Tag Archives: Food

foodie friday: turkey // eats

9 November 2012

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turkeyeats

One of the greatest parts of travel is the food, and I can easily find myself snacking waaay too often while on vacation. I’d say that Turkey was no exception, except that we were almost too busy to indulge in the greatness. I said almost. I personally had plenty of my favorite food groups, cheese and bread. And every now and then, I managed to squeeze in a vegetable, some fruit, baklava and one night, we worked in the greatest Indian food that I have ever had and I forgot to take a picture of said meal. The spices were unreal.

spice market, istanbul spice market, istanbul figs, sirince

All of the elements, the spices and the fruits and veggies, were amazing to see. The prepared meals and meze were just as wonderful. And nothing could top the adorable Turkish man on Heybeliada who pulled us over to the glass counter filled with pyrex dishes as he held his list of the meze options in English. He would point to an item, say the word, and point to the English word on the page while saying it aloud. My personal favorite was him pointing to an item, looking confused and then going with aubergine, everything else was a spot on translation, so we with it, because the french (and foodie) side of Ann and my brain clearly got that it was an eggplant dish.

sirince heybeliada, prince islands

Also, if you don’t love tea…prepare a great response ahead of time, because people are going to offer to give you a lot of tea.

istanbul

Next in the Turkey adventure, let’s get on a plane and see something great!

oh happy day

15 August 2012

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I love Julia Child.

So when a coworker sent me the above from PBS Digital Studios, I may have re-watched it repeatedly. Cause, well, it’s amazing and I, as a little person, watched Julia on PBS with Jacques Pepin…my intro to the food world. So Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child! You did more for the food world than anyone even thought possible.

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude” — Julia Child

must make || haloumi cheese

12 June 2012

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haloumicheese608

There is a day when you wake up and you think, oh my gosh I need a better blog structure. And then you hit a road block. That is kinda the way it’s been in the Kitchen of Throwing Cake. My creative brain went on sabbatical without telling me. So, to coax it back I give you (what I hope to be a regular feature), my current favorite recipe from the internets.

Haloumi Cheese.

So yummy, so Greek, and so perfect as a snack pre-summer BBQ. You can serve it on thinly sliced bread or pita (which can also go on the grill) and then sprinkle it with either dill or oregano. So simple, and so impressive. Adding this onto my giant “must make” list.

Grilled Haloumi Cheese & Lemon
From Melissa Roberts  c/o Gourmet Magazine, June 2007

2 lemons
1/2 lb Haloumi cheese
1 large garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (3/4-inch-thick) slices peasant or country-style bread
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over moderately high heat.

Cut 8 thin slices from lemons, then squeeze enough juice from remainder to measure 2 tablespoons and put in a bowl.

Halve cheese diagonally, then cut each triangle, cut side down, into 1/3-inch-thick slices.

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using side of a large heavy knife, then add to lemon juice. Whisk in salt and sugar until dissolved, then add 1/4 cup oil, whisking until combined.

Separately toss lemon slices and cheese each with 1/2 tablespoon dressing.

Brush both sides of bread with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Grill bread, cheese, and lemon slices on grill rack, covered, turning over once (use a metal spatula to scrape under cheese to loosen before turning), until bread is toasted (2 to 3 minutes total), grill marks appear on cheese (3 to 4 minutes total), and lemons begin to wilt (4 to 6 minutes total).

Whisk dill into remaining dressing. Divide bread among 4 small plates and top with cheese and lemon slices. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

COOKS’ NOTE: If you aren’t able to grill outdoors, bread, lemon, and cheese can be cooked in a hot oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderate heat.

Photograph: Romulo Yanes

foodie friday: ancho honey butter

13 April 2012

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For those in NYC and DC, you get the great joy of Hill Country BBQ, a texas style bbq restaurant that makes even the Texans in the area happy. I love it and most things about it (sorry world, I just can’t do collards). And one thing I dream about is their ancho honey butter. It is the sole reason I get the cornbread.

So when the urge hit me to make it, away I went.

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Ten minutes out of your day, and people will be super impressed that you made “fancy butter” as we decided to call it.

Ancho-Honey Butter
Elizabeth Karmel care of the Huff Post
10 mins total | 5 mins prep

Ingredients
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
zest of an orange
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (each cup is 2 sticks or 1/2 a pound)
1 tablespoon ground dried ancho chile peppers
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
In a stand mixer, or handheld mixer, combine orange juice and about one-half of the butter and beat until smooth.

Add the remaining butter and mix until smooth. Add the orange zest, cinnamon, coriander, honey and fleur de sel and beat until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Transfer to a small bowl or molds and set aside at room temperature.

featured on The Goods!

12 April 2012

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Every now and then all you want is a hearty salad. And in my household, that comes in the form of the warm steak salad. It is a thing of legend, and in all honestly, it changes a wee bit every time I make it.

So when I was asked to create a salad recipe to showcase one of uncommongoods newest serving items, a wheelbarrow, I knew it was time to perfect the warm, hearty salad that I’ve been improvising on for years. And so I went for it, and the end result was pretty amazing. It can be served sans meet (as the recipe states) or feel free to serve with grilled steak, chicken or salmon. You can even add in a few other veggie options (broccoli, peppers, etc) as your heart desires.

More then that, it was really fun to photograph.

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You can find my debut/recipe on The Goods at blog.uncommongoods.com

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foodie friday: ricotta cheese

2 March 2012

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In my great attempts to emulate both Little House on the Prairie and every cooking blog alive, I decided to make my own ricotta cheese (because going to the grocery store sounded difficult). But to answer all the questions of “is it really that different?” the answer is yes. I’m now obsessed. It it smooth and creamy and wonderful. And it also went really well on toast with my strawberry jam. Success.

Homemade Ricotta
from Jennie Perillo care of Food52

Makes 2 cups
4 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Add the ingredients to a 4-quart pot. Bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a sieve or fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl or pot.

Once the curds begin to separate from the whey (you’ll see little specks of white bob to the surface), stir gently and set heat to the lowest setting (see NOTE). Cook for 2 more minutes, then remove pot from heat and set on an unlit back burner for at least 30 minutes, and up to one hour. (this will help the curds further develop).

Gently ladle the curds into the cheesecloth-lined strainer (this helps produce a fluffier, creamier curd, than pouring it into the strainer). When all the curds have been spooned into the bowl, pull the cheesecloth up the sides to loosely cover the ricotta in the strainer.

Let sit for 10 minutes to drain (this will yield a very moist ricotta. If using for a cake recipe, you may want to let it drain longer for a drier consistency).

Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

NOTE from Jennie: After making one to two pots of ricotta for a year, I’ve learned it likes to be left alone to produce the highest yield, so resist the temptation to stir it frequently once the curds begin to separate from the whey. One stir is enough, and if you’re curious, you can dip the spoon in the pot once or twice to see how the curds are developing.

wedding wednesday: brunch, anyone?

23 November 2011

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This wedding caught my eye because of the awesome location, a great looking couple and well, a long table.

I stayed on it, because of the menu. Brunch food, anyone?

When I first saw it, I thought it was a brunch wedding (which is an amazing idea that Dawn talks about on a regular basis). But actually, it’s a breakfast for dinner wedding. I love the unique food ideas, and have plenty of other interesting event food posts in my head. But I’m curious…

…what is the most unique food that you’ve had at an event/wedding?

final day.

30 November 2009

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The final day of NaBloMoPo is today!

It’s been an insane month and as I read back on the last month I feel like I’m reading through an insane person’s rantings, either that or it’s great for my future memoirs. And with this I think about that memoir is going to rock, especially when I can bring up stories and thoughts that I could never write about for reasons that, well, I wouldn’t actually blog about.

And to wrap up the month….a montage of food photos from the last month:

Last but not least, there was a lemonade stand run by a little boy (who was about three) and his dad. It was the most adorable thing ever, and someone had given the little boy a one-million dollar bill and whoa was he proud of it. So needless to say, I needed to stop and take a picture of the darling lemonade stand on an amazing November day.

 

Gourmet, I always forget the U

12 June 2009

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I love you Gourmet Magazine (I mean not as much as I love Bon Appetit and Cuisine at Home), but I love you nonetheless and I apologize for always spelling your name wrong.

My love for Gourmet magazine has grown with the new “all I read is foodie books and articles” mood that I’ve been in. And what was the one reason I used to ignore Gourmet, too many articles (I mean so much text). And now my Firefox browser window is full of tabs anf tabs of food articles. Tributes to all things good and wonderful. And when it comes down to it, reading Ruth Riechl’s book Garlic and Sapphires helped a lot too.

First article of the moment: The Gross Food Movement. A few months back the Bacon Explosion took the nation by storm, and I loved being on the early end of discovery. One friends BBQ love lead to me sending it to my friends and family, and next thing I knew the ridiculous thing was on every morning show imaginable. (Be prepared for the new bacon item: the Bacone). Needless to say, the popularity of the Bacon Explosion has helped to continue, and even develop, a never-ending cycle of gross food (generally deep fried and involving bacon) which is noted in the popularity of the blog “This is why you’re fat.” But needless to say the article tickled my funny bone, and my I want to deep-fry something bone. This is a problem.

**An After Originally Published Note: Baconnaise. Yes. It’s a Real Thing.

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Second article: The Cookie Table. The fact that I always need to start these explainations with, “I swear I’m not that girl that has had my wedding planned out in my mind” is well, a problem. But a true problem so it’s fine. Apparently cookie tables are the up and coming wedding item. (Anyone else find the jump from bacon to cookies a tad odd? Moving on). Cookies are popular and were used when people couldn’t afford a wedding cake. I want a cookie table, the wedding cake is staying too. There is just something in my cookie baking personality that is like, all of my friends and family can contribute to this elaborate table of cookies and cake stands to hold the cookies. Why it’s more then a girl with a cookie and cake stand obsession can handle. (Let’s place that last line on the “why I’m single” list. Moving on). But as I heard about this concept about a month ago, I was really excited to see the story about it’s history and the cookie table potential, it made my “I’m not planning my wedding” day.

And I’d really like for someone to take one for the team and get married so I can plan a cookie table. Thanks.

a stolen post from myself

11 June 2009

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Before I even begin, I’m going to admit to cheating. Some friends and I have decided to start a food only blog pertaining to recipes we make, food articles we read, and restaurants we go to. And I was in charge of the last restaurant post, since I picked the location. But I love the photos enough that I’m sharing a condensed version. So without further ado:

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I was born and raised in Southern California. I love anything that comes in a tortilla, but only good tortillas, not processed ones.

My next door neighbor was El Savadorian and made amazing food. In the six blocks between my house and my ballet studio was what I have come to refer to as the Best Taco stand this side of the Mexican Border. There, the tacos were a little piece of heaven. Perfect carne asada (steak, finely chopped), onions, cilanto, queso and salsa that could sear off taste buds. And for a dollar a piece, it wasn’t unheard of for me to polish off four of them before a ballet rehearsal (let me tell you, I was willing to endure the inevitable pain that would come from the combo of wicked hot salsa and six hours en point). On special occisions, you spent a little more a bought a fish taco…batter fish, the ever classic “white sauce,” cabbage, tomatos and again, salsa hot enough to kill.

And let me tell you, when you move to to the district…after six years inside the district border, my lord do you start to crave a taco something fierce. And lately, it was the fish taco that has overwhelmed my mind. So, I have begun my search to find the best fish taco and more then anything, I’m attempting my amateur restaurant criticness for a new food blog project with friends.

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