I Can't Spell Focaccia

According to Wikipedia, focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients. Like awesomeness.

You all know I like food. Good food. And this is it, my friends.

I can hear your protests, because they used to be mine:

"I can't bake bread--anything containing yeast is too tricky."

"Homemade bread is too time-consuming."

"My bread-making attempts don't come out right."

Those days are g-o-n-e. (If you have a mixer with a dough hook.)

This recipe comes from this book from Williams Sonoma: "Family Meals" by Maria Helm Sinskey.

(Am I allowed to share your recipe, Maria? I sure hope so...I have slightly changed the wording in the instructions in the interest of personalization, and I'll hope that keeps me safe!)

I have the great fortune of living in the near proximity of a Williams Sonoma Outlet, where I purchased this book for 60% off. Na na na boo boo. It's worth the full price in my opinion, though.

So without further ado, here's the first recipe I tried and continue to make over and over due to the fact that it tastes like the "comfort food" section of Heaven. I promise that if you follow the directions (and are friends with your oven), you will have guaranteed success. It is only time-consuming in the sense that it's a lot of start & stop. But if you'll be home for most of the day, give it a whirl--you'll find it's super easy to make!

Fresh Rosemary Focaccia

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (105 degrees F/40 degrees C) *

1 tsp sugar

4 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more if needed

2 tsp kosher salt **

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt ***

* The temperature given here is the golden ticket. I use a stovetop thermometer stuck under the faucet to show me it's at 105, and then I fill up my measuring cup. Instant success!

** In my opinion, iodized table salt should be banished from planet Earth. Just needed to say that.

*** You might be tempted to use kosher salt in place of sea salt. Don't.

Instructions:

Part One: Yeasty Substance

Wait time after completed: 15 min

This is the trickiest part, which is not at all difficult!

In a small bowl (I use glass), sprinkle the yeast of 1/2 cup of the water. Wait a few minutes (until the yeast "blooms" or starts looking bubbly/creamy), then whisk until smooth. Whisk in sugar, then 1/2 cup of flour until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm spot (I put mine on top of my stovetop/oven) until the mixture bubbles, about 15 minutes.

Part Two: The Mixer

Wait time after completed: 2 hours

In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together the remaining flour and salt & make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour well, and then pour in the remaining water and 1/2 cup of the EVOO. With your dough hook on the mixer, knead on medium speed, adding more flour to reduce stickiness if needed, until smooth 8-10 minutes.* Shape the dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl (I use a metal bowl for this part), turn the ball to coat with oil, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let dough rise in a warm spot (again, stovetop/oven) until doubled, about 2 hours.

* I find that "medium" on my Kitchenaid mixer is probably more like a "3." When mixing, I used to stand over my dough over-protectively and toss flour and EVOO at it the second I saw any changes. Recently, I figured out that it doesn't need any additions and I can leave the room and let it knead for about 3 or 4 minutes and come back to find it all ready to go. (I don't think 8-10 minutes is necessary for my mixer, but to each his own!)

Part Three: Preparing the Pan/Dish

Wait time when completed: 30 minutes

Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking pan/dish. (I use a glass dish, which I rub EVOO onto with a paper towel.) Punch down the dough in the bowl (I can't wait to let Rhet do this part!), then transfer the dough to the pan. Push the dough around, stretching it to fill the pan. Drizzle the remaining EVOO over the dough, then sprinkle evenly with the rosemary and sea salt. (I HAVE used dried rosemary in a pinch, but fresh is yummier.) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Part Four: The Part Where Your House Smells Amazing

(Takes 30 minutes or less)

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake until just a little golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. (Keep an eye on it and know thy oven!) Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving. (But who are we kidding--no one does that!)

The "Perfect" Cookie

You are about to receive a wonderful treat from me today.

It is a cookie recipe that is near and dear to my stomach.

Recently, I put this recipe to use as part of a baby shower hostess gift.

I so, so wish I had taken a picture, but alas--I failed you my bloggie friends.

Instead, you will have to use your imagination...

I was looking for a hostess gift that was fairly inexpensive (as I needed many of them) and thoughtful, but not "cheap." I love to cook & bake, and I ended up on the tried and true gift of baked goods. First, I came up with a very fancy and beautiful cookie--it was a shortbread raspberry/cream cheese cookie that looked like a jellyroll that had been cut into tiny pieces. I had never made it before, but I loved how dainty it looked.

Just as I was pulling out the ingredients to make the fancydainty cookie, my heart pulled in another direction. And I pulled out this favorite recipe instead...

I read about this cookie in the New York Times. Ruby et Violette's chocolate chip cookies, which they entitled "Perfect" cookies, were oh-so-buttery-and-delish. I had made them awhile back, and then the recipe became buried in a stack of papers. Recently when cleaning out the nursery, I found the beloved recipe once again! (And good thing I had saved it--it is no longer printed in the NY Times! However, it can still be found in a summarized version at Chowhound.)

I baked the cookies, and put them in pint-sized canning jars, with a swatch of fabric from Rhet's nursery under the ring. On the label, I printed "Thanks for blessing our pint-sized sweetie!"

Voila! A gift I could be proud of! Three friends have asked for the recipe, and two people have said it is their favorite new cookie--I think it was a success!

Now that I have you chomping at the bit to try them, without further ado I present to you:

Ruby et Violette's Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Notes added by Yours Truly)

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar*
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract**
4 cups semisweet chocolate chunks***

* It's okay if all you have is light brown sugar--the cookies will be a butter yellow color (instead of "chocolate chip cookie" color, and they will be just as delicious.

** Quality matters, people. Use the best vanilla you can find/afford. I like using organic eggs & butter for this reason, also.

*** I echo the quality matters mantra when it comes to chocolate. (That is an understatement.) Here is my favorite for this recipe: Ghirardelli's Milk Chocolate Chunks. Ghirardelli's are my fave chocolate chip of choice--nice and big with a fabulous taste. The milk chocolate is unexpected in a chocolate chip cookie, but I love the way the creaminess blends with the buttery taste of the cookie. Trust me. As far as using 4 cups--that's up to you. I have used less when I'm running short--depends on how chocolatey you want your cookies.

Instructions:

1. Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add sugars & beat until light & fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until mixed.

2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, & baking soda together. Add to butter mixture @ low speed until just combined & add vanilla. Beat on medium speed. DO NOT OVERMIX.

3. Add chocolate chunks & mix. Refrigerate batter until cold.

(This is what is fabulous, because you could whip up a batch of dough and make a few cookies at a time if you'd like. The goal is for the dough to be hard when you're scooping & putting on the cookie sheet.)

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. Drop heaping spoonfuls 2 inches apart & bake, turning tray once. Bake about 9 minutes. Cool.

Borrowed Notoriety

So, in a lunch conversation with Leslie the other day, we pondered:

What makes a recipe YOURS?

Every recipe I use comes from somewhere. But somehow, there exists Jesse's Fruit Salsa Recipe or Jesse's Chicken Pot Pie. Truth be told, the Fruit Salsa came from my mom via allrecipes.com several years ago, and the CPP belongs to Real Simple.

Then there's the "specialties" I make that belong to others: Michelle Betts' Fried Chicken, Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls, Reta Faris' Ginger Snaps, Mom's Hungry Jack Casserole, you get the picture...

So what do you think--when does a recipe become yours?

My guess is that you first must become known for making that dish well (among your peers or family), and then it becomes "yours" when you pass it on to someone else. (That's how the Fruit Salsa & CPP recipes became "mine.")

How many years do I have to make Michelle's Fried Chicken recipe or how many generations do I have to pass it down to before it's known as "my recipe?" It's not that I desire for my name to be attached to recipes--I rather enjoy the nostalgia and connection recipes have. It's just that I was surprised to find I was linked to several borrowed recipes. If I pass on PW's CinnamonRollsofGoodness to my offspring and they pass it on to their offspring and so on--will my great-great-great grandchildren be making Cinnamon Rolls one day and still calling them Pioneer Woman's?

Just something to think about. What famous (borrowed-from-somewhere) recipe are YOU known for?

It's a lazy Friday, and I'll entertain you with today's amusement:
(Consider this a two-for-one!)
Nick woke me up this morning and I snapped at him. "WHY are you waking me up so EARLY?" Surprised, he left me alone. I heard him leave the house. I thought to myself, Is he crazy? Waking me up so early on a Saturday? I bet he went to get donuts as a peace offering. Sweet man. I then started thinking about Friday and how I was supposed to meet a friend in the afternoon. I felt startled when I realized I'd stood her up. And then it dawned on me--I hadn't dissed the rendezvous with my friend...Nick hadn't woken me up early on a weekend...He hadn't left the house in search of breakfast tokens...It. Was. Friday.

TGIF, friends!

Recipe Rant

Don't worry guys. I'm still here. It's so hard to remember to write about everyday things when this massive life change is taking place in the background--anybody with me? I keep waiting for "the next big step" to happen so I can tell you all about it. But this blog wasn't created to update you on my adoption. It's all about ME. So you'll just have to deal. Muahahaha.

I'm going old school today with a classic Jesse rant regarding recipes posted on the internet. Ok, let's say you're in the mood for a new chili recipe. You go on over to your old friends at allrecipes.com and have a little looksey. Bam--there it is. Best rated recipe by 523 people. If you're like me you always check out the comments--you can find valuable information like whether it's better if made the day before, if you can alter the instructions to make it in the crock pot, if you can freeze and then reheat, you get the picture. This is where my rant begins...

What is the deal with people that give the recipe 5 stars and say, "I absolutely loved this recipe..." and then continue in their comment to explain all the ways they changed the recipe. It's one thing to say "if you like your chili spicy, you can add a little extra Tabasco." (Except, duh--everyone knows that.) Or "I browned my beef before putting it in the crock pot because that makes it more flavorful." But it's an entirely different matter to say, "I substituted the ground beef for these three types of beans; instead of these 5 spices, I used these other 5 spices; I added 4 extra vegetables; And instead of canned tomatoes, I used pineapple juice." What the what? There is no way "you loved the recipe" if you changed everything about it.

Also, say this recipe had a "secret ingredient." I'll use the picture to the left as an example--this Cincinnati chili had unsweetened chocolate in it's recipe. It's the ingredient that when you taste the chili, you say "what is that fabulous taste that I can't seem to recognize??" For many dishes, true greatness has been solely linked to the secret ingredient factor. Well, the second person who commented on this recipe just blatantly omitted the chocolate. Because she wanted to. And then commented on how great the chili was. Even though she made it without the secret ingredient or BEANS. (I mean who makes chili without ANY beans?? Who are you, lady??) Note: Please do not comment on this post to tell me about the bean-less chili that you make and love.

It's fine and well if you want to alter a recipe to fit your preferences and lifestyle. But I believe this disqualifies you from commenting on the recipe--because you DON'T KNOW what the real recipe tastes like. You might as well just create your own recipe with your new alterations on which people can comment.

The disdain in this post is not coming from personal experience, for all of you wondering who dissed my recipe on the internet. (Ha.) It's just a cooking peeve that I've bottled up for a good long while. I would like to note that this practice of changing the entire recipe and then commenting on it is prevalent throughout the internet--Martha Stewart, Giada, Rachael Ray, and the honorable Missus Pioneer Woman...they all suffer from the recipe-changer-commenters. (Speaking of the honorable missus, another secret ingredient example: All the people who just left the coffee out of maple icing on PW's Cinnamon Rolls "because they don't like coffee." Just try it, people! The icing didn't even taste like coffee, and you missed out on a goooood thing. But even if you're not going to try it, don't post on her blog and tell her, because you sound lame.)

It's not like I post on other people's blogs and say things like "I completely agree with you, Sally. That dress is adorable on your little girl. Except I hate dresses. And I hate your little girl. So I really mean that I love the way my dog looks in a tutu." Or: "Decorating Diva, I was so enamored by your refinished toy chest that I decided to take on your project myself. Except instead of refinishing a toy chest, I used a couch. And instead of refinishing it, I reupholstered it."

Whew. It feels good to let that out. Now, I'm going to go make some coffee. But instead of using coffee grounds, I'm going to use a tea bag.

Make This: Marinated Tomatoes & Mozzarella

Ok, so this is my new favorite summer snack! I've had it for lunch 3 straight weeks out of May!

This Real Simple recipe for Marinated Tomatoes & Mozzarella is awesome over pasta, but also over lettuce in a salad or plain with bread on the side.

It is the perfect "go to" recipe for nights that you aren't feeling creative, because it is super easy to make and yet tastes delicious and tastes like something light and healthy that you would order in a real deal Italian restaurant. And it is super cheap as well--tomatoes (I use the cheapest kind at EasyWay), Vidalia onions (in season!), and a tiny splurge for the fresh mozz. Yum yum yum! I can't get enough!

(I will note that another advantage of working from home is that you can have onion breath for the whole second half of the day and no one cares.)

Make This: Citrus Steak Salad

Oh my word, this salad is delicious!  I made it last night, and while devouring it, Nick kept repeating, "This is soooo good."  My favorite thing about this Citrus Steak Salad (from one of last year's issues of Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" magazine) is that it is girly enough to make for your girlfriends (a salad with orange-honey-ginger dressing gives it that lady-like kick), but the steaks bumps the manliness quotient up a notch, thus causing my husband to rave about it.  

As you might recall, Wednesdays are "Soup Night" at our house.  However, from last year's experience, I just can't make soup in the spring and summer.  It's hot and comforting, but all I want in the warm months is something cool, crisp, and refreshing.  Therefore, Wednesdays during warm months are "Salad Night."  Not only is this even easier than soup, but it's also still giving us a mostly-veggies meal.  And you would be surprised how many salad recipes I've found that look very yummy!  It's more than green leaves with some carrots and grape tomatoes--it's an art!

I will definitely be making this salad several more times through the summer.  And that Orange-Honey-Ginger dressing is bound to make appearances in other places as well!  

Some recipe notes...

Strip steak can be pricey, so I used a big flank steak.  (Memphians, go to the Farmers' Market and get your beef from Neola Farms--you will not regret it!)  The flank steak was cheaper, and it made enough to have leftovers the next day.  

Also, if you are like me and had never cut citrus segments before (hey, you learn something new every day!), save yourself some trouble and click here for a video demonstration before you attempt it.  It is easy once you get the hang of it!

The recipe calls for 4 carrots, cut into matchsticks.  Instead, I took one carrot and peeled it, using the clean peelings for our salad.  It was plenty!  

I also didn't have any Romaine lettuce on hand, so I omitted the Red Onion from the recipe and used Arugula instead (thinking it would be "spicy and peppery" enough without the onion).

Make This: Elvis Cookies

Rachael Ray's mag entitles these cookies "PB&B Cloud Cookies," but I kind of hate the name, so I renamed them "Elvis Cookies," because after all, they are a tribute to The King.  (Peanut butter cookies with banana icing.)

Non-Memphians always associate Memphis with Elvis, while the truth is that residents of Memphis could probably care less about the guy.  This great city has so much charisma and character on its own--the fact that Elvis makes us famous kind of grates on my nerves.

But, you know what they say--if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  So here's to you, Elvis...

Everyone in our household raved about these cookies!  (Ok, that basically just means that Nick and I couldn't stop eating them.  ha.)  They are also possibly the easiest cookies I have ever made (apart from the all-time great: Pillsbury pull-aparts!), and they aren't as bad for you as they could be.  (Made with egg whites and confectioner's sugar; Only 2 Tbsp of butter in the icing!)

They are delicious straight from the oven--crunchy and airy, like that swirly candy called divinity.  But the real secret is to ice them and store them overnight.  The next day they will be so soft and airy and the icing will have set perfectly.  Oh Elvis Cookies, I can't help falling in love with you.

** NOTE: Hey, all you Highland Cookie Exchang-ers, hands off this recipe come Christmas time!! **

Make This: White Bean & Roasted Eggplant Hummus

Holy cow, this was a cinch to make, and it is divine with some Stacey's "Naked" Pita Chips or some fresh carrot slices.  YUM!  (This was also the very first time I prepared something with eggplant--the experiment was successful!)

Giada's White Bean & Roasted Eggplant Hummus

Farewell, 2004.

Well thank you, blogger buddies, for your input on my magazine chaos.  After much deliberation, I settled on a plan that put both my heart and my magazines to rest.  

As I flipped through a 2004 issue of Real Simple, I realized what was causing my iron grip on these magazines.  It was not the articles on the best maple syrup (of 2004), the best khaki pants (of 2004), or the self-help article on managing stress (in 2004).  It was the recipes.  

Of course.  I should have known my foody-ness was kicking in.  I recently made the Feb 2009 recipe for Pulled Pork Tacos, and it was delicious.  I think it bothered me that I was throwing out all of these "perfectly good recipes."

I set to work, allowing myself roughly 5 minutes to handle each magazine.  I would look at the cover and see what the highlights were for that month, and then I flipped through the pages in fast-motion, landing in the spot with the "cooking" section.  I would briefly ask myself "Would I make this for dinner this week?"  If the answer was yes, I clipped. 

On a rare occasion, I would find an article I wanted to clip.  Classic and modern suggestions for a music-lover's collection.  Ways to display an herb garden.  Grilling basics.  Only a handful of articles made "the cut."  

I did about 30 minutes of magazine skimming a day, and after one week, I finished the job!  I was ruthless with my choice of magazine clippings--I finished with a very small stack.  It felt so great to dump them all in the recycling bin, knowing I had given each issue its due respect before saying goodbye.  

I then set to work on my most recent idea to get my recipes under control.  I got a 1.5 inch binder.  I put dividers with pockets in it - chicken, fish, beef/pork, pasta/veggie, soups/salads, dessert.  I put page protector sheets and notebook paper in the back.  

The idea is to organize my recipes as I go as opposed to my current practice, which is to stuff them into the front covers of various cookbooks and cram everything on a shelf, never to be found again.  Whenever I receive the newest edition of Rachael Ray's "Everyday" magazine, I flip through it and earmark recipes that look yummy.  Each week on Sunday or Monday, I sit down with the current month's RR mag and maybe one or two favorite cookbooks.  I work out my weekly plan, which has a general format: 

• Monday - Sushi (Take-out--I'm not brave enough to make my own yet!) or Pasta
  
• Tuesday - Chicken
  
• Wednesday - Soup (fall/winter) or Salads (spring/summer)
  
• Thursday - Fish
  
• Friday - Homemade or Frozen Kashi Pizza
  
• Saturday - Homemade Popcorn & Smoothies (Movie Night)
  

I love tradition and routines, so it's very easy for me to just find that chicken recipe that looked so good and put it on the calendar for that week.  (As I find each recipe, I add the needed ingredients to my grocery list.)  You may think this sounds bonkers or too Martha-Stewart-y, but remember--I enjoy cooking!  It is my happy place, my hobby, my "chore" that I look forward to each day.

My plan for the new recipe organizer is that as I find those earmarked recipes each week, I will cut them out and put them with a sheet of notebook paper in a page protector in the front of my notebook.  The current day's recipe will go inside the see-through cover sleeve.  After the recipe has been used, I will make notes on the notebook paper if needed ("used tilapia instead of sole"), and file the recipe under the correct category.  I'm hoping that by next March, I'll have a year's worth of recipes to prepare, sorted (kind of) seasonally within each category!  Each year, I will weed out the not-worth-it recipes to make room for new and fabulous ones.  By the time I'm 40, I will have one amazing cookbook, and I can do away with the rest!

I know you are probably disgusted with my love affair for perfectionism.  But at least I'm eating well!

Make This: Maple-Mustard Pork Loin w/ Roasted Potatoes

Alrighty, my husband gave this recipe a solid 10!  This is from the February 2009 issue of Rachael Ray's "Everyday" magazine--it is a "no-recipe zone" article, which means nothing is measured--instead they display pictures of how it's all thrown together.  This is the first one of these I've tried and boy, oh, boy, I will be combing through all of my old issues looking for these recipes because it was easy breezy!  

(It's funny that pork is showing up often in my "Make This" posts, because I hardly ever use it!  I'm more of a chicken and fish gal.  However, after finding so many tasty recipes for pork, I am becoming quite a fan of "the other white meat"...besides in BBQ, of course!)

PS: I am not a fan of leftovers--they are torture for me.  However, the Maple-Mustard Pork was used in a sandwich the next day and it turned out amazing!  Just layer the pork (make sure some of bacon gets in there), some baby spinach, and make your own sauce to slather on both pieces of bread: a squirt of dijon mustard whisked together with some maple syrup!  YUM.

Make This: Healthier Mac & Cheese

Yummmm...I have officially enjoyed Real Simple's February 2009 article on comfort foods made healthier.  Their Chicken Pot Pie was delish, and last night, I give their Macaroni & Cheese w/ Cauliflower a try.  

Disclaimer: I do not like cauliflower.  So there, all you picky eaters that will snub your noses without trying this recipe.  The cauliflower mixes right in and you can't even taste it.  

What makes this dish healthier than my beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese, is that it calls for whole grain macaroni, a more potent cheese (extra sharp cheddar) is used--which means you don't have to use very much of it, and of course it "sneaks" in that surprise veggie that blends right in.  I will also note, that you don't melt cheese all over the top of it either, which I was almost tempted to do anyway, but I thought I'd try it "their" way to see if it was just as good.  

Quite tasty, if I do say so myself.  I was pleased with this recipe and will be using it again.  

And for those of you eco-friendly, pasta-loving buddies out there, you might find this article from the NY Times of interest.  

Make This: Pulled Pork Tacos

I love me some slow cooker recipes!  

I tried this one recently, found in the February 2009 issue of Real Simple.  It is a winner, and who would have thought the secret ingredient is cocoa powder??  Nick could not get enough of this dish, and we enjoyed using it on/in nachos and sandwiches later that week for lunches.  Check out the recipe here.

Make This: Lemon Ricotta Cookies

I love cooking.  I hate my kitchen, but I love cooking.  (However, I've decided to stop complaining about my house, so I am taping up 3x5 cards with things I like about my kitchen today.)  My favorite type of cooking involves NO measuring and LOTS of eyeballing-it.  This is why I heart Rachael Ray.  Every week, I go through her latest magazine issue and pull out recipes to make, and I've never been disappointed with any of her creations.  

Baking on the other hand...I can do it but it's not my forte.  It involves preciseness, and it stresses me out!  Plus, Little Ray is always required to do double-time for cookies.  (But, as I will post on a 3x5 this afternoon, I LOVE your gas range Lil' Ray!)

So I figured that because I love cooking and I occasionally bake--what better way to share it than with you, my bloggie friends!  I present to you "Make This," my Recipe-O-The-Week post.

This week's Make This: Lemon Ricotta Cookies.  A creation of Giada, recipe found in her latest book.  (Here's a tip: do you like trying new recipes but can't bring yourself to buy new cookbooks?  Go to the library and check em out!  Write down your faves, or in my case, look them up on the chef's website, where you can often print them out!)

I liked this cookie recipe because it was quick and easy.  The cookies turn out cake-like and spongy, and I think could drink the icing glaze straight from the bowl if I allowed myself.  Perfect for all citrus lovers!  (I think I would like to try these substituting limes for lemons next time!)

Click here for the recipe.