Fudgy Bourbon Brownies

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

I’ve got to admit, I like my booze. I also like my dessert. Not in an excessive, over-the-top, drunkard, gluttonous sort of way. But… thoroughly. I try to make a point of creating desserts no more than once a week, though not always successfully. When we’ve got company for dinner, inevitably I wind up making something sweet to finish the meal. I’m not sure where these brownies came from. I didn’t intend on bourbon in my chocolate. In fact, I’d planned on “Mexican spice brownies,” featuring Mexican chocolate and the ceylon cinnamon I use in my homemade horchata. But after an already long day and facing cooking a full dinner for 8 people, I opened up the cabinet housing our liquor and discovered a bottle of Knob Creek bourbon. After realizing I’d also forgotten to pick up my Mexican chocolate at the grocery store, I poured a shot, then proceeded with curiosity into my planned brownie recipe.

The following resulted with happy, tasty, fudgy results. The only time I remember being able to taste the booze in my dessert was at an Italian restaurant when I was 18, where I’d ordered the tiramisu and distinctly remember the heavy flavor of alcohol and espresso. It was delicious and not just because I was underage for consuming alcohol on its own. I was worried that the bourbon in these brownies wouldn’t hold up to the chocolate, but as it turned out, there was no reason to worry. They were more than slightly bourbon-flavored, without being overwhelming. I suggest using a good quality bourbon though, since you can actually taste the alcohol.

 

 

Fudgy Bourbon Brownies

yields one 9 x 13″ pan of brownies


Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
¾ tsp. ground ceylon cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
pinch of fresh nutmeg
1/3 cup good quality bourbon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9 x 13” pan with parchment paper so it hangs over at least two sides by an inch or two. Lightly brush with oil.

In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the sugars, stirring until fully incorporated. Remove the pot from the heat, then quickly whisk in the eggs (work fast so they don’t cook – nothing worse than scrambled egg brownies!) and  vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring just until incorporated. Stir in the bourbon then pour the batter in your prepared baking pan. Bang the pan on your counter a couple times to let some of the air bubbles escape. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of your brownies comes out clean or with few crumbs attached.

Allow the brownies to cool for about 15 minutes, then run a knife on the sides touching the pan, pull out by the parchment paper overhang and place on a cooling rack. Either cool to room temperature or if impatience gets the better of you, cut and serve while warm! :)

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Homemade Seitan Carnitas

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

It seems many cultures offer some form of pulled pork. In Hawaii where I grew up, there’s kalua pig: pork rubbed with sea salt, wrapped in ti leaves, traditionally cooked in an underground oven (imu), and then shredded, creating a very smoky tasting, super moist meat. In areas like Tennessee, pulled pork is often served with a tomato-based sauce, whereas in North Carolina you’ve got cuts of meat in a vinegar-based sauce, or no sauce at all. If in Italy, you can find porchetta–roasted pork using various herbs and salt. And when it comes to the Mexican variant, there is carnitas: extremely flavorful pork, moist, rich, tender, and also crisped on the outside. I am not sure I’ve ever had carnitas before, but have often seen them on the menu of taquerias and taco trucks.

My husband mentioned he was having a band rehearsal at our house and asked if I’d be into feeding everyone afterwards? My initial response was YES! Because cooking for people is fun and often lends some new space for coming up with new recipe ideas. We decided on homemade tacos, buffet style. I knew I wanted to make homemade corn tortillas, “refried” pinto beans, whole black beans, roasted poblano guacamole, various salsas, crema, cheese, and Mexican rice. But I also decided it would be fun to create a filling, vegetarian meat-like substitute that none of these folks had probably had before. Ground veggie taco meat? Nah. Chunks of grilled non-chicken? Nope. Protein-rich, spicy, seitan seasoned with semi-traditional flavor? Oh yes.

Last week, I attempted a homemade seitan that could be shredded like pork and had a smoky, pork-like flavor, minus the meat. Typically I’ve simmered my homemade seitan, always ending up with a consistency more soft than I like. So this last time I decided to steam the wheat-meat. The results were much more firm and the taste was close to what I’d hoped: smoky, peppery, and far from soy-rich in flavor. I couldn’t “shred” it like real meat, but found chopping it up wasn’t too far off. I decided to use a similar recipe for pork-style seitan, but also wanted to include some Mexican flavor and create a “carnitas-style” sauce to marinate the “meat” in.

Since seitan is a little chewier than real meat, the consistency is slightly different than non-vegetarian carnitas. But the flavor of this seitan is great. I let the steamed seitan marinate overnight to create a fuller, richer flavor. While this recipe takes a little bit of time, it’s well worth it. One of my husband’s band-mates said he was certainly sold and ate a fair share of tacos to reiterate. You won’t be disappointed, either!

 

 

Homemade Seitan Carnitas

Ingredients:

For the seitan:
1½ cups vital wheat gluten
1½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped fine
½ tsp. fresh marjoram, chopped fine
½ tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. ground cloves

½ cup warm water
2 tbsp. adobo sauce (from 1 can chipotle peppers)
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1½ tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1 tbsp. pineapple juice

5 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly smashed
¼ yellow onion, peeled
2 bay leaves
small bunches of fresh oregano and marjoram
1 stick Ceylon cinnamon, broken in half

For the sauce:
2 cups warm water
½ cup light beer
1 vegetarian no-chicken bouillon cube
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp. tomato paste
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. arrowroot powder
2 tbsp. warm water

2 tbsp. olive oil

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, salt, black pepper, fresh oregano and marjoram, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and cloves. In a measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the warm water, adobo sauce, maple syrup, tamari, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, liquid smoke, and pineapple juice. Add the wet ingredients to the above dry ingredients, stirring until a ball of dough is formed. Allow the dough to rest for about 5 minutes.

Prepare a large piece of foil about 12-inches long. Place the smashed garlic, onion, bay leaves, fresh oregano and marjoram, and cinnamon stick in the center of the foil. Use your hands to form the dough into a rectangle, about 6½ by 4 inches (1½ inches thick). Place the dough onto the garlic, onion, etc. Fold the sides of the foil inwards, around the seitan. Then fold in the top and bottom of the foil, pinching them closed and creating a neat foil packet. Place the packet into a steamer and steam for 60-75 minutes. Allow the seitan to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Once the seitan is cooled, cut it up into thin, bite-sized pieces (I use kitchen scissors to create very thin pieces about 1-inch long). In a medium sized pot, prepare the sauce by stirring together the warm water, beer, bouillon, minced chipotle peppers, tamari, tomato paste, cumin, peppers, oregano and salt. Bring to just under a boil. Combine the arrowroot powder and water, whisking until fully dissolved. Whisk the arrowroot mixture into the sauce, then bring to a low-boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add the cut up seitan to the sauce, stirring to coat everything evenly. Pour into a dish and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).

When ready to prepare for eating the following day, heat the oil in a large (preferably cast iron) pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated seitan and sauce to the pan, cooking until the seitan is browned and most of the sauce has been absorbed (15-20 minutes). For the last minute or two, turn the heat up to high and stirring frequently, allow some of the pieces of seitan to crisp without burning. Serve as you would regular carnitas: on their own, as a filling for tamales, tacos, burritos, etc.

Posted in Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Sauces, Sides, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

There are times I am disappointed by my own cooking. I mean this in the humblest way, mind you. See, it’s hard to go out to dinner around here and spend less than $50, especially if you include drinks (and we like to include drinks on occasion). If it’s more than two of us for dinner, the bill is even higher. Generally, cooking is a lot of fun for me. Enough fun to make it not feel like work. Sometimes though, it’s equally fun to go out and not have to worry about a sink full of dishes after a meal.  The crux here though is where to go when you still want to enjoy your meal and not feel like you could’ve made something better tasting with just a bit of energy? Or where to go that doesn’t leave you wondering if you could’ve made the same meal for half the cost?

My  disappointment really only sets in when I’d rather go out than cook, but know that 80% of the time I’ll wish I would’ve just stayed home. The only food that doesn’t ever seem to apply to is pizza. Last night though, I made pizzas that I genuinely liked equally as much as the ones we order out. When I realized that I can now make pizza at home that doesn’t leave me wishing I’d gone elsewhere, it made me slightly sad. With quick-growing kids and a husband who can eat his share of pizza, one 18-inch pie is never quite enough. By the time we’ve paid for two, we’re looking at $50. I spend less than half that much to make two large homemade pizzas.

Okay, I’m not really too serious about this disappointment thing. Any real dissatisfaction is easily cancelled out by knowing I can create something I and my family actually enjoys eating. Plus my ingredient list of toppings is endless within an affordable realm. Currently I am loving locally made goat cheese from Mama Terra Micro Creamery, nut-free pesto made by Saucy Sisters, and handfuls of fresh basil.  Last night’s pizza included creamy marinara sauce, the Chef’s Special goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, ricotta cheese, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and nut-free pesto. My husband’s pizza featured creamy marinara, sliced jalapenos, pineapple, and fresh mozzarella.

 

Honestly, this pizza dough is very straightforward and easy. Especially if you’ve got a stand mixer that will do the majority of your work for you! I’ve researched recipes from all over the globe and my favorites (I’ve done lots of experimenting) are the ones that don’t include anything fancy in the dough. Not even oil. Don’t be scared – this is worth attempting! :)

 

 

Sourdough Pizza Crust

Yields approx. 2- 15 inch thin crust pizza crusts 

Ingredients:

2½ cups sourdough starter
1 tbsp. dry active yeast
2 tbsp. cane sugar
1½ tsp. sea salt
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. vital wheat gluten

 

Directions:

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sourdough starter, yeast, sugar, and half a cup of flour. Use the dough hook to mix the ingredients until they just come together (2-ish minutes). Turn the mixer off and allow the mixture to rest for 15 minutes.

Once rested, add the salt, remaining two cups of flour and vital wheat gluten to the mixture. Use the dough hook to work the dough into a semi-sticky ball. Continue kneading for about 8-10 minutes. By touch, the dough will probably seem really sticky. But lightly dust some flour on it and voila! the stickiness goes away. Lightly coat the bowl with olive oil, turning the dough in it once, to coat. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled (about 1 – 1½ hours).

 

 

 

Have all your toppings ready to go. Preheat the oven to 500°F. If you’re using a pizza stone, preheat that in the oven too. Turn the dough out to a lightly floured surface. Split the dough up into two equal portions. Working with one ball of dough at a time, use a rolling pin and roll the dough out to about 1-inch thick. From there, I like to place the dough on my preheated pizza stone, working quickly. Start at the center of the dough, working outwards, using your fingertips to press the dough to about a ½ inch thick, gently stretching the dough until it reaches the diameter you want (I got two 15-inch pizzas). You can create a lip, or raised crust, if you want (I prefer not). Prick with a fork about 8 times all over the crust. Bake for about 5 minutes, not long enough to brown the crust.

Put your sauce and toppings on the pre-baked crust, then bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, depending on how done you like your pizza top! Let the pizza rest for 5-10 minutes before trying to cut it.

 

 

Posted in Baking, Bread, Dinner, Kids, Life, Lunch, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Buttermilk Ginger Biscuits

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

While there isn’t a Whole Foods Market near us here in Ashland, whenever we’re near one while traveling, my husband has a semi-addiction. Ginger biscuits. It’s a 99% guarantee that they’ll be in the bakery section, next to the fresh baked muffins, bagels, and treats. These sweet biscuits are always shiny-topped, soft and flaky, and filled with pieces of ginger. They’re delicious, especially when still warm.

I’ve been on a mission to make ginger biscuits at home that at least fulfills the craving for these babies, especially if we don’t have plans to be near a Whole Foods any time soon. This is the second attempt, which turned out different than I anticipated–gladly. Soft and with an obvious ginger flavor, these were a bit more moist than the ginger biscuits we’re used to getting from Whole Foods. I do enjoy soft, pillowy biscuits though, so these were delicious in that way.

I used to have a really hard time making biscuits. Well, good biscuits. One thing I’ve learned is that shortening is helpful in creating really soft, fluffy biscuits. I used to avoid using it until I found this organic and vegan form one day, made by Spectrum Naturals. Also, remember to keep your ingredients as cold as possible. Often I’ll re-refrigerate the rolled and cut biscuits for 10 or 15 minutes before baking, just to let the butter solidify more (it breaks down slower in the oven that way, creating a soft texture rather than flat overly greasy biscuits). My favorite way to add butter to the flour mixture? Use a box grater. It makes it quicker to “cut it” into the dough and keeps things evenly dispersed.

These biscuits (like most) are best served straight from the oven, either plain or with some butter, some fresh berry jam. They also freeze really well and can be defrosted and heated back up.

 

 

Ginger Buttermilk Biscuits 

Yields approx. 1 ½ dozen medium biscuits


Ingredients:

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
6 ¾ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. dried ground ginger
¼ tsp. lemon zest
¾ cup unsalted butter
6 tbsp. vegetable shortening
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. fresh ground ginger
¾ cup crystallized ginger, chopped
2 tbsp. heavy cream

 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl (I prefer the steel mixing bowl of my stand mixer), whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, dried ground ginger, and lemon zest. In a separate container, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and fresh ginger.

Cut in the butter and shortening, until the mixture resembles very coarse crumbs. Pour in the  buttermilk mixture, working quickly to stir together a soft dough. Fold in the chopped crystallized ginger. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, quickly but gently kneading about 10 times. Roll the dough out to about 1½ inches thick, then cut into squares about 2×2 inches. Re-roll the scraps to create more biscuits. Place on your prepared baking sheets and brush each top with the heavy cream. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden on top and cooked all the way through. Serve fresh out of the oven.

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Apricot and Berry Sangria

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

I’ve got a confession before delving into this recipe. Prior to making this sangria, my experiences of the cocktail were limited to a mock version my 6th grade teacher made for a class party once and the inexpensive jug of Carlo Rossi Sangria you can pick up at the grocery store. When I was in college, we’d buy these cheap jugs and drink them down with straws to accompany meals of equally inexpensive pizza. I know this exudes class and all, but I had my sights on a better version of “sangria,” especially with the fresh fruits available this time of year.

Sangria is a wine-based punch, or drink, typically found in Spain and Portugal. It’s filled with slices and pieces of fresh fruit, some form of sweetener, and often other forms of alcohol like brandy or vodka. Carbonated liquids may be added as well, or in place of the other alcohol. Sangria ingredients vary vastly from recipe to recipe. While red wine is often used, white wines may also be used.

As is often the case with my cooking, especially at the last minute, I like to use what’s on hand. We recently had some house guests who left a giant bottle of chardonnay in our refrigerator. Not being a huge wine drinker, I knew I wanted to experiment with some kind of sangria using this cold white wine. When I saw fresh apricots, blueberries, and raspberries available I decided to experiment with those particular fruits. I didn’t add any other alcohol, but also didn’t miss it. This sangria was very light  and refreshing.

  

Apricot and Berry Sangria

Ingredients:

¼ cup peach honey (or whatever honey you like)
¼ cup blackberry syrup
1 large bottle white wine (I used a chardonnay, about 6 cups)
¾ cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
3 apricots, sliced into wedges
½ a lime
2 lemons

 

Directions:

In a large pitcher, whisk together the honey, blackberry syrup, and wine, until the honey is dissolved. Squeeze the lime and one of the lemons into the wine. Add the raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and apricots. Use a wooden spoon to stir gently, making sure you don’t break up the fruit. Slice the remaining lemon into rounds and add that to the pitcher. Refrigerate for several hours before serving (the longer, the better, as this allows the fruit to infuse more flavor).

Serve cold, making sure to include some of the fruit in each served glass.

Posted in Beverages | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Coconut Morning Pudding with Blueberry Sauce

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

It’s no secret that I like to sleep in. So when it comes to breakfast, I would often prefer it for dinner. However, I’ve got a husband and kids to feed, so breakfast sometimes comes at decent morning hours. One of my favorite ways of doing this is relying on foods that can be partially prepared the evening before. That way when I’m dragging myself around the kitchen trying to consume my coffee with half a brain, I can still create something delicious.

The following morning “pudding” is actually a very creamy oatmeal. But you could call it pudding. And think of it as dessert. For breakfast. Or any other time you feel like making it, really. You soak the oats overnight, but cook them the following morning. The blueberry sauce could probably be made the night before as well, but it’s so tasty when it’s warm and really doesn’t take long to prepare.

For a heavier coconut taste, I contemplated cooking the oats in coconut milk, but haven’t tried that yet. I can’t think of a reason it wouldn’t work, unless you’re opting for a lighter calorie option. In that case, this recipe will suit you just fine. Plus it’s yummy. The oats themselves aren’t overly sweet, but topped with the blueberry sauce, sweetness is still achieved. The toasted coconut flakes on top add a little bit of a different texture, which I really enjoy, personally.

  

Coconut Morning Pudding with Blueberry Sauce

 Modified from Whole Living Magazine

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup shredded coconut (the thin, small flakes)
2¼ cups water

1¼ cups milk (whatever type you prefer)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
pinch of salt

3 tsp. coconut oil
1½ cups fresh blueberries
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
½ cup toasted coconut flakes (the larger flakes)

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the oats, thin shredded coconut and water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, combine the soaked oats, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and the salt in a medium-large pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the oatmeal thickens and most of the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

While the oats are cooking, heat the coconut oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the blueberries, stirring to coat them in the coconut oil. When the berries just begin to burst, stir in the maple syrup. Cook until you have a nice slightly thick syrup.

To serve, spoon your desired amount of oats in a bowl then top with the blueberry sauce and toasted coconut flakes. Enjoy!

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Blueberry Banana Muffins with Toasted Coconut

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

Blueberries have been showing up in the market. Often they’ll first arrive in 6 ounce little containers, then by the pint, then in larger 18 or 20 ounce flats. It’s heavenly. At first, your inclination is to eat them fresh. However, when you wind up with too many blueberries on hand, eventually they start wilting or threaten to become unusable. Right before that happens, it’s the perfect time for homemade blueberry muffins.

These aren’t your typical plain ‘ole blueberry muffins. They’re also banana muffins. Topped with toasted coconut. The bananas in this recipe keep the muffins very moist and add sweetness. They’re easy to throw together and chances are you’ve got most of the ingredients on hand already. If fresh blueberries aren’t available, frozen ones will do.

 

Blueberry Banana Muffins

Yields approx. 1 dozen small muffins

 

Ingredients:

2 small bananas, peeled
½ cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
½ cup fresh blueberries
2 tbsp. toasted shredded coconut
1 tbsp. turbinado sugar

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350º and line a muffin pan with liners, or lightly grease the tins.

Whisk or beat together the bananas and sugar until well combined and frothy. Add in the egg, melted butter, and vanilla.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the sifted ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring until everything is just-combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Spoon enough batter in each muffin cup, filling them a little more than half-way full. Tap the muffin pan on your countertop once or twice, letting the air bubbles in the batter escape. Sprinkle some shredded coconut and turbinado sugar on the top of each batter-filled cup.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each muffin comes out clean (or with few crumbs).

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Summer Traveling

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

We recently went on a family trip to the Bay Area. Long before I met Craig, he and Vincent spent a lot of time around San Francisco. Part of what’s included in those experiences is a vast number of favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants and food memories. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been exposed to a number of those places through these two Wrights and it’s those places that are often a pertinent part of our travel.

Generally, food is a huge aspect of our travel plans anyway, with or without the kids. We seek out reviews of local family-run places, or well known tiny spots that can’t be beat. I’d rather eat at a restaurant of that nature than somewhere over-priced, overly-fancy, or hoighty-toighty any day.

We didn’t research too much ahead of time for this trip, leaving things flexible and open to the kids’ cravings. However, as it turns out, when you’re traveling with two boys, these two in particular, their dietary cravings go something like this throughout the day: sugary pastry things, pizza, burritos, sugary sweet things, pizza, burritos, pizza… So, save for a few places throughout the four and a half days we were on vacation, that’s what we ate. And by the end of our trip, all I was craving included light greens, dark greens, and a lot of water.

There were a number of places we thoroughly enjoyed. Originally I thought I’d review them, broken down by the days we ate there. However, since there’s a very noticeable running theme in what we consumed, I thought I’d just tell you about them based on food-type.

As is often the case with our family, there is Mexican food. It’s quite the substantial meal for us as well as the style of food we’ll have at least a couple times each week. Once upon a time my husband wrote an article for the local paper, reviewing and rating a number of local taquerias and veggie burritos. His sons are enchilada and veggie burrito connoisseurs. We tried a couple new places, but made sure to include our top favorite, Taqueria Cancun in the Mission District of San Francisco. Neither my husband or myself (nor the kids for that matter) have tried anything there except their veggie burrito. Keep in mind, “vegetarian” is used loosely here, as I’m sure lard is probably used in their beans and tortillas, perhaps the rice as well. But the blend in this burrito is perfectly creamy, tasty, and magical. They’re voted “Best Veggie Burrito” in San Francisco consistently for good reasons.

The last time we were in the Bay Area, we attempted to try Cholita Linda at the Oakland Friday Farmer’s Market, but they weren’t set up soon enough for the time we had available. We visited the Sunday Jack London Square Farmer’s Market in Oakland during this visit, stumbling upon Cholita Linda’s food booth, which miraculously didn’t have a large line. Although we’d heard the fish tacos were dynamite, we opted for tofu tacos. They were incredible! The tofu was cooked similar to fried fish, then topped with a tasty spicy salsa roja, crisp green cabbage, crema, and cilantro. I immediately knew this was going to be a try-at-home recipe ASAP.

Our last day in Berkeley, we opted for eating in town rather than driving out of our way into San Francisco for a Mission burrito. Taqueria La Familia had good reviews on Yelp and was barely a mile away, so we decided to try it. Craig, Silas, and I each got a veggie burrito with black beans. Vincent opted for cheese enchiladas, pinto beans, and rice since we were eating there, rather than in the car. The burritos were tasty, though not really comparable to those we crave in the city. Vincent said his enchiladas were delicious, the sauce perfectly spicy.

The other child-daily-craving: pizza. Being a college town, we knew that there’d be good pizza around us. Bobby G.’s in Berkeley offered a large selection of specialties and signature pizzas, though we opted for a simple New York style pie topped with artichoke hearts and feta cheese. The crust was perfect: chewy, crispy, light, nicely flavored. The sauce was equally flavorful. And on top of that, while I waited for our pie, I had a nice selection of beer to pick from for a pint.

Another night, we opted for Rotten City Pizza in Emeryville. I liked the seemingly no B.S. attitude of this place. All the pies are 18-inches, New York style (or Sicilian when they feel like venturing that way). The ingredients are fresh, locally and sustainably or organically sourced when possible. And although the prices were a little high for our preference, tax is included and the pizza’s well worth it. We quickly decided on their Blanco Verde pie – fresh mozzarella, ricotta, parmigiano, red chili flakes, and arugula pesto. I could’ve eaten the entire 18-inch pizza myself.

In San Francisco, Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach is legendary with good reason. The pizza is Sicilian style, meaning the crust is about an inch thick and the slices are rectangular. At Golden Boy, the menu isn’t extensive: cheese, pepperoni or sausage, clam and garlic, pesto vegetarian, or combination. Can a wrong decision be made? Hell no. Although it was only about 11:30 in the morning, Golden Boy was packed with people, a line of about 10 out the door. We decided to get our slices to go. Craig and Silas got a slice of cheese, Vincent opted for the pesto veggie, and I ventured to the clam and garlic. The crust is thick, but divinely crisp and holds up well to the toppings. The garlic clam pizza was coated in chopped clams, loads of garlic, and lots of chopped parsley. To give you an idea of how good this pizza was: Vincent hasn’t touched a bit of seafood in over a decade. He ate a bite of my pizza. On top of that, he’s not one to share food with others, especially something that has previously been chewed… Silas didn’t finish his slice of cheese pizza. In the car, Vincent worked from the side that wasn’t eaten, right up to the parts Silas nibbled. That’s good pizza!

Most of our mornings were filled with sharing various treats from bakeries nearby: blueberry muffins and sticky buns from The Bread Workshop in Berkeley, a cinnamon roll bigger than my husband’s head and an apple fritter nearly of equal size from Dream Fluff Donuts, a pecan roll and frosted cinnamon-raisin danish from The Bread Garden Bakery. One of our favorite bakeries in San Francisco is Golden Gate Bakery  in Chinatown. It’s widely known for their egg tarts; tiny custard-filled goodies that people line up down the block to consume. Personally, I’m a bigger fan of their custard buns – soft, sweet bread that encases a lightly vanilla-flavored egg custard. While I wandered around with the kids before heading to our car, Craig got in line at the bakery for custard tarts. When he got back to the car, he informed us that the custard tarts weren’t available once he got to the front of the line. The woman behind the counter offered him coconut buns that had just come out of the oven instead. Truth be told, I loved these much more than the custard tarts we initially came for. The bread was soft, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, the custard inside was perfectly sweet and coconut flavored. The only disappointment was that we’d only gotten one each!

One of our weekend adventures was a baseball game in AT&T Park, watching the San Francisco Giants play the Cincinnati Reds. We’d decided to pick up lunch from the Whole Foods Market close to our hotel. While the kids and Craig picked out Tofurky sandwiches laden with lettuce, tomato, and cheese, I scoped out the sushi counter. My family later made fun of me for bringing sushi into a baseball game, but the truth is, I’m glad I did! The sushi was provided by Genji Sushi, and I picked out the Vegetable Salad Dressing Roll. It was an inside-out roll made of multi-grain rice (a blend of black rice, millet, corn, brown rice, white sorghum, red beans, buckwheat rice, foxtail millet, black soybean, glutinous rice, job’s tears, white sesame, amaranth, barley, and black sesame), carrots, cucumbers, avocado, and green leaf lettuce, served with ginger miso dressing for dipping. I was very pleasantly surprised! The roll was a great blend of texture and flavor.

Photo By N Cecala in Chicago

Being in Berkeley, especially so close to UC Berkeley and the infamous Telegraph Avenue, home to many ethnic restaurants and food choices, we decided to try something completely different. Much to the surprise of Craig and I, both kids were into the idea of trying Ethiopian food we’d seen close by. We went to Ethiopian Restaurant on Telegraph. (The above photo isn’t from the restaurant; it’s pulled from the inter-webs to give you a better idea of what I’m about to describe.) One of the central elements to Ethiopian cuisine is a spongy sourdough-tasting bread called injera. Ethiopian food is often made up of bread, stews, spices, and grains. The different stews come served on a plate, lined with a large (15-20 inch) round of injera, in different piles. We opted for the 14-combination vegetarian dinner. Not long after ordering, we were brought a huge platter of one unrolled injera, topped with piles of red lentil, split peas, collard greens, cabbage and potato, mushroom stew (AMAZING!), cabbage and potato, bulgur, zucchini and carrots, fava beans, and a cold green salad (some of these were doubled up, thus the “14-combo” not 10), and a basket of rolled up injera. The bread is your utensil through the meal: you rip off pieces of injera and use it to “pinch” up the different stews. This meal was so filling, delicious, satisfying, and fun for all of us.

Overall, this was a fun trip filled with many adventures, food-adventures, and motivation to come back to the Bay soon… If you ever find yourself near any of the above mentioned eats, do yourself a favor and stop in for a delicious treat.

Posted in Kids, Life, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

As a kid, I don’t remember much of a fondness for strawberries. I grew up enjoying mangoes picked from the front yard, bananas and mountain apples from the backyard. Also, lychee was at the top of my preferred fruit consumption list. Among grapes, pineapple, nectarines, and peaches. Strawberries were an afterthought. Living in the Pacific Northwest, however, berries show up seasonally and there’s no avoiding them: strawberries, blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries, raspberries… I don’t care too much for cooked fruit, unless it’s in a pie or turnover-type dessert. However, my friend Olivia used to make some dank raspberry blondies with candied pecans. Knowing that baked fruit can indeed be delicious, I was intrigued when I saw the following recipe: roasted strawberry buttermilk cake.

The recipe sounded straightforward (always a plus in my book). Fresh strawberries, especially this time of year, are so sweet and delicious fresh. However, if you’ve got the time and don’t mind running your oven in the summer, roasting them adds a completely different dimension. The strawberries soften, turn sugary and candy-like. It’s ridiculous, as far as simplicity and taste are concerned. Really.

Skillet cakes are equally amazing, both in their appearance and easiness. There have been times I’ve done all the batter-preparing straight in my cast-iron skillet (I didn’t do that this time around, but suppose you probably could), creating minimal amounts of dirty dishes for later. This cake is quite moist, soft, and simple. The strawberries that are spooned around the top prior to baking sink down into the batter slightly, creating a beautiful and tasty cake. According to Joy the Baker, you can substitute whatever fruit is ripe, for the strawberries – I’m excited to try that, although for the first time around, this strawberry cake was dynamite.

Do yourself a favor and make one. Or gift this cake to someone you care about. It’s so worth it. So are they. And you.

 

Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Cake

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Makes 1 – 11” cake

Ingredients:

For the roasted strawberries:
12 oz. strawberries, hulled and cut into chunks
3 tbsp. good quality maple syrup
4½ tsp. olive oil
pinch of salt
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

For the cake:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1½ cups buttermilk, shaken well
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 recipe of roasted strawberries
3 tbsp. turbinado sugar

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (Make sure the pan is rimmed, as the strawberries will get really juicy and leak out otherwise.)

Prepare the strawberries: In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt. Toss the strawberries in this mixture then spread evenly, in one layer on the parchment paper. Roast for 40 minutes, occasionally stirring. The juices will thicken slightly, but make sure it doesn’t burn! Pour the strawberries and all the juice that is released into a bowl, then drizzle in the balsamic vinegar, stir gently until the vinegar is evenly dispersed. Set the strawberries aside to cool while you prepare the cake batter.

Prepare the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 400º F. Butter an 11” cast-iron skillet. (If you don’t have one, use another oven-proof skillet of the same size. A 9 x 13” pan can also work, but the cake will not be as thick and the cooking time will likely be shorter.)

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl (I just use the measuring cup I measure the buttermilk in), whisk together the vanilla extract, eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing just enough to combine everything. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Spoon half the strawberries onto the top of the cake as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar onto the top of the cake and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or with a few dry crumbs. Pay attention, making sure you don’t over-bake the cake, as it’ll dry out quickly.

Spoon the remaining strawberries and their juices over the top of the cake and serve warm. Any leftovers can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sourdough Pretzel Dogs

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

When I was a little kid, the majority of my play time was spent hanging out with my little brothers and older sister. And by hanging out I mean beating the crap out of one another, then making up just long enough to play long games of freeze tag all over our yard, or hide-and-seek, until mom said it was time for dinner. There were neighborhood kids that would come over and play sometimes, too. I had friends that I spent time with at school, but never actually invited over for play dates. Once, when I was seven or eight I had a friend come over just for the sake of hanging out. It was big deal in my world.

I distinctly remember my mom making a giant plate of hot dogs for lunch, leaving the buns and fixings out next to them for us to prepare, buffet style. I also recall the liters of Pepsi and Sprite next to the hot dogs and the way my arm not-so-casually knocked over the soda into the buns, into the hot dogs, allowing them to go for a bubbly swim. I was very embarrassed in front of my cool friend, blushing then hiding accordingly. It’s funny how such little things can be the source of such incredible childhood embarrassment.

When it comes to easygoing kid meals, I tend to rely on hands-on food that’s simple, easy, and requires little dishware. Pigs in a Blanket are more or less the epitome of this. Generally they’re hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls or biscuit dough, then baked. You can pick them up, dip them in ketchup, mustard, or nothing at all. They’re easy. A few years back, I saw pretzel dogs for the first time. An avid fan of soft pretzels, this sounded both delicious and fun.

I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a “meat” hot dog; its been years. And the truth is, I’m not exactly fond of most vegetarian hot dogs. When we decide to cook them, though, vegan Smart Dogs are by far my favorite. They’re fat free, low calorie, and include ingredients you can actually pronounce. Really, though, you can use other veggie sausages to make these pretzel dogs, too. I made a batch of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle  pretzel dogs as well, which were deliciously spicy! If their frankfurters were available locally, I would’ve certainly used them, too.

When you roll the dough around the hot dogs, make sure to seal them well, as you’ll boil them before baking. If the dough comes apart anyway, no big deal, though… Just press it back together the best you can before putting them in the oven. Boiling these in baking soda laden water creates a perfectly chewy, pretzel outer shell that has just the right amount of crispness.

 

 

Sourdough Pretzel Dogs

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Yields approx. 32 mini-dogs.

Ingredients:

2 cups sourdough starter
1 cup warm water
1 cup flour
2 cups water
2 tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. active dry yeast
8 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. sea salt
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
10-12 cups water
1 cup baking soda
1 large egg, beaten with a splash of water
salt and coarse black pepper
16 veggie hot dogs or Field Roast Sausages, cut in half

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the sourdough starter, one cup of warm water, and one cup of flour. Allow the mixture to rest for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and yeast. Set aside the mixture for about 10 minutes, until it begins to foam and froth.

Once the yeast/starter mixture is frothy, add in the melted butter, 2 cups water, and sea salt. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until well combined. Add the remaining 8 cups of flour, about 1 cup at a time. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until it’s smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Beat for about 4-5 minutes.

Remove the dough from your bowl. It’ll be soft, very pliable, and not overly sticky. Coat the bowl with some olive oil, then place the dough back into the bowl. Turn once to coat, then sprinkle lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and store in a warm place to rise for about an hour, until it’s doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper then brush the paper lightly with oil. This is important, or else the pretzels will stick.

Combine the 10-12 cups of water and the baking soda in a large pot and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, turn the dough out onto a clean, slightly oiled surface. Divide the dough into 32 pieces.

Roll each piece of dough, using your fingers on both hands at the center of the dough, moving outwards while rolling. Roll the dough to about 12-inches long. Wrap the dough-rope around a hot dog, making sure to seal the ends well.

Once the water has come to a boil, gently lower a few of the hot dogs into the water. Boil for about 30 seconds, then remove carefully using a slotted spoon or spatula. Place on your prepared baking sheet. Brush the boiled dough with the beaten egg mixture, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt and black pepper.

Bake until deep golden brown, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack before serving. Serve with your favorite mustard and/or ketchup. Enjoy!

Posted in Appetizer, Baking, Bread, Dinner, Kids, Lunch, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments