear.

Really.

So, in the spirit of easing back into real life, I offer you gooey butter cookies. They are pillowy soft just out of the oven, and remain so in the following days. (Normally, it would not take days to polish off a batch of cookies, but take note: This recipe yielded something like 60-plus cookies. And, no, you don't want to halve it. I promise.) The best word I can use to describe the cookies is comforting. Subtly laced with vanilla, just slightly tangy from the cream cheese ... This recipe is really special.

Gooey Butter Cookies

recipe very slightly adapted from Lottie + Doof, via Mathew Rice of Nightwood restaurant

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound cream cheese
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar for rolling

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a very large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla bean seeds and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and stir in by hand. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Scoop dough into roughly 1-inch balls and roll in the confectioner's sugar until thickly covered. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, a couple of inches apart. Bake at 325 degrees until they are cracked and puff slightly, about 12-16 minutes — they will be really soft in the center, but they should not brown. (These consistently took 16 minutes in my oven.) Cool to room temperature.

Because they're so soft, it's best to refrigerate the cookies while on the baking sheet; that makes them easier to pick up. (I left the trays out in our freezing-cold mudroom for a half hour or so.) It's recommended to serve these cookies straight from the fridge, and I agree that they're really great cold (but I also liked them at room temp).

Store in the fridge for up to a week.

merry and bright

2011-12-21T15:39:00.000-05:00

I'm signing off for the holidays — woohoo! Today begins my much-anticipated 12-day work break. If all goes according to plan, it will be filled with holiday parties, visits with two of my long-distance besties, family time and lots of cookies.

Wishing you a fun and festive couple of weeks ... see you in 2012!!

holiday roundup

2011-12-04T10:01:00.001-05:00

My blog archives resemble the Land of Sweets. While the amount of dessert that comes out of my kitchen is somewhat troubling — I promise, I do eat tons of vegetables and sometimes even meat! —it does come in handy for the holidays.

With no further ado, I bring to you 12 recipes worth revisiting for the holiday season — and one DIY cocktail kit.

1. Dark chocolate cookies. Uber chocolatey and soft. Ready to be dipped into a glass of milk. Perfect for mailing to a long-distance friend.

2. White Russian soufflés. Kahlúa meets white chocolate ... and cream cheese. Excuse me while I freak out a little.

3. Double-chocolate banana bread squares. Some would call these "banana brownies," but that would be wrong. They are studded with chocolate chips and mashed bananas. It sounds weird, but somehow it all works out.

4. Russian tea cakes. I make these every Christmas. So simple, yet satisfyingly addictive.

5. Chocolate crinkle cookies. Another Christmas staple. Super fudgy and totally pretty!

6. Cocoa brownies. Fantastically fudgy... but kind of flaky on the outside. Texture is a good thing.

7. Chocolate chunk cookies. Everyone needs a failsafe chocolate-chip cookie recipe. If you don't have one yet ... try this.

8. Salted margarita cookies. Sparkly and unusual. Plus, there's tequila in there! I won't judge if you pour yourself a mixed drink while whipping these up.

9. Lime cake. I die over this frosting every time. Bright, zesty and amazingly fragrant. Excellent for celebrating something special.

10. Striped mint meringues. Fancy and delightfully crunchy.

11. Vanilla sugar cookies. Dusting cookies with extra sugar is always a good idea.

12. Caramel sauce. Dark, full-bodied, buttery. I'm of the persuasion that you don't have to have something to dip into caramel sauce. Just eat it by the spoonful.

13. Cranberry cocktail mixer. Make two. Give one away. Keep the other for yourself. Cheers!

salted margarita cookies

2011-11-21T17:43:00.002-05:00

Remember these from last year? I don't know what it is about Thanksgiving week, but I apparently just crave margaritas in cookie form. Luckily, there's a Smitten Kitchen for that.

Haven't tried these yet? They make awesome Christmas cookies. They're basically shortbread cookies, but both salty and sweet. They're packed with orange and lime zest, which flecks them with pretty colors. And the edges? Sparkly! It doesn't get much more festive than that, especially when tequila is involved.

Here's the recipe one more time, with some updates.

Salted Margarita Cookies
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
3 teaspoons tequila
pinch of salt
zest of 2 limes
zest of 1/2 orange
2 cups flour

Coating:
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated or coarse sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Beat the butter with a mixer until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat until mixture appears silky. Beat in the egg yolk, followed by the tequila, salt, and lime and orange zest. Add the flour and mix in with a spoon. Gather the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Wrap each half in wax paper and refrigerate 30 minutes

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll each ball into a log about an inch thick. Wrap again in wax paper and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the coating: Whisk the egg yolk in a small bowl. Mix the sugar and sea salt well in a separate bowl and spread the mixture out on a piece of wax paper. Remove the dough logs from the fridge and use a pastry brush to lightly coat each with the egg, like a glaze. Roll each log in the sugar and salt coating until evenly covered. Use a thin knife to slice the logs into quarter-inch-thick cookies. Place the cookies on the baking sheet; bake about 10 minutes. The cookies should still be pale, but the coated edges may brown slightly.

let's dish

2011-11-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

I recently filled in for the Seven Days food section again and this time, it's all about Thanksgiving.

As I mention in the story, my family has very few go-to recipes for the holiday. I doubted the same would be true of people who cook for a living and, it turns out, I was right. Four local cooks were kind of enough to share some well-loved recipes and the family traditions behind them. I had a blast chatting with each one of them — in fact, I may have a little crush on chef Patrick and his charming French accent — and I can't wait to try their drool-worthy recipes.

In the story:

Vanilla-mashed sweet potatoes with pecan-streusel topping

Maple-syrup-roasted root vegetables

Chestnut-and-sausage stuffing

Maple-walnut Brussels sprouts

Hop on over to check it out!

Previous Seven Days food stories, in case you're curious ;)

Slice of Life: Is foraying into fondant really a piece of cake?

Liquid Diet: Cocktail-inspired cooking to try at home

Digital Dishes: Someone's in the kitchen with YouTube...

broccoli-cheddar-cauliflower soup

2011-11-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

It took four years for me to learn that when Dave wants to watch a guy movie like Fast Five, I need to just go in the kitchen and make soup.

(Also, happy four-year anniversary week, Dave! I heart you.)

Soup takes a while to make. There's a lot of chopping involved. And shredding cheese. And stirring every so often while things simmer for long periods of time. It's fairly mindless, but it's just enough to distract you from the epic car chases and crashes going on, very loudly, in the next room.

If you're smart, you'll choose to make a really involved soup, one where you have to roast some vegetables first. That increases the length of time you'll spend in the kitchen, avoiding said epic car chases. This soup, sadly, doesn't involve roasting. But it is so delicious that you'll be able to totally tune out the man movie going on and just kind of revel in its subtle cheesiness and amazingly thick, chunky texture.

Soup, preserving relationships and sanity one bowl at a time.

Seriously, though, this is the soup I've been trying to make since I started making soups. It's basically Panera's broccoli-cheddar soup. Burlington now has a Panera, but, given Vermonters' intense dislike of restaurant chains and the fact that I seem to have become a Vermonter, I could never be seen at it. Panera is only allowed on visits to my parents in New York, where the lunch spot is the least chain-y dining option. However, with this recipe, I'm not sure I need to ever go back.

I added cauliflower, because it's my favorite vegetable and I put it in absolutely everything. And I reduced the amount of cheese from the original recipe, because though I love cheddar, this soup is so thick and creamy already that you only need to add a little of it for just the right sharpness.

Happy soup season.

Broccoli-cheddar-cauliflower soup
(serves 4)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 onion, diced
salt
pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used skim)
2 cups soup stock (I used low-sodium vegetable stock)
1 small head of broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated

Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to a large saucepan on medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion, a dash of salt and pepper, and sauté until tender and slightly transparent. Scrape onion into a bowl and set aside.

Melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter in the saucepan, still on medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously for 3 to 4 minutes until it's formed a thick paste. Add the milk and soup stock, increasing the heat and stirring constantly until it's reached a gentle simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. The liquids will be starting to visibly thicken.

Add the broccoli, cauliflower and sautéed onion, and stir. Continue to simmer 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the grated cheese and stir. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.

pumpkin head

2011-10-30T16:59:00.000-04:00

Here's to consuming lots of candy corn and watching creepy movies in broad daylight so as not to get too scared.

fairbanks museum & planetarium

2011-10-24T08:15:00.001-04:00

On a whim, Dave and I stopped in at the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium in St. Johnsbury as we were driving to Trout River Brewing Company the other day. We missed the planetarium show by about 15 minutes — story of our lives — but still got to wander through the museum, home to 175,000 objects from an eclectic collection. I can't say I'm big on the preserved animal specimens, but the Victorian architecture and layout are fascinating, don't you think?

love it or leaf it

2011-10-23T21:06:00.000-04:00

I admit it: I peeped some leaves yesterday.

I didn't mean to; normally, I don't condone intentional leaf peeping for those under the age of, say, 50. I've always been a New Englander, so I'm not one to freak out over foliage. It's just another sign of the season. However, it was impossible to ignore the last oranges and yellows of autumn on a drive through the Northeast Kingdom yesterday. No matter the season, I always find Vermont stunning. (Oh, that's right. Except for you, mud season.)

light

2011-10-08T08:45:00.000-04:00

Sand Bar State Park, Champlain Islands

waterbury center state park

2011-10-03T18:58:00.000-04:00

I live in Vermont by choice, so I have no right to complain about the weather. But really? In the two weeks between Dave's birthday (27!) and mine (24!), the temperature dropped from the 80-something degrees pictured here to 40 degrees with blustery winds and rain. Needless to say, my birthday was spent inside. For now, and likely for the next six months, I'll be ogling these photos of our day at Waterbury Center State Park. It's definitely on our list to hit up again next year.

lone tree hill

2011-09-17T17:47:00.000-04:00

Spotted on the walk up to Lone Tree Hill at Shelburne Farms.

we float

2011-09-12T20:07:00.000-04:00

Driving by rolling pastures dotted with hay bales, Dave and I are frequently tempted to pull off into a field and do an impromptu photo shoot. That's just what we did after the Small Farms Food Fest on Sunday. A random jumping shot quickly turned into an homage to yowayowa camera, the "floating" girl's diary of daily levitations. You guys have seen this amazing website, right? Our photos are nowhere near as good, but were still a lot of fun to take. You know, minus the embarrassing moments when cars hit their brakes to watch us.

small farms food fest

2011-09-11T17:15:00.000-04:00

In a valiant effort to embrace autumn this year — my normal tendency is to deny its existence entirely, as it has come to symbolize the impending arrival of six months of winter, which I hate — I have eaten apple-cider donuts twice already. I've loaded my kitchen with apples. I've relished the return of boots and leggings, with only slightly less fanfare for light jackets. And I'm really trying to make the circuit of the season's last big festivals before my extended hibernation. So, we went back to Shelburne Orchards' Small Farm Food Fest.

The food! So delicious. We devoured an "everything" slice (green beans, onion, sausage, spinach) of pizza made in NOFA-VT's mobile oven. There was a buckwheat crepe filled with chevre and drizzled with strawberry-rhubarb compote. A savory tomato-ricotta galette was light, flaky and dazzling. Corn on the cob, brushed with soft butter? I would like about three more ears of that. We took two mini tarts (lemon-meringue and caramel-apple) home with us, and finished the day with amazing homemade popsicles: honeyberry (mulled-cider spices, honey and strawberry chunks) and peach-plumb.

Not a bad start to the upcoming season, hmm?

It was also really great to see such a strong showing from Vermont farmers and food producers, who haven't had it easy this season with spring flooding and, now, the havoc caused by Tropical Storm Irene.

garlic-and-dill pickles

2011-08-23T18:30:00.000-04:00

Oh, how I love pickles ... just not the ones you can buy in stores.

I love the crisp, crunchy dill pickles that my grandmother used to make in these insanely huge jars when I was younger. She must have gone easy on the vinegar, because they were much less acidic than other pickles I've tried. That let the dill flavor come through strong — fresh and clean and bright. No wonder dill is one of my favorite herbs, right up there with mint.

But I'd always been intimidated by the process of actually making my own pickles. Mason jars? Brines? Fermentation? Just reading about it was daunting.

Turns out, though, pickles are pretty much the easiest things ever. They're easier than making crepes. Way easier than making gnudi. In short, they're probably simpler than every recipe I've ever posted on this blog. At least with the 24-hour pickle recipe I used.

I was surprised you can build that much flavor in 24 hours. In one day, mild cucumbers became tangy and garlicky and laced with the essence of dill. I'd reduce the amount of white vinegar next time — just to try to nail my grandmother's version — but this recipe's a keeper. The pickles were addictive and kept their crunch.

24-hour garlic-and-dill pickles
recipe from here

1-quart mason jar with lid
6 small cucumbers
3 cloves garlic
8 sprigs fresh dill (or to taste... I probably used 10-12)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup white vinegar
1 cup water

Wash the mason jar and lid in hot, soapy water. Rinse well and let air dry.

In a covered container, combine coriander seeds, sugar, salt and vinegar. Close the lid tightly and shake vigorously until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the water and set aside.

Quarter the cucumbers lengthwise. Peel the garlic cloves and cut in half.

Pack the cucumbers, sliced garlic and dill tightly in the clean mason jar. Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Top the jar off with extra water if the cucumber tops are exposed.

Screw the lid tightly on the jar, and refrigerate 24 hours before tasting. The pickles last up to one month refrigerated.

sand bar state park

2011-08-20T09:01:00.000-04:00

Life is better on the Champlain Islands, especially with two best friends in tow. Lane and Erica recently paid me a visit, and the weekend was full of good things: strawberry margaritas, ice cream (Ben & Jerry's... twice), poolside lounging, fried food from a snack shack and a trip to Sand Bar State Park. The water here is so shallow, you can walk out hundreds of feet without getting your waist wet.

moreau lake

2011-08-11T19:29:00.000-04:00

Rowboating at Moreau Lake State Park in Gansevoort, NY

bennington monument

2011-08-09T19:52:00.000-04:00

Let's be honest: The real reason we went to Bennington was to grab a beer at Madison Brewing Company. (And, oh, was that strawberry hefeweizen seasonal brew worth it.) But the view from above town was pretty great, too.

There are 417 steps to the top of the Bennington Battle Monument, but they're closed to the general public. Not to worry — we got to zip up the elevator for our lofty panorama of three very green states.

road trip

2011-08-06T12:07:00.000-04:00

We took a bit of a road trip last weekend to take in the sights of southern Vermont. It just feels like the perfect time of year to go exploring, don't you think? Mix in some hiking, lake time, food from the grill and — oh, yes — my first time alpine sliding, and it was a very packed four-day getaway. Here are some scenes from the road — literally. I'd never been so far south on Route 7 before.

snow farm vineyard ii

2011-07-12T17:25:00.000-04:00

Snow Farm Vineyard was one of my best discoveries last summer. We finally made it back there last week for that golden hour of sunlight — and a few glasses of wine, of course. You can hear live music on the grass every Thursday, and I'm already plotting a return trip.

mt. philo

2011-07-06T21:39:00.000-04:00

Dave's sister visited us last weekend. Fueled by the most delicious eggs benedict ever (at Pauline's, of course), we hit the road for Mt. Philo. They hiked and I lazed around reading Gatsby — so much better than I remember it being from high school English; this movie made me think of it. Copious lounging in the sun ensued.

food roundup

2011-07-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how fast June slipped by. I didn't post here even once. Work built up to this somewhat frantic pace lately — I covered a fantastic fashion exhibit for a big story a couple weeks back, and just filed the last of my stories for the newspaper's annual college guide. Whew! In the meantime, I seem to have discovered what retail therapy is all about.

And while I haven't been a very good food blogger this past month, there have been some creative kitchen endeavors — these strawberry fruit roll-ups, for starters. (I added rhubarb for a tart kick.) And this strawberry-blackberry pie ... which unfortunately came out rather soupy, but still delicious.

The biggest food highlight of late has been the institution of Wine & Cheese Wednesdays. With fruit and chips or crackers, it's like a midweek picnic. This week we tried an aged Irish cheddar and a local gouda, paired with a crisp, summery moscato.

sunny walk

2011-05-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

In between the massive thunderstorms we've been getting, the weather's actually been quite nice — warm and sunny. We took a waterfront stroll the other day to check out the flooding; the beach and good chunks of the bike path are totally submerged. But thanks to the rain, the world is finally looking more green than gray, and I've learned to take what I can get in this state. Wait ... does that make me a Vermonter?

strawberry-rhubarb crumble

2011-05-27T17:55:00.001-04:00

I posted this recipe last spring and couldn't help revisiting it this year when my mom handed me stalks of rhubarb from her garden. The crumble is still totally delicious — the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, gooey and crunchy.

Have a sweet weekend.

Strawberry-rhubarb crumble

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Topping:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 and 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered (I used frozen, since they're not quite in season)

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

3 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare the topping: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, brown sugar and lemon zest. Mix until well combined. Add the melted butter, and mix (I used my hands here) until large and small clumps form. You can refrigerate this until needed.

To prepare the filling: Toss the rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and salt right in your baking dish or pie pan.

Cover the filling thickly and evenly with the topping — no need to pack it down. Put the baking dish on a baking sheet (just in case it bubbles over; mine didn't) and bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 45 minutes.

spaghetti with vodka cream sauce

2011-05-21T17:03:00.000-04:00

I am a creature of habit. I haven't updated my iPod in over a year, but am still happy to listen to the same music to and from work every day. In fact, I've been listening to the Weepies' "Be My Honeypie" on repeat for about the last half hour. (I recommend you do this, too. It's an excellent song.) And, as I've no doubt mentioned around these parts before, I basically exist on cheese and pasta. There's hardly a week that passes where I don't make some combination of the two for dinner.

That said, I do try to change up the recipe to throw in different veggies or sauces. This spaghetti with vodka cream sauce is a recent addition to my repertoire. Not only does it come "boy-approved" (Dave agreed, too), but I think you guys may remember my fascination with baking and booze? Stovetop cooking with the hard stuff turns out to be equally delicious.

This sauce is very tangy and creamy, despite the small volume of heavy cream it calls for. The crushed red pepper adds a good amount of heat, too; next time, I might use less than the quarter teaspoon listed below. Otherwise, the recipe is quick, easy and — topped off with some grated Parmesan — pretty perfect. I served it with meatballs.

Spaghetti With Vodka Cream Sauce

recipe slightly adapted from 6 Bittersweets

1/2 pound angel-hair pasta (or whatever pasta you like)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

scant 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

scant 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup vodka

1/4 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish

additional fresh basil leaves, to garnish

Boil the pasta in salted water. Drain and keep warm.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté four minutes, or until tender. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and garlic; sauté about one minute. Carefully add the vodka (mine didn't catch on fire, but be cautious); bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer roughly three minutes, or until the liquid reduces by about half. Stir in scant 1/2 teaspoon salt, broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and process until smooth. (Be cautious when blending hot liquids; you may want to throw a kitchen towel over the lid just in case.) Return to the pan.

Stir in the heavy cream, then cook the sauce for two minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cooked pasta and basil. Taste pasta and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve with Parmesan cheese and extra basil, if desired.

saratoga springs

2011-05-21T16:03:00.000-04:00

A few weeks back, Dave and I drove down to Saratoga Springs, NY. After hitting up a neighborhood Mardi Gras parade — Mardi Gras in May? We didn't quite get it. — and grabbing lunch in the cute downtown, we wandered the grounds of Saratoga Spa State Park. I've been there many times before, but it's always fascinating to see the blazing reddish-orange mineral deposits from the springs and taste the mineral water. (It's very salty and sulfury, by the way. I always forget how gross it is.)

winooski skate park

2011-05-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, on one of the warmer spring days we've had (read: still unseasonably cold), I tagged along with Dave to the Winooski Skate Park. It was my first time out on a board in months and I was still regaining what little balancing skills I once possessed, so I spent most of the time just taking pictures.

I realize these stark, gray photos look like they were taken in November, but it was late April! It's weird to look back at our skating escapades from this time last year, when the sun was out, the trees had leaves, and the sky was actually blue. Hint, hint, Vermont.

Also... I'm not usually this much of a bad-ass. I must have been channeling the attitude from my old Vans.

vermont restaurant week

2011-04-26T19:19:00.001-04:00

It's here, it's here! Happy Vermont Restaurant Week to you.

I'm lucky enough to work with the folks who plan Restaurant Week, so I know all about the delicious dining options. But I recently grabbed a drink with a long-lost friend — the lovely Caitlin of Wore Out — who didn't know much about it. Let's just say, I didn't waste any time directing her to the amazing menu guide. I thought I would introduce the rest of you to the website, too, in case anyone else is missing out.

Prix-fixe menus around the state, starting Friday? Yes, please. I'm bummed because I'll be out of town for Saturday's Sangria Smackdown, but I do plan to attend Tuesday's culinary pub quiz to make up for it. Even if trivia games make me unnaturally nervous.

I've already made my reservation at Toscano in Richmond. I have been drooling over the thought of their crispy artichoke hearts with lemon aioli for some time. I'm curious, where will you Vermonters be dining over the next week?

charleston: part v (final part!)

2011-04-15T17:44:00.000-04:00

On our last day in Charleston, an 83-degree scorcher by Vermont standards, we hightailed it out to Folly Beach. It was practically deserted, which equates to optimum beach-combing conditions and very good seagull watching.

By the way, in case you didn't know, you can click any photo on my blog to make it bigger. Thinking about a redesign for bigger photos soon, anyway.

2011-04-15T17:16:00.000-04:00

It's been a long first week back from vacation ... which only serves to make our Charleston trip seem like it was ages and ages ago. But I'm almost done posting my recap, so let's press on. Besides, pretty flowers can never hurt, right?

My brother drove out from Conway, SC, to meet us last Wednesday. (Again, was that only last Wednesday??) We visited Magnolia Plantation and its Gardens. There must be some sort of law requiring people to visit Magnolia when you're in Charleston — after all, the manor is one of the top 25 most visited historic homes in the U.S. Suffice it to say, the large number of visitors taking over the place took a little of the romance out of its Romantic Gardens. That, and the crazy loud leaf blowers.

Still, you can't beat quaint little bridges arching over green swamps and getting lost in horticultural mazes. Every turn of the path we rounded left me feeling like I had discovered my own secret garden.

charleston: part i

charleston: part ii

charleston: part iii

2011-04-11T19:26:00.000-04:00

On our second day in South Carolina, we drove out to Cypress Gardens. Can we just take a moment to marvel at it in silence?

Ok. Thanks.

Seriously, though, this black-water cypress swamp is among the most beautiful places I've ever been — somewhere right up there with Santorini, Greece. We paddled around in a boat for the longest time, and it was quite serene ... you can see why they filmed that boat scene in The Notebook here, right? Just ignore the dozen or so alligators we saw chilling out just feet away from us. It was a little terrifying at first, but we quickly got over it.

charleston: part i
charleston: part ii

charleston: part ii

2011-04-10T15:31:00.000-04:00

As you may have realized in charleston: part i, the historic buildings were beautiful, from the curling wrought-iron gates to the kaleidoscopic hues. Dave put it this way: "You know a city is beautiful when you even want to photograph the parking garages."

But we actually spent more time outside of downtown, at parks, beaches and gardens. On our first day there, we hit up the Lowcountry Cajun Festival at James Island County Park. After wandering the food booths — fried alligator? no, thanks. — and lounging in the grass listening to zydeco music, we went rambling along some of the nature trails. The blooming flowers and romantic, draping spanish moss we saw throughout our trip sent me into an early bout of spring allergies, but the scenery was definitely worth it.

charleston: part i

2011-04-10T14:18:00.000-04:00

We're back! I had an amazing time exploring Charleston this past week. Not only was the weather deliciously warm — it was "room temperature" whether you were in a room or not — but the minute our plane landed, we felt like we had splashed our way into a bath of color. Coming from months of cold, gray days in Vermont, we practically drank in the city's rainbow of buildings and flora. I mean, the grass was green, people! I had forgotten what that looked like.

Anyway, unabashed tourists that we are, we took an astounding number of photos chronicling our adventures, from paddling around in alligator-laden swamps at Cypress Gardens (easily the most serene place I've ever visited) to hearing our friend's band play at a dive bar to cavorting around the city and downing drinks with four retirees on an awkward but hilarious pub tour ... and much more.

Oh, and can we talk about the food?? Gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce at Pane e Vino, a ridiculously decadent caramel sea salt brownie from Baked, the best biscuit I ever ate (not to mention amazing buttermilk-fried chicken and mashed potatoes) at Poogan's Porch, and — yes — I had my first Whole Foods experience. It was all delicious. The only thing I didn't quite "get" were the collard greens ... true sign of a northerner, I guess.

I'll be posting more photos over the next few days. For starters, though, here's a look around downtown.

my bags are packed...

2011-03-30T19:55:00.000-04:00

... and I still have three days until vacation! These will undoubtedly be the slowest three days of my life. But seeing as how I checked out mentally about a week and a half ago, I thought I'd say goodbye-for-now, uh, now. And also solicit your advice for must-see — and must-eat — places down in South Carolina.

Dave and I are off to Charleston! (That is, provided this April Fools Day snowstorm we're expecting doesn't mess with our plans ... please keep your fingers crossed for us!) Off to Charleston for one whole, glorious week. See you on the other side, with photos :)

And, Vermont, I expect spring to be in full swing when I return. Pretty please?

xoxo,
Carolyn

lemon and cheese pasta

2011-03-19T18:37:00.000-04:00

Sometimes — for me, at least — lemon, cheese and pasta are all the words you need to hear.

If those magic words don't do it for you, let me elaborate a little. Angel-hair pasta gets smothered in a lightly creamy sauce heightened by grated asiago cheese, just-squeezed lemon juice and zest, and a big handful of minced parsley. It's simple, fresh and lighter than you would think, but still very much in the realm of comfort food. Oh, yum.

Now, excuse me, but I'm off to host an evening of homemade pizza and old Disney movies. When was the last time you saw The Great Mouse Detective?

Lemon and Cheese Pasta

Adapted from Wanderlust, via Smitten Kitchen

1 pound angel-hair pasta
salt
3 lemons, for 1 tablespoon lemon zest and roughly 1/2 cup juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup finely grated asiago cheese (or parmesan, etc.)

freshly ground black pepper

large handful of fresh parsley, minced finely

In a large pot, cook pasta in well-salted water until al dente. While the pasta cooks, zest and juice the lemons.

Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. In the same pot, bring the pasta water, olive oil, heavy cream and lemon zest to a soft boil on medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. Add pasta; reduce heat to medium-low heat and stir. Add cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice to the pasta; toss well with tongs. Add more lemon juice to taste; season with salt and pepper. Toss in the parsley and serve hot, sprinkling with extra cheese if desired.

greetings from vermont...

2011-03-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

...where my car drove into a snowbank last night. No, wait, a snowbank (or three) fell out of the sky and landed on my car. People, I'm sick of the snow. Two attempts to dislodge said car from aforementioned snowbanks have failed — and this is without Dave's help, as his office actually sent someone to pick him up this morning. Can I sign up for that somewhere?

Right now, I'm running low on energy — shoveling is quite the workout when you have to pile the snow above shoulder height — and have watched far too much "Sex and the City." Send help, or vacation, soon.

xoxo,
Carolyn

gnudi

2011-02-13T10:56:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if you guys know this about me, but I pretty much live on cheese and pasta. Yes, despite all the sweets you usually find here, it's true. Homemade variations of macaroni and cheese (like this one) obviously do well in my apartment.

But way more exciting than mac and cheese? Gnudi. The ricotta-based dumplings, cousins of gnocchi, are prepared like a pasta but they're made of cheese. Sort of like eating ravioli filling without the wrapper, but with a soft, pillowy texture and an infinitely more delicious taste. I don't think you can go wrong with anything filled with fresh ricotta — um, I made my own for the first time ... how exciting is that! —and a mix of Asiago and Parmesan cheeses.

I first tried gnudi at Burlington's Bluebird Tavern, where the dumplings were so soft, they literally melted in my mouth. Amazing. So imagine how excited I was to find a recipe on owner Sue Bette's personal blog! Obviously, the gnudi served at the Bluebird is probably based on her chef's recipe, not her own, but I still trusted that the owner of such a delicious dining spot had a good one up her sleeve.

She totally does.

I recommend making your own ricotta. I'd always been daunted by the idea, but then I read a few tutorials and was surprised at how simple it is. Basically, you bring whole milk, heavy cream and salt to a simmer, then mix in lemon juice to curdle it into curds and whey. (There are versions that use buttermilk or vinegar instead of lemon juice for the acid, and I might try one of those next time.) Here's the recipe I used. For this gnudi, you'll need to make two cups of ricotta.

From there, it's just a matter of mixing the dough, rolling it out by hand, cutting it into little pillows, and boiling. I would normally be intimidated by a recipe with so many steps, but this is really, really simple. Promise. Dave and I agreed that this was one of our best dinners to date. Happily, this recipe makes 4-6 servings, so we have half of the uncooked gnudi waiting for us in the freezer.

Gnudi (Ricotta Dumplings)

Recipe slightly adapted from Feel Good Eats

serves 4-6

2 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta, drained if wet

1/2 cup Parmesan, finely shredded

1/2 cup Asiago, finely shredded

2 teaspoons salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 to 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, comine the ricotta, Parmesan, Asiago, salt, pepper and egg. Mix well. Add the flour in small batches — 1/2 cup at a time — and gently mix until the dough holds together. It only took 1 cup of flour for my batch.

Transfer the dough to a large wooden board, lightly floured, and knead briefly — no more than 1 minute — until the dough is smooth and pliable. Don't overwork the dough; this can lead to tough, dense gnudi. Cut the dough into quarters.

With lightly floured hands, roll each segment of the dough into a long snake, about 3/4-inch wide. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 1-inch pieces. Take a fork and make a light imprint on each side with the tines; this helps the sauce, etc. stick to the dough later. Lay each piece in a single layer on a plate while you finish the other segments of dough. When you have a full plate, cover it with a kitchen cloth and refrigerate.

To freeze gnudi for later, put a plate in the freezer until the dough is frozen, then transfer to a plastic bag for storage. (You don't need to defrost before cooking; just place in boiling water.)

Prepare a sauce. I just heated up good marinara sauce in a large pan and kept it warm for the gnudi.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a dash of sea salt. Gently drop in a small amount of gnudi. Once they rise to the surface, cook for 1 additional minute before transferring to your warm sauce with a slotted spoon. Garnish on serving plate with basil if desired.

fancy cake

2011-02-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

So... January flew by, no?

Here's what I have to show for it.

Why yes, I made that. And no, I'll probably never do that again.

I spent a day in a cake studio for this week's issue of Seven Days. It would make my day if you'll hop on over to read it! I'll be back to regular recipes soon :)

chocolate chunk cookies

2011-01-08T11:23:00.001-05:00

Perhaps it says something about me that this blog turns two tomorrow, yet this is the first time I've posted about chocolate chip cookies.

I think it says: I'm picky.

Like many of you, I'm sure, I've made chocolate chip cookies countless times, even from countless recipes. And they always seem to come out ... the same. Fluffy, not chewy. Good, not great. My ideal chocolate chip cookie definitely lies in the realm of gooeyness, with a surplus of chocolate chips — or even better, chocolate chunks.

I've seriously considered getting a job at the bakery counter at Burlington's Fresh Market, and keeping it just long enough to learn the recipe for their oversize chocolate chunk cookies — they're just salty enough, and have almost a layer of melted chocolate inside a firm but definitely chewy cookie. But getting a job just to steal a recipe seems a little extreme.

So I've found a good alternative — let's celebrate two years of blogging (!) with this chocolate chunk cookie recipe from Alice Medrich's Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunch, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies. This recipe yields really excellent, thick cookies that can handle a healthy amount of chocolate chunks. For me, they're even better slightly underbaked, with the center set, but still soft, just out of the oven. It firms up into something very close to my ideal cookie.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies
From Alice Medrich's My Chocolate Chip Cookies in Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunch, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

2 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and still warm
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chunks

Sift together the flour and baking soda in a bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter with the sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix in the eggs. Stir in the flour mixture just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the chocolate chunks; stir. Let dough chill in the fridge at least 1 to 2 hours, or overnight if possible.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Position rack in the lower third of the oven.

If necessary, remove the dough from the refrigerator to soften. Roll out rounded tablespoons of dough and place them three inches apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 11 minutes (9 was best for me), until the cookies are golden brown at the edges. Remove from the oven, transfer the cookies on the parchment paper to racks to cool completely before storing.

2010

2010-12-31T16:32:00.001-05:00

January was full of delicious brunches at Sneakers — and at one such brunch, one of my very best friends asked me to be her maid of honor! Wedding dress shopping and a celebratory dinner (with a fantastic lime cake) ensued. This blog also turned one that month.

In February, I resolved to bake my own bread from scratch ... something I've since learned how to do, but still need to practice. Dave and I attended a delicious fondue party (note to self: host one soon), and saw an ice-sculpture competition in Stowe. I also donned a massive paper-mache skeleton mask to ride in a Mardi Gras float.

Last March, I mused about the funny age of 22. We celebrated the return of warm(er) weather with picnics at Oakledge Park and a really great lemon, asparagus and goat cheese pasta.

In April, Dave and I took a much-anticipated trip to New York City ... only to decide we'd rather be in Vermont :) We took an intriguing fermentation class at the very delicious Alchemist Pub & Brewery. I made strawberry-rhubarb crumble (twice). And I celebrated my one-year anniversary at my job over fries at Duino! (Duende).

May brought the first-ever Vermont Restaurant Week, during which I discovered Café Shelburne and have never looked back. I failed at making muffins, but succeeded at making many mojitos with the mint from my one-pot garden. I took in the bright blue sky and attended the first Montbeerlier Festival.

We traveled to Pennsylvania in June to see my first cousin marry a sweet girl. I also reunited with my favorite ladies at a lake house in Castleton — there were cupcakes, too. Danielle and I took a train ride to nowhere, and I celebrated the summer with dill potato salad and strawberry cake.

July brought me to Alburgh Dunes State Park in the Champlain Islands, where I found a lovely beach but no sand dunes. Dave and I stopped to smell the flowers in Overlook Park. I raised a glass (or seven) with my two favorite Vermonters at the Vermont Brewers Festival.

In August, I fell even more in love with the Champlain Islands on a visit to Snow Farm Vineyard. My parents and I marveled at art, old buildings and flowers at Shelburne Museum. I discovered a life-changing pasta with corn pesto, made a sweet cherry pie and watched a Charlie Chaplin film in City Hall Park.

September was a crazy whirlwind: Dave turned 26 (!!) the day before I threw my friend her bridal shower at Shelburne Vineyard — and discovered I love party planning. There was some apple picking, and I roasted a chicken for the first time in preparation for my first food story in Seven Days.

In October, I turned 23 (only to find out it's just as funny an age as 22), but can't remember how I celebrated ... hmm. I drove to the chilly Northeast Kingdom to be in my friend's beautiful fall wedding.

Dave and I celebrated our third anniversary (of dating!) in November. My weekends were spent baking with booze for this food story — not a bad way to spend your time, I discovered :)

December was a few hectic weeks of work followed by a very relaxing 12-day break (I'm still on it, woohoo!). I got into the holiday spirit the usual way, with Christmas cookies and cocktails.

Onto 2011! Happy New Year.

happy happy joy joy

2010-12-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

My winter work break starts today and I couldn't be more excited! Tomorrow I'm off to New York for the weekend, but I'll be back here soon enough ... I wouldn't miss all of Vermont's First Night fun! Have a lovely holiday. Thanks for being here.

cranberry cocktail mixer

2010-12-19T14:34:00.001-05:00

It's past 2 p.m. on a Sunday and I've only just changed out of my pajamas and brushed my teeth. But I did find time to play with scissors and markers ... I blame this super cute idea for do-it-yourself holiday cocktail mixers. As my printer was out of commission, I decided to make my own decorative labels for the cranberry cocktail mixer, which I'm planning to include as part of a secret santa gift later this week.

Can you believe these jars used to hold tomato sauce?

Hop over here and here to download your own labels — for free! —and find other mixer recipes.

Cranberry Cocktail Mixer

recipe and idea from Hi, Friend via Brooklyn Limestone

1/4 cup simple syrup
1 cup lime juice
3 and 1/4 cup cranberry juice

Combine the simple syrup, lime juice and cranberry juice in a bowl. Pour into a clean glass jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cranberry Cocktail

4 ounces cranberry cocktail mixer
1 ounce vodka
a splash of champagne
fresh raspberries, for garnish

Pour the cocktail mixer and vodka over ice in a cocktail shaker; shake and strain. Top it off with champagne and raspberries.

chocolate crinkle cookies

2010-12-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

Let's get into the holiday spirit, shall we? Obviously, the best way to do that is with cookies.

I have to admit, I'm not the one who usually makes cookies in this apartment. I just don't love the fussiness of rolling cookie dough into perfectly round and even balls. Dave has the patience for this, so I generally just let him have at it. But the holidays just call for cookies, and lots of 'em, so I suffer through it this time of year. Yes, suffer ;)

These chocolate crinkle cookies were always my brother's and my favorite... they probably still are (though we used to call them snowtop cookies). They're uber chocolatey, and this batch had a particularly lovely fudge-like texture that left my coworkers (with whom I shared a plate) calling them "flat brownies" and "flat whoopie pies." I'll take those as compliments.

As you can see, my cookies came out a little more square than round. I like to call them "zebra squares" myself.

Also... I'm fairly positive these would be delicious with a little mint extract. I really wanted to go for it, but I decided to stick with the classic this time around.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Adapted from Little Brown Pen

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar, give or take

Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the cocoa powder, sugar and oil, and stir. Add the flour, baking powder and salt; stir well. Cover and chill for at least four hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the chilled dough into one-inch balls. Pour the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl and roll the balls in the sugar; coat thickly. Place on the baking sheet about one-and-a-half inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes, until just set.

Let cool, then store in an airtight container with a scrap of bread to keep them moist. Makes roughly 30 cookies.

cauliflower-cheddar soup

2010-12-13T18:39:00.000-05:00

These gray, early winter days have totally been getting the best of me. I've been in a little funk lately, getting way too easily frustrated with things that normally aren't too big of a deal. Like the repetitiveness of my job, and the fact that way too many of my friends have moved away over the past year or two. It all sort of culminated in one really bad mood, which happened to occur the night of The Potato Latke Incident last week. The realization that even my largest mixing bowl* didn't give me enough room to, um, stir left me storming off upstairs, shredded potato all over my hands, declaring loudly to Dave that, "We're not having dinner tonight!"

Yeah... overdramatic much? It was the closest I've come to a temper tantrum in about 15 years. In my defense, shredding a bunch of huge potatoes is really not fun at all (shredding is my most dreaded kitchen task, if I haven't mentioned that before). But I cooled down, laughed it off with Dave and went back down to the kitchen to deal with my now-pink potato disaster. Since then, I've tried to focus on my upcoming 12-day holiday break (thank goodness!) and all the good things it will bring — a girls' night reunion with some of my favorite ladies, gift giving, time with my family, cookie swaps —rather than all the negative stuff I've been so busy stewing about. It's sort of working. What do you do when you're just fed up?

Making this cauliflower-cheddar soup — my first venture back into the kitchen following the Latke Incident, I should note — was pretty darn calming. Cauliflower is my very favorite vegetable, and paired with some extra-sharp cheddar, my favorite type of cheese, this soup reminded me of the white sauce I make for macaroni and cheese... only, far healthier and lighter. The addition of a nice white wine really deepens all the flavors; I thought it was absolutely delicious.

Obviously, a few more easy baking projects are needed in my near future... hopefully next time we talk, I'll be back to my happy self. Thanks for listening.

Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup

adapted from here

I halved this recipe; it worked perfectly for just two of us, with some leftovers.

3 celery stalks, chopped thinly
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil

salt, pepper and dried parsley to taste

1 cup dry white wine
2 cups vegetable stock
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped
2 cups milk
6 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (you could also vary the cheese; a pepper-jack might be nice)

Sauté the celery and onion till translucent in olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine; let simmer three minutes. Add the vegetable stock, a few good shakes of parsley, the garlic and the cauliflower; simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.

Use an immersion blender, or transfer the mixture to a blender in small batches (be careful not to fill the blender too much, as the liquid is hot and will expand), and purée until very smooth. Return to the pot and let heat up again if needed. Add the milk; bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cheese and stir constantly on low heat until fully melted. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with parsley and serve.

*A big thank you to Dave for since giving me an early Christmas present: A much-needed set of large mixing bowls :)

salted margarita cookies

2010-11-22T19:39:00.000-05:00

I'm a fan of margaritas... but only if they're strawberry flavored, blended rather than served on the rocks, and rimmed with sugar instead of salt. Is that allowed?

But these salted margarita cookies may change my mind. The shortbread cookies, packed with lime zest and rolled in a sugar-and-sea-salt mixture, are true to the original margarita, and so delicious and addictive. They're definitely on my list for holiday cookies to bake, since they're both unusual and pretty.

Salted Margarita Cookies
recipe published in my story in Seven Days: Liquid Diet
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons tequila
pinch of salt
zest of 2 limes
zest of 1/2 orange
2 cups flour

Coating:
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated or coarse sugar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Beat the butter with a mixer until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat until mixture appears silky. Beat in the egg yolk, followed by the tequila, salt, and lime and orange zest. Add the flour and mix in with a spoon. Gather the dough into a ball and divide it in half. Wrap each half in wax paper and refrigerate 30 minutes

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll each ball into a log about an inch thick. Wrap again in wax paper and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the coating: Whisk the egg in a small bowl with the sugar and sea salt. Spread the mixture out evenly on a sheet of wax paper.

Remove the dough logs from the fridge and roll in the coating until evenly covered. Use a thin knife to slice the logs into quarter-inch-thick cookies. Place the cookies on the baking sheet; bake 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies should still be pale, but the coated edges may brown slightly.

white russian soufflés

2010-11-20T08:42:00.000-05:00

This was my favorite recipe that came out of my baking with booze story. Seriously. This Thanksgiving, I'm switching it up and making white Russian soufflés for dessert, just because they're that good. Who needs pumpkin pie?

Kahlúa and white chocolate might just be the most awesome combination ever. Add cream cheese to the mix... and you have my perfect dessert.

White Russian Soufflés
adapted from Razzle Dazzle Recipes
recipe published in Seven Days: Liquid Diet

1/2 cup Kahlúa
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
5 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
unsweetened cocoa powder

Melt white chocolate chips into Kahlúa in a saucepan over low heat, whisking frequently to blend. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Crack the eggs into a blender. Add the cream and mix. Pour the cooled Kahlúa mixture in and blend. Gradually add cream cheese, a few cubes at a time, until smooth. At this point, you can refrigerate the mixture until ready to bake. (Or bake a couple of soufflés now and save the rest for later.) This will yield four to six soufflés.

Butter the soufflé cups and coat with sugar. Pour the mixture into the cups until three-quarters of the way full. Run a finger along the inside edge of the soufflé to allow even rising. Bake for 20 minutes in the center of an oven preheated to 350 degrees. The edges of the cakes should be set, but the centers will jiggle slightly. Remove and sprinkle the tops with a light dusting of cocoa powder; serve immediately.

baking with booze

2010-11-17T16:57:00.000-05:00

Baking. And booze. Can you think of two better things to mix? I couldn't, so I wrote a story about doing just that for Seven Days' special food issue. I'd love it if you would go take a peek :) You'll find out why it's been sort of quiet over here lately — all my spare cooking time was designated to this! And that's not a bad thing, since it resulted in a White Russian Soufflé (pictured), Mojito Cake and Salted Margarita Cookies. Recipes are included in the story; I might post them here later on, too.

hard apple cider squash soup

2010-11-06T11:08:00.000-04:00

Life is full, friends. From traveling to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom (a beautiful drive) for my best friend's wedding to taking on some more writing projects at work (another baking story is in the works, and I'm excited about it!), I'm frankly amazed that we've landed here, in early November, already.

I'm actually looking forward to the quiet that comes with these gray November days in Vermont. I'm ready to think about low-key things like putting on my winter tires and bringing out the extra blankets — I require at least two comforters this time of year. And, of course, the month's slow pace lends itself well to lots of time in the kitchen. Last weekend was literally spent entirely in the kitchen! And I have this soup to show for part of it.

Do you remember this from last year? It was one of the year's cooking triumphs, and even though I followed the same recipe this time, it still came out pretty different. Thicker, for one thing, which I liked. Also less sweet, because I used Granny Smith apples and Granny Smith Woodchuck Cider. I'd actually recommend a using the Amber cider instead (or any sweet hard cider), with a sweet and tangy variety of apple, like jazz apples. But I'm still captivated by the balance of sweet and hearty and fragrant that's going on here.

Hard Apple Cider Squash Soup

1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 apples (a sweet variety is best), peeled, cored and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large butternut squash, cubed
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups sweet hard cider
1 large carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt, pepper, parsley and oregano to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rub a small amount of olive oil onto the cubed squash, sprinkle with salt, and roast 30-45 minutes in a baking pan, until the squash is soft.

Sauté the onion, apples, celery and carrots with some olive oil in your largest pan until soft. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the roasted squash and garlic; sauté another five minutes or so.

Deglaze the pan with the hard cider; stir. Add the stock and season with parsley and oregano, and more salt and pepper if needed. Simmer 10 minutes.

Purée in a blender in small batches, and return to the pan to reheat. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.

digital dishes

2010-10-13T08:23:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to share my first food article in Seven Days with you! It's a fun story about cooking from YouTube videos, written for the paper's technology issue. Grab a copy of this week's paper ... or just hop over here to read it online. You'll find recipes for this caramel sauce and more :)

here and there

2010-10-11T19:25:00.001-04:00

Boyden Valley Winery, Cambridge

Shelburne Orchards, Shelburne

downtown Middlebury

cocoa brownies

2010-10-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Saturday!

Aren't sunny October Saturdays the best? I'm keeping it simple this weekend: doing some much-needed grocery shopping (my fridge hasn't been properly stocked in weeks), cleaning the apartment, lighting candles and checking out the Giant Pumpkin Regatta... because, well, it's simply too weird to miss. Oh, and I'm going to my friend's bachelorette party tonight. That could complicate my weekend simplicity, but we'll see :)

Anyway, I see no reason to further digress from the amazing recipe that brings us together today: these cocoa brownies. This is hands-down my new favorite brownie recipe. It's easy to whip up and it gives you fantastically fudgy squares that I didn't know simple baking cocoa could make. Plus, it has a thick, flaky top that gives the fudginess some excellent texture. Fudginess... I like that word.

Best cocoa brownies

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 and 1/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 and 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil an 8x8" baking pan.

Combine the melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously. Add the flour and stir vigorously until fully incorporated.

Spread in the baking pan and bake 20-30 minutes until the batter is fully set, and a toothpick emerges slightly moist with batter.

biscotti, two ways

2010-10-04T18:21:00.000-04:00

A day and a half before my friend's bridal shower, I made about eight batches of biscotti. Please don't ever do this. While biscotti itself is surprisingly easy to make — and it's not like I had the time or the foresight to, you know, do a trial-run batch just to make sure the recipe was good — eight batches made after a full workday made me a little crazy. Or crazier than normal, however you look at it.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that these little twice-baked Italian desserts that I used to fill guests' parting favors came out delicious. The cinnamon-sugar biscotti was easiest to work with, and was my favorite in taste. It came out super crunchy, and the cinnamon-sugar topping made it reminiscent of cinnamon toast crunch (my guilty-pleasure cereal). Dipped in milk or coffee or hot chocolate... perfection.

The other recipe I used was for chocolate biscotti. I added chocolate chips to half the batch, and slivered almonds to the other half. This recipe was a little harder to work with — or perhaps my dough was too warm — but a few minutes in the freezer put it back on track. I just wish I had some left...

Cinnamon-Sugar Biscotti
adapted from Joy the Baker

2 cups flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk (save the white for an egg wash, below)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 beaten egg white (for brushing)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Arrange baking racks in the upper portion of the oven. Lightly oil a cooking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and the egg yolk. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter. Use a spoon to form the mixture into a stiff dough. Divide the dough in two equal parts and arrange each in a 9-inch by 1-and-1/2-inch log. Brush each log with the beaten egg white.

In a small bowl, whisk the cinnamon and sugar together for the topping. Sprinkle this generously on each log of biscotti.

Bake the biscotti for 20 minutes, then turn the baking sheet around for even baking. Bake another 20 to 25 minutes more, until the biscotti are golden and firm. Remove and let cool until you can handle them. Use a serrated knife to cut 1/2-inch diagonals. Place the biscotti cut-side-down on the baking sheet and brush with egg wash again. Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon-sugar topping.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the sides have turned a pale golden color. Let cool, and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Biscotti

adapted from Sugar Laws

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces dark chocolate, melted

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

(Note: You can also add chocolate chips or slivered almonds into the batter, as I did. Just toast the almonds a little bit first for better flavor.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly oil a cookie sheet, or cover it in parchment paper.

Mix the oil, sugar, vanilla, melted chocolate, cocoa powder and eggs in a bowl until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture until well combined.

Divide the dough in half and form it into two even logs (I did the same 9-inch by 1-and1/2-inch dimensions as the above recipe).

Bake the biscotti for 35 minutes, turning the cookie sheet around halfway through for even baking. Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them. Reduce the heat to 275 degrees. Use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti at a diagonal, making each about 3/4-inch thick. Lay the biscotti on their sides and bake another 9 minutes or so, until firm.

bridal shower: cake & decorations

2010-09-25T17:09:00.000-04:00

A quick glimpse of the party... and soon I'll share the recipes for the biscotti that filled those little gift bags.

Oh, and by the way, that beautiful cake was also very delicious. Made by Vermont Cake Studio in Waterbury, it was a light and fluffy vanilla cake with amazing raspberry mousse layers and a silky vanilla buttercream frosting.

bridal shower: venue

2010-09-23T17:08:00.000-04:00

I'm just gonna come right out and say it: Shelburne Vineyard is a fantastic place to throw a party. And not just because there's wine involved. Although ... I do really dig their Côte de Champlain. It's so fruity and soft, with just enough tang. And if you're the one in charge of throwing the party, chances are you're going to need a glass of wine. Or two.

But back to the venue. We had the whole mezzanine to ourselves, which was all angled ceilings, wood beams, chandeliers and a cherry wood floor. And yes, I was so frantically setting up that I didn't take a picture of the room. Not one. But it overlooks the tasting room below, as well as huge windows out to the vineyard itself. Want to take a peek around? I thought so.

All photos are from Shelburne Vineyard, taken by Dave Schmidt.

bridal shower: invitations

2010-09-22T20:48:00.011-04:00

I love a good invitation, don't you? But I can't even remember the last time I actually received one in the mail. A high school graduation party, maybe? So I wanted to have sweet, sunny bridal shower invitations that would make all the guests smile when they opened their mail.

Enter Kayla from Simple Design. I had a class with Kayla back in college, but had no idea she did freelance design until I saw her adorable invites featured on LoveVermont. I had originally tried to put my own graphic design skills to use, but I was being such a darn perfectionist that it wasn't going well! I love these sunflower invites Kayla designed in no time — and so did all of the guests. Check out Kayla's other work here... or get in touch yourself! You won't find a sweeter person to work with.

bridal shower: inspirations

2010-09-22T19:17:00.019-04:00

Hello! Can you guess what I've been busy with for the last month (or, um, five)? My wonderful friend Danielle's surprise vineyard bridal shower, which I was in charge of planning. It was Sunday, and I think it went really well! ...Even if I do say so myself. This was the first bridal shower I've even attended, so really, I have no point of comparison. But we had fun :)

Anyway. I want to show you some of the little details over the next few posts (and, of course, share some of the recipes that went into the food!). I thought I'd start with these inspiration boards I made a while ago.

1. missing the credit :( 2. prairie party 3. prairie party 4. summer citrus table 5. blueberry cheesecake squares 6. prairie party 7. wedding cake 8. summer party

1. summer citrus table 2. melted bottle 3. rosemary crackers 4. whitney party 5. summer party 6. summer party 7. wine and cheese 8. lemonade sign 9. lemonade jars

26

2010-09-18T11:39:00.005-04:00

Birthday season has arrived! By which I mean ... happy birthday, Dave! He's 26 today, and my birthday follows in a couple of weeks. To celebrate his day, he's taking advantage of the sunshine and skateboarding with a friend. And then it's off to the Farmhouse Tap & Grill tonight for yummy food and an awesome menu of brews.

giant vanilla sugar cookies

2010-09-09T17:26:00.011-04:00

Hello, friends! I've been so busy I hardly remember when I made these cookies. I'm in full-planning mode for my friend's upcoming bridal shower, distracted by pretty flowers and mason jars and party favors and wine! Thank goodness there will be wine at this thing :) I'm getting so excited about it. However, it's definitely taken its toll on my baking time. I've been drooling over different recipes for sea-salt and caramel brownies for two weeks now, to no avail.

So I'll leave you with these vanilla sugar cookies, which are quite good. They have just a little bit of crunch on the outside, and are great right out of the oven when the inside is warm and soft. I love the sparkle of sugar on top.

Still... confession time... these are definitely not my favorite cookies. I think I'm just a chocolate chunk cookie type of person. You?

Giant Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Adapted from Joy the Baker

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a cookie sheet.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add in the oil and mix. Add the sugar, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla until fully mixed. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt.

The mixture will be very soft, so refrigerate it for at least an hour, or put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes so it's easier to work with.

Dollop about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough onto the sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space in between each. (This makes wonderfully large cookies; feel free to decrease the size.) With the palm of your hand, press the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with extra sugar.

Bake 12-14 minutes for large cookies, or 8-10 minutes for smaller ones. They should be lightly golden around the edges.

sweet cherry pie

2010-08-20T15:56:00.027-04:00

When left to my own devices, I'm likely to do ridiculous things. Like bake a whole pie on a day when Dave's not around to help me eat it. This happened last weekend, when he was in New York City. It wasn't until the pie was in the oven that I realized I wouldn't have anyone to share it with — or, you know, show it off to. It had such a pretty, golden lattice crust. It just called out for a little admiration.

Luckily for me, my friend Danielle was at home packing for her next apartment move, and she was open to the idea of a pie break. Into the car it went, and minutes later we were eating still-warm sweet cherry pie in her sun room. It was pretty glorious.

I don't make pie all that often, but I really like this pie crust recipe. It was easy enough to work with and made for a wonderfully light, flaky crust. This was also my first time ever eating cherry pie. I'm pleased with how it came out — I can't say I prefer cherry pie over blueberry, though — and the little bit of lemon juice I added really made the flavors pop. All in all, baking this is not a bad way to spend a lonely weekend morning ... as long as you have a friend to help you eat it!

Sweet Cherry Pie

Adapted from Zoom Yummy, which has excellent photos of how to make a lattice crust.

For the crust:

2 and 1/2 cups flour

2 sticks butter, frozen and cut into cubes

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons cold water (you may need another tablespoon to make it all come together; I did)

Sift together the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the butter into the mixture, until you have large, coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the dough and add the cold water. Work it all into a rough ball, cover it in waxed paper, and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

For the cherry filling:

3 cups cherries, pitted and halved

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

juice of 1/2 lemon

Put the cherries and water in a large saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Mix the cornstarch into the sugar and add to the cherries. Stir. Add the lemon juice. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before filling the crust.

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into two pieces, on a 2/3 to 1/3 ratio. Set the smaller piece aside. Roll the larger piece of dough out on a well-floured surface into a 14-inch round. Fit it gently into your pie plate and trim the dough to a 1-inch overhang. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust. Pour in the cooled cherry filling.

Roll out the smaller piece of dough and slice it into even strips for the lattice crust. Crisscross the strips over the pie. (View the recipe I followed for details.) Crimp the edges of the dough together, and use a pastry brush to lightly cover the dough with egg wash (a lightly beaten egg).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until golden brown.

colchester causeway

2010-08-13T19:10:00.006-04:00

My family and I took a great walk along the Colchester Causeway last weekend. It was getting quite dark and stormy, but still ... there's just something about walking surrounded completely by water. The bike path, originally built as part of the Rutland Railroad, comes to an abrupt end in the middle of the water, but you can hop a bike ferry to reach the Champlain Islands.

shelburne museum

2010-08-10T19:27:00.019-04:00

Shelburne Museum has a special little spot in my heart. After all, it was the site of my first date with Dave! (Is there a cuter way to ask a girl out than to suggest a museum visit? I think not.) I've only been to the museum a handful of times since, but this weekend's trip was really great.

The museum was founded by Electra Webb in 1947, and is a collection not only of art and artifacts, but also historic buildings. The steamboat Ticonderoga that now sits on the property was moved two miles from the lake! The Round Barn, a museum guide told me, was transported in via helicopter. It's pretty fascinating, and you get the feeling you're wandering around in some sort of Alice in Wonderland universe. (The herb and flower gardens help that illusion.) I especially enjoyed the Ansel Adams/Edward Burtynsky exhibit, and the "Circus Day in America" blowout.

Here are some little details from my visit :)

pasta with corn pesto

2010-08-05T17:26:00.010-04:00

My friend Danielle and I loved this pasta dish so much that we didn't even touch our salads. And we like salad. A lot.

I'm not really sure what else needs to be said, other than that this was delicious, even eaten cold the next day. It's basically a sweet, creamy, textured pasta sauce made simply from corn, Asiago, pine nuts and olive oil. With bacon. And basil. It just kept getting better. I think you'll love it, too.

Pasta With Corn Pesto

Adapted from Lottie + Doof

4 bacon slices

4 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears of corn)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, plus more for serving

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup olive oil

8 oz fettuccine pasta

3/4 cup coarsely torn basil leaves

Brown the bacon slices in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning often. Transfer the slices to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from the skillet, then add the corn, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until the corn is tender but not brown.

Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the kernels to a small bowl; set aside. Scrape the remaining mixture into a food processor or blender. Add the cheese and pine nuts, and gradually blend in enough olive oil until the pesto is nearly smooth. Set aside.

Cook the fettuccine in salted water, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking, until almost tender, but still firm. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water; drain the rest. Return the pasta to the pot, and add the corn pesto, the reserved kernels and 1/2 cup torn basil leaves. Toss over medium heat until warm, adding in some reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency. Season with additional salt or pepper if needed.

Serve pasta topped with basil leaves and additional shredded cheese. Crumble a little bacon over the top.

snow farm vineyard

2010-08-01T13:12:00.022-04:00

Yesterday, with the sun shining and the Festival of the Islands upon us, Dave and I hightailed it north to revisit the Champlain Islands. Seriously, I want to move to this little archipelago in the middle of Lake Champlain. With cows and horses meandering in pastures alongside the road, sunny beaches, snack bars, antique shops galore and a friendly small-town feel, I'm thinking it's the perfect place to retire. Too bad I'm only 22.

Did I mention the vineyards? There are a couple, most likely because of the unique climate that allows vintners to produce both ice wines in the cold of winter and a variety of table wines in the summer, according to Snow Farm Vineyard's website. I'd been wanting to visit South Hero's Snow Farm for a while, and the festival was the perfect excuse.

You can taste up to three wines for free, or just pay $6 to sample them all and keep your glass (I think you pay a little extra — $2.50 — to try the ice wine). I sampled the '09 American Riesling, Snow White 2008 and Rose Red 2008, and ended up bringing bottles of the latter two home. After tucking those away in the car, we explored the sprawling vineyard. Pretty, no? I could definitely live here.

brewers fest

2010-07-22T20:16:00.016-04:00

Just wanted to share a few scenes from the Vermont Brewers Festival with you.

The highlights:

Long Trail Brewing Co .'s Blackbeary Wheat, served with a blackberry in it!

Vermont Pub & Brewery's Forbidden Fruit (always a favorite for me)

A stunning, pink sunset

An oversized Adirondack chair perfect for photoshoots

Kettle corn

Hanging with my two favorite Vermont people, hands down

vegan brownies, with applesauce

2010-07-21T20:11:00.012-04:00

Not too long ago, I made brownies, of sorts, with bananas. They were delicious. And according to this blog, I made those in April. I could've sworn it was two months ago, tops. Time has been flying this summer ... and I love it. It feels like every weekend brings a new daytrip, a new festival, a new restaurant — and, when I'm focused, a new baked treat.

I made these brownies for a book group that my friends and I recently began. It's pretty awesome. We read, we meet, and we discuss it over a yummy potluck dinner. I wanted to make a vegan dessert so my friend could join us, and that's where brownies made with applesauce came in. The recipe — made with simple ingredients I already had — sounded so good, I would have made them anyway.

Fudgy. Not cakey. This brownies are so super fudgy and moist, and very, very chocolatey. I loved the contrast of the melted chocolate chips against the smooth cocoa powder. You can't taste the applesauce, but it adds a surprisingly light finish to the brownie.

On another note, I'm hosting next month's book group. Anyone local want to join in? :)

Vegan Brownies, With Applesauce

Adapted from Food.com

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

dash of salt

1/2 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips

dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8x8 baking pan with olive oil.

Mix together the applesauce, sugar and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the ingredients, then add the applesauce mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread evenly in baking pan and bake 25-30 minutes, until the center is firm and not sticky.

overlook park

2010-07-15T17:10:00.015-04:00

There's this small park just off a road we frequently drive along. Overlook Park. With colorful beds of flowers, picnic tables and a gorgeous lake-and-mountains view, it finally tempted us to pull over and explore it on a recent hot day. I think it's going to be a new favorite picnicking and stargazing spot.

happy hour: mojitos

2010-07-10T14:48:00.013-04:00

My at-home mojitos have become infinitely more delicious since I made my own mint simple syrup. It makes the mint flavor much smoother, and adds a subtler sweetness than muddling sugar and mint does.

I actually made the syrup for a mint julep recipe, and love that it fits with mojitos as well.

Mint Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup cold water

1 bunch fresh mint sprigs

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring.

Remove from the heat, and pour over the mint leaves in a bowl. Gently crush the mint leaves with a spoon.

Chill overnight in a closed jar. Remove the mint leaves and refrigerate until needed. This will keep for several weeks.

Basic Mojito

(makes 1)

1/2 lime, sliced into wedges

2 oz. rum

1 oz. mint simple syrup (see above recipe)

3 oz. seltzer

mint sprig

Muddle the lime in the bottom of a glass. Add the rum and simple syrup, and stir. Top with seltzer, and garnish with the mint. Serve with ice if desired.

montpeculiar

2010-07-06T18:24:00.012-04:00

We spent Saturday morning in the capital city, Montpelier. It was broiling hot (or so we thought... now that the temp is even higher in the 90s, we know better), packed with Independence Day revelers, craft and food vendors, and very pretty.

watermelon-rhubarb soup

2010-07-04T20:42:00.009-04:00

This weekend was quite the scorcher. In my mind, that translates into requiring some sort of chilled, fruity soup. My mom recently mentioned a soup that my grandmother would serve before dinner — a smooth strawberry soup made creamy with milk. I'm not sure about you, but that sounds like perfection to me! I'm waiting on the recipe for that one, but in the meantime, I raided my fridge and came up with watermelon and rhubarb.

Separately, the simmered rhubarb and the blended watermelon are a little icky; the first is overly sweet and the second, not sweet enough. Together, they chill and marry into something totally refreshing and delicious. The rhubarb adds that interesting little tang that makes it special. You could serve it before a fancy meal or as a light dessert... I sort of ended up drinking it here and there throughout the day to chill off.

Watermelon-Rhubarb Soup

Adapted from The Humble Gourmand

3 cups rhubarb, diced

2 cups sugar

4 cups cold water

6 cups watermelon, diced

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add the water, rhubarb, sugar and vanilla in a pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steep for another 15 minutes. Discard the rhubarb.

Puree the diced watermelon in a blender til smooth. Combine with the rhubarb-infused mixture in a large bowl, then put it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any watermelon-seed bits.

Chill the soup in the fridge for at least six hours. Serve very cold; garnish with fruit or mint if desired.

alburgh dunes state park

2010-07-04T12:04:00.012-04:00

When Laura visited last weekend, we trekked up to the Champlain Islands for the day to visit Alburgh Dunes State Park. Having never seen sand dunes in person before, I was super excited to find out there were some (little ones) right here in Vermont.

Still, it felt like false advertising to call them sand dunes. There was one tiny section of fenced-off sand on a small incline — and that was the dune. But we still had a fun time in the water, as well as on the beautifully scenic drive to the park, where we passed so many farms, vineyards and snack shacks. I may not visit the park again, but I'm definitely driving back to the islands this summer for some serious adventuring.

Oh — and happy Fourth of July!

dill potato salad

2010-06-29T17:46:00.012-04:00

Potato salad isn't exactly pretty. You can try to dress it up — put it in a pink and ridiculously tiny mug, even — but it insists on being a little... frumpy. It's potatoes, celery and egg, dammit, and it's never going to change its ways.

...Except, this was potato salad in a way I'd never had it before. With its part sour cream/part mayonnaise mix and lots of fresh dill, it became creamier and lighter at the same time. The dill added a fresh garden burst. It still has my favorite potato salad standards — chopped hard-boiled egg and a little chopped onion — but this is a bright new twist.

Dill Potato Salad

Adapted from Bunkycooks

This is best made a day or two in advance of serving. I also think you could even use less mayo than this recipe calls for.

1 and 1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed (I used a mix of fingerling and gourmet baby red)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream (I used Cabot)

mustard powder to taste

3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

1/2 celery, chopped thinly

1/2 cup sweet onion, diced

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced

3 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped finely

Boil the potatoes until just soft; you want them to be tender enough to stick a fork in, but still firm. When cool, cut them into bite sizes.

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Fold in chopped potatoes, celery, onion, eggs and dill until well covered.

Let stand in fridge until serving; season again if necessary.

long weekend

2010-06-24T18:22:00.003-04:00

Hello, friends!

Not to brag, but I've got the best weekend ahead of me. Laura is visiting, and I'm taking tomorrow off work to spend the day with her. The proposed weekend itinerary includes catching fireworks by the Winooski River, admiring tiny trees at a bonsai show, eating sweets at a strawberry festival and hopefully baking something delicious. Though, who knows, we may just grab a bottle of wine, gossip and play Apples to Apples all weekend. Both are equally tempting.

Have a lovely few days! What are your plans?

green mountain railroad

2010-06-21T20:12:00.018-04:00

Sunday's White River Junction/Quechee daytrip, in a nutshell: train tracks, sunshine, antiquing, a carousel, raspberry iced tea.

strawberry cake

2010-06-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

The drive back from our recent trip to Pennsylvania was pretty brutal. We were down there, for a short about two and a half days, to see my first cousin get married. We left the following morning, nursing slight wedding hangovers (one whiskey sour too many!), at an annoyingly sunny 8 a.m., with close to eight hours til we'd reach Burlington again.

Luckily, my parents did all the driving back to New York, so Dave and I were fully functional by our Vermont leg of the trip. And we couldn't wait to stop by Pattie's Patch, our favorite farm stand just before the state border. We wanted strawberries.

And then ... we had so many strawberries I didn't know what to do with them. But a few days later, it felt like a cake was in order. And when I came across this recipe, I knew a cake was in order.

This was a delicious dessert served warm out of the oven, with a little drizzle of freshly made strawberry sauce on top. So it makes me really happy to report that the cake got better with age. Two days later, it was more moist. The strawberry sweetness popped more. I couldn't tell you what it was like by day three or four, because I'm pretty sure it was g-o-n-e.

Strawberry Cake

Slightly adapted from The Kitchen Sink Recipes

The only thing I had to alter with this recipe was the amount of strawberries. I'm really not sure how you could possibly fit a full pound of strawberries on top of this cake! If you can, go for it. I used more like 2 and 1/2 cups, and the rest for an easy strawberry sauce. (Simmer the strawberries with vanilla and sugar til juicy, then blend.)

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

roughly 2 and 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved

2 tablespoons sugar (raw or sanding sugar if you have it), for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a pie plate or cake pan. My cake pan was 9-inches.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and 1 cup sugar. Mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg, milk and vanilla, and mix. Gradually add in the flour mixture.

Transfer the mix to your pie plate or cake pan. Arrange the strawberries as close as you can get them on the top, placing the cut sides down. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake about an hour longer, until it's firm and golden.

weekend!

2010-06-18T18:19:00.013-04:00

I just did a massive camera upload, and there's so much I haven't shared with you guys! I'll get to that in about two seconds, but let's talk about the weekend first.

The next few days promise to be extra fun, and not only because it's gloriously hot and sunny out. Barbecue plans are in the works for tonight, tomorrow is a beach day (and maybe a little shopping and/or laundry, as I seem to be completely out of cute clothes...) and Sunday ... my friend and I are roadtripping to White River Junction to take a themed train ride for a magazine article she's writing. We've never explored down there and I can't wait! Do you Vermonters have any must-see suggestions for that area?

And now, a photo diary of the last month or so. Happy weekending!

Lake Champlain, as seen from Battery Park

Random Burlington view. I think we were on top of a parking garage.

My parents, Dave and I, in Pennsylvania for my cousin's wedding :)

Ricketts Glen State Park, Pennsylvania

We saw more than 20 waterfalls on a two-hour hike.

...and dipped our toes in the freezing water.

bits & pieces

2010-05-22T12:44:00.010-04:00

It's gorgeous outside, but I want to catch up. So let's make this short, okay? :)

This week involved:

photo from www.cafeshelburne.com

1. Eating out! It was the first-ever Vermont Restaurant Week and I took advantage of the prix-fixe menus and tried out some tempting restaurants I'd never visited before: Café Shelburne and Bistro Sauce. I swoon just thinking of my meal at the first one (and you can read what I had to say about it here). Yum.

2. Flowers. Lovely white bleeding hearts and lillies of the valley, specifically.

3. This tasty pasta — even tastier served cold as a sort of pasta salad — based, very loosely, on this tomato and olive penne from Love and Olive Oil.

What made you smile this week?

banana chocolate chip muffins

2010-05-06T17:12:00.023-04:00

You guys... These are sad muffins.

I know, they look so cute! How could I not want to devour these?! But we're about honesty here, right? I tell you about crappy vacations, cheesecake withdrawal... heck, I even post unfortunate photos like these. And we bond over it all. At least, that's what I like to think. You guys don't comment very often (wink wink, nudge nudge), so I'm not exactly sure what you think. But holding up my end of the bargain, let's talk about sad muffins.

I've told you about my muffin obsession before. So I thought I'd do something about it and whip up a fantastically good batch on my own. Problem was, every time I can remember having made muffins in the past, they were seriously lacking. There was a batch of blueberry muffins that tasted, inexplicably, like Play-Doh. But I was sure this time would be different, especially with a bananas-and-chocolate recipe in hand.

But, as much as Dave tried to tell me these were delicious, they just weren't. At all. The recipe specified to mix the ingredients until just combined, and I ended up with — gasp — bitter clumps of baking powder. And altogether flat, dry, un-banana-y muffins that were more of a vehicle for chocolate consumption than anything else.

So... share with me your favorite muffin recipes. Pretty please? Or share with me your baking failures. We all have sad muffin days once in a while, right? And then we move on.

Sad Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Um. Obviously I don't really recommend this recipe... but just in case you were curious.

1 egg

3 large bananas, finely mashed

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

3 tablespoons baking powder

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tray with muffin cups.

Beat egg in a large bowl. Add milk, oil and mashed bananas and mix well. Stir in the remaining ingredients until flour is just dissolved.

Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle with additional sugar or chocolate chips. Bake 15-20 minutes. Immediately remove from pan.

burlington in fisheye

2010-04-25T09:47:00.013-04:00

Have I told you guys that I'm learning to skateboard? I can pretty much just balance on a board and push around before I get scared and resort to photographing Dave from the lovely, solid ground.

Yesterday was beautiful and we visited the very colorful Burlington skatepark and took a walk on the waterfront. What did you do? I'd love to hear!

strawberry rhubarb crumble

2010-04-25T08:55:00.011-04:00

I can't remember ever having eaten rhubarb until about three years ago. I was at my internship at Shelburne Farms and the office was celebrating a late spring birthday with strawberry rhubarb pie. The rhubarb was fresh from the market garden, and the pie was amazingly sweet and tangy, making me wonder why on earth I'd never had it before.

That said, I still never baked with rhubarb until a couple of weeks ago, when I spotted some super early stalks hiding under a head of lettuce at the market. I snatched two stalks up, and really should have grabbed them all — that's how delicious this crumble is.

It tastes like warm strawberry sauce at first, like the kind I top my pancakes with, but then the tanginess of the rhubarb and the lemon juice creeps up and adds this whole complex flavor. And the crumble? It was wonderfully sweet and crunchy, and made enough to have a thick covering on each bite. Enough said.

Strawberry rhubarb crumble

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Topping:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 and 1/2 cups rhubarb (or roughly 2 large stalks), chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered (I used frozen, since they're not quite in season)

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

3 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare the filling: Toss the rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and salt right in your baking dish or pie pan.

Cover the filling thickly and evenly with the topping — no need to pack it down like I did. Put the baking dish on a baking sheet (just in case it bubbles over; mine didn't) and bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 45 minutes.

ilovermont

2010-04-16T18:54:00.033-04:00

Most of the year, all I can think about is getting out of Vermont.

Yes, I like that it has the perfect mix of mountains, farms and lake. I love having so many great bars and cafes in the area — Dave and I know to go to Parima when we want hurricanes and Mirabelles for amazing weekend brunches and the odd sweet treat. And we frequently take day trips to discover the state's smaller towns.

But sometimes it feels we've done all there is to do. And the last couple of summers have been so rainy that, all the way through our icky, snowy winters, I'm not sure what I have to look forward to. And I have this nagging feeling that I might end up just staying in Vermont forever, because it's easy to.

If that's not a cry for a vacation, I don't know what else is. But strangely, our NYC trip proved more stressful than relaxing, and the change of scenery only made me want to come home.

It was beautiful weather in the city — over 80 degrees most of the trip! amazing what five hours south will do — and we traipsed all over the blooming Bronx Botanical Gardens (pictured), into a seriously scrumptious Italian restaurant (Nocello) and, well, a bunch of places. I made it to the Guggenheim, saw old friends, caught a movie and did a lot of reading.

But goodness! A few days of subways, constant walking, continually getting lost and terrible city traffic, among a few other things I won't get into here, made me realize I can take the place only in small doses. The relief was palpable as Dave and I got on the highway and headed north (to the tune of Maroon 5's "Must Get Out" on the radio, if you'll believe it).

So, yeah. Nothing like coming home :)

vacation!

2010-04-05T15:34:00.005-04:00

Hi guys,

Dave and I are heading into NYC for the next six days! We're lucky to be skipping out on a rainy week in Burlington and will hopefully get lots of sunshine. On my must-do list: Visit with two old roommates, go to the Guggenheim (I've never been), find a farmers market and maybe see a play. Any recommendations for the rest of my time there?

See you next week!

double-chocolate banana bread squares

2010-04-01T17:46:00.018-04:00

A few days ago, I declared that 22 is a funny age. Know what else is funny? Titles. Titles are funny. And not so much in the ha-ha variety, but in the stand-there-stumped department.

Wait, what? Titles? Here's what I mean.

What we call things, or how we define them, seems so important ... and it's weird. Like that awkward stage when you're "seeing" a guy, but not "dating" him. When you're just "hanging out." Confusing! Right? You don't know how to define your relationship, how to explain it to the rest of the world, so they understand it the way you do.

I remember when Dave and I had that conversation. He asked me something like, "What are we doing?" and I was like, "Um, watching a movie?" before I realized we were about to officially become boyfriend and girlfriend. Thank goodness those awkward days are behind us, but you see? People get hung-up on titles, and it's funny.

I'm telling you this slightly embarrassing story, oddly enough, so I can tell you about these double chocolate banana bread squares. The recipe I worked from called them "banana brownies," so that's what I expected I would get. But that's not what came out of the oven.

This is a very rich and decadent dessert. It has a wonderfully dense, moist, fudgy texture and little pockets of melted chocolate chips. But it's not chocolatey enough to be a brownie, and, um, there are bananas in there. It was disconcerting. Something wasn't quite right with the brownie idea. These squares have the same texture as banana bread. Once I realized that these were, in fact, double chocolate banana bread squares, the dessert made sense. I was able to love it, and go on to make many sundaes out of it. All because of the title.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread Squares

Adapted from here

So, this "brownie" recipe was originally vegan. No eggs, no dairy. Instead... bananas. I like that. But my version wasn't vegan because I used regular milk instead of soy or almond milk, and regular chocolate chips instead of dairy-free ones. Feel free to go either way, depending on what's in your kitchen.

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely mashed bananas (I used 3 bananas here)

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9X13" baking dish.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.

In another large bowl, mix the mashed bananas, milk, canola oil and vanilla. Gradually add in the sifted dry ingredients, stirring till just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour evenly into the baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out cleanly.