Downtown Baltimore, next to the Charles Theatre, there is a place. A place of delicoiousness, of sweet and savory, of the bbq crepe (with pulled pork and cheddar) and the nutty banana (nutella and banana). Sofi's Crepes is quickly becoming one of my favorite Baltimore places. next to the Charles, it makes it easy to grab a delicous bite before or after a movie.
They have a list of savory crepes, with meat, and vegetarian options, and a list of sweet crepes that I am working my way through. (up next- the crepe suzette, which I hear is boozy and awesome) The crepes I've had have been really good- a balance of flavors, and textures. Plus, it's resonable! a crepe and a drink will set you back less than ten bucks, and for sweet crepes, it's even less than that.
If you're in Baltimore, you should definitely check it out. If you're my family, be warned that this is going to be added to the list of baltimore places I take out of towners to.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Chicken Pot Pies
Ever since my Nana passed away last month, I've taken some time when I've been home (I have been home to New Jersey quite a bit in the last month and a half) to make dinners for my Grandad to freeze, and then heat for dinner.
I started with a roast potatoes and chicken, and my sister made her awesome sheperd's pie, and I knew that I was going to be home for bachelorette party awesomeness this weekend, and so began to plan what I would make.
A few weeks ago, I saw a recipe in what chicken thought was Cook's Illustrated for make ahead chicken pot pies that you freeze. I didn't buy it when I saw it in Barnes and Noble, and then, when I went back to buy it, it was gone! I asked co-workers, and friends, and searched online, and my search was fruitless. So I began to look at chicken pot pie recipes online, and was somewhat dissatisfied with what I found, nothing quite hitting me in the right way.
Then my mother called. She had found the Cook's Illustrated! It wasn't in the regular magazine, it was in a special one devoted to make-ahead food. She had picked one up for me, and I did a happy dance.
Then, when I got home, I looked at the recipe, and it wasn't exactly what I had remembered.... so I created my own recipe anyway.
Chicken Pot Pies
Hardware:
Large soup pot
medium pot
tinfoil individual serving containers (or ceramic ones, if you're fancy)
knife
Cutting board
Ingredients
two large or three small to medium chicken breasts
rosemary - one sprig
one garlic clove (smashed)
one yellow onion
one rib of celery
one stick of butter
two boxes of frozen vegetables (I used a corn, peas, green bean mix)
1/2 cup of flour
5 cups of chicken broth
Pie dough- either purchased, or a recipe to make a top and bottom crust.
I used a betty crocker recipe here , doubled
fill a medium saucepan with water, add sprig of rosemary, and garlic, and chicken breasts. bring to a gentle simmer, until chicken is cooked through. drain water, and then chop chicken into small bite-sized pieces
Dice onion and celery into small dice. heat large pot, melting 1tbs butter in pot. put in onion and celery, and salt. when onions are translucent, put in rest of butter, then melt. once butter is melted, add flour, stirring regularly, until flour has been lightly browned, and has lost raw flour taste. add vegetables, chicken, and stock, and bring to a simmer. add pepper, and salt, if needed. take off heat and cool to room temp.
Roll out pastry dough, and cut out lid sized pieces.
fill the foil containers with the chicken stew, and then place on pastry lid, and go around the edge of the pastry with a fork, smushing the edge of the pastry into the side of the container.
cut holes in the top of the pastry for venting, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil. and freeze.
when you are ready to have one, preheat oven to 400 degrees. take of plastic wrap, and foil, and place foil on top of pie, loosely. cook for 35 mintues with foil on, remove foil, and cook 30 more minutes. take out of oven, and let sit 10 mintues (otherwise you risk burning the roof of your mouth right off your body)
makes about 5 pies
I started with a roast potatoes and chicken, and my sister made her awesome sheperd's pie, and I knew that I was going to be home for bachelorette party awesomeness this weekend, and so began to plan what I would make.
A few weeks ago, I saw a recipe in what chicken thought was Cook's Illustrated for make ahead chicken pot pies that you freeze. I didn't buy it when I saw it in Barnes and Noble, and then, when I went back to buy it, it was gone! I asked co-workers, and friends, and searched online, and my search was fruitless. So I began to look at chicken pot pie recipes online, and was somewhat dissatisfied with what I found, nothing quite hitting me in the right way.
Then my mother called. She had found the Cook's Illustrated! It wasn't in the regular magazine, it was in a special one devoted to make-ahead food. She had picked one up for me, and I did a happy dance.
Then, when I got home, I looked at the recipe, and it wasn't exactly what I had remembered.... so I created my own recipe anyway.
Chicken Pot Pies
Hardware:
Large soup pot
medium pot
tinfoil individual serving containers (or ceramic ones, if you're fancy)
knife
Cutting board
Ingredients
two large or three small to medium chicken breasts
rosemary - one sprig
one garlic clove (smashed)
one yellow onion
one rib of celery
one stick of butter
two boxes of frozen vegetables (I used a corn, peas, green bean mix)
1/2 cup of flour
5 cups of chicken broth
Pie dough- either purchased, or a recipe to make a top and bottom crust.
I used a betty crocker recipe here , doubled
fill a medium saucepan with water, add sprig of rosemary, and garlic, and chicken breasts. bring to a gentle simmer, until chicken is cooked through. drain water, and then chop chicken into small bite-sized pieces
Dice onion and celery into small dice. heat large pot, melting 1tbs butter in pot. put in onion and celery, and salt. when onions are translucent, put in rest of butter, then melt. once butter is melted, add flour, stirring regularly, until flour has been lightly browned, and has lost raw flour taste. add vegetables, chicken, and stock, and bring to a simmer. add pepper, and salt, if needed. take off heat and cool to room temp.
Roll out pastry dough, and cut out lid sized pieces.
fill the foil containers with the chicken stew, and then place on pastry lid, and go around the edge of the pastry with a fork, smushing the edge of the pastry into the side of the container.
cut holes in the top of the pastry for venting, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil. and freeze.
when you are ready to have one, preheat oven to 400 degrees. take of plastic wrap, and foil, and place foil on top of pie, loosely. cook for 35 mintues with foil on, remove foil, and cook 30 more minutes. take out of oven, and let sit 10 mintues (otherwise you risk burning the roof of your mouth right off your body)
makes about 5 pies
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Rice Krispie Cake
Photo Credit: Brielle Welzer My sister is a lover of all things Rice Krispie. She has a very specific way that she likes them, plain rice crispies, with the sprinkles are little, tiny hard balls of multicolored sugar. (no other substitutes or replacements accepted)
A few years ago, she made Rice Krispie treats with fruity pebbles. While they are also awesome, you may need a moment to come out of diabetic shock after you eat one.
So this year for her birthday, I began to hatch a plan. I wanted to make her rice krispie something for her birthday celebration. but what? just a stack of cut up squares would not do.
So I created the Rice Krispie Cake. a three layer cake, made entirely with rice crispies, and decorated with circle dots of fruity pebbles rice krispie circles, and a flower on top.
it was huge. it was awesome. it was giant, and sugary. and I kind of want a slice right now.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Comedy gold
This kind of makes me want to give earl a bath.
... and then i contemplate the kind of biting/scratches that would ensue, and I think better of it.
... and then i contemplate the kind of biting/scratches that would ensue, and I think better of it.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The List: March Update
1. Read a book a month that I haven't read before. I'm working on it! I have been lately doing a lot of comfort reading; i.e. Harry Potter and Roald Dahl.
2. Find a new apartment. Well, if you mean by new apartment, decide to stay in my current apartment, then the answer is yes. I decided to stay, and add an addition to my household. Earl the Cat. I have been refraining from posting about Earl, because I do not want to become Crazy Cat Blogger Lady, but he is awesome. and also, he bites.
3. Hike the trail at Oregon Ridge.
4. Go and see a movie with subtitles in a theater. I saw Slumdog millionare, which has subtitles, but not for the whole movie. So I say, it counts Half.
5. Go on a date. done!
6. Send real mail to someone once a month. Done! if the USPS would GET ON IT ALREADY and deliver the item that I have sent to the intended recipient
7. Listen to one new album a month. March album of the month- Sara Barrielles- she's surprisingly good, and not as pop-y as i thought!
8. Cook all the recipes in a cookbook.
9. Take a belly dancing class.
10. Get a decent haircut, someplace that is not Supercuts or Hair Cuttery.
12. Take a cooking class.
13. Have a five course dinner party. Done! Porkapalooza was five courses!
14. Learn a new craft.
15. Finish five knitting or crocheting projects. I am counting all the 40 snowflakes i crocheted this christmas, plus a cute red hat for my cute little cousin.
16. Be more assertive at work.
17. Go to DC by myself for a day and just walk around.
18. Finish the blanket (crochet). 19. Learn one new Baltimore/Maryland thing to do a month. March's thing: figured out a new, alternate route home if 95 is backed up. Excellent.
20. Create a new drink (boozy!)
21. Make handmade Christmas gifts see #15. counts for both!
22. Go to an RU women's basketball game. DONE. sadly, the RU women lost, but the're in the sweet sixteen. GO RU.
23. Be more considerate.
24. Take more pictures; update my flickr page more frequently Porkapalooza pics and bridal shower pics on flickr!
25. Visit one state that is not on the eastern seaboard.
26. Buy and read the Washington post one day a week.
27. Make an entire meal from items procured at the farmer's market
2. Find a new apartment. Well, if you mean by new apartment, decide to stay in my current apartment, then the answer is yes. I decided to stay, and add an addition to my household. Earl the Cat. I have been refraining from posting about Earl, because I do not want to become Crazy Cat Blogger Lady, but he is awesome. and also, he bites.
3. Hike the trail at Oregon Ridge.
4. Go and see a movie with subtitles in a theater. I saw Slumdog millionare, which has subtitles, but not for the whole movie. So I say, it counts Half.
5. Go on a date. done!
6. Send real mail to someone once a month. Done! if the USPS would GET ON IT ALREADY and deliver the item that I have sent to the intended recipient
7. Listen to one new album a month. March album of the month- Sara Barrielles- she's surprisingly good, and not as pop-y as i thought!
8. Cook all the recipes in a cookbook.
9. Take a belly dancing class.
10. Get a decent haircut, someplace that is not Supercuts or Hair Cuttery.
12. Take a cooking class.
13. Have a five course dinner party. Done! Porkapalooza was five courses!
14. Learn a new craft.
15. Finish five knitting or crocheting projects. I am counting all the 40 snowflakes i crocheted this christmas, plus a cute red hat for my cute little cousin.
16. Be more assertive at work.
17. Go to DC by myself for a day and just walk around.
18. Finish the blanket (crochet). 19. Learn one new Baltimore/Maryland thing to do a month. March's thing: figured out a new, alternate route home if 95 is backed up. Excellent.
20. Create a new drink (boozy!)
21. Make handmade Christmas gifts see #15. counts for both!
22. Go to an RU women's basketball game. DONE. sadly, the RU women lost, but the're in the sweet sixteen. GO RU.
23. Be more considerate.
24. Take more pictures; update my flickr page more frequently Porkapalooza pics and bridal shower pics on flickr!
25. Visit one state that is not on the eastern seaboard.
26. Buy and read the Washington post one day a week.
27. Make an entire meal from items procured at the farmer's market
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Poladroid
So there's this website called Poladroid.... and I am in love with it. Seriously. I can't pretend that I have mad photoshop skills (in fact, I don't even have photoshop) So the first thing I did was get together my favorite pictures and poladroid them first.
Earl, looking deceptively relaxed and chilled out
Evan and G
Kate and Lindy sipping tea at the bridal shower.
Jackie and I at Falcon ridge a few years ago.
I love it because it makes them look old timey and cool. I want to poladroid everything now!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Bridal Shower To End All Bridal Showers
I say that, because it was awesome, but also because it was the first bridal shower that I have ever thrown. My sister, Jackie, and I are bridesmaids (or rather, Best Ladies) for my cousin Kate, who is getting married in April to her most awesome fiance, James.
So once we were nominated as best ladies by Kate, Jackie and I started planning the bridal shower. Jackie, and her mad design and organization skillz, was going to take care of the decorating and invites, and I was going to handle the food.
So I began to plot. and refine, and consider about eight million different options. Soup buffet? picnic style fried chicken? Barbecue? an all sweet bridal shower with three or five different kinds of pie, cookies and cake? fondue party complete with boiling fondue pots of oil? A dips and spreads party? a party of little nibbles, like mini quiche, and pigs in a blanket? Options: endless. (side note to my friends and family: these options are still reserved for future party)
Finally Jackie and I decided on a tea party theme. and so different deliberations began. fillings and bread options loomed large in front of me. also: sweet options, and what kind of teas to serve. Some days, the best part of my day was thinking about the bridal shower menu, it was so fun (also, my job sucks sometimes).
So the tea party menu was
Scones:
Pumpkin maple scones from Here adapted with maple syrup- I would definitely make these again- the pumpkin mad
Buttermilk scones - from Bittman's How To Cook Everything, which is one of my favorite go-to places for recipes
Buttermilk scones - from Bittman's How To Cook Everything, which is one of my favorite go-to places for recipes
Tea Sandwiches
Cucumber
Crisp cucumbers with a creamy dill yogurt on white bread
Roast Beef
Roast beef with a spicy horseradish cream on Whole wheat bread
Chicken
Savory curry chicken salad with peanuts on Seven Grain Whole wheat bread
I used the Barefoot Contessa's trick of roasting turkey thighs for the meat for the chicken salad, and it turned out really moist.
I used the Barefoot Contessa's trick of roasting turkey thighs for the meat for the chicken salad, and it turned out really moist.
Turkey
Turkey avocado with a smoky chipotle mayo on white bread
This turned out Spicy with a capital S- less chipotle next time- but tasty!
On The Side
Potato Salad
Roasted Herbed Yukon Gold Potato Salad
Green Salad
Mixed greens with fresh vegetables and balsamic vinaigrette
Assorted Crudite
with creamy ranch dip
Vanilla Cupcakes
Sweet vanila cake with a vanilla buttercream icing
Kate's a fan of owls, so i attempted to pipe chocolate owls and then place them on top of a dark blue vanilla buttercream icing. tasty, but my piping skills definitely need work.
Kate's a fan of owls, so i attempted to pipe chocolate owls and then place them on top of a dark blue vanilla buttercream icing. tasty, but my piping skills definitely need work.
and Assorted fruit
So much tea and excellent time was had by all, and there were amazing decorations:
these pink orb-y deals were really festive- I would definitely use them in more party decorations.
I don't want to name names, but someone was really bad at guessing and her name rhymes with Shmauntie Smangela.
Jackie put together these cute favors with rock candy, jordan almonds and three different kinds of tea.
We got to use my mom's awesome teapot collection, and Jackie knocked herself out making amazing decorations and labels for everything. She also coordinated games, and did 95% of the planning for the whole shindig, which was awesome.
The whole purpose of the party, to shower Kate with gifts to start her new place with James- was also very cool. She opened gifts that I may or may not have been completely drooling over. And we played the game where a if Kate was opening your present when the timer went off, you won a prize, which always adds extra excitement.
I had a blast planning it with Jackie, and hanging out with all the awesome ladies that showed up.
Up next: middle school style bachelorette! let's whip out the MASH and cootie catchers!... and vodka. hee!
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