Category: Dessert

Summertime Strawberry Shortcake

Posted by foodess on Fri 10th of Jul, 2009 08:06:51 PM

It’s Summer! It’s Summer! And I’m still here! Except now my brain is in a beachy-happy-place instead of in a library cubicle, my nose deeply planted in an Agatha Christie mystery instead of in a Nutrition and Disease textbook. Hooray! Although sunkissed and befreckled, I’m also a little shame-faced about my total, unexplained hiatus from the blogosphere… It is amazing how fast a week turns into two, turns into three, turns into several. Do you want the Coles Notes version? Okay, here goes:

Mid to late April: Exams! Last ones ever!! Eek! This gives me a strange happy-sad-frightened feeling.

Early May: MEXICO!! Girls getaway. All-inclusive. Endless beaches. Endless tequila. A trip we affectionately refer to as “Swine Oh-Nine”. (But don’t worry, *oink*, no symptoms, *oink*).

May, immediately post Swine-09: Full-time summer course + lots of visiting family = a bustling, happy house… and a very busy (but happy!) Jenn.

Beginning of June - present: Happiness, in the form of: a sister, a bouncy dog, endless sunshine, a whole lotta ice cream, buckets of Corona, a secret beach, a bicycle, a bikini (or ten), strawberries, and freedom.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Posted by foodess on Tue 21st of Apr, 2009 09:49:19 AM

Sigh. I am so conflicted this time of year with the simultaneous arrival of both exam period, and some of the sweetest parts of Spring. Cherry blossoms, warm summery breezes, the appearance of rhubarb at the market… these things do nothing for my already challenged attention span.

But life’s about balance, right? So I am taking lots of study breaks: strolling with Oliver through the streets lined with cherry trees snowing their blossoms onto the cars parked beneath them; running on the beach at low tide to capture a few moments of warm, salty air; ransacking the market on my walk home from the 24-hour coffee house (thus continuing the walk home with 30 pounds of books on my back, and 5 pounds of rhubarb under each arm); and then baking the afore-mentioned rhubarb into a delicious, summery pie.
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Papers, Presentations, Projects and Preparation…

Posted by foodess on Sun 5th of Apr, 2009 08:32:42 PM

The library - that’s where I’m at. I am up to my neck in assignments for school, and although I would love to write about delicious things instead, I have been living off of salads and sushi. And I think both are are quite delicious in their own right, neither come with recipes for sharing, nor do they evoke exciting descriptions.

So, I decided to share with you my favorite blogs so you can nibble your way over there and get your fill, while I am missing in action. I wake up an extra half-hour early so that I can keep up with my blog-drooling. Here’s a taste of what is currently making me salivate on my keyboard. I’m sure you already know some of them, but maybe there’s a new gem in there for you to discover!

Joy the Baker
101 Cookbooks
King Arthur Flour Blog
Closet Cooking by Kevin
A Dash of Sass
The Food Geek
Not Without Salt
Use Real Butter
Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Creampuffs in Venice
Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy

I’ll be back soon, with yummy things like Lamb Popsicles in Tamarind Cream Curry. I promise! In the meantime, follow up real-time updates on twitter.
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Spiced Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

Posted by foodess on Wed 18th of Mar, 2009 09:07:54 PM

Happy belated Saint Patrick’s day!

To celebrate the Irish-ness, here’s a pic of my gorgeous Irish Setter.

I think he is my lucky charm. There must have been luck involved in helping these cupcakes turn out as yummy as they did. Not only did I fly by the seat of my pants in with the recipe, but I did so at one o’clock in the morning, after a long day of classes, in a goat curry-induced food coma and after several glasses of wine.

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Butternut Squash and Mascarpone Ravioli with Hazelnut Brown Butter

Posted by foodess on Sun 15th of Mar, 2009 10:02:23 PM

Mother nature is having a no-holds-barred temper tantrum outside my apartment. The rain is pelting down so hard that the windows are trembling in their frames. And the wind is thrashing so violently that it sounds like there’s a tornado brewing in our chimney. Hence the need for a dinner that doubles as a warm hug. Enter brown butter drizzled over homemade squash ravioli.

Butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables. Mashed, I love its thick, starchy texture - it is sweet, subtle, creamy and comforting. I equally love it cubed and roasted, then tossed with goat cheese in a pasta. Or pureed with a touch of cream to make a simple and delicious soup. Not to mention its starring role in baked goods like muffins. Also, a butternut squash packs a lot more flesh than other squash varieties due to its shape. It has only a small cavity with seeds in the knob at the base, and the entire length is solid and edible. In need of a comfort food to take the chill out of the howling wind, I opted for roasting a squash as a filling for chewy, homemade pasta.
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