Farm to Table isn't as cool as Garden to Table!

Since moving to the Hudson River Valley, we have decided to fully embrace the farm-to-table movement, eating local and shopping at the farmers market, and even the actual farm when we can. The mild winter and seed displays at the local nursery have inspired me to try growing my own tiny vegetable supply.

Living where the suburbs meets the country has left me with the illusion that I have a green thumb. I had some success in Hoboken with flowers and herbs, but really only fool-proof stuff like basil and hydrangeas. Despite multiple attempts, I was never able to coax an actual vegetable out of a plant. I keep telling myself that this time will be different. Right.

Our backyard looks like it could be a film set for Bambi in the summer, which does not bode well for my potential harvest. I am not willing to fight the bunnies and groundhogs for my produce, so my mini-farm will be limited to what I can fit in pots on the deck.

I started small, ordering only green zebra tomatoes (why not go big with heirlooms on the first try), sugar-baby watermelon and zinnias from the Landreth Seed Catalog to get started. Apparently I am not the first person out here to feel inspired by the area - the local nursery had an entire display of seed germinating kits for dummies at the front of the store. They do everything but actually plant and water the seeds for you. If this doesn't work, I am truly pathetic.

I can do this! Two weeks later, I have a plethora of zinnia sprouts, but only two anemic looking little tomato plants peeking out of the soil. Watermelon seeds will be planted this evening. Stay tuned for updates on how this experiment progresses. Will this be my first and only foray into starting with seedlings, or will I be so successful that a greenhouse is in order to start the variety of seeds I will want next summer?

Homemade Thai Feast

Los Angeles is the land of sunshine, beautiful people and opportunity. It’s a melting pot of cultures and attitudes. To expect delicious worldly cuisine here goes without saying.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Los Feliz, it’s a culturally vibrant, creative hotspot adjacent to Hollywood. My one-room studio apartment overlooks the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Hills. There is plenty of natural light and a modest kitchen. The all-white kitchen is replete with fridge (a luxury here in the world of Los Angeles rentals), Gas Cooktop, Gas Match-light Oven (affectionately referred to as "vintage"), Sink (also "vintage"), and one power outlet. There is no microwave, nothing is reheated, and all the food is fresh.

What we lack in luxury and fine technology we make up for with creativity and flavor. Even if you find yourself in a tiny space in an expensive city, there is no reason to settle for so-so food and no excuse for not eating fresh, homemade, and in season.

On this particular Thursday night we whipped up one of our favorite take-out specialties. We made drunken noodles with shrimp and steamed shrimp dumplings. Drunken noodles or Pad Kee Mao is a traditionally spicy, Chinese inspired dish that one would find in a Laotian or Thai kitchen. If you find yourself without the means to visit our friends in the East you can pick up a delicious interpretation at Pattaya Bay on Vermont Ave. or try your hand at this simple recipe!


Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Dumpling Wrappers (found in the refrigerated section of your local grocer)
½ small head of Green Cabbage
½ lb Shrimp
6 cloves Garlic

2 tablespoons chopped Ginger Root
Sesame Oil (a bit pricey but worth it. If you must, cut it 50/50 with a cheaper oil)
Black Pepper
Green Onions
1 Egg

You cannot have too much fresh ginger or garlic in a steamed dumpling, so don’t hold back. We cooked the fresh ginger, garlic, green onion, cabbage and shrimp in a generous amount of sesame oil. After it was done cooking we tried chopping it to get the fine consistency that you normally find in a dumpling, but this proved to be very messy. A whirl in the food processor is a better bet.

The key to successful dumpling folding is raw egg. Crack your egg into a cup or bowl. Every time you reach for a fresh dumpling wrap, use your fingers to coat the inside of it with raw egg; it’s like delicious dumpling glue!

If you don’t have a steamer try this: strainer on top of a soup pot with a lid! Make sure you coat the strainer with a generous amount of oil or cooking spray. Otherwise the dumplings will stick and you will find yourself with yet another delicious mess. Also dumplings will stick together so unless you oil your dumplings avoid letting them touch in the steamer, or risk messy, ugly, albeit delicious dumplings.

Drunken Noodles with Shrimp

Jalapeno Pepper
Serrano Chili Pepper
Thai Chili Pepper
Basically any spicy pepper you can get your hands on
Large Red Bell Pepper
Sweet Onion
Thai Basil (or regular basil)
Shrimp
A ton of Garlic (about 10 cloves for one pack noodles)
Fresh Ginger
Soy Sauce
Fish Sauce (WARNING: Do NOT smell the fish sauce)
Brown Sugar
Wide Flat Rice Noodles
1 Egg

Sauce: For one pack of wide flat rice noodles we use less than ¼ cup fish sauce, 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar and about 1/4 cup of soy sauce.

It's important that you do not boil and strain your wide flat rice noodles. Place the noodles in a large pot or bowl, pour hot water over them and let them soak for about 30-minutes. Stir occasionally so they don’t stick together.

Cook your peppers, onion, garlic, and ginger in a generous amount of oil. Once they are about ¾ of the way cooked, add your brown sugar, basil, soy sauces, and fish sauce. WARNING: fish sauce smells TERRIBLE my cat wouldn’t even eat it. When you smell the fish sauce don’t fret, your food is not ruined. Like strong vinegar, when you reduce the sauce the pungency cooks out and it’s delish.

Once your noodles are soft enough, drain the water and toss them in with the egg and the rest of your ingredients. Serve the searing hot mixture over a bed of lettuce or cabbage.

Lazy Sunday Lunch: Mushroom & Pesto Paninis

Saying that it has been a crazy year is perhaps the understatement of the decade around my house. Since I have been gone, life has completely changed. We moved from a city apartment to a country house, changed jobs, and most significantly, had a baby. In the midst of all that we dealt with hurricanes, blizzards, lay-offs, among other things related to relocating and having kids. This past weekend was the first time in a long time that Aaron and I were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy a few serene and peaceful days. This meant that rather than quickly reheating leftovers for lunch between errands on Sunday, we actually had the time and energy to make something.  

One of our favorite things about living in the Hudson River Valley is that we are really able to indulge in true farm-to-table cooking. We shop almost exclusively at our local farmers market, when we are not visiting the farms themselves. While we do enjoy taking locavor-ism to an extreme, it isn't without challenges during northeastern winters, as the selection becomes, well, pretty limited. After weeks and weeks of all variety of squash, Aaron couldn't take it anymore and demanded a change. So...

We moved on to mushrooms! Not very exciting, but at least something a bit of a deviation from the endless kabocha and butternut we had been eating through the dark days of winter. Fortunately I did have a container of homemade pesto tucked away in the back of the freezer waiting for that moment that comes towards the end of every winter when you are desperate for even the smallest taste of summer.

In 2011, this blog wasn't the only thing to go on hiatus. I also took an unfortunate break from bread making and am only slowly starting to get back into my former loaf-a-weekend groove. I have an enormous lack of trust in my oven - somehow I seem to burn everything - and fear of failure has made me apprehensive about getting started again. Though I dreamed of ciabatta for the panini, a simple white sandwich loaf was about all I could muster.

Add some creamy fresh mozzarella from the Italian dude at the market, and lunch is ready!

It's been a little quiet around here...

Might be time to get this thing cranked back up. I never intended to go dark for so long, but a lot has happened. A move, a baby, a new job...

Hoboken Cupcake is in Hoboken no more. We picked up and moved to Northern Westchester county, just above New York City, where I hope to take advantage of all of the farm-to-table goodness that the Hudson Valley has to offer.

In addition, my sister, the Los Feliz Burrito will be contributing from the west coast. I'm hoping she can keep things exciting in the darkest months of winter when there is nothing but turnips and potatoes for me to write about.

Stay tuned for a blog facelift and some new content.

Cheers!

I am currently away from the computer...

It is with much sadness that I put up this away message, signaling that Hoboken Cupcake is on temporary hiatus. Aaron and I are in the progress of boxing up our home so that we can eventually move to a new home, hopefully with a full gourmet kitchen that gets bathed in natural light!

I will likely post sporadic updates, including news from our February vacation to South America. Otherwise, I hope to pick things back up as soon as our home sells. Hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later.

Cheers!

Thanksgiving - we pulled it off.

The last dish has been washed and put away, and now my family is sprawled out in the living room groaning silently. It is Thanksgiving. In typical fashion, Aaron and I went completely overboard and managed to organize a true day of gluttony. Despite my failed macarons and general "mehs" during the planning process, dinner was successful and surprisingly stress free. Quick planning and organization allowed us to pull off the meal in our tiny kitchen while engaging with our families - at least a little bit. That being said, now more than ever, it is clear that we need to move to a house. 

Pinot noir to go with the turkey. 

Here is the menu: 

Thanksgiving 2010

Winter squash soup with gruyere cheese

Pear and pomegranate salad

Semolina bread

Apple cider brined turkey

Apple, parsnip and sausage stuffing

Roasted acorn squash

Sauteed brussel sprouts

Roasted broccolini

Root vegetable puree

Cranberry sauce with persimmons

Spiced pear and cranberry sorbet

Pumpkin semifreddo

Maple pecan tart

Vanilla, cinnamon and orange ice cream

Winter squash soup with gruyere cheese

Pear and pomegranate salad

Pulling together the dinner was simple, but time-consuming. The most challenging part of it was not the cooking, but the size of our kitchen. Only two people at a time can fit in our tiny apartment kitchen, so when we have to cook for guests, they usually have to wait in the living room awkwardly while Aaron and I get things ready. This is merely exacerbated when you have guests staying with you or are cooking a large feast, as much of the cooking must be done while the guests are there. 

Though we have already put the plans in motion to move, this weekend made it clear that we can't get to an actual house soon enough. Friends know that I have long dreamed of escaping urban apartment living for a home with windows on four sides. Entertaining my family for Thanksgiving simply revealed that more space might be even more important than natural light!

Semolina bread

The bird!

Anyway, back to the meal. This is what my plan of attack looked like:


Saturday: Made squash soup to freeze, made macaron shells
Sunday: Made cranberries, filled macarons, made ice cream and sorbet
Monday: Made pumpkin semifreddo
Tuesday: Trimmed brussel sprouts, deconstructed the pomegranates, brined turkey, made bread dough
Wednesday: Assembled and baked tart, assembled root vegetable puree, made whipped cream, shaped the bread, removed turkey from brine
Thursday: In order, Baked bread, roasted squash, roasted turkey, made salad, made and roasted stuffing, sauteed brussel sprouts, roasted root vegetable puree and broccolini, reheated and broiled soup.

I managed to space the work out over enough days that when my family did arrive on Tuesday night, I had time to go out to dinner, and then on Wednesday I was free enough to take them into the city for a leisurely lunch. Sure, Aaron spent much of the day in the kitchen on Thursday, but he was the one that demanded the turkey. I'm not sure there is a way to make turkey simple unless it is catered.

It was well-planned and successful, but not without a few disasters. Let's just say that so-called "brining bags" are not strong enough to withstand the pressure of a 12 pound turkey and a few liters of liquid. Since I took care of most everything else, as mentioned above, I left Aaron in charge of the turkey. It was mostly for him, after all. I had put forth numerous other meat options... crown roast of pork, cornish hens, standing rib roast... etc. NO, he wanted his traditional Thanksgiving turkey. Fine. I can deal with turkey but I don't want to be responsible for putting it in the oven at the crack of dawn and keeping it basted all day.

Root vegetable puree

He didn't complain about the assignment, instead eagerly diving into the task. I sent him a few recipes to check out and he settled on a brined turkey. Neither one of us had ever brined a turkey before (or really knew what brine was!), so this was going to be interesting. Aaron finished preparing the brine just as my family arrived. I left Aaron home alone for a little while so I could escort them to their hotel. They were staying in the new W that had opened down the street.

Not five minutes after greeting them in their hotel room my phone rings. It is Aaron, frantically yelling that turkey brining bags don't work. I get a startled look on my face and slowly ask if the turkey is okay, which sends my father into a fit of laughter. Nothing like a little turkey mayhem to entertain the 'rents. Apparently, Aaron poured the brining liquid into the bag, added the turkey and sealed the bag. When he lifted the bag to put it into the fridge, it burst sending germ-infested turkey brine spraying all over the kitchen and the refrigerator. Gross. He was a hero and managed to get it all cleaned up before I got back from the hotel, but not without getting sticky brine in the hinges of the refrigerator doors, which proceeded to groan every time they were opened for the rest of the weekend.

Broccolini

Furthermore, when the bird was finally in the oven it was impossible to tell when the stupid bird was ready. Internet research indicated that it should take about four hours for the bird to cook. On hour five, Aaron and I still weren't sure that we had reached the salmonella safety zone; a thermometer stuck in the thigh registered 163 degrees. Refusing to believe the first thermometer, we stuck a few more in various places, each reading a temperature just below what the USDA recommends. Nuts. After another 20 minutes, the temperature was still too low and folks were starting to get hungry and anxious.

Dad: Hey Jen, is the turkey done?
Me: No. The thermometer says we could still get salmonella.
Dad: (laughing) We're not going to get salmonella.
Me: Hmm... okay, if you say so. I guess the turkey is done then.

For some reason his assertion was enough for me to ignore everything I had ever learned about bacteria and food safety. At least if we got sick maybe Aaron would never make us cook a turkey again. Aaron pulled the bird out of the oven and dinner was served shortly thereafter. Dad was right and nobody had to go to the hospital. Aaron still wants turkey for dinner next year.

Cranberry with persimmons

Needless to say, I can guarantee that I will never again be dealing with turkey. I am so over it. Unless Aaron is cooking the turkey, our household will make a tradition out of an alternative meat. I'm open to suggestions, as long as it is low effort and it is easy to tell when it is done.

Spiced pear and cranberry sorbet

I closed the meal with a Maple Pecan Tart and Pumpkin Semifreddo. Both were carefully chosen as "lighter" options to end the heavy meal. Though the pecan tart was not exactly light, using a tart pan instead of a pie plate helped with portion control as the tart pieces were thinner than pie pieces would have been. The semifreddo served as the perfect closer - icey cold and refreshing, with a light airy texture. It served as a nice contrast to the butter laden food from dinner. With that, Thanksgiving 2010 drew to a successful close. Time to start thinking about next year!

Pumpkin semifreddo topped with whipped cream and homemade granola

Maple pecan tart

Just writing up two of the simpler recipes this week. You can find them after the jump. Enjoy!

Prepping for Thanksgiving: Maple Pecan Pie

I feel like I have lost my holiday hosting mojo. Usually at this time of year, I would have my full menu planned, complete with a shopping list and VERY detailed plan of attack. While Aaron and I are very thrilled to be hosting our second Thanksgiving, I just can't seem to get it together. Lethargy seems to be a trend with me at the moment, as I have neglected this blog for nearly a month!

On Thursday night last week, I finally decided that it was time for some serious menu planning. Now I know that this might be standard operating procedure for most people, but anyone who knows me would be shocked that I hadn't planned Turkey Day 2010 back in 2009. Moreover, the menu is, dare I say it, quite modest - no hors d'oeuvres, just one pie, and appropriately measured serving sizes. Maybe I am ill? I just hope my family isn't disappointed. 

Here is a sneak peak of one of the recipes I am planning to make. I have never made pecan pie before, so I thought I would give it a trial-run before I force it on my family. I made a few alterations, but otherwise the recipe was a success and will be added to my Thanksgiving menu. I like the tart format as it yields smaller pieces than a normal pie. This is important with pecan pie as it is literally death on a plate! And that is really all I have to say about that as the lethargy sets in again.

Over the weekend I managed to pull off a bunch of prep work. Squash soup? Done. Palette cleansing pear and cranberry sorbet? Check. Cinnamon vanilla ice cream to accompany my tart? Finished and in the freezer. I also baked up a failed batch of macarons which are now in the garbage. I am undecided as to whether or not I will try to make a new batch. I guess at a minimum, I should feel relieved that even if I burn the turkey, there will be soup and sweets! 

Hopefully I will be able to get my act together again and post my menu and some photos after the big day. 

Recipe after the jump!