Life Lately | March 1st |

March 1, 2013 by

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It’s amazing what a night with old friends and a few bottles of good wine will do for your mood! Seriously, people. Last night I got together with some of my closest gal pals from college and it was the perfect way to round out a somewhat stressful week. Despite the stress though- there was a lot of good! Here’s what went down:

  • Trust me when I say the road to your significant other’s heart is through these Baked Crispy Hot Wings. They also happen to be easiest thing in the world to make- a total win win.
  • I finally snagged myself one of Meg’s adorable “Lover” sweatshirts. Have you checked out her line- Manifesto Ts? So impressive. Cannot wait for mine to arrive!
  • A co-worker had a birthday this week, but instead of whipping up a dessert, I thought an indulgent breakfast would be a nice change. I made Joy’s Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins (recipe also on Shutterbean) and they were beyond words deeelicious.
  • Wednesday’s Biz Notes topic on balancing career and motherhood was something I’ve been wanting to cover for a long time. I’m so glad I finally got around to it- and loving the discussion that ensued even more!
  • Hmmm clearly a pretty major cooking week- I also made Captain Crunch Granola, inspired by Ms. Madison of Espresso and Cream. The recipe gets its name from the honey and coconut oil flavor combo. This was my first time using coconut oil in granola and I absolutely loved the result. It smelled and tasted amazing, and felt a whole lot better than just using regular vegetable oil.
  • I often feel like my Instagram photos are kinda so so, but I was pretty darn pleased with this one I snapped during a breakfast meeting at the Nomad Hotel. How gorgeous are those cups and saucers?
  • We finally ate at The Commodore- a complete dive bar in Williamsburg that serves the most amazing Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and garlicky sautéed kale. Yes- dive bars in Williamsburg serve kale. The chicken was also organic. I heart Brooklyn.

I’m looking forward to a weekend filled with lots of TV catch up time, a few hours curled up with some news reads, and a few get togethers with dear friends. Hope yours is wonderful! xx

Ps: How is it already March? But also, can it please be spring already?

Image via wit + delight

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Behind the Scenes with the Barefoot Contessa

November 28, 2012 by

Thank you all SO much for all your warm support yesterday! And hello to all you newbies that just found CC through the feature- I’m thrilled to have you!

As promised, today I want to take you guys behind the scenes of the cookie swap with Ina. In between shots with the photographer (the esteemed Quentin Bacon), we were pretty much given free rein of the barn space. The space is stunning and feels like you’re living within a Restoration Hardware catalogue, but about a million times better. I went to town snapping shots of her kitchen and pantry!

The kitchen space is her own test kitchen- not just a set. The pantry is filled with actual items and equipment she uses everyday. The fridge has all her homemade stocks and ingredients she actually cooks with. It’s all real! I totally snooped.

The kitchen itself is amazing. She’s got the most beautiful gas range I’ve ever scene, and each side of the stove is flanked with matching refridgerators, Cuisinarts, and Kitchen Aid Mixers. A dream! The ceilings are quite high and with an entire wall of floor to ceiling windows, the entire space is bathed in light.

We also got to explore her beautifully manicured gardens. I couldn’t get over the amount of lavender! From here we caught a glimpse of her actual house and more of the rolling landscape. It’s crazy to think back to all those afternoons growing up, sitting on the couch doing my homework, and staring at this house in the credits of her show. And to now be viewing face to face- what!?!?

The day was best summed up when Joy kept repeating, “Yep this is real. This is happening. No big deal- typical Thursday.” I really did have to keep pinching myself throughout the whole thing to remind myself this was actually happening. Then there was the point at which I used her bathroom- that made things feel pretty darn real.

Lastly, here is the recipe for the ginger cookies (you can get all the cookie recipes online here). This is a great dough to make ahead and then freeze into logs during the holidays. Then when you’re ready to bake the cookies, just pull the dough out 10 or so minutes early to let it soften before slicing and baking.

Apple Cider Ginger Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup apple butter
  • 1 large egg
  • red sanding sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and dried ginger. Set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla extract and apple butter, and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Add the dry ingredients, to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on low speed until the dough begins to come together and the flour disappears. Stop the mixer and finish incorporating the ingredients with a spatula. Once all the flour is thoroughly mixed in, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to overnight).

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough into your hand, roll into a ball, then roll the ball around in granulated sugar to coat. If you like thicker cookies, place the ball of dough directly on the baking sheet. If you like thinner, but still chewy, cookies, flatten the balls into a small disc in your hand. Bake cookies for 8-9 minutes, just until lightly browned around the edges. Cool on the pan for 7 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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A Cookie Swap with the Barefoot Contessa

November 27, 2012 by

Well… something (clearly!) amazing happened this summer! Two things in fact- I met the Barefoot Contessa, and participated in a cookie swap in her home!! Let’s back up, shall we?

Back in June, the lovely ladies at Ladies Home Journal asked me to participate in a cookie swap with a “famous chef” in the NYC area. I immediately said yes and began pondering what restaurant chefs or bakers they’d have participate in a blogger cookie swap. Minutes after saying yes, I received an email back saying that the cookie swap would be with INA GARTEN at her house in Hamptons! First I about fell out of my chair, then I screamed, and then I called my mom and we screamed together. I couldn’t believe it! The rest of that day is just a blur.

The shoot took place in July. One Thursday morning I left my apartment at the crack of dawn and headed to midtown to meet Deb, Joy, Zoe, Lisa, and Julie and hop on a motor home to East Hampton (let’s be clear- I was just as excited to meet these amazing ladies, too!). The day of schedule was as follows: first breakfast with Ina at the 1770 House, and then a cookie swap at her house. The swap took place in her recently built “barn,” the incredible kitchen space where she now does all her recipe testing and films all her television segments. After getting all dolled up we spent the afternoon chatting, sipping sparkling wine, and nibbling on cookies around her gorgeous rustic dining table.

For the swap, each blogger had to provide an original cookie recipe. I came up with a super chewy ginger cookie flavored with apple butter and rolled in red sugar – a twist on your traditional holiday ginger cookie. Other cookies included Ina’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs, Joy’s Black & White Red Velvet Cookies, and Zoe’s Chocolate Caramel Matzo. You can get all the recipes in this month’s issue of LHJ.

All of us were pretty intimidated to meet Ina, but she immediately put everyone at ease. She’s truly one of the most genuine and down to earth people that I’ve ever met- and I assure you, I’m not just saying that. Really. Yes, I love her recipes, but the source of my admiration really comes back to her poise and business sense. She also has an incredible sense of humor and can be pretty witty and sassy! That was cool to experience.

At the end of the day she kept thanking us all for coming. I wanted to be like “Are you kidding? I would have walked here!” Sadly my solo photo with her will probably go down as the most awkward picture of me in history, but oh well! It was such an incredible day and I’m still reeling from the experience.

A HUGE thank you to Ladies Home Journal for making the whole experience possible, and including me. Be sure to check out all the other ladies’ sites this week to see their pics, recaps, and recipes. I’ll share my cookie recipe with you guys tomorrow along with some behind the scenes pics and other little tid bits about the day. I have been dying to tell you all about this for the last four months- I’m so thrilled the day is finally here!

All photos by Quentin Bacon

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Plate to Pixel Part IV: Developing Your Food Photography Style

July 11, 2012 by

Today I thought I’d take a break from food photography and talk more about food styling. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again-I am by no means an expert or professional when it comes to food photography or styling, but in my 2+ years of blogging I’ve picked up a few things and watched how my photos have not only improved, but really transformed to define my style as a blogger and food blogger.

There are so many food blogs out there and it can be really hard to differentiate one’s self. But I have found that by identifying the types of food photography I’m drawn to and the style I like- I can better differentiate my own style, and slowly but surely- my blog. There are a couple of things I do when it comes to “styling” my photos, and I use that term lightly because again, I am not an expert. Here is my method:

Use a Consistent Background You may have noticed for my past few food posts that my backgrounds have been comprised of gray slate, white dishes, and occasionally some burlap thrown in. I would call this my “summer style” as I’m shooting most dishes on my patio to get the best light. The background is a combo of my patio tile, a Brooklyn Slate Board, a white tray from Target, and a piece of burlap.

In the winter I shoot on white fabric in my living room. I may change this up this fall/winter as I get better at manipulating light, but I will still stick to a clean look that primarily highlights the food.

I will occasionally throw in other fabrics, especially for holidays, but overall I prefer something simple and not too busy, so I try to stick to that to best express my style.

Determine Text Usage I was not so clear about this initially. Once I started learning Photoshop and I was capable of putting text on photos I thought “Great! I can do it, therefore I should do it!” Wrong. I like clean, simple, classic dishes. I like clean and crisp photos. Text can make things too busy. Yes- I do use text on some photos, like this series when it’s necessary or for non-food related posts, but for the most part all recipe posts contain no text. I mean honestly, how bad is the text in these red velvet whoopie pie photos? Ugh I cringe, they’re not even the same color and the font is awful! Learn from your mistakes- I use the same font and color on all Plate to Pixel posts. That doesn’t mean text on food photos is bad, though. Tracey’s blog, Shutterbean, uses text really well- she knows how to mix and match fun fonts and graphics to complement her photos, and the overall design corresponds to her blog voice and content.

Look to the Experts The ideal goal is to have someone be on Pinterest and recognize your photo as from your blog without having to look at the source. It’s a pretty lofty goal, but think about it- you know a Smitten Kitchen photo instantly. Joy the Baker does this really well too, with her consistently colorful and playful backgrounds. There is not only a strong consistency to the style of both their photos, but the way in which they capture a dish being prepared is consistent. That brings me to my next point…

Define Your Food Prep Style When I first start blogging about food, I felt like I needed to capture every little step of a recipe- photograph the flour, photography the egg that goes in, and so on and so forth. It took forever and I didn’t really enjoy the process. Now my goal is to show a portion of the food prep process, but not the whole thing. So for instance in Monday’s post I showed a shot of the raw pasta and the sauce on its own, but not the pasta going into the water or the tomatoes on their own. There is no right or wrong here, I believe it’s just a matter of keeping things consistent. Some bloggers do a great job of showing only the finished dish. Do what works for you and stick to it!

Woo, that was a lot! But I truly think it’s all worth thinking about it. I’m still working to accomplish all these things, but focusing my efforts makes things so much simpler. Do you have any food photography or photography styling tips? I’d love to hear!

Muffin Image Credit

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Linguine with Marinated Tomatoes

July 9, 2012 by

Do you guys follow Joy and Tracey? I read their blogs all the time, faithfully listen to their podcast each week, stalk them on Twitter, and make their recipes often. They are two awesome ladies that I would totally love to be friends with in real life.

In their podcast last week, they were talking about summer shortcuts- specifically shortcuts in the kitchen when you’re cooking and entertaining. So this got me thinking about my summer habits, and little things I do to entertain simply and give myself a break. A few things came to mind. For one, watermelon- totally counts as a side dish. Cantaloupe wrapped in proscuitto is pretty much the best (and easiest) appetizer or side dish ever. BLTs make a phenomenal dinner. Get really good quality bacon and bread, use big basil leaves instead of lettuce, and throw in some avocado- your guests will be in heaven.

And then there’s this pasta dish- my newest shortcut. It’s one of those things that at first glance looks too simple to be that good, but it is so so good. Tomatoes, olive oil, raw garlic, and basil get tossed together to marinate for several hours before cooking the pasta. This breaks down the tomatoes, creating an incredibly fresh and garlicky tomato sauce (with no actual cooking involved). The dish is just as good served hot as it is room temp- perfect for entertaining. This one is truly a summer must!

Do you have summer shortcuts in the kitchen? I need more. Do tell!

Linguine with Marinated Tomatoes slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

 

  • 1 pound linguine (or spaghetti)
  • 4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 T minced garlic
  • large bunch of basil, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • parmesan for serving

Combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and ground pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Right before your ready to serve the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for 7-8 minutes until just al denté. Drain the pasta well and add it to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Toss well to combine. Serve in shallow bowls with lots of grated parm on top.

 

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Buttermilk Cake with Blueberry Sauce and Whipped Cream

June 25, 2012 by

Between last week’s sandwich, and today’s cake, you can probably tell I have a thing for buttermilk. It’s right up there with cream cheese as one of my favorite ingredients to use in cooking and baking. I was flipping through Joy’s cookbook on Sunday, looking for some inspiration on what to make for dessert for a dinner party we had last night, when I spotted it. A simple buttermilk cake. Her’s was topped with a walnut praline sauce, which looked delicious but didn’t feel so summer-y. Given the stack of berries I had in my fridge, I decided to make a simple blueberry sauce to go over the cake and topped it off with some lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream. I don’t think I need to tell you that this cake was absolutely divine. It’s definitely going to be a main stay in my kitchen across the summer- I can’t wait to top it with peaches, black berries, and more! Enjoy!

Buttermilk Cake with Homemade Blueberry Sauce and Whipped Cream adapted from Joy the Baker

For the cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 6 T unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup butermilk

Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan or cast iron pan and set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients. Using a stand or hand mixer, on medium speed beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 3 minutes. Add in the egg and then the egg yolk, beating until just combined after each addition. Lastly add in the vanilla and beat until just combined. Lower the mixer to low speed, add in half the flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Add in the buttermilk and beat just until the flour disappears. Lastly, add in the remaining flour and beat until the flour disappears. Use a rubber spatula to bring together the batter and ensure everything is well incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake is a deep golden brown and a cake tester or tooth pick comes out clean. Let cook completely before cutting and serving.

For the blueberry sauce:

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 1/2 T corn starch

Place the blueberries, water, and sugar in a small sauce pan and cook or medium low heat. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer, stirring occasionally as the berries break down. Let simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes until most of the berries have broken down.  Whisk in the corn starch, stirring until it’s completely combined. Let simmer for an additional 15 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened. Turn off heat and set aside to cook. Sauce can be stored up to one week in fridge.

For the whipped cream:

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 T sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Beat together the cream, sugar, and vanilla until it’s lightly and fluffy and stiff peaks form.

To serve: Cut the cake into wedges, spoon over the blueberry sauce, and top with a dolop of whipped cream.

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Orange Scented Cream Cheese Pound Cake

May 15, 2012 by

I have a thing for cream cheese. I never tire of it slathered all over a hot toasty bagel or used as the main ingredient in frosting, but what I really love is weaving cream cheese into recipes where you wouldn’t think to put it- like mashed potatoes, Mexican food, and even soup from time to time. So when I saw a recipe for Cream Cheese Pound Cake in Joy’s new cookbook, I knew it would be right up my alley. In a dessert, I think cream cheese begs for a little citrus, so I added in the zest of one Tangelo orange (you could use any type of orange). I loved the addition but you could certainly make it without.

Despite how simple this dessert is, it’s really a gorgeous cake-from the velvety batter to the way it rises and develops a deep brown crust, while still remaining unbelievably moist on the inside. For that reason, I’m going to suggest not putting anything on it. No jam or nutella or whipped cream- this cake deserves to stand on it’s own. It is that good.  Enjoy!

Orange Scented Cream Cheese Pound Cake slightly adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

Makes one 9×5″ loaf

  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs at room temperature

Set your rack to the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking power- set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium low speed until soft and pliable. Add in the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy- approximately 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla, stir until blended. Then add in the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

With the mixer on low, add in the dry ingredients in two batches and beat until just incorporated. Finish mixing the batter by hand with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared and bake for 30 minutes. After 3o minutes rotate the pan and cook for an additional 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cake can be stored up to 4 days after baking in an air tight container.

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Dutch Baby with Vanilla Blueberry Sauce

March 25, 2012 by

My recent cookbook purchases arrived this Friday and I got right to work using them in the kitchen this weekend. I couldn’t resist trying a recipe from the Joy the Baker Cookbook first. Joy’s book is stunning and sweet and everything you could dream it would be. Her recipes are incredible and I love how she wrote an intro for each one that mirrors the language and style of her blog posts. It’s such a treat!

I began with the pancake section of her book and selected her recipe for a Dutch baby. Have you ever made a Dutch baby? Oh my goodness, they’re amazing. A Dutch baby is a big pancake that you bake in a hot skillet in the oven. They puff up into a beautiful golden brown pancake that’s perfect for two or as a sweet side at brunch.  They’re ideal for brunch entertaining because there’s zero flipping involved! Just prep the batter and set it to bake shortly after your guests arrive. Joy’s version featured toasted coconut and bananas, but since I had neither of those on hand I made a simple vanilla infused blueberry sauce. This breakfast served as the perfect Sunday treat; I can’t wait to try all the other recipes in the book!

Dutch Baby with Vanilla Blueberry Sauce inspired by Joy the Baker Cookbook

Serves 2 (makes one 10 inch pancake)
For the Dutch Baby:

  • 2/3 cup flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 3 T unsalted butter

For the Blueberry sauce:

  • 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 T sugar

Make the blueberry sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Set to medium low heat and let simmer for 12-15 minutes until berries have broken down.

Make the Dutch baby: Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the rack in the upper third of the oven. Put a 10 inch cast iron or oven safe skillet on the rack and let warm while you prepare the batter.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar and thick and pale. Whisk in the milk, and then the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine.

Once oven is heated, carefully removed the pan from the oven and place the butter in the pan. Using potholders, swirl the butter around the pan so it’s completely melted. Quickly pour in the batter and put the pan back in the oven. Bake for 15- 18 minutes until browned and puffed. Top with blueberry sauce and serve immediately with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

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Happy Purchases

March 20, 2012 by

So, I went on a little Amazon shopping spree on Sunday night. Do you ever just have a random list of things you’ve been meaning to buy forever? Such is the case with these items. Here’s what I needed!

1. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream at Home I got this book to go hand in hand with my ice cream maker! It’s going to be a delicious summer. Have you tried any recipes in this book? I think I’m going to make the salted caramel ice cream first.

2. A Clarisonic Do you have one of these? I’m probably the last person to purchase one but I wasn’t so sure about it at first. But then I read enough reviews and decided to try it out.  I’m super excited for soft, silky skin everyday!

3. Joy the Baker Cookbook Joy is coming to Brooklyn for a book signing at the end of the month, so I clearly needed a book for her to sign! I can’t wait to try all her recipes, too. Have you bought this book?

4. Ice Cream Maker A necessity for number 1! I initially was going to purchase the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment, but an actual ice cream maker was less expensive and had better reviews. Has anyone tried the attachment, though? I’m curious how people like it.

5. Plate to Pixel Ok, this was largely a book spree, but I’ve been meaning to purchase a book on food photography for quite some time, and I can’t wait to read this one. There are so many resources online, but sometimes I just feel like curling up and thumbing through a really beautiful book. Do you ever feel like way?

 Have you bought anything fun lately?
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Tuning Out the Noise

February 27, 2012 by

Aaaah… how was your weekend? Mine was unexpectedly wonderful. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, it was just one of those weekends where the perfect balance of productivity, relaxation, and time spent with friends somehow fell into place.  I feel pretty proud of myself, actually! I’ve been struggling lately with the separation between work and life.

I’m certainly not complaining. I’m very thankful to be so busy and  have multiple many projects at play. Nonetheless, it’s still daunting.  I find that when my schedule gets this way, the things I used to enjoy, like cooking, working out, or reading a book, become chores. I dread doing them because it seems impossible to mentally separate myself from everything else in my life and truly enjoy going running or preparing dinner. I have a hard time tuning out the noise, and being present. Does that ever happen to you?

I sort of stumbled on a solution to my problem. Being a avid follower of Joy the Baker, I started exploring her other online work- Homefries. Have you guys heard of Homefries? It’s a collection of podcasts (and other cool stuff) curated by Joy the Baker, and some amazing other bloggers/people. There are multiple podcasts to choose from, but I’m totally hooked on the Joy the Baker Podcast and We’re About to be Friends. Ok, I’ve also listened to a fair amount of the Simple Mom Podcasts (I’m preparing!).

I didn’t realize it initially, but I became so into these podcasts, I found myself making time to listen to them. I had no problem shutting off work at the end of the day and starting dinner, because it meant I could listen to the newest podcast! Same thing went for getting my  butt out the door for a lunch time run. For some reason, listening to podcasts allows me to completely tune out all the thoughts running through my head and truly take a break. I like the Homefries ones especially, because it feels like two close friends chatting next to me, except I just get to listen and take it all in, instead of engage.

Do you listen to podcasts? Do you find them relaxing? How do you disconnect and tune out the noise?

Ps: And if you have podcasts to recommend, please send them my way!

Photo Credit

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