Black Widow Cupcakes - arachnophobes, beware!

(Black velvet spiders, recipe in post)

The air is chill, the nights are long, and all is quiet save the rustling of leaves... Hallows eve is upon us! Turning children's stomachs with fear, and too much candy - buahahaha!

It's been quite a while since I've done anything much for Halloween - sure, as a kid, I would dress up and do the whole door-to-door thing, but that all ended when I was about fourteen. Later, I'd do food drives, collecting canned goods rather than candy and donating to charity, but with a busier adult schedule dressing up and making a night of it seemed less and less practical. Unfortunately, this year is hardly different. Despite being invited to several events, and of course the fun that could be found in pairing costumes with The Boyfriend, I simply haven't had enough time in the day. It doesn't help that the days are getting shorter, either.

I did, however, find the time to make some spooky halloween treats - how could I not? I came up with dozens of ideas before realizing I had to narrow down my options if I wanted to get any of them made before the actual day, so I settled on cupcakes - a genre with so much potential, but that I've hardly ever played with.

I was still toying with a few different ideas when I found the spider web cupcake stand - that's when I knew I had to do the spiders.
First, I tried making their little legs out of modeling chocolate. This was very silly of me, and after spending several hours fiddling with things I finally realized this. Modeling chocolate was simply not sturdy enough for my needs.
Then I switched to gum paste. This was the first time I'd worked with gum paste, and was a much more complicated job than I'd have liked to start out with. I managed to make things work in the end, but I won't be giving a very detailed how-to because honestly, the time and effort were hardly worthwhile. The cupcakes, on the other hand, were very, very worthwhile! I made two batches of mini's, which are both almost entirely gone - some to friends and neighbors, but most to The Boyfriend's and my bellies. I'd never made red velvet before (which these are, only with black food coloring instead of red), but these turned out amazing. And if you're wondering where the frosting is, then I've got a little surprise for you... it's on the inside! More on that later.

First, the basics about the gum paste legs. I started out by kneaded some black gel food coloring into the gum paste (you could make your own, but store bought is so much less hassle, and seriously worth the price). Then I rolled out long cylinders of it, just like a kid making clay snakes. I made them thinner than a pencil, but not too thin because otherwise they wouldn't be able to support themselves. I cut the snake into maybe 2.5-3.5 inch lengths to form the legs, then rolled another few inches a little thicker to form the center.


(I also made a couple with a flat disc for the center, but found that these were more fragile and the legs fell off)

I then took the legs and adhered them to the circle with a dab of water, and much pinching/squishing/kneading to get them to stick. I then set them up on empty cupcake wrappers, bending the legs as was fitting.


(I made sure the inner circle was just wide enough to hold the bottom of a mini cupcake - if the circle was too small, I gentle stretched it to fit)

Then I let them dry overnight. It would behoove of me, had I thought of it, to brush them the next morning with more black gel coloring, to give a darker, shinier finish - but I'm not that smart. Once the spiders were made, I was already moving on to the cupcakes!

A quick note - if you're going to be working directly with food coloring, you might want to wear gloves.


(I'm like Violet, turning into a blueberry! Also, a quick shout-out to The Boyfriend for his handy dandy camera work.)

If you do use gloves, be sure to get non-powdered medical cloves. I like to avoid using latex, in case of allergies, so I recommend Nitrile if you can find them.

Black Velvet Cupcakes, with chocolate cream filling
(Adapted from 6 Bittersweets 'Best Red Velvet Cupcakes')
This recipe will make approx. 12-14 full sized cupcakes, or 28-30 mini's

1 cup cake flour, plus 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 TBSP cocoa powder (can I emphasize again that I like Valrhona?)
1/2 tsp., rounded, of baking soda
1/4 tsp., rounded, salt
3/4 cup sugar, or vanilla sugar
1/4 cup, or half a stick, unsalted butter, melted
1 TBSP, rounded, of black (or red, for classic) gel food coloring (I recommend Wilton icing color, but other gels would work, too - just be sure not to use regular liquid food coloring, as it won't be a deep enough color and will water down the batter)
1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP buttermilk (can be substituted with a combination of 1/2 cup plus 1/2 TBSP whole milk, and 1 1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice, and set aside to sour for five minutes before using)
3 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP full fat mayonnaise
1 large egg, preferably at room temp.
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting or filling of choice - chocolate cream recipe follows


Step 1 - spray cupcake pan, and or fill with liners. Preheat the oven to 350f.

In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients, including the sugar. Make sure everything is well combined.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, mayonnaise, egg, vinegar, and vanilla. Set aside.
In another bowl, melt the butter and whisk in the food coloring. It's important to add the food coloring at this point, to the wet ingredients, so that when you combine the wet and dry the color is evenly distributed, and not clumpy, without having to over-mix things.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the butter and food coloring, and stir until well combined.
Pour the wet into the dry, and stir with a spatula until all the flour is wet. A few lumps are fine, so don't go over-mixing things!
For filling the cupcakes, since it's a fairly wet batter, I found it most convenient to use a piping bag (or zip-top bag with a corner cut out) to fill the pan evenly and without mess.
Fill each cup about 3/4 of the way full - I went a little heavy on the batter, specifically trying to get a little bit more of a full-topped look. (I also made red batter, and piped this with a small piping tip onto the top to make little x's and hourglasses on the backs of my spiders. The smaller designs came out best, as the batter expanded significantly in the oven.)



Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpic inserted in the center comes out clean. It may take a little longer if you're doing full sized cupcakes, but I found 15-16 minutes was just perfect for the little ones.
Remove from the oven, and let sit for a minute or two before transferfing the cupcakes to a rack to finish cooling. It's important that you take them out of the pan while they're still warm, otherwise they'll sit in their own oil and steam and become soggy on the bottom.

Once cooled, and set carefully into their spider legs, these babies were ready for their close up!



But wait, what about the frosting! Well, let's do a little dissection, shall we?





Ooooh, chocolaty spider insides!

After the cupcakes were cooled, I filled them with a simple chocolate cream frosting.

Using a small paring knife (or in my case, a birds-beak fruit carving knife), cut around the center of the cupcake at about a 45 degree angle.


(Forgive the awful lighting...)

Once the center is removed, cut off the cone end of the center, leaving just the top of the muffin. You can hollow out the inside a little more if you like, depending on what cake to filling ratio you want.


(Nom! You can guess where those cupcake innards went!)

Then, pipe full of whatever frosting you like, and replace the lid.





The seam is certainly visible, but it detracts very little from the overall presentation. Plus, they're more fun to eat and less messy to transport this way.
Normally, the incision in the top would be hidden beneath more frosting, like so - you can do this if you like, but I find this to be too much frosting, especially in the case of the mini's

The Chocolate Cream:

One part cocoa powder (1/4 cup) to
Two parts powdered sugar (1/2 cup) plus
a Pinch of cream of tarter (>1/8th tsp.), add
Just enough milk to make it all moist (~1/4 cup), then
Whipping cream as you like it (1/2-1 cup),
Beaten on high until billowy, and chilled.

Optional additions: vanilla extract, espresso powder, pinch of cinnamon... you get the idea.


Holy red velvet cupcakes, Batman!



Did I mention how quickly these went? The mini's make the perfect one to two bite treat, and with the frosting on the inside they're easy to transport if you want to take them on the go. And although the spiders are a bit much effort, the decorating possibilities are pretty endless. They could even be easily tailored for other holidays - green and red for Christmas, anyone?

Whether you spookify them or not... these are some scary good cupcakes!

Budderscotch Pudding - silky, rich, and way too easy to make

(Butterscotch Pudding - link to recipe in post)

Today I had a dentist appointment. I just wish someone had reminded me of that before I hit the snooze button. After scrambling out of bed and driving all the way there, I stumbled into the office to find that I was not only a half hour late, but that I'd forgotten my purse.
No problem, they said, and told me to come back in a little while when they had an opening. Whew, I thought, that'll give me time to go get my purse.
Realizing that I'm a complete scatterbrain, I decided to write myself a list of what I needed to get done and in what order - that way I wouldn't be able to mess anything up. Not so fast, though... when I went to recap my sharpie, instead of putting "pen into cap" as it should be, the reality was more along the lines of "pen into thigh". Blue jeans, meet perminent marker.
Of course, I wasn't going to let a big blue dot of ink ruin my day. Or forgetting my purse, or my appointment, or anything else for that matter!
After retrieving my purse, and still having time before my newly arranged dental visit, I made the most out of the stain on my jeans, and resolved to make the most out of my day.



It's days like this you need to come home to a good dessert.
Butterscotch pudding has been on my radar for awhile, now - pretty much ever since that episode of South Park, 'Royal Pudding'. I've thought about it, talked about it, and recently have even been buying it from Zingerman's Roadhouse. If you don't know what Zingerman's is, clearly you're not from around here... or anywhere near here... or this country. They're local to Ann Arbor, but they're widely known not only for their high quality food and knowledgeable staff, but also for their  exceptionally successful business model. They host both culinary and business classes, and are pretty revered in both areas.
If you're jealous not to live around the corner from them like I do, you should be. But not too jealous - they do ship nationwide.
Back to the butterscotch - the stuff from the Roadhouse is great, but a little on the pricier side, and since the idea has been floating around in my mind so long I figured it was time I went ahead and made it myself. As it turns out, it's crazy simple.

After looking at a few different recipes, I found David Lebovitz's - viola, my searching had come to an end. Basically the king of desserts (not to mention the voice of authority on everything ice cream), I had no doubt his butterscotch pudding would be fantastic.

I followed the recipe from his book Ripe for Dessert almost exactly, so I won't go reprinting it here.
You can, however, find the recipe on his blog, in all it's glory: davidlebovitz.com

I was surprised at what a simple concoction this tasty stuff really is. Its primary composition is butter and brown sugar, resulting in a semblance of caramel, only with an indefinable edge to it. The rest is milk, eggs, vanilla, and corn starch. Chances are, you already have all the ingredients you need!

It's often thought that butterscotch is 'traditionally' made with butter and, well, scotch - this is not the case. According to wikipedia, there isn't any conclusive evidence as to its name, though the explanation I like the most is that it comes from butter scorched. That indefinable something might just be that the butter browns, or scorches slightly, in the pan while the pudding is thickening.
Whatever the case, adding a touch of scotch or bourbon is by no means off-limits. The flavors marry so nicely it's like a match made in heaven... or so I'm told. My liquor cabinet may be lacking, slightly, so for now I kept things plain and simple. No scotch, no whipped cream, not even a dusting of chocolate - just straight up deliciousness. As is tradition. Utensil of choice: finger.




I strongly encourage you to make some for yourself. If you've never had true butterscotch, you're missing out on something amazing.

Check out David Lebovitz's blog for the recipe: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/02/a-butterscotch/

Honey Roasted Almond Butter - I think I've gone nuts!

Today may well have been the perfect fall day. The colors were bright, the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and for all I know children were laughing. It may well have been, perfect. But I wouldn't know, because I've been inside making friends with the bathroom floor (if you're reading this, bathroom, I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to cleaning you in awhile...), and losing my marbles (if you couldn't tell).

Yesterday I had high hopes of feeling better, and even went so far as to go disc golfing and rollerblading before realizing that no, I'm still not well. However, since my whining doesn't make for very good food blogging (oh, how I wish it did...), I went ahead and managed to snap a few shots on the subject of nut butters.




(Squirrel done gone run away with my nut!)



I love nut butters - peanut butter, as you know, is both the love of my life and my mortal enemy. But that's only one of the many wonderful options when it comes to grinding your own. Cashew butter is another favorite, not to mention hazelnut (did someone say Nutella?), and of course, almond butter. The different varieties of nuts are only the beginning of all the possibilities, too - spice roasted, honey or maple coated, or a dash of cocoa added - it's all good!


First, let's talk about the roasting. If you're making peanut or cashew butter, you may already have roasted and salted nuts, in which case you can just add them to your food processor and blend until smooth. If your nuts are raw, however, you'll need to roast them yourself, which leaves lots of options open in terms of flavoring.

Whatever nut you're using (or seed), spread them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350f. oven for (usually) 15-20 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant and golden brown. During the cooking, you should check on them frequently and stir them, or give the pan a shake, to make sure they aren't burning. If they start to turn black, or smell smoky, you've gone too far, or your oven is running hot. You can always roast at a lower temperature and go longer, which I actually prefer when I've got the time. They should smell warm and, well, nutty.
Remove the roasted nuts from the oven, and in the case of hazelnuts, put the still hot nuts in a clean dish towel and rub them against each other inside the bundle - this friction will remove their skins, which are tough not slightly bitter. In the case of pistachios and peanuts, the shells can be removed before or after roasting - up to you. Roasting them in the shell will generally take an additional five minutes in the oven. Be sure to let them cool before trying to remove any shells.




Now, prior to roasting, the nuts can optionally be tossed with oil and salt, other seasonings, or honey or maple syrup, depending on what you're going for. Even if you want a classic savory butter with just nuts and salt, though, it isn't necessary to salt before roasting - you can always add a dash during the blending.


Now that we've gone over the basics, you're pretty much set to go out and experiment making your own. You're well on your way to being able to make it in this world *sniff* - you don't need me anymore!

But, I won't let you leave that easily. I still have some wisdom to share. As promised in the title of this post, here is a quick and easy recipe for one of my personal favorites.

Honey Roasted Almond Butter

2 cups raw almonds
4 TBSP honey
1 tsp. cinnamon (this, and other spices, optional)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 TBSP oil (I use coconut, but almond, or olive or other vegetable oil would work fine as well)

Method
Preheat oven to 350f., and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl until the nuts or evenly coated, then spread on the sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Give them a stir or a shake every 3-5 minutes to be sure they roast evenly - you don't want them to char!
Once they smell roasty-toasty and good, pull them from the oven and move them around a bit with a spatula before letting them cool a bit. As they come to room temp, they'll stick to one another and get very hard, hence the moving them around first.
Now that they aren't quite piping hot, add them to your food processor and pulse a few times to get it going, then let it spin for 5-10 minutes. Yeah, you heard me right. You might want to leave the room at this point, 'cause I'm not going to lie... it's loud.
If all goes well, the nuts will release their luscious fats and your butter will become smooth and dreamy all on its own. If, after a good long time in the processor, you haven't reached the desired consistency, drizzle in a little more oil (very, very slowly - you don't want to add too much) just until it comes together.
Stop the processor and taste, adding more salt, honey, cinnamon, etc. as you like it. Blend to combine, then jar and store in the refrigerator.




I'm no expert on how long these things will last without any kind of commercial grade sealing, but I've let mine go for several months without any problems. That won't be an issue though, I assure you - this stuff usually disappears within a week or two of making, in my experience. That 'several month' experiment was an accident caused by forgetfulness and having too much stuff in my fridge. When I did discover that jar again, neglected and pushed to the back behind the other jams and jellies, it was like stumbling upon hidden treasure. Like that twenty bucks you left in your coat pocket last year and are only discovering now, as the weather turns cold again. Only tastier.



Cheers!

Sugar, Citrus, Ice Cream... where am I going with all this?

A week without a post! How can this be?

Under the weather, sleep deprivation, a camera malfunction (losing the charger counts as a malfunction, right?), and a quick trip out of state, you say? Okay, okay, I guess we can let it slide this once.


Unfortunately, the sleep deprivation and illness fell together right on top of the weekend trip. Despite my hopes of having a good time, I was resigned to spending the majority of my time in the hotel room, smelling of gummy worms (the soaps claim to be 'sugared citrus' scented, but they don't fool me), and gazing out over this lovely view:


(Yay for cell phone cameras!)

Can you read that from here? "Dave's Hot N' Juicy" ... "Haunted Hoochie".  Apparently, according to the yellow starburst on the haunted hoochie sign, it's rated one of the best in America. Which suggests there's more than one.

Mommy, what's a 'haunted hoochie'?

The internet tells me it's one of the biggest, baddest haunted houses around. That's cool... but seriously, why the name? I'm sure I'm not the only one confused, or amused, by it.


Besides the comical signage, and the inherent fun of marching around in OSU's home territory while wearing the opposing team's colors, I was less than happy about being away from the comforts of home.

Now that I'm back in the warm mountain of blankets I call a bed, I realize that I still have nothing new to share with you - no kitchen follies, no delicious morsels. So instead, I'll regale you with a tale of old. I made these tasty treats back when a food blog was just a glimmer in my minds eye - but even back then I was smart enough to snap a few photos!



(Orange)

 Splash! What's that? Why, I'm glad you asked.

I realize it's strange to be talking about ice cream, just as the weather is getting cold and gloomy and everyone is reaching for the warm and cozies, but if you ask me ice cream has no season. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to go to a DQ in the middle of winter, only to find that for some reason, they're closed. I know I'm pretty die-hard when it comes to ice cream (don't even get me started here, people), but seriously, just because it's cold doesn't mean we can't enjoy a nice frozen dessert.
The reason I decided to post about this, in particular, though, was actually because of the supposedly 'sugared citrus' scented shampoos.
The ice cream is plain vanilla, and the slice of orange is suspended in poured sugar - like spun, only less scalding hot liquid sugar flying everywhere. I simply melted some sugar in a pot, but before letting it caramelize I took it off and poured it on sheets of parchment. Actually, I used a spoon to drizzle, mostly. Again, less scalding hot liquid all over the place.


(Lemon)

Although it's more for looks, the sugar was fun to nibble on while eating the ice cream. Also more for looks, are the ramekins. In fact, I think that's what inspired this photoshoot in the first place. If you've got cute little dishes, put them to use!


(Blood orange)

If I'd had a mandalin at the time, I would have aimed for thinner slices, and a more stained-glass type look.


(Lime)

Clearly I was on a bit of a citrus kick. And an ice cream kick. And later, I was on a sugar high.



After the photos, I found myself in the always tragic situation of having rapidly melting ice cream on my hands. Without room in the freezer for the ramekins, there was only one thing to do... a sacrifice I would gladly make, in the name of food photography. Or, I suppose, in the name of not throwing away ice cream. Very important!

My favorite was the orange, quickly followed by the lemon. The lime and blood orange were both a little bitter, but perhaps had I candied them first (rather than just pouring the sugar over top of them) they would have been more pleasing. Whether for eating or not, though, they certainly make for a fun and interesting garnish!


Hmm... sick, bundled in bed, and now... craving ice cream. I might just be able to remedy that!

Bean and Lentil Soup - a big pot full of easy

Ah, with the chill of fall eminently setting in, there's nothing quite like a big pot of warm, simple, cozy soup.

On top of the weather turning gray, I've been turning a little... well, under the weather. All the more reason to make soup - an easy, comforting meal even a sickie like me can handle throwing together on a weeknight. Delicious doesn't get much better than that.

I started out with the intention of making a lentil soup, but as it turned out it became more of a 'clean-out-the-fridge' soup. I didn't measure a thing - a little of this, a little of that - easy. The formula is simple: whatever veggies you have on hand, plus beans, plus lentils, plus heat, equals YUM. Add to that, it's healthy!

Here's what I did, but feel free to swap or add veggies, use different kinds of lentils or beans, change around the spices... you get the idea.
Oh, and did I mention it's vegan? Well, unless you add bacon, of course.

Bean and Lentil Soup

The Basics:

1 cup lentils, I used brown
1.5 cups beans, I used black and pinto
a couple stalks of celery
a few carrots
an onion (I used half an onion, because it's what I had in the fridge)
one potato
a couple fistfulls of fresh spinach (or kale would have been nice! Again - cleaning out the fridge, here)
one 14oz can of diced tomatoes
2-3 cups vegetable broth
4-5 cloves garlic
~1 TBSP cumin
~2 tsp. powdered ginger
~1 TBSP dried basil
~2 tsp. dried thyme
~1/2 tsp. cayanne pepper (optional)
~ 1 tsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil (or bacon, though that would ruin the whole meat-free aspect)

Method:

First, cook the beans (or un-can them) and get the lentils going in a pot. Rinse them first, then cover them with a couple cups of water, add a heavy pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 15-20 minutes, or until almost tender. They'll cook a little longer with the rest of the soup, so don't turn them to mush here.
While the lentils are going, chop all the veggies either small or medium dice. Keep the potato chunks small, as they'll take the longest to cook.
If you're using bacon, heat a skillet (or do everything in a dutch oven, like I did) and cook the bacon. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
If you're not using bacon, add a couple TBSP olive oil to the pan, or the bottom of a dutch oven or large pot, and add the veggies.
Toss in a big pinch of salt, and saute on medium-high for five or ten minutes, until things just start softening up. Then add the garlic (minced) and spices. Stir around and cook for just a minute or two, until fragrant.
Add the can of tomatoes, and 1-2 cups vegetable broth (you can add more later, as needed).
Add in the cooked beans and lentils, and bring to a simmer. Chop up the spinach, and the bacon if you're using it, and add it to the pot.
Add more vegetable broth if necessary, and cook for 25-35 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and the soup is the desired consistency. I like it pretty thick, but if you want it thinner just add more broth.

Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve hot - perhaps with some nice crusty bread.

Mmmm... crusty bread...



...I wish I had some.

But hey, I can't complain. I've got soup!
Try to contain your excitement, here - I dove right in and burned my tongue. The temperature didn't slow me down, but that's because I think with my stomach, not my brain. Use your brain, folks.

This made a nice big pot full of wonderful, but it was so good that there wasn't much in terms of left-overs. If you do wind up with enough left for more than the next day's lunch, it freezes well and can be thawed and reheated at a moment's notice. Now that's easy weeknight cooking!




What are some of your favorite things to add to your soup?

Fresh Fruits and Veggies - these are a few of my favorite things

I'm realizing I talk a lot about sweets. Well, I do more than talk... I make and eat a lot of sweets. It's a good life, I admit.

I'm a good eater - always have been - and I'm not ashamed to say so. I pride myself in being able to pack away more than a gallon of ice cream in one sitting (and then another quart for breakfast the next day). I boast my record-holding boxes of cereal, the jars upon jars of peanut butter eaten by the spoonful, and my classic line: 'you're ordering one large pizza? And what about for yourself?' (often followed by my other classic line: 'I think I've eaten so much my innie turned into an outie' - yeah, that one I'm not proud of).
I don't claim to be some sort of competative, just a competent one.

Of course, this begs the question, how do I eat the way I do while staying relatively thin and fit? Well, I haven't always been. I've spent my time being the one giving the evil eye to other girls who could eat and eat and never gain weight (actually, I still do - skinny bitches), so it's kind of a new concept to me that I might appear like one of them to other people. No question, I'm a little smug when I notice other women quietly hating me for eating generously, but I swear I'm telling the truth when I say it isn't as glamorous as it seems. I don't have a fantastical metabolism, I'm not secretly bulimic, and I don't have any so-called 'skinny genes' handed down to me.

You're probably guessing, right about now, that I'm going to boast to you the many benefits of working out, and how I kill it in the gym for hours every day to eat the way I do - but that's not where I'm going with this. It's true, exercise is an important part of staying fit, but I'm generally too lazy to bother with the gym - all the more power to you, though.
While I don't do pull-ups and bench presses, however, I do stay active. I'm a dog-walker, by profession, which means walking upwards of two miles a day. I don't even think of this as exercise, because I don't usually break a sweat, my breathing is steady, and hell, I'm enjoying myself most of the time. On top of walking the pups, I also enjoy many other simple activities - things like Frisbee, biking, jogging, soccer... the list goes on. Of course there are times when I let myself go a little, but after a couple days without physical exertion I tend to stagnate, become depressed, and revert back to tubs of ice cream and giant bowls of cereal. Seriously, my ass would probably meld to the couch if I didn't get up to eat so often.
Falling into a slump from time to time is nothing new to me, but these lulls don't usually last more than a few days before the itch for movement gets too strong. As I said, I'm not here to preach the powers of thorough and frequent exercise, but if I were to offer advice on the subject I would say: find something you like to do, and do it. If running isn't fun for you, don't run - roller blade instead, or bike, or swim, or garden, or join a sport. Whatever it is, make it something you enjoy doing.

Now, where was I... ah, the food! Right.
I suppose I'm lucky, because while I love sugar, butter, flour (those are the main food groups, right?), I also adore vegetables and fresh fruit. I crave mountains of salad the same way I crave boxes of doughnuts, and to a certain extent these things balance each other out... but only to a certain extent.

I'm sure I've made it clear to you, reading my blog, that I don't "diet". In fact, I have a bit of a beef about dieting, in general, which I'd like to talk about before we continue... I should say, first, that I'm not a qualified nutritionist. I'm just stating some pent-up opinions I have, based on self-conducted research and experience.


A spoof off the iconic cover image from Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me", done with carot sticks instead of french fries).

There are some very serious misconceptions going around - they've been around for many years, but unfortunately only seems to be getting worse with time. Things like, the idea that eliminating things from our diet is good. That starving ourselves is right (and I don't strictly mean anorexia so much as not allowing yourself to eat when you're hungry), and that 'low calorie' is the same as 'healthy'.
Yeah, that last one is especially big. Low carb., low cal., no fat, sugar free... we've heard it all before. And I agree, in most cases, that we have many of these things in excess - but the answer is not to mechanically or chemically alter our food to not contain them. Our bodies need them!
Take fats, for instance - although some should only be consumed in moderation (I mean, in more moderation), many fats are not only good for us but necessary for healthy cell function. Good fats like those found in fish, avocado, nuts, and seeds can be great sources of essential fatty acids (things our bodies need and cannot get on their own), as well as serve as transportation for proteins and vitamins to get where they need to go. In fact, several key vitamins and minerals are fat-soluble, which means we cannot digest or absorb them without the help of fats.
And don't get me started on the whole low calorie thing. Every gram of protein, fat, carbohydrate, etc. contains a certain number of calories. One gram of protein, for instance, equals four calories. One gram of fat, nine calories... you get the idea. "Calorie" is simply a form of measuring the energy contained in food, so when a food is labeled 'low calorie', it isn't made with lower calorie fats and proteins, it is made with less fat and protein. While I can eat a one hundred calorie bag of nuts, all that means is that I will have half as many nuts, and only get half as full, as I would from eating a two-hundred calorie bag. Which brings us back to the starving ourselves bit...
As a nation, in general, we're all about bigger is better. Hell, wasn't I just bragging about how much I'm able to eat? But the solution we tend to draw from this is, if we can't have the super-sized serving, than we shouldn't have hardly any.
Let me go back to what I said about calories -they are a way of measuring the potential energy contained in food. When we eat food, our body uses the things inside it according to our current (and to a certain extent, upcoming) needs. This is why athletes eat carbs before working out, and proteins after, for a high energy start and a slow, muscle settling finish. Whenever you eat something, your body is making decisions about what to do with it - to use it right away, or store it for later. Eating smaller amounts, or eating less frequently, tells your body that it won't be getting many of the things it needs for awhile - therefore, as a safety mechanism, the body will choose to save as much of what you give it as it can.
This is a small scale example of something called 'starvation mode'. Your body's goal is not to be thin and fit so much as it is to be alive, and healthy. If it fears that rations might be low, it will conserve energy (very efficiently, I might add) and like a squerrel store away as many nuts as it can to last through hard times.
To keep your metabolism going steady, and your body using food most efficiently, it's ideal to eat smaller, more balanced portions more frequently throughout the day. The goal is to know when your stomach is full, and stop there - this can be harder than it sounds. The Boyfriend has this wonderful trick of happily noshing away, and then stopping, pushing the rest of the food away to be saved for later (or, more often, to be given to the dog). It amazes me how he can hear his stomach say when its full, down to the very bite, and stop on its command. Because he's so attuned to his body and it's needs, he rarely over-eats, and often makes healthier choices simply because he knows when he's had not enough, or too much, of something. I have to say, I'm jealous of how naturally this comes to him. But really, I do the same thing in my own way. With the help of a couple of friends going through nutrition and culinary school, the internet, and my own fair share of calorie counting and portion measuring in the past, I've learned to have a sense of what is in the food I eat, and what a 'serving size' really looks like. I don't count calories, because I always have an approximate tally of how much protein, fat, fiber, etc. I've had. At any given time I can look back and say - I haven't had enough protein, that's why I'm still hungry! Or: I've had nothing but buttercream frosting, no wonder I feel like crap! (See? It's easy!). What The Boyfriend can manage intuitively, I manage through educating myself on what food is made of, and what my body does with it.
This is a similar approach to what body-builder diet-program designers do, minus the hundreds of dollars you'd pay to have them custom tailor a plan for you. Of course, a trainer would base your dietary needs on your height, age, and body mass index. Those are things you can also figure out for yourself, if not to calculate your personal needs, than to just have a better understanding of your body. There are multiple sources on the internet that can help you properly measure and weigh yourself, or you could go to a gym where I'm sure they'd be happy to help out.

All right... that, by far, is not the extent of my quibbling over the current mind-set of dieters and nutritionists, but I'll spare you the rest for now. Some basic tips I would leave you with, though, would be to not rely on food labels to tell you when something is 'healthy' or not, and, if you're checking the nutritional panel on the side of the packaging, don't just look at what's in a serving but at how much a "serving" is. Begin measuring things like breakfast cereal, or pasta, and get an idea for what a "serving size" looks like on your plate. Being able to measure with your eyes, and not just your stomach, can be a very useful skill to have.


If I lost you during all of that, I'm sorry. I'm back on my intended trajectory, now, to show you some of the healthier foods I like to keep around to help me stay on track. This list is endless, and I could go on and on, but these are just some of my favorites.



#1 - Hard Boiled Eggs



The egg. So simple, yet so complex. Eggs Benedict, Huevos Rancheros, Omlets, Cakes, Meringues, baby chickens... Mmm!

Nutritional information for one large egg (50 grams, by weight):

70 calories, 5 grams of fat, 6 grams of  complete protein
Vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2, B6, B12, Zinc, Calcium, Iodine, Selenium... The Incredible, Edible, Egg!

I love eggs in many different applications, but one of my favorites is hard-boiling. It keeps things simple, and is great with a sprinkle of salt (or to be turned into salad toppings, egg salad, or deviled eggs!).

How you do it:

Place however many eggs you want to boil into the bottom of a pot, in one layer.
Pour in cold tap water, covering about one inch above the eggs, and place on a burner turned to high heat.
Let the water come up to a rolling boil, then slap the lid on 'em and turn the heat all the way off.
Set a timer, and let them sit in the hot water for 12-15 minutes.
This is the hard part for a lot of people - getting the amount of time right can vary slightly based on the size of your eggs, and under-doing it can leave you with unset yokes while over-doing it will land you with that unappetizing gray/green ring around the center. I usually aim right in the middle, for 13-14 minutes, but I also tend to NOT set a timer, then wonder out of the kitchen to do something else and come frantically running back with no idea how long I've been gone. I call it the crazy person technique, and so far it's served me well. Guess I'm just lucky like that.
Once the time is up, remove the lid and run the eggs under cold water, then leave them soaking in cold (or iced) water until completely cool.

Tip: I've heard (but have not tried myself, yet) that adding a tsp. of baking soda to the cooking water will make the shells easier to remove. If anyone's tried this, let me know if it works.


Agh! The agony! (Note: if you want to draw or write notes on your eggs, I suggest using non-toxic kid-safe markers, or food-coloring based decorating markers).

One of the things I like to do with hard boiled eggs is to peel one, put it in a zip top baggie with a sprinkle of salt, and take it with me as a snack in the car. Sometimes I even go so far as to add a handful of veggies, and if you wanted to get really fancy you could make these up ahead of time and label them for your week.


(This is a lie - I don't cut my veggies all neat and small. My routine is to have the egg in the baggie, and then grab a couple carots or a cucumber to nosh on whole. I'm lazy like that.)

*Gasp* look at how neat and organized! And what's that in the background, interspersed between the prepaired baggies of eggs?

# 2 - Nuts, Seeds, Snackings



I also love nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. sometimes I go so far as to make granola, but more regularly I just make a dry mix for snacking or lunching on. My issue with nuts is, it's easy to get carried away eating them - because of this, I like to buy my favorites in bulk (economical!) and then scoop them out into measured baggies.

The nutritional values will vary depending on the nut, but in general you can count on (per 1 oz. by weight):

160-170 calories, 14-15 grams of healthy fat, 3-4 grams of fiber, and 6-7 grams of (incomplete) protein,
and a wide assortment of vitamins and minerals including E, B's, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Folate, Zinc, Iron... the list goes on and on.

Hold up! What do I mean by complete and 'incomplete' proteins?
There are 9 essential 'amino acids' our bodies need to function. Alton Brown put it best, I think, when he described them like building blocks. Once our bodies collect a complete set of these, they form a whole protein which can then be used to build muscle etc..
Meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and soy are all considered complete proteins, while nuts, seeds, legumes, most wheats, and grains need to be eaten in  combination with one another to supply all nine of the essential aminos.

Alright, back to the nuts. When I'm measuring out little mixed bags, I also like to sometimes add some dried fruit, seeds, and sometimes a pinch or two of cocoa nibs. You could also add a handful of munchable breakfast cereal.

For easy measuring, I just count the highest calorie content ingredient and then fill the baggie on a kitchen scale - multiply the ounces, and I know how much is in the bag!


# 3 - Green Smoothies



Trust me, this isn't as weird as it looks. In fact, it's a very simple fruit smoothie - I used banana's and kiwi for the one above, but you could use whatever you like. Mangos, strawberries, pineapple... the possibilities are endless.

So what makes it that color? Well, it ain't the kiwi's, I can tell you that. Whenever I'm whipping up a smoothie, I like to add a handful of spinach and a few chunks of avocado to the mix. It changes the flavor only slightly, while adding a big kick of nutrition. Optionally, for an even creamier concoction, you could add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt to the mix.

So - bananas, kiwi, whatever fruit you have on hand (I like to use bananas, first because I love them and second because they're so sweet I usually don't have to add any honey or sugar)
handful of spinach (spinach is best here, because it's tender and mild, but in the summer I've been known to throw in a handful of whatever dark leafy greens are fresh in the garden)
1/8 - 1/4 of an avocado

Optional: milk, soymilk, almond milk, water... for thinning it out
Ice, for slushifying it
yogurt, for thickening it

Spin it in the blender until thoroughly combined, pour into a glass or a portable bottle, and enjoy!

Nutritional info varies.


# 4 - 'Instant' Frozen Yogurt Dessert



Speaking of Greek yogurt, I loves it. For a healthy snack, or quick breakfast, I like to eat it with fresh fruit cut up into it, and if I'm feeling fancy a drizzle of honey or spoonful of jam to sweeten it up. For a bit heartier of a meal, I'll add some granola, or a handful of oats, to the mix.

Another great way to use it, though, is to blend it with frozen fruit. This isn't the same creamy deliciousness you could get by making actual frozen yogurt with an ice cream maker, but for a quick dessert it'll do the trick.

1/2 cup greek yogurt - I like to buy the full fat kind, but that can sometimes be tricky to find. (Or, if dairy doesn't work for you, you could use soy yogurt.)
3/4 - 1 cup frozen fruits or berries of your choice

Optional: handful of chocolate chips, or nuts
honey, sugar, agave, maple syrup, etc. for sweetening

Blend the yogurt and the fruit, scraping down the sides of the blender from time to time. You want it to be really thick, so add more fruit if necessary.
At the end of blending, add in any sweeteners and additional ingredients - fruit, nuts, chocolate - and serve immediately.

Nutritional info will vary.

Wait - why Greek yogurt?
Greek yogurt is, for the most part, regular yogurt that's been strained of some of its liquid. This makes it thicker and richer. It's also, usually, a little less sweet - in fact, I like to use it in place of sour cream in many recipes. Because it's more dense, it also contains more protein and probiotics per serving than regular yogurt - bonus!


# 5 - Tuna Salad without the Tuna... or the Mayo... or really anything at all like Tuna Salad...



Alright, if you've trusted me this far, please stay to hear me out. This is going to sound gross, and I'm a little ashamed to share it with you, but trust me when I say it's not all bad.

Pictured above is a mix of sardines, avocado, lemon juice, and a little salt. The reason I compare it to tuna salad is because it does resemble it in many ways. Sardines instead of tuna, mashed avocado instead of mayo, squeeze of lemon and some salt to brighten it up. So why not just eat tuna, instead of (what many people, including myself, cosider nasty) sardines?
Well, I love tuna salad. I love making a big batch of tuna salad, having some sandwhiches, and eating the left overs straight out of the bowl. It's also very healthy, and by all means deserves a place in this list.
The reason, though, that I sometimes choose sardines and avocados instead is the truly astounding amount of nutrition packed into those little fish. This is, again, going to sound disgusting, but because they are eaten bone-in, they're a great source of calcium and iron. They have some of the healthiest fats, including omega-3's, lots of high-grade complete protein, and dozens of vitamins and minerals.
Add to that avocado, which is yet another source of good-for-you fats, and contains something like 20 different essential vitamins and minerals, and you've got yourself one nutritional powerhouse!

Now, I have to mention that the first time I heard of this, I was reluctant to give it a go (but, as mother always said: 'you can't say you don't like it if you've never tried it'). So, try it I did, and I discovered that, although not my favorite food, it was certainly palatable. Even, dare I say it, enjoyable. The texture was my biggest issue, being somewhat like liver pate, but that was easily overlooked when eaten on a hearty slice of bread or toast. So far, I've liked it with rye bread the best.

It's also important to note that you should use a good brand of sardines. I didn't realize this until I accidentally bought a different brand than my usual, and discovered a slimy, fishy, grainy taste and concistancy which I did not expect and was in no way appetizing.


(Holy crap - looking at this picture I just noticed that the box says 'nutritional powerhouse' on it. I totally stole that phrase a minute ago, and when I wrote it I was like: 'funny, that's not something I say...').

This is my favorite brand. It's a little bit pricier, but is absolutely worth it. The sardines are bigger, meatier, and taste worlds better than any other I've tried so far.
I like to buy them packed in water, rather than oil or tamoto sauce, because I figure those things can be added per my recipe if I so choose.

So - here's what I do:

1 medium avocado
1 can sardines, packed in water
1/2 a lemon (or a whole if it isn't very juicy), squeezed
big pinch of kosher salt

Optional: tomatoes, celery, onion... whatever you might think to add to tuna salad, pretty much.
Spinach, lettuce, or other leafy green
Bread or toast - I like rye

In a bowl, with a fork, mash up the sardines and avocado as if you're making guacamole. Add the lemon and salt, any veggies you want, mix to combine, and serve sandwich style. I like it open-faced.

The nutritional info will vary depending on your bread, sardines, the size of your avocado, and of course whatever you want to add to it, but in general this makes a high-fat (that's a good thing, here!), high-protein meal that will fill you up and keep you satisfied for hours afterwards.

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Of course, the list goes on - piled-high salads, beans, chickpeas... it amazes me, sometimes, that more people don't love these things the way I do. I just love steamed broccoli. Who's with me?

Other highlights include:

Oatmeal - for breakfast, a big bowl of oatmeal can keep me going for hours. I like to 'bulk' mine up by shredding carrots or zucchini into it and adding warm spices and brown sugar. Or, I'll skip the sugar and add some mashed-up banana and nut butter.
Soups - soups can be nice and filling, not to mention comforting, and are generally pretty light for the amount of full you get out of them. Beans and lentils are some of my favorites, both in taste and nutrition.
Oven Roasted or Steamed Veggies - whatever is fresh or on hand, from squash or potatoes to carrots and onions, I like to either steam, or roughly chop into hearty chunks, toss lightly with olive oil and seasonings, and roast at 425f. until browned and cooked through.
Popcorn with Nutritional Yeast - did you know that corn is a whole grain? That's right. Eat your grains, people. Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, because I can make a giant bowl of it (and if you hadn't noticed, I like large amounts of things) and nosh away absent-mindedly for awhile. Plus, it tastes good. To keep it healthier, pop your own (either in an air-popper, or with a little bit of coconut oil on the stove), skip the butter, and add a few shakes of salt and a tablespoon or so of nutritional yeast flakes. Nutritional yeast is often described as tasting a little like parmesan cheese, and is often used as a vegan cheese substitute. Besides being tasty, it has lots of B-vitamins, complete protein, and fiber, too!

I hope you found some of my tips helpful, or at least interesting, but don't take what I say for granted. The internet is a wonderful source of information on food and nutrition - just be sure, if you want facts, that facts are what you're getting and not opinions (like mine!).

The most important thing I want to be saying, here, is that a 'good' diet is all about balance. Not elimenating or descriminating against foods, but finding what works for your body. If you feel better being vegetarian, or vegan, or gluten free, or a crazy person, by all means, do what your body wants - just be sure you're doing it because it's what feels best for you, not because it's trendy. However you choose to eat, just be sure you're getting all the things your body needs. Your food is what drives you, what keeps you strong and beautiful and healthy, so make it count!

Bon appetit, mon ami!

Pumpkin Puree two ways - and neither are from a can

The past few days have been sunny, warm, t-shirt wearing days, but all around me are signs that it is, in fact, fall. The nights are cold, the mornings brisk, and the trees are beginning to turn to lovely shades of autumn. Ah, I can almost smell it.


Each year The Boyfriend grows his own pumpkins, and makes (what I hear) are out-of-this-world, famously good, pumpkin pies. This year, however, the pumpkin plant took a turn for the worst. Perhaps it was the pumpkin-flu that's been going around. Or, maybe, it's that we didn't water it soon enough during the hottest week of the year. *Shrug* whatever the cause, we don't have fresh lovely pumpkins of our own, so I went out and bought local, organic, as-close-as-I-could-find-to-our-backyard-pumpkins.




Don't they look like the Backstreet Boys? I'm going to name that front one Howie. How you doin', Howie? I'm about to gouge out your insides.
(Note: this is not a death threat to any members of the boy band).


So - why so many pumpkins? Because, because, because - of all the wonderful things they do! The Boyfriend and I are both pumpkin lovers (it's true, we're on the registry. Keep your children away, don't move into the neighborhood). Besides the many pies that will be made in the coming months, and pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin doughnuts, I have dozens of other pumpkin recipes just waiting to be tried!


All of those recipes, though, call for pumpkin puree... and while it may be tempting to buy the canned stuff, please, resist the urge. The secret to a wonderful pumpkin pie? Turns out, it's not the recipe - it's the ingredients. In fact, that's true of most things. Use the best ingredients you can find, and the dish gets that much better.

"You want me to roast a whole pumpkin every time I need a little puree?" you ask. No, not necessarily - the wonderful thing about homemade puree is that it can be easily frozen for later use - up to 8 months later use! That means pumpkin well into next year *jumps up and down* are you as excited as I am?
The other wonderful thing about pureeing is... it's easy! So easy, in fact, that I'm going to show you in detailed step-by-step photos how to do it, because I clearly don't think you're smart enough to figure it out on your own.


There are two ways to make pumpkin puree - roasting, and steaming - I'm going to show you both, and tell you which one I prefer.



#1 - Roasting Pumpkins


Music: I've Heard The Screams of the Vegetables, by The Arrogant Worms

Mood: Happy, Goofy

Attire: Pajamas

Equipment: Knife, Spoon, Oven (Preheated to 350f)

And, begin.





Start with a small, good looking pumpkin. How you doin', beautiful? Be sure to get 'sugar' or 'pie' pumpkins - they're a different variety than those commonly used for jack-o-lanterns, and result in a better flavor.

Then lop its head off.





*Commence screaming*


Waste not, here - you can cut the meat from around the stem and use that, too. I did not, because I wanted to goof around with the pumpkin cap. Sadly, I did not take photos to document what a dork I am.

...Or did I?




I'm a wizard!




...Moving on.





Pumpkin in half.





In quarters.






Scrape out the guts of the pumpkin into a bowl - whatever you do, I beg of you, don't dispose of the seeds. Later we'll talk about roasting, but for now, just set them aside.

Feel free to make gruesome sound effects during this part. In fact, the more gory the pumpkin massacre, the better the puree. You heard it here first.





Sometimes it's a bit tough to scrape out all the stringy bits, but don't worry about leaving a few behind. Just scrape them mostly clean, and lay them out on a baking sheet, like so:




Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until fork tender.




Voila! Like magic!

Let them rest and cool for a bit so you can handle them - if you'd like, you can drape a towel over them while they cool and the steam might help loosen the skins some.




With the help of a knife (butter knife should work), peel the skins back away from the flesh. If you're impatient like me, and skipped the part where I say to let it sit and cool, you're probably experiencing quite a bit of burning right now.





Once all the skins are removed, cut the flesh into manageable chunks (I've always wanted to say that) and add them to your food processor.





Pulse a few times to get things going, then blend until smooth.






If your puree is too dry, you can add a few drops of water - this has never been a problem for me, but I hear it can happen. If it's too wet, you can either strain it and remove all sorts of tastiness, or you can reduce it down in a pot on the stove. Up to you.

At this point you can use the puree right away, or store it. I like to measure it into freezer bags, about 1 cup per bag so I know how much I'm getting when I reach for one.





Zip up the bag almost all the way, then lay it flat and press most of the air out, making an even layer of puree.





Seal the rest of the way, label, and store in the freezer for 6-8 weeks.


Aren't photos fun?

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#2 - Steaming Pumpkin


Music: Smashing Pumpkins

Mood: Determined

Attire: Pajamas, and now a hat

Equipment: Knife, spoon, steamer

And... action!



Begin the same as before. Pumpkin, lop off its head, quarter it, scrape out the guts...





Now wait! This is where things go differently. Chop the pumpkin into 1-2 inch chunks, and put them in a steamer basket or handy-dandy rice cooker with steamer attachment. Unlike the roasting method, we're going to leave the skin on - just be sure to cut off any questionable parts before steaming.






Steam for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of your chunks), or until fork tender through the skin.





And, as before, blend until smooth in the food processor and seal in plastic baggies for future use. If your puree is particularly thin or wet, you can strain it or reduce it in a pot on the stove until thickened.






You can see tiny flecks of the skin in this one, but it doesn't change the texture of whatever you're making. Plus, it adds fiber, and nutrients - yay!


So, which is my favorite method?

I'm not sure if it's the skin, or the moisture, but steaming the pumpkin seemed to result in a much sweeter, more flavorful puree. It was also significantly faster - definitely a bonus!


A couple notes: 
1. if you wanted, you could mash your cooked pumpkin with a potato masher, pastry cutter, fist... whatever floats your boat. Food processor or blender are just faster, easier, and less hassle.
2. be careful putting hot things in your blender or food processor - be sure to pulse things a few times first before letting it spin.



Method number one is, I think, the more common way - it's the way I've always known, and results in a perfectly decent puree. Plus, if it's a crisp fall day, having the oven running is sometimes a nice way to warm up the house.

The second is The Boyfriend's method, and... as is his way... it's faster, easier, and tastier than the first. So, why am I even bothering to show you both? Because I can, that's why! And because it's good to have options.

Now, my initial plan was to make mass amounts of puree and save it to have on hand - but, as The Boyfriend pointed out, pumpkins will last in a cool dry place for several months if left whole. So, my new plan (master plan) is to keep the pumpkins around, making the puree as fresh as possible for each recipe. Any extras will get frozen, and any pumpkins left at the end of their life span will be turned into puree and saved.

Oh, and I almost forgot - what about those seeds I had you save earlier?

Easy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds



Remove the seeds from the stringy pumpkin innards into a strainer or colander.



Rinse thoroughly under cold water, and shake off the excess water (they'll still be kind of wet and slimy, but that's okay).




Spray or grease a baking sheet, and spread the seeds in a (somewhat) even layer. Sprinkle with salt, and roast in a 350f. oven for about 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway through.




Munch!

These are the simplest version, but you can flavor them however you want. Add a little spice, a little sweetness, whatever sounds good to you. A tiny bit of butter and worscestershire is nice, I hear.

When I was a kid my mother would always roast the seeds from our jack-o-lanterns, so for me they're not only delicious but nostalgic. Definitely one of the best parts of pumpkin preparation, and so much better when you didn't have to spend half an hour scraping your cold little hands around inside a giant pumpkin in 40degree weather. Was I the only child messy enough to be told to carve their pumpkin outside? It sucks when it's cold.
Anywho...

Fall is one of the best times for cooking - its full of chill weather, warm blankets, cozy bowls of soup, and freshly baked breads and pies. Pumpkin is just one of the things I look forward to most, and this year I'm more excited than ever to be making my own puree. In fact, I'm off to stock up on even more pumpkins, in case there's some kind of pumpkin apocalypse. Fill the bomb shelter!


Expect to see pumpkin recipes, coming soon!