Rock the Vote!
Posted: September 27, 2010 Filed under: About me, Food 17 Comments »Good Morning! Today voting opens up for Project Food Blog round 2…
If you love me… or like me… or tolerate me… or just want to shut me up, please go vote!!
I will actually be out of commission for the next few days, as I’m getting laser vision correction surgery (I’m SO excited/nervous!). In the meantime, here’s a little something to look forward to later this week:
PLEASE don’t forget to vote! This time I’m asking nicely ;)
Bibimbap (Korean Mixed Rice)
Posted: September 26, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: bean sprouts, carrot, chili flakes, egg, ethnic, garlic, honey, kochujaang, Korean, mushroom, pepper sauce, project food blog, rice, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, spicy, spinach, zucchini 48 Comments »
The results are in… and I made it to round 2 of Project Food Blog! A big THANK YOU to everyone that voted for me! I guess all of my bribery talent paid off ;)
For this challenge, my instructions were to create “an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with.” Sounds easy enough. Just pick a cuisine from any place on the map that you’re not as familiar with, do a little research, and get cooking. Can’t narrow it down? Too many places to choose from? Just spin the globe! The world’s your oyster! Right?
Wrong. That may work for some people. In fact, that may even work for most people. But for me, the very definition of a mutt, picking a cuisine that I was unfamiliar with was not as easy as it sounds. I have family from all over the globe. And let me tell you, this family can eat. Food = love, and we have a lot of love to give. Which means that I am well versed in cuisines from SO MANY cultures.
I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m being dramatic. That I’m overreacting. I guess I’ve earned that. But seriously…. Just look at this list of cuisines! Read the rest of this entry »
Mandel Bread (Mandelbrot)
Posted: September 24, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: almonds, baking, bread, chocolate, cinnamon, cookies, dessert, easy, ethnic, nuts, raisins, vanilla 20 Comments »
Today you are in for a treat. Seriously. Because today I am feeling generous. I am sharing a family recipe with you… and you know that if a recipe has been handed down through several generations, it has to be good. Get excited, people.
This particular recipe was my grandfather’s. It’s one that whenever I taste, or even smell, I think of him right away. He always had the ingredients on hand to make this treat at a moment’s notice. Which is a good thing, because I absolutely insisted upon making Mandel Bread every time I visited.
For those of you that are wondering, Mandel Bread is not actually bread at all. It’s basically the Jewish version of biscotti. The batter is prepared as a loaf, baked, cut into individual slices, and baked again.
Eating warm Mandel Bread right out of the oven is definitely a perk of being one of the chosen people. And even though I’m only half Jewish (does that make me half chosen?), I can eat my fair share of Mandel Bread, Matzoh Balls, and Potato Kuggel! Read the rest of this entry »
Vanilla Poached Nectarines and Plums
Posted: September 20, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: cinnamon, dessert, easy, honey, nectarine, plum, poached, project food blog, vanilla 21 Comments »I am not going to ask you to vote for my Project Food Blog entry. Nope. I’m not going to beg you or plead with you. I’m not going to get down on my knees and ask you to vote for me please, pretty please, with a cherry on top. I’m just not. Because I know how the world works.
I may be young, but I get it. I know that no matter how much you wish, hope, or dream, nothing in life is free. Anything worthwhile takes a lot of hard work. It takes dedication, it takes time, and it takes patience.
Or it takes a good bribe.
So today, I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse. I propose this bribe trade. You vote for me, and in return, I’ll share this delicious, healthy, and super easy recipe for Vanilla Poached Nectarines and Plums.
Crockpot Chicken Mole
Posted: September 15, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: almond, chicken, chicken broth, chili powder, chocolate, cinnamon, crock pot, crockpot, cumin, dinner, easy, ethnic, onion, oregano, slow cooker, spicy, tomato 26 Comments »
Me and my crockpot, we have a love-hate relationship. We’re friends with reservations. Not quite on-again-off-again. More like frenemies, if you will.
It’s mostly love, really. Usually we’re BFFs. It’s very helpful around the house. It will make a warm meal from scratch and everyone’s happy. I don’t have to do too much, and voilà, a tasty dinner is ready. So what’s the problem, you ask?
There’s another side to this story. A dark side. We have trust issues. I worry that one day, when I’m not expecting it, it’s going to betray me. Clearly, this is not a healthy relationship.
I have visions that I’m going to turn on my crockpot, go to work, and come back to a charred shell of an apartment. I just can’t leave it unattended. Even though I know that’s what it’s made for. Even though that’s the whole point of a crockpot. Still. What if it doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain?? Read the rest of this entry »
Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs in Broth
Posted: September 13, 2010 Filed under: About me, Food, Recipes | Tags: challenge, cheese, chicken, chicken broth, easy, lemon, nutmeg, parmesan, project food blog, ricotta, spinach, thyme 32 Comments »You know those people that like to play games just for the sake of entertainment? People that say “it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” Or “everyone’s a winner as long as they have fun.” They don’t keep score in Scrabble. They let other people bowl during their turn. They root for players on the opposite team.
Well, those people are just plain crazy. Of course it matters if you win or lose! Why else would you play? My motto is more along the lines of “There’s no crying in baseball!” a la Tom Hanks than “Everyone’s a winner blah blah blah.”
If you couldn’t already tell, I am more than a little competitive. I can turn even the most personal, introspective, or meditative activities into contests.
Like yoga. I love yoga. But I must admit, half the fun is trying to beat the other people in the class. I want to bend farther than the girl next to me. Hold my pose longer than the man in front of me. Keep my leg straighter than the woman behind me. It’s a sickness.
Malted Milk Ball Cookies
Posted: September 10, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: baking, candy, chocolate, cookies, dessert, malted milk balls, oatmeal, vanilla, whopper 26 Comments »Like so many little girls, I was obsessed with Disney Princess movies when I was younger. The Little Mermaid was released just after my fourth birthday, and, of course, I just had to see it. My cousin Liz, who was seventeen at the time, was nice enough to take me to the movie theater to see Ariel’s story on the big screen. I thought I was so cool.
I sat through the whole movie, and just two minutes before the end, I turned to Liz. “I have to pee.”
“Can you hold it for a few minutes more minutes?”
“No.”
And that was that. You don’t test things like bladder control with other people’s four year olds.
Spicy Zucchini Soup
Posted: September 7, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: basil, bread, cheese, chicken broth, dinner, garlic, jalapeno, lemon juice, lunch, onion, parmesan, pepper, soup, spicy, zucchini 26 Comments »I’ve been hearing a lot of people complaining about how it’s still so hot outside. They are asking for the cooler weather. They are wishing summer would just end already. They are ready for the fall.
If you are one of those people, listen up, because I’m only going to ask nicely this one time: Please stop. (See? Wasn’t that nice? I even said please. Next time I won’t be so polite.)
If you are one of those crazy people wishing for the fall, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Because even I, someone who is such a summer loving person, can see why wishing for fall might seem tempting. The temperature is a little less extreme, the leaves turn beautiful colors, and pumpkin pie is abundant. Sounds good so far.
The problem is that you’re being shortsighted. (Sorry, I don’t usually like to call names, but this is an extreme situation.) You see a season filled with football, Halloween candy, and apple picking. But you know what you’re forgetting? Fall leads to winter.
Grilled Pizza and Project Food Blog
Posted: September 3, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: cheese, dinner, dough, easy, grill, itallian, mozzarella, pizza, sauce 27 Comments »
Today I have an exciting announcement to make! In addition to balancing full time work, grad school, my family, my boyfriend, some semblance of a social life, and (of course) blogging, I’ve decided to add one more feat to my juggling act…. I am entering as a contestant in the inaugural Project Food Blog contest!
I will be competing against thousands of other Foodbuzz Featured Publishers in a series of culinary blogging challenges for a shot at $10,000 and a special feature on Foodbuzz.com for one year! The reason I’m letting you all know this is because I’m going to need your help. In order to move on in each round of the competition, I will need your votes!
Of course, I will always let you know which of my posts are Project Food Blog posts, and how/when to vote. The challenges will begin in a few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled. (No need to fret… I will pester remind you to vote when the time comes).
In the meantime, check out my contestant profile by clicking on the Project Food Blog icon to the right –>
Because I am obviously a glutton for punishment will be stretched pretty thin in the coming months, I am going to need a few shortcuts. And really, who doesn’t need a shortcut every once in a while? Read the rest of this entry »
Spicy Two Bean Chili
Posted: September 1, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: beans, black beans, chili, dinner, garlic, ground beef, hot, jalapeno, kidney beans, onion, spicy, tomato 18 Comments »
When I was younger, checking the mail was an exciting event. There was always the possibility that there was something in there for me. Whether it was a letter from a family member, an invitation to a party, or a birthday card, if there was something addressed to me, I knew it was something good.
Nowadays, the excitement is pretty much gone from checking the mail. Bills and junk mail just don’t do it for me. Sorry Publisher’s Clearing House… you’ll just have to give that million to some other schmuck.
I have to admit, though, I do still love to receive packages. Not that most of them are a surprise – they’re usually not. But there is still something fun about cutting open a box and digging through the packaging for my “prize.” It brings me back to feeling like that little girl peering hopefully into the mailbox.
