Fewer Words Friday

Read words here, where my bloggy-friend Tori, aka The Shiksa in the Kitchen, has written about my grandmother's sour cream twists.  They are, hands down, my favorite homemade family treat.  I don't make them that often because they are somewhat time-consuming compared to her mandel, and, unlike with mandel, J doesn't think they can substitute every meal of the day.  Which means I eat most of them myself.  Muahahahahaaa.  

Have a great weekend!  I'm meeting my cousin's brand new baby tonight, just 5 days old.  CAN'T WAIT!

Birthday Weekday Evening @ NWBB

I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day weekend!  Even more so, I hope you extended it (like we did). 

Speaking of celebrating, we at Cap2Cap celebrated BOTH of our birthdays this spring (early and late) at New World.  We love N. Dubz.--it's not that there are never any misses, but I'd argue that the clear majority of dishes hit the mark and some are simply divine.  Plus all the local, seasonal, organic, etc stuff that I like AND servers who are knowledgeable and seemingly excited about aforementioned zazz.  I learned a bit about how they source their salmon!  [Also: we can walk there.  Let's be honest for a second about how big of a factor this is.]

We started with an okay, probably-not-worth-$10 appetizer: the duck prosciutto bruschette.  I easily peeled the fat off mine, since I didn't really understand why it was there.  I'd prefer just the crispy duck part!  The duck prosciutto itself was dark and salty and had a good bite, and the fig jam was fun, but I felt like it all could have been put together differently.  The bruschette situation wasn't best.  Let's be honest, I just want to crunch that duck all over a giant salad and dollop the fig jam on it.  J wished we had gotten the blackened green beans instead; they are famed.

Now on to DELICIOUS, totally on the mark: Thai Italian Love - Panang curry bolognese.  Look at that papardelle!  A little spicy, but the heat kept me on my toes.  It wasn't overwhelming, and it didn't last very long on my tongue.  I could move on and enjoy myself.  I want this again today right now.

J had a special, the South Indian Fish Fry, which was light (I know, for fried fish!) and tasty, with some friendly veggies and a bright sauce of mild yellow curry.  
 
New World Bistro Bar
300 Delaware Avenue
Albany, NY

We skipped dessert because I hustled my booty over to Cheesecake Machismo after work before carpooling home with the birthday gentleman.  I proceeded to take the menu I nabbed out of my pocket right in front of him once we got home...I'm smooth.

Cookies and Cream and Smoked 'Smore.I reallllly liked the 'smore situation, but J felt like one bite was enough.  He didn't dig the char flavor, he said "I don't want to feel like I'm eating a fire."  To me it was like eating a super toasted marshmallow, one that has been charred.  AND I LIKED IT.  Different strokes, etc.

They have no web site. I usually am against this, but meh Facebook, they are a dessert place, I'll let it slide this time.  Also, their name is basically amazing. 

Cheesecake Machismo
 293 Hamilton St
 Albany, NY

Is It Strange To Finish A 4-Ounce Jar Of Yeast In 2 Months?

First:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LOVELY MOM (who does not read this blog)!!!!!!! 

So one of my loose definitely-not-a-resolution 2011 goals is to try at least one new recipe every week.  If I do 2 on one week, it does indeed count toward the next.  Just FYI.

This week was the beef tagine with butternut squash from 1/11 Cooking Light.  Mine was a bit too liquidy, so maybe next time I'd drain the tomatoes a little bit or use less broth.  It's still tasty though, and I'm looking forward to enjoying it for lunch this week.  For those wondering (as I was), tagine is a Moroccan dish and a dish.  As in, a meal named after the pot it's typically cooked in.  Last week I made up a black bean/red pepper soup with Israeli couscous that made us super happy. I'm looking forward to some Greek chicken burgers and stuffed cabbage (Jewish St. Patty's day?) in the next few weeks.

Ah yes, the title of this post.  Well, you all know I've been out of control with the crispy no-knead bread.  I recently went so far as to make J's lunch rolls out of the dough.  And every couple months I feel the need to knead with some homemade challah.  But my latest teaspoons doled out of the stuff went into Eat, Run, Read's overnight cinnamon rolls (adapted from Alton Brown).  Mollie makes a lot of cakes, and although I'm not really againstcakes, they aren't my favorite and also lack the practicality I crave.  I prefer cookies and muffins that can be made in small batches or large, and that don't lose their appeal once half of them are eaten--aka I can arrange them on a plate with some fruit and say yes, I did just make these for you guys! I totally didn't take them out of my freezer, where they have been for several weeks!  So the individual nature of the cinn rolls, the use of yeast, and my recent indulgence at MAD made these a no-brainer.

I had no time (ahem, patience) for the 30 minutes in the cold oven with the boiling water part.  Spin class-->outlet shopping and just a quick hour and a half in between to shower and eat.  I let the rolls sit out for an hour on the counter then stuck them in the cold oven before programming it to 350.  I put a small loaf pan with water underneath to provide some steam, and figured they could rise a little more while the oven warmed up.  About 38 minutes later I took them out, let them cool, and then smear/drizzled the frosting.  Eventually I stuck three in the freezer to surprise us at a later date.  Damn are these things good.  We used pecans in the filling.  I talked about adding small chopped apple and J asked me (in a very serious tone) why I always want to put fruit in everything.  Um, because it's delicious.

And although they don't involve yeast, you should make some hammies for Purim sometime soon.  It's this weekend.  Remember my tips that resulted from last year's trial and error, and you'll be golden.  Also, consider adding some grated fresh ginger to your dough.  Because like fruit, I think ginger makes everything better.

[Eat the messed up ones ASAP to spare yourself the embarrassment should any guests see them.]

Hey Good Lookin' Whatcha Got Cookin?

Lots of good recipes happening lately, and I'm bookmarking some, trying others immediately,

Last week we enjoyed this Italian wedding soup interpretation by CSK with one of our best friends, Trader Joe's Israeli couscous. We made it the night she posted it, thanks to a vague idea of what we'd do with the two-pack totaling nearly 5 lbs of ground turkey from Sam's.  We used 1/4 of it for this soup.  Leftovers have made lunch quite enjoyable.

Later this week I'd like to make Cara's gingery edamame/eggplant stew and serve it over couscous or bulgur wheat.  Not sure if I'll double or triple the ginger yet...you know how I do.  I also want to make this flourless peanut butter cup cake--it's basically Reese's peanut butter cups, my favorite candy, turned into a cake.  Yep.  It's definitely dinner party material, because I can't be trusted alone with that thing and cold milk in my house.  Unforch one of my few friends upstate is allergic to nuts, cutting down on the people besides me who could enjoy this treat.  H/T Inkpad for sharing.  I'm waiting to hear from LB, who made Nikki's Bourbon Chocolate Pound Cake.  What in the what! [Update: LB said the cake was good, but she's not the hugest cake fan to begin with.  I am with her on that.  Our friends suggested topping it with ice cream or layering it into a trifle.  I said freeze it so it's chewy and fudgy.  MMMM.]

Sunday night we made several items a la Giada after flipping through one of my cookbooks: tomato soup (with a dollop of plain greek yogurt); roasted citrus-herb chicken (cooked like her game hens, of which there was only 1 at Hannaford--not so convenient for taking apart, anyway, but so cute); and these sugar cookie squares with red fruit preserve (raz and strawberry blend) and drizzled chocolate.  The last ones are really for work tomorrow, happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Whether it's actually cooking from a recipe or just assembling with instructions, I really like Giada.  I feel like we have the same values.  For example, we love olive oil, citrus juice, citrus zest (!!!!), fresh herbs, cannellini beans, and babies.  Her daughter is adorbz.

Crispy No Knead, obv.  It was 1/3 whole wheat because that's what we had left, and I actually finished the flour with it.  I had zero flour for about 3 days before I replenished with 3 bags.  This was the longest the dough ever fermented in the fridge, and I think it tasted even better for it. It was still fresh and spongy the next day, no toasting or zapping required.  BTW this time I wasn't too lazy to fill that gravy boat with reduced pan juices.

Chicken/herb/citrus filled craisins...mmm.

Everyone is Blogging Brownies

And since it's a snow day for many, I wanted to share all these links with you lest you decide to get into the brownie baking mood today. 

Not sure what the deal is, but everyone is blogging brownies the past week or two.  It's like that time that a bunch of bloggers did shakshuka in a short span of time, except most people actually know what brownies are. The Internet is a funny place.

Black and white brownies from Cuisine Queen

Squeaky clean fudge brownies from Cara's Cravings (GF, sugar-free, vegan).

Browned butter brownies on Doughmesstic

Red velvet cheesecake brownies from Sweet Pea's Kitchen


Brownie giveaway from Beantown Baker

Fudgy Brownies from Nikki

THE baked brownie from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Go.  Bake.  Eat.  Share.

Salty & Sweet Weekly Roundup

Mmmm salty and sweet.  Just delicious.

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the gorgeous, the wonderful, the sweetest, Inkpad Chocolate.  The "sweetest" part was a pun.  Attempt, anyway.  ANYWAY, this week I noted the following:

Guacamole & salsa may kill you (jk, it'll just give you food poisoning, maybe).

Are menu items masculine and feminine?

NY Mag brings you the 25 Best Food Trucks in NYC, along with an adorable picture of what each one looks like.  My trustworthy Seester likes to send me photos from her adventures, including the ones above from The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck.

Are we in a cupcake bubble?  [My answer: YES! Burgers, too.] (h/t MM).

The Most Beautifully Fun Birthday Cake Ever (via brunch and the city).

My Baking Addiction brings us an interview with Adam Gertler about Kid in a Candy Store (h/t LB).

D.C. Named Most Veg-Friendly City via DCist.  Hmmm, disagree.

Have a great week guys!

Friendship (Heights) Friday

I'm having a personal dilemma about whether or not I should get the KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment from Amazon or Crate and Barrel.  Notice the $20 difference, then combine it with the fact that I have C&B gift cards, so it would be "free."  But wouldn't it be better to pay less for the item and use the C&B for something else?  Perhaps presents for upcoming weddings, and additional table linens that I neither need nor have the proper table for?

Enough of my boring problems, let's get down to the week:

Yet ANOTHER Whole Foods opened in the Bethesda--Georgetown Corridor.   We Love DC, Mango & Tomato, and Two DC all checked it out on preview night.  We went the next night to check it out and pick up dinner.

I feel strongly that all supermarkets should have mushroom displays that show them in their natural habitat.

 Burger area - mmm bison!!!

 We headed to the Shish area. As in, kebab.

Lamb kofta with tzatziki, veggie salad, and stuffed grape leaves.

Beef shwarma with tabbouleh (thumbs up!) and rice.

Pretzel roll.  I couldn't help it after thinking about this  and this for a while.  

MacarONs, silly WF.  MacaROONs are our coconut friends.

Towers of sweets!!!  Macarons of all flavors and colors!

 Caaaaandies!  Not sure who Sandra Boynton is, but I bet her quote is right above there...

The bear-filling station.  Adorable.

BTW, I meant to share this with you earlier: an article from the Kitchn (via T) about how the name Whole Paycheck may be a tad unfair sometimes, depending on what you are getting.  I had a nice time at the new Foods.  It was packed, and the place was huge and full of treats and fun that Clarendon (and teensy River Road) can only dream about.  The only thing I really wanted but didn't get was a popsicle.  I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities this summer to wander over for dessert (or a post-run frozen treat!). 

Also, I made these cookies from State Dinner tonight, and yummmm.  Thanks @ElyssaK!

So I only have one baking sheet that fits in our new (smaller) oven.  Instead of baking in two shifts, I put a few in a large muffin sheet.  They came out just fine, in their own special shape.

Enter the cream cheese filling....

Now that I've gone on and on, here are a few notable links from the week:  Selling babies for beer.  Toasted coconut chocolate chunk cookies from Eat, Run, Read.  I like these little caviar topped apps from Mango & Tomato (especially the semi-homemade nature of it--good for a hostess with little time).  How about those hoe cakes at Art & Soul (and how about Angela for passing the notoriously difficult California bar?!), from I Flip For Food. I want to go to Pies 'n' Thighs just because of the name, from The New York Times. 

Enjoy the weekend people, whether you're in town visiting the newly named Andean bear cubs or heading out of town for a little foodfest.

PSA: There Are Pretzels Inside My M&Ms

Sometimes I feel like if I haven't gone to a new restaurant lately (but instead, indulged in typical favorites, quick fixes, and homemade feasts), I have nothing to share with you all.  But that's simply not true.

Whenever I casually mention the pretzel M&Ms, someone nearby usually shrieks "WHAT?!" in utter disbelief.  But it's true.  And I feel compelled to tell you about it so you are not one of the blindsided masses.  There are teensy itty bitty pretzels coated with a candy shell.  They are crunchy and delicious.  This bag is not from the Mars company, but from B. 

Close up on the shot of the pretzel/m.

This bag may not be open, but that doesn't mean I didn't crunch on these little bugger all night long at a recent gathering.  I like them more than regular M&Ms, which aren't really my deal.  I like peanut, but peanut butter is my favorite.  Just look at that sassy lady M&M on the bag!

So anyway, the lesson is: look around for these if you want to try them, and if you love them, buy in bulk.  We all know what happens when you fall in love with an awkward spinoff candy---it disappears, and you mourn. 

I hope this brought a little sunshine to this otherwise dreary 3-day patch (tomorrow hasn't happened yet, but we know it's not looking good, guys). 

Cupcake Fail (Is The "Fail" Thing Over?)

Homemade cupcakes, by the lovely C.  Maybe I should have stuck to those for J's birthday.

Instead, like 2,794 other people, I bought the Groupon for a dozen delivered cupcakes from BonaFide Cupcakes (a delivery-only establishment) for $20.  A few months back I made the decision to send a friend returning from maternity leave a dozen Georgetown Cupcakes for about $40, instead of the two dozen minimum required by Curbside Cupcake for only slightly more because I know and love Georgetown Cupcake (P.S., that order was easy, delivery on time, cupcakes impeccable in condition and taste). 

I figured I'd just try BonaFide out with this Groupon - it's a great deal, and I could throw it onto J's birthday by sending them to work.  A little extra surprise. 

As these Yelp and Urbanspoon reviews show, BonaFide had a tough time getting its act together post-Groupon.  I read those on my delivery day morning, but I felt confident nonetheless. After all, when I ordered, they admitted they were super crazed and wouldn't be taking orders until after X date.  Luckily, J's birthday is X date + 2!  Perfect!  I ordered, it was confirmed, and then 10 days later at delivery time, no cupcakes.

No one really answers the phone, so callers have to leave a message.  I e-mailed and called several times as we neared the fourth hour after the scheduled delivery time.  I received a call that was like a comedy of errors, stating the wrong date and wrong company building.  Am I on candid camera?  I was told that for sure it must have been on one of today's delivery trucks, which were almost through with their route.  But alas, who knows, because the system was down.  "Can I call you back?"

Despite giving my telephone number to call back, BonaFide called J, who until then was oblivious to his never-to-be-seen surprise cupcakes.  He was told to call back to reschedule.  I called back immediately, and of course left another unreturned voicemail. 

The next day, nothing.  No cupcakes, no calls.  Another voicemail left, another e-mail sent.  After close of business I notified Groupon of the problem.  I'm pretty sure it's not the first they heard of it.  Groupon immediately agreed to cancel the Groupon and refund my $20.  By tonight (Thursday) my refund posted.  I haven't heard from BonaFide since Monday mid-day when the system was "down," despite my e-mails and calls.

I understand that the Groupon caused an influx of business--that's what it does!  But if you can't handle the orders, don't accept them.  A day (or two!) of leaving voicemails and sending emails to get NOTHING when I was trying to give a gift was Not Awesome.  It's not the worst thing that ever happened to anyone in the world, but it's a pain in the ass.

BonaFide Cupcakes
By all means, if you find a way to have them deliver your order and you get to taste them, do let me know in the comments how they tasted.

Friday I'm In Love

...with turkey salad.  Oh that?  It's my delicious turkey salad wrap from the Maryland Food Co-op.  It could have used twice the turkey salad, but I could add whatever I wanted veggie-wise and--um--it cost about $3.40.  I splurged on a bag of chips.  

What a week!  It was a blast to finally make it to a Food Blogger Happy Hour.  I was a bit late, and people were kind of sitting all around in already-settled conversations, but I still managed to meet the lovely folks behind Eat, Run, Read; I Flip For Food; DC Loves Food; DC Fud; Eat By Tweet (aggregates tweets by official restaurant accounts by city so you can get news and specials, it's pretty sweet); The Frozen Fix (inspired me to finally get this KitchenAid attachment); Seeking CB, and maybe a few others? 

A few people at the happy hour asked me if I cook.  I do!  We do!  [In reality we really assemble more than cook, but you know.]  We go out once or twice a week.  You may recall that when I started blogging I was a poor student in an unpaid internship.  I frequently accomplished harrowing feats of frugality, including The Summer Of Bringing Lunch Every Single Day Without Fail.  Basically, I don't share recipes because it's all simple stuff that we didn't invent.  We make the same favorite things over and over.  Nothing like this or this or this or this.  Unless we're entertaining.

Speaking of cooking, Inkpad made the compost cookies, yum yum yum yum yum!  I finally got to try them, and I didn't have to dirty a dish : ) I know for a fact that she included pretzels, toffee chips, and potato chips, among other items.

This week in the food-related Internet:

Angela & Mark at I Flip For Food went to Minibar by Jose Andres!  Looks completely amazing--I want to go eventually, but I have no idea when!  It remains on The List.

I want a wood-burning oven in my kitchen (an OMG moment from WSJ).

Everyone's favorite Top Chef judge (not to mention accomplished chef and restaurateur) is talking about the importance of being local, creating jobs, and avoiding chemicals.  High five, chef!

FREE ICED COFFEE on May 11 from participating Dunkin' Donuts, my favorite.  (via @frijolita). Ya'll, today I tried the 99 cent iced coffee that 7-11 has been screaming to me about--yes, screaming.  I drive past a 7-11 and there's a huge tarp/sign advertising it.  Basically, it's as if you took the supersweet frozen coffee blended thing and let it melt.  SO sweet, re-dairy-ified with who-knows-what kind of milk or cream (!), and just yuck.  I just want good coffee--cold.  With milk.  Not skim. 

Maybe Ben's should start serving The Mother In-Law (via WWDTM blog).  What?! A tamale playing hot dog?!

DIY cake platter out of old/different stuff! (Thanks InkPad).

I have to go now, because someone brought home cupcakes from the recently-opened Frosting ("A Cupcakery Bakeshop").  They all look pretty darn good, and the flavor selection is sweet...um, awesome.  "Campfire" has a graham cracker bottom, chocolate ganache layer, and DAMN marshmallow frosting.  Update: I also indulged in the carrot cake.  Both had super moist and delicious cakes and really tasty frosting that wasn't too sweet, a complaint J reserves for Something Sweet.  Interesting flavors and textures, too.  What a pleasant experience!

This isn't food related, but it should improve your weekend.  Have a great one!

Fun-loving Friday

This past weekend I introduced Berger cookies to my in-laws, and again, they were accepted with open arms.  No one can deny the power of the Bergers cookies.  And if you want a pie full of them, just get the Baltimore Bomb from Dangerously Delicious Pies, which recently opened on H Street NE.  It was Duff Goldman's guilty pleasure on a recent episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate.

I can't WAIT for this weekend! A lovely friend of ours will be in town this weekend, as well as a set of adorable grandparents.  Makes for quite the fabulous weekend.  But before we can get there, we need to talk about the week.  Let's get into the blogosphere!

I freakin' love these carrot cake whoopie pies (via State Dinner).  I could make them myself thanks to the recipe, but maybe I'll just go ahead and add them to my cart at Trader Joe's. 

Homemade Pop Tarts from Smitten Kitchen.  Sometimes when I'm hungry at work and out of snacks I get Pop Tarts from the vending machine.  Not super filling.

Grilled sandwiches.  Filled with cheese.  Seriously.  eNJoy! brings us to a place that Bobby Flay challenged to a grilled cheese Throwdown--the Pop Shop in Collingswood, NJ.

I'd like to make this cake for J for his birthday, but I'll probably screw it up.  Maybe I can buy it off someone.  Ahem.  (via Eat Run Read)

Loving Cara's photo of the egg dish here--check out the avocado.  Speaking of eggs, I've seen lots of 'em lately.  To be specific, both SK and Cara blogged about shakshouka within a few weeks of each other.  Maybe I should try it.

DCist on Ray's the Steaks at East River.  Sounds delicious (and affordable), but I can't help it--when you say East River, I think East River!

I RSVPed for the Food Blogger Happy Hour, and you should too.  Let's relive a little Restaurant 3, shall we?

Just to share my blog-reading philosophy, I just like to post here about what my friends and I send each other on Google Reader, Twitter, and e-mail.  Some weeks I read a lot of news; this week was NOT one of those weeks! (Although yes - slushies may make you run faster. Too bad I'm not a fan.  If only milkshakes had the same effect...)

NEXT week I'll talk to you about my recent amazingly delicious perfect falafel (and not just because I was positively starving), and some more macarons.  I can't stop.  Have an excellent weekend!  Happy May!!!

Noshin' Around NYC

Obviously, I can't get enough of New York.  When you grow up living close to NY there is a lot you take for granted, most notably pizza and bagels (although I'll swear up and down that the best bagels are actually in NJ at several establishments).  And even though we've got old favorites, ya gotta try something new every now and again.

So we've gone over and over my love of eggs.  You know the drill by now.  Also: Burgers...or really, one burger in particular.  What do you get when you put an egg ON a burger? 

Pure joy.  This is the very juicy Brunch Burger at Five Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen (there's another on the UWS).  I got mine cooked medium, and there were some nice juices running out of it when I cut it.  Juices + egg yolk, and I'm in heaven.

Above and below are some action shots of a very worthy subject--the lamb kofta burger, topped with some awesome tahini sauce and tomato/cucumber/pepper/onion salad.

This burger (and its toppings) was pretty delicious, but we both agreed that the Zola one was better.  But for nearby & a reasonable price, 5NB is a great fit.  AND the fries are hot and crispy.

It's cool that you can make a reservation, especially because this place gets PACKED at night.  Very convenient to the theaters.  Service was great.

Five Napkin Burger
630 9th Avenue @ 45th Street

You can't go to a Broadway show without a snack for intermission.  The chocolate chunk cookie and chocolate macaron from Bouchon Bakery fit the bill perfectly.  We meant to eat breakfast at Bouchon in Las Vegas, but the pasta tasting menu the night before made that unwise.  This Time Warner Center outlet is quite convenient, and ladies let me tell you, the TWC has one of the nicest public bathrooms in Manhattan.  The cookie is top notch.  You can taste the buttery brown sugaryness of it.  It has depth.  Not as in many inches of depth, but flavor depth.  The (big) macaron is divine.   The delicate cookie is light and crisp on the outside, but soft and ganache-y on the inside.  Oh man.  (My love of macarons is well documented.)

Besides delicious pastries of all stripes, you can grab sandwiches like fluffer nutter or grilled cheese (w/tomato soup of course) to go, for one of the free-for-all tables hanging around, OR you can go to the cafe, which has table service!  I was all about the counter service.  I'm on the move, people.  Also, at some point, TWC is super nice and Bouchon is delicious and fancy, but we're in a mall.  Glorified mall, but still.

Extra props to L for saving my arse with some photos when my phone froze for the first (and hopefully last) time.

Bouchon Bakery
10 Columbus Circle, 3d Floor

What in the world is that?  That's what you are thinking.  It's a chocolate cream filled cupcake from Kitchenette.  I thought of it less as a cupcake and more of a Hostess cake.  We also had one filled with peanut butter (that looked almost identical, but the filling was...peanut buttery).  I didn't sink my teeth into either of these until two days after they were purchased.  I'm sure fresh off the rack the cake would have been more moist, but the inside was still quite good.  We ate them out of the fridge, but I would have LOVED if they'd been in the freezer.  Because that's how I am.

At Kitchenette, J enjoyed the Tex-Mex, scrambled eggs, chili, sour cream, and grilled cornbread.  He said the cornbread was the highlight, it was really fluffy.  And he wished for more chili.   [Ed note: he just sent me a photo of the breakfast, and how he did not mention earlier that the eggs and chili were neatly piled atop the cornbread, I have no idea.  ART!]  But the peach iced tea was superb (and served in a mason jar).

Kitchenette Restaurant
156 Chambers Street

 

There you go.  More places to eat in NY.  And I wasn't the only one spending the weekend away!
  
This week flew by waaay too fast, so I think I'll have to Round Up on Saturday instead of Friday!