Today I opened the freezer and saw the bag of scallops I bought from Target the other day, and decided that whatever I cooked tonight, it would feature scallops. Which I have NEVER cooked with before.
So when cooking time came, I looked up scallop recipes to see what matched the ingredients I had in stock, and found this, which I modified:
Ingredients:
6 ounces uncooked vermicelli, broken in thirds
(I used angel hair and didn't break it.)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
(I didn't measure the salt.)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
(I didn't measure the paprika.)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
(For some reason, I rarely add pepper to anything.)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
(I didn't measure the garlic powder.)
1 pound sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
(I don't know how much sea scallops I actually used.)
1 tablespoon butter, divided
(I used 4 tbsp butter. And some olive oil. Ha!)
Cooking spray
(See above. No cooking spray needed.)
1/4 cup water
(See above. No water needed.)
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced spinach leaves
(I didn't measure the spinach.)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
(I didn't measure the lemon rind.)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
(I didn't measure the fresh lemon juice.)
4 lemon wedges
(I didn't include lemon wedges.)
I added some cut up prosciutto.
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Meanwhile, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder evenly over scallops.
Heat half the butter in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add half the scallops to pan; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until done, turning once. Remove scallops; set aside and keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and scallops.
Add water to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Remove from heat; add pasta, spinach, lemon rind, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss gently. Divide evenly among individual serving plates. Top with scallops; serve immediately with lemon wedges.
I followed the directions as general guidelines, and combined everything in the end and guess what. It was HEAVEN. It was soooooooo good. So good in fact that this will now become a family staple. In the future, I think I will also throw in a few capers, and some artichoke hearts, just for good measure.
No pictures, but I promise you. This is worth trying out! Dinner was ready in about as long as it took for the water to boil and the pasta to cook.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Busting out the Bubbly
It's true that I'm still on cloud nine after having submitted my book. (Even though I need to make an edit and resubmit the cover artwork.) I'm working on other crunch projects, but for the first time in months, I actually feel like I can enjoy these projects again because I don't have this pressure of having to get through them quickly to get back to my bigger priorities anymore!! Phew!
So I'm having a celebration drink right now, and here's another gift I give to you. Here it is: I love Izze drinks. BUT they're expensive. All they are is fruit juice and sparkling water. So here's my solution. I buy 100% fruit juice. Then I buy bottles of cheap mixers in the alcohol section---just the sparkling water. (And I hope that no one in my ward catches me. I bet they'd think, "Oh. That's how they roll. Well, I guess it's to be expected, since they're artists.") Then at home, when I pour myself a drink, I mix the mixer and the fruit juice! I get a drink that's half the calories and twice as good! (And not nearly as expensive as Izze.)
So I'm having a celebration drink right now, and here's another gift I give to you. Here it is: I love Izze drinks. BUT they're expensive. All they are is fruit juice and sparkling water. So here's my solution. I buy 100% fruit juice. Then I buy bottles of cheap mixers in the alcohol section---just the sparkling water. (And I hope that no one in my ward catches me. I bet they'd think, "Oh. That's how they roll. Well, I guess it's to be expected, since they're artists.") Then at home, when I pour myself a drink, I mix the mixer and the fruit juice! I get a drink that's half the calories and twice as good! (And not nearly as expensive as Izze.)
My Gift to You...
In December, I went to the Communal in Provo (a restaurant) with my cooking club, and we had a DELICIOUS acorn squash, filled with apples. It was divine, and ever since I've been wanting another. Well, last night, I made my own, and Murray and I each got our very own half. I swear I could have eaten the whole thing. It's a VERY easy, basic recipe that anyone can try. (Yes, that means you too, Lynette. This isn't anything extra special, but it looks and tastes extra special!!) Here's what I did. (I kindof made it up as I went along.)
1 apple (I'd do 2 next time)
1 acorn squash
Cut acorn squash in half, remove seeds. Fill a baking pan with 1/4 inch water and place squash face down in pan. Bake at 400 F for 35 minutes.
In the meantime, peel and slice apples into 8ths. In a frying pan with a bit of butter and a bit of maple syrup, cook the apples. (I made sure they were browned on both sides. Yum!)
When squash has finished, remove water from pan. Turn squash face up, put a small (or large if you're not on a diet) amount of butter and maple syrup in the "bowl" of the squash. Fill with the apples. Broil on high for 5 minutes or until the apples and squash are a little bit browned.
Enjoy!!
In the future, I might try other fun things like adding some spices like cinnamon. It was already almost dessert-like (anything sweetish would seem like dessert to two people off of sugar), and adding some spices might make it even MORE delectable. Also marshmallows. Just kidding.
1 apple (I'd do 2 next time)
1 acorn squash
Cut acorn squash in half, remove seeds. Fill a baking pan with 1/4 inch water and place squash face down in pan. Bake at 400 F for 35 minutes.
In the meantime, peel and slice apples into 8ths. In a frying pan with a bit of butter and a bit of maple syrup, cook the apples. (I made sure they were browned on both sides. Yum!)
When squash has finished, remove water from pan. Turn squash face up, put a small (or large if you're not on a diet) amount of butter and maple syrup in the "bowl" of the squash. Fill with the apples. Broil on high for 5 minutes or until the apples and squash are a little bit browned.
Enjoy!!
In the future, I might try other fun things like adding some spices like cinnamon. It was already almost dessert-like (anything sweetish would seem like dessert to two people off of sugar), and adding some spices might make it even MORE delectable. Also marshmallows. Just kidding.
Enough is Enough
These are words I never thought I would apply to chocolate. Until this evening.
Murray and I have continued to be busy. (Remember how I blogged about Hell week? It's more like Hell month, but we hope things will settle down someday soon and then we are going to spend an entire weekend doing NOTHING.
Amidst the busy-ness, I decided we needed something good to eat, and I've recently busted out the ice cream maker, so I thought I'd give a new recipe a try. I never used the ice cream maker once last year because I'm all about the immediate satisfaction recipes rather than the "cook this and then let it chill all night in your fridge and you can eat this food tomorrow" recipes.
I found a quickish recipe for chocolate sorbet, and figured that putting it in a ziploc bag in an ice bath would be just as good as letting it chill all night long.
And three hours later Murray and I ate the most chocolatey chocolate sorbet that I have ever eaten in my entire life. And I was unable to eat more than one 1/2 cup serving. Which means that we have plenty to last us through the week (since we have the large ice cream maker) and share with Murray's parents since I left the raspberry sauce I made there on Sunday, and this sorbet could really use some raspberry sauce.
Want the recipe?
4 C water
1 2/3 C sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
2 C cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla
Dissolve sugars in water in large sauce pan on medium heat. Add cocoa powder and incorporate fully. Bring to a simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Put in large ziploc bag in an ice bath. Put in your ginormous ice cream maker for 25-30 min. Enjoy!!
Murray and I have continued to be busy. (Remember how I blogged about Hell week? It's more like Hell month, but we hope things will settle down someday soon and then we are going to spend an entire weekend doing NOTHING.
Amidst the busy-ness, I decided we needed something good to eat, and I've recently busted out the ice cream maker, so I thought I'd give a new recipe a try. I never used the ice cream maker once last year because I'm all about the immediate satisfaction recipes rather than the "cook this and then let it chill all night in your fridge and you can eat this food tomorrow" recipes.
I found a quickish recipe for chocolate sorbet, and figured that putting it in a ziploc bag in an ice bath would be just as good as letting it chill all night long.
And three hours later Murray and I ate the most chocolatey chocolate sorbet that I have ever eaten in my entire life. And I was unable to eat more than one 1/2 cup serving. Which means that we have plenty to last us through the week (since we have the large ice cream maker) and share with Murray's parents since I left the raspberry sauce I made there on Sunday, and this sorbet could really use some raspberry sauce.
Want the recipe?
4 C water
1 2/3 C sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
2 C cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla
Dissolve sugars in water in large sauce pan on medium heat. Add cocoa powder and incorporate fully. Bring to a simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Put in large ziploc bag in an ice bath. Put in your ginormous ice cream maker for 25-30 min. Enjoy!!
Murray has been chopped.
Recently Murray and I saw Chopped at Murray's parents' house. Ever since, we haven't been able to get enough. It's our new favorite show.
Here's a description from the site: Passion and expertise rule the kitchen on the fast-paced new series, Chopped. Hosted by Ted Allen (Food Detectives), the series challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets "chopped" until the last man or woman left standing claims victory. Each week, a rotating panel of culinary elite judges including Alex Guarnaschelli, Aaron Sanchez, and Geoffrey Zakarian will decide whose dishes shine the brightest and award the winner $10,000.
What we love most about the show are the surprise ingredients that the contestants must use. Like Mac n Cheese, or even gummy bears. It's really interesting to see the chefs at work, trying to make something good out of awful or mismatched ingredients. The chefs have to present and explain their courses to the judges. Murray particularly appreciates the artistic arrangements of the food on the plates.
Well, tonight I asked Murray to make us a snack. I asked Murray, whose culinary expertise extends to pb&j. He asked if we had ice cream and I told him we didn't. I expected a yogurt and a cheese stick. Or, well, a pb&j. (When we started dating, he invited me over to his house for a romantic dinner and made me Bertolli's.)
I was not expecting this.
Murray came into the room with our snack on a tray. He was also trying to ignite a lighter and set our food on fire.
Uh-oh.
And he tried and tried and tried to set our food on fire, but to no avail.
So then he had to present his creation to me, the judge.
These are creamy vanilla yogurt parfaits with a smattering of a circular arrangement of blueberry preserves. (His words, not mine.)
He described the dish: "Let me tell you what I've done. On the bottom is a delicate layer of blueberry preserves. This is topped with creamy, low-fat vanilla yogurt. On top of the yogurt is a layer of toasted granola in a slight Batman insignia shape, drizzled with the juice remaining in the cranberries in the fridge, topped with another smattering of blueberry preserves for symmetry, garnished with parsley. Then the dessert was meant to be lightly glazed with rum (but turned out to be rather saturated) which was supposed to light on fire but didn't."
The boozey dessert proved inedible, but at least we gave it a good try. I am afraid that Murray has been chopped.
Says Murray, "I can't believe the judge chopped me, but at least I made it to the dessert round. Whatever. They don't know what they were missing with me. Just wait till next time. I am just going to throw my chef apron in this trash can... whatever."
Here's a description from the site: Passion and expertise rule the kitchen on the fast-paced new series, Chopped. Hosted by Ted Allen (Food Detectives), the series challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets "chopped" until the last man or woman left standing claims victory. Each week, a rotating panel of culinary elite judges including Alex Guarnaschelli, Aaron Sanchez, and Geoffrey Zakarian will decide whose dishes shine the brightest and award the winner $10,000.
What we love most about the show are the surprise ingredients that the contestants must use. Like Mac n Cheese, or even gummy bears. It's really interesting to see the chefs at work, trying to make something good out of awful or mismatched ingredients. The chefs have to present and explain their courses to the judges. Murray particularly appreciates the artistic arrangements of the food on the plates.
Well, tonight I asked Murray to make us a snack. I asked Murray, whose culinary expertise extends to pb&j. He asked if we had ice cream and I told him we didn't. I expected a yogurt and a cheese stick. Or, well, a pb&j. (When we started dating, he invited me over to his house for a romantic dinner and made me Bertolli's.)
I was not expecting this.
Murray came into the room with our snack on a tray. He was also trying to ignite a lighter and set our food on fire.
Uh-oh.
And he tried and tried and tried to set our food on fire, but to no avail.
So then he had to present his creation to me, the judge.
These are creamy vanilla yogurt parfaits with a smattering of a circular arrangement of blueberry preserves. (His words, not mine.)
He described the dish: "Let me tell you what I've done. On the bottom is a delicate layer of blueberry preserves. This is topped with creamy, low-fat vanilla yogurt. On top of the yogurt is a layer of toasted granola in a slight Batman insignia shape, drizzled with the juice remaining in the cranberries in the fridge, topped with another smattering of blueberry preserves for symmetry, garnished with parsley. Then the dessert was meant to be lightly glazed with rum (but turned out to be rather saturated) which was supposed to light on fire but didn't."
The boozey dessert proved inedible, but at least we gave it a good try. I am afraid that Murray has been chopped.
Says Murray, "I can't believe the judge chopped me, but at least I made it to the dessert round. Whatever. They don't know what they were missing with me. Just wait till next time. I am just going to throw my chef apron in this trash can... whatever."
Diabetic Smoothie
1 cup light chocolate soy milk
12 frozen cherries
----
Mix in blender.
Enjoy immensely.
Halloween Food
I just thought I'd share a picture of what I brought to my cooking group last night. The theme was "black and orange" and I felt it was the perfect excuse to use my black spaghetti that I bought at Target months ago. I made an oil-based shrimp sauce to go with it. It really was delicious. I know, because I even tried some. Yep. I ate 3 spaghetti noodles with 2 shrimp. I am restraint incarnate.
I think that this is going to have to be a Halloween staple in my house from now on. The kids will love it... hopefully. I'm even thinking that if I broke up the spaghetti, it would look like LITTLE black worms... delicious!
Black and Orange Pasta
12 oz package of black spaghetti (I got mine from Target.) --Prepare according to directions
1/2 C oil
7 cloves garlic
pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 lb shrimp
fresh parsley
1) Heat oil on low heat.
2) Add minced garlic, red pepper, and salt; heat until garlic turns golden but is not brown, about 15 minutes.
3) Add shrimp, stir fry for 2 minutes or until shrimp is pink and opaque. (I cheated and just used thawed pre-cooked shrimp.)
4) Add oil sauce to spaghetti, add parsley, mix.
On a completely unrelated note, I think I need to start charging people more for what I do. I just received some Illustrator pattern files that a potential client bought from some professional company. Although they bought the copyrights to the patterns, the company did not actually set up the patterns to repeat. The files are an absolute mess and the client needs me to make them into repeat patterns, which the company should have done in the first place. When I give files to clients, they're set up properly, they're clean, and they're very usable! Must start charging exorbitant prices because obviously my skill and professionalism is worth it.
Menu Planning
My mom has commented that I don't post as often as I used to after marrying Murray. She says that I am a lot happier and have less to complain about. While that's definitely true. I think that there's also the factor that when I was single, I had no evening company or schedule, so I'd just sit around with my computer. Now, the computer gets turned off every day in time for Murray to come home. So. You know. There's that.
BUT with gestational diabetes, I now have something to complain about, so my posting is up. Maybe my mom was onto something.
Yesterday I went in for my diabetes education. I thought it was going to be a class with several people, so I was curious as to how they'd educate me about everything regarding my specific needs in a class setting. I was wrong, however. Everything was one-on-one. First I met with a woman who explained my new eating habits and schedule. She gave me a book that has information about all my meals and what foods I can eat and stuff. Fruit juice has been stricken off the list entirely for the rest of my pregnancy, which is ironic since I actually increased my fruit juice intake BECAUSE OF my pregnancy. Anyhoo. What I couldn't help but notice is that in the food index of my book (it's really more like a beefy pamphlet or a wimpy magazine), chocolate isn't even listed. Seriously?
Then I met with a woman who explained to me how I need to poke holes in my fingers six times a day to test my blood sugar. Are you kidding me? And I need to pee on a stick every morning. And record it all. And I need to eat all my meals and prick my fingers at set times.
So last night I entered in six alarms on my iPhone so that I can be reminded when to eat every day, since I tend to be a person who forgets to eat and gets around to it when it's convenient. The first one went off this morning at 8:30. So I immediately pricked my finger, measured my blood sugar, went downstairs, prepared a breakfast for me and Murray, and ate breakfast. And then I realized that I forgot to pee on the stick. After I'd already peed. So I mustered up enough pee to pee on the stick and then I had to compare the stick's color to the color scheme on the pee-stick packaging. Since Murray is the color expert, I called him over to ask his advice and tell me what color my pee stick was closest to. After determining the right color, Murray commented, "You know, all this is kindof fun when you think about it. You get to use a cool little blood machine every day, and then practice color theory with your urine!"
I still have a few questions about my menu, since I was educated so quickly! For example, here are my nutritional requirements for dinner every day. I was pretty stumped about what to do last night while I was looking at them:
3 carbohydrate group
- 1 starch
- 1 fruit
- 1 milk
- non-starchy vegetables
3 meat or meat substitutes (3 oz)
2 fats
So breaking this down for you, it goes something like this.
My one starch that I get to eat at dinner is equivalent to 1/3 cup of pasta or rice, or one slice of bread, or 1/2 cup of potatoes. And other things of the like. But you get that it's a really small portion.
My one fruit is pretty self-explanatory.
My one milk can be either milk or yogurt. I don't drink milk, and yogurt doesn't really seem to go with an evening meal.
I am allowed up to 1 1/2 cups of cooked non-starchy vegetables or up to 3 cups of raw.
My 3 meats means 3 ounces of meat or meat substitute like beans, cheese, eggs, etc. Have you ever seen a 3-oz steak?
My 2 fats means that I've got to add a bit of butter or oil or something to my meal.
So what would you make with these specifications? No, seriously. Please leave comments about what you would prepare given this breakdown. I will love you forever. After I cried a little bit (a lot) about how this was absolutely impossible and it seemed that I'd be doomed to eating mismatched meals for the rest of my pregnancy, I received inspiration. Here's our meal last night:
SALAD NICOISE with Cherry Smoothies for dessert
Salad for 2:
1 can of green beans, drained
1 bag of salad greens (I like the spring mix)
2 small tomatoes
(all totaled, equals less than 3 cups of veggies each)
1 cup of boiled small red potatoes with skins
(at 1/2 cup each, this equals one starch---oh, and I gave Murray more than 1/2 cup because I'm kind like that)
1 can tuna, drained
2 hard boiled eggs, cut up
(all totalled, 3 oz of meat each)
some green olives (for Murray's half, although if I liked green olives, this would have counted as a fat)
homemade dressing made with garlic-herbed olive oil, dijon mustard, and cider vinegar
(two fats!)
Smoothies for 2:
2 cups of light vanilla soy milk
24 frozen cherries
(There's my milk and my fruit!)
After the meal, we were both really surprised to find out that we were both really full. So, as long as I can keep coming up with inventive ways to put my ingredient list together, I may just make it through the rest of my pregnancy without going insane!
BUT with gestational diabetes, I now have something to complain about, so my posting is up. Maybe my mom was onto something.
Yesterday I went in for my diabetes education. I thought it was going to be a class with several people, so I was curious as to how they'd educate me about everything regarding my specific needs in a class setting. I was wrong, however. Everything was one-on-one. First I met with a woman who explained my new eating habits and schedule. She gave me a book that has information about all my meals and what foods I can eat and stuff. Fruit juice has been stricken off the list entirely for the rest of my pregnancy, which is ironic since I actually increased my fruit juice intake BECAUSE OF my pregnancy. Anyhoo. What I couldn't help but notice is that in the food index of my book (it's really more like a beefy pamphlet or a wimpy magazine), chocolate isn't even listed. Seriously?
Then I met with a woman who explained to me how I need to poke holes in my fingers six times a day to test my blood sugar. Are you kidding me? And I need to pee on a stick every morning. And record it all. And I need to eat all my meals and prick my fingers at set times.
So last night I entered in six alarms on my iPhone so that I can be reminded when to eat every day, since I tend to be a person who forgets to eat and gets around to it when it's convenient. The first one went off this morning at 8:30. So I immediately pricked my finger, measured my blood sugar, went downstairs, prepared a breakfast for me and Murray, and ate breakfast. And then I realized that I forgot to pee on the stick. After I'd already peed. So I mustered up enough pee to pee on the stick and then I had to compare the stick's color to the color scheme on the pee-stick packaging. Since Murray is the color expert, I called him over to ask his advice and tell me what color my pee stick was closest to. After determining the right color, Murray commented, "You know, all this is kindof fun when you think about it. You get to use a cool little blood machine every day, and then practice color theory with your urine!"
I still have a few questions about my menu, since I was educated so quickly! For example, here are my nutritional requirements for dinner every day. I was pretty stumped about what to do last night while I was looking at them:
3 carbohydrate group
- 1 starch
- 1 fruit
- 1 milk
- non-starchy vegetables
3 meat or meat substitutes (3 oz)
2 fats
So breaking this down for you, it goes something like this.
My one starch that I get to eat at dinner is equivalent to 1/3 cup of pasta or rice, or one slice of bread, or 1/2 cup of potatoes. And other things of the like. But you get that it's a really small portion.
My one fruit is pretty self-explanatory.
My one milk can be either milk or yogurt. I don't drink milk, and yogurt doesn't really seem to go with an evening meal.
I am allowed up to 1 1/2 cups of cooked non-starchy vegetables or up to 3 cups of raw.
My 3 meats means 3 ounces of meat or meat substitute like beans, cheese, eggs, etc. Have you ever seen a 3-oz steak?
My 2 fats means that I've got to add a bit of butter or oil or something to my meal.
So what would you make with these specifications? No, seriously. Please leave comments about what you would prepare given this breakdown. I will love you forever. After I cried a little bit (a lot) about how this was absolutely impossible and it seemed that I'd be doomed to eating mismatched meals for the rest of my pregnancy, I received inspiration. Here's our meal last night:
SALAD NICOISE with Cherry Smoothies for dessert
Salad for 2:
1 can of green beans, drained
1 bag of salad greens (I like the spring mix)
2 small tomatoes
(all totaled, equals less than 3 cups of veggies each)
1 cup of boiled small red potatoes with skins
(at 1/2 cup each, this equals one starch---oh, and I gave Murray more than 1/2 cup because I'm kind like that)
1 can tuna, drained
2 hard boiled eggs, cut up
(all totalled, 3 oz of meat each)
some green olives (for Murray's half, although if I liked green olives, this would have counted as a fat)
homemade dressing made with garlic-herbed olive oil, dijon mustard, and cider vinegar
(two fats!)
Smoothies for 2:
2 cups of light vanilla soy milk
24 frozen cherries
(There's my milk and my fruit!)
After the meal, we were both really surprised to find out that we were both really full. So, as long as I can keep coming up with inventive ways to put my ingredient list together, I may just make it through the rest of my pregnancy without going insane!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Some people who came last night asked for my chocolate chip cookie recipe. I thought that was funny since these are the chocolate chip cookies I've been eating my whole life and it's such a basic recipe. But here they are in all their glory:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 C shortening
2/3 C butter
1 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
Mix above ingredients.
Add:
3 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Bake at 350 F for 10-11 minutes or until they start to brown at the bottoms.
Invite a bunch of your friends over. Serve pina coladas.
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 C shortening
2/3 C butter
1 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
Mix above ingredients.
Add:
3 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
Bake at 350 F for 10-11 minutes or until they start to brown at the bottoms.
Invite a bunch of your friends over. Serve pina coladas.
Cicada's Famous Fake Frappucinos
Pursuant to a request for my frappucino recipe:
The summer after my freshman year, I went home to Canada and saw Tim Hortons advertising their frappucinos everywhere. Although I have never drunk coffee, I love the smell of it and I love anything coffee-flavored (and yes, for the record, I do eat coffee ice cream). But I really couldn't bring myself to buy a Tim Hortons frappucino when it clearly would be made by adding milk and ice and ice cream to coffee itself.
In Canada, we have Caf Lib, which is a burnt chicory coffee substitute. So one day, I became a genius and made my own frappucino with coffee substitute. What I learned after I returned to the States, however, is that Tim Hortons's frappuccino was actually fake and made only with coffee flavoring, not with actual coffee. Still, I am glad that I learned to make them for myself. And so is Redras. We are glad together.
Cicada's Famous Fake Frappuccinos
The summer after my freshman year, I went home to Canada and saw Tim Hortons advertising their frappucinos everywhere. Although I have never drunk coffee, I love the smell of it and I love anything coffee-flavored (and yes, for the record, I do eat coffee ice cream). But I really couldn't bring myself to buy a Tim Hortons frappucino when it clearly would be made by adding milk and ice and ice cream to coffee itself.
In Canada, we have Caf Lib, which is a burnt chicory coffee substitute. So one day, I became a genius and made my own frappucino with coffee substitute. What I learned after I returned to the States, however, is that Tim Hortons's frappuccino was actually fake and made only with coffee flavoring, not with actual coffee. Still, I am glad that I learned to make them for myself. And so is Redras. We are glad together.
Cicada's Famous Fake Frappuccinos
- Scoop several scoops of vanilla ice cream into a blender. (Use low-fat ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt to cut calories and fat.)
- Pour a bunch of milk into the blender.
- Throw several ice cubes into the blender.
- Dump some coffee substitute (like Pero) into the blender.
- Squeeze a lot of chocolate syrup into the blender.
- Blend.
- Taste.
- Add any of the above ingredients you feel is necessary to improve taste. Blend till perfection.
- Rejoice.
Fishing with Rice
So I promised that I'd tell the story about squirrel fishing with Rice. And that I'd explain why she's called Rice. I'll do so, but don't forget to scroll down and read my post Plugs for Blogs, because I don't want my precious friends to be forgotten.
To give away a bit of Rice's identity, I'm going to admit that her last name is Rogers. I think it's a common enough last name not to get her in trouble (for animal rights violations) on the Internet. Rice's family has a wonderful recipe called Rogers Rice. It was one of the first things I learned about her and one of the first things that made me love her. And believe me---if you got a taste of Rogers Rice, you would want more, too.
I was getting to know Rice in the days before cell phones or caller ID or something---all I know is that I was able to successfully prank call her twice. The first time was a random announcement that her horse was dead (which was funny because she had no horse). The second time, she received a call from Betty Crocker:
Me: Yes, may I please speak to Rice Rogers?
Rice: This is Rice.
Me: Hello, Ms. Rogers. This is Karen from Betty Crocker Inc. It has come to our attention that you have been preparing and sharing a recipe you call "Rogers Rice." Is that correct?
Rice: Yes, that is correct.
Me: Well, Ms. Rogers, it juts so happens that we at Betty Crocker hold the copyright on that recipe and if you do not stop passing out the recipe, we will have to press charges.
Okay, so she figured out it was me. I thought I was very convincing.
Another random fact you should know about Rice that has nothing to do with squirrel fishing is that she hates dairy. I don't understand it. How can anyone not like cheese or ice cream? One day at a Pie Night, I had brought a lemon merengue pie but still had to prepare the merengue. So I had two little egg whites in a small cup. When Rice asked me what was in the cup, Captain Fabuloso and I quickly informed her that it was a non-dairy drink that we brought for her that she simply had to try. So she tried it and then spat the egg whites back into the cup, and then I got mad at her for ruining my merengue. And then El Senor grabbed the "non-dairy drink" that she had spat in and he drank the whole thing down. And I was relieved that my eggs were unwasted. (Here, I'd insert a joke about my eggs being wasted every month as I hurtle toward spinsterhood, but that might gross you all out more than the idea of El Senor drinking egg whites, and none of you would take me seriously anyway because you'd all say something like, "Oh you have a boyfriend. You can't complain.")
Squirrel Fishing
Alright, alright. This is what you all wanted to hear anyway. Before my mission, Rice moved out to the DC area, where I was also living with my parents. She had no friends and I had no friends, so we'd get together and try to find things to do that were new and interesting. One day, we made an unforgettable trip to Historic Ellicott City. We thought it was going to be fun. Instead, we just hit antique shop after antique shop, and really, you can only take so much of that. Another day, in listing ideas of activities, somehow "turtle fishing" was mentioned. Okay, so it may have been me that mentioned it. The fact was that our family lived on a house that backed onto a lake that had turtles. And I had never seen live turtles before! And so I wanted to catch one and play with it.
I reasoned that when I went crawdad fishing (12 years earlier), we caught the crawdads by fastening bacon onto strings tied to sticks. Turtles couldn't be so different. So Rice and I got a broom stick, tied on some string, and brought some hot dogs with us to fasten to the end of the string. We brought a bucket and set off to the lake, full of hope.
It took us about five minutes with our hot dog in the water to figure out that no turtles were going to be interested in what we had to offer. We took our hot dog out of the water and started walking back home. But the woods we had to walk through were full of squirrels. So we decided to see what we could catch. We set the hot dog, still tied to the string attached to our stick, on the ground. A squirrel approached, tentatively picked up the hot dog, and started running as fast as it could. Until it got to the end of the string, at which point, the hot dog stayed still and the squirrel's feet flew out from under it. Upon recovery, the confused squirrel returned to the hot dog and repeated the same process. Rice and I were thrilled to exploit a stupid and helpless creature for our own entertainment.
After a few tries, the squirrel finally wrenched the hot dog free of the string and took off with its prize. And Rice and I set off with a new hot dog to find a new squirrel.
Rogers Rice
2 cups of long grain rice
2 cans of beef consume soup
2 cans of french onion soup
1/2 stick of butter
Combine in a casserole dish and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Serve, and enjoy a little piece of Rogers heaven.
(and don't tell Betty Crocker)
To give away a bit of Rice's identity, I'm going to admit that her last name is Rogers. I think it's a common enough last name not to get her in trouble (for animal rights violations) on the Internet. Rice's family has a wonderful recipe called Rogers Rice. It was one of the first things I learned about her and one of the first things that made me love her. And believe me---if you got a taste of Rogers Rice, you would want more, too.
I was getting to know Rice in the days before cell phones or caller ID or something---all I know is that I was able to successfully prank call her twice. The first time was a random announcement that her horse was dead (which was funny because she had no horse). The second time, she received a call from Betty Crocker:
Me: Yes, may I please speak to Rice Rogers?
Rice: This is Rice.
Me: Hello, Ms. Rogers. This is Karen from Betty Crocker Inc. It has come to our attention that you have been preparing and sharing a recipe you call "Rogers Rice." Is that correct?
Rice: Yes, that is correct.
Me: Well, Ms. Rogers, it juts so happens that we at Betty Crocker hold the copyright on that recipe and if you do not stop passing out the recipe, we will have to press charges.
Okay, so she figured out it was me. I thought I was very convincing.
Another random fact you should know about Rice that has nothing to do with squirrel fishing is that she hates dairy. I don't understand it. How can anyone not like cheese or ice cream? One day at a Pie Night, I had brought a lemon merengue pie but still had to prepare the merengue. So I had two little egg whites in a small cup. When Rice asked me what was in the cup, Captain Fabuloso and I quickly informed her that it was a non-dairy drink that we brought for her that she simply had to try. So she tried it and then spat the egg whites back into the cup, and then I got mad at her for ruining my merengue. And then El Senor grabbed the "non-dairy drink" that she had spat in and he drank the whole thing down. And I was relieved that my eggs were unwasted. (Here, I'd insert a joke about my eggs being wasted every month as I hurtle toward spinsterhood, but that might gross you all out more than the idea of El Senor drinking egg whites, and none of you would take me seriously anyway because you'd all say something like, "Oh you have a boyfriend. You can't complain.")
Squirrel Fishing
Alright, alright. This is what you all wanted to hear anyway. Before my mission, Rice moved out to the DC area, where I was also living with my parents. She had no friends and I had no friends, so we'd get together and try to find things to do that were new and interesting. One day, we made an unforgettable trip to Historic Ellicott City. We thought it was going to be fun. Instead, we just hit antique shop after antique shop, and really, you can only take so much of that. Another day, in listing ideas of activities, somehow "turtle fishing" was mentioned. Okay, so it may have been me that mentioned it. The fact was that our family lived on a house that backed onto a lake that had turtles. And I had never seen live turtles before! And so I wanted to catch one and play with it.
I reasoned that when I went crawdad fishing (12 years earlier), we caught the crawdads by fastening bacon onto strings tied to sticks. Turtles couldn't be so different. So Rice and I got a broom stick, tied on some string, and brought some hot dogs with us to fasten to the end of the string. We brought a bucket and set off to the lake, full of hope.
It took us about five minutes with our hot dog in the water to figure out that no turtles were going to be interested in what we had to offer. We took our hot dog out of the water and started walking back home. But the woods we had to walk through were full of squirrels. So we decided to see what we could catch. We set the hot dog, still tied to the string attached to our stick, on the ground. A squirrel approached, tentatively picked up the hot dog, and started running as fast as it could. Until it got to the end of the string, at which point, the hot dog stayed still and the squirrel's feet flew out from under it. Upon recovery, the confused squirrel returned to the hot dog and repeated the same process. Rice and I were thrilled to exploit a stupid and helpless creature for our own entertainment.
After a few tries, the squirrel finally wrenched the hot dog free of the string and took off with its prize. And Rice and I set off with a new hot dog to find a new squirrel.
Rogers Rice
2 cups of long grain rice
2 cans of beef consume soup
2 cans of french onion soup
1/2 stick of butter
Combine in a casserole dish and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Serve, and enjoy a little piece of Rogers heaven.
(and don't tell Betty Crocker)
As long as we're sharing recipes...
... that have bacon and red pepper flakes in them...
Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
1 package of bacon (mmmmmm)
4 cans of diced tomatoes (the 16 oz cans)
red pepper flakes
1 onion
salt, pepper
Fry the bacon till you get a bunch of fat, then throw in the diced onion. Fry till the onion is golden. Throw in all the tomatoes, a bunch of red pepper flakes (the hotter the better), a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for at least 40 minutes (add water if necessary). I usually cook this for at least an hour.
Everyone loves this, and people like FoxyJ will be thrilled to find out that it's full of fat (remember when you don't throw out all the fat from the bacon?). And if I can make a recommendation, this is my adaptation of the recipe found in Il Cucchiaio d'Argento, which can now be found in English---called The Silver Spoon. I highly recommend it. It's the Bible of Italian cooking.
Spaghetti all'Amatriciana
1 package of bacon (mmmmmm)
4 cans of diced tomatoes (the 16 oz cans)
red pepper flakes
1 onion
salt, pepper
Fry the bacon till you get a bunch of fat, then throw in the diced onion. Fry till the onion is golden. Throw in all the tomatoes, a bunch of red pepper flakes (the hotter the better), a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for at least 40 minutes (add water if necessary). I usually cook this for at least an hour.
Everyone loves this, and people like FoxyJ will be thrilled to find out that it's full of fat (remember when you don't throw out all the fat from the bacon?). And if I can make a recommendation, this is my adaptation of the recipe found in Il Cucchiaio d'Argento, which can now be found in English---called The Silver Spoon. I highly recommend it. It's the Bible of Italian cooking.
Carbonara Recipe
Nemesis mentioned carbonara on her blog and I felt obligated to share this story and recipe.I had a favorite family on my mission. We still keep in touch---they even called me when the New Year came to Italy, which I think is special. We'd go to their home every Friday for a discussion and then for supper. The mother (who we'll call Neve) was the greatest cook ever and she'd prepare all day for our Friday meal.
After one discussion, as the mother was making the final touches on dinner and we were seated at the dinner table with the father, my naive companion mentioned that I was a great cook and that I had made carbonara earlier in the day. The father, who loved to try and prove me wrong whenever he could (we'll call him Nanni), turned to me.
Nanni: Oh really Sorella Cicada. And how exactly do you make carbonara?
Cicada: Well... I fry pancetta (like bacon). With onions.
Nanni: Onions? No. There are no onions in carbonara. Go on.
Cicada: Then, I mix a couple eggs--
Nanni: The whole eggs?
Cicada: Yes.
Nanni: Wrong. You don't make it with whole eggs. Go on.
Cicada: I mix the eggs with parmasean--
Nanni: Parmasean!? No! You don't make carbonara with parmasean! You have to use pecorino Romano! Go on.
Cicada: And I mix in lots of pepper and cream.
Nanni: Cream!? CREAM?! Neve! [Neve is still in the kitchen.] Cicada puts cream in her carbonara!
Neve comes running from the kitchen with a look of horror on her face.
Neve: Cream!? In the carbonara??
Nanni: You don't put cream in the carbonara, Cicada. You're doing it all wrong. You missionaries learned wrong.
Cicada: Rumor has it that the recipe comes from an older Italian woman...
Nanni: No it doesn't. It's wrong. Neve will show you how to make carbonara the next time you come.
The next time I went, I learned how to really make carbonara. For your enjoyment, here's the recipe. Of course, measurements are general.
- Start boiling a pot of spaghetti. The rest of the recipe won't take you any longer than the spaghetti has to cook.
- Fry a bunch of pancetta (or bacon) in a lot of olive oil. If you're serving four people, I may even do up a whole package of bacon. Fry it in a deeper frying pan so that it can hold the unbelievable amount of olive oil you've added.
- Dump in a bunch of red pepper flakes, depending on how spicey you want it. You'll want the carbonara to be pleasantly spicey.
- In a bowl, put in one egg yolk per person eating. If there are several people eating, add an extra couple yolks for good measure.
- Dump in a bunch of pecorino Romano (also known as Romano) and mix with the egg yolks. You'll want to create a fairly dense paste.
- Drain water from spaghetti, return spaghetti to pot. Dump oil/pancetta/red pepper into the pot with the spaghetti. Dump the egg/cheese paste into the pot with the spaghetti. Stir. Ideally, the heat of the noodles cooks the eggs. If you're still nervous or cowardly, heat up the pot a little while stirring the mixture.
- Throw in a bunch of chopped, fresh parsley and stir.
- Serve hot!
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