AHH. The irony of this comic. It KILLS ME. This hearkens back to an earlier “freak macaroni” comic where Otto delivers a pretty zippy one liner over the phone about ‘freak macaroni’ – which apparently is the kind in the oblong blue box and the packet of bright orange powder.

Freak Macaroni:

http://ottobiography.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/thats-freak-macaroni-dont-touch-the-stuff/

Somebody once told me the world was macaroni

so I took a bit out of a tree.

It tasted kind of funny so I chucked it at a bunny

and the bunny started swearing at me.

1,000 years later it turn into Darth Vader

and started chucked like savers at me.

At first I started crying

then I started dieing.

And that was the end of poor me!!!

We eat this quite often.  It is one of my daughter’s favorite foods.

Ingredients -

• 1/2 lb ground round (lean beef)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 cup macaroni

Brown ground beef in skillet.

Add tomatoes, sauce and macaroni.

Add seasoning to taste.

Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Serves 2-4 people depending on appetite.

There is room for creativity in this dish.  It can taste Italian, Mexican or whatever depending on what additions you make.  Italian herbs, garlic and sweet peppers and onion are my usual additions.  Add some green chilies, corn and chili powder for a little Mexican flavor.  Toss in some mushrooms or olives and a little oregano for a sweeter rendition.

I am constantly trying to come up with new Mexican dishes that both my husband and I will enjoy.  So, the other day I was flipping through a Sandra Lee cookbook from the library and I saw a recipe using boxed macaroni and adding  taco seasoning for a side dish.  It sounded yummy and I immediately thought if I added meat to that it could instantly turn into the easiest main dish of all time. I was right!  Dinner was ready in about ten minutes and Christian loved loved loved it!  Is is so funny how I think he truly enjoys the easy meals more than the ones that I work on for hours!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 box of kraft macaroni and cheese

1/4 cup taco seasoning mix (or 1 packet)

2/3 cup of water

1/3 cup of taco sauce

Cook macaroni as directed on packaging and set aside.  Cook ground beef  and drain.  Add taco seasoning and water to ground beef and simmer about 5 minutes.  Mix ground beef and taco sauce with macaroni.  Serves 4.

It’s finally officially Christmas in the household.

After a number of delays and assorted other grumbles, we got a tree (a real one this year, thanks to Dr. Doo-Be-Do, who even put it on his Christmas list), got it up and last night decorated it.

Our tradition, which I’ve stuck to through the years, is that we put on Christmas music then Momma hands out each ornament to hang up. That saves the mad dash and grab for the goodies in the box, as we have a somewhat eclectic tree decor.

When we go to Kraynak’s, I admire the heck out of the beautiful trees displayed, in perfect shades of white or blue lights and ornaments, themed beauties that they are, draped in fluff or tinsel or whatever puffy thing is the flavor du jour of the season. But ours isn’t like that.

Ours is kind of a history of our lives. We have a tiny trolley car that looks just like the real thing, that we bought in San Francisco during the first book tour in 1999. We have the pink flamingo we bought in Key West on our honeymoon. Several macaroni-framed school pictures also grace the tree, from preschool right up through junior high, as well as the popsicle stick reindeer K made in elementary school with the cockeyes.

Little Miss’s Nightmare Before Christmas ornament is up, as well as the Grinch and little Cindy Lou Who, who was, as we know, no more than two. Of course, there’s the Star Trek shuttlecraft and the Enterprise, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Neil Armstrong on the moon.  Now if we only had a replica of our beloved Firefly ship…. *sigh*

Moving on through the years, we have the “hat babies” that I bought from some fund raiser M had back in elementary school, when she was younger than her kids are now. There’s the cut-out babies, gilt paintings of little cherubs copied from magazines of the 30’s and 40’s. We have a thick glass book from Germany that we picked up at EPCOT, a series of carousel horses, a red metal tricycle, and several small glass balls traded during various community theatre shows over the years. Miracle on 34th Street, anyone? Four of us did that the first year I was divorced, even K, who got to play a child on Santa’s lap. There’s a delicate clipper ship we bought in Maine the summer we visited B at her Ferry Beach gig, and several blown glass ornaments my mother gave to me, that reflect the lights in a hundred sparkly ways.

Following a tradition I learned from my grandmother’s days of watching Days of our Lives, we also have large red globes with names of each of the family members. We’ve lost several over the years, thanks to many cats and small children, and always try to get them replaced in time for the next year so that even on the tree, we can all be together.

As with the rest of life, we pull together new memories and let go some of the old. Children come to us, grow, learn, and move on to have Christmas trees and macaroni ornaments of their own. Christmas is a time to remember to stop and reflect and be grateful for all we have, have had, and will have.

“Christmas–that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance–a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.”
~ Augusta E. Rundell

Serves 4-6

Experiment by adding different cheeses – intensely flavored ones such as old cheddar, Gruyère or blue cheese are best. It’s a great way to get rid of leftover cheese bits you might have lurking in the fridge.  You can also add a can of tuna if your tastebuds desire!!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. (250 g) dry macaroni
Salt
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. (45 mL) flour
1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) dry mustard (optional)
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) milk
2 cups (500 mL) grated old cheddar cheese, or half cheddar and half Monterey Jack
Bread Crumb Topping (optional)
2-3 slices bread, torn into pieces
1-2 Tbsp. (15-30 mL) butter or margarine
1/4 cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan (optional)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it’s tender but not mushy. Drain well in a colander and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

In the empty pot (no need to wash it out), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and mustard and stir well with a whisk, cooking for a minute or so until the mixture starts to turn golden. Stir in the milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. The sauce must reach a full boil in order for the flour to reach its full thickening potential. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, until the mixture is nice and thick.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese until it melts. Add salt to taste, then stir in the drained pasta. If you want a bread crumb topping, pulse the bread, butter and Parmesan in a food processor until the bread turns to crumbs and the mixture is well blended. Pour the macaroni and cheese into an appropriately sized baking dish and top with the bread crumbs or additional cheese. (It can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated in the baking dish; sprinkle with the crumb mixture or cheese right before you bake it.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the topping is golden and it’s bubbly around the edges.

Lynn

Serves 4 to 6

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for the casserole
2 cups low fat milk
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 ½ cups grated white cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ pound macaroni
¼ pound country ham, sautéed and cut into small dice
3 slices wheat bread, crusts removed and minced to breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley 

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Butter a large casserole dish and set aside. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the macaroni until it is just tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.  Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil, remove from the heat and set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  When the butter foams, add the flour.  Cook, whisking, for one minute.  While continuing to whisk, gradually add the milk.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 8 minutes. Do not brown. Remove the pan from the heat. 

Stir in the nutmeg, 2 cups cheddar cheese and ½ cup Gruyere cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour the macaroni into the cheese sauce and stir until well coated.  Add the diced ham, thyme and parsley and stir until well combined.  Place the mixture in the casserole dish.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, remaining cheeses and the melted butter.  Evenly spread the bread crumb mixture over the top.

Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.  Serve warm.

Back to the Basics:
Prefer just plain old mac-n-cheese?  No problem.  Just omit the herbs and country ham.

 Food Fact:
I just love the nutty flavor of a Gruyere.  Great for melting, this firm cow’s milk cheese hails from Switzerland and is now found in most grocery stores. Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheeses are acceptable substitutes.

Not only was today the LAST DAY OF CLASSES (woo!), but I went from being a charity case to having a job offer in the span of 2 hours. Crazy I tell ya!

But how did my day begin? Why with an early wake up and breakfast of course!

I went the simple route, and toasted up some whole wheat bread, then topped it with the classic peanut butter + banana + honey combination.

A glass of Happy Planet Tropical Tango to accompany, of course.

Another breakfast, ready in less than 5 minutes. I didn’t want to be late for my last biochem lecture of the year.

Transit was uneventful, biochem was as interesting as it could be, and then I was back on the bus to head home. Of course, it was still freezing out there (and will be all weekend), so I was chilled by the time I made my way in the door. So what did I do? Get back in my pj’s and hop into bed for a nice nap under the blankets with my kitty.

I woke up to a still freezing house, so I set out making something warm for lunch.

Tuna melt! Tuna mixed with mayo and dill pickles, on a toasted english muffin, and put under the broiler with some shredded cheddar cheese.

I heated up some applesauce with cinnamon and craisins, then topped it with a little granola for a tasty, warm side dish.

Posing with the parsley we brought inside so it wouldn’t freeze.

I cleaned up, then made myself presentable so I could drop off a resume at the new Kin’s Farm Market that’s opening up this month. Mom had so kindly cut the add out of the paper for me – she obviously wants me employed as well. But before I went, my dad told me to take all of the empty bottles and cans, and to keep the money from them. Yes, that’s how broke I am – I get the bottle return money as an allowance. HA!

I found my way down to the store, and filled out an application (outside, in the cold!). Once I gave that and my resume to the guy, he looked through it, and asked me some questions – specifically about what sort of wage I expected working here. See, they ask you to fill in what you made at your previous jobs, and well, my last job was one of those salaried, career deals, so I guess that scared him, thinking I was going to ask for some huge amount of money. I explained to him that no, I’m looking for a part time job because I’ve gone back to school, and I understand that isn’t going to pay what I was earning before. So he went inside, got the store manager, and brought out some more forms for me to fill out – so I think I was basically hired on the spot. They want me to memorize some produce codes before I start training though, which I told them wouldn’t really be possible until after my exams (I need all that brain space for biochem). So I think I’m going back down there after my exams to start. The pay is crap, but it’s more than the $0/hour I’m currently raking in.

Alas, I didn’t get my bottle money, because by the time I left the market and had to wait in rush hour traffic for a train to pass, they were closed. BOOOO. So I just went home to share my news.

We celebrated with mom’s classic homemade mac & cheese. This time with whole wheat noodles (finally!).

She even made homemade baking powder biscuits. Carbs require more carbs, obviously.

Plus a little steamed broccoli to balance out the plate.

Since I napped during the day, I spent the rest of the evening working on my journal assignment due on Monday. I think I have all my notes down, so I can just sit down and write sometime this weekend – not quite sure when that will be though, as I have quite a few things on my plate.

My sister bought some fancy caramel corn today, so I had a little snack bowl.

Along with some Stash Mangosteen Green Tea – I found this one in a sampler pack my mom had.

Me likey this tea! I’ll have to keep my eye out for it, I can’t say I’ve ever seen it in the store.

As much as I would love to stay up late, since I’m done with early mornings, I know it will just cause me to sleep in way later than I want to. And I have my Olympic Volunteer Training tomorrow morning, followed by a surprise birthday party for a friend out at the Boathouse Restaurant (check out the menu – help me pick something delicious to eat). I’d like to fit in some gym time and homework in there somewhere, but we’ll see how it goes.

Off to get my beauty sleep. Night!

Macaroni-and-Cheese is my go-to dinner when I don’t really feel like making anything. I can make it on autopilot, but I was wondering recently exactly how long it takes. So I decided to time my making of a single serving of my mac’n'cheese.

00:00 Put covered pan of water on the stove. Start butter melting in separate pan for the roux. Measure pasta, milk and cheese.

05:00 Add pasta to boiling water. Grate and season cheese.

08:00 Add flour to melted butter to make the roux.

10:00 Add milk to the roux for the béchamel.

15:00 Preheat the broiler. Turn off the heat on the béchamel and mix in the cheese.

17:00 Drain pasta and dump into Pyrex dish. Pour cheese sauce over pasta, and garnish with Chevre, bacon bits and black walnut pieces.

19:00 Throw under broiler

20:30 Bon Appétit

I didn’t rush this to see absolutely how fast I could do it, I just did it at normal speed.

There you have it, mac’n'cheese, from scratch, in 20.5 minutes.

Dre’s main request for Friday’s dinner was Mac & Cheese WITH BACON to accompany my Roasted Tomato, Mushroom, & Smoked Mozz Stuffed Chicken Breasts. On a shopping trip last week, I picked up the most adorable red casserole dish and this was the perfect opportunity to christen it. I needed to refresh myself on Mac & Cheese basics and Alton Brown seemed like my go to man. I forgot how easily you can turn a basic rue, some milk, onion, & cheese (and bacon, of course) into the most comforting of foods. Mmmm, Mac & Cheese!

Shredded Mozz, Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, & Velveeta

I put Dre in charge of finishing up the Mac & Cheese. He crumbled bacon and tossed it into the macaroni & melty cheese mixture. The jumbo macaroni were perfectly filled up with the bacon & gooey cheesiness. He gets half the credit on this cooking venture for that move!

Smokey Bacon Mac & Cheese

No Baked Mac & Cheese is complete without a crunchy crust and why not have it add to the cheesiness! Dre crushed up some Cheez-Its, tossed with melted butter, and sprinkled on top. It added a crunchy texture to the creamiest, yummiest Mac & Cheese I’ve ever tasted, if I do say so myself! And how cute is that casserole dish?!

Smokey Bacon Mac & Cheese w/ a Cheez-It crust

Smokey Bacon Mac & Cheese

adapted from Alton Brown’s Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

• Macaroni – (1) lb, cooked al dente
  • Farfalle, Orchiette, Spirals & Shells all work well, too
• Butter – (3) T + (2) T
• Flour – (3) T
• Milk – (3) cups
• Whole Grain Mustard – (1) T
• Paprika – (2) tsp
• Bay Leaf - (1)
• White Onion – (1/2) med onion, chopped
• Egg – (1)
• Shredded Cheeses – (4) cups or more
  • I used (2) cups Mild Cheddar, (2) cups Mozzarella, & (1) cup of Smoked Gouda
• Velveeta - (8) oz, cubed
• Smoked Bacon – (4-5) slices, cooked & chopped (optional, I guess…)
• Cheez-Its – (1.5) cups, crushed
  • Next time, Goldfish!

1. Cook macaroni until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Pre-heat oven to
3. Melt (3) T of butter in a heavy pot on Med and add flour. Stir for about 5 min until it turns a light caramel brown, watching closely.
4. Add Milk, Mustard, Paprika, Bay Leaf, Onion, & S&P and stir. Bring to a simmer on Med for about 5 min. Remove Bay Leaf.
5. Beat (1) Egg in a small bowl. Add a bit of the milk mixture to temper it, so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.
6. Add the beaten Egg, Cheeses, and a quick grind of S&P to the pot and stir to combine & melt cheese.
7. Immediately add your pasta and coat with the cheese mixture. The bacon crumbles can go in now, too.
8. Pour mixture into a large, greased baking dish or casserole.
9. Crush (1.5) cups of Cheez-Its in a sealed plastic baggie and then toss with (2) T melted Butter in a bowl. Sprinkle over Mac & Cheese.
10. Bake for about 30-40 min until bubbling. Remove and let it sit for (5) min before eating.

These are for a project I’m working on. It’s the final projects of the semester. I’m not quite done. This is the front side (the recipes will be on the back). It’s titled “Playing with You Food.”  The subject is cheese and each recipe will be a variation of the traditional Mac and Cheese.

The instructor is Cheryl Beckett

Very true.In India many of the products advertised assume moral overtones-Those who use a particular brand of tooth paste do not lie;Uni Lever advertisement declares their Lifebuoy plus protects you completely from Swine flu!
CSPI Says, Nearly 80 Percent of Food Ads on the Popular Children’s Network Advertise Food of Poor Nutritional Quality
(CBS) Nickelodeon may be a kid-friendly network, but when it comes to nutrition they are serving up the wrong ads.

According to an analysis conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), “nearly 80 percent of food ads on the popular children’s network Nickelodeon are for foods of poor nutritional quality.”

During an obesity epidemic in the United States, it’s hard enough for parents to control what their children are eating – and the group says airing a lot of junk food ads on Nickelodeon doesn’t help.

Although the findings show a modest drop from about 90 percent in 2005, it’s not significant enough to make a dent.

The CSPI points out that between the 2005 and 2009 studies, the food industry instituted a self-regulatory program through the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI).

But for junk food lovers, self-regulation doesn’t always work.

CSPI took a closer look at the practices of the food companies that participate in that self-regulatory program.

They found that “of the 452 foods and beverages that companies say are acceptable to market to children, that 267, (or nearly 60 percent), do not meet CSPI’s recommended nutrition standards for food marketing to children.”
The list includes: General Mills’ Cookie Crisp and Reese’s Puffs cereals, Kellogg Apple Jacks and Cocoa Krispies cereals, Kellogg Rice Krispies Treats, Campbell’s Goldfish crackers and SpaghettiOs, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and many Unilever Popsicles.
“While industry self-regulation is providing some useful benchmarks, it’s clearly not shielding children from junk food advertising, on Nick and elsewhere,” said CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan. “It’s a modest start, but not sufficient to address children’s poor eating habits and the sky-high rates of childhood obesity.”

Puddings, cookies, or fruit-flavored snacks don’t meet CSPI’s nutrition standards – but they are fans of yogurt. Seventy-three percent of yogurts were up to par.

•One of eight McDonald’s-approved meals, and 22 of 86 General Mills-approved products
•Burger King only identified one meal as appropriate to market to children at the time of the study
•A Kids Meal with Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, apple fries with caramel sauce, and a Hershey’s 1 percent milk

Other foods that don’t meet CSPI’s standards include:

•Fruit drinks, often high in sugar with little fruit juice as well as high-fat milk
•PepsiCo’s 10 products that they say are appropriate to market to children
•CSPI also has urged Chuck E. Cheese’s, IHOP restaurants, Topps Candy, Yum! Brands (which owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) and Perfetti van Melle (maker of Air Heads candy) to join the CFBAI.
•Four companies that belong to the CFBAI (Coca-Cola, Hershey’s, Mars, and Cadbury Adams) state that they do not advertise any products to children (according to the CBBB definition).

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/2416px/health/healthy_living/main5761832.shtml?wpisrc=newsletter

Last night I was trying to think of what to make for dinner, and I really wanted macaroni and cheese. But I didn’t have any Velveeta shells and cheese (my favorite…), and I didn’t have any cheddar. Also, I have no dishes, so I didn’t really want to bake anything. BUT! I had just gone grocery shopping and gotten basics – flour, sugar, butter, olive oil, etc.  So I decided to just wing it!

These were some of the ingredients I had.

As you know, all good recipes start with butter…

So I tossed in some flour to make a roux.

Originally I was just going to make linguine with some garlic, lemon, and olive oil. Buuuut then I decided cream sauce just sounded too good. So I made the roux then (of course) threw in plenty of garlic.

Think that’s enough? Ha.

I then dumped in about two cups of milk, whisking it so that it wasn’t a paste, and some lemon juice (I like things tangy…if you don’t have some sort of tang in there it’s way too rich, I think).  Then I threw in some thyme (because the only spices/herbs I had were nutmeg, dill, thyme, and cinnamon…thyme was the obvious choice) and a slice of American cheese.

There is no picture of this because that would be proof that I actually bought American cheese, and my dad would just lose it if he knew that.  But I like it on grilled cheese, okay.  I worried it would make it taste weird but you couldn’t really taste it at all, it just made it super cheesy! I also had bought Parmesan flakes at the grocery store so I threw a couple of pinches of that in too.  Those really helped because they have a strong cheese flavor. Duh.

When I realized how thick the sauce was going to be I decided to to macaroni instead of linguine. I don’t know why. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

The noodles are spooning! On a spoon! I’m sorry…I had to.

Dumped the noodles on top of the sauce. Because I’m lazy.

Give it a good stir…

Yummmm…look at that cheesy goodness!

God I love cheese.

Put it in my sole bowl, and put a little more Parmesan on.  It was seriously good.

In keeping with the winter warmer theme, I thought you’d Enjoy! another soup recipe. This one is one of my ’sisterhood’ recipes. These recipes are a collection that I rarely divulge with anyone. Please make this one with lots of love! Without further ado, let me introduce you to my Cockle-of-the-Dockle Soup:

Nothing beats a homemade soup. Cartons are great and do have their place in this world, but making a soup is just so satisfying (and cheap!) This recipe can be adapted according to what veg you have floating in your fridge. Play about with it!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb white haricot beans (225g)

5 oz small-cut macaroni (110g)

3 tbs tomato puree

2 teaspoon dried basil

1 large onion, chopped small

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 a pointed cabbage, shredded

small handful of green beans

2-3 sticks of  chopped celery

1 courgette, roughly chopped

1 leek, roughly chopped

2oz grated Parmesan cheese (50g)

4 tbs olive oil

Salt and freshly-milled black pepper

Process:

1) Place the beans in a saucepan, then add 4 pints of cold water to them, bring them to the boil, boil for 1 minute, then turn the heat off and let them soak for 2 hours.

2) Now gently fry the onions in olive oil together with the garlic for about 10 mins. Add the tomato puree and basil, stir for a minute, and pour in the beans and the water they were soaking in.

3) Bring the soup up to simmering point, cover and simmer gently for about an hour. When the time’s up, season with salt and pepper, then put half the soup either through a sieve or blend in a liquidiser.

4) Return the pureed half to the pan, bring to simmering point, then add the macaroni and the veg and simmer for a further 10-12 minutes, stirring from time to time.

5) Serve this soup with lots of freshly grated Parmesan (or Cheddar if you’re on more of a budget) to sprinkle all over!

macaroni and cheese

• 1 lb. (maybe? it’s a block of cheese) of sharp white cheddar
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 spoonful Dijon mustard
• generous sprinkles of nutmeg, salt, and paprika
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 package of fusilli pasta
• Fresh breadcrumbs with olive oil stirred in
• Ground almonds (TJ’s almond meal)

Shred up the cheese and garlic in a food processor fitted with the grating blade. Mix in the eggs, mustard, and spices. Cook the fusilli according to package directions. Mix with the cheese mixture, top with breadcrumbs and ground almonds. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, until top is brown and crispy.

I also made

Vegetable pesto casserole

Lightly oil a cast-iron pan and layer in it, in this order:

Peeled, sliced Yukon Gold potatoes

Sliced sweet onion

Halved cubes of pesto, scattered evenly over the surface

Chopped kale

Sliced potatoes

Peeled, sliced celeriac

Grated Yukon Gold potato

Grated carrot

Bake in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until all layers of veggies are soft.

Here are the two desserts I made and brought to Josh and Kelly’s house when we went over for dinner last night, both from Nigella Lawson’s How to Eat:

Clementine Cake, p. 66

I made this with 1 lb. lemons instead of 1 lb. clementines. I suspect the clementines would have gone better–Rahul complained bitterly about the bitterness.

4-5 clementines (about 1 lb)–I subbed 1 lb. Eureka lemons

6 eggs

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar–I subbed 1 1/4 cup sugar

2 1/3 cups ground almonds (almond meal from Trader Joe’s)

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

Put the citrus in a pot with cold water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hrs. Drain, and when cool, cut the citrus in half, remove the seeds, and chop everything (skins, pith, fruit) finely in the food processor.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. (I used a 9-inch pan and this seemed like the right amount)

Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, baking powder, and citrus, and mix well.

Pour into the springform pan and bake for 1 hr, when a skewer comes out clean. You may need to cover the cake after 40 mins to stop it from burning. (We only baked it for about 45 minutes total)

Let it cool and remove from the springform pan.

Glaze, if desired, with a light icing made of powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water. I didn’t have powdered sugar and instead blitzed up regular white sugar and cornstarch.

Translucent Apple Tart, p. 277

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry (does not need to be blind baked). Melt 1/2 stick (4 Tbsp) butter and 1/2 cup sugar together over very low heat–let cool a little if necessary. Remove from heat and beat in 1 egg and a bit of vanilla extract. Peel and grate 2 Granny Smith apples and stir into the butter mixture.  (Her recipe calls for one but I used two, after reading some complaints that the recipe doesn’t make enough filling).

Pour the filling mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 15 mins, until golden brown (this was more like 30 mins for me). Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-20 mins, until nicely colored. Good warm, hot, or cold.

So, Yuki and I took a few days to visit some of the early temples and castles in the Kansai region of Japan. Most of the structures we saw date back to the 8th century and are truly amazing! Besides the structures there were also tons of great sculptures from the same time period. However, as you all know, this blog isn’t about architecture, it’s about food. This post is to let you know about the incredible Kaiseki we ate our last night in Nara at the Ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn) we stayed at, Yoshino.

Kaiseki is the classic multi-course meal that progresses through various cooking techniques using regional, seasonal ingredients. It’s the highest art form you can find in food anywhere in the world. Focus on the subtleties of each ingredient to draw out natural flavors and not cover then with heavy sauces (sorry Frenchies, but the Japanese have your asses kicked in food culture!).

It started with that dish in the middle of the picture above. From left to right was a little fish grilled in a sweet soy marinade, a roasted chestnut, ama ebi (sweet shrimp), some sort of seafood that had a jellyfish-like texture in a miso sauce (I have absolutely no idea what it was, but it sure tasted good!), then a three-colored fish cake.

After that they brought out this dish. It was obviously a shrimp, but I’m not quite sure what else there was. I think it was a gratin made with the roe of the shrimp. Also on the plate as a macaroni salad and some lettuce with a tomato.

Then we moved on to the sashimi plate. It had some fantastic Chu-Toro (tuna), Tai (snapper), and the star of the plate….Ika (squid). In the States when you order Ika it’s usually very thin and a little rubbery. Not these two slices. They were about a half centimeter thick, squid steaks! Rubbery? Hell no! Each chew and the squid literally melted away in our mouths. Hands down the best squid I’ve ever eaten.

Then they brought us a plate of steamed Ayu (sweet fish). It’s a river fish that eats moss attached to stones giving it a really fresh and clean taste. It was served with a light ginger sauce. The thing that makes Ayu special is that it’s eaten when the belly is full of fish roe. There isn’t much meat, so it’s like dipping chopsticks into a bowl of fresh water caviar.

Being the meatavore that I am, the next plate was what I was most looking forward to….Beef Tataki. Lightly seared beef to give a little texture to the soft raw meat laden with mouth-watering fat. The dipping sauce is a soy-dashi mix. You see the little mound of reddish gew on the side of the dish? That’s a mix of togarahsi (Japanese red pepper) and yuzu (a small citrus fruit). You mix that into the sauce like you would wasabi for sushi, along with thinly sliced chives. With the tataki there was a small dish of sliced cucumber and I think seaweed in a vinegar sauce that cleansed the palette from the fatty beef.

Then we ate the Shabu-shabu. Unfortunately I forgot to get a picture of the individual hotpots we used, but here’s the ingredients. The broth was a light sake base, in it we added cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and shimeji mushrooms. Once they were cooked, we sloshed the thinly sliced beef around to cook it and then dipped it all in a light soy with more of the togarashi yuzu and chives.

After that we got two different preparations of Unagi. To be honest, I have absolutely no clue what the difference was. One was served on top of rice, the other with rice on the side. All I can tell you is that you will never find eel of that quality anywhere in the States. It tasted like they just caught it that morning. Best eel ever! Both came with a little dish of Japanese pickles. They were probably damn good pickles, but I don’t like pickles so I let Yuki eat mine.

After the Unagi was a clear broth soup with an ingredient we couldn’t figure out. At first, we thought it was some sort of mushroom. It wasn’t. Then we thought it might be shiroko, fish sperm sack. It wasn’t that either. We finally found out that it was eel liver, probably from the Unagi we just ate. It had kind of a crunchy yet soft texture. Not something you’ll find on any old menu.

Finally, to finish things off was a plate with fresh persimmons and grapes. persimmons are in season right now and are everywhere while Japanese grapes are absolutely huge compared to what we get.

All in all this was my 5th Kaiseki. I wish I could afford to eat like this every night as there is always something unusual and strange to the western palette. If any of you get to Japan I highly recommend splurging at least once to experience the delicate yet sophisticated Japanese cuisine at it’s finest.