tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38895009401049974312024-02-19T17:32:40.278-05:00La Bella CucinaThe Diary of a Culinary School GraduateAllison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-64300911075986932192013-03-08T19:20:00.000-05:002013-03-08T19:22:20.132-05:00Food Products I'm Loving LatelyI thought it would be fun to share some products that are my favorite at the moment. I'll write this post once a month to share new items that I discover and become obsessed with... because I loove finding new food items, especially in stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. Unfortunately, there are none of those up here in Plattsburgh.. just good ol' Price Chopper and Hannaford (my wallet is very fortunate). But I make do and am always grateful for care packages from my mom ;) (**hint hint, MOM). <br />
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First up--Trader Joe's Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. My favorite
part about driving home from NJ (the only part that I actually like) is
stopping at Trader Joes in Paramus. This is my first time trying this
product and I LOVE it. I use it in my cereal and it is creamy, not
sweet, with just a hint of vanilla! </div>
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I looove my pumpkin spice coffee from Green Mountain. It is the only thing that gets me out of bed in the morning. I'm seriously bummed that the huge supply I stocked up on in the fall is almost gone. I'll have to wait until September :(<br />
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Yea Yea, I know..I'm a chef so why would I need jarred marinara??? Well, because this marinara is insanely good and ..c'mon I cook all day, can't a girl catch a break?<br />
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This basting oil from Wegman's is my favorite to add to veggies before roasting. It gives a nice herby, fresh flavor . I found 2 bottles of these in a cabinet at work today while cleaning and thought "JACKPOT!!" then saw the expiration date was "10/08"..yuck!<br />
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I put this truffle salt from Napa Valley on EVERYTHING! I <3 truffle=""></3><br />
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Another favorite from Trader Joe's: Spinach & kale greek yogurt dip. I love the leaves of kale throughout the dip and the fresh veggies. This dip is so good for you and is soo soo delicious!<br />
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Egg beaters isn't the most "natural" product in the world... I do love my whole organic eggs.. but these come already seasoned with peppers and onions already in it... CONVENIENT AND DELICIOUS! Add some cheese on those and you've got yourself a tasty breakfast!<br />
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I love these fire roasted crushed tomatoes that I get at the local co-op. I'm usually not a fan of adding the fire roasted diced tomatoes to anything except something like chili, but these tomatoes make a great sauce (when I'm not using the Rao's jarred sauce ;) )<br />
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My favorite cheese of all time.. I can't pronounce it, but boy is it good....AND I can get it at the local grocery store in Plattsburgh! My mom and I ate a whole wedge during cocktail hour one night... I added truffle honey to it and it was absolutely divine with a glass of malbec..mmm. </div>
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Well that's it for now.. betcha wanna go to the food store now and get all of these things huh? </div>
Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-18278942384768140472013-03-06T19:14:00.001-05:002013-03-06T19:14:11.327-05:00Hey Y'ALLLLooking back on previous posts, I notice that I say "y'all" A LOT! Apparantly, when I came back from living in North Carolina I picked up a bit of an accent. You will not hear that word come out of my mouth lately! I have stuck to my northern roots and actually migrated even more north to Plattsburgh, NY. <br />
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In August of last year I received a job offer at "Culinary Health Investors" up here in Plattsburgh. Plattsburgh is wayyyy up north (about an hour south of Montreal) and VERY cold. But it is beautiful up here and I have adjusted nicely. I have an apartment right by Lake Champlain and a short 8 minute commute to work. <br />
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I discussed the nature of my work as an R&D chef in <a href="http://alliesculinarydiary.blogspot.com/2012/04/r.html">this post</a> last year, but since I am at a different company my work is more concentrated on developing recipes as well as formulating the nutrition label and calculating pricing for the meals. No more making staff lunch or working on side catering jobs. Most of my day is spent in my test kitchen, which is adjacent to my work space where I just so happen to have a desk next to my best friend Nikki who just happens to be the purchasing director and just so happened to start working here right about the same time I did.<br />
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Right outside of my test kitchen is the big plant where thousands of meals are being made. It is an extremely sterile enviornment so lab coats and hair nets must be worn at all times. My mom came to visit a month or so ago and I gave her a tour. When I told her she had to wear a hair net she was mortified and asked if she can at least stick her bangs out! No, Mom..this isn't a fashion runway.. everbody's wearing the same thing and nobody will think you look weird :) What do Y'ALL think (sorry I had to):<br />
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I'll get more into some of the meals I make in later posts. I mostly make diet meals, specifically for a diet program called "Bistro MD", which is based down in Florida and for a new Campbells diet/medical program. Lately I have also been working on different projects for Marlees Seafood, Ahold, Costco, and Weight Watchers.<br />
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I'm off to relax for the rest of the night! I'll be back with more fun posts! :)</div>
Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-71292021126507532852013-03-04T20:00:00.001-05:002013-03-06T15:31:11.439-05:00Hello again!This is an extremely hard post to write... how do you write your first
post in 2 1/2 years after spending a year blogging every single day?
Well that's half true because I did start a new blog <a href="http://alliesculinarydiary.blogspot.com/">"culinary diaries"</a>
last year, but my heart just wasn't into it. I have been debating
starting my blog again for the past year and needed the right moment to
feel that motivation and passion for food again.<br />
<br />
Of course going through culinary school and completing a glamorous
internship is FUN to talk about. It was an adventure I've always
dreamed about and I loved sharing it with my friends, family, and the
world. However, after my internship I entered the not so glamorous life
of working in the restaurant industry. My life consisted of looong
hours, constantly smelling like food, sore and tired all the time from
the hard labor, and just plain blahhh. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't
take back anything.. every job I've had has tought me so much,
especially the toughest one of working as a sous chef in a
kitchen/catering company. Man oh man did I learn a lot!<br />
<br />
So what made me start blogging again? I had a moment. This moment
took place over the weekend while I was visiting my parents in NJ. The
Saturday I was there was the best day ever.. you know those days where
you're going to bed and you just think "I wish I could wake up and it
would be today again because today was awesome!".. yup that was
Saturday. I woke up nice and fresh from a wonderful nights sleep
(thanks to some benedryl and cough medicine from a cold I was still
recovering from... it may have made me say some straaaange things to my
mom the night before!). I had an awesome workout that made me feel like
I was ready to conquer the world! My mom and I went for a nice walk
around Asbury Park and had a healthy lunch at a vegan restaurant in town
and then lounged and watched a movie with some hot tea. At 5:00 it was
cocktail hour (things never change in the Zick household) and as always
we sipped on some fabulous red wine and delectable snacks (that have
become more healthy and gluten free as the years progressed). Then the
three of us were on our way to Portofino, a favorite local Italian
restaurant. I have written a restaurant review in the past of
Portofino <a href="http://culinaryschooldiaries.blogspot.com/2010/02/restaurant-review-portofino-ristorante.html">here</a>.
But have visited several other times and never had the same bad service
as the past review reads. Until this past Saturday night. The
restaurant was busy... but I mean it was Saturday night and they've been
open long enough to be able to handle the crowd, right? Our waiter was
clearly stressed out and our food took hours to arrive! I had no
problem with this at the time because, well, there was at least wine on
the table right? My mom and I may have indulged a bit, but it was all
in good fun and at least here I am writing again because of it! As we
stumbled hand in hand to the bathroom (the single person bathroom) and
telling each other "don't look!!!!", I really did appreciate how lucky I
am to have my best friend as a mom.. someone who motivates me every day
to do what I love, tells me I'm beautiful, and will do anything to see
me happy. She's also someone I can exclaim to "let's take shots!!!"
as we are heading back to my poor dad at the dinner table waiting for
his 2 drunks dates to return, and she politely declines, saying "um I
don't think that's a good idea sweetie".<br />
<br />
As we patiently (very patiently, too patiently) waited for our food to
arrive (well, I can't speak for everyone because my mom kept winking at
the waiter saying "drinks on the house??????") we read my review on my
blog from the last time we experienced this bad of service. I loved
reading my blog again and it got me to read even more entries. I
noticed the passion in my voice and had a flashback of the excitement I
had when I would return home from school or from a restaurant and be
soooo excited to blog about it, to write down everything in my head, to
share my passion with everyone else. I want that again. I still have
that passion, the witty sense of humor, and even more knowledge of food
and this industry that I want to share with all of you. Please join me
on this journey as I show you how I create recipes (for my job and for
just myself). I can't wait to make this blog new and exciting and full
of recipes, restaurant reviews, and stories of my crazy life!
Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-90998734758085915762010-08-25T19:04:00.005-04:002010-08-25T19:22:54.852-04:00Lo Mein PrimaveraI cannot wait for the sun to come out!!! Due to the nasty weather this week the pool at the country club has closed, therefore I can't work the pool grille. Thankfully this weekend looks promising!<br /><br />It was actually nice to have today off though because we made the transition from the beach house to our regular house for the rest of the week. I was able to help my mom pack up and get home early to do a little shopping and prepare dinner.<br /><br />I recently bought the new Good Housekeeping magazine. It was cool to read because I was a part of a few aspects of this issue (although I worked more on the October and November issue). The first week of my internship I went to Grenwich Village for a photo shoot for the dishes featured in this issue. I stayed for the shoots of these 2 one-dish dinners:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWztVM94L_O_qZYl9H0kc7e68zrFIYVEjc0e_uxQjN4TDA01f8NZQBNnebGK1R_LCP3FrogqAte9Yo8aBh0rJ3ULXZ_9UmGPs-aw8nvdcBan2L987wOl79xufIfmrndaVuQBz2LKsBn7Y/s1600/ghk-chicken-and-zucchini-mole-recipe-0910-xl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWztVM94L_O_qZYl9H0kc7e68zrFIYVEjc0e_uxQjN4TDA01f8NZQBNnebGK1R_LCP3FrogqAte9Yo8aBh0rJ3ULXZ_9UmGPs-aw8nvdcBan2L987wOl79xufIfmrndaVuQBz2LKsBn7Y/s320/ghk-chicken-and-zucchini-mole-recipe-0910-xl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509489372357157266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGJ-laA-TtTxLeN2vVJW__rHq2O54eIXOgMwnOiyPIAlYTCHkErr5Kz71G1L0JGl_2DvopPPsLJJJRY4GIxeHPatkII2ep-v8qPrTjwR6-fR9vj1XLWKNNlFY3e0qjuISAR4lY33D0vFI/s1600/ghk-crunchy-salmon-lemony-squash-salad-recipe-0910-xl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGJ-laA-TtTxLeN2vVJW__rHq2O54eIXOgMwnOiyPIAlYTCHkErr5Kz71G1L0JGl_2DvopPPsLJJJRY4GIxeHPatkII2ep-v8qPrTjwR6-fR9vj1XLWKNNlFY3e0qjuISAR4lY33D0vFI/s320/ghk-crunchy-salmon-lemony-squash-salad-recipe-0910-xl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509489137434749858" border="0" /></a>It's so cool to see the final photos in the magazine after seeing the amount of work that goes into choosing the perfect shot. <br /><br />I was browsing through the recipes and decided to make the Lo Mein Primavera for my mom and I. I tried to follow the recipe almost exactly, but of course I added a few simple changes. Here's the recipe with my changes:<br /><br />1 pkg. extra-firm tofu<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9 oz eziekiel fettucini (or any whole grain fettucini/linguine)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 T. coconut oil</span><br />2 stalks celery, thinly sliced<br />1 red pepper, thinly sliced<br />3 cloves garlic, <span style="font-weight: bold;">minced</span><br />1 zucchini, cut into half-moons<br />2 carrots, <span style="font-weight: bold;">grated</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 bunch baby spinach</span><br />1/4 cup <span style="font-weight: bold;">bragg's amino acids</span><br />1/2 tsp. <span style="font-weight: bold;">toasted </span>sesame oil<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">chopped</span> cilantro for serving<br /><br />1. Cut in large chunks. Place on a paper towel lined plate and place another layer of paper towel on top. Place a heavy pot on top to press the tofu of excess liquid. Set aside while prepping the rest of the ingredients.<br />2. Cook the fettucini in salted boiling water until al dente. Rinse and set aside.<br />3. In a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat 1 T. oil on medium for a minute. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook about 10 minutes, until browned, turning once. Transfer to a plate. <br />4. In sames killet heat remaining T. of oil on medium. Add celery, pepper, and garlic. Cook a few minutes, unti ltender. Add zucchini and cook a couple more minutes, until tender, stirring.<br />5. Add carrots, soy sauce, and spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted and everything is cooked through. Toss with the pasta, tofu, and garnish with chopped cilantro. For extra heat add some cayenne pepper!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsU5rZ2ccJu9JeMq_3n5JF2C8LeiQ1JR85oys7P8y_i0QoLUpF7MpFrjzLosVjuRpKddzIo4OqNuJJJ2VYNLvtfnsQp5NmwUt1ORihOuLyhrV0CTCbj56uDfZEvw0e320HxtQaHIoXZoX/s1600/IMG_1828.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDsU5rZ2ccJu9JeMq_3n5JF2C8LeiQ1JR85oys7P8y_i0QoLUpF7MpFrjzLosVjuRpKddzIo4OqNuJJJ2VYNLvtfnsQp5NmwUt1ORihOuLyhrV0CTCbj56uDfZEvw0e320HxtQaHIoXZoX/s320/IMG_1828.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509488212545097442" border="0" /></a>This was a delicious healthy meal! I'm so glad we have enough leftovers to enjoy this meal again tomorrrow for dinner! Way to go Good Housekeeping :)Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-34731398467541397402010-08-25T18:57:00.004-04:002010-08-25T19:24:51.503-04:00Slow Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtFCRT3VeZHjGq1buosU2GpAJFFBdyAweiFxf-6_2KCLPTHNYTh59ULUVbegSwVWHpJXxUzkEY1e_dnW7nIkxbxrvWbBFGAth87Z7DZZqBwsA0BcJpakdugqhQfcS_rLxyTdoGGhkXdXr/s1600/IMG_1827.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtFCRT3VeZHjGq1buosU2GpAJFFBdyAweiFxf-6_2KCLPTHNYTh59ULUVbegSwVWHpJXxUzkEY1e_dnW7nIkxbxrvWbBFGAth87Z7DZZqBwsA0BcJpakdugqhQfcS_rLxyTdoGGhkXdXr/s320/IMG_1827.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509485707709919650" border="0" /></a>We had a couple of visitors over last night for cocktail hour before dinner (my uncle and his girlfriend visiting from NY).. My mom asked me what we should serve for cocktail hour and I immediately thought of Barefoot Contessa's tomato caprese salad. This is no ordinary caprese salad... The tomatoes are slow roasted with minced garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a bit of sugar, and crushed black pepper. After roasting away in a low oven for a few hours the natural sugars of the tomatoes come out and the flavors are perfectly enhanced.<br /><br />Right before our guests arrived I assembled the salad with sliced fresh mozzarella that we got from a local Italian deli and fresh basil from our "garden" (aka basil plant on the balcony). The caprese salad was a hit! I eat these tomatoes like candy and will be snacking on them and adding them to my lunch sandwiches throughout the week.<br /><br />You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-tomato-caprese-salad-recipe/index.html">here</a>. I followed the recipe exactly, except I left the tomatoes in the oven for a bit longer (almost 3 hours!).Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-25942325903507881062010-08-22T19:25:00.007-04:002010-08-22T20:03:21.028-04:00Sun Sun Go Away Come Again Another Day.....I know, I know.. Where have I been??? This is the longest time I have ever gone without blogging. But, hey.. I've been busy!!!!! As you all know, I have been job searching ever since my internship has ended at Good Housekeeping. I have had no luck until a couple of weeks ago. All of a sudden I received a bunch of calls in the course of 3 days. I scheduled interviews for basically whatever I could get and figured I'd see if any of the places seemed like a good fit for me.<br /><br />I narrowed my potential career choice down to two... Di bruno brothers in Philadelphia and Battleground Country Club in Manalapan, NJ (only 20 min from my house). Both jobs were <span style="font-weight: bold;">extremely </span>different, but I trusted my gut feeling and went with the job in New Jersey. I felt really at ease with the employees of the company and felt that it was a place that I could really build my career. Di Bruno Bros may have been an interesting job, but I realized I may not be quite ready to make the big move out to Philadelphia.<br /><br />Well, I started my new job as the pool grille cook and supervisor a couple of weeks ago. It was challenging at first to learn the ropes, but I quickly felt at home. It's not quite as glamorous as my internship at Good Housekeeping or any job I dreamed of having in food styling/food media, but I feel confident that I'm still doing what I love and I'm with a really good company that will treat me well. After labor day I'll move on to the country club restaurant and train to be a manager. I have always wanted to be a restaurant manager and feel that I will be really successful at this position given my customer service background (thank you, Nordstrom!) and culinary background. I'll keep y'all updated on how everything turns out!<br /><br />Anyways, today was my day off and was a rainy and dreary day. Normally, I would be bummed out because that means I'm stuck inside and can't go to the beach or pool. However, today I was actually excited for the crappy weather because all I wanted to do was relax and watch sappy Lifetime movies with my mom. Sooooo..that's exactly what we did. Large mugs of tea were made as we cuddled with our puppies in front of the TV. Around 3:00, we started on dinner... yup, 3:00. What better thing to make on a rainy Sunday than homemade pasta?! This has to be my favorite thing to make (and eat!).<br /><br />We started out by making the pasta dough:<br />-1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour<br />-1 1/4 c. all purpose flour<br />-1/2 tsp. salt<br />-4 eggs<br />-1 T. olive oil<br />-3 T. warm water<br /><br />Combine the flours and salt. Form a well and add the eggs, olive oil, and water. Whisk and incorporate. Knead the dough until smooth (5-10 min-- upper body workout number 1). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 min.<br /><br />While we were cooking, we snacked on some heirloom cherry tomatoes from the Asbury Park farmer's market. They were sooo sweet.. we ate them like candy:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyGksnppVciDJjXiipogPNcmQtGRZpAIMWZfAUzoPsDYFvJCJqJXpK69AOCFJnID6eQ0RGZgjVvDoqPoi-Yado34KC-PHZmh9fi6equCfFNMbxfyu9qZRxQxsHrOrL9aQUwAwJUxNxCPo/s1600/IMG_1814.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyGksnppVciDJjXiipogPNcmQtGRZpAIMWZfAUzoPsDYFvJCJqJXpK69AOCFJnID6eQ0RGZgjVvDoqPoi-Yado34KC-PHZmh9fi6equCfFNMbxfyu9qZRxQxsHrOrL9aQUwAwJUxNxCPo/s320/IMG_1814.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508380469204287970" border="0" /></a>Next, we took our large bunch of roma tomatoes (also from the farmer's market) and concasse'd them (aka blanched). To make tomato concasse, simply core the tomatoes and mark an "x" on the other end of the tomato with a pairing knife. Plunge them in boiling water for a mere 10 seconds and them immediately shock them in ice water. Peel off the skins and remove the seeds. My mom and I started removing the seeds and realized that these small roma tomatoes didn't have <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> many seeds, so we decided to save some time and skip this step. I simply roughly chopped the peeled tomatoes and set them aside for our sauce.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhhm19NhsJuWg5rnxrCGpXmiLDuNCq0rVS8dN7nLrjq1g6wkeXHymT1J3CEh3QY_URuc1siEQTyJZ6iDa1DCgOApMqZd0YtN5WekKh66eBDd9gOqPoTfpgg52SHhsAbq5nVthO1G9YmLU/s1600/IMG_1816.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhhm19NhsJuWg5rnxrCGpXmiLDuNCq0rVS8dN7nLrjq1g6wkeXHymT1J3CEh3QY_URuc1siEQTyJZ6iDa1DCgOApMqZd0YtN5WekKh66eBDd9gOqPoTfpgg52SHhsAbq5nVthO1G9YmLU/s320/IMG_1816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508380340465287570" border="0" /></a>The other prime ingredient that we needed for our sauce was fresh basil. My mom and I skipped out to our garden (I kid you not) and picked a large bunch.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZFbVjgVpM4QImYhIBW5iQd3w8hueV4zrLV_yQxg_nczCc5ZNF_1ZNlb7elo0T1RV_ERW04DNCcSz3MOICLMaMW56C7iwMxftZ66RJc0WhWxyWm4_L0HFkYqjm4Uv_0-ou58uSUVBWL4V/s1600/IMG_1817.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZFbVjgVpM4QImYhIBW5iQd3w8hueV4zrLV_yQxg_nczCc5ZNF_1ZNlb7elo0T1RV_ERW04DNCcSz3MOICLMaMW56C7iwMxftZ66RJc0WhWxyWm4_L0HFkYqjm4Uv_0-ou58uSUVBWL4V/s320/IMG_1817.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508380189237151042" border="0" /></a>Yes, our garden consists of a large pot of basil on our condo balcony....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkOt7UbBPgdv0jEwcFWWNn7qx1n9POP2yl9Ssmd2w07h3pBQzeO2U8sT21CjI6O8jzrOjsCb2tJv-cCGOFWPw6dpZS6zCoOa6uQBvDvrYxFVgtm-03qL5wQ6YmJocU1YXe4nBpytaDBwa/s1600/IMG_1818.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkOt7UbBPgdv0jEwcFWWNn7qx1n9POP2yl9Ssmd2w07h3pBQzeO2U8sT21CjI6O8jzrOjsCb2tJv-cCGOFWPw6dpZS6zCoOa6uQBvDvrYxFVgtm-03qL5wQ6YmJocU1YXe4nBpytaDBwa/s320/IMG_1818.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508380050772059378" border="0" /></a>Did I mention we have a wine garden too? We apparantly grow empty wine bottles...<br /><br />Finally it was time to make some PASTA!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XtplaJ4vdl3d04AQNYlAmrjHb5OBTKu6uzlawt9NOFeA0iIlhbMbPj6brtOBH-3Kwcx5ylIAl10kHU-7xk_8bDVGAtiNNQ773gb0hsep6aNKpNuV2WwPQDEZzHJ7AGCxYAXNrzEUtJrI/s1600/IMG_1819.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7XtplaJ4vdl3d04AQNYlAmrjHb5OBTKu6uzlawt9NOFeA0iIlhbMbPj6brtOBH-3Kwcx5ylIAl10kHU-7xk_8bDVGAtiNNQ773gb0hsep6aNKpNuV2WwPQDEZzHJ7AGCxYAXNrzEUtJrI/s320/IMG_1819.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508379947417252130" border="0" /></a>Last week my mom and I bought this crafty pasta machine from William Sonoma. We chose to make bucatini (well... I chose to make bucatini). What is bucatini? It's a thick hollow spaghetti..my most favoooorite type of pasta! Well, let me tell you.. I got some workout making this pasta. This machine is not electronic and quite hard to use. In fact, my mom and I are considering returning it after all of the work it required (especially cleaning). We noticed as we were making hte pasta that it was all sticking together, despite the large amount of flour we were constantly sprinkling on it. We just prayed that it would all separate once it dried out a bit and was cooked.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdQ-8w7e5VhvPVLPj0O0bBNa5AxKbsBEWuYhYwJAu1mYSqGN8yFGtFpnN-brs5jcMu4rG-s42dZWKNvOtrxMixw5VNAAPq4uOM41zrgIzc0ih0N0rJFiJ_a0cJpGICVPFNb4UwzAqLEY_/s1600/IMG_1820.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdQ-8w7e5VhvPVLPj0O0bBNa5AxKbsBEWuYhYwJAu1mYSqGN8yFGtFpnN-brs5jcMu4rG-s42dZWKNvOtrxMixw5VNAAPq4uOM41zrgIzc0ih0N0rJFiJ_a0cJpGICVPFNb4UwzAqLEY_/s320/IMG_1820.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508379798423750338" border="0" /></a>I also browned some hot italian sausages to go with our pasta meal.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIRW-TbVBg0YZyuH3uED20flUdQNeQyvdpI3IEzQGsM5Nn9SKFU1jLApv1CXOpEfh2djGaYx2yDvjC6J4n136GyhvKNlMKfA5mEgWfR9q1oTgTHvnidv31Hu0yO1Y23hKr47P1BxEFSLQ/s1600/IMG_1822.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIRW-TbVBg0YZyuH3uED20flUdQNeQyvdpI3IEzQGsM5Nn9SKFU1jLApv1CXOpEfh2djGaYx2yDvjC6J4n136GyhvKNlMKfA5mEgWfR9q1oTgTHvnidv31Hu0yO1Y23hKr47P1BxEFSLQ/s320/IMG_1822.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508379689204607746" border="0" /></a>Unpictured was a fresh salad that we enjoyed with the rest of those cherry heirloom tomatoes, craisins, and a balsamic vinaigrette.<br /><br />Ohhh, but how can I forget the sauce?! The best part of the meal!!!!!!!! It was so simple, yet sooo good. Usually I am not this simle, and when it comes to making a pot of sauce, my mom and I add tons of ingredients. However, this was a simple farmer's market sauce and contained only the simplest, fresh ingredients.<br /><br />I started out by heating extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan. I added about 5 small cloves of garlic (minced) and sauteed for 30 seconds, until fragrent (DON'T BURN THE GARLIC!) Next, I added those delicious peeled and chopped tomatoes. Seasoned it with a bit of salt and pepper and let the mixture simmer for an hour or 2. At the very end I added in torn basil from the "garden".<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3kIF5WceBY916DPXDvBG2U4iWTmNM1dAhvvjESAnC9g-YHmbl5sWqNx3sSq9KSWm0f0_3MwL_whJ-jW8PTVL3qAD10NevdIwDRtUXvvRpmaV-VRFx2sVdYorteJ0aXbEusHl6gqyA2Nk/s1600/IMG_1825.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3kIF5WceBY916DPXDvBG2U4iWTmNM1dAhvvjESAnC9g-YHmbl5sWqNx3sSq9KSWm0f0_3MwL_whJ-jW8PTVL3qAD10NevdIwDRtUXvvRpmaV-VRFx2sVdYorteJ0aXbEusHl6gqyA2Nk/s320/IMG_1825.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508379585700486050" border="0" /></a>Oh so fresh and yummy! I'm sure you want to see a final picture of my plate with the pasta, sauce, cheese, and basil.............<br /><br />Ummm.. well... I was hungry.. and um well.. I forgot to take a picture. I'M SORRY. I promise you, it was a beautiful plate that was devoured in minutes. My mom and I literally sat at the table after everyone was done and licked our plates...and everyone else's plates...and all of the pots. Ha, you think I'm joking...Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-54653681480900583282010-08-01T12:00:00.002-04:002010-08-01T12:10:20.487-04:00Fried Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Flowers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioWltOoTuRNRY2__jiY2yuBY7x76mzdj0W85Mn7L7BqE4DhP62HOPO5kamr-he1hmVUmKwmsWU7wNwrxMyjgkQuUyTZpuRPWJgfWCRSRsA3ZpkQSGldEGKFJLO4WSfB4TGgNsx8xZA-rg/s1600/IMG_1812.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioWltOoTuRNRY2__jiY2yuBY7x76mzdj0W85Mn7L7BqE4DhP62HOPO5kamr-he1hmVUmKwmsWU7wNwrxMyjgkQuUyTZpuRPWJgfWCRSRsA3ZpkQSGldEGKFJLO4WSfB4TGgNsx8xZA-rg/s320/IMG_1812.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500472272920383410" border="0" /></a>I made these zucchini flowers as a fun cocktail hour treat for my mom's birthday. It really brought back memories for my mom since her grandma used to make them all the time. While I followed my mom's traditional family recipe, I added my own little spin to make them <span style="font-style: italic;">extra</span> delicious! I stuffed them with a ricotta cheese mixture before coating them in egg batter and frying them in coconut oil. Here is the recipe for this outstanding Italian treat:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients:</span><br />15-20 zucchini flowers<br />1 cup ricotta<br />1/4 cup pecorino or parm, grated<br />1/4 cup chopped basil<br />1 cup flour<br />2 large eggs<br />salt and pepper<br />oil for frying (any oil--I used coconut for its health benefits and sweet coconut flavor)<br />marinara sauce for dipping<br /><br />1. Wash the zucchini flowers REALLY good-- You might find some bugs inside (yuck!).. Pat dry with paper towel<br />2. Mix together the ricotta, pecorino, basil, and a touch of cracked black pepper<br />3. Spoon about a teaspoon of the ricotta mixture inside each zucchini flower. Twist the tops to secure.<br />4. Heat a large frying pan over high heat and add about 1/4 inch of oil.<br />5. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour with salt and pepper to taste.<br />6. In another shallow bowl whisk the eggs.<br />7. Dredge the zucchini flowers in the flour and then dip in egg. Fry in the hot oil on all sides until brown. Drain on a paper towel. Fry the flowers in batches so the oil stays hot (you may have to add more oil for the other batches).<br />8. Serve with warm marinara for dipping!<br />9. Mangia!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-51628028688870469132010-07-21T09:37:00.003-04:002010-07-21T09:50:11.975-04:00Farro Risotto<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwQqO9zE0zeSPzQoopzeL892VoRY0dO4fCeu9W7Z6C0ldOgNezA0xdtGiP-M78d-z4t1x1iSvXe7X-FpliYWateRl0m28zWj-SGkfkjGYcxKD59Q3kkWG6uDWqrYyr8GYtTX092yKZVT_/s1600/IMG_1810.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwQqO9zE0zeSPzQoopzeL892VoRY0dO4fCeu9W7Z6C0ldOgNezA0xdtGiP-M78d-z4t1x1iSvXe7X-FpliYWateRl0m28zWj-SGkfkjGYcxKD59Q3kkWG6uDWqrYyr8GYtTX092yKZVT_/s320/IMG_1810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496353516612786306" border="0" /></a>I was watching a show on the cooking channel the other day and they were making a risotto with farro instead of arborio rice. I have never heard of making a risotto with this healthy grain and was instantly intrigued. My mom reminded me that we had a package of farro that we bought a while ago and never used... so last night I experimented with this farro risotto!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Farro Risotto with Roasted Asparagus over Portobello<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">-</span></span>1 cup farro<br />-4 cups chicken stock<br />-1/2 cup white wine<br />-2 T. olive oil<br />-1 small onion, chopped<br />-1 small bunch asparagus, cut in small pieces<br />-1/2 cup grated parmaggiano reggiano<br />-salt and pepper<br />-2 portobello caps<br />-grated pecorino romano<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the asparagus on a baking sheet with 1 T. olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes.<br />2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring the chicken stock to a simmer and have it on standby for the risotto.<br />3. In another medium saucepan, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Sweat the onion until translucent. Add the farro and toast for a couple of minutes.<br />4. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. Add in the chicken stock 1 ladleful at a time, constantly stirring. Once the stock is absorbed, add another ladle. Continue until the farro is cooked (it will still be a little chewy, as farro has a bit of a different texture than rice).<br />5. Season with salt and pepper and add the parm (off the heat). Stir in the roasted asparagus.<br />6. Spoon out the gills in the portobello caps and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.<br />7. Spoon some risotto in each of the mushroom caps and top with pecorino. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Enjoy your risotto with the rest of that white wine :)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnjaAa-lbsjl7rMJK5cKY2qygfX5EKDyYYb9dSTr_NNvECrBLn6Io0K2SGK2heV-oOGaLHp6iCbbdU4wbltNfPJi8XILpiVpBP75sfmPYzt7q5y-CrkZhJ3DTs9QE6PBjmiEZ7XxEFOfk/s1600/IMG_1811.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnjaAa-lbsjl7rMJK5cKY2qygfX5EKDyYYb9dSTr_NNvECrBLn6Io0K2SGK2heV-oOGaLHp6iCbbdU4wbltNfPJi8XILpiVpBP75sfmPYzt7q5y-CrkZhJ3DTs9QE6PBjmiEZ7XxEFOfk/s320/IMG_1811.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496353374942898898" border="0" /></a>Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-43169245450763821442010-07-17T15:37:00.005-04:002010-07-17T16:04:16.685-04:00Restaurant Review: Hotel TidesAnother hidden gem in Asbury Park: <a href="http://http://www.hoteltides.com/content/restaurant/tabid/55/Default.aspx">The restaurant in The Tides Hotel.</a><br /><br />My parents and sister discovered this restaurant last week and <span style="font-weight: bold;">raved </span>about it. They loved it so much, that they were dying to take me there so I could see for myself. As we walked a few blocks away from the beach in some of the sketchier areas of town, I was hesitant about where they were leading me! Long and behold, we showed up at the hotel... it was not what I was expecting. The outside decor seemed rundown and unimpressive. However, as soon as we walked in, I realized my parents wouldn't steer me wrong. The dining room was exquisite and we were led to a cozy booth off to the side. The lack of crowd at 7:30 on a Friday night was a bit discomforting, but the quiet atmosphere was quite enjoyable.<br /><br />Naturally, we checked ahead to see if we could bring our own wine. You all should know by now that we are wine snobs and would rather bring a nice bottle from home and pay a corkage fee than have to choose from a short selection of overpriced wines from the restaurant wine list. My dad surprised me by bringing my favorite.. Cask:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uJY9JJJKrhvIHWw1rLbBwES1_AflhFx__DMAjZEYLUGga5hDYPnIar2qpYec4dF5frl2nM8k17ZiRl4tyD5Ahjl-8YAFq_nvMFnhuL6xIY8VfnVLtB6AynrKLhpkzuuNxb-lKwT6_1sW/s1600/IMG_1805.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uJY9JJJKrhvIHWw1rLbBwES1_AflhFx__DMAjZEYLUGga5hDYPnIar2qpYec4dF5frl2nM8k17ZiRl4tyD5Ahjl-8YAFq_nvMFnhuL6xIY8VfnVLtB6AynrKLhpkzuuNxb-lKwT6_1sW/s320/IMG_1805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494962936161546434" border="0" /></a>My mom and I started off with a lovely beet salad. It was served with lightly dressed arugula and ricotta salata.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPkGHd9UrJ1TrDHp9Hw5lGIDClsxudttBP7hBQ7n8wAnMdqtA7OOGtO8H6tCkXktrUbTgE56nRqdKHJtmyFJlZjvUeGVN8kRweP1WIKNs8DgekrIDkolzGjfU4akYiYofdivm-jKKKWVK/s1600/IMG_1803.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPkGHd9UrJ1TrDHp9Hw5lGIDClsxudttBP7hBQ7n8wAnMdqtA7OOGtO8H6tCkXktrUbTgE56nRqdKHJtmyFJlZjvUeGVN8kRweP1WIKNs8DgekrIDkolzGjfU4akYiYofdivm-jKKKWVK/s320/IMG_1803.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494962778908857970" border="0" /></a>My dad started with cornmeal crusted calamari served over greens and a smoked paprika remoulade. It was out of this world!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSYKDeJ2lOKvD90Og7Iruhn6MsXAXzDQprEa4KSgP7SPzgAtl5ZD6rNNS7n8GWdipdq0Z8oJfQBFi3Zy42K-wEDlT4cbxKDJdSOwKS3JDmOl-E2dzKtzhG2AeM1qW2uL5inMJFwWJL70l/s1600/IMG_1804.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSYKDeJ2lOKvD90Og7Iruhn6MsXAXzDQprEa4KSgP7SPzgAtl5ZD6rNNS7n8GWdipdq0Z8oJfQBFi3Zy42K-wEDlT4cbxKDJdSOwKS3JDmOl-E2dzKtzhG2AeM1qW2uL5inMJFwWJL70l/s320/IMG_1804.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494962342729873522" border="0" /></a>For our main dish, my mom and I both ordered the cod that was served over white beans, artichoke hearts, and a sage butter sauce. It was a very light dish with a lot of flavor. I loved the sage flavor that really came through in the beans!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLGP3QZu7_Epilighe55uwJzXHroriYj8so2M9NpVh01mA5VuX2_k_zkNs_CFPqNjndPoUGSDehOpUhjAUn-hCZzCNTDB1Ewbev8OZjC1LojH07X-4LaHjW3EnuKBrGFYJqkXwjx86iyv/s1600/IMG_1806.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLGP3QZu7_Epilighe55uwJzXHroriYj8so2M9NpVh01mA5VuX2_k_zkNs_CFPqNjndPoUGSDehOpUhjAUn-hCZzCNTDB1Ewbev8OZjC1LojH07X-4LaHjW3EnuKBrGFYJqkXwjx86iyv/s320/IMG_1806.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494962192464921970" border="0" /></a>As much as I enjoyed my meal, my dad's meal is seriously worth mentioning! It is pretty clear that I'm not the biggest meat eater and I rarely order meat out at restaurants. However, I would go back to this restaurant and order this dish.. the rack of lamb:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSa5_MDwIXlVZFldTODdCPny-Vxjjtaq6axaoktC7-ZCoUNgp_Vr1yx3X45T6MDPJmgcbP4Cde1n6wlJgKG8vk0VZQ8In0HJfAH6NwtT7kgFPfxRTTtunfkyVOcJnqyy8OxDvacMSCnpC/s1600/IMG_1809.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSa5_MDwIXlVZFldTODdCPny-Vxjjtaq6axaoktC7-ZCoUNgp_Vr1yx3X45T6MDPJmgcbP4Cde1n6wlJgKG8vk0VZQ8In0HJfAH6NwtT7kgFPfxRTTtunfkyVOcJnqyy8OxDvacMSCnpC/s320/IMG_1809.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494962026783784290" border="0" /></a>This was the most tasty meat I have ever eaten! The seasoning was incredible and every component to the dish was wonderful. I especially loved the vanilla-scented fennel slaw on the side.. so unique and flavorful! The chef even came out to greet us as we were eating our dinner. I was gnawing on a lamb bone as he came up to our table... that's how good this lamb was. I don't gnaw on bones! My mom, who doesn't eat red meat at all, even had to try a bite..and agreed that it was incredible!<br /><br />Overall, it was a great night of wonderful food, service, and atmosphere. The restaurant should really work on its marketing to get more customers in. If more people knew about what they have to offer, they would have a packed dining room every night!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-30877630800625441042010-07-12T19:20:00.004-04:002010-07-12T19:33:40.377-04:00"Vegan" Spinach Quiche<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcuV0K2zpUnZVT7YzRQriT8x-QVbbAUukTMUALb-8GjVJ8ZK-11e_Y9nEXvUpAIsq1Xd7PGseq0nHEC1FhoEDF7CpShIpsmVyNKrSXOYOYdD7HkiQwTRZJnVsi17ef5o-efMCEDLs28jE/s1600/IMG_1801.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcuV0K2zpUnZVT7YzRQriT8x-QVbbAUukTMUALb-8GjVJ8ZK-11e_Y9nEXvUpAIsq1Xd7PGseq0nHEC1FhoEDF7CpShIpsmVyNKrSXOYOYdD7HkiQwTRZJnVsi17ef5o-efMCEDLs28jE/s320/IMG_1801.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493163998254779698" border="0" /></a>Lately my mom and I really enjoy vegan food (even though we are <span style="font-weight: bold;">definitely</span> not vegan). I started reading the book <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Promises to Keep</span> by Jane Green</span> (a fun beach read). <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Coincidentally, one of the main characters in the book is a vegan chef. After every chapter there was a fun recipe. I particularly noticed one recipe for a "vegan spinach quiche" and showed my mom. She begged me to make it ASAP! And so I did....<br /><br />For the crust:<br />1 cup cooked quinoa<br />2 T. quinoa, rice, spelt, or whole wheat flour to bind (<span style="font-weight: bold;">I used whole wheat</span>)<br />2 T. flaxseed<br />Small bunch of basil and thyme, finely chopped<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br /><br />For the filling:<br />1 package firm tofu, drained<br />Juice of 1 lemon<br />10 oz fresh spinach<br />1 clove garlic, minced (<span style="font-weight: bold;">I threw it into the vita-prep whole</span>)<br />1/2 tsp. tumeric (<span style="font-weight: bold;">I used paprika because that's all I had</span>)<br />1/2 tsp. sea salt<br />1/2 tsp. nutmeg<br />1/4 cup nutritional yeast (<span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm a dummy and forgot to get this, so I made this quiche non-vegan and added pecorino romano</span>)<br />1 T. Dijon mustard<br />1/4 cup toasted pinenuts<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2. Mix quinoa, flour, flaxseed, herbs, salt and pepper. Grease a flan tin with a removeable base and press the mixture firmly and evenly over the base and up the sides (<span style="font-weight: bold;">I forgot to grease the tin, but it still came out fine!!</span>)<br />3. Combine the tofu with lemon juice in a blender (<span style="font-weight: bold;">I used the vita prep</span>) and puree until smooth. Add the spinach and pulse until blended, then add the garlic, turmeric, salt, nutmeg, yeast, and mustard, blending briefly until combined. Pour into the crust, sprinkle the pine nuts on tops and bake for 30-40 minutes. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">I also sprinkled the top with halved cherry tomatoes).<br /></span>4. Serve hot or cold.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I sprinkled my slice with crushed red pepper and extra pecorino!</span></span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6O_OSxN-lEue13S19qlkMZ66NxsLRyH91GNb12PT-0ym50tY5Gd7495kO42eTZMlrUvs-iKqZ8ESZP0I7uguQmJ24jk-qZeyg7vLdsZ41hod9WqFXYp2HgJt3SQu5LQwc0gKwUUCAS1V/s1600/IMG_1802.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6O_OSxN-lEue13S19qlkMZ66NxsLRyH91GNb12PT-0ym50tY5Gd7495kO42eTZMlrUvs-iKqZ8ESZP0I7uguQmJ24jk-qZeyg7vLdsZ41hod9WqFXYp2HgJt3SQu5LQwc0gKwUUCAS1V/s320/IMG_1802.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493163794031818962" border="0" /></a>This was <span style="font-weight: bold;">so</span> delicious and <span style="font-weight: bold;">healthy!</span> My mom and I really enjoyed it :) We're especially excited about how the crust turned out and brainstormed some other ways to use this crust for other recipes! Stay tuned!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-4111399978233286902010-07-12T10:41:00.002-04:002010-07-12T10:51:41.458-04:00Vegan Bean Burger & Summer Vegetable Cous CousLast Friday I wanted to make a little something special to bring to a tailgate before the Chicago concert. We bought wraps from our local health food store and I made a summer vegetable cous cous salad that was easy to transport and very light and tasty!<br /><br />(From Clean Eating)<br />Ingredients:<br />3 T. balsamic vinegar<br />1 T. dijon mustard<br />1 T. extra virgin olive oil<br />1/4 tsp. sea salt<br />1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper<br />2 cloves garlic, minced<br />Olive oil cooking spray<br />1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1 yellow squash, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces<br />1 8-oz package sliced baby portobello mushrooms (I used a mixed blend of mushrooms)<br />4 cups cooked whole-grain cous cous<br />1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese<br />4 sprigs fresh basil, chopped (I used about double this amount--I love basil!)<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.<br />2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, dijon, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Set aside.<br />3. Spray a large shallow roasting pan (I used 2 baking sheets). Arrange vegetables in single layer on the pan. Drizzle with vinegar mixture, tossing gently. Cook vegetables in oven for about 15 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.<br />4. Combine vegetables with couscous, tossing gently. Top with cheese and basil.<br /><br />Last night, my mom enjoyed some of the leftovers with a vegan black bean burger. I got the recipe from a blog that I regularly read called "The Front Burner". You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.thefrontburnerblog.com/2010/05/vegan-bean-burger-recipe.html">here</a>.<br /><br />(The lighting was horrible in my kitchen.... )<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-S92jGAAjpkEcGDPDeQuuwVnHctI5ifpBLxaUKNEtPaWLax3PHSA49G5mzB2nkn1-L3qfN-UyFmXRHgdsRq96msi2ofAzEuXDPkrQRrYEWiRof12LSZDIWtUXZPpGys9ovGJsNbMqIXV_/s1600/IMG_1798.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-S92jGAAjpkEcGDPDeQuuwVnHctI5ifpBLxaUKNEtPaWLax3PHSA49G5mzB2nkn1-L3qfN-UyFmXRHgdsRq96msi2ofAzEuXDPkrQRrYEWiRof12LSZDIWtUXZPpGys9ovGJsNbMqIXV_/s320/IMG_1798.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493030165772161458" border="0" /></a>Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-40020835046697124232010-07-06T21:01:00.006-04:002010-07-07T10:09:19.457-04:00Grilled Romaine SaladMy family had some 4th of July weekend! We had fabulous dinners starting at the ever popular <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.langostalounge.com">Langosta Lounge</a> on Thursday. It was fabulous as always. My mom, sister, and I all got a Mahi Mahi special that was incredible! My dad ordered the baby back ribs that came with the best sweet potato fries I have ever had in my life!<br /><br />On Friday, we had to try out<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.trinityandthepope.com"> The Trinity and the Pope</a>, which is a new restaurant in Asbury that is owned by the same owner as Langosta (Marilyn Schlossbach). While the cuisine was a bit different than we're used to (Creole/Louisiana-style), it was out of this world! We were immediately given some spicy kettle chips with a Remoulade sauce. I have never tasted anything like it! We all went crazy over it! My dad ordered a short rib in puff pastry appetizer that we all had to try... It was so rich and decadent. I would have ordered it as a main meal! I had the barbecue shrimp with jalepeno andouille grits as my entree. The spice and flavor was incredible! Everybody was very pleased with their meals! Marilyn has done it again... made my very picky family extremely happy with a unique dining experience!<br /><br />On Sunday night, I cooked for a my family. I made crab cakes yet again, as requested from the rest of the group. I tripled the recipe for <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/healthy-appetite-with-ellie-krieger-/crab-cakes-recipe/index.html">Ellie Krieger's crab cakes </a>and made a few small changes. I sauteed the red pepper and green onion before adding it to the mix. I also mixed in whole wheat bread crumbs and then coated the cakes in panko.<br /><br />For the side-dishes, I made some sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, and a grilled romaine salad. I was inspired by a TV shoot I helped out with at Good Housekeeping featuring Guy Fieri. He grilled romaine hearts and topped it with a sauteed onion and bacon mixture and some crumbled blue cheese. It looked soo good, so I had to make my own recreation of the salad.<br /><br />I started by halving 3 romaine lettuce hearts and washing them thouroughly. After patting them dry, I grilled them a few minutes per side, until they were slightly charred and wilted. I sauteed 2 large vidalia onions and spooned it on top of the romaine. I also sprinkled on some dried cranberries, gorgonzola, and topped it with a balsamic vinaigrette:<br /><h1 style="font-weight: normal; font-family: arial;" id="profile_name"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAa0aOeJk27UAySZMSBiDKmApb3SSYAlNyV2JFwtX2GUSUYd3_ipVpIPuWG1IspwGginkgM_hT35n5Rs6PLyxnLCOhUNrzpj_Q1zxzgx73ynC_x_uc1k1pC91p4uQ5rP0AatP2bJGhRdX_/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAa0aOeJk27UAySZMSBiDKmApb3SSYAlNyV2JFwtX2GUSUYd3_ipVpIPuWG1IspwGginkgM_hT35n5Rs6PLyxnLCOhUNrzpj_Q1zxzgx73ynC_x_uc1k1pC91p4uQ5rP0AatP2bJGhRdX_/s320/IMG_1777.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490964590487298146" border="0" /></a></h1>For our last day of the holiday weekend, my parents, sister, and I layed on the beach until the early hours of the evening. We didn't make it out to dinner until around 8:00. We walked on over to <a href="http://stellamarinarestaurant.com/index.html">Stella Marina</a>, hoping for a delicious, relaxing dinner that we usually always recieve. Unfortunately, Stella was slacking on Monday. Not sure if it was the aftermath of a crazy weekend or what, but there shouldn't be any excuse for the service that we recieved. We arrived at the restaurant and were not seated for another 20 minutes, despite the availability of tables. It took longer than usual to recieve our bottle of wine. The waitress brought over some bread, which we were delighted to see because we were <span style="font-weight: bold;">starving</span>. However, upon first bite we realized the bread was unebile..stale and clearly very old. We kindly asked our waitress if there was any fresher bread available, but she regrettably told us they ran out from the weekend (couldn't they have at least revived a loaf by popping it into the oven?!). We got over it quickly and anxiously awaited our salad and vegetable appetizers. Well, those never came. We were waiting over an hour before we had to complain and beg for an explanation for the ridiculously long wait. The manager came over and said that the salads would probably not be out any time soon because of a back up in the kitchen. We asked for the check, paid for our wine, and left. Stella Marina is off our list of favorite restaurants for a while. Unfortunately, because I have always enjoyed it there. Our night ended with pizza on the boardwalk and a late night walk home...Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-44945865170009150612010-07-06T20:54:00.003-04:002010-07-06T21:01:25.575-04:00Crab Egg White Omelet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWigkrtrIaXWrHs4-vnvsqH6_AsskBGlIN8cSdvPjyyosfvom40DFNHtrR-KXE1LDIxTGJdUt6hpMeqgwk0WA-ATTsP1J0L-KVuXxXDrPODi7NkD3v5UPlzGMULLRFQ0r_Ma3AmSWO4fVe/s1600/IMG_1774.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWigkrtrIaXWrHs4-vnvsqH6_AsskBGlIN8cSdvPjyyosfvom40DFNHtrR-KXE1LDIxTGJdUt6hpMeqgwk0WA-ATTsP1J0L-KVuXxXDrPODi7NkD3v5UPlzGMULLRFQ0r_Ma3AmSWO4fVe/s320/IMG_1774.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490962900961105538" border="0" /></a>I'm a bit behind in my blog updates, but I wanted to share with y'all another wonderful lunch that I made for my mom and I a couple of weeks ago. Clearly, we were trying to use up the wonderful lump crab meat leftover from the deviled eggs on Father's Day... So, I decided to make us some egg white omelets with crab meat.<br /><br />I started by heating a nonstick skillet with a bit of coconut oil spray on medium high. Once it is nice and hot, I added in 1/2 c. egg whites (or about 3 egg whites). When that starts to set around the sides, tossed in some crab meat, halved cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, snipped chives, and salt & pepper. I folded over the first half once it looked almost completely set and then slid it on to the plate. I garnished the omelet with some sliced avocado, extra chopped chives, and a few drops of siracha and organic dijon. Best omelet I have ever had!<br /><br />For my dad, I made a crab salad sandwich by mixing the rest of the crab meat with some mayonaisse, dijon, old bay crab seasoning, salt, pepper, and a no-salt seasoning mix. Piled that on a roll with a bit of cheese.. he loved it!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-32085953197696471652010-06-24T20:19:00.006-04:002010-06-24T20:52:29.734-04:00Crab & Avocado Salad; Vegetable BakeToday was a scorcher!! I tried to run on the boardwalk this morning and it was almost unbearable! By 11:30, temperatures were reaching 96 degrees! My mom and I were supposed to take a walk to Ocean Grove (about a mile away) for lunch, but I decided to surprise her by making lunch instead.. I figured it would be a little unpleasant walking to lunch in this heat!<br /><br />My mom arrived home from her tennis match around 12:30 and this special lunch was awaiting her on the balcony:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOa1GO4-Fo6RkmrspbbUjWLIogwjLa-St807GyjSz7vYPvzegpcd_QTz3Tk9zMFpsQ6Lv13xyQyAbPsBdkqAc9sHy6VKQp2f0kOVZxxMlQKteIMAoeYME-bPvO0RQwceLipn82xOwdV5v/s1600/IMG_1769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOa1GO4-Fo6RkmrspbbUjWLIogwjLa-St807GyjSz7vYPvzegpcd_QTz3Tk9zMFpsQ6Lv13xyQyAbPsBdkqAc9sHy6VKQp2f0kOVZxxMlQKteIMAoeYME-bPvO0RQwceLipn82xOwdV5v/s320/IMG_1769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486500405749923730" border="0" /></a>I searched the fridge for anything that would taste good in this salad, and I must say that this salad was AMAZING. It consisted of a bed of mixed greens, chopped red bell pepper, chopped jicama, avocado, heirloom cherry tomatoes, lump crab meat, and a laughing cow cheese wedge crumbled on top.<br /><br />We didn't have many dressings to choose from, so I took out some Bragg's Amino Acids spray, Frank's Sweet Chili Sauce, and Siraracha Sauce. The combinations of these 3 condiments were perfect on this salad!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgQKoOJXdVnsHoNhdOkejUKZuENaQHIGFAQR2tMlBKqv2UUP1NlM8UFyjEkELOckExbxYB9z8LR5k04zqXxYDTin7H7J29F2u-aiNYM6j_c4_nacEIcH4w1nIZiTUU4SGGFCPezJarsFf/s1600/IMG_1770.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgQKoOJXdVnsHoNhdOkejUKZuENaQHIGFAQR2tMlBKqv2UUP1NlM8UFyjEkELOckExbxYB9z8LR5k04zqXxYDTin7H7J29F2u-aiNYM6j_c4_nacEIcH4w1nIZiTUU4SGGFCPezJarsFf/s320/IMG_1770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486500073532648754" border="0" /></a>Yum! What a refreshing summer lunch! I also had some sparkling water with lemon for both of us. We were both very satisfied :)<br /><br />It's just my mom and I at the beach house today, so we wanted to take advantage of the moment without any boys to make a healthy vegetarian meal. I would normally go to my computer and search my library of recipes, <span style="font-style: italic;">but</span> my computer broked down!!!! Yea, just won't turn on. All of my cookbooks are at the other house, so my only other choice was to make up something myself. I LOVE making up recipes. Especially when I know my mom loves the same foods I do. I had a basic idea in my head of what I wanted to make (a vegetable/cheese bake), but was very flexible with the ingredients depending on what looked fresh at the grocery store.<br /><br />This was the end product:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivYer2exNwz7l-5lzumwda4geL0sUzjGjzaGHmR5UbTbk36sKtpYiByb3bEVvj4skFh0pDqCjDAc84zLcRCWWzrAbOLQ0DbPBGMBQa4XdfK1iyPhB6f93XsdDJjtIJAYOP0mKhRFA6Xj2/s1600/IMG_1771.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivYer2exNwz7l-5lzumwda4geL0sUzjGjzaGHmR5UbTbk36sKtpYiByb3bEVvj4skFh0pDqCjDAc84zLcRCWWzrAbOLQ0DbPBGMBQa4XdfK1iyPhB6f93XsdDJjtIJAYOP0mKhRFA6Xj2/s320/IMG_1771.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486499967679293602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegetable "Lasagna"</span>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ingredients</span>:<br />-1 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise (I used a funky yellow zucchini that looked really fresh at Wegmans!)<br />-1 white eggplant, thinly sliced (or you can use any small eggplant)<br />-1 8 oz package of sliced shitake mushrooms<br />-1 12 oz package of baby spinach<br />-2 ripe tomatoes on the vine, sliced<br />-3/4 cup fat free or low fat cottage cheese<br />-1/3 cup packed basil leaves, chopped + whole leaves for garnish<br />-olive oil spray<br />-2 T. balsamic vinegar<br />-Coconut oil or spray<br />-salt and pepper<br />-1/4 c. crumbled goat cheese<br />-1/2 tsp. nutmeg<br />-1/4 tsp. garlic flakes<br />-about 1 cup of your favorite marinara<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />2. Arrange eggplant slices on a sheet tray and spray both sides with olive oil and brush with balsamic vinegar. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Bake approximately 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and browned (flipping halfway through).<br />3. Heat a 9 inch skillet over medium heat and spray with coconut spray (or add 1 tsp coconut oil).<br />4. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. garlic flakes. Reserve.<br />5. In the same skillet, spray again with coconut spray or add another tsp. of coconut oil. Heat on high.<br />6. Add shitake mushrooms and cook until the moisture is evaporated and mushrooms are browned. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.<br />7. Mix the cottage cheese with salt, pepper, chopped basil and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg.<br />8. In an 8x8" casserole dish spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce and layer the zucchini, overlapping.<br />9. Add a thin layer of cottage cheese mixture (about half of it) and top with spinach and mushrooms. Top with more sauce and the eggplant. Add the rest of the cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.<br />10. Uncover the casserole and increase the oven heat to 400 degrees. Top with goat cheese. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and a bit browned. <br />11. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Important:</span> Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing! My mom and I were too impatient and hungry and dug right in. BIG mistake.. It was too watery and didn't set yet. We realized later that the casserole cut better once it cooled off a bit!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj179WkevNQ_djB5Y7ApdtII97ZvHFI4nchCxYbDb5BmOM4J0EqZ-gwriPsBC1dzOgOw73LILh34ENLzweOg2xvNsm9XKA5Os3kL5PaZz-qY6l7ikxWotLvrkibGOQ6nj2KamGTGjWJsbk6/s1600/IMG_1772.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj179WkevNQ_djB5Y7ApdtII97ZvHFI4nchCxYbDb5BmOM4J0EqZ-gwriPsBC1dzOgOw73LILh34ENLzweOg2xvNsm9XKA5Os3kL5PaZz-qY6l7ikxWotLvrkibGOQ6nj2KamGTGjWJsbk6/s320/IMG_1772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486499843022828514" border="0" /></a>Served on the balcony with some Zinfindel, ice water in a JAR (such a cool way to serve drinks), and Copolla crushed red pepper.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYazE84GlXdrUoTrGPKTY8pryqVN0DFqGPg0iShYfQivRx9JWJkDNOakGngVs88Y0ANt-Ra5DOLcKHsOC2br8dsfAGG7JLJS0naxmBe0cWcSliBO3sOcQ4VWum6G0Tyht34kP9mZVyfO-3/s1600/IMG_1773.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYazE84GlXdrUoTrGPKTY8pryqVN0DFqGPg0iShYfQivRx9JWJkDNOakGngVs88Y0ANt-Ra5DOLcKHsOC2br8dsfAGG7JLJS0naxmBe0cWcSliBO3sOcQ4VWum6G0Tyht34kP9mZVyfO-3/s320/IMG_1773.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486499578308873618" border="0" /></a>We were licking our bowls because it was SO good! I can't wait to make it again!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-68403578994944217602010-06-23T20:34:00.005-04:002010-06-23T20:59:13.099-04:00Father's Day MenuI apologize for being MIA for a while! Life has been crazy busy and the commute to my internship was completely wearing me out. So, a brief update: I finished up my internship at Good Housekeeping yesterday! It was truly an amazing experience and I am so lucky to have been exposed to so many aspects of the industry. Luckily, there were plenty of television shoots while I was there that I was able to be a part of. I prepped shoots for Emeril and Guy Fieri, along with a show called "Food-ogrophy" on the Cooking Channel. I loved every minute of it! <br /><br />I was extremely sad to leave! Unfortunatley there aren't any positions available at the moment, so I am now on the job search! (Wish me luck!!)<br /><br />Last Sunday my mom and I organized a casual Father's Day dinner for my family. My uncle was in town from Cali, so he came along with my other uncle and aunt, 3 cousins, and grandparents. <br /><br />I made sandwiches for lunch to bring on the beach with us. While on the beach, we sipped on some Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling.. so light and refreshing!<br /><br />I headed back to the condo early to prep dinner and appetizers. Our appetizers were pretty basic and included gourmet cheeses, crackers, hummus, etc. I wanted to make a little something special and prepared <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/deviled-eggs-with-crab-recipe/index.html">Giada's Deviled Eggs with Crab</a>. It was delicious! I made a few minor changes: I added in the yolks of 3 eggs to the filling and ended up filling 8 eggs instead of 6. I also sprinkled the tops with paprika (afterwards I realized old bay seasoning would have been nice!):<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOoX8gA3E-gf5lKRoIqyamr3Fs5-FIWJXIUOyu1It4-L5UuM3WmaktUvCHPViSPIHwY77MEHiH3FhzIVACfDXwQRSnd5mhCD15rC23dt21NByyh9zbt-WQBSpq1JqUOhLWVVPMWoN0efL/s1600/IMG_1765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOoX8gA3E-gf5lKRoIqyamr3Fs5-FIWJXIUOyu1It4-L5UuM3WmaktUvCHPViSPIHwY77MEHiH3FhzIVACfDXwQRSnd5mhCD15rC23dt21NByyh9zbt-WQBSpq1JqUOhLWVVPMWoN0efL/s320/IMG_1765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486132979415387986" border="0" /></a>We had a nice spread for dinner that was not too gourmet (my family enjoys comfort food!) but still incredible. I made an <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-drumsticks-with-asian-barbecue-sauce">Asian barbecue chicken</a> from Food and Wine magazine. I made this earlier in the afternoon and heated it up later. I made the mistake of coating it in the toasted sesame seeds too early because when I heated it up, the sesame seeds weren't as crunchy and toasty. Woops...next time I'll make sure to coat them with the seeds a la minute!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIh55DqemwMw42-75inkOqOZhtHWs0nPApki-WXz3adDuoOX48PFLsRpy7-LcSxcOVMF54d4zftI-KLOnhmH3UjvI6Hd2OEEmJXl5aus5F2oihyphenhyphenRgOapamBDo4aX1W1UmahVDlhiXvwgD/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIh55DqemwMw42-75inkOqOZhtHWs0nPApki-WXz3adDuoOX48PFLsRpy7-LcSxcOVMF54d4zftI-KLOnhmH3UjvI6Hd2OEEmJXl5aus5F2oihyphenhyphenRgOapamBDo4aX1W1UmahVDlhiXvwgD/s320/IMG_1766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486132844355687234" border="0" /></a>Since these had a distinct Asian flavor and were a little spicy, I made a few extra chicken drumsticks with <a href="http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_033V002067726000P?vName=Food%20&%20Grocery&cName=GeneralGrocery&sName=Marinades%20&%20Sauces&sid=KDx20070926x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=033V002067726000P">Emeril's barbecue sauce</a>. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPs1kg-tm93XHdiDTLfilhTTvXKtjxU4EwgBI4BD6wmuFppuS4O8_PKdHWBgH90HREPladEAPz8S5zZJ-HV_zK9lF-B-CWgtmGcNRYKhFIo4G2FtyQ-2u3Ld13t5qcvIJe6USh_vcWw4pB/s1600/IMG_1767.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPs1kg-tm93XHdiDTLfilhTTvXKtjxU4EwgBI4BD6wmuFppuS4O8_PKdHWBgH90HREPladEAPz8S5zZJ-HV_zK9lF-B-CWgtmGcNRYKhFIo4G2FtyQ-2u3Ld13t5qcvIJe6USh_vcWw4pB/s320/IMG_1767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486132607741672370" border="0" /></a>We also made a double batch of <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/sausage-peppers-and-onions-recipe/index.html">Giada's Sausage, Peppers, and Onions</a>. We served this with toasted Italian rolls, and pasta tossed with olive oil.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGx2As865yeKrlpc1XPYsk3wLNnw_mvAZi3URzHT5MfJi7ZiCMGL3NM6Yse0GkLOYkFQT7DrG_DCvvCQTA42ZTDf1nq4MpiEVWASH8H8niUPS7gdb95sd3FjZaDB9czXZxoskSh7H-ZtIk/s1600/IMG_1768.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGx2As865yeKrlpc1XPYsk3wLNnw_mvAZi3URzHT5MfJi7ZiCMGL3NM6Yse0GkLOYkFQT7DrG_DCvvCQTA42ZTDf1nq4MpiEVWASH8H8niUPS7gdb95sd3FjZaDB9czXZxoskSh7H-ZtIk/s320/IMG_1768.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486132448897084178" border="0" /></a>My mom also made a tray of homemade mac & cheese (a healthier version that included whole wheat panko and fresh sliced tomatoes!). I think the adults liked this more than the kids! We also had a tossed salad with toasted pine nuts, craisins, croutons, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and raspberry vinaigrette. <br /><br />The night ended with my mom's famous Strawberry Roll and my <a href="http://culinaryschooldiaries.blogspot.com/2009/11/duck-recipe.html">grandpa's favorite cake</a>.Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-48445381194645112592010-06-06T19:23:00.004-04:002010-06-06T19:36:26.890-04:00Perfect Summer MealThis past week I have been craving a summer meal consisting of fresh seafood and a bright summer salsa. I have made Ellie Krieger's crabs cakes many times in the past and it has always been a hit. With a minimum amount of fillers, but a lot of flavor, this is the perfect healthy version of a crab cake. You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/crab-cakes-recipe/index.html">here.</a>.. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used whole wheat bread crumbs and did not use the tarter sauce.<br /><br />To go along with the crab cakes, I made a salsa that I have been thinking about all week! I didn't know how it would turn out, but it was AWESOME and the perfect addition to the crab cakes. It was a bit spicy from a jalepeno pepper and sweet from the mango. Here's the recipe:<br /><br />1 ripe mango, chopped<br />1 avocado, chopped<br />1/2 red onion, minced<br />1/2 cup chopped roma tomatoes<br />1 jalepeno pepper, minced<br />1/4 cup chopped cilantro<br />2 T. lime juice<br />1/2 tsp. kosher salt<br />1/4 tsp. ground pepper<br /><br />Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.<br /><br />I served the crab cakes over a small bed of peppery arugula, topped with the salsa and a few drops of siracha. Of course I added more siracha after this picture was taken :) I like everything super spicy!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SrZRlXeEGQu4_PB9CoMLMV1tezXmIdbfXQh_-3fn0TOGiyAC8NyWgNAIvZYPrM5n0FJUQldIRf27tIiX4pSxZmMRDhx2yQgIxTl2GFJgZOkIDV1pcUrcNWDxlwPIOe6DTK5ygIxUaFws/s1600/IMG_1764.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SrZRlXeEGQu4_PB9CoMLMV1tezXmIdbfXQh_-3fn0TOGiyAC8NyWgNAIvZYPrM5n0FJUQldIRf27tIiX4pSxZmMRDhx2yQgIxTl2GFJgZOkIDV1pcUrcNWDxlwPIOe6DTK5ygIxUaFws/s320/IMG_1764.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479805832199479858" border="0" /></a>I also made a mustard sauce for dipping, since I knew my dad wouldn't like the salsa or siracha and my family loves a selection of condiments! I mixed dijon mustard with non-fat strained yogurt (siggi's..but you can also use any greek yogurt) and apricot preserves. This was an amazing sauce that was tangy from the yogurt, sweet from the preserves and a bit spicy from the dijon. I will definitely be making this sauce again to top fish, chicken, or even steak!<br /><br />We also had some fresh corn on the cob with our crab cakes. I love having corn on the cob in the summer!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicOCaOGT6nhiH7JR8jNxPmR7lb1npDY543VLhgtGKPads7Iv9sCSyHjpVne7_0o51VmtKLAeooKtxhX4dFSrH_J0vlZXvHRsDw-KQFQSvhj4Q9Aqn_1QLpArA4VSgrKgU31KLh3cDhotl/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicOCaOGT6nhiH7JR8jNxPmR7lb1npDY543VLhgtGKPads7Iv9sCSyHjpVne7_0o51VmtKLAeooKtxhX4dFSrH_J0vlZXvHRsDw-KQFQSvhj4Q9Aqn_1QLpArA4VSgrKgU31KLh3cDhotl/s320/IMG_1763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479805648942217666" border="0" /></a>Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-75992538900548157652010-05-31T17:05:00.003-04:002010-05-31T17:17:12.890-04:00Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone MarsalaHappy Memorial Day Weekend! I had a wonderful weekend lounging on the Asbury Park Beach and spending lots of time with family and friends.<br /><br />I've mentioned before the amazing restaurants in Asbury.. my family went to some of our favorites this weekend. Unfortunately, I missed out on <a href="http://moonstrucknj.com/">Moonstruck</a> on Thursday (I had work) and <a href="http://langostalounge.com">Langosta</a> on Saturday, but I did make it to <a href="http://takaapnj.com">Taka</a> on Friday night (the best sushi & Japanese cuisine) and Siculiana's (a new pizza joint on the boardwalk) on Sunday night. <br /><br />On Saturday night I ventured back to the Colts Neck house and made a little date-night dinner for the boy. I wasn't sure what to make, but knew that Giada's chicken marsala recipe has never failed me. I used to make this dish a lot even before I went to culinary school and it was always a crowd pleaser. The recipe can be found <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-with-mustard-mascarpone-marsala-sauce-recipe/index.html">here</a>. I didn't make any changes, except I used a combination of baby bella mushrooms and shitakes. In this picture you can't even see the chicken because it was soo much sauce! But I swear they're hiding under there somewhere!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugw1Fa3bVcfFWzZ3O2M62u-SpNEzIvUVpUpTwR0WWH2cGQUjsejsy-84EfwdCptMt4L3zKHX78e43vG6PMMLOYJZ47HZrLzH76-_t_4oIvj_7ZCiMdUJvbIYhrQM2DjUuGRV2VJZV3m93/s1600/IMG_1762.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugw1Fa3bVcfFWzZ3O2M62u-SpNEzIvUVpUpTwR0WWH2cGQUjsejsy-84EfwdCptMt4L3zKHX78e43vG6PMMLOYJZ47HZrLzH76-_t_4oIvj_7ZCiMdUJvbIYhrQM2DjUuGRV2VJZV3m93/s320/IMG_1762.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477543673858012146" border="0" /></a>Giada recommends serving this with linguine (probably to soak up all that sauce!) but I thought that was boring. Instead, I made some whole wheat Israeli cous cous (cooked in chicken stock and a touch of salt to add extra flavor) and topped it with roasted grape tomatoes:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWymtWvWl4xVdELyi_dbPFpkVs11LTzimw3eEddnf0GcydZVke-Vb_Sy8U9gW00-kHvqBuDRH0opoMDp5y38wkSOTh0VzSURkqvJ3ErM4Ub_RUOqCyXfd-bTWR_4_eAoGBMwt5B-oi0ywb/s1600/IMG_1761.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWymtWvWl4xVdELyi_dbPFpkVs11LTzimw3eEddnf0GcydZVke-Vb_Sy8U9gW00-kHvqBuDRH0opoMDp5y38wkSOTh0VzSURkqvJ3ErM4Ub_RUOqCyXfd-bTWR_4_eAoGBMwt5B-oi0ywb/s320/IMG_1761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477543489566332338" border="0" /></a>I also roasted some broccoli for some green on our plates, but didn't take a picture! It was a great meal that we enjoyed outside with a bottle of Chateau St. Michele Riesling. Delightful.Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-2101645293920853002010-05-23T19:29:00.008-04:002010-05-23T19:55:37.524-04:00Sunday Night Catch Up!I've been super busy during the week and haven't had much time to update y'all on some of the latest things I've cooked! Well, I'm back on this Sunday evening to play a little "catch up" and fill you in on some good eats!<br /><br />I made a couple of meals this week to send off to my grandparents. It's nice to know that they have some healthy home cooked meals that can last them through the week. I started off by making a <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good Housekeeping </span></span>recipe for <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Crustless Tomato Ricotta Pie".</span> I had to prep this recipe for a TV shoot earlier in the week and was dying to make it myself. It is so fresh and light--the perfect warm summer lunch.<br /><br />I was at first unsure whether I could post this recipe-- I always have to be careful because some of the recipes I'm exposed to are not yet published and released to the public. However, I double-checked that this recipe was already posted on the Good Housekeeping website. This is a recipe you all have to try. It is great for entertaining--super easy and very beautiful & impressive to serve!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiYb47CQyfZT-hc-G0zcS_2mXMnvt66d5huPHOIG6zuwutAOr7ALqHfb_UyfHow_noSe8FLDnLAmrFw_z7uYnkMlH9_0Tmc1cAiNcVf1XlFx4GDYuCWbwZsjcsh9_ZL6lIH5wrfEMT3NV/s1600/IMG_1757.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtiYb47CQyfZT-hc-G0zcS_2mXMnvt66d5huPHOIG6zuwutAOr7ALqHfb_UyfHow_noSe8FLDnLAmrFw_z7uYnkMlH9_0Tmc1cAiNcVf1XlFx4GDYuCWbwZsjcsh9_ZL6lIH5wrfEMT3NV/s320/IMG_1757.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474612446861708226" border="0" /></a>Ingredients:<br />1 15-oz container part-skim ricotta<br />4 large eggs<br />1/4 cup grated pecorino romano<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/8 coarse ground pepper<br />1/4 cup 1% milk (I used skim--what I had on hand)<br />1 T. cornstarch<br />1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped<br />1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped<br />1 lb. ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom or the freshest available), thin sliced<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a non-stick 9 inch skillet with cooking spray.<br />2. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, pecorino, salt, and pepper.<br />3. Whisk together cornstarch and milk until combined. Add to the ricotta mixture.<br />4. Stir in basil and mint. Pour mixture into the skillet and scatter the top with tomato slices.<br />5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until set.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYwuwYkG8sTzUMZL_GQZDZiGGiLmiB2_1gnVwMNHs06_CD24x9ygzNkEI2Sre7jkb7wZLgSb6TFbtClIfElmr1I7NfbrCh7_yKjlpNORhK0mO5IvXfLwrL6UkDu8O8Ic0ylfIiHYTAPx_/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYwuwYkG8sTzUMZL_GQZDZiGGiLmiB2_1gnVwMNHs06_CD24x9ygzNkEI2Sre7jkb7wZLgSb6TFbtClIfElmr1I7NfbrCh7_yKjlpNORhK0mO5IvXfLwrL6UkDu8O8Ic0ylfIiHYTAPx_/s320/IMG_1758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474612289902060882" border="0" /></a>As this would be a nice light lunch, I also wanted to make them a hearty dinner. My mom gave me a recipe out of a <span style="font-style: italic;">weightwatcher</span> cook book to make, but I made several changes to make it a bit more tasty, but still healthy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pasta with chicken sausage, bell pepper, and swiss chard:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_K8ErrWEbkZ19WR5s1gQsDd_KzTA1Gg-4Gd1D334p2-ip-lJy85DIPBBkukMPd7wwXAKrQ8gFZmdHxW-s29im4444nODS-anm8v9wL8ptetwy_kLijJhvClpuNsAjv-mvq_wPUsgM7X4/s1600/IMG_1759.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_K8ErrWEbkZ19WR5s1gQsDd_KzTA1Gg-4Gd1D334p2-ip-lJy85DIPBBkukMPd7wwXAKrQ8gFZmdHxW-s29im4444nODS-anm8v9wL8ptetwy_kLijJhvClpuNsAjv-mvq_wPUsgM7X4/s320/IMG_1759.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474612106297158002" border="0" /></a>Ingredients:<br />1/2 lb pasta<br />1 T. olive oil<br />3/4 lb Italian poultry sausage, removed from casings<br />1 onion, chopped<br />1 red bell pepper, chopped<br />1 bunch swiss chard, cut in bite-sized peices<br />1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes<br />1/3 cup vegetable stock<br />salt & pepper<br />1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend<br />1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn<br />pecorino romano cheese, for serving<br /><br />1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.<br />2. Add the onions, peppers, and sausage, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper.<br />3. Add swiss chard slowly, adding more when it begins to wilt. Add the stock and tomatoes. Cover and simmer until the chard is fully cooked (about 10 minutes). Sesason with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.<br />4. In the meantime, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, SALTED water until al dente (I cooked it a bit longer because my grandpa likes pasta well-done). Add the cooked pasta to the sausage and swiss chard mixture.<br />5. Finish with torn basil leaves and freshly grated cheese. Mangia!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs79JHASDp9PPsWBdKXl5P7wORQT4OpV45ROxRbuFTw_TWvvYxVbflJzll6VxhF3o9-vDz4GWTjlH0LBhStK_7xoG_LmTGnPhfGp0P3vL_7FW2L1PDKuBtA0KuUmrg3cuCFu6zYUnI8pM/s1600/IMG_1760.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs79JHASDp9PPsWBdKXl5P7wORQT4OpV45ROxRbuFTw_TWvvYxVbflJzll6VxhF3o9-vDz4GWTjlH0LBhStK_7xoG_LmTGnPhfGp0P3vL_7FW2L1PDKuBtA0KuUmrg3cuCFu6zYUnI8pM/s320/IMG_1760.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474611928582416690" border="0" /></a>Off to another week at the externship! It's going to be another crazy week of T.V. shoots and final recipe testing for the October issue!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-33077608897234426042010-05-15T12:03:00.003-04:002010-05-15T12:16:42.539-04:00Millet Muffins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK11JpxsYx_rT_UIMyy-iQ0KsOkYnCTMVSfhqM5p8Nqwha0BdGbPPh7vVBwj1n468RhmZz3XskHtS2_-h8wmpoy6jwVTqHddv4Nk0M05Egc083Zm6OG8tmjBepDMUQ0qW43fkFBWQ2p95t/s1600/IMG_1750.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK11JpxsYx_rT_UIMyy-iQ0KsOkYnCTMVSfhqM5p8Nqwha0BdGbPPh7vVBwj1n468RhmZz3XskHtS2_-h8wmpoy6jwVTqHddv4Nk0M05Egc083Zm6OG8tmjBepDMUQ0qW43fkFBWQ2p95t/s320/IMG_1750.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471528353903077842" border="0" /></a>My mom experimented with these muffins last week..and they were a success! She baked them on Mother's day so that we could all sample them. Well, even my picky grandparents and grain-hater father loved them. They are super moist, slightly sweet, and have a satisfying crunch to them from the millet. Not to mention, they are VERY healthy! My mom was so pleased that everyone liked them, that she went a little overboard and made many many more batches on Monday. I've been eating my way through my <span style="font-style: italic;">personal</span> batch, enjoying them as an easy breakfast-to-go during the week. <br /><br />(<span style="font-style: italic;">Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com)</span><br />Ingredients:<br />2 cups sprouted flour (or whole wheat flour)<br />1/4 cup ground flax<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 cup buttermilk<br />1 egg, lightly beaten<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1/4 cup coconut oil<br />1/2 cup agave<br />1/4 cup applesauce<br />wheat germ for sprinkling<br /><br />Directions:<br />1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 16 muffin cups. (Or 8 extra-large muffin cups-- I like my muffins larger so they hold me over until lunch!!)<br />2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, flax, millet, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, coconut oil, agave, apple sauce, and vanilla. Stir the liquid mix into the flour mix just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with wheat germ.<br />3. Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-60754963615439240152010-05-14T18:44:00.004-04:002010-05-23T12:44:05.886-04:00Sour-Cream Pear Coffee Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwiO1dUK3GIDFDoR1vFwTT8gNo6tfBPa1OqmuhH9wUiP2a2XNsTS7QrQ2qpiVMTwpe2NAPC5j8Uc_gp446XiowlYNIYuby8rx2_JhyL7glUTtKN6kS3Q4eD-uwIWkIO4fO5XZ96nRILV7/s1600/IMG_1753.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwiO1dUK3GIDFDoR1vFwTT8gNo6tfBPa1OqmuhH9wUiP2a2XNsTS7QrQ2qpiVMTwpe2NAPC5j8Uc_gp446XiowlYNIYuby8rx2_JhyL7glUTtKN6kS3Q4eD-uwIWkIO4fO5XZ96nRILV7/s320/IMG_1753.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471583015173815394" border="0" /></a>It's about time I give an update on my internship, right?!! Well, it's AWESOME! Totally my dream job. I walked into the Hearst building on Monday completely in awe that I would be working in such a beautiful building for the next 6 weeks. I really didn't know what to expect on my first day, so I was a little bit nervous.<br /><br />Everyone in the test kitchen is SO nice and my job is everything and more than I expected. Every morning we start out with some coffee and breakfast. Throughout the day I do various things, such as making sure the test kitchen is clean at all times, running various errands, testing recipes, baking for events, attending photo shoots/TV shoots, and grocery shopping. I LOVE that I get to go to Whole Foods every day. I hate shopping, EXCEPT food shopping..and Whole Foods happens to be my favorite store ever! I'm such a foodie ;)<br /><br />I didn't get to test any recipes this week, but I definitely will get the chance to next week. I have my own kitchen set-up and desk & computer station. On Wednesday, I helped out with a promotional TV shoot for a new Good Housekeeping brownie cookbook. Yesterday I was able to attend a photo shoot for the recipes in the September issue.<br /><br />Today there were public tours going around the institute so I had to make a Good Housekeeping recipe for coffee cake. This was an AMAZING coffee cake!! I ate a ton of scraps (since I had to trim the edges when I cut it into squares). Since this recipe is available online, I see no issue in sharing the recipe with all of you. I am definitely making this cake again soon.. maybe even tomorrow?! As soon as I do, I'll post a picture!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJLJ5wl_eChdtrCoqfsxpSx7oVw-6GarpZKRdTBayDQVwoqd0UrMM-xyGAO6QqolOq5J2XKFUyIepO9HS8opGMmKvtBYhhqd3gETAWEgUifGqGQQ3DVOAanmDRHz06AZszxjRNY8a7OiC/s1600/IMG_1756.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJLJ5wl_eChdtrCoqfsxpSx7oVw-6GarpZKRdTBayDQVwoqd0UrMM-xyGAO6QqolOq5J2XKFUyIepO9HS8opGMmKvtBYhhqd3gETAWEgUifGqGQQ3DVOAanmDRHz06AZszxjRNY8a7OiC/s320/IMG_1756.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471583236532162498" border="0" /></a>Streusal:<br /><pre>2/3 cup packed light<br />brown sugar<br />1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />4 tablespoons margarine or<br />butter, softened<br />2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and<br />chopped<br /><br />CAKE:<br />2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 1/4 cups sugar<br />6 tablespoons margarine or<br />butter, softened<br />2 large eggs<br />1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />1 1/3 cups sour cream<br />3 firm but ripe Bosc pears<br />(about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled,<br />cored, and cut into<br />1-inch pieces<br /></pre><p>1. Preheat oven to 350 [degrees] F. Grease 13" by 9" metal baking pan; dust with flour. **(A cool trick is to grease the pan, line with foil, and then grease and flour the foil.. that way you can lift the cake right out of the pan and slice!)<br /></p><p>2. Prepare Streusel: In medium bowl, with fork, mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon until well blended. With fingertips, work in margarine or butter until evenly distributed. Add walnuts and toss to mix; set aside. </p><p>3. Prepare Cake: In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. </p><p>4. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar with margarine or butter until blended, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. </p><p>5. With mixer at low speed, alternately add flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until batter is smooth, occasionally scraping bowl. With rubber spatula, fold in pears. </p><p>6. Spoon batter into pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle top with streusel mixture. Bake coffee cake 40 to 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool … </p>My mom also made an incredible <span style="font-weight: bold;">millet muffin</span> last week, so I'll be posting that recipe <span style="font-weight: bold;">tomorrow!</span>Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-59943826260064698712010-05-09T15:17:00.003-04:002010-05-09T15:33:13.563-04:00Savory BiscottiI've decided I can't say goodbye to this blog quite yet! Even if I won't be blogging about my day-to-day experiences at my internship, I can still offer some great recipes and restaurant spots. So, you may have noticed a change in the header of this website. It is not longer "diaries of a culinary <span style="font-weight: bold;">student"</span>, but rather "of a culinary <span style="font-weight: bold;">graduate".</span> I look forward to sharing some good eats throughout the summer and experimenting with new recipes!<br /><br />Before I share a new recipe with y'all, here are some more pictures of graduation (that I stole from Miss Huggins):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj666B6tJncL6I1UdW4OM_xq9AvB1DFMSe94GN2IxJKz8NlQ_wlntP6lAW9Z-R2UU1u14yY46Vgb8q0MrfK6BcZF2eXsKq7ykEXvO2f3pdor8r2yllCGOVXC5XbicPCp9_rNvilrHmJueKw/s1600/31807_392622552607_828292607_3916840_3944711_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj666B6tJncL6I1UdW4OM_xq9AvB1DFMSe94GN2IxJKz8NlQ_wlntP6lAW9Z-R2UU1u14yY46Vgb8q0MrfK6BcZF2eXsKq7ykEXvO2f3pdor8r2yllCGOVXC5XbicPCp9_rNvilrHmJueKw/s320/31807_392622552607_828292607_3916840_3944711_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469352396090459154" border="0" /></a>Team 3.. I miss you guys!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP_JdkJbeIUm0l_bsekKtrE38d0_Ga7uj1qGl_RZ2rdCQHDHmYKBKwhFVft4mHSlL2ZMTB9KCy-6VthefIfTc3m6mSImBZN4MxYDF6dbMq12kY5OvaOXtQzvaS5xl0dJLnGXvW5stfuxJ/s1600/31807_392622557607_828292607_3916841_1727407_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP_JdkJbeIUm0l_bsekKtrE38d0_Ga7uj1qGl_RZ2rdCQHDHmYKBKwhFVft4mHSlL2ZMTB9KCy-6VthefIfTc3m6mSImBZN4MxYDF6dbMq12kY5OvaOXtQzvaS5xl0dJLnGXvW5stfuxJ/s320/31807_392622557607_828292607_3916841_1727407_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469352322287826562" border="0" /></a>Me with Miss Huggins herself:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyvebkrR3TS60ncmjkZotDqZE3plbyQVbTBAyRBXrw6dinWxY8MATxlFDhWY-q4bUIgFpugvzxOVok6nuEKTjq04H1nW5-_lXivL80M5mU0ZJX-BeAp0DoNImpaveRdrvSmZuYxI-jXJt/s1600/31807_392622567607_828292607_3916842_2648056_n.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwyvebkrR3TS60ncmjkZotDqZE3plbyQVbTBAyRBXrw6dinWxY8MATxlFDhWY-q4bUIgFpugvzxOVok6nuEKTjq04H1nW5-_lXivL80M5mU0ZJX-BeAp0DoNImpaveRdrvSmZuYxI-jXJt/s320/31807_392622567607_828292607_3916842_2648056_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469352242272844210" border="0" /></a>For Mother's day, I decided to make this new recipe for biscotti. I saw Giada make it on Food Network yesterday and was dying to try it out! My family loves biscotti, but this is a different kind of cookie. It is savory, rather than sweet, and contains goat cheese and dried herbs. Interesting, huh? Well, it was a hit and had everybody going back for seconds! There is no better complement to a chef than for everybody to go back for seconds.. I was very pleased :)<br /><br />To go along with my biscotti, I prepared a beautiful Italian lunch spread with fresh mozzerella, basil, tomatoes, roasted peppers, Italian meats, and toasted Italian bread. The perfect lunch for my little Italian family!<br /><br />Here is the recipe for Giada's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Savory Biscotti:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVZbix7Vh36YRL2GY6HaXih8QOh86rlTKwj26ntnMzehUFuIoR2Uz2Tiz3u-fYyb3AmedBv6y8G9ixbLPNZXSNdg3HJvCFn0_mfyKu1iGrsA4mufLQtNcYam4aqV7fDKb6FgPD_Ud04wV/s1600/IMG_1748.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVZbix7Vh36YRL2GY6HaXih8QOh86rlTKwj26ntnMzehUFuIoR2Uz2Tiz3u-fYyb3AmedBv6y8G9ixbLPNZXSNdg3HJvCFn0_mfyKu1iGrsA4mufLQtNcYam4aqV7fDKb6FgPD_Ud04wV/s320/IMG_1748.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469352103498774722" border="0" /></a>-2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)<br />-3 T herbes de provence (I didn't have any so I used an Italian blend)<br />-1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />-3/4 tsp sea salt<br />-1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)<br />-1/4 cup (2 oz) goat cheese (room temp)<br />-3 T sugar<br />-2 eggs, beaten<br /><br />Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, herbes de Provence, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br /><br />In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and goat cheese together until smooth. Beat in the sugar and eggs. In batches, add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, form the dough into a 13-inch-long, 3 1/2-inch-wide loaf. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.<br /><br />Transfer the loaf to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.<br /><br />*This would be a great Happy Hour snack! It would go wonderfully with a glass of wine!<br /><br />Happy mother's day to my beautiful mommy and grandma!!!<br /><br />Tomorrow I start my externship... here:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVATYDI27Ts68SjDQeV2uZqKxxpbWSmPdr-1NJgxRxZcZ26lDKQQrEe26VtS2hth_sEuEmO7ylnzC_DBFwfe61rO57uzHpPFwMSMj6tpHk1nInw6w3F73Had_0oapd5rPy_R4qrkHkEdvJ/s1600/hearst-tower.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVATYDI27Ts68SjDQeV2uZqKxxpbWSmPdr-1NJgxRxZcZ26lDKQQrEe26VtS2hth_sEuEmO7ylnzC_DBFwfe61rO57uzHpPFwMSMj6tpHk1nInw6w3F73Had_0oapd5rPy_R4qrkHkEdvJ/s320/hearst-tower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469351951677373858" border="0" /></a>Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-22982159708247028812010-05-06T12:57:00.005-04:002010-05-06T13:46:52.214-04:00Lessons 109-110: GraduationYesterday my day began at 5:00 am... Well, actually 3:30 am! I woke up with a million things running through my head. Before I knew it, the clock said 4:59 and I rushed to turn off my alarm before it chirped annoyingly (yes, chirped-- my alarm clock is the sound of birds.. it's awful). I took the 6 am train out of Matawan and entered kitchen 1401 for my very last time at 7:30 armed with sharp knives and COFFEE. <br /><br />Kim and I were lucky to get some of our hardest components of our menu out of the way on Monday and Tuesday-- our shellfish cream sauce and fruit "caviar" (a difficult process using molecular gastronomy to form tiny fruit gel balls). We also got some other mis en place together on Tuesday, including roasting and small-dicing red peppers, cooking the corn, and mincing a ton of shallots and mushrooms. However, I was still nervous about getting everything done in time!<br /><br />Thankfully, we worked extremely well together and were on top of our game on Wednesday. We communicated effectively and were very efficient with all of our tasks. When I'm stressed out, I make lists...so we carefully made sure we went through everything on the list and ended up being ahead of schedule. <br /><br />Unfortunately, only one thing did not go our way--the "fruit caviar" for our dessert blinis. The gel was not rinsing off and they completely fell apart. I felt bad because Kim worked really hard and stayed after class a couple of days to perfect this component to our dessert. We couldn't dwell on the moment, as we had to have something to get on the table. So, we went to our back-up plan: minced fruit. The ideal fruit would probably have been mango, but we had to work with what we had, and the only fruit available were oranges. It worked out fine and we were just pleased that that was the only big obstacle we had to face during the day.<br /><br />If you haven't guessed already, our theme was for our savory items to look like desserts and our desserts to look savory. The first dish we prepared was the "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Crab Creme Brulee</span>":<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rzQKVBb3Doi6JYQlSHu6-H72BXesSZjD_Y7ntSB5DjtqPTPNoFfat03zdtQ0a-DUwWK7gLOdo-WE30NyVyKH4qpKfOh2szOCHJL6acUKrIgkGdwU9f33P3wk1Uu5a76bNRhngNyamJZU/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rzQKVBb3Doi6JYQlSHu6-H72BXesSZjD_Y7ntSB5DjtqPTPNoFfat03zdtQ0a-DUwWK7gLOdo-WE30NyVyKH4qpKfOh2szOCHJL6acUKrIgkGdwU9f33P3wk1Uu5a76bNRhngNyamJZU/s320/IMG_1739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468203645243533698" border="0" /></a>We made a wonderful sauce for these brulees on Monday, which consisted of browned shrimp shells, mirepoix, ginger, thyme, vermouth, shrimp stock, lobster cream, heavy cream, and a touch of lemon juice. This sauce was DEE-licioius! We filled up about 90-100 little dishes with crab meat mixed with dried out tomatoes. Next we tempered eggs into the sauce to form the custard base. We poured this custard on top of the dishes and CAREFULLY placed them in the oven. I wasn't sure how long it would take and had visions of overcooking them, so we kept an eye on these babies and sure enough, they came out PERFECT. We topped each brulee with a parmesan frico to act as the crunchy shell on top. <br /><br />Our next dish was "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mushroom Risotto Ice Cream". </span>We made a rich and creamy mushroom risotto and used a mini ice cream scooper for serving. We topped each scoop with "chive sprinkles", a drizzle of aged balsamic as "chocolate sauce" and a tiny red pepper "cherry" on top. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjbiLIMrjZM3CFiaDjeMu8R7uDt7_61HKDM_nkrunPFlVgfbftL3aSL2PyFRuoydYM__5DrAIhv3nIeOnXnT1NrkmM46svLYyQYAOw4Oy6B8R-uHgvFmRcp_T_C74XGuiCbwAwlU0T6gb/s1600/IMG_1740.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjbiLIMrjZM3CFiaDjeMu8R7uDt7_61HKDM_nkrunPFlVgfbftL3aSL2PyFRuoydYM__5DrAIhv3nIeOnXnT1NrkmM46svLYyQYAOw4Oy6B8R-uHgvFmRcp_T_C74XGuiCbwAwlU0T6gb/s320/IMG_1740.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468203514711922882" border="0" /></a>We had a little trouble thinking of a vegetable dish that could look like a dessert. We decided on vegetable "candy". We made a colorful corn and roasted red pepper saute and plated it in tiny dishes with a few arugula leaves. It was light, fresh, and beautiful:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_cCcGwBmDsoNDFs3ifSspB73A4x_qVT-SFPA0KrlmyqbG48ulHXrexGL1D-tAm8FnUSVmgOZcb7uVCqkK9q7q7CH49klfyZHuoCknRwbyuSpTAWO8nHXVFmcEQWRu5UAffoBKg9PzaP2/s1600/IMG_1734.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_cCcGwBmDsoNDFs3ifSspB73A4x_qVT-SFPA0KrlmyqbG48ulHXrexGL1D-tAm8FnUSVmgOZcb7uVCqkK9q7q7CH49klfyZHuoCknRwbyuSpTAWO8nHXVFmcEQWRu5UAffoBKg9PzaP2/s320/IMG_1734.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468203378116358130" border="0" /></a>The picture of the blinis (along with MANY other pictures from the night) are on my mom's camera, so I'll post them as soon as they're available. For the blinis, we made a sweet buckwheat pancake batter. We made tiny pancakes that we served with grand manier spiked whipped cream, minced orange, and mint. (For any of you who don't know what a blini is, it is traditionally a savory buckwheat pancake served with sour cream, caviar, and chives).<br /><br />By 4:00 all of our food was on the carts, labeled, and ready to be sent to the 12th floor for set-up. We cleaned the kitchen like we never cleaned before and left it spotless! Finally it was time to clean up and get ready for our family to arrive. <br /><br />At 5, we all headed downstairs to help set up our tables. There were two wonderful volunteer students serving our food, so Kim and I explained our dishes to them and how to serve it. <br /><br />5:30 was nearly arriving and I could not wait for my family and boyfriend to get there. We all worked so hard and were running on very little sleep. It was time to celebrate and show the ones we care about what we've spent these past 6 months doing. <br /><br />After a congratulatory cheers of champagne, we sampled all of my classmates' food.. it was all spectacular! It is amazing how far we've come. I could only get a few pictures of my other classmates' food before the guests arrived and dug in!<br /><br />Matt and Allison's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian Noodles with Jicama, Snow Peas, and Carrots:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSuzRBa9XzUE8nmRiec94kxOv3J1zcJE-4NetRL6jaUvUJh3KXOv4bo0Kld7oTCCDWHFZ1bkq1t3LQBDGnE8-HZPfMfRYxjUI2DGxfacCuf6pHVm8lcF4IaVkIilg4tX38eSYRsOViEvX/s1600/IMG_1735.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSuzRBa9XzUE8nmRiec94kxOv3J1zcJE-4NetRL6jaUvUJh3KXOv4bo0Kld7oTCCDWHFZ1bkq1t3LQBDGnE8-HZPfMfRYxjUI2DGxfacCuf6pHVm8lcF4IaVkIilg4tX38eSYRsOViEvX/s320/IMG_1735.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468203225531769266" border="0" /></a><br />Jessica and Vadim's<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Apple Strudel:</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPV3lQC63C91MCQgoQH2fljUXWXqGBMAOiAU2xusYEvoMgCSpjaXT6kp0FBld7Wa_vwpwlfnulsHMoKvaBbxH7Xrwznr63WBFiPANJePMVvE9AkzdKgNphjonveL4hyKWEwt5GhPq9PeZ/s1600/IMG_1736.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPV3lQC63C91MCQgoQH2fljUXWXqGBMAOiAU2xusYEvoMgCSpjaXT6kp0FBld7Wa_vwpwlfnulsHMoKvaBbxH7Xrwznr63WBFiPANJePMVvE9AkzdKgNphjonveL4hyKWEwt5GhPq9PeZ/s320/IMG_1736.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468203071765801058" border="0" /></a>Emily and Mi's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pecan Tarts:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22FJ6cLPBvw-EQ-maxFylDbXwMaUNDMxOtZauGTXBl9pFjQ1vWpboMcylJOsw6LVRzybjyNkWP9xrOdbV7ITpexQ9PmCvrMAm_8NSl62v_GGUgSNsDj_JuhBDDtRaXwLIZXyXOfnpgcpB/s1600/IMG_1737.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22FJ6cLPBvw-EQ-maxFylDbXwMaUNDMxOtZauGTXBl9pFjQ1vWpboMcylJOsw6LVRzybjyNkWP9xrOdbV7ITpexQ9PmCvrMAm_8NSl62v_GGUgSNsDj_JuhBDDtRaXwLIZXyXOfnpgcpB/s320/IMG_1737.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468202924753468050" border="0" /></a>Al and Henry's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mascarpone Cheesecake:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUR9CtVFJnol6m79Edjn2Mp97Y_1rHDWq4GtWJOsMwwJ_08Pwhyphenhyphen2enCQR8BijdjlJc4yGOoLSk9wHC92S5jsVPkXbZ8Q56OuRTvq0guMkAKmC2jgLGUubWY15eQ48fRej_A8bu86q9kkK/s1600/IMG_1738.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUR9CtVFJnol6m79Edjn2Mp97Y_1rHDWq4GtWJOsMwwJ_08Pwhyphenhyphen2enCQR8BijdjlJc4yGOoLSk9wHC92S5jsVPkXbZ8Q56OuRTvq0guMkAKmC2jgLGUubWY15eQ48fRej_A8bu86q9kkK/s320/IMG_1738.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468202774331412098" border="0" /></a>The night flew by.. before I knew it, we were all sporting our new really fancy <span style="font-style: italic;">paper</span> chef toques and wishing each other luck with our externships and future careers in the food industry. <br /><br />This is the end of another chapter of my life-- and the beginning of a whole new one as I start my externship at the Good Housekeeping Institute on Monday morning.<br /><br />Congratulations to the class of kitchen 1401! I wish you all luck and hope to hear about all of your experiences as chefs in the real world!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK19Y2Ou19LPfeRStiDAAzdRBzY5F6XkSv_ChB34wpVjHkts1Kjt3jieEWn4EiqqOvPaodMWoblZEJpI7upMBRTRYGO5cHa8rK0hsc93MCQ-npCQNZRloyY4nzxySVPfi2jXbtMDwnJwlF/s1600/IMG_1746.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK19Y2Ou19LPfeRStiDAAzdRBzY5F6XkSv_ChB34wpVjHkts1Kjt3jieEWn4EiqqOvPaodMWoblZEJpI7upMBRTRYGO5cHa8rK0hsc93MCQ-npCQNZRloyY4nzxySVPfi2jXbtMDwnJwlF/s320/IMG_1746.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468202582129507506" border="0" /></a>Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-41655306069909763712010-05-05T21:41:00.001-04:002010-05-05T21:43:42.998-04:00Best Day Of My Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n6jL_EV6HOajHrPU3m3WBnwwh-xLmYKFNHNLenbtMo9HPeVjmTNHUGudTeuzP-_lB6mEEiy3n0dHcBNGvwZA96pqH6MTwFXbdqM0OHrg616hoDb9N-QWuFpMUchztmFLqVY2cG37u5gw/s1600/IMG_1733.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n6jL_EV6HOajHrPU3m3WBnwwh-xLmYKFNHNLenbtMo9HPeVjmTNHUGudTeuzP-_lB6mEEiy3n0dHcBNGvwZA96pqH6MTwFXbdqM0OHrg616hoDb9N-QWuFpMUchztmFLqVY2cG37u5gw/s320/IMG_1733.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467966664066581410" border="0" /></a>Re-cap soon to come!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-51752860866125271082010-05-02T17:51:00.002-04:002010-05-02T17:53:38.782-04:00I Made It!Not much to report on Friday’s class.. not even any pictures. I figured y’all were getting tired of seeing ground up meat and seafood. Allison and I made the Mediterranean Seafood Terrine, which consisted of ground up shrimp, scallops, saffron infused cream, egg whites, and seasonings. The rest of the group worked on the Chicken Galantine, which was another chicken pate that we wrapped in the skin of the chicken. The rest of class was spent helping Chef Chris prep for his recreational class followed by a quick culinary review of everything we learned in the past 6 months. And so ends my very last lesson at culinary school..<br /><br />I only had the realization late last week that not only is culinary school coming to an end, but so is this blog. Starting this blog was the best thing I could have done, since now I have my own electronic diary/portfolio. I was the class “paparazzi” as I made sure to photograph almost everything we prepared. It became a comforting and therapeutic routine for me to talk about each and every day and share my thoughts and feelings throughout the way. I definitely had my fair share of struggles--there are always going to be bad days where things just don’t turn out the way you want. I also enjoyed sharing the successes-- my own and my classmates’. We all worked really hard these past six months so as to become great chefs, whether it’s at a top dining establishment in NYC, a bakery, a catering company, or a media publication. <br /><br />I would like to take this moment to thank the people who made this all possible. Thanks, mom and dad for supporting me in everything that I do. Thank you for making my dream come true. I am so blessed to have such loving, supportive, caring parents.<br /><br />I would also like to thank the Chef instructors that have taught me so many culinary skills: Chef Allan, Chef Karen, Chef Ana, Chef Erica, Chef Chad, and Chef Chris. It is truly amazing how I went from learning how to properly mince my first clove of garlic to filleting my first fish in module one. In module two we learned every cooking technique from braising, sautéing, and poaching to learning how to make the perfect French omelet. In module 3 we explored the cuisines of the world and prepared the classic Boeuf Bourguignon, fresh pasta, and sushi. Module 4 was a bit of a change as we baked bread, decorated cakes, and even churned our own ice cream. Finally, we ended module 5 with recipes from Daniel Boulud, Rick Bayless, and creating our own original dishes. <br /><br />What an adventure this has been! I can’t forget to thank my classmates for providing a fun, light-hearted cooking environment. I am so lucky that our class got along so well. It makes a difference in your cooking experience when you can work well with the people around you. I know that I will be keeping in touch with many of my classmates and can only hope to cook with them again soon!<br /><br />I’ll leave you all with my theme song of the week:<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F_7baOCYg-Q&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F_7baOCYg-Q&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Stay tuned for a graduation re-cap later this week!Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3889500940104997431.post-35413042369349908012010-04-29T19:37:00.011-04:002010-04-30T08:13:46.576-04:00Lesson 106: Mousselines, Pan-Smoking, CevicheI was feeling like a million bucks today after a good night's sleep and finally recovering from the crazy night on Tuesday :)<br /><br />Instead of each group preparing different recipes, every group prepared the same 5 recipes. Before we all got working on our mis en place, Chef demonstrated how to fillet a salmon and red snapper. We've seen how to filet these fish many times throughout our culinary education, but a refresher is always helpful. I tried to take a video of the demo, but my memory card couldn't hold a long video. Here's part of Chef Chris's demo on how to fillet a salmon:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxx9ThSTMV4a6YVkQf9VtO2s4nzsll_88hBPWELllrge1ZTxW5yDGgXkpbjFMPG0emQI0lrd_kFxXQKUsoJeA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />This is a picture of Chef Chris demo'ing the red snapper:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOA3GpbsNu4kEIcTW6OY1L6dpGBzrannqtf6zGAL4z5YbjZLsFkOzef_jZE39O3BJLvmi86trMcu3nOeA_6r2FuocBBE947lx398b9aShk1mIOFiaMtEvU6Da-AnQIHDoPqktc59dtY_8q/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOA3GpbsNu4kEIcTW6OY1L6dpGBzrannqtf6zGAL4z5YbjZLsFkOzef_jZE39O3BJLvmi86trMcu3nOeA_6r2FuocBBE947lx398b9aShk1mIOFiaMtEvU6Da-AnQIHDoPqktc59dtY_8q/s320/IMG_1724.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465708952032627506" border="0" /></a>I worked on the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pan-Smoked Trout with Honey-Poppy Seed Citrus Dressing. </span>I began by preparing the brine, which included a lot of salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, pickling spices, and honey. I dissolved these spices in boiling water and then cooled the mixture down by adding more ice water. I added the pan-dressed trout to the brine and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. In the meantime, I made the dressing and helped my team members out with the other recipes. At 3:30 I put my trout in the smoker and left it in there for about 35-40 minutes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3XBLzT8N9SAAmDGHoFsoYUsPZ7RyOdkUObaeqjzxSvUELwN_y-S0YHh23DZoTt1HsCvOOEo1tOC5CkQVajbAvjILMnXpiKGpkU3gifhYiJSj-ObskRmobH6T5hFXVDOND6bgI0Y4igE3/s1600/IMG_1726.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3XBLzT8N9SAAmDGHoFsoYUsPZ7RyOdkUObaeqjzxSvUELwN_y-S0YHh23DZoTt1HsCvOOEo1tOC5CkQVajbAvjILMnXpiKGpkU3gifhYiJSj-ObskRmobH6T5hFXVDOND6bgI0Y4igE3/s320/IMG_1726.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465708710557164322" border="0" /></a>I also worked on breaking down the fois gras. After separating the lobes, I removed all of the veins and seasoned it with the brine we made yesterday, along with some brandy and port. Doesn't it look yummy?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutXat1PfKLQ1lp-saBOILtjGWmRrdkz2lcA_kw09eMKIlKiNczCp3XSbu1Jk6puexLbn4zs9e5HUsnr6JJDGcSpIRJ0Hzv1CqYR8nhj10hYFow9_YfTMXwwX837pfY80T6deyTy9XQ_iL/s1600/IMG_1725.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutXat1PfKLQ1lp-saBOILtjGWmRrdkz2lcA_kw09eMKIlKiNczCp3XSbu1Jk6puexLbn4zs9e5HUsnr6JJDGcSpIRJ0Hzv1CqYR8nhj10hYFow9_YfTMXwwX837pfY80T6deyTy9XQ_iL/s320/IMG_1725.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465708587087878802" border="0" /></a>We are making the fois gras terrine tomorrow after it marinates overnight.<br /><br />The other recipes today included:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Japanese Pickled Vegetables</span> (or as our book said: "Javanese")<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd6VylW5FC4Jbs21SmIWwXao2BHK0tM1JD9K-jyDLCdAx1KPvctpM5cdyNXI7JCoz9QBMJGkl8uWZeMYpU1ulRI4mt1-h-PGBvIeV_ROHx2pXlPcVEAX02wWIvS4Sa61ARdgMDjitHHZv/s1600/IMG_1727.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKd6VylW5FC4Jbs21SmIWwXao2BHK0tM1JD9K-jyDLCdAx1KPvctpM5cdyNXI7JCoz9QBMJGkl8uWZeMYpU1ulRI4mt1-h-PGBvIeV_ROHx2pXlPcVEAX02wWIvS4Sa61ARdgMDjitHHZv/s320/IMG_1727.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465708425261333074" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thai Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFX9_iXhzZB-kvih2_mdS7aIXrk_XWDz3G0eLZymn_302GfL34gbIGiK51EnpVNA5HadAI8bNMhx2mI72W1kjHRzGGkrPLzuHXahjeW7wXB-kyVo7a_PYqiVeL7PsLlweqOulYYDepxJx/s1600/IMG_1728.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFX9_iXhzZB-kvih2_mdS7aIXrk_XWDz3G0eLZymn_302GfL34gbIGiK51EnpVNA5HadAI8bNMhx2mI72W1kjHRzGGkrPLzuHXahjeW7wXB-kyVo7a_PYqiVeL7PsLlweqOulYYDepxJx/s320/IMG_1728.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465708297655853826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tea and Spice Smoked Salmon:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireQIlOeeCQuVX3F9UOJ4tkVgiHUsanXwqHuIGH_J9y6Wp2FZXgJ1ohIuMAQBB4eLHJPqtbkTy33HT7zBCC7THlcp8nM3OeYxT_p0wiEHHKIa07nreSJxSuDcRg89PMOW8r1AVVzUV_ai2/s1600/IMG_1730.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireQIlOeeCQuVX3F9UOJ4tkVgiHUsanXwqHuIGH_J9y6Wp2FZXgJ1ohIuMAQBB4eLHJPqtbkTy33HT7zBCC7THlcp8nM3OeYxT_p0wiEHHKIa07nreSJxSuDcRg89PMOW8r1AVVzUV_ai2/s320/IMG_1730.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465708187990912514" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seafood Mousseline:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWtOQod9MbTXD2u8xWxiUyiVN5zATS4lxbmJ4gRhwJCjwF6b9Q_-KlBxp59a0bogRD8KSlCDebicYu-o3VJr22JD0kLEBa4CgSfWRC1MqVtET4Zs4B2L-jSB8mHws6C3THujtErd7XA2H/s1600/IMG_1731.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimWtOQod9MbTXD2u8xWxiUyiVN5zATS4lxbmJ4gRhwJCjwF6b9Q_-KlBxp59a0bogRD8KSlCDebicYu-o3VJr22JD0kLEBa4CgSfWRC1MqVtET4Zs4B2L-jSB8mHws6C3THujtErd7XA2H/s320/IMG_1731.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465707950412317682" border="0" /></a><br />Remember the brioche dough I made yesterday? We wrapped our terrines with the dough and baked it today. It was delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPR0GGd64HomxfrZiJDP7mBGRT6fMX5SJIvizRfTQYLQyi8Ofl0Ll4rAKTjxuGJpcN3OHoDtXok4YzVQ6KFyZ7nhMsA8TouV63UdlfxxQfP8-4B74DpD0IQ3_Jnq3gsUeIJbXgr-IqEfX/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPR0GGd64HomxfrZiJDP7mBGRT6fMX5SJIvizRfTQYLQyi8Ofl0Ll4rAKTjxuGJpcN3OHoDtXok4YzVQ6KFyZ7nhMsA8TouV63UdlfxxQfP8-4B74DpD0IQ3_Jnq3gsUeIJbXgr-IqEfX/s320/IMG_1732.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465707799228288946" border="0" /></a>I can't believe tomorrow is our last lesson! Very bittersweet....Allison Zickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10684394243712895559noreply@blogger.com0