A Food Revelation

The other day I was having my usual afternoon snack, when I all of a sudden had a food revelation. The first thing you need to know is that my snack was an apple. Now, over the past few years I have done extensive research on diet and nutrition and in almost every article, book, blog post, etc that I have read, apples are noted as being one of the best fruits to eat. There is a reason we have that saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away. So in understanding the nutritional benefits of an apple, I made a conscious decision to incorporate them more into my diet.


Now I’m sure you’re all thinking, why does this even matter? Or even more so, what does this have to do with this BIG revelation I had? Well, I will tell you. Better yet, I will share with you the exact thought process that brought me to said revelation. I was eating my apple and initially my thoughts were purely about how much I enjoyed the apple I was snacking on. Then I started thinking about the kind of apple I was eating…it was a gala apple. Ok great, what does that matter? Well this is where the light bulb went off. See when I was a kid I was never a big fan of apples. So as I was eating this gala apple I started wondering why I didn’t enjoy apples more growing up. Then it hit me! When I was a kid my mom used to buy red delicious apples. Now, I know many people enjoy the red delicious variety, but personally the skin is too waxy and the actual fruit is not especially sweet or juicy. So no wonder I didn’t like apples as a kid! The red delicious ones just didn’t (and still don’t) suit my palette.

Gala Apple ~ Delicious!

But the real revelation is not about apples, but it’s more so about the fact that as I have gotten older and started food shopping for myself, it has opened my mind and palette to things that I might have not experienced or enjoyed before, since I was not the one in control of what I bought, and therefore what I ate. I mean think about it, if my mom food shopped for me my entire life I may have never branched out and tried other types of apples. I may have lived a life where apples were only enjoyable when baked into a pie or candy/chocolate coated. I may have never really understood the beauty and deliciousness that an apple has in its natural state. And for this, my ability to do and enjoy my own food shopping, I not only embrace my sense of independence but I embrace my food freedom.

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!!!!!

Whether it’s a shake or a sundae, in bowl or in a cone, made into a cake or in the middle of a sandwich, ice cream is a dessert that “takes the cake” in all its numerous forms. In fact, if I were a super hero, ice cream would be my kryptonite. Every night after dinner, when I start to crave that something sweet, if ice cream is available, that is the dessert of choice. I try to resist it, really I do, but it’s nearly impossible. It’s an evil, yet glorious, temptress. Case in point, the other night my mom was having a bowl and just listening to her scrapping down the bowl, trying to savor the last bit of melted, creamy goodness, made me HAVE to have a bowl. I have never felt more like Pavlov’s dogs. My body literally had a reaction…the spoon scrapes the bowl, my mouth begins to salivate. It’s so sad, but so true.


So the question remains, vanilla or chocolate? It’s a question we have all been asked at some point or another in our lives that I believe we all feel we have to answer. Normally I would say vanilla but the truth of the matter is, how can you limit yourself to a single flavor when now-a-days there is a whole array of flavors at your finger tips? Cookies & cream, cookie dough, cherry vanilla, rocky road, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, pistachio, coffee, maple walnut, to name some of the basics. Not to mention the latest and greatest funky flavors that companies like Ben & Jerry’s, Haagen Daz, Baskin Robbins, or Friendly’s bring to grocery stores and ice cream parlors around the world. And lest we forget about the toppings…sprinkles, hot fudge, reese’s pieces, wet walnuts, whipped cream (my personal favorite), granola, toffee crunch, gummie bears…the list goes on and on, as does my passion and love for this creamy, smooth, tongue tantalizing treat.

So are you tempted yet to go to your local ice cream shop or grocery store and treat yourself to a big bowl of ice cream? If so, here’s my ice cream suggestion of the day: pumpkin ice cream with marshmallow topping…can we say FABULOUS??? I am in love and officially drooling!

Honey ~ The Underutilized Ingredient

Nature’s sweetener, that’s what honey is. My feeling is that this silky, golden syrup is completely underutilized in our modern day cuisine. So my mission lately has been to come up with recipes that incorporate honey as much as possible. This is just the beginning of this venture, but so far here is what I have come up with…


Chicken & Mushrooms with a White Peach Balsamic & Honey Reduction

*note: this recipe was designed to serve 1, myself, so if serving more than 1, please feel free to adjust the recipe in any way you see fit

Ingredients:
1 – Boneless, skinless chicken cutlet (cubed)

½ lbs. – White button mushrooms, sliced

1 clove – minced garlic

1 Teaspoon – Dried thyme

1 Tablespoon – Honey

¾ - 1 cup – White Peach Balsamic Vinegar (this can be found at a specialty oil/vinegar store called Carter & Cavero Old World Olive Oil Co.)

Non-stick Cooking Spray

Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Spray non-stick sauté pan with non-stick cooking spray. On medium low heat, sauté mushrooms (add salt and pepper to help draw out the moisture in the mushrooms upon placing them in the pan). Let mushrooms sauté for about 10 minutes as mushrooms begin to get tender and brown. After 10 minutes, add the minced garlic to the pan. Adding the garlic at this point prevents it from burning. Once the garlic is added, and then add the cubed chicken and thyme. Let the garlic, thyme, and chicken cook with the mushrooms for another 5 minutes. After the chicken has been partially cooked for these 5 minutes, add the balsamic vinegar and honey to the pan. Let this combination cook and reduce down on medium high heat until a thick sauce forms, probably another 5 minutes.

To add some color to the dish I suggest serving this over mashed sweet potatoes. The sweetness of the white peach honey reduction compliments the sweet potato in the same way brown sugar and cinnamon would.

This is a quick cooking meal, with lots of flavor and simple ingredients. But of course the most important thing is that it uses honey! I am going to continue on my quest for finding and developing honey based recipes, but for now let's just take a moment to give a nod to nature's own sweetner...Oh honey, you’re such a sweet thang!

For the Love of Cupcakes

Cupcakes. They are magical. As consumers of the cupcake, they bring us back to our innocent days of childhood where birthdays and holidays were celebrated by playing games, swimming at friends’ houses, having water balloon fights, and of course eating cupcakes. Our eyes grow as the sweetly decorated little cakes arrive on the scene. The sweet smell of icing, the vivid colors of the sprinkles all tantalizing our senses as we await the yummy goodness that we are about the taste when we take our first bite. The wrappers on the cupcakes are mere paper barriers just waiting to get peeled away. And once removed, the moist cake coated in creamy frosting remind us of the simple joy a cupcake can bring to our mind, body and soul.

And let us not forget the inevitable plan of attack. How do you get the perfect bite? Do you want the cake and the frosting to be consumed in one bite, causing you to open your mouth as wide as possible so you can get that ultimate taste combination? Or do you pull your cupcake apart, giving way to uneven proportions of cake to frosting, but allowing you to indulge one bite at a time in each of the two mouth watering elements?


Either way you slice it, cupcakes are a magical dessert for both the young and the young at heart. They open the door to numerous combinations of flavors and decorative styles. They serve as a great treat at any fair, from weddings to showers (both bridal and baby) to birthdays. And as fun and enjoyable as they are to eat, cupcakes are just as fun to make. So with this all being said here are some of the cupcakes that I have made over the years. So for the love of cupcakes, go out and bake or buy one for yourself today!

The San Francisco Treat

So I know it’s been a while but it’s only because life has been keeping me busy. I finished grad school and, as part of my graduation present, I was given the gift of travel. My mom, being the generous woman that she is, gave me money to go on a trip of my choice as a way to unwind and regroup after a year and a half of hard work.


So after much thought and consideration, I decided to head to San Francisco! Well let me tell you it was the best decision ever. The trip was filled with lots of sightseeing, walking, running, and of course EATING.

Here are some of the food highlights from the trip:

Shrimp Omelet at a little Mexican restaurant in the Mission district (I don’t know the name of the restaurant, but I wish I did…it was amazing)

Prosciutto Pizza Pie with a side order of spicy cauliflower and a tricolore salad from Delfina’s

Cookie Dough Bon Bons and this amazing Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream Cake at Sauce

And finally a picnic along the bay, courtesy of Trader Joes (great cheap wine too)

So next time you’re in San Fran, take advantage of everything that is there…the wonderful sites, the great people, and the amazing treats it has to offer.

The great ‘Chef’ of my Life

So last night I went to a wake for the dad of one of my high school friend’s. Wakes and funerals are never easy to attend, but last night, for some reason, this one affected me in a pretty big way. I didn’t know my friend’s father; for whatever reason, for as long as we have been friends, my friend’s dad and I never actually had the opportunity to meet. But as I saw my friend standing up there at the wake, now fatherless, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for knowing that when I walked in the door last night that my dad would be there.

As I was driving home thinking about all this, I started to realize that my dad is really the reason why I am so into food. Yes, I am Italian and eating is in my blood, but when it comes down to it, he is the reason I enjoy cooking and baking so much. First of all, he is an amazing cook. He really knows all the little tricks for making an amazing meal. So I think in that sense, he inspired me and still continues to amaze me in the kitchen. Second, he loves sweets, especially cookies. So is it really that much of a coincidence that I love to bake? I get so much joy out of baking a batch of cookies and seeing the excitement on his face when he gets to taste the first one out of the oven. Or I love finding a recipe (especially anything sweet with lemon) that I know he will love and making it for him,. I guess what it comes down to is that I am forever daddy’s little girl and for as much as we have in common, food is one thing that really makes both of us happy.

So here’s to you dad, the great chef of my life. I will bake for you forever!

Oh how I do love me a Big Salad

So for all you Seinfeld followers, I’m sure you remember the episode where Jerry, Elaine and George have to go to a different diner, where Elaine is appalled to find that they don’t offer a big salad. To George, the idea of not being able to get a big salad is ridiculous, but to those of us who love the idea of getting an outrageous amount of lettuce with an abundant variety of toppings, we can completely empathize with Elaine.

Lately I have really fallen in love with the big salad. I never thought that I would be the type of person who could make a meal out of greenery, but I feel that once you conquer the art of salad making, you come to love and even crave this leafy goodness.

If you find that you feel as I did (perplexed and somewhat hesitant about eating a salad) here is what I have found to be the best way to go about creating the perfect big salad.

First, it’s important to find the type of lettuce you like. Iceberg is fine, but there are so many varieties out there, you should take the time to figure out what works best for your palate. I prefer a nice spring mix. Then it’s time to figure out what toppings work best for you. It’s important to add bulk and substance to your salad, making it feel more like a meal than a bland filler. My base toppings consist of tomatoes (either whole tomatoes cut into bite size pieces or grape tomatoes easy for the eating), sliced cucumbers, and sliced mushrooms. From there I let my mood take over. As long as you stick to veggies, you can pretty much make the salad as big as you want. Shredded carrots, baby corn, olives, they all add bulk and great flavor to your base. Then for crunch I like to add some type of nut, preferably slivered almond or dry roasted peanuts, and some croutons, yum! And lastly, the dressing…this is the icing on the salad “cake.” Obviously if you want to keep it healthy go for a good low fat or light dressing, but of course a nice vinaigrette is always good too. And lastly, like everything else salad needs to be seasoned, so I like to add some salt and pepper to top it all off. One little note is that most prepared dressing have a good amount of salt in them, which in that case says to me, just add pepper.

So if you haven’t faced your fears and learned to master the art of making the perfect big salad, I hope this will help you find the road to your own salad bliss.