Saturday Sites : Week Six

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

image (1)

1. Grilled cheese sammiches. They are delicious at any time of day and always comfort food in my dictionary. I might have to spend March making every single one of these 31 grilled cheese sandwiches – although I need to tweak some of the meat-laden ones.

2. These 8 superpowers everyone possesses – absolutely YES.

3. This probably shouldn’t have made me laugh as hard as it did…

4. I have rarely seen a good sounding  vegetarian bánh mì recipe, but this one with lemongrass tofu sounds delicious…

5. The moment caught in this video is astounding and the science around it is heartbreaking.

6. These pear hazelnut muffins sound like something I’d enjoy making and eating.

7. Animated classic paintings? This is really cool and at some points, completely creepy. Just the way I like my art.

8. This post, We Can’t Be Friends – in the last decade, especially the last six years, I’ve felt these sentiments. In fact, when I tell people they should come over for dinner, my preferred offer is: just show up. Things may be a mess, but I will feed you well. That’s the best I can offer. I enjoyed Cari Dugan’s follow-up post as well, linked on the bottom of the original post.

9. This video, The Sound of Taste, is gorgeous. I watched it over and over again.

10. I love the way crepe cakes look. I’ve yet to make one, but this one goes to the top of my list. Maybe I will make it for myself for my birthday.

11. I loved this. The relationship between kids (and people) and their pets is pure love.

12. A couple weeks ago, I linked to a list of things people should be taught as teenagers. In the same vein of those thoughts, this list, entitled 19 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Turned 20 So I Didn’t Waste A Decade was filled with great reminders that I needed to hear now, not just when I was 20. Plus, honestly when I was 20, I probably wouldn’t have taken as many of these thoughts to heart. That and they wouldn’t have resonated in the same ways they do now.

13. Ciabatta bread is one of my favorites. Especially in the panini press. This version sounds pretty simple and looks tasty.

14. I am completely envious of Matt Armendariz’s backyard kitchen, which is home to this gorgeous wood-fired pizza stove. I am certain that if I had one of these ovens, we’d happily eat pizza every single day, unapologetically.

15. This made me LOL for real. The Gospel of Parenthood according to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. With animations!  A sneak peak with this quote from Tina, “Ah, babies! They’re more than just adorable little creatures on whom you can blame your farts.”

16. Oh, yum, this is my kinda d-r-a-n-k.

Posted in Life, Saturday Sites | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Meyer Lemon, Ginger and Vanilla Bean Sherbet

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

IMG_7411

A list. For you and us.

First of all, I:

Dislike:  waking up early.  Like:  the time between 11PM and 2AM for the q-u-i-e-t.  Love:  sleeping in.

Dislike:  sweetened coffee.  Like:  fresh orange juice.  Love:  bourbon.

Dislike:  jeggings (for REAL).  Like:  shorts that are longer than my underwear.  Love:  my bootcut jeans.

Dislike:  my feet being tucked in under the covers.  Like:  one sheet, one down comforter.  Love:  one sheet, one down comforter, laden in fresh-laundry-smell.

Dislike:  green peas.  Like:  broccoli.  Love:  raw spinach!

Dislike:  the sound of our dog licking himself.  Like:  the little “woof!” said dog makes when he’s dreaming.  Love:  all 200+ pounds of german shepherd in this house.

Dislike:  weird ice cream flavors, like licorice.  Like:  ice cream for breakfast.  Love:  homemade ice cream for breakfast. and lunch. and dinner. and dessert.

You know what I love equally as much as homemade ice cream?  Meyer lemon season, which is in its peak as I write this.  It wasn’t until I moved to Oregon that I even discovered Meyer lemons.  To me, a lemon was simply the thing I eagerly stole off our neighbor’s tree, or what you used in lemonade.  The type didn’t matter.  When I moved here, I discovered these Meyer lemons, which were at times found near the oranges and grapefruits, rather than the other lemons and limes.  They are soft, with thin and brilliantly scented skin.  Since they’re sweeter than your typical Eureka or Lisbon lemon and certainly less acidic, they’re often used in sweeter dishes and desserts.

I have dreamed of this ice cream for years.  When I received our KitchenAid ice cream attachment, I knew I would eventually make a Meyer lemon ice cream, but I had to learn how to make ice cream first.  I feel like I have the basics down, so that’s where we’re at.  Ice cream seemed a little heavy for the lightness of lemon, so I opted for a sherbet, which is creamier than sorbet, but not as heavy as ice cream.  This sherbet is laden with lemon flavor, sweetened with vanilla bean, and balanced with just the slightest hint of ginger.  It’s refreshing, great for dessert, or as breakfast – which is my preference! 

IMG_7407

Meyer Lemon, Ginger and Vanilla Bean Sherbet
Recipe modified from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop

Makes about one quart of sherbet

Ingredients:

3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
zest from two meyer lemons
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 heaping tablespoon fresh, finely grated ginger
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice (the two zested lemons should yield this much)

For directions, read more here

Posted in Dessert, Ice Cream, Kids | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Efficiently Cutting Limes

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

IMG_7624

Okay, can I tell you that I feel a little ridiculous writing this post?  Really, Julie, a whole post dedicated to cutting a lime?!  Who doesn’t know how to cut an f’in lime?!  But truthfully, every time I’ve used limes previously, I was always perplexed by the amount of juice that seemed to come from even the heaviest, obviously juice-laden fruits. There’s also the issue of lime juice flying in every direction, except where I need it to go…

Then I discovered this simple trick, which is not new to many areas in the world, save for my own kitchen.  This style of cutting the lime keeps the fruit’s fibers and membranes from sending juice in all directions, plus it efficiently extracts more juice.

IMG_7654

First, lay the lime down lengthwise. Slice off each pointed end of the lime. Stand the fruit up, like a football on a tee. It’ll stand upright easily, since we’ve flattened the top and bottom.  Cut a 1/2-inch wedge off each side, just to the side of the stem/core.

IMG_7669

Do the same thing on the other side of the lime. You should have two large wedges, which you can further cut lengthwise into wedges, or simply squeeze the juice from them at this point.

IMG_7671

Take the flattened center piece now, laying if flat. Cut two smaller wedges, lengthwise each just off from the core.

IMG_7679

What you’ll have remaining is the core of the lime, which is incredibly tough and precisely what keeps the juice from being completely extracted when the lime is sliced any other way.

Some recipes that I use fresh lime juice in include, but certainly aren’t limited to:

– Raw Summer Corn Salad
– Toasted Coconut, Cilantro and Lime Rice
– Creamy Honey Cumin Lime Slaw
– Mangorita
– Bourbon and Ginger Cocktail
– Roasted Poblano Guacamole
– Avocado Green Tomato Salsa
– Spicy Citrus Fish Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce
– Crispy Tofu Tacos with Creamy Roasted Poblano Sauce and Grilled Cotija Cheese

IMG_7620

Posted in Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Meatless Monday: Broccoli Cheddar Beer Soup

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

photo 5

Its taken me a while to get used to the comfort found in a bowl of soup.  I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; there are no particular reasons for my certain kind of soup-avoidance-crazy.  I think I spent most of my life regarding soup as the thing to serve sick folks.  Or cry babies who are on a soft-food-only regimen due to dental work.  Maybe it’s because “soup” often correlates with the canned varieties that line grocery store aisles, in my brain.  You know – the ones laden with extra things that don’t belong in soup, or the ones sorely lacking in flavor.

Although its taken some time, I can appreciate a good bowl of soup these days.  My favorite is possibly broccoli cheese soup – the pureed variety, not chunky.  My second favorite as of late is beer cheese soup.  (Apparently, soup, when filled with cheese, is a win-win situation in my food-brain.)  I decided to combine my favorite elements of both soups: creamy broccoli soup, filled with sharp cheddar cheese, and beer.  This soup is ridiculously, deceivingly filling.  As with most soups, I preferred the flavor the second day – you can plan ahead and make this 24 hours in advance, then reheat for serving.

I suggest serving this with a great big salad and perhaps some homemade (or fresh) bread.  As I shared yesterday, I adapted Tracy Shutterbean‘s recipe for no-knead pizza dough to make cheesy/garlic/herb bread stick rolls to go with our soup.  Super easy: make the dough from her linked recipe, roll it into a rectangle, brush the top with olive oil or butter.  Sprinkle on some dried herbs of your choosing (I used basil, thyme and oregano).  Sprinkle on some sea salt and cayenne pepper, parmesan cheese and red chili flakes.  Roll up the rectangle, flatten it a bit, cut into strips that are about 1-inch wide.  Place on a baking sheet, brush the tops with heavy cream/melted butter/oil/buttermilk (whatever of those you have handy).  Sprinkle with more parmesan.  Let the dough rise again for 25-30 minutes.  Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown (15-20 minutes).  Serve with the hot soup – it makes great dipping-bread.

photo 5

Broccoli Cheddar Beer Soup

Delicious fuel for 8-10 people, easily.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 cups half and half
1 cup No-Chicken or vegetable broth
4 medium broccoli crowns, broken into large chunks
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to your liking
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar (I use half sharp, half extra-sharp)
22 ounces beer (a lighter ale works well)

photo 1

For more, read on here…

Posted in Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Meatless Monday, Soup, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Day to Day Life: Week Five

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

Shall we have a look at the last week? Wanted or not, here it is!

IMG_7126

This bowl was my favorite a few times this week: maple yogurt, honey oat granola, toasted coconut flakes and a homemade blueberry spice sauce. I am grateful that a girl cannot OD on yogurt…

IMG_7125

While walking to the grocery store one morning, I passed this little truck. The driver made me laugh for the remainder of my walk, mostly because it caught me so off guard.

IMG_7106

Totally necessary when cooking dinner some nights. Here’s Lookin’ Atcha!

IMG_7112

That hairy eyeball was good company for homemade pad thai.

photo 5

Chocolate chunks and chips because there were certainly COOKIES this week.

IMG_7282

These dudes were singing at the top of their lungs driving down the road on our way for a lunch date.

IMG_7135

I love broccoli. Raw, plain, steamed, roasted, in soup…

IMG_7115

The best brunch ever, always. Two corn tortillas charred, then sammiched with cheese, topped with an egg, avocado, and tapatio.

IMG_7280

IMG_7283

My husband played a few new songs at a tribute this week for the owners of Alex’s restaurant here in town, which recently shut down.

IMG_7102

Necessary.

IMG_7182

Guess who… from the days of old wherein I actually looked part Asian!

IMG_7260

Little Miss.

IMG_7277

Homemade pizza in the making.

IMG_7278

And more pizza in the making…

IMG_7240

Homemade black bean burritos for dinner one night with roasted peppers and corn salsa.

IMG_7281

Do you know what is wrong with this photo? The jeans on the right belong to me. The ones on the left belong to 8 year old Silas. Perhaps I am shrinking at the ripe old age of 28?

IMG_7273

Broccoli cheddar beer soup. For you, tomorrow.

IMG_7287

I adapted Tracy Shutterbean‘s recipe for no-knead pizza dough and made these cheesy/garlic/herb bread stick rolls to go with our soup. Super easy: make the dough, roll into a rectangle, brush the top with olive oil or butter. Sprinkle on some dried herbs of your choosing – I used basil, thyme and oregano. Sprinkle on some sea salt and cayenne pepper, some parmesan cheese and red chili flakes. Roll up the rectangle, flatten it a bit, cut into strips that are about 1-inch wide. Place on a baking sheet, brush the tops with heavy cream/melted butter/oil/buttermilk (whatever of those you have handy). Sprinkle with more parmesan. Let the dough rise again for 25-30 minutes. Then bake at 425 degrees until golden brown (15-20 minutes). Great for soup-dipping. Or marinara sauce dunking. Or plain eating.

IMG_7279

Little dude pre-game breakfast. (Apparently I still cut up the pancakes.)

IMG_7328

Silas’ team had two games in a row on Saturday. One footed-one handed shot.

IMG_7270

We’ve been having a lot of sleepovers and kid-time recently. These dudes rearranged the living room for themselves then had a breakfast of cinnamon vanilla raisin french toast sticks and fresh fruit.

Posted in Day to Day, Life, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Saturday Sites: Week Five

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

saturday5

1. Since I was 7, writing has always had some kind of presence in my life. When I was in college, I said I would never write as a means of “work,” because I worried it would feel just like that – work. Somehow I wound up minoring in creative writing anyway. This letter exchange carries things I have felt numerous times. And the advice? Absolutely bookmarked for future days of, “I need to read this again.”

2. This list has me second guessing my faith in humanity.

3. I cannot wait to make and eat these oatmeal cinnamon rolls!

4. My brain found this post beautifully entertaining.

5. Can you read peoples’ emotions simply by looking at them? Eyes say a lot. I got a whopping 30/36, surprising myself.

6. I know I told you I’m preeeetty over pancakes these days. But these tres leches pancakes have me intrigued. Plus they’re made with masa instead of regular ‘ole flour!

7. These hand-painted business cards may be in my near future.

8. Although I didn’t watch the Grammys because we don’t have TV, these animated gifs of the audience dance highlights had me laughing.

9. Homemade sourdough bread is so good. Now that my starter is nearly three years old, it’s got some incredible flavor. I’ve never made a no-knead bread before, but this one caught my eye and certainly jumped onto my list of recipes to try!

10. This list of 13 things mentally strong people avoid was a good reminder for the week.

11. I loved the narrative of this post and also learned how to roast garlic at the same time!

12. If I had a little baby, photos like these would absolutely find their way into my photographing experiments.

13. The wisdom of this post and the simple beauty in these words – yes.

14. This post on relationship roles was interesting.

15. All of Joy’s posts from Uganda over the last week have been inspirational and heart-tugging. I especially loved this one.

16. Lastly, holy crap, these homemade doughnuts filled with goat cheese and blackberries. GIMME.

Posted in Life, Saturday Sites | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bouchon Bakery: Chocolate Chunk and Chip Cookies

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

photo 1Chocolate chip cookies are the quintessential go-to favorite dessert, after-school or tucked-into-your-home-packed-lunch treat. Everyone has their preferred chocolate chip cookie. Some like the soft, chewy types. Others prefer the crunchy kinds that don’t have a hint of softness at all. If you’re me, you prefer something in-between those two types – a crisp outer edge, with just the right amount of chewiness in the center. Just as everyone has their preferred type of chocolate chip cookie, everybody has (or should have) a good, go-to recipe.

Can I tell you the truth – I don’t have a good go-to recipe. Chocolate chip cookies are the one single cookie variety that eludes me constantly. When I make chocolate chip cookies, I usually think things are going wonderfully. The dough comes together brilliantly, tastes incredible, and then I follow various directions and wind up with pancake-like cookies. Or one gigantic sheet pan-of-cookie. I am on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. We are not there yet, you and I.

But this recipe… it’s a good one. It isn’t The One. But it’s closer than I’ve been before. This recipe comes from Bouchon Bakery, one of Thomas Keller’s brilliant restaurants. Thomas Keller, the American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. Thomas Keller, the owner and mastermind of incredible restaurants I dream about checking out one day, like The French Laundry in Yountville, California (whose gardens I dream of equally as much). These cookies are the lovely combination I enjoy so much – crisp and tender at the same time. The flavor is pleasurable – the hint of blackstrap molasses shining through without overpowering the brown sugar sweetness of this cookie, laden with both chocolate chunks and chips. This cookie… it’s a good one. Give it a try while I hunt down something even closer to The One for us. Maybe try out another recipe from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook – everything sounds good and the mouth-watering photographs are gorgeous as well.

photo 4

Bouchon Bakery‘s Chocolate Chunk and Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 3/4 teaspoons unsulphured blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2/3 cup chunks of dark chocolate (70-74%, in 3/8-inch pieces)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
60 grams eggs (about 1 large egg), room temperature

photo 1

For directions, read on here

Posted in Baking, Cookbooks, Dessert, Kids, Snacks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Pear Custard Pie

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

IMG_7169

Sometimes I decide to cook something just because it sounds good. Like yesterday when I decided chocolate chip cookies were absolutely necessary because when do chocolate chip cookies sound like a bad idea? (After you eat about 10 of them fresh out of the oven is the correct answer there… Real-life tested.) Other times I cook something purely out of necessity. (Yes, some days it’s purely necessary to bake a bunch of cookies, but that’s not the kind of necessity I mean.)

I have a knack for buying too much fresh fruit and then forgetting to eat it until it’s borderline inedible. When that’s happens, my brain goes into a frenzy since wasting food (intentionally or not) is unacceptable. When I discovered three pears that were quite bruised up and certainly more-than-ripe, I had to think of a way to use them. Cake? Nah. Tart? Eh. Cooked into oatmeal? No thanks. So as per usual, I turned to the inter-webs for some ideas.

IMG_7175

I discovered a gorgeous “pear custard pie” recipe from Martha Stewart’s magazine, Everyday Living. This was what I was going to make, I decided. The ingredients were simple, the instructions sounded impossible to screw up. I didn’t read the instructions carefully enough though, as I was supposed to peel my ugly pears. This didn’t seem to matter too much in the final pie, though. I actually liked the texture contrast. Although this is called a pie, there is no crust. In fact, I thought the final product was more closely reminiscent of a dutch baby pancake than any pie I’d had before. While the custard is quite eggy, the dessert is balanced in its sweetness while the almond extract, fresh vanilla bean, and nutmeg round out the flavors nicely. I could easily see including this with a weekend breakfast, as well as dessert.

IMG_7173

IMG_7179

Pear Custard Pie
Recipe lightly adapted from Martha Steward Everyday Food, October 2003

Yields one 9-inch pie.

Ingredients:
3 Comice pears, halved, cored, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices *
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped
pinch of fresh nutmeg
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
confectioners’ sugar

* While the original recipe asked to peel the pears, I left the skins on (accidentally). I actually liked the texture they maintained in the final pie, but peel your pears if you prefer.

For directions, read more here

Posted in Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meatless Monday: Seitan Pot Pie

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

IMG_7104

As I have said many times before, while I don’t cook meat (aside from seafood) in my own kitchen, I don’t consider myself a vegetarian, as I still eat meat products now and then. More and more that seems less necessary; I enjoy meatless meals just as much, and sometimes more, than those containing meat. Certainly cooking that way has pushed me to expand the creativity I like to bring into my kitchen.

That said, last week I received a message from Meatless Monday, the non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns Inc., whose global, public health campaign encourages people to simply keep one day a week, Mondays, meat-free. The idea is to improve both personal health and the overall health of our planet. You can read more about that here. I agreed to be a Meatless Monday blogger, wherein I’d post a recipe each Monday that is meat-free. Since this blog is generally vegetarian anyway, it seemed like an easy thing to commit to.

I hope to keep these Monday posts as a main dish post, which can easily be the highlight of dinner time. This week I am sharing a seitan pot pie that features a homemade flaky crust, filled with herbs and flavor. Initially I wanted to use Quorn Chik’n Tenders in the recipe, but when I got to the grocery store they were out of stock. I decided to use seitan instead, which holds up within the pie (unlike tofu, which breaks down more than my liking). This pot pie is filling and has always gone over well with the kids, too.

IMG_7098

Seitan Pot Pie
Yields one 9-inch pie.
Serves 6 to 8 people.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons unrefined cane sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/2 cup ice cold water

For the filling:
3 medium-large Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1- 8 ounce package seitan (cut into bite sized pieces if it doesn’t come diced)
10 ounces frozen green peas (shelled edamame can be used)
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups No-Chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

IMG_7096

For directions, read on…

Posted in Dinner, Kids, Lunch, Meatless Meat, Meatless Monday, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Day to Day Life: Week Four

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

A look at the last week:

12

Since the kids didn’t have school on Monday, Silas had a sleepover Sunday night. I don’t know how my parents had four kids, three of whom were only a year apart from the next… We’ve been having sleepovers here every weekend for the last few weeks – I actually don’t mind the chaos so much.

17

Grilled cheese paninis are the best. I am not sure where the craving for olives and artichokes came from, but they were good additions…

8

Little dude has been requesting deodorant for months now (because that’s “what athletes use”). This is his post-shower, personally picked attire. If you’re wondering where his pants are – I wondered, too.

9

The miracle of this photo is it’s nearly midnight and I’ve washed all the dishes, put most of them away, cleansed the stove and counters, and set the coffee for the morning. Usually I leave all the dishes until the next morning, then wake up dreading having to go clean the kitchen.

13

Lunch and bills.

6

I went to my friend Janet’s house to cook this week. We made macaroni and cheese with poblano peppers, a giant salad with a balsamic lime vinaigrette and garlic cheese sourdough rolls.

1

This was the best junk mail I have received in quite some time.

15

I most certainly ate, every day, two corn tortillas that were charred then sandwiched together with cheese, topped with an egg and hot sauce. Then I ran out of tortillas and cried. The end.

14

Seitan pot pie – and a recipe for you tomorrow.

3

Practice break.

16

This week’s reading materials.

7

A pear custard tart I will share with you this coming week as well.

10

We went to the craziest SOU basketball game. Double overtime, although Ashland lost… This dude kept hanging with us.

11

Southern Oregon winter sun.

overnightoats2

These oats went over well!

4

Veggie meatballs in the making.

2

Silas’s pre-game breakfast included pancakes, buttery grits and orange juice.

IMG_7037

He had his first basketball game of the season on Saturday. Apparently they start keeping score for the combined third/fourth grade teams – Silas’s team won 38 – 4.

Posted in Day to Day, Life, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment