Recently my friend Kristen posted pictures on Facebook from our freshman year in university. It was great and hilarious to look back ten years and see how young and skinny we all were. It made me a bit nostalgic for the places we used to go, things we used to do, and foods we used to eat.

On the weekends my friends and I would often go to Cornerstone to eat chicken wings and go dancing. At the end of then night when the bars closed we’d find a place for a late night snack. Most of the places where I used to go are now closed, which makes me feel old. But anyway, sometimes we want to Wawa for sandwiches. Sometimes Ratsies for pizza, where once a chair started to collapse under me and my friend Nav caught me in midair. And sometimes we went to Danny’s for crab rangoons.I almost never went to Danny’s because it was out of the way from my walk home, but my friend Janina liked to go there so sometimes I went. She introduced me to crab rangoons, and as a Marylander in Maryland, I was hooked. Crunchy, gooey, cheesy, and stuffed with crab – it’s the perfect late night food.

Now, the first time I tried to make this recipe I decided to fashion my own deep fryer. I took a large pot and put a lot of vegetable oil in it. For deep frying, you have got to use vegetable or peanut oil because it has a high smoke point, which means it can get really hot and won’t easily burn. So, I turned the heat on high (which I shouldn’t have done) and I made my first rangoons and dropped them in the oil. They cooked in an instant and looked delicious.

But then, they started to smoke, and the oil started to smoke, and my entire flat filled with smoke. Miraculously, the alarm didn’t go off. I hurried to turn on the oven fan, open the windows, open the door, and I frantically waved a tea towel in the air to try to dissipate the smoke. I made about four rangoons that way and then decided I’d try to bake the rest. Although that works, it doesn’t give you the brown, bubbly, and crispy exterior I was hoping for.

So the third time was the charm. I used a pan with just about a 1/4 inch of oil which I heated on medium, and then I flipped them halfway through cooking. This worked perfectly. Crispy, creamy, gooey rangoons and no smoke inhalation.

Adapted from Food.com

Messy level: Not too messy, but you can see from my prep picture above I had a lot going on. This is fairly straightforward to make, but frying can get oil everywhere. Just be careful, try to be organized, and you shouldn’t make too big of a mess.

Crab Rangoon

 

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Serves: 18

Ingredients

• 6 oz crab meat
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• wonton wrappers
• water
• vegetable oil
• soy sauce, for dipping

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the crab meat, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, spring onions and garlic.
2. Taste and add salt and pepper. Taste again and adjust to suit your preferences.
3. Put a little bit of water into a small bowl or cup
4. Put 1½- 2 teaspoons of crab mixture in the middle of a wonton wrapper
5. Dip your finger in the pot of water. Wet two adjoining sides of the wonton (an L shape).
6. Fold the wonton over and press the dry side onto the wet. You will have made a triangle. Squish the crab insides just a bit so you won't have empty air pockets once cooked. Don't squish too much or the wrapper will burst and the crab will ooze out.
7. On medium to medium-high heat, heat ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a large pan. Heat until very hot. Flick a little water onto the oil. If it pops, then the oil is hot enough.
8. In batches, add the rangoons to the hot oil. Cook on each side for 1-3 minutes. They are done when each side is golden brown, slightly puffed, and has some air bubbles.
9. Remove from the oil and dab with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
10. Serve with a side of soy sauce for dipping.

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Almost every time I go to a book store, I look at Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I hold it in my hand and I think about buying it. Julia Child is an iconic American cook and it feels like this book is one of those books you’re supposed to have if you are a cooking enthusiast. But, I never buy it. I never buy the book because usually it’s a gigantic hardcover and costs a ton of money and will be frustrating to lug home. However, that day in the book store they had both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a slim paperback form. The book was inexpensive, the size of  novel, and would easily fit into my purse.

I had a quick internal debate with myself. It went something like this: This is a good deal, I should buy it. Should I buy it? No, I have enough cookbooks. But this is not just any cookbook. It’s Julia Child’s cookbook. And it’s so small and a good price. Should I get both volumes? No, then I’ll definitely have too many and both won’t qualify as an impulse buy. I’ll get just the one. What if it’s written with European measurements since I’m buying it in London? Whew, no it’s not. Ok I’ll get it. Should I check on Amazon to see if I get a better deal? No, if I do that I’ll definitely talk myself out of this. Ok, let’s buy it.

Does all of that back and forth make me sound neurotic? Maybe. But, now I had the book and it was time to start cooking. No surprise, the book is really nice. The tone is straightforward but helpful and encouraging in the notes and directions. There are tables for weight and temperature conversions, helpful illustrations, and information on what types of tools to use.

I decided to start with beef bourguignon, in part because it sounds delicious, and in part because in the movie Julie and Julia it looks so decadent. Honestly though, I have no idea how Julie Powell ever cooked through this book because some of these recipes take a really long time! Like this one, it takes all day. You should eat lunch while making this, and not just have an ice cream cone. If you just have an ice cream cone you’ll be ravenous by the time this is done. I may or may not have done that. But I’m an adult, I can have ice cream for breakfast if I want to.

Truly, this stew is a lazy Sunday kind of meal because it takes over three hours to prepare. In the end it’s worth it, because all that time creates a complex and layered broth that is so lovely. The meat becomes tender, the onions soft and herbal in flavor, and the mushrooms (which I usually hate) have a nice silky texture.

Recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle. Also, a warning, this recipe has two mini-recipes within the larger recipe.

Messy level: I found this one hard to quantify. You can definitely reuse pots and pans in this recipe. And, while the stew is in the oven for 3 hours, there is plenty of time for  leisurely clean up. However, even though my kitchen didn’t look like a disaster at the end of cooking, I know I used a lot of knives, cutting boards, pots, pans, and general utensils. Even just writing out the instructions, I was exhausted by the amount of dishes needed. I just had to give this four spoons.

Beef Bourguignon

 

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Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 oz streaky bacon (you can also buy this pre-cut into lardons)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 pounds lean stew beef, cut in 2 inch cubes
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 oz flour (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1¼ pints (about 3 cups), red wine (I used Chianti)
• ¾ pint (slightly less than 2 cups), beef stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled

brown-braised onions

• 18 small onions (about 1" long)
• 1 oz butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ¼ pint (slightly more than ½ cup) beef stock or dry wine (red or white, I used white)
• salt and pepper
• 4 parsley sprigs
• ½ bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon thyme

sauteed mushrooms

• 2 oz butter
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cut in quarters

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into lardons (sticks ¼x1½" long)
2. Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add the bacon to the simmering water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and dry.
3. Preheat oven to 450/230°.
4. In a saucepan, saute the bacon in oil over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes. This is to brown them slightly.
5. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
6. Make sure the fat is still hot, then add the beef a few pieces at a time. Cook until browned on all sides.
7. Remove beef from fat and put with the bacon.
8. In the same fat, now cook the vegetables until browned.
9. Put the bacon, beef, and vegetables in a large casserole dish. Season with the salt and pepper, then mix.
10. Now sprinkle with the flour and mix again to lightly coat everything in flour.
11. Place casserole in the oven for 4 minutes.
12. Remove from oven, mix the meat again. Return to the oven for 4 more minutes.
13. Remove casserole from the oven, and turn it down to 325/160°.
14. Stir in the wine. Then add enough beef stock so the meat is just covered.
15. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs.
16. Cover the casserole, and place in the oven.
17. Cook for 3-4 hours. The meat is done when a fork can easily piece it.
18. While the beef is cooking, first prepare the brown-braised onions. Peel the onions (you can do this straight away or by putting them into boiling water for 10 seconds, then it's easier)
19. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil. Heat until the fat is bubbling a bit.
20. Add the onions and saute over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Roll the onions around so they brown as evenly as possible.
21. Then, pour in the liquid (stock or wine). Add the herbs (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf) to the liquid.
22. Cover the pan and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 40-50 minutes. The onions are done when they are tender but aren't mushy, and the liquid has evaporated.
23. Next start on the sautéed mushrooms. Clean out the frying pan you used for the onions. Heat up the butter and oil over high heat. Once the butter is done foaming, add the mushrooms.
24. Toss the mushrooms for about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
25. Ok your meat is finally done! Using a sieve, or a slotted spoon, separate the meat and vegetables from the broth.
26. Put the broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Skim off the fat. Heat the broth until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
27. Plate the beef and vegetables. Pour the broth over meat. Eat!

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I love granola and I eat it for breakfast almost every single day. But, even though I love granola, I take issue with most store bought granola. It’s dry, and expensive, and not always very flavorful. Almost every time I go to the supermarket I end up buying something different. My current favorite, which I’ve bought twice in a row, is called The Food Doctor Cacao & Tangerine Granola (which sounds weird but is good). However, I’m still on the hunt for a great granola.

I have had my perfect granola before. It is from Bayou Bakery in Arlington, VA. I loved that granola! It was nicely flavored and simultaneously crunchy and chewy. There were nice clusters, yummy raisins, and a bit of a sweet flavor. The problem, beyond that I no longer live in Arlington, is that it was so expensive. I don’t totally remember what it costs, but I feel like it was somewhere between $8-12. That’s too much for granola. So I wanted to see if I could make it for myself.

Today’s recipe is my second attempt at making granola. The first time I ever made it, I over cooked it and it had a burnt flavor. Thankfully, this attempt came out great! I used a combination of almond and macadamia nuts and for fruit both raisins and dried cranberries. It was what I had in the house. And that’s what is great about making granola – you can use whatever dried fruits, nuts, and seeds that you like or already having in the cupboard.

Now, full disclosure, this granola isn’t like Bayou’s. It’s crunchy and has clusters, but doesn’t have the chewiness. What makes this recipe better is that this granola smells amazing. When baking it smells like those honey roasted peanuts you can buy from street vendors in New York City. And that is the best smell ever! New York smells gross and that roasted peanut smell wafts over it all and smells like joy, and Christmas, and sweetness in your nostrils. If you don’t know that smell, go to New York, or a Christmas market, or also one time I bought a cup here in London on Tower Bridge. Or make this granola. You need to know that smell.

Anyway, all of that is to say, this granola smells like those New York honey roasted peanuts and it tastes similar once it is finished baking. So I haven’t recreated my perfect granola, but I’ve made something so good that I’m cool with living an ocean away from Bayou. I’ve been eating this granola mixed with yogurt and also by the handful straight from the tub. It easy to double this to make more in case you scarf it down too fast. 

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. I made a small batch using just 2.5 cups of oats. I did that because I didn’t want a huge batch that I’d feel obligated to eat if it came out badly. Next time I’ll make a larger batch because this is a tasty snack.

Messy level: This is so quick and clean to make. Spray your measuring cup with some cooking spray before measuring the maple syrup and it will slide right out. Nothing will be sticky, then you just mix everything together, and that’s it!

Granola with Nuts and Dried Fruit

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Ingredients

• ¼ cup maple syrup
• slightly less than ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup raw almonds, chopped coarse
• ½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped coarse
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Put an oven rack to an upper-middle level. Heat oven to 325/160°.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Once those are mixed, then whisk in oil.
4. Fold in oats and nuts until thoroughly coated. If the oats and nuts don't seem coated enough, splash in a little more maple syrup.
5. Spoon oat mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Use a spatula or spoon to spread the mix across sheet into thin, even layer. Use your spoon or spatula to press the oats down until they are compact.
6. Bake until lightly browned, about 35-40 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through. I don't stir it during the baking process because then it allows for more clusters. You can stir it if you want, but then your granola may be darker and less clumpy.
7. Remove granola from oven and cool for about 1 hour.
8. Break the granola into pieces of various sizes. Stir in the dried fruits. You stir in the fruits now because if you bake them the fruit will get really dry and unpleasant.

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Recently, I’ve had nothing! I’m in an inspirational drought. I don’t know what I want to cook next. My excuses are first, that I’m obsessed with the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook, but I don’t want to just post a thousand cookie recipes from one book. And second, being a real working person is getting to me. Oh, I still cook throughout the week – but I’m trying to hone my 3-4 best after-work-doesn’t-take-that-long-meals. And when I do get those down, I’ll be sure to share. But I haven’t been making anything I find truly exciting.

So I’ve got cookers block. Is that a thing? Maybe. I think it’s like writer’s block, but instead I don’t know what to cook. If anyone has any suggestions of something for me to try I’d be happy to know it.

Until I come out of cookers block, here’s a delicious and simple recipe for homemade mozzarella sticks. I made them once and Ryan, our friends Shane and Anna, and I devoured them. They were so good and it didn’t even bother us that we basically downed a whole package of Polly-O string cheese. But, there’s not much that’s better than melty hot cheese and it’s football season again so this is a perfect snack for Sundays.

Ingredients: 

Package of mozzarella cheese sticks (you could also definitely use balls, or cut discs from a log of cheese. You just need bite sized pieces)

2 Eggs

1/4 cup water

2/3 cup flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cup Italian seasoning bread crumbs

Vegetable Oil

Directions:

1. Heat a deep fryer filled with vegetable oil to 350°. Or heat about 1 inch of oil in a skillet until it’s very hot.

2. Mix the flour and cornstarch in a separate bowl.

3.  Beat the two eggs and water in a bowl.

4. In a third bowl, pour in the bread crumbs.

5.  Take all of your cheese sticks and unwrap them. If you’re using Polly-O, then cut the sticks in half across the equator (so NOT long). If you’re using something else, just make sure you’ve got bite size strips, cubes, or balls.

6. Coat the cheese in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs.

7. Put in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown. It takes about 45 seconds. If you’re using a skillet, you may have to rotate them so all sides get brown.

8. Let drain either in the fry basket, or on some paper towels. 

9. Eat it all immediately.

Messy Level – Medium. This is medium because of all the dipping in different bowls. Your fingers will be coated just like the mozzarella sticks. And inevitably, there is flour, egg, and bread crumbs all over the counter. Also, if you’re using a deep fryer sometimes the cheese leaks out and gets stuck in the fry basket so clean up can be a pain. What’s great about this recipe is it’s quick and doesn’t require too many dishes.

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Now not only was I going to make an extensive new meal, I didn’t even have all the ingredients. When I got home I put my stuff down and then walked to the grocery store. And then, after looking around a bit, walked to another grocery store because I didn’t like how expensive things were at the first place.  At 7:30pm my mom called me to ask how it was going. I had called her earlier in the evening to ask for the recipe. This recipe is actually my grandmother’s, and it’s one that my mom recently started making again. My grandmother was a great cook and made most things from scratch. My memories of her are often in the kitchen cooking us up something warm and delicious. And so, my mom was passing on the recipe to me. It has been over two hours since I had called her, so it’s understandable she expected me to be done.

“No, I’m just about to start frying,” I told her.

“Oh,” she sounded a little worried, “You’re going to be eating late.”

But actually, once I got myself going it went pretty smoothly and we ate about 8:15pm. And let me tell you it was delicious! Crispy, flavorful, and oh so amazingly juicy. I was so excited. And Ryan was pretty impressed. Both of us had the wide-eyed look of surprise that this came out as good as chicken we’d had at many restaurants. So, I’m going to share with you my grandma’s chicken recipe. I did also make cornbread, but I’m not going to provide the recipe because I didn’t think it was delicious enough to share. I will however share a picture because I think it looked cool. I don’t know why, but I felt like making it in the skillet was more special than using a regular pan.

But back to the chicken. To make the fried chicken I used my deep-fryer. People always seem a little mystified and curious about the deep-fryer so I thought I’d first explain how it works.  First, with a deep-fryer you’re going to have to buy a lot of oil. It’s a little gross, but get over it. The good thing is, if you feel comfortable you can reuse your oil. You can reuse the oil if you a.) strain it after each use (I use cheese cloth and a fine strainer) and b.) it’s still close to the original color from when you bought it. Do not reuse your oil if a.) you used it for raw meat b.) it’s become a dark color c.) it’s getting old and bad. Ryan and I were having burning eyes from the deep fryer and I did some research about that. If it’s burning your eyes it because the oil is getting old or is burnt and it’s just not good anymore.

But, when you have new fresh oil it’s so easy to use. The deep fryer has six main parts. There’s the basket, the heating element & control panel, the lid, the breakaway cord (for safety), the oil container (the black inside part), and what the manufacturer calls the “stainless steel body” or the silver part that holds the oil container. So the oil container goes into the body, then the heating element fits on top of that.

You fill the container with oil until the oil level is somewhere between the max and min lines. You can kind of see the level markers in the bottom right picture. Also in the bottom right picture you can sort of see the “spout” in the corner that makes it easy to pour out the oil. Seriously cleaning is really easy because the pieces come apart so quickly. Anyway, you use the control panel (which is attached to the heat element) to set the temperature. Once it’s ready it beeps and you lower the basket with your food into the oil. It will sizzle and pop, but with the lid it’s all contained! Nothing is getting on your counter, on your clothes, or your face. You can also peek through the window to make sure your food is cooking properly. For real, it’s greatness. When your food is done, you can lift the basket up a level so it can drain the food over the oil. Simple! I’ll admit since there are so many parts, cleaning takes a bit and when drying the pieces take up my whole counter. But for cooking it could not be easier. There is really no crazy popping, splatting, or smoking mess that there used to be. Finally, the deep fryer is fun. People who come over always seem a bit impressed. So invite some people over and make them some chicken.

And one more thing, I’m sorry there aren’t more pictures. I really thought I was taking action shots, but I only took pictures of the finished product. But that’ll be enough to win you over I think.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into parts. Alternatively, you can always just do drumsticks, or wings, or whatever you fancy

Adobo (You could also make your own spice blend)

Canola Oil

Flour

2- 3 Egg Whites

Directions:

1. Make sure the chicken is full defrosted. Don’t rush this step, let it really thaw.

2. Pat the chicken dry.

3. Put oil in deep-fryer and set to 350°. If using a skillet, heat about an 1″ of oil on high heat. You can use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature. Also, you can check if it’s hot by flicking a drop of water on the oil. If it pops vigorously then it’s ready to go. Skillet frying is somewhat harder though because it’s more challenging to regulate the temperature. When you put food in the oil, the temperature drops and it’s hard to get it back where you need it. The deep-fryer can maintain the heat evenly throughout.

4. Season generously with adobo. If you haven’t had adobo before, it’s just salt, garlic, oregano and turmeric. Sometimes I add pepper and onion powder too. If you don’t have adobo, you can make do with the spices you have. Now, seasoning is a practice makes perfect thing. You want to season it a lot so in the end your skin has good flavor. But don’t go crazy thickly coating every side because then it will come out salty. Season it so it looks like a lot but it’s not a thick layer. Sorry that’s not more clear.

5. The number of egg whites is arbitrary, you just need enough so that each piece of chicken can be coated. I cooked 9 pieces of chicken, and two were very large so I used 3 egg whites. Anyway, take your egg whites and gently beat until a little bit foamy.

6. Take a paper bag or gallon-size plastic bag and put some flour in it. Again, it doesn’t matter how much flour, but you need enough to coat the chicken.

7. Take a piece of chicken, coat it in the egg whites.

8. After you’ve dipped the chicken in the egg whites put it in the bag of flour. Hold the bag closed and shake it so that flour covers the entire chicken. I wish I had taken a video of this because I think this part is fun. Depending on size, you can probably fit 2-3 pieces of chicken in the bag at one time.

9. Shake off any excess flour.

10. Put the coated chicken in the basket and lower it into the oil. If using a skillet, put the chicken directly in the oil. The skin will tighten a bit and start to crisp up.

11. Fry for about 15-20 minutes depending on size of the chicken. Turn about half way through is the chicken isn’t fully submerged in the oil. You’ll know the chicken is done when a.) the skin is crispy and golden brown b.) the internal temperature is 165°.

12. Eat this deliciously decadent at chicken goodness. Seriously, you bite into it and there’s a satisfying crunch followed by plump and juicy chicken. Make this recipe!

Messy Level: This definitely has potential to be less messy, but for now I have to give it 4 spoons. Coating raw meat in three different things makes a mess. It created an awkward breaded coating on my hands. And it led to clumpy spills on the counter. Also the oil afterward is really gross because it’s got lots of crispy bits in it. The meal is worth it, and actually it’s quick to put together, but it’s a messy process. At the end of cooking I told Ryan, “well I’ve used everything in the kitchen and it’s all dirty.” And part of that was because I made more than just the chicken, but ultimately my kitchen was still a disaster zone.

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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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