Mexican Cookies

I love baked goods, but it's rare I am ever inspired enough to actually do the baking myself. I was inspired, however, buy a cookie my officemate and I discovered at a cafe on the Microsoft campus called a Mexican Chocolate Chip cookie. Actually, she discovered it and was inspired enough to call me and insist I try it. And, needless to say, the next day we went together to tempt fate and introuduce ourselves to yet another sweet-treat-vice. Chocolate chip cookies are good (not my favorite), but every once in a while you meet a cookie you couldn't have lived without: enter the Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookie.

It's a giant cakey cookie, with wonderful hints of cinnamon, cayenne, and coarse ground black pepper. Because of the spices and their suprise heat, you don't feel like you're overindulging your sweet tooth, thus, you can eat as many as you like without feeling sick! After falling in love with these cookies, I was determined to recreate them at home, and I did!

I prefer the big, cakey, fat cookies to the flat, chewey, gooey kind, and because of this, I used less sugar. I believe that these Mexican cookies work better as fluffier ones (as opposed to the gooey kind), but feel free to use your own chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 C. Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 pinch Paprika
(with the spices, use your descretion, I'd say these amounts equal to a medium spiced cookie)
1 C.(2 sticks) Butter, room temp
2/3 C. Brown Sugar
2/3 C. Granulated White Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs, room temp
2 C. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375. Sift together the first seven dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream butter and sugars together in a bowl, add vanilla and eggs, and beat until incorporated. Slowly add dry ingredients until mixed well, then stir in chocolate chips.
Mold dough into largerish patties, about 3 inches in diameter and pretty thick (I know, they seem big, but they bake fine). Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, let cool.
Works well with wonderfully whole milk!!
(sorry!! no pictures, we ate them all too fast!)

Really GOOD chicken, like really....

While trying to make the most of the rooftop deck and the warm weather, I’ve been scouring the internet for great grilling recipes. Cooking indoors is one thing, but I’ve never quite managed to conquer the grill. This summer, I’ve dedicated myself to improving those skills. I can officially say that I’ve mastered at least one thing: chicken. Although most people who know me know that chicken doesn’t even make my “favorites” list in the way of food, I’ve found a recipe that has changed all that. It’s tender, flavorful, juicy, spicy, smokey… oh hell, it’s fantastic (and it’s chicken)! It goes great with a cool and spicy coleslaw and of course a few beers or a glass (or three) of wine. Don’t forget to add the fantastic view and the fabulous company, and you have a dinner to die for!


The Best Way to Do Chicken…Ever

2 ½ Tbs of chile powder
1 Tbs of ground cumin
1 Tbs of ground coriander
1 Tbs of ground ginger
1 Tbs of brown sugar
2 tsp of garlic powder
2 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp of coarsely ground black pepper
¼ tsp of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
4 8oz boneless chicken breasts (skin-on optional)
¼ cup canola oil
Black Pepper Dijon Sauce (recipe follows)


Black Pepper Dijon Sauce


¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbs of Dijon mustard
2 tsp of honey
1 tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp coarsely ground black pepper


Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve at room temperature (however, this sauce keeps for about a week in the fridge).


Heat grill to High. Mix together all dry ingredients in a cup, rub each side of chicken breasts with canola oil and kosher salt. Now rub a few tablespoons of the mixture on each side of the chicken and place on grill. Grill for about 3-5 minutes on each side (outside should be slightly charred, but inside will be plenty juicy!) Drizzle Black Pepper Dijon Sauce on top of chicken.


And an accompaniment for this chicken…


Snappy Slaw

1 cup coarsely chopped green onions
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp of honey
2 serrano chiles (tops removed)
2 Tbs mayonnaise
½ cup canola oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 head of green or purple cabbage, shredded
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tsp of poppy seeds
¼ cup chopped cilantro

For the dressing, emulsify green onions, vinegar, honey, chilles, mayo, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender. Combine cabbage, red onion, and poppy seeds in a bowl. Fold in cilantro and dressing an season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 30 – 60 minutes.

NOLA

Flying down south to be a bridesmaid in one of my closest friend’s wedding gave us a good reason to stop over in New Orleans (on our way to Biloxi, Mississippi) for some downright delicious Cajun cuisine as well as several hours of binge drinking in the Quarter. With less than 15 hours in the Big Easy, we decided to make the most of it gastronomically. Three restaurants for dinner and one for lunch the next day, along with countless (honestly, I couldn’t tell you how many) bars in between.


We stayed at the Westin on Canal Place, which was a few short (albeit smelly) blocks to Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, a proverbial epicurean oasis! It was already 5:30pm by the time we made our way out in the 90 degree heat (add 80 percent humidity, and it feels like a 100 degree sauna), and we let our inner tourists and demanding tummies get the best of us by being lured to a place called The Bayou, right on Bourbon Street. Its fancy veranda and southern charm were a total façade, but it ended up serving us well. While the menu may be pretty boring, with southern standards that probably don’t measure up, we did get a little something in our stomachs (we had the Fried Alligator: plenty tender, if not a little heavy on the breading, and it came with some rockin’ house made sauces, specifically their Cajun stone ground honey mustard and their tartar sauce). We also had a drink (I had a blueberry mojito that was delicious, and Aaron aptly had a bourbon and coke), but the real find was “Doc”, a waiter who gave us the skinny on how to best do New Orleans in one night. He included a hand-drawn map, complete with corresponding numbers of all the places we should hit in and out of the Quarter, as well as who we should ask for at each place.



It served us well, and led us to our next destination: the Sugar Shack, right off Bourbon Street.


We were ready for our second meal, and I am so glad we came here. The Sugar Shack is a wonderfully casual bar with We had a fantastic meat pie with a homemade red pepper mayo for only $3.50 and eight HUGE peel-n-eat bay shrimp that were crab-boiled and perfectly spicy for about $8. Another bourbon and coke for Aaron, and I tried a local beer called Dixie Jazz, which was a fairly hoppy amber that totally hit the spot!


From there, we did some more bar hopping, following Doc’s map and suggestions, and made a lot of friends along the way. I have to say New Orleans is the most hospitable and approachable city in the South…about 3 bars down, and we decided to hit up our third dinner: Dante’s.


I have to say this is one of the best southern meals I’ve had in my life, and coming from southern roots and two years living in the deepest deep of the south, that’s a tall order. Tucked away in a residential street, and blending in with the decadent, stylish homes, Dante’s is technically in the Garden District. That made for a beautiful (if not a little bit pricy) cab ride, complete with good ol’ southern cab drivers who’d grown up in the city stealing cars and seeing the crazier days of Marti Gras. We had originally debated going to Jacques Imo’s, but it was closed and we’d read that Dante’s was its superior substitution. It must have been fate, because I couldn’t have asked for a better one-night-only-dinner in NOLA. First of all, their bar boasts some beautifully house-infused cocktails, a twist on some of the southern traditional drinks such as the Julep and Rum Punch. Their wine list is pretty basic, but they were offering select glasses for only 5 bucks! Sold!

Now for the really good stuff: we began with the Escargot with house made bacon, basil, and goat cheese. Honestly, I could have eaten just five servings of this, and nothing else! This is the best escargot I have ever had the pleasure to eat, it was browned in savory bacon fat and unlike it’s usual fancy presentation in individual niches, it was tossed all together with the other incredibly fresh ingredients and thrown in a bowl just begging to be dredged with the garlic bread it was served with. Honest to god, HEAVEN in snail form! We also split the Grilled Gulf Shrimp with homemade Stone Ground Grits. Smothered with silky andouille red eye gravy, there was plenty of cheesy creaminess in the grits, my favorite way to eat them. The Gulf shrimp were enormous and flavorful, crusted in their shells with feet, eyes, and all, but oh-so juicy. For an entrée we split Chicken Roasted Under a Brick, which was maple glazed and served with a potato and bacon hash cake and a friend egg (that was perfectly fried, by the way). The chicken was moist, packed with flavor and juices, and absolutely divine, as were its accoutrements. Stuffed to the brim, and knowing we still had a night of Bourbon Street ahead of us, we managed to find room for the Crème Brulee. As picky as I am, this dessert impressed me, and had wonderful bits Tahitian vanilla bean sprinkled all throughout.


Honestly, the rest of the night was a bit of a blur after we hit up Pat O’Brien’s, but the food will always stand out as my favorite part about New Orleans, I can’t wait to go back and see what treasures we can dig up when we have more than one evening.


Please visit Dante’s! You’ll thank me (even if your cholesterol levels won’t)!

Outdoor Deck Dinner!

Aptly celebrating an 80 degree day in early summer in Seattle includes a BBQ, wine, and an outdoor table. Luckily between Kate, Aaron and I, we had all three…plus a beautifully tended organic garden full of fresh herbs and lettuces as well as some bare naked pork chops just begging to be grilled! After wrangling the grill from Kate’s neighbor’s house and opening a bottle of red and a bottle of white, we set to whipping up a marinade for the pork and a dressing for the salad. Seeing as this was an impromptu event (it’s always a surprise when you get gorgeous evening in the 70s in Seattle) we raided the pantry to see what we could find. With celery, red onion, green onions, S&P, olive oil, tarragon vinegar, balsamic vinegar, garlic, sugar, and some fresh rosemary and oregano from the garden we nailed it. There was a half empty bottle of some sort of balsamic vinaigrette that we chose to toss the pork chops in, as well as some garlic, green onions, S&P, and celery (what the heck!) while the coals heated up.

In to our second round of wine Kate picked some amazing red leaf, green leaf, and butter lettuce, Aaron manned the BBQ, and I mixed up a dressing with the rest of the ingredients we’d pulled out. The result? A perfect pork chop, a divine salad, three empty bottles of wine, and a gorgeous sunset enjoyed on the deck. The coups de grace? A last minute batch of home-made chocolate chip cookies (I blame the wine for the inspiration)!

I really want to share the dressing recipe; however, as I’d been enjoying the weather with the wine, I don’t remember exactly what we did, and I have no idea what the portions were of each ingredient…but I can guess it went something like this

The Most Amazing Summer Salad Dressing When the Lettuce Comes From the Garden:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the extra-er the better!)
Tarragon Vinegar (or any other infused vinegar you think sounds fresh and tasty)
Balsamic Vinegar
Sugar
Diced green onion
Fresh Oregano, chopped
Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Minced garlic
S&P

In a small bowl mix olive oil and vinegars and sugar until sugar is entirely dissolved, add about a stalk or so of green onion, a few sprigs of oregano and one sprig of rosemary, about a teaspoon or so of garlic (I always go for the “or so” amount and tend to err on the side of doubling the amount of garlic called for, so I am sure I used a lot more than that). Add plenty of salt an pepper to taste.
Note: I am pretty sure I just kept adding more of whatever it tasted like it needed, so feel free to do many taste tests along the way.

Southern Comfort

As most know, when it comes to being picky about food, I'm not. My one exception: Southern cooking. With my entire family rooted in the deep south and the two year sabbatical I spent living in Mississippi, I have quite the affinity for southern food. This past weekend we headed down to Portland for a mini-vacation. In addition to the 80 degree weather and sunshine, I enjoyed a surprisingly scrumptious southern brunch at a lovely place called The Screen Door. This is saying a lot from a girl who grew up with the southern adages "if it ain't fried it ain't food" and "butter is a food group". I take pride in my ability to distinguish if chicken breast was soaked in buttermilk before it was fried and the fact that I would never choose sweet over savory when it comes to grits, so I'm thrilled to report that I've found a formidable provider of some of those southern staples I crave from time to time! WARNING: The Screen Door is not recommended for the health conscious… but if you know the value of a good southern breakfast, dive in! The fried chicken that came on a buttery brick of a homemade biscuit that would make my Granny jealous was delicious! Perfectly moist and tender breast meat, perfectly spiced, and generously portioned (of course). To top it all off, it was smothered in a rich gravy with yummy chunks of sausage, zero lumps, and an impressively bold, peppery flavor. We're talking thick enough to make the spoon stand up and that beautiful color that comes from using all the sausage drippings. After the unbuttoning of my jeans, I sampled wonderfully cheesy grits and Praline Bacon. And whether you pronounce it PRAH-line or PRAY-line, the bacon was fantastic. I am a huge fan of the southern treat, brown sugared bacon, and this took it one step further. I could taste a hint of possibly cayenne (which is what I use in my recipe) along with the sticky sweet and nutty goodness. If you've thrown cholesterol and calorie watching out the window, there is hardly a more worthy indulgence than bacon and sugar.

It was hard to stop there, everything on the menu from Chicken and Waffles (one of my favorite southern traditions) and Pimento Cheese and Fried Egg sandwich looked not only authentic but mouthwatering. I can't wait for another reason to go back down to Portland and increase my risk for heart disease (and The Screen Door is well worth the risk).

Here is my guilty pleasure bacon recipe:

Brown Sugared Bacon
Thick-cut bacon (I usually get it at the deli counter at the grocery store and allow for 2-3 pieces per person)
Brown Sugar (light or dark makes no difference)
Cayenne Pepper

Set oven to high broil. Liberally sprinkle each slice of bacon on each side with brown sugar and a tiny dash of cayenne pepper. Broil for about 5-8 minutes on each side (depending on desired crispiness). Let cool for about ten minutes, or set aside to serve later (excellent if you can wait an entire day and serve)

Fiesta Feast (or Seattle De Mayo part 2)

What better way to kick off our fiesta fabuloso than with themed libations? I was very excited to try out a recipe for jalapeno margaritas; however, after a few odd test runs with the end product being too boozy, too sweet, or too "green" tasting, we concluded that this was just one of those recipes that was better on paper. The good news about test driving said failed margaritas? We were all warmed up and ready to turn up the mariachi music to begin prep for the Avocado Gazpacho Boats and Green Chicken Enchiladas (YUM!). The enchiladas had a nice kick, due to the serrano chiles (which have a greater amount of capsacin than jalapenos but less than a habanero in case you're wondering about the spiciness). We also whipped up this awesome, more festive version of my favorite snack, Insalata Caprese. In this recipe you simply substitue strawberries for tomatoes: it was genius and delicious!

The conclusion of the evening was reached with a bottle of tequilla, a case of Buswiser (which tasted enough like Pacifico) and a pile of lovingly dirtied dishes. Siesta anyone?

Avocado Gazpacho Boats
(adapted from savoringtimeinthekitchen thank you!!!)
2 Tbsp thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup diced tomatoe
1/2 cup peeled and diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced green bell peper
2 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
4 tsp lime juice
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and halved

Comine onions throgh lime juice to make gazpacho. Spoon gazpacho into avocado halves (I actually spooned a little extra avocado out of the center to make room for more gazpacho). Serve immediately. Serves 4

Strawberry Caprese
12 oz Strawberries
8oz fresh mozzerella in water
fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Cut the tops off the strawberries, slice length-wise. Slice mozzerella balls into discs about the same width as the strawberries. Assemble alternating strawberry/mozzerella/strawberry etc. on a plate and top with freshly chopped basil. Sprinkle with salt and peper and drizzel lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serves 4-5 as a small appetizer

Green Chicken Enchiladas
3 large chicken breasts (also 2 cloves of garlic and 1/4 whole yellow onion)
1.5 lbs tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1-2 serrano chile peppers
5 cloves garlic
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, stems ok
12 corn tortillas
1 small can green chiles
3 Tbsp sour cream
1-3 cups shredded jack cheese (I always perfer the cheesier version)

Heat oven to 375F. Cover chicken, 2 cloves garlic, and 1/4 onion with water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside in separate bowl to cool.

While chicken is cooking, place tomatillos and serrano chiles into a separate sauce pan, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and wait untill the tomatillos have changed color but are not mushy (about 5 minutes). Transfer tomatillos and chiles plus 1/2 cup of cooking liquid to a blender. Add 5 cloves of garlic, chopped onion, and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, and half the can of green chiles to the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour sauce into a sauce pan and simmer on low.

Shred cooling chicken and add the other half of the can of green chiles and half up of tomatillo sauce (plus salt if needed).

Warm tortillas in the microwave until soft, then dredge in tomatillo sauce, place the tortilla in baking pan and place a scoop of chicken and a sprinkel of cheese inside the tortilla, roll up, and repeat. When baking dish is full of stuffed enchiladas, place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes.

Incorporate sour cream into remaining tomatillo sauce, remove enchiladas from over, pour tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaing jack cheese. You may serve immediately, garnishing with remaining cilantro, or put back in warm over to melt all of the cheese on top. Mmmmm

Seattle De Mayo

In celebration of yet another holiday that Americans have usurped in order to indulge in weekday drinking and boost imported beer sales, we will be hosting our own little fiesta. The menu will include Gazpacho in Avocado Boats, Green Chicken Enchiladas, a nifty version of Caprese Salad that calls for strawberries instead of tomatoes, and plenty of themed booze! I am a strong supporter of any adopted holiday that encourages this kind of behavior, and Cinco de Mayo is certainly not an exception!

Does anybody really know the history of Cinco De Mayo and why we as hedonistic Americans choose to celebrate it? Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with Mexican independence from Spain (September 15, 1810). It memorializes the 5th of May, 1862 when the underdog Mexican army defeated the invading French army. By preventing the French invasion, the Mexicans also helped to prevent Napoleon III from supplying the rebel confederates with French soldiers (a contributing factor to the Confederate Army's defeat at Gettysburg 14 months later).

Perhaps we are more deserving of this commercial holiday than I thought...but I am still on board primarily for infused margaritas and mini Corona bottle necklaces. Feliz Cinco De Mayo!