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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: Reshoot

2008-08-27T14:22:00.001-07:00

Geez, you put up a few blue photos and the critics come a' calling. I must defend my cookies.

Besides, since when were oatmeal raisin cookies ever pretty? This is about as good as oatmeal's ever going to look. And I can eat a lot more of these than I can of chocolate cookies, at least without feeling sick. If I had a lot of people to bake for I would make butter-laden sugar bombs more often, but since it's just the two of us I tend to look for recipes with at least a hint of nutritive value, that can be eaten for breakfast or dessert. Hence the popularity of both zucchini and banana walnut bread around here, whereas in the perfect world I would have a slab of chocolate ganache cake available to me at all times.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2008-08-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Ah, making up for lost time. And by that, I mean both baking and posting about baking.

Even though I have a solid collection of fancy kitchen equipment and love of fancy culinary hijinks, my favorite recipes tend to be simple and homey. This slightly adapted recipe from Claire is likely to become a "go to" favorite because it's quick, requires no fancy equipment, and tastes great. And as a bonus, it's reasonably healthy for something as decadent as a cookie.

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp almond extract
2 tbsp molasses (I used unsulphured blackstrap)
1 cup olive oil
½ cup yogurt

1. Mix wet ingredients

½ cup oat bran
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt

2. Mix fine dry ingredients. Add fine dry ingredients to wet ingredients

3 cups oat meal
1 cup whole wheat flour

3. Mix oat meal and flour and add to wet mixture.

2 cups walnuts or pecans, toasted and lightly chopped
1 ½ cups raisins

4. Add raisins and nuts to wet mixture.

Butter cookie sheets

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Cool for about five minutes on sheet, then move to wire racks. Enjoy.

Botched Cookies

2008-08-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

I baked a bad batch of oatmeal raisin cookies, but I ended up with some great granola to eat with my yogurt. When I successfully complete the batch of cookies I'll explain.

PS. It's nice to be back in my apartment where I have the time and supplies to play around in the kitchen.

Israeli Cous Cous Salad

2008-08-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

It's like summer in a bowl.

I like regular cous cous, but I really like its gigantic cousin, Israeli cous cous. For a simple pasta salad, I mixed the following:

two cups cous cous, cooked in about two and a half cups of chicken stock, then cooled on a baking sheet until room temperature or cooler
one medium carrot, one small yellow onion, and one can of drained diced tomatoes sauteed together
one stalk celery, finely diced
one quarter of a red onion, finely diced
kernels of one ear of raw corn
half a bunch of parsley, chopped
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste

A handful of chopped black olives or an extra ear of corn would have been nice, but as it is this was a well-balanced, colorful salad. This recipe makes enough for several lunches, and I think we'll be having it for dinner with some chicken and greens.

Owl Chopsticks

2008-08-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

My cousin got me some fun chopsticks on his recent trip to Japan. I wonder if he knows I like owls, or if it was just a coincidence.

Semi-Vegetarian at Home

2008-08-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Gazpacho and a Mango Pop

2008-08-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

It makes me sad that the Blackberry takes gray photos. But this gazpacho made mostly with vegetables from friends was really great. I took the effort to make it with tiny diced pieces this time. And a mango pop made with sugar and cream is always tasty.

Good Luck Cranes

2008-08-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

This amazing stained glass window is one of the things that drew my mom to our house. Cranes are good luck!

Passionfruit lemon popsicles

2008-08-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I make myself proud. I combines the juice and zest of one enormous lemon with about a quarter cup of fresh passionfruit juice, a cup of water, and a half cup sugar. Mix and freeze for a delicious treat.

Cafe Fusion

2008-08-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

I can't make this stuff up.

Mrow!

2008-08-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone's an artist! My sister made this onigiri in the shape of a cat's face. So lovably chowable.

Figs

2008-08-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today, figs from our yard. They are my dad's pride and joy.

Free Food

2008-08-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

One great thing about LA is the free produce. Almost everyone is an amateur gardener, and this time of year a lot of exchanging and gifting goes on. This is about a fifth of the produce currently sitting in our kitchen. Aren't my parents' friends talented?

Passion Fruit

2008-08-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

You just don't see enough fresh passion fruit around here. So tasty.

Arts and Crafts

2008-08-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

I cook. My sister paints and builds small pieces of furniture. Surely there's a business idea somewhere in this...

Millions of Peaches...

2008-07-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Peaches for me! Just kidding, these are for the family.

$2 a pound at the Galleria Farmers' Market--a whole dollar less per pound than anywhere at the Ferry Building! It's not what I'd call a steal, but I think it's worth the price. All of the peaches were bigger than my fist, extra fuzzy (meaning they haven't been refrigerated or out of the orchard too long), and noticeably fragrant. I also got some nectarines and plums.

These two were the prettiest, I think. My favorite peaches are any variety of the dark fuzzy ones with orange flesh. The yellow ones can be good, but I like the tanginess and honey-sweet combination of the orange fleshed peaches.

Hot Wings!

2008-07-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've been having the worst hot wing cravings for months now, so I finally caved in and
made myself a big batch of them. Nothing could be easier. I just followed the instructions on a bottle of Frank's Original Hot Sauce and cut up some celery sticks. Blue cheese dressing optional.

Ferry Building Breakfast

2008-07-29T08:50:00.001-07:00

An ACME cheese wheel, fresh peach, Blue Bottle copy, a copy of The Chronicle, and a view of the Bay. It's nice to be home.

Mission Pie

2008-07-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

A homey, delicious walnut tart with fresh whipped cream and a steaming cup of fair trade coffee: $3. Knowing it's all for a good cause is a bonus!

Vanille Patisserie

2008-07-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Tutti Frutti

2008-07-23T13:36:00.001-07:00

The frozen yogurt craze has hit Hacienda Heights. The latest twist is a self serve bar with sixteen flavors and dozens of toppings. My favorite? Lychee frozen yogurt with passion fruit jelly and mochi toppings.

Musings...

2008-07-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not religious, but I think people like this deserve sainthood. This is a woman who realized that she should use her privileged position in society to go out into the world and help others. With the heartbreakingly simple idea of providing free livestock to impoverished families, she's prevented over 3,000 girls from being sold into slavery by parents who can't feed their families. Instead, her organization is paying for the girls' schooling and ensuring that the next generation of Nepalese women will fare better than the last.

We live in a self-absorbed society; I'm as guilty of selfishness as any other inhabitant of a First World country. I really applaud Ms. Murray for realizing that although the fate of Nepalese women can in no way affect her personal life, our global society does matter, and the traditionally downtrodden deserve as much a chance at happiness as the rest of us. As my friend C reminded me recently (in a conversation tangentially related to this excellent article about Michelle Obama), a rising tide lifts all boats.

Phoenix (Yes! Plaza, Rowland Heights)

2008-07-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

Mmm, delicious Cantonese dessert creations. As usual, I got black glutinous rice, young coconut pieces, and coconut milk. My sister was adventurous and tried something new: mango, tapioca, and soy custard. It needed a little sugar or ginger syrup, but it was good.

Jinsu Mr. Tofu

2008-07-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, silly photo aside, Jinsu is a sullongtang (beef bone soup) place and is pretty sood. They have common Korean dishes like grilled ribs and tofu soup, but there are about six variations on beef soup: tendon, brisket, tail, knuckle, etc. Great panchan selection too: the perfect stomach soothing food after a long day of not eating right.

Things I won't eat

2008-07-19T09:32:00.001-07:00

I pride myself on being willing to eat almost anything, at least from time to time. However, there are two things I won't eat if I can help it, but the reasons have nothing to do with my being picky. The first thing is honeydew: it makes my throat itch. The other is JELL-O. I don't know why but it makes my head throb. Not figuratively--i get full on migraines. Does anyone else have to avoid mundane foods for bizarre reasons?