Here's to the start of a new week. Can you believe it's already mid-March? No doubt the years pass by faster as I get older. But here we are; another Monday and another work day no less. Due to my lack of self control around desserts, the pistachio cake I made now finds itself a new home at work on the 13th floor's break room. We'll see how this plays out. I got the cake out of my house. Good job. But now it is with me at work - within sight and smell!
Sunday afternoon I spent a few hours sifting through cook books, online recipes and food magazines, searching for new eats to make this week. Forget vegetables, fruits, and lean protein. I was on the hunt for butter, sugar, flour, etc. In other words...desserts.
Last Thanksgiving I had my first slice of pistachio cake and have been in love ever since. So I was thrilled to find a quick and easy recipe for pistachio cake in a cook book my mom gave me years ago. Even if you're skeptical, I encourage you to try it! This recipe, in particular, takes all of 5 minutes to throw together and won't require a huge time commitment in the kitchen.
The one word I would use to describe this cake is one I can never seem to speak out loud. There are few words that make me want to scrub my mouth clean as much as m-o-i-s-t does. Blah! There. I spelled it. And m-o-i-s-t it is! With it's light lime green color on the inside and golden brown coating on the outside, this cake is a great dessert to put together when you're in time crunch.
Adele's new single "Rolling in the Deep" has been on repeat, blaring through the speakers of my iPhone. She is a perfect pair to this pistachio bunt cake. I can't get enough of this song or this cake. Thankfully Adele's song won't add unwanted lbs to the hips no matter how many times I listen to it. The cake on the other hand...not so much.
Bon Appetit! Julia
Pistachio Cake
Ingredients
1 white cake mix
1 cup oil
1 cup 7-up or Sprite
3 eggs
1 package instant pistachio pudding
1 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
Mix all ingredients together well. Grease and flour Bunt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
The joys a Friday brings to my life. Naturally it marks the beginning of the weekend, and this Friday in particular is pay day! Having refrained from buying new music the past week, this newly acquired money is burning a hole in my pocket as iTunes beckons me to purchase music, music, and more music!
There are so many artists/bands out there today, many of whom I’m just discovering and enjoy sharing with you, that I hereby dub Friday posts as “Favorite New Artist Fridays”. This won’t necessarily mean that the featured beat is new to the music scene, but rather that it is new to me.
Case in point – Bat for Lashes has been around since 2008. The album Two Suns is haunting and beautiful, highlighting British singer/songwriter Natasha Khan’s talent. If the likes of Florence and the Machine or Frou Frou appeal to you, Bat for Lashes will be an instant favorite. Today’s beat is “Daniel” (see video below). Other songs I’d recommend by this artist: “Moon and Moon” and “Pearl’s Dream”.
The latter half of this week was spent seeing the film Black Swan and taking in the musical “Young Frankenstein” at the Orpheum Theatre. Consequently, my kitchen has been neglected and not produced new eats in two days. My time was spent otherwise - watching the classic Mel Brooks’ comedy performed on stage and a ballerina who loses her mind in strife for perfection as the Swan Queen. I’ve laughed and cringed a lot in the past 48 hours.
I have, however, been drinking a lot of green tea this week – for no particular reason outside of the general health/wellness related benefits. Did you know that tea is the second most consumed drink in the world, second only to water? It also surprised me to learn that all tea (white, green, oolong, black and pu'erh) comes from the same plant called Camellia sinensis. I have a small assorted stash of teas at work. It’s nice to have on hand for several reasons. The dose of caffeine helps to start my day. It also curbs my appetite after breakfast and before lunchtime. And for the afternoon, a cup of hot mint tea takes the edge off of any stress and calms the nerves.
In addition to building my own garden in the backyard, I’d like to blend my own teas some day. Here are links to great web sites for tea, if you’re interested. Be sure to check out the various tea pots and utensils on these sites as well:
Last night the mood was right for a little sweetness to balance the savory jambalaya we had for dinner. The grocery store had bananas on sale for $0.52 a lb! I typically keep a small stash of bananas on the kitchen counter, grabbing one on the way out the door for work each morning. But what could I make with bananas that would rationalize my impulsive decision to buy 4 lbs? Enter in Bananas Foster - a dessert that originated at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans. If you like banana splits, I imagine you would like Bananas Foster. Dark brown sugar, rum, vanilla ice cream, chopped walnuts...perhaps I should have a second helping having made my mouth salivate now.
I chose to feature a Jazz beat with today's eat. Jazz music has this ability to sound classic and hip at the same time - it can be both sophisticated and sexy in tone and lyrics. I'll admit that prior to her Grammy win for Best New Artist this year, I had not heard of Esperanza Spalding. The dark horse beat out Bieber, Mumford and Sons, Florence and the Machine, and Drake! Having listened to her latest album, Chamber Music Society, she is quickly becoming my go to artist for easy listening jams on the way to work and cooking in the kitchen.
Hearing her song "I Know You Know", visions of sipping Cosmopolitans at a chic lounge in New York City or Chicago fill my head. Or in this instance, the song accompanied me in Memphis as I made bananas foster. Other songs I'd recommend by this artist: Little Fly and Overjoyed.
Tonight I'm finally going to see the film Black Swan. Can't wait! Disclaimer: I will partake in a few cocktails before seeing a movie by director Darren Aronofsky. I'm fully prepared to be mentally disturbed and emotionally drained by the time I leave the theatre, so hopefully a little vino takes the edge off from the start.
Cheers!
Julia
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons rum (I used 1.5 tsp of rum to 2 tsp of water)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Directions:
In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, a few minutes. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream.
For the past week, my house has been without an Internet connection. Not as critical these days if your iPhone can check/send emails to loved ones, post status updates to facebook, read daily tweets from Charlie Sheen, and surf the World Wide Web for futile knowledge such as “Is the word doughnut considered a masculine or feminine noun in the French language?”Anyone know? Random foreign language fact: it’s masculine. Unfortunately, however, the lack of an Internet signal at home does create a barrier between me and the ability to update My Eats and Beats. But where there is a will, there is a way. We finally called Comcast!
This weekend was a good mix of rest and entertainment. The gloomy climate, with rain and chilly temperatures, lent itself to 11 hours of sleep on Saturday and Sunday. Amid grey skies, lunch on Sunday was about the only burst of color all weekend: mixed greens with baby carrots, chick peas, plum tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette. I love meals that are thrown together within minutes, using items that are already in the kitchen. Resources are running scarce, and a trip to the grocery store is certainly in order today. Who wants to bet I walk away with a King Cake in my grocery cart? It’s Mardi Gras!
A few weeks ago we had dinner at my parents, and my mom bought a delectable king cake from Fresh Market. [Insert choir of angels rejoicing at the sight] After dinner my mom, dad, Stewart and I were each served a slice for dessert. Now, tradition states that whoever gets the tiny plastic baby inside the king cake is the king/queen for the day. And that person is then responsible for buying the next king cake. Four large slices, and half a king cake later, there’s no plastic baby in sight. This is just unacceptable. There has to be a baby in there. Five minutes passed, and an entire king cake was devoured by yours truly in search for the missing baby. Guess what? No baby! I felt gypped, and my stomach felt stout. Game over.
I wish I had planned in advance to make my own king cake today. Instead, I’ve posted a recipe for real macaroni and cheese. Kraft macaroni and cheese is a childhood (and adulthood) classic. But if you’re really looking to impress a dinner guest, try this recipe from the Lee Brothers. It’s a staple side dish for any season.
And the cheese to my macaroni is Louis Armstrong singing "When the Saints Go Marching In". It is quintessential New Orleans/Mardi Gras music. I love the brass band and Louis' voice. A soulful voice to go with this soul food classic.
Macaroni and Cheese from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
serves 12
total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste1 pound Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Fill a large pasta pot with water. Bring the water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pasta pot.In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir together until smooth. Stir for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it is melted. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and stir until the sauce is distributed evenly in the pasta. Spread half of the macaroni and cheese in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish and flatten into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheddar on top, then cover with half of the Gruyere. Add the rest of the pasta, flattening into an even layer, then cover with the remaining cheddar then the remaining Gruyere.
Bake in the middle of the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. If desired, transfer to the top rack during the last 5 minutes to brown the top.
Blast you New Year’s Resolutions! I’m pretty sure, judging by today’s date, that I have not posted three new recipes per week. But I have been keeping up with other resolutions, so that has to count for something. Right? And blast you Biebs! I’ve been listening to your song “Baby” today at work. Why?! Is it your profound lyrics: “Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh. Like Baby, Baby, Baby. No.” It’s just so darn catchy! Bring Luda into the mix, and I’m hooked. For those of you who may not be familiar with my feelings towards Justin Bieber – he is the reason I would dread having a 13 year-old daughter one day. And the scary reality is that I’ve been that 13 year-old girl with many a boy bands...back in the day.
Here’s my train of thought. The Biebs makes me think of the show Glee and their Bieber Fever episode from a few weeks ago. Consequently, Glee makes me think of the new OPI line of Glee nail polish colors. And I’m in love with the color “Slushied”! It’s this fantastic blue color for the spring/summer season. Go get it!
Spring fashion trends make me all too anxious to usher in warmer temperatures and say good bye to winter coats. As a fond, food, farewell to winter, I’m featuring a black bean soup recipe. This will most likely be one of the last soups I cook until fall arrives. This black bean soup is the first I’ve made, and it is delicious. There’s a lot of flavor in this pot of protein. It has bacon! Enough said. Check out the recipe below!
Don’t worry. I’m not going to publicly shame myself further and post a Justin Bieber video to my blog. BUT I would like to point out how bad Kim Kardashian's new single "Jam" is. It premiered today. Really? Really Kim? You think you can sing? Really? You know I have a love/hate relationship with you; so why did you give me reason to hate on your new song? I'll still watch your show on E! though. No buena muchacha. No buena. Listen here.
To spice up the black bean soup recipe, I chose Jennifer Lopez's new single "On the Floor". It's a real fist pumper. Speaking of Jennifer Lopez, I'm watching another season of American Idol. I swore I wouldn't once Simon Cowell left, but here I go again...
• 10 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro
• juice of 1/2 lime
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheddar, for garnish
Directions
Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.
