Culinary Goods

This easy recipe took me about 7 minutes to make. I got it from NYTimes recipe section and I give it about a 7 because I think give it improvements to make it a 9. First, cut down the lemon juice or make sure you have small lemons instead of big lemons. I had big lemons so the lemon juice was more than 1/2 cup and that's just too much. Maybe 4 Tablespoons is good? Second, I zested with a microplane zester. Third, I used angel hair because I didn't have egg noodles. Fourth, you need a LOT of pepper. Finally, I read some comments online and it looks like people add the following to bring it up a notch: half and half instead of cream, fresh baby arugula or spinach added, saute some garlic bits and add those for a zing, chopped and roasted broccoli, steamed asparagus, Reggiano cheese on top, caramelized onions, chili flakes, handful of chopped parsley or chives. Next time I make it, I'm gonna add garlic, chopped chives, less lemon juice, and maybe some fresh spinach...

I kind of want to call these "Bitch Bruschetta" because the recipe is from the girl who had the affair with Zane. I didn't make these for FOUR years because of that. But I loved them so much that it was time. It's a really tasty recipe. They're the most fresh the day of or night of. These are like tapas, so individual and small. I gave four small ones to each guest on a small, square plate. So cute. Make sure you put in fresh herbs. I also added more tomatoes because I wanted a bigger batch. I also upped the garlic. 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in quarters ·   2 tbs. chopped basil (or more) ·   1 tsp. red wine vinegar ·   1 tsp. mint fresh parsley ·   A garlic clove minced ·   ¼ tsp. salt ·   ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes ·   1/8 tsp. pepper ·   1 tsp. parmesan cheese ·   1 baguette (I bought pre-sliced and it was fine) ·   3 Tb. Olive oil (to brush onto baguette slices) Preheat oven to 350...

This flavor is super fancy and awesome. The recipe is good if you also have extra heavy cream in your fridge from pie time. I took leftovers to work and people commented on how good it smelled. Instead of a Dutch oven cheesy potato, this was like a subtle fancy cheese and onion potato. I will definitely be making this again. It gets a solid 8. This picture is right before putting it in the oven. Recipe came from NYTimes cooking blog and they have decent recipes on there (I pay for a subscription so there you go, you lucky people). I would probably want to buy one of those mandolin(?) choppy things though, for next time. Also, this is my first time cooking with leeks. You don't actually use the really green part because that's the tough part. Don't try to go too fancy with the cheese. I put a tiny bit extra than it called for and it was plenty. The only problematic part was the fresh thyme - it called for two sprigs but I felt like that was nothing so I threw a bunch i...

I made this butternut squash recipe to go with a garlic herb chicken and some fancy cheese potatoes. I would give the squash a 6 - but both of my friends loved it and asked for the recipe. So, maybe it's an 8? I dunno. It's easy to cube the squash if you use the choppy chop. And the sage makes an earthy taste to the dish. I also doubled the lemon juice because I like lemon. 1 2-1/2 - to 3-lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (5 to 6 cups) 2 Tbs. vegetable oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbs. unsalted butter 12 fresh sage leaves 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 500°F. Toss the squash with the oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet, and spread in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil, and transfer to the oven to steam for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the foil, rotate the baking sheet, and roast for another 10 minutes. ...

So, I think these are officially called Special-K Bars, and they serve them at a bakery we love. I found this recipe, and it was a dead ringer. Yay for the internet! Anyway, they are super sweet, but a fun treat. They get a 7.5.   1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup sugar 1 cup peanut butter 7 cups Rice Krispies I only did about 6 of 6 1/2 cups 1 cup chocolate chips   I increased this a bit 1 cup butterscotch chips I increased this a bit 1 ⁄ 2 cup butter   Essentially you mix the sugar and corn syrup and heat it on medium until it is uniform. Then take it off the heat and add the peanut butter ( I also added 1 tsp. vanilla). Pour in the cereal and put in a greased 9x13 pan. Then melt the butterscotch chips and chocolate chips and butter together and pour it on top of the bars. Cool completely. I found the original recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/special-k-bars-8574

This turned out much, much better than anticipated. It looked pretty hideous at times because I used UltraGel and then let the apples sit in the fridge for a few hours. Big no-no. The taste was fantastic though—this gets a 9. I made 2 of these, and the first one that we served at my friend’s house was fine, but the second one was much better. Here is what I did: I used this crust recipe from a Fine Cooking recipe by Joanne Chang for a Rustic Apple-Cinnamon Tart (Issue 73):   6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 2 tsp. granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. table salt 5-1/2 oz. (11 Tbs.) cold, unsalted butter I cut this down to 9 Tbs. 1 large egg yolk 3 Tbs. whole milk   Directions and full recipe can be found at link below:   http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/rustic-apple-cinnamon-tart.aspx   For the apples, I used my favorite apple pie filling recipe:   6-7 medium apples, sliced (I used Jonathan and Golden Delicious) 1 Tbs. lemon juice (fr...

These were quite good. I would give them an 8, and the recipe came from Cookingclassy.com. Changes are below in bold. Also, these were really good with baked apples and cream, as well as dark chocolate placed in the waffle squares with cream on the side. Pumpkin Waffles · 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour · 2 tsp baking powder · 3/4 tsp baking soda · 3/4 tsp salt · 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon I increased this slightly · 1/2 tsp ground ginger I doubled this · 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg I also added 1/4 tsp. cloves · 4 large eggs, yolks and whites separated · 1 pinch cream of tartar · 5 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided I used brown sugar · 1 cup milk I needed more than this to thin the batter out · 1 cup buttermilk · 1/4 cup olive oil · 1 cup canned pumpkin puree · 1 tsp vanilla extract   recipe and directions found at link below:   http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/10/pumpkin-waffles/

So, although my picture looks terrible, this soup was fantastic. This will be my go-to creamy chicken noodle soup recipe from now on. The recipe came from cookingclassy.com, and I would give this an 8. Ingredients 20 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded in to bite size pieces I only ued one chicken breast 5 1/2 Tbsp butter I cut this down 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 small onion) 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks) 1 cup peeled and diced carrots (about 2 carrots) 1 (15 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups (heaping) peeled and 1/2-inch diced russet potatoes (2 medium potatoes) 1/2 tsp dried parsley 1/4 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp dried crushed rosemary 1 bay leaf Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup frozen or fresh peas 2 1/2 cups milk 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour I decreased this by 2 Tbs. 1/2 cup heavy cream I cut this in half 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice   So, essentially I put the chicken and vegetables, chicken broth, and seasonings in...

So, the name sucks because I made the recipe up and had to create a name. This recipe was a beast. It’s just so time consuming. That being said, people loved it—it gets a 9. It was good, but I still prefer peanut butter mousse. Anyway, here is what I did: Torte base —I used the recipe from Double Chocolate Mousse Torte (search on blog) Layer 1—Chocolate cream cheese mousse Layer 1--Chocolate Mousse 8 oz. full fat Philadelphia brand cream cheese 2 T. milk 2-3 Tbs. powdered sugar shake salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 3/4 cup unwhipped cream 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped   You mix the cream cheese, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add melted chocolate while stirring and then whip in liquid cream until it looks fluffy.   Layer 2 and 3 —Vanilla white chocolate mousse and then white chocolate raspberry mousse   I used the recipe above, but instead of bittersweet, I used melted white chocolate. I made 2 batches of white chocolate mousse, half of which w...

I made these to go with the Creamy Chicken Pot Pie soup, and they were good, but I think they need something more. Here is the recipe I used, which came from cookingclassy.com:   1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour I used the angel biscuit recipe instead 1 1/2 tsp baking powder see above 1/2 tsp salt see above 1/8 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) I didn’t add this, but I would next time 6 Tbsp butter (I used salted) see above 2 oz finely shredded parmesan cheese I got lazy and put in less, and it needs all of it 1/2 cup milk see above 1/4 cup heavy cream see above Recipe and instructions can be found at link below:   http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/10/chicken-pot-pie-soup-parmesan-drop-biscuits/

So, my friend Lisa made this, and it was really good. I would give it an 8. Here is the recipe: Ingredients Streusel 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup chopped pecans Cake 3 cups thinly sliced, peeled ripe pears (about 1 1/4 pounds) 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup milk Nonstick cooking spray 2 teaspoons powdered sugar   You cover the pears with lemon juice, nutmeg, ginger, and 2 Tbs. of sugar. I think cinnamon would also be great. Essentially this goes in a 9” spring form and you put 2/3 of the batter down, spread a layer of pears, and put the remaining batter on top. You cover it would streusel and you bake it at 350 for around 55 minutes or so. Here is a link to...

So, I experimented and made this cake for Ingrid, and it turned out well—I would give it an 8.8. Next time, I would leave the mousse as normal chocolate and just use peppermint ganache.  I combined a bunch of recipes, but here is what I ended up with:   Devil’s Food Cake (use the recipe I blogged a while back)   Chocolate Peppermint Mousse:   I used the cream cheese chocolate mousse I have blogged recently, doubled the batch, and then added about 1 tsp. of peppermint extract to each batch. I would start with 3/4 tsp. and move up from there.   Peppermint Ganache I used the recipe from the Candy Cane Cake

  I did not get a picture of this, but it tasted really good. I would give this an 8. My friend Lisa brought this over one night, and I would absolutely make this again.   For the streusel: ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup rolled oats ¼ cup packed light brown sugar ¼ cup walnuts, finely chopped pinch of cinnamon pinch of salt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted For the bread: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup packed light brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅓ cup melted coconut oil ⅔ cup whole milk ¼ cup cinnamon chips 1 pear, chopped   Instructions can be found at link below:   http://cooknourishbliss.com/2014/02/26/pear-bread-oatmeal-streusel/

Jared made this and it had really fantastic flavor. It's supposed to be served with saffron rice, but since saffron is $19 a bottle, he seasoned it without it. This gets a 7.5 and it's a Fine Cooking recipe. 1-1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground turmeric 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground allspice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 4 cups) 2 cups toasted walnut pieces, very finely chopped or ground 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses Fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/persian-chicken-pomegranate-walnuts.aspx

I actually liked these better the next day, but thought they were okay the first day. I think I cut down the sugar by just a tad too much. They get a 6 and the recipe came from celebratingsweets.com. Brownies: ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1½ cups granulated sugar I used 2/3 C. ⅓ cup powdered sugar   ¾ teaspoon salt 1 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional) 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 3 eggs ½ cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons water Coconut filling: 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature ⅓ cup heavy cream or half and half 3 tablespoons powdered sugar ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 cups sweetened, shredded coconut I used unsweetened Chocolate ganache: ⅓ cup heavy cream or half and half 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips additional shredded coconut for garnish, optional Here's the link to the instructions:  http://celebratingsweets.com/rich-fudgy-brownies/

These were better than I thought they would be, and were actually pretty tasty. They get a 6.5 and the recipe came from veganinthefreeer.com. I cup lentils 2-1/4 cup water 1 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 can (14.5 ounces or a bit larger) organic diced tomatoes 2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. oregano 1 teaspoon sea salt Here's the link to the instructions:  http://veganinthefreezer.com/spicy-lentil-tacos-recipe/

  So, my Grandma Goodsell is the one who instilled a love of bread making in me. I owe a lot to her guidance when I was a kid. We finally tracked down her recipe after we thought it was lost all those years ago, and I made it yesterday. I give it a 9, but that’s probably a lot of nostalgia. Either way, it is a very, very solid bread recipe. I put my changes below in bold. Grandma Goodsell's Whole Wheat Bread Mix 2 ½ T yeast and 1 T sugar in 1 C water, and let set for 10 minutes. I used instant yeast, so I decreased this to 5 tsp. of yeast 3 C milk 2 C water ½ C honey ½ C shortening 2 T salt 2 T molasses 5 ½ C whole wheat flour 7 ½ C white flour I also added 2 heaping spoonfuls of wheat gluten Combine milk, honey, shortening, salt, and molasses in a saucepan and heat until shortening melts. Stir in 2 Cups cold water and combine with yeast mixture. Pour mixture into mixing bowl and add flours one cup at a time alternating between white and wheat (1 C white, 1 C wheat, 1 C white, ...

This was awesome and gets an 8.5. Next time, I will either increase the gingersnap crust or increase the amount of ginger I added to the whipped cream. The recipe came from smitten kitchen.com. Crust: 8 ounces gingersnap cookies (about 32 cookies), coarsely broken I used 36 cookies 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted Filling: 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped  1 cup heavy whipping cream 2 large egg yolks 1 large egg 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Pinch of salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Softly whipped cream, for serving. I added 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. ginger to this. I also sprinkled coffee grounds on the whipped cream. Here's the link to the instructions:  https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/dark-chocolate-tart-with-gingersnap-crust/

I enjoyed these, but keep in mind that I really love chocolate paired with orange. In fact, the first thing I ate after delivering both my babies and was no longer diabetic was a box of orange sticks. Anyway, these get a 7 and the recipe came from cakewhiz.com. 1 cup flour 2 cups brown sugar I used 1 1/3 C. 1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or semi sweet chocolate chips 1 cup butter 1/2 cup cocoa powder 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp orange extract or orange emulsion oil 2 tbsp orange zest I didn't measure this, but just zested 1 orange 1/4 cup add-ins (optional-chopped walnuts, pecans or chocolate chocolate chips) I left these out 15 round orange slices (for decoration)  I left these out Chocolate buttercream icing  or  Coconut cream chocolate frosting Here's the link to the instructions:  http://cakewhiz.com/dark-chocolate-orange-brownies/

I have sucked so much lately. And, I have had more free time on my hands, so there are no excuses. Bad Mel! So, I really didn’t have much of a recipe for this, but it was good and I would make it again—it gets a 7.5. We took romaine lettuce, and added: hard boiled eggs radishes cucumbers avocado shrimp sautéed in garlic, butter, and crushed red pepper flakes salt and pepper to taste Caesar salad dressing (either make your own or buy a good one) Don’t put the dressing on until you are ready to serve it.

You really can't go wrong with caramel sauce, cream cheese, and streusel, which is why these were so tasty. I will probably add another apple next time so there's more apple flavor. They get an 8 and the recipe came from melskitchencafe.com. Apples: 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped 2 tablespoons sugar I used 1 TBS 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Streusel Topping: 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar I used 2/3 C. 1 cup all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup quick cooking oats 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened Base: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar I used 1/3 C. ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened Cream Cheese Layer: 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar I used 1/3 C. 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Caramel Sauce: 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar ½ cups half-and-half or cr...