kara's carrot cupcakes

for he's a jolly good fellow
for he's a jolly good fellow
for he's a jolly good fellow!
that nobody can deny.

april 26 marked my 29th birthday and my wonderful cnet'ers descended en masse around 3pm with 2 big boxes of cupcakes and rousing, jolly song.

the cupcakes were from kara's cupcakes, a pretty new joint in the marina on scott street at chestnut. jen mchugh was gracious enough to pick up the cupcakes on her way to work and thank you jen! these were some amazing cupcakes. and i love carrot cake. love carrot cake. love it.

there won't be a comparison because all 2 dozen gooey morsels of veggie-turned-sweets were of the carrot cake variety. no complaints here. but seeing as people loved the recent cupcake showdown, i thought i'd provide a detailed analysis of these delicious things.

visual analysis
it's very small but has an impressive amount of frosting to cake ratio. the cake rises about 1.5" tall while the frosting is 1" tall itself! the creamy, off-white stuff is piped on with a large round tip bag, and includes a candy wafer of sorts as the topper. upon close inspection, the frosting looks slightly wet, or even greasy, if you will.the cake is a very dark golden brown color and feels dense and hefty. it's wrapped in a standard paper cup.

cake analysis
the 1st bite is tough to take because there's so much frosting. but, it's a good one. extremely moist with plump and juicy dark raisins as well as pineapple melted into it (i think). you get strong hits of pumpkin spice, then a slight brown/bitter flavor, finished off by little walnut crumbles. it's a very complex cake with several layers of flavor and texture, much more like a dense, moist bread. interestingly, texture is more crumbly that expected, especially given how moist it is. you can't help but get icing all over your lips. it's all a bit messy. the cake was also mildly burnt on the bottom. this i understand, as it's difficult to get carrot cake cooked correctly. the batter is so dense and packed with ingredients, it's hard to get the inside to set fully without burning the outer layer.

frosting analysis
now this has an interesting texture to it. when touched, it feels spongy, similar to how marshmallow cream has a bounce to it. but when you bite into it, it literally melts away. very light and fluffy but with a pronounced greasy feel on the lips. sweet and buttery notes are blended well with cream cheese. when eaten with the cake, the sweetness complements the other flavors. kara's frosting does lose a few points because i found some sugar grains in it, causing a slight gritty feeling in the mouth. perhaps the sugar wasn't blended properly? but on the positive side it doesn't affect flavor at all. and you would never notice the difference if you eat both cake and icing together.

in summary, this was an excellent cupcake. sweet, moist, carroty, cream cheesy, just wonderfully well done. i recommend it whole heartedly and i think kara's cupcakes will do quite well.

thank you everyone for celebrating my birthday with me!!

cupcake face-off!

later this month, my coworker, sarah, is participating in the Mt. Tam Trek (7 mile hike), "an annual fundraiser for GirlVentures, a non-profit organization that serves middle school-aged girls with outdoor adventures that build their confidence and personal and practical skills. The girls walk away knowing not only how to climb a rock and set up camp, but also how to build community, how to communicate their feelings, how to manage conflict, how to lead their peers, how to persevere, how to try things, and how to celebrate their accomplishments."

great cause. so in order to raise money for the event, sarah decided to share her affinity for baking cupcakes with us in the office in a NY - LA cupcake bakery showdown. gosh, eat some cupcakes, help a child develop, feel good in mind and tummy... what more can you ask for??

sarah baked cupcakes using magnolia's recipe from scratch and sprinkle's box recipe. both frostings were made from scratch. they were also frosted and decorated according to recipe. roy was on hand to help me taste text and examine the goods.

it's an east coast - west coast face-off. who will take the cake? whose cupcake reigns surpreme!?

visual comparison

the cupcake on the right is magnolia's. it was slightly larger in size than sprinkle's, having more height (batter must have risen more). its frosting was piped on vs spread. and the color of the cake was a light golden yellow.

sprinkles is on the left. it's a little more compact in size. frosting was spread on and topped with candy circles (looked like marizpan or something). the cake was a golden brown and could indicate a longer time in the oven.

visually, i felt sprinkles won. the way frosting is spread over its top just looks more organic and homemade. and the little button on top is just cute. 5 points to sprinkles!

cake comparison (texture & taste)

upon close inspection, magnolia's cupcake revealed a dense but spongy cake-like structure with small air pockets. roy said it was almost similar to entenmann's pound cake in texture. a bite into the cake is firm but moist with crumbs coming off in large soft chunks. it tasted buttery and vanilla-y but not too sweet.

sprinkles' cupcake looked even denser, having no air pockets and tightly packed crumbs. however, biting into this cake resulted in small, dry crumbles all over our mouth and lap, quite a messy experience. it had sort of a day-old bread quality to it and was less buttery and flavorful. i wonder if this sat longer in the oven.

magnolia's won this round with its moist, dense, fluffy and flavorful cake. 5 points to magnolia!

frosting comparison

magnolia's frosting was buttery balanced by the right amount of sweetness. it was a light, fluffy and not at all greasy on the lips or tongue. together with the cake, the experience was moist and creamy.

sprinkle's frosting was also very light and fluffy but carried an extremely sweet hit similar to an artifical sweetner. this also had a very strong butter aftertaste that lingered on the palate. it just wasn't as refined as magnolia's frosting. when combined with the cake, the frosting covered for the drier crumb but for some reason didn't balance the lack of sweetness in the cake with the overt sugariness of the frosting. the candy button was also a disappointment; it lacked a snappy bite and tasted like old frosting that's been sitting out for a month.

magnolia's wins the frosting test hands down for its balanced flavor and mouthfeel. 5 points to magnolia's!

so where do we stand? magnolia's - 10, sprinkle's - 5. and there you have it, magnolia's takes the cake!!

both do elevate the cupcake to new heights and are probably worthy of their cult-like status. but magnolia's cupcake is much more balanced in flavor and texture and tastes more homemade. sprinkle's in comparison felt and tasted more commercial. but mind you, i won't hestiate to try either in a taste test again. ;)

for those of you in the office who got to try the cupcakes... what do you think?? leave a comment below!

thanks to sarah the baker and roy the taster for helping me contributing to this cupcake face-off!

sunday nite supper no. 1

on the menu
live mahogany clams in tomato basil broth
seared bacon-wrapped scallops with lemon-thyme potatoes and red chard
red bean mochi and coconut pineapple ice cream with a pomegranate thyme glaze

yes, wednesday nite dinners was tough to do on wednesday nites. just too much going on to serve a formal 3 course meal on a weeknite and still feel physically awake the rest of the week. so, i'm going to be doing more sunday nite suppers which give me more time to prepare and to relax and enjoy the meal with friends.

my dear friend holly was in town from la this past weekend and wanted me to cook a meal while she was here. so we took a trip to 99 ranch and safeway to pick up some things for dinner. danna joined us shortly thereafter. and you can bet there were no breaks in the conversation that nite with these 2 girls. =)

so i learned a few things about cooking scallops last time i prepared them.
1) they need to be completely dry before hitting the pan
2) searing on my pan takes longer than i think to get to medium-rare
3) don't use olive oil. it doesn't have a high enough smoking point (the temperature an oil can reach before it smokes and starts breaking down).
4) sear in a non-stick grill pan with little or no vegetable oil

i saw a recipe recently somewhere for pancetta-wrapped scallops with a lemon, bruised thyme and olive oil reduction. i think it might have been a different jamie oliver cookbook. i love scallops and i love bacon, so i wanted to try preparing the combination together. it's nothing new. there are bacon-wrapped scallop creations on many fine-dining menus. but this was a first for me to cook. anyway, i wanted to improve my scallop skills using the lessons learned above. so here we go.

holly, danna and i ate at zushi puzzle the nite before and spent mucho money on a fantastic nigiri meal at chef roger dodger's bar in the marina. it was $80 per person. so while we still wanted seafood for tonite's meal, we just couldn't afford to spend any more money of that proportion. so, in addition to "how to cook bacon-wrapped scallops," this will also be a lesson in "how you can eat gourmet for a fraction of the price at home." =)

a pot of cold salted water goes on the fire along with about 1.5 pounds of small red potatoes that have been scrubbed and sliced in half. bring to a boil and let it go 15 min or so until the potatoes are tender. drain well and toss back into the same pot to "dry out" the potatoes. i then added some high quality evoo (enough to moisten the potatoes well), juice of half a lemon, some chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and smashed it skins and all. no need to "mash" the taters til kfc consistency, this is supposed to be chunky.

while that was going, i sauteed 8 cloves of chopped garlic in a good amount of olive oil in a large stockpot. a half can of crushed red tomatoes went in with a cup of white wine and a cup of water, as well as salt, pepper and some chili flakes. i let that simmer for 15 min until thickened (adapted recipe from dave lieberman's young & hungry cookbook).

somehow during those two activities i found time to prep and saute a large bunch of red chard with chopped onion, garlic and olive oil. the unfortunate thing i dislike about red chard is that its gorgeous red color leaks out and stains everything else in the pan. watch the saute time on this. i overcooked it and stalks got too soggy with everything else i was doing.

in preparing the scallops i did want to get pancetta, but i had a package of bacon in the freezer feeling unwanted, so that was defrosted and i secured a half slice around each scallop with a toothpick.

when these were all prepped and the potatoes and greens were keeping warm in the pan, i threw the 2.5 pounds of live mahagony clams into the pot and clamped down the lid. this was when i invited holly and danna to sit because the clams would only take 5 min or so and you want to eat them asap. once the clams have opened up they're ready.

i tossed them with a big handful of chopped basil and scooped them into bowls with a toasted baguette.

hard shell mahagonies are larger than the popular soft shell manila clams at about 2" across in diameter.

their meat also seems less flavorful than manilas. but overall this dish turned out pretty good. the broth was both spicy and hearty and the bread soaked up all the juicy goodness. it was a little on the salty side though and i think next time i'd use diced tomatoes vs crushed. the broth was a bit overpowering for the delicate clams.

while we were enjoying that, i slipped over to the stove and laid down the scallops on a hot non-stick grill pan, no oil.

i let these run for 3-4 min each side. in a small frying pan, i heated some quality evoo with the juice of half a lemon, some bruised thyme, salt and pepper. this simple sauce glazed the scallops when plated.

now these were some meaty scallops. cutting into it was met with gentle, firm pressure and this time, it was cooked to medium rare, perfect. it tasted sweet against the salty smokiness of the bacon which i must admit was a little overpowering.

the bacon was also on the rubbery side, a result of either being previously frozen or not cooked long enough to crisp. i found out later that you can parcook the bacon until it's tender and the fat is starting to render and then wrap the scallops for the final grilling. this results in crisper bacon and probably a smokier result. i think using pancetta may also have the desired smoky flavor effect without the heaviness and fat of bacon. the olive oil glaze added good lemon flavor, as did the thyme, but i think it was overkill for the delicate scallop.

the lemon thyme smashed potates were amazing however. nicely creamy from quality evoo alone, it had great "green" notes along the with citrusy lemon and thyme. and so easy to make! i'm keeping this one on hand. my chard, however, was overcooked and too mushy. it was also on the well-seasoned side. not a good foil for all the other salty items on the plate. ah well. gotta remember to watch that next time.

so what did we drink to quench our salt-parched throats? a bottle of 2005 estancia pinot noir.

not a bad choice but nothing special either. it was a little off for the scallops; a white would fair better and cut the grease in the dish down.

dessert was an interesting concocction that i whipped up last second. holly had picked out some sweet red bean mochi patties and hagendaaz coconut-pineapple ice cream.

feeling adventurous and wanting to add a little pizazz as is my usual flair, i quickly whisked up some tj's pomegranate glaze with some quality evoo and fresh thyme leaves and drizzled this around the sweets.

ok, as holly and danna will tell you, this didn't work. the pomegranate glaze was simply too tart when combined with the sweet ice cream and mochi. we ultimately pushed aside the sauce and stuck to the sweets. i will say the thyme provides a very interesting counterpoint to the sweetness of the ice cream, having a sharp lemony kick with each tiny leaf. it's something i'll explore again in future desserts.

so how much did this lavish seafood feast cost? let's add it all up...

2.5 lbs live mahagony clams 8.10
can crushed tomatoes 1.79
1 bulb garlic 0.39
1 yellow onion 0.89
1 bunch basil 0.99
2 lemons 0.79
1 lb red potatoes 1.04
1 bunch thyme 2.39
1 bunch red chard 2.49
1 pound sea scallops 7.91
1 baguette 1.59
1 package red bean mochi 2.50
1 pint ice cream 3.00
1 bottle pinot noir 12.99

total cost: $33.25
divided by 3: $11.08 per person for a 3 course seafood meal plus wine. i could easily $45 per person for what we had. that means i could've just pulled a $100 profit. hrmmm....

pretty neat huh? holly and danna, hope you enjoyed this sunday nite supper and thanks for all the laughs and cries. =)

grilled chicken with salsa di giovanna, chard and farfalle

i like cookbooks because they inspire me to try new preparations. and i admit i like the cookbooks that have great photography, preferably those that have shots for each recipe. for me, seeing a dish in its final plated glory is half the pleasure. you eat using all 5 senses you know. hearing the sizzle of a fresh steak on a hot grill pan, smelling the sweet aroma of golden garlic, seeing the glisten of olive oil against deep greens and red onions, feeling the graininess of herby couscous on your tongue, tasting the puckery tartness of a lemon souffle, you use them all without thinking it. pictures bring food alive for me when i can't taste, touch or smell. and so cookbooks that don't have photography tend to bore me a little. i use those books as reference guides instead.

when i stumble upon something really good, i'm inspired to test that preparation with other ingredients. this is what really progresses your abilities as a versatile cook. imagine one fabulous sauce reimagined with swordfish, chicken, pork, and shrimp. then you switch up the sides a bit and you have 10 different meal combinations right there. all it takes is some inspiration, creativity, and a great versatile sauce.

so that's what i stumbled upon with the salsa di giovanna i made last week with the swordfish. it was so easy and tasty. so this time, i decided to pair it simply with chicken and switch up the sides a bit. here's how it turned out...

i started off by chopping and rinsing a bunch of swiss chard.

and sauteed the stalks first (they're tougher) in some olive oil and crushed garlic.

add the leaves and saute with salt, pepper, and some fresh grated nutmeg. done.

while that was going, i prepared a half box of farfalle (bowtie) pasta according to package directions, heavy on the salt.

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts were sliced into strips, seasoned with salt and pepper, then placed on a hot grill pan with a little bit of olive oil

while those got nice and golden, i prepared the salsa di giovanna, this time according to oliver's version using fresh oregeno instead of basil.

juice of 1 lemon, 3 cloves of garlic sliced, a few sprigs of mint and oregeno finely chopped, mixed with salt and pepper to taste.

by this time, you'll want to flip your chicken over and drain the pasta. in that pot went a can of diced tomatoes, chopped basil, a couple cloves of chopped garlic, a good dose of olive oil and salt and pepper. after simmering for 5 minutes in went the pasta for a good mix.

i then reheated the chard and plated this colorful mix...

the salsa di giovanna was quite good with the chicken, elevating simple grilled chicken with a tangy, moist, herby flavor. the oregeno is good, but i do think i prefer basil in this. or perhaps the oregeno version would work well with a pork chop.

the farfalle pasta was perfect, al dente and the tomatoes clung to the bowtie folds. this simple sauce is made in the time it takes to heat a jar of pasta sauce. try it. it's much fresher and lower in sodium. it was a little on the tart side and that'll depend on the variety of canned tomatoes you get. or you can always go fresh if you're feeling more ambitious. =)

the chard is good as usual. the key with chard is not to overcook it so it gets mushy. it should retain a bit of firm crunchiness to the stalk. tastes fresher this way.


i'ved collected a handful of "sauces" over the years that i now use regularly and can pretty much make blindfolded. i adapt these for different dinners and honestly, it takes the headache out of having to try a new recipe everytime. so when you stumble upon a great sauce, be adventurous and let your creativity take you on a culninary journey. it's quite fun and you friends will think you're the most awesomest chef. haha.

pesce spada alla grigilia con la salsa di giovanna

or in other words, grilled swordfish with salsa di giovanna. sounds fancy huh. while at borders last month perusing as usual amongst the food shelves, i came across jamie oliver's jamie's italy. i have always admired his brash, casual style and wholeheartedly believe in his non-measuring ways. on his late food network show, he tore up herbs by the handful, added "gulps" of olive oil, and just "mashes 'em up." no measurements, or rarely. i cook the same way. i think there's nothing wrong with a few extra garlic cloves, extra swirls of olive oil, and big doses of herbs. i'm into bigger, bolder flavor. and cooking this way forces you to cook by your senses, to experiment with ingredients, and to trust your tastebuds. it's also just so much more fun than following a recipe line by line. it's also a lot faster.

so i picked up oliver's book on amazon (a lot less expensive for a hardback copy) and received it right before my hawaii trip (yes, i'm posting those pics up soon). i've been meaning to get back into italian cuisine for a while now. i think i had just overloaded on pasta over the years and needed a hiatus - and inspiration. oliver's book is chock full of appealing food porn and he has some great storytelling mixed in with the recipes, which are all relatively simple to make and written in his unique, carefree style.

i swung by trader joe's tonite and found some frozen swordfish steaks for $6.99/lb. i immediately grabbed a package from the freezer desparate to relive my first dinner in hawaii last week. shimi's boyfriend, bill, grilled several swordfish steaks marinated in italian dressing and shimi tossed up a salad with fresh avocado, feta, and tomatoes as well as a spicy couscous. it was simply amazing. so tonite's meal is dedicated to shimi and bill in memory of a fantastic hawaiian-fresh meal and who inspired me to face my amatuer fish phobia head on!

after thumbing through oliver's book, i found a swordfish recipe that was very simple in its ingredient list and sounded tasty. scott was on his way over so i asked him to pick up a couple things i didn't have. and without further ado... let's whip up some swordfish!

i first threw some water on the stove to prepare a cup of dry couscous (equals 5 servings according to the box) and finished it up according to directions. i also diced one brown onion and caramelized it in a small frying pan. once done, that was mixed into the fluffed couscous. an easy way to doctor up the usual dry, neutral-flavored couscous, caramelized onions can add both a savory sweetness and moisture to the grains. i highly recommend. you can also add some fresh chopped herbs like rosemary or thyme to give it more punch. or you can be like shimi and add a bit too much spicy hot pepper. =)

while that was going on, i tossed a handful of baby broccoli in olive oil, salt and pepper and threw that into the toaster oven at 450* until just starting to brown. the steaks were defrosted in the microwave, drained and seasoned with salt and pepper. for the salsa di giovanna, i combined the juice of 1 lemon with about 3 times as much extra virgin olive oil (gotta use the premium stuff for this one) and two sprigs of mint and basil chopped. about 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced, followed. this was seasoned with salt and pepper and set aside.

i then fired up a non-stick grill pan on high heat and added a swirl of olive oil. the steaks went down on one side for about 3 minutes and were flipped over for another 3 or so until rare. i was using sashimi grade swordfish, mind you. if you have a lesser grade or less fresh fish, cook til no longer raw. according to bill, swordfish will hold up to the prolonged cooking due to its fat content. so you're in the clear. i like raw fish and jamie oliver says to cook this rare as well. so rare it is!

and the final product, er, plate...

the salsa di giovanna is spooned over the swordfish and creates a moist, lemony, garlicky and minty (in that order) sensation on the palate. because of the meatiness of the swordfish, it withstands the substanial vinaigrette and its bold herbs.

slicing into the steak you can see how it's cooked to rare, an opaque pink color. this leaves the fish quite firm and reminded me much of how seared ahi is usually prepared. i thought it was great but scott would've preferred his more done.

the couscous is a nice, light counterpoint to the fish, and the roasted broccolini is green and crunchy. overall, a very light and healthy, if not a little strong on the olive oil. i think i have conquered my fear of fish! well, maybe at least swordfish. according to oliver's text, you can substitute the swordfish with any large, meaty fish like tuna or shark. oh, i forgot to mention that i did substitute fresh basil for the oregeno called for in the recipe, since scott couldn't find any at albertson's.

for dessert, scott brought an ube cake from the red ribbon bakery next to albertson's.

ube is filipino for taro root which is what colors this soft sponge cake roll.

it was sweet and taro-y. very moist and creamy too.

although it didn't fit the theme of italian for tonite, it was a sweet way to end the meal. thanks scott.

shimi and bill, hope you guys enjoyed this one. mahalo.

eggplant and pork shoulder

have you ever eaten eggplant? how was it prepared? what did it taste like? did you like it?

i love eggplant. i love its texture. i love the way it soaks up all the juicy goodness from the pan and melds those flavors with its own. i love that it can be the main attraction of a meatless dish and yet lend its flavor to the greater good in a lasagna. i love it grilled, sauteed and stir-fried. i love eggplant.

*clap clap clap*

the funky purple eggplant is used widely in asian cuisine. this versatile, spongy-firm vegetable is wok-fried chinese-style drenched with a sweet garlic sauce or stuffed with pork and fried for dim sum, simmered thai-style in a boat of green curry or stir-fried with ground meat and mint leaves, dipped and battered japanese-style as tempura, and makes regular appearances in indian curries and persian stews. it's quite a versatile ingredient.

the eggplant also comes in many shapes, sizes, and colors aside from the ubiqutous large, dark purple american version. check out cook's thesarus, a favorite reference site of mine, for some great pictures and brief descriptions of the many varieties of eggplant and the differences between them.

interestingly enough, as versatile and available eggplant is around the world, i have yet to see american cuisine embrace it beyond the eggplant parmagiana creation. my friend john just mentioned he "doesn't do eggplant. my mom forced us to eat eggplant when we were children so we've been scarred for life." do people really not like eggplant? what's not to like? maybe the mushy texture was off putting. or perhaps the many seeds in the american varietal were too bitter for john's tastebuds. my mom stir-fried eggplant when i was a kid and i loved it. i still can't quite figure out how she made the lusciously soft and fragrant eggplant the way she did without asking her for the recipe, but oh the memories. 3 rice bowls and an empty serving dish later...

so i'm here to share my own eggplant recipe in hopes that you eggplant junkies and you eggplant haters might converge on one extremely tasty veggie. it's hard to write down exactly what i did because i've made this dish so many times i just toss ingredients and seasonings in without thinking. but here it goes...

(note: this dish really isn't for those who are counting calories or have clogged arteries. if you want something more healthy, with eggplant, um... don't eat it. it's not good boiled or steamed and never eaten raw.)

start with 2 lbs. chinese eggplant. (this variant is long and large with a pale purple coloring; it's milder in flavor than japanese eggplant and has less seeds than amerian.) chop into large chunks, exposing as much flesh as possible with your cuts. fry the eggplant in batches in 2-3 tablespoons peanut oil per batch until slightly browned and semi-soft. it will continue cooking in the sauce later. set aside in a dish.

in the same pan, heat another 2 tablespoons peanut oil and drop 4 smashed garlic cloves in the hot oil to fragrant it. don't let it burn. add 1 lb sliced pork shoulder (1/2" to 1" cubes are fine or however you want) and stir fry until rare.

i used pork shoulder in this dish because i couldn't find ground pork at albertson's. well actually, they did have ground pork but it was a ridiculous $3/pound. you can get this at an asian market for less than $1/pound on a bad day. the point is you should never not make a recipe just because you don't have the exact ingredients. it's much more fun to substitute and there's this great sense of accomplishment and creativity.

moving on. while the eggplant cooks, you should quickly prep the following: 1 green bell pepper chopped, 1 yellow onion chopped, 4 scallions chopped into 2" pieces or so, 1/3 bunch of cilantro rough chop.

also prep the following in a bowl: 2 T oyster sauce, 1 T fish sauce, 2 T hoisin sauce, 1 T soy sauce, 2-3 T sugar. (optional for more flavor depth would be slivers of ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced, and chopped thai basil leaves)

add the onions to the pork and stir-fry until translucent. add the peppers and deglaze the pan with a 1/4 cup white wine or rice wine. after a couple minutes, add the sauce, scallions, a few squirts of siracha hot sauce (optional, but great perker upper) and let flavors meld for 1-2 min.

stir in the cilantro last minute...

and plate.

by this point, the eggplant will have cooked down to a soft consistency and absorbed all the wonderful juices of the dish.

the flavor should be savory and garlicky. the pork should be tender and the greens still crisp.

my only criticism in my preparation was that i added the bell pepper way too early so that it was soft and mushy (= bad) by plating time. but the star here really is the eggplant and while it ain't the healthiest way of enjoying it, it sure is one of the tastiest that i know of. who knows, maybe it'll becomes yours too...

roasted baby broccoli and vegetable root chips

so my meatloaf meal from earlier this week has proved to be quite the long-distance runner: i've had enough leftover loaf to feed me for the last 7 meals straight! (that's 3 lunches and 4 dinners for you math geeks out there.) AND, i have enough for lunch tomorrow, dinner tomorrow nite, and lunch again on friday. woo hoo! it's so nice to come home, throw something in the microwave, and have a semi-homemade meal in a matter of minutes. i mean, honestly, i'd love to cook a fresh, tasty meal everynite, but who really has the time or energy nite after nite? at least i'm not having tv dinners. these are "quality" leftovers...

so in the spirit of the food networks' "semi-homemade with sandra lee" series -- a show that i actually cant' stand because of her quasi-perfect soccer mom appearance and deliberate, mom-like speech pattern creating gourmet meals using store-bought staples and sprucing them up with a few fresh ones that seem to take, gosh oh golly, no time at all -- ahem, i decided to spruce up my own "pre-made" meatloaf with a fresh side. the potatoes and greens i made with the original dish were just way to heavy to keep eating without feeling like i had rocks residing in my stomach and i was getting bored of meat and potaotes. so a trip to trader joe's resulted in a package of baby spring mix salad, cliantro dressing, and a package of mexcian baby broccoli. when feeling heavy, eat more veggies.

i decided tonite that i want to explore the effects of a particular cooking technique on different ingredients. my goal is to be able to cook any given ingredient a variety of ways so that i never get bored of having the same ole mashed potatoes or asparagus all the time. having roasted a few spears of asparagus earlier this week, i decided, hey, how about roasting baby broccoli the same way?

thank heavens for toaster ovens. they're perfect for heating/broiling/roasting/toasting small amounts of food, perfect for one to two diners. and you don't have to fire up and pre-heat an entire oven for a small tray of broccoli. i placed a sheet of foil on the pan, tossed on some baby broccoli stalks, drizzled good olive oil, and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. this went into the toaster at 450 degrees. you'll hear the sizzle of oil after a couple minutes and doneness is determined by how "roasted" you want your broccoli. i like mine to be dark green with browning of the flower heads but not over-roasted. this way the stalks are tender-crisp and a hint of sweetness from the caramelizing appears. (i prefer the same technique for asparagus.)

paired with the meatloaf and a handful of salad leaves and dressing, this meal became a quick and easy dinner and felt much lighter in comparison with the heavy potatoes and greens.

but sometimes not having carbs in your meal can screw with your mind. an hour later, i felt hungry again. and although i tried, i couldn't resist opening my 2nd bag of trader joe's vegetable root chips within a week.

i don't eat much junk food but man, these chips are my vice. a TJ's substitute for the pricier (and less tasty) terra root chips, this version contains chips made from sweet potato, sweet potato dyed with beet juice, taro, batata, and parsnips. it is SO GOOD. if i don't literally force myself to stop, i can eat through an entire bag in one sitting. bad.

randomness. one culinary creation i can think of that had the same effect on me was during college where i pan-fried a can of hereford's corned beef hash, microwaved a bag of frozen corn with butter, salt and pepper, and threw all that over a big bowl of rice. and ate it all in one sitting. sad. yet oh so good.

anyway, i'd like to experiment with roasting other vegetables that would make good side dishes using the technique above (with the broccoli, not the hash). any suggestions or personal favorites people?