Day 100 - Avocado and Crab Rolls

I can't believe that I have made it to this point. After 100 days, I did it. I survived a summer away from my roommates and friends and I managed to blog everyday of this long and sometimes frustrating summer. Even though the summer didn't start out as I expected, and it took me a while to figure everything out, it ended up being a pretty good summer. I loved my job, and I accomplished something that I didn't think I would actually stick to. So for the last post I did one last summer lunch before the fall foods take over and everything is flavored with pumpkin spice.

Avocado and Crab Rolls

1 avocado - diced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 pound lump crab meat
2 stalks celery - diced
2 top split hot dog buns - toasted
a few lettuce leaves
Old Bay
Salt and Pepper

First combine half of the avocado with mayo, vinegar and lemon zest in a food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until mixture is completely smooth. In a medium sized bowl mix together crab meat with avocado mayo, remaining diced avocado, and celery. Fold mixture together as to not break up the diced avocado. Season with salt, pepper and old bay. Lay a bed of lettuce on each hot dog bun and fill with crab mixture. Top with a dash of old bay and enjoy!

I've been craving crab for a few days now so I just had to indulge for the last blog post and make these for my lunch in between the crazy packing frenzy that is currently on display in my living room. It seems that every time I take one thing out of the pile thats going to college, I think of two things I need to buy to bring with me. As much as I am looking forward to moving in and finally living with two of my best friends, I really can't wait till we move in to our own apartment junior year, cause reality is that we all just have too much stuff and not enough room in our dorm. I feel like I should end this blog with some touching and emotional paragraph about how much I have learned about myself through this project and how much I still have to learn as I grow, but the truth is that I am happy to be done with this project and move on to another school year with new and different challenges and experiences. So I don't know that I will ever blog again, but in the off chance that I do, till then,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Panang Curry with Shrimp

For a few weeks I have had a can of panang curry paste in the cabinet waiting to be used. With only two days left of the blog I thought I would make a quick curry for lunch after a morning of dorm shopping.

Panang Curry with Shrimp 

1/4 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1 tablespoon panang curry paste 

1/4 of a red pepper - thinly sliced 

2-3 water chestnuts - thinly sliced 

1/2 can of coconut milk 

juice of 1/2 a lime 

Brown Rice 

Heat a saute pan with oil and add curry paste, red pepper and water chestnuts. Sauté for a few minutes. Then add coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add shrimp and cook for a minute or two until shrimp is fully cooked. Serve over brown rice and top with a drizzle of lime juice. 

While packing I've slowly realized that I have way more stuff than I will ever need to live, but for some reason I can't eliminate anything from my college pile. Hopefully my room will be big enough to fit all the random stuff my roommate and I have decided we need. Tomorrow's the last recipe and the last day of the blog, I have no clue what I want to do for it but I'm sure I will thinking of something big to do for the last post. So till then, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Homemade Lemon-Lime Soda

I think today had to be the hottest and most humid day all summer. I had plans to make a big lunch before babysitting but with the heat and work going on outside on our gas line, turning on the stove didn't seem like the most appealing option. So instead I decided to take some inspiration from work and make my own homemade soda to help cool off while packing. 

Lemon-Lime Soda 

Yield: 2 sodas 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/4 cup water 

zest of 1 lemon 

zest of 1 lime 

1/8 cup lemon juice 

1/8 cup lime juice 

12-16 ounces seltzer 

In a small sauce pan heat sugar and water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add zest and juice and whisk until combined. Let syrup cool on counter for 10-15 minutes. Pour 2 ounces of syrup into each glass and fill each glass with 6-8 ounces of seltzer. Serve over ice. 

I have managed to start sorting through my clothes and figuring out the best way to pack and transport everything. Hopefully tomorrow won't be so hot and I will be able to do a little more cooking and make more progress on my packing. So till then, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

S'mores Cookies

One of the traditions in Maine that had been very important to me, is filling the cookie jar. I'm honestly not positive as to how this started, but I vaguely remember being told as a kid that my great Aunt Jeannie always made sure that the cookie jar was full, so now I have tried to continue that tradition. My Aunt Jeannie was the cook of the family. Many recipes and stories of the things she made have been past down through the family and through my love of food I feel a strong connection to her, even though I never got to meet her. That is why I make a point to spend at least one rainy day while in Maine baking cookies to fill the cookie jar with.

S'mores Cookies
yield: 8-10 cookies

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter - softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 milk chocolate hershey bars - chopped
4-5 regular sized marshmallows - cut in half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor pulse graham crackers till they turn to crumbs, or crush graham crackers in a large ziploc bag till they turn to crumbs. In a small bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large bowl cream together butter and both sugars until well combined and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix till combined. Slowly add dry ingredients until well combined, then carefully fold in chocolate. Form dough into evenly sized balls and make a large indentation in each one. Place one marshmallow half in each indentation and place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

We had a large amount of s'mores ingredients left in the pantry so I thought I would steer away from my traditional chocolate chip cookies and make these instead. Being home now from Maine feels like the final stretch of summer. I have 6 days till I go back to school and 3 more days of the blog and all that is on my mind is all the things I have to do to pack for school. So while I think about that,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Sunday Morning Maine Traditions

Being in Maine for just one weekend this summer has made me want to savor the traditions a little bit more than usual. So I haven't been doing a ton of extra cooking. But I thought for a quick sunday post I would write about our Sunday morning traditions.

Ever since I could remember, Sunday mornings have been a slower start to the day. Usually the morning is all about my dad going out to golf as early as he can and the rest of us enjoying the beach or going grocery shopping while he is gone. Sunday though are different. Because the church in our town is located right off of the golf course, no one can go golfing until 12:30 pm. and since my family doesn't go to church, we always make a big sunday brunch. The main star of the brunch are pancakes, we always make blueberry ones because it just seems right being in Maine. We usually just use a boxed mix because we can never guarantee that there will be enough baking ingredients in the house to whip together homemade pancakes. We round out the breakfast with crispy bacon that my dad cooks in the oven on a sheet tray for about 15 minutes until its browned and crisp. On days that it is just my parents and I we sometimes finish it off with a choice of scrambled or fried eggs. When I was younger, and by that I mean up until this year, I would always request for my dad to make me a special S shaped pancake just for me. After this leisurely brunch my parents would take my brother and I for a walk out to the point, and since there was no golf, we would walk on the golf course to get out to the big grassy area. Now a days I prefer to read on the porch instead of going out to the point, but it's still at the same  leisurely pass that a sunday morning requires.

This weekend has ended with a rainy night spent inside cooking lobster, playing cards and eating one last summer dessert of ice cream and cookies. It's hard to believe that I already have to go back to NY tomorrow and that I have just 4 more days left of the blog, but after spending two days with my roommate, I am even more ready and excited to go back to school. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Rum Glazed Salmon

After another long beach day with my roommate, it was time for her to go home and for me to spend some more time with my family in Maine. For dinner my parents bought salmon fillets, and with a few suggestions from them and my roommate, I finally decided to make a rum glaze to marinate the fish in and to use as a sauce over the top.

Rum Glazed Salmon

3 Salmon fillets
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and Pepper - to season

In a small saucepan mix together all glaze ingredients and heat till a boil. Once boiled turn down and let reduce for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens to a glaze-like consistency.  Set aside a 1/4 cup of glaze mixture and pour the remaining glaze over salmon fillets to marinate. Once the salmon fillets marinate for about 30 minutes, cook on a hot grill for 5-6 minutes a side. To serve drizzle with reserved glaze and enjoy.

After spending way too much time in the sun and ending up sunburnt from head to toe, I said goodbye to my roommate till we move in next week, and relaxed for the night with my parents. With the house empty besides the three of us, we spent the night eating Gifford's ice cream, a Maine staple, and losing to my dad in gin rummy. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Maine Lobster Dinner

My family and I are finally in Maine, since it's been a year since I've been here, it clearly means that a tradition lobster dinner was in order. Clearly this meal doesn't actually need a recipe. It's more about what components my family includes and the overall experience.

Lobster Dinner

Lobster
Steamers
Corn
Salad

Obviously the main component to any lobster dinner is the lobster itself. My family goes to Wolff lobster farm and get 1 large lobster for everyone. We usually just steam the lobsters for about 20 minutes in lightly salted water. Although in times of desperate need when all of Biddeford Pools water has been shut off, we have resorted to steaming the lobsters in a pot of ocean water, which is actually what our lobster man suggests to people how ask him how to cook them. My family also likes to include some steamers from wolffs and some locally grown corn. Lastly my mom throws together a salad with fresh veggies to attempt to make the meal a little bit healthier.

I know this post is short and not really a recipe. But I finally got to spend the day with my roommate who I haven't been able to see all summer. So I spent the day at the beach, kayaking around biddeford pool and catching up with one of my best friend just a week before we go back to school. So till tomorrow,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Homemade Cheez-its

In preparation for the two day drive up to Maine, I thought I would spend my first day of not working to make a homemade version of a classic snack. The recipe originates from a homemade goldfish recipe, but with a few tweaks to the recipe, and with no desire to make my own goldfish cookie cutter, I turned it into a cheez-it recipe. 

Homemade Cheez-its 

6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

2 tablespoons butter - cut into cubes 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup flour 

1 1/2 tablespoons cold water 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor pulse together cheese, butter, salt and flour until it looks like crumbs. While blending, drizzle in water and blend until mixture looks moist and forms a dough when lightly patted together. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Roll dough out till its about an 1/8 of an inch thick and then begin cutting dough into small squares. Lay to cut squares on a parchment lined sheet tray. Brush each square with a small amount of water and sprinkle all the crackers with salt. Using a toothpick poke a small hole in each cracker and bake for about 15 minutes. 

I packed these into a cellophane bag and brought them in the car to have as a snack on our journey. We drove to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, which should have taken about 3 hours but instead ended up being about 4 - 4 and 1/2. Tomorrow we will finally be in Maine and it will feel like a real summer. So till then, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Fudgy Brownies

Today my mom asked me to make a dessert that she could bring to work tomorrow for a lunch for the elementary school teachers. So I took her suggestion and whipped up a quick and easy batch of brownies.

Fudgy Brownies 

4 eggs 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract  

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder 

1/2 cup flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

8 ounces butter - melted 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch pan with butter and an thin layer of flour. In a stand mixer with a whipping attachment, whip together eggs until light yellow and fluffy. Add both sugars and mix until combined. Add all other ingredients and whip until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into small squares. 

today was my last day of work, and honestly I don't think it has fully set in. I'm happy to relax but it is going to be weird to have a week off of doing nothing but focusing on packing for school. Today also marks just 8 more blog posts left. I have a pretty exciting recipe planned for tomorrow, and then a weekend full of Maine recipes. So till then, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Eggplant Dip

When I was make the crackers the other day I thought I would try to make a dip to go along with them. For whatever reason I was drawn to the idea of making baba ganoush. Unfortunately I didn't have any tahini and I didn't want to buy a big jar of it just to use it for one recipe, so instead I came up with this eggplant dip that is oil based, and can be used as a spread or just by itself with some crackers.

Eggplant Dip

1 Medium size eggplant
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and roast on a sheet tray for about 20 minutes or until inside is soft. When eggplant is cooked, scoop the inside of the eggplant into a food processor. Add garlic, parsley, sesame oil, and lemon juice and blend until everything is chopped and slightly smooth. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while the food processor is running, and blend until oil is fully combined and mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve with chips or as a spread on bread or sandwiches.

Tomorrow is my last day of work. And if we are being honest I am pretty excited. I have loved my job and I've learned a lot, but I am looking forward to a nice break and getting back to school and back to a better and more familiar routine. I think that this is the first year that I've been excited to go back to school. But I guess that's what growing up is, so till then,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

The Last Meal Prep Monday

Since this is my last monday of work, I thought I would make one last meal prep monday of the summer. So I just threw a few things together that I already had in my kitchen and prepped it for dinner for one of these nights after work.

Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Peas

1/4 pound of fettuccine
Olive Oil
4 tablespoons onion - diced
1 clove of garlic - minced
A few slices of prosciutto - roughly chopped
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup white wine
Dried oregano
Salt and Pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to packaging. In a sauté pan heat a small amount of olive oil and sauté onions and garlic till soft and fragrant. Add chopped prosciutto and sauté for another minute until slightly crispy. Add frozen peas and white wine. Season with a pinch of oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer wine mixture to reduce and thicken. When pasta is fully cooked mix into wine sauce and serve or store for later.

This being the last week of work feels a little weird. It's hard to believe that later this week I will finally be on vacation and then I will be just a week away from going back to school. Part of my feels like this summer ended up going by pretty quickly but another part of me feels like it's been forever since I've been at school. I can't wait to start sophomore year and see where it takes me. So till then,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Homemade Crackers

Today I was feeling a little better so after a quick trip to target I thought I would try to make my own crackers to have in the cabinet for the week and to just test out as a fin experiment.

Homemade Crackers

3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup water
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium size bowl mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add olive oil and water and mix until combined. If there is still excess flour in the bowl add more water a tablespoon at a time until all the flour is mixed in. On a floured surface roll out dough until its 1/8 inch thick. Brush the dough with water and sprinkle with salt and pepper to flavor the crackers. Cut the dough into evenly sized rectangles and lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With a fork prick each cracker to leave a few imprints. Bake on a lower rack in the oven and bake for about ten minutes.

These crackers are great because you can change up the flavors depending on what you sprinkle on top of the dough. My mom came home from Maine and she saw the crackers sitting on the kitchen counter and at first she thought that they were store bought which was nice to hear
because I took it as them coming out well. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Macaroni and Cheese

I woke up today and didn't feel the greatest, so I've pretty much just been hanging around the house and I've manly been in bed all day. So needing to make something for dinner, I decided I would make some comfort food to try to make myself feel better.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound macaroni
1 quart of milk
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
12 ounces shredded gruyere cheese
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Nutmeg
Breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook macaroni according to directions on package. In a small pot warm the milk. In a large pot melt the butter and whisk in flour. Whisk roux till it thickens and begins to smell nutty. Whisk in warm milk and whisk for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Off the heat whisk in cheeses. Mix in pasta and pour into a 3 quart baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and bake for 25-30 minutes.

This is the same recipe from Ina Garten that my dad uses and it was definitely a comforting and indulgent meal for this kind of cold, lazy day. I am hoping that tomorrow I will feel better and I will be able to make sure the house is all put together before my parents get home. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Prosciutto Calzone

I had some leftover pizza dough in my refrigerator and I didn't have any ideas for what to make today, so I decided to throw together a quick calzone to keep in the fridge for my after work dinner.

Prosciutto Calzone

Pre made whole wheat pizza dough
Tomato sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Thinly sliced prosciutto
Flour
Egg

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a floured surface roll out pizza dough till very thin. Spread a layer of tomato sauce on one half of the dough. Cover with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Top with sliced prosciutto and another sprinkle of cheese. Fold dough over and crimp edges with a fork. make two small vents in the calzone and brush egg wash over the top. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.

With the week over, it is starting to feel like time is flying by. I have just three more work days left of the summer and I can't wait to go on vacation. Especially now that I am going to be seeing my roommate while I am in Maine. So till then,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

National Lemonade Day

Yesterday I was on Instagram and one of my favorite youtubers/musicians Charles Trippy posted a picture making lemonade and advertising that august 20th was national lemonade day. So even though I was a day late, I thought I would celebrate anyway with a strawberry lemonade popsicle, and a bonus popsicle recipe featuring lemons.

Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles
yield: 2 popsicles

6 strawberries - stems removed
Juice of 4 lemons
1/3 cup water

In a food processor blend together all ingredients until the strawberries are fully pureed and mixture is smooth. Fill 2 popsicle molds with mixture and freeze for 4-6 hours.


Mango Smoothie Popsicles
yield: 2 popsicles

1 mango - peeled and diced
1/2 banana - sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon

In a blender, mix together all ingredients until smooth and slightly thick in consistency. Fill 2 popsicles molds with mixture and freeze for 4-6 hours.

With my parents gone for a week and a half already, I am definitely ready for them to come home. I am starting to realize how much they do to keep the house together and I am ready to not have to worry about watering plants and feeding the cat all the time. Also them returning means I will be a few days away from my own vacation and then going to back to school. So till next time,
Keeping Cooking Brooklyn!

Kale and Artichoke Dip

I didn't have much time to make anything today. But Sunday I made an artichoke dip that I want to share with you, because I think it has a little trendy twist to it that many Brooklyn residents with appreciate.

Kale and Artichoke dip

1 cup tuscan kale - thinly sliced
1/2 can artichoke hearts - roughly chopped
1/2 cup swiss cheese - shredded
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese - softened
1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a small bowl mix together kale, artichoke hearts, swiss cheese, milk, cream cheese, garlic powder and 1/4 cup of parm cheese. Pour mixture into a ceramic dish, top with a sprinkle of remaining parm cheese and bake in a 450 degree oven for 25 minutes. Serve with crackers or chips.

Today has been a roller coaster of a day that I rather not talk about right now. But the upside to it is that I am about a week away from being done with work and finally be on vacation for a weekend before getting ready to go back to school. Hopefully I can shake off everything from today and end my week on a high note. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Ricotta and Tomato Bruschetta

Last night I got home from work with one of the baguettes that was left over from the day and was going to get thrown away. So instead I made a quick after work snack to enjoy before bed.

Ricotta and Tomato Bruschetta

A few slices of a baguette
Ricotta cheese
Heirloom tomato - diced
Garlic powder
Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Mint - chiffonade


After slicing a few pieces of baguette toast them in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or on a heated grill for a few minutes a side. Spread a generous amount of ricotta on each slice. In a small bowl mix diced tomato with a sprinkle of garlic powder and salt. Top the ricotta was the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil and add a final touch of mint to taste.

The other day my dad sent me a picture of a lobster frittata that he made in Maine this week. Anyone outside my family won't fully understand the significance behind this dish, but long story short, my dad has been threatening to make it for probably two or three years now. So when I got this picture not only was I surprised that he finally made it, but it also made me crave lobster. I usually don't eat lobster unless I'm in Maine but I may have to come up with some lobster dish to make this week to tide over my craving till labor day weekend. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Meal Prep Monday

This morning I realized that I still had a few vegetables from the farmers market that I hadn't used yet and I wanted something to eat after work, so I threw together a few fresh ingredients to make a a quick made ahead pasta.

Summer Squash and Tomato Pasta

1/4 pound of fettuccine
1/2 summer squash - thinly sliced
1 heirloom tomato - diced
1 clove of garlic - minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon parsley - roughly chopped
olive oil

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions on package. In a medium sized sauté pan heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and sauté squash and garlic until tender and aromatic. Add diced tomatoes, including the juice and heat through. Add oregano and simmer for a few minutes. When pasta is cooked, add to sauce, stir and serve with parsley sprinkled on top.

Today at work my coworkers and I started noticing that it had started to get darker earlier and earlier. And of course I know that that's the way the seasons work, but I don't think I've ever really noticed as much as now, especially because it seems to make the last couple hours of the work day drag on. One good thing about it getting darker earlier though, is that it means school is just around the corner. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Grilled Pizza

Tonight I thought I would try something easy but always delicious for my sunday night dinner for one. So taking a little bit of inspiration from my new world cuisine class, I made a grilled pizza, but instead of topping it with new world flavors I decided to stick to some traditional Italian ingredients.

Grilled Prosciutto  Pizza

1 pre-made whole wheat pizza dough
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3-4 slices prosciutto
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup arugula
1/2 small shallot - thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
olive oil

Heat your grill on its highest settings. After rolling out pizza dough to desired thickness, rub both sides with oil and place on grill and cook each side for 2-3 minutes or until lightly charred. After flipping dough to second side begin to top pizza. Start with a generous layer of ricotta, followed by the prosciutto and finely sprinkle park cheese over the top. Close lid of grill and cook until cheese has begun to melt and pizza is fully cooked. Before serving toss arugula, shallot, lemon juice and a small amount of olive oil in a bowl and pile on the middle of the pizza.

Between babysitting and say goodbye to my friends who are already leaving to go back to school, this weekend seemed to fly by. Only 2 more weeks of work and then I will be able to enjoy a long weekend in Maine before the frantic mess that will be me attempting to pack for school. All my friends and I are ready for the school year to begin, but first we need to finish these last 18 days of the blog and the 20 days left till move in. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Cold Peanut Noodles

This week the store I work at started selling a bunch of asia food items that sparked some inspiration. After I saw a package of soba noodle on the shelf I immediately wanted to make some cold peanut noodles that I have always loved. 

Cold Peanut Noodles 

1/2 lb soba or udon noodles 

1/4 cup peanut butter 

1/8 cup soy sauce 

1/4 cup warm water 

1 tablespoon ginger - peeled and chopped 

1 small clove of garlic - chopped 

1 tablespoon sesame oil 

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon scallion - chopped 

Bring a pot full of water to a boil and cook noodle for about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water and let cool in colander. Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and red wine vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth. When noodles are cool mix with peanut sauce. Plate with scallion garnish. 

After this post I will have just 19 posts left, and part of me feels like I have a lot more ideas left, but every time I try to think of something to make I get distracted and can't think of any the ideas I have previously had.  Hopefully as the next few weeks go by I will remember the ideas I have had and can try them out before it is time to go back to school, so till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Mocha Frappe

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a serious coffee addiction. And with a Starbucks on my campus at school and three Starbucks in walking distance from my house, my addiction has become even more real. So I decided I would try to make my own Starbucks-like coffee drink this morning.

Mocha Frappe

1 cup brewed coffee
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate sauce
2 - 3 cups ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until it reaches desired consistency. Adjust amount of ice depending on what you prefer.

I decided to do this simple recipe to end the long work week. I am looking forward to cooking for myself all weekend and hopefully making some meals to have later in the week for my after work dinners. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!
 

Buttermilk Corn Bread

A few days ago I had a full afternoon free and no plans. So I thought I would bake something to pass the time and use up some ingredients. This time I decided to use up the cornmeal from making polenta a few weeks ago and I made a buttermilk corn bread. 

Buttermilk Corn Bread 

1 stick cold butter - diced 

2 cups cornmeal 

3/4 cup flour 

6 tablespoons sugar 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1 1/4 cup buttermilk 

1/3 cup sour cream 

2 eggs 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8 pans with butter. In a food processor combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda and pulse a few times to combine. Add cubed butter and pulse for 30 seconds or until butter is cut into tiny pieces. In a large bowl mix together buttermilk, sour cream and eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes. 

A few days later I still have a good amount of corn bread still left over. Hopefully I can come up with something to make out of the leftover cornbread before it gets too stale to salvage. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Pan Seared Chicken in Tomato and Pepper Sauce

The other night I thought I would make my own sunday night styled dinner even though no one else was home. So I put together a chicken dish that I could have for a few nights as left overs after work.

Chicken in a Tomato and Pepper Sauce

3 boneless chicken breast
1/2 large sweet onion - sliced
1 red bell pepper - sliced
1 cloves garlic - minced
1-15 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup parsley
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Season both sides of chicken breast with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and sear the chicken breast on 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté for a few minutes till soft. Add tomatoes and white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to get any brown bits that are stuck. Add thyme and chicken stock. Add chicken breast back to pan and simmer in sauce for about 20 minutes or until chicken reached 165 degrees and sauce thickens. When chicken is fully cooked stir in parsley and serve.

I never noticed before how empty Brooklyn is in August. Usually I would be gone for these two weeks on vacation but being home this year I realized that everyone else in this area goes away too. Work is slow and the neighborhood is empty and it makes Brooklyn seem like a ghost town. Hopefully next week business would pick up so that there is more to do at work. But till next time,
Keep Cooking Brookyln!

Skillet Homefries

With all of my mornings now free I thought I would experiment with a few classic breakfast recipes that I haven't tried before. So this morning I used some of the farmers market potatoes that I got the other day to through together a quick and hearty breakfast.

Skillet Homefries

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sweet onion - diced
1 tablespoon red bell pepper - diced
1 teaspoon garlic - minced
8-10 small red skin potatoes - cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and Pepper

In a small cast iron skillet melt butter and begin to sauté onion until soft. Add garlic and red pepper and sauté for another minute. Add cut potatoes and lay in bottom of skillet. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are almost fully cooked. Flip potatoes to lightly brown side that has not already been browned. Finish cooking uncovered until potatoes are lightly browned and fully cooked.

This week is the last week before my two closest friends from high school leave to go back to school. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that I still have 25 days left till I get to go back. If there is one thing I have learned this summer it's that I have matured in the past year more than I ever thought I would, and I may just be too independent to live at home anymore. And with my parents gone for two weeks I am already starting to learn that even if I can't fully take care of this big house by myself, I can definitely begin to take care of myself, in every way except financially of course. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Instead of a meal prep Monday, I thought it would be nice to change things up a bit and post a recipe that could probably be considered the first thing I ever learned to cook. So last night for dinner I treated myself to one of my favorite foods ever, rosemary mashed potatoes.

Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

3 Idaho potatoes - peeled and quartered
3/4 cup milk
1 sprig rosemary
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Place the quartered potatoes in a medium sized pot of water and bring to boil. Once boiling turn down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until soft and tender. While potatoes cook heat 1/4 cup of milk with chopped rosemary till fragrant but making sure not to scorch milk. Drain potatoes from water and return to pot. Add butter and mash potatoes with a hand masher. Stir in rosemary and milk mixture. Add remaining milk, parm cheese and salt and pepper. Serve warm.

One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was to make these mashed potatoes because not only were they delicious but I actually thought that my dad and I made up this recipe, and while I am sure there are other people who make the exact same thing, it will also be a fond memory of mine. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Quinoa and Kale Cakes

I picked up some farm fresh kale yesterday at the farmers market, so I thought I would combine it with some pre cooked quinoa I had left over and create a super food packed health lunch.

Quinoa and Kale Cakes

1 cup cooked quinoa - mixed with lemon and parsley
1 egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup yellow onion - diced
1/2 cup tuscan kale - chiffonade
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese - grated
Salt and Pepper

In a small sauté pan heat the olive oil and sauté onions and kale until softened. In a bowl mix together quinoa, egg, sautéed
vegetables, bread crumbs and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 3 evenly sized patties and cook in a pan with a small amount of canola oil for 2-3 minutes a side until lightly browned.

My goal for the rest of this blog experience is to organize myself a little more than I have been. So today I spent planning out the recipes for the rest of the week and I made a few extra ones today to post later in the week. Of course even with trying to plan ahead I still find myself writing this post with 20 minutes left in the day and rushing to get this posted in time, but hopefully I will be able to improve on my timing as the week goes on. So till then,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Baked Stuffed Squash Blossoms

This morning I joined my parents on their weekly farmers market trip to see what I could get before they leave for Maine. One of the farmers who sells vegetables at our farmers market has a son who goes to my school, so I went over to their tent and looked around for inspiration for something to cook from what they were selling. I found a basket of squash blossoms and thought I would get some and try to make something with them today.

Baked Stuffed Squash Blossoms

12 squash blossoms
1 cup ricotta
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley - chopped
3 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl mix together ricotta, parmesan, parsley and 1 egg, season with salt and pepper. Using a small plastic bag pipe some of the ricotta mixture into each squash blossom (or just fill using a spoon). Twist the top end of each squash blossom to seal the opening. Beat together the remaining two eggs in one shallow dish and in another shallow dish mix together bread crumbs and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Coat each squash blossom in egg mixture and then bread crumbs and lay on a parchment lined sheet tray. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Today I found out that I will be working five days a week now for the rest of the summer, which is only a few more weeks, and that I will only be working closing shifts which means I won't have to wake up at 6 am anymore. While it will be great to get on more of a set schedule it will make keeping up with the blog a little more of a challenge. But I am determined to finish with only 26 more posts to go, so till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Corn Fritters

After a successful back to school shopping trip with my mom, I thought a quick snack was in order before I continued with the rest of my day. So I thought I would use more of the ingredients that I had laying around the kitchen and throw something together.

Corn Fritters

1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
A pinch of paprika
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 a small shallot
1 ear of corn - kernels cut off
Salt and pepper

In a small bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, paprika. In a measuring cup whisk together egg and buttermilk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture. In a small sauté pan sauté shallots and corn kernels til soft. Add sautéed vegetables to bowl and season with pepper. In a sauté pan add a few tablespoons of canola oil, when heated add medium sized spoonfuls of batter and cool a minute or two on each side until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and seaon with salt. Serve over a salad or alone as a hearty snack.

As we all prepare for my parents to go away for two weeks, I can't help but think about ways I can prepare to keep up with the blog and of all the interesting things I can make. Tomorrow I am going to join my parents on their weekly shopping trip at the farmers market and I may even go to the grocery store to pick up a few extra things to have in the house, so till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Leftover Sandwich

After my last shift at work for the week I thought I would treat myself to a leftover sandwich with a ciabatta roll from work and some other things that have been collected in our fridge. So here's how to turn leftover shrimp dishes similar to the one I made last into another great meal. 

Leftover Sautéed Shrimp Sandwich 

1 ciabatta roll 

1 tablespoon mayo 

1 1/2 teaspoon chipotle sauce 

2 leaves romaine lettuce 

1 cup leftover sautéed shrimp (with vegetables) 

1/2 avocados - sliced 

In a small bowl mix together may and chipotle sauce to make chipotle mayo. Cut ciabatta roll in half, spread mayo on bottom half in a thick and generous layer. Add lettuce and pile shrimp on top of lettuce. On the top half of the bread evenly distribute avocado and press lightly. Place the top half of the sandwich on the bottom half, cut in half and enjoy. 

This is a very simple lunch and I don't think that anyone really needs a recipe for it, but I do like sharing some of the things that I do with the left overs I have from previous recipes. And this is just another reason to try out yesterdays recipe, so till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Sautéed Shrimp over Lemon Quinoa

For a weekday girls night dinner my mom and I thought that something simple and healthy would be nice. So after my last driving lesson, I put this dish together in just about 30-45 minutes and made a healthy shrimp étouffée inspired dish.

Shrimp over Lemon Quinoa

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup quinoa - rinsed and drained
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 red onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 red bell pepper - diced
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes - thinly sliced
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/4 cup parsley - finely chopped

In a medium sized saucepan heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Add quinoa and cook for 1 minute. Add lemon zest and season with salt. Add 1/4 cup of white wine and the water, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes then take off of heat and let stand for 5 minutes. While quinoa cooks, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large sauté pan, add garlic, red onion, bell pepper and tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the remaining 3/4 cup wine, bring to a simmer and then lower heat and let reduce to thicken. In a separate sauté pan melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and cook the shrimp for a minute or two per side till pink and opaque. Add shrimp to sauté pan with wine sauce, add half of the chopped parsley and keep warm till quinoa is fully cooked. When quinoa is done fluff with a fork, add lemon zest and remaining parsley. Serve in a big bowl with a spoonful of quinoa and topped with shrimp and sauce.

As my parents prepare to leave for two weeks to go to maine, I am starting to think about what I could do cooking wise while they are gone. hopefully I will be able to make a lot more easy dinner foods for myself and maybe even my brother. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Peanut Butter Coconut Bars

Most of the time when I make something I end up with an excess of ingredients that I don't usually use. So I decided to use some of those odd ingredients to put together a quick little treat to have in the fridge this week. 

Peanut Butter Coconut Bars 

1/4 cup butter 

1/2 cup peanut butter 

1 cup graham cracker crumbs 

1/2 cup powdered sugar 

Shredded coconut 

White chocolate chips 

In a small saucepan melt together peanut butter and butter till combined. Once melted together mis with the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a medium size bowl. Line a small rectangular container with parchment paper (this can be a tupperware container or a glass pyrex dish, if you have) and spread the peanut butter mixture in a thick layer. Top generously with shredded coconut and a few white chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then cut into small squares and store in fridge. 

After trying to rush schedule my driving test today and emailing my boss about the days I have left to work, its finally starting to feel like the end of summer. And while I start making lists of everything I need before the start of school, I am realizing that freshman year went by so quickly that it doesn't even feel like I'm going to be a sophomore, it just seems like there was a big gap in freshman year and its going to start right back up in a month when we go back. But reality is that we are getting older and not full realizing it and soon enough senior year will be approaching and we will be asking where the next few year went, but till then, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Avocado Pesto

Avocados have become very trendy int he past few year because it has been added to the list of super foods that so many hipsters across the US and especially in Brooklyn have become obsessed with. With avocado being so popular, there are many new ways that people are using and I thought I would give one of them a try.

Avocado Pesto

12 ounces your choice of pasta
1 avocado
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup basil
3-5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon - juiced
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes - halved

Bring a pot of water to a boil and follow direction for your choice of pasta to cook till al dente. In a food processor blend together avocado, garlic, and basil. Once blended, slowly drizzle in oil till fully mixed in and pesto is smooth and creamy. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. When pasta is cooked, drain and mix with pesto. Top with tomatoes and serve immediately.

I actually made this ahead of time, which is not recommended because avocado is so prone to browning, but luckily it worked out for me and it tasted very good after my shift at work. As of today I have about a month left of the blog, and even though it is so close to being over, it still seems quite far away. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

A Lost Recipe: Because Migraines Ruin Everything

Migraines are something that I've had since I was young, but this year they have become worse and gotten more frequent, and every once in a while they are so bad that it is difficult to do anything besides lay in bed. So today after a five hour DMV pre licensing class, I got a massive headache and I just couldn't find the energy or strength to cook something. Luckily while scrolling through pictures on my phone, I found a picture of a recipe I haven't posted yet, so here it is, another lost recipe.

Old Bay Steak Fries

3-4 Idaho Potatoes - cleaned and cut into wedges
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons old bay
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. After cutting the potatoes toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay wedges on a sheet tray and sprinkle with old bay. Bake for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are fully cooked and lightly crispy and golden brown. Serve beside your favorite burgers or other BBQ favorites.

So as I try to get rid of this headache, I am hoping that it will be gone by tomorrow so I can do some meal prep in the morning and be energized enough to have a good day at work. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Dad's Clams on the Grill

Last summer my dad became obsessed with finding different  ways to make clams. This eventually ended up with the purchase of a clam knife that we have all been banned from using. One of the favorites from his experiments were these clams on the grill in a beer butter sauce.

Clams on the Grill

Little neck clams (as many as desired)
Butter - melted
Beer (use one you like to drink)
1 clove of garlic - smashed

Heat your grill and lay the clams on the grates, facing up so none get lost as they begin to open. Close the grill and check every few minutes till they begin to open. While the clams start cooking, place a small pot with equal parts melted butter and beer on the grill to heat and stay warm, add in the crushed garlic for extra flavor. Once the clams begin to open, place them in the small pot with butter and beer, cover pot and keep them stay warm and let them soak up the flavor of the beer. Once all the clams are opened and in the beer mixture, shake them around a little in the pot to ensure they are all coated with sauce and serve warm.

We often serve these as a side to steak or another kind of meat but they would be equally as good and impressing as a starter or appetizer. I think that this is a pretty unique way to eat clams and is great for beer lovers to enjoy beer in a different way. Today I visited my grandmother in the morning and spent the afternoon walking around the city on a cupcake tour that my best friend got tickets for for her birthday. To say it was an exhausting day would be an understatement, but it was definitely an enjoyable one. So it was nice to enjoy a meal on the deck that I didn't have to come up with something to cook for. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Crumb Cake for Grandma

Tomorrow my dad and I are driving to riverdale to visit my grandmother because I havent had the chance this summer to see her and I dont know if i will have another chance before I go back to school. So we thought it would be nice to make something and bring it to her. So I decided that crumb cake would be easy but delicious.

Crumb Cake

Crumb Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 stick butter - melted
1 1/3 cup flour

Cake:
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the crumb topping ingredients and set aside when fully mixed. In a large stand mixer beat together sugar and butter till light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition. Add vanilla, lemon zest and sour cream and mix till combined. In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add in flour mixture and beat till fully combined. Pour batter into a 9 inch cake pan that has been buttered and floured lightly. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I am hoping that this cake turned out well and that my grandmother and anyone else who tries it will enjoy it. Till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Parmesan Risotto

Last night I was feeling very nostalgic for some of the foods that we made in class this past year. So when I had to think of something to make to go with salmon that I made, I thought about a suggestion that my friend made at the beginning of the summer, that also happened to be something that we learned in our traditional european cuisine class.

Parmesan Risotto

4- 5 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 yellow onion - diced
1 garlic clove - minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon thyme

Begin by heating the chicken stock and keeping it on a low burning to stay warm. In a medium sized pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add rice and cook for about 5 minutes until slightly translucent, stirring frequently. add wine and cook until evaporated. Begin to add stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously. Once stock has been absorbed, add the next 1/2 cup, continue or 20-25 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Once cooked, remove from heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, parmesan, thyme and season with more salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Risotto is definitely a time commitment but if you are willing to be patient, which is definitely sometimes difficult for me, than it can really pay off. With my work week basically over I am very much excited to relax this weekend. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Baked Salmon in Parchment

All day at work all I could think about was what I wanted to make for dinner. But it wasn't till after I had gotten home that I remembered one day in my nutrition lab where all we focused on was wrap cookery. So tonight I decided to bake salmon in parchment paper for my parents and I as a healthy summer meal that I anyone can do. 

Baked Salmon and Zucchini in Parchment 

yield: 1 serving

1 small zucchini or summer squash - halved and thinly sliced 

1 tablespoon shallots- thinly sliced 

Olive oil 

Salt and Pepper 

1 8-ounce salmon fillet 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

A pinch of dill weed 

1 piece of parchment paper 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Fold the parchment paper in half to crease it then open it back up. On one side lay down the sliced zucchini and top with shallots. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Lay the salmon fillet over the vegetables, squeeze lemon juice over fish and top with dill weed. Fold over the other half of parchment and fold the bottom part over the top in small creases until the opening of parchment is sealed. Bake for 15 minutes, let sit for 2-3 minutes out of oven, then cut a slit in the top, open up parchment and serve. 

My work schedule this week has been switched around so it almost makes it feel like this week has gone on forever, although thats also probably because I worked Sunday as well. Either way I am happy for this week to almost be over and to fit in some more driving practice in this weekend. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn! 

Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding

Monday nights are not the busiest nights at work, so we are often left with a large amount of baguettes and donuts that we end up having to through away at the end of the night. So last night, instead of throwing them away, my coworker and I took some home. Since my family doesn't really eat bread that often, I thought I would use the day old bread today in a bread pudding.

Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding

1 baguette - cubed
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs
1 apple (red or green) - diced
1/4 cup raisins
Powdered sugar

After cubing up the bread, mix together the milk, apple sauce, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Beat in eggs. Fold in the bread cubes, diced apples and raisins. Pour mixture into glass pan and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 45 -50 minutes until inside is set and top is lightly brown. Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve slightly cooled or fully chilled.

I usually am not a fan of bread pudding, and I added more sugar when writing this post because it originally did not have enough, but overall I actually liked this more than I thought. Even though we don't often have bread in our house, it is always hard to know what to do with it when we do, so I am hoping to come up with more stale bread recipes to re use what would normally be thrown away, so till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Meal Prep Monday

Yesterday at whole foods I got some orecchiette pasta to use for meal prep monday. So after my daily Starbucks run, I decided to use up some of the left over goat cheese from yesterdays recipe and make a quick pasta for after work.

Orecchiette with Goat Cheese and Mint

1/2 cup orecchiette
1/4 yellow onion
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup frozen peas
2 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup milk or cream
1 tablespoon mint - chiffonade
Salt and Pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook orecchiette for about 11minutes. While the pasta cooks, sauté the onions in butter till softened and translucent. Add the peas and warm through. Add milk or cream and cheese and heat till the cheese melts. Add the pasta and reserve a small amount of pasta water for later use. Stir pasta into sauce and let the sauce simmer while stirring. Simmer till sauce has reduced slightly and thickened. Add a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water to add more thickness. Season with salt and pepper, plate pasta or place in tupperware container and top with mint.

There are only 39 days left of the blog and I can't tell if its moving quickly or slowing down. For the most part if feels like having basically a month left isn't that much time at all, but when you put it inot perspective a month can seem like a long time. Unfortunately I won't be able to go to Maine for two weeks like I usually do in the summer, so that means 6 more weeks of working, sleeping and cooking, which can start to get boring. Maybe I could think of something exciting to do for the blog to make time move a little more quickly. Till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Sweet Potato Latkes Appetizers

My family and I haven't really been all together for dinner in a pretty long time, with my brother on a two week long business trip and then my mom away for a week at a yoga retreat, a family dinner was long over due. So to make things a little special, I made a little appetizer to enjoy during the news.

Sweet Potato Latkes Appetizers

1 large sweet potato
1/2 onion
1 egg
1/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper - to taste
Canola Oil
1 ounce chevre goat cheese
1 tablespoon cream cheese
Dill

Using a box grater, grate the sweet potato and onion into a small bowl. Mix in the egg, flour, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Heat a pan filled an inch high with oil and place small spoonfuls of the sweet potato mixture and cook for about 4 minutes on each side till lightly browned. Let the pancakes drain and cool on a plate with paper towel to soak up the excess oil. When ready to plate, mix together the goat cheese and cream cheese and pipe a small dollop of cheese mixture on each pancake and top with dill.

After a short morning shift at work, my dad and I drove to the new whole foods that I hadn't gone to yet and looked around for some interesting products. The real point of the trip was to let me practice my driving, but the whole foods was huge and I could definitely see myself spending hours scouring the aisle for unique finds. Hopefully sometime soon I will have the time to spend there, so till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Classic Macaroni Salad

Today my family and I drove out to Long Island for a family barbecue to celebrate the summer birthdays of the family. The barbecue ended up being filled with sharing photos that were found in storage a few weeks ago from when we were all kids. There were tons of hilarious photos of our baby days and loads of pictures that we hadn't seen before. So with the request of my aunt, I made a macaroni salad to go along with everything else being served.

Macaroni Salad

2 cups dry macaroni
2 stalks celery - diced
1 red onion - diced
1/2 red bell pepper - diced
1 tablespoon parsley - finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and Pepper - to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta till al dente - about 6 minutes. In a big bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar and sour cream. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse and let cool for a few minutes while you cut the vegetables. Add the pasta and the cut vegetables and parsley to the bowl with the dressing. Mix together and season with salt and pepper. This salad is even better if made a day ahead and allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Usually I am off of work all weekend, but tomorrow I am covering someones shift at work, which just seems odd because I feel like my whole week is going to be thrown off because I won't actually be sure of what day it is. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

New York Style Black and White Cookies

Growing up in New York, it was pretty normal to see giant black and white cookies in the display cases of bagel shops or corner stores and it wasn't after I left that I realized that those delicious giant cookies were actually a New York thing. The other day I saw one of these giant cookies in a store and thought that it would be cool to try and recreate them at home. So today on my day off I decided to try it out.

Black and White Cookies
Yield: 8 Cookies

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Icing:
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. In another bowl mix together buttermilk and vanilla. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar and mix for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix till combined. Then slowly add the flour and buttermilk mixture alternating between the two and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scoop 1/4 cup mounds of the cookie batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes, until lightly brown around the edges and still soft and springy in the middle. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
While cookies cool, mix together the confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Spread the vanilla icing on one half of the flat side of each cookie. Once all the cookies are iced with the vanilla icing, add the cocoa powder to the icing mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the same consistency as before and finish icing the other half of each cookie with the chocolate icing.

These cookies were actually really fun to make and they came out pretty close to what I remember the original tasting like. It also made my day off a little more entertaining considering it was otherwise filled with doing laundry and cleaning my room. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Rosemary Cashews

After my last day of work for the week, I thought it would be nice to take a little break from cooking dinner, so tonight I'm going out to dinner with one of my friends. But we were seriously lacking snack foods in our cupboard and I was wanting something to snack on, so I decided to flavor some cashews for a quick snack.

Rosemary cashews

8 ounces halved cashews
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar
pinch of cayenne
pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place the cashews on a sheet pan and toast them for about 10 minutes. In a small bowl mix together the remaining ingredients. When the nuts are toasted, add them to the bowl and mix till evenly coated.

These nuts would be great along side a cheese plate or appetizers at a dinner party or are just great by themselves as an after school or after work snack. After was seems like a long week of work, I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and doing whatever I feel like doing because I have nothing planned for the whole day. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Steamed Pork Dumpling

Today after work I suddenly had the urge to try something completely new. And I don't know if I was drawing inspiration from the cooking asia club at my school that my best friend is apart of or if I was just craving Chinese food, but I decided that I was determined to make pork dumplings. 

Steamed Pork Dumplings 

2 clove garlic - minced 

1 teaspoon ginger - minced 

2 tablespoons sesame oil 

2-3 scallions 

12 ounces ground pork 

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 

3 teaspoons soy sauce 

1 package wonton wrappers 

In a saute pan, combine the garlic, ginger, sesame oil and scallions and cook for a minute or two until fragrant, let cool for a minute. In a medium sized bowl mix together the scallion mixture, ground pork, hoisin and soy sauce. Season with black pepper. Fill wonton wrappers with a small spoonful of filling and fold in half into triangles. In a sauce pot with a metal steamer inside, bring enough water to just touch the bottom of steamer to a boil. Fill with as many dumplings as will fit in one layer and cover pot and steam for 10-11 minutes. Serve with a sauce of soy sauce, hoisin and sriracha ( I didn't measure anything for sauce, just added till it tasted how I wanted). 

After searching for an hour in my neighborhood for ingredients I definitely was tired. This recipe is definitely one of the most difficult things I've made but it was probably ten times harder because of my exhaustion. So as I am falling asleep while writing this, I am hoping that I can come up with something to make tomorrow that will be a little easier for an after work recipe. So till then, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Grilled Corn Salad

With corn finally in season and a few left over ears in the refrigerator, I thought that a fresh grilled corn salad would be a nice side dish to go with the barbecue chicken that my dad made the other night for dinner.

Grilled Corn Salad

4 ears corn
2 zucchinis - cut lengthwise into thirds
1 red onion - diced
1/2 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes - halved
2 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Start by tossing the ears of corn and cut zucchini in olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the zucchini and corn for about 3-4 minutes a side. Cut the kernels off the corn cobs and dice the zucchini into small pieces. Mix the corn and zucchini with the onion, tomatoes and thyme leaves. Toss with the vinegar and olive oil and season with additional salt and pepper.

I am sorry that this post is so short, but I had a long closing shift at work today and now I have to go to bed and prepare myself to wake up at 6 am to open at work tomorrow. Even though work is tiring and the hours don't always seem ideal, it is rewarding and I am learning a lot. So till next time,
Keep Cooking Brooklyn!

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Because of the large quantity of leftovers in our fridge, I decided to skip meal prep this week and forage for food after work from what we already have. But this morning I woke up with a craving for cookies, so with mom gone for the rest of the week, I thought I would make a small batch of oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies 

Yield: about 12 

1 stick of butter - softened 

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

1 egg 

1 cup flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 1/12 cups oats 

1 cup chocolate chunks 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside. In a stand mixer, mix together the butter and sugars till light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture and stir till combined. Finally add the oats and chocolate chunks. Place small spoonfuls of dough onto two cookie sheets and bake for about 10 -12 minutes. Let cool and store in an air tight container. 

So far this summer hasn't been nearly as hot as it normally is, which is nice because it leaves more of an opportunity to cook things without feeling like you are making the house ten times hotter than it already is. There is something about baking cookies like this that seem so innocent and is a relaxing way to spend my morning before work. So till next time, 

Keep Cooking Brooklyn!