Limited Counter Space, Revisted; Pt.2 : A Solid Purchase

Waaaay back in the fall, I found myself back at The Brooklyn Kitchen to browse.

With little in the way of cash, it seemed unlikely that I'd make a purchase.
But, there it sat on the bookshelf. Beard on Bread. And, after much consideration, and finally, an approving nod from addROC, who was still sifting through the cocktail toys, I decided that, even when extremely poor, a good book is always a good idea.

And, the ladies at The Brooklyn Kitchen seemed to agree, stating "A solid purchase," as I paid at the checkout line.

So, I splurged. I got the book by the infamous James Beard, which contains his 100 favorite bread recipes, both hearty and sweet.


So, I took my maiden voyage into the abyss of Beard Loafdom and made his recipe for Lemon Bread.

Here's the loaf, pre-bake:


And, post-bake:


Now, this bread did not turn out quite as lovely as I'd hoped. It was a little dry, perhaps because I over-baked it a bit. And, the lemon flavor was off. addROC and I decided that this was probably due to some pith getting mixed in with my lemon zest.

So, I must try this again...maybe soon. The oven in our new apt. is almost exactly to temperature! Huzzah!

Limited Counter Space, Revisited; Pt.1: The Best News EVER!

So, I think the most noteworthy thing to happen in recent times, also happens to be the BEST thing to happen in recent times.

Um, OBAMA!

Believe it or not, these cookies actually weren't made on election day. These pics are so fucking old, they are actually from the evening of the last debate! But, they looked so fabulous that, I said to myself, how could I NOT show you people?

So, I give you what I have labeled: The Great Debate Cookie.

Here, I paint excitedly:


This was before any of us were SURE that all our Obama dreams would come true, so, please excuse the red cookies. But, before anyone had won the good fight, I felt compelled to make sure that all parties were fairly represented.



Hooray for Obama! And hooray for the ever-versatile frosted butter cookie! And hooray, of course, to The Brooklyn Kitchen, for the awesome U.S.A. cookie cutter!

Um, yeah. This blog sucks.

So, I took a hella-long hiatus and didn't tell anyone.

Sorry ma peeps.

I tend to suck on occasion. And the past, um, five months, are just another shining example of my fickle mentality.

So, if you are/were one of the three people who frequented The Brooklyn Nester with any kind of regularity, I'll apologize an umpteenth time for my incompetence.

Looking forward: I'm going to try, try being the operative word, to actually stop into The Brooklyn Nester and let y'all know what's going on in our kitchen. I've been cookin' it up here in our NEW Greenpoint apartment! Holla!

To catch you up on all the fun times I've been having, the next few posts will be from the kitchen in our old apartment...a farewell if you will, in a 3-part series called: Limited Counter Space, Revisited.

So, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all that garbage.

Join us for future postings. Or don't.

But, either way, I'm back baby.

The Need for No-Knead

Here's just a little nibble'n'nosh that I made recently.

I've made two loaves of Cook's Illustrated's No-Knead Bread 2.0 Recipe.

It's easy to make, albeit time consuming, and it tastes great.

Mmmm...fresh baked bread.


I made a loaf a few nights ago and addROC and I bought a ton of cheese. We practically killed the whole loaf for dinner alone.

It was classy, in that filthy, cheesy way.

Oh-so-easy and delicious.

And, did I mention: CHEAP as hell!

Oh, Those Scrumptious Southerners

To me, great biscuits are the epitome of southern cooking.

Simple, high calorie eats that you can mix and match to almost any meal.
They're good at breakfast stacked high with eggs, cheese, and bacon.
They're good at dinner lathered up in gravy, beans, slaw, and juicy pulled pork.

Heck, they're just freakin' good.

So, when I tried Paula Deen's Cream Biscuit recipe from "Paula's Home Cooking," I nearly croaked.

These biscuits are easy, delicious, and perfect. And, while you'll probably want to ignore the calorie count, after one bite, I'm guessing you won't give a damn.


These biscuits are da bomb!


Paula Deen's Cream Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and cream until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with additional flour. Fold the dough in 1/2 and knead 5 to 7 times, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to your hands. Gently roll out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter coated with flour, cut dough into biscuits. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray, leaving at least 1-inch between each biscuit. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mother Knows Best: Peppermint Ice Cream Torte

Greetings from the dead.

Yes, yes. I know I am the shittiest blogger ever, and all that. The best I can say is a new job at a new restaurant has kept me very busy, and, when I'm not busy workin'...I'm busy taking a load off.

But, though I have been tardy with the blog, fear not. I have still been cooking, however, on a somewhat infrequent basis.

And, in my most recent adventures...I took addROC on a trip down memory lane.

As you may or may not remember, addROC's mom gave me a recipe book for Christmas that includes her recipes with some significance in addROC's youth.

Previously, I made Boston Cream Pie for addROC's birthday from the family inspired, recipe collection.

This time? Peppermint Ice Cream Torte.

One of addROC's favorite treats of yesteryear.

I started by layering a Homemade Granola Mix, then, a layer of Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream (Ben & Jerry's of course), and then a middle layer of Chocolate Creme which I prepare below:



Then, I spread the Chocolate Creme over a frozen Ice Cream layer before two more rounds of freezer time!



Then, after much layering and much freezing, it was finally time for EATING!


Refreshing and delicious.

addROC seemed to enjoy it.

Though, deep down, I know it'll never be Mom's.

And, he did take the liberty to bitch about the fact that I used WHITE Peppermint Ice Cream, as opposed to GREEN.

His Mom's response?

"Who sez real men don't eat green food?!"

Thanks for the recipe Cindy! It was damn good!

Sugarbush Farm: Where (Cheesy) Dreams Come True

addROC and I found ourselves on an extended Vermont vacation for a friend's wedding. So, after checking out a map of Woodstock, VT, I declared that a trip to Sugarbush Farm, where the cheese is plentiful and the maple syrup flows like wine, was an absolute necessity.



So, we walk into the Sugarbush Farm Country Store first, and, there are no other words to express the feeling other than, "Holy Shit!"

Sugarbush was frikkin' stocked with homemade jams, mustards, maple candies, and VT oddities.

Which we proceeded to sample...




Then, it was on to the incredible cheese room, where we got to try every cheese they make at Sugarbush!!!



Next, we watch in awe as the Ladies de Sugarbush prepare and package cheese by first wrapping it in thin foil and then triple-dipping it in wax! This was so exciting. I felt like, finally, I was able to witness something worthy of a Mister Rodgers field trip:

The ladies.




Foiled cheese.




Smoked cheese, before foiling.




Onion cheese, after being triple-waxed.




Next, addROC and I put on our best Moose faces and smile!



Then, we see, what's that?! A sign for a Maple Walk?! Let's go!



addROC and our friend Aaron head up to the teeny-tiny little bridge that begins the maple walk, as I bring it up the rear.



After the Maple walk, which was peaceful and oh-so-Vermontish, Aaron and I enjoy a refreshing bottle of Sugarbush Farm's own Root Beer! Sooooo fuckin' good!



Finally, we bid ol' Sugarbush Farm goodbye, after buying $50 worth of cheese and Maple Mustard!!! What a day trip!


Go to Sugarbushfarm.com RIGHT NOW and buy cheese. We've already ordered a ton for friends and family, and it ships extremely well.

Viva La Sugarbush!

The Good Ship, Lollipop.

I've never liked Lollipops all that much.
Even less so, are small, high-pitched children who sing about them.

But, I recently tried a new recipe that is changing my tune.

Cheesecake Lollipops.

These charming, little treats were easy enough to make, tasty, and a very pretty addition to our Mother's Day dinner party spread, indeed.

Start off by baking some cheesecake! Awww yeah!



Then, prepare to get messy. 'Cause you're gonna rip that cheesecake apart after its cooled and form nice, little balls.



Then, impale the the balls like you're fighting in Braveheart and freeze the little guys solid. Once they're good to go, dip them in your favorite chocolate flavor combinations!


What chocolaty flavors did I pick, you ask?:

Milk Chocolate and Peanut
Milk Chocolate and Andes Mints
White Chocolate
White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate

Yup, it sure is a sweet trip to the candy shop!

The Easiest Way To Be The Best-Girlfriend-Ever

Go ahead.

Break out the unitard, frillies, and lace.

It's all well and good.

But, I'll let you in on a little secret. When your Mom said that the way to a man's heart was via his stomach, she wasn't too far off.

My super-hero specialties are my little secret, but, when my boo, addROC, was coming home after a long and snack-less day, I knew where my ass belonged.

The kitchen.

Ladies, throw on your sexiest teddy and heels.
We're making snacks.

Quick and Easy Crostini and Red Pepper Dip

First, I baked a fresh loaf of my famous, and nearly perfected French Bread. But, if you're not into baking, or pressed for time, just pick up a French loaf at your local supermarket.



Next, I cut up that bad boy into thin, round slices.



Heat up your oven to 450 degrees, paint the tops with olive oil and toast these guys until they are golden brown. It should only take around 10 minutes. But, keep a constant watch to prevent burning.

Now, onto the Red Pepper dip!

First, assemble your ingredients:


Yup, that's it:
1 Cup Roasted Red Peppers
4 oz Cream Cheese
8-10 Fresh Basil Leaves
2 Cloves Garlic (Medium to small size)

Now, just throw that stuff into a food processor or fancy-schmancy blender and whip it up!



Voila! Crostini and Red Pepper dip!



Now all you have to do is, lay out the goods...and wait for your lover to take the bait.

Then, take the time to revel in your Best-Girlfriend-Ever glory!

'Mole! 'Mole!

No, not that kind of mole.

Actually, I'm talkin' about the Guac-a-mole!
And, lord, do I LOVE guacamole.
Nothing says summer like some ooey-gooey, green-guac-goodness.

So, I trotted out to purchase supplies:


No Mexican Summer party should be without the usual suspects:
Tomato, onion, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, lemons, limes, chips, salsa, red beans, garlic, and most importantly, Tequila.


So, I chopped up the goods, like so:



And, stir!



So amazing. Especially after many Margaritas and even more shots of Tequila!

'Mole! 'Mole!

Eat, drink, and celebrate the arrival of this Bitch's favorite time of year! Summer!