Thursday, August 26, 2010

You too can make cupcakes

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"Its Friday...I guess those crazy cupcake hookers are on tv tonight"- @adancerdances

Ok. There is a serious cupcake craze. It is undeniable. It is a little much. I think there are at least 3 new cupcake shows that have aired in the last month.

This post is a reminder: You too can make cupcakes.

It is doable. Believe it or not. I know you may have forgotten.

Here is a pretty delicious red velvet (the mother of them all) cupcake via Joy the Baker. Check it out on her site and follow her because her recipes are to die for!

Chicken Pesto Pizza with Clamper Tomatoes

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This is me....


This is my sister...

...and in our hands you see the Clamper's tomatoes.

We have a small obsession with the Clamper's tomatoes. The Clamper is a guy that my dad works with who grows these sweet babies for us to eat. They are the best tomatoes and they are valued to the nth degree around here.

What did I use them for this evening? The answer to that is: The recreation of one of the best restaurant dishes I have had recently. CHICKEN PESTO PIZZA. But not just any Chicken Pesto Pizza...


This baby.

Beautiful.

Inspired by the delicious Summer Pesto Chicken Pizza from Third Street Ale Works in Santa Rosa, CA, this pizza is a serious winner. I mean corn. Corn on pizza. You got me good. It wasn't too big of a challenge to recreate, and this isn't the fanciest recipe you will ever see. But, make it. You will be happy :)

Chicken Pesto Pizza

1 Pizza Crust- use your favorite recipe. I used this one. It has been favorited 20,000 times for a reason, friends.

1/4 cup Pesto. Pre-made or your own--whatever suits you.

3-4 small chicken tenders

1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

3 small or 1 large tomato(es)

1/2 green pepper

1/2 red pepper

1/4 cup corn

onion (I don't know how much because I don't eat it)

Directions:

1. Cook your chicken. Season with a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic salt.

2. Preheat the oven to 450F.

3. Make that dough! Slather it with some olive oil once it is all rolled out because that is what Grandma Cassanova did, apparently.

4. Spread pesto on the pizza. Be generous. There really is no such thing as too much pesto.

5. Sprinkle cheese over pizza evenly. Except for if your sister doesn't like it...then leave it off of her section.

6. Julienne some peppers, cut up some tomatoes and chop some onions (if you must).

7. Place all your veggies (peppers, tomatoes, corn, onions) on top of the pizza.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is a beautiful brown.

9. Admire and devour.

Hope you enjoy! Be back tomorrow with my first attempt at homemade red velvet cupcakes. :)


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

End of the semester clear out the kitchen cookie time.

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Hello everyone, I apologize for my long absence from tastyface. I just turned in my thesis this morning and I now have a life and can resume cooking, eating, blogging, etc.

Another reason I have not been posting here is because of my relatively unfortunate kitchen and my lack of cooking supplies...Here it is in all it's glory:

Luckily I will be home by the end of this week and will have a much lovlier cooking environment.

Anyways, these cookies are a celebration of the end of my crazy semester and a good excuse to use up some of my oatmeal supplies before I head back to California. Oh yeah, and they are my new favorite cookie. Sooooo good. Try them!



Double Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from "Triple-Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies" in the December 2004 issue of Bon Appétit
(yields about 15 large cookies or 30 smallish ones)

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 sticks salted butter, (I used margarine, earthbalance would also be awesome) room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (loosely packed) brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup slightly chopped dried cranberries

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Oh where the time has gone

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So it's safe to say that a ridiculous amount of time has passed since I've updated. However, I'm sure there's nothing much I've eaten lately that's worth mentioning. Dining halls are rather constricting. I do however have a veritable backlog of foods from winter break that I will some day get to.

So, to begin again,it's now May third, which means it is the third day of my month of veganism. So far so good, despite my entirely unrelated lack of sleep and long hours in school buildings. Now this means no more cheese, milk, eggs, etc. It will severely limit my dining hall choices, but I have faith that I will get by.

For one of my journalism classes, we have to meet for class in a Chicago neighborhood. While this involves waking up early and getting on the El, sometimes it has its perks, like riding on new trains. Another plus (beyond awesome stories and bizarre adventures) is that our class meets nearby this grocery store.

Twice now friends and I have stopped for a snack, which has ended up in eating mochi. It's comforting to have this grocery store to stop at, and reminds me quite a bit of home. There's an Asian market I frequent by bike and this, while much larger, still gives me the same feel, which late in Spring quarter can help a lot. And sitting on the El platform in the warm spring air, eating mochi with friends makes Mondays not so horrible.