Or a lovely late-night dinner!
My favorite, favorite (and only ah ha) roommate not only got my champagne for my birthday, she also got me some amazing herbed goat cheese. This cheese is fantastic. I love goat cheese and I love herbs, so combine them and throw in some carbs and my life gets that much better. I have eaten about half of that cheese and it has been excellent, but today I realized that I'm out of crackers! Oh no! Luckily, I did realized that I had bread and tomatoes and all the fixings to a lovely snack.
Goat Cheese Crostini (ish) snack--duplicate for apps:
-1 slice study bread such as a wheat sourdough or whatever you like (I LOVE sourdough but I have been really enjoying Trader Joe's Cracked Wheat Sourdough as a slight change of pace).
-1 small roma tomato, thinly sliced (or about have of a big one).
-ideally, a nice chunk of herbed goat cheese. Really, any goat cheese will do (or any cheese. I just like a flavor that goat cheese brings with the other ingredients) and you can add herbs as needed. I'm not entirely sure how much I used...maybe a tablespoon?
-finely chopped rosemary.
-Preheat the burner.
-Toast your bread briefly--the broiler won't toast the bottom of the bread, which really annoys me, so I pre-toast.
-Meanwhile, thinly slice the tomatoes and finely chop the rosemary.
-Spread the toast with a nice layer of goat cheese, top with tomatoes, and finish with the rosemary and top with some small bits of goat cheese on top.
-Broil for a few minutes, until the edges of the toast are dark, the tomatoes are very juicy, and the cheese is melted.
*You could pretty easily do this as a nice appetizer: fill a tray with briefly-toasted toast, spread with cheese, top with tomatoes and rosemary, and toss in the broiler. The nice thing is, even cooled, this tasted great! Enjoy, ideally as dinner with a baby spinach salad and a glass of wine.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Desserts
I've mentioned happy hours, I've talked about wine, but I haven't really discussed desserts. Yes, I love baking and making desserts, but I rarely have them when out to dinner. Very recently I went to Paley's Place (for the second time--still highly, highly recommend) and tried some of the desserts. That got me thinking about the (few) not homemade desserts I have since moving to Portland and here are the highlights:
1. Creme brulee--Paley's Place. I love creme brulee. Seriously. It's probably one of my top 5 favorite desserts ever and man oh man this is one of the best I have ever had. Ever.
2. Chocolates--Van Duyne. I volunteer right near there and my wonderful bosses gave me a box of their chocolates for being such a good little worker. Yum. When it comes to chocolate, I'm rather picky. I don't like nuts, I rarely like fruit fillings, and I'm not a huge fan of nougat...usually. I grew up with some fantastic chocolate nearby (Mackenzie's, Sees, Marini's...) so I am a little hesitant when it comes to other specialty places. This place rocks.
3. Milkshakes--Moonstruck. While I think Moonstruck has cuter chocolates than Van Duyn, what I really love are their milk shakes and their desserts. Especially their ice cream sundaes.
4. Typical desserts, in particular The Concord--Pix. This dessert is phenomenal. My only slight issue with Pix is that they put so much almond in everything.
5. Cupcakes--Saint Cupcake. Go for the pumpkin spice or the chocolate with cream cheese frosting. Hands down, those are my two favorite cupcakes with Sprinkles' lemon cupcake to make my top three. However, I should note that Cupcake Jones makes one of the best red velvet cupcakes I have ever had, but with the filling it's just too sweet for me.
6. Froyo/ice cream--Tart. I do love Ben and Jerrys and Coldstone, but when it comes to frozen yogurt, Tart is the best I've found yet. It's not my hometown "Gurt," but the frozen custard is certainly excellent.
7. Caramel apple pie--Red Star Tavern. Well, I haven't been here since my freshman year of college, but this dessert was memorable enough to last...
8. Exotic desserts: Oba's cream-filled banana doughnut-things Apparently they're called "malassadas" but what do I know. All I know is that they're delicious and I wanted about 5 more plates.
9. Doughnuts--Voodoo. The apple fritter is excellent, as is the bacon-maple one. The less appropriately named ones are disturbingly delicious as well...
10. Dessert cocktail--Vault. Well, this might be cheating a little but in my defense I have yet to find an amazing dessert cocktail. Vault's "Lavender" is my stand in.
1. Creme brulee--Paley's Place. I love creme brulee. Seriously. It's probably one of my top 5 favorite desserts ever and man oh man this is one of the best I have ever had. Ever.
2. Chocolates--Van Duyne. I volunteer right near there and my wonderful bosses gave me a box of their chocolates for being such a good little worker. Yum. When it comes to chocolate, I'm rather picky. I don't like nuts, I rarely like fruit fillings, and I'm not a huge fan of nougat...usually. I grew up with some fantastic chocolate nearby (Mackenzie's, Sees, Marini's...) so I am a little hesitant when it comes to other specialty places. This place rocks.
3. Milkshakes--Moonstruck. While I think Moonstruck has cuter chocolates than Van Duyn, what I really love are their milk shakes and their desserts. Especially their ice cream sundaes.
4. Typical desserts, in particular The Concord--Pix. This dessert is phenomenal. My only slight issue with Pix is that they put so much almond in everything.
5. Cupcakes--Saint Cupcake. Go for the pumpkin spice or the chocolate with cream cheese frosting. Hands down, those are my two favorite cupcakes with Sprinkles' lemon cupcake to make my top three. However, I should note that Cupcake Jones makes one of the best red velvet cupcakes I have ever had, but with the filling it's just too sweet for me.
6. Froyo/ice cream--Tart. I do love Ben and Jerrys and Coldstone, but when it comes to frozen yogurt, Tart is the best I've found yet. It's not my hometown "Gurt," but the frozen custard is certainly excellent.
7. Caramel apple pie--Red Star Tavern. Well, I haven't been here since my freshman year of college, but this dessert was memorable enough to last...
8. Exotic desserts: Oba's cream-filled banana doughnut-things Apparently they're called "malassadas" but what do I know. All I know is that they're delicious and I wanted about 5 more plates.
9. Doughnuts--Voodoo. The apple fritter is excellent, as is the bacon-maple one. The less appropriately named ones are disturbingly delicious as well...
10. Dessert cocktail--Vault. Well, this might be cheating a little but in my defense I have yet to find an amazing dessert cocktail. Vault's "Lavender" is my stand in.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Movies That Never Fail To Make Me Happy
There are just some movies that no matter how I'm feeling always make me happy. And I have compiled a list off the top of my head in no particular order. So enjoy:
1. Strictly Ballroom. The accents! The dancing! The horrifyingly fabulous costumes! Really, you can't help but smile!
2. 10 Things I Hate About You: Not only is it based on a Shakespeare play, it's full of glorious '90s slang and a young Heath Ledger!
3. Disney's Alice In Wonderland: Ohhh Alice, I do have a weakness for Alice. Despite what critics may claim, I love this version and its whimsical take on the books.
4. Enchanted: Thanks Mom for my love of musicals! This combines not only that, but also my love of all old Disney. Hey, and even guys like it!
5. Men In Black: Maybe it's just nostalgia but Will Smith and this movie cannot fail to make me smile. Especially since my quality VHS copy has his music video at the end.
6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off: I mean, who doesn't love this movie? And who hasn't wanted a day off?
7. Clueless: Sure, it might be dumb, but the dialogue is hilarious, and the characters are all so lovable in the end...
8. The Brave Little Toaster: I loved it so much I apparently dressed up as it once when I was little...and I watched it recently, and it still holds up! Any movie that can make normally boring household equipment seem cool gets an A in my book.
9. Zorro: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and sword-fighting...do you need more?!
10. The Phantom: For whatever reason this movie is one of the most memorable from when I was little. Maybe it was the pirates and the jewels, the magical aspect, or the witty guy in a sweet purple suit, I don't know, but I loved it and I still do. No shame, no shame!
*Disclaimer: I never said they were quality movies, they just make me smile...
1. Strictly Ballroom. The accents! The dancing! The horrifyingly fabulous costumes! Really, you can't help but smile!
2. 10 Things I Hate About You: Not only is it based on a Shakespeare play, it's full of glorious '90s slang and a young Heath Ledger!
3. Disney's Alice In Wonderland: Ohhh Alice, I do have a weakness for Alice. Despite what critics may claim, I love this version and its whimsical take on the books.
4. Enchanted: Thanks Mom for my love of musicals! This combines not only that, but also my love of all old Disney. Hey, and even guys like it!
5. Men In Black: Maybe it's just nostalgia but Will Smith and this movie cannot fail to make me smile. Especially since my quality VHS copy has his music video at the end.
6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off: I mean, who doesn't love this movie? And who hasn't wanted a day off?
7. Clueless: Sure, it might be dumb, but the dialogue is hilarious, and the characters are all so lovable in the end...
8. The Brave Little Toaster: I loved it so much I apparently dressed up as it once when I was little...and I watched it recently, and it still holds up! Any movie that can make normally boring household equipment seem cool gets an A in my book.
9. Zorro: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and sword-fighting...do you need more?!
10. The Phantom: For whatever reason this movie is one of the most memorable from when I was little. Maybe it was the pirates and the jewels, the magical aspect, or the witty guy in a sweet purple suit, I don't know, but I loved it and I still do. No shame, no shame!
*Disclaimer: I never said they were quality movies, they just make me smile...
2 Pizzas
I can't believe I haven't mentioned pizzas on here yet! I have my go-to favorite pizza, and now what may become my new favorite pizza. Pizzas are great because, like crepes, you have so many options and so much variety with them. You can have the standard pizzas with cheese, tomato sauce, and pepperoni or olives, etc, or you can add on more veggies, you can top it with a fried egg, you can ditch the red sauce, and you can make it completely your own. For someone who is not a huge fan of cooked tomatoes (don't get me wrong, I definitely like traditional pizza), this is an awesome option.
When I was little I was given a book called Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters. It's both a kids book and a cook book, and I still completely love it. I've used this pizza dough recipe from the beginning and it's the easiest, most fool-proof recipe I've found.
Dough (from Fanny at Chez Panisse)
-3/4 c warm water
-1 tblspn milk
-2 tsps dry active yeast
-2 c all purpose flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-extra flour and olive oil
-Measure the water and the milk into a big bowl. Add the yeast and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix until it's too thick and sticky to stir.
-Spread your workspace with a little of the extra flour and turn dough onto the table. Kneed until it's smooth and elastic (it usually only takes a few minutes).
-Clean and dry the bowl (or if you're lazy like me, get another large bowl), rub it with olive oil, place the dough inside and cover it with a towel.
-Let the dough rise about 1 1/2 hours and then punch it down. Let it rise again about another hour.
Heat the oven to 450 and bake for 15-20 min with whatever toppings you like.
Favorite Pizza #1 (more basic and cheaper)
-Caramelized onions: slice 2-3 yellow or white onions into thin slices, cook them in a little less than 1 tablspn of olive oil and a spoonful of sugar until they are a rich caramel color)
-Fresh sliced tomatoes (Roma are nice since they are fairly sturdy): I generally use about 2 1/2 Roma tomatoes but it just depends on the size of your crust, etc.
-Whatever cheese you like--I like a mix of mozzarella, some feta, and Monterey jack: it's really to taste, 1-2 c grated should do the trick. I generally slice or grate as I go so I don't waste any.
-Fresh basil and any other herbs you want: totally to taste.
-About a tblspn olive oil, salt, pepper, 2 cloves or garlic, crushed.
-Make pizza dough ahead of time and once it is done, flatten it out on a greased baking sheet (just spraying a baking sheet with Pam will do the trick)
-Preheat the oven to 450
-In a little bowl mix the tblspn olive oil, a few pinches of salt and pepper, and the crushed garlic and mix or whisk together. Spread this evenly on the crust, adding more olive oil as needed, leaving a border around the edges of about an inch.
-Spoon the caramelized onions on top of the olive oil mixture and spread around evenly--they should pretty completely cover the crust up to the border.
-Top with thinly sliced tomatoes--enough to cover the onions without overlapping.
-Add the cheese on top to mostly cover the tomatoes (gaps are OK).
-Finish with any herbs you like!
-Bake for 15-20 min, let cool, and devour.
Favorite Pizza # 2:
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/06/fresh-ricotta-and-red-onion-pizza/ )
-Basic dough recipe listed above
-2 red onions (thinly sliced and caramelized with 1 tblspn olive oil, 1 spoonful of brown sugar, and once cooked, finished up with 2 tblspns balsamic vinegar and 1 large pinch of crushed red pepper--also see recipe above)
-about 1 c ricotta (homemade if you're feeling fancy...I wasn't)
-2 1/2 thinly sliced Roma tomatoes
-Maybe 1 c fresh baby spinach, torn in half or so
-5 or so slices of prosciutto, chopped in quarters or so
-A sprinkling or dried (but ideally fresh) basil and oregano
-The olive oil/salt/pepper/garlic mixture mentioned above.
-Preheat the oven to 450.
-Make the dough ahead of time and once ready spread with the olive oil/garlic/etc mixture explained above.
-Cover the dough with the red onion marmalade.
-Top with the tomatoes.
-Spoon the cheese on top and do whatever you can think of to get it to spread out--I just used my (clean) fingers...also you can add some feta if you feel so inclined.
-Add the baby spinach on top of the cheese.
-Finish it off with the prosciutto.
-Sprinkle on the herbs.
-Cook for 15-20 min
-Let cool and enjoy.
When I was little I was given a book called Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters. It's both a kids book and a cook book, and I still completely love it. I've used this pizza dough recipe from the beginning and it's the easiest, most fool-proof recipe I've found.
Dough (from Fanny at Chez Panisse)
-3/4 c warm water
-1 tblspn milk
-2 tsps dry active yeast
-2 c all purpose flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-extra flour and olive oil
-Measure the water and the milk into a big bowl. Add the yeast and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix until it's too thick and sticky to stir.
-Spread your workspace with a little of the extra flour and turn dough onto the table. Kneed until it's smooth and elastic (it usually only takes a few minutes).
-Clean and dry the bowl (or if you're lazy like me, get another large bowl), rub it with olive oil, place the dough inside and cover it with a towel.
-Let the dough rise about 1 1/2 hours and then punch it down. Let it rise again about another hour.
Heat the oven to 450 and bake for 15-20 min with whatever toppings you like.
Favorite Pizza #1 (more basic and cheaper)
-Caramelized onions: slice 2-3 yellow or white onions into thin slices, cook them in a little less than 1 tablspn of olive oil and a spoonful of sugar until they are a rich caramel color)
-Fresh sliced tomatoes (Roma are nice since they are fairly sturdy): I generally use about 2 1/2 Roma tomatoes but it just depends on the size of your crust, etc.
-Whatever cheese you like--I like a mix of mozzarella, some feta, and Monterey jack: it's really to taste, 1-2 c grated should do the trick. I generally slice or grate as I go so I don't waste any.
-Fresh basil and any other herbs you want: totally to taste.
-About a tblspn olive oil, salt, pepper, 2 cloves or garlic, crushed.
-Make pizza dough ahead of time and once it is done, flatten it out on a greased baking sheet (just spraying a baking sheet with Pam will do the trick)
-Preheat the oven to 450
-In a little bowl mix the tblspn olive oil, a few pinches of salt and pepper, and the crushed garlic and mix or whisk together. Spread this evenly on the crust, adding more olive oil as needed, leaving a border around the edges of about an inch.
-Spoon the caramelized onions on top of the olive oil mixture and spread around evenly--they should pretty completely cover the crust up to the border.
-Top with thinly sliced tomatoes--enough to cover the onions without overlapping.
-Add the cheese on top to mostly cover the tomatoes (gaps are OK).
-Finish with any herbs you like!
-Bake for 15-20 min, let cool, and devour.
Favorite Pizza # 2:
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/06/fresh-ricotta-and-red-onion-pizza/ )
-Basic dough recipe listed above
-2 red onions (thinly sliced and caramelized with 1 tblspn olive oil, 1 spoonful of brown sugar, and once cooked, finished up with 2 tblspns balsamic vinegar and 1 large pinch of crushed red pepper--also see recipe above)
-about 1 c ricotta (homemade if you're feeling fancy...I wasn't)
-2 1/2 thinly sliced Roma tomatoes
-Maybe 1 c fresh baby spinach, torn in half or so
-5 or so slices of prosciutto, chopped in quarters or so
-A sprinkling or dried (but ideally fresh) basil and oregano
-The olive oil/salt/pepper/garlic mixture mentioned above.
-Preheat the oven to 450.
-Make the dough ahead of time and once ready spread with the olive oil/garlic/etc mixture explained above.
-Cover the dough with the red onion marmalade.
-Top with the tomatoes.
-Spoon the cheese on top and do whatever you can think of to get it to spread out--I just used my (clean) fingers...also you can add some feta if you feel so inclined.
-Add the baby spinach on top of the cheese.
-Finish it off with the prosciutto.
-Sprinkle on the herbs.
-Cook for 15-20 min
-Let cool and enjoy.
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