Egg-Free Blueberry Muffins

Something occurred to me today as I was whipping up a batch of muffins using refrigerator scraps. I often tell people that cooking is not hard. Given all the ingredients and a well-written recipe, almost anyone can cook a delicious tasting dish. Taking the next step towards being a "good" cook involves creating your own recipes, juggling multiple dishes in one meal, and menu planning. And, to a large extent, being a good home cook means finding creative and tasty ways to use up everything in your refrigerator. Especially in this economy, being able to follow a recipe doesn't much if you're throwing out all the odds and ends you have left over once you've finished some complicated dish.

So in the spirit of thriftiness, I whipped up some yogurt blueberry muffins today. I had a lot of plain yogurt to use up, but realized I'm all out of eggs. Instead of going out and buying a dozen eggs that I don't need right away, I looked up an easy substitute. According to cooks with egg allergies, 1 tablespoon water + 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking powder is a suitable recipe for 1 large egg in most cake recipes! So for about 15 cupcakes or 12 larger muffins, I did the following:

• 12 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cup blueberries (I used frozen wild blueberries from Trader Joe's)
• 12-15 pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together all the dry ingredients, then take a tablespoon of the mixture and use it to coat the blueberries. This will keep the blueberries from bleeding their color all over the inside of your muffins.

Whisk together all your wet ingredients in a large bowl. Pour in half of the dry ingredients, fold a few times, then pour in the rest and fold a few more times. This is the time to be gentle. Use a spatula and make large folding motions, scraping your spatula along the bottom of the bowl and folding the moistened batter over the parts that are still dry. After about 10 folds, pour in your blueberries and fold no more than five more times. Fill your cupcake tins with the batter, then press a pecan into the top of each cupcake. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating once halfway through, then take out and dump onto a rack to cool.

I won't lie: not having eggs takes something away from the flavor of this muffin. However, it's still a light and fluffy end product, and better than most storebought. I'm waiting to see if anyone even notices there's something "off" about them. And best of all, I used up all my leftover yogurt and didn't need to go out for eggs. Mission accomplished.

Kitchen Revealed

Buckle up, everyone, I think this is the post you've all been waiting for. 

Before: a depressing galley kitchen. It was long and narrow, with a wall on the left and a low arch for the entry. The entire thing was unusable. There was no stove, no fridge, and the cabinets were falling apart and not built to match in the first place. And the linoleum was completely destroyed. So disgusting! We thought this would be a dealbreaker for sure. 

Then, someone said we could take down the wall, and a whole world of options opened up!

A few months later, and this is our new kitchen! Isn't it an incredible change? The kitchen went to being the apartment's biggest drawback to something efficient, comfortable, and contemporary. J and I agonized over the design a lot, but much of the credit for the final appearance (and reasonable price) goes to Gary Craddock at KitchenSync in San Francisco's Noe Valley. Gary was a great vendor to deal with, and I don't hesitate at all recommending his work. 

Pardon the untidiness. This kitchen really deserves to be blogged about when it's spotless (and after a backsplash is up), but I just could not wait. Cooking in it has been a lot of fun so far. It's bigger than our last apartment's kitchen, so J and I are already cooking together more. It's nice to have someone to talk to and not feel like I'm trapped in a galley!

More to come, I promise! And tell me; what color should I paint that front door?

Chicken Curry Udon

I'm warning you people--there are going to be a lot of posts about using up leftovers and eating cheaply. The blog might even have to be re-named "Chez Cheapo," because I'm all outta cash and that doesn't look like it's going to change for the next decade or two. Buying a home is not all it's cracked up to be. But I digress...

Today's lunch was chicken curry udon noodles. For a nice lunch for one, take a block of frozen udon and put it in just enough simmering water to soften it. Never buy the vacuum packed udon. It has a terrible doughy texture and if you even slightly overcook it it falls apart. The frozen stuff is really good. You just need to simmer it in hot water until it defrosts, and it has a nice bouncy toothiness to it.

When the udon is almost completely softened, throw in a few pieces of chicken breast that have been pounded flat and lightly salted. As that cooks, add a tablespoon of your favorite curry paste to the pot and stir well. When the chicken is half cooked, add a handful of whatever leftover vegetables you have on  hand. Cook for a minute longer or as needed, and voila! Refrigerator scraps become a presentable meal. I scavenge a lot around lunch time. Tell me what's in your fridge and I'll tell you what to cook!

Soy Milk Biscuits

Soy milk biscuits were the result of a small kitchen emergency this morning. I ran out of milk, yogurt, AND toast! An intense craving for carbs this morning led to this take on more traditional drop biscuits. I won't lie; it's not as good as buttermilk or even regular milk biscuits. It has a slight soy milk flavor, but the texture is fluffy and if you're not planning to eat biscuits plain you probably won't notice the flavor difference at all.

For 8 drop biscuits:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 6 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into small cubes 
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar for sweet biscuits 
• 3/4 cup soy milk 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Dump in the cut butter, and press the flour into the butter with your fingers. Working quickly, press the flour into the butter until you have no large pieces. Some of the butter will disappear into the flour. Other pieces will look like flakes (kind of like rolled oats), some will stay pea sized. Just make sure you don't have any large chunks.

Pour the soy milk into the mixture, stirring as you go with a spatula or your fingers. Working quickly, fold everything together until the mixture just barely holds together and there are no floury lumps. Small patches of flour are fine. Using a spoon, drop onto a nonstick or lightly floured baking sheet, then bake for 20 minutes or until golden around the edges and top. As with most baked goods, don't start checking the oven until you can smell something! Before the kitchen starts to smell good, you're just letting heat escape from the oven if you check it again and again.

Cool until you can handle the biscuits, and eat with your favorite toppings!

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Grilled Short Ribs

Beef really does make me so happy. All kinds of beef, but especially anything involving beef ribs: ribeye steaks, grilled short ribs, braised short ribs, prime rib roasts...it's all good. For their money, most Chinese people would probably pick pork if they had to choose one meat to eat for the rest of their lives. Let them eat swine, I say. I will pick beef any day. Pork is nice, but it doesn't taste like MEAT the way a cow does. 

For a quick beefy meal, nothing beats marinated short ribs. I don't quite marinate it Korean style, so I'll stop short of calling it kalbi. Depending what I have on hand, I combine a slurry of soy sauce, rice wine, water, sugar, salt, garlic, yellow onions, and green onions. Then I pour over pre-sliced short ribs and toss so that everything is covered but not swimming in sauce. Left for up to a day in the fridge, shaken or flipped a few times, this is a foolproof recipe for success. Sear in a pan over medium high heat for about three minutes a side or until charred, and eat with whatever you like! We had rice, lettuce, and a cold dish of celery and tofu strips.

A Fresh New Day

I guess it's not all bad. This is a pretty decent view from my bedroom, don't you think?

So Close...

This picture pretty much sums up my life right now. Complete and utter frustration.

All in all, I am this close to being done with the remodel. J and I eat and sleep here; we have clean clothes; we get mail; we have plumbing, hot water, electricity, and internet--by all accounts we should feel right at home, right?

Oh so wrong. If it's not one thing, it's another. Today the contractors noticed another fun little surprise that is going to set them back until the end of the week. I'm guessing that actually means they're going to take until next week. And while they're still working, I can't take the tape and plastic off my floors, I can't finish painting, I can't unpack any large items, and I can't clean the floors or live in a dust-free environment. I also have to flee my own home whenever they turn on their power tools. My sinuses and my brain weep for me. I just want to clean up, I really really do!

End vent. I hope everyone else had a better day than I did.


*image courtesy of art.com

Banana Bread

Bread made from bananas: it's good for the soul.. It's a simple quickbread, but a really good banana bread is hard to find. I've been tweaking my recipe for years and always get great feedback from friends who try it. I have to admit, though, Sugar Cafe was a wake up call for me because their banana bread is the only one I've tasted that is clearly superior to homemade. Still, one can't pay $2 for a muffin every day. Here's a tweaked, one bowl, no fuss, no stand mixer version of the Chez Pei classic.

1/2 cup olive oil, any type
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 dash each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cardamom
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped

Whisk together the oil and sugar until well combined. Let this sit while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees, mash up your bananas, and toast the nuts. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

Take your sugar and oil mixture and whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Sift in the dry ingredients, folding as you go. While you still have a few patches of dry flour left, add the bananas and nuts and fold gently just until you don't see any more dry flour. Pour into prepared loaf pan, and put in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Because ovens vary, I would say start checking at the 40 minute mark and remove as soon as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This is a very moist bread, and you don't want to dry it out!

Let cool in the pan for five or ten minutes until it's cool enough to handle, then flip the loaf out onto a rack to cool. I like thick slices served with a cup of milk or tea; it's a great breakfast or snack!

And for those keeping track, yes, that's my kitchen wall, and it's beautiful sage green! Three cheers for being close to done.

Brenda's French Soul Food Cafe

We got done with errands a full half hour before having to return our Zipcar today, so J suggested we grab a quick breakfast to go (and get me my morning coffee). 

What, oh what could be in this greasy paper bag?

YUMMINESS, that's what!!! We'd been to (and liked) Brenda's in the Tenderloin, but neither of us had had their crawfish beignets until today. Three softball-sized beignets and a large cafe au lait set us back about $10, but it was very much worth it. The beignets were cooked to order and given to me too hot to eat, and they were filled with a cheesy, slightly spicy mixture of sauce and crawfish. The dough was fluffy but with just a little chewiness, and about one and a half of one was more than enough breakfast for me. We haven't been to Brenda's in awhile, but our quick trip there has me eager to return for more.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Hey check it out! I made myself a healthy lunch today. I took a piece of pan fried chicken breast and cubed it to make a simple chicken salad with mustard, mayo, and celery. Then I piled some onto a slice of toast and half a sliced avocado, and ate the leftover rib of celery as a side of fiber. Not too shabby. Certainly beats eating out again!

Chrysanthemum Tea

Well, it's not rocket science, but I did make something lovely and homemade today. Something to perk up the drudgery of crossing things off my ever-growing check list. 

Of course, chrysanthemum tea is only good if you can get your hands on good dried chrysanthemums. I'm lucky enough to have relatives who own a tea shop in Taiwan, so I have a veritable endless supply of what they sell out of their shop's big sidewalk iced metal buckets in the summer time. It really takes me back! For those of us who have to make our own, follow these general guidelines: boil a gallon of water, and when you've reached a boil turn off the water and throw in a handful of blossoms. You should use enough that the floating flowers cover the surface of the water without big gaps. Add an eighth of a cup of sugar, taste and adjust for more sugar or blossoms as you like, then let sit for up to five minutes before straining the flowers out. Chill and serve over plenty of ice. I prefer the tea very light and barely sweet, a great substitute for water on a beautiful,  unseasonably hot and sunny day like today!

Round Table Pizza

Oh, for shame.

I wish I were kidding, but I'm not. Last night we had a $10, large, one topping pizza from Round Table. As pizza chains go, Round Table has some nostalgic value for me and has always been decent. So I should really cut them some slack. I'm painting the kitchen/dining room this week, and since painting each room is a multiple-day process the stove was out of commission for a few days. Tomorrow I finish painting the trim and Friday I hope to get to (or maybe even finish!) the walls. Cheer me on, faithful readers. This whole "paint my whole apartment by myself" idea is getting really old.

*image courtesy of Round Table

Area Rugs

More house shopping. I can't wait until the major decision in my everyday life is what to eat for dinner. But for now, area rugs! J vetoed traditional/Oriental/Persian rugs, so we've taken the hunt in a completely different direction. It's just as well, these are really fun.

I like this one a lot. It reminds of of Marimekko or Orla Kiely, which both design textiles in bold patterns and colors.  The aesthetic is like an updated retro, I think. I'm planning for this to sit under a dining table in a sage green room. Now I need to pick a runner for the hallway adjacent to the dining room. I would like the look of beige, but I'm afraid it will get really dingy because that's a high traffic area. Maybe green or a darker beige/brown? It probably needs to un-patterned and just very lightly textured if it's going to sit close to such a busy rug!

This rug I'm not as enamored of, but I think it will work in our living room, which is painted a very pale, barely-there shade of blue gray. I plan to bring more blues into the room with cushions and curtains, so a light gray rug covering almost half the room seems like a safe bet. The design is bold but not too busy for a large exposed area, and the last light gray rug we had stood up pretty well to foot traffic.

Pei's Furniture Fix-It Shop

Today I turned my living room into a furniture repair center. I brought a few pieces of old furniture that I liked up from the basement, and realized once they were in bright light that they need a lot more cleaning and fixing than I'd originally imagined. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I borrowed some tools and got to work.

The veneer on this drop-leaf table is popping off in several spots, so I'm clamping about six inches a day until I get almost all the way around the front. I'm halfway done already, and the parts I've glued are staying together pretty well. I could work more quickly if I had more clamps, but oh well. Slow and steady wins the race when dealing with furniture older than me and J combined.

I actually like the table better when it's folded up. It's more understated this way, and fits nicely in a corner or on a small wall. It doesn't have a permanent home yet, but I love the carved woodwork and curved drawer. I hope the wood glue continues to be a success.

What's Old is New

I have a desk is in my bedroom! It's very exciting; I don't think I've owned a proper desk since college. Thanks to our helpful and resourceful manager, I now have an almost-antique desk to call my own. Pardon the glare from my still-to-be-properly-covered windows. 

The desk was made by the Charles R. Sligh Company of Holland, Minnesota, and it was abandoned and stored in our basement for years. In return for my taking it so he can organize the storage room, our manager showed me how to oil it and get it looking nice again. I don't have an age on the desk, but chances are it's from the 30s-40s so it'll be an antique in a few decades.

The desk has a leather inlaid top, brass pulls, and really lovely drawer fronts. The drawers need some fabric laid down on the insides and some waxing around the edges, but otherwise it's in beautiful condition! And yes, that's fresh paint on the walls and a corner of our finished floors. So you see, we'll be civilized enough in short order.

Braised Pork Belly

Yum. Fat. 

As predicted, the induction cooktop is a braising wonder. Because it holds low temperatures so steadily, it was incredibly easy to get everything started and then just put a lid on the pot and come back a few hours later. No boil overs, no low flame blowing out accidentally, no burn rings on the bottom of the pot where one section was more heated than another. And cleanup was a breeze. So far, cleaning the smooth top has only required light wiping with a soft fabric and occasionally some soap. It's like cleaning a countertop. 

And yes, J was the cook again. He says he loves braising! I think he just likes the new kitchen. It's nice to be able to both work comfortably in one space. Our last two kitchens have really been one-person work stations. 

Duck Noodle Soup (and Sneak Peak!)

J manned the kitchen again today. I have to admit, he's been doing most of the cooking since we moved, since I'm exhausted after dealing with the house all day and he's been getting home reasonably early from work. It's a good thing we both love to cook. There's usually at least one person willing to man/woman the stove! Today's dinner was a joint venture. But for those who are surprised that J cooks, here he is in action!

Here are J's hands as he busily blanches some bok choy and enoki mushrooms for our bowls of roast duck over noodle soup. And in the background is our new Samsung induction range! It's really amazing. We're both still getting the hang of it, and we've been cooking very simple meals so it hasn't really had a chance to shine. I haven't even used the oven yet, other than to run a short steam clean cycle. But so far, we already love two things about this range. It can boil water for my morning coffee in about two minutes (fast and hot!), and it creates such even heat distribution that an egg dropped in simmering water turns into a beautifully poached egg with no work at all from the cook.  I can't wait to see what else it can do!

Here's a close up of our dinner. Not too shabby. We painted one entire room and got started on the ceiling of our hallway today, in addition to doing laundry, prepping some wall trim for paint, laying contact paper in the kitchen, and trying to clean up a little. 

Soup noodles are hardly enough when you lead a life of hard manual labor, so we added another plate of lu wei to tonight's dinner. I gussied it up with extra chili oil and ground Szechuan peppercorns.And another sneak peak for those who are looking: that's our kitchen countertop to the left, and our finished hardwood to the right! More to come...

Pot O' Braised Meats

Happiness is having dinner cooked for me after a long day. We did our first big grocery run this morning, and then I spent the afternoon painting while Jimmy slaved away in the kitchen making one of his favorites: lu wei. Roughly translated, lu wei is "braised flavors." Basically, everything is braised in a big pot of soy sauce, star anise, five spice powder, ginger, sugar, and water. It takes some finesse to get everything to come out perfectly cooked, but J was spot on today! I don't know who to credit; him or the new induction stove. Here's a visual:

As for the remodel, we're moved in, unpacking, painting, and arranging. The big reveal keeps getting pushed back, but soon! I promise; I don't want you to see the mess I'm living in right now!

Lightening Foods

Wow, it's been a week. Nonstop home improvement action full speed ahead! This weekend we unpacked and washed all our kitchen possessions, went shopping for kitchen organizing supplies, built our closet system, and paint stripped a window (this last one is the most grueling of the bunch). This week I'm concentrating on putting up shelving in the bathroom and painting our living room. Goal: be 90% unpacked and ready for furniture this weekend! Exciting times.  

Unfortunately, exciting times means more eating out. We've been eating dinner at home but keeping it very simple. A lot of soup, salad, and bread. For lunch today, I met up with J at his favorite cheap lunch spot, Lightening foods. This is their house Caesar, served with a huge slab of juicy grilled chicken. Lightening serves J's favorite Caesar salad dressing--it's strongly infused with anchovies and garlic. Let's just say it's a salad that stays with you all day!

I opted for what turned out to be an incredible $6 deal. A large BLT and a side salad! The bacon was a little chewy, but if that's up your alley this can't be beat.