Baseball, Bobbleheads and Pasta Sandwiches

I have been rather lax with my blog this past week. In my defense it has been hectic and I have been prone to naps instead of blogging. I doubt this week will be much better, but I will try in earnest to remedy this fact. So this post is about a week late, and possibly not as good as it deserves to be, but I am hoping you won't hold it against me (*fingers crossed*).

A week ago Sunday I hit up the baseball game with Cory. It was Lyle Overbay Bobblehead Day (yes it does deserve capitalization) and despite the pesky pigeons on the field harassing Rios, the Jays won. We ate some radioactive popcorn and a pretzel shaped hunk of undercooked-over-salted dough. I spent a good portion of the day texting back and forth with Liz who was also there, up in the 500 level, plotting to attack some poor unsuspecting fan in hopes of procuring a bobblehead of her very own (which she missed getting probably by minutes). Luckily for her I'm such a super nice neighbor that I generously donated my bobblehead to her cause and probably saved a fans life (or at the very least Jen Davis' sanity). Afterward we all went out for a pint, and Liz invited us back to her place for a small (but important) dinner party being held in the name of Chris Jackson and Pasta Sandwiches.

Now there are a couple things you need to know to really grasp the importance of this dinner:

1. There were meatballs made in the slow cooker by Liz (who is a steadfast, minus a caesar or two, vegetarian).

My infamous neighbor Liz as she constructs greatness

2. The concept of the pasta sandwich was thought up by Liz, Chris and their friend Nadine during their adventure to New Orleans. It has been explained to me how it came about, but I don't think I could tell it quite like Liz does.


I won't lie, I totally made Chris take a picture of the buns. I saw them sitting there all photogenic and knew what had to be done.

3. Everyone took a slightly different approach to the construction of their sandwich. Some on a white bun, some on whole wheat. Some of us had the meatball sauce, others the mushroom, and still some combined both. I ate my salad on my sandwich, while others kept theirs on the side. My glorious creation (pictured below) was stacked perfectly, enabling me to eat it with my hands, others resorted to a fork and knife.


The mighty pasta sandwich guarded by non other then the Lyle Overbay Bobblehead.

4. No matter how you stack it, the Pasta Sandwich is nothing but carb-filled deliciousness.


Due to the memory card in my camera dying a horrible horrible death, all pictures of said meal are provided by Mr. Chris Jackson and his handy iPhone. Huzzah.

Cool As A Curried Cauliflower Sandwich.

Okay here it is, the moment you've all [but mostly just Liz ;)] have been waiting for. A non dessert post. And let me tell you now....it's lovely, and it goes by the name of Sweet Curry Cauliflower Sandwich.



There is this awesome little button called Stumblupon that I like to use when I am bored. It takes me to all sorts of things: LOLcats, web comics, artwork, history, and most importantly other food blogs. So when I state that I stumbled upon this recipe...I really did. It comes courtesy of Gabrielle at Honest Fare, who was kind enough to let me post it here.

I find the idea of cauliflower in a sandwich very intreaguing and slightly unconventional, which naturally I am drawn to. Plus this sandwich is super tasty and very easy to make. The cauliflower is cooked perfectly. Soft enough to enjoy but still with some crunch to it, the red onion offsets the curry beautifully and the cheese brings it all together with it's ooey-gooey-yumminess.

When I first read the recipe I immediately thought of my cauliflower-loving neighbor Liz and how much she would probably enjoy such a meal. Initially I was going to try to make it for the first time with her, but our schedules are busy and I am adorably impatient. So I went ahead without her and spent an evening relishing in the wonderfulness that is cauliflower. So officially this post is dedicated to her.

Sweet Curry Cauliflower Sandwich
Adapted from this recipe at Honest Fare

• 1 Head cauliflower
• Half a red onion
• Pita Bread
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 TBSP curry powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 3 TBSP water
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 1/4 cup raisins roughly chopped
• Part of a cucumber thinly sliced
• Handful Cherry Tomatoes(to serve on the side or place inside)
  
• Provolone cheese
• Pinch Salt
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine cayenne pepper, curry powder, honey, water, olive oil, and salt.

Slice cauliflower and red onion. Place on a baking sheet and cover on both sides with the sauce. (I tried to leave the cauliflower in big flat pieces so I could easily slather in sauce and flip them quickly while they were in the oven, then cut them a bit smaller once they were cooked.)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, turn over and bake another 8-10 minutes. Add the chopped raisins and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Place cheese and cucumber slices into the pita with the cauliflower mixture. At this point I put my sandwich into my George Foreman grill (I find the only use I really have for it is a sandwich/wrap press). If you don't have a sandwich press you can press the pita a bit then stick it back into the oven for a couple minutes to help melt the cheese and crisp it up.


(not the most attractive picture I know and certainly doesn't do it justice)

I served it with some cherry tomatoes on the side. Then promptly finished it and went back into the kitchen to stand over the counter picking more off of the baking sheet. Needless to say it will most likely become part of my regular repertoire.

The Tretcherous Tart and the Girl Who Wanted to Love It.

Sorry kiddies no recipe today. Instead you will have to bare with me as I tell you a tale of a tart gone terribly wrong.

There once was a girl who loved Easter with all her heart. All the chocolate to be had filled her sweet tooth with glee and all she wanted was to share her joy with her family. So she set out to make the perfect Easter Dessert: a chocolate tart with a pretzel crust. So simple, she mused when looking at the recipe, but it will be great. She set off to acquire all the ingredients she would need for her task. She lovingly set out everything on the counter, taking extra time to caress her new fluted removable-bottomed tart pan with excitement. She quickly started her work, crushing pretzels, measuring flour, cracking eggs, mixing (which was done with a wistful sigh that she was not at home to use her stand mixer). And then the waiting game commenced. Mix dough, press between plastic wrap, wait. Roll out, press into pan, wait. Bake in oven, take out, wait. Make filling, cool in bowl, wait. Brush crust with melted chocolate, wait. Fill crust with filling, chill in fridge, wait. Every step so simple, but patience was a virtue she did not gracefully posses.

Her tart sat in the fridge all night. She slept well and deeply thinking about how wonderful it would be to slice into it the next day. She arose in the morning, cheerful and adorable with her sleep mussed hair and half awake eyes. She crept down to the kitchen and checked her, what was supposed to be fully set, tart. To her shock and horror it was still liquid and did not resemble the wonderful thing she had been anticipating. Not to be sidetracked she quickly devised a plan and placed it in the freezer. Yes, she thought to herself, this will help you set my dear sweet tart.

Once it was time to leave and head out for family dinner the tart seemed almost set. Packing it carefully into a container with freezer packs to keep it cold, the girl and her family trekked to her aunts house. Once there she quickly put the tart into the fridge and went about her day. Eating, laughing, and consuming red wine. Finally the time for dessert had come. The girl rushed into the kitchen and got her tart out. She stood there on the tiled floor staring at her tart, the filling sloshing around in the center of the crust. NO! She thought, this couldn't be! It was almost set....how did this happen? In hopes of still salvaging her precious dessert, she threw it into the freezer again and set about making whipped cream. As family gathered around the assorted dessert table, and began serving themselves, the girl removed her tart from the freezer again. It was not set. With a heavy heart she placed it on the table and sliced into it. The liquid filling oozed out of the crust and went everywhere. Determined she placed the crust on her plate and poured the liquid filling onto it and added a glob of whipped cream for good measure. It tasted delicious that was for sure, but messy and it was hard to sop up the pool of un-set chocolate from her plate. She sat there and fumed at her dessert gone wrong. Ruined, everything was ruined!

Later on the car ride home, despite her mothers attempts to settle her thoughts, the girl continued to stew over the whole mess. That tart, she thought with a quiet determination. The bane of my existence. I will concur thee one day.

The End.

Another Non-Savory Delight

Sorry Liz! I know you are waiting for me to post a non-dessert item on here, and it will happen, don't you worry. But I cannot sit by and not post about these cookies. Especially not when they are so soft and fudge-y and delicious (as you, Ms. Murray, can no doubt attest to).

Okay, I am fully aware that I am a Chocoholic. Anyone who knows me even a little bit is probably aware of this fact as well. As a result of this, I lean towards chocolate recipes, or chocolate versions of recipes more times then not. I am sure you will all realize this as time passes and more and more chocolate recipes pop up in this blog. I would apologize for this, but really is there a need to be apologetic towards chocolate? Good, I knew you'd see it my way. Now on to the main event. Genna vs The Fudge Drop Cookie (except in this match EVERYONE is a winner).

These cookies remind me of two-bite brownies (except waaaaay better then those little store bought, quick to turn into little hockey puck brownies). A King Arthur Flour recipe that was just begging for my attention. Not a lot of fuss, or muss, but LOTS of chocolate for me to lick off the spoons. In short, perfection.

I actually made these cookies on Saturday when my Mum was over for brunch. I like to use her as my guinea pig for new recipes, and she whole-heartedly takes up the task with an empty stomach and enthusiastic sweet tooth (sometimes a little too enthusiastic). In fact, after tasting these cookies, she declared them unfit for sharing and tried to confiscate them for herself. After a brief discussion, in which I explained how these cookies were an integral part of my sweetly evil plan to further woo a certain guy that was coming over the next day(and a promise to pack her a generous doggy bag of them), she relented her claim on the whole batch. But it was a close thing.

Fudge Drop Cookies
adapted from King Arthur Flour Recipe

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate and butter. Be careful not to over heat it.

In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until combined. Add the hot melted chocolate, then the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour to make it easier to handle.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Drop the cookie dough by the tablespoonful onto greased or lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 11-12 minutes until the tops are shiny and cracked. They crack near the very end so watch them carefully to make sure you don't over cook them or the will turn out hard instead of soft and chewy.

Remove cookies from oven, allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

A Brunch of Blueberries.

Oh Saturday how I love thee let me count the ways.  One helping of clafoutis, two helpings of clafoutis...oh yeah and don't forget the blueberries.

Earlier in the week I noticed that my Saturday was blissfully devoid of any plans and that I hadn't cooked very much (*cough* or at all) the entire week. I'm sure my empty fridge didn't help too much but we're not gonna talk about that.  I decided to remedy this by inviting my Mother over for some gossiping and brunch. 

I have never tried nor made a clafoutis before today.  I happened upon it while looking for an appropriate brunch idea that wasn't too sinful, my mother and I have a delightfully bad habit of eating copious amounts of desserts when together.  After reading a few descriptions and multiple recipes on it I felt it was the perfect choice.  Clafoutis is a French dish usually made with cherries, but really you can use any fruit you'd like in it.  It is described as a mix between a custard and a pancake (though I would lean more towards custard, a delicious delicious custard ..mmm).  Well I can never do anything traditionally, it's just not in my makeup, so I decided a blueberry clafoutis would be for me.  I adore blueberries. Their taste, texture and beautiful colour appeals to me on every level.  But this story isn't just about blueberries....it's about clafoutis too.

I couldn't believe how simple clafoutis is, a few ingredients make up the batter, scatter some fruit into a baking dish or some ramekins pour the batter over bake and enjoy.  I can really get behind a dish like that (and by get behind I mean consume mass quantities of).  So I mixed, and scattered and baked. Then when impatience overcame both me and my mother, we dug in to the still too hot clafoutis, the blueberries bursting in our mouths and turning our tongues blue. 

Oh heavenly clafoutis, where have you been all my life?

Blueberry Clafoutis

put together from a large assortment of recipes.

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 6 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• zest & juice of 1 lemon

In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry, mix well.  Place blueberries into the bottom of a cassarole dish, pour batter over them.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature (if you can wait that long).  I sprinkled sugar over top of mine once it got out of the oven, but thought afterwards that a mixture of brown sugar and oats or flour crumbled over it while it baked would've made a wonderful crust on top.  Definitely a thought for next time, and there will be a next time.