Project CB - Corn Chowder

I’m not sure what the weather’s been like where you live, but it’s turned into a swimming pool out here in the Valley. The rain won’t stop! This has got my comfort food desires at an all-time high. So in honor of the rainy, wet weather (and the first day of winter woohoo!), I’ve decided to make corn chowder. It’s guaranteed to give you enough energy to swim to safety when the LA River floods and engulfs your house, or it will give you enough blub so you can leisurely float down the river. Either way, this stuff is delightful. Onwards!

You will need to following:

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
¼ cup oil olive
1-2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded, deveined and minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half
3 cups fresh or frozen corn
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced (adjust to your level of spiciness)
Shredded chicken (optional)
Cilantro, avocado, cheese to garnish (optional)

This is a one pot recipe and it’s flexible to the ingredients you want to add (you could add red bell peppers, sweet potato instead of russet etc.). First, dice the onion and cook in oil over medium heat until soft.

Next comes the potato, garlic and jalapeño. Stir it around about a minute, then add the flour.

Stir the flour into the mix 1-2 minutes, then add your chicken broth and half and half. Bring to a boil while stirring.

Add the corn and chipotles and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the soup is your desired consistency, about 20 minutes.

Looking good.

Now this is the point where I decided I wanted a more substantial chowder, so I decided to grill some chicken with lime and …

Tequila! I was feeling adventurous (or too sober). I also decided to use an immersion blender to thicken up the chowder, although I think I would have like the unthickened, silky version a tad better. The flavors are delicious either way.

When your chicken is cooked through, shred it and stir it into the chowder.

Season with salt and serve. Add garnishes if desired and enjoy!

(Adapted from Gourmet)

The Art of Making Wine

You don’t want a shiny new iPhone or a slick pair of boots for Christmas do you? You want something homemade, thoughtful and sentimental, right? Well you my friend might be in luck. It turns out these alcoholics not only consume but they CREATE their own beverages! Enter the Myers Annual Holiday Hooch.

You start with about 50 pounds of blackberries. Squeeze the life out of ‘em till your left with a smooth blackberry juice. Add tons of sugar, yeast and other wine making ingredients. Let it sit for a couple of months while the booze-making magic happens.

Our blackberry wine has been fermenting since August, which means it’s ready to drink just in time for Christmas! We spent Friday night in our winemaking workroom straining out the remaining particles in the wine.

 
The process requires a very dedicated vintner and two helpful sidekicks.
 

 
Sidekick #1: quality control. He takes his job very seriously.
 

Sidekick #2 (me): testing. I brought the little tasting glass you see next to the big 5 gallon container. But I guess when you're a top notch vintner, you don't need no stinking tasting glass.
 

 
Yum, doesn't that look good? And don’t let the charming purple color fool you. This stuff has a kick! It may have something to do with the air that got into the containers and make the fermentation process go berserk (we’re still figuring out how the airlocks work).

In any event, Holiday Hooch is guaranteed to warm your belly and put a smile on your face (and yes, that's a Lowe's plastic bucket. Just be glad it's not being made in a trash can like it has in year's prior. Now that stuff had a kick!)

Project CB - Dill Bread

Today’s weigh in: 135.6 lbs.

I can see my feet again!

Today’s culinary activities: Dill Bread.

I love all carbohydrates, but my favorite would have to be a fresh loaf of bread slathered with butter. I usually eat the entire loaf. Self-restraint is not one of my strong points when it comes to bread.

We had this Dill Bread on Thanksgiving and I’ve made it twice since. The combination of earthy dill and slightly sour cottage cheese/onion combo make it delectable (with butter of course). And it’s really easy to make!

Combine 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast and ½ cup warm water (100°F) in a small bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about five minutes.

Combine 3 cups flour, 2 tbsp sugar or honey, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 cup finely chopped onions, and 3 tbsp fresh chopped dill in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a mixer. Then add the yeast along with 1 tbsp margarine, 1 cup cottage cheese, and 1 large beaten egg.

Mix by hand or on low speed until the dough comes together, adding additional flour or warm water if needed. Continue by kneading dough for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. After first rising, gently press the dough down, form into a loaf, re-cover and let re-rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (I split my dough in two before the second rising so I could share, but sharing's not required... or recommended).

Bake 350 about 30 minutes or until done (or instant read thermometer reads about 200). Cool completely on wire rack (or not). Then enjoy!

(recipe adapted from Serena Bateman and Smitten Kitchen)

Project CB - Another Update

This morning's weigh in: 136.8 lbs.

A 1.4 lb gain! I'm moving into the big leagues!

Today's culinary activities: Walnut Thumbprint Cookies.

A girl's gotta do something to cope.

Conclusion: The cookies did not provide enough satisfaction to make me forget about my champagne butt. I think it's because these cookies are light and crispy and I wanted something big, doughy and carb loaded. But now I have something to look forward too! Perhaps I will make cinnamon rolls tomorrow...

Afterthought: If you haven't already realized, this is not a "real" diet story. I just need another outlet for my sarcasm.

Project Champagne Butt

Everybody loves a good diet story don't they? I was thinking about calling my diet story "Project Cellulite", as gross as that sounds. But I've come up with a better title: "Project Champagne Butt"; because that's the truth of it. I have a champagne butt.

And when I'm ready to get this new diet up and running guess who's coming with me. My John Doe, my Lovies, Wes. We've all heard about Wes's "diet", the one I've supposedly put him on, and the one that had him eating 6 hot wings, 4 spiral sandwiches, ½ pan of rice crispy treats, 1 bottle of La Fin du Monde beer, ½ bottle of Riesling and almost a whole bottle of Champagne… oh and veggie sticks with guacamole… the other night. Apparently veggie sticks = diet. His reasoning is impeccable.

Since Wes isn't taking his "diet" very seriously, this could be the perfect opportunity for me to take charge of the situation. Things have gotten to detox status. It could get ugly. Stay tuned!

And for everyone who thinks dieting is stupid, here’s an easy breezy pizza recipe!

1 pizza dough (homemade is best)
1 heaping cup mozzarella
4 asparagus spears, peeled into strips
3 slices prosciutto, torn into pieces
½ cup goat cheese, crumbled.
Red pepper flakes

Roll out pizza dough. Assemble mozzarella, asparagus, prosciutto and goat cheese on top. Sprinkle red pepper flakes. Bake in 500 degree oven for 15 minutes or until edges are golden and cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins = Delish

There's nothing better than celebrating a Friday with one of your favorite desserts. My favorite happens to work for both dessert AND breakfast, so really, where could we go wrong? I'm talking about blueberry muffins. I'd also like to argue that blueberry muffins are an any-season dessert. You could make them in June when blueberries are in peak season, or you can make them in November because Ralph's has blueberries on sale 2 for $3!

Let's do this.

First, I like to print out a recipe which I use as a guide. What I end up with (and what I am documenting here) never matches what the recipe says. I like to improvise when I cook, and with this recipe, I think I did something right.

I did follow the preheat oven to 350 degrees and the place paper liners in muffin pans instructions, so at this point, you should too.

My recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar and 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy (or something like that).

Next add 3 large eggs to the mix. Beat until well combined.

Then beat in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 cup sour cream, and 1/4 cup milk.  

Then, in an effort to keep the dishes clean up to a minimum, pile 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt right on top. It's Mt. I Hate Cleaning Up Dishes!

Ok, now fold 1 cup blueberries into the mix.

Scoop batter into muffin pans and fill each cup to the top. 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer comes out clean.

Now the hard part is deciding whether or not you want to share.

I did!

Whip up a batch of these babies and you'll be sorry you hadn't done it sooner.

Presently...

I’ve been on a cooking craze over the last two weeks. And I mean an I-think-I-have- a-problem type of craze. First there was Horchata (awesome, but impossible to finish the 2 gallons I made), then a Pear Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate (pretty good, would make it again), then Apple Cheddar Scones (oh man what a disappointment), then a Dutch Baby with Jalapenos (unusual and tasty), and now there’s Pumpkin Brioche rising on my countertop (it calls for 2 sticks of butter to make 18 rolls, so it better be good). I’ve also printed recipes for Spiced Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake and Chocolate Bread. That’s only mentioning the sweets.

I finally killed my little pumpkin and turned him into an impromptu Pumpkin Soup (next time I make Pumpkin Soup I’m going to add bacon pieces; everything tastes better with bacon). There was a Pot Roast somewhere in the recent past as well as Chicken Empanadas; and I’m planning Chicken Piccata for dinner tomorrow (my first attempt at the dish). All this cooking and I still feel like a miner who hasn’t struck gold yet. I can’t stop! I want to, I need to, but something is driving the cooking half of my brain crazy. I think it’s the weather. California sunshine why have you forsaken me?

Completely unrelated: check out these awesome flying pictures from our most recent trip up to the ranch. Isn’t it amazing what the tectonic plates do? The landscape looks surreal.

Dutch Baby with a Kick

My whole thought structure on apples changed this morning; as did my thought structure on desserts. It just so happens that if you add something sweet (apples) with something spicy (jalapeños) you can create something delicious! I should have known this was coming. One of my favorite candies is a Mexican tamarind candy that is both sweet and spicy. Now I know how to make a sweet and spicy pancake! The universe is completing itself! And now I will take you on a photographic tour of my baking this morning.

First, introduce 2 green apples to 1 jalapeño. Let them get to talking about the traffic on their drive to work this morning, how green is the new black, and while they're yapping, melt 4 Tbs. butter in an ovenproof skillet and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Next, peel and slice the apples. You might be pretty on the outside girls, but it’s what’s inside that counts. Add the sliced apples to the melted butter, along with 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook together for about 10 minutes, until the apples are soft.

Tell the jalapeño that he will be reconnected with his apple ladies soon, but not before he’s sliced in half, seeded and diced. Then in a separate bowl, blend together 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until a smooth batter is formed.

Now organize the apple, jalapeño, and batter party. Sprinkle jalapeños on top of apples and pour the batter over everything.

Bake uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes or until it's puffy and an inserted knife pulls out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. Results may vary, but surprise, shock, and satisfaction are likely.

(Recipe from http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com)

Miscellaneous Thoughts and Sisqo

Let me tell you something about running in the rain: It’s wet. That’s not some coded message about the meaning of life. I just decided to go running the other day despite the rain and I got wet. It was exhilarating. Then it got a little annoying. But then it gave me a goal to work towards. I was going to finish this run even if it meant getting drenched and I was going feel accomplished that I did it! I want to fill my life with these little challenges and these little joys. We owe it to ourselves to keep it interesting.

On another note, I think the entire female population should blame SISQO for turning something so plain and pure into something so sexual. I’m talking about the THONG song. You remember it. Annoying but catchy. Well it’s done something irreconcilable to our culture. It’s allowed and encouraged men to believe that any female undergarment thicker that a shoestring is disgusting. A crime. Now, excuse me for having an opinion about what I put in, on, and around my badonka donk, but if I’m wearing it, I want it to be comfortable. Walking, sitting, sleeping, ANYTHING involving shoestring in my butt crack is not comfortable. I will occasionally make concessions of course, but the love of my life, let’s call him John Doe, vehemently complains when I wear anything but a thong. Perhaps this is too much information, but just this morning he noted that not only was I “gross” for wearing bikini cut underwear but they were… get this… COTTON!!! I am the official queen of grossness. I told him that I loved him too.

Oh! I almost forgot about the Pumpkin Claflouti. It was DIVINE. The sides browned lightly and formed a crepe like crust, while the insides stayed moist and egg-y. Reminded me of soufflé, but denser. We ate the entire thing... before dinner. It was a synch to make too! Recipe below if you are inclined to give it a try.



Pumpkin Claflouti
Adapted from Claudia Fleming via The Last Course

2/3 cup pumpkin purée (canned or freshly pureed*)
5 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs. sugar
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup flour
1 tbs. butter
1/3 cup chopped nuts (optional; the original recipe suggests toasted hazelnuts)

Place eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until mixture is very smooth, about 30 seconds. Then blend in the pumpkin purée, followed by the flour. Pulse until everything is well combined.
Pass batter through a sieve to filter out large particles; then let the mixture stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (mine sat out for an hour).
Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Brush pie plate with butter and sprinkle remaining 2 tbs. sugar on the bottom (followed by the nuts if you are using them). Pour in the batter.
Bake claflouti for 15 minutes then lower the temperature to 375 degrees (F) and bake until the center is just set, about 12 minutes more.
Serve immediately.

* If using freshly made purée, be sure to line a sieve with cheesecloth and drain the extra water out of the purée before using it. If your purée isn’t very watery, then skip this step and start baking!

Pumpkin Claflouti

This pumpkin’s days are numbered.

I’m having so much fun contemplating all the potential ways he might meet his demise. Pumpkin bread? Pumpkin soufflé? Pumpkin bread pudding? Or maybe I’ll do something I’ve never done before and make a traditional pumpkin pie.

I can’t bring myself to kill him just yet, or go through the process of seeding, roasting and pureeing him, so I will resort to the canned equivalent. Today I will attempt to make a Pumpkin Claflouti. What’s a clafouti? Well from my understanding, it’s a French, custardy, pancake like dessert usually made with fruit. But the only dessert cookbook I own (The Last Course by Claudia Fleming), has a clafouti recipe which substitutes pumpkin for fruit. Pancake + Pumpkin = Where could I go wrong? Wish me luck!

The Art of Drinking Wine

At 6:30pm, approach the host of the party and ask for a glass of white. Feel confident that the white she pours is going to be delicious when she mentions it is from her own collection. Taste and confirm previous thoughts. Forget to check the name on label; although it doesn’t matter much because you probably can’t afford it. Sit down to dinner and recruit friends with good taste (or large budgets) to sit with you. Open the bottles they’ve brought – one Chardonnay and one Pinot Noir. Start with the Chardonnay. Enjoy the fruity elements of the wine. Pour yourself another glass. Next, remove preconceived notions that Pinot Noir is not your type of red as your friends reveal that this bottle comes from someone with an enormous budget. Accept their offer to be poured a glass. Drink and ponder how expensive this wine really is. Pour yourself another glass. When most other dinner guests have gone home, realize that there are several unopened bottles of wine left. Help yourself to an unopened bottle of Rosé. Share swiped bottle with your friends. Loose track of time while finishing bottle of Rosé. Notice you are the only ones left at the party. Decide to go home. Feel feisty after drinking 3/4/you-lost-track glasses of wine. Arrive home and decide to keep the party rolling. Pop open chilled bottle of champagne. Pour you and your loved one a glass; and then another. Forget to check the name on label because you’re drunk. Reference the only modicum of common sense that is rising through your drunken state and agree not to finish the bottle of champagne. Check the time. If it is 11pm, it is way past your bedtime. Pour yourself a large glass of water but fall asleep before you drink it. Wake up in the morning, head pounding, and swear that you will never drink again. Drive to work and swear that you will never drink again. Confer with loved one that you will never drink again.

48 hours later, pour yourself a glass of wine.