Happy New Year!

It is officially 2012 as of three minutes ago here on the East Coast! May it be a prosperous one for all!

Potatoes Pontificii

Lunch time at home is always an interesting affair. Today my Dad made his own variation on french fries and when I asked him what they were called he said "papas pontifices" which is a play on the word for potato in Spanish which is papa, and just happens to be the same word for pope and since the pope is the supreme religious authority for the catholic church and these potatoes happen to be quite supreme, thus the name Potatoes Pontificii.

They are quite quick and easy to make too! Peel a couple of potatoes, cut them into small size wedges, fry them in olive oil and season them to taste with salt, pepper, chili powder, tarragon and chives. Add some sliced onion and top with Parmesan cheese for a more refined taste. Season them any way you like them! They are tasty and quick!

Bon apetit!

Time in the kitchen...

Spending time in the kitchen is something I'd been missing out on a bit lately. Yesterday I spent the afternoon there, making some good soup, brewing tea, making baked apples and Russian tea cakes. Since my own computer is down at present I have had more limited time to sit at the computer and write but took this opportunity to do so this morning before I have to think of anything else to share what I made yesterday with you. Soup is a soul warmer, there is nothing more soothing than a cup or bowl of good homemade soup.

Here are a few snapshots of what my afternoon/evening in the kitchen looked like:

veggies for the soup...

...

Finely chopped nut meats for the tea cakes...

... 

And of course the cookies...

How's that for time well spent in the kitchen? The soup was delicious, especially when accompanied by some toasted Jewish Rye bread. Fancy a bowl?

Soup and bread...yum!

Enjoy!

Fill my kitchen with these...

I love perusing the curated lists on Etsy for ideas and shops to add to my favorites and today I want to share with you just a few things that I would love to have in my pantry and kitchen. Here are my favorites:

I love this idea as I do not foresee myself having a large kitchen any
time very soon. I think these would look great on my fridge.
12 Magnetic Spice Rack Containers by saltcityspice.

...

This is the most beautiful and earthy teapot I've seen yet! I love it!
Spring green teapot, ceramic pottery tea pot by JDWolfePottery. 

...

Coffee is my main addiction (right after chocolate) and I just love the way
these jars of coffee beans look! Plus, they're fair trade making it even better!
Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Fair Trade Organic Coffee by AproposRoasters. 

...

This just looks absolutely appetizing!
Handmade jams, jellies and preserves by bovinebubbles.

...

I have a major sweet tooth and love the idea of this sugar for sprinkling on
toast or whatever else strikes my fancy!
Artisan Vanilla Maple Flavored Sugar for coffee by AproposRoasters. 

...

I think I'd keep these handy in a kitchen drawer..I love chai!
Chai Lip Balm by longwinterfarm.

...

I just really want these vintage Pyrex  bowls...sigh!
Complete Pyrex Autumn Harvest Nesting Cinderella Bowls by junkytownvintage.

...and last but certainly not least...

For those days when chocolate is the only thing that can
set me right again...
Espresso EXPLOSION Fudge by PernillasSS.

I hope you've enjoyed this list!

Autumn has come...

Autumn 2009, Delaware-Raritan Canal Path, Princeton, NJ

Autumn is my favorite time of year and with it come a plethora of good wholesome dishes that arise from the bounty of the harvest. Tonight I am making a delicious stew and the past few days I've made lots of pumpkin goodies which I am eager to share with you. Today though, I wish only to share some thoughts and photos of autumns past. Soups, stews, hardy breads come to mind when thinking of autumn. Pumpkin pies, apple pies, baked squashes, rain and falling leaves are in the air.

Apples at Terhune Orchards in New Jersey

I long to get a whiff of an apple pie baking or of cider on the stove. It's my favorite time of year and I am in an area which has a different kind of autumn and winter, not at all like the northern ones I am used to. Still, at home I bake and it fills the house with that sort of autumn scent and brings back memories because when all is said and done it is the memories that live on in our hearts and minds. We are constantly creating memories and now with these Internet tools we can preserve them in perpetuity in a way our ancestors never dreamed of before.

Beautiful autumn bounty at Terhune Orchards

Aren't those colors beautiful? They remind me of days gone by. This year has been a challenge for me. I went from having a good job to having none and being back home with my parents but it has also been a year where I could exercise my creativity more and my culinary activity as well. So, here's to autumn goodness and to surviving the end of this tumultuous 2011 and entering 2012 with renewed strength and determination. 

Fallen leaves on Princeton University Campus, Autumn 2009

Enjoy the season! More soon...

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!

A couple of days ago, while checking out my friends' Matchbook Magazine's tumblr blog I discovered on their August calendar that today was to be National Chocolate Chip Day so in honor of that I am going to post the actual Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on here for everyone to enjoy! Thanks to the Matchbook girls for letting us know of this day! xoxo -Nadia

{OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES}

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. In large bowl, mix brown sugar and butter until blended. Beat in vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. Mix in oats, flour and baking soda; stir in chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
2. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Once cookies are cooled, store in an air tight container. 

ENJOY!

Chocolate chip world...

There is nothing that sets you right like a chocolate chip cookie and these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are no exception to that rule. Chocolate is one of those substances that I just can't seem to get enough of in it's various forms and making these cookies was just as much a joy and pleasure as eating them.

I've been craving more recipes lately for chocolate and think I might try my hand at a few different approaches to chocolate. I found paraffin wax yesterday while checking out the baking aisle at the grocery store and think I'm going to buy some soon to make bonbons.

I like chocolate chips because they are easy to use in many ways and you can better control the amount you use. For my cookies I tend to use only have of what the recipes call for because I like to see the chips evenly spread out and it's nice to get two batches out of one package.

I think today I may make some brownies so...watch for another post!

The Focaccia Arepa...

My latest invention: the Focaccia Arepa

Once again, relying on my inventive qualities in this vastly depleting economy, I came up with yet another way to jazz up the legacy dish my Venezuelan heritage has bequeathed me. I LOVE AREPAS. They are definitely the most versatile "bread" I have ever eaten and had the pleasure of preparing. Last time I wrote about them it was to introduce a new filling, as opposed to some of the more traditional (yet equally delicious) fillings, and to share with the general public who may not know much about the ever popular arepa.

This time I share this "new" arepa which is quite easy to make and very tasty indeed! 

To make the arepa pictured above you first need to get some Harina PAN which is quite easily found in many hispanic food markets, Asian markets or even grocery stores depending on where you live. At any rate, here is a photo of the most important ingredient you'll need:

this is the pre-cooked corn meal you'll need....

Once you have acquired this you can make the arepa pictured above. There are instructions on the package as to how you ought to prepare the dough but I will give you a base recipe here that will make you about 4-6 medium-large sized arepas. That being said, let's begin!

THE FOCACCIA AREPA

I have named this the "focaccia arepa" because that is the flavor that the addition of herbs, garlic and olive oil gave them when cooked.

Ingredients:

• Harina PAN dough, enough for 4-6 arepas
• several sprigs/bunches of the following fresh herbs, chopped: basil, tarragon, dill, thyme, chives and rosemary
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• pinch of salt

Directions:

First, prepare the dough as directed on the package or follow these instructions: 

 In a bowl mix 2 cups the dry corn meal and the pinch of salt evenly with your hand. Add 2 and 1/4 cups 

 warm water, all the while kneading the dough making sure there are no lumps. If the dough is too sticky add 

 flour as needed in order to get smooth dough and if too dry add a little more water to get the same effect. 

When your dough is smooth, add in the chopped herbs, olive oil, and garlic powder. Knead into the smooth dough until it looks like this:

Arepa dough with herbs...

Once you've got the dough looking just as the picture above, break off sections by the handful and shape into 4-6 balls--depending on what size arepas you want. Pat and turn each in your hand until you have a half-inch thick disk in your hands that looks like this:

Arepa ready to go on the skillet...

Once you have shaped them you're ready to cook them. Make sure you have a large skillet or griddle where you can place them. Heat it to medium and lightly grease it with oil. Once it is thoroughly hot, place the arepas neatly on the griddle like so:

Make sure to space them well...

Brown the arepas on each side about 5 minutes, you want to make sure not to burn them but just let them form a nice crispy crust so turning up the heat would be a no-no.

Don't they look amazing?

They should look like this when browned on each side:

Browned on one side and working on the other...

While you are browning them, preheat your oven to about 300 to 350 degrees F. Once the arepas are done browning and the oven is warm enough, place them in the oven, either on a baking sheet or right on the rack, which is what I do (just make sure to place them over the gaps and not let them fall in--it really does take skills). Leave the arepas in there for about 10 to 15 minutes or until they sound hollow, like a little drum, when tapped. That's how you'll know they're ready! Tum-tum!

Once they are ready you can serve them up with just about anything! Eat them plain with just butter, add some cheese, scrambled eggs, ham, whatever you fancy! My dad and I had these particular ones today with just butter and fresh sliced tomato. They were exquisite and tasted just like a focaccia but made with corn meal! 

Enjoy!

How I presented my newly made wonder...

Yum!!! This is what I ate!

~Resources and Credits~

Principle photo by me, added graphics from the puglypixel

Harina P.A.N. photo from: LatinMerchant.com

Base-recipe adapted from Venezuelan Food and Drink

Honey Cookies...

Honey Cookies in the cookie jar...

True to my word, here is the recipe for these delectably cake-like cookies. They're soft and their honey-butter flavor melts in your mouth. Enjoy!

HONEY COOKIES

Yield: About 4 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk (or cream)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup nuts (optional)

Directions:

Cream butter. Add honey and beaten egg. Beat until fluffy, then beat in the milk. Sift flour, then measure it. Add to it the salt and baking powder. Mix the dry ingredients with the creamed mixture, and stir in nuts. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto greased baking sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven until lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to wire cooling rack. 

Here are a few more views, if you will, of these delicious cookies:

 

Enjoy the sweet goodness! 

Cookies and philosophy...

Cookies...they are one of the most delicious yet simple pleasures this world can afford. I am never afraid to indulge in them and enjoy making them just as much. The process is simple and time honored. I particularly do not care to use an electric mixer when making cookies and pretty much always use a wooden spoon to mix, a wire whisk to beat and a good old spatula to scrape. I get covered in flower and of course pinch the cookie dough from time to time to bring some of that raw goodness to my mouth (and I have NEVER become ill from it). 

There is much joy in baking and a great sense of accomplishment. when one opens the oven door and sees there delectable golden mounds of gooey goodness. The aroma of sweetness fills the air and stomachs rumble at the prospect of hosting those incredibly wonderful morsels of sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, bits of heaven that are cookies. It is much nicer to contemplate with a cup o tea and a plateful of cookies rather than have none at all.

To contemplate life with a good bite of a cake-like honey cookie in my mouth was all I needed last week. I've been reading Matthew Stewart's The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza and the Fate of God in the Modern World and have just been devouring every bit of it. I just got past the 10th chapter which for me was what I had been waiting for. It spoke about Spinoza's philosophy with such profound insight that I could not help but yearn to know more. It was this book which I devoured as I sampled the velvety honey cookies I made last week. I highly recommend it if you are a lover of reason and philosophy.  

Up next? The recipe for the lovely cookies which accompanied my tea + philosophy...

Tea + cookies + philosophy = a perfect afternoon...

To be clear, the cookie in the above photo is NOT the honey cookie but rather a delicious Old-Time Sugar Cookie but I hadn't a picture of when I enjoyed the honey cookies so here is this other photo of the book! Enjoy!

Savoring fresh herbs from our balcony...

There seems to be nothing more satisfying in life than to cook with herbs you've cultivate in your very own garden. Tonight, as I write, I am making a dish that has become an institution in our house: Grandmaw Peacock's Chicken and Rice which was featured in the April/May issue of Saveur Magazine in 2003 (Issue N. 66). The recipe does not call for any herbs in particular but I've learned that making a recipe your own after you've practiced it many times is something of an art and is what makes it all that much better.

So, to the base recipe I added a little bit of rosemary, Provence lavender, dill and basil for a slightly more herb-infused flavor. The scent of the meal lingers in the air and makes my stomach rumble but I am willing to wait for it to be ready. To accompany the meal I've sauteed some zucchini, yellow squash, onions, mushrooms and green onions in some butter seasoned with black pepper. It's a simple meal but it's delightfully filling.

The little herb gardening project my Dad and I started began with only 4 herbs: basil, lavender, dill and rosemary. We have since added thyme, chives, mint, cilantro, and tarragon. It's such a joy to go out onto the balcony and see that little green corner. Now if only some rain would come we might have a break from all this heat.

Our balcony herb garden

Do try Grandmaw Peacock's! It's a great recipe!

A mangiare!

A little late in coming but never too late! Since food is such a passion of mine so is eating. My greatest food love is Italian food and in all modesty, I think I cook pasta dishes pretty well for being an amateur. So, in light of this love of all things Italian I bring to you my first recipe in this diary. It's quick and easy to make on the fly. All you need are a few vegetables, some mini penne pasta and a good attitude.

Vegetable Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 medium yellow squash, halved and sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• a bunch of sweet basil, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the pasta of your choice (I used mini penne) as directed. Meanwhile, chop all vegetables and fresh herbs preparing to make the sauce. Open can of tomatoes and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil over low-medium heat in dutch oven and once hot enough add onions, green pepper, celery and garlic. Sautee for about 3-4 minutes. Add zucchini and squash and let cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, carrots, basil, green onions, sugar, salt and pepper. Let simmer on medium-low heat, covered for around 15-20 minutes or until carrot is to desired texture. 
4. Serve over pasta warm and add parmesan cheese sprinkled on top if desired.

Simple, right? Now go ahead and try it. Happy cooking and eating!

The finished product...

Inventive...

Nadia's Lime-Herbed Chicken

I recently acquired a little publication from my local Publix grocery store that the chain publishes called Publix Grape: Everyday Pleasures of Wine and Food on my last visit and was delighted to find a few of my favorite food bloggers mentioned in this particular issue. Among them is my favorite David Lebovitz who lives in Paris and always has the most amazing photos on his blog. He and the countless other food bloggers and chefs I follow are the ones who have inspired me to continue cooking and creating. I've been working on my own original recipes lately and am in love with one recipe I developed using chicken thighs and every herb in our ever expanding little apartment style herb-garden.

It is a joy to be able to see those little plants every day and to pick them to incorporate into my meals and recipes. My favorites are definitely the sweet basil and rosemary (I think the Italian blood that courses through my veins comes out quite potently in my cooking). The recipe I developed still needs a working title but for now we are calling it Nadia's Lime-Herbed Chicken. I hope to come up with something a bit more original in the coming days but for now that will suffice. Flavor is key in this recipe and the pairing of lime with herbs in the roux that the chicken is coated with gives it a subtle hint of the Mediterranean. The aroma of it all is delectable. Soon I will share the recipe with you but for now...enjoy the photo.

Creativity...

Gourmet arepa 

There's nothing to eat. Or at least that's what you think as you stare into the abyss of your cupboard or your refrigerator. What you don't realize is that there are countless recipes waiting to happen, to emerge if you will, from the recesses of your mind using the things which are in your kitchen that you never before bothered to put together. That is what I have learned every time I've been tempted to say that there is nothing to eat. There is almost always something to eat, you just have to be creative.

Today was one of those creative days for me as far as lunch went. There was no bread in the house, no deli cuts, 1 slice of Swiss cheese and two slightly hungry mouths to feed- my Dad's and my own. I made a quick mental inventory of what we had in the cupboards and the fridge and a speedy lunch took form in my mind. Some onion, green pepper, mushrooms and green onion; that lone slice of Swiss cheese and some harina PAN (a common staple in every Venezuelan household) and I was ready to make a wonderful lunch out of few ingredients.

What did I make? Arepas with sauteed vegetables and Swiss cheese. Arepas are a delightful little corn "bread", something like a tortilla but more like a warm pita made of a cornmeal like dough that hail from my parents' native country of Venezuela. They were delicious and enough to hold us over until dinner which is almost ready as I write and was also a creative venture. So, you see, there is always something one can make unless your kitchen is just completely empty but most of us are very rarely in such a situation. Ransack your cupboards and become a thrifty gourmand!

As Julia Child would say, "Bon Apetit!"

Butter...

There is something about butter that makes everything taste good. Sometimes I put an enormous amount of butter on my toast just because it tastes so good. I tend to cook a lot with butter. I often fry my eggs in it or sautee my vegetables in a combination of butter and olive oil. I ALWAYS bake with butter when a recipe calls for it. Margarine never enters the picture. To me, margarine is the devil when it comes to cooking, baking and eating. Others will beg to differ, I'm sure, but it is in my humble opinion that butter is close to divinity. Can you imagine a beurre blanc made with margarine? Positively sacrilegious. I'll always prefer butter.

"Eat butter first, and eat it last, and live till a hundred years be past."

Old Dutch proverb

Cookies made with butter...

Sometimes...

Sometimes a cup of tea and a bowl of soup are just enough to set you right. I've been writing to several pen pals lately and cooking up a frenzy of home-cooked goodies such as light potato salad, barbecued drumsticks, spaghetti and more. Even so, with all those amazingly good meals and flavors, sometimes I just don't feel like cooking much so a good broth is in order on those days when I just want something simple.

On Friday we went to the farmer's market at the Red Barn Flea Market in Bradenton, FL and got lots of fresh local produce for about $16. I love going to the market to get my vegetables: succulent tomatoes, gorgeous pickling cucumbers, tasty cherries and strawberries, and so much more. There is nothing better than enjoying an array of fresh fruits in the morning and that is what I intend to do tomorrow after I've exercised.

Photographing food has become a new obsession of mine and I will no doubt be sharing many of these subjects with you. Next weekend I hope to go and visit some other farmer's markets in the area. There is one on Anna Maria Island called the Bridge Street Farmer's Market that I am very much interested in checking out. Even with all these farmer's markets around my favorite is still the weekly market in La Candelaria in Caracas, Venezuela. This chapter in my journey is dedicated to them.

Passion...

When one looks up the word passion a great many definitions come up but the one which resounds most with me, particularly when it comes to food, is "boundless enthusiasm". I believe that best sums up the type of passion I have for food. Food is not merely nutrients or vitamins that we need, it is not merely calories to count; food is a journey for the senses, a voyage into foreign lands. Food is simply sublime.

I know there are all sorts of different "foods" out there, if you will; good food, junk food, fast food, and much more but my passion is for the food that contains the freshest ingredients and the love that is found in the preparation of a home cooked meal. Fast food to me can hardly be classified as food but nevertheless, it does exist and I have been known to grab a burger or a hot dog on occasion, though very rarely. We all occasionally gravitate to fast food or junk food but those of us who truly are passionate about food tend to be purists in our flair and enjoy the labor that is cooking at home.

Who else but we purists can look at a zucchini and think it is as beautiful as a poem? We go to the farmer's markets and skillfully seek out only the best and freshest fruits and vegetables. We seek out ingredients from far away lands in order to have that particular flavor we've been looking for. That is the journey of passion we take when we love food. Thus I begin this diary of my own particular journey.

I will strive to share with you the reader everything I have learned, every flavor I've tasted, every memory I've made pertaining to food. I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming days.