You may have noticed I took a little blogging break.... we've had a lot going on at work and on the weekends lately and blogging has just taken the back burner. But I'm back and excited to share what's been going on since I've been gone.
First and perhaps most exciting:
Our house is starting to look like a house! We took Jason's parents by the model yesterday and were pleasantly surprised to see how much progress had taken place in the last few weeks. We have a pre-construction meeting this week (a misnomer given that construction has clearly begun) and I'm hoping we'll get an update on when it will be complete.
I've also spent the last couple of weeks having a bit of a reading renaissance. I've always been a big reader but haven't really felt like I've had the time to devote to reading these last several years. But over the last three weeks or so I've devoured three books...all of which I'd happily recommend.
1) Bossypants by Tina Fey It's a quick read and incredibly funny. I mean, come on....it's Tina Fey! What do you expect?
2) The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman A collection of vignettes describing life at floundering English language newspaper in Rome and the quirky characters who work there. In some ways it is more an interconnecting collection of short stories than a novel. Engrossing and at times heartbreaking.
3) A Visit From the Goon Squad by Susan Egan. This Pulitzer Prize winning book is this month's book club pick. It was interesting that I read it immediately after The Imperfectionists as they are structured very similarly. Like that book, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a collection of vignettes (told in the first, second, and third person depending on the chapter--one is even told completely through powerpoint!) that looks at the lives of a number of music-loving people who have crossed paths with one another over the course of a number of decades--both past, present, and future. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I'm now on the look out for other good books--any suggestions?
Showing posts with label book club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book club. Show all posts
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Book Club Pound Cake
I didn't get very far in this month's book club selection-- it has not been a good month for non-work reading unfortunately. So I tried to make up for it by making my food contribution count. This month I volunteered for dessert and initially I wanted to make my BFF's Mocha Icebox Cake, but I nixed it because I wasn't sure how well it would travel (and driving from Arlington to Fairfax during rush hour can mean a lengthy car ride). If I wasn't going to be able to make that, I decided to avoid chocolate altogether since I thought many of the other book clubbers might be chocolated out from Valentine's Day. Instead I decided to go with something a little lighter--honey vanilla pound cake. OK, so pound cake may not exactly be light but this one has a light texture (thanks to the cake flour) and a light taste (thanks to the lemon and honey). My original plan was to make a raspberry sauce to serve with this little beauty--but I ran out of time. So I served with a few fresh raspberries instead. I thought it was pretty good...at first I tasted the lemon more than anything else (which was a bit disappointing) but then I realized that there was a creaminess (in taste if not texture) that the honey and vanilla really helped to impart. Either way, a solid pound cake for those who like that sort of thing.
Honey Vanilla Pound Cake
From Ina Garten
Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter, set out at room temperature for about an hour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 TBL honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered sugar and raspberries for garnish (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
3. Meanwhile put the eggs, vanilla, honey, and lemon zest into a glass bowl or measuring cup but do not combine. Beat in egg mixture, one eggg at a time. Make sure to incorporate each egg completely before adding in the next.
4. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together and slowly add to the egg and butter mixture until just incorporated. Finish stirring with rubber spatula.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then turn out onto a cool rack and cool completely. Slice and dust with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries. Serve.
Honey Vanilla Pound Cake
From Ina Garten
Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter, set out at room temperature for about an hour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 TBL honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered sugar and raspberries for garnish (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
3. Meanwhile put the eggs, vanilla, honey, and lemon zest into a glass bowl or measuring cup but do not combine. Beat in egg mixture, one eggg at a time. Make sure to incorporate each egg completely before adding in the next.
4. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together and slowly add to the egg and butter mixture until just incorporated. Finish stirring with rubber spatula.
5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Smooth top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then turn out onto a cool rack and cool completely. Slice and dust with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries. Serve.
Labels:
Barefoot Contessa,
book club,
food,
pound cake,
recipes
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Full Disclosure
A friend asked me this week whether I ever come home from a long day of work and decided to order pizza. Apparently my blog has given the (completely false) impression that I cook dinner every night. The truth is I would like to cook dinner every night but I don’t. The weekends are usually the designated for eating out but even during the week there are times when I am too busy or too tired to cook much of anything. On those nights we 1) order pizza, 2) assemble dinner (salads are a good example of these non-cooking meals), or 3) have breakfast for dinner (which Jason usually makes).
Take this week, for example:
Monday: We made homemade pizza (because it was a holiday and neither of us had to work)
Tuesday: a quick and easy salad with rolls
Wednesday: book club (Jason went out for dinner and I made a super easy appetizer—see recipe below)
Thursday: cereal (because I had to go Baltimore for the day and got home late and Jason had a networking thing after work)
Friday: Pancakes (courtesy of Jason because it was too cold to go anywhere)
So there you go…full disclosure :)
The one real thing I cooked this week was an easy appetizer of puffy pastry with soppresata and Gruyere from my BFF’s new cookbook How Easy Is That? The answer to that question is incredibly so.
Puff Pastry with Soppresata and Gruyere
From Ina Garten
Ingredients:
1 package of frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the fridge
2 TBL Dijon mustard
12 slices of soppressata salami
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 egg
1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place on sheet of puff pastry onto parchment lined sheet pan. Lightly roll pastry until it is a 10 inch square.
2.Spread Dijon mustard over puff pastry leaving a 1 inch border. Layer soppressata over the mustard and then top with shredded Gruyere cheese.
3.Beat egg with one TBL of water to create an egg wash. Brush the one inch border of the puff pastry with egg wash.
4.Roll the other sheet of pastry into a 10 inch square. Lay it directly on top of the first square, lining up the edges. Brush the top with the egg wash and cut three large slits for steam to escape. Chill for 15 minutes.
5.Trim the edges of the pastry with a sharp knife (or pizza cutter). Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes until puffed and brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, cut into square, and serve.
Take this week, for example:
Monday: We made homemade pizza (because it was a holiday and neither of us had to work)
Tuesday: a quick and easy salad with rolls
Wednesday: book club (Jason went out for dinner and I made a super easy appetizer—see recipe below)
Thursday: cereal (because I had to go Baltimore for the day and got home late and Jason had a networking thing after work)
Friday: Pancakes (courtesy of Jason because it was too cold to go anywhere)
So there you go…full disclosure :)
The one real thing I cooked this week was an easy appetizer of puffy pastry with soppresata and Gruyere from my BFF’s new cookbook How Easy Is That? The answer to that question is incredibly so.
Puff Pastry with Soppresata and Gruyere
From Ina Garten
Ingredients:
1 package of frozen puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the fridge
2 TBL Dijon mustard
12 slices of soppressata salami
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 egg
1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place on sheet of puff pastry onto parchment lined sheet pan. Lightly roll pastry until it is a 10 inch square.
2.Spread Dijon mustard over puff pastry leaving a 1 inch border. Layer soppressata over the mustard and then top with shredded Gruyere cheese.
3.Beat egg with one TBL of water to create an egg wash. Brush the one inch border of the puff pastry with egg wash.
4.Roll the other sheet of pastry into a 10 inch square. Lay it directly on top of the first square, lining up the edges. Brush the top with the egg wash and cut three large slits for steam to escape. Chill for 15 minutes.
5.Trim the edges of the pastry with a sharp knife (or pizza cutter). Bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes until puffed and brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, cut into square, and serve.
Labels:
appetizer,
Barefoot Contessa,
book club,
food,
I don't cook everyday,
recipes
Saturday, November 20, 2010
A Book Club Miracle
I worked late almost every day this past week (hence the complete lack of posting—blah) with the exception of Wednesday. Wednesday also happened to be the date of this month’s book club so the fact that it was my one non-late day was something of a miracle. A book club miracle, if you will. You know what else was miraculous? The cheese ball I made to take to book club!
That’s right I said cheese ball.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of cheese balls, I think of the highly processed versions my mom used to buy from Hickory Farms around the holidays when I was a kid. I did not care for cheese balls back then but I am decidedly a fan of this recipe from Cooking Light (I just so happened to run across it during the Great Thanksgiving Recipe Search 2010).
It’s so easy you can put it together after a long day of work without breaking a sweat. And seriously, cream cheese + blue cheese + shallots + lemon zest + parsley + walnuts = awesome. Miraculous, even.
Miraculous Blue Cheese Ball with Walnuts
Adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce brick of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 TBL milk
1 TBL finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper
¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
2 ½ TBL chopped walnuts
1.Place cream cheese, blue cheese, and milk in a bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add shallots, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with mixer until well blended.
2.Spoon mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a ball. Wrap and chill overnight.
3.Before serving, combine parsley and walnuts in a shallow bowl or plate. Unwrap cheese ball and gently roll in nut mixture. Either serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready. Serve with crackers, bread, or veggies.
That’s right I said cheese ball.
I don’t know about you, but when I think of cheese balls, I think of the highly processed versions my mom used to buy from Hickory Farms around the holidays when I was a kid. I did not care for cheese balls back then but I am decidedly a fan of this recipe from Cooking Light (I just so happened to run across it during the Great Thanksgiving Recipe Search 2010).
It’s so easy you can put it together after a long day of work without breaking a sweat. And seriously, cream cheese + blue cheese + shallots + lemon zest + parsley + walnuts = awesome. Miraculous, even.
Miraculous Blue Cheese Ball with Walnuts
Adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce brick of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 TBL milk
1 TBL finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper
¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
2 ½ TBL chopped walnuts
1.Place cream cheese, blue cheese, and milk in a bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add shallots, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with mixer until well blended.
2.Spoon mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a ball. Wrap and chill overnight.
3.Before serving, combine parsley and walnuts in a shallow bowl or plate. Unwrap cheese ball and gently roll in nut mixture. Either serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready. Serve with crackers, bread, or veggies.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Book Club Brownies
For this month’s book club I volunteered to bring dessert--I like baking but try not to do it too often given that it is just the two of us. I initially thought I’d make an apple cake or some other sort of fall dessert but when I asked Jason what kind of sweet treat he’d like to eat later this week (given that I almost always come home from book club with leftovers) only one thing came to mind—espresso brownies. As I mentioned awhile back Jason is a big fan of the chocolate-coffee flavor combination so these mocha tasting treats are right up his alley. They also happen to be one of the first things I ever made him so they have the nostalgia thing going for them as well :)
Fortunately for me, these brownies require very little effort, making them the perfect thing to bake during the work week. One reason for their relative simplicity—they make use of brownie mix. I know, I know—I don’t usually make things from a box. But it doesn’t hurt to take a few shortcuts where you can. And these are GOOD. Just ask Jason.
Espresso Brownies
Adapted slightly from Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 TBL plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup plus 2 TBL water
1 box of brownie mix
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 TBL butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, eggs, 1/3 cup of water, and 2 TBL espresso powder. Add in brownie mix and stir until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
2.Pour into well-greased 9 X 9 baking pan and bake for 35 minutes.
3.Place pan on wire rack and cool completely.
4.When the brownies are cool, dissolve remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder into the 2 TBL water. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and butter and whisk until smooth. (If the frosting is too thick, you can thin it out with a little more water). Pour onto brownies and smooth with a knife or off-set spatula. Refrigerate until set. Cut into squares and serve.
Fortunately for me, these brownies require very little effort, making them the perfect thing to bake during the work week. One reason for their relative simplicity—they make use of brownie mix. I know, I know—I don’t usually make things from a box. But it doesn’t hurt to take a few shortcuts where you can. And these are GOOD. Just ask Jason.
Yep. I used a mix. Don't judge!
Espresso Brownies
Adapted slightly from Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 TBL plus 2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup plus 2 TBL water
1 box of brownie mix
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 TBL butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, eggs, 1/3 cup of water, and 2 TBL espresso powder. Add in brownie mix and stir until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.
2.Pour into well-greased 9 X 9 baking pan and bake for 35 minutes.
3.Place pan on wire rack and cool completely.
4.When the brownies are cool, dissolve remaining 2 teaspoons of espresso powder into the 2 TBL water. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and butter and whisk until smooth. (If the frosting is too thick, you can thin it out with a little more water). Pour onto brownies and smooth with a knife or off-set spatula. Refrigerate until set. Cut into squares and serve.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
From http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com
I hosted book club this month (tonight, in fact), and as hostess it fell upon me to decide upon this month’s selection. Given that most of the books on my to-read list are still in hardback (and we try to stick with paperbacks when possible), I decided to go with a book that had been on my list for quite a while—Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I am not sure how it went over with the rest of the group (I’m guessing it wasn’t widely loved), but I really enjoyed it.
While Barbara Kingsolver is a critically acclaimed novelist, AVM is more of a memoir telling the story of her family’s experiences trying to eat only locally grown/produced food for a year. That’s right everything they eat—both animal and vegetable—had to come from within a couple hundred miles of their home in Southwestern Virginia (although each family member is allowed to pick one non-local thing to continue eating which ranged from coffee to dried fruit). Their task is made somewhat easier by the fact they live on a farm and put significant effort into growing vegetables and even raising chickens and turkeys which they then eat. In addition to the story of their life on the farm and their experiences with eating locally, there is a lot of factual information about American farming, the food industry, as well as seasonal menus and recipe ideas.
Although I found certain portions of the narrative a bit preachy or a little too in the weeds at times (e.g., there was a lot of information about growing asparagus, some of which made my eyes glaze over), I was generally engaged. Once I got into it, it was a fairly quick read. Kingsolver can obviously tell a story and I really enjoyed the life on the farm vignettes in particular.
But more importantly, it also made me think. Most of the time, I buy produce without really considering where it comes from. I think we do a pretty good job of not buying a lot of things out of season (with the exception of bananas which Jason eats every single morning and the lettuces and tomatoes we generally eat year round), but that isn’t necessarily a conscious decision. Kingsolver makes a good case for eating locally—not only are there significant environmental benefits from not eating food that has to be trucked or flown in from halfway across the country or even the world, but it also means supporting local farmers and eating food when it was meant to be eaten, when it is at its peak of freshness and flavor. Those are all things I can get behind.
One day when we have the space, I am sure that we will have a garden that includes fruits and vegetables. Until then I am going to try and make more of a concerted effort to eat in-season and buy locally where we can. We are really fortunate to have a large weekly farmers market at our doorstep right now and I am going to take full advantage while I can. I’ve also been thinking about participating in community-sponsored agriculture (CSA) for awhile now so maybe this year will be the year I actually take the plunge. Big changes often start with small steps—we’ll see what happens!
Labels:
animal vegetable miracle,
book club,
random musings
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