February 23, 2011

Mini Ginger Almond Cheesecakes

“I’ve never had almond cheesecake before!” my neighbor exclaimed after she stuffed her THIRD mini ginger almond cheesecake into her mouth. “Same here,” I muttered through my mouth full of cheesecake. We were standing around a plate of mini ginger almond cheesecakes on my kitchen island as if we were two college students huddled over a bong. You can be rest assured, we were just making sure to test each and every cheesecake for quality assurance! One bite after the next, I fell in love with the whipped cream & cream cheese ALCHEMY. Oh the fluffiness! The creaminess! And that thick spicy salty gingersnap crust? It slayed me. How many minis add up to an actual slice of cheesecake? Who cares!?

So…another faux cheesecake recipe that prevents me from making an official cheesecake! I’ve never made a real cheesecake and I kind of have no desire to when I find simple recipes like this one. I love the cream cheese aspect of cheesecakes….how it’s subtly savory and a little thick. But the thought of eating a whole slice of cheesecake makes my stomach turn. It’s just too rich and dense for my bones. I like creamy desserts that are light & fluffy with a little bit of savory crunch, and these little minis do just the trick! Now you’ll have to excuse me. I have one last mini cheesecake calling my name……
CONTINUE READING

around the home, Uncategorized

February 22, 2011

Learn how to do latte art!

Cross another item from my 31 comes before 32 list!

#28. Learn how to do latte art!

We’ve had our espresso machine since August, my birthday month. It came while I was away at IFBC, so Casey had a whole weekend to tinker with it and practice while I was away. He is now the main drink maker in our house simply because he excels at it. He makes me cappuccinos while I work on breakfast for us; we’re a good team! I’m still working on perfecting my espresso shots & latte art, but I’ve learned how to do it! Some days I make myself a fancy cappuccino with my breakfast and other days I opt for a strong Americano because I have no time to deal with it. I’m lucky to get coffee in me with my work schedule. There are some mornings where I feel like I need coffee to MAKE coffee, but in all honesty I don’t miss our french press that much.

Did you know that latte art is HARD? You need to pull a really good shot of espresso and your milk foam is CRUCIAL. Apparently it’s easier to achieve all of this on a big honking machine you see at a coffee shop. Not an easy feat for a home machine. I wish I had known that sooner.

You need “micro foam” in order to make pretty rosettas and swirls. It’s not super duper frothy; it looks like wet paint with teeny tiny bubbles. It’s super creamy and it makes your cappuccino EXTRA decadent. It really makes a difference, trust me.

The marriage of a good shot & good foam can be temperamental. Sometimes I pull a great shot and then the milk is bad…and then I get swoon-worthy milk with a terrible shot. It’s definitely a hard balance because there are many factors to consider- temperature, beans, tamping down hard enough, getting the wand in at the right angle for the milk steaming…and the most important part- THE GRIND of your beans. It also took us awhile to find the perfect espresso bean that produced the taste we were looking for. We use a lot of Barefoot Coffee Roaster’s beans (a local company) but my friend Christine got us HOOKED on Intelligentsia’s Black Cat Espresso. We get it shipped to our directly to our house!

recipes, Uncategorized

February 20, 2011

Orange Walnut Cake

We’ve had a slew of gray mornings in the past few weeks. A few Saturdays ago, I decided to make this cake to summon the sunshine. Even if it didn’t work, at least the taste of the cake would give the illusion of a warm sunny morning. All I had to do was whip out an orange and my zester and the sun immediately peered through the clouds and heated up my kitchen island. The last time this happened was during my cocktail hour a few weeks ago. There’s something about citrus in my kitchen; it has the power to cut through clouds the same way a good dish washing soap cuts through grease.

Walnuts, oranges & olive oil…the foundation in which dreams are built uopn. The walnuts are ground– not chunky and add a fantastic texture to this cake. The orange perfumes this treat and the olive oil adds that hint of earthy greenness in a way only olive oil can. The sweet Greek yogurt and the orange zest to the side add some fun, but honestly the powdered sugar on top of the cake is enough. This is the perfect cake for breakfast or as a snack in the afternoon with a good book and a huge mug of tea. Bring on the sun!
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Photography, Uncategorized

February 19, 2011

365- Week 7

A food related photo every day til 2012. Here’s week 7:

49/365 Soup on a rainy Friday afternoon.

recipes, Uncategorized

February 17, 2011

Lemon Date Energy Bars

I was sitting on the couch the other day, watching a recorded episode of Glee, Cooper was napping and I finally finished the chores on my loooong TO DO list. I started plowing through a “Lemon Bar” flavored LÄRABAR and thought, “Damn! These are GOOD!” I checked the back of the package and was shocked to find that it contained less than FIVE ingredients. In true Tracy fashion, all I could think was: MUST MAKE THESE. LIKE. RIGHT NOW. All of the ingredients were just chilling in my pantry. Glee can wait!

I looked at the ingredient list from my Coconut Date Rolls to help me cess out these bars because dates are the main binder in both! After a few tweaks & pulses in the food processor, I think I totally got it! My very own Lemon Date Energy Bars! They’re a bit dense, a little sticky, kinda chewy, super nutty, naturally sweet and totally lemony! They taste pretty darn close to the original bar that inspired them. On the next batch, I’ll leave a few of the nuts chunkier and I’ll cut the bars smaller. I can’t wait to tinker with more recipes! Watch out food processor, you’re gonna get USED!
CONTINUE READING

recipes, Uncategorized

February 16, 2011

Brussels Sprout-Potato Hash

You know a dish is a winner when you find yourself making it twice in one week. Say hello to my new addiction, Brussels Sprout-Potato Hash! Breakfast potatoes just got a WHOLE lot better with the addition of Brussels Sprouts! They add lots of depth to the dish, rounding out all the carbs. Yes. I can never get enough carbs, but sometimes my guilt takes over! I don’t feel as bad binging on breakfast potatoes now when there’s a huge heaping pile of caramelized Brussels Sprouts in the mix. I must also note that the addition of lemon zest & thyme make this hash stellar. Casey immediately asked me “Ooh! what’s this spice?” Thyme, baby. Thyme. Other things to note: vegan, low fat, low calorie, gluten-free & fantastic!

around the home, Uncategorized

February 15, 2011

Valentine’s Day 2011

On Valentine’s Day we sat around the kitchen table with Cooper and ate frozen pizza. Sounds totally glamorous, right? Don’t worry, we exchanged cards. There was love! When we planned our Valentine’s day meal, we decided to make it all happen on Sunday, the day before V-DAY. This way we could have time to cook and enjoy a meal together after Cooper went down for the night. No stupid traffic to contend with, no road rage or wiped-out-from-work attitudes between the two of us. Nope! Just a relaxing evening cooking in the kitchen and sharing a bottle of wine…being all adulty, but wearing pajamas while doing so. Nice pajamas. Cuz you know…it’s Valentine’s Day.

The menu:

Arugula salad with a fig balsamic dressing with shaved Parmesan
Bay Scallop Gratin (that made me a scallop lover! Thanks Ina!)
Risotto Bianco (was good, but would never attempt it if I was on Top Chef! Those judges are harsh!)

The best part? Being surprised by my husband with #19 from my 31 comes before 32 list. We’re taking a cooking class together! I’m so glad that I don’t have to teach him how to cook! It’s gonna be a total riot.