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Over the years I have owned many different cutting boards.  Some of my favorite cutting boards are the plastic ones.  Not all plastic cutting boards are the same.  I had two plastic cutting boards, one that I loved and one that I didn’t love quite as much.  I couldn’t for the life of me remember where I got my favorite board.  I have been searching high and low for more boards like my favorite to no avail.  This weekend I happily stumbled on not one, but two of them at a Crate and Barrel outlet store.  I walked out of the store with both boards in hand.  You might ask what is so special about this style board, well I will tell you.  Let’s start with the board I don’t like as much.  It has bubbles on the bottom of the board to keep it stable, well it warped in the dishwasher.  The bubbles aren’t providing much stability now that the board is bent in a u-shape.  My favorite boards are quite sturdy.  They do not have bubbles on the bottom, but feet in each corner of the board.  The feet help the board from slipping off the sideboard.  These boards are relatively the same thickness as the boards I don’t like, but for some mysterious reason they don’t warp in the dishwasher.  Lucky me, easy chopping without the wobble.  I am so excited.  I can’t wait to get chopping.

In the new year I want to expand this blog to include more than just my food interests.  I have many interests and passions and I am going to share them.  I love taking photographs.  I received a new camera this Christmas and I so excited to be able to use it.  Over the years I have been lucky enough to travel to many places including Europe, California , Oregon, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and many others.  Here are a few of my favorite travel photos.

I have always been a fan of Fine Cooking magazine, but the latest issue is stellar.  It’s the first redesign of a magazine in recent years that I have really enjoyed.  It looks incredibly classy, but it hasn’t changed so much that you don’t recognize it.  I noticed it this weekend will hanging out in the Border’s magazine section.  I browsed through it and couldn’t wait to take it home and start working on some of the recipes.

One new feature the editor’s added is the challenge recipe. I love, love, love this idea.  This weekend I tackled the croissant recipe and let me tell you,  they were excellent.  It wasn’t my first experience with laminated doughs…for some strange reason I love playing with laminated doughs.   I made danish this summer and I have a great quick puff pastry recipe that I like to use, but these were my first croissants.  My husband loved them!  With nearly three sticks of butter in the recipe, what’s not to love??  Serve them up with a nice quality jam and a cup of tea.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

I can’t tell you how much I am loving this cookbook.  The CIA Baking at Home cookbook covers many topics including cookies, cakes and tortes, pies and tarts, custards and puddings, confections and a whole lot more!  The recipes in this book are some of the best I have tested.  I really love the recipe for cream scones.  It uses only cream and the scones are frozen overnight to help develop texture.  They are great to make ahead and keep in the freezer for when unexpected guests show up.  The best thing about them is they are baked straight from the frozen state!  The texture and flavor are amazing.  These are my new go to scones. 

The recipes are only one part of this book.  The book contains all kinds of information on baking techniques and tricks!  I know if you love baking like I do you will love this book.  Amazon carries it for around $27.00. 

I like the rest of the world’s bloggers read many blogs in a day.  Usually I read them to see what the latest news is in the food industry, sometimes it’s just for fun.  The other day I stumbled across a interesting question.  What cookbook could you not live without?  I have to admit this question put me into a period of deep tought.  Only one cookbook?  No way!  I couldn’t do it.  I have too many favorites and each serves its own purpose.  I like most foodies admire cookbooks whenever I go to the bookstore.  Growing up cookbook was a foreign word in our household.  I don’t think I picked up a cookbook until I was well into my 20s.  Now I stand in the aisles and drool over the photos like everyone else.  Sometimes I spend so much time in the cookbook aisle the store clerks come and ask me if I need help.  It’s funny though, I only buy a cookbook after a long research process.  Here are some of my favorites - in particular order.

Baking Cookbooks

Baking - Dorie Greenspan is an amazing baker and a delightful person.  I love listening to interviews with Dorie and I love working my way through her book.  She also has wonderful food blog -www.doriegreenspan.com

Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook - Say what you want about Martha, if I need a go to recipe, she’s my girl.  I love Martha’s cookbooks.  Her staff works very hard to create these cookbooks and it shows!  I would call this book a primer for anyone interested in getting started with baking.

Everyday Cookbooks

Martha Stewart’s New Classics and Old Classics - I originally bought the new classics and immediately fell in love with it, so you can guess how the Old Classics made its way into my collection.

Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian - I just love Mark Bittman’s simple approach to everyday cooking.  His recipes are simple and honest and most importantly, delicious!

The Bon Appetit Cookbook - I really use to love Bon Appetit magazine, not so much now.  I guess I am not hip enough for the new spin, but I really love the cookbook.  There are so many classic recipes in this cookbook, it’s hard to resist!

So how about you any favorites you would like to share with the rest of us?

So many of you know that I haven’t been posting much.  You also know that I was talking about a project in the spring.  Well, you may have guessed it by now… I am finishing up a vegetarian cookbook as we speak.  I am a huge fan of baking, so the cookbook also has lots of great baking recipes, but it is mostly devoted to vegetarianism.  Here’s a sample recipe from the future book. 

Spicy Rice and Black Bean Burgers

(Makes 8 mini burgers or 4 large burgers)

The funniest thing about becoming a vegetarian was how much I loved black bean burgers. I was never a burger eater when I ate meat, but there is something so satisfying about vegetarian burgers. I just love them.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 medium red pepper, deveined and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbs. ketchup

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked rice (basmati, white or brown)

2 cups fresh wheat or white breadcrumbs

¼ cup dried breadcrumbs

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Serve with avocado, tomato, and lettuce

1. In a medium skillet heat 1 Tbs. olive oil. Sauté the jalapeno, onion, red pepper, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the peppers are soft and the onion is translucent. Add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and ketchup. Cook for 2 minutes.
2. In the bowl of a food processor add half of the onion and pepper mixture and half of the beans and rice. Process until combined. Place the mixture in a large bowl with breadcrumbs and the remaining half of the onion mixture, beans and rice. Mix well.
3. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Form patties either into mini patties (3-4 inches) or large patties (6 inches). Cook until browned on both sides. It should take about 3-4 minutes per side.  Top with your favorite toppings and condiments.

Enjoy!

I love making pizza at home.  All you really need is a pizza stone and a good dough recipe.  I have been using the same dough recipe for years, but recently ventured off to try a new recipe and I am so glad I did.  The recipe is from Todd English and it’s delicious.  It uses both white and wheat flour and I have to say the small amount of wheat flour makes all the difference in the world.  The recipe calls for a scant 1/4 cup of wheat flour, but what the wheat does for the texture of this dough is nothing short of amazing.  It gives the dough a nice chewy texture.  Here’s the recipe if you want to give it a try.

Figs Pizza Dough (Todd English)

Ingredients

Makes 4 eight-to-ten-inch pizzas

• 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for rolling
• 2 teaspoons (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the oil and 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water. Knead on low speed until the dough is firm and smooth, about 10 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into four balls, each about 7 1/2 ounces. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place two balls on each sheet, and cover with a damp towel. Allow the dough balls to rise in a warm spot until they have doubled in size, about 2 hours.
3. To roll out the dough, cover your fingers with flour, then place a ball on a generously floured work surface. Press down on the center of the ball with the tips of your fingers, simultaneously stretching the dough out with your hands. When the dough has doubled in width, use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is very thin. The outer border should be slightly thicker than the center. Transfer the dough on a spatula (allowing the dough to fold up almost like an umbrella) to a pizza peel or another flat, wide surface. The dough will be more oval than round. If any holes have appeared, pinch them closed. Repeat with the remaining balls.

Okay so I had a decidedly non-traditional Easter buffet yesterday.  My parents and my husband and I are known for our non-traditional holiday meals.  We had a Vegetarian Mexican inspired buffet yesterday with all kinds of interesting dishes.  It was fun, it was unexpected and it was definitely enjoyed!  One of the dishes that we had was a recipe from Bon Appetit for corn bread.  I really enjoyed this recipe, it wasn’t overly sweet or dry like some corn breads I have eaten.  I think next time I would make it a little more tex-mex, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it as is.  Next time I might add some hot peppers, maybe cilantro instead of basil for starters.  It really inspired me to rethink my corn breads. 

Here’s the recipe for those of you who are interested in trying it out.

Corn Bread with Basil, Roasted Peppers and Monterey Jack Cheese

8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion

1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños (about 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained
1/2 cup drained chopped roasted red peppers from jar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 9×9x2-inch baking pan. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool.

Mix cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 tablespoons butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Mix in cheese, corn, red peppers, basil and onion. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake corn bread until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pan on rack. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cool completely. Cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven about 10 minutes.)

Cut corn bread into squares.

I just got an email for Food Network about a sale they are having on DVD collections.  The prices are really pretty good.  You can get some 3 disc sets of some of the more popular shows for as low as $15.  They have Ina, Paula, Rachael, Alton, Ellie and others on sale right now.  They also have a special offer on shipping for cookbooks.  If you order $25 or more in cookbooks, then the shipping is free. 

So…if you are jonesing for some Food Network nows the time to buy.

Here’s a link to the sale - http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/c-0+4294940030-DVD-Sale.aspx