recipe | prosciutto wrapped mozzarella

 d

Zan suggested that we stay in and cook for a date night this past Friday. At first, I nixed that idea and suggested we try to get into Rose's Luxury - the restaurant de jour in DC. By Thursday night, we were both worn out from the week and the thought of making our way across town, joining a 2-3 hour long waiting list (for real) and sipping drinks at a bar until we got a table seemed daunting, at best. I circled back to his original idea to stay in, offered to cook, and asked him politely to bring at least one bottle of bubbles from his wine fridge because, you know, it's a day that ends in a "y." And - if you ask me, every Friday should be celebrated with the sound of a pop and fizz.

I came across this unbelievably simple recipe for prosciutto wrapped mozzarella a few months ago. It got buried on my Pinterest board, and I am kicking myself because I could have been enjoying this incredible appetizer/lunch/breakfast/any meal/every meal for months. But at least now I've righted my wrong, right? This is the easiest appetizer I've ever made. It requires two ingredients, an oven, a frying pan, and enough will power not to devour the entire ball in one sitting. Alone.

Fortunately, I had Zan to help me.

ingredients
fresh mozzarella ball
4-6 slices of prosciutto (i say get the real, imported stuff - go big or go home!)

steps
warm up your oven to 350 degrees
use paper towels to dry off the mozzarella ball as best you can. don't worry - they don't stick!
wrap the ball in the prosciutto. it'll stick on its own.
sear the ball on both sides for 1 minute on each in a small frying pan over medium heat
set the ball on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. keep an eye on it - when it starts to melt on the sides, it's close to done. much longer, and it will become a melted mess (but that's delicious, too)

i drizzed olive oil on small italian bread slices and toasted them on the same baking sheet
we used a knife our fingers to cut tear off chunks of the ball onto our bread
it pairs delightfully well with bubbles, just saying!
enjoy!

easy breezy baked buffalo wings

When I lived in Japan, I missed foods I didn't expect: buffalo chicken wings, lettuce that wasn't shredded, Raisin Bran cereal, and mostly - pizza and french fries. A friend lovingly mailed me two giant boxes of Raisin Bran, the Marines that my girlfriend Callie and I were kinda sorta dating took us on base for real honest-to-god American fast food (and I learned that in desperate times, I will eat and enjoy Pizza Hut), and I discovered that my little market carried fresh chicken wings, from time to time. (I learned to live with shredded lettuce.)

I'd search the fresh meat like a fiend every day in the market and always - if there was a package of wings - I'd snag them. I finally had the meat to scratch the itch of my craving, but like most Japanese, I didn't have an oven. So I created my own buffalo wings recipe that needed nothing more than boiling water and a toaster oven. I liked them so much (and ate them so often!) that I brought the recipe home with me. Now every time I make wings, I'm homesick for the smell of rice fields and tatami in the summer, and my apartment in Yamaguchi, Japan. Life is funny that way.

easy breezy baked buffalo wings 
wings! (1 pound, half a pound, however many you want to cook)
a pat of butter
buffalo sauce (of your own making or bottled, whatever you prefer - i used sriracha in japan because it's what i had, but here in the state's i rely on good 'ole frank's red when i'm keeping it simple)
salt, pepper, garlic, old bay, other seasonings you love

steps 
heat your oven to 400-450 degrees (i "wing" this recipe every time so forgive my lack of exactness!)
fill a medium-sized pot (or larger for more wings) 2/3 with hot water and bring to a boil
submerge the  wings and boil for, ohhh 5-7 minutes
drain & place the wings on a greased pan
sprinkle the wings generously with your seasonings of choice (i go big on the pepper & garlic, and if i'm feeling crazy, old bay)
bake for about 6-7 minutes to get them nice and crispy
turn the oven to broil and continue to cook them for another 6-8 minutes
while they're broiling, melt a pat of butter and mix it with your buffalo sauce of choice in a bowl that has a fitted lid (a sriracha-honey mix would also be delicious here)
pull the wings out and stick them straight into the sauce - put on the lid and shake to fully coat

let cool just enough to handle and enjoy!

(you might also love dipping the wings in this simple, homemade ranch dressing. i substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream and mayo. it's delicious!)

brown sugar & buttered popcorn cookies

One year for Christmas when I was still pretty young, my uncle put together a scavenger hunt for my mom. It seems like every year my family would unintentionally (or maybe intentionally?) pick a different person to really make feel special. No one ever had money so these special gifts amounted to a lot of planning and saving and oftentimes, good old layaway. My mom always played down Christmas - "Oh, there's nothing I need! Don't buy me anything. Don't spend your money on me." But I know secretly she loved to be made to feel special. Who doesn't? When my brother, playing "Santa," handed my mom a plain white envelope with no gift attached, we all sat a little straighter, curiosity playing across all of our faces. She opened it to find the first clue. We watched her run around the house, down into the basement, in the yard even picking up the clues. What's funny is that I don't even remember what my uncle got her that year. But I do remember the joy in our house and within our family on that Christmas Eve.

For me, Christmas is about those moments spent running around the house and yard on a scavenger hunt with a smile on your face as big as the lit and decorated tree in the living room. It's about the gifts that took you months to hunt down and brings tears to the receiver's eyes. They're the gifts that are homemade and designed just for that person. They're the ones like a whole box of socks because mine always end up with holes in them that still make me laugh when I pull them on 10 months later (undoubtedly, with holes in them). They're the ones that show you know who a person is and that you appreciate them and that the last year and one coming up is better because they're a part of it.

Since Zander and I will be out of the country for Christmas this year, I've been thinking about gifts and the holiday and what it all means to me a little earlier than normal. We still want to give gifts to our family and friends, and even though it'll be a more subdued celebration, I still want them to be thoughtful. Like maybe homemade cookies and baked goods, wrapped just so, with a bow and a note that says it all.

brown sugar & buttered popcorn cookies (aka- like popcorn, you can't just eat one of these!) from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

**i used kettle corn from an adult human-sized bag gifted to Matt and me so i skipped the first 4 ingredients and the first step.

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup yellow corn kernels 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar (i used cane sugar)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional - i used them in half the dough)
coarse sea salt for sprinkling (optional - i found it unnecessary)

1. Make the popcorn: pour the oil in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the corn kernels in a single layer. Cover the pot, but leave the lid slightly off to let some of the steam out. When the popcorn finishes popping (you'll hear it stop), turno ff the heat and remove from the burner. Drizzle with salt and the melted butter. Remove any unpopped kernels. Let cook. You'll have 4-4.5 cups of popcorn.
2. Make the dough: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda. Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ones, thoroughly mixing. Fold/mix in the popcorn. You'll have way more popcorn than dough, but it works! It's okay if the popcorn breaks up. If you're using chocolate chips, mix them in now, as well.
3. Bake the cookies: Drop heaping tablespoons of the cookie dough onto your cookie sheet. If you'd like, sprinkle sea salt on the unbaked cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes - until you see the edges turning brown. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes. These yielded about 30 cookies for me. 

turkey & chorizo burgers with guacamole

I used not to like burgers very much. Something about them made me feel sick every single time. But then I had one at a cookout a few summers ago that didn't make me sick. It was delicious. I learned after the fact that it was a buffalo burger. Then I tried a turkey burger at a restaurant in town, and I felt fine with that, too. Essentially, my stomach is a burger snob. You won't find me complaining about 'needing' to eat lamb burgers, ribeye burgers, buffalo burgers, and now, turkey & chorizo burgers.

I knew I wanted to make turkey burgers without the bun, using guacamole as my only real topping. What came together was 80% me playing around and 20% using the general ingredients you need to make turkey burgers work. I did the same with the guac. It turned out surprisingly simple and fast and mostly healthy. On the side I roasted cauliflower and the remainder of a bag of frozen fries in my freezer (okay, that part probably wasn't healthy... but drizzle olive oil on those suckers, switch to broil the last 5-7 minutes and sprinkle old bay & garlic powder, worth it!). The chorizo adds a ton of flavor, and I used it to inspire the spices I chose - cilantro, cumin, and hot pepper. I will be making these on the regular. I hadn't swallowed the first bite before they became my new favorite dinner.

This recipe is adaptable to the spices you like. I'm a judge-by-sight cook so the measurements are my best guesses. Enjoy!

turkey & chorizo burgers (makes 4 burgers)
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 links hot Mexican chorizo
1/8 cup (a thin layer) of bread crumbs (I used unseasoned)
1/2 egg (feel free to use the white only)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cilantro (fresh chopped or dried)
1/8 cup diced yellow onion
black pepper to your liking
1 minced garlic clove (or sprinkled garlic powder)
additional hot pepper or jalapeno if wanted

mix it all together by hand - breaking up the chorizo and incorporating it into the rest. mold 4 burgers. cook on a grill, grill pan on the stove, or stove-top skillet on medium-high heat until there is little give when you touch the center and the meat is cooked through. set the burgers on a paper towel lined plate to gather any unwanted grease from the chorizo.

guacamole (i made a small batch perfect for the 4 burgers) 
1 ripe avocado - halved and de-pitted
1/4 lime (cut in half, use half of a half)
a small handful diced red onion (maybe 2 teaspoons)
a small handful diced roma tomato, seeded
1/2 diced jalapeno (this is pretty spicy with the kind of pepper i used)
1 small clove garlic, minced or chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon or generous sprinkle of cilantro (diced fresh or dried)
sprinkle of cumin
sprinkle of black pepper

combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, squeezing fresh lime juice over the top. using a fork, mash until the avocado is evenly mixed in with all the other ingredients. scoop a generous dollop on a turkey & chorizo burger. eat! 

ps - I stole borrowed Zan's grill pan two days ago and have already used it three times. Pretty sure my daydreams of us having a place together are 99% about his kitchenware. 

whole30 challenge + a running injury

I have a confession to make: I haven't run in 3 weeks.

After my first race - the Capitol Hill Classic 10k, I was so sore I limped for two days. In the weeks preceding the race, I'd started to experience pain on the inside of my lower right leg. By the time I finished the race, I knew I couldn't ignore it anymore. But... I did. I gave myself a week to rest and let the pain subside, and then I took to the road again. I only got in a few more sporadic runs before I admitted defeat and made an ortho appointment.

The appointment was awful. I waited an hour to see the Dr. and finally picked up my bags to leave - I had to get back to work. As I walked out of the door, annoyed and upset that I was leaving without an answer or remedy for the pain, he walked in. He spent a grand total of 5 seconds looking and feeling my leg. I'm not exaggerating. And the first question he asked me was, "Do you have to run?"

He didn't order an X-Ray or an MRI. Instead, he told me in a monotone, rote way that I have a stress reaction, should take time off running, and that if I don't want to stop running, I need to take anti-inflammatory medication, ice it after every run, and see a physical therapist. I left nearly in tears - feeling as though he gave me a generalized diagnosis, not one specifically for me.

That said, I researched stress reactions, talked to other runners, and I feel confident that the diagnosis was correct. I learned that stress reactions are most often caused by taking on too much mileage before your body is ready and running hills before your body is ready. Guilty on both charges, I'll admit. (And if the pain returns, I'll definitely be seeing another ortho!)

While my leg heals, I've taken on swimming, and I love it. I've also gotten back into yoga. I plan to pick back up running this week or next week, and this time around, I want to be more disciplined about incorporating swimming and yoga in my cross-training routine.

I had planned to run two races this summer - the Biggest Loser 10k this upcoming weekend and the Annapolis 10-miler in late August. I won't even attempt the BL10k as Is haven't trained at all, but I still want to run in Annapolis. Honestly, I'm terrified. Building up to 10 miles wasn't as scary when I was running 6, but after nearly a month off running, with only 6-7 weeks to train, is it possible for me to be prepared? Annapolis is hilly, and I plan to primarily train this time around on tracks and trails. I'd love any advice from runners out there!

In preparation for Annapolis, and in the mindset of wanting to feel healthy all over - mind, body, and spirit - I've decided to take on the Whole30 challenge. Essentially, it's 30 days without sugar, processed foods, alcohol, grains, and dairy in your diet. Zander and I are doing it together, and I'm excited for it. We tend to eat only meat and vegetables during the week so that won't be too difficult. But the weekends! That'll be my trouble spot. Help keep me accountable?

I plan to blog about my Whole30 journey at least once a week and share a few recipes. Today, I'm going to share my favorite breakfast on-the-go recipe: a crustless quiche. It's easily made Paleo/Whole30 friendly. Enjoy!

Whole30 week 1: Crustless Quiche

ingredients

6 eggs 

1/4 cup milk (whole30: substitute almond milk or water) 

half pound bacon

large handful fresh spinach 

one small diced tomato (or 1/2 large)

1/2 diced medium onion 

pinch salt

teaspoon pepper

optional: cayenne & shredded cheese of your choice (omit for Whole30)  

steps
1. lightly grease a 9" pie pan
2. preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C)
3. heat a skillet over medium-high heat
4. cook bacon until golden brown and crispy - drain excess fat on a plate lined with paper towels
5. drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease & lower heat to medium
6. saute onions and spinach until the spinach is wilted and the onions are translucent and aromatic
7. beat your eggs in a medium mixing bowl. add milk and spices
8. once cool enough, chop the bacon into small pieces
9. stir the bacon, onions, spinach, and diced tomatoes into the egg mixture
10. pour into the pie pan and bake approximately 30 minutes - until the eggs have set. If you plan to reheat pieces for work, feel free to remove from the oven 2 minutes early (slices will be reheated in the microwave)

recipe | matt's onion rings

I thoroughly enjoy watching my roommate and one of my closest friends, Matt, make dinner. He gets these intense cravings (like the rest of us), and he finds a way to make them happen. No matter how limited our ingredient selection may be, he finds a way - it puts a whole new spin on "where there's a will..." Last night he wanted chocolate chip cookies. We didn't have chocolate chips, and he didn't want to take the time to bake cookies. So he found a single serving recipe for cookie dough... that worked mostly fine without the chocolate. 

Last week he wanted onion rings one night something fierce. He opined the quintessential steakhouse "blooming onion" and the way diners perfect big, fat onion rings. He said all this as he tossed an onion from hand to hand, his mind working through the possibilities. I piped up and suggested an egg mixture and rolling it in flour. He nodded; he'd already gotten there. 10 minutes later, he set this heaping plate of lightly battered and fried thin onion rings in front of me, and I couldn't resist trying one... or two... or three. 

Damn him, now I'll be making onion rings on the regular. 

Matt's Onion Rings 

one medium-large onion cut into rings

1/2 cup flour 

a pinch of salt & pepper

a teaspoon Creole or Old Bay seasoning (or chili powder) 

1-2 eggs

2 cups canola oil (or oil of choice) 

1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs of choice (may use more or less)

saucepan 

how to make them

heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat - drop a bit of flour into it - if it sizzles, it's hot enough

crack your egg(s) into a wide bowl and beat well

mix together flour + seasonings (creole optional but yummm) and lay out on a large plate

on a second plate, lay out your bread crumbs

dredge your raw onion rings through the egg mixture, evenly coat with flour, and lightly bread with the crumbs

using a fork or tongs, place the coated rings into the saucepan (don't overcrowd but place as many as comfortably fits in at one time) 

cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown

drain excess oil on paper towels

enjoy!

other things by me...

tokyo summer festivals on viator

cookies and cream cupcakes with oreo cream cheese frosting

When I volunteered to make cupcakes for two colleagues' birthdays today, I don't know what I was thinking. I ran the Capitol Hill Classic 10k yesterday morning, and then needed to get ingredients and make homemade cupcakes. I was too tired to stand, let alone think through a recipe.

Zander came to my rescue when he suggested cookies and cream cupcakes. I'll let you in on a little secret about Zander: he loves Oreos. I knew I wanted a simple recipe, one that uses Oreos, and I wanted to top it off with a new take on cream cheese frosting. I couldn't find a recipe that met all of those wants, so I smushed a bunch of them together to come up with this one.

These guys are so good I'm almost tempted to have a second. And they're so simple to make, you can do it after running a 10k.

ingredients for cookies and cream cupcakes (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)
makes 24 cupcakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk (or sour cream)*
2 large eggs at room temperature
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla + a few drops
12-18 crushed Oreos 

ingredients for Oreo cream cheese frosting  (adapted from Foodess)
8 oz cream cheese (1 block) at room temperature
4-5 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
1.5-2 cups confectioners sugar
12-18 crushed Oreos
12 Oreo halves for decorating

cupcake steps 
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with liners.
2. using a large bowl for a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt (dry ingredients)
3. beat in butter (softened), buttermilk (or sour cream if you prefer, but I think the buttermilk adds to the "cookies and cream" texture and taste), egg and egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat these at medium speed until smooth and creamy - about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. fold in the crushed oreos until evenly distributed
5. bake for 20-24 minutes until the tops are pale gold and an inserted toothpick comes out nearly clean. let cool completely

frosting steps 
1. make sure your butter and cream cheese are soft. you can use a microwave to help in this process, but it's best to let them come to room temperature naturally. mix together on medium speed in a small bowl using a stand mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes) mix in vanilla for 30 seconds
2. with speed turned to low, incorporate the confectioners sugar 1/2 cup or so at a time
3. with mixer still set to low, add in the crushed oreos until fully beat in. you will still have some oreo chunks - that's okay! if you want a crunchier outcome, fold in the cookies by hand instead of beating them
4. chill the frosting to thicken it
5. ice the cupcakes and serve with half an Oreo on top

*Baking with buttermilk: I'm new to it, and it's... interesting. It creates a heartier, thicker cupcake with a distinct texture and flavor. Some people die for them... It's growing on me. I liked it in this recipe to help create a cookies and cream effect.

Do you bake with buttermilk? What's your favorite recipe that incorporates buttermilk?

mi queso, su queso | real mexican cheese queso dip recipe

I beg of you -- please reconsider before you make a Velveeta-based dip for your Cinco de Mayo festivities. There's a better way. It's simple! And really, really delicious. I can't stress that part enough. Trust me on this.

My office is having an early Cinco celebration with a dip-off. I get crazed about these competitions. I search high and low for the perfect recipes, I go so far overboard I can't even see the ship, and I win. Every time. Knock on wood, because the competition doesn't start for another few hours!

I planned to make Queso Fundido con Chorizo (a baked, sizzling, smoldering dish of melted cheese, flavored with chorizo, jalapenos, peppers, and onions), but logistically, how could I get that to work still sizzling? I couldn't figure out a way so I decided to go with queso dip. I took a trip to El Progresso, a Mexican market in Mt. Plesant, and picked up some Crema, or Mexican sour cream, and a variety of Queso Fresco cheeses.

I searched recipes for blanco (white) queso dip using real cheese, and they were few and far between. The ones I did find had questionable reviews - multiple people said it turned out gloppy, and the cheese separated, creating an unappetizing mess. After finally finding half a dozen similar recipes with nice-looking results, I adapted what I liked from each to make my own.

I made a simple roux - melted better, milk, and flour to start. I sauteed onion, jalapeno peppers, and garlic next - my house smelled like a Mexican restaurant (my version of heaven, I think). I stirred in tomatoes and cilantro, then slowly mixed in cheese on low heat- half of which I grated from a block, the other half was shredded. I mixed in half a cup of Mexican crema to finish, testing for taste, and then I swooned. It's spicy, cheese, rich in flavor, and fragrant. This is the real (Tex-Mex) deal.

real cheese queso, adapted from Gourmet Veggie Mama and Homesick Texan

ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (whole milk or a mixture of any with half and half is best)
1/2 medium white onion (mine measured 1 cup)
2 finely diced jalapenos
4-5 cloves garlic, minced (i use a cheese grater to do this)
2-3 tomatoes, diced
5 cups cheese in total -- i used mexican queso fresco (asadero) - you can use monterrey jack or cheddar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (to taste)
1/2 cup crema or sour cream

steps 

1. melt the butter n a large saucepan over medium or medium-low heat (my burners are HOT so i used medium-low)
2. saute the onion and jalapenos until fragrant (3 minutes) + add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute
3. add flour and mix until it bubbles (it may seem too dry, but get the flour completely mixed in, it will even out)
4. stir in the milk a little at a time, breaking up lumps as you go. keep stirring until the mixture thickens (this won't take very long) 
5. add the tomatoes and stir well
6. lower the heat to very low 
7. add the cheese 1/4-1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is completely melted each time before adding the next batch. 
8. once all the cheese has been mixed in, mix in the crema
9. serve!  

run update + giambotta recipe

I blogged last week about my fear of running and my 3 mile wall. Last night, I finally beat that fear and my doubts. To make myself do it, I started by mapping out a run. I know if I plan for it, if I give myself a route, I'm more likely to stay on it.

The first 2 miles were hilly, but I kept a steady pace and managed not to stop. The next 1.5 miles were level or downhill for the most part, which helped give me the confidence I needed to keep going (also, I wasn't so tired, but I wanted to stop? Mind over matter.) Then came that last half mile.

I live on a hill that is not insignificant. It's a full 1/3 mile. Ending my first ever 4-miler on a hill felt like an impossible ask. And then I turned up the volume on my iPod, skipped to the next song with a hard beat, and I ran it. I sprinted the last two blocks home. It wasn't a fast run, and most certainly probably wasn't pretty to see! but I didn't walk, and I finished.

I also registered for my first race yesterday. I'll be running the Capitol Hill Classic 10k on May 19th. After last night, I know I can do it, and I honestly think I'll be trained for it well before it's here. That feels pretty damn good, you know? So thank you to everyone who encouraged me via here or facebook, twitter, instagram, etc. Letting y'all into my fears held me accountable for overcoming them.

Onto what I ate post-run.... 

Ciambotta (sometimes called Giambotta), or Italian vegetable stew found in the southern regions of Italy. It. Is. Bomb. It's my new favorite one pot meal. If you have leftover veggies you need to use, some chicken, beef, or vegetable stock/broth laying around (wine would work, too!), canned or fresh tomatoes, and seasonings, you've got this dish practically made. Here's the recipe. 

celebrating with chocolate peanut butter cake

A year ago this weekend, a cab driver told Zander that he'd be crazy not to go paddle boating with me.

We went to dinner at Zest Bistro, a delightful, delicious, intimate restaurant in a neighborhood that we don't visit often enough. We polished off a bottle of wine over dinner, and I remember thinking, "I'm lost in conversation," and getting back into whatever topic was at hand. I wore a pair of skinny jeans with black flats and a v-neck black top. Lordy, it was much warmer on that night in March than the same one this year.

After dinner, we walked down the street, past the lively bars and closing cafes, and Zander asked if I'd like another glass of wine before heading home. We stopped into one place or another, and we continued where the dinner conversation left off.

The cab driver that night took me home first. On the way I mentioned a few friends and I were going to try the paddle boats at the National Mall. We wanted to see the cherry blossoms from the water's point of view. I invited him, but he hesitated. He was remodeling his bathroom, and well, he needed the day to work on it. I hopped out of the cab, and he walked me to my door. We said goodnight with a hug.

A little downtrodden, unsure what I thought or what he thought or what I felt or what he felt - the usual way of those painful post-first date moments, I reached in my purse to find my phone to text a friend how it had gone. How had it gone? Before I could finish typing the message, my phone vibrated with a text. "Our cabbie said I'd be crazy not to go paddle boating with you, and I would. What time do I meet you?"  

To celebrate our one year this weekend, we spent the night in Charlottesville, Virginia. I've wanted to go, well, pretty much all year. It's more suburban and developed than I anticipated, but that didn't mar the beautiful bed and breakfast that Zan surprised me with, or the picturesque scenery on our way out to go wine tasting on Sunday. It was a weekend that I wish I could bubble wrap for safekeeping and take out every time I need to remember that time in our lives of cherry blossoms and new beginnings and the start of a Spring romance.

As part of my anniversary gift to Zan, I made a chocolate peanut butter cake that he has been drooling over ever since our friend Sarah tweeted about it. I don't like peanut butter because I'm a crazy person, but I gotta tell you - making a cake when you aren't even tempted to eat it is the best. All the joy of batter tasting without the guilt at over-indulging on the finished product.

Without further ado, the extremely time-intensive chocolate peanut butter cake, from Smitten Kitchen.

ingredients for the cake
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake (did you just say "holy hell?" because that's what i said!)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

steps 

1. preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch-round cake pans. Line each with wax paper and grease the paper. 
2. whisk the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, cocoa power, baking soda, and salt in a large standing mixer bowl. 
3. whisk in the oil and sour cream. gradually mix in the water. blend in the vinegar and vanilla. next the eggs. make sure you're getting the bottom and sides of the bowl. 
4. divide among the three cake pans. it will be a light, runny batter! but delicious! 
5. bake 30-35 minutes (i baked 32 minutes, and it was perfect), until a toothpick comes out nearly clean. let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes. 
6. invert the cakes onto wire racks, super carefully peeling off the wax paper (mine were still so soft that little bits came off). let them continue to cook. Deb suggested putting them in the freezer for 30 minutes to let them harden a little to make them easier to work with. yes. do this.)

ingredients for the peanut butter frosting
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups (!!!) confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (use a commercial brand so the oil doesn't separate)

steps

1. in the same large bowl that you made the cake batter and since cleaned (yay one bowl!), beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. 
2. beat in the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time (make sure to get the sides and bottom, as it'll stick)
3. beat for another 3-4 minutes just to make sure
4. add the peanut butter and blend thoroughly 

assemble and frost the cake 
build and frost the cake like a sandwich. place one layer of the cake (a sturdy one), flat side up, on a large serving plate, cake stand, or if you have neither of those, a pizza pan (for the win!). frost the top. place the next layer (your worst layer) on top next. frost the top of that one. place the final layer (hopefully your best) on top. now frost the top of that one and the sides. make sure you reserve a little of your frosting. let the cake chill (fridge/freezer) for 15-30 minutes until the frosting has set. then frost over your frosting with the remaining frosting (how many times can i say 'frost' in one sentence?!) to give it a more cohesive look. put your cake back in the freezer to let it set some more while you make the....

ingredients for the chocolate-peanut butter sauce
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (optional)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half (optional)

steps
use a double-broiler, or set a bowl over simmering water. melt the chocolate, mixing in the peanut butter and corn syrup. if you don't want it overpoweringly peanut buttery, you could leave it out of this sauce, but i put it in. whisk it real good until it's all smooth and saucy. remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half. i forgot about this part, and mine still tasted delicious but wasn't as drippy and runny down the sides of the cake. use this while still warm.

final step
remove the cake from the freezer/fridge, and drizzle the warm chocolate sauce on top. make sure your cake is on a baking sheet to catch any runaway sauce. spread it evenly over the top just to the edges, so it's pretty when it runs down the sides. set it back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the glaze and frosting set completely. remove 1 hour before serving. (i served it while the glaze was still warm, then let it set.)

this cake is delicious, but if you add up all the setting and baking times, you need to allow for 3-4 hours to make it. in summary? baking this beast is real love, yo.

I still have half a cake at my apartment. Who wants to come over for wine and dessert?

pi day | chocolate french silk

 Happy Pi π Day! 

My friend Melanie, the creative mind behind The Things They Made, linked me a few weeks ago to a delicious looking pie recipe that she intended to make for her company's "pi day" competition. March 14th, official "pi" day, makes for a natural celebration of the decadent baked good pie... and math, too. If that's your thing. But my thing is eating pie. 

My office, unfortunately, didn't have a competition - everything is better when you compete! - but I did opt to bring one in to spread the geeky cheer. I picked up my Smitten Kitchen cookbook, by now famous blogger Deb Perelman (you might have heard of her!) and flipped through until I landed on her chocolate silk pie. Decadent. Rich. Intense. Let's do it. 

I heard Deb speak at Politics and Prose, my favorite local bookstore in D.C., when her book was newly released. I was a fairly new reader of her blog, and I had only tried a single recipe. She charmed my socks off. She is a force of energy; she has a great laugh and a wonderful reading and speaking voice.  

She didn't read from her cookbook, that could have been strange (though I would have stayed to listen); instead she told a little about how she got to where she is now (published!) and answered questions. What was most remarkable to me about Deb is her humility and humor. She is as quick witted as she is dexterous in the kitchen. Pi Day gave me a perfect excuse to finally, finally, make a recipe straight from her book. 

Here are a few pics - find the recipe down below. 

 the crust

1.5 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (approximately 3/4 of a 9oz package of Famous Chocolate Wafers)

2 tablespoons sugar (I used a tiny bit less...)

pinch of salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (microwaved for 45 seconds)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Crumb the wafers - either put them in a ziploc bag and go to town beating them, or put them in a food processor broken up, like I did. Once crumbed, mix in the sugar and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter until it's even throughout. Using your hands (easiest), pat the crust into the bottom and on the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes and place in the fridge to cool. 

the filling 

12 tablespoons butter, room temperature (no joke.)

1 cup sugar (again, i tried to use a little less, but i like slightly-less-sweet things)

3oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (i stuck my brick o'chocolate in a pan on the stove and stirred - melted in 2-3 minutes)

3 large eggs (you'll want organic, pasteurized, etc etc - the good stuff)

1 teaspoon vanilla (+ a few drops. always.)

in your stand mixer (or you could do it with a hand one), whip butter and sugar together until it's a pale and fluffy mixture. While still beating away, drizzle in the melted chocolate (my favorite part!). Add the eggs one at a time, beating each egg into the mixture for five minutes (seriously). Make sure you're scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and blend well (a minute). Pour your delicious filling into the now cool crust and spread evenly. Allow the pie to chill for at least 6 hours.

the garnish

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

beat the cream and sugar until it "just holds soft peaks." this will take all of your life. plan to mix for at least 20-25 minutes. the whipped cream is kind of like falling in love - you'll know when you know (when it's done). spread on top of your pie, garnish with chocolate chips or bittersweet shavings, if you'd like, and devour.