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So many of you know that I haven’t been posting much.  You also know that I was talking about a project in the spring.  Well, you may have guessed it by now… I am finishing up a vegetarian cookbook as we speak.  I am a huge fan of baking, so the cookbook also has lots of great baking recipes, but it is mostly devoted to vegetarianism.  Here’s a sample recipe from the future book. 

Spicy Rice and Black Bean Burgers

(Makes 8 mini burgers or 4 large burgers)

The funniest thing about becoming a vegetarian was how much I loved black bean burgers. I was never a burger eater when I ate meat, but there is something so satisfying about vegetarian burgers. I just love them.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium red pepper, deveined and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbs. ketchup

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked rice (basmati, white or brown)

2 cups fresh wheat or white breadcrumbs

¼ cup dried breadcrumbs

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Serve with avocado, tomato, and lettuce

1. In a medium skillet heat 1 Tbs. olive oil. Sauté the jalapeno, onion, red pepper, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and the onion is translucent. Add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and ketchup. Cook for 2 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a food processor add half of the onion and pepper mixture and half of the beans and rice. Process until combined. Place the mixture in a large bowl with breadcrumbs and the remaining half of the onion mixture, beans and rice. Mix well.
3. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Form patties either into mini patties (3-4 inches) or large patties (6 inches). Cook until browned on both sides. It should take about 3-4 minutes per side.  Top with your favorite toppings and condiments.

Enjoy!

I love making pizza at home.  All you really need is a pizza stone and a good dough recipe.  I have been using the same dough recipe for years, but recently ventured off to try a new recipe and I am so glad I did.  The recipe is from Todd English and it’s delicious.  It uses both white and wheat flour and I have to say the small amount of wheat flour makes all the difference in the world.  The recipe calls for a scant 1/4 cup of wheat flour, but what the wheat does for the texture of this dough is nothing short of amazing.  It gives the dough a nice chewy texture.  Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a try.

Figs Pizza Dough (Todd English)

Ingredients

Makes 4 eight-to-ten-inch pizzas

• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for rolling
• 2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the oil and 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water. Knead on low speed until the dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into four balls, each about 7 1/2 ounces. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place two balls on each sheet, and cover with a damp towel. Allow the dough balls to rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in size, about 2 hours.
3. To roll out the dough, cover your fingers with flour, then place a ball on a generously floured work surface. Press down on the center of the ball with the tips of your fingers, simultaneously stretching the dough out with your hands. When the dough has doubled in width, use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is very thin. The outer border should be slightly thicker than the center. Transfer the dough on a spatula (allowing the dough to fold up almost like an umbrella) to a pizza peel or another flat, wide surface. The dough will be more oval than round. If any holes have appeared, pinch them closed. Repeat with the remaining balls.

Okay so I had a decidedly non-traditional Easter buffet yesterday.  My parents and my husband and I are known for our non-traditional holiday meals.  We had a Vegetarian Mexican inspired buffet yesterday with all kinds of interesting dishes.  It was fun, it was unexpected and it was definitely enjoyed!  One of the dishes that we had was a recipe from Bon Appetit for corn bread.  I really enjoyed this recipe, it wasn’t overly sweet or dry like some corn breads I have eaten.  I think next time I would make it a little more tex-mex, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it as is.  Next time I might add some hot peppers, maybe cilantro instead of basil for starters.  It really inspired me to rethink my corn breads. 

Here’s the recipe for those of you who are interested in trying it out.

Corn Bread with Basil, Roasted Peppers and Monterey Jack Cheese

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion

1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños (about 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained
1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red peppers from jar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 9×9x2-inch baking pan. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Mix cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 tablespoons butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Mix in cheese, corn, red peppers, basil and onion. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake corn bread until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pan on rack. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven about 10 minutes.)

Cut corn bread into squares.

I just got an email for Food Network about a sale they are having on DVD collections.  The prices are really pretty good.  You can get some 3 disc sets of some of the more popular shows for as low as $15.  They have Ina, Paula, Rachael, Alton, Ellie and others on sale right now.  They also have a special offer on shipping for cookbooks.  If you order $25 or more in cookbooks, then the shipping is free. 

So…if you are jonesing for some Food Network nows the time to buy.

Here’s a link to the sale - http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/c-0+4294940030-DVD-Sale.aspx

People often think kitchen equipment has to be expensive to be really useful.  While some very expensive kitchen equipment is definitely helpful and very useful, there are some inexpensive items that I can’t live without.  Here’s the start of a list of great gift ideas that are really useful for any baker’s kitchen. There will be more posts in the future on this subject.

1. Silicone Spatulas - I absolutely love these little spatulas.  The price is very reasonable and they are an indispensable part of my kitchen.  At $8.50 for a medium size spatula, the price is right.  I often find these little beauties on clearance at cooks stores and I load up on them.  I have six of them in different shapes and sizes and colors, of course.  They are the ultimate accessory! 
2. Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Beans - I can’t think of too many baking recipes that can’t be improved with a little shot of vanilla.  I love to buy vanilla in bulk, the price sure is cheaper and I never have to worry about running out of vanilla in the middle of a recipe.  You can buy the 32 ounce vanilla online for $40 instead of $20 for a mere 8 ounces.  Another great thing to have on hand is vanilla beans.  Sometimes I love to add a vanilla bean just for the pretty little seeds and the awesome flavor.  These can also be bought in bulk for a much more reasonable price.  Click on the links above to find out where.
3. Silpat Mats - Silpat mats are great because they can be used over and over again.  The price is very reasonable at around $16 a mat.  Never having to worry about a baked good sticking to your pan is priceless, if you ask me.
4. Microplane - My trusty microplane has been with me in my kitchen for a number of years and is still as sharp as the day I bought it.  I know I reach for it every day, often more than once. 
5. Glass Bowl Set - Having enough bowls to make it through a recipe is an absolute necessity.  I can’t make it through a day baking without using these wonderful bowls.  I also love that I can make an instant double boiler for chocolate by placing one of these glass bowls over a pot of simmering water.  The price is definitely right at $34 for ten bowls. 

Steve Corry was recently named one of the top ten best new chefs according to Food and Wine Magazine.  If you happen to live in Maine or New England for that matter you can check out his restaurant five fifty-five (I assuming it is named for it’s address 555 Congress Street, probably a good guess, right?).  The menu has many options for all palates.  I am hoping to get reservations soon and check it out.  I am really interested in trying the caramelized cauliflower-mascarpone soup and the winter vegetable “wellington”.  The prices aren’t too bad with the most expensive dish coming in at $27.95 (not including the caviar prices).  I can’t wait to give it a try.  Who doesn’t love going into Portland to get a good meal?  If you have never been to Portland, then I would say you should come and visit, especially in the summer.  If you want to go to the website and check it out, please click on the logo above.

I am still working steadily on my project…

Do you have a budding chef at home?  Do you have a kid that just can’t stay out of the kitchen?  I found the cutest website for future chefs created by The Culinary Institute of America.  www.ciakids.com is a great resource for kids and parents.  They have recipe, tools, and technique suggestions for kids of all skills from beginner to advanced.  There is a great culinary dictionary, a section on planning to be a chef, a safety in the kitchen section and lots more.  They also have sections for teachers and parents.  Want to get your kids started cooking?  Click on the picture above to go to the CIA kids website. 

One of my absolute favorite books in my kitchen is Baking by Dorie Greenspan.  I go to this book all the time for recipes and ideas.  Dorie has such a wonderful take on classic recipes.  Recently, I stumbled across her blog at www.doriegreenspan.com and I am loving it.  Dorie posts recipes and talks about her adventures.  It’s a great place to go and browse around.  If you haven’t read any of Dorie’s books I highly suggest the Baking cookbook.  It has everything including cookies, custards, cakes, breads, muffins, etc.  You certainly won’t be disappointed.  I really love the recipe she has for carrot cake and the snickery squares.  If you want to listen to a great interview piece, then check out this link on NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6514512 . I just love Dorie.  She really makes you love baking, like a good teacher should!  She has a wonderful sense of humor and shares great stories.

Being part of the food blogging community I come across tons of great food community sites.  If you want to check out food videos created by everyday people not food personalities, then many of these sites will be enjoyable for you. 

Group Recipes is food site that allows you to share recipes.  The interface is quite nice and it’s easy to use.  They also have a feature called the recipe robot that helps you find recipes that suit your tastes.  Each member is allowed to create a profile and “make” friends.  When you make friends with other members you can easily share recipes amongst yourselves.  This site use to have a TV feature with videos from members, but it doesn’t seem to exist any longer.  Although, this is the beta version.  They may bring it back.  The web url is www.grouprecipes.com. 

IFood Tv is based more around the “video” aspect of recipe sharing.  The web url is www.ifood.tv. (That’s a little odd, so if you like this site then you should probably bookmark it)  The food on this site spans all types of cuisine from American to Korean and everything in between.  Members can also share there recipe without the video.  This site has an interesting blog feature where members can post articles for the community to read.

Im Cooked (www.imcooked.com) is a food related youtube.  At least that’s how I like to think of it.  The format is very similar to youtube.  The interface is pretty basic and is mostly about the videos. 

Yummr is more involved community site. (www.yummr.com)  They do polls, quizzes, reviews.  They also have the usuals that you find elsewhere - videos, recipe sharing, and food discussions.  This site is really quite interactive and a fun one if you want to do more than share recipes.