Project Food Blog and a Photo Shoot
Once upon a time, long long ago, I became a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher. It’s a pretty cool gig, and I love being a part of the Foodbuzz community. A few months ago, Foodbuzz came up with the idea for Project Food Blog– a huge contest to find the best food blogger out there. There are ten challenges, and one winner. It’s kind of like Top Chef for food bloggers.. kind of.
I decided to throw my name in the hat and created a Project Food Blog profile. In an effort to stand out from the other 2,000 entrants, I did a quick little photo shoot with the lovely Kerinsa from K. Marie Photography. Kerinsa is actually moving from Georgia to Colorado, so if you’re out west, look her up! Her work is great and she’s the absolute sweetest.
I only took away one shot (wish I could have taken more!), which I love. I made this rainbow cake especially for the shoot (promise to post about it this week). Kerinsa has this delicious retro fridge in her kitchen that I was basically begging her to let me take home. I want one in every color.
Anyway, all this nonsense to say..
1. Please visit my contestant profile and watch out for more updates on my participation in Project Food Blog! I need to form a large army of voters just to get me past the first round. So tell all your friends that I will make everyone a rainbow cake if they vote and I win. That’s kind of a great deal- I mean, do you see that cake?
2. Visit Miss Kerinsa’s blog and give her some love! She’s embarking on a 365 blogging project and anyone who blogs knows that takes a lot of effort. Seriously, she’s great, her pictures are great, check her out already.
3. Think about baking a rainbow cake. It will make you smile.
TWD: Crunchy, Custardy Peach Tart
I actually made this week’s TWD early on Friday. Can you believe that? I’m usually scrambling in the kitchen on Tuesday afternoons. I made this Crunchy, Custardy Peach Tart, chosen by Rachel, for our date-night-in, since we’re waiting until this weekend when our babysitter starts. Hooray for weekly alone time!
I’ve already sung the praises of Georgia peaches to you, so I won’t do that again. This tart could be made with any tasty stone fruit- plums or nectarines would be divine. The tart is made with a sweet, nutty crust, layered with peaches, covered with cream, and then topped with nutty streusel. Hand me a fork.
Dorie’s recipe called for a 9-inch tart pan, but I only have an 11-inch. Luckily there was enough dough to make the stretch, and I had about a zillion peaches to use, so no problems with the fruit layer. The crust came out a little dark on the edges for me, but that could be because of the larger pan/stretched crust issue. In the future, I’ll add a little extra dough.
This is a nice summer treat. I think it would be a nice addition at potlucks since it can be served at any temperature. I love the topping (obvi) and the sweet fruit and cream are delicious match.
Thanks to Rachel at Sweet Tarte, whose tart looks beautiful!
*Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.
** Find the recipe here.
Brat-tata
What do you get when a frittata and a bratwurst get together and make a delicious baby?
Brat-tata.
I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t laugh my head off for ten minutes after I thought of that little gem. I’m sure you all agree that it’s the clever-est (most clever?).
I love when leftovers actually turn into something creative and fun. After being inspired by Jen’s step-by-step fritatta post, I rummaged around in the fridge and found some leftover brats, onion, potato and tomato. After a quick saute, I covered them with an egg-and-milk mixture, let it set, then finished it with some cheese under the broiler. So good.
I usually think of frittatas as being more of a girly meal, but you can definitely pass this one off as legitimate man food. I don’t know many guys that would turn this one down.
Thanks, Jen, for the inspiration! Please go explore her blog- she’s the sweetest. And she’s from PA, which makes me love her all the more.
Brat-tata
serves 2-4
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium potato, chopped small
2 bratwursts, previously cooked or not, sliced on the diagonal
1 large tomato, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, but cheddar or gruyere would be yummy, too)
1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium skillet, saute onion, potato and bratwurst over medium heat until browned. Add tomato, cook down just slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg whites and milk together.
2. Pour egg-and-milk mixture over the brat mixture and give a quick stir. Cover and let set for 3-5 minutes, until egg is just set. Sprinkle with cheese and finish under the broiler for 2-5 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Cut into slices and serve.
Review: Perfect Foods Bar
Have you heard of the Perfect Foods Bar? I hadn’t, until I read about it in this Full House post. Madame Pumphrey was singin’ their praises, so I just had to investigate. The nice folks at Perfect Foods sent me four bars to try, and I was all over it!
I tried all four flavors: Peanut Butter, Carob Chip, Fruit and Nut and the Cranberry Crunch Lite bar. All the bars have a peanut butter and honey base and are made by hand in sunny California! How cool is that? Love me some REAL food.
After tasting all four, I have to say the Lite bar is actually my favorite. For me, the regular flavors were a little too crumbly. The Lite bar has a better texture and a smoother consistency, which I really enjoyed. Plus the regular bars are like 6 and 7 WW points.. phew! Definitely not a snack item. They did keep me full for a while though, so bonus points for that! More of a meal bar, I think.
Overall, I’d definitely eat the Lite bar again. And I just can’t get over how cool this company is. They’re totally devoted to providing high quality goods with the best ingredients possible- what more could we ask for? Thanks, Perfect Foods!
Bake-N-Blog: A Figgy Failure.
I was so excited for this Bake-n-Blog event today.
Excited to get over my fig issues and try out this delicious treat.
Ugh. Fig fail.
I didn’t even try to make it pretty for you.
They started out looking so yummy.. BOTH times I tried to bake them.
Now, you know I can bake a cupcake, people. I did it for a living!
But I’ve never put jam in a cupcake before the bake. Only after, by hollowing out the center.
Something is wacky with this recipe.
All of the fig preserves sunk right to the bottom of the cupcake liner.
BOTH times.
And BOTH times, the cupcakes rose too high and fell, leaving them looking super ugly.
Ugh.
So long, figgy failure.
(Is it weird that you just saw my trash? Sorry if that’s weird.)
Here’s the recipe if you want to try it out yourself (click to enlarge).
I just don’t know how that fig filling stayed in there! Mysterious.
I still loved this one day bake-n-blog idea. I might steal it soon.
Check out the other bakers– I imagine they were more successful than I!
Great idea, Staci!
Jeni’s Ice Cream
I was so excited to find this box on my doorstep last week!
Frozen treats? Yes, please!
The sweet folks at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream in Ohio sent me four flavors to try out- Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet, Lemon Blueberry Yogurt, Salted Caramel Ice Cream and Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries Ice Cream. Drool fest, I know! Jeni’s is all about fresh ingredients, so I was very excited to give their flavors a try.
Even in the Georgia heat, the ice cream arrived truly frozen, encased in styrofoam with dry ice. I couldn’t believe how well it traveled. Jeni’s sends their ice creams anywhere in the US- not many companies do that!
First up: Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet. I really enjoyed this flavor! I got the Riesling note first, but then a strong pear flavor comes in right after that. It’s a great summer treat; very sophisticated. It would be a fun addition to a little party with wine, cheese and chocolate.
Second: Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries. This was my absolute favorite. What a surprise! I have never experienced goat cheese in this way, but I think my new goal in life is to replicate this ice cream. Jeni’s says it’s like “a cherry cheesecake, but even better,” and I think they’re absolutely right. I would choose this over cherry cheesecake any day. I chose it straight out of the container last night, but that’s an issue for another post.
Next up: Salty Caramel. I have to say, I’m a little disappointed by this flavor. I had such high hopes for it! Instead of a deep caramel flavor, I got more of a burnt coffee taste. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it wasn’t for me. I think maybe I would have liked it a little sweeter.
Lastly, Lemon and Blueberry Yogurt. I liked this one, too. Yummy and fresh, a nice light option for the end of the summer. Beautiful purple-blue swirls. Would be great with a little sugar cookie, or maybe over some grilled pound cake.
I’m so impressed with Jeni’s. Their ice creams are so well made. They have tons of signature and seasonal flavors- check out their blog for the latest flavors and news. A care package of these ice creams would be such a great gift- maybe for a birthday, or someone who just had their tonsils out! And if you’re ever wondering what to get for me, it’s Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Cherries.
PS. I’m obsessed with ice cream this summer, I know. Are you sick of it, or are you also obsessed? I still have a little (ha!) summer left down here in GA, so you might see some more ice cream before the year is through. My apologies to anyone who can’t eat ice cream. Hopefully you haven’t given up on me!
MY Tuesdays With Dorie Pick: Oatmeal Breakfast Bread (Muffins)
The time has come!
My Tuesdays with Dorie pick!
I chose Dorie’s Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. As I was contemplating my pick, I tried to act like I was going to pick something decadent and chocolatey and sinful, but in the end, I kept coming back to this recipe. I guess I’m sort of granola. I like oats. It’s a small obsession.
The recipe was simple to put together. Mix the topping, mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry, coat the fruit, and mix it all together. I chose to go the muffin route instead of baking a whole loaf, because
a) I wanted you to see my pretty muffin (cupcake) cups.
b) The oven in my new house is sketchy, and I didn’t want to burn a whole loaf.
c) I thought they would rise up beautifully and make for great photos.
d) Portion control. Oats are like crack to me.
Just before the bake:
Here’s a secret: I didn’t have any baking soda, so I used a ton of extra baking powder. I wasn’t sure they would come out right. (I am very anxious to see how the recipe turned out for everyone else.. hopefully my muffins aren’t completely flat in comparison). As far as the fruit goes, I used dried apricots and peaches. So good.
Dorie was right; it was hard not to dig into these right out of the oven! I was able to wait, but not for too long. Though my muffins are flatter than I expected, I still think they taste great. I kind of wish I would have put some more fruit in, or tried something a little tartier, like cranberries, but like I said, they still taste great.
These are nice and moist, and I’m hoping their flavor develops even more over the next few days. There seemed to be a lot of positive feedback on the TWD boards for this recipe, so hopefully everyone who baked along with me enjoyed this recipe, too.
PS. As I was getting ready to take more photos for this post, a salamander scattered across my sun room floor and I immediately ran into the other room and shut the door. Who let a salamander into my house? I plan to leave the door shut until my husband returns in two days to catch the little scoundrel. Ridiculous.
A big thanks for all of my TWDers for baking with me this week! I have had such a great time baking with the group and have learned so much.
Please visit the TWD blogroll and check out the other amazing TWD bakers!
—
My changes to the below recipe:
-I made muffins. I got 20 muffins from the batch, and they baked in 20 minutes. (They’re also 3 WW points, if anyone cares.)
-I used double the topping to make sure I had enough for all the muffins.
-I used 3/4 cup white flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat.
-For the fruit, I used 1/4 cup dried apricots and 1/4 cup dried peaches.
—
Oatmeal Breakfast Bread
from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours
-makes 12 servings
Serving: Although you might be tempted to dig into this bread before it cools, don’t. The bread is soft when it’s at room temperature, but it’s too soft when it’s warm. So, wait until the bread is fully cooled, then cut it into medium-thin slices and serve with coffee.
Storing: Because of the bread’s soft texture, it’s a good keeper. You can hold it, well wrapped, at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. It can also be frozen up for 2 months.
For the topping:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the bread:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup flavorless oil, such as canola or safflower
1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 3/4 cup all-purpose, 1/2 cup whole wheat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 cup diced dried figs, apples or apricots or moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-5-inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet.
To Make the Topping:
In a small bowl, using your fingers, toss together the sugar, nuts and cinnamon until evenly mixed. Set aside.
To Make the Bread:
Whisk together the eggs, applesauce, oil and buttermilk until well blended.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Remove 1/2 teaspoon of the mix and toss it with the fruit, just to coat; set aside. Stir the oats into the bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and, using a large rubber spatula, stir just until everything is evenly moistened- this is a case in which less is more, so don’t overdo the mixing. Scatter the dried fruit over the batter and stir to blend. Scrape the batter into the pan and sprinkle over the topping, tamping it down very lightly with your fingers so it sticks.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is beautifully browned and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the bread to a rack to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
Cinnamon Oat Pancakes with Grilled Peaches
Are you wondering if the peaches in Georgia are the best? I mean, are they really as good as everyone says they are?
I’m here to tell you that they are. They’re literally the. BEST. I’m sorry you don’t live here. (Unless you do. Then you know what I’m talking about, and you’re a lucky duck.) I buy them up at every road stand; it’s kind of a problem. They just lay out on my counter top, staring me down, waiting to get made into something delicious.
My favorite Georgia girl once served me grilled peaches sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. She’s a genius- it was to-die. We recreated it at home, and had leftovers, so we put them on pancakes the next morning. Simple, but the best.
I’m too lazy to make an actual peach syrup on a Saturday morning before my baby wakes up, so you’re looking at peaches with maple syrup. It’s easier and it’s delicious. Trust.
Check those peaches and make sure they’re from GA!
Cinnamon Oat Pancakes with Grilled Peaches
(based on Ellie Kreiger’s Whole Wheat Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup(s) flour, all-purpose
- 3/4 cup(s) flour, whole-wheat pastry, or whole-wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup quick oats
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large egg(s)
- 1 cup(s) buttermilk, low-fat
- 3/4 cup(s) milk, fat-free
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey
- cooking spray
- 1-2 previously grilled peaches, cut into slices (split the peach, remove the pit, place on the grill cut-side down until you get some good grill marks, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. done!)
- maple syrup, for serving
Preparation
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg. In medium bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, nonfat milk, honey, and vanilla.
Coat a large nonstick griddle or skillet with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-low flame. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to combine them. The batter will be somewhat lumpy. Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to ladle the batter onto the griddle or skillet. Flip the pancakes when they are golden brown on the bottom and bubbles are forming on top, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cook the other side until golden brown, about another 1 1/2 minutes. Keep the pancakes warm in the oven as you finish cooking the remaining ones. Top the pancakes with the peach slices and maple syrup.
Dorie’s Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream
I think Dorie Greenspan is trying to ruin my weight loss plan.
Note to self: Must call Dorie and discuss heavy cream and butter alternatives.
Kidding! Dorie is a gem. Anyone who could come up with such a decadent recipe is a gem in my book.
I made this ice cream for another TWD a few months ago- Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie– but that recipe called for mixing banana into the ice cream. I much prefer the ice cream on its own, no mix-ins. Simple, rich and amazingly chocolatey.
I used a variety of chocolates to clean out my stash – 2 oz 60% Ghiradelli bittersweet, 3.5 oz Green & Black’s 70% dark and 1/2 oz Lake Champlain 75% dark. This stuff was no joke. Very rich. I made the hubs a little ice cream sandwich with two chocolate chip cookies and he couldn’t finish it. That’s some serious chocolate.
Excellent pick, Katrina!
And just to remind you (annoying, right?) again, my pick is next week. I hope you’ll bake with me!
*Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.
**Find the recipe here.
Parsley and Walnut Pesto
What do you do at the end of the week when you haven’t gone grocery shopping?
I usually make strange or boring things. My survival foods lately (especially when hubs is gone) have been patty melts and BLTs. It’s like living in a diner.
Luckily, I put on my thinking (read: Googling) cap and came up with this pesto this weekend. It’s a Cooking Light recipe + cheese, because what pesto in its right mind doesn’t have cheese? Ridiculous. I know it’s Cooking Light, but really.
Anyways, this is a great alternative to the basic red sauce. I don’t have to tell you why pesto’s great, I’m sure you know. Just know that this one is good, too, even though it’s not made with basil. It still tastes fresh and bright. Provided you have parsley in the first place, and you don’t let your parsley go brown in your fridge, like I usually do. I was just lucky this time. I have a real knack for neglecting my herbs.
So appreciate your herbs! Chop them up in a food processor and eat them in all their green glory.
PS. I apologize to my sister-in-law in advance for this post. I seem to be posting a lot of carby recipes that she can’t partake in right now. Love you, sis! You could put this pesto on some veggies, too. 🙂
PPS. Do all of my photos look the same? Should learn how to take better photos? Any advice or thoughts from other food bloggers?
Parsley and Walnut Pesto
(only slightly altered from Cooking Light)
- 3 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (about 2 1/2 ounces)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
