...have cookies, will travel...

mexican hot chocolate...one of my favoritest cozy drinks to make of all time...in a small saucepan over a low flame, stir in 1 cup of your favorite chocolate broken into small pieces with 1 1/2 cups of half&half...faithfully stir...once the chocolate has melted & combined with the half&half, add the tiniest pinch of sea salt, & a sprinkle of chili powder...grate nutmeg& cinnamon in next...give it a few more stirs...it will be thick & very rich, so I suggest serving it in espresso/demitasse cups atop mismatched saucers...lightly dust the top with more cinnamon...you have your delicously cozy mexican hot chocolate...I was inspired to turn this drinking chocolate into cookie form...I had been promising friends that I would bake & mail them cookies for some time...so this seemed like the perfect chance to make it happen...I found a few simple sugar cookie recipes to have a basic template...I tweaked some of the ingredients & added my own spin on it...I can honestly say these cookies are the best cookies I have ever baked in my entire life...for serious...I fervently hope they travel well & taste as good when they reach their destinations...los angeles, oakland, & baltimore...
recipe is as follows...
...using a bright red kitchenaid mixer (<3) mix together 2 cups of softened&salted butter with 2 1/2 cups of sugar...you can use regular white sugar, but the golden brown raw sugar works well too...once mixed, add 3 tsp of vanilla & 2 eggs...
…in a separate bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, 1 cup of cocoa powder ( I like Trader Joe’s!), 2 tsp of baking powder, 1 tsp sea salt, 1tsp of cayenne pepper, 2 tsp of grated nutmeg, 2 tbsp of grated cinnamon…once combined, slowly add to butter/sugar mixture while mixer is on a slow speed…
…once mixed amazingly well, roll the dough into tiny 1 inch balls, and place on greased cookie sheet…bake in a 375 preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes….make sure to check on the cookies every few minutes to your desired level of baked <3

...all about kale...

...kale...an intimidating vibrant, green leafy vegetable...i already have a great torrid love affair with spinach...brussel sprouts?... not so much...but kale?...I just don't know if this lonely heart can do it...but I decided to go for it...I have been hearing all about the virtues of kale & for a girl who has her heart tattooed on her sleeve, I was going to go all out...I combined it with a few of my favorite basic ingredients there was no way it could be wrong...so my first experience with kale is as follows:
generous&copious amounts of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 sweet potatoes, cubed
2 small white onions, chopped
2 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped
6 cups of kale
sea salt & ground black pepper to season
...sautee the garlic & onions until translucent, add sweet potatoes & cover...stir furiously or just stir...
once the sweet potatoes have softened, add the mushrooms & kale & cover again...
...let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes...

...love,love,love...this simple dish was delightfully awesome...I shared it with my roommate jenny, & upstairs neighbor octavia...we were so enamored we did a repeat, preparing it a second night in a row...

rosie cannolli

...cannollis from lyndhurst pastry shop in lyndhurst, nj are by far the best I've ever had...I was able to experience some of this legendary goodness from the comfort of my own home of yonkers instead of having to traverse to my hometown to pick up the goods...thanks to one of the best people around, rosie, who made her way to the pastry shop @ 7am to procure these delightful treats and train it over here...sometimes in the constant busyness of life, there is nothing as peaceful & comforting than being with an old friend so familiar that it is like being with family...here's to rosie! <3

...pumpkin goat cheese empanadas...

Drizzle a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in pan, once heated add 1 clove of fresh crushed garlic, & one small finely chopped white onion...clean & chop 2 cups of portobello mushrooms& add to pan...toss all the ingredients so everything is coated with the olive oil...once the onion is translucent & the mushrooms have softened, add 1 cup of goat cheese & 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree...stirring slowly until all ingredients have combined & the result is a creamy & the color of a burnt sunset...if you are a carnivore such as I am, you can add shredded chicken now...i like to use chicken breast and thighs, lightly tossed in olive oil & sea salt & black pepper&then roasted...if you are a vegetarian just prepare without the chicken...
...remove from heat....
...you can make your own empanada dough or buy premade in the freezer aisle @ the supermarket....
have your dough ready to fill...you can fill with your dough right away, or refrigerate your filling until you are ready to use...place 1 heaping tablespoon in each dough disc...brush the edges with water, the fold the dough over for a half moon...seal the half moon by gently pressing down on the dough with a fork...
for the crispiest, tastiest option, fry in vegetable oil, until golden brown on both side...for a healthier option, brush the tops with egg whites..bake @ 400 degrees, until crisp & brown...

...makes 10 to 15 empanadas, depending upon how heaping your tablespoons are!...

...feeling blue...

...I used to love being sick...it's true...I'd get to stay home from school, lay around in my pajamas & have Grandma make me pastina & take care of me...now not so much...I mean I still like the laying around in pajamas part, but I'm a busy lady with lists to make & not follow, powerpoint presentations to prepare, libraries to visit, papers to write, & there is always an unending list of things to do @ my job...so now as I lay here in a state of under-the weatherness, thinking of the things I have to do, sounding like a chain-smoking-chipmunk, I have a list of "remedies" that always make me feel better:
1) I reread "the pleasure of my company" by steve martin...one of my favorite books, I laugh out loud & even tear up a bit @ moments
2) coffee...I bought illy coffee...its a little pricier that other brands, but the taste is unbeatable...& i don't really use that word freely...seriously I don't think you'll ever see me use it again
3) Gizmo! my favorite stuffed animal keeps me in good company...
4) Planes, Trains, & Automobiles...one of the best movies ever...laughter is really the best medicine, at least for me...
and........
5) COOKING...I don't care how sick I am...cooking will always make me feel better...
I prepared a pumpkin & sweet potato curry stew & served it to my roommate & myself with crusty whole wheat panella bread...
it was like spooning with a pumpkin, serious goodness, folks...I am all about the pumpkin this fall season...tonight I baked pumpkin-wholewheat-oatmeal-blueberry-honey muffins....little baked cups of nourishing amazingness...
sooo I am still feeling a bit not-so-delightful but amidst my hecticness I have a plan to prepare the following in the next week:
roasted pumpkin, pumpkin goat cheese empanadas...hummus with greek olives...blue velvet cupcakes...homemade granola...

...we had a time...

...dinner party preparations can take everything out of you...in every possible way, it is imperative to know what you are getting into...the importance of having enough food & drink cannot be stressed enough...i would feel like an epic failure if I hosted a fantastic get together & ran out of either...i would probably go hide in a dark corner & recite recipes as if they were hail marys...
this past weekend's get together was a success...we invited a bunch of people through the procrastination tool/distraction that is facebook & had a turnout that included a rotating cast of 24 awesome acquaintances & friends...you can never go wrong with a good time...
...menu & recipes will be posted soon...