Paper Pie

Liz & Kalli Food #14

Liz * Mousse Fantasy Bakery 

Yesterday I took some photos of fabric that I recently had printed at Spoonflower. I thought a cake would be the perfect prop. Not just any cake though. It had to be the one and only Strawberry Shortcake from Mousse Fantasy Bakery in West LA. Way back when I was pregnant (seems like eons ago) I discovered this cake when a friend was raving about her Birthday cake. With my pregnant appetite, I was all questions: what bakery? where is it? how do I get there? how late are they open? what is the frosting like? fresh strawberries? That night Ryan and I were out to dinner and I asked him to stop by the bakery for dessert. We each had a piece of this cake and from that moment, this has been my go to cake for birthdays, holidays and all manner of celebrations. If you are in LA, it is in Beard Papa's Cream Puff Bakery on Sawtelle between Olympic and Santa Monica Blvd.

The photo shoot, the fabric, and the cake are all part of a little WonderFluff tweaking, reorganizing, streamlining project I'm working on. I'm excited to share my progress with you very soon. It is shaping up nicely.

That's what I'm up to this weekend. Oh, and even though the weather has certainly been unseasonably warm around these parts, I have been knitting Rylie a pair of these.

Kalli * Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup 

I just made this and it's pretty good, though I'd suggest a couple minor tweaks. I think my idea of "medium dice" sized squash chunks was a little too large, so they needed longer roasting time (about 35-40 min) and weren't that easy to mash - I'd go with about half to 3/4 inch cubes. Adding one small chunk of peeled ginger (removed before serving) and a little extra cumin and lemon juice to the simmering broth really enhanced the flavor.

This recipe was the first time I've actually cooked a butternut squash (though I've been served dishes with it before) and in doing so I learned that a lot of people have an allergic reaction to some liquid in the squash skin when you peel it. It's a pretty weird feeling, like your hands are rapidly drying out with the effect of a chemical peel or something, but I guess it's common so I'll just wear rubber gloves in the future! I just wish I'd heard of this possible reaction beforehand.

That soup looks mighty tasty, Kalli! So weird about the squash skin. I have never heard of that either.

Liz & Kalli Food #13

Liz * Fruit-Nut Balls and Cranberry Chutney

A Liz/Kalli food post is in order, don’t you think? Especially since tomorrow is our one national holiday devoted specifically to food! And because Kalli sent me her photo, oh, about a month ago. To be honest, I am not doing much cooking these days. Ryan has officially taken over dinner duty. He likes to cook and is very skilled in the kitchen. Plus, I need the time to devote to my projects and this here blog. But tonight, tonight is special. I am doing a little pre-Thanksgiving dinner for Ryan and I. On the menu? I am making this Sweet Potato Soup, Cranberry Chutney and goat cheese on Golden Fig toast and Fruit-Nut balls for dessert. The Fruit-Nut Balls and the Cranberry Chutney are both from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table which is a very charming memoir/cookbook. Molly is the inimitable creator of one of my favorite food blogs, Orangette, which is where you can find the recipe for the chutney.

Kalli * Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

I've only made biscotti once before, lemon pistachio, a flavor combo I think I prefer. This time I tried this recipe, for Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti. I followed the recipe almost exactly, except used strong coffee instead of coffee extract (which I've never even seen for sale before) and semisweet chips instead of bittersweet. I also let them cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and toasting because they seemed a little too fragile at first to slice. They turned out pretty well, so now I'm thinking I might make a few flavors of biscotti and mail them out as family Christmas gifts. If I made this again, I'd probably switch the nuts to almonds, and maybe even toss in some raisins, or better yet, chocolate-covered raisins.

Oooh, I think chocolate covered raisins would be really great in biscotti. You can put that down as my order for Christmas. Which reminds me, I have officially decided that I don’t really need any other sweets in life as long as I have chocolate covered pretzels. I’m kind of obsessed with those right now.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Liz & Kalli Food #12

Liz * Summer Berry Pie
Well, pardon my unannounced hiatus. I spend my days staring into little Rylie's blue eyes, and when I'm not doing that, I'm soothing her cries. We've also had some work done in our apartment which was cause for Rylie and I to vacate the premises for a few days last week, so things have been a bit topsy turvy. I did, however, find time to make this most delicious Summer Berry Pie, in honor of the last weekend of summer. It was just as wonderful as this this one and this one. We woke up ealry on Saturday and went to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market to get the best berries available. The recipe is from the book, The New Best Recipe. I talk more about how much I love this book here when I made the best cupcakes ever from the same volume. This pie was simple to put together and perfect for summer because it required very little use of the oven. We've already polished off the whole thing, but I savored evey little bite, knowing that it will be a while before the berries taste like summer again. Here is the recipe below as it appears in The New Best Recipe.

Summer Berry Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie, serving 8 to 10.

Berries are not sold in standard half-pint containers. When shopping for ingredients, use the weights on the containers as a guideline, but make sure to measure out the berries (gently, to avoid bruising). If you wind up short on one type of berry but have extras of another type, make up the difference with the extras. If blackberries are not available, use 3 cups each of raspberries and blueberries. When pureeing the berries, be sure to process them for a full minute; otherwise, the yield on the puree may be too small. Apple jelly can be substituted if red currant jelly is unavailable.

Graham Cracker Crust
9 graham crackers, broken into rough pieces
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm

Berry Filling
2 cups fresh raspberries (about 9 ounces)
2 cups fresh blackberries (about 11 ounces)
2 cups fresh blueberries (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon of table salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons red currant jelly

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream (cold)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In food processor, process graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds (you should have 1 cup crumbs). Add sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding warm melted butter in steady stream; pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch glass pie plate; form crust using 1/2-cup dry measuring cup. Bake crust until fragrant and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely while making filling.
3. For the filling: Combine berries in large colander and gently rinse (taking care not to bruise them); spread berries on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently pat dry with additional paper towels.
4. In food processor, puree 2 1/2 cups mixed berries until smooth and fully pureed, about 1 minute. Strain puree through mesh strainer into small nonreactive saucepan, scraping and pressing on seeds to extract as much puree as possible (you should have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups). Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small bowl to combine, then whisk mixture into puree. Bring puree to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon; when mixture reaches a boil and is thickened to consistency of pudding, remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and set aside to cool slightly.
5. While puree is cooling, place remaining berries in medium bowl. Heat jelly in second small saucepan over low heat until fully melted; drizzle melted jelly over berries and toss gently to coat. Pour slightly cooled puree into cooled pie shell; top with fresh berries. Loosely cover pie with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled and puree has set, about 3 hours (or up to 1 day).
6. For the whipped cream: Just before serving, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave trail, about 30 seconds longer. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, nearly doubled in volume, and forms soft peaks, about 30 to 60 seconds.
7. Cut pie into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Kalli * Stuffed Vegetables
Pretty easy: I just par-boiled halved, scooped-out zucchinis and bell peppers with their tops chopped off and seeds removed until they softened by about 50%. Then I filled them with spanish rice I made from a package, some boiled, shredded turkey (seasoned with a little butter, salt, pepper and cayenne) and some sauteed grape tomatoes and onions. I baked the stuffed veggies in a casserole dish with about 1 inch of water below the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes to steam them and soften them up a little more.

Looks like a healhy and yummy lunch/dinner/snack, Kalli!

Liz & Kalli Food #11

Liz * Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
Welcome to the first postpartum installment of the Liz and Kalli Food Project. Now that life is infinitely more busy than it was before Rylie's arrival, the food posts will be a little sporadic for a while. Instead of a regular Tuesday post, Kalli and I are going to post our food project when we get the chance to actually fit a little cooking in here and there. I ordered the Veganomicon cookbook above right before I gave birth. I figure Ryan and I should set a good example for our offspring by eating delicious and nutritious meals using the best ingredients. All of our wonderful friends and family have brought us some scrumptious dinners and desserts in the past few weeks. All I can say is that I am lucky that lactation burns calories, because it has been a non-stop food fest around here ever since Rylie's birthday. So today I thought I would turn to the dessert section of my new vegan cookbook and see what I could make while being mindful of the ingredients. I tried the Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding and it was just alright, not terrible, but not great either. For me, it could have been a lot closer to great had I opted to use regular chocolate chips instead of carob chips. Actually, if the chocolate was omitted altogether, I think the overall taste of the pudding would be better. I am genuinely interested in eating healthy, but carob; it's just not for me. Or maybe to be fair, I should say that carob is an acquired taste. After such a glowing review, aren't you just dying to try the recipe for yourself? Ok, you asked for it. If you do happen to make it let me know what you think and if you made any modifications. I found the actual page from the book with the recipe right here.

Kalli * Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars
I saw a bag of peanut butter chips at the store and had to get them. I just made the recipe on the bag, but instead of making dozens of drop cookies that I worried might flatten out due to the butter, I put the batter into a pan and made bars. Gotta love peanut butter and chocolate together!

Thank you for bringing some over to share yesterday. Last night Ryan and I made Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownie sundaes with them! YUM! See, I told you it is a good thing that lactation burns calories. I am taking full advantage.

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On an unrelated note, I want to let you know that I am planning a giveaway next week of some of my Sugar Pop fabric, so please spread the word and stay tuned.

Liz & Kalli Food #10

Liz * Ina Garten
I want to do something different for the food post this week since there has not been a whole lot of cooking going on around here. We have been patiently waiting for our little girl's arrival, so we've been eating out a lot and ordering in so that we can save up our reserves for when we are too tired and busy with baby to cook. Instead of looking at the food that I did not cook this week, let's talk about one of my favorite chef personalities; Ina Garten from Barefoot Contessa. I love everything about her; her show, her books, her humble sweetness and especially her food. She prepares elegant but completely accessible meals that you actually want to eat and that you believe that you can pull off. A kind of casual sophistication, I'd say. I love the format of her show too because she is always cooking meals for the special people in her life; a romantic dinner with her husband, lunch for her staff, or brunch with old college roommates. Sometimes on her show, she will zip around the Hamptons to the produce market or bakery to pick up special ingredients, I love that she brings you in to her world. I have three of her books; The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Barefoot in Paris, and Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. They are all beautiful books with full color photography and the recipes are well written and easy to follow. She has many other books that I would love to have to round out my collection. So enough of my gushing, she is just really great and seems genuine in what she is doing and I like that, a lot.

Kalli * Roasted Chicken Sandwich
This week I made a simple, but tasty roasted chicken sandwich, with chicken patties I got from Trader Joe's. I sauteed onions and red peppers in olive oil until they were mild and sweet, and added sliced tomatoes, butter lettuce, mozzarella in between toasted italian rolls.

For me, it all about the roll on this one, it looks really delicious. Where did you pick those up, Kalli?

Liz & Kalli Food #9

Liz * Mint Iced Tea
It has been really hot around here the last few days and we have been increasing our walks around the neighborhood. All of this, and an ever-growing belly to boot! I would say a cold refreshing drink is in order, wouldn't you? I wanted something minty and simple and this definitely did the trick. I used this recipe with decaf green tea and it is delicious. I highly recommend that you give it a try to cool off during these dog days, especially if you are due to give birth in the next few hours/days/weeks.

  Kalli * Zucchini and Ricotta Galette
I've been reading a bunch of Smitten Kitchen recipes and dying to try something. All of her food looks so appetizing and simply elegant. I made her Zucchini and Ricotta Galette and was amazed that it turned out almost exactly as shown (that never happens to me!) Zucchini is one of my favorite ingredients, and on a bed of three cheeses, sprinkled with garlic and surrounded by flaky, buttery crust it's like a grown-up alternative to pizza, or like an eggless frittata. The presentation looks impressive, but it's not difficult to make, and I know I'll make more galettes with the same dough, probably using tomatoes, or maybe pear or apple with sweetened cheese.

Yum, Yum. That is all I have to say. Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite food blogs, too!

Liz & Kalli Food #8

Liz * Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas
Yesterday was Ryan's birthday (Happy Birthday, hon) so for dinner I made him the yummy dish above. It is Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas and it cooked up quick and really was a nice light-ish meal. Actually it was light and heavy at the same time if that is possible. It is pasta, which usually means heavy, but the sauce was pretty thin and minimal even though it was cream. Anyways, my honey liked it and so I've deemed it a success. Summer has finally showed up around here. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, so we took our pasta outside and celebrated Ryan's birthday al fresco.

Kalli * Peanut Butter Cream'wich Cookies
I found this recipe for Peanut Butter Cream-Filled Sandwich Cookies in a neat cookbook (by the man who hosts Top Chef, Tom Colicchio) featuring recipes from his restaurants in NYC that offer an impressive array of sandwiches (including sweet cookie "sandwiches" like this). I wanted these peanut butter (and oats and butter) cookies to be comforting and homey, but they were not worth all the effort. They took too long to roll out, were very very sticky and burned after 10 minutes in the oven when the recipe called for 20+ minutes. The few I salvaged were so overwhelmingly buttery I didn't want to eat more. They might work as bite-sized cookies, but the size the recipe calls for is too generous. I'll be trying other recipes from this cookbook though, since there are some pretty original savory sandwiches detailed within, and there's also bits of interesting info about how they conceive and run their stores, choosing the best kind of bread, and helpful tips about assembling or serving many sandwiches for parties, catering, etc.

I don't know Kalli, those cookies look pretty good to me. Must be your beautiful photography!

Liz & Kalli Food #7

Liz * Yellow Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting
Are you getting tired of my cupcakes yet? I can't help it, I've just been on a real tear with these things. I decided to make up some classic ones for a little 4th of July celebration that we had over at Aaron and Kristy's yesterday. I used the same recipe as here, I just skipped coloring the frosting. These were soft and delicious and a big hit! I should mention that the cupcake toppers and the art on the card were from a free download at Creature Comforts. They were simply too adorable to pass up. Don't be sad if you missed them and you don't want to wait until next year. Like Ez says, you could use these for a nautical themed birthday party or you could use the bunting in a child's room as decor.

Kalli * Apple Blossom A La Mode
Apple pie is one of my favorite foods, and I'd overindulge if I had entire pies around very often, so when I get a craving I can buy these single serving frozen "apple blossoms" from the grocery store. They can be microwaved in less than a minute, and with a couple spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream on top they make a comforting little dessert. Vanilla ice cream usually doesn't impress me that much, but Starbucks now makes a "vanilla bean frappuccino" ice cream that's delicious. (It's also really nice with some ripe raspberries or strawberries.)

Looks delicious, Kalli, especially a la mode. The ice cream is perfect in the hot weather I'm sure you are having, over here it is all June Gloom (extended version.)

Liz & Kalli Food #6

Liz * Summer Rolls
Ryan has been shooting a commercial all week and his presence has been very rare around these parts. Our conversation the last several days has amounted to him saying "I love you." as he headed out the door at 6 am and me saying "How was your day?" when he would fall into bed exhausted at around 11 pm every evening. He wrapped yesterday, so today we decided to have a great summer meal out in the backyard. It was the first time we had dinner out there this season, just the two of us. I am so embarrassed to admit that, because we are extremely fortunate to have a backyard in this sprawling city. We really need to use it more. This morning we got up and headed to Whole Foods for some pre-skewered kebabs and the ingredients for summer rolls and peanut sauce. In the July/August issue of Everyday Food there is a little how to for summer rolls. We choose the shrimp and mint combination and we weren't sorry, let me tell ya. They were delicious! And there are plenty left for tomorrow. I also made the creamy peanut dipping sauce from the same article, and though I thought it came out a bit thin, the taste was all there. Here is the recipe for both as they appear in Everyday Food:

Shrimp & Mint Summer Rolls
Makes 8

4 ounce package vermicelli rice noodles
8-inch spring-roll wrappers
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked, then halved lengthwise
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 medium carrot cut into matchsticks (1 1/2 cups)
1 bunch chives

1. Pour boiling water over vermicelli rice noodles and soak 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. Divide into 8 equal portions. Fill a wide, shallow bowl with cool water. Working with one spring roll wrapper at a time, soak until pliable, 20 seconds. Transfer to a flat surface and smooth.

2. Place a layer of shrimp, mint, and carrot on bottom third of wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Top with a portion of noodles and another layer of shrimp, mint and carrot.

3. Fold bottom of wrapper tightly over fillings.

4. Roll over once, tuck in sides, and finish rolling. If desired, add 3 fresh chives and continue rolling to enclose them. Transfer roll to a plate and cover with a slightly damp paper towel. Repeat to make 8 summer rolls. Serve immediately or refrigerate, up to 2 hours.

Creamy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Makes 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

In a medium bowl whisk together peanut butter and water until smooth. Whisk in lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar. Sprinkle peanuts over sauce just before serving.


Kalli * Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Since it's starting to get hot outside, hot coffee seems gross so I'm back to making Vietnamese iced coffee (well, this is the more traditional way, with a prettier presentation BUT that method uses hot coffee which will melt your ice, and you need individual cup coffee presses.) To prepare, I brew a few cups of extra strong black coffee the night before, cool it down and store extra in the fridge. Then in the morning I mix some of the concentrated coffee with a couple tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk, over ice.

TIP - mix the condensed milk into the coffee BEFORE pouring over ice. I spaced and did it wrong in these photos.

Oh, Kalli. How I long for the days when I will be able to wholeheartedly embrace caffeine again. This looks fantastic, and oddly refreshing.

Liz & Kalli Food #5

Liz * Banana Bread
This Liz & Kalli Food post is coming to you a day early, well at this point it's more like a few hours early. I made my Great Grandmother's Banana Bread for our dear friends, Josh and Audrey. They celebrated 11 years of marriage yesterday! This recipe has been in the family for generations and my mom makes it every year at Christmastime. There is no other food or baked good that smells more delicious than when this banana bread is in the oven. It reminds me of home, and being warm and cozy, and my mom and Christmas, all good things indeed!
Kalli * Rosemary Apricot Chicken Salad
I didn't end up with time to cook for this last one, but I bought premade apricot chicken salad from Trader Joe's that I wanted to recommend. I don't normally like fruit alongside meat of any kind, but the apricot balanced the chicken and celery really well. This was very good on chewy wheat bread.

Yum! This looks so delicious! I don't think I have ever seen this particular salad at TJs. Lunch is my least favorite meal and I am always looking for new ideas. Thank you!