crazedparent

Dispatch from the Test Kitchen: Purple Ombre Cake.

 

When I saw this photo of rasberri cupcakes' purple ombre sprinkles cake a few months ago, I immediately began looking for a reason to try my hand at baking one.

 I decided one occassion would merit such fabulousness: my 40th birthday.

I celebrated my birthday last week and in the days leading up to it, the boys and I took several field trips to purchase a few items for the cake: 6" x 2" cake tins, cardboard rounds and purple food coloring.

I knew I wanted the cake to be four layers: one for each decade. I decided to use 6-inch baking tins because I didn't want an excessive amount of cake left over. (We still had a ton left over, even after sharing a quart of the cake with friends.) I also love the look of small celebration cakes--dainty but decadent. 

I used the Best Yellow Layer Cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen and divided the mixture into four separate bowls, each filled with one cup of batter. One layer was just the plain batter color. I used a toothpick, dipped it into the purple food coloring and mixed it into the second bowl of batter just to get a sense of how much coloring I would need for the different shades.

There is no exact science to mixing the colors. If you add too much and the color is super dark, use that as your final dark layer. Add less coloring to the next bowl for the third layer and even less coloring for second layer (which is more of a light lavender).

I used a basic buttercream frosting recipe to frost the cake, with a thin layer of Crofter's Asia Superfrood Spread (as selected by my big kid) in between each layer. My little guy helped frost the cake and handled all the sprinkles, which magically ended up stuck to his fingers and then, in his belly.

I wish I could frost a smooth cake. Thankfully, the sprinkles on this one hide the frosting work. 

 

A simple slice sure looks pretty on a plate. The third layer (from the top) could have been slightly more purple. But...I'll take it. Especially for a first attempt. And the taste was delish.

 

 

I'd like to try this again using turquoise as my color of choice. Now to find the next occassion.

 

Dispatch from the Test Kitchen: S'more cookies...

I could easily devour all of these s'more cookies in one sitting. The fact that they lasted in our kitchen overnight and made their way to a family reunion untouched  is nothing short of miraculous and a testament to my iron strong willpower. 

You must make them.

The mix of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows is a perfect cacophony of delectable delight.  A combo that can't go wrong. Because even if the cookies get a little overdone and crunchy? Still delicious (and you can even say they are meant to be crunchy because you're trying to make it a s'more graham cracker-esque. Marketing, friends.)

I used this recipe but used two cups of flour instead of 1 1/2. And I used boxed graham cracker crumbs instead of crushing whole crackers. 

Unbelievably good. Soft center with a nice edge.

Seriously, don't you want to lick that photo off the screen? Nom nom.

I've tried a few other recipes for s'more cookies and this one is, by far, my favorite. I want to play with adding whole wheat flour to see if we can make them a bit healthier, and maybe even try cutting the butter by a half cup. 

But then again, why bother with what is already perfect?

 

 

 

Dispatch from the Test Kitchen: Sloooow cooking...

I use summer vacation as a time to think about how I can make our household run more efficiently over the next school year. Getting organized and simplifying our "stuff" is one key (perpetual) element. I firmly believe clutter breeds disorganization. Hence, the house purge.

When I think about the course of our day, dinner prep comes at a hectic time. The older version of The Witching Hour. One kid is ready to recap his school day. The other wants to read with mom. The dog wants to play fetch. Crazy making.

Slow cooking has been on my to-do list for the past year. I love spending time in the kitchen preparing meals. But the idea of making the main dish in the morning, having it slow cook all day so it's ready by dinner, and only having to work on the side dishes/salad/extras for a few minutes? It really appeals to me.

Since we're short on storage space, I'm trying to be smart about big kitchen items I bring into the house.  I borrowed my friend's slow cooker and am testing it for entire week of slow-cooked meals.

Today's menu: Chicken burritos, all veggies included, with garnishes and a side salad.

The slow cooker has been on for two hours and scent of tomatoes, oregano and cumin are wafting through the kitchen.

So far, thumbs up on this slow cooking thing.

Other dishes we're trying this week include slow-cooked mac n' cheese (no Velveeta!), BBQ pulled chicken with some interesting-looking sauces a I picked up at Whole Foods, lasagna, and a soup.

Any healthy favorites or must-try dishes you recommend?

Dispatch from the Test Kitchen: I will never print out a recipe again...

I didn't buy into the iPad fuss when the product first launched. I didn't even want one. Why bother? I already have an iPhone and MacBook, why spend money on another gadget when what I have works perfectly fine?

I changed my mind a few months ago when I realized the various uses it had our family. For me, I've found the best use of the iPad is in the kitchen. I've always looked up recipes online and printed them out, leaving me with a mess of paper stacks. Or I've brought my laptop in the kitchen and while my MacBook is dainty, I'm always concerned about it's placement on the counter.

Hello, iPad. It rests in its tiny dock on my cookbook shelf and I can easily look to it when I need recipe guidance.  It's up high so the kids don't even notice it...unlike when I have my laptop out in the kitchen and they clamor over it. (This is what happens when you don't have a television. The kids notice all things shiny and digital.)

Also? Booyah! I can listen to my tunes at the same time. Which means I can dance in the kitchen to my hearts content.

The result: yummy food.

Lemon Cream Pie a la Martha Stewart Living.

Merry Christmas, me...

We're hosting a Christmas dinner this weekend with family and I'm taking it Latina style, inspired by the Asado Negro recipe featured in The New York Times two weekends ago.

Here's the thing.  I don't own a Dutch Oven large enough to handle a huge hunk of roast beef. And by huge, I mean nearly six pounds. (Hello Sunday leftovers!)

Dutch ovens scare me because they are SO EXPENSIVE. But the Williams-Sonoma salesperson who encouraged me to buy a Staub 7-quart Cocotte convinced me it was a wise investment for a lady who loves slow-cooked, one-pot meals. (She also tossed around phrases like "the new "it" item in the kitchen" and "all the chefs are using them." Plus the fighting works, "Better than Le Creuset.")

Guess what? It's so pretty amd instantly dresses up the kitchen. Because these things matter.

Also on the menu? Plátano.

I can hardly wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dispatch from the test kitchen: Sesame beef over steamed rice...

The December issue of Everyday Food is my favorite one of 2010. I've made nearly every recipe included in its weekly planning menu. But the Sesame Beef has won the hearts of my boys, big and small.

I've tired this recipe two ways and both times I substituted different cuts of meat and slightly tweaked a few ingredients.

The recipe calls for using thin slices of NY strip steak. I had trouble finding this cut for some reason so I went with thinly slicing flank steak. It workd perfectly. I also used organic, grass-fed fajita strips that i purchased at our local farmers' market. Now that was out of sight, so tender and flavorful.

Other tweaks: I used apple cider vinegar instead of cooking sherry, which I don't typically have in the cupboard. I also substituted a teaspoon of flour in place of 1/2 teaspon startch, which the kids had used up as part of a craft experient.

On the veggie tip, I've tried this recipe with bell pepers and I've tried it with fresh green beans and we prefer the latter. Next time I may add cashews or water chesnuts. And I'll double the entire recipe so we have more leftovers.

I serve the sesame beef with steamed rice, which I prepare first. When the rice is done, I start frying the beef in a cast iron skillet. Lune Lovegood trolls the area, unable to resist the aroma of fresh beef.

I'll be keeping this recipe in our regular dinner menu rotation because it's healthy, quick to make and delicious.

Also? I love the compliments my little boys give me while they are eating dinner. (From Q: "Mom, you should have your own restaurant." And the ultimate props from from Eight: "Can you put this in a thermos so I can bring it for lunch tomorrow at school?")

 

 

Par-tay: Owl & Library-themed baby shower...

I co-hosted a baby shower for Mrs. Geek at casa crazedparent a few weeks ago and the crafty inspiration it inspired filled my very empty bottle of creativity. But seeing Mrs. Geek smile all afternoon? It was impossible not to feel the magic of her excitement. We can't wait for that little baby of hers to arrive.

 One of the co-hosts and I were staring at my chalkboard pondering what we should write. Q. watched us, dragged a dining room chair over to the board and proceeded to draw his welcome message. It's an owl with the word "Baby." My heart did a little flip.

Decorating and game inspiration came from the blog, Pink Tea, and her owl/library-themed baby shower. The boys' added their contributions by picking out their favorite books for display: Good Night Gorilla; The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane; How to Speak Politely and Why; Wabi Sabi; The Cat in the Hat; Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride; and Spot Goes on a Picnic.

My decorating goal was to only include items that the expectant parents could use in their nursery. I didn't have enough time to make more owl plushies so I just used their front sides to add color to the mantle. They are slowly progressing to the plushie stage. (One down!)

I participated in a Red Velvet Art summer craft camp (sorry, camp site is password protected for participants only!) and one project focused on button-based embroidery. Lucky me because one of the projects included an owl! In a truly geeked-out fashion, I stitched this one during a car ride to a SF Giants game. My husband insisted I not bring it into the stadium, lest I end up on camera crafting during a baseball game. No stich 'n pitch!

See that little felt mural in the corner? I did that too. The plan is to have it framed. The inspiration for the Geek Owl Family came from this little fella. (I thought I took a full photo but will have to ask Mrs. Geek to do that for me!) Also? Baby belly! And pretty mama with the glowing smile!

Because the shower was in the afternoon, our food spread was on the lighter side. We had tea sandwiches and wraps catered from a local cafe that I adore. A co-host gal handled the fruit salad and I made the cupcakes. (Book: Ruby's Beauty Shop). Drinks included cucumber water, homemade lemonade and two agua frescas: cantaloupe and strawberry.

Back to the cupcakes. Nom nom. The most popular batch? Bakerella's s'more cupcakes. The look complicated and time consuming but they are so easy to make and incredibly delicious.

Also? A batch of banana cupcakes with honey cinnamon frosting, a la Martha Stewart. The owl cupcake toppers were purchased on Etsy via Tracy Ann Digital Art.

And last but not least, red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Holy yum.

Things I love: A perfect zester...

The casa crazedparent limoncello factory is in full swing. We've received many requests from family and friends to refill the bottles we gave them at Christmas time. Since our lemon trees continue to be bountiful, we said YES! Plus, our personal stash is out. Heh.

When I first made limoncello last year, I used a thin microplaner to zest the lemons. It was easy enough to get the zest from 15 lemons. But could it be any easier?

Um, yes.

I picked up a Zyliss zester for eight bucks last week at Sur La Table. Eight was taking a cooking class and that entitled me to a 10 percent discount. (I went a little crazy. The store was having an amazing sale and I looooove cooking supplies.)

The zester is sheer perfection. I couldn't believe how fast I was able to fill a bowl with consistently gorgeous, thin, fragrant ringlets of zest.

It's almost time to add simple syrup. And then we'll let it sit. And sit. And sit.

Yum.

Dispatch from the test kitchen: My kid made dinner.

All by himself.

Well, almost. I boiled the lasagna because i didn't want him to burn himself with scalding hot water.

Both of my boys love to cook and bake. Nol's been asking if he can cook "on his own" for quite some time and I've always been hesitant to let him loose in the kitchen.

My mom reminded me that she let me bake on my own when I was five years old. She'd supervise, but she let me read the recipe, gather the ingredients, and even put a pan in the lower of our double oven. 

For the past few weeks, I've been giving Nol a "Cooking Challenge." I pick the meal and he makes the dish almost all by himself. I stay with him in the kitchen teaching him techniques (e.g., how to thinly slice a vegetable or safely use a sharp knife) or pointing out where ingredients are located if he doesn't know. I assist in chopping and mixing only when he asks for help. I always handle things like draining pasta from a boiling cauldron or removing dishes from a hot oven. And we work on the salad together.

A few meals he's made:

• Veggie Pad Thai with eggplant and zucchini (via Everyday Food)
• Papardelle with Basil Pesto
• Homemade tomato sauce (via Mad Hungry)
• BLTs with creamed spinach (latter via Mad Hungry)
• Salad dressing (basic balsamic vinaigrette, his own recipe)
• Zucchini Moons (via Pretend Soup cookbook)
• Homemade chocolate pudding (via Mad Hungry)

And then there was last night's dish, Summer Lasagna from Everyday Food. For this meal, I taught him about presentation and how to properly plate a dish. He said, "I don't care about that. I just want to eat." So we did. It looked fabulous; it tasted even better.

Quin loves to watch the prep but mostly, he just wants to make dessert.

*The lighting is awful in our dining room due to the yellow/gold color of our walls. Makes photographing food in here difficult.

Dispatch from the test kitchen: Homemade marshmallows for Valentine's Day, part one

The boys and I began part one of making homemade marshmallows yesterday using a recipe and instructions from The Hungry Mouse. The thought of making candy and boiling sugar worries me because, OUCH, hot sugar on my arm. But I was super careful, thankyouverymuch. There was not a single cooking injury in casa crazedparent during the making of the marshmallows.

If you're going to try making marshmallows at home with the kids, let them do all the measuring. Once the mixture is on the stove, you'll not want them near it. Too hot, too risky. Once the hot sugar is in the mixer whipping itself into a frenzy, however, they'll want to be close by to see turn from a weird, stinky tan-ish murky liquid into the thick, white, sweet-smelling stuff of marshmallows. I may never buy a bag of marshmallows again.

We let the marshmallow "batter," for lack of a better word, set overnight in two baking dishes. Today, Eight and I will cut them into squares, powder them and wrap them for Valentine's day treats for his class.

Can hardly wait.