Pain Au Chocolate

Many of you know of my love for Trader Joe's. Well over the holidays, I found that they have frozen Pain Au Chocolate. You take them out the night before, let them rise and then bake for 30 minutes and voila you have fresh baked heaven for the morning. My Dad and I both gave these high marks. Here is a picture of them hot out of the oven. Run, run, run I tell you to TJ for this.

Buche de Noel

I have made a buche de Noel for the past few years, but not sure I'll make one this year. I love making this cake. Here is one that I made with my Dad last year. It was very yummy and looked great. It was the recipe from the Cake Bible.

Holiday Cookies

I am trying to decide what to make for some holiday cookies and I'm not sure what would be best. Ginger Snaps always remind me of my Grandpa Jim and they have a very special place in my heart. I had a gingerbread muffin at the store the other day and I really liked it, so I'm thinking of mini muffins. I'm guessing that the muffins are cupcakes, but I'll have to research more. What are you making?

Fire!

Okay at W.'s house on Friday, I had a small accident where I lit a paper towel on fire. I was thinking of other great fire tricks I've had in the kitchen. My most favorite is the time I burned the steak, now in all fairness, it was in oven that David found on the street and only had two cook settings, off and caveman cooking. The really bad part was I didn't wash the lettuce very well, so I made leather and sand for dinner, so it was not my finest meal.

Are you ready for some Turkey?

Okay, we are less than one week away from the culinary high holy day, Thanksgiving. I was lucky enough to have already celebrate with my family early, Fakesgiving, we call it. What are everyone else's plans for Turkey Day? Any new dishes that you are bringing into the rotation? Any family favorites that you can't wait to make again?

Trip to NYC

This weekend I went to NYC to visit my family. As usual we went to some neighborhood favorites and the food was delicious. We went to Cafe Orlin for brunch on Saturday. I had poached eggs with Salmon over potato pancakes with a dill sauce.



My Dad had eggs with eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers with Labnen cheese with green olives. This was very yummy. The cheese was creamy but with a yogurt zing. I think that I will see if I can find this cheese to use at my house.

My Mom went with the classic eggs Benedict. She always gets salad instead of home fries.

Cooking for a Cause

Every year my friend June hosts a killer party for her charity of choice, Quincy Teen Mother Program. For the past two years I have helped her make her signature dish lasagna. We spend one day cooking (truth be told June does all the heavy lifting before I get there). She is stocked for the party, extra for her family and I get a good size haul as a bonus. Here are few photos of the spoils of our labor. Do you cook for a cause as well? Do you have a killer lasagna recipe?

Another Coffee Maker Idea

When I was in NYC this weekend, I was asking my parents' neighbors about coffee makers. Okey, a graphic designer immediately asked, my preference for form over function. I admit that in the kitchen I take function over form almost every time. He recommend the Chemex coffee maker. We had one growing up, my mom is the trend setter. It was great until we broke it one sad morning. But this would look great on my stove. I'm not sure just yet. The company is based in Pittsfield, maybe I'll have to take a road trip.

New Coffee Maker

My coffee maker is incontinent. So this, like all matters of small spills, is a delicate matter. My coffee maker (that I'm guessing is from my last Brooklyn house) is at least 15 years old. Well, when it is done brewing that magic black gold for morning, it gives a big sigh and the part with the cone flies open and I get a dribble on the counter. Well, now I think it is time to upgrade.

So, do tell what kind of coffee maker do you have? Do you love it? I know that a few of you have been through a number of different selections, so give me the dish.

Here are a few that I'm considering:



Hamilton Beach BrewStation:
Nick and Alysa have this type and they really enjoy it! I like the idea of not having the warming plate to burn the coffee.









Braun-- Like I have now but upgraded:
I like the idea of the filter for the water. I also would like to wake up with the coffee made. Go with what you know can work.

Baklava

Today I was at W. house again. Nana's sister is visiting from New Jersey. She brought home made Baklava. This is it! It lasted one minute. It was not too sweet, it was just right. She laughed at me taking a picture of my food, but it was worth it.
eSusan

Lunch Today

Today I was at my little friend W. house. W. is lucky enough to have his grandmother or Nana to take care of him. Nana is from Albania but is recovering from foot surgery, so that is why I am there. Anyone who has taken care of a 16 month-old knows you have to be quick and on your feet and on them all day.

Nana made lunch today. At the top of the plate is baked stuff eggplant. This was delicious.

Nana said the eggplant was a Turkish eggplant. She pealed strips of the eggplant, sauted in a pan, then stuffed with squash, onions and tomatoes.

At the 6 o'clock position, yes that is okra. The okra was cleaned with salt water, then friend with a little olive oil. The okra is then cooked in beef stock with stewed tomatoes. I am not a huge fan of okra, but I like this and I ate all it.

The last item on the plate is at the 3 o'clock position and is baked red peppers with squash and tomato. This was simple fresh veggies baked with tomato and garlic. While the dished used many of the same ingredients, each one was about fresh veggies and they have different tastes.

eSusan

Welcome

Greetings,
I made dinner for my friends Jackie, Brad and Skyler last night, it was a belated birthday present for Jackie. Jackie and I were talking about cooking and food and I mentioned my obsession with trying to not waste food and maximizing my food purchases and she said, start a blog, so here I am. Last night we had a roasted squash and sweet potato soup with herb cream, pot roast with Zinfandel wine, braised carrots and parsnips, swiss chard with lemon and honey, and dessert from Trader's Joe (the tiny apple tarts and the apricot and flan tart). I really liked the carrots and parsnips. The pot roast was good, but I think would have been better if we ate it the day it was cooked. I know that it was cruel to slow cook the pot roast the day before, fill the apartment with that wonderful smell and then take the dinner out and leave my apartment mate to suffer with no food.

So now I have some chicken stock, carrots, and parsnips left over, so my options are, Turkey Sausage Soup with white beans, lentil soup, or something else. Stay tuned!