Currant Cakes

In the few experiences I've been able to accumulate over the past couple of years as a teacher in the classroom, I've learned quite a bit about children. This week, since subbing every day for a second grade class, I've learned a lot more. Mostly about the mind of a second-grader.

First, second-graders have no concept of age. To them, I'm in my mid-forties. Which is fine, since a class I've had in the past guessed I was 72. Only fifty years off, but hey, you don't really need to know math yet. I guess I'm getting younger-looking as I get older. In that case, I'll take it.

Next, which I'm sure we've all experienced at one time or another, they're blunt. Take this exchange that occurred yesterday for example:

Dearest 2nd-grader: "Mrs. B?" 

Me: "Well, it's Ms. B. Yes?"

D2G: "Oh, Ms. B. Are you getting married?"

Me: "What? No, that arbitrary ring on my hand doesn't mean I'm getting married. It's on the wrong hand, anyway."

Note: Now multiple students are surrounding the desk.

D2G: "Are you ever getting married?"

Me: "Well, I hope so."

D2G: "But you aren't yet? What if you don't?"

Me: "I don't know. I'm just hoping I do!"

D2G: "It'd be pretty lonely if you didn't."

Me: "I agree, so that's why I'm hoping I will someday."

D2G: "Ms. B, I think you should prepare for a lonely life."

All students agreed, seemed satisfied with the conclusion, and returned to their seats. End scene.

Well that's a boost in the self-esteem department. 

I've also learned that there is, in fact, a moment where all teachers can read minds. It occurs after school hours, after all the kids have gone home, we've changed out of our dreadful teacher outfits, and we go about our normal everyday people lives. It happens when we're out doing errand-y things in town, and we round a corner in the grocery store and there stands one of our smiling students. It is in this moment when you make eye contact, before any words are exchanged, that a teacher can read that student's mind. Their eyes are wide and their mind is thinking: Why isn't my teacher at school?

That's another funny thing about second-graders. They think we live at school. They think our desk is our home and the faculty room is our refuge. Beyond that, we do not exist. And if by some chance that idea is proved otherwise, their minds are BLOWN. 

Also, gone are the days of bringing in homemade goodies for the students. With all the allergies that exist, it just isn't safe to do anymore. It's probably for the best anyway because if I could bring in food for my kids, I would probably do it every day. And then there's the whole obesity epidemic and I'd be shunned for being counterproductive. BUT if allergies didn't exist and there wasn't the risk of making my students overweight, I still wouldn't bring in these currant cakes. Kids are picky. And dried fruit-filled dough does not go under the category of Things Children Willingly Eat. However, children aside, these currant cakes are very, very good, and a recipe that my family has long passed down. 

Currant Cakes

1 1/2 cups cold shortening, cut in cubes

4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk

4 green apples, peeled and grated

1 lb dried currants

3/4 cup sugar

Egg wash

Preheat oven to 425F. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk until just combined. Divide dough in two, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Roll out each pastry to fit the size of a jelly roll pan. Line the pan with one pastry layer. Mix together grated apple, dried currants and 1/2 cup sugar. Spread currant filling over the dough, and top with the second layer of pastry. Prick dough with fork and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Bake for 25-30, until golden.Cut while still warm. 

This recipe should be featured on HonestCooking.com very soon as well. Over there I've picked the perfect beer to go alongside, if you're into that sorta thing. Which I am. And you should be. 

Well, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. It's race weekend for me, so I'll be gorging myself with carbs until then. Which is every woman's wish, to be encouraged to eat carbs ALL THE TIME. Just livin' the dream over here. See you on the other side of the finish line!

Oh, and happy Cinco de Mayo!

Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Here I am, sitting in nearly complete silence (the slight hum of the kegerator is interrupting my silence. Or is that my name it's calling?....). Usually as I'm typing up recipes and going about my blogging business at this time of the day, I have Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN in the background and random nonsense coming out of my brother's mouth. I'm sure there's still nonsense coming out of his mouth, but since he moved out last week I just can't hear it. It's totally throwing off my morning routine. So bear with me.

By the way, whenever someone says "bear with me," this is what I picture.

I had a special request for some banana cake by one of my dearest, most amazing, life-long best friends. I made a version of this cake for her baby shower, which seems like yesterday. Her little one is now 17 months old. Heck, we've been best friends for almost 20 years, and our days of Dream Phone and neighborhood bike rides don't even seem that long ago. I can't believe how time flies. I actually baked my first from-scratch cake with her. It was an apple cake in third grade and we had the kitchen all to ourselves. We burnt it. It was amazing.

She is one of the hardest working, kindhearted, selfless and caring people I know, and has managed to raise her beautiful son to be a loving little boy. I'm so blessed to have them both in my life, let alone just down the road. I love you, Corrine Elizabeth and Trent Michael!

Banana Cake 

Adapted from Food.com

3 bananas, mashed

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp butter, softened

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp dark rum

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

A whole lot of love

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9" round pans. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stream in oil. Mix in eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and rum. Add one cup of flour, baking soda and salt, and stir until just combined. Mix in the buttermilk, then add the rest of the flour. Don't forget to douse the whole thing in love. Divide batter between the two pans, and bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool before frosting. 

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 cups powdered sugar

3-4 Tbsp milk

Cream butter and peanut butter until well combined and lighter in color, 2-3 minutes on high. Slowly add in powdered sugar a little at a time until all 3 cups are added. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency. 

Also! The other page I write for it up for an award by Saveur Magazine. If you get the chance, please head over there and vote for Honest Cooking! Thanks, y'all!

To vote, click here: http://www.saveur.com/food-blog-awards/vote.jsp?ID=1000013352

Have a fantastic day!

Road Trippin'

I got back from a visit to Florida a couple weeks ago. I have a bunch of family trickled down that way, so I tagged along with some of my craziest most beloved and entertaining cousins, and we had a blast. After a train ride to DC and a 13-hour bout in the car, we arrived in paradise, aka Port Orange. If only I could wake up and start every day with a run on the beach instead of the treadmill. And then casually have an ocean-side lunch. Perhaps a bit of surfing to follow. I would seriously consider moving there if I could, but I can't, and I'll explain why later.

Of course, the food was awesome. We tried a few Mexican spots (Tia Cori's-$1.50 tacos!), got our fill of gator, and did a little bar hopping. One place that had us coming back was Our Deck Down Under, where you can't tell who works there and who's just a regular because everyone is friends with everyone. The clam strips seem to be their claim to fame, but everything we tried was right on the money. The seafood was all very fresh and cooked by someone who knows a thing or two. The variety of sides (Hush puppies, anyone? Slaw?) and portion sizes definitely made you feel like you got your money's worth. And dessert--I have a love for Key Lime Pie, and they didn't have to do much arm-twisting to get me to try theirs. The thing I love about it is the tartness. Any dessert is sweet, but the fresh key lime juice is what makes this kind of pie stand out, and in my opinion, it needs to be loud and abundant. They served the pie very chilled, which was a refreshing surprise, I just would have liked a little more of that coveted lime juice in their version. But in all honesty, what do I know, I'm just from New Jersey.

Fried oysters, blackened scallops and hush puppies

We had a great time catching up and enjoying the surroundings. I even got offered a shoulder to sleep on during the plane ride home. Could be creepy, but I thought of it as a kind gesture (then fought to stay awake the rest of the flight). This post would have been more appropriate posted a week or so ago, but a few cool changes have come about recently and have temporarily sucked my attention away.

Cool Change #1: I'm now a contributor on HonestCooking.com, an online food magazine. I'll be writing about and sharing recipes (mainly desserts) all happily paired with a beer. Be sure to stop over there, even if you're not interested at all in more of my nonsense work. They've got a lot of new and useful info!

Cool Change #2: I'm moving to England! It's been real, America. You will always have my heart, but I gotta set sails and check out somewhere new for a while. I'll be in Manchester working through the church. I couldn't be more excited to give up everything I know to serve God in a new setting. I won't head out until September, which is good because I'm not sure how to pack everything and I think it'll take me that long to figure out. 

I hope you have some cool things going on too. If not, the weather has been pretty amazing lately. Though I really hope you have more to look forward to than the weather. Have a wonderful day!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 

Pecan Pie and a Flop

I hope everyone had a relaxing and blessed Easter! It's always good to be reminded of how great our God is, and remember that Jesus died and rose from the cross so that our sins would be forgiven, and so we could have everlasting life ourselves.

Holidays always mean lots of time spent in the kitchen--a feast is definitely in order! And a feast is what we had. Baked ham, rosemary lamb chops, grilled asparagus, deviled eggs, potato salad, homemade pickles, crescent rolls, cornbread, fruit salad...it goes on and on and on. Mom always outdoes herself. And that's before all the baked goods! I tackled some pies and cupcakes, then the two of us teamed up to make some egg bread and frosted sugar cookies. 

Let's talk pie. One pie, the pecan pie--the one I'm sharing with you today, was a give-away. But I'm told it got rave reviews. The other pie, lemon meringue, was a recipe featured on the cover of the latest Fine Cooking magazine and caught my attention immediately. I knew I had to attempt it! Then I realized I've never even eaten lemon meringue pie before, I've only made up in my head what I think it would taste like. I guess it's the unnatural fluorescent yellow filling that's kept me away for so long. Anyway, this pie is a marathon to make, and I was surprised at how smoothly the process was going. By the end I had a picture-perfect pie. 

That turned to soup when we cut into it. 

It's currently sitting, half-eaten, on the kitchen table positioned right next to the magazine with its shining cover photo looking at my pie and straight up mocking it. I think no one knows if it should be thrown out or mourned. The taste was right-on (I'm told, since I guess I can't say that I actually know what it was supposed to taste like). I'm not sure where it went wrong since the magazine had pictures to go along with the steps, but I'm determined to get this one right. And hopefully next time we can use forks instead of spoons...!

Back to the other pie (the one I know will come out as a solid as opposed to a liquid). Pecan pie often times calls for a touch of bourbon, which we didn't have on hand at the time (no worries, I've already solved that problem), so I substituted with some Crown Royal, which we always have hanging around. I had some leftover ground gingersnap cookies so I tossed them in the filling to add a little extra spice. You can use your favorite pie dough for the crust or an uncooked store-bought version. 

Classic Pie Dough

(makes top and bottom crust)

2 cups flour

3 Tbsp cold shortening, cut in cubes

3 Tbsp cold butter, cut in cubes

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

6-8 Tbsp ice-cold water

Combine dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut in butter and shortening until the mixture resembles wet sand and the fat is no bigger than pea-sized. Add 6 Tbsp of water and toss mixture with a fork to combine. Continue to add more water until the dough comes together and is no longer dry, but not sticky (you may need more than 8 Tbsp of water total). Divide dough in two, form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Avoid touching the dough with your hands as much as possible, since your hands are warm and you want the dough to stay cold. Put dough in the fridge for at least a half hour before rolling out. 

Pecan Pie 

Adapted from youngmarriedchic.com

3 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp ground gingersnaps

1 Tbsp flour

1 cup corn syrup

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 Tbsp Crown Royal (or bourbon)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 cup pecan halves, toasted

1 tsp maple sugar (white sugar or vanilla is fine too!)

1 uncooked pie shell

Place baking sheet on middle rack in oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs with sugar until well combined. Stir in corn syrup, and add gingersnaps and flour. Mix in butter, Crown Royal and vanilla, then fold in chopped pecans. Pour filling into pie shell and top with pecan halves placed in a decorative pattern (or just mix them in-it all tastes the same!). Sprinkle with maple sugar. Place pie on baking sheet in oven and bake for an hour. 

I just got back from a trip down to Port Orange, Florida for a week spent with some crazy cousins. I'll be recounting my trip soon! Which may or my not include my attempt at surfing coming from someone who can barely stand on two feet on dry ground.

 Have a blessed week!

Philly Food and Fitness!

My dad and I recently signed up for the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run in Philly in May. Actually, the registration process more closely resembles an internet version of a Black Friday stampede, so we're pretty lucky that we were both able to get bib from day one.

The race is a ten mile run down one of the city's main streets. The two of us have done our share of long runs together, but we've been training for this race for about a month in the hopes that we could have a somewhat decent time for just being recreational runners (80 minutes, or maintaining an 8-minute mile for ten miles). Our training has no real structure, though we like pretending that it does. We just try to run 20-25 miles a week balanced with some strength training and lots of high-fives.

We opted for a seven mile run this weekend to gauge where we're at, and we have a little time to shave off, but not much. We spent our quality time together sharing motivational running stories, but only had enough to get us through mile five. The last two miles were spent running uphill in painful silence.

Keeping with our Philly theme, we ended up heading down that way afterwards and having lunch at Rembrant's, a pub near the art museum that seems to be known for its burgers. The restaurant was quaint and inviting, and definitely thriving.

Now, because we (or maybe just me) were famished from our morning run, I didn't quite remember to take pictures before eating the food. So I apologize in advance for the grotesque, mid-meal samples I'm sharing with you. It just proves we liked it, right?

Dad got the Pulpa Pizza which has "soprasetta, roasted peppers, capers, octopus, kalamata olives, tomato sauce, sharp provolone, and mozzarella," and it was amazing. It got a good hit of saltiness from a lot of the ingredients, but it wasn't ever overwhelming. The crust was thin, perfectly crisp, and not the least bit soggy. 

My brother got the Rogue burger: a beef burger topped with pork belly, bleu cheese, onions, greens and a fried egg. The waitress genuinely thanked him for ordering it. I only have a picture of the aftermath of this one. I'm actually impressed he was able to consume it so quickly. And a messy aftermath means it was delicious to begin with. 

Mom had their nod to a falafel sandwich, the Chickpea Hoagie. She really enjoyed it. There was a pleasant yet mysterious spice we couldn't quite figure out, but it kept things interesting.

And I had the turkey burger, which came with brie cheese, avocado and some sort of aioli. Not being a fan of avocado or mayonnaise-y products, I chose to promptly remove those items. The burger, however, was very good. Turkey burgers can easily be dry, but that wasn't the case here. They use brioche-type buns, too, and you know what they say...you can't go wrong with brioche! Fact. Ironically, my meal was the only one that I didn't get a picture of. 

I highly recommend checking out Rembrant's. The service was excellent--they make you feel like a regular from the minute you walk in. The food was the perfect balance of familiar and innovative, all executed really well. And if you're into beer, they have an excellent selection to choose from. My brother is moving to Philly soon, so there should be many Philadelphia restaurant reviews to come! Have a happy Tuesday, everyone!

NYC Food Tour Round 2

I was lucky enough to venture back to good ol' NYC so soon after my last visit to check out some more awesome restaurants with my dear friend Sarah. It was a beautiful 70 degree (winter?) day to spend walking around the bustling Washington Square Park along with other parts of the city.

Sarah, being a well-seasoned restaurant tour guide, had our destinations all planned. First up: Tom Colicchio's restaurant, Riverpark, to dine outside near the East River and soak up as much premature spring weather as possible. Then she decided we needed to check out The Frying Pan, an old lightship-turned-docked drinking boat. Need she say more?

Shortly after relaying to me our plans for the afternoon, followed by our bouts of excitement, we decided to be on the safe side and call for reservations to make sure there'd be a table for us at Riverpark as we trekked on over.

Then came the let-down: a special event meant the restaurant was closed that day for lunch (Who do you think you are, Tom Colicchio, with your fancy Top Chef friends? Tempting us with your river-side dining then closing your restaurant on a sickeningly beautiful day? Rude.).


(Just kidding, I love you.)

However, Sarah doesn't come without a backup plan. We ended up going to one of Mario Batali's restaurants, Lupa Osteria Romana. They didn't have seats outside, so we stayed inside the cozy building and enjoyed some pasta.

Inside of Lupa. They even have a prosciutto slicer on deck!

One of my all time favorite dishes at the restaurant I work at is the grilled calamari and octopodi. If eating octopus just isn't up your alley, the way they serve it there will definitely make you a believer. So when I saw the octopus on the menu at Lupa, Sarah and I decided we had to try it.

Octopus with Farro

It was good, not  rubbery or anything. The flavors were fine, and all-in-all it was a pretty good dish. I guess I just am biased towards our own octopus that it'd take a pretty convincing argument via plate to win me over.

Next we went for some pasta. I had the pasta special for the day, which was a linguini pasta with a tomato and chicken sauce. Sarah went for the waitress's suggestion of their "Bavette Cacio and Pepe," another linguini-like pasta with a butter and black pepper sauce. Both were simple and very good, not heavy at all like many pasta dishes. The portions were appropriate too (aka weren't made to serve an entire family). 

Linguini with tomato and chicken sauce 

Bavette Cacio & Pepe 

Overall, Lupa was a good plan "B." The meal was pleasant and simple, and the company was great. We decided we liked it, but there wasn't anything in particular that would have us yearning to go back. However, if you're in the area and are looking for some great, simple Italian food, Lupa would be a great pick. 

After lunch we made a quick stop at Sarah's place to regroup before heading out to the Frying Pan. Having learned from our last experience, we decided to call ahead. Lo and behold, it was closed, not to be open again til the following weekend. 

Strike two. 

Sarah, with her brilliance, knew that the renowned White Horse Tavern wouldn't let us down. So that's where we ended up, finally sitting outside, basking in the sun and enjoying a few beers. 

One last stop before heading to the train left us at our tried-and-true Chelsea Market for some gelato. Some perfectly-made sour cherry and spicy chocolate gelato to be exact (excellent choices, by the way). Sarah went for the tiramisu and panna cotta gelati, which were heavenly. 

Luckily we were able to get much accomplished before reaching strike three (wouldn't want to find out what happens after strike three...). Nothing may have gone as planned, but armed with the 2012 Zagat NYC restaurant guide and Sarah's vast knowledge of Manhattan, that's all the more reason to go back and try again. 

Irish Car Bomb Brownies

Just a quick recipe post! I hope everyone's St. Paddy's Day was thoroughly enjoyed with plenty of family, friends, beer and whiskey. I was bartending, and it wasn't too busy during the day (most likely due to the restaurant's lack of Irish affiliation), but we still had fun! We kind of made it our mission to fit as much green into our black-on-black uniforms as possible.

I was hoping someone at the bar would order an actual Irish Car Bomb, it being St. Paddy's and all. But I guess mid-afternoon is a little too early for those. Luckily for me, I had about an hour between working out and heading off to work, and that left me just enough time to whip up some Irish Car Bomb Brownies.

These brownies have a texture closer to fudge than cake-like brownies because there's no leavening agent used (like baking powder or baking soda). The recipe is adapted from a gluten-free version I found on The Dusty Baker. Since I have no reason not to use gluten, I decided to put it back in (duh). But if for some reason you're on a gluten-free diet, by all means follow their original recipe!

Irish Car Bomb Brownies

Guinness Brownies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Valrhona since it's super dark, but any good cocoa will work!)
1/2 cup Guinness
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 square baking dish (or something similar) and line with parchment. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in cocoa until smooth. Mix in beer. Add sugar and whisk until it's dissolved (about a minute). Transfer mixture to large bowl and cool slightly. Add eggs and whisk until completely combined. Fold in flour and salt, and pour into baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes until middle is set. Cool before frosting.

Jameson and Baileys Ganache 
1 cup chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp butter
1 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 oz Baileys Irish Cream

Place chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Heat cream just until it begins to bubble. Pour over chocolate and let sit for a couple minutes. Begin slowly mixing the chocolate and cream mixture until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter, Jameson and Baileys. Pour on top of cooled brownies, and allow to set for a few hours at room temperature before cutting and serving.


Check back soon for a second review of some eateries in NYC! Have a wonderful night!