Before we got started though, I still owe a post about Gesine Bullock Prado’s book, Confections of a Closet Master Baker..which is now known as “My Life from Scratch” (this is how long it has been since my last post…book names are changin for chimp’s sake). I never reviewed her book at the time of reading because at that time, to be honest, I didn’t care for the book. I don’t blame Gesine…I was so unhappy with where my life (or lack thereof) was when I read it, I think I just was irritated that anyone else was happy. Since then, I have read her book three or four times and I am semi addicted to her blog. Her recipes are NO Fail and completely fantastic. Not only that, but Gesine really lives life to its fullest. She has become a great inspirtation and her book has become one of those “that book changed my life”. What can I say, when my mom saw the Bucket List she HAD to go back to school. When I read this book I HAD to do, well anything but what I was doing. So, I sadly left some fantastic co workers, happily left a two hour commute, relocated my work to part time and I will officially be launching a new business endeavor (plenty of shameless plugs on the way) that combines social work, cooking and some Healthy Moms Happy Babies thanks to the good kick in the arse from Gesine (and with the support of friends, family and the CTB girls).

But enough about me…onto those recipes. I have made almost everything in her book, but have taken minimal pictures. Gesine’s story was really one of her becoming comfortable in her own skin, accepting what she loved, and making a life (and a living) out of it. It was a hilarious account and I completely related to several parts in the book. My favorite recipe is most definately her golden eggs recipe. I have made them as reccomended in the book (always in muffins pans). I have also changed the flavoring to lemon and blueberry  (use lemon extract instead of vanilla, lemon peel instead of nutmeg, and add blueberries) and cinnamon apple. The batter can take it so do what you will to it. I would just advise to make sure you really whip the butter and sugar well. Mine also came out a lot better when I used superfine sugar So I would also say to give that a whirl.

For the cake:
Nonstick baking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups nonfat buttermilk

For dipping the eggs:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixed together in a small shallow bowl

Preheat the oven to 325. Spray your molds with nonstick spray (I, obviously, use egg-shaped molds. You can use a muffin pan or any other small baking molds.) Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with either the paddle or the whisk attachment, whip the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This can take up to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of your butter. As you’re whipping away, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated into the sugar. You can’t make magic without a lot of patience. So keep whipping and keep scraping.

Add the eggs one at a time, whipping after each one until the egg is fully incorporated into the batter. Scrape down the bowl every now and again as well. Add the vanilla.

Once all the eggs are incorporated, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mixing slowly. After they are well incorporated but not overbeaten, take a rubber spatula and fold the batter a few times to make sure everything is evenly distributed and the batter is smooth.

Distribute the batter into your molds, filling each cavity a little less than halfway. Bake for about 15 minutes. Baking time varies depending on the size of your mold, so check for a very light golden brown color and make sure the cake springs back when you touch it.

Unmold your little cakes and while they are still warm, dunk them quickly in the melted butter, then dredge them in the cinnamon and sugar.
Gesine notes that these make 12 eggs. I ALWAYS get more than that. ALWAYS. I have also made this as a cake by taking out the nutmeg and adding a little more vanilla.

Next up…A Homemade Life

As many of you may know, I just recently started working (go me), after all too many career changes and YEARS in school. I do enjoy my work very much, however I have yet to make it over the “what do you mean I wont be home by 3 Oclock” hump. Since Matt and I have been married, I have essentially cooked dinner for us almost every night (barring weekends when we usually head to the restaurants). And I have thoroughly enjoyed this. The truth is I’m a bit of a homebody. Most of my days revolve around 2 things, what I will eat for lunch and what I will  eat (make) for dinner. Since I started working, this has all gone out the window and sadly been replaced with delivery. Last week, after a hell of a couple of days (my dog, grandmother, and mother ALL had surgery! everybody is fine…except for my stockings, but that is another story)  I decided to try and seek Matt’s help and Giulia’s epicurean guidance to be able to make a quick meal. I opted for the veal cutlet and salad from early on in the book, remembering that it looked like a cinch to make. Matt headed to Trader Joe’s for requested ingredients (veal) and Matt returned sans veal and with “chicken tenders”. Please be advised, Matthew clearly looked for veal, but TJ’s did not have any. This might be a good time to mention that meat in general kind of makes me want to barf. I was vegeterian for all too many years, and when i did start eating meat again, Chicken was the first down the hatch…and first to make its way back up. Not a great combination with “chicken breast tenders”. Giulia’s recipe called for veal or chicken cutlets..oh well this would have to do.

My next hurdle was frying. I bake with butter and oil all of the time, however, for some strange reason, actually saying I will “fry” something seems unhealthy. Sure, 1/2 pound of butter in my cookies could be seen as good for you fat, but throw it on the stove with some meat, and that is unhealthy. I was so stressed out though, and sometimes, you just need some trans fat! I did wind up breading and frying the cutlets according to Giulia…and it was well worth it. I did doctor  it up a bit, but it was very crisp and suprisingly light. I am making it again this evening (with real chicken cutlets) and some garlic spinach.

Giulia’s Breaded Cutlets

2 Eggs, lightly beaten, seasons with salt

3/4 C. bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbs. Parsley (I actually used italian style bread crumbs)

1 pound this cutlets

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Tbs Butter

Lemon

Put the eggs in a wide rimmed bowl and put the bread crumbs on a plate. (I added a little but of milk to the eggs). Dip the meat into the eggs and then into the breadcrumbs.

In a skillet heat the oil and butter until melted and bubbly. Add the breaded cutlets and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side. You may have to do this two times. Refresh the trans fat in the pan if necessary! Pat cutlets with a paper towel and serve!

I made this with a really easy Spinach.

1 Bag baby spinach (pre cleaned is easiest)

4 cloves sliced garlic

1 shallot, sliced

1 tbs each butter and olive oil (the butter is so not necessary but sooooo good!)

salt and pepper

Heat olive oil and butter in a pan until bubbly. Add garlic until slightly browned, add shallots and let cook until soft and a bit carmelized. Add spinach, salt and pepper until spinach wilts. Enjoy!

I am making this again tonight, it was so perfect. If you want to be healthier, you can eliminate all butter, use three egg whites and skim milk for the eggs, and whole wheat bread crumbs.

Me and Brianne and Gina haven’t seen each other in 10 years. Yes, 10 years. Since we graduated high school. And I haven’t seen Jeanine since August, so there was a lot to catch up on. So much in fact, we got booted from Franny’s for talking and keeping the table too long! Understandable, it’s a small place and it became very crowded, and we were sort of stuck in our own little world.

The food was awesome: me and Brianne had the buffalo mozzarella/garlic/oregano pizza and a Sixpoint Craft Ales Sweet Action (a local Brooklyn beer). Gina also had the buffalo mozzarella/garlic/oregano pizza with a  glass of Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso (red wine from Sicily). Jeanine ordered the tomato/olives/garlic/oregano pizza with a cocktail dubbed the ‘Brooklyn’: Maker’s Mark, sweet vermouth & fresh lemon juice. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I enjoyed the food as much as the company, and that’s saying something! The beer was pretty good, but as Brianne said later, it was a little “hop-y” for me. I’d order it again though. Jeanine’s only complaint was that the drink came in a  girly martini glass (come on, it’s MAKER’S MARK, not a Cosmo!), and was small for the $11. After being booted (and I say that in the nicest possible way) we moved across/down the street to Bar(n), a bar connected with the Flatbush Farm. There I ordered a Kelso of Brooklyn beer, the type of which I do not know, which is unfortunate because I enjoyed it a lot and would like to have it again, or get some for home. I know they sell the Pilsner at Franny’s, so maybe it was the same.  Jeanine ordered a whiskey sour, Brianne got a Stoli orange and Gina got a vodka cranberry. I can’t speak for the other ladies’ drinks, but they were, for the most part, finished when we left …so they must have been good.

Unfortunately, Wednesday nights are work nights, so we couldn’t stay out late and meet up with Giulia. That was a bummer, but we had a terrific evening anyway.

As we get ready to make our finale dish for I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti : the gnocchi, and we prepare to start our second book, Garlic & Sapphires, this was a perfect way for us to not only catch up and have a nice evening out, but to toast one another on a successful beginning to our new group blogging venture!

So many of Giulia’s relationships reminded me of my own. There was my first boyfriend, who I felt so safe with but was also very not in love with. There was my second rebound boyfriend who broke my heart (not once, not twice, but three times)..each time by, get ready for it…not calling me. Yup, after several months, he would just stop calling me, I have taken to calling him A$$hole, and had I read Giulia previously probably would have sent some good ol’ Fuck You Cakes his way! (Instead I chose vodka). Then there were the more short term relationships that just kind of left me like “huh”?, and were perhaps the most frustrating…hence my contempt for Lachlan. Prior to meeting my husband, I had seriously stopped dating. I was so intent on fulfilling my own happiness. I cooked for myself, I ate by myself…with good dishes (and good wine) and really began to appreciate being “an independent woman”. I have done many things independently from living alone, to backpacking through Guatemala, to going to the movies. And I certainly appreciated each of those things. I was amazed when I met Matt how easily it was to enter a more “domestic” role after living so independently. I often wonder if I was fooling myself being happy as a single person. I continue to wonder if the most important ingredient in this life is love? And if so, does it need to be romantic love? Then there are also times, where I actually miss the quietness of my own kitchen, making a meal for one. Sure entertaining is great, but there is also a simple pleasure in caring for yourself. Being with one person is wonderful, but there are also bittersweet transitions, like an end to my meals for one, or changes in family holiday traditions, or total control of the remote control. However, not being in a relationship is also bittersweet. It is a continuous struggle for me personally to maintain by commitment to very feminist values while enjoying the very domestic tasks I love. Given all of that bitterness, I am all for blanching bitter stuff out of what I can! Enter, “broccoli di rape”.

2 Lb. Broccoli di Rape (or Broccoli Rabe)

Salt

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1/8 Tsp. Hot red pepper flakes

Place a Large Pot over High Heat. Arrange a bowl with water and ice. Trim the tough stalk from the broccoli di rape, and when water begins to simmer add salt and then broccoli. Blanch for 3 minutes, then place in ice bath.

Heat Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and hot pepper. When the garlic is golden drain the broccoli, squeeze out excess water, and add to the skillet. Lower the heat and cook for about ten minutes for crunchy broccoli and twenty for soft, add some water if necessary.

I didn’t get to take a picture of this, but trust me…it was phenomenal. I did not have ice, so I wound up doing a “cold water” bath, which was kind of silly since the water just warmed from the blanched broccoli. I also used a lot more garlic (like 12 cloves) and 2 Tbs. butter/2 Tbs. Olive oil. I cooked for 15 minutes and it was the perfect consistency…not too crunchy but not too soft. And, it was not bitter at all…now if we could only get the bitterness out of relationships…

Matthew and I have only been married for two years, which means we haven’t quite worked out all of our holiday kinks just yet. This Thanksgiving we decided to host a brunch with his parents (my in-laws) and to join my family for the dinner. I always get extremely anxious when preparing a meal for my in-laws. Okay, actually very anxious. I know that this anxiety is highly irriational, however I seem to think that the very food I decide to put on the table will establish my enduring love for their son. It is therefor obvious that everything must be perfect. This usually winds up with me obsessing over a menu for waaaayyyy more time than is necessary as well as a few tears and eventually me swearing I will never cook again (obviously an overdramatic lie, or else why would I be cooking the books). Using tried and true recipes has somewhat helped me abate this anxiety, kind of like a “no fail” technique. However, this year I decided on a brunch made of all recipes from Giulia’s book. It was a huge risk on my part, I was putting it out there that even if my recipe’s failed, I still adored my husband and was an awesome daughter-in-law (again irrational, I know).

I started with Nana’s Blueberry Muffins, largely because I liked the image of a Nana rolling yummy muffins through butter and sugar, but also because Kit to me was the safest boyfriend, and therefor these muffins felt safe.

Nana’s Blueberry Muffins:

Butter, softened, for greasing muffins tins

1 3/4 Cup self-rising flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup milk

6 Tablespoons melted butter

1 Egg

1 Cup Blueberries

1 Tbs Butter (Optional)

1/4 Cup Sugar (Optional)

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Butter the muffin tins. Mix flour and sugar, stir in the wet ingredients, then add the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling each cup 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15-20 minutes, cool for ten minutes, and put on a cooling rack. While the muffins are still warm, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and place in a saucer. Put the 1/4 C. sugar in a separate saucer. Dip the muffins into the butter than roll in the sugar. (This step is optional, but highly recommended by Giulia…and me)

I used frozen blueberries and I sifted the flour. The muffins resembled a scone and dipped in the sugar were absolutely delectable. I was not sure how these would come out because the dough seemed a bit tough to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed them. Matt ate them the day after Thanksgiving and RAVED about them. He also commented that they were a bit more scone-ish. This may have been due to my sifting of the flour.

After the Blueberry Muffins, I decided to try my luck with “Morning After Pumpkin Bread”. This one was during Ethan, who was my personal favorite…after all who doesn’t love a little committment phobe every now and then? As Ethan was attractive to Giulia in his uncommitting ways, so is pumpkin to me. Pumpkin and me usually do not get along. My pies usually spill over, my scones have been undercooked, and pumpking bread…is usually a big ol fail that ends in Matt advising me to stick with cooking pasta. But with Ethan and Giulia I decided to give it a go….and it was a HUGE success. My Mother-In-Law could not stop raving about how good it was at breakfast, and she is a pretty finicky eater. Here is the recipe:

Morning After Pumkin Bread:

1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 Cup Canned Pumpkin

1 1/2 Cup Self-rising flour

1/2 Teaspoon each: cloves, cinnamon, ginger

1/2 Cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch loaf pan. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended, then add eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour with spices in another bowl, add pumpkin mixture, mix in walnuts, and pour into buttered pan. Bake until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour t10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then use knife to release edges and flip onto cooling rack to cool completely.

My Variations: okay, so I did not have ginger…which I replaced with 1/4 Teaspoon each, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. I also doubled the recipe and made a second loaf with dried cranberries and walnuts…which was awesomeness defined.

Finally, I decided to throw in a semi-healthy baked good. This one is the only one I did not like, nor did anyone else I think (it was the only item left). I think it may have been my fault however. Perhaps it was my unconscious aggression towards healthy muffins (which should obviously not be healthy). I also DESPISED Lachlan, which is where these bad boys popped up, so it could be that too.

Welcome Back to the Big Apple Muffins

Butter, softened, for greasing muffin tins

2 Cups whole wheat flour (If I do these again I would use whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. cinnamon

1/2 Cup butter (1 stick), melted

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (this is where I think I went wrong, I used a food processor (bc im lazy), and they got more, shredded, than chopped. I also only had granny smiths, and I think a gala or rome apple would have been better!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, grease a 12 cup muffin pan. In one large bowl, mix all dry ingredients, in another, mix all the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix with a spoon by hand until just combined, then fold in the chopped apples. Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake for twenty minutes, cool for ten minutes.

All in All it was a great Brunch and a Fabulous Start of the day…which continued with more cooking and more food, and of course, more Giulia!

]]> http://cookingthebooks.cupcakerehab.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-with-giulia-part-i/feed/ 2 http://cookingthebooks.cupcakerehab.com/2009/11/some-am-reading-notes/ http://cookingthebooks.cupcakerehab.com/2009/11/some-am-reading-notes/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:41:12 +0000 Gina http://cookingthebooks.cupcakerehab.com/?p=163 Well the A train was moving exceptionally slow today, and for once I was not upset because I got to read a hella lot of Giulia (whom I may have developed a girl crush on). I feel like we would be friends if we ever met. First the is the whole all girl catholic school thing…nuff said. Then I also went to a college with an insane girl to guy ratio (great for the guys, not so much for me spreading my wings). Some of her stories post college were so similar to my own life. Obviously, this being a blog of all things culinary and literary, her incorporation of her recipes into the literature was hilarious and I thought very well timed. I loved the inclusion of the Pastina recipe. My mother also made pastina (sans egg however, so I am curious to try this one) whenever we were sick. Which, is actually quite counter-intuitive, I mean butter and cheese and baby pasta post puking? But it worked! I was also very excited to find a Pumpkin Bread recipe mixed in with Ethan! I needed a brunch bread recipe for my in laws and I think this will be it!

Expect to see more in the future, we’re just getting started setting things up right now. So if you’re visiting for the first time, hi- there’s not much to see yet. But check back soon for a full introduction and more content, including our ‘About‘ page which will tell you more about not only the site and what we want to accomplish, but each of us ourselves: Me, Gina, Jeanine and Brianne.