Cappuccino Biscotti

This Memorial Day weekend I tied my apron on and made biscotti. I've never made biscotti before but I was inspired by a friend's twitter post to give it a try. After browsing around the internet for a yummy looking recipe I found this one, Cappuccino Biscotti.

I prepped all my ingredients just like those television chefs do and got to work. Everything went well except for when I was supposed to roll the dough into two loaves. My 'dough' was soupier than cookie dough! Now I'm not a novice when it comes to baking but I'm definitely more comfortable with a frying pan in my hand than a baking sheet.

I knew that if I added more flour I'd run the risk of over beating the mixture and I'd end up with concrete blocks instead of delicious biscotti. The only way I was going to be able to turn this soup into rollable dough was to add more flour so that's what I did. Very carefully I added flour while the stand mixer was on low until it turned into a very sticky dough. I figured this was as good as I was going to get it so I plopped it out onto my floured Silpat mat and divided the dough in half. I coaxed these two loaves into logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

The rest of the process went smoothly. I baked the logs for 35 minutes, let them cool for 10 minutes, then sliced them on the diagonal and baked for an additional 10 minutes. The first thing my mom said when she saw them was, "They look real!" I agreed, they looked like biscotti you'd see for sale in a coffee shop. These were just okay. I think they could use a little less clove next time. I can't wait to try making other varieties of biscotti!

What If Everything Is Perfect The Way It Is?

Even though the first day of spring has come and gone, stubborn snow is still sticking to the ground. It's the time of year when Minnesotans start going crazy with Spring Fever and graduates start panicking about finding a job and repaying loans. I'm in the last category.

In May I'll be graduating (for the second time) and will have two degrees under my belt. With so much education you'd think it'd be easy finding a job right? For me, not so much. Unlike most people I have no 'dream job.' What I do know is that I want to be happy, support myself, and enjoy weekends off.

But what if everything is perfect the way it is? I have a job, albeit I'm beginning to strongly dislike it, I have a roof over my head (even if it is my parents), and I've made lasting friendships. Minus the lousy job situation and still living with my parents at the age of 24, I'm kind of happy with the way things are. Unfortunately I know that this 'easy living' can't last. It's time to grow up quickly.

So while spring starts to warm up the ground and people's dispositions, I'll continue to job hunt at the kitchen table hoping the right job will find me.

The XX - "VCR"

It's not often that a music video makes me feel anything. Sure I may be entertained for four minutes or think, "What the hell did I just watch?" But for the The XX's new video for their song "VCR" it's a different story.

I think one of my dear friends put it best, it's the "simple sweet gestures" that make it so beautiful. The way the girl chews on her sleeve, the shoe falling off the boy's foot after he kicks through the wall, and how he gently plays with the girl's hair.

So often we see music videos from mainstream pop or hip-hop groups that are so over-the-top and in-your-face that it loses any sense of anything actually artistic. This video does quite the opposite. The viewer is led through a series of wonderfully created images of two teens exploring what seems to be an abandoned building. What affected me most about this video was how long the images and what they convey lingered in my mind. It made me long for a love like the two teens in the video so obviously have; comfortable, simple, and true.

I invite you to view the video and see how it moves you.

Japanese Lunch

Lately I've been obsessed with Japanese food. The light and airy flavors paired with savory soy sauce are addicting! I don't live anywhere near an Asian market so I have to use ingredients I've bought here and there from co-ops and make hodgepodge versions of Japanese food at home.

My favorite successes so far have been fried tofu and udon soup. For today's lunch I followed a recipe I found online for dashi stock and used that as my base. Dashi stock in Japanese cooking is what chicken broth is to Western cooking. It's really easy to make; just soak a piece of kombu kelp in a pot of water for 30 minutes then add a handful of bonito flakes and boil for five minutes. Strain and it's ready to use! Some recipes called for using dried anchovies, but I didn't have any of those.

In my soup bowl I put one sliced green onion, two sliced and blanched mushrooms, udon noodles, dashi stock, and cubed tofu. In

another version I added cut up pieces of nori. What I really wanted to make was miso soup, but I don't have any miso so I settled for using just dashi stock and it turned out really well.

Here's a picture.

On the side I had a small cup of sushi rice mixed with jade pearl rice and a cup of match tea.

Happy New Year

Well it's time for one of those cliché, "I haven't posted in so long!" posts.

The past year and the current year have taught me a lot about change. Changes in life, situations, and feelings. I've always loved change, even when I'm not enjoying the uncertainty it gives me. I look forward to the future and wonder where I'll be living, what I'll be doing, what friends I'll make, what friends I'll lose, and more importantly how happy I'll be.

Like I said earlier, the past year taught me a lot. I learned that I'm not quite as prepared as I'd like to be for the real world. This unpreparedness has lead to a lot of fear about my competency in holding down a "career" job. I've worked small service jobs since high school, but nothing that will prepare me for the future. I've relied on my schooling to help with that. Now's the time when I have to push myself for what I want and not be afraid.

I also learned what it means to lose friends (something I'm far too familiar with) and gain new friends. With every friend lost there are two more to replace that one friendship I held so dear. New friends give you a new pair of glasses to see the world through and the ones I've made this far have done just that. I've learned what it's like to truly enjoy life and know that I have a great group of people standing beside me when times get rough.

I've also strengthened old friendships. I thought I knew people, but really I had no idea (how cool they were)!

So as 2010 keeps rolling I hope to make some big changes that will impact my life in very positive ways. I know there will be hardships and not everything will go my way, but what doesn't kill me will only make me stronger.

Have a very happy 2010 everyone!

Summer Vegetables with Gnocchi

I found this recipe in one of the Everyday Food magazines from Martha Stewart. I'd always wanted to try gnocchi and the recipe looked simple enough to try. The nice thing about this dish is that it only requires a few ingredients and the most expensive was the cheese, which I do recommend splurging on the good stuff!



Pint of cherry tomatoes
2-3 zucchinis
16oz package of gnocchi
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil
Pat of butter
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Assembly is pretty simple. Saute the zuccinis, add the halved tomatoes. Cook gnocchi for a few minutes reserving some of the water to make the sauce. Add the gnocchi to the vegetables. Add remaining ingredients, saved water, butter, and basil. Finish with the cheese.

This was delicious! The picture doesn't do it much justice. It is a bright, colorful, and savory dish. I've already made it twice now! The second time I made it I added some left over spinach I had and that's what in the picture above.

Cat's Summer Pasta Salad

This afternoon I felt inspired to try to recreate a pasta salad that my friend Cat made one night on the fly. She makes the best food ever. Only problem is that it's a one time deal as she doesn't follow a recipe or write anything down, which is also the exciting part of eating her creations.

Here's my version:
Gluten-free spiral noodles
Peas
Artichoke hearts
Chopped onion
Fresh chopped basil
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Scant amount of Rice vinegar
Minced garlic
Salt and Pepper
Newman's Own lime dressing
Capers
Morning Star veggie chik'n strips
Thinly sliced radish from my garden

This salad turned out really well in my opinion. I feel like it's still missing a little something. Cat's was much better than mine, but I would definitely make it again.