gotta get a grahamy

my mom used to make homemade crackers when I was little. it was a long time ago and that was very nice of her, but i don't remember them. Nevertheless, I'm sure they were delicious. i still love animal crackers and graham crackers and have been curious about what the homemade version would be like. also i wondered where is this graham flavor coming from? I am aware of no spice called "graham" and cannot identify any flavors that resemble graham. now that i've seen a recipe, the code is cracked, apparently graham = brown sugar + honey.

here is the result.  these babies do not disappoint, they are similar in flavor to a gingerbread, but softer than most store bought graham crackers. I would definitely make them again and recommend serving them with cream cheese frosting or just plain dipped in milk.

Ingredients
(Makes 10 4 x 4.5-inch graham crackers or 48 2-inch squares)

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup honey
5 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Topping
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers.

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Decorate the crackers: Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough (this is for the traditional cracker shape). Using a fork, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

rigatoni is d best

rigatoni "d" is a special dish from maggiano's. we ordered it once because our waiter said it was the number one best selling item in all restaurant locations across the country, and because you can't go wrong with mushrooms, garlic cream sauce and marsala wine. no, you cannot. it's been a little while since we've gone back to maggiano's and Dan and I were both craving it. So with a little googling he found the recipe and we made it at home. It was really good. I did a little trick where I swapped out the heavy cream for whole milk, and then thickened it a little with flour. for full flavor and richness, and if you want to try the real deal, the milk trick is not recommended. stick with heavy cream. everything else was spot on.

Rigatoni "D"
Based on a favorite from Maggiano's

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 ounces button mushrooms (pick the littlest ones, tops the size of a dime or nickel)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups cream (or whole milk)
1 lb rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
parmesan cheese, shavings (garnish)
chopped fresh parsley (garnish)

Heat oil. Saute mushrooms in balsamic. Saute onion and garlic in heated oil until browned lightly. Once mushrooms are done and have absorbed most of the balsamic, add to onion and garlic mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken (cook separately in a pan or use a rotisserrie chicken). Add chicken stock, Marsala, and white wine. Add more Marsala for flavor as needed. Cook until reduced by half. Add cream and bring to a boil.

Cook rigatoni in salted water until al dente. Add drained rigatoni to chicken mixture in pan and finish with basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

petal pillows

to make these flower pillows, I used the same technique as used for the lamp shade. rather than use felt, i used a cheaper and thinner fabric called duck cloth.  it comes in many more colors and creates a more delicate look.  i used approximately one yard of fabric to create each pillow.

yellow flower pillows.

yellow flower pillow with green chair.

yellow flower pillow with green chair and green felt garland.

green felt garland.

butter sauce

this recipe serves as a good reminder to enjoy the pleasures of simplicity. the sauce has three ingredients.  butter.  tomatoes. onion.

it. is. fantastic.

the sauce as it cooks.  notice the onion is just sliced in half and placed in the pot.  no chopping required.

i served it with perciatelli (hollow spaghetti noodles).

SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients

(Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking)

28 ounces whole peeled, canned tomatoes (San Marzano, if they are on sale.  any will do.)
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with spaghetti.

mmm guava

guavas are number one in my book.  they are tangy and delicious, and just a little crunchy if you eat the seeds.   they are high in antioxidants and vitamin C and even made the Men's Health Top 10 Best Foods list.  Best of all they are available now at your local quality food center, so you don't have to plan a trip to Hawaii or Guatemala to enjoy them.  although you should still plan a trip to Hawaii or Guatemala.  both places are high in vitamin D and excellent for your overall wellbeing.

cups of love

valentine's day cupcake preview. these mini cakes come complete with mini cupids and hologram kiss rings.

shady business

Over Christmas break I spent a little time sprucing up an old lamp.  The final product looks like fancy flowers on a lamp shade. Should you decide to make one, it will most certainly brighten your day in so many ways.  


This is one of many fabulous craft tutorials from the great lady at Design Sponge. It will take few hours of your time, but the result is worth it. My next plan is to try it in a bright color for extra flair!

What You'll Need:
- IKEA Klivsta Lamp Shade ($10.99)

- felt (1.5-3 yards or about 20 felt sheets from a craft store)
- hot glue gun
- scissors

Directions:

1. Cut out hundreds of felt circles, approximately one or two inches in diameter. They can vary a little and do not need to be perfect circles.

2. Fold the felt circle in half and put a small line of glue down the center crease. Place petal down onto shade and secure the crease to the surface. Keep adding as many as you want, and overlap some to fill the entire surface. Folding some of the petals in quarters looks nice too.

fond of you

The coming of the new year called for something extra special, so Dan and I brought 2009 to a close with a little experiment in cheese fondue.  It was great, but next time we'd involve more people, 8-10 servings of cheese fondue is just too much for two people to handle. fondue party anyone??

CHEESE FONDUE

Ingredients (Serves 8 to 10)
1 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup white onion, chopped finely
1 1/2 cups apple cider or dry white wine
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 cup Smoked Gruyere cheese, grated
2 cups cheddar, grated
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice or milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground white pepper
salt to taste
1 loaf French bread, cut into one-inch cubes
Assorted pickled vegetables, such as cornichons, pearl onions, cauliflower, baby carrots, and mushrooms

In a saucepan, melt butter and saute onion and garlic until translucent. Pour cider or wine into pot, and place over medium-low heat. When liquid starts to bubble, start adding cheeses by the handful, stirring until melted and combined.

Whisk together lemon juice (or milk) and cornstarch in a small bowl until cornstarch dissolves; stir into cheese mixture. Continue stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling slightly, about five minutes. Season with nutmeg, pepper and salt.

Transfer fondue into fondue pot at the table, and keep warm over the fondue pot warmer. Serve with bread and pickled vegetables.

james turns two!!

James Fernando turned the big TWO this year and we celebrated with trains and a larger than life cupcake.

sampling the frosting, trying to hold back the excitement.

blowing out the candle and requesting "more fire." pyromania does not skip a generation.

setting up his choo choo train. 4+ hours of solid entertainment.

25x bigger than a regular cupcake.  check it out.

To recreate this for your next birthday celebration, you will need:

1 Big Top Cupcake Pan (Found here or here)

1 Box Funfetti Cake

1 Container Creamy Vanilla Frosting

Sprinkles

Food Coloring

Pastry Bag & Tips

Birthday Candles