Link Love: Valentine's Day

LINK LOVE: VALENTINE'S DAY

Valentine's Day is fast-approaching, and I thought I would share with you guys some thoughts, food and gift ideas and even stories for the big day.

Here is, by far, the best chocolate gift roundup I've seen including ones "for the bae in training" and "for the lover of surprises." - Tasting Table

The only thing missing from this collection are the chocolate-covered potato chips from Royce.

For those of you not yet at the chocolate gift stage, you can say it with a card, and who better to say it for you than Drake. Love this! - Refinery29.

Check out this perfect Valentine's Day dinner menu complete with shopping list and detailed how-to (who doesn't love spaghetti carbonara?!?), but I must say I would much prefer, at the end of the meal, this other recipe for "Chocolate Pudding You Can Serve Naked." - Food52

If a big dinner isn't your thing, I love the idea of staying in bed all day and making french toast. Here are seven splurge-worthy recipes to choose from. - Food & Wine

Before all of that good food, why not work out with your partner with these great moves? I totally miss my boxing workouts of old with my husband (sorry about that jaw, baby). - Shape

For traditional but with a bit of edge, you can NOT go wrong with a fragrance for a guy or gal from my favorite boutique. -Twisted Lily

For inspiration, here's a pretty cool collection of love stories - some traditional and some not-so. - Vogue

And last, but not least, a bit of marriage advice from a couple who's been married for 50 years! From one of my favorite sites. - Nowness

Marrakech + Msemen

MARRAKECH + MSEMEN

Writing about Navajo fry bread a few weeks ago got me thinking about another fry bread I learned to make last year when I was visiting Marrakech called msemen (heh heh...). But first! I want to share some photos I took when I was strolling around the medina. This was my second time visiting, and the winding alleyways, colors and smells were still such a draw. (Hint: clicking on one of the photos will open up lightbox. Seeing them a bit bigger, you'll catch all of the subtle details, as they were meant to be viewed.)

Now, on to msemen. I spent a morning learning some traditional Moroccan cookery - few different tagines, some typical salads, briouats (cheese-filled pastries) and this gorgeous bread.

Msemen is a square-shaped, Moroccan pancake that's generally had for breakfast with a bit of honey on top. It's delicious, and although the dough is pretty simple, what puts it over the top is the folding process, where butter is spread between the layers. That's what gives it those flaky layers when it's cooked, not unlike puff pastry. It reminded me a lot of a flatbread in Indian cooking called paratha - with that same, flaky, buttery texture.

I'm still perfecting my recipe, but if you want to try some, Hot Bread Kitchen carries it at local NYC and BK retailers, farmers' markets and a few locations across the U.S. They have an online shop too, and in general, the company is just an amazing, amazing concept that supports people, culture and traditions.

Do it up for the Super Bowl!

DO IT UP FOR THE SUPER BOWL!

Any excuse to get my friends together, cook and watch something on the big screen is good enough for me, but the Super Bowl is one of my favorite times! I still cook it up, but it's my time to add a bit of finesse to casual comfort and finger foods. I'll be the first to admit: these aren't your everyday football foods. BUT I can guarantee (from experience) as the dudes are wharfing down the ribs, no one cares how typical they are - just how good they taste...Now that almost all of the posts from my old blog have been moved over to this new site, thought I would share some oldies but goodies that would be really fun for this weekend's game-watching.

TEMPURA WINGS WITH SRIRACHA-HONEY

I grew up in Florida watching football, and when it comes to watching sports, my mind flashes to two things: wings and ribs!! These wings are what you want - crispy, not greasy and super tender with a sweet and spicy sauce. I like fish sauce for a little funk, but leave it out if you don't have it. The best part is you don't need the skin here to get crackling-perfection, so I guess we could almost call these healthy....

BABY BACK RIBS WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

Fall-off-the-bone ribs (as you can see from the photo...) with a serious barbeque sauce, sweetened with pomegranate molasses. Your guests might need bibs. Need I say more?

SMOKY LAMB SLIDERS WITH MINT-CHILI PICKLED CUKES

Sliders are another staple of mine, and these are smoky and spicy and juicy. If you're lamb-squeamish, use beef or an Italian pork-beef blend, and they'll be just as good. Go for a mini brioche bun for the ultimate in pillowy, buttery flavor.

CHEESE BREAD, BRAZILIAN-STYLE...

I swear these are easy, and some of my friends-who-don't-cook-that-often can attest since they've made them. No yeast - so none of that rising and punching down nonsense - just a bit of kneading together of ingredients, an hour of rest and they are ready to bake. They use tapioca starch which you can get at Whole Foods, and they are seriously delicious.

TRINI-STYLE WONTONS

Wontons are one of those things you kind of have to do and mess up folding and then will be a pro at forever. and they are a great finger food that you can stuff with just about anything. These are Trini-style because they were inspired by some I get in Crown Heights, Brooklyn at the Trini-Chinese spot. I baked them because I was feeling healthy, but if you have the oil going for the wings, fry 'em up for a minute or two until golden brown - this is, after all, a special occasion.

HARISSA-CHEESE STUFFED FRIED OLIVES

Please, don't make fun of me. Who serves olives for a Super Bowl party?? Stuff them with cheese, make them spicy, fry them and see what happens...

Don't forget that you need something to wash all of this good food down with. Do yourself a favor and make a pitcher of something and let people help themselves to that and beer from the fridge, so you can relax and hang with your friends and fam! Have fun watching the Super Bowl this weekend!!

Happy New Years + Navajo Fry Bread

HAPPY NEW YEARS + NAVAJO FRY BREAD

I know I'm a bit late with this New Year's wish, but really creating a new blog from scratch with all of your old stuff is so not as straight-forward as you think it would be! So please bear with me on the technical difficulties and bad links (and let me know if they go on for another month!).

In the meantime, I got away right before New Years and visited a ridiculously scenic part of the U.S. called the Four Corners – the only place where four states physically meet (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado). The area is rich with the culture and the traditions of the local Native Americans, the Navajo, and I wanted to share a few things with you from this trip.

A woman named Ingrid showed me this dish called fry bread. Food always has a history, and the story from Ingrid’s grandmother is that during the “Long Walk of the Navajo” (when they were forcibly relocated from Arizona to eastern New Mexico), bread was a staple based on the rations of flour that they were given. When the dough was accidentally dropped in hot oil, fry bread was born.

Ingrid’s mom used to make it by hand (though our batch came together in a stand mixer), and there is all sorts of lore around the bread. If there’s hole in the bread, it’s often told that you’ll have a bad marriage or be a bad in-law…harsh!

And though it’s typically eaten as a meal with a stew or beans, we had a yummy, sweet version of it with berries, ice cream and honey drizzled all over.

The trip was pretty amazing, and there was an unprecedented amount of snow the first few days I was there. It usually doesn’t snow out there, and people I spoke to said that they hadn’t seen this in 20 years. Either way, the scenery and snow made my photography skills comp to Ansel Adams (not) so I wanted to share some photos I took.

Butternut Squash & Apple Bread with Maple and Cardamom

I posted a photo of this on Instagram a few days back, and a number of people came back and asked for this recipe to bake for the holidays. And here it is! It’s a bit lighter than other fruit or vegetable breads (think: cake), and relies much more on butternut squash than apple for flavor. That said, the great thing about this bread is that the squash doesn’t have to be precooked or pureed or anything before being added in. Grating it up in a processor does all the work you need, and the squash cooks in the baking time.

I made this cake for my daughter, who hated squash (until now…hah!). And for that reason, I changed out the flour using an “all purpose” mix of oat, brown rice, and almond flours. Really, it isn’t so much about the gluten, though being gluten free is a benefit for some here. It’s more about the fact that oats and brown rice and almonds have a lot more nutritional value than AP flour. Same goes for the maple sugar, a sugar from the maple tree that has a flavor very close to the syrup. Again, maple sugar has antioxidants and minerals not found in refined sugar. It has a lower glycemic index, and I always use a lot less of it in recipes.

These are just my choices, but feel free to use all purpose flour here and substitute another sugar if you can’t find maple. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Yields 1 8½” x 4¼” x 2¾” loaf pan

2 cups raw, peeled, and grated butternut squash

1 cup peeled, cored and grated apple

scant 1 cup maple sugar

1 cup oat flour

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup almond flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

¼ cup organic, unrefined coconut oil or ½ stick butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375˚ F.

Place grated squash and apple in a bowl along with 3 tablespoons of the maple sugar. Stir to combine and let stand to macerate for 15 minutes.

In another bowl, sift together flours with salt, spices, baking soda and baking powder.

In a stand mixer, cream together remaining sugar and coconut oil or butter. With mixer on medium-low, add vanilla and then the eggs one at a time. Turn mixer down to low, and add in the flour in three increments, stopping to scrape down the sides. Mix until almost combined. Fold in the macerated squash and apple with any liquid that’s accumulated and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool before unmolding.

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Cook, Food-Lover (or Yourself!)

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR THE COOK, FOOD-LOVER (OR YOURSELF!)

It is certainly the most wonderful time of the year, and I wanted to share with you all some gorgeous and fun gift ideas. Some of these I have and others are fantasy gifts (hint, hint hubby), but I think any cook or food-lover would be thrilled to receive these. Enjoy!

HANDMADE OLIVE WOOD SPICE SERVER & ETCHED IRON DISH TRIO | Connected Goods

I came across Connected Goods some time ago and have been addicted ever since. The website carries unique and beautiful items that range from handmade quilts and baskets to jewelry and kitchen accessories like these. But the best part is that everything on the site is artisan-made, either locally in the States or internationally, where they employ strict, Fair Trade practices. Each item can be sourced back to the maker, which makes this type of shopping all the more sweet. I personally use this spice server every day!

HAND PAINTED ENAMEL TIFFIN | Connected Goods

It was hard enough to only choose three items from this site! But I do think this Kashmiri tiffin is a lovely addition to anyone's kitchen. Throughout South Asia, tiffins are used as lunch boxes for working individuals or children at school - the beauty is in the fact that it has a number of compartments to keep your food separate AND hot. These are fun to take for a picnic or even to use as serving bowls at dinner. I'm also a fan of stainless steel over plastic any day...

Food52 Mexican Hot Chocolate Gift Set.jpg

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE GIFT SET | Food52

Food52 has outdone itself in its Provisions section - I literally can't visit it without finding 10 things I MUST have for my kitchen. This is a great gift for the chocolate lover and comes with a little woven basket full of cinnamon-y Mexican chocolate, a traditional frother, and clay pot. I personally always have tablets of Mexican chocolate lying around to make thick and luscious Mexican hot chocolate (spiked around the holidays...)

AMBATALIA UTENSIL WRAP | QUITOKEETO

This is another site that acts as a dream kitchen wishlist....This linen case is perfect for those of us that don't want to use (and waste) disposable flatware. Carrying around your own silverware just became stylish and chic (and environmentally-friendly!).

TORTUGA RUM CAKES | TORTUGA

Not too long ago, I took a truly amazing vacation in Barbados with great friends. All of the low-carbing to fit into my suit went out the window, and in the airport on the way back, I ate 2 of these out of the box. Truthfully, I just placed an order for a silly number of cakes to give away to friends and family (the chocolate and coffee ones) for the holidays and picked up some chocolate rum balls too. You won't regret these - they are everything you want in a good, boozy rum cake.

AGED TIN CAKE STAND | CANVAS INTERIORS

And while on the subject of cakes, here is the perfect stand to display your rum cake. Tiers and cake stands are great for holiday parties and summer entertaining alike, and I'm always looking for ones with a bit of edge - not too perfect, a bit antique. This one is a standout, and hopefully my friends are reading this because I don't have it yet!! :)

MASANOBU KNIVES | Korin

Great knives are second to none for someone who likes to cook, and these are the ones I use day in and day out. Love these because they are forged from Japanese steel, keep their edges, have great balance and weight, but are also Western-style. As a gift a few years back, my husband got me three of them - a Santoku, a slicer, and a pairing knife - and that's pretty much all I need. Needless to say, that made Christmas for me!

MOROCCAN TAGINE | LE CREUSET

When I was in Morocco a few months back, I learned the art of the tagine. Sure, I had been cooking them for years, but this was the real deal. The traditional tagine is made out of clay which retains heat amazingly well and lends itself to long slow cooking. Usually, it's all done on the stove top. What I love about this modern version is that it's cast iron, which means it too has great heat retention and is excellent for braises, but you can also sear right on the stove top and then transfer to the oven - braised short ribs, lamb shanks, stewed chicken all would be incredible in here.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FIGS | ZINGERMAN'S

Zingerman's is THE go-to for mail-order foodstuffs - from Italian wild cherries to global breads to truly gorgeous gift baskets. I can always get hard-to-find ingredients and spices here, and they also offer delicious monthly clubs (including a bacon club). I don't think chocolate-dipped figs really need any more explaining...enough said!

HAND-BLOWN DECANTER | ahalife

Simple and elegant, this decanter crosses design boundaries and easily fits on anyone's dinner table. Quite frankly, I'd serve water in it too if I had non-drinkers at the table.

GLENNA SERVEWARE | ANTHROPOLOGIE

When I was cooking and photographing my cookbook, any time I needed a little culinary accessory, a plate, a Moroccan tea glass, whatever, I would run into Anthro. They just have beautiful stuff, plain and simple. I'm loving the bowls and platters here.

DAYNA DECKER CANDLES | DAYNA DECKER

When the holiday cooking is done and you want to clear the scents out of the kitchen, these candles do the job. All of the scents are transporting, and they burn forever. Plus, the wick makes a little sounds like a small fire burning, a crackling. Love.

Matcha Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée is one of those fancy desserts that shockingly don’t take a ton of ingredients or time to make. I’m always playing around with the basic goodness , and this green tea version is a new favorite – light, delicately-scented, and simple.

The key ingredient here is matcha, a finely milled green tea powder that you can pick up at specialty, gourmet, and Japanese grocers. I love this stuff and all you really need is a teaspoon or so to transform a basic dessert or cake into something a bit more special. Beyond using it here, it’s delicious in crèpe batter, shortbread cookies, cheesecake and simple vanilla cupcakes….it’s fantastic to add to baked items because you don’t need to adjust your wet-dry ratios at all.

Enjoy!

Ingredients
Yields 4-5 (5-inch) oval ramekins
2 cups heavy creaam
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
¼ tsp salt
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar plus extra, for brulée
2 tablespoons honey

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

In a saucepan, heat heavy cream, matcha powder, vanilla bean, and salt. Bring mixture up to a boil on medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl or stand mixer, whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and honey until well blended and light yellow in color. It should look very creamy at this point.

Strain cream mixture through a fine sieve and add it in small amounts to the yolks, whisking after each addition. You want to slowly bring up the temperature of the yolks (not scramble). Transfer custard to a measuring cup or something that pours easily.

Place paper towels in one or two different baking dishes (depending on size) and set the ramekins inside. Carefully, pour the custard ¾ of the way up into the ramekins. Then, add boiling water to the baking dishes so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. I bake these in a water bath, and the paper towels help the ramekins from sliding around and also help reduce the risk of splash as you pour the water into the dishes.

Bake at 325° F for 35 minutes. It should still jiggle slightly. Remove from water bath and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Cover in plastic wrap (don’t let it touch the surface), and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours in order to set the custard.

Coat the top of the custard in each ramekin with a layer of sugar. Turn over to remove excess. Carefully, using a torch, brûlée the sugar, working in circles evenly over the ramekins.

Note: if you use larger or deeper ramekins, the cooking time will inevitably be longer. The key things are the water bath and also that it still jiggles when it comes out. You want smooth, creamy custard, not overcooked and curd-like.

Huffington Post: Why Finding Yourself is Overrated

Huffington Post: Why Finding Yourself is Overrated

So I recently started blogging for the Huffington Post’s Third Metric and wanted to share with you all my very first post! It is right in line with the new year, new beginnings, and all of those resolutions we are desperately trying to uphold. As always, I welcome any comments you might have!

WHY FINDING YOURSELF IS OVERRATED

I love finding simple inspiration in daily life — morning Yogi tea, Instagram, a mantra on my bedroom wall, or kind gesture in the streets. Inspiration can be direct or indirect, get you hyped up and fill you with confidence or even reveal something or, rather, reframe something you didn’t know you’d been thinking. For Christmas a few weeks back, one of the gifts my husband gave me was a sweet coffee mug that directly spelled out something I probably already knew — that life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s truly about creating yourself.

Books, movies, well-intentioned friends, a “gap year” all push us to eat, pray and love ourselves into figuring out who it is we really are, what we really want to be or do with our lives. As if our true self is hiding out there somewhere and we’re going to happen upon it! We’re going to be in a restaurant in Berlin, a temple in Thailand or in a sweaty Bikram yoga class when we have an “aha” moment. Discovery vignettes are always beautiful or dramatic, no? All of that may actually happen, but what this one, little phrase made me realize is that this concept of “finding yourself” gives permission for the process to exist outside of us, externalizes it so that we think we have to visit the right place or be in the right set of circumstances (usually not working) to understand who it is we really are. It shifts the control away from us as if we don’t have it in our power to realize what we want right here in our own home, office or even car.

Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. — William Jennings Bryan

I, in fact, did have an “aha” moment, but my own life shifted not when I realized what it was I wanted to do as a career, how I could turn what I love (cooking) into what I live on a daily basis (chef and cookbook author). It actually happened when I came up with a game plan of how to do it. We all have the power to not just discover who we are but to decide who we want to be. To take actionable steps towards that life starting right now. To pick our point B and write out just how we think we are going to get there.

Not everyone is going to have a sudden bolt of self-actualized inspiration. It may be a slow build to an understanding, and that’s fine too. Either way, both are merely the beginning. The beginning of the beginning. From there, it’s about the plan, the journey, the work, the day-to-day grind in many instances to make your dreams and visualizations a reality. Here’s a transformative piece from James Altucher that spells out the A – WW reinvention game plan. No one said it would be simple!

I, myself, am personally chipping away at my mental life schematic on a daily basis across work, family, health and personal. I always start by envisioning the ideal and figuring out what I have to do in the short-term and then what consistent long-term measures have to be taken. I try to create my life as I want it and take joy in each step. I urge you to do the same — take your future on as your charge, predetermine your own life, and create yourself exactly the way you want.

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