who do you dress for?

On any given day you will most likely find me in denim and a t shirt, maybe a sweater or cardigan thrown in usually is shades of grey or some other neutral.  I don't wear fashion but I love it.  I love the expression you get to show the world, the individual statement that says this is me. My love of Fashion had dwindled recently but being in New York it is hard to ignore what people around you are wearing, no one is better at that then Bill Cunningham, he made his career on it and was doing it long before all the fashion blogs began. A for sure must see movie about him comes out on March 16th from the trailer it looks pretty great...

I see you...

So I have been in a major lost glasses panic, it took me 2 days to locate my missing spectacles.  They were found buried in Miles bed, maybe some late night reading after I was sleep, who knows with that dog.  Anyways this got me thinking about maybe getting an extra pair or two for those moments when panic sets in.  Here are some of my favorites.

These custom made frames are from Urban Spectacles it would be my dream to have hand carved wood glasses but they come with a serious price tag.

These three pretty ladies are from Warby Parker and have lovely names like Miles, Crosby, and Monroe, almost every frame comes in great colors and you can have 5 pairs sent to you to try on at home no guessing if they will make you look like a total dork or adorable.

I am really into the whole classic menswear glasses trend that seems to never end and these classic Ray Bans are by far my favorite.  

also two sites to check out here and here both are cheap as chips!

Hey there cupcake!

The past few weeks I have been a baking machine! I had some total successes and some total failures (healthy muffins never again).  It has been great to have not only the space but also time to bake whatever my heart desires lemon pies, pancakes, caramels you name it I've made it.  After a very stressful and busy few months is was really nice to focus my energy on baking.  

Part of why I like baking so much is because is makes other people happy and I really like to make other people happy and what could make a person happier then eating a classic chocolate cupcake with chocolate buttercream frosting?

 I don't make cupcakes often, I truly have something against cupcakes because of all the cupcake craze that has happened over recent years.  I have eaten many of the specialty cupcakes out there magnolia, sprinkles, butter lane, billy's etc and to be totally honest not one makes me completely happy.  If the frosting is good the cake is dry and overall everyone uses to much frosting.  I also am a pie person which I know I have mentioned before, I would just rather have flaky crust and fruit filling with whipped cream then frosting and cake.  Somehow though cupcakes make me think of being a child and I was a pretty darn cute kid so I like to think about my childhood alot. 

There were rainbow sprinkles in my childhood lots of them, every weekend all summer I would have a soft serve ice cream on a cake cone with rainbow sprinkles it was heaven absolute heaven so I added sprinkles to the top of these cupcakes.  Now as I said I think there really has to be the right amount of frosting to cake ratio and the cakes can't be dry or too dense.  The frosting can't be to sugary or to buttery its really is a fine line between amazing and sugary over load.  I feel like I have got a really good frosting going but the cake is still up for debate and could use a little more experimenting, its light and airy but a little dry and maybe needs some more chocolate.  My family devoured them though so they had to be pretty darn delicious.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate frosting

Cupcake: makes about 24-30 cupcakes

8 ounces sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line 2 muffin pans.

combine all ingredients together and mix until smooth and combined

Pour into muffin tins filling 2/3 full

bake for 16 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

cool on wire racks before frosting

Buttercream
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter room temp (i have used salted it turns out fine just omit the additional salt)
1/4 salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1/4 milk possibly a bit more or less (i used 1% but whatever you have will work)


cream butter, cocoa powder, and salt until super creamy smooth then slowly add sugar this can get a bit messy you get sugar dust in the air.  The mixture will be way thick slowly add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time 1/4 cup should be enough but you may need a bit more depending how thick you want the frosting.
I like to pipe my frosting cause it looks nice but do whatever you feel like and make sure to leave some for yourself to eat right of the the bowl its heaven pure heaven. 

Happy New Year's!

Happy New Years Friends!

I have to say I am sad to see 2010 go, its been a great year filled with very exciting moments and big life changes but I am so excited to welcome in a new year cause I know it will be better then the last.  One of the best things that will happen in 2011 is I will have one of my very favorite people in New York with me!  I plan to make her pancakes for breakfast on a very regular basics. 

 

Pancakes just like these coconut pancakes from Mark Bittman. I really like Mark Bittman not only for his NY times contributions but I believe in his food philosophy and want to follow it in the new year.  Less meat and dairy more leafy green things.  I am NOT giving up meat or dairy just cutting back.  Mark's Food Matters cookbook is filled with reasonable and delicious recipes like these pancakes which are vegan but I served them with fresh whipped cream which defeated the purpose of vegan oops!

Since I have been living alone and really only cooking for myself these days, I was so so excited to make breakfast for a friend it was a lovely way to to start the very last day of 2010.  I was actually so excited to be cooking breakfast for someone that I forgot to take any photos after we sat down to eat, he he I was too busy talking loudly (huge surprise I know). 

COCONUT PANCAKES adapted from here

1 cup wheat flour

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

1/4 baking soda

1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 250°F. 

Whisk together in a large bowl first 6 ingredients and 3/4 teaspoon salt. 

In a medium bowl whisk coconut milk, 11/4 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and vanilla. 

Whisk coconut milk mixture into dry ingredients until batter is pourable.

Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat; brush with vegetable oil. Working in batches, add batter by 1/4 cupfuls. Working quickly and using back of spoon, spread each pancake to about 4-inch round. Cook until small bubbles appear on surface and bottoms of pancakes are golden, reducing heat if browning too quickly, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over; cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Transfer to baking sheet. Keep warm in oven.

BERRY MINT SALAD

1 cup blueberries

1 cup blackberries

1 cup diced strawberries

few springs of fresh mint coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon maple syrup

mix all ingredients in a medium bowl 

I served the pancakes self serve style on a platter with the berries by the side and a big bowl of vanilla whipped cream. You can always plate this 3 pancakes on a plate topped with berries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Miles being towel dried after pancakes and playing in the snow

photo courtesy of priya

eat drink repeat

Well Christmas came and went and Miles and I ate our way through some very delicious meals. 

This year was my first year not at home to help my mom prepare Christmas Eve dinner.  I didn't care at first I mean less work for me but as December went on and the holiday grew closer I had a few moments of melt down.  Tears filled my eyes when I saw a friends advent calendar, that's right tears.  I was a little nervous I may not make it to Christmas without a total breakdown.

Not to fear everything turned out just fine.  I finished classes just in time to have a very glorious day of Christmas shopping in Manhattan filled yummy treats I couldn't pass up and a very exciting run in with a very famous person.  Christmas Eve started with a very delicious and slightly tipsy lunch and was followed but more shopping, a long car ride with 3 hungry people and 2 dogs, and coming home to loads of hugs from the family and really amazing food.  I think I have have been eating every second I have been awake straight though till this moment (coffee and butter cookies are next to me as I type this).

For our post Christmas dinner I was given the task of using up about 16 left over egg whites from the very unbelievably delicious ice cream my mom made for Christmas day dinner, it was the best chocolate ice cream of my life.  The very first thing that came to mind was a pavlova.  Light and fluffy pillows of meringue crisp on the outside chewy on the inside.  We had fresh berries and way to much cream for one house so it was a perfect way to use up the left over ingredients from a very dairy rich holiday. 

 This was my first time making a pavlova but I will be making them all the time this was maybe the easiest dessert I have ever made and one of the most delicious.  I used a combination of recipes I found on the web picking and choosing what I liked from each.  Nigella, Martha, Ina, and one of my favorite blogs ever, all had recipes for chocolate pavlova and chocolate is the way to my heart so its what I went with.  

 I am truly not lying this is the easiest dessert I have EVER made and it was very much enjoyed by all including Miles. If you don't like chocolate add a little vanilla or almond extract to the egg whites instead. No berries no problem add whip cream and cocoa powder still just as delicious. 

 Chocolate Pavlova adapted from here, here, and here.
 serves 8 to 10


12 tablespoons egg whites (egg whites from 6 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups super fine sugar (grind up regular sugar if you don't have super fine)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 oz. good dark chocolate finely chopped
1 teaspoon balsamic
12 oz berries (I used black berries and blueberries)
a squeeze of lemon 
1 tablespoon or so of sugar
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon vanilla


preheat over to 350 degrees F
trace a 9 inch circle on parchment and place upside down on a rimmed cookie sheet
mix in a a bowl a squeeze of lemon and 1 tablespoon sugar with the berries put aside
mix egg whites in a stand mixer until they have formed silky peaks. 
Slowly mix in sugar one tablespoon at a time until all sugar is mix in and the mixture is stiff and shiny.  This will take about 8 minutes
sprinkle cocoa, chocolate and balsamic vinegar on top of egg whites and sugar fold in very gently until cocoa is evenly mixed in
scoop out into cookie sheet using spatula to form a nice circular disk of meringue 9 inches round.
Place in hot oven and turn temperature down to 300 degrees
Baking for 45 minutes then check outside should be crisp and dry but when pushed in the center there is a bit of give. Turn off oven and let cool in the oven with door ajar.
Whip cream and vanilla 
pile whipped cream on top of the pavlova and top with the berries. 

I'm BACK!!!

Hello!  welcome back its been so so long since I last posted.  Life sort of got in the way. 

When I say life got in the way I mean like threw me to the curb and then said get up move on and keeping going and I did just that.  I was in a new city starting a graduate program and found myself homeless.  Not exactly what I had envisioned for my big move to New York but you get what you get.  Lucky for me I had three gentlemen (two human one furry) to take me in for  a few weeks ....err months while I got back on my feet and found myself a  place to call home.  

One of these gents was Miles' cousin Midas they get along like two peas in a pod

Things are now running smoothly and as I come to the close of my first semester of grad school I am happy to report that I have a little teeny tiny small cool contest worthy apartment that I love. It is just the right size to fit me and miles, once its not a disaster I will post before and after photos.  The kitchen is lacking cause well there isn't one, its a sink and a stove but I am making do and have still managed to be able to bake.  My first venture in this little kitchen was a disaster and I thought my baking days were number, but then I made these little bundles of joy known as pumpkin whoopie pies and my confidence in the kitchen was back!

This recipe came from the Baked cookbook which I love.  The recipe are easy and really good and I also like the bakery which I had the pleasure of visiting with this fine lady. The bakery is adorable and has a great selection of treats to chose from.  I didn't have a whoopie pie there but I hear they are delicious.  I know these little gems of pumpkin and cream where amazing.  I probably would have ate every last one of them if I didn't love sharing so much.  I mean really whats the point of baking if you don't share that's the best part. 

PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground cloves

2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

CREAM-CHEESE FILLING

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. 

In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. 

Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. 

Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. 

Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. 

Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. 

Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. 

Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag or ziploc bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Miles is happy we are back to blogging too!

morning muffin!

A little sunshine some coffee and a fresh baked muffin is a perfect morning in my book!

These muffins were supposed to be made last week for my little cousin who it turns out has a lot of power in the family when it comes to food.  She says she wants peach pie and poof my Mimi makes peach pie! Mimi was supposed to make her muffins but I ate all the blueberries so here we are a a full week later and I finally got my act together and got in the kitchen.  

Blueberry Muffins adapted from Martha Stewart

makes 12 

Makes 1 dozen
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


preheat oven to 375,  line muffin pan or butter and flour muffin pan. combine flour salt and baking soda and nutmeg.  mix 2 tablespoon of the flour mixture with the blueberries just to coat. 
In a mixer combine butter and sugar until fluffy about 3 minutes then add eggs one at the time also add in the vanilla. slowly mix in flour until just combined then add in the milk.  get a spatula or large spoon and mix in the berries careful not to mush them.
evenly full the muffin pan and then pop in the oven for about 30 minutes rotating half way through.  the tops should be nice and brown and when a toothpick comes out clean they are done.
I did sprinkle them with a few tablespoons sugar before baking but you don't have too.

have a lovely weekend!

down by the sea shore

Have you ever remembered something by its smell?  I am sure you have sometimes you don't even realize a place or a person has a certain smell and then the second your noise gets a whiff you are filled fast with memories.  Well that is the shore for me I always think I am not a beach person and to be honest i'm not but the smell of the beach and the smell of my PopPop's house has a weird comforting effect on me.  There is a sticky salty flavor stuck to your lips and everything always feels damp but I love it all the same.  So instead of baked goods I bring you the shore well a rainy long weekend at the shore but the shore none the less.  I promise the next post really will be back to food.