The Good Girl Gone Blog: Cooking!

Guest Post: Lani's Pecan Pie

Mar 3, 2011

Bonjour, I am Noelani of Mon Petit Chou Chou and I am so excited to be sharing a recipe on Alana's blog, Good Girl Gone Blog (of which I am a huge fan).

When I initially proposed a recipe feature, our hostess was totally game....and then we dished details and I learned she was utterly allergic to pecans. Why mention pecans and our Good Girl Gone Blog's allergy? Because my recipe is for pecan pie of course, oh the irony. So while I doubt she will have the pleasure of trying this out herself, she assures me that her boyfriend loves pecan pie. Maybe he'll be so taken with the recipe as to make one himself!This recipe comes from Joann Chang's Flour Cookbook, which has quickly become my go-to baking bible. Make sure to order while you can at Amazon. The first print quickly sold out and was sadly unavailable for a short time!Chef Chang has altered the typical pecan pie recipe (made basically with Karo, sugar and little else) and turned it into a gooey, buttery, delight for the senses. Her recipe is so inspiring I even deviated from my usual lazy pie move, turning to store bought crust and instead made her pate brisee for the crust. I am proud to report this pie is entirely homemade, kit and caboodle (recipe for the pate brisee available here). The recipe is briefly outlined below but I highly encourage you to get the book and work your way through. Each recipe includes a plethora of tips and personal stories that make cooking each item a total experience. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

PS: I will never use a store bought crust again!

Ingredients:

Pate Brisee
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups pecan halves

Prepare:

-Roll dough on well floured surface until 12".Transfer to pie dish. Press into pan and pleat overhanging dough into edge or trim. Refrigerate crust 30 minutes.
-Position rack in center and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake about 30 minutes.
-While crust is baking, in medium saucepan, combine sugar and water until dissolved. Place over high heat and boil. Make sure not to move pan until it turns a pale brown and caramelizes (about 3-4.5 minutes).
-Turn heat to medium and whisk in corn syrup until there are no lumps.
-Remove from heat and add butter.
-In medium (heatproof) bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice, salt and vanilla.
-Slowly pour hot ingredients into egg mixture, constantly whisking.
-Next add pecans and coat in mixture.
-Pour pecan mixture into baked shell and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Milestones

May 14, 2010

It's been all sorts of crazy over at the G3B residence. Lot of exciting stuff going on over here, folks. Because it's 12:00 and I have to leave my house in approximately six hours to catch a flight to Boston, I'm going to be especially brief.

Here's the deal:

At 4 pm this Sunday, my family and I will be attending my college graduation. Just two and a half hours later, I will be the proud owner of a diploma boasting my BS in Communication.
My apartment is on its way to becoming an amazing home. Though it's still missing most of my furniture, it is housing a majority of my shoes and clothing, as well as a two cute couches and a bunch of Cuisinart steals from Rue La La.
I got a job, at least for the summer. I start work on Wednesday and I'm going to get to do some really awesome stuff. Stay tuned.
My little sister comes home from Israel on June 3rd for the rest of the summer.
Thibault is coming to visit me for two weeks in June!

...and that's all for now. Hopefully all this excitement won't get in the way of me falling asleep tonight!

City Girl

Sep 11, 2009

"Here in these deep city lights...Girl could get lost tonight" - Sara Bareilles

As I sit here, alone in my apartment, self medicating with matzah ball soup (aka Jewish Penicillin), cous-cous and a sore throat potion I like to call "Asian Magic," I can't help but become completely enthralled by the lights. Even when the city is a mess- clouds abound and rain falls insolently from the sky, I smile because I can see the lights in Fenway Park. Though my throat hurts when I swallow and I find myself forcing back coughs, I'm content. I hate being sick, but I like the idea that I can take care of myself- I made the matzah ball soup, I told myself to stay in tonight, I reminded myself (with a cute pink sticky note) that I need to take my vitamins.

There's just something about living in the city that makes me feel independent. Yes, I did call my mom to complain about feeling sick and ask her a soup related question...but then I went home to an empty kitchen and cooked for myself.

I am, unabashedly and with all my heart, a city girl. Hear me roar.

Erin's Pretty Pretty Princess Pink Popcorn

Aug 20, 2009

Happy Pink Thursday everyone! I'm writing to you from work in a pink (ok mostly purple) dress. It was too low cut and showed off a very beautiful scratch on my chest (I have no idea how I get these things!), so I'm wearing a cute purple tube top under it.

Did I mention it's covered in sequins? But it's ok, I work at a startup. We do what we WANT!

For today's post, I wanted to feature this awesome pink popcorn recipe from Erin Cooks. Erin, another Boston area blogger, also happens to be the adoptive "blog mother" of my favorite baker, Elissa. Erin's blog is chock full of beautiful food photos and super tasty recipes. You should check her out!

Doesn't this just make you want to have a Pink Princess Party? Am I too old to have a Pink Princess Party? Recipe and photo via

Ingredients: Spring the recipe!

popcorn
vegetable oil or olive oil
kosher salt
8 ounces of good white chocolate
red food coloring

Instructions:

Pop a batch of popcorn. The stove top method is best, but you could also use microwave popcorn if you must — just try to avoid the flavored kind. Either way you will need approximately 8 cups of popcorn. (Erin’s Note: I love my Whirley-Pop. You may want to consider purchasing one. I personally will never go back to the traditional pot shaking method ever again).
Spread the popcorn over a baking sheet lined with a silpat or wax paper. Pick out any unpopped kernels — you don’t want anyone to break a tooth!
Melt 8 ounces of white chocolate until smooth. You can use a double-boiler to melt the chocolate, or put it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on medium power, stirring after each round. Once the chocolate is smooth, add a few drops of food coloring, and stir to blend.

Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate across the popcorn. Mix the popcorn around with the spoon to evenly distribute the chocolate. Then place the baking sheet in the refridgerator for 20 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden. Finally, serve and enjoy!

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of white chocolate, but I'm going to try this recipe anyway. Thanks so much Erin- I'll let you know how it turns out!

Israeli style schnitzel

Jul 28, 2009

Rach and I have been craving chicken fingers for a while now, so when I remembered that we had frozen chicken breasts (left over from the dinner I made for DH!), I knew tonight was the night to take action. I facebooked my lovely future sister in law and asked for her delicious spicy dipping sauce recipe, had Arielle take the chicken out of the freezer and got to work on this delicious treat.

As always, I made a bunch of mistakes along the way, but it still ended up tasting amazing. We couldn't find hot chili sauce at Trader Joe's, so we bought sweet chili sauce and combined it with schug, an spicy Israeli paste. In addition, I was too lazy (and hungry) to let the chicken defrost, so I put it in a pot of hot water on the stove. The chicken ended up getting slightly cooked before I had a chance to bread it, but it tasted fine.

When I first saw the amount of chicken I prepared, I assumed we'd have enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I was totally wrong: Rach and I devoured it!

Ingredients: Spring the recipe!

For chicken:

1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
flour for coating
1 egg
bread crumbs
za'atar for seasoning
oil for frying (I used olive oil)

For sauce:

mayonnaise
soy sauce
sweet chili sauce
schug*

Directions:

Set out three prep bowls: the first filled with flour, the second with a fully beaten egg and the third with a breadcrumb and za'atar mixture. Add as much za'atar as you want- it's delicious! Set aside.

Defrost chicken and cut into strips. Pound until thin- I used the side of a sharp knife and it worked just fine.
Dip chicken in flour and coat until fully covered.

Coat chicken in egg. Let excess drip back into bowl.
Dip the egg covered chicken strips in the breadcrumb mixture until strips are fully coated

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and fry until crispy and brown.

Place cooked chicken strips on a paper towel. Blot excess oil with additional paper towels.

For the sauce: combine ingredients to taste. I wish I could be more specific, but I didn't measure (The sign of a TRUE chef!) Be careful with the schug- that stuff is hot!
Serve and enjoy! (I added some blueberries and basil to the plate to add a hint of sweetness and a bit of flavor. It was actually an AMAZING combination and made up for the fact that I couldn't find any suitable vegetables.)

The Best Week(end) Ever!

Jul 6, 2009

Hey kiddos!

I had such a fantastic weekend! This is a very link heavy post, only because I've collected little "mementos" of the weekend's festivities in my springpad. It's a great way to keep track of my favorite restaurants, recipes and the products I love! I think it's pretty fabulous that I actually use the product I promote for work. I've had a lot of fun adding things this week, so I hope you'll check out my profile :)

* * *

No work on Friday meant a day of grocery shopping and cooking. We typically do a big dinner every Friday night, complete with food, friends and lots of wine. Rach and I were responsible for the main course, so we made Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower and a really fantastic tomato and mushroom tart. (Click the link to get the recipes!) Both dishes were delicious, but I definitely recommend the second!

If you'll notice, I have no good food photos...this is because my pictures only turn out when it's sunny. The natural light in my house sucks. Therefore, I'm thinking of investing in a new and much better camera: The Nikon D5000. It's my dad's pick, but after doing some research, I think it's probably the best for me.

Saturday night I had a lovely BBQ with friends and then headed to watch the fireworks on the BU bridge. There was a bunch of alcohol consumed...I even ended up buying a bottle of champagne from Shaws! Needless to say, I was shocked when I accidentally opened the bottle. I was merely trying to loosen the cork and it exploded! I was not prepared for that. Fortunately, the bottle wasn't directed at anyone's face!

Sunday, we got brunch at Zaftigs, my new favorite place. Technically, it wasn't really brunch because we didn't get seated until after 1:30...and I had grilled cheese.

I also went on another Jdate, and this time, I'm happy to say he's the kind of boy I can tell my mom about (Hi Mom, I love you)! Not only did he arrive on time, he was early! He also only whipped out his phone to show me photos of his dog...who I sort of want to steal. At the end of the date, he walked me to the door, gave me a proper yet awkward goodnight kiss and said:

"I'm DEFINITELY going to give you a call."

To which I responded:

"I'm DEFINITELY going to pick up."

Classy Alana...very classy. How the heck do these things come out of my mouth?

PS- This morning, when I went to find my Charlie card to pay my T fare, I came to a realization: I wasn't carded last night at the bar. This may not sound like a big deal, but this has NEVER happened to me before. Does that mean I'm a grown up? Not that I support underage drinking...but I look like I'm 15 and they didn't ask for ID ;)

The only fish I'll eat are Swedish

Jun 17, 2009

via here

* Alternatively titled: Why you should always listen to your mother

If you'll recall, I recently mentioned that I discovered I actually liked eating fish, much to the chagrin of my mother. Well, last night I came home from a long day at work to a home cooked meal of broccoli, rice and salmon. Let me tell you, it was delicious! I don't know how she cooked it, but the salmon was perfectly textured so that it almost melted in my mouth.

I was enjoying my dinner, when suddenly, it hit me: my throat was beginning to itch, my lips felt like they were swelling, and my tongue was not happy.

Alana: Hey guys, do people have fish allergies?

Geoff: Yeah, but I think it's usually to shellfish. Why?

Alana: Ok, don't freak out, I'm not going to die or anything, but I think I'm allergic to salmon. I just need to take some Benadryl and I'll be fine.

I then did a little research on the internet and found this via about.com:

"Pollock, salmon, cod, tuna, snapper, eel, and tilapia are among the fish that commonly trigger fish allergies. Fish allergies are similar to shellfish allergies in that they are more likely than many food allergies to start during adulthood and less likely than other allergies to be outgrown. While fish is easier than many other allergens to avoid, fish allergies are often quite severe."

Yup, that would be me. Hi, my name is Alana, and I have a new allergy.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, Benadryl makes this tiny girl very loopy. So much so, that I couldn't get up to go to work today. Literally, I almost fell asleep standing up in the shower. Oy vey.

Check out the stuff I've compiled about food allergies and feel free to add your own content- I particularly like the video from Hitch...it makes me feel better about myself.

The Summer of Alana

Jun 13, 2009

Via this talented man. He calls it "The Alana Tree"

Just the other day, a very wise man one of my coworkers told me to stop moping, call up my drinking buddies and get out of the house.

"Make this the summer of Alana," he said.

And you know what, I'm going to do just that. I'm a young, single girl living in a fabulous city. There are so many things I'd love to do this summer:

Cook
Decoupage my bookshelf
Start keeping a log of my favorite outfits
Redesign my blog and get matching business cards
Create my own blog award to give to my favorite bloggers
Spend a day on the beach
Travel to the Cape
Enjoy more Boston nightlife
Date someone new
Learn how to take better food photos
Participate in Banditos Misteriosos Scavenger Hunt
Play with my new Adobe suite (!!)
Meet up with my Israel roommates in Vegas for Julia's birthday
Go to BlogHer 09 in Chicago
Hang out with an old coworker/friend in Chicago post BlogHer
Use the prize I won on twitter (more on that later)
See a concert at the Paradise
Get lunch with Littlesack in Baltimore
Discover a new favorite spot in Boston
Plan a fun Boston meet up with these sassy ladies
Go sailing (that is how my dad met my stepmom...)
Get a frickin pedicure
Take a yoga class
Fill out the form to get credit for my internship
More DIY blog posts (do I even have any?)
Do a vlog
Explore Cambridge

I think 27 is a good number. It's a lot to accomplish, but hey, it's the summer of Alana...and I have my own tree! So, anyone want to help me accomplish my goals.

How are you planning to spend the summer of you?

Pink Thursday: Onion Goggles??

Jun 11, 2009

Photo via Shine

When I first saw a photo of these babies, I had to check them out. Pink goggles that will eliminate my onion chopping tears- no way! I definitely suffer from watery eyes whenever I cut onions. My eyes are so sensitive that even when someone else is cutting onions, my eyes start tearing. I have to be in the room, of course.

So, do we think these babies work? They got 4.7 out of 5 stars on cooking.com.... Plus, they'd look super cute with the rest of my pink kitchen stuff.

Get em!

Pretty Pills

Jun 8, 2009

I can't remember if I told you, but I've been in Baltimore for the past few days. I got in Friday afternoon and immediately went to see my pediatrician- yes, I still see my pediatrician and I'm 21 years old. Feel free to make fun of me.

Turns out I have a sinus infection. I'm back on the pretty purple and turquoise pills for the third time since last summer. Hopefully they'll help, because I'm sick of being sick (ha).

In other news, I made a really yummy carrot souffle this weekend. Unfortunately, I didn't get to take a picture of it, which is probably a good thing, because it looked sort of weird. My mom thinks it might be because we used bread flour instead of regular flour- it's all we had. The thing is, it tasted normal, so that's all that really matters. I'm definitely going to share the recipe with you when I get it from my mom, and hopefully I'll make it again sans-bread flour so I'll be able to show you a photo!