*starcrossedcupcakes*

*baking love*

*we all sigh for paella*

...alas, i am currently baking cupcakes whilst listening to the arcade fire on my flour encrusted ipod...but the cupcakes will have to patiently wait for their turn on the blog...because just last week I attempted to make VEGETABLE PAELLA!!!!! its true...
now paella is commonly known as a hearty&cozy thick stewlike Spanish dish brimming with crusty rice goodness & schools of fish...as I am sadly allergic to shellfish, & one of my lovely dinner guests was a impressively faithful vegan, it would be best for all involved to not include the fish...but I wanted to desperately achieve the satisfaction of making something hearty & rich that we could all enjoy & where one could see & taste the effort & love that went into the food...basically I wanted to prepare a passionate meal...I view cooking as art...not only in the way it is presented but in the way it tastes....trying out new flavor profiles, varying combinations, figuring out what foods truly complement each other, & not merely just following directions, but instinct...
I had seen a few segments on the Food Network and the Travel Channel, where foodies prepared & savored paella dishes & was undeniably excited to try my own...I researched about ten different recipes & each one had its own unique take on the dish...I was sure of 2 things... no fish, & plenty of rice! Some of the ingredients from the recipes included red&green peppers, onions, garlic, celery, carrots, a multitude of colorful & expressive spices...some called for preparing the paella stovetop, then baking it for its popular hot&crusty texture...others suggested simply serving it from the stovetop...I contemplated...& then set to work, taking bits & pieces from the recipes, spinning through out extravagant spice rack, chopping furiously, tasting, stirring, shaking, mixing, dancing, tasting again...i started with a ginormous pot, guestimated a few tablespoons each of vegetable and extra virgin olive oil (sorry Rachel Ray! I HATE saying EVOO...i cringe each time i try. the extra 3 syllables are not a hassle for me to say)...i cleaned, scraped, & faithfully chopped bunches of garlic, yellow&red onions, celery & carrots & sauteed in the oil...next up...peppers! I wanted my paella to be resplendent with rainbows, so I used red, greed, & yellow! one of each immediately added flavor& vibrant color...2 cups of long grain white rice joined the party...once all was fully coated with the oil, I added 4 cups of vegetable broth&1 cup of water...a handful of raisins jumped in, 1 bag's worth of chopped-with-the-skin-on baby red potatoes were very happy to join in, & then 2 cups of peas...already the apartment had filled with the magnificent scent of passionate cooking...the spices came next, causing the hallway to fall victim next to the marvelous smell...no one and no place was safe from these aromatics...i shook, spooned, & measured:sea salt, black peppercorns,rosemary, thyme, cumin,chives, & fennel seeds...um, yeah...that scent i was speaking of before, became this overwhelming blanket of goodness that you never wanted to take off...
...as the veggie paella cooked, produced aromas of pure delight, & just simply increased our hunger's anticipation of dinner, my fabulous roommate jenny was preparing a beautiful roast chicken...i also made tostones, one of my absolute favorite things to make ever...peeling the green platains, slicing them into inch-thick circles...frying in vegetable oil until bronwed on both sides...i did not have a tostoneria to smash them with, so i found a glass jar with a perfectly flat bottom that would do just fine...I took pleasure in pressing down firmly on each piece, only to drown them again in the cracklng oil to a crip delightful golden brown...then a brush of garlic&olive oil with a light dusting of adobo...so worth the plantain skin still wedged in my nails from the peeling...tostones are always a welcome addition to any heaty meal...our lovely friends Tovah&Meredith came bearing gifts fit for feasting:wine for toasting & crusty bread to soak up the paella's goodness...we were set for an evening of open hearts, conversation, & washing off the dust of the day in each other's company...there truly is nothing better.

jersey girls in new york...part 1.....

...the last two tuesdays have been two of the most amazing days in the short time that is known as 2010...there are two very specific reasons for this claim to utter satisfaction&ridiculous happiness...one being I was able to spend time with one of my true, sweet, loyal friends/kindred spirits/soulmates, rosana silvia ortiz....the second being able to partake in wondrous, fabulous food...honestly you cannot ever go wrong with good food & good company...these are the necessary components to a happy & content life...its true...surround yourself with truly awesome people & you will only become more awesome, share good food&drink, & it only enhances the enjoyment of the company you're with...<3<3<3
rosie is one of my nearest & dearest....we both grew up in dirty jersey, she in newark, myself in lyndhurst...yet we didn't meet until we were both students @ nyack college...we passed each other numerous times walking to classes, darting through the halls to (mostly) uninteresting classes,& in the cafeteria, &feasting on nothing that i feel is worth mentioning here...
we didn't ever converse until we both signed up to go to Los Angeles Film Center in Burbank, CA, for a fall semester(of my senior year)...we were the only two students from our school to go there, so we quickly made sure to become a united front in case we were bombared with valley girls upon arrival...first impressions can never be trusted. ever. she thought I was a crazy girl who incessantly chattered & was inherently excited about every absolute thing in the entire universe...i saw her as a quiet&conservative girl who was terrified(of me!)...somewhere between now&then we have changed/blossomed/grew/failed&succeeded & completely lived up to & shattered those impressions...&with that I can say she is completely my family...when you reach that place in my swollen heart, I tell you I would do anything for you, regardless of time, place, disagreements, distance...she's there, which made out adventures in manhattan all the more awesome.
we started off our food adventures meeting @ grand central terminal...i'm there at least four times a week for classes, & i can tell you it never gets old, standing in the main concourse, lifting my eyes & travelling the ceiling, following all the constellations, attempting to do this & not get trampled during the rush hours is difficult but i make it happen...
first stop...Magnolia Bakery...we went to the one located near Rockefeller Center...yes it was teeming with tourist, but also with plenty of New Yorkers looking for their sugar fix...let me say I am obsessed with cupcakes....baking cupcakes from scratch is one of my absolute favoritest things to do Ever...its true...I'm always searching for the best cupcakes ever, & new ideas to build my cupcakerie repetorie...this was not to be the day...I always enjoy their frosting, it is marvellous, sweet, vanilla sugar frosting that you just cannot get enough of...the cupcakes themselves, sadly are like the kids who are picked last in the dodgeball game during gym class...no cupcake love here...we decided to just suck it up & soldier on &have another cupcake..this time red velvet...I am partial to red velvet cupcakes...they are fun& easy to bake...one time I baked a ginormous batch, decorated & boxed in teenty bakery boxes for a friend's baby shower, & i've been in love ever since...yeah not so much...just as Rosie & I were about to bite into our red velvets, I overheard a customer who had just stuffed her mouth with one complain how dry it was...okay no surprise, but I had faith the flavors would be there...by far the most tasteless cupcake these usually positive tastebuds have ever encountered...but the frosting was sure to be a success....no, no way, didn't happen...the enire red velvet experience was momentarily tainted...we secretively disposed the remainders & were on our way to the next stop...TEANY...located on Rivington Street...this is tradition for us...every time Rosie is in NYC we always make time for Teany...owned by Moby (definitely not the reason we go), they have hundreds of varieties of tea, fabulous vegan/non-vegan fare, & a cute (sometimes annoyingly hipster) atmosphere...we arrived to find that it was closed for renovation...not so excited about that...for those of you who might want to visit there, i always can happily rely on the chai latte&peanut butter vegan cake...their scones &clotted cream are also delectable...
next stop...Chinatown & Little Italy...i didn't tell Rosie but I was definitely in the mood for some Italian...she kept suggesting places in Chinatown, but I would just make lame excuses as to why I didn't want to eat there..."uh I heard they're super expensive", "I heard the Chinatown in Queens is the Real Chinatown, Chinatown in Manhattan has nothing on them"...as we strolled the streets & entered Little Italy, we were bombarded by young gentleman bundled up for the weather, attempting to draw us into their restaurants...they were probably hoping we were tourists with money to burn & tummies to fill...we ended up in Cafe Napoli...the decor was a bit old school, I almost felt as if I was in my Grandma Julia's basement, still decked out with Mediterranean themed couches from the 1970's(I have the pictures to prove it)...our waiter was fantastic to converse with & we didn't really mind looking @ him either...we started off with a pinot grigio after a few false starts with the wine menu...we wanted to take our time...for a truly enjoyable meal, you need to take the time, appreciate who you are dining with, & appreciate the food & the people who are preparing it for you...next up is mozzarella carroza...i ordered it for us because I remember my mother making it for me when I was younger...she would fill the bread slices with mozzarella & capers...soak it in beaten eggs, and then fry in olive oil to a golden crisp perfection...i hoped for the same at this place...i wasn't let down...Rosie & I marvelled at the soft&gooey center, & the crunchy exterior...they didn't use capers, but it was satisfying all the same...the entrees were standard & not worth mentioning here. i only mention truly worthwhile experiences! haha...which is why i will mention the "ad finitum" of the meal...ITALIAN CHEESECAKE!!!!! we were going to have cannolis(another tradition with us)...but upon inspection of their bakery case, we saw they were "prefilled", & we all know you don't ever want a prefilled cannoli...unless you are one to enjoy a soggy shell...entirely up to the feasting individual...right after i had mentioned the fact that the cannolis were not fresh, a lady with spiky bleached blonde hair marched in...I recognized her as a celebrity chef!...she has graced many shows on the Food Network...she at first seemed as if she had a countenance of self importance, but I soon learned she was on a mission...her first words were "I need a cannoli to go"...as the host reached for one from the bake case, she firmly stated, "No." Her next words were, "Those are prefilled...I want a fresh one, I want you to fill it NOW in front of me."...a foodie after my own gourmand heart...I smiled in understanding& this only enhanced the rest of our experience at Cafe Napoli...the Italian cheesecake by the way was SUPERB...if that doesn't get my point across, let me tell you, my eyes lits up, my tummy sang a song of unadulterated joy, my heart was full...no kidding. Our meal lasted two hours (not nearly long enough!) , but the impressions on my heart our time of enjoying somewhat awesome food, was only increased in awesomeness by the company & the cheesecake...Good times!!!!

...to jersey & back...

...after a late eventful saturday night, attempting to rise early on sunday to head to jersey was just as hard as it sounds...when i finally made that happen, i was excited to see my family after not seeing them for a few weeks...all my visits there start out the same...I think about how much I love my family, and however flawed we may all be, how ridiculously much we all love each other and would do absolutely anything for each other...then when I arrive, this unadulterated loved is usually mixed with the requisite nagging of each other about mundane things, everyone getting on each other's nerves, and the "loud talking" mistaken by ignorant outsiders as yelling...I'll be the first to admit my flaws, and the uniqueness and craziness that is my family...but I'm the only one that can say that, if you're not part of the family, believe me, you're not allowed to call us out! we'll be brutally honest with each other, and to others, but thats our claim...thats just how it is. my loud jersey crazy Italian family. This Sunday I was particularly looking forward to going home because it had been sooo long & my nephew Paul Brandon was going to be there& I really wanted to see my mom (&dad too)...sometimes I feel like my family feels like I left them...my parents always tell/ask/demand that I move back home, &tell me how much easier my life would be, so on & so forth...at times it may seem a bit tempting, but for the most part not tempting at all! I have built a life that is still growing & unfolding & moving back to jersey, for me, would feel like I was going backwards...sooo apparently the highlight of the day would be that my Grandma Julie was making eggplant...this is what my mom had told me on the phone, "Jessica! Grandma wants to know if you're coming! Cause then she'll make eggplant for you." When that was said I almost felt as if it was my duty to go to jersey, I couldn't let my family down when there was the prospect of my Grandma making eggplant!
so I went, & there i was in Lyndhurst, home of the best Italian pastries in jersey, home to my Grandmother's perfect cooking, & home to my small town dreams...I brought with me some leftovers from Saturday night's feast, my insecurities, & of course all of my laundry.
after incessant hugs, questioning by my Dad about how my car is running, how much gas did my car have, does the heat in my car work, why is the gas tank so low, why is my car so messy, & the questioning of my questionable love life, I retreated downstairs to see my Grandma....what started off by inquiring about her famous pizza dough recipe turned into an all day event...She was happy to have my attention...one time I remember my mom telling me that my Grandma had said to her, "Its so nice to have Jessica home again," hoping I hadn't forgotten them...Grandma told me the very simple recipe from her memory, & then excitedly offered to make the dough with me at that moment, & show me all the intricacies & specifics of exactly how she mixes the dough, the way she turns it in and beats, & kneads it with her weathered hands...how you have to have just the right amount of flour...how to oil the pizza pans her & my Grandpa used that I seem to remember from birth...her eyes lit up as she explained everything in great detail & as I peppered her with questions...once the dough was put aside to rise, she took out her 2 two very old tins, filled with scraps of paper scrawled with various recipes for cakes, cookies, bearnaise (sp?) sauce, rice pudding, easter meat pie...just to name a few...we spent time poring over these recipes, I faithfully jotted down what interested me...my little Paul was there with his own pen&paper pretending to also be taking notes, repeating everything we said...I was joyful to be spending this amazing quality time with my Grandma...we were both savoring the moment, & both thinking of my Grandpa Giulio...mixed in with the recipes was one of his newspaper clippings...a yellowed & tattered news page with his picture & a writeup of one of the restaurants he was a head chef at during his career...the restaurant mentioned was Villa Capri in Jersey City, & the article was dated from May 1972...some of the mentiones of Grandpa include...

"All the major dishes at the Capri are prepared individually by Julio (sp.) and it is his years of experience that turn ordinary food into fine Northern cuisine. His deft handling of foods coupled with an expert knowledge of ingredients make dining at the Capri a unique experience."..."In the kitchen, it is not infrequent to see guests standing side by side with Julio, feverishly scribbling down notes on cooking and recipes to be later tried at home."..."Perhaps the loving appreciation of his followers motivated Julio to request the "kitchen table"...Julio himself assumes personal responsibility for service at the table, which seats from 2 to 10 people. He greets his guests warmly, lights the tall candle, and invites them to order 'anything you want, I'll make for you.' Mother never treated you better...or cooked better."...

reading the clipping brought a flood of all the memories of Grandpa & how much I absolutely loved & respected him...if anyone ever thought someone to be close to perfect, he is the one person in my life that I saw that way...& I still see him that way...I could go on about him but I feel that would be another blog entirely & I could never even to begin to say enough about his great character & beautiful heart & insanely amazing cooking abilities...he loved his family, & as his only granddaughter, I looked to him as my hero...he is one of the main inspirations for anything good that is in my life...

scrabble never tasted so good.

the past few days have been a whirlwind of chaos, food obsessions, kindred spirits, & loud talkers (with a few low talkers thrown in the mix! time to go watch that seinfeld episode again)...alas with the current snowstorm/blizzard/day off from steaming milk&feeding the public's caffeine addiction, I am excited to post the adventures I have embarked on...
Even though we threw a fabulous belated birthay dinner extravaganza party just a few short weeks ago, I wanted more! I had an urge to cook again, but this time only invited a handful of people, down from 33 to maybe 12, attempting to pass it off as a quiet scrabble gathering, but alas that was not to be the case...I don't think it ever will be...so in preparation, because I am a firm believer in having too much food rather than not enough, as soon as I arrived home from work Friday night, I started my fast & furious turn to th dark side...goat cheese brownies were to be my first devious task....I had seen a glimpse of them on an episode of Bobby Flay's throwdown...he lost to this seemingly scary confection, & I just had to know how good they really could be...I have a deep rooted affinity for goat cheese& chocolate is always a dealmaker, so it seemed to me to be the perfect fit/match....I followed the recipe, which I procured from www.fattoadfarm.com...i set to work, double boiling the chocolate, & mixing the dry ingredients...but the super awesome exciting part came when I rocked out with the goat cheese...usually when i do baked goods, I don't always use electric mixer, I oftentimes mix by hand, but with the texture of the goat cheese I broke out my electric mixer..the goat cheese blended perfectly with the sugar&vanilla, & I just knew the finished product would be ridiculous...which means crazy good by the way...i layered the chocolate & goat cheese delicately in the pan, & made sure to put my finishing touches of swirls on the top...as they went into the heated abyss, I moved onto my empanada filling....again, empanadas are the perfect foodie item to have at all casual get togethers, they are filling, easy to make & satisfying to feverishly consume...
this time I changed up the filling...I still made 40 (for some reason the magic number of empanadas to prepare)...I buy 2 different doughs, yellow & white, so I can color coordinate the fillings, one for meat filling, the other for the very lovely vegetarians in my life...for the meat, besides the requisite garlic, onions, spanish olives, ground beef, & myriad of yummy spices, I added diced red potatoes...and for the meatless ones, instead of just cheese, I added garlic,onions, olives & yet agin potatoes...the potatoes added a nice texture to both & i was very pleased with the results...the next night when i served them i was satisfied & sooo happy when i was told these were the best empanadas I had ever made...
as for the goat cheese brownies, when I presented them to my fabulous guests, there was a great deal of skepticism as to how they would actually taste...i was ready to win them over, I knew that once they had their first taste, they would immediately cross over to my side & never go back...& then it happened...then skeptics marvelled at how the smooth & sweetly tart goat cheese complemented the chocolate, reminicent of cheesecake...one bit was not enough, & soon crumb covered hands were reaching out for seconds & thirds, some of my friends were scooping up fallen morsels of goat cheese from the plate to consume...I would say mission accomplished.
as for scrabble, that never came to fruition...we did play lunch money, which was an experience in it of itself...the scrabble board was laid out at some point, where we spelled out messages best not repeated on my cooking blog. just another fantastic night of good people & good eats...there really is no better way to spend life.

...cooking is love...

...oftentimes...with the busyness of work full-time&school full-time, I come home a bit wearied and just wanting to shake the dust of the day off my body& most importantly off of my heart...the last thing I want to do is stop at the supermarket or come home and cook...to be completely honest, I hate cooking for myself...lets put that on the list of things I just am not into, and cannot get excited about...i absolutely love cooking for other people...if i didn't have other people to cook for, I would not enjoy it nearly as much...cooking is an emotional thing for me I guess...I grew up in a (LOUD) Italian family, where cooking was and is love...are you sad? here let me make you some pasta fagioli...you're sick? heres some pastina with butter & parmesan...yes when I was sick for my entire vacation a few weeks ago, I managed to make it to jersey for a couple of days...my Grandma Julia came up the stairs with a steaming hot pot of pastina to fix my ailments, and my heart...it worked..at least for that day...
so I guess my point is cooking is love, for me...if I love you, or at least like you a little bit, I will cook...& bake& cook some more...
cupcakes, empanadas, penne vodka, chicken parmesan, pizza, omelettes, tostones, a 5 layer cake...you name it, I'll make it for you...or at least we can both hope that I will...I procure just as much enjoyment out of the act of preparing the meal as I hope the person consuming it is...so here I am..just walked in the door from a very lonnngggg day...I am hungry...but alas do not want to cook for myself...I think I'll ask my roommate Jenny if shes hungry...

so i awoke this morning completely famished....I am attempting to cook & eat more healthy for the mere fact that I would like to live a very long&full life , even on the very, bad, not so good days!!!
My breakfast of choice lately has been omelettes...you can really do anything with omelettes...& I mean anything...I would compare it to the most awesome salad...add anything you like and you really cannot go wrong...
I remember when I lived in Blauvelt, NY...We would occasionaly have weekly dinners where a few friends and co-workers would stop by...it was usually quick, because I was in a bowling league (um, I was sooo bad @ bowling, that guys from other teams would come over and attempt to show me how to properly bowl..good times!)...
...one of the nights, we had breakfast for dinner, which is always amazing&awesome...my responsibility for this dinner was omelettes.I filled separate bowls with mushrooms, onions, various cheeses, spinach, the list goes on for infinity....
I let guests fill an empty bowl with whatever they wanted and then I went on to create customized tasty goodness...
this morning I felt inspired & sauteed fresh organic spinach with a teeny bit of crushed garlic in a great big dash of olive oil...once the bright green of the spinach became a dark and glorious rich green, I added marinated artichoke hearts....them came the 2 beaten eggs....I (generously) sprinkled on some cracked peppercorn, salt, and parmesan cheese...the aromatics were intense...way better than any scented candle could provide! I let the omelette brown on one side and then gracefully (right!) folded it in half...
this would be perfect to share with a loved one, or someone you could at least stand...mulitgrain toast with preserves and a french press of freshly ground coffee from a local shop (SLAVE TO THE GRIND!) would be the marriage....omg i absolutely <3 breakfast....
I have rachel ray on tv in the background...she is making penne vodka...I have to say I don't like her version..I have made penne vodka three times in the past couple of months successfully..I have not made it before these times & I have to say I was thoroughly impressed..I used my grandfather's recipe(his penne vodka is legendary) and made a couple Jessica alterations to it and was very happy with the results...I threw a dinner party amost 2 weeks ago & served it there...it went quick, and many wanted second helpings...i will post the recipe and pics soon of this rich & satisfying dish!

gravy!!!

...something real quick i have to get off my jersey italian chest...its called GRAVY not sauce...

first time!

so this is my first foray into an official blogging experience...yes I have done livejournal, myspace & facebook posts in the past, but I wanted to do something food-specific (besides eating!)....so we shall see how far I may take this...so you could say this is my first time! wish me luck, and I hope I won't be disappointed! <3