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The NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide for the Festive Foodie (Part 1)- WITH GIVEAWAY!

9 Dec

I don’t know if you’ve noticed… but it’s the holiday season.  I have added so many awesome fun foodie finds to my kitchen this year and I wanted to share them with all of you, just in time to give that special foodie in your life a gift… even if it’s you.  I’m going to do a bit of digging for the best prices, however, they are only current as of December 8th, 2010. So act fast!  (Links to buy the products are within the descriptions)

Part 1 includes some of my absolute essentials (most of which are, curiously, made from silicone… Who knew?!)  And don’t miss the first ever NYC Nom Nom GIVEAWAY at the bottom!

Just around this time last year, I received a gift that changed my baking life forever.  Mike got me a KitchenAid mixer.  Life has never been the same.  I have had (and gone through) a few other light weight stand mixers and far too many hand mixers in the last few years.  But the KitchenAid can take on PEANUT BUTTER!  (Yes… that is a big deal.)  Unfortunately, they aren’t cheap.  But I look at it as a long-term purchase. It appears as though Amazon has it for less than $200.  Mine is cinnamon colored (to match the rest of the kitchen highlights) with a stainless steel bowl and a bowl cover/feed (or “powdered sugar cloud preventer” as I like to call it).

Also in the picture above are silicone spatulas.  I love these.  They stand up to heat and scrape cookie batter and melted chocolate oh so well.  I usually get them from William Sonoma (Set of 3 for $22.50.  I highly recommend the “Spoonula” for $10) but there are many different brands and types according to Amazon.

And on the topic of silicone, I picked up these handy egg poachers and I love them (mostly).

I poach a lot of eggs, which is one of the healthiest ways to eat eggs and one of the best in my opinion… but also one of the hardest to master with the swirl in boiling water method.   I can’t say I LOVE the ones I purchased, but they get the job done.  They are a bit hard to get out of the boiling water (since they have no handle on top) and can sometimes spill out of the sides, but they are AWFULLY cute!   All you have to do is bring about 2 inches of water to a boil, grease up the cups (I use pam), crack the egg in, place in the boiling water and cover for 4 minutes.  Voila! Perfectly poached eggs.  Since I can’t totally recommend mine, I found ones online that seem to fit the bill for you (just as cute but with a handle!) for just $5 each.

To further my obvious and newly recognized fondness for silicone kitchen products, we will move to what I think may be one of the best kitchen products EVER: The Silpat.

If you know a baker that doesn’t have one, you now have a perfect gift for them. And if you don’t have one, what are you waiting for?  They come in many sizes and range from about $10-$20.  You can use them basically any place that you would use parchment or wax paper.  I bake all my cookies on them so the bottoms don’t burn nor stick nor spread too far and use them below all the candy I make.  It is a life saver!  And in case you don’t remember the side-by-side comparison of Silpat vs Non-Silpat from the Black & White Cookies, check out this link and this picture:

(Note: I have heard rumor that the cheaper versions of Silpat don’t work as well.  I have not experimented myself, however, because why would I fix something that ain’t broke?)

Now onto my favorite purchase of 2010!  I never realized how much I would use these amazing Betty Crocker Non-Stick Reusable Baking Cups when I first bought them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond ($9 for a set of 12).  What’s funny is that I have used them for neither muffins nor cup cakes!  They make excellent peanut butter cup molds and I have started making the meringue cake in miniature in these.

I have also made miniature versions of a pumpkin cheesecake and squash souffle.

What is great about them is that they just simply work.  They do exactly what they are supposed to do.  And they also make great little mise en place cups!

So now onto the fun… THE GIVEAWAY! I will be giving away a set of my favorite product of 2010, the Betty Crocker Baking Cups, to one lucky reader.  It will also come with a printed copy of the Super Secret Axelrod Brownie recipe (which you can make in the cups!)

Here are the rules: Leave a comment below about which product from the NYC Nom Nom Official Gift Guide (there are three parts, all posted on Thursday, December 9th,  including a special on wine products) you covet the most.  Please be sure to leave me your name and an email address.  (Limit: one comment entry per person… so no comment spamming!)  If you would prefer to email me, you can feel free to do so at sara@nycnomnom.com.

You can earn additional entries by posting a link to this blog on Facebook, Twitter, your website or just emailing it to all your friends (one entry per post).  Just send me a screenshot or link to NYC Nom Nom from the post/email (flex that “@” key!)

I’ll be taking entries through midnight, EST on Tuesday, December 14th and do the drawing on Wednesday, December 15th.

Happy Holiday Nomming!

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Spaghetti Squash and Slow Cooker Pears

19 Nov

I feel like I am already at the tail end of this incredible cacophony of  support for the long neglected spaghetti squash.  I first encountered this awesome veggie about 8 years ago, and when I found out that it has ZERO Weight Watchers Points for a whole cup, I had to make it part of my weekly cooking.  I love squash to begin with, so having a squash that is easy to cook, can be paired with just about anything, and is good for me is pretty awesome.

How easy to cook?  I’ll tell ya.

The hardest part is cutting the sucker in half, lengthwise.  I always sharpen the big knife before going into it, however, it makes me yearn for an axe.  Once you have it split, you can just scoop out the yag and seeds from the middle (just keep those seeds for roasting!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use the side of a large spoon to scrape around the opening.

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After that, you put it cut side down on parchment paper, a Silpat, or slightly greased cookie sheet and just roast it up at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  A fork should easily be able to scrape out the insides.

So why do they call it spaghetti squash?

Well… what starts as a seemingly solid piece of squash winds up turning into these beautiful strands that look just like spaghetti.

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And you can treat it like spaghetti and pair it with a pasta sauce, cheese, veggies or any other savory topping.  You can also make a sweet version and I’ve heard brown sugar and butter on it is especially delicious.  Personally, I’m dying to try this recipe which pairs it with maple syrup and shallots.

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Another quick and easy, yet totally healthy recipe for a good dessert after you’ve had your spaghetti squash is putting a pear (or apple) in the slow cooker.  I just cored 2 apples and then put them in the crock pot.  Then I poured over some apple cider (until it came up about half way on the pears), a sprinkle of brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, then set it on low for about 4 hours until it was tender.

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Topped off with a bit of homemade schlag and it was a very yummy treat.

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Mike’s Birthday Dinner Part 2: Black and White Cookies

17 Nov

The second part of Mike’s birthday dinner had to be dessert.  I tried to think of something new to make that Mike loved.  He always seeks out black and white cookies, so I decided to try my hand at them.  I also decided to try to take a lot more “making of” pictures for this recipe.

Here is the ol’ melted butter in the mixer pic.

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I then creamed said butter with sugar.

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And then started adding eggs.  Here went #1 of 4.

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As you are looking at the picture below, I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself “why on earth is that egg so happy?”  I’ll tell you… I tried to take a picture of these eggs with my camera about 400 times. It couldn’t find a single surface to focus on, however, so I got crafty.  And… named him Fred.

Say “hi” to Fred!

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And then… Fred had to die.

Goodbye Fred.

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I mixed the eggs in with the butter/sugar and then added in milk, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.  That is when it got scary.  It looked curdled.  I’m sure the lemon extract had something to do with it.

I paused for a moment, but then decided to continue and see how it all turned out.

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Next up came the cake flour, salt, and baking powder.

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Which, when all combined, looked like something edible again.  (Oh boy and it was good eatin’ batter!)

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This here is moments before I licked it completely clean.

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I dropped the dough onto a pan by an ice cream scoop, aiming for bigger cookies than the 1 Tablespoon suggestion would have brought.  I wanted bakery size!

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Then I used the back of a spoon to swirl the top to make them flatter.

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Using my trusty Silpat all the way.  Well… half of the way.  I only had 2 mats and 4 pans.  D’oh.

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And then into the oven they went at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

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And if it wasn’t clear why Silpats rock, here is photographic evidence that Silpats are pretty much the best invention ever.  THOUGH, after the suggested 30 minutes, both trays were still pretty raw.

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I actually stuck them back in the oven and checked on them about every 3 minutes for the next 15 minutes.  It was now 50% longer than the original recipe called for and I started to get nervous.  I took them out and they were less raw, though still quite white on the bottom.

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I took a bite and figured it didn’t matter so much since they tasted awesome.  And onto the cooling rack they went.  (Though, as mentioned in the previous entry, some came into work with me.)

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When I came home (prior to making dinner), I started glazing the cookies.  The bottom shows the white glaze, which basically just looks half shiny.

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Then I added chocolate glaze.  I was in WAY too much of a rush so I didn’t spread these out enough.  So they weren’t nearly as neat as I would have preferred.  I was also pretty bummed at the transparency of the chocolate glaze and could not for the life of me figure out how most places get it so dark!

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But they tasted great!  Though not bakery great.  I guess there are just some things you should leave to the pros!

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RECIPE
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Black & White Cookies
(original recipe was from AllRecipes.com, however, I read the notes and tweaked it accordingly)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup boiling water (just add until it’s the right consistency)
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (good quality)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter/spray 2 baking sheets or use a Silpat.
  2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk, vanilla, and lemon extract. Combine cake flour and all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually blend into the creamed mixture. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
  3. Bake until edges begin to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes (or more?). Cool completely.
  4. Place confectioners sugar in large bowl. Mix in boiling water one tablespoon at a time until mixture is thick and spreadable. (Add more than the indicated amount if you need to).
  5. Transfer half of the frosting to the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir in the chocolate. Warm mixture, stirring frequently, until the chocolate melts. Remove from heat. (or do it slowly in the microwave)
  6. With a brush, coat half the cookie with chocolate frosting and the other half with the white frosting. Set on waxed paper until frosting hardens.

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