New York Monday #103: Happy New Year!

December 31, 2007 | Filed Under New York Monday | 25 Comments 

 

Happy New Year to all!  I wish you long life, prosperity, and all things good!

Best,

Paz

 

 

 

 

 



Santa, Baby — Stained Glass Cookies

December 26, 2007 | Filed Under Christmas, Cookies, Baking | 13 Comments 

 

 

Okay.  So, one of the questions in a Christmas meme that I recently completed got me thinking.  It asked what I left for Santa.  My answer was nothing.  Then I started to think that this year, perhaps, I could bake some cookies for him. 

I saw the most enticing, delectable-looking cookies — Stained Glass Cookies — on Elise’s Simply Recipes site.  Actually, I’d first seen these cookies on Pille’s blog some time ago.  Looking at them, again, this time on Elise’s blog, I was ready and knew that they were the cookies I’d bake for Santa!  Yeah, baby! 

I put all the ingredients together without incident and then the adventure began:  The instructions called for placing the hard candies (that made the stained glass portion) in a bag and then crushing them.  Anxious to make my cookies, I forgot to put the candy in a bag before crushing them.  I placed them on the chopping board and started whacking away at them.  Each time I banged on them with my mallet, pieces of candy would fly all over the kitchen. 

Oh, my!  However, I didn’t let that minor hiccup stop me.  Determined to get my stained glass, I continued to bang away.  I think half of the candy must have landed on the kitchen floor.  Haha!  I’m sorry to say that it never occurred to me on my own, to put it in a bag to contain it.  Duh.  What a scene.  Definitely, next time, I’ll remember to use the bags to crush the candy. 

I cut out my cookies and filled in the shapes to make the stained glass, put them in the oven, and voila!  I made my very first ever Stained Glass Cookies.  They didn’t look too bad and they tasted G-R-E-A-T!  I think Santa liked them because the next morning, I found the cookie plate empty and I found some gifts under the Christmas tree with my name on it.  Thankfully, he didn’t leave me any coal.  So, I think I did all right. 

Thanks, Elise and Pille, for the recipe and inspiration.  Now that I’ve started, I plan on making these cookies again.

Paz

Oh, by the way, I did my best but for some reason couldn’t get decent photos of the cookies.  I was unable to capture how much they really looked like stained glass windows when held to the light.  Check out Elise and Pille’s cookies for an accurate and beautiful photo.

 

 

 

 

Stained Glass Cookies

Simply Recipes

 

1 Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

2 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.

3 Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.


4 Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color into plastic bags. Using a mallet to crush candies.


5 Place one disk between two large sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.

6 Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.

7 If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

8 Bake 9 to 10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.

Makes 2 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.

 

 

 

 

 

 



New York Monday #102: Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2007 | Filed Under Christmas, New York Monday, Holidays | 19 Comments 

 

This Christmas and holiday season, I wish everyone peace, hope, love, joy, good health and prosperity.  Thanks for stopping by.

Best,

Paz

 

 

 

 

 



Christmas Meme

December 22, 2007 | Filed Under Memes | 7 Comments 

 

 

Megan of Pennypincher’s Pantry tagged me for this Christmas Meme.  Thanks, Megan!


Christmas Meme Rules:

1)  Provide a link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.


2) Share Christmas facts about yourself.

3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

 

1.  Wrapping or gift bags?  Either or.  They’re both nice.  There are some very nice wrapping papers and creative gift bags out there.

2.  Real or artificial tree?  Artificial.  That’s the only type I’ve every had. 

3.  When do you put up the tree? Normally Christmas Eve.  Don’t have time do it earlier.  This year my sister put it up and did it a week earlier.

4.  When do you take the tree down?  A few months later.  Seriously. 

5.  Do you like eggnog?  Umm… Not really.

6.  Favorite gift received as a child? I can’t really recall.  I just know I’ve liked all my gifts.

7.  Do you have a nativity scene? This year no.  But we’ve had it before.

8.  Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  I don’t think I’ve received a "worst" gift.  Once,  one of my brother’s friends wrapped up a dead mouse and put it under the tree for him.  My brother did NOT find it funny when he unwrapped his gift.  LOL!  I’m glad no one has ever decided to give me a gift like that — prank or no.

9.  Mail or email Christmas cards?  I’ve done both but I prefer to mail cards.  Although I didn’t get a chance to mail cards last year (or the year before or the year before) and I don’t think I’ll have a chance to send them out this year.  *sigh*  Maybe New Year’s cards?

10.  Favorite Christmas movie? It’s a Wonderful Life; Scrooge (All versions); Christmas Story are a few that come to mind.

11.  When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever.  I hate to shop, though.  I’m shopping-challenged.

12.  Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything.

13.  Clear lights or colored?  Either or.  Depends on how I’m feeling at the time.

14.  Favorite Christmas song?  All

15.  Travel at Christmas or stay at home?  STAY HOME! 

16.  Can you name all of Santas reindeer? No.  Oh –  Rudolph.  Yeah.  That’s right, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.   ;-)

17.  Angel or star on the top of your tree?   Either or.  Like the lights in #13 and Angel or Star in #17, it depends on what/how I’m feeling at the time.  This year, since my sister decorated the tree, she put a white dove on the top.  So our tree top always differs.

18.  Open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?   Christmas morning. 

19.  Most annoying thing about this time of year? Those who forget about the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.

20.  What do you leave for Santa?  Nothing.  I should leave something for him now, since I’ve started to cook and bake, huh?  Maybe I will this year.

21.  Least favorite holiday song?  None that I can think of.  I like them all.

22.  Specific theme or color? Hate to sound really boring here but… Uhh… I don’t usually have a theme or color.  One year, I decorated the tree in all white — white lights, ornaments, etc…

23.  Favorite ornament?  Dont’ have one, really. 

 

Okay.  So, I’m tagging:

1.  Anyone

2.  Reading

3.  Who

4.  Would

5.  Like

6.  To

7.  Participate

Go for it!  And let me know if you do, so that I can go read it.  ;-)

Paz

 

 

 



Novel Food #2: Green Pea Soup

December 19, 2007 | Filed Under Novel Food, Soup/Chowder/Gumbo | 26 Comments 

 

 

 

Lisa of Champaign Taste and Simona of Briciole are co-hosting their second literary/culinary event — Novel Food #2.  I had fun participating in the first event and couldn’t resist the opportunity to participate again.

This time, I decided to try out one of the dishes prepared in the thriller, TOTE TANZEN NICHT (The Dead Don’t Dance) written by my friend, author Olivia Kroth. The story is about a mental patient who goes in search of vengeance against people she thinks are her enemies. 

One of the characters in the story is 55 year old housekeeper, Hermine.  She works for wealthy family in a villa in the Taunus mountains of Germany.  Hermine has had a disturbing childhood but when she grows up one of the things that makes her happy is cooking.  She loves to prepare meals for the family and uses recipes from a handwritten cookbook that she inherited from her deceased mother.  One of the dishes she prepares is Green Pea Soup.  The story (and recipe in the book) is in German.  Olivia was kind enough to translate the recipe for me.  Thanks, Olivia!  You can check out her blog here.

I’d never had Green Pea Soup before and looked forward to trying it.  The recipe calls for fresh green peas but I could only find the frozen kind.  Also it calls for bacon cubes.  I couldn’t find thick bacon, so I bought the bacon slices.  I should have cut them but I didn’t feel like it.  I cooked the long strips as is.  I didn’t have a  problem with that.  ;-)  There’s no mention of how much water to use, so I used about 4 cups. Oh!  Also the recipe calls for four carrots.  I like baby carrots and used that instead.  Also, I like celery.  As a result, I added a bit more than the recipes asks.

As you can see, I followed the recipe but with a "Paz touch."   I’m not sure what Hermine’s Green Pea soup is supposed to look like but this is what mine looked like.  

I enjoyed the Green Pea soup very much.  I think it’s especially perfect for a cold day and it was definitely a cold day in New York City when I prepared.  It warmed my body from head to toe.  I loved the taste - the bacon, vegetables, marjoram, and potatoes.  So hearty and filling.  I loved my soup so much that I took the leftovers to work.  I’d bought a new lunch jug and my soup stayed nice and warm from the time that I’d packed it till the time that I was ready to eat it.   I came home and had some more for dinner. 

If you’re interested in reading more about the Novel Food event and participating, go here.

Paz 

 

Ed. Note:  Ahhh!  I understand that the soup is supposed to be blended?  Hehehe!   I didn’t know that and as you see, all the veggies in my soup are whole.  No matter — next time I prepare this, I’ll make it blended.  In the meantime, I liked it the way you see it in the photos.   I liked biting into all the foods.  But next time, I’ll do it differently.  See, this is what I mean by cooking adventure.  I learn something new, each time I cook.   ;-)

 

Another Note:  You can look at the round up of recipes and books on Champaign Taste (the first half) and Briciole  (the second half).

 

 

 

 

 

Green Pea Soup

Tote Tanzen Nicht (The Dead Do Not Dance) by Olivia Kroth

  

Ingredients (for 4 portions):

500 g fresh green peas
200 g potatoes
1 stem of leek
2 small onions
1 small celery
4 fresh carots
2 l consommé (bouillon)
100 g bacon cubes
1 sward (bacon crust)
1 spoonful of melted fat
salt and pepper
marjoram
1 laurel leaf

Heat the melted fat in a pot, stew the bacon cubes in it, fill up with consommé. Place the sward and green peas into it and let them boil for a few minutes.  Cut the carots, leek, celery and potatoes into small pieces, put them into the pot with salt,pepper, marjoram and the laurel leaf.  Let the soup simmer for about  90 minutes on low heat.

 

 

 

 



New York Monday #101: Flat Stanley in New York City!

December 17, 2007 | Filed Under Flat Stanley, New York Monday | 11 Comments 

Flat Stanley in the subway station.  I think riding the subway was his favorite thing to do.

 

 

New York, New York —
It’s a helluva of a town,
The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down.
The People ride in a hole in the ground.
New York, New York —
It’s a helluva of a town.

 

 

 

Lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green

 

Leonard Bernstein’s musical, On the Town

 

 

 

Fellow blogger, Kelly of Ms. ABC Mom is a school teacher.  Her students are participating in interesting and fun event that involves a book character called Flat Stanley.

Flat Stanley is a normal boy who, one day, wakes up flat as a pancake (a bulletin board fell on him).  He becomes four feet tall, a foot wide and half and inch thick.  Flat Stanley takes advantage of this predicament and is able to do a lot of things no one else can do. He can slip in between things and go places easily.  For example, he can slide under a closed door or narrow metal grating.  Instead of worrying about paying expensive airfare to travel, he can fold himself and fit into an envelope, and put in the mail.  Flat Stanley has several adventures.

The students in Kelly’s class made Flat Stanleys and sent them out to people all over the United States and world.  The person who receives Flat Stanley is asked to take him around and then send him back to the class with a report (and photos if possible) about the places he’s visited.

As Flat Stanley’s host, I had lots of fun showing him around town.  So easy to travel with, he slipped into my book and we took the subway.   I think he liked riding the subway best.  He didn’t want to get out of the subway car and go upstairs.  He wanted to keep riding the train. 

The photos here shows a few places that Flat Stanley visited.   This was fun.

On another note, a few weeks ago, I posted an annoucement about Lydia’s Drop In and Decorate event.  Many people have participated.  Lydia had a record number of people (85!) stop by her kitchen to decorate cookies, which were sent out to two food pantries and six shelters for domestic abuse victims.  Wow! Looks like it was a lot of fun and many people are going to be happy reaping the benefits of all the volunteers efforts.  Go have a look at some of the cookies they decorated here.  Great job Lydia and all!  It’s not too late to participate.  You can read about how to get involved here.

Paz

 

 In front of the legendary Apollo theater in Harlem.  The place that discovered several celebrity performers.

 

 

In front of Grant’s tomb, where the 18th president of the United States is buried.

 

 

 

 

In front of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest Gothic style cathedral in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Look here!

 

 

 

 



Olive Oil Bread Rolls

December 11, 2007 | Filed Under Bread, Baking | 19 Comments 

 

 

Dan of Saltshaker made some good-looking, tasty-sounding dinner rolls, a while ago, which enticed me to make them, too.

For those who are familiar with my blog, I like easy recipes and this one was relatively easy.   ;-)  The recipe calls for white flour and whole wheat flour but I just used white flour.  My rolls came out well, with a tiny exception — the shell was a little hard.  Edible but hard.  I’m not sure why?  Can anyone explain?  The inside was nice and soft.  Or was it supposed to be that way?  All in all, I liked my rolls.  Thanks, Dan!  You can find his recipe below.

 

 

 Olive Oil Bread Rolls

Saltshaker

 

Makes approximately 3 dozen

 

 
 

In the bowl of a mixer fitted out with a bread hook (or you can do this by hand if you like):

 

2 teaspoons of sugar
1½ cups warm water (that’s for here, you’ll need to experiment, I’d start with 1 cup and work up if needed)
1 packet of yeast

 

Let sit until the yeast proofs - all bubbly looking - about 5 minutes. Add:

 

½ cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (you can go up to 2 cups, and cut the white flour to 3, and still get a nicely texture roll, more than that and they tend to get dense and heavy)

 

Mix at low speed with the dough hook until it all comes together. You might have to stop once or twice and push stuff down from the sides, and, if need be, add more water - however, add it in very small amounts - bread dough changes texture very suddenly - I tend to add about a teaspoon at a time until it all comes together as one mass. Once it’s all in one mass, increase the speed - not too much, just a bit, and let it knead for about 5 minutes - until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

 

Mound the dough into one ball and either in the same bowl or another, cover with a small towel and place somewhere warm to rise. Let it double in size, then punch it down. Form it into small balls - a little smaller than a golf ball is about the size I use - but you can make smaller, bigger, or even form this dough into loaves if you prefer. I line them up on a silpat, a non-stick silicone sheet atop a cookie sheet, and let them rise, covered with the towel, again, until doubled in size. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 minutes, until nicely browned, and if you flip one over and flick it with a finger, it’ll sound hollow. If you make loaves, it’ll take more like 45-50 minutes to bake, you’ll have to check it a few times until you get the “speed” of your oven down right. Let cool to room temperature and serve… or, I suppose, you could serve them pretty much hot, right out of the oven.

 

In terms of the butters, really all I do is let butter come to room temperature so it’s soft, and then add things to it, whipping it all together with a spoon or fork, and then leaving it at room temperature for enough time for the flavors to come together - don’t over-add stuff to it, the flavors will develop as the butter sits - better to go subtle than too intense.

 

 

 

 

 

For more info, go here.

 

 

 

 



New York Monday #100: Soul Food

December 10, 2007 | Filed Under Interviews, Announcements, New York Monday | 9 Comments 

 

LOL!  I think this is the only building in New York that is painted yellow and red.  This restaurant is located underneath an apartment building. 

 

I forgot to mention some time ago (actually, I didn’t have time to post and then I forgot)  that Ed of Is it EDible (Haha!  I like that blog name — always makes me smile when I see it.  He’s also got the cutest sous chefs.) interviewed me for his blog.  Brave guy!  Some other recent fun interviews that I enjoyed reading are of Mari of My Silly Little Thoughts (her thoughts are not silly) and Ed, himself.  If you’re interested in reading any or all of the interviews, have a look here, here and here.  You can find more fun interviews of other cool food bloggers (like Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen) in Ed’s archives here.   Have a look!  Thanks, Ed! 

Happy reading and have a great week, all!

Paz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Daring Bakers #12: Tender Potato Bread

December 4, 2007 | Filed Under Bread, Daring Bakers, Baking | 23 Comments 

Foccacia

 

All month long, in preparation for November’s Daring Baker’s Challenge, I carried the recipe around with me in my bag to read, during a moment’s respite, and acquaint myself with the instructions.  Last Monday all Daring Bakers blogged about their baking results.  I should have done the same, right?  Wrong.  I forgot to bake my bread and post about it.  With so many things to do, it totally skipped my mind.  Yikes! 

If you’re curious about the Daring Bakers and their challenges, this is the way Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups accurately describes the group and its goal: 

"Each Daring Baker challenge is an opportunity to unleash your power as a Daring Baker.  Daring means whatever your level of experience, you are ready to reach just a little bit beyond where you’ve been comfortable. 

The Daring Bakers, now into the 300 range, from all over the globe is a very diverse group (Have you ever heard more of an understatement).  Part of that diversity is the level of experience the individual brings to the group.  In yoga, all start with the same position.  In the DB, all start with the same recipe.  In yoga, the beginning student to the most advanced doing the same position each reach just past their comfort level, each working very hard, each look very different at the end of the exercise.  In the DBs, all start with the same recipe and most especially by design with this challenge, each presentation will be different from all others."

 

I really like her analogy to yoga.  Tanna chose the November’s Daring Bakers challenge — Tender Potato Bread, a recipe from Home Baking by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.  A week later, I arise to the Daring Bakers challenge and unleash the Daring Baker within.

Being a Daring Baker, I get to try new recipes, techniques, and take risks, as Tanna points out and I did it  again with the challenge of making Tender Potato Bread.  I’d never tasted this, much less thought of making such a bread.  What I liked about Tanna’s choice was that she was very detailed.  Her instructions answered all my questions before I could ask them. 

Also, I liked the fact we had a choice in the types of bread to make — loaves, rolls or foccacia. I always wanted to make foccacia, so that’s what I chose to make.  The bread making process was challenging for me, especially since the dough was very soft.  Very soft.  Tanna warned us about this but I think my dough was softer than usual.  When I put it on the board and tried to knead it, it felt like something out of The Blob.  Luckily, I was able to shape my foccacia and bake it. I loved the simple topping of olive oil, coarse salt, and rosemary leaves (Tanna also offered a topping variation of anchovy and onions). 

I really liked the taste of this bread — the potatoes really gave it a distinct or as Tanna described, savory, taste.  Very nice.  I have some left over, which I’ll take to work for lunch.  I’m having fun unleashing the Daring Baker within.  It’s a challenge, but it’s also fun learning process.

You can find the recipe on Tanna’s blog here and check out the Daring Bakers official blogroll to see what others have done. 

 Paz

 

 

For more info, go here.

 

 

 



New York Monday #99: Snow!

December 3, 2007 | Filed Under New York Monday | 9 Comments 

Riverside Park

 

We received our first snowfall of the year.  I’ve got to go buy some snow boots.  *sigh*

Have a great week, everyone.

Paz

 

More?

 

 

For more info, go here.