Celebrating My Blogiversary & A Week late

When I began blogging a year ago I couldn't have imagined all the ways it would change and enrich my life. I started, like a lot of people, because I thought it would be fun to chart and share my experiences in cooking and navigating through the world as I was entering a new stage in my life where rebirth was the theme.

What surprised me was not so much the awakening of old passions, but the discovery of new ones. New friends. New ideas. New challenges. In many ways, a whole new life altogether. Though currently pregnancy with my first child and greatest blessing has temporarily slowed my contribution to the blogging community significantly, this is still my home online; The place I'll come back to when I resume cooking, when I've gone some place new, when My Pot Garden is sprouting, to share big news and, most importantly, to be a part of your journey too.

Expecting a baby boy this July on my 32nd birthday and moving to Paris, France shortly thereafter means there's yet so much to be lived and to be blogged about. Thank you to all my friends for the kindness and support you've shown me throughout this most magical year. I couldn't have done it without you.


My year in Milk, Sugar, Love...

Soft Pretzels





















My very first endeavor in working with yeast and dough, Soft Pretzels were an instant hit that got better and better with practice. Baked with a brushing of butter and covered in mustard, eating one transports me to sunny days, late 1980's with my Gram on the Boston Common with a cup of lemonade and pretzel from the cart in front of Park St. station or front row seats at Fenway Park every time!

Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake (with chocolate buttercream frosting)
















Hands down my favorite Chocolate Fudge Cake. Rich, so incredibly moist, with the addition of a cup of hot coffee you can't taste but adds an unmistakable layer of complexity--This is my bliss!

Caribbean Chicken Salad
















When it comes to cooking, there's probably nothing more satisfying to me than re-creating dishes and foods from restaurants and grocery stores at home in your own kitchen. Sweet and savory Caribbean Chicken Salad, re-created from a suspect in the chain restaurant Chili's lineup, had me going back for seconds sans the questionable ingredients and guilt.

Carrot Pineapple Cake
















Last July on my 31st birthday I had my Carrot Pineapple Cake and ate it too. Never being a big fan of it before, I decided to expand my horizons and give it another go. Something I've learned to do since blogging...try new things. Consider me converted! Moist, sweet, subtly spicy with surprise pieces of juicy pineapple and luscious vanilla cream cheese frosting--this is worthy of celebrating any occasion.

Watermelon Vodka Sorbet
















The dog days of summer hit hard this past August, but Watermelon Vodka Sorbet brought welcomed relief to my burning heart. After an agonizing wait for it to harden in the freezer, I gained a whole new appreciation for my favorite summer fruit.

Coffee Cannoli Ice Cream





















I giggle a little whenever I think about Coffee Ricotta Ice Cream because that's where I got the (not so) brilliant idea to attempt making waffle cones using tape and parchment paper sans a waffle cone maker. Needless to say, that was a miserable failure. But the delicious ice cream, perfectly impressive on its own in a bowl, left me missing nothing!

Corn and Two Bean Salad
















Summer in a bowl, Corn and Two bean Salad is no short of a fiesta for your mouth. This confluence of vibrant, summer flavors was love at first bite.

Homemade Feta Cheese
















My proudest cooking achievement to date, Feta Cheese took two attempts to succeed, but to try, try again taught me lessons I'll keep for a lifetime. Learning to trust my instincts yielded me the creamiest, freshest most delicious cheese I've ever had. And underscored the case for hard-work over convenience.

Tomato Feta Pasta Salad
















Maybe my most gratifying of all the things I've made. Enjoying the fruits of your labor is one of the many rewards for time and effort. Using home grown basil, parsley, yellow cherry tomatoes and homemade feta in Ina's Tomato-Feta Pasta Salad added an extra note of satisfaction to this seasonal delight.

Lemon Lavender Sables
















One of my birthday presents last year was a ticket to see Cirque Du Soleil's 'Ovo'. I wanted to savor the feeling of living out one of my dreams for the first time with something special. I used lavender from my pot garden to create these buttery 'ovo' (egg) & butterfly shaped Lemon-Lavender Sables. Which perfumed my home with the most divine scent that will linger in my heart along with the great memories of the show.

Peach Berry Pie





















The second of four pies I've made in my lifetime, Peach Berry Pie will always hold a special place in my heart for giving me confidence and teaching me that the elusive flaky pie crust was a lot easier to attain than we've all been taught. Served with homemade vanilla ice cream, this was one sweet send-off to summer.

The Breads: Harvest Squash Bread





















Honey Oatmeal Wheat Bread (with)Homemade Raspberry Jam)
















Harvest Squash Bread for its dense, chewy rustic richness for which I savored dipped into Red Lentil Soup and then again with chunky peanut butter and jam slathered in between. Honey Oatmeal Bread, so sweet and soft. Heavenly covered in Homemade Raspberry Jam or turned into a turkey sandwich to end all turkey sandwiches.

Red Lentil Soup
















Simple. Warming. Healthful. No need to wax poetic when something like Red Lentil Soup features only a few delicious ingredients, takes twenty minutes and refuses to boast herself. Add spoon, rustic bread and enjoy.

Cheese Stuffed Crust Veggie Pizza




















With endless possibilities and, in this case, lots of cheese melted over chewy bread stuffed with more cheese, Pizza has got to be my favorite food EVER! I find something new, I fall in love, but it's Pizza I always come back to.


Bonus: Vanilla Extract
















File this under the 'Why did I think of that before?' category. When I began blogging I started baking a lot more and thus found myself going through bottles and bottles of Vanilla Extract. Since I came across the über simple make-it-yourself version, made it and, after a month, got to taste how pure and rich it was, this is the only vanilla I use.

Cirque Du Soleil & Lemon Lavender Sables

Last Saturday, I know, I know--a whole week ago! I finally had the opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams and see a performance by Cirque Du Soleil. I was thrilled when I found out they would finally be coming to Boston. In the months leading up to my birthday, I dropped some not-so-subtle hints to Daph about how much I wanted to see the show, something he already knew. But this show in particular, 'Ovo',' which means 'Egg' in Portuguese. The story is told through the eyes of insects. The premise of the story revolved around the search for this 'Ovo', and the love story between two bugs.

I've long been fascinated by a bugs life, and creatures too small too matter in any significant way until you're bitten or find yourself swatting at one that's buzzing around your head. If you read my birthday post, you already know that Daph got me a ticket to the show for my birthday.

As this was my first Cirque Du Soleil experience, I haven't any other of their shows to compare it to. I loved it. Despite being there alone on, what was apparently "couple's night", I was very close to the stage, so it was easy to get caught up in the magic. One of my favorite things is how interactive the show was.
From the moment we entered the big top we were greeted by men wearing bee keeper uniforms who searched us all for bugs. Throughout the show different cast members would come into the audience which made you feel a part of the show. I laughed out loud. I was drawn in by the acrobats, synchronized balancing performances, costumes and, what could only be described as, a gravity defying use of bodies.
A headstand on the seat of a unicycle while riding back and forth on a rope suspended in the air, Really? Wow!

Being part Portuguese but growing up in an English speaking home, I also had a special appreciation for the music, which was all sung with a live band playing background, in Portuguese.

During intermission we were treated to a 10-minute fireworks display that was pretty spectacular. But I always find fireworks spectacular. Not sure if that display is something that takes place often over Boston's New Waterfront or not. Nonetheless, I really appreciated it.
At the end of the show all of the cast members came out onto the stage to sing, dance and take their bow. Everyone cheered the masterful performances while gold and orange butterflies rained down on the stage and first few rows of the audience.









































With my handwritten directions from google maps to guide me, I headed down Seaport Blvd., over the bridge, by foot.
















In the distance I spot what appears to be a blue and yellow big top. Cirque was set up to look and feel like a traditional circus.
















Finally! Running a few minutes late, so no interior shots, but I made it.
















*This recipe is essentially Joy the Baker's Citrus Sables which I've blogged about Before. I adapted the recipe by omitting the lime, doubling the lemon, adding extract and lavender (flowers, buds and sugar).



















Lemon Lavender Sables (Suh-Bleez)

Recipe courtesy and Adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted before measuring
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-2 Teaspoon(s) culinary lavender (dried is fine)

Zest of 1-2 lemons, Two teaspoons
1 teaspoon lemon extract


To Finish:

Dust cookies with confectioner's sugar (Powdered sugar)

Directions:

1. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment or hand mixer, add butter to bowl and mix on medium speed until light and creamy. In small bowl, add sugar and, using your fingertips, rub lemon zest into sugar. Pour granulated sugar and sifted confectioner's sugar, salt and lemon extract to bowl with creamed butter, mix on medium speed until until smooth and satiny, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and mix in egg yolks one at a time, mix until blended.

2. Turn mixer off, In medium bowl, add lavender and flour, mix with fork, Add flour to bowl with creamed butter and other ingredients. You may want to partially cover bowl with clean dish towel before proceeding to next step. Once flour is added, pulse mixer five times on low speed for 1 to 2 seconds. Remove towel. If flour remains that has not incorporated, stir to incorporate for about 30 more seconds. You want the dough to be moist throughout, and soft, but remain clumpy.

3. Lay plastic wrap over clean, flat surface. Scrape dough out of bowl onto work surface. Gently work dough into ball, If making shapes with cookie cutters form dough into ball and flatten, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready. If slicing round shape cookies form dough into ball then cut into two equal parts. Shape each divided half into log shape. Wrap both logs individually, using two separate pieces of plastic and place in refrigerator to chill for no less than two hours. Dough can be stored in refrigerator for 3 days or kept frozen for 2 months.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees For Cookie Cutter Shapes OR, 350 degrees For Round Shape. Use parchment paper to line baking sheet.

5. For cookie cutter cookies: Remove ball of dough from refrigerator and unwrap plastic. Place dough onto wax paper. Roll out ball of dough to between 1/2 & 1/3 thickness, cut out shapes using cookie cutters.For round shape cookies: If edges of log are not smooth, trim off so log if uniform in size and shape from end to end. Slice cookies to 1/3 inch thickness.

6. Leaving an inch of space between each cookie, place cookies on baking sheet and bake for Cookie Cutter Shapes, 10-13 minutes OR for Round Cookies, 17 to 20 minutes. Turn baking sheet around halfway through baking. Once baked, cookies will be light golden brown around edges, even lighter on top and golden brown on the bottom. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before using metal spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack.
Once baking sheet has cooled completely repeat same process with second log of dough if using now.

7. If dusting cookies with confectioner's sugar, allow cookies to cool completely. Place cooled cookies on wax or parchment paper and lightly sift with confectioner's sugar.























Butterfly and Ovo shaped cookies cooled and ready to be shared.

Self Said & Corn and Black Bean Salad

On Sunday, Coming back from the grocery store, I enter my home through the back door (which is the kitchen), My grandmother practically rushes to greet me and I notice she's wearing a sheepish grin. Without being prompted, she proceeds to tell me that while I was gone she came into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door to get some bean salad. She told me she said to herself: "Self, Terri(anne) wouldn't like you not leaving any for her." So, she closes the refrigerator door and walks away. She tells me that after a second conversation with herself 30 minutes later, which went something like: "Self, Terri(anne) is always complaining about you not eating healthy or getting enough protein, so I think she'd want you to eat the bean salad," She returned to the kitchen to get a bowl of the salad for dinner. She was quite proud of herself as she was telling me how she finished nearly all of it. "Self made me do it," She insisted. In truth, I was happy my grandmother (and Self), who is adverse to trying anything new and rarely eats salubriously, loved the salad so much.
For dinner, I also prepared myself a bowl of what little was left. As I was walking by my grandmother with the bowl of salad, she yells at me: "DID SELF SAY YOU COULD HAVE THAT?!"

She was also kind enough to relay a message where 'Self instructed me to buy all the ingredients I need to make this again when I go to the store this week.' Self is bossy. Hopefully she'll share better next time.

This was delicious! Just ask Self.

Corn and Black Bean Salad with Basil- Lime Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy and Adapted from Giada De Lauretiis

Ingredients Salad:

2 ears fresh corn or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 &3/4 Cup Black beans, prepared, Or (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 & 3/4 Cup Garbanzo beans, prepared, Or (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used a mixture of Sweet and Thai basil)

If starting with raw beans, salt the beans before preparing the salad.

It's more work, but I always start with raw beans.



















" Vinaigrette:

*Note: The original recipe called for adding the basil to the vinaigrette, but I thought it would be easier just to add it in with the salad.

2 limes, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper



















Directions For the salad:

Indoor Method: Place skillet pan over medium heat. Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Remove silks and husks from fresh corn. Remove corn kernels from cob and add to heated pan. Saute for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.


Outdoor Method: Preheat outdoor grill. Peel down, but do not remove corn husks. Pull off silks and discard. Return corn husks to cover corn. Add prepared corn to a large bowl of cold water to soak for 30 minutes. Remove corn from water, shake to remove excess water or pat dry with clean towel. Grill corn for 10-15 minutes. Remove corn from grill and allow to cool. Remove husks and, using a sharp knife, hold corn upright and cut down to remove corn from cob.

In large bowl, add garbanzo beans, black beans, corn kernels, red bell pepper, mango, red onion, jalapeno and scatter basil over top.



















" For the vinaigrette:

In a small bowl, add zest and juice of lime, balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic, and cumin. Whisk while slowly incorporating the oil until mixture thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add vinegar over-top of bean salad and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Mix again before serving.

Heat Wave & Strawberry-Mango Ginger Sorbet

You know it's been scorching hot when 90 degrees feels relatively cool in comparison to the days prior. Yesterday, considering the heat index, our temperature surpassed 100 degrees here in Boston. I've lived through 126 degree summer's in Phoenix, Arizona, but even that was more pleasant than the kind of oppressive heat that swelters over a Northeastern city during a heat wave in July.
Fortunately, the streak is showing signs of breaking. As I sit here now, I'm nearly overcome by an 80 degree breeze and the intoxicating smell of the beach. Never has dusk seemed a more exciting occasion to me. At least, not in recent memory.

We are officially in the throes of summer; Straw fedora's, clear blue skies, cool sunglasses, bright pink converse, and my 31st birthday just weeks away. Cel-e-brate good times, come on!

Over the 4th of July weekend I made Strawberry-Mango Ginger Sorbet, which was just about the most perfect celebration of summer in a bowl I've ever had. I use the word 'was' because it didn't take very long for me to gobble it all up. The pictures don't do it nearly the justice it deserves and I apologize for that. As the sorbet was melting so quickly, I rushed. Please don't let that deter you from making the only way I'll ever eat a mango again if I truly want to enjoy it!


NO ICE CREAM MAKER NECESSARY!

Strawberry-Mango Ginger Sorbet

5 Ounces Fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced
2 large Mangoes, peeled and removed from seed
1 cup fresh strawberries, roughly chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/4 Cup Water Plus Just Under 1/4 cup Water for crystallized ginger
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*Crystallized ginger for garnish. Reserve the syrup from the crystallized ginger to sweeten sorbet.

Note: To give your ice cream a smoother texture reduce sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and replace with 1/4 cup light corn syrup. Add corn syrup when adding lemon juice.

To Make Crystallized Ginger:

















1. Peel ginger. Using Mandolin or sharp knife, carefully slice pieces of ginger 1/8 of an inch thick until you have 5 ounces.

2. Toss ginger in a small bowl with 3/4 cup granulated sugar, using your hands if necessary to make sure ginger is completely coated.

3. In large heavy bottom sauce pan, heat just under 1/4 cup water and sugared ginger slices, reserving remaining sugar in bowl. Bring water in pan and ginger slices to very slow simmer.

4. Over low heat, stir ginger occasionally for 1 and 1/2 hours, until ginger becomes translucent and sugar crystallizes around edges of pan.

5. Transfer ginger slices to wire rack to cool. About ten minutes.

6. Once ginger slices have cooled, over parchment paper, toss slices of ginger in 1/8cup sugar until completely coated.

7. Cover ginger in air-tight container and refrigerate.

















To Make Sorbet:




















To warm ginger syrup, add in remaining granulated sugar plus 1 cup of water, stir until dissolved. Turn off and remove pan from heat.

In blender, blend together strawberries and mangoes. If desired, strain liquefied strawberries and mangoes to remove any pieces that might be remaining. I did not. Pour liquefied strawberry-mango mixture into pan with sugar and water mixture, stir until dissolved. Add in lemon juice, stir. Taste for sweetness. If too sweet, add another 1/4 cup water.

If using ice cream maker, transer liquid to bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate mixture until cold. When mixture is cold pour in ice cream maker and process as machine directs. If not using ice cream maker, transfer liquid to freezer safe bowl, cover and freeze. Break ice crystals by stirring freezing mixture every hour until frozen.
Serve with candied ginger.