33 posts tagged “blogging events”
Susan the FoodBlogga has one of my favorite blogs. Everything is always so fresh, simple, and beautiful. When I saw she was hosting a blog event, Beautiful Bones, I knew I wanted to participate. The event asks bloggers to make a calcium-rich dish to bring awareness to osteoporosis.
I was actually planning on thinking something up and making it next week for the event, since I already had my dinners planned out for the week. But, as I was reviewing the event on Susan's blog (and also inputting my meal into SparkPeople), I realized the chicken salad I was making was mighty high in calcium. Cheese? Check. Sour cream? Check. Avocado? Check. Black beans? Check. Lime? Check. Corn tortillas? Check. Tomatoes? Check. Oregano? Check. Tequila? Okay, that's not high in calcium but it's good to have.
When it was all said, calculated, eaten and done for, this salad provides you with a shade under 40% of the recommended calcium intake for the day. w00t! It's good to know I am naturally planning calcium rich foods without really thinking about it.
I suppose this is what is called a "Santa Fe Chicken Salad." Honestly, I have never had one of these concoctions before in a restaurant, but that goes without reason. I love all the components in this salad and it's a nice twist on a boring ol' grilled chicken salad. I haven't calculated the nutritional value for this (other than the chicken itself) because it will really vary based on whether you use full fat cheese, sour cream, ranch, etc. If you don't, this is definitely a light, healthy and filling salad. Take that, osteoporosis!
Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Serves 2
Tequila Lime Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4.5 oz. each)
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp. Tequila
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, smashed
salt and pepper
Combine the lime juice and zest, tequila, orange juice, canola oil, spices and garlic and whisk together. Pour into a dish or resealable bag along with the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes - 2 hours (any longer and the acid in the citrus could start to "cook" the chicken).
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then grill or saute the chicken, basting with the marinade, until cooked through (about 4-5 minutes per side).
Nutritional information per piece, if consuming all marinade (which, you probably won't): Calories: 225 / Fat: 7g / Carbs: 4g / Protein: 29g
Dressing
1/4 cup salsa
2 heaping Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. ranch dressing
hot sauce (optional)
Combine all ingredients (and a few dashes of hot sauce, if you'd like) and refrigerate as you make the rest of the salad.
Salad
3-4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/3 cup black beans, drained/rinsed
1/3 cup corn
1/3 cup cheddar jack cheese
2 corn tortillas
cooking spray
Cut the corn tortillas into squares and spray with oil. Bake at 350 in your oven (or toaster oven, as I like to use for these small jobs) until crispy.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and then stir in the crispy corn tortillas. Top with chicken.
I love lo mein. It's one of those things I love to eat at a Chinese restaurant (or for take out), but I've never actually made at home. A few weeks ago, I was doing my usual aimless wandering around Whole Foods when I saw some lo mein noodles. I decided to pick some up and, well, here we are.
I made this almost exactly like I make my stir fry and I thought it turned out quite tasty. One of the great things about this is that it's a way to curb your craving for Chinese food without all the fat and oil that is typical of restaurant Chinese restaurant food. In fact, one of my favorite places to get lo mein is SO oily that when I reheat the dish the next day, I usually pour out a good 1/4 cup of grease that has accumulated at the bottom of the container. Ick. Any by "ick" I mean "mmmm tasty, but I really shouldn't eat this."
This is meant to be a healthier version of the dish, so I didn't use a lot of oil but you could definitely add more if you'd like. The addition of the sesame oil at the end gives it a nice extra nutty flavor in addition to making it a little more fatty and luxurious without being horrible :) Some fresh ginger would be great in this, but unfortunately I didn't have any around. And, of course, you can use any vegetables you want, have around, or like.
I am submitting this over to Ruth for Presto Pasta Night.
Chicken Lo Mein
Serves 2
4 oz. lo mein noodles
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium chicken breast, cut into strips or bite sized pieces
1/2 small onion, sliced or diced
1 large carrot, cut into coins or matchsticks
1 large celery stalk, sliced
4 oz. mushrooms (I used a combo of shiitake and oyster)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peapods, whole or sliced
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add lo mein noodles and cook, then drain and rinse under cold water. In a bowl, make your sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken broth and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Bring canola oil to just under a smoking point in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until done.
Add the vegetables and stir fry until tender-crisp, just a couple minutes. (If you want certain veggies more done, just cook them longer and stagger your vegetable additions; I often add onions around the same time as the chicken because I like my onions to be totally sauted and for their flavor to come through the whole dish).
Add the sauce, and then add the noodles. Mix everything together well. If the veggies need to cook longer, cover and steam until done. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 448 / Fat: 9.4g / Saturated Fat: 1.2g / Carbs: 58g / Fiber: 4g / Protein: 29g
As I mentioned, there are so many great blogging events going on right now and sadly, I haven't had the chance to participate in as many as I would like. Thankfully, though, Barbara at Winos and Foodies extended the deadline for this year's Taste of Yellow, so I was able to sneak a submission in tonight before going out of town tomorrow. If you haven't already participated in LiveSTRONG Taste of Yellow 2008, definitely try to!
I picked up some yellow squash the other day, and sort of decided what I was going to do with it about 5 minutes before cooking it. The filling consists of ingredients I always have around, and that I love in combination with one another. Plus, I think it makes for something quite pretty!
Taste of Yellow is to show your support of LiveSTRONG Day 2008, which is May 13. Cancer. It's one of those things that I feel affects nearly everyone in some way, unfortunately. It hit me the hardest as a freshman in high school when my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer.
I lived with my grandparents from when I was 3 years old until I was 10 years old. They were obviously like a second set of parents to me. My yiayia (grandma) and pappou (grandpa) took me on their biannual vacations, gave me my first job as a "hostess" at their restaurant, and, well, made me talk to anyone who called because they couldn't speak good English :) Speaking of poor English, one of my earliest memories is of my pappou yelling at my preschool teacher. See, when I started preschool I was armed with a very small set of English words as I spoke Greek to my whole family. I was also armed with quite a temper and stubbornness (some things never change). One day, we were supposed to be napping in cots. I was not used to taking naps in the afternoon and I tried to let my teacher know that. The teacher, increasingly frustrated with me, eventually dragged my cot (and me) out to the hallway and made me sit there for the rest of the afternoon. When my pappou came to pick me up and saw me crying in the hallway, he was absolutely furious. You can imagine the the screaming in incredibly broken English that ensued.
I was alway close with both my grandparents, but my pappou and I shared a special bond. I was the typical spoiled only grandchild, but it was so much more than that. We always had a good time together, and he loved me more than anyone. I'd stay up waiting for him to come home from the restaurant and practically every night, like clockwork, he would eat a steak and drink some ouzo. So now you know where I get my adoration for both steak and ouzo :)
When my pappou was diagnosed with cancer, it was obviously a scary thing for me but more than anything, I assumed he would pull through it. My grandpa was tough. He was a big guy. He came from Greece on a boat and became successful in the States. He raised me in addition to raising three of his own children. Cancer? He could beat cancer! Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Watching someone you love so much get weaker, get thinner and just get sicker as the cancer spread is something I hope I never have to go through again. My pappou lost his battle with cancer in 1995. It was devastating. And, it's still devastating. I still think about him all of the time, and I often wish he were here to share so many things with me. On our wedding day, Tom and I wore the "stefana" (crowns prevalent during an Orthodox ceremony) that my yiayia and pappou wore on their wedding day in 1959. It was a way for him to be there with me on my special day, and I know that he is still "here" for me on other special days. Or maybe on a day that doesn't even seem that special...watching over me, wondering why I am eating chicken and drinking wine when I could be having a piece of steak with a shot of ouzo instead.
Mediterranean Squash Boats
2 yellow squash
a little olive oil
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
1 large clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
fresh parsley or additional basil for topping (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375.
Wash and scrub the squash, and then cut lengthwise. Scoop out the "meat" of the squash, chop it, and put it in a bowl. To the bowl, add the sundried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
Brush the outside of the squash with a little olive oil (or spray with a Misto) and sprinkle the insides lightly with salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini with the mixture from the bowl. Drizzle each piece with a little balsamic vinegar. Top with the crumbled goat cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender and cheese is warm.
There are so many great, inspiring blog events being hosted right now. One of those (that I am posting about just under the wire!) is hosted by Holly, the Phe/MOM/enon, to raise awareness of the Little Wonders March for Babies. Be sure to check out her Blogging for Babies event. Even if you don't have time to participate, it is definitely inspiring to read her story and possibly help to reach her donation goal, if you can. Thanks, Holly, for sharing your story!
A couple of weeks ago I had dinner with a coworker at Tallulah and it was great. For dessert, I had the pistachio cheesecake with tart cherry compote and it was fab. The cheesecake was a little firmer than usual and I loved that the pistachio flavor was in the filling and not in the topping or crust. It also helps that I love anything with pistachios or pistachio flavored (especially ice cream and pudding) and I love cherries.
So, I set out to make something similar. All I did here was take a basic cheesecake and add toasted/chopped pistachios to it. I wanted to add pistachio extract to it but I couldn't find it at any store and I didn't really feel like ordering it online, considering I probably wouldn't use it often and it cost twice as much to ship as it did to buy. But if I make this again, I will definitely use pistachio extract because mine was not quite as pistachio-y as the one at the restaurant, and I would like it to be.
I have a hodge podge of mini pans, so I used 2 tart pans that are about 4 or 4.5" and 2 smaller 2" tartlettes. Next time I'd just use two of the larger ones and make them a little thicker.
I'm hoping for one more blog entry before leaving for Michigan this week to spend some time with my family for Greek Easter. I have been so busy and haven't been making my usual rounds of blogs, so I apologize. I'm not ignoring you!
Pistachio Cheesecake
Makes 2 4" tarts; double to make 9x13 pan of bars or quadruple to make a standard cheesecake in a 9" springform pan (you will probably only need to double the graham crackers, though)
3.5 graham cracker sheets
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) packge cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or pistachio extract)
1 egg
1/4 cup toasted and finely chopped pistachios
*I really don't have a recipe for the compote. I just threw some cherries, a little sugar, and a splash of water and a drizzle of in a saucepan and called it a day*
Preheat the oven to 350. (If you are using a springform pan, wrap foil around the bottom and up the edges.)
Crush the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor (or put in a plastic bag and then beat with a heavy object :). Stir in the butter. Press the graham cracker picture into the tart pans to form a crust. Bake for about 7-10 minutes (depending on the size of your pans) or until it's aromatic and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Beat in the egg. Fold the pistachios into the mixture. Pour the mixture over the cooled tart pans.
Pour hot water in a large baking dish. If you are using a springform pan, place it inside the pan with the water (it should come up about halfway) and then place in the oven. If you are doing bars or mini tarts, place the hot water on the bottom of the oven and then place your tarts on the rack above it. Cook until the edges are set and puffed, but the middle still jiggles slightly (about 13 minutes for the 2" tarts and 16 minutes for the 4" ones). Set aside to cool completely, and then refrigerate before serving.
Want to know more about Little Wonders March for Babies Team? Fantastic!! Here is the Team Page. Any amount that you can sponsor is extremely appreciated. Please, please help spread the word and sponsor Little Wonders if you can! Thank you!
Thanks to the great response from my first Eat to the Beat blogging event as well as some feedback from readers, I am excited to bring the event back! As of now, I plan on making this a quarterly event. If I start getting a huge amount of response (which would be great!) I may seek out a cohost (so feel free to "apply" by shooting me an email). There are SO many great blogging events out there right now (in fact, I have 4 I want to participate in within the next week and I just don't think I will make most of them, sadly), that I thought quarterly deadlines might be better in terms of flexibility for bloggers.
This year's remaining deadlines are below. I will try to post the round-ups the week after the deadlines and, if you've sent me your submission by that deadline, it will be included in that particular round-up. If you send it after that date, I will just roll it over into the next round-up. Sound good?
2008 Deadlines:
Monday, June 30
Tuesday, September 30
Tuesday, December 30
So, here's a refresher course.
For EttB, please make and blog about a food or drink that somehow relates to a song, an album, a band, etc. Maybe you'll create a dish based on a song's literal lyrics about food. Perhaps you'll allude to a band's name in your creation (Smashing Pumpkin bread, anyone?). Maybe your favorite band is from Poland or your favorite song is about Chicago, and you want to blog about popular cuisine in those locations. Were you listening to a particular song as you were cooking or eating a specific dish? As long as you explain why the food/drink you have chosen to make reminds you of something musical, it works for this event. From "On Top of Spaghetti" to "The Spaghetti Incident;" from Pearl['s] Jam to "She Don't Use Jelly," the possibilities are endless.
In your entry (which you can post at ANY time), please mention this event and also include a link back to this URL. Then, email me at ellysaysopa [at] gmail [dot] com, and include your:
-name
-blog name and URL
-permanent link to your entry for this event
-where you live
-picture of your food or drink (as an attachment or as a URL within your email)
If you don't have a blog, no worries! Just send me an email with a picture of your food/drink and the story behind why you chose to make it.
I will send you a response email within 2-3 days of your submission. If you don't get it, that means I didn't get your submission. I try to check my spam as carefully as possible, but things sometimes slip through the cracks. So, email me again or leave me a comment here to make sure I get it.
I look forward to your submissions! Happy blogging, eating, and music-listening to all.
I had random.org generate a random number from the amount of comments posted on my Cat Cora cookbook giveaway post and the winner of the cookbook is...
::drumroll::
Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast.
Congratulations, Val!
A few weeks ago, I discovered Blake Makes, a food blog run by Blake over in New Orleans. In addition to the great recipes and food photography, Blake and his wife, Bridget, also give a little back to the foodie blogosphere. First, Blake gave away jars of his very own peanut butter dulce de leche (don't you lick your lips just reading those words?). I wasn't lucky enough to get some of that, but I did score some Sucre' chocolates that he was nice enough to give away last week. And the week after that, he gave away still more chocolate, from TCHO. So, if you haven't yet discovered Blake Makes, I suggest you head on over there for your chance to not only see some delicious stuff, but to also possibly win some delicious stuff.
I got my package from Sucre last week and was so excited to find this pretty little box under all the popcorn packaging and even a temperature control packet (which, by the way, I thought was a package of hot chocolate when I looked at it really quickly. Haha).
And here's the inside. The ornaments of a few of the pieces got a ltitle roughed up, but no biggie. It sill looked SO pretty and good. If you want a description of the pieces, you can check out this picture from Blake.
I wanted to eat a little bit of each piece before blogging about it, which meant splitting a lot of these with my husband. This wasn't easy. This is not like that junky box of chocolates you get at Valentine's Day where, after biting into an unknown chocolate, you decide the filling is awful and you end up throwing it away or putting the other half in the box for your husband to possibly eat. Nope, these were all super delicious. And what I really liked about these is that, as delicious, high-end, good quality chocolate they didn't just focus on dark chocolate. I like any kind of chocolate but I think when people hear "good chocolate" they automatically assume dark. And I am a lover of all the chocolates, especially white (even though it's not technically chocolate).
Our favorite, by far, was the blange. It was a white chocolate ganache finished with a bit of banana and rum. It was so creamy, so smooth, so good. Like eating a white chocolate flavored pad of butter :) I also loved the meuniere, a brown butter and toasted almond infused chocolate ganache a lot. But they were all so so good. I definitely have my eye on the New Orleans Collection at the Sucre sight and might have to order it soon.
Wow. Can I just say how amazing (not to mention creative) food bloggers are? I was hesitant to host this event because I wasn't sure if it would appeal to enough people. Sure, *I* am a huge music buff, but I didn't realize how many other people were, too. I told my husband I would be happy with 7 or 8 entries to the event since it was my first time hosting one. Well, imagine my surprise when I tallied up my emails and had FIFTY-FOUR! And if that wasn't cool enough, there were practically no overlaps with food/music. There were so many wonderful, unique submissions to this event. I had entries from some of my favorite bloggers as well as some blogs I hadn't known about until this event. So now I have tons of new, great, blogs to keep tabs on and add to my Google Reader! Thank you all SO much for participating!
This begs the question of whether or not this should be a recurring event. What do you think? I have had a few people ask if I plan to keep this going, and I'm not sure. Originally, I planned on it being a one-time thing but after the great response and the emails asking if I plan to host again, I'm considering another Eat to the Beat. I think monthly might be too frequent, but maybe seasonally? Please tell me what you think in the form of a comment or an email.
And now, let's hit play and see all of your creative (and no doubt delicious) dishes. I wasn't sure in which order to present the entries, so I just went alphabetically, according to your blog title. If for some reason I missed you, or a link is wrong or something, please let me know. This took a while so by the end I may have been a little sloppy ;)
Aliy from AAMP'ED Up Cooking lives in Boston now, but being from Indiana, she ate a lot of fresh catfish growing up. Lyle Lovette's "Up in Indiana" brings back memories of life at home, so Aliy set out to make some catfish for this event. She wasn't able to find good catfish so she modified her idea to use salmon. This yummy looking ciabatta bread salmon is almost too pretty to eat! But, you should definitely eat it to experience the wonderful fruit flavors, including the lemon, lime and pineapple. Yum!
Amber, who lives in Indiana, makes one of her Delectable Delights with this explosive turtle cheesecake. Holy yum. I think I went into a euphoric shock upon seeing this. Her turtle cheesecake is based on the song "So Happy Together" by...the Turtles of course! Plus, cream cheese, caramel, chocolate and pecans really are so happy together, aren't they? And I think they would be even happier together in my tummy.
You will definitely have "Georgia on [your] Mind" for days after looking at Annie's gorgeous peach pound cake. Annie, another Hoosier, runs Annie's Eats. She makes this perfect treat with bits of peaches enveloped in moist, fluffy pound cake. In my opionion (which is obviously very important), you cannot go wrong with a pound cake. Thank you, Mr. Charles for popularizing the song so Annie could share this amazing looking pound cake with us.
Amy Sue, my fellow Vox neighbor in Wyoming, makes these delicious and comforting Italian mini meatloaves. Her inspiration for this dish is none other than the artist Meatloaf, and Amy listened to one of her favorite tracks, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" while crafting these cheesy bites of goodness.
Kelsey, gracious host of Apple a Day makes this really great looking banana cream pie with a pretzel crust. I love the combo of sweet and salty. Plus, I think I would love a pretzel crust on just about anything. Like a "Hollaback Girl" you will go B-A-N-A-N-A-S over this pie. Let me hear you say it!
Sathya, one half of the duo behind The Baker & the Curry Maker joins the event from Australia. She makes this beautiful and delicious looking blackcurrent nonbake cheesecake with a gingernut (gingersnap, to me) crust. Gingersnap crusts are my absolute favorite. Sathya's cheesecake creation goes along with the song "The Cheesecake Truck" by King Missle. I haven't heard that song before but if it's literal, I would love to be a passenger in said cheesecake truck.
Erika from Maine submits one of my favorite entries to this event, over at Bean's Bistro--evil little hell cakes (okay, they are chocolate chili cupcakes) based on the song "Hell" by The Squirrel Nut Zippers. And seriously, this song is going to be in my head for DAYS. Remember the part in the song where they sing "now the D and the A and the M and the N and the A and the T and the I-O-N?" Well, Erika did and she spelled it out on her cupcakes. I love it!
Delia, a Texan over at Because You Have to Eat, made these yummy Cheeseburgers in Paradise, based on the Jimmy Buffet song. She busts out the red meat for these burgers, instead of ground turkey, which I can definitely get behind. I love me some red meat, and cheese--and these have not one, but two kinds of cheese.
Wheeeeen the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's amore! Everyone knows that great song, by Dean Martin, and Cara from Cara's Cravings used it as her inspiration to create this delicious looking pizza, which she made with a homemade crust! I really want to try that crust recipe. Not to mention the pizza. Eggplant, roasted yellow peppers, and big ol' dollops of goat cheese? Yes, please.
Sylwia, who is Polish but currently resides in Ireland, contributes two things for Eat to the Beat, related to two totally different songs. Thanks, Sylwia! On her blog Cudawianki (her nickname) in the Kitchen (Cudawianki Kuchenne), Sylwia makes these great looking fudge candies that are called "small cows" in Poland (I learn something new everyday!), an homage to the 50 Cent song "Candy Shop." Her second contribution was this seriously amazing sounding banana iced coffee, inspired by Damien Marley's song "One More Cup of Coffee." I think everyone would agree to one more cup of coffee if it looked that good!
Ally, who is always giving us a peek into her Culinary Infatuation, channels Widespread Panic and their song "Coconut" to make these delicious looking coconut blondies with toffee and chocolate. Make anything with toffee and I am in love already but toffee AND coconut? I'm totally in heaven. Too bad Ally lives in Georgia and can't just swing by to drop off a batch of these puppies.
Honestly, I think there are few things in this world that are tastier, simpler and more comforting than apple pie a la mode. I don't think it can get much better but Danielle from San Diego proves me wrong by adding some peanut butter dulce de leche to her individual no bake apple ice cream pies. She posts these cute little goodies on her site Dinner with Danielle, and she chose the Destiny's Child song aptly titled "Apple Pie a La Mode" to Eat to the Beat with.
Catherine, who hosts The Dish and lives in Arizona, makes these Simple Irresistible Banana and Butterscotch-Caramel Muffin Cakes. Whoa, that is one long title but each word is better than the one before it. Based on Robert Palmer's "Simply Irrestiable" (yes!), I definitely know I personally can't resist one of these muffin cakes. And, Catherine talks about the time she dressed up as a Robert Palmer girl and played air guitar. I mean, who that lived through that song hasn't done that?!
Giz and Psychgrad from Canada run Equal Opportunity Kitchen. Like Meatloaf the singer, it used to be that Psychgrad "would do anything for love but [wouldn't] do that." What's "that?" Well, eating meatloaf. Still, her mom Giz makes this lovely looking meatloaf. Okay so maybe Psychgrad isn't all that crazy about it, but I'll take a slice, Giz, especially since it's made with veal.
Susan the Food Blogga from sunny California, makes this ridiculously fresh and good looking kona kampachi with meyer lemon-thyme butter. Whoa whoa whoa. Butter with meyer lemon right in it? I would definitely buy that by the stick. As a child, Susan would drive her brothers nuts singing the song "Lemon Tree" by Peter, Paul & Mary but I bet they wouldn't be upset about it now since it inspired Susan to make this incredible looking dish.
Back in grad school, Mansi (who makes both Fun and Food) and her roommates would bake any time they were having a bad day. When they'd bake, they would sing "These are a Few of My Favorite Things." In view of those happy memories, Mansi makes a great looking batch of cranberry walnut scones that are healthy, to boot. Scones are definitely one of *my* favorite things!
Much like myself, Johanna (vegetarian heroine behind Green Gourmet Giraffe) is a big music buff who owns way too many CDs, but was still surprised to see at how few songs/bands actually mentioned food. I definitely think we should start a petition for more food related songs! She ended up picking My Friend the Chocolate Cake, a local band in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia as inspiration to make this beautiful chocolate spice gingerbread. Le yum! And what a great band name, that is. Like Johanna says, isn't ever chocolate cake a friend? Definitely to me!
Paula from Alabama and of Half Baked fame, whips up some beautiful banana-walnut pancakes. Paula was inspired by Jack Johnson's song "Banana Pancakes." I sure would love to wake up to these babies. The song is "meant to keep you from doing what you're supposed to do" but all I want to do now is scarf down some banana pancakes.
Clara from California and of I Heart Cuppycakes fame makes these absolutely beautiful Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes. Yum. I am a self proclaimed wino (okay, and chocoholic), so these are right up my alley. What song goes with these cupcakes? "Red Red Wine," of course!
Joanna in the Kitchen presents these totally decadent but totally fresh-looking lemon parfaits. Mascarpone AND heavy cream? With a lot of lemon? I'll take two. Joanna envisions a huge lemon tree with lots of big and yellow lemons every time she years the song "Lemon Tree" by Fool's Garden, so she makes this mouth-watering lemony dessert to go with the song.
Julie, my friend from Chicago, doesn't have a blog but she participated in the event anyway. She makes these delicious looking John "Meyer" lemon gnocchi from Food & Wine. Such a creative title and, Julie says, when John Mayer talks about "crawling toward the pillowcase" in "Your Body is a Wonderland" she likes to think is talking about the lovely pillows that are potato-gnocchi goodness." Me, too, Julie. Me, too :)
Peter, who lives in Toronto, ON, Canada is one of my favorite bloggers who happens to live in one of my favorite places. The gourmet behind Kalofagas--Pursuit of Delicious Foods busts out some music from Squeeze, the great English new wave band. Peter is "Pulling Mussels (from a Shell)" to make this ridiculously good looking dish of Mussles and Clams Riganato. I gotta say, I am not the world's biggest fan of mussels, but I will gladly chow down on a plate of this.
Kayte from Maryland, resident cook in Kayte's Kitchen, makes this lovely Custard Pie based on the Led Zepplin track "Custard Pie." I have to say, I have never had a custard pie before and now I'm wondering why the hell not?! This looks and sounds delicious. I definitely need to make my own soon.
Danielle, the Kitten in the Kitchen over in Brazil, makes brioche de patatas (potato brioche) to answer the question Xuxa poses in their song, "Who Wants Bread?" (answer: me) I have never had a potato brioche but I love potatoes, and brioche is one of my favorite kinds of bread, so I would no doubt fall in love with this and eat the whole loaf. When I was little, I actually had a Xuxa cassette tape, so this really brought back some memories for me.
Another favorite blogger of mine, Ivy over at Kopiaste is from my motherland (okay maybe not, but she is from my mother's land ;), Greece. She shares with us a hilarious Thomas the Train song about "chicken in the air" to listen to while we dine on her lovely Chicken Espinosa. I don't know which ingredient I like the most here--the walnuts, the honey, the orange liqueur. Don't make me choose! I want it all, including that amazing looking rice pilaf.
Cakelaw from Australia, who shares with us her Laws of the Kitchen makes another citrus-flavored chicken with this fantastic looking marmalade chicken based on the Beatles' tune "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." You remember the line--tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Marmalade chicken sounds tasty enough but blood orange marmalade chicken? Mmm. This is one dish I definitely plan on making soon.
Everybody's favorite Leftover Queen, Jenn, always makes the most delicious, fresh food and this is no exception. She makes several small plates (mezes/anitpasti/tapas) to share with friends, including egg-lemon dolmas, labneh and Middle Eastern meatballs with orzo. Jenn is big into bellydancing, so it's no surprise she likes the food native to regions where bellydancing is popular. She ties her small plates into the song "Desert Rose" by Sting and Cheb Mami, who is a big star in Algeria and much of the "bellydancing music" world.
Melissa from Made by Melissa bakes something my husband could easily eat 6 of. Melissa says her peanut butter cup dessert is rich and good for sharing, but we don't share desserts in *this* household. Her song choice to go with this gorgeous looking peanut butter cup is "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations. Although I must say, when that song gets stuck in my head, it tends to be the Save Ferris version (if anyone knows what I'm talking about...).
And I just have to add that Melissa's husband even made his own contribution to the event--a cheeseburger in paradise. Thanks, Nate!
Robin of Made with Love makes something perfectly reflective of her blog title; not to mention a great take on the Eat to the Beat theme. Rather than pick one specific song, Robin talks about how most songs have a common word in them besides the word "love," and it's "heart." She gives a lot of examples like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Unbreak my Heart." Robin takes heart healthy ingredients like salmon, oatmeal, red peppers and carrots and makes these great looking salmon cakes. In addition to being super delicious, these are super healthy so you can definitely "eat your heart out."
Melissa, who likes to share with us her Magic in the Kitchen in Virginia, takes a song from my second favorite Disney movie, Beauty & the Beast (my favorite is Little Mermaid, if you're wondering). Everyone remembers the scene where the dishes come to life and start singing "Be Our Guest," right? The song mentions many foods, but Melissa focused her attention on beef ragout. This one looks divine, with the thyme, burgandy and olives. I will gladly "tie a napkin 'round [my] neck" and dig right into this.
Danielle at Make No Little Meals from Rhode Island, makes one of my favorite kinds of cupcake--red velvet. Mmm. A take on Alana Myles's "Black Velvet," these red velvet cupcakes definitely have that "Southern style." If red velvet cupcakes weren't decadent enough with their usual cream cheese frosting, these babies are topped with a mascarpone frosting. Seriously, people. Stop it with the mascarpone...you are making me want to eat it by the tub!
Chris from Georgia who runs a favorite blog of mine, Mele Cotte, made me laugh with her entry of Shortbread Sandwich Cookies, based on the Cookie Monster's song "C is for Cookie" because my husband and I had been counting like The Count that same day. I guess we all had Sesame Street on the brain. I love shortbread and I love chocolate so put them together and yes, that "cookie is good enough for me!"
Geez, sometimes I wish I lived in Canada. Besides the fact that I love it there, there are so many great bloggers who would cook me dinner (I hope) and Bellini Valli from More than Burnt Toast would be one of the first stops on my dining circuit. She never ceases to impress me with her creative and delicious dishes, and this one for california rolls no exception. Valli says K.O.'s song "Crabbuckitt" is just one of those feel good songs that will have you snapping your fingers as you're eating this sushi. I wouldn't be snapping for too long, though, because you need those fingers to eat some california rolls!
Jessica from My Baking Heart is a native Texan who serves up this Tex-Mexy Frito Salad Annie, based on the song "Polk Salad Annie," performed by Elvis. I am more than happy to eat any kind of salad that has cheese, beans and sour cream in it! And I have a weakness for Fritos (doesn't everyone?!).
Lindsey contributes a dish that fits right into her blog's namesake, Noodle Nights and Muffin Mornings. She makes a really delicious looking apple cranberry walnut muffin. I just love the combination. Her muffin is based on Ella Fitzgerald's "The Muffin Man." I think the Muffin Man would be pretty proud of Lindsey for this super fluffy and no doubt tasty muffin.
Pancakes remind Victoria of Oooh! Cake of diners. Me too! Everyone's favorite pancakes come from their local diner, don't they? I bet when Lisa Loeb was "waiting for someone to take her order" in her song "Falling in Love" she was going to order pancakes. And if she could, I bet she'd order these delicious looking polenta pancakes Victoria made.
PaniniKathy from San Diego makes this really amazing looking club panini and it totally screams California to me. Run on over to Panini Happy to check out the recipe the turkey mango double-decker club panini and then go out and buy your ingredients because if you're like me, you are going to want to make this. This club panini is based on 50 Cent's "In Da Club," but this double-decker panini is no "shorty!"
Kate, yet another Californian, from Paved with Good Intentions is one of those people you just know you'd get along with if you met in person. Kate and I tend to share a wavelength (and I've mentioned on my blog before that in my dream once, we actually shared an apartment complex) and this time was no different. I was *thisclose* to making an apple tart with cherry cream, gleaned from The Beatles song "Savoy Truffle." Well, Kate decided to use that same song to make some delicious looking chocolate cake truffles with orange marmalade (the marmalade is another reference to a Beatles song--"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds!")
Holly, the PheMOMenon in Utah, is a huge Simon & Garfunkle fan. And why not?! Their song "Scarborough Fair" talks about "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" so she makes a Scarborough pot roast with those very herbs. I absolutely love rosemary and thyme together for beef stews and roasts. This dish just looks so comforting. Give me a plate of this and a glass of wine and I am one happy girl.
Ruth at Phoenix Feathers, also from Indiana, bakes this gorgeous "Kiss from a Rose" (you know it, the Seal song!) cheesecake. Those pretty swirls are made from peppermint and the crust is made from Oreos. Sign me up for a piece of that! She chose to make this because the colors of the cheesecake go with the song's references to roses (red) and snow (white). Nice idea and beautiful cheesecake, Ruth.
Stefany, my fellow Chicagoan and blogger behind Proceed with Caution, makes not one, but two entries using Deanna Carter's song "Strawberry Wine." She uses wine of the sparkling sort to make these extremely cute strawberry champagne truffles, which use both Prosecco and strawberry liqueur. Again, I say, bring on the booze! And she does! Look at that great strawberry bellini we get to wash down the truffles.
Ruth, head cook over at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments in Ireland, makes some healthy but no doubt tasty brownies based on the Snow Patrol song "Chocolate" (a song I just love, by the way). These Cook Yourself Thin Brownies are packed with lots of nutritional goodness including swede (which, for your information, I had to look up, hehe), carrot and almonds. And now that I know what swede is (yellow turnip, if you are like me and didn't know), I plan to make something with them.
I just love these devil's food cupcakes Kristen from California over at Something Sweet posted. On top of that you can just tell these taste so good. Too good. Maybe even sinful? That's the approach Kristen took with the event, using the Dixie Chicks' song "Sin Wagon" as a connection to these sinfully good cupcakes. Hopefully I don't eat too many of these and tip over that Sin Wagon! :P
Peter G. is my favorite Australian Greek and he runs Souvlaki for the Soul. Just for the ladies, he makes this decadent, gorgeous looking hot chocolate based on Hot Chocolate's song "You Sexy Thing" (yup, another one of those songs you will be singing for days now that you've seen this :) That hot chocolate surely is sexy, isn't it? Good chocolate, full fat milk, whipped cream, cocoa powder and a chocolate stirrer, to boot. I believe in miracles, so I expect I can drink a few of these with no adverse effect on my waistline.
Incredibly sweet blogger Núria from Barcelona, Spain always gives us some wonderful Spanish Recipes and this Clams Rice dish is yet another. On Sundays Núria was young, her family would traditionally eat paella and then, with full bellies, have a movie session. One of her favorite movies was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and she especially enjoyed the song during the barn sequence because of the music and the energy. This clams rice isn't exactly paella but it's close enough to spark memories for Núria!
Put the lime in the coconut and [eat] them both up...at least, that's what Steph of Steph's Kitchen decided to do when she made not one but two entries for this event based on the song "Put the Lime in the Coconut" by Harry Nilsson. First she makes great looking coconut shrimp and for dessert? Coconut lime cupcakes. The flavor combo is such a good one (obviously, that's why there is a whole song about it!).
Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite things, so when I saw this beautiful strawberry shortcake on Susan's blog, Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy, it was love at first sight. Susan is from Florida, so I don't even want to tell you how NOT like that the strawberries in Chicago look right now. :) Susan's song choice to go with this lovely strawberry shortcake is none other than The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever."
Helen from South Carolina runs Tartelette, another favorite blog of mine. I'm sure you know her. I don't know of too many people who can take yogurt and fruit and make it look this incredible, but Helen is one of them. This Feel Good All Around Fruit Salad with Blood Orange Syrup is packed with fresh fruit, creamy Greek yogurt, coconut and blood orange syrup. I would gladly make this my breakfast every day. Her inspiration is a song I hadn't heard but have been bopping around to now for a couple days, "Salade de Fruits" by Bourvil.
I've known for a while now that Lindsay (one half of Team Richey) and I have really similar taste in music (among other things). Turns out, we have a similar taste in shows (and food), too! Lindsey makes these mighty fine looking huevos rancheros based on a line from the RENT song "La Vie Boheme." To leather, to dildos [sorry, vox, do I need to make this "possibly inapproproate"?], to curry Vindaloo, to huevos rancheros and Maya Angelou!
Elizabeth, the Metro-Detroiter behind Ugg Smell Food makes one of my favorite kinds of ice cream--Rocky Road. Mmm. A typical 80's teenager, Elizabeth listened to Van Halen all the time, so this ice cream is based on their song "I'm Your Ice Cream Man." Unfortunately I do not yet have the means to make my own ice cream but as soon as I do, I am definitely trying this one out.
Do you ever wonder "Whatever Happened to Soy Bomb?" Well, the band the Eels do and so does Cindy, in Melbourne. Cindy is the vegetarian cook over at Where's the Beef? She shares with us these soy bombs, aka tofu balls. They look so cripsy and golden-fried and delicious. Even a carnivore like myself could definitely get behind these (and ask for more)!
Ashlee over at A Year in the Kitchen presents this beautiful (and, a bonus: light!) pineapple upside down cake. Ashlee resides in Indiana, but she uses the soundtrack from 50 First Dates as inspiration for an islandy-feeling dessert, since the movie takes place on Hawaii. I would love a slice (and I wouldn't even have to feel guilty about it).
I think there must be something in the blogosphere air, because I feel like I have been seeing stuffed cabbage everywhere lately, and it always looks so good. Pixie, who lives in the UK and runs You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto was going to submit a coconut cake to the event but it didn't turn out as she planned. Instead, she makes a really great looking stuffed cabbage with roasted vegetables and ties it into a song from the Andy Griffith Show, "Boil that Cabbage Down." I love the song connection almost as much as I love stuffed cabbage and roasted vegetables. :) Put them in one dish and you definitely have a winner.
And, lastly, my contribution, pecan pies. My mini pecan pies (and my first venture both into pecan pie and crust making) are based on the Golden Smog song "Pecan Pie." It's one of my favorite kinds of pies and I am glad this event (and my love for Jeff Tweedy) gave me the opportunity I was looking for to make them.
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Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast has been hosting Presto Pasta Nights for a whole year now. Thanks, Ruth! I really wanted to participate in this week's roundup--the big PPN birthday--so hopefully I am not too late!
Speaking of events, for those of you who have posted your entry to Eat to the Beat, thanks for participating! I have seen some really delicious and really creative things. If you haven't emailed me your info, please do that. I am using my emails to do the round-up so I don't want to accidentally forget anyone. If you emailed me your info and you didn't hear back from me that either means I didn't get your email or I did, but you didn't get mine. The interwebs is crazy like that! So either way, please email me again. Thanks!
Anywho, like any "presto" kind of dish, this meal came together with ingredients I always manage to have on hand (OK, I did have a minor panic attack on Monday when I made pizzas and realized, to my horror, that I was out of goat cheese but I have since remedied that situation). It's a dish that's easy to prepare but definitely not lacking in flavor. The goat cheese gives this pasta a creamy consistency (and makes it a pretty color!) and is a *little* better for you than heavy cream. Plus, it just gives that little tang of extra flavor. I'm really glad I made enough to take leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Penne with Goat Cheese-Tomato Sauce (and peas, mushrooms, and chicken sausage...)
Serves 4
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 (4-5 oz) hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I use chicken sausage)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes
a few tbsp of wine or broth (not necessary but it's good for deglazing)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 Tbsp. fresh basil (more for garnish if desired)
1 small (4oz) log goat cheese
salt and pepper
10-12 oz. penne, cooked
Heat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, and add the olive oil. When shimmering, crumble in the sausage and saute until browned. Add the onion and saute for about 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms and garlic. Once the mushrooms and onions are tender, add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for about a minute before adding a few splashes of broth/wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits.
Add the crushed tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer to combine the flavors, 10 or 15 minutes. Add the peas and heat through for a minute or two. Stir in the basil and the goat cheese. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the goat cheese has melted into the sauce. Season to taste if necessary and combine with the cooked pasta.
as I walk along and stumble
trains rumble in my head
as I breeze along and grumble
think about you instead
a piece of pecan pie
and you...that's all I want
just a piece of pecan pie
and all I want is you
just a little whipped cream
and honey, I'm on my way
with a piece of pecan pie...
You'd think since I came up with the whole Eat to the Beat event, I would have an idea from the start...and you'd be wrong. I pretty much gave up all my immediate (somewhat obvious) ideas in my original post and then I was left wondering what to create, myself. It's not that I don't ALWAYS listen to music, and I very often associate songs with certain events, cuisines, etc. But still, I was stumped (trying to find the *perfect* entry no doubt). I didn't really want to bake anything since I prefer cooking and I also don't need all the calories. But, it turns out there are way more songs about sugar and chocolate than there are about grilled chicken and asparagus.
One of my favorite bands is Wilco. Tom and I just saw them again last week and, as always, it was a great show. As a result, I've been on a bit of a Wilco kick lately so I tried really, really hard to come up with a song of theirs to use for this event. Well, I got nowhere. I was about to throw in the towel and make something else (a good entry, still, but I wasn't that excited about it), when it hit me. Golden Smog! Golden Smog is composed of members from various bands (including, depending on the time, Wilco, Soul Asylum, The Jayhawks, The Replacements to name a few). I used to listen to Down by the Old Mainstream in college all the time (the album actually came out a couple years earlier, but I was late to the Golden Smog party). Anyhow, fast forward to my remembering the song "Pecan Pie," by Golden Smog (written and sung by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy) and you have...ta-da! My entry to Eat to the Beat. It helps that pecan pie is one of my all-time favorite desserts.
I adapted a recipe from Joy of Baking, based on what I had at home. I used light brown sugar and a mixture of corn syrup and molasses since I didn't have any Lyle's golden syrup (and figuring that extra molasses would give a little more oomph to the light brown sugar). This was delicious. So good. I love pecan pie and this is my first time making it. Actually, this is also my first time making a pie crust and this was a GOOD pie crust. Plus, so easy. I will never use a store-bought crust again.
I decided to make mini tarts and got 2 larger (maybe 4") and 4 smaller (maybe 2.5"?) tartlettes out of the crust dough. I did r