ta name="google-site-verification" content="LnUtT_d1nKFEi6qCVRa2VtURKXcUowdpcm2UMwFTZUk" /> hummus recipes: March 2008

Monday, March 31, 2008

Sightings

Arrrgh! This is the last straw. I hardly ever see celebrities, and Charles always seems to be in the right place in the right time. He doesn't just see them from afar, he somehow finds himself right across from famous people, and more often than not, in conversation with them.

These are the encounters from the past couple of years that I have been able to forgive:
- Sonya Walger, from "Tell Me You Love Me" and "Lost"
- Charisma Carpenter from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
- the "Jackass" guys

(Not to mention that he ran into Vincent Gallo last night...sheesh)

Today I was delivered the blow that I am going to use as clear evidence that God is punishing me:
- Viggo Mortensen

I know, your jaw just hit the floor. I will wait for you to compose yourself.

My husband is NOT ALLOWED to come into contact with my fantasy boyfriend! It is just not right! See, Viggo is sad, too...


Come to think of it, most of these sightings have been on his trips to Buenos Aires, where he is right now. Damn it, I am so going next time! Viggo, hang on, I'll be there soon! We will dance the tango and have blood-red steaks and endless glasses of Malbec! You can whisper your sweet porteno nothings in my ear! We will ride horses across the pampas with the wind blowing in our hair!

Sigh. If Charles runs into Daniel Craig on his way home, there will be hell to pay.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

See Polina Dance

No Ugly Duckling

This afternoon I went to UC Berkeley to see a performance of "Swan Lake", by the Tchaikovsky Perm Ballet & Orchestra. Polina Semionova, a 24-year old Russian ballerina who dances with the Berlin StaatsBallett, was the special guest artist performing the role of Odette/Odile. She was riveting to watch - with incredible technique and passion beyond her years. It's no wonder that she was made a prima ballerina at only 18 years old!

What a beautifully tragic story, with amazing performances by everyone in the company. As much as I love language and words, it was so refreshing to see what can be communicated through the body, music, and expression. It spoke volumes to me.



Saturday, March 29, 2008

Rum Raisin Pear Muffin

I just wanted to bake something. I haven't baked anything since last weekend (except a batch of granola for breakfast.) And there's no party this weekend to bring cupcakes to. We went out to a fancy restaurant for Brooklyn Restaurant Week. The menu already included all kinds of fancy desserts. Bringing my own dessert wouldn't cut it. So I decided to bake muffins using the Pear Blueberry Oat Bread recipe but with rum and raisin instead of blueberries. I have these two pears rolling in my refrigerator since who knows when. I need to use them anyway.



When the muffins first came out of the oven, they are a little bitter. I couldn't decide if it's because of overripe pears or the rum in the batter. Letting them sit for a couple of hours and the bitterness went away. So I guess it's the alcohol. That was weird. I thought all the alcohol should have evaporated in the oven. I guess some of it was still stuck with the steam inside the muffins.



Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup raisins

  • 1/4 cup dark rum

  • 1 cup all purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

  • 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground clove

  • 1 egg

  • 3 tablespoons extra light tasting olive oil

  • 1/3 cup Agave nectar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup milk

  • 2 pears - peeled, cored and finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar

Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a muffin pan.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and clove together.

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, oil, Agave nectar, vanilla extract and milk together. Add rum and raisins.

  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined - about 10 stirs. Fold in chopped pears.

  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the top with raw sugar. Bake for 22 minutes.

  6. Let stand for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Food Porn

I have been told that I write food porn. I admit, I do have a love for food that borders on lust. However, it is not limited to my writing - I see things in food, too. Take a look at my pan-seared seabass from our dinner at Peshceria last night. Tell me that it does not look like a perfectly shaped woman's ass in a thong?


Some people see the Virgin Mary or Abraham Lincoln in their food, and that draws a lot of attention from the media and people of the faith. Me, I know I fine booty when I see it. And let me tell you she - I mean it - tasted as good as she - I mean it - looked.

And just to show you that I am a good girl as well, let's have a moment of silence for lovely Pescheria, which will be closing its doors soon and (hopefully) relocating to a neighborhood nearby.

God bless everyone and may your next meal be as hot and tasty as mine was.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

101 Cookbooks, and Then Some


Here are the nominees for the 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards. Winners will be named on June 8, 2008.

Some of my favorites are nominated: Mark Bittman, Jacques Pepin, Heidi Swanson, and Laurent Tourondel, chef & owner of the wonderful BLT restaurants in New York.

ASIAN COOKING

My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking
by Niloufer Ichaporia King
(University of California Press)

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook
by Fuchsia Dunlop
(W.W. Norton & Company)

The Seventh Daughter: My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco
by Cecilia Chiang with Lisa Weiss
(Ten Speed Press)

BAKING AND DESSERT

A Baker's Odyssey
by Greg Patent
(John Wiley & Sons)

Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor
by Peter Reinhart
(Ten Speed Press)

Pure Dessert
by Alice Medrich
(Artisan)

COOKING FROM A PROFESSIONAL POINT OF VIEW

Bistro Laurent Tourondel: New American Bistro Cooking
by Laurent Tourondel and Michele Scicolone
(John Wiley & Sons)

The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine
by The French Culinary Institute with Judith Choate
(Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking
by Masaharu Morimoto
(DK Publishing)

ENTERTAINING

Dish Entertains
by Trish Magwood
(HarperCollins Canada)

Great Bar Food at Home
by Kate Heyhoe
(John Wiley & Sons)

Welcome to Michael's: Great Food, Great People, Great Party!
by Michael McCarthy
(Little, Brown and Company)

AMERICANA

The Glory of Southern Cooking
by James Villas
(John Wiley & Sons)

A Love Affair with Southern Cooking
by Jean Anderson
(HarperCollins Publishers)

Rosa's New Mexican Table
by Roberto Santibanez
(Artisan)

GENERAL

Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook
by Jacques Pépin
(Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

Cooking
by James Peterson
(Ten Speed Press)

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food
by Mark Bittman
(John Wiley & Sons)

HEALTHY FOCUS

The EatingWell Diet
by Jean Harvey-Berino with Joyce Hendley and the Editors of EatingWell
(The Countryman Press)

Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients into Your Cooking
by Heidi Swanson
(Celestial Arts)

The Wine and Food Lover's Diet: 28 Days of Delicious Weight Loss
Author: Phillip Tirman
(Chronicle Books)

INTERNATIONAL

The Country Cooking of France
by Anne Willan
(Chronicle Books)

Lidia's Italy: 140 Simple and Delicious Recipes from the Ten Places in Italy Lidia Loves Most
by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali
(Alfred A. Knopf)

Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen
by Pino Luongo and Mark Strausman
(Artisan)

REFERENCE

Food: The History of Taste
edited by Paul Freedman
(University of California Press)

A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide to Oyster Eating in North America
by Rowan Jacobsen
(Bloomsbury)

The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide
by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss
(Ten Speed Press)

SINGLE SUBJECT

Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials
by Laura Werlin
(Stewart, Tabori & Chang)

The River Cottage Meat Book
by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
(Ten Speed Press)

Vegetable Harvest
by Patricia Wells
(HarperCollins Publishers)

WINE AND SPIRITS

The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty
by Julia Flynn Siler
(Gotham Books)

Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar
by David Wondrich
(Perigee)

To Cork or Not To Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle
by George M. Taber
(Scribner)

WRITING ON FOOD

American Food Writing: An Anthology with Classic Recipes
edited by Molly O'Neill
(The Library of America)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
by Barbara Kingsolver
(HarperCollins Publishers)

Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss-and the Myths and Realities of Dieting
by Gina Kolata
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Country Cooking of France
Photographer: France Ruffenach
(Chronicle Books)

Crust
Photographer: Jean Cazals
(Kyle Books)

Egg
Photographer: Grant Symon
(Éditions Flammarion)

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Not-Sour Grapes

Grapefruit cupcakes were something that I have been trying to invent for awhile. It's almost impossible to find a recipe for a grapefruit cake or cupcakes on line, and the ones you find are usually pretty scary (there is one from Disney that is pink and bright yellow - yikes). The tricky thing is getting the flavor right, the right balance of tart and sweet.

I started with a vanilla cupcake base, which I filled with a grapefruit curd, which is delicous all by itself.

Citrus Curd from MarthaStewart.com

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed citrus juice, strained
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
7 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and citrus juice in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.
2. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in butter, piece by piece. Cover with plastic wrap, and cool in the refrigerator.
3. Whip together cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold cream into the chilled curd.

To make the Grapefruit frosting, I knew that adding grapefruit juice to my Cream Cheese frosting was not going to be enough. Luckily, I found a tiny bottle of grapefruit oil at Sugar & Spice, and that did the trick. To get the icing color just right (I was going for a ballet pink), I added a natural pink food coloring from Whole Foods, and it was lovely. To top them off, I chopped up grapefruit jelly candies from Shaw's Candy in West Portal. They came out very well, and the frosting was so pretty!


Special-Occasion Cupcakes

For Jude's birthday, I turned it up a notch on my cupcake endeavors. I decided to make Salted Caramel/Chocolate Cupcakes and Grapefruit/Vanilla Cupcakes. Each one required a little bit of inventiveness, and an extra step.

For the Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes, I used my same base recipe for the sour cream chocolate cake, then found a Salted Caramel frosting recipe on the Cupcake Bake Shop blog.

The challenge? Making salted caramel, which is basically like making candy. The ingredients are simple, it's the technique that requires some skill. I had to make it twice, but the second time turned out perfectly perfect.

Salted Caramel

4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
6. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
7. *** This is the dangerous part *** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
8. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.
9. Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

Basically, you just blend this into your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe and it is MMMM MMMM good. After frosting the cupcakes, I sprinkled them with more salt and these gorgeous matte-gold sprinkles that I bought at Cooks Boulevard in Noe Valley. Now that I know how to make the caramel, I will make this again - one day.

Much to my delight, these were so pretty and a huge hit. Either that, or my friends are just the most awesome people ever. Actually, I think it's both. :)






Saturday, March 22, 2008

Chocolate Chili Cupcakes

I have been playing with the idea of putting fresh chilies into chocolate cake. My friends know that I love eating spicy food. So why don't I make my sweets spicy as well? It might be gross but it's worth a try.

Since I'm making these cupcakes not only for myself but for other people too, I toned the spice level down a bit. I used 7 chilies in the cupcake batter and 5 more in the frosting.


I keep pounds of chilies in the freezer so that I have them whenever I need them.


After tasting the cupcakes, I wish I had been more heavy handed with the chilies. These are not spicy! Not even close! I could feel a leeeeetle hint of chili if I happened to bite into a seed. Oh well....



I came across this chocolate cupcake recipe from MarthaStewart.com. It's weird. Actually, it's not weird. It's just vegan. It contains no butter or egg. How do the cupcakes hold themselves together I have no idea. I decided to try it out with added chopped chilies.



The cake batter was super easy to make. I didn't even need to wait for butter to get to room temperature because the recipe uses oil. The cupcakes came out not gross but I wouldn't say they are delicious. As I took a bite, I was longing for fluffy texture and eggy flavor you get from recipes with butter and eggs.



Since the cake didn't come out impressive. I had to impress with the frosting. Here's what I came up with.

Frosting Ingredients
  • 1 stick butter - room temperature

  • 3/4 cup cocoa - sifted

  • 2 cups confectioner sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

  • 2 tablespoons milk

  • 5 chilies - finely chopped


Directions
    Beat butter until light with an electric mixer. Add cocoa powder and sugar. Start from low setting and increasingly higher with the mixer - beat the frosting. Sprinkle the other wet ingredients into the frosting. Add the chopped chilies. Add more sugar or milk to get the right consistency.




This is probably the most delicious chocolate frosting I have ever put together. Adding heavy cream into buttercream was genius. I got this cross between buttercream and ganache. Fluffy and intense. Or maybe it's the brand of cocoa powder that I used (Lake Champlain Organic Cocoa Powder from Whole Foods). I don't know. I just know that I couldn't stop myself from licking the bowl.

Chocolate Beer Cupcakes with Chocolate Beer Buttercream

For my last day going to work at IPG after almost 8 years, I brought these cupcakes. Thank to Jeremiah - my ex-coworker - for suggesting the recipe. I have made a Guinness Cake before following the recipe exactly. The cake came out a little dense with not that much of a beer taste. This time I felt like experimenting a bit so I followed the ingredients but beat butter, sugar, and eggs separately from the dry ingredients instead of just combining them



People told me they taste yeasty and felt a bit like young chocolate stout. I thought they were just OK. The cake crumbs were crisp and not too sweet. But the texture was a little dry. So I made chocolate buttercream frosting with the leftover beer from the cupcakes in place of milk instead of cream cheese frosting in the original recipe.



I thought the beer might have made the frosting a little bitter which was good because it offset the sweetness of the buttercream.

Overall, these cupcakes are not for kids. They have intense - a little bitter taste. They are fun and interesting but it's not my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Hot Chicks


About 5 people have sent this to me now, and I smile every time I see it. Come here and gimme some sugar, sugar!

Into the Woods


I often feel like Goldilocks in the woods of San Francisco, searching and searching for that perfect restaurant experience. Some are very good, many are just ok, while few get it "just right". Well, I was lucky enough to visit two "just right" places this week. Last night we went to Spruce, which was the best fine-dining experience I have had in this city. It was elegant, definitely high-end, but with a wonderful relaxed attitude. The food was divine. Price-wise, it is definitely special-occasion only. But for a more everyday location with great food, my hat goes off to Bar Jules.

This new restaurant quietly took up residence in hipper-than-thou Hayes Valley, right next door to Suppenkuche and across the street from Modern Tea. There is no signage, so you could definitely miss it. The inside is rich with color and warmth, with the daily menu printed on the chalkboard. I sipped a gorgeous rosebud tea while I waited for my Ken to arrive. Our waitress was totally adorable, with a great smile, and I chatted with her a bit about the place. She had this way of saying "Do it!" as an affirmation, which was so cute. As in, "I left my phone in the car, can I leave my jacket at the table while I go get it?" "Do it!" (smile)


The menu changes daily, and the offerings are concise. Like many restaurants in town, they use local suppliers and seasonal ingredients, but they seem to do this better, not caring if there are any staples or old-standby's on the menu. It's about what is fresh, what feels right, and that's what you are going to get.

I had the roasted red pepper and burrata sandwich, which was simple and really delicious. The roasted red pepper was soft and fleshy, and the burrata (a very soft mozzarella cheese, with a consistency in between cheese and yogurt) was creamy and silky and oh-so-fresh. The bread was grilled with just the right amount of olive oil, adding crunch to the soft textures. With it was a side dish of potatoes and artichokes, which was very light and of-the-season. I savored every bite.


For dessert, I had the Fennel Seed panna cotta. Normally, I don't like my classic desserts trifled with (Lavender Creme Brulee - ick!), but this flavor combination worked very well. The fennel flavor was very subtle, and the panna cotta was creamy-delicious. Unfortunately, the photo makes it look like tree-brain pudding, but trust me, the taste was wonderful.


I'm kind of baffled by the range of reviews on Yelp for this restaurant. They are all over the board, so I had no idea what to expect. Actually, the reviews for Spruce left me feeling the same way. It's sad, because I love writing for Yelp, but I find it hard to trust a lot of the reviewers - either they don't like the same kind of places I do, or they use their reviews as a place to dump their emotions. Mostly, they just don't "get it". Sigh. Kids these days! Anyway, I will be writing reviews of both of these places, and if I succeed, people will have an accurate view into what they can expect and why they would want to spend their pennies there.

It may require a repeat visit to Bar Jules, just in case, for accuracy you know....

New Beginnings


It's Good Friday today, and right now we are blessed with days full of sunshine and cool breezes. This time of year is always one of both introspection and optimism for me, after settling into the routines brought on by numerous New Year's resolutions and personal goals. I like to think of this time of year as a time to check in, see how you're doing, and take some quiet time to look around and be grateful. It really doesn't have anything to do with Easter so much as the rising of Spring and the wonder I feel when I am faced with when seeing something beautiful in nature, or enjoying a great time with friends.

I decided to make a mix CD to go with my mood. It's called "Spring Forward" and it's mellow and upbeat at the same time. It's not all roses and sunshine, though. There are definitely deep feelings expressed in the songs, things that touch on some of my worries and fears. But music has that amazing ability to lift the spirits, and to soothe the soul.

  1. Those Dancing Days are Gone, Carla Bruni
  2. There's Too Much Love, Belle & Sebastian
  3. Eli, the Barrow Boy, The Decemberists
  4. When You're Mind's Made Up, from the "Once" soundtrack
  5. Hope, Jack Johnson
  6. Metal Heart, Cat Power
  7. Happy, Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins
  8. Foundations, Kate Nash
  9. Just, Mark Ronson featuring Alex Grenwald
  10. Hold on to Your Friends, Morrissey
  11. Sea Legs, The Shins
  12. Give It Away, Zero 7

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Mango Yogurt Ice Cream

It's not summer yet. But lines outside Pinkberry are getting longer and longer. And I refuse to pay $5 to a small tub of frozen yogurt. What to do? I wish I have an ice cream maker but my kitchen cannot store any more appliances. Hmmmm.... maybe I'll get one anyway and keep it in my closet.

In the meantime, I make do with my version of yogurt ice cream. My last attempt turned out so successful that I have to try again. This time with frozen mango....



Ingredients
  • 1 large mango - peeled, cut and frozen

  • A tub of non-fat Greek strained yogurt (16 oz.)

Directions
  1. In a food processor, blend the frozen mango and yogurt together until smooth. Serve immediately or chill in the freezer for a few minutes before serving.


The mango gave the yogurt even creamier texture. I love it. I didn't even have to add any sugar or other sweetener.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Fighting Irish


St. Patrick's Day is kind of a non-holiday for me, something I don't celebrate and exists mostly in memories of the Chicago River colored green and Green Beer day in college. Last year at this time, I was in New York with my friend Bruce and we enjoyed a 2-hour lunch at Balthazar while green-clad and painted people descended on the city from the 5 boroughs and beyond. We made it back to Long Island just in time to avoid the hard-core revelers.

This year I found a recipe online that looked too good to pass up. So I celebrated at home, in front of the fire, with a bowl of this wonderful beef stew, and Gabriel Byrne's lovely brogue in my ear as I caught up on this week's "In Treatment" episodes.

This stew is inexpensive, easy to make, and delicious. I happened to have a large bottle of St. Peter's Cream Stout in the cupboard, so I was already off to a better-than-average, although not exactly Irish, start. The prep is pretty minimal, and the beer breaks down the meat to a beautiful tenderness - even the toughest cut would fare well. Total cooking time was about 2 1/2 hours, until the liquid began to thicken.

Since there is no starch such as potatoes in the stew, we had it with a few slices of whole-grain brown bread and unsalted butter, which was perfect.

Angst, a glass of stout, and some hearty food? I do believe I've caught a wee bit of Irish spirit.


Beef and Irish Stout Stew
  • 2 lbs. lean beef stew meat
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups Irish stout beer
  • 2 cups chopped carrot (my note: about 5 carrots)
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
- Toss the beef cubes with 1 tablesppon of the vegetable oil.
- In a separate boel, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.
- Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over med-high heat.
- Add the beef and brown on all sides.
- Add the onions and garlic.
- Stir the tomato paste in a small amount of water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 mintues.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth.
- Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme.
Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Magically Delicious

For my friend Tamara, who loves Lucky Charms. Here is the first Lucky Charms commercial, from the 1960's. Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!


Dan & the Pip, part 2



Oh, man, did we catch a great show last night. dan le sac Vs. Scroobius Pip, a sort of hip-hop duo from the UK, with cool beats, sharp lyrics and original style. The show took place at Cafe du Nord, which is a nice & tiny venue, underground (literally). They played the songs from their EP, as well as a Prince cover that I thoroughly enjoyed.

They sometimes get compared to The Streets, but we saw The Streets a few years ago at Bimbo's, and let me tell you, these guys are light years ahead of that band. Charles talked to Scroobius Pip for a little while and said that he seemed like a nice guy. Long live love small venues!

Here is a recent interview by Tim Sullivan from the Chron with Scroobius Pip. I can't wait to see what these guys do next.

___________________________________________________________________

Take electro dance beats, add some spoken word and what do you get? Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip. Take a few well-made videos, add 2 million YouTube hits and what do you get? A virtual phenomenon. We caught up with Scroobius Pip just before the band's current tour of the United States. 11 Things vs. Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip follows:

1. Scroobius Pip's name is based on an Edward Lear poem called "The Scroobious Pip." Other animals wanted to classify the Scroobious Pip, but the Scroobious Pip was unclassifiable. Dan le Sac's name is classifiable (but we're not going to go there today).

2. "We come from a small town called Stanford le Hope in Essex, U.K. All the big towns are near enough to travel to, so it kind of forces you to."

3. "We've never been to San Francisco, although I (Scroobius Pip) intended to live there once. I moved to Santa Monica and knocked about at a few hostels, then went on to L.A. and Vegas and ran out of money."

4. "We mash spoken word with electro-type stuff. It's a bit hard to describe."

5. "We've supported Mark Ronson, Saul Williams, Billy Bragg, El-P, Basement Jaxx and RZA. It's been great to be picked by these people we really respect to open up for them and get in front of different crowds." (If you happen to be on YouTube, you might also want to check out I Shouted Gun, featuring Scroobius Pip.)

6. "We're on our second U.S.A. tour, which, to us, is amazing. We get to come halfway around the world before even releasing our debut album. We like it in America. It's hotter here and the food is bigger."

7. "We'll be playing Coachella. We're having thousands of beard-shaped fans made up as a way for people to keep cool."

8. "We're both very hairy (sideburns versus beard). We seem to have become quite known for this fact, which is weird. I guess it makes us memorable in a sea of skinny jean wearers." (Please note: They've never lived in the Mission or Haight.)

9. "We have a MySpace page ( www.myspace.com/lesacvspip). We also have a great U.S. artist (Gene Goldstein) working on a 'lesacvspip site' that should be up soon. Our debut album will be coming out later this spring."

10. "Thou Shalt Always Kill" always kills. If you're not familiar with it, check it out at www.lexrecords.com/lesacvspip.htm. (If you are familiar with it, check it out again.)

11. Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip play Cafe Du Nord at 8 p.m. Sun. 1865 and Pants Pants Pants open. $12-$14. 2170 Market St. www.cafedunord.com. Thou shalt not miss it.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Which Craft?


I have a group of friends who are part of a crafting group that meets periodically share food, catch up, and make things. Each one of us has our specialty (some of us, are more, um, enthusiastic than *ahem* talented), and it's a great way to spend a day learning something new while hanging out with your friends. We've done everything from stained glass to sewing to card-making. Some days it's BYOC (Bring Your Own Craft) and people can knit, organize magazine articles, what ever. No matter what we end up doing, they are always a blast.

Yesterday was Amy's annual "Ukranian Egg Decorating" day. These traditional eggs, called pysansky, are made using a wax resist technique. You draw on the eggs using a kystka, a tool that allows hot beeswax to flow through the tip like a pen, and then you dip the egg into different colored dyes, starting with light and ending with dark. You then melt the wax off very carefully using a candle, and if you are so inclined, blow out the contents of the egg using a special tool. It requires creativity, a steady hand, and patience. With practice, the results can be quite beautiful, and can be kept and displayed for years. My cleaning lady breaks all of mine - either by mishap, or perhaps as a commentary on my "art". Here are a few good ones that have survived over the years (not made by me):


Some of the women at yesterday's event had never made Ukranian Eggs before, and they did an amazing job! How cute is that pink squirrel?!!


I had a lovely time stuffing my face with the gorgeous food that everyone brought, and working on my eggs. I love my modern, free-form little creations - like the poor, red-headed stepchildren that they are. When I brought them home, my husband Charles remarked, "Were you angry today?"


I love these days, and look forward to every single one. I can imagine what it must have been like for women in the past, especially in remote areas, when getting together like this was a frequent tradition. The sewing circles and quilting bees of our grandmothers' time have returned in a modern way, and we now see activities such as "Stitch-n-Bitches" popping up everywhere. The difference is that the crafts we make are for pure enjoyment, not necessity. But no matter what the end result is, the sense of community, and the joy of being together, is something that I cherish. I love my Crafty Girls!

Oh yeah, and the mimosas are pretty damned good, too.

Cocoa Black Sesame Granola

I'm having fun making my own granola. It's like I'm discovering a new realm of baking where everything goes. I can just toss whatever I wish with rolled oats and nuts - and I get delicious and seemingly healthy breakfast/snack/gift.

Based on my staple recipe for granola, I added cocoa powder, substituted black sesame for toasted sesame, reduced the amount of oil and I get this delicious and satisfying granola.



Ingredients
  • 2 cups rolled oats

  • 1/4 cup oat bran

  • 1/4 cup ground flax seeds

  • 1/4 cup black sesame seeds

  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

  • 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds

  • 2 tablespoons extra light tasting olive oil

  • 1/4 cup Agave nectar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

  2. In a large bowl, toss all the dry ingredients together.

  3. In a small bowl, whisk oil, Agave nectar and vanilla extract.

  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.

  5. Bake in a baking pan for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to keep the granola loose and evenly baked. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.

Wascally Wabbits


Yesterday I attended one of my favorite events of the year, Ukranian Egg Decorating day at my friend Amy's. It was "suggested" that I bring cupcakes, and I thought it was a good time to make a batch of Carrot Cake Cupcakes, being so close to Easter, and I just happened to have some floppy-eared bunny decorations from Sugar & Spice in my pantry. Given that this was a late morning/early afternoon event, the ingredients seemed well-suited to the time of day as well, as these can stand in for a decadently divine breakfast treat.

While my all-time favorite Carrot Cake recipe comes from the Silver Palate Cookbook, this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa's Parties! book is better for cupcakes.

One note that I have on this recipe, and others as well, is the yield. It says it makes 22 cupcakes. 22? So, do I need an 11-cup pan, and where exactly might I find that? My other go-to cupcake book features recipes for 18 cupcakes. 18? What ever happened to multiples of 12? Note: cupcake recipes should ALWAYS be adapted into multiples of 12. It can't be that hard. Empty places in tins make me crazy, and a litte sad. That said, this recipe is easily stretched to 24 cupcakes.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- makes 22 cupcakes (24!!)

2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs at room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 lb. carrots, grated
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners.
  • Beat the sugar, oil and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light yellow. Add the vanilla
  • In another bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, cinnamon, baking soda & salt
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients
  • Toss the carrots, raisins & walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Add to the batter and mix well (use your hands)
  • Scoop the batter into muffin cups until almost full
  • Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 350 and bake for 35 min (my note: watch carefully to avoid over-cooking - mine only took 25 min)
  • Let cool on a wire rack
Cream Cheese Frosting
(note: the addition of lemon is my own, it makes the frosting taste MUCH better)

1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/2 c unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. confectioners' sugar, sieved

  • Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  • Add the lemon juice
  • Add the sugar in batches, and mix until smooth

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Mini Yogurt Orange Blossom Cupcakes

"It's like spring exploding in your mouth..." - Heng Cheng

I love baking with citrus. It leaves my apartment fragrant for hours. I don't remember how I came across this recipe from Australian GourmetTraveller.com. The measurement was in metrics. It would be the first time I had to convert a recipe into American measurement. Nevertheless, I was so delighted I couldn't wait to try it. I got a bottle of orange blossom water for last year's orange blossom cake. I haven't touched it since. It's expiring at the end of this year. I need to find ways to use it more. Maybe I'll just put it in a spray bottle and use it as perfume.... It smells that good.

I decided that I would make these cupcakes smaller than usual. I'm bringing them to a dinner party where a few people would bring baked goods for dessert. This way, we could try all the yummy cakes and cookies.


Tiny orange cake from my tiny kitchen


These mini cakes were delicious and light coming out of the oven. They settled and got a bit denser overnight. It might be because I didn't sift flour according to the original recipe.


Mini cupcake before frosting.


Ingredients - Make 30 mini cupcakes
  • 2 cups all purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt

  • 1/4 cup buttermilk

  • Grated orange rind from one orange

  • 1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tablespoons) at room temperature

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 4 eggs

  • For Frosting

  • 1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons) at room temperature

  • 1 cup confectioner sugar

  • 1 stick cream cheese

  • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water


Frosted cupcakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin pans with liners.

  2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk yogurt, buttermilk and orange rind together.

  3. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.

  4. Alternately stir (at the lowest setting) in flour mixture and yogurt into the batter in 3 batches. Stir until just combined and there's no visible white flour.

  5. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoon into the prepared muffin pans. Fill only up to 1/3 to make mini cupcakes. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack.

  6. To make the frosting, beat butter and confectioner sugar together with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese and orange blossom water. Beat the frosting until fluffy.

  7. Drop a rounded teaspoon of the frosting on top of cooled cupcake. With the back of a spoon, spread the frosting to fill up to the top of liner. Decorate with orange rind.


Ready for dinner party


I love this recipe and how the cakes tasted and smelled. I might have to find some kind of excuse to make this again.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Familiar Face

Tonight is the premiere of Season 4 of "Top Chef", and this time it's based in Chicago, my hometown.

One of the contestants looked so familiar, not in the sense of someone that I knew, but someone I had seen cooking before. I realized who it was almost immediately - Erik Hopfinger, executive chef at the San Francisco restaurant Circa in the Marina. Last year, my friend Lise & her husband Douglas took me to a "Battle of the Chefs" competition at Macy's, with Hopfinger pitted against Brick chef Noah Tucker (I was in the Tucker camp).

So this will be interesting - a chef from my current city of residence competing in my hometown. I can't say that I liked Erik when I saw him - he seemed overly confident and staid in his ingredient choices. Top Chef judges have the ability to make the most assured chef tremble in fear - we'll see how Mr. Hopfinger fares.

There are an additional three contestants hailing from our city by the Bay this season, incuding executive chefs from Myth Cafe and Coco500. San Francisco represent!!

(P.S. Erik Hopfinger lost the Macy's challenge, despite his large and obnoxious posse in attendance - here are some pictures from that event):