We're Back! Inspiration Is Calling Us Into The Kitchen!

Wow, time just flies by and looking back on our last few posts, I can’t believe it’s been since 2012. Yikes! Much has happened in that time for both Lydia and me. One big life event for me was moving into my own condo and having my very own kitchen again!! Spacious counters, new cookware and to top it off – a new Kitchen Aid mixer! With all the new, it’s time to get cooking again!

So what to make? I recently got hooked on the Great British Baking Show, a show that as my sister says is like a great big British hug. As the title suggests, baking is the premise and every week, participants make all sorts of baked treats. Some are favorites (like English muffins), while others I’ve never heard of (but would love to sample). Watching all of this has made me want to brave the baking world… a world that I have never really done well in before.

Cooking has always come fairly easy cause I don’t need to be exact. You can wing it with good ingredients and using various recipes to create a unique dish. A little bit of this, a dash of that, toss a bunch of ingredients together and voila: dinner! Baking though is not like that at all. Measure, measure and measure some more and maybe you’ll get something that will be edible. I have baked my fair share of yeasty hockey pucks (or what the recipe called dinner rolls). Baking has never been my forte but this winter, I’m going to test my cooking chops and take on baking!

Along with baked goods, I’m also going to stick to what I know I do well and create all sorts of savory meals. I’ll share my successes and failures and hopefully can test out all kinds of goodies.

Hello? Anybody Out There?

Good grief!  My sister and I officially suck as bloggers!  To our defense, it can be tough to find the time to cook, work, play, have a life, and blog.  This year is flying by and we've been lax.  Forgive us, but also cut us some slack.

I have a few posts lined up (in my head at least) and I'll have to prod Greta to get a-cooking.  Really, we're both awesome in the kitchen, even if time is not on our sides.

Check back here tomorrow...I'm going to share a kick-ass Chili recipe I tried out over the weekend from Cooking Light.  Plus I have some other tricks up my sleeve (I hope!).

Ending the Week Right...

Since this has, apparently, been Nigella Week here on Deliciousness of Yum, I thought I'd wrap things up with a quote and a quick drink idea from Ms. Lawson...

Here's the quote...

"I eat healthily. It`s just that I eat enough for five healthy people."

And now for the drink.  I heard Nigella talking about "Dirty Prosecco" on her NPR story, and thought it sounded easy and yummy for the holidays.

All you need to do is add some Campari to the bottom of a champagne glass, then top it with some Prosecco.  Viola!  Instant party drink!

Since Campari is insanely expensive here in WA state, I opted for a pomegranate-flavored alcohol that was on the shelf next to Campari, at a fraction of the price.  The Prosecco was dirt cheap (I got it from Trader Joe's) and delicious.  The drink was yummy and pretty--it would be perfect for Valentine's Day!

Happy 2011!

The holiday season is now nothing more than a memory, and we're gearing up to plow through 2011.  We hope you all spent time with your loved ones, celebrating the end of another year.  My sister and I have been insanely busy, and days have seemed to slide by, overlapping.  I feel like all I've done these past two weeks is eat.  And eat well, I might add.

We have much to tell you about.  At Christmas, we both got awesome new cookbooks we'll review.  I spent more time in the kitchen than I have in ages, and have a number of recipes to share with you.  In other words: bare with us.  We're getting our thoughts in order and will have proper posts up in no time.

Until our next post, we're wish you all a happy, healthy, and delicious 2011!

The Tastes of Fall

It's official: fall is here.  After returning home from being out all day last week, I realized my house was only 62 degrees inside.  That meant it was time to switch on the heat (darn!) which of course means that summer and the hope for warmer days is long gone.  I don't mind too much...I love fall.  I was married in the fall and I think it's a really special time of the year.

Now that we're firmly planted in shorter days and longer nights, my palate is changing and I am wanting fall foods.  Here are some of my culinary signs of fall...let me know what fall flavors you crave in the comments!

• Spiced Apple Cider.  I don't love the taste of apple cider, but my husband does.  I do love the way it smells--like apples and spices, essentially autumn in a cup!  Heat it up and it makes the whole house smell amazing.  I recently snagged a big bottle of Trader Joe's Spiced Apple Cider for about $3.  Not bad.
• Pumpkin Seeds.  Every Halloween, my father would roast up our pumpkin seeds. He cooked them low and slow--giving them hours in the oven to crisp up.  He added salt and occasionally garlic to the seeds which gave them a huge flavor burst.  I still have a hard time saying NO to roasted pumpkin seeds!
• Pumpkin everything!  While I am not a fan of pumpkin pie, I do love pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and (most of all) pumpkin cream cheese on a pumpernickel bagel.  OMG that's the best bagel/cream cheese combo ever.
• Rice Crispy Treats.  For some reason, these things scream FALL!  They're so simple to make and taste so yummy.  Again...another treat that's impossible to resist.
• Stew.  I  was walking by Williams Sonoma the other day and noticed their advertising.  They had a huge photo of a bowl of stew and man...I wanted to take a bit.  There's nothing quite like super-tender meat that's been simmering away all day in a concoction of veggies, broth, wine, etc.  Yes, please!
• Chili.  Just like stew, a good bowl of chili is hard to resist.  And, unlike stew, you get to personalize chili with your own toppings.  I love a hot bowl of chili with melty shredded cheddar cheese, freshly diced onion, and a spoonful of sour cream.  Now we're talking fall!

What's your favorite fall food?  Leave a comment and let us know!

The Best in the World

r

Chef Rene Redzepi from Noma

Every weekday I drive home from work, listening to NPR.  Yup, I'm a pubic radio nerd and I have been for at least a decade (wow, I'm old!).  Anyway, the other day NPR aired an interview with René Redzepi, the chef and creative mind behind Noma, a restaurant in Denmark that has recently been rated the best in the world.

Can you imagine being told you're the best in the world at something?  How do you even judge that?

I digress.  Noma is a tiny restaurant (I think NPR mentioned it seats just 12) and the main focus is on local food.  You can't get the trendiest offerings in the culinary world at Noma, but you can get food that is made from ingredients local to Scandinavia.  They smoke and salt their own meats, pickle their own fruits and veggies, and--from what I heard--a true artisinal restaurant. 

I'm sure dinner at Noma would be unforgettable--if you could even get in!  All the press from being labeled the best restaurant in the world will probably make it a bit tough to get a reservation these days.  I'm not planning a trip to Denmark anytime soon, but I did take a look at their menu nonetheless.  I haven't the foggiest idea what some of these ingredients are, though I must admit that chowing down on "The Oyster and the Sea" sounds appealing.

I also checked out the website that lists the top 50 restaurants in the world.  The good old US is represented three times in the top 10, so that's encouraging.  For fun, here are the eight US restuarants declared to be in the top 50 of the world...anyone ever been to any of these?  I don't live in NYC and I am not made of money, so I can't say that I have.  Still, I can click on their websites, read their sample menus and imagine what I would order.  Vicarious eating through the internet!

• Alinea, Chicago, IL (chef Grant Achatz)
• Daniel, NYC (Daniel Boulud)
• Per Se, NYC (Thomas Keller's restaurant)
• Le Bernardin, NYC (Eric Ripert)
• The French Laundry, NYC (Thomas Keller, again!)
• wd-50, NYC (Wylie Dufresne)
• Eleven Madison Park, NYC (Daniel Humm)

Versatile Blogger Award

The other day, I noticed that one of our fabulous readers, ~She~ from SHE Says, awarded us with The Versatile Blogger Award.  Thanks, ~she~!  ~She~ just completed a marathon (great job!) and her blog is all about her life and her family and includes a few tasty recipes here and there (her Texas Sheet Cake looks pretty darn awesome!).

As part of accepting the Versatile Blogger Award, we're supposed to include 7 things about ourselves.  So...here you go--7 things about me (Lydia) and my sister (Greta):

1. Greta is a sci-fi nerd.  She has always loved Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.  She dragged me to a Star Trek convention when I was a kid and we got to meet Scotty!
2. I'm a girly-girl, quite opposite of my sister.  I love clothes, makeup, jewelry, etc.  My iphone case is Hello Kitty, so that kinda sums it all up.
3. Growing up, my sister and I hated each other.  We fought constantly.  There is a 4-year age difference and that, along with our very different personalities and interests, meant that we had little in common and were in a constant state of conflict.
4. Greta got a degree in science (sorry, Greta--I can't remember your exact field at the moment), but minored in English.  She went to school in the snowy tundra of Wisconsin.
5. I have a degree in history (with a minor in womens' studies).  I went to Vermont for college--we both went to cold places with a strong dairy tradition!
6. Greta's least favorite foods are bananas, peppers (red, green, etc.), and sage.
7. My most hated?  They include ham, broccoli, and tarragon.

We're also supposed to present the Versatile Blogger Award to a bunch of other bloggers.  I'll have to work on that!  In the meantime, though, check out the "Read the Yum" section of our site for other food blogs (and our Friends and Fellow Bloggers section...on the right).

Thanks!

Leave the Kitchen and Go Out!

While I love to cook, sometimes I just don't have the time (or the desire) - but I love to sit down around the table with family and friends and share a meal. So when cooking is not looking possible, it's time to head out and find a good place to eat.

Recently, I went out with my Dad for some lunch at Barney's in Everett. They serve amazing pastrami sandwiches and little else. There is no ambiance - Fox News, plastic tablecloths, cobwebs, pictures of celebs that have never been there - but the pastrami is incredible. I would recommend the food - but get it to go! Anyway, it was a nice Dad and daughter outing and we are the only ones in the family that would appreciate it.

Another outing was to Kafe Neo for some Greek food with Lydia and Mom 0 a girls night out. This place is the complete opposite of Barney's and is delicious. The lamb melts in your mouth, souvlaki is grilled to perfection, the pitas are yummy and the beer goes well with everything. The other thing that is really nice (and seems to be the trend) are small desserts. They have a full menu of them from classic baklava to a chocolate cake to an almond cookie. Plus it is very affordable.

So the next time you want a good meal with your friends and family and some time to enjoy it, head out to your favorite place!

Dinner Fail

Everyone has had those times in the kitchen when they have a great idea (or recipe) and have invested in all the ingredients, has guests over and the dinner flops - BIG! This describes last Wednesday's meal - homemade pizza, requested by my son for his first day back to school.
I asked my son what he wanted for his big day and he said "Mom, cheese pizza and I want you to make it." I said ok, dropped him off for his first day of third grade and headed to Trader Joe's to pickup everything that I would need to make his request a reality. I got mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, pizza dough, pepperoni, and meatballs. I even picked up a chocolate chip bundt cake for dessert.

Now I have made homemade pizza in the past and it has always turned out pretty well. I have both made my own crust and used dough from Trader Joe's and in both cases, it worked out very nicely. This time, it took a nose-dive. I took out the dough to let is rest for 20 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Then I stretched the dough and attempted to make it in to a pie - I managed to put my fist right through it and use all sorts of words a mom shouldn't. This is what our family calls a "Pop-pop moment" named lovingly after my grandfather (who had no patience and would lose his temper).

Once I managed to get the pizza dough in the shape of a pie, then add all the toppings, I attempted to move it onto a preheated pizza stone (I even remembered to use cornmeal) and I had the worst time getting it on the stone. Finally, my father and I managed to get it on the stone and in the oven. I cooked it for about 12 minutes and checked it - it still needed a few more minutes so it went back in. After another few checks, the cheese was getting browned and I took it out. The crust was not done and it totally killed the pizza. I tried (in vain) 2 more pizzas and they all had under-cooked crusts. I did not like any of them - it was a total waste of toppings. Luckily, my son said he liked it!


The highlight of the meal was the wine and the cake. The cake was chocolaty and moist and everyone like it. I would totally buy it again!

Obsession...

Do you ever get obsessed with a recipe?  Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about how to throw certain ingredients together to make your ideal meal?

I ask this because I currently find myself fixated on creating the perfect Shrimp and Grits recipe.  Weird, right?  Especially because I'm not a Southern gal and I'm not the world's biggest fan of grits.  So what gives?   I honestly have no idea.

All this started last week.  I was hoping to whip up a quick and tasty shrimp dinner for me and my hubby last Sunday, before catching True Blood.  I found a recipe that called for instant grits...I could only find quick cooking.  The final product turned out OK...the flavors were good, but the shrimp was over-cooked thanks to my molten-lava quick cooked grits.  Oh well.

Now I'm back at the drawing board considering the recipe.  I haven't had a chance to get in the kitchen just yet, but I am fairly certain I know how to correct my mistakes from my past Shrimp and Grits attempt. 

I'll write up my final recipe (and maybe some of my outtakes!) soon enough, but before I do, I'm curious: if you've been obsessed with a recipe, what was it?  Were you able to satisfy your obsession and make the perfect dish?  How many attempts did it take?

It's funny how damn important food is to us, and how fixated you can get on flavor/texture combination!

Hey! Where is Everyone?

Sorry we're spotty with the posts right now. Greta just started a brand new job (yay Greta!) and I'm trying to prep myself for my upcoming vacation. This week somehow vanished and next week's going to be dicey too, especially since I'll be at the beach and blogging just won't be on my radar.

Hang tight--we'll be back at it before you know it. In the meantime, enjoy your summer! Get out there and enjoy that fresh summer produce!

Odd Couples

There are some food pairings that are classic: thyme and lemon, chocolate and coffee, garlic and olive oil, tomato and basil, and the list goes on and on and on. These pairings bring out the best in each other. They have complimentary flavors and they just seem to work.

Sometimes, though, trying an unusual food combination can be exciting. Pairing foods that don't seem to work together on paper can yield tasty results. These "odd couples" may not have universal appeal, but to the fan, there's nothing better.

Black Pepper Ice Cream

The whole reason I'm thinking about this is because the other night the whole family went out to dinner for my mom's birthday. There, I ordered a crazy sounding dessert: Black Pepper Ice Cream. I love black pepper. It's one of my favorite flavors, and the ice cream did not disappoint. It had that yummy floral, peppery taste combined with a caramel-y, creamy ice cream base. My husband and father both liked it too. The rest of the family gave it a thumbs down. Oh well...to each his own.

Here are some other odd combos that I like:

• Peanut butter and bacon. I remember eating PB&B on fluffy white bread as a kid--well before the current (though probably dying out) bacon fad. I still look forward to the combination of crispy, salty bacon with creamy peanut butter.
• Pizza crust dipped in coke. I know this sounds gross--or like something a little kid would eat--but dipping the crust of my pizza into a fizzy, sugary coke is super yummy!
• Pretzels and grapes. This one is a perfect combo of sweet and salty: take a chilled grape, plop it on top of a small pretzel, and viola! A yummy snack!
• Mustard and onion rings. I like the vinegar-y tang the mustard gives to the greasy, salty and slightly sweet o-rings!
  

Now here are a few more interesting combos:

• French fries dipped in chocolate milkshakes. This is something my husband likes. Again, a good mixture of salt and sweet.
• Ice Cream and popcorn. Also a fave of the Mister. Here's a throwback: Donna (Tori Spelling's character) ate this on Beverly Hills, 90210 way back when.
• Cream cheese and hot dogs. This is a "thing" in Seattle. I don't find it very appealing, but I've never tried it, so I guess I can't judge.

What are your favorite weird food pairings? Leave a comment!

Happy Father's Day!

For Mother's Day we had a gourmet feast (thank you Lydia) but for Father's Day, it was time to break out the grill! My Dad loves hot Italian sausage, but it is not a meal that we eat often. So this year for Father's Day, I decided to give the man what he likes!

I headed out to Central Market and bought fresh corn on the cob, red & orange peppers, vidalia onions, Andouille & hot Italian sausages, ground sirloin (for burgers), Hebrew National jumbo hot dogs, kettle chips, baked beans, and buns - I wanted to make sure that there was something for everyone. Unfortunately, it was a typical Seattle rainy day so I cheated and used the indoor grill instead of the gas one outside.

Everything turned out to be delicious! I even liked the sausage (which is a food that I normally do not eat) and I discovered that my son that hates all vegetables actually likes raw peppers (he takes after his aunt). I made tons of food and we will have leftovers to munch on for lunch this week - yum!

Lydia brought the dessert, which was sorbet, fresh fruit and wafer cookies. The dessert was light and fresh and balanced out the heavy dinner. It was a really nice way to celebrate Father's Day and nobody left the table hungry. The only thing that could have made the meal complete is if the sun was out and it was warm (my father would be happy with a snow storm).

Happy Father's Day!

"If You're Afraid of Butter Use Cream"

Quick confession: I haven't been cooking anything interesting lately. I've been mooching dinners off my family and have only stepped in my kitchen to make a sandwich for Mister, feed the cats, or throw together a fast, uninspired meal. That's life.

Because I haven't been in the kitchen as much as I'd like, I've been struggling with what to write to cap off the week. So--instead of a recipe, a food essay, or a cookbook review, I'll leave you this week with a few great quotes from an amazing, revolutionary woman: Julia Child.

Julia's an easy person to mock at first glance. She wasn't beautiful. She was too tall. She had a funny way of speaking. But she rocked. And rocked hard. She opened doors to women that had been previously closed and locked tight. She made cooking entertaining. She brought suckling pig to television. The Emerils and Top Chefs of the world owe her much.

So to end the week, here are three of my favorite quotes from the amazing Julia:

"The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude."

"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook."

"Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all."

Bon appetit!

Cilantro: Love it or Hate it?

Though everyone in our family generally likes Mexican food, there is one food that causes passionate debate: Cilantro. I love the stuff. It takes so fresh and good and honestly, I can't get enough of it. But my father? He hates it. If there's one cilantro leaf in a recipe, he can taste it and nothing else.

Apparently my dad is not alone. And, since this is always the case, there's even a facebook page and website devoted to the hatred of cilantro. Poor misunderstood herb!

A couple of weeks ago, the New York Times ran an entire story about cilantro and why it is that certain people can't stand the stuff. I'm not posting the article on my site (since I don't have the proper permission), but if you have a couple of minutes, click here and read the story. It's interesting and insightful, and you'll learn what cilantro has in common with bedbugs.

I think my dad (and all other cilantro haters) are off base. I love it, but to each his own. I personally loathe tarragon and can't eat it to be polite. We all have different preferences, but in the case of cilantro, it seems that we're genetically predisposed to love it or hate it. Where do you fall on the cilantro spectrum?

A Break in the Action!

We're going to take a brief, two week hiatus over here at Deliciousness of Yum. We have Spring Break, work overload, and looking for work overload all hitting us at once and need a bit of a writing break to survive it. But don't worry: We have plenty of ideas brewing for upcoming posts, new recipes, etc. So...enjoy the next two weeks without us, but be sure to come back on April 12th!

Cravings

Food seems to be tied to our emotional states. We use it as a way to celebrate - like birthday cakes, Christmas cookies, chocolate hearts & bunnies. We use it to define us - everyone has at least one dish that they are "famous" for, if you are lucky you might have more. We use food to bring back memories and to help us through hard times or to just come together. It is funny, there are times when I can close my eyes and taste a food - for me that is a craving.

When I am stressed, I tend to want greasy burgers and fries (with lots of sauce to dip in). When I am cranky, it's chocolate and when I am happy, I love to cook and be creative in the kitchen. Lately, I have been wanting those burgers and fries!

I am about to embark on a new phase of my life; I am leaving my job of 13 years and don't have any other plans for the future, yet. The funny part is that I am mostly at peace with the decision and that in leaving, I am looking to share the last few days with my coworkers and also to have some of the food that I have come to love and even crave. So now in my last days, I have been indulging in spicy chicken, chicken katsu with tempura & California rolls and my very favorite - gyros from First Hill Bar and Grill. I am even looking forward to my goodbye cake!

So on to the next chapter of my life and hopefully I can make some new favorite places with new friends and coworkers! Wish me luck!

Making Memories

Have you ever noticed how memories are forged around the table? Today for lunch we had cold cuts (Havarti cheese, turkey, and salami) served on paper plates and this simple meal brought back lunches at my Gaga's in Ocean City, MD. My son even thinks of her when we have do-it-yourself sandwiches.

Growing up, we always came together at our dining room table - a round oak table set with a table cloth, forks, spoons, knifes, folded napkins and candles, I thought all families ate like this. We brought tales of our days, arguments, laughs, tears, and of course food. Now we have a bigger table, but it is always set the same way and now we are building new memories as our family has grown.

For me, dinner is both my favorite meal and time to come together with my family and friends. I love sharing crappy pizza on Friday nights, baked chicken and mac-n-cheese, fancy meals from cookbooks, casseroles, and everything else that comes to the table. One of my greatest hopes is to pass on the tradition of turning off the TV and sitting down for a time together and sharing stories and a meal with my son.

So remember to take the time to sit together and share some memories - good, bad, and everything in between. Don't forget to light the candles!

Rules for Eating

Because I am something of a nerd, I listen to NPR whenever I'm in my car. I love hearing all the stories and different points of view they broadcast--it gets me through my daily commute.

On today's drive home, there was a story called Rules for Eating, and if you have 5 minutes to spare, I suggest you click over to the story and take a listen for yourself. Anyway, to sum up the story, we all have weird rules when it comes to eating. Or more specifically, we have weird rules when it comes to eating "healthy." We tend to think of food as being in two extreme camps: it will either kill us or make us healthy. There's very little gray area involved.

The story goes on to introduce us to Michael Pollan's book, "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual." Pollan argues that the rules of healthful eating are simple: eat food...not too much...mostly plants. His book includes 64 easy sounding rules for eating, like if it's advertised on TV, don't eat it; don't eat anything that won't eventually rot (with the exception of honey); don't buy food where you buy gasoline.

Now, what Pollan is saying here is that it's best to eat real foods--foods that come from a plant rather than being made in a plant. It's OK to eat and to enjoy eating, but we should also be giving more thought into what and how we eat.

The NPR story is a good one--it's thought provoking and entertaining, basically everything I love in a good NPR story. Take a listen and then let us know if you have any weird rules for eating.

Surviving the Week

Being a working Mom, I have to get up early (usually at 5:30 am) everyday - including the weekends (Hockey!). In order to survive, I start my day off with lots of coffee. Now being from Seattle, you might think that means a trip to Starbucks every morning - well not so! Lydia turned me on to the wonders of a Keurig coffee maker and the joys of having fresh brewed coffee in seconds. This along with my Green Mountain Coffee Club membership makes mornings tolerable! I have found that the seasonal blends are my favorite and that when they are not available, either Lake & Lodge or Caribou Coffee are delicious options! Keurigs also make a nice hot chocolate and tea too. And yes, from time to time I do run off to Starbucks for a mocha!

Once at work, I rely on my Coconut Chai Tea for both its soothing aroma and its caffeine. I have found that I am quite spoiled with my Keurig coffee and that the options at work are good, but the tea is not as acidic and always makes my office smell exceptionally good! I usually get compliments on the wonderful smell and I am happy to share the goodness of a warm cup!
For lunch, I usually have a most delicious Lean Cuisine (can you hear the sarcasm?). Every once in a while though, I treat myself to a gyro and greek salad from First Hill Bar and Grill - a dive with wonderfully delicious food! I find myself craving these and whenever one of us starts talking about feta or gyros, the whole lab ends up placing an order! Most of my techs prefer the french fries with their sandwich, but I love the Greek salad dressing and extra feta cheese that comes with the salad. My mouth is watering thinking about the first bite - yum!

As I look at the start of another week and month (happy February), I also look forward to breaks in the day to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and the possibility of a fresh, hot gyro!

Please share your tasty treats that help you make it through the week too - I always love trying something new!