What, You Wanna Cookie?

I feel so behind on this blog. I have folders full of pictures on my computer, recipes and posts swirling around in my head...but the weather is beautiful. And I've been busy putting in my veggie garden (ha, that's another post)!

Well, here is something. Actually, it's way more than something. It is, in all reality, the best cookie I have ever eaten. I'm salivating a bit right now just thinking about it. Darn it, why don't I have any cookies in this house!?

This cookie is an absolute must-buy if you are in NYC. Totally worth it. $4 and 8 oz. of delicious, chewy, moist-inside-firm-outside goodness. And don't read over that 8 oz. comment without really thinking about it. It's kind of a monster. A meal of sorts, in fact the kind of meal that I could really get used to. That is, if my goal was to look like Jabba the Hut. It is buttery, rich, and fall-apart delicious. If you are concerned about the calories, just buy a few for your friends and carry them home with you. The weight of the bag alone will be a workout sure to burn off that 8 oz. of delight.


Levain Bakery, a little hole-in-the-wall of a place, makes 4 varieties. Chocolate chip walnut (my choice of indulgence), oatmeal raisin (the only kind I didn't sample), chocolate peanut butter (oh yeah!), and dark chocolate chip (oh honey hush!). The three I tried were all fabulous. And no, I did not eat 24 oz. of cookie. I stole some samples from my sister and mom. And almost got my fingers bitten off in the process. Still worth it. I saved a cookie to bring home to my husband. Four days later, when he was able to eat it, even he agreed it was the best cookie he's ever eaten. That says something.

I know some food blogs can be all dramatic and romanticize foods that are solidly mediocre. This isn't one of those times. Do yourself a favor and stop by. Send me a sample...I'll help pay for the extra postage :-)

Levain Bakery
167 W 74th
NY, NY

Eye Candy

I'm back from NYC!

I know this is a food blog...so here's a tasty dish:



Stories and (food) pictures to come! But I felt that Ashton Kutcher should be shared first.

Noticably Absent

Sorry for my recent absentee-ism. I promise, I have a good reason. I've been busy. Planning a trip. To New York City!

I am headed out tomorrow morning with my mom and sister (girls' weekend!) to see NYC for the first time. My mom has visited a couple of times and thought it would be fun for the girls to all go together. I'm pretty excited. Actually, that is a vast understatement. I've been perusing food advice through books, blogs, and the internet for quite some time. I've come up with a list of "must do's", and "like to do's". Armed with my camera, an empty stomach, a mediocre-at-best sense of direction, and two willing family members in tow, I hope to discover some great eats and shops!

I promise to bring back some good pictures and stories. And if you are in the mood for it, watch for us on the Today Show on Monday morning. We hope to be in the mob outside with either a neon orange or green sign.

Back on Tuesday!

Stovetop Pear Crumble

Let's just get this out in the open...I don't like to bake. I will do it (with a box mix) or for a special occassion (husband's birthday, etc.) but never for fun. I find that a lot of food blogs focus on dessert items, probably because they are so delicate and beautiful. While that is all fine and good, I never actually use any of those recipes. I like the stove top. Give me some pans and spatulas, some things to fry, and I'm a happy girl.

This dislike of baking has a down side...I like to EAT those baked goods! And they don't just appear on the counter all by themselves. Anyway, long story short, I had seen this recipe a long time ago. I guess it was rolling around in the back of my brain while I was in the grocery store, because I saw pears and thought "Oh, I'll make a dessert with those! Maybe something with oats!". So, I can't take complete credit for this, but it was a pretty successful first attempt at something new.

Stovetop Pear Crumble
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c quick oats
2 ripe pears, sliced into 4-5 pieces each (peeled or not peeled, it's up to you)
A pinch of nutmeg
Vanilla ice cream (optional...but come on, you know you want to)

Heat a large pan on medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt. Next, add the brown sugar and incorporate with the butter. Allow this to remain on medium heat until it becomes a type of thick syrup (if it looks a little dry, add a bit more butter), about 2 minutes. When the mixture is gently bubbling, add the pear slices. Allow the pear slices to heat up for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring every so often to coat the pear slices in the sauce. Sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg over the pears.

Add the oats, a bit at a time. You want the oats to soak up all the sauce, and to be fully coated in it. Stop adding oats when the sauce is absorbed, and the oats are clumping together (it ends up having a praline-like taste).

Remove from the heat, and serve immediately over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Spring Chowder (and the only way I eat asparagus)

I realize that the words "spring" and "chowder" seem to be going in completely different directions, but hear me out. I normally think "chowder" and my stream of consciousness goes something like this: sausage, hearty, fall, cozy. I think spring and the words "light, sunny, flowers, fresh" come to mind. How do we reconcile these things? For me at least, the solution was...leftovers.

My sister had a baked potato BONANZA fundraiser last week: hence the leftovers. We took home a large ziploc bag of cooked broccoli florets as well as several baked potatoes. What to do with these giant things? I did what I usually do for inspriation. Go to the grocery store when I'm hungry. I picked up some milk, heavy cream, and (believe it or not) asparagus.

For those that don't know my dislike of asparagus, here it is. My Grandpa Floyd had a great big garden, and one of the things that he would always grow was, you guessed it, asparagus. Sounds great, right? A grandpa sharing his lovely home-grown vegetables with his kinfolk. Wrong! This is a vegetable that I DO NOT like. Not to mention the added pressure from my parents (asparagus-lovers) that "Grandpa grew this fresh, you should eat some!". Sorry folks, not my thing. So due to that, I've avoided that veggie like the plague.

Until...they were roasted. I went over to a family friend's house for dinner, and when given the menu report I heard the vegetable on the menu was asparagus. Well...I should be polite I suppose. I will eat a few bites and then quickly move on to the other offerings. I was sorely mistaken. This asparagus was roasted on parchment paper in the oven, drizzled with olive oil, salt, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. My whole asparagus world changed that day.

Back to the chowder. I had determined that I would use the potatoes and broccoli to make some type of chowder. But I wanted a little extra. So, I grabbed that beautiful asparagus, roasted it in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, and went to work. The result was a hearty, yet healthy solution to my leftover dilemma. It resembled a homemade "cream of" soup, but with some nice substance added in. Creamy, light, but somehow still rich because of the broth. And a little zip to boot.

Spring Chowder
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 large potatoes, baked and chopped into bite-size pieces (I left the peels on, do whatever you want)
2 c broccoli florets, cooked
1 c asparagus, roasted (see below)
1/8 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c heavy cream
2 c milk
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or go bold and add some more!)
Salt and pepper to taste
(you will also need an immersion blender, or a regular blender will work fine)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place asparagus on parchment paper (easy clean-up!) and drizzle with olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly grated parmesan (the more the better for me...in the oven it turns into an AMAZING thing!). Roast for 15 minutes, allow to cool and then chop into bite-size pieces (about 1 c).

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Put the 2 remaining tbsp of olive oil in the pot and roast the garlic until "california tan" (thanks, Guy Fieri for that term!). Add the butter and flour in equal parts and allow the flour to "cook" for a minute to get rid of the "floury" taste. Stir to incorporate the butter and flour together. Ta-da, a roux! Turn the heat down to med-low and add the heavy cream. Note how the roux thickens the cream...it will do the same thing when you add the milk. Toss in half of your potatoes, broccoli, and asparagus. Slowly add about 1 c of milk and allow the mixture to heat up and thicken.

Time to immerse and blend! If you are using a stand blender, take care not to burn yourself while pouring the mixture in and out of the blender. Blend to a smooth puree...this is the "cream of" part I was referring to.

To this creamy broth add the rest of the potatoes, broccoli, and asparagus. Add your seasonings and the rest of the milk, and keep on medium heat until everything is up to the same temperature (tip: err on the side of too runny for the broth...the potatoes can act as a thickening agent, and leftovers always thicken up as well).


Serve with some bread to sop it up, and enjoy!

Test Run

So this is a bit outdated now, but I still wanted to share with you.

Do you read this blog? You should, it's a pretty good find.

Just recently a "community blog" feature was added that will allow readers to do their own guest posts for whichever (food-related) topic they choose. Have a great idea or recipe to share and you don't have a food blog? No problem! I got to be one of the testers for the community section before it was announced. You can read my post, a restaurant review, here.

I think the whole community concept is pretty exciting, actually. It is a great way to promote discussion and sharing among people like us who are looking for some new food inspiration.

This won't be the last time you hear me sing the accolades of the restaurant in the community post. If you happen to be in Sheboygan, WI anytime soon, you really should stop by. Your taste buds will thank you.

Hello, Saturday

Good morning everyone!

That's it. Just a picture of a tasty apple streusel muffin. :-)