This past week/weekend we celebrated my birthday...I use my birthday as an excuse to get Neil to do the things that I like to do :) We started last Thursday in DC. I dragged Neil to the Penn Quarter Farmers Market. Then we, headed over to the happy hour at Vinotecaand after that made it to the happy hour at Oya. Both were a lot of fun, and great options for food and drink. Vinotecahas several glasses of wine priced at only $5. Oyadoes a great job on eclectic/modern sushi rolls, several of which are offered at happy hour prices. Btw, Oya's happy hour ends at 8 pm which is why we were able to make both. I don't know of many venues that have happy hour that late into the evening.
Friday night, I had a small birthday dinner with friends/family at Blue Duck Tavern and went out dancing at Tattoo Bar. It's literally my once a year outing. The last time I went out dancing in DC was my last birthday. I think Friday night was enough to last me another year :) Saturday turned out to be beautiful and sunny, so we went to some Virgina vineyards with a couple friends. We took some fun picnic food, and just took in the amazing weather. It's a beautiful drive as well this time of year. So, that's that...another year gone!
I didn't know what recipe to post today, since I'm a little drained. We got back from New Orleans recently, and I wanted to post the Muffelettas that Neil made for our winery outing, but I don't have those pictures uploaded yet :( I'll try to get it up soon.
I decided it would be a good time to post this caramel recipe. Ice cream season is here, and caramel is my favorite topping. Caramel is another one of those items that is actually really easy to make, but equally easy to royally screw up. Working with sugar can get tricky. With caramel, just when you think it's ruined, it's actually perfect. You'll understand what I mean when you try making it. This caramel is wonderful to have around to drizzle whenever you get that ice cream craving. For me, the ice cream craving is nightly these days. I try to stick with half a scoop on the weeknights though...I'm getting a tad better with self control. Sundays are double scoop day :) Sorry for the scattered post. It's hard getting back into the swing of things after such a crazy weekend! I'm gettin' old!
I spent the Memorial long weekend eating my little behind off in New Orleans. This is still one of my favorite dining destinations in the US, and it never fails us. I've been once before Katrina, and twice after. The city is as alive as ever, sprawling with tourists, and we had a blast. To get in the spirit of 'the big easy', I made some fried catfish fingers and Po Boys last week. The Po Boys were almost as good as what we had over the weekend. For those that have never had a Po Boy, it's simplicity at it's best...a french bread sandwich with some type of meat inside. I like it best stuffed with fried seafood. I "wiki'd" the term and found this:
"The traditional versions are served hot and include fried shrimp and oysters, catfish, crawfish, etc. You may be asked if you would like your po' boy "dressed". A "dressed" po' boy has lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise."
Instead of mayo, I made a remoulade sauce to go with the fried catfish fingers. I also used a store bought french bread, but the bread doesn't come close to that in NOLA. The crust of Louisiana French bread is very crispy, so much so that it is difficult to eat without leaving crumbs. But the interior is very light and airy. We ate our Po Boys at Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter. It's a touristy spot, but you'll find the locals there too. They put a twist on their Po Boy that includes a tabasco infused mayo dressing. We get the "Peacemaker", which is a combo of fried oysters and shrimp. I've never had so much fried food over the course of a few days:) I need some major detoxing this week! Only problem is that my bday is on Thursday, so that just means more celebrating...but, I'm not complaining.
If any of you plan to go to NOLA, feel free to contact me for additional restaurant recs.
A while ago, I mentioned that I planned to experiment with red velvet cake. It's one of my favorite cakes as of late. I haven't figured out exactly why I like red velvet so much, but I think it's the sinful red color, mild chocolate flavor, and most importantly, the icing....combined, it's the perfection in a cake. Oh, and the brown sugar cream cheese icing in this recipe is the "icing on the cake".
So, I experimented by making different variations of the cake...one using just butter, one with a combo of oil/butter, and another with shortening. I thought the one with shortening had the best overall texture, so that's the recipe I'll provide. The best flavor was yielded by using all butter, but you are sacrificing some texture. The one with combo oil/butter was a little too fluffy for my taste. Whatever method you choose, as long as you make the cream cheese icing, you're set :) There are some who don't like the cream cheese flavor in icing, but I think it makes this cake.
After I narrowed down the best recipe, I made it for Neil's graduation. He recently got his MBA from GW in December, and got to walk this past weekend (May 15). He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the final graduation cake and all the cupcakes from my "experiments".
When I was packing up to move to a new house a couple years ago, I came across a waffle iron. I had no idea I even had one, or how it got there. Apparently, it was one of the few items that came with Neil when we got married. He never even used it, and I have no idea why he bought it. Maybe he thought his "future wife" would one day make him waffles :) Well, of course I put it to use. Making waffles on a Sunday morning is so much fun. It takes me back my college days at VT, when my hall mates and I went to Sunday brunch at the dining hall. We always got made to order waffles, topped with tons of whipped cream and strawberries. How I miss those days!
Here's another asian dish that I was inspired to make after returning from Bali. I'm starting out basic, and maybe I'll expand later. This is just a simple beef red curry that you can make with virtually any meat and/or vegetable. My mom bought me a new wok over christmas that came in handy with this. It allows you to saute the veggies and meat super fast. This dish is incredibly easy and very quick to make on a weeknight after work.
Hope everyone's enjoying the scorching HOT weather...I for one love it!!!
I love steak, but I loathe steakhouses. They are stuffy, pretentious, and just boring. Ray's the Steaks is the only steakhouse I enjoy, due largely to the laid back attitude there. I believe that good food is meant to be eaten in a fun, relaxing environment. So, I equally enjoy making steaks at home. Steak aupoivre with mushrooms is my favorite and so incredibly easy. Just be careful not to overcook it, and bring the steaks to room temperature before it hits the hot skillet. Also, be sure to develop a nice char on both sides through high heat. Doing so will be the difference between a great steak and a mediocre one. Neil wanted me to point out that this charring is called "Pittsburgh Style" (his hometown), although I haven't confirmed the truth in that :)
A lot of grocery stores now sell prime grade steaks. The steak pictured is an Omaha steak that my cousin sent to us for Christmas. We were so surprised when we got a huge delivery of filetmignons, ribeyes, NY strips, burgers etc. Very cool gift!! The steaks from Omaha are very consistent, and the variety works out for us, because I like filetmignons while Neil likes ribeyes and NY strip.
Anyways, I served the filet pictured with potato gratin and creamed spinach. I posted the potato recipe, but the creamed spinach doesn't really have a recipe. I just use whatever creaming agents I have on hand. I believe for the one pictured, I had mascarpone lying around, so I creamed wilted spinach, garlic and shallots with mascarpone, milk, and parmesan. Cream cheese, heavy cream, evaporated milk, etc all work great for creamed spinach too.
Anyways, I hope you use this recipe to enjoy a fancy steak night at home.
I love tarts and I love goat cheese! I rarely ever get to make this because of Neil's strong aversion to goat cheese. It's all in his head! I've snuck in goat cheese on occasion, and he never noticed. Little by little I'm weening him in. But, he's not ready for this tart yet. Anyways, when I was asked to bring an item to my friend's party, I jumped at the opportunity. This is incredible for goat cheese lovers, and the presentation is really pretty for a spring party. Speaking of, the winter is still lingering way longer than it should be :( I had to bust out my winter gloves last week!
Going to Bali has got me craving Asian food. It's not my favorite cuisine, but Bali has given me a fresh, new perspective. I think the exotic ingredients and the fusion of Asian cuisine there is the what made it so incredible...far superior than anything we get here. Anyways, I'm willing to start experimenting some. We had these delicious corn fritters in Bali. I was searching through my Thai cookbook when I came back, and actually found a corn fritter recipe in it. I added a few extra ingredients based on what I remember in Bali. These are an excellent appetizer. Double the recipe, because they go quick. I easily eat 3-4 without even knowing it.
We had a blast this past weekend with my cousins visiting from NY. The first day of Spring proved to be a beautiful beginning to a great weekend....sunshine all around, and noticeably warmer temperatures!! In celebration, we thought it would be the perfect time to fire up the grill. On Saturday evening, we treated them to the Turkish feast that we've been enjoying since our return from Turkey last July. So, I'm posting this Turkish nut dip, Muhammara, that I became obsessed with in Turkey. This recipe comes the closest to what I had there. It's great with pita wedges, and even better slathered on grilled meats. Happy Spring!!
Spring was definitely in the air after returning from Bali...the days are getting longer, the clocks moved forward. However, this last weekend things took a bad turn with the nasty rain and frigid temperatures :( I'm not discouraged just yet. It looks like the weather will be improving very nicely this week. I've noticed the tulips starting to peek out in my backyard too, a true sign of beautiful days to come. The brief preview of spring had me craving bruschetta and crostinis. I don't know why my mind relates those to nice weather. I love this particular white bean bruschetta. I first had it at Po restaurant in NY, and immediately looked up Mario Batali's recipe. This is absolutely delicious, light, and very healthy too. It just screams "Spring" to me :) See Recipe!
We spent the last two weeks in the beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia. Bali is very small in size. It's easy enough to drive around the entire coast in one day. We stayed in the areas of Kuta/Legian, Ubud and Seminyak. The Balinese culture is very rich and from my observation is defined in large part by religion. They are predominately Hindu, while Indonesia as a whole is Muslim. The Balinese practice of Hinduism is can be seen in their temple ceremonies, dance performances, and daily prayers/offerings to the Gods. Every Balinese native we met throughout our trip made a mention of their rituals and ceremonies.
Bali was the most relaxing of all of our vacations. Everything there is designed around R&R....abundance of spas, beautiful villas with private pools, and beaches. We definitely did our share of relaxing, but I can only relax so much before I get "antsy". So, everyday we did a long walk in the city, making little discoveries along the way. Shopping in Bali is endless!! Often we would end our city walks with a massage/facial at a spa. Neil got totally addicted to the spas, that we would sometimes spend part of our day going "spa shopping". Yes, there are that many, and SUPER cheap. After walking/spa, we'd go back to the villa for a dip in the pool and light reading before getting ready for dinner. Of course, dinner was the highlight of my night :) Bali has an abundance of phenomenal restaurants, catering mostly to tourist population. One interesting tidbit we found out is that the Balinese typically do not go out to dinner, nor do they have the tradition of eating at defined times during the day, or as a family. This is not indicative of Indonesia as a whole (just Bali). Several locals we spoke to said that they usually cook food in the morning, and eat that same food throughout the day whenever they feel hungry. The only times they actually make a production out of eating is during ceremonial events. Due to this, you can find virtually every type of cuisine in Bali for the tourist population. We ate everything from traditional Indonesian food to even Spanish food, often prepared by top chefs.
Of all the countries that we have visited, Neil and I both agree that the Balinese are the friendliest. We felt special at every establishment...at hotels, spas, restaurants, even taxis...they go out of their way to conversate with you and make you feel welcomed to their island. This island thrives on tourists, and only now are they finally starting to get the tourist livelihood back.
Below is the breakdown of the different areas we stayed within Bali:
KUTA (3 days)
- Kuta is one of the main areas and is only about 5 minutes from Legian. It's a bustling city with a good amount of shopping/boutiques in both Kuta and Legian. Also, this area has the most options for nightlife/clubs. Kuta beach is very popular, and Legian Beach is right nearby too. Looking back, I don't think it's necessary to stay in Kuta. It's only 15-20 minutes from Seminyak, which we enjoyed much more. So, taking a taxi to Kuta for a day is more than enough.
Accomodations:
- We stayed at Villa De Daun. Our villa had a private pool and full kitchen. Minibar is complimentary. The decor of the villa was very simplistic, modern, and very clean. Breakfast served in the villa every morning. We definitely recommend this place, and it is walking distance to everything. Even though it's in the heart of the city, the villa provided complete privacy. We also got an amazing complimentary welcome "foot massage" in their spa.
Eating:
- We did lunches along Legain Beach. We enjoyed eating at Lanai, that had a great rooftop and veiw of the beach.
- We had dinner one night in Jimbaran Bay (about 20 minutes from Kuta). There are an abundance of fresh seafood restaurants along the bay, all having a gorgeous view of the sunset. We ended up at restaurant "AMC", but all along the bay appear to be the same.
- We also did dinner at Ku De Ta. This is actually located in Seminyak. Like I mentioned before, the cities are all very close by. Ku De Ta is one of the more upscale/ritzy restaurants. The menu is good, but it's a lot pricier than other even better restaurants in Bali. I don't recommend this for dinner. However, it's great for drinks and catching the sunset at Seminyak beach. We did this while in Seminyak, and the scene was really cool, and the sunset, breathtaking.
UBUD (2 days)
- Ubud, located about 45 minutes from Kuta, is known as Bali's centre for arts, dance, and music. This is where you would come to by art, fabrics, and wood carvings. There's a huge outdoor market for shopping, which is great for gifts to take home. Ubud is a very quaint town, and very different from the bustling of Kuta and ritz of Seminyak. It has a very strong character, and draws in those individual that are active in art, nature, anthropology, environmentalism, etc. You'll find a vast difference in the tourists that exist in Ubud versus the other cities. One local told us that many writers come to write their books in the environment that Ubud offers. Also, Ubud is very culturally scenic, with it's rice paddies, small villages, arts/craft communities, and temples.
We spent one day taking a bike tour along many villages near Ubud. I highly recommend doing a bike tour, as you will be able to see amazing views of the picturesque rice paddies along the way. Some of the views were breathtaking. Also, our tour guide provided us with so much information on the culture of Bali. During the bike tour, we also got to visit a coffee plantation. There, they have this animal called a Luwak, known as the "coffee cat". We were told that this cat serves the purpose of eating the coffee beans and then the droppings are used to make the actual coffee. The coffee itself is very expensive. Check out this website: http://www.animalcoffee.com/
We also spent at day at the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud. It is a small nature preservation having lush surroundings, a temple, and hundreds of monkeys (Balinese macaques). The monkeys are very tolerant of people, but you have to be careful around them. We were allowed to feed them, which was a blast but a little scary. One of the monkeys patted my behind and another even jumped on my head!!!
Accomodations:
- We stated at the Greenfield Bungalows. This wasn't as lush as where we stayed in Kuta or Seminyak, but it complimented the overall feel of Ubud. The bungalow was decorated in traditional Indonesian style, with traditional wood carvings and furniture throughout. Our deck overlooked rice paddies. The environment was very serene...again, very different from the other two cities. Breakfast in the villa is complimentary.
Eating:
- We enjoyed eating lunch at Tutmak Cafe in Ubud. The cafe had a continental menu, and was packing with a lot of interesting people. I noticed that a lot of "ex-pats" frequented this spot
- For dinners we went to Nomad and Cafe Wayan. Nomad did a modern take on Indonesian cuisine. It was quite good. If you go, the Indonesian Beef Kebab is mind blowing...everything else was just good. Cafe Wayan serves traditional Indonesian fare. The setting at the restaurant is gorgeous. The tables are situated in a beautifully lit, lush garden. There are some low tables too where you sit on pillows to eat. Traditional Indonesian food is typically served on a big plate with small offerings of different items all in little banana leaf bowls. The overall look is very pleasing, as is the variety. We enjoyed trying this, but we didn't love the traditional Indonesian. We found that we enjoy the "fusion" take that a lot of other restaurants did (i.e. mixing Thai, Indian, Indonesian cuisines)
SEMINYAK (5 days)
Seminyak is considered the swanky/ritzy city of Bali. You will find some of the best villas, spas, restaurants, and shopping in this area. All are in abudance! We enjoyed Seminyak the most of the 3 cities, so I'm glad we spent most of our time here. This is where we did most of our spa visits. We enjoyed the Bodyworks spa there, but you can't go wrong with many of the spas there. Just do your research and check out the rooms before reserving it. We ( I mean "I") did a lot of shopping here too! There are dress boutiques galore! We enjoyed eating here the most also :)
Accomodations:
- We stated at the Villa Kubu. This was even more beautiful than the villa in Kuta. Again, it was modern decor villa with a living room, full kitchen, eating area, bedroom, private pool, and a beautiful outdoor bathroom. Had it not been for all the spas/shopping in Villa Kubu, I could have hung out in the villa all day. Breakfast is cooked and served in the villa too!
Drinks/Afterhours:
- Seminyak has a lot of great restaurants along the beach where you can go for drinks and catch the sunset. Ku De Ta and La Luciola are both very popular for sunset drinks.
- After hours, people gravitate to the bars at Hu'u bar, Gado Gado, and the Living Room. JL. Diana Pura Street (aka "Drink Street") is also a popular street for bars.
- There are also some afterhours bars along Seminyak beach.
Eating:
- We did our lunches on the go. We enjoyed the Junction (for fresh/healthy food and drink), the Corner (freshly made sandwiches), and Lanai for beach views. We also frequented Bali Deli, which is their version of a Whole Foods/Balduccis. You can find virtually everything there. Also, you can do your shopping here if you wish to cook in your villa.
- Dinner in Seminyak is truly an experience. The options are endless as is the cuisine! Being in Bali, I tried to stick mostly to Asian cuisine. There are excellent Italian restaurants too (Ultimo and Trattoria are popular), but I didn't bother. Our favorite restaurant was Sarong, specializing in Asian fusion cuisine. The restaurant itself is absolutely stunning, and the food was so delicious, and very reasonably priced. They serve dishes like red Indonesian matarbak with paneer and chutney, red curry duck, southern indian fish curry, tandoori chicken, etc. We loved it so much that we went there twice. Ask them to make your food spicy if you prefer. We also enjoyed Antique restaurant, specializing in modern Indonesian. The curry dishes there were excellent, and very affordable. We deviated from Asian one night and tried La Salfor Spanish tapas...another great find in a fabulous, upscale setting. Our last night, we went to Chandirestaurant for modern Indonesian food. The chef there is a former chef of Nobu. The food was excellent, and again cheap. The black pepper crab dumplings are to die for!! There are so many other restaurants we would have liked to go to but did not have the time. We found a lot of our information on restaurants from Tripadvisor.com. The following tripadvisor contributors were extremely helpful: jade_du and BrigidE.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bali. It's an island rich of beauty and culture, and I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience it. I hope that I've convinced someone out there to take a trip to Bali. If I can handle the flight time, literally anyone can.
I hope everyone had a Happy Valentines and got to enjoy a long weekend! I did :) I should have posted this recipe last week since it would have been the perfect Valentine at home meal. But, you don't need an occasion for this one. It's simple enough to make on a weeknight, while being oh so "gourmet".
I made it with bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, but the port-fig sauce would be even better with duck breast. I had trouble finding duck breast that day, and didn't feel like buying the whole duckling. The pork was a great substitute and a hell of a lot more economical.
Anyways, I absolutely love fig (and port), and it's the sauce that makes this dish so delicious. I served it with balsamic glazed cippoline onions and creamy polenta. Hope you try this one!
Looking through my posts over the last year, I realized that I haven't posted many recipes for breakfast. So, I'm posting the pancakes that I now make almost every Sunday morning. Growing up, it was always my job to make pancakes for my younger sister and brother on the weekends. Back then, I made them using Bisquick...yes, Bisquick of all things! I got pretty sick of it over the years, and I swore off pancakes for a while after moving out. By "a while", I mean that it wasn't until last year that I even thought about making pancakes again. But, this time I attempted it sans Bisquick, and realized that it's just as simple to make from scratch, and the end product is exponentially better. Pancakes are officially back in my life :) This recipe always come out light and fluffy, the way pancakes should be. It also uses orange zest and chocolate chips as a delicious twist. Sometimes, I use lemon zest and blueberries during berry season. If you haven't already noticed, I love adding zest to many recipes. It's this subtle ingredient that makes so many dishes shine.
What a night!!! We ended up going to a friend's super bowl party, and Neil handled it just fine :) He found his spot on the couch and barely moved all night. I didn't watch much of the game, and spent most of the time eating. But, I did catch the last 5 minutes, which were incredibly intense. I really thought it was over for the Steelers, and I'd end up having to take home a zombie. The final play was a godsend! I think the whole block heard Neil when Pitt finally scored the winning touchdown. He's on top of the world, and I'm just happy that this will be a good week :) So, that's that...I will no longer be writing about football in the near future. It's finally over!
Now, on to the reason for this blog...this roasted vegetable pasta is one of my favorite weeknight meals. I usually make it on a Monday or Tuesday and it lasts throughout the most of the week. I've never been one for leftovers, but this is one of the few dishes that I think tastes even better the next day. The recipe as I posted is vegetarian, but sometimes I add cooked italian sausage to it. This is definitely one where you can experiment to your own tastes. Play around with the vegetables, types of cheese, etc.
This weekend has been non-stop stuffing my face. My brother and Neil share the same birthday, January 24th. We kicked it off Friday night when Neil and I tried out the new restaurant, Art & Soulin DC . It's a beautiful restaurant with some promising southern inspired dishes. The fried oyster "hoe cake" is awesome! Saturday night, we had an outing with my family for both birthdays at Tandoori Nights...another eye pleasing restaurant with pretty solid Indian cuisine. I made the birthday cake, which was a lemon pound cake with raspberry mousse filling. That's my little brother's favorite combination. Neil wasn't thrilled with that "fruity" combo, and after enough pouting, I made him chocolate mousse. We even stuck a candle on it for him. Tonight (Sunday), we're going out to celebrate yet again with Neil's mom...venue TBD. I'm so incredibly stuffed! This morning I made Belgian waffles, per Neil's birthday request. Seriously, this is just insane! We're off to Bali soon for our next vacation, so I really need to get myself in check.
I'll post those aforementioned recipes eventually. Today's cheesecake recipe is one that I made for the super bowl last year. I hosted since the Steelers weren't playing, of course :) This is the creamiest, most decadent cheesecake I've ever had. It's extremely rich and heavy, so make it for a crowd or you'll end up eating it all on your own! Trust me, all my self control was lost when this hit my tongue. My internal dialogue kept telling me that "another tiny sliver won't hurt". Tiny slivers add up, and it most definitely hurt!!! I'll never learn to follow what I preach :) Anyways, this is for you, Neil...Happy Birthday and Go Steelers!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know I should be writing about Inauguration day, but the media is doing plenty of that. So, on to the next big event....the Super Bowl is only a couple weeks away now! Very stressful time for the hubby, as the Steelers beat the Ravens on Sunday night and our now playing in the Super Bowl. I'm definitely NOT hosting anything this year. Neil doesn't want distractions. I wouldn't be surprised if he watches it in our basement in complete solitude...you know so he can "concentrate".
I'm sure many of you "normal" fans that realize you aren't actually playing the game, and simply enjoy this festive tradition will be hosting. Need help with game food? Well, try this Stromboli recipe that will definitely satisfy a group of hungry fans. Consisting of Italian meats, cheese, and bread, I think it's the perfect game food. It's gourmet enough for the females because of the ingredients, while still being manly for the men. Also, no forks/knives required.
Btw, don't forget about the spicy wings I posted a while back. These are a must for any football party! So, I'll end on a quick note for my sanity.... "Here we go Steelers....Here we go !!!"
With the recent economic conditions, we've been eating more gourmet at home. Creamy mushroom risotto topped with rockfish in a crispy potato crust...absolutely delicous. Enough said! You'll need a mandolin for the potato crust. And remember to save any leftover risotto for arancini!
Happy New Year!! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves, eating and drinking to your hearts desire :) I know I did! The holidays flew by so fast. We spent Christmas with family in sunny Orlando and then rung in the New Year at Zaytinya in DC. I usually don't like to go out to dinner for New Years, for the obvious reasons, but Zaytinya did it perfectly. They offered their entire menu, and EVERYTHING was unlimited. We got to try so many mezzes that we normally wouldn't have ordered, and the quality of food and service was right on target.
Anyways, I'm nowhere near ending this eating frenzy. Yes, I know that most people go on rigorous diets at the turn of the year, but that's never been my thing. They don't work. Just eat in moderation, people! Plus it's still winter, and I need food to warm and comfort me. So, that brings me to my next recipe. This bread pudding with strawberry preserves and white chocolate creme anglaise will provide pure comfort for the even colder months ahead. Enjoy, and don't give up indulging in 2009!
Happy Holidays and happy eating!! Pecan pie is one of the easiest holiday desserts to make, yet it's also the easiest to ruin. I remember my first pecan pie...the recipe had minimal ingredients that were just mixed together and thrown into a pie crust. I thought there was no way I could ruin it. Well, it was a runny mess of goop. I ended up attempting 3 different pies into the late late night, and none turned out right! I learned from my mistakes and came up with some true tips along the way. Pecan pie requires more care and patience than what you may have read in the majority of recipes out there. I haven't ruined a single pie since, so I hope these tips posted in the recipe work out the same for you.
I made my own crust, but a store bought crust works out fine for this. Also, many swear by certain syrups for making pecan pie. I'm partial to Lyle's golden syrup, but if you can get your hands on some sugar syrup from New Orleans, go for it. If you can't find either, corn syrup is acceptable.
The holidays are near and that means celebrating and indulging in holiday treats. I love spending a day making loads of festive holiday cookies. I haven't always been a fan of sugar cookies in the past. Some are too buttery, too sweet, too crunchy, or too dense. My aunt, and head chef of my family gave me the recipe that I'm posting. These are hands down, the best I've ever had. They aren't overly sweet, and have a really nice soft texture. The addition of lemon zest also gives them a nice twist. The first time I made these, I didn't have any cutouts, so I used the top of my Pam spray can to cut the cookies. Neil was thoughtful enough to surprise me with some cookie cutters as a stocking stuffer that year :) I use the same base recipe to make raspberry thumbprints as well. You'll feel so warm inside making these on a cold winter day. I hope you try these to kick start your holiday indulging!
Hey there! I'm Sonal, and currently reside in Northern Va. with my husband Neil. Food is my life...along, w/ my family of course :) I'm officially in the 30-something world, and desperately felt the need to start expressing my passion. I'll be writing about eating, cooking, baking, and posting recipes that I’ve tested myself. I'll also include my food experiences in the area and those on my travels.
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