Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

I know you are supposed to use heirloom tomatoes in this recipe, but sometimes you just need to use some grape tomatoes because the season hasn't really started and you are just waiting for some nice tomatoes but have to make due. Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad (Adapted from Cooking Light ) 2 large heirloom tomatoes, diced or 1 pt grape tomatoes quartered salt/pepper 1/3 c olive oil 1 T soy sauce 1 T white miso 3T white balsamic vinegar 1 shallot 2 c fresh corn basil leaves, torn parsley, chopped 1/4 c shaved Parmesan Sprinkle tomatoes with salt/pepper set aside. Whisk soy sauce, miso, vinegar, and shallot. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. In a bowl combine corn, basil, and parsley. Toss in tomatoes and gently toss in dressing. Top with Parmesan. I know, I know the Parmesan is missing in the picture. I made this ahead for a barbecue and took the photo. I forgot to snap a pic when before I served it with the Parmesan (So I'm politely saying - you...

Yeah, I know I'm a little late to the party on this one. I thought it was just another one of those fad things (I'm talking to you #putaneggonit). However, I found that I do actually like this - such is the way of avocado toast. So here goes my compilation of overnight oats recipes: Overnight Oats (Adapted from everywhere - where haven't I been?) 2/3 c milk (soy, cow, almond - your choice) 1T maple syrup 1/4 t vanilla 1/4 t cinnamon 1/2 c rolled oats 1/4 c raisins, cranberries, or other dried fruit 1t chia seeds 1t flaxseed pinch of salt Mix milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon in your hipster jar*. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Screw lid on and refrigerate overnight. I thought I was not going to like the oats cold but they were actually rather nice and I think they would be great on a hot summer morning. Although in the cold winter, I do think there might be a slight heating to take the chill off happening. So yes I guess I see more overni...

I needed dinner and I needed it fast. I had some lovely pancetta and some grape tomatoes and magic happened. Quick Pasta with Tomatoes 3-4 oz pancetta, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 pt grape tomatoes, quartered handful of basil salt/pepper 1lb pasta water from pasta While pasta is cooking, place pancetta in a large skillet and heat until slightly browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes and basil. Cook until tomatoes start to soften. Drain pasta and reserve some of the pasta water. Add pasta and about 1c of water to pancetta/tomato mixture. Add pepper and salt to taste (be sure to taste the pancetta might be salty). Add additional water until reaches desired consistency. I wouldn't even call this a recipe. It's more like throwing together a few ingredients that you probably have on hand into a skillet and serving. Feel free to add some Parmesan Cheese.  I had to skimp a bit on the basil as I didn't have that much, but it was still del...

I recently bought David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert and have been itching to make something from it for a while. He explains that he needed to create cake to an idiot proof cake but used a nicer name and decided to called it Chocolate Orbit Cake. I much prefer the former than the latter since I was feeling rather stupid today due to a head cold. Chocolate Idiot Cake (Adapted from David Lebovitz ) 12 oz chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet) chopped 1 c butter (2 sticks) 6 eggs 1 c sugar 1t vanilla Grease a 9" springform pan and cover the outside with foil. Set aside. Heat chocolate and butter in 10-second bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler. Set aside. Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Whisk in chocolate. Pour into springform pan. Cover with foil. Place in a roasting pan. Pour warm water into roasting pan until it reaches half-way up the springform pan. Bake at 350 1hr 15 min or until just set. (When you touch the center, your finger sh...

Sink, Sank, Sunk As you can see I still haven't given up on this recipe . It still tastes good but still sinks. I tried to use buttermilk instead of sour cream. Remember, I did try it in the mini-pans and they worked better. I forgot to try it this time using chilled egg and butter. Oh well, chocolate cake again it is.

Thank you, Mr. Boston , for yet another inspirational cocktail. Vodka Grasshopper (adapted from Mr. Boston) 1oz creme de menthe 1oz creme de cocoa 1oz vodka 2T heavy cream dash of mint bitters (optional) Shake well over ice and strain. This appears in both the old and newer versions of Mr. Boston. It is such an old-timey drink. The dash of mint bitters gives it the slight green color. The bitters are purely optional. The Sous Chef is a bit bitters mad so we have many different flavors hanging around and thought this might be a nice addition to this drink. This was tasty but I think I prefer a mudslide with a splash of creme de menthe (recipe forthcoming). But then again chocolate is my thing! I do like mint so this does make a refreshing change.