tasty things…a far breton

I wish I could eat this sweet treat every day. I mean EVERY day, with breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's filled with cognac soaked prunes and raisins, and has a creamy, smooth dense texture, somewhere between a clafoutis and a flan. Unlike either of those desserts, you can eat a slice of far with your hands, making snacking on the sly much easier. 

This is so easy to make. The batter whips up in the blender, and then you refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. I came across the recipe for the far ages ago in Bon Appetit in an article titled When French Women Bake. According to friends who are from the Breton region, this is the real deal! 

Two Tips:

1] Follow the recipe instuctions and use an 8" dia. pan w/2" sides. I ignored this and used a pan with only 1" high side, and the cake collapsed to the outside of the pan, not pretty. When a friend made this, she used a springform pan and the batter leaked out the bottom. And yes, do line the bottom with parchment paper.

2] Don't be afraid to use all the prunes and raisins. It seems like a lot when you are adding them in, but they really add flavor and nice texture to the far. You can't really have too many, but you can easily have too few. 

Enjoy!

F&N

family…motivation!

I've missed writing and sharing on the blog. I hoped last year there would be more focus for Fiddlesticks & Nonsense. Instead of figuring out what that could be, I abandoned the site altogether. So, I'm back…again…thanks to encouragement from family and friends.

Honesly, the biggest kick-in-the pants I neeeded to post again was the tiniest mention in Martha Stewart Living magazine thanks to my cousin-in-law, Jessie Randall. She is a kindred crafter and designer, and her annual Valentine Sock Hop she throws for her boys and their friends is featured in the current issue of MSL.

Jessie made Brownie Burgers for the Sock Hop, and she was sweet enough to mention that she borrowed the idea from F&N. Thanks again Jessie!

F&N

Hambuger Cookies Recipe / Instructions

tasty things…hamburger cookies

D had a birthday last month. It was a small celebration with two friends. 

What D wanted more than anything [besides Bobba Fett's lego ship] were hamburger cookies. It's a fake-out food, it looks like one food, but it's really something else. I was skeptical at first, but when I read the instructions I was up for the challenge.

These were really easy. I made the brownies using my regular brownie recipe. You'll find it on the back of the Ghiradelli sweetened powdered chocolate, and it makes the BEST brownies. Oddly, cookies are my least favorite thing to bake. So, I bought some wonderful pre-made pumpkin cookie dough at Whole Foods and that saved the whole project. Just sprinkle some sesame seeds on top before you bake for instant "buns".

TIPS:

1] Make sure to only sprinkle sesame seeds on half the cookies as these will be the tops and the rest, the bottoms  

2] Bake your brownies in a larger pan, I used about a 9 x 12, so you'll get thinner brownies and more realistic patties. I was nervous about doing this because the batter barely covered the bottom of the pan, but it worked. Make sure to adjust your baking time!

3] If you're ambitious or just like to bake cookies, the original recipe calls for peanut butter. I think the peanut butter would compliment the brownies perfectly. 

4] Go crazy with condiments! The cookies and brownies are just fine on their own, but the icing condiments add a lot of fun. I just did ketchup, but you can do pickles, cheese, mustard and lettuce too. 

5] I used a 2.5" baking ring to cut the brownies and a generous table spoon of cookie dough rolled into a ball. 

Happy Baking,

F&N

tasty things…japanese sweets

D and I have been spending a lot of time [and money!] at various Japanese supermarkets. We have such a fun time poking around and looking at the different type of foods, and the packaging is just so darn intriguing.

This purchase was all about the packaging! There is debate as to whether this is a lion or dragon, but I think it's a lion. Inside are individually wrapped mochi sweets filled with black sesame paste…yummy! The wrappers are adorable, and I've been saving them all for some yet to be imagined use.

Honestly, I'm the one who enjoys eating these. The mochi is just the perfect texture, chewy but moist and soft, and the sesame paste is a nice delicate, sweet flavor. Doc likes the flavor, but he's indifferent to the texture. D just doesn't like them…at all. 

I've got lots more sweets to share which are all lovely and tasty!

Thanks for stopping by,

F&N

tasty things…oatmeal drops

Inspired by the recipe on the box, these oatmeal drops are a favorite in the house. They are easy to make and healthier than traditional oatmeal cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup egg whites [or 2 eggs]

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup [honey or agave work well too]

zest of 1 orange or lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350º

1. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl.

2. Add wet ingredients and zest to bowl. Mix to combine, and let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Place tablespoon size drops onto greased baking sheet [a silpat works great here] and use the back of a spoon to flatten and shape the drops. 

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. I like to bake them until all the edges are brown. Remove and let cool on wire rack.

NOTES:

I find that by adding the cinnamon and zest, you can cut back on the brown sugar. I wouldn't cut back on the syrup as the recipe requires the wet ingredients to stick together. A batch lasts about two days in the house if we're on good behavior. They are perfect for school lunches and after school snacks.

Enjoy,

F&N

tasty + crafty things…homemade apricot jam #2

Last week we were buried in more apricots from my mom's tree. Remember the first batch?

This one little tree puts out so much sweet fruit, I couldn't stand to see it go to waste or to the squirrels. So once again, we were up on ladders filling every box we had with ripe fruit. We picked about forty-five pounds, and there was still a ton of fruit ripening on the tree!

In addition to the apricot tree, my mom also has a white nectarine, Santa Barbara plum and lemon trees. The apricot and lemon trees have been there since my childhood, which seems like forever, and the nectarine and plum trees are somewhat newer, their fruit wasn't as abundant, but it was SWEET and YUMMY!

The lemon tree puts out these freaky alien like lemons every so often. Here is the biggest alien lemon to date. Doc called it the eternal lemon because we used it for an entire week. 

With all these apricots, I had a lot of canning to do. I canned a batch every morning before work and every evening after work for a week. Having all the ingredients and equipment strewn all over the kitchen made Doc super twitchy as he's borderline maniacal about a tidy and clean kitchen, but he was supportive and helpful. D also pitched in by picking and weighing the apricots.

In the end, we canned almost 7 dozen jars! I barely had enough energy, or rather enthusiasm, to crank out some labels.

The final product in all it's glory…

Some of you will be getting a few jars in the mail, so keep your eyes open!

One last thing…I did save a few apricots to make some rustic tarts. These are so easy to make, especially if you make the pate brisee the day before you intend to use it. The added cornmeal to the crust add to the rustic quality. 

Thanks for checking in!

F&N

family + tasty things…a "day of rest" cake

Shortly before summer vacation began, D had a day off from school. It was called "a day of rest".  Of course, I turned to baking as an activity the two of us could do to start our day, and after a very short discussion, D made up his mind he wanted a chocolate cake. The first recipe that came to mind was Nigella's honey chocolate cake…it's very easy, moist and tasty. 

Now that D expresses his thoughts and ideas clearly, baking together is not as easy as it once was. As we gathered our ingredients and tools, D began improvising, "let's use a square pan instead of a round pan! Let's make cupcakes! Let's add dried cranberries!" I somehow managed to keep him on track or rather distract him while I quickly measured, mixed and poured. Here is what the kitchen looked like by the time the cake batter made it to the oven!

The recipe calls for a honey glaze/icing which I usually skip because the cake is tasty without it, and, mostly, I'm too lazy to make it. D was insistent on having the icing. In my haste, I forgot to sift the powdered sugar…very bad! 

Doesn't it look awful! It's pimply and cracked! Appearance aside, it tasted delicious as usual. Now, we call this our "day of rest" cake, even though there was nothing restful about making it.

Cheers,

F&N

tasty things…homemade apricot preserves

Summer has finally arrived and here is the proof…yummy sweet, juicy apricots from my mom's tree! 

When we picked our first harvest, I imagined baking tarts, pies and more upside down cake, but for whatever reason, no baking occurred. The little gems did not go to waste as we snacked on them all week and used them in a couscous and shrimp dinner.

Over the weekend, we picked more ripe apricots, about twelve pounds, and I knew then that I was going to make preserves with this harvest.

I've always wanted to make fruit preserves, but I never had an abundance of fruit on hand and was intimidated by the boiling and sterilizing process. With some on-line research, I found a recipe and canning instructions and decided to give it a go. 

I am quite pleased with this recipe and process. Because the apricots were so juicy and some overripe and I wanted to taste the tartness of the apricots, I cut the sugar way back. The original recipe calls for 6 cups of sugar to 4 pounds of apricots. I used 2 cups and that was plenty. 

The apricots and sugar are mixed together and left in a bowl overnight to macerate then transferred to a pot to simmer until it thickens. I liked macerating the apricots for two reasons: 1] you can control the amount of sugar and gauge the sweetness, and 2] I try to avoid boiling water and sugar unless I'm making caramel or flan because it ALWAYS burns.

Now, I need to make some labels and find homes for these tasty preserves!

Happy Summer,

F&N

NOTE: I didn't buy any special equipment, aside from the jars. These rubber tipped tongs made it possible to pull the jars out of the hot water and fill them with the apricots. It's an awesome tool. 

tasty things…apricot + cherry upside down cake

Summer has not yet arrived is SF. It's been June gloom 100%. Despite the weather, I was able to bring the flavors of summer to my family with this super delicious, super tasty upside down cake recipe from Martha Stewart Baking. 

As luck would have it, I was able to pick up some fresh apricots and cherries from Frog Hollow Farms.  Both were super juicy and sweet with the perfect touch of tartness. The addition of almond paste and cornmeal in this recipe put me over the top…so yummy!

I am looking forward to warmer days and more baking!

Happy Summer,

F&N

tasty things…bourbon + marmalade

Sometimes, I come across something in the blogsphere that I like to share. What I'm about to share is out of this world! If you visit sfgirlbybay, you've already read about this deliciously dangerous cocktail, the bourbon marmalade sour. Here's the recipe we use from the dinner files, and here is the original from Sunset. 

I love this drink! While on vacation earlier this week, I realized my love may have transgressed into obsession when I found myself nipping tiny jars of marmalade jam at breakfast to mix with the Makers Mark in the "honor bar" of our hotel room. 

I prefer Bulleit bourbon, the same we use for our Manhattans, but Makers Mark was pretty darn tasty too!

Cin Cin,

F&N

tasty things…cornbread muffins + apricot jam

I admit it; I'm a sucker when it comes to packaging and graphics. That's why when I saw this jar of apricot jam with its straight forward, simple and homemade like label, I had to buy it. Fortunately, I love apricots and apricot preserves/jam are a favorite.

Anyhow, the jam and its makers have an interesting story that began with a single apricot tree. Apparently, the variety of apricot used in this jam, Blenheim, is rare. Mostly grown in Santa Clara Valley [aka Silicon Valley] the orchards have diminished. I grew up in Santa Clara Valley, and my mom still has a Blenheim apricot tree in her backyard. Those apricots are AMAZING!  

The bottle and its contents seemed so precious that I wanted to enjoy this liquid gold with something homemade and straight from the oven. After pouring through my cookbooks and recipes, I went on-line searching for cornbread recipes. I settled on this recipe, and it's a keeper! It's moist and slightly sweet, and paired with the jam makes a delicious snack or breakfast.

If you plan to make it, you might want to read the comments. I took suggestions and modified the recipe a bit.

MODIFICATIONS:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• soak cornmeal in milk for 10 minutes
• use 1/3 cup + a cap full of vegetable oil 
• Bake for 15 minutes at 400º if you make muffins 

Enjoy, 

F&N

tasty Things…better than chicken soup

I have a cold, and whenever I'm sick, soup is all I want. It can be homemade or store bought, but it must be tasty and warm.  I was lucky to be at my mom's when my cold began because she had made a super yummy dumpling soup.

That was Saturday, and since, I have recreated my own version of mom's dumpling soup twice! Mom's recipes are always easy and quick and require very few ingredients which is why I thought I would share it. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups stock of your choice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped ginger
• 1 cup cooked corn kernels [frozen or fresh]
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 carrot sliced on the bias
• 1 package of frozen dumplings

 DIRECTIONS:

• Bring stock to a boil; then reduce to simmer
• Add chopped ginger and sliced carrots
• Continue to simmer until carrots are tender [approx 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness]
• Add corn, kale and dumplings and continue to simmer with lid on until dumplings are cooked and kale is at desired tenderness
• Add spices as necessary
• Serve

NOTES:

I like to add a lot of fresh ginger; it's the key ingredient for me. Not everyone shares my love for ginger, so it's easy to reduce the quantity or eliminate altogether. Kale provides a wonderful texture and color, but I'm sure using other braising or asian greens would be equally tasty. As for the dumplings, the bite size type are more manageable, especially for small kids, and are my preference, but go with whatever you like.

So, this is just a starting point. I know there are many, many recipes for dumpling soup, but this was so tasty and comforting I had to share.

Enjoy,

F&N

ps - apologies for the poor photo…taken with iphone in low light!

tasty things…egg pizza

Yep, that's right egg pizza. Actually, egg on pizza is not uncommon, yet whenever I mention this recipe, friends are always surprised. Their surprise grows when I tell them we make it  from scratch. The recipe is from my friend Lisa Barnes, author of The Petite Appetite Cookbook. 

Egg Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

Dough

• 1 package yeast [1 tablespoon]
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
• 3/4 cup organic whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand until foamy. Add remaining ingredients to yeast and water. Mix together & knead by had until dough is smooth, about 3 minutes. Make dough into ball, return to bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled.

Spray baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil. Place dough in center of pan and press with fingers to spread and cover pan. Bake in preheated 425º oven until just firm and edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and leave crust in pan.

Notes:

This dough is super easy to make, and it's great to have D's help. He has fun punching and kneading the dough. It's usually drafty and cool in SF. So, I like to place the dough in its bowl on top of the stove while the oven is warming to 425º. 

Pesto

• 3 cups packed, washed and stemmed spinach leaves
• 1 medium garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place spinach, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until chopped and combined. With machine running, add oil in a steady stream and process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Scrape down sides halway through processing. Add cheese and process just until blended.

Notes:

I add the garlic to the food processor first while it's running, then i scrape down the sides and add the rest of the ingredients and follow the directions as stated. I also like to use 2 garlic cloves. It adds a lot of zing to the pesto. I also find that a bag of pre-washed spinach is almost equivalent to 3 cups of packed spinach. 

Assemble

Spread  pesto sauce on top partially baked dough. Crack eggs onto pizza and top with 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Bake until eggs are cooked and dough is golden and crisp to desired doneness. 

Notes:

There is debate in our house as to whether we should break the yolk or leave it whole. It's a great presentation when the yolk is intact, but I always break it. You can also use this recipe anytime of day. If we plan to serve it for breakfast or an early brunch, we follow the basic recipe. If it's going to be dinner, I'll add other ingredients like roasted asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower. Sometimes cooked turkey bacon is added along with oil cured black olives. 

Of course, you can always buy pre-made fresh dough and pesto for a really quick dinner!

Enjoy,

F&N

around town + tasty things…dynamo donuts!

 

We had an unexpected treat delivered to us this morning by a friend…fresh Dynamo Donuts! The shop on 24th Street is in our "hood", and I've been keen to walk over there and check out what all the hype is about. Although I missed certain components of the Dynamo Donuts experience such as, the coffee, the literal square hole in the wall with counter and the lines, the donuts were out of this world!!

These aren't your Dunkin' Donuts or Winchell's type donuts. These are gourmet donuts [an oxymoron I know], super fresh with just the right balance of light, soft and chewy combined with spectacular flavor combinations like maple and bacon, lemon and pistachio, and chocolate chipotle. Yummy!

So, for the SFers who haven't experienced the maple with bacon donuts…DON'T WAIT! HURRY, HURRY, HURRY! For those of you who don't live in SF, here's a donut recipe and article from the Dec/Jan Ready Made. 

If my friend is any indication, Dynamo Donuts may become habit forming. When we asked to reimburse her, she just said, "Pay me in donuts!" 

Enjoy,

F&N

tasty things…homemade spaghetti sauce

Once Sunday rolls around, I have grand plans for a nice home cooked family meal. Everyone helps out, and everyone eats. Sad to say, it doesn't happen often enough. I've added some quick and hearty recipes in my arsenal that taste like we've spent all day cooking.

Simple Spaghetti Sauce 

This recipe is super easy and delicious. Best of all, adults and kids will enjoy it. The original recipe is fromGiada de Laurentiis, but I'll give you my version with my "special" ingredient. I like to make this on the weekend and use half the sauce for spaghetti the same day. The other half is put in the freezer, and I use it in a lowfat lasagna dish.

Ingredients:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Celery
• Carrots
• Fennel [the special ingredient]
• [2] 32 oz. cans of CRUSHED tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• Bay leaf
• 2-4 TBS. unsalted butter
• 1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/2 cup pitted olives

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy sauce pan
• Add chopped onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft
• Add remaining chopped veggies, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 min. or so
• Add crushed tomatoes and simmer until thick [between 45-60 min.]
• Test sauce. Add additional salt, pepper or other spices if needed. I add about 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter to knock back the acidity. So much better than adding sugar.
• Let cool. Mix in blender or food processor.

All the veggies simmering prior to adding the tomatoes

After the tomatoes are added

Spaghetti:

• Cook spaghetti pasta
• Add 1/4 cup olive oil to pan and heat
• Add the pitted and halved olives and saute 
• Add sauce and warm through
• Add cooked and drained pasta, toss well
• Serve with shaved paremsan

NOTES:

• The original recipe calls for 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk. I add 2-3, mostly to use what's in fridge before it goes bad.The sauce is very thick, probably because of the additional veggies.
• You can either cut back on the veggies or add another small can of tomatoes for a thinner sauce.
• Don't underestimate the butter! It really does help with the acidity. Add a tablespoon at time until your happy with the flavors. 
• I like to use very salty olives. I think you can use mixed green or kalamata olives, or any other with a strong flavor.

Enjoy,

F&N

tasty things + around town…Manhattan Mondays

The Manhattan, my new cocktail of choice. Actually, I've never had a "cocktail of choice", but I've always wanted to. Perhaps it's the images of old Hollywood glamour sipping cocktails so elegantly that I romanticize about. Maybe, it's a signal that I've finally crossed the line from being a girl into a woman [don't get me wrong, I don't think alcohol defines womanhood].

I think the desire to have a "go to" drink is just to stir things up [pun intended] now and again. There are times when ordering wine seems inappropriate and you don't feel like having a beer.  Like those times when you're at a really great bar. A real old skool, OG, bar. You know what I mean? 

How did I choose the Manhattan? I didn't; husband did. On one of our date nights, husband asked the bartender for a Manhattan. I thought he was speaking a foreign language, because during our ten years together, husband has ALWAYS ordered a martini. So when the drink hit the deck, the lovely amber color, presented in a martini glass, garnished with a cherry peaked my interest. YUMMY! It was the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. But what I like best about the Manhattan is that it can be labeled a "classic". Now, when I order a Manhattan, I can feel muy macha and feminine at the same time.

Shortly after the discovery of my new found libation, we happened across a great shop on 3rd Street at Market, Cask. 

We purchased some nice liquid Christmas pressies and treated ourselves to the Manhattan essentials: bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters. I fell in love with these shot glasses we picked up for a friend. I think they might almost deserve their own post.

So we've instituted "Manhattan Mondays". I was inspired by SF Girl by Bay's post about glamour and questioning the fun of "formal" for everyday or for no occasion at all.  I don't think I'll break out the cocktail dress , but I won't be in a hurry to jump into some comfy clothes and fluffy slippers during cocktail hour. While husband gets to enjoy his new cocktail shaker and perfect the ratio of whiskey and vermouth to our liking, I'll put on some lipstick and perfume. Who knows what will happen.

Cheers,

F&N

For all the locals, here's a great NY Times article mentioned by a friend about SF and the great cocktails that are being born, or reborn in the Bay Area.

Tasty things…Shake it up…ooh…ooh

As our weekend was winding down Sunday evening, I decided to shake things up…literally!  

We finally got around to that butter project in The River Cottage Family Cookbook. I was able to enlist D for the first few minutes of shaking, but he quickly lost interest and chose to do some "art making" instead. So, alone I was in my pursuit to shake cream into butter. After 10 minutes of shaking, sure enough, the fat and liquid separated and this was the product…

D and husband were only mildly interested which I find ironic since they are the butter lovers in the house. Perhaps if we had made some cornbread or scones, the boys would have rallied around the butter experiment. In any case, I know what buttermilk is and how it is made.  And, I also know how to whip cream without a whisk…just in case we're out camping, and we forget the whisk.

Shake it up!

F&N

ps - I'll try not to reference anymore pop songs in subsequent posts!