Traditionally my favorite thing to do for my birthday is to go out for a crab feast. When my parents still lived in Maryland I’d go over to their house, we’d cover the table in newspaper and dump the crabs, corn, and French fries on the table and go to town. Pair that with a cold beer and it was perfect summer evening celebration.

And, I’m sure I could’ve figured out a way to do that here in London. I’m sure I could have found a place that sells crabs. Or I could have found a fish monger to sell me crabs and I could’ve made them at home. But I didn’t do any of that, instead I decided to try to pack the flavors of a crab feast into one bite. One delicious bite of a cracker.

I got the idea a few weeks ago when I was shopping with my friend Sarah at Waitrose. Sometimes on Wednesdays she and I go to Waitrose so she can buy a sandwich before dance class and so I can buy ingredients for dinner. The thing is, Waitrose has such beautiful displays, foods and packaging that sometimes we wander around just looking at all the pretty stuff on offer. So she was looking at coffee and I was looking at crackers when I saw a box called Miller’s Ale Beer Crackers. Needless to say, I bought it.

But, the box got my creative juices flowing. A beer cracker? What would be good with that… cheese, Old Bay, crab… everything I love in one delicious bite. Yes. This cracker recipe doesn’t actually include any crab, but I think that’s ok – in fact maybe even preferred. I prefer it that way because you can use these crackers with crab dip. And really that’s the best option, because crackers either need to be topped with cheese or dipped in something. Also, crab dip is the best.

However, I did shape some of the dough like crabs using a tiny crab shaped cookie cutter I bought on Etsy. They look like a tiny crab army on the baking sheet and the finished product made both Ryan and me chuckle. For me personally, the crab shape is even more perfect because sometimes my birthday’s star sign is a Cancer (sometimes it’s a Gemini – it’s on the cusp) and crabs are the Cancer symbol. I also made some circles since those were better for topping with slices of cheese. Any shape you use they will hold their shape, but the dough will puff up a bit.

Adapted from Evil Shenanigans

Messy level: A really simple recipe because you only need one bowl for the preparation. It’s only messy when you roll it out because your counter will get floured and a bit sticky.

Cheddar & Old Bay Crackers

 

Print

Prep time

2 hours 30 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

2 hours 42 mins

 

Serves: 3 dozen (depending on cutter size)

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons/113 grams butter
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ tablespoon Old Bay
• 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (use small holes on a box grater)
• 3 tablespoons cold beer, plus more if needed (I used Sam Adams Boston Lager)

Instructions

1. Take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into cubes. Put the butter in a bowl and pop it back in the refrigerator. Leave it there until you're ready to use it. [Note: You want the butter cold, if you cut it right before using it your hands will have warmed it up]
2. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and Old Bay.
3. Add the shredded cheese to the flour mixture. Mix until the cheese is well coated
4. Add the cubed butter to the mixture. Using two knives (or a pastry blender) to cut the butter into the flour. Cut the butter up until the mix sand.
5. Pour in the 3 tablespoons of beer. Use your hands to mix everything together until you have a ball of dough and no dry flour bits remain. If it seems too dry add more beer just a teaspoon at a time.
6. Once you have a smooth ball of dough flatten it into a rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
7. When you're ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge about 10 minutes before to soften it a bit.
8. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Lightly flour your work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is about an ⅛" thick.
11. Using the cookie cutters of your choice cut out your crackers.
12. Place the crackers about 1" apart on the prepared backing sheet. Poke each cracker with a fork at least once. If you can be decorative about it go ahead.
13. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffed and the edges are just lightly darker than the rest of the cracker.
14. Let cool then serve with slices of cheese or your favorite dip.

3.3.3077

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The weekend is always, always too short. Friday after work the world is my oyster and there seems to be so much time for sleeping, watching TV, playing video games, cooking, going out, and doing some chores. But then somehow, all of a sudden, the daylight starts to fade and it is Sunday night and although the weekend has been glorious the bathroom is still dirty and I still want to play more video games. 

I always want more weekend, and thankfully this past one was gloriously relaxing and did include lots of cooking. And lots of cooking in a good way. Weekends are were I can do the ambitious cooking there isn’t time for during the week. Weekends are also the time when I can just whip up something easy because I feel like it.  And that’s exactly what it was like with this lovely and simple cider cake. I felt like making a cake, so I made a cake.

I like to borrow cookbooks from the library. It lets me get creative and try something new without having to spend money or clutter my home with more books. Don’t get me wrong I love cookbooks and would buy more, but I live in a studio and someone says I should cut back. Anyway, I recently borrowed Paul Hollywood’s British Baking and it’s filled with all kinds of tasty goodies from regions throughout the Britain. When I flipped through the book I was immediately drawn to the cider recipe.

I love cider and I love that it is everywhere in the UK. In the U.S. it’s pretty much beer or not beer. The only time I ever had hard cider at home was if I bought Woodchuck to go to a party. But here you can go to a pub and order cider in bottles or on draft. The tastes and types vary and it’s not a drink just for girls. In summation, I love the idea of baking with cider. Cider is delicious and a little gets to go in the cake, and then I can have a little too.

This cake is subtle with a hint of apple and a bit of cinnamon. While baking it will fill your home with a wonderful aroma. The cake is sweet enough you feel like you’re having a treat, but not so dessert-y that you’ll feel bad about having more than one slice. Have it with some tea, cozy up on the couch, and binge watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Netflix. That’s what I did it. It was the perfect example of enjoying luxuriating in simple pleasures.

Adapted from Paul Hollywood’s British Baking Cookbook.

Messy level: The cleanest easiest cake I’ve ever made. You need just two bowls and a cake pan. It’s simple to make and when I finished I had only a small spill on the floor. I was so excited by how clean my kitchen was at the end of baking that I made Ryan acknowledge how well I had done.

Cider Cake

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Ingredients

• 100g/ 7 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 100g/ ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 225g/8 oz/ 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 150ml/ 5 oz/ ⅔ cup dry cider
• confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Grease an 7inch/18cm round cake tin with butter. Then line the bottom with parchment paper (Just fyi, I used a 8 inch/20cm cake tin and this worked fine, but I thought I'd share what the expert said)
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat until the sugar and butter are light and fluffy. (This can take a minute or two)
4. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
5. Fold in about ⅓ of the flour mixture into the butter. Then fold in half of the cider. Repeat until you have alternated mixing in the flour and cider. Stir gently until evenly combined.
6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake pan.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.
8. Leave the cake to cool.
9. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve.

3.3.3077

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Sometimes you want to get away and have an adventure, but you don’t really want to go anywhere far. That was me and Ryan this weekend. We decided to take a mini-stay-cation to Highgate, a neighborhood that is just a short bus ride away from our flat.

Highgate is so charming and beautiful. The architecture is beautiful and what I always think of as truly English. The buildings are all brick, with wrought irons garden gates, and creeping ivy regally snuggling up the walls. There are classic red phone booths – but they are clean without any smutty adverts pasted inside. And the pubs stand out for their gorgeousness, but are simultaneously tucked away into odd angles and hidden spots. It’s the kind of place where Ryan and I walk around and think, “wouldn’t it be nice to live in this here?” (Even though it’s expensive and not so near a tube station).

So if you’re thinking of an in-town day away, here’s what I think is a nice itinerary for an afternoon out in Highgate. Be warned, my schedule is all about eating. First, start out at the Flask, a pub which dates back to 1663. Have a pint and maybe a starter, but you don’t have to go too heavy. If you go on a warm day, the outdoor patio looks like the perfect place to while the way the time drinking a pint with friends. Not only is this pub so charming to look at, it also apparently has some good history too. The Flask was visited by famous literary greats like Byron, Shelley, and Keats. If that’s not enough for you, supposedly the pub is also haunted by two ghosts.

After, walk it off with a jaunt through Waterlow Park. It’s a bit hilly, so you can feel like maybe you’re working off those calories you put on at the pub. Check out the ducks and other birds in the lake. See some kids playing on a crazy rope based looking play ground and watch tons of dogs frolicking through the fields. The trees are all knobbly and both beautiful and eerie. If you’re tired out from walking, there are plenty of benches where you can sit and watch things go by. The best part though is to find the high points in the park and catch a glimpse of the tall buildings in central London.

Are you ready for more eating? Interested in more lovely feelings of English-ness? Check out the absolutely adorable High Tea of Highgate. Have a black tea and giggle at the cow shaped creamer dish. They sell those cow dishes too and if I didn’t already have too many kitchen tchotchkes, I’d be tempted to buy one.

Then, walk north up Highgate High Street and take a left on South Grove to take a quick walk around Pond Square to look at some of the pretty architecture. I read online that Pond Square also had it’s own ghost – this one though is a chicken. Then walk back to Highgate High Street from the far side of the square and you should almost run into Highgate Pantry. Buy a delicious pastry or cake for your ride home. Everything there looks delicious, but I found the giant donuts especially tempting.

Finally, if it’s conducive to your ride home, take the bus south towards Archway. Sit on the top level of the bus and you can see the Arsenal stadium. I took a really awful grainy picture, that I won’t burden you with, but let it be known that Ryan and I were impressed. All in all, and excellent in-town day trip stay-cation. It made me look forward to discovering other nearby neighborhoods. If you have any suggestions for places I should visit near London, please leave a comment below!

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People, get ready for a little bit of bragging. Last weekend, Ryan and I went to Munich. Ya know, we just popped over to Germany for the weekend as people do. Sound fancy right? But seriously, my Titi Pascale and Uncle Willie were doing a holiday in Europe and asked Ryan and me if we wanted to meet them for part of it. My aunt told me about the Christmas markets and I was all,”we’ll be there.”

In booking the trip, I did have some travel craziness where I felt guilty about spending money on a two day trip. But, Ryan and I moved to London so we could easily travel around Europe, and we were going to see family so it was totally worth it. And let me tell you, Germany was just lovely. Below is a picture of the view as the plane was landing. In the background are mountains (although a bit hazy and hard to see), and then in the foreground perfectly manicured fields and villages. It was so beautiful!

Once we met up with my uncle and aunt, we hit the markets to do some eating. We ate with abandon. We had potato fritters with apple sauce and Titi Pascale had them with some delicious garlic sour cream. We had cookies. We had bratwurst sandwiches. We had beers. We had roasted almonds with Nutella – which were so good we bought a second pack to take with us on the train to the airport. They were so good I’m going to have to look up a recipe. We also had giant pretzels which were soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Those were so good we took one on the plane and ate it on our layover in Copenhagen. And every single thing we ate was delicious. Even when we ate at the stand by the tourist-y ice rink, the food was perfection.

One of my favorite markets was Medieval themed. At this market I had a gargantuan glass of wine punch. I don’t totally know everything that was in it, but they poured wine out of the big jug, then splashed rum around on top, added a sugar cube, and then set the whole thing on fire. It was a huge cup and no one wanted to drink it with me (probably because it was so boozy), so I got a little tipsy given that I’d had the giant beer shortly before. I was a little shocked because the wine cost 15€ and I was all, “whoa… but I really want to try it.” But, when I returned the cup I got 10€ back, so then I was really please because I’d pay £5 for a regular glass of wine at a pub. All in all, felt like a good deal.

The city itself was really nice. We saw a man yodeling and we walked through a park and saw a beautiful waterfall and sunset. The whole weekend we had really nice weather. It was a perfect winter day with a nice crisp chill, but we could still have jackets open and hats off.

But what of the things I love most about Christmas time are the decorations. I love Christmas lights – and there were everywhere. They were on lamp posts, on windows, on buildings. The whole city felt really nice and festive. There was a store display window that was decorated in a woodland scene with lots of moving stuffed toys. It was pretty elaborate and cheery.

On Sunday we took the tram to Nymphenburg Palace. Side note, we found German people to be so nice. Someone helped us figure out the tram tickets, and earlier someone else gave us directions – both times unbidden. Anyway, Nymphenburg Palace was really beautiful. In front there is a lake with loads of ducks and swans. They swans were astounding! Really large, plush looking, with perfectly white feathers. We saw a women petting and feeding them. We were just waiting for her to get bitten – but it didn’t happen. The palace itself is an enormous complex.

Inside, was even more astounding. The main room where we entered was two stories tall, with gorgeous chandeliers, and an amazing painted ceiling. Throughout the whole place the ceilings had really detailed and elaborate paintings of mythological figures. Words can’t express how beautiful those paintings are. One, which I didn’t take a picture of, had such incredible perspective that it looked like the figure was standing on a cloud right above you, and that you were underneath her feet. We all stopped to look at one painting  that had a deer hunt (middle in photo below). This painting was huge, maybe 15 feet tall, but at the very bottom center is a large pack of dogs swimming after a fleeing deer. It was a cool painting showing a village and a hunt, but I thought it was curious that the main action was in such a tiny portion of the whole.

After we toured the palace, we checked out the carriages and sleighs exhibit. I didn’t have huge expectations, but I left blown away. The carriages were more ornate and beautiful than I have the ability to convey with words. There were nymphs holding torchs, there were geese squawking, there were gods blowing horns, and there we suns on hubcaps. Every since surface glittered and shone.

Some of the sleighs had built in ermine blankets and thick slippers for foot holds. These were truly amazing ways to show off the wealth and power of the monarchs. I felt bad for the poor horses who would have had to carry all this weight. One of the coolest sleighs (above) was of Hercules killing the Hydra. The hydra itself was made from one single hollowed out tree!

I left Munich glowing. I was well fed, I had seen some beautiful things, and I had spent some wonderful time with my family, and I was filled with the Christmas spirit. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it was true. I was sad to leave. I had so much fun with my family, and it was nice to be with people that I felt so comfortable with it. It was such a pleasure to just have some food and hang out. It made me more excited for when Ryan and I go back to the US next week! Anyway, Munich was delightful and now I want to drink a beer and make some soft pretzels, even though it won’t be the same, so I can hold on to this weekend feeling a little bit longer.

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My family and I went to Crete because my mom’s colleague Elias was getting married. We stayed at Bella Vista, a hotel in Stalida (Stalis) Crete owned by Elias’ parents. They were the most generous and hospitable hosts I’ve ever met. The hotel is up on a hill, about a ten minute walk from the beach. There is a pool, a family of semi-stray cats, and a gorgeous view. About thirty wedding guests stayed at the hotel and every night up to the wedding Elias’ parents cooked a giant feast. There was salad, bread, lamb, meatballs and much more. Sorry I didn’t take any pictures of the food.

We spent a lot of time lounging at the pool. We also took the walk over to the beach. Although technically not far, it was hilly and  very hot – which resulted in some amount of whining on the walk. One day at the beach Papa and I rode a banana boat. We had done it years and year ago when I was in middle school and I remember it being so much fun. If you’re not familiar you can see a picture of it here. Basically it’s a floppy raft pulled behind a motor boat and as the boat hits the waves, the banana boat bounces. It was fun – but also super scary. We were riding with two other tourists and I ended up in the very front of the boat. I was bouncing around like crazy and holding on in a crazy white-knuckle grip. When I got off and back to solid ground, my hands hurt and could barely uncurl. My mom said she could see my flying off the seat during the ride. As I said it was fun and scary. I’m glad we did it – but it was like a haunted house tour because it’s almost more fun to remember it after than to actually do it.

One of the days Elias’ parents organized an outing for the guests. We went to Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. Knossos is an archaeological site of a palace that is tied to the myths of King Minos and the minotaur. I was so very excited to go there but we had the worst tour guide ever. She was wearing an orange beach sarong as a dress and matching orange jewelry. She spent 40 minutes of our hour tour talking by the entrance, and wouldn’t budge when Elias and his friend asked her to show us the sites. She also spent most of her tour complaining about how European excavators did everything wrong. They may have done it all wrong, but I wanted to learn about the people who lived here and she spoke little about that. It was really annoying and we didn’t see everything I would have liked. She almost convinced us not to go to the throne room too, but what we did see was pretty cool. I enjoyed picturing what the palace would have looked like whole and how gorgeous it would have been covered in frescoes.

After Knossos we went to a nearby restaurant and had an epic feast. There was of course salad, lamb, bread, and olive oil. But there were also snails, tomatoes on crusty bread, squash blossoms stuffed with meat, and beer. The group of about twenty of us sat at a big long table and they kept bringing out course after course. We’d finish a drink and a new one would appear. Since we were celebrating a wedding they brought us a traditional rice dish that is supposed to bring fertility. It mostly tasted like hot rice with chicken broth. It was an amazing meal and afterward we were stuffed. I apologize for my messy pictures but I was half way through gorging myself before I thought to take pictures.

Lunch completed, we went to the Archaeological Museum. Since our first tour guide was awful, Elias’ best man (who is a doctor not a tour guide) led us through the museum. He was awesome! So knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He knew so much about Crete and the history of the island. I took pictures of the giant intact storage pots and the frescoes from Knossos. The originals are at the museum and copies at actual Knossos. Also I took a picture of the snake goddess, which I had learned about in undergrad art history. Apparently early cultures on Crete were a matriarchal society and the bare chested woman holding snakes was a powerful symbol. Cool, right?

The wedding itself was the last Saturday we were there. The ceremony was outside a tiny chapel next to the water. The guests waited outside the chapel and the bride and groom were driven up separately in a beautiful convertible with the horn blaring their arrival. It was fun an exciting. They processed with their families toward the altar in front of the chapel and the guests all gathered around them. It was more casual than any wedding I’d been to before. People in the back of the crowd talked to each other quietly and walked around a little. At one point in the ceremony, the bride and groom are wearing crowns connected together. They walked around the altar and the guests threw rice from small bags at them. The bride had told me earlier that in total they had bought 30 pounds of rice to throw! There was rice everywhere and all night we could see rice in peoples’ hair.

The reception afterward was gorgeous. It was at a resort that was so amazing because the rooms looked like little villas and were on winding streets. The reception was held in a huge hall right along the water. The buffet was enormous. There was one room of mains and one room of desserts. There was so many kinds of meat too – lamb, chicken, beef, rabbit, and fish. There was also more traditional fertility rice, like we had at lunch. In the dessert room there was baklava, six flavors of ice cream, cookies, cakes, and fruit. They had a dj, a band, and traditional Greek dancers. And there were shots. So many shots of raki and ouzo that just kept coming. There was lots of Greek dancing too. I was too shy, but my parents were brave enough to jump in and try it.

It was a great night and we spent the next day relaxing by the pool drinking lemon Fanta. The whole experience – wedding, pool, banana boat, and food – was absolutely incredible.  It was really tough leaving Crete – it’s just so flipping beautiful.

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I don’t know how often you make dip, but you should stop everything and make this cheddar ranch dip right now. For real. Right. Now.  Ok, maybe not right now. Maybe this weekend. But definitely make it this weekend. I’m kind of crazy about this recipe. I’ve been in love with it for about twenty years.

Seriously, it’s no joke. Let’s estimate that I was ten-years-old. It all happened in Binghamton, NY where my Uncle Jose and Titi Lisa used to live. And they lived near a Wegman’s. This was before Wegman’s was everywhere – when it was pretty much only in New York. So going to visit a beautiful Wegman’s was a real treat. 

Every time we went to visit them they had cheddar ranch drip from Wegman’s. I think the first time it was luck. Every time after, they bought it because it was my favorite. When we’d arrive at their house I’d give the kiss hello and then be aching to run to the fridge. When would it be time to devour that tub of cheddar ranch dip (along with a box of Wheat Thins)?!

Eventually Wegman’s opened near my childhood home in Baltimore. But they never had my cheddar ranch dip. Oh sure, they had dips. They had chipotle ranch, or cheddar vegetable, but never my cheddar ranch.

Somehow, I managed to grow up and move on and not worry too much about dip. And then one day, Ryan and I were in Connecticut at a Labor Day barbecue, and a friend brought cheddar ranch dip. I took a bite, and was transported back to being ten years old visiting my family. I got the gist of recipe and went home excited.

And now, here it is for you. It’s flipping delicious and so easy to make. It’s the perfect snack for watching football or bringing to a party. Easy, inexpensive, and sure to please. One note: buy ranch seasoning. If you use ranch dressing then cut way back on the beer (or don’t use it) because the dip will be far too runny.

Messy level:  One spoon. It’s all about mixing everything into one bowl. Couldn’t be easier!

Cheddar Ranch Dip

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 8 oz/ 227 grams cream cheese
• 1- 1.5 cup/ 110-170 grams shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ -1/2/ 60-120 ml cup beer
• 4 teaspoons ranch seasoning
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of cheese, ¼ cup of beer, ranch seasoning, scallion, and pepper.
2. Mix thoroughly then taste. Add more cheese if you like. Add more beer if you'd like it thinner.
3. Top with a little more pepper and scallions to taste.

3.5.3226

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Growing up, birthdays were celebrated by opening presents and eating cake first thing in the morning before going to school/work. Naturally, I insisted that Ryan and I do the same. Ryan woke up all groggy and sleepy, but he did sing me happy birthday and shared a piece of cake with me. I made the cake myself: it was yellow cake with a strawberry raspberry filling and a lemon buttercream frosting. Ryan had volunteered to get me a cake, and even said he would make me a cake, but I decided I would have more fun making a cake. I was inspired by a cake we had at our wedding from Sweet Eats Cakes, that was just to die for. My cake wasn’t nearly as good as hers. The frosting and filling (both of which I made!) were yummy but I over-mixed the batter so the cake came out a bit dense. It was tasty, but I had the most fun putting it all together.

Dangerous birthday gifts

After cake I opened presents. Ryan got me a deep fryer! I was so excited because I had been talking about wanting one for about a year. Ryan let me register for one when we were engaged, but no one bought it, because, seriously who needs a deep fryer? It’s not a kitchen necessity, but I thought it would be super fun to have. I mean, who doesn’t want to have carnival themed dinner nights? Think of all the things you can make! Deep fried candy bars, fried chicken, corn dogs, French fries, potato chips, hush puppies, and of course funnel cake. P.S. Mom, please send me your fried chicken recipe!!! Hungry bellies want to try it!

And, to add to the kitchen goodness, my brother got me a crème brulee set, complete with kitchen torch and butane gas. So I now have two ends of the cooking spectrum – I now have the means to makee fancy food like crème brulee and greasy street food like corn dogs. My friend also pointed out that now I’ve moved up from basic appliances to the “dangerous” ones. Using the deep fryer I did have an accident, but not related to the fryer. I’ll get to that in a bit.

But back to the birthday. I went to work and I spent a lot of the day telling museum visitors it was my birthday. After that, my besties from work took me out to lunch at Lincoln, an Abraham Lincoln themed restaurant. It was such a decadent afternoon. The weather was gorgeous and we ate outside, sitting in this cozy both. Seriously, you never see a booth outside, but we were really sitting under a tree lounging on snuggly couches. We all ate so much! We shared brussels sprouts, fries, and chips. I had a lobster cob salad and it had HUGE chunks of lobster. My friends told the waiter it was my birthday and he asked if I was turning 16. Not quite.

Lunch at Lincoln

For dessert we ordered some sweet potato pound cake thing, which sounded suspicious but was really yummy. There was this deliciously rich and decadent sauce we poured on top. The dessert was the only thing I took a picture of, with the exception of my mint julep, which was in a cool copper cup. The other pictures are courtesy of my lovely friend Anna.  I did take about 7 pictures of Charlotte pouring the sauce on the cake. Also, they gave me a free chocolate cake too, so that put my birthday cake total up to 3. Actually, make that 4, because my coworker Jonathan bought be a cupcake too.

Dinner at Quarter Deck

And, as if I hadn’t eaten enough, Ryan took me out for dinner at Quarter Deck. This was what I was most excited about, because we were going to have a steamed crab feast. I love crab picking and it’s truly a staple of summer for me.  We got a table outside, ordered a pitcher of Yuengling and waited for our crabs to arrive. My goal was to eat 14 crabs (because it’s  half my age). The restaurant gives you a bucket so you can put all your unwanted bits inside – but I laid out the crab tops as a marker to see how many I had eaten. I didn’t make my goal, I only ate 12.

I had the best time eating a leisurely dinner outside with Ryan. Some people don’t like crabs because they say it takes forever to get any food. And it does. But you can’t go for crabs really hungry. It’s most enjoyable when you go with the purpose of sharing the evening with someone. We had a few beers, enjoyed the weather, and talked, and got really messy and covered in Old Bay and crab bits.

Demon pig pitcher

I treated myself to a knife skills class at Sur la Table on Saturday. In addition to sushi class, knife skills class is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I have always been nervous to go though, because I thought I’d be the worst, and incapable of cutting well, and might slice my finger off. Someone did cut themselves in class, but it wasn’t me. Class was pretty cool! I learned a better way to cut a bell pepper, grapes, and an onion. I also learned how to hold the knife better (it’s called a pinch grip). And that instead of lifting my arm up and down to chop, I’m supposed to do more of a continuous rocking motion that follows the shape of the blade. I’m not yet ready to throw knives at a Japanese steak house, but my skills are improving.

When you take a class at Sur la Table you get a 10% off coupon that’s good for a week. I was walking around the store and I caught my eye on a semi-ugly pig pitcher. And I wanted it a lot, but it was $50. I love pigs, and since I was a kid I’ve collected random pig things. I have coasters, a wine stopper, and little figurines, but I could not justify buying a $50 pig pitcher. Ryan also told me it looked “like a demon.” So I consoled myself by buying a pig overmitt and a spatula. (And some other things… there was a sale, what was I to do?!)

On Sunday, I had three of my college friends, Norma, Lynn, and Kim, over for brunch. They live in Maryland, so I made them trek all the way across state lines for some food.  I made an onion and pepper quiche – and I made the crust, from scratch. I also made waffles, bacon, Bloody Mary’s, and I put out a bunch of berries. It was delicious, I got to practice my knife skills, and my friends all teased me that the strawberries looked especially well cut. And, I made all this delicious food, and I didn’t take a picture of one flipping thing. The only picture I took was of my friends on the roof of my building with the Washington Monument in the background.

Do I have too many spatulas?

Also, I’m not sure how it started, but somehow Ryan started giving a speech about how I have too many different kinds of spatulas. I think it was because I was showing my friend Kim my Sur la Table purchases. She is a good and adventurous cook herself, so I thought she’d be interested. But somehow, the spatula situation got out of hand and my friends started calling us “House of Spatula.” They said I should rename my blog “House of Spatula.” Or maybe have a food truck called “House of Spatula.”  Only Kim said it made sense to have so many so I didn’t always have to wash them. And now I feel like every time I cook I should use multiple spatulas to prove that I need so many. My weak argument is that when you see the kitchens of professional cooks they always have tons of utensils and spatulas. The group pointed out that I don’t cook as much as they do. Sure, but you know how they say dress for the job you want, not the job you have? Maybe it’s like that. If I equip my kitchen like a professional chef, maybe I’ll cook like one.

So that was my birthday. It was delicious. And I think 28 is going to be all right because it includes funnel cakes.

College friends and the Washington Monument in the background

I settled on funnel cake as our first deep frying expedition because it’s a delicious treat. But also, it’s low pressure. I didn’t want to start with dinner because what if it was ruined and we are starving after work and then have nothing to eat?! Also, we had practically all the ingredients in the apartment already. And again, funnel cake is delicious.

Funnel cake is also fun. We have it at the fair, at the circus, at the baseball game. There’s just something festive about it. As Ryan and I were making it together, we were silly and dancing and having a nice time. We did have one minor setback that I thought was going to ruin the night. As he was stirring ingredients, I went to put stuff back on the shelves. I placed the flour on the shelf and a can rolled off and hit me in the foot. I yelled in pain, fell on the floor, and cried in a heap. Seriously, I was behaving like a pathetic mess. We were worried I’d lost my nail since that happened to me last year. But I didn’t, so crisis averted. Once we got me off the floor and cleaned up the blood on my foot, we rallied and were back in business. We finished mixing the dough, poured it into the hot oil, and watch with delight as we made our first funnel cakes. We also had our friend Josh over and there was immediate talk about the three of us opening a stand and selling funnel cakes to tourists on the 4^th of July.

This recipe is half of the Williams-Sonoma recipe. It makes about 4 funnel cakes if you use ½ cup of batter per cake. Also, if you don’t have a deep fryer, you can still make this recipe. What you’ll need is a deep skillet or a not-too-deep pot. Maybe like a Dutch oven. Fill it with a few inches of oil and heat until very hot. You can use a candy thermometer to try to make the exact temperature. You just want a few inches of oil so the funnel cake has room to float.

My awesome deep fryer

Ingredients

Canola oil for frying

¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar

¾ tsp cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ cup packed brown sugar

Scant ½ tsp salt (scant means don’t fill the tsp all the way)

1 egg and 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups milk (might need a bit more)

¾ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside, this is a topping.
2. Optional: Heat oven to 200°. This is so you can keep funnel cakes warm while you’re still working on making new ones.
3. Pour oil into deep fryer. You will use what feels like a disgusting amount, but it’s ok because you can strain it and reuse it. 
4. Heat deep fryer to 375°.
5. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.
6. In a medium bowl, mix egg, 1 ½ cups of milk, and vanilla.
7. Add wet ingredient to the dry. If it seems a little thick and will be hard to pour, add some more milk. You shouldn’t have to add anymore than another ½ cup. I think we added another 2 tbsps.
8. Put fry basket into the oil.
9. Transfer batter to a cup with a spout. We used a liquid measuring cup. If you have a funnel, use that! What you want is to be able to pour the batter in ribbons so it makes the funnel cake shape. If it pours in one big blob, it’s not going to look right. Also, it might be obvious, but if you have a funnel, then just pour the batter through the funnel into the oil. I don’t have a funnel, so I needed a cup with a spout.
10. Slowly pour ½ cup of the batter into the hot oil in a thin stream. Try to make a circular pattern. Make sure the batter is poured within the confines of the fry basket.
11. Fry for about 1-1 ½ minutes, until the underside is brown.
12. Flip the funnel cake over. We raised the frying basket out of the oil, then flipped the funnel cake, then dropped the basket back into the oil.
13. Fry for 1 minute more.
14. Lift the basket out of the oil and let drain. If ready to eat, sprinkle with the sugar mixture. If saving, put in the oven to stay warm.
15. EAT IT!!!

Messy level

Low! I’m totally impressed with this deep fryer. The max-fill oil level is much lower than the rim of the fryer so there is no spatter at all. The only mess we made was when we transferred batter from the mixing bowl to the measuring glass. It was really excellent. We didn’t even have to worry about draining the funnel cakes because the basket hangs over the oil and lets it drip there. SO EASY. I love it. I look forward to more frying.

The messy part came from smashing my toe with a can of coconut cream. Be careful!

Update 6/30 – So, I think I should up the messy level to 3 spoons. Cooking it isn’t very hard, but man is clean up some work!!! You have to clean the heating unit, the part with the oil, and the frying basket. Also, if you’re going to reuse the oil, you have to pour it through a strainer into a large jar. And so it’s a lot of steps and a lot of things to clean up afterward.

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