Muffin Story

So I found a Sara Moulton recipe for basic muffins, and ideas for things to mix in. The first time I made these I added crushed pineapple and shredded coconut. They were pretty good. They seemed moister than muffins I've had in the past--from the box and store and whatnot--so perhaps real muffins just have a different texture... The second time I made these I tried a banana and chocolate chips, but I forgot the baking soda and baking powder so I ended up having to throw them away. Pretty disgusting. Finally, I smashed up some rasperries and chocolate chips, and that combo was good. I brought extras to work to share, and everyone I gave a piece to liked them a lot. Then again, while at work all people usually eat is frozen food or crap from the vending machine so the standards were probably lower given the environment.

Rachel Ray's Ravioli Vegetable "Lasagna"

RR makes this lasagna by layering veggies, sauce, and ravioli before baking it in the oven. I made it with the Sandra Lee spirit by using pre-made (Butoni) alfredo sauce instead of Rachel's recipe. Cooking and timing the artichokes, asparagos, spinach, and pasta turned out to be enough of a challenge, anyway. I wasn't really sure how to drain the frozen spinach. Rachel says to wring it in a kitchen towel, which sounded messy, so at first I tried smashing between two plates--another tip I read online. I ended up also using a towel, since the plates didn't seem to get all of the water out. In the end, I thought it was tasty enough, though Nick didn't like it. But he doesn't really like asparagos or spinach, so his reaction was not surprising.

Aunt Jemima: Two Ways

Making Aunt Jemima waffles or pancakes is much like real cooking, because you do have to add eggs, oil, etc. Aunt J. has simply sifted together the flour and baking powder and stuff for you. So, a waffle with strawberries and whipped cream is always safe and classic. I've done that successfully and often. Recently though, I decided to try pumpkin pancakes. My motivation for this was extra pumpkin left over from making pumpkin bread. All they had at Safeway was a giant can of pumpkin. I don't remember the recipe I found for the pancakes, but it had to do with replacing some of the wet ingredients with pumpkin, and adding cinnamon. The consistency never turned out right, however, and the thick batter only produced heavy, and almost chewy pancakes that never even tasted that pumpkin-y.

How to Broil Chicken

I wish I knew how to properly broil a boneless, skinless, chicken breast, because sometimes I don't feel like grilling outside! Here in San Francisco, the temperature drops significantly in the evening hours, leaving me unmotivated to stand out at the grill for twenty minutes. So, I cut my chicken breasts in half, gave them about fifteen minutes in a Ziplock with Italian salad dressing, and then popped 'em in the broiler while I watched Project Runway. I turned them a few times, but ultimately overcooked them. They were dry and chewy, and less than delicious. I ended up cutting them up anyway, making a chicken salad, because the last chicken breasts I defrosted I never cooked and ultimately threw out. I didn't want to waste ALL of my chicken. Oh well. Does anyone know how to broil chicken?

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe that was on the back of the Tollhouse Chocolate Chip bag. With the exception of the aforementioned Campbell's Soups, recipes on the backs of products are generally reliable. They have to sell the item again, right? Anyway, I halved this recipe, as I do sometimes, and I again concentrated too hard on the fractions and made a mistake. While I was carefully measuring the ingredients, I was dropping everything in the same bowl, when you're really supposed to mix together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients seperately before combining. And so, the mixing was challenging (also because we don't have one of those $300 Kitchen Aid electric mixers that come in all differet colors and are good for cookies) so I just gave the bowl to Nick who completed the task. Ultimately, I think they turned out pretty tasty. They were also thicker than the regular (non-oatmeal) chocolate chip cookies that are also on the Tollhouse package, and I like a thick cookie. Success!

Damn It

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Gyros and Broccoli Casserole

There's no Olga's nearby, so I tried to recreate my favorite order myself: an Original Olga and Cream of Broccoli Soup. My interpretation was a homemade Gyro and a baked Broccoli and Cheese Casserole. I went to the store and got lamb meat (leg) and had the meat guy cut it into strips for me. At home I sauteed it in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then, I wrapped the meat up in pitas with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and a yogurt sauce I made with plain yogurt and lemon juice. The gyro was okay, but seemed to lack flavor in general. I think lamb meat needs more seasoning than other meats. The broccoli casserole went pretty well as a side dish. I made the cheese sauce with milk, cheddar cheese, flour, onions, and butter. I mixed that with broccoli and topped it with Club Crackers before baking it.

Texture, Taste, and Chocolate Mousse

Because I'm only cooking for two people, sometimes it makes sense to halve a recipe. However, when I'm more focused on fractions than directions, I end up prone to mistakes. For example, I tried to make the mousse on the Ghirardelli chocolate wrapper. I measured out all of the ingredients, properly halved. The recipe called for 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream, so I measured out 1 1/4. A few steps later, the instructions said to add one cup of cream. So, I did--forgetting that I should have really used a half cup, saving the rest for the whipping part later. Long story short, I ended up with chocolate soup. However, the flavor was really there. It would have been much better had I gotten the texture right, but I ate it.

Macaroni and Cheese

My aunt warned me against using the recipes on the Campbell's Soup cans. I think this is good advice, with the exception of the Tuna Noodle Casserole and the Macaroni and Cheese. While the Tuna Noodle Casserole is generally recognized and accepted prepared this way, the success of the macaroni and cheese recipe surprised me. Though I generally enjoy mac and cheese in any form, the Cambell's recipe was significantly tastier than anything from a box (Such as Kraft, Velveta, or Annie's). It was not at the level of homemade mac, but it was closer to the taste of homemade than to the box. All you really have to do is stir together a can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup (which I didn't even know existed before this) and some milk and pasta, then sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. I also stirred in grated cheddar cheese, though the recipe doesn't say to do this. (As a sidenote, the Tuna Noodle Casserole is improved with grated cheddar as well). I like this recipe because it is a million times easier to make than homemade baked macaroni and cheese, with a minimal sacrifice on taste.

Dame Más Sangria

I made sangria this week. I mixed together red wine, club soda, a splash of orange juice, and dropped in sliced apples and lemons. I did make one mistake, though: I added the club soda the night before I planned on drinking it. Doing this causes the beverage to loose its sparkle, so it's best to add the club soda right before serving. However, I just added more later and it was fine. This is an easy summer drink punched with flavor, or as they say in España, sabor!

Meatloaf Shmeatloaf

I thought meatloaf would be a simple classic to conquer. I got my hands dirty with this recipe, feeling the ground beef, ground pork, chili sauce, and onions under my fingernails as I bravely and messily shaped the ingredients into a loaf. I baked it in the oven for an hour, but when I took it out, I couldn't tell if it was done. I jabbed it with a knife and it instantly and mushily crumbled. So for the next 45 minutes I was taking the dinner in and out of the oven, letting it cool on and off, and jabbing it some more. It was eventually edible, but not fantastic. I had also made macaroni and cheese, which went well as a side dish. It was also significatly tastier cold the next day.

The Pot Roast

I put olive oil in the bottom of the pan, flour on both sides of the chuck steak, and browned it on both sides. Next, I drizzled Worcestershire sauce on top, covered the pan, and popped it in the oven. I left it there for three hours, adding potatoes and carrots to the pot for the last hour. It turns out, all you need for pot roast is some time. This wouldn't be a meal to make when you're starving after work, but it's certainly easy for the weekend.

I Made Iced Tea!

I am so happy that I made my own iced tea. I love drinking tea and juice all the time, but I spend too much money on juice, and I don't have an iced tea maker like my dad's. (It's a "Mrs. Tea.") So, naturally, a time comes in a girl's life when she must make her own iced tea in order to be refreshed.

The first thing I did was heat up some water in a saucepan. I didn't totally boil it though because I planned to transfer it to a plastic container that I suspected could melt. Then I dropped in three tea bags: Two green teas and a mint tea. I let that brew for a few and then stirred in about five tablespoons of honey. Next, I poured the tea into a Nalgene water bottle filled with ice. After a few hours in the refrigerator, this tea was pretty good, and also pre-sweetened. Success!

The Worst Rice Pudding

I tried to make rice pudding and it was terrible. It happened in three distinct and equally disgusting mishaps.

1. I only filled my casserole dish halfway, but it still managed to overflow all over the oven. I don't really blame myself for this one, but in addition to making a huge mess, I think it also through off the proportions of the ingredients.

2. Then I added too much cinnamon so the pudding was brown.

3. You are supposed to add condensed milk right after you cook it, but I forgot to add it until maybe 20 minutes later. I think this caused the milk to not mix in smoothly/properly. Each bowl of pudding was a sticky brown lump with condensed milk plopped uncomfortably on top. The color contrast was disconcerting.

I didn't want to waste the pudding because I'd bought the ingredients and put the effort in. I even had to get a special kind of Italian rice. So, I ended up eating two bowls in one day, once I gave each bowl a good stir. At first it was okay, then I felt sick. I think I may have ruined rice pudding for a while.

"Baked" Apples

For a snack lately I've been making hot cinnamon-sugar apples on the stove. I've had many recent culinary failures, and I thought this classic was something I could not ruin. So, I chopped up an apple (skins on) and added a little water, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a saucepan, heating it until soft.

Unfortunately, I had some trouble figuring out how to work the sprinkle function on my cinnamon shaker, and over-doused the first batch. In my second batch, a large chunk of brown sugar dropped suddenly from the bag to the pan, making my sauce dense and sticky. These mistakes, however, are not disastrous because you can simply pull the apples out of the pan, leaving stickiness behind.

Rachel Ray makes these as a side with pork chops, which could be good. She uses apple juice instead of water, and also adds nutmeg and a ginger root. In addition to a compliment to pork chops, these apples would also be good for dessert with ice cream on top. Few snacks will transition from dinner to dessert like that.