....is Cavagnaro Family Raviolis - Two Thousand Thirteen

Happy Cooking!

....is Pecan Pie Shortbread

It's been a while since I've posted anything (since before Thanksgiving!), I've got a few recipes saved up but I haven't had the chance to put the posts together. This past Sunday night I made Pecan Pie Shortbread to bring into work and I think they disappeared fast than any other treat I've brought in to share. They are based on a Food.com recipe with very few changes.

I haven't had the best luck with Pecan Pie Recipes. I tried to make and transport Pecan Pie Brownies for CPB's birthday when I was living in the Northwest, it was mostly the issue of transport but they had to be eaten with a spoon.  I made two Pecan Pies last year, they didn't even turn out well enough to warrant a blog post. One was two soupy, the other too crumbly but these bars....are just right!

....is Roasted Squash & Cauliflower over Browned Butter Capellini

I have a new food obsession: roasted cauliflower (though it hasn't lessened my love of zucchini). Roasted Cauliflower with Toasted Hazelnuts and Roasted with Creamy Goat Cheese are two of the recipes I've recently discovered. I had a head of cauliflower in my fridge and decided to combine my two veggie loves. CPB & I went to the farmers market and I stocked up on Zucchini & Yellow Squash. I've made it this pasta three times in about two weeks. The roasting takes a some time but it's an otherwise low maintenance dish. The caramelized roasted vegetables compliment the nutty rich brown butter coated pasta well.

....is Tutu's for Bachelorette Bowling

I'm super excited to share a tutu tutorial (too many tu's?) no sewing required!! Last weekend I was in Big Bear for a friend's bachelorette weekend (Save the Date & Invitation post to follow). The MOH came up with the amazing idea to go tutu bowling while we were there and I volunteered to make the tutu's. Little did we know, bowling would be black lit, not only were we the only ones in tutus (though I can't imagine why....) but we were all in glowing tutus! The Bride, of course, glowing most of all.

Two things to note about tutu's, they are super easy to make, and they're SO MUCH FUN to twirl in.

....is Braised Sausages & Chiles, Revisited

Last weekend I was in Big Bear for an amazing friend's Bachelorette weekend (stay tuned for a tutu tutorial tomorrow). It was a great weekend of delicious food, friends & tutu bowling! When I came home CPB planned an amazing meal of Braised Sausages & Chiles over rice. I think it's his favorite Donald Link recipe from the book Real Cajun. We made it for the first time a few months ago but it's become a regular.

....is Mint Brownies with Candy Cane Oreo Crumble

I know a lot of people love (LOVE) Christmas, and I do too, the lights, the decorations, everything. There's a great feeling that comes with December. But Christmas is not here yet, even though I think all of retail disagrees with me, we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet. Normally I shy away from all things holiday until after Thanksgiving but I made an exception when I saw Candy Cane Oreos! I couldn't resist the colorful minty chocolate cookie. I knew they would make the perfect crunchy topping to a gooey brownie. For this recipe I used the brownie layer from my Mexican Chocolate Brownies, the Peppermint Patty Brownie's mint layer and topped with melted chocolate & crushed Oreos. These are very incredibly rich brownies, absolutely wonderful and I definitely plan to make them again!

....is Brown Sugar Shortbread & Pumpkin Butter, Revisited

Today I'm revisiting another Fall favorite from years past! Growing up I thought shortbread was a dry and flavorless cookie in a tin (I made sure to avoid) and then I made it from scratch. It's buttery, and sweet and when made with brown sugar it's even more decadent. It's wonderful by itself but in the Fall I like to top with Apple Butter or Pumpkin Butter. To save some time, Pumkpin Butter can be found in a jar at the grocery but it's easy to make and tastes like Fall (but then again I say that about anything spiced with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves & Allspice). The Pumpkin Butter needs minimal attention and can simmer on the stove while the Brown Sugar Shortbread is in the oven. They make a lovely pair and are perfect for this time of year.

....is Roasted Cauliflower & Goat Cheese

Along with spiced fall desserts, I've been on a bit of a Cauliflower kick recently. In September I made a Roasted Cauliflower Pasta from the Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook, which started my craving. CPB found the below recipe flipping thru an issue of Bon Appetit I had laying around, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Goat Cheese, if the Roasted Cauliflower doesn't sound delicious enough the Whipped Goat Cheese will win you over. We made this as a side to Blackened Salmon, but it could be a small meal on it's own.

....is a Harvest Cake, Revisited

I hope everyone had a nice Veterans Day! I love seeing everyone's posts and pictures thanking service men & women both past and present. They give so much so we can enjoy this country's freedoms.

This morning, I'm revisiting my third ever blog post, about Vegetables and the most delicious way to them. Though, anything covered in a Cream Cheese Frosting is a winner in my book. There are some slight differences in the recipe below from the original recipe in Edible. It's another treat I crave when the weather begins to cool and the leaves become multicolor. Enjoy!

....is Fire Roasted Tomato, Basil & Ricotta Pizza

This is another treat I (indirectly) brought back from Boston. My last evening in the city, I met one of my friends at Otto, a local pizza place. I had an amazing squash pizza with a white base. A week later, back in California, I got a craving for another pizza from Otto. I contemplated hopping on a plane to grab a slice but chose the slightly less expensive option. I found their website and looked up their menu. I used it to choose ingredients and made their pizza at home (with a few modifications).

....is Apple Cider Sangria

This weekend, for a bridal shower, I made this delicious beverage (well I pre-made a batch two weeks ago, for quality control). Apple Cider Sangria tastes like Autumn in a glass, well spiced and wonderful. A little honey can be used to slightly sweeten the Sangria but most of the sweetness will come from the Fruit and the Cider. I added honey to the trial batch but not the one I made for the shower. The other sweet addition to this is the brown Sugar & Cinnamon on the rim of the glass. 

....is Tomato & Ricotta on Lemon Pepper Bread

I made another version of the Dutch Oven Bread! Instead of a Tablespoon of Salt, I used 2 tsp of Salt and substituted the last tsp of Lemon Pepper. I also added a Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Serve with Ricotta and a few Pearl Tomatoes, drizzle with Olive Oil and sprinkle with a little Salt & Pepper. This is my favorite snack for the moment.

Happy Cooking!

....is Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last month, when I flew to Boston, I was so excited to see the Spirit Magazine article: 'Hello Cookie'. An entire inflight article on cookies?! They must have known I was flying. When I got home, I found the compiled recipes online, and wanted to make them all, immediately. (I've managed to hold out so far and only made the one but I plan to make more soon.) MMcK & I had another baking day and CPB helped decide which one we made first. He loves Chocolate and the Bacon & Chocolate combination sounded intriguing to all of us. They turned out to be a nice salty versus sweet treat to add to my cookie recipe collection. (Two cookies in one week, 'tis the season for baking!)

....is Eye(cake)Balls!

Happy Halloween!

Today one of my lovely architecture friends, Lindsday-Loo, is guest posting on how to make Eye(cake)Balls.

Linds has appeared in a few posts already, the 'What's in the Fridge? Cabin Edition' & Orecchiette & Broccolini. When our group of architecture girls gets together (about once a year) it always involves delicious food, and lots of it! Other fun facts, her husband is an ophthalmologist making this haloween treat completely appropriate (and amuses me). I think you'll also catch a sneak peek of her furry sous chef, Maki, in one of these pictures, one of the sweetest, cutest puppy's ever.

Recipe adapted from the Epicurious, Basic Cake Balls

....is Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cookie

I must have St. Louis on the brain this week. Gooey Butter Cake was a standard coffee shop dessert while I was in school. It came in a range of flavors, vanilla, chocolate, spiced chai (my favorite!), etc. A few years ago I found a recipe to make this treat into a cookie. It has since become one of my favorite cookies to make for Christmas. But a little pumpkin and spices make the typical Gooey Butter Cookie perfect for Fall!

....is Fettuccine al Carbonara Reprise

It has been a long time since I cooked Pasta Carbonara. Just over two years! CPB and I made it on a long distant date night when I lived in the Northwest for a year. This pasta dish is rich and creamy without actually containing any cream. Bacon, Tomatoes & Cheese are possibly my three favorite foods and they're all in this delicious Pasta. I've used diced Tomatoes in the past but I switched to Pearl Tomatoes, halved. I hope you enjoy this decadent savory treat!

....is 'Our' Soup

It's Fall! It's Fall! 

I guess it's has been officially fall for over a month but at the end of September it was still 80+ degrees in San Diego. The weather has finally started to cool, it was a chilly 60 something when I went to work this morning. I know it's ridiculous but I find that cold. I've been craving this soup for a while but couldn't bring myself to make it while it still felt like Summer. 

In architecture school my roommate and I had two similar recipes, both Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato soups but slightly different. We combined the two recipes and came up with 'our soup'. I'm not sure we made it exactly the same way twice so the recipe below is a delicious approximation. 

....is Chocolate Dipped Caramel Rice Crispy Treats

Everyone loves rice crispy treats! (Right? I think so.) For me, they bring back memories of after soccer game snacks and class parties. This is the grown-up version of the delicious childhood dessert. Caramel is mixed with the cereal and the chocolate topping is a wonderful addition to this sweet treat. Baking buddy, MMcK, made these to bring to work and they disappeared, luckily I snagged a few before they were all gone!

....is What's in the Fridge, Cabin Edition

Last month I went to New England! It was an amazing week, one of my best friends from architecture school got married in New Hampshire and about a dozen of my friends from school were able to attend. We stayed in an AMAZING cabin (to James!) and had an wonderful time. There were plenty of lovely wedding festivities, hiking and one amazing family dinner. This is the pasta dish Lindsay-loo and I put together, it's great for a large group, easily multiplied and just as delicious in small batches. (There are some similarities to the Orecchiette & Broccolini Pasta we made when my architecture ladies visited San Diego last year.)

....is The Fat Chewy, M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

MMcK & I had a Beer and Baking night! However, no beer was used in the making of these cookies. :) We baked 13 dozen cookies that night. Half of the cookies were the ones in this post, the Fat Chewy. They are chewy and full of chocolate, two ways. This is MMcK's recipe, and I only have the one image, they were eaten before I could get any more pictures. I think these are one of CPB's favorite and will definitely be made again (and again)!

....is Spaghetti & Meatballs

CPB makes some wonderful Meatballs, we cooked them for his family in Memphis and didn't have any left! (The trick is in the Port Caramelized Onions, don't tell him I told you the trick.) Usually we don't have the patience to make the Spaghetti & Red Gravy  to go along with the Meatballs but we took the time this weekend to make the full dish. 

Red Gravy is what my family has always called Spaghetti Sauce (I should really find out why we do that), well believe it or not CPB's Italian grandmother taught call's it Red Gravy too! I knew I liked him. I put the basic sauce recipe I use below but there are plenty of ways to doctor it. Porchini Mushrooms come to mind, Vodka, Cream, lots of Parmesan.

....is Roasted Cauliflower Pasta

Last week I bought a copy of the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook. I flipped through a few pages and thought "How have I waited so long to get this book?!" It's full of delicious and healthy options for every meal of the day, including desserts! I can't wait to cook something else from here but I started with the Roasted Cauliflower Pasta because it sounded strange and wonderful. The brown bits on the Cauliflower was my favorite part, it gave the vegetable a nutty flavor I never knew was possible. I also threw in some chickpeas to add a little protein and make it a full meal.

....is Pumpkinhead Doodles

It's here! It's here! I love Autumn, even though my city doesn't quite get a full Fall season it's probably still my favorite time of year. I love the colors on the trees, pumpkin spiced everything  and the chance to wear boots without melting. Today feels like Fall but it's supposed to be 80 here again on Monday. So, quickly before Summer comes back, let's pretend like it's really Fall and bake some deliciousness!

The Spiked Recipe Challenge was the perfect opportunity to use the Beeroness' Beer Brown Sugar Cookies with a Fall Beer twist. I upped the Cinnamon, used the Shipyard Pumpkinhead & rolled it in sugar & sprinkles to make it the Snickerdoodle I've been craving recently. (If you look close the sprinkles are leaf shaped! I love Fall.)

The cookies get tastier the longer they last! Just like the Ginger & Molasses Doodles, I think the flavor of the Beer and Cinnamon gets a little richer the second and third day (if they last that long). MMcK & I made a double batch to share and they went quickly!Happy Autumn & I hope you enjoy the Pumpkinhead Doodle.

....is Spiced Brioche Apple Dumpling, For Breakfast

This morning at the Breakfast Hub take a look at my Spiced Brioche Apple Dumpling!

Happy Baking,

....is Braised Sausage with Chiles

As promised yesterday! Another wonderful meal care of Donald Link, I'll try to spread out his recipes from here forward. This recipe is a spin on a traditional Sausage and Peppers. The whole grain Mustard & Rosemary add a freshness to this otherwise savory meal. It's a little unusual the Onions and Peppers aren't sautéed first to soften. The sausage is browned and a bottle of beer gets poured in before all the other ingredients  are tossed in and the magic of braising begins. Served over rice this recipe can be scaled to feed a few or many. Enjoy!

....is Zucchini Gratin with Andouille

Real Cajun is possibly the best cookbook and gift I've ever given. Zucchini Gratin with Andouille is yet another amazing dish from this book (by Donald Link). It's like Potatoes Gratin with a southern twist. 

CPB & I have made his Cajun Pizza, Sunday Fried Chicken and Braised Sausage & Peppers (Recipe to follow tomorrow). Each one is better than the last, it didn't hurt this recipe was completely focused on Zucchini (<3) and covered in cheese. This dish was originally intended as a side but I added a little Andouille Sausage to make a full meal. I hope you give this a try and enjoy! (Or the Fried Chicken.... no the pizza, start with the Cajun Pizza, I can't decide.)

....is Insalata Caprese Sandwich

My favorite salad between bread, makes it even better!

This is simple Italian sandwich, three main ingredients with minimal seasoning: Bread, Mozzarella, Tomato. I made a new loaf of Dutch Oven French Bread with Garlic, Green Onion & Sun-Dried Tomatoes and served it with a little side salad of Green Olives & Cucumbers. Splurge, get the Mozzarella in the tubs filled with water, it's worth it.  It makes a great lunch or a light dinner. The sandwich is no-frills, refreshing & seriously delicious.

Slice & Enjoy!

....is 'What's in the Fridge?', Vegetable Couscous

This week's edition of the 'what's in the fridge?' game, I used an assortment of vegetables and a box of couscous I had in the cupboard. It's only lightly seasoned but the chicken broth and tomatoes add to the flavor. The chickpeas are used for protein and the couscous helps bind the dish together to make a complete meal out of the odds and ends I had left in the fridge.

Click the link to see the last edition of 'What's in the Fridge?', Pizza 

....is Red Beans & Rice

Red Beans & Rice  for my sweet southern boy.

Frenchman, Desire, Good Children & Other Streets of New Orleans

by John Churchill Chase

Quartée red beans, quartée rice,

Little piece of salt meat to make it taste nice,

Lend me the paper and tell me the time,

When papa passes by he'll pay you the dime.

CPB's mom sent him a few packages of Camellia's Famous New Orlean's Red Beans, this is actually our second time making the dish but the last attempt seemed to escape my camera. It's a delicious hearty Southern meal typically served for Monday lunch or dinner in most New Orleans homes & restaurants. The recipe below is a combination of 'Cooking Up a Storm, Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans' and 'Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food'. 

....is a Save-the-Date for Jon & Janae

Jon & Janae are getting married!!!

*insert squeal of excitement here*

I've known them both since freshman year at UC Davis.

Janae & I bonded instantly over our mutual love of making things sparkle with glitter (which now includes what I'm going to share below). We also grew up about twenty miles from eachother in San Diego and (eventually) both moved back to America's Finest City. She's a wonderful friend and I couldn't be more excited about celebrating their big day soon! 

In college Jon and a few rowdy boys lived two blocks away from me and my roommates. Their house (self-titled 'the love jungle') was always full of excitement & entertainment. Jon is a sweetheart and it only takes a moment to see that he's enamored with my lovely friend. And they are both apart of so many wonderful memories over the last decade (eek!).

(Engagement Photos by BevM, 2013)