It's All Good

I finally had a chance Saturday morning to get to All Good Bakers in their new DelSo location.  The space looks great - tidy, warm and inviting with the awesome aroma of baking bread. I poked around a little and was impressed with the variety of offerings - loaves of different shapes in varying shades of golden brown. I left with a couple of traditional white waxed bakery bags with bialys, cookies, rolls and a 2-day old loaf ($2!) of yummy bread that screamed French toast.  My overall impression was that this is staff of life bread - simple, wholesome, baked with care and quality ingredients, bread.  Not fussy or overwrought, but an essential, basic part of life.  Yeah, it's all good.

wholesome goodness

olive loaves

rolls, bialys, DelSo cookies

$2 deal of the day

French toast with All Good Bakers bread @chez Silvia

Delso cookies!

Sometimes I think I am a pretty lucky lady, other times I know I am a very lucky lady. Like Thursday evening when I got to participate in a Cookie Tasting. Yeah, I said Cookie Tasting. You may not know this, but I love cookies. If I had a choice between cookies, cake or pie, it would be cookies all the way for me, although I would eternally miss this pie.  Maybe it is their shape (I like circles) or the fact that I can eat many of them without feeling too guilty.  Or perhaps the way the pair so perfectly with a glass of cold milk.  And talk about varieties!  There are seemingly an infinite number of variations on these simple treats - and I'll try them all, holding a special place in my heart for New York City style black & whites, Linzer Tarts and good old fashioned chocolate chips.

You all know the exciting news about All Good Bakers relocating to the DelSo, yes? The owners of this terrific business already reside in the neighborhood and they, along with Linda Kindlon of Bake for You, decided that it would be appropriate to create a cookie that represented their new location - the DelSo cookie. Although I didn't officially submit a recipe, in my mind the winning cookie needed to be a combination of wholesome and indulgent, traditional yet with a surprise component, and definitely had to demonstrate an artistic flair without an iota of preciousness. That's kind of a lot to pack into 3 bites, isn't it?

The event was well organized with 6 varieties of cookies to be tasted. There were beverages, including Meadowbrook Farms milk, scorecards and plenty of cookies for those inclined to go back for seconds. Me? I was the annoying person who broke the cookies in half so as to not weigh myself down for my return run home. No worries - my hands were clean, I swear.

Of the six, I had two strong favorites but the cookie pictured was my ultimate number one - or number six since the scale was 1 to 6 with six being the best score. What set this cookie apart was the inclusion of popped corn,which added a completely unexpected airy crunch to the cookie. A close second was the Mexican chocolate cookie which had a wonderful chili pepper spice, making it very much a grown up cookie, which just might keep the children's hands out of the cookie jar.  Each of the different cookies, regardless of the ingredients (dried apples, orange zest, coconut...) was perfectly baked and there truly wasn't a bad one in the bunch.

It was a really fun way to spend an hour and I enjoyed chatting it up with the Fussy and the friendly. The winner has not yet been announced in the battle to be the DelSo cookie, but I know we, in the DelSo neighborhood, are certain that we are the ultimate winners with the upcoming arrival of All Good Bakers, complete with cookies from Bake for You,  in our little Best Up and Coming neighborhood.

DelSo Cookies!

Did you see this over on All Over Albany?  Geesh - leave town for a week and miss all kinds of exciting stuff!  You get excited about cookies, right?  There's a contest to come up with the perfect cookie to celebrate All Good Bakers' impending arrival in the DelSo.  I've been thinking about what would be the perfect representation of our neighborhood in a cookie form, and I've got some ideas...

Although the Wine n Diner didn't survive, something Mikey, the owner, said stuck with me.  I agree with his (co-opted) statement that Delaware Avenue is where Lark Street goes to grow up and believe the DelSo cookie needs to have some adult qualities...dark chocolate chunks,  Really dark chocolate with a bitter note. I'd say.  There's also the fact that Delaware Avenue was known as an Italian enclave so maybe toss in some toasted pignoli nuts to show proper respect to the family.  And then we'd need something to sweeten them up a bit - maybe some dark brown sugar?  Lastly - a little spiciness is present in our 'hood and I think a little ginger would add just the right touch.  

What do you think?  Get to Facebook and share your thoughts asap.  Contest is open until Monday only!!

Apple-Oat Scones

I've got a little thing for scones.  Ever since the first time I experienced them on a British Airways flight, complete with clotted cream and strawberry preserves, I've had a particular fondness for them.  They're also one of those baked items that look like they were more work than they actually were, which seems to impress people.  Last weekend I gave this Martha Stewart recipe a try with okay results.  I was originally attracted to the recipe because it used buttermilk, which means fried chicken in my house, and because they were promoted as fairly healthy.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, opting to make the dough Saturday and baking the scones Sunday, which made the dough a little wet because the apples released some juice overnight. The scones definitely weren't dry.  They also weren't particularly sweet, which I appreciated, but I still might add a little more sugar and cinnamon to them next time.  And, there will be a next time.

(Un)Chain My Heart

I'm all about independence. Looking in my pantry and seeing shelves filled with good food that I selected, purchased and carried home in my reusable bags gives me pleasure. Writing that check the other day for the property taxes on my home gave me a twinge of happiness that originated in the realization that I can make this thing called life work. This penchant for independence carries over into many areas of my life and influences my decisions on a regular basis. For instance, if there is a choice between two items, one made by an individual and the other mass produced, well, it's a no brainer. My optician is a real person in an office that bears his name. And no, his name isn't America's Best or Lens Crafters. I can't imagine ordering pizza from Papa John or Domino's or choosing cheesecake from a Factory when we are blessed with Cheesecake Machismo.

Once in a great while, however, an exception presents itself. As in Mr. Fussy's predilection for Chipotle or the love I have for a perfectly prepared Caramel Machiatto from Starbuck's. Rules are made to be broken, no? Which brings me to the fondness I have for a chain (gasp!) restaurant I was turned on to in Boston. It all began a couple of years ago on Labor Day weekend. I had arrived in Boston hungry - and clueless about where to go to rectify the situation. If you've traveled with me before you know I refuse to go to chain restaurants preferring to find something representative of my location. I'm also kind of particular about what I eat. I just don't feel good about eating poorly prepared or overly processed foods, so I avoid them. Walking down Newbury Street seemed my best route to find something good and my obsessiveness patience was rewarded when I encountered a couple exiting a place that looked promising - The Capital Grille. In my defense, I had no idea this place had multiple locations. The menu looked good, the departing diners were very enthusiastic about their experience and the bar was inviting. I was in.

Everything about my meal was enjoyable - the carpaccio, oysters and salad, the wine selection by the glass, the nice folks I talked to throughout my meal. Not a single bump in the road. Then dessert came along...

I was in Boston last weekend - eating this was my motivation for a run!

Holy coconut cream pie!! Have you ever seen such a gorgeous hunk of creamy, toasted coconut goodness in your life? The pie is served in an individual shortbread-ish and coconut shell that could easily serve three polite sharers. The filling is creamy with a hint of rum and the topping is miraculously light, even with that drizzle of caramel sauce. Unfrigging believable. I tracked down a recipe that looks promising and may attempt it this weekend. I make no promises other than if I do, I will visually share my results. 

Strawberry Field Forever

In case you don't know, I love baked goods. Cookies are one of my favorite things to snack on, especially with a tall glass of cold milk, but I've pretty much been disappointed by the cupcakes I've tried around town.  I don't really understand why they have to be filled with artificial ingredients and the ration of frosting to cake is usually way wrong for me.  I've contented myself with baking for myself and the boys to satisfy a craving, and usually have cookies stashed somewhere in the pantry.  I like cookies for the size and variety - and the fact that I can eat 3 or 4 and feel adequately indulged.  But, I believe I've found another option...

At last week's Albany Wine and Dine for the Arts I had an opportunity to try a new kind of delciousness - cake pops. These beauties were prepared by Strawberry Field Confections
based in Clifton Park and they were fantastic!  Their display table was eye-catching with artfully presented trays laden with colorful treats in a mind boggling array of flavors - German chocolate with walnuts, Salted caramel, lemon, pistachio and my favorite - carrot cake.

I should have had these, too!  Silly Silvia.

The carrot cake pop was moist, perfectly spiced and three bites.  I considered going back for a salted caramel one but got distracted by Yono's short ribs and the pork belly from the Wine Bar. Ah, sweet regret...I didn't get pricing information but if I had an event that demanded a dessert course, I would definitely look into these babies as an option.

Dynamic Duo

No, I'm not talking about Batman and Robin.  Nor am I referring to the deadly pairing of smart and pretty.  What I'm talking about is the killer combination of stainless steel bowl and whisk, my ground zero for whipped cream, Hollandaise, roux and chocolate sauce.

How about you?  What do you find yourself reaching for with an easy familiarity when you're working in your kitchen?

As easy as...

Apple pie! There was a pattern to my cooking in recent days, a sort of pre-Thanksgiving emptying of the refrigerator to make room for the groceries necessary to prepare a holiday meal. I had some buttermilk I needed to use up, so fried chicken and pancakes made the weekend menu. My cheese drawer was crammed with odd bits of Gorgonzola, ricotta salada and sharp cheddar, a situation which begged for mac n cheese. And there was a collection of miscellaneous apples becoming sadder looking by the moment - perfect apple pie fodder.

I've stocked up recently on chocolate chips and pie crusts, two items that allow me to easily put together a quick dessert be it cookies, brownies, a tart or pie. I know that making pie crust (like pizza dough) is more time consuming than difficult, but I find myself much more willing to take on the task of baking with a little head start.

For Saturday's pie, I laid the bottom crust into a deep pie dish and got busy peeling and slicing a variety of apples - Empires, Macintosh, and Delicious, primarily. I was feeling kind of cocky (that's how I get after a long run. Blame it on the endorphins.) and didn't measure anything, there were about 8 apples, perhaps a 1/3 cup of brown sugar, a 1/4 cup of white sugar, a 1/4 cup of unbleached flour, and a 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and a shake or two of ginger powder. I tossed all that together and then rather unceremoniously dumped it into the crust. The top crust was added and I did my best to seal the edges and crimp in a modestly decorative manner. I sliced a coupe of slits in the top to release steam and placed my rustic, beautiful pie in a 375 degree oven, placing a baking sheet on the rack below the pie's rack. I've finally learned my lesson about things bubbling over and making an awful mess (and smoke) when the drips hit the bottom of the oven. The pie took longer to bake than I expected, maybe 65-70 minutes. Maybe next time I'll use the super cool convection feature which I know nothing about.

The pie cooled a bit while we feasted on fried chicken and mac n cheese. Topped with French vanilla ice cream it was a tasty way to get both a fruit serving and a dairy serving into dessert. Wait - I'm not the only one who considers pie to be a fruit serving, am I? If that thought process is wrong...well, I simply don't care to be right.

Black Forest Bastards

Decisions, decisions...

No, I'm not talking about my brother and myself - I'm referring to the cakes I made recently.  Last weekend I spent some time with a group of very old friends celebrating my brother's birthday on the fantastic date of 11/11/11. The birthday boy has a large, comfortable home and a liquor cabinet which speaks of his fondness for bourbon and dark rums. He also has a hot tub, which came in handy both after the hilly runs I took with our friend James, and in the evening after one of our delicious group effort meals.

My one (semi)homemade contribution to the weekend's menu was my brother's birthday cake. When we were children, our mother would accept requests for special dinners and cakes on our birthdays and my brother always seemed to choose Black Forest Cherry Cake aka Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Although I must have seen her bake this cake a dozen times over the years, I had no interest in duplicating her steps precisely, a statement which can be used to summarize our entire relationship, incidentally. But, I digress...

Over at Vinoteca, I pretty much gave the directions to replicate this Meder family recipe.  The most important things are the Kirschwasser and the cherries.  And being with people you love.  

Crazy good cookies

I realized recently that I have a glut in my quick oats. What is that, you ask? It means I really didn't need to buy those 2 canisters of oats seeing as how I already had a nearly full canister. Must be time to bake cookies!

There is a recipe under the lid of the Quaker quick oats called "Disappearing Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies." It is a simple recipe and goes together quickly leaving plenty of time for creative embellishments. Yesterday I opted to toss in about a cup of butterscotch chips along with a mixture of craisins and yellow raisins, probably about a generous cup. I make big cookies (hey, if you're only having 2...) and I baked these about 12 or 13 minutes. The last batch I left in a little longer and they turned out more crunchy, not a compliment or a criticism, just an observation. Bottom line - easy, delicious and fairly low fat, I imagine. There's only a single stick of butter used, which seems reasonably healthy, to me, especially when you factor in the three cups of oats. You should make these.

Banana-chocolate chunk muffins

In my continuing quest to avoid turning on the heat, I become a prolific baker.  There's nothing, other than a fired up furnace, that warms up a home faster than the smell of baked goods or roasting meats or veggies.  Since my children are dismal failures when it comes to eating the bananas I buy with such optimism, I generally end up tossing them into the freezer for later use in baked goods or indulging them with fruit smoothies.  Drink that banana, suckers. 

image from: eftekasat.net

This morning I was looking to cozy up the house and lift the gray cloud that has taken up residence over my head in recent days.  Between the fragrant aroma wafting throughout my home and the happiness with which the boys greeted the fruits of my labors, I'd say mission accomplished. 

image from: centsncentsibility.com

I have a couple of different recipes I depend upon to use up bananas seeing as how "I'm not your little monkey anymore," Quinn Lilly, is no longer a reliable source for banana consumption.  Today's came from Epicurious and was easy as...muffins.  I've been using Nestle's dark chocolate chunks recently and I love the larger, darker hunks of chocolate in pretty much everything I bake.  I've not seen them at Price Chopper but Hannaford in Delmar has them. They taste pretty good right out of the bag.

Productivity

photo from gearfire.net

What does it mean to you to be productive? It seems there are stages of productivity in life. My thirties were literally about producing babies and breast milk, in retrospect. I literally opened year 30 pregnant and was still nursing the little guy on my 40th birthday. I could show you the picture to prove it - holy D cup! The beginning of my 40s was transitional for me, but in a more private way than things now present themselves. I was beginning to produce some writing and photos that brought me pleasure, but there was nothing that I was prepared to share except on the smallest, most personal level. You know, like in a Christmas card or with immediate family. Certainly not out here in the virtual world of blogging.

And now? Now I feel myself being productive in an entirely new way, both public and intensely private. It's almost like what I'm producing is love, amor, agape, liebe and it is coming out of me in so many uncontainable ways. Always, words, words, words, but there's more than that. I have plants that are positively thriving under my attentions. It's like magic or kismet or the damnedest good karma. I can barely recall the day when I forced a decision with the boys' Dad: "The plants or the kids? I can't keep them all alive. Pick." But, somehow now I've got a good touch with my plants and I'm no longer afraid to accept the responsibility of taking care of them. A really, really good touch and that mostly dead fern my friend, Lisa, gave me last year is absolutely beautiful. I've never done anything but kill ferns in the past - in record time, as a matter of fact.  My boys are doing great, physically, emotionally and academically, and I'm enjoying them immensely.  There's been a marked expansion in my capacity to nurture, and no longer is there the question as to what has to give because I feel like I have so very much to give. And wouldn't you consider nurturing a type of productivity?

Over the weekend I thoroughly cleaned my house, prepared a delicious dinner of risotto and baked cookies. Despite opportunities to socialize and share a meal with friends in the DelSo, I opted to sit on my couch in my tidy home and enjoy the satisfaction of being alone and pleasantly tired. The efforts I invested over the course of my bonafide two day weekend paid off in aces for me, and I thoroughly appreciated the results of my work in the form of a bowl of greens and risotto with a glass of wine, followed by cookies and milk. Productivity looks and tastes pretty damn good.

Perfect Spring Lunch

So the girls came up Saturday to reassure themselves that I was in fact fine, post-op.  We had a wonderful visit and a lovely light lunch consisting of steamed artichokes with hollandaise. home baked bread with fresh rosemary and spectacular macaroons made my DelSo neighbor, Lori.  As you can see, Lori's artistry exceeds mere graphic design.

Steam artichokes in a couple of inches of water with some fresh lemon squeezed in.  This Hollandaise was made from 4 egg yolks, about 2/3 a stick of butter, a generous squeeze of lemon and a touch of water, salt and pepper.

I used the basic No-Knead Bread recipe and then added between and 1/8 and a 1/4 cup of rosemary from my nearly dead rosemary plant.  During the second rise, when the bread is wrapped in a cotton cloth for 2 hours, I used coarse corn meal, a bit of sea salt and an additional 1/8 cup of rosemary.  Delicious!

I have no clue what kind of magic Lori used to make these beauties, but I can assure you I never expected  to find anything more welcome in my milk box than my Meadowbrook Farms delivery.  I was wrong.

Two dear friends + one fabulous neighbor = an ideal afternoon.  How could a girl feel anything but fabulous with so many blessings in her life?  Life is sweet, people, enjoy it.

Snow Day in the DelSo

You know I love snow. And you know I love my neighborhood.  So what could be better than a snow day in the DelSo?  Here's how I like to do it...

toll house and peanut butter blossoms

Followed by....

a great movie!  not happy, but wonderful nonetheless.

 

at  

the only place i want to go to see a movie.

Concluded by...


the rocky + bullwinkle

at

Scone call - for you.

yeah - i made these.

I got myself into a bit of a baking frenzy this weekend.  It started Saturday morning at about 5 a.m. with 2 loaves of bread, a mushroom and spinach quiche and a mess of scones. See what happens when I stay in on a Friday night?  Productivity!  This was my first time using this recipe for scones and I was very pleased with the results.  Of course, I didn't exactly stick to the recipe, but I did get inspired by it, which seems close enough.  I made 2 variations - to one batch I added sliced almonds, dried cherries, dried blueberries and almond extract instead of vanilla, the other batch contained craisins, chopped dried apricots and dried blueberries and vanilla extract.  I sprinkled regular granulated white sugar on the tops of the scones instead of oats and raw sugar.  They were straight-up delicious - not too sweet, surprisingly light and not dry at all.  They would be perfect for Christmas morning - hint, hint.

Blueberry Oat Scones

3 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3T)  chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup plus 3 T old-fashioned oats

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (about 5 1/2 ounces)

1 3/4 cups chilled half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 teaspoons raw sugar
Preparation

• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and coarse salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add 1 cup oats and blueberries; stir to blend evenly.
• Stir half and half and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing until dough just comes together (dough will be very moist).
• Using 1/2-cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 tablespoons oats, then raw sugar.
• Bake 15 minutes. Reverse sheets and continue baking until scones are golden and tester inserted into center from side comes out clean, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Perhaps the best cookies ever -

If you're making one loaf, you may as well make two.

While I was dusting my counter with flour this morning in preparation of resting some No-Knead Bread, I noticed a recipe on the back of the Gold Medal bag:  "Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies" I immediately decided to add another round of baking into the day.  The recipe was super easy - and I've finally grown comfortable enough with baking that I can improvise and have fun just as if I were roasting or sauteing.  I've come to understand that things like seasonings and spices can be tweaked without adverse results, so I had my way with this recipe below:

1.5 c packed brown sugar
1 c butter or margarine, softened
1 t vanilla (I used 1.5t)
1 egg
2 c quick-cooking oats
1.5 c unbleached flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1.5 t cinnamon (my own addition)
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped nuts, if desired (skipped these)

Probably yielded about 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Heat oven to 350 F.  Beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla and egg with electric mixer, or by hand, until well-blended.  Add oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes (my own suggestion) then drop by tablespoonfuls about 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.*  Cool slightly, then remove from baking sheet onto cooling rack.

What could be bad about putting these two together?

I was so inspired by the baking frenzy today that I created a new cocktail: the Arcadia.  1/5th limoncello to 4/5ths Prosecco - bellissimo!  These were the perfect addition to the festive holiday (isn't every Sunday a holiday?) kind of day it was today. 

* The "doneness" of these cookies prompted a discussion about how cookies should be baked enough - until the sugar and butter begin to caramelize and things get a bit brown and crunchy.  Watch them closely, know they will bake a bit more if you're cooling them first on the baking sheet, and try them a bit crunchy - delicious!