mirrored grey.

It only took 3 days into January for the normal crazed long work days to resume (and let's be honest it was more like 2 days since January 1 was a holiday).  The more crazy work gets and the colder it gets outside the more I want to hibernate like a bear under my down comforter doing nothing but reading fashion and food magazines and eating massive amounts of grilled cheese and cookies.  I think it's safe to say I know how I will be spending my upcoming weekend.  

We are still in the midst of a giant remodeling/ongoing purchasing, thus my lack of photos of our new place.  Once we get a couch (really sorry Tyler with how long its taking) and a dresser (still really sad about it showing up broken) I will provide a little look at how things are progressing.  Below is a look at the latest bedroom inspiration but with a lot more fuchsia involved (I can't help my undying love for all things pink).  Loving all the pillows and dying for that mirrored dresser.  Dying.  

Image via Pinterest.

mexicali pizza.

I like to think that I am am someone you would want to invite to a party.  I always make sure I RSVP on time and I am always up for party games and to show off my awesomely awkward dance moves.  I'm superb at making a well-edited play list and I always ask what I can bring and even if you tell me you don't need me to bring anything, I guarantee I will still bring you something because I hate to show up empty-handed.  I have an innate fear of showing up somewhere without some kind of offering to the host, it just seems so inconsiderate of me.  So you can guarantee if you invite me to your next soiree that I will probably show up with a box of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies or perhaps homemade parmesan crackers or if I really like you this Mexicali Pizza.  This Mexicali pizza is the perfect party food - it's handheld, it provides sustenance to those on are engaging in liquid libations, and its filled with everyone's favorite foods.  It's as if an empanada and a pizza had a baby which if you ask me sounds like a rather tasty baby.  

Mexicali Pizza
Recipie adapted from Mom

I jazzed this up a bit and also streamlined the steps a little.  The additional spices and diced olives give an extra punch of flavor to the filling which is always a good thing.  This can also be made with pizza dough from the store or you can make your own!  My dough recipe is below.  

Dough

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup warm water (110 - 115 degrees)

Filling

1 pound lean ground beef
1 clove garlic minced
1 (8 3/4 ounce can) kidney beans, drained
8 -9 ounces fire roasted crushed tomatoes (if you can't find fire roasted you can use regular)
1 tablespoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne 
1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos, drained and diced
2 tablespoons diced jalapenos
1/4 cup pimento stuffed olives, chopped
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

To make the dough: Insert metal blade in the food processor bowl.  Add flour, cornmeal, undissolved yeast, and salt.  Process 5 - 10 seconds to combine.  Add oil.  Begin processing and then slowly pour water through feed tube just until ball forms, about 10 to 15 seconds (all the water may not be needed).  Continue processing 60 seconds to knead the dough.  Carefully remove dough and blade from the processor bowl.  Shape dough into a ball.  Cover and let rest undisturbed in a warm draft free space for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.  

To make filling: In a large skillet cook ground beef and garlic over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.  Drain.  Add kidney beas, tomato sauce, chilli powder, paprika, and cayenne.  Stir well and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occassionally.  Add the pimentos, jalapenos, and olives, and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.  Set aside to cool. 

To assemble: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Roll dough to a 15 inch circle. Place in greased 14-inch pizza pan.  Form a standing rim of dough around the edge of the pan.  Cut a 7 inch "X" in center of the dough.  Cut another "X" to form 8 wedges in center.  Spread a 3 inch wide border of meat mixture evenly around the edge of the dough.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Pull cut points of dough over filling; tuck under rim of dough, and press to seal.  Bake on lowest oven rack for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.  Serve with hot sauce! 

the end of a year.

I survived 2012.  I never expected it to be a monumental year, one filled with big changes and life altering situations but, somehow in the span of 365 days my life flipped around and I somehow landed on the other side.  I traveled on a plane for 24 hours (thanks to those lovely things called sleeping pills) to see the untouched lands of Africa.  I saw one of my closest friends get married.  I ate a meal at Per Se, Thirty Acres, and Miyake. I threw a lot of alfresco dinner parties.  I found a bar cart!  I ate the most perfect tomato.  I celebrated 6 plus years with a boy who knows me better then I know myself (7 years on Friday!).  I survived (mostly unscathed) a hurricane and the loss of our home.  I have spent the better part of the last two months shopping (a lot) in order to make us a new home.  (I have been able to bring all my decor inspiration and visions to life.)  And then there was the cooking.  I cooked a lot (a lot).  I baked homemade bread, I made sushi, I perfected my homemade tortilla recipe, I cranked out a lot of homemade pasta, and I failed and succeeded at many things.  But the single biggest event of 2012 was the rather innocent purchase of a fancy-shmancy camera that was to be used in an effort to capture every second of our Africa trip.  This camera became the catalyst to start a blog, and somehow the blog led to the creation of business cards and then catering and then cooking lessons and then selling Christmas cookies, and then…I guess we’ll see. 

Wishing you a most happy New Year. 

Image via here. 

chocolate chip cookies.

I know the chocolate chip cookie is the most basic of all cookies.  Everyone no matter how little they cook probably has a go to chocolate chip cookie recipe - the kind of thing they can whip up on any random Sunday afternoon in order to have fresh booked cookies to be devoured while watching bad TV (don't tell me I'm the only one who does this).  I have also tried almost all of your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes - I have spent the better part of the past 3 years searching for  the chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I have gone highbrow and lowbrow.  I have used all-purpose flour and bread flour.  I have allowed my dough to sit 48 hours in the fridge before baking the cookies off.  I have tried what feels like everything and yet I still have not found that perfect cookie (not to say my attempts were failed attempts in anyway but they all seemed to lack that certain je ne sais quai that makes the cookie perfect or maybe I am just overly tough on myself).  But I have found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that satisfies me (for the moment) - the edges bake up crispy, the middle is soft and chewy, there is more then enough chocolate involved, and the flaky sea salt a top the cookie makes it utterly grown up (while still adhering to to the promise of it being a perfect childhood favorite).  

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adopted from Ad Hoc by Thomas Keller 

Ok my notes - I used the good butter and the good chocolate (Pulga and Valhrona!), it really makes a world of a difference.  I also let the batter rest overnight in the fridge before baking them - the 24-36 hour rest really make the flavors meld.  I'll also be the first to say that the sea salt is absolutely necessary.  You can thank me later. 

Makes about 20 4-inch cookies 

2 1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

5 ounces 55% chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces (about 1 ¼ cups)

5 ounces 70-72% chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces (about 1 ¼ cups)

¾ cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (at room temperature)

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt.  Set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat half the butter on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add both sugars and the remaining butter, and beat until well combined, then beat for a few minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the next and scraping the bowl as necessary.  Add the vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Mix in the chocolate and nuts.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the dough with a spatula to be sure that the chocolate is evenly incorporated.  Place the dough in the fridge for at least 24 hours to allow the dough to rest and the flavors to incorporate.  (The dough or shaped cookies can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Freeze shaped cookies on the baking sheets until firm, then transfer to freezer containers.  Defrost frozen cookies overnight in the refrigerator before baking.)

Position the oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.  Using about 2 level tablespoons per cookie, shape the dough into balls. Arrange 8 cookies on each pan, leaving about 2 inches between them, because the dough will spread.  Top each ball of dough with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.  Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny, switching the position and rotating the pans halfway through the baking.

Cool the cookies on the pans on cooling racks for about 2 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to the racks to cool completely. Repeat to bake the remaining cookies. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)

spiced ginger oatmeal drop.

All in the name of research, I’ve made it my job to eat a lot of cookies this month.  I needed to try everyone’s offerings in order to discern the good from the bad.  I've been focusing most of my attention on the ginger cookie (I am in shock with regards to the number of varieties available) and have discovered that my favorite ginger cookies all pack a serious cinnamon spice kick and a big ginger punch.  Many of the previous ginger cookies I made lacked the spice and were also a little too crispy and snapish for me (I fall in the chewy ginger cookie camp, I can't help it), so I went to the wall of cookbooks to see if I could find a recipe that encompassed the spice I crave with chewy bite I adore.  What I found was a recipe from the wonderfully fabulous One Girl Cookie cookbook (I highly recommend a visit to their store in Brooklyn  the cookies are utterly adorable and everything is unbelievably delicious) for a spiced ginger oatmeal drop.  I wasn't too sure about the oatmeal at first, I thought it would take away from the maturity of the ginger cookie (because obviously ginger cookies are a super mature cookie) but I found the oatmeal gave it the perfect bite.  The cinnamon provides a nice bold flavor and the chunks of candied ginger pack the ginger punch I so adore.  

Spiced Ginger Oatmeal Drops
Recipe from One Girl Cookies 

Makes about 30 cookies

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon table salt

1 cup candied ginger, finely chopped

2 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. Stir in the candied ginger and the oats.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and mix for 30 seconds.

Take the mixing bowl off the mixer and finish mixing the dough with a rubber spatula, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or overnight if possible.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a small cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop out a small round of dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons in size. Roll the scoop into a ball between the palms of your hands, and place it on a paper parchment–lined baking sheet. Gently press the ball onto the baking sheet. Repeat, leaving 1 inch between cookies.

Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, until they have darkened slightly. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool.

christmas pink and grey.

I am currently unpacking the (the very generous plethora) of presents we got and trying to bring some level of organization to this apartment.  Pretty much everything I got is either fuchsia  grey, gold or cooking related (it's very easy to tell what I will like.)    I am also back to cooking, something other then a cookie (for at least a night) - I have a lot of things lined up since I am now the proud owner of three new cookbooks.  I expect I will be spending the next few days nesting under the piles of new blankets we were given devouring new recipes.  Thank goodness it's a quiet week.  Oh and I will also be plotting how I can get a pink table into our apartment without Tyler thinking he's lost all his manhood (I am trying to convince him the offsetting grey decreases the feminine pink side.  So far he's not buying it.)

Image via Pinterest.