[recipe] peanut butter & jelly cookies
Posted on | 30 November 2010 | No Comments
You can't say I haven't warned you — they are de-lish. Click for the full recipe...
[photography] margarette adams
Posted on | 10 November 2010 | No Comments
[photography] john blais
Posted on | 27 October 2010 | 4 Comments
[recipe] tuscan kale salad
Posted on | 20 October 2010 | 6 Comments
[recipe] pumpkin spice pie
Posted on | 21 September 2010 | 3 Comments
With the weather dipping and the fog rolling in, I've got my mind on one thing: pumpkin flavored treats. Bought all the ingredients for this Spice-kissed Pumpkin Pie this weekend, but didn't get around to making it. Going to try to take a stab at it before week's end...
{photos by heidi swanson & daniel hurst}
INGREDIENTS
1 pie crust (of your choice), see head notes for pat-in-pan option
2 cups hazelnuts (divided) , toasted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon arrowroot (or cornstarch)
1 1/2 cups of roasted pumpkin puree*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 extra large eggs plus one for glaze, lightly beaten
1 cup coconut milk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the middle.
Puree 1 1/2 cups of the toasted hazelnuts in a food processor until they turn into a hazelnut paste, past the 'crumble' stage. Set aside. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup of hazelnuts and set aside seperately, these will be sprinkled on top after the pie is baked.
To make the pumpkin pie filling, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, salt, and arrowroot. Stir in the pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Now stir in the eggs and coconut milk until just combined. Set aside.
Before filling the pie crust, crumble the hazelnut paste on top of the pie dough into the pie plate, quickly and gently press it into a thin layer across the bottom creating a layer of hazlenuts that will sit between the dough and the filling. Using the last egg gently brush the decorative edges of the pie dough. Use a fork to prick the pie dough a few times to prevent air bubbles. Fill the pie crust with the filling and bake for about 50 minutes - the center of the pie should just barely jiggle when you move the pie - the edges should be set.
Let the pie cool a bit, this makes slicing less messy. Serve straight or with a dollop of bourbon-spiked, sweetenend whipped cream or creme fraiche, and a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts.
[photography] on the table...
Posted on | 15 September 2010 | 1 Comment
Photos from miss moss, the blue hour, wolf eyebrows.
Any good friend or family member of mine will tell you I have an odd thing for photographing food. I think I could look at photos of peoples' tablescapes and meals all day.
I've heard there is a program at a college in New York that focuses on food photography, and I daydream about it every so often. Can you imagine...?
[recipe] lavender honey ice cream
Posted on | 14 September 2010 | 3 Comments
Images from here & here.
It's been awhile since I've posted any recipes, but yesterday I tried a little pint of Carmela's Lavender Honey ice cream at Curious Palate and died a little bit. So delicious.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup mild honey
2 tablespoons dried edible lavender flowers
2 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Bring cream, half-and-half, honey, and lavender just to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
red quinoa salad...
Posted on | 03 August 2010 | 3 Comments
have to give credit to my sister for this one - a perfect lunch dish, full of flavor and freshness.
LEFT PHOTO BY DESTINED TO DESIGN, RIGHT IMAGE FROM FLICKR
INGREDIENTS
2 cups red quinoa
2 cups broccoli florets
1 bunch asparagus, chopped in thirds
1 cup shredded carrots
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
coarse sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Cook red quinoa per instructions on box. Boil a pot of water, and blanch vegetables for approximately 3 minutes. Strain and let cool. Mix vegetables in with quinoa, drizzle with olive oil dressing, and top with sliced avocado, ground black pepper and sea salt. Serves 4.
simple foodtography...
Posted on | 26 July 2010 | 6 Comments
IMAGES FROM QUITE USELESS & SPROUTED KITCHEN
apple salsa salmon...
Posted on | 07 July 2010 | 7 Comments
super easy, perfect summer fish meal. i served mine with a side of steamed broccoli and it was delicious.
LEFT PHOTO BY DESTINED TO DESIGN, RIGHT IMAGE FROM FLICKR
INGREDIENTS
olive oil
two 8-ounce salmon fillets
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried onion
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 apple, cored and diced
2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a pan with olive oil. Rinse the salmon with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. In a shallow bowl, mix the sesame seeds, garlic powder, onion, and pepper. Pour the soy sauce into another shallow bowl, then dip the salmon in the soy sauce and coat well. Take the salmon our of the soy sauce and press it into the spice rub, allowing the spices to stick to the top and sides of the salmon. Place the salmon in the pan and cook for 12 minutes, or until the center of the salmon turns from red to pink.
For the salsa, toss the tomatoes, apple, and scallions in a bowl, and sprinkle the lemon juice on top. Add the ginger and mix well. Place half the salsa next to each salmon portion. Serves 2.
udon miso soup...
Posted on | 14 June 2010 | 1 Comment
PHOTOS BY DESTINED TO DESIGN
INGREDIENTS
6 cups water or vegetable broth
3 tbsp miso paste (recommend yellow)
1 block tofu, (extra firm) diced into small cubes
2 packages fresh udon noodles, the vacuum packed type
3 scallions, sliced
1 or 2 shredded nori seaweed sheets (optional)
8 shiitake or white button mushrooms (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Heat water or broth and add in all ingredients except the miso.
Simmer for a few minutes. Being careful that the water doesn’t boil, as this destroys beneficial bacteria and causes it to curdle, stir in the miso and cook over low heat for about 3-4 more minutes.
If you decide to use dried shiitakes allow them to soak for about 15 minutes prior to adding to the soup. Serve with a spoon and chopsticks.
fried egg + truffle oil...
Posted on | 10 June 2010 | 6 Comments
discovered this little dish at a tapas restaurant up in santa barbara a few months back and have been making it religiously almost weekly. it's so easy, and so satisfying. do yourself a favor and shell out the cash for a bottle of truffle oil - it makes all the difference...
LEFT IMAGE BY DESTINED TO DESIGN, RIGHT IMAGE FROM BEST ROOM IN THE HOUSE
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pieces of sourdough bread
8-10 stalks of asparagus
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. truffle oil
1 tablespoon grated manchego cheese
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Toast your sourdough bread while heading a large skillet with extra virgin olive oil. Add asparagus stalks and saute until cooked through and slightly browned. Heat olive oil in a nonstick frying pan, and add room temperature eggs to fry.
Once bread is toasted, top it with a layer of sauteed asparagus, and add the fried eggs on top of that. Sprinkle with truffle oil, grate manchego cheese over the top, and enjoy.
pasta salad...
Posted on | 01 June 2010 | 5 Comments
improvised this dish from giada's new italian favorites for dinner last night, using fusilli instead of farro ($15 for a 16 ounce bag, yikes!). the vinaigrette makes it especially delicious...
LEFT PHOTO BY DESTINED TO DESIGN, RIGHT FROM FLICKR
INGREDIENTS
10 ounces fusilli (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips (about 4 ounces or 1 cup)
3 ounces Parmesan, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
1 small bunch chives, snipped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, boil 6 cups of water and cook fusilli per directions on box. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.
Once the fusilli has cooled add the green beans, olives, red pepper, Parmesan, and chives. Stir to combine. In a small bowl mix together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, mustard, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the fusilli salad. Toss to combine and serve.
that's amore...
the only thing as delightfully appealing as the interiors at osteria mozza is mario batali's menu. i still dream about a dinner i had their almost a year ago. he introduced me to butterscotch budino, so for that i am eternally indebted.
IMAGES FROM KELLY ARCHITECTS
industrial eatery...
Posted on | 27 May 2010 | 2 Comments
love the mix of white subway tile and wood + leather furnishings in the lab gastropub, designed by ac martin (also the creative minds behind gjelina)...
IMAGES FROM AC MARTIN
summer salad...
Posted on | 26 May 2010 | 2 Comments
a friend of mine made this at a lunch gathering recently and it was so delicious in its simplicity. i think it was all in the dressing, but it made for the perfect summer salad.
IMAGES FROM FLICKR: 1 | 2
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, peeled, green germ removed, and minced
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
7 ounces (210 g) mixed salad greens (8 cups, loosely packed), such as escarole, oak-leaf, and romaine, rinsed, patted dry, and torn into bite-size pieces
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and garlic in a medium-size bowl and whisk together until blended. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified.
2. Add the greens and toss well until they are coated with the dressing. Season with pepper to taste and serve the salad immediately.
the big eat...
Posted on | 13 May 2010 | 2 Comments
spent the past day and a half up in san francisco for a brief work trip which was great fun, but also a total tease. that city has so much to see design and art-wise, and so much to eat! i could've easily stayed a week. though i am giving myself a pat on the back as we managed to hit four of 'the big eat sf: 100 things to try before you die' spots in under two days. let's just say it's a good thing i packed leggings.
IMAGES, CLOCKWISE: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
1. zazie: eggs over medium on polenta with tomato chevre, mushrooms and onions
2. tartine: eclair, lemon cream tart & hazelnut chocolate tart
3. pizzeria delphina: margherita pizza
4. suppenküche: käsespätzle mit zwiebel-buttersoße und gemischtem salat (translation: cheese spätzle in onion butter sauce served with a small mixed salad)
sweet + salty...
Posted on | 12 May 2010 | 3 Comments
it's no secret that the latest dessert craze is topping just about everything with sea salt. it's truly foolproof; on chocolate, on caramel - that sweet + savory combination always tastes great. spotted this recipe for salted caramel ice cream that i'd love to try to make in one of these summery-hued ice cream makers.
IMAGES FROM EPICURIOUS & FLICKR
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
DIRECTIONS
Heat 1 cup sugar in a dry 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber.
Add 1 1/4 cups cream (mixture will spatter) and cook, stirring, until all of caramel has dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in sea salt and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, bring milk, remaining cup cream, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally.
Lightly whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then add half of hot milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then stir in cooled caramel.
Chill custard, stirring occasionally, until very cold, 3 to 6 hours. Freeze custard in ice cream maker (it will still be quite soft), then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to firm up.
saloon style...
Posted on | 11 May 2010 | 2 Comments
i think if i lived in san francisco, comstock saloon would be on my weekly circuit. the old fashioned damask wallpaper and concrete tile floors make for an unpretentious, and inviting hangout with a bit of an edge.
IMAGES FROM SF EATER
afternoon tea...
Posted on | 04 May 2010 | 4 Comments
had the lovely pleasure of meeting a friend for tea at boxwood cafe at the london hotel in west hollywood this past weekend. it was such an indulgent few hours of tangerine tea, currant scones, tomato compote sandwiches and the most delicious array of desserts i've feasted my eyes on. and, of course, the interiors were equally swoon-worthy.
TOP PHOTO, BOTTOM PHOTO
