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WINTER 2012, RECIPE 5: BALSAMIC AND HONEY GLAZED BEETS

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:26:37 -0500

Ahhh root vegetables. I’ve been avoiding them a bit, as they are quite the typical winter go-to. They’re easy; they’re a winter regular. It’s hard to reinvent something that has been done a million times over!

I have to admit, I am a huge canned beet fan. On salad or straight up! I love them. Before trying my hand at this recipe, I had never touched a fresh one in my life. They’re pretty intimidating! Huge leafy stalks, dirt and little hairs? You have got to be kidding me. If you’ve never tried a beet, I always explain their taste as really sweet, delicious and tender piece of dirt (which doesn’t really sell them, I know). The best thing about them: there are so many different kinds that are available anywhere, at any time of the year.

2 medium beets

2 tbs. honey

2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your beets. Give them a good scrub with a soapless sponge or (even better) a brush. No need to peel them! Chop them into chunks, and place in a casserole dish. Drizzle with honey and balsamic. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until tender.

NOTES: You guys! I never want to buy canned beets again! I can’t even begin to explain how easy this is… I popped them in the oven, and before I knew it they were ready. Hot or cold, these are fantastic! I liked having a little extra to save for later in the week, they’re perfect just to snack on with a little goat cheese. If you’re vegan, make these with a little drizzle of agave and it will be just as (if not more) delicious!

WINTER 2012, RECIPE 4: CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES.

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:51:08 -0500

I’m having a really hard time believing that it’s almost Valentine’s Day. Has winter even begun? It feels like just last week I was opening my Christmas presents.

I’ve always been pretty excited about Valentines Day. When a holiday revolves itself around sweets, sign me up. I’ve also been a firm believer that Valentines Day should be about telling everyone you love that you love them, which includes family, friends, and significant others. These days it’s hard to find the time to hand-make something! We want everyones day to be special, and just handing someone store bought chocolates just isn’t enough. Enter: the truffle; a three ingredient recipe (seriously) that will leave your loved ones feeling awesome this coming Tuesday.

1/2 c. heavy cream

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I used chips because they melt easily)

In a sauce pan, heat cream until it’s super hot but not boiling. Pour it over your chocolate chips. Let it sit for a minute, then stir.

Pour into a flat dish and let cool in the refrigerator until it’s hard. Using a spoon or a small ice cream scoop, scoop out chocolate and roll into balls.

Roll the chocolate in your selected toppings! I used toasted almonds, powered sugar and chai cocoa (which is a mix of cocoa powder, cinnamon, powered sugar, nutmeg, cardamom and black pepper).

NOTES: Make sure you don’t boil the cream! It’ll turn a little bitter. After adding it to the chocolate, your mixture should look super glossy—almost oily (see the above picture, it’s just the fats being released from the chocolate!). You can make these days ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator… and experiment with flavors! My chocolate chai truffles were kind of a hit, just sayin’.

Happy Valentines Day!

WINTER 2012, RECIPE 3: CHOCOLATE RED WINE CAKE.

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:51:30 -0500

If there’s ever a time for a good slice of cake (besides a birthday, of course) it’s winter. And I’ll have you know— I do pride myself on making a good cake every now and then. Inspiration for the following came from (eh-hem) the glass of red wine I drink every night. Wouldn’t it be delicious drenched in chocolate and baked, with ice cream on top? Although it doesn’t put you to sleep like my nightly friend, this just may hit the spot after a long days work…

6 tbs. butter

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. white sugar

1 egg + 1 yolk

3/4 cup wine

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1/8 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk room temperature egg whites until they form a peak. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter, sugars, egg yolks, wine and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Fold in egg whites.

Sift in remaining ingredients and combine. Line a 9” cake pan with spray or butter. Pour batter and bake for 25-30 minutes. Once a toothpick is inserted and comes clean, cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan then another 10 out on a cooling rack. Serve with ice cream!

NOTES: I’m pretty surprised just how much this actually tastes like wine, given the amount that was actually put in. Very soft, dark and tasty… perfect for a late winter night. I see this being a perfect finish to a stew or soup, with a nice scoop of fruity sorbet or chocolate swirl ice cream. Sweetened mascarpone cheese would be divine! I’m pretty surprised just how much this actually tastes like wine, given the amount that was actually put in. Very soft, dark and tasty… perfect for a late winter night. I see this being a perfect finish to a stew or soup, with a nice scoop of fruity sorbet or chocolate swirl ice cream. Sweetened mascarpone cheese would be divine!

WTF Wednesday: French Press Coffee How-To

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:44:59 -0500

I love the heck out of coffee. Back in the day when I worked at a coffee shop, there was nothing better than waking up early, biking into work and making myself the biggest espresso drink on the face of the earth. Now’a days, I don’t have that luxury (well, not for free anyway) SO I’ve done a little bit of experimentation. What’s the best home coffee? Anything french-pressed. I’ve received questions every now and then about where to being with french press coffee, so here you go: a comprehensive how-to.

1. Buy a french press: Ikea and Target (where I purchased mine for about $20) have great, great deals on awesome presses. Important things to look for— buy a press that has a solid grate (the mesh part that eventually strains the coffee) that comes apart for easy cleaning!

2. Boiling your water: I love my electric teapot I got for Christmas! I’ll admit, I’m spoiled, but I recommend it if you ever get serious about french-pressing your coffee; most have a “keep-warm” setting that helps out IMMENSELY if you’re running around like me in the morning. Before this, I used a regular tea kettle and tap water!

3. Choosing your coffee: Preferential, really. I love trying different brands and flavors, and everything is intensified with a french press which rules. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: Make sure you grind your coffee very coarse. I don’t have a coffee grinder at home (I just use the in-store machines) and the 2nd to last “coarse” setting works perfectly. If you grind it too much, you’ll have grounds in your whole pot of coffee!

How-to:

Bring your water to a boil. In the meantime, scoop grounds into your french press.

For every cup you’re making, one tablespoon is plenty (though I tend to find myself doing more at times!). Once your water is at it’s peak boil, pour directly over your coffee grounds to fill up your press.

Add your filter over the top (covering the press) and let steep for 3-4 minutes. After you’re steep time is done, press down the filter until it hits the bottom, making sure you grasp the handle— we don’t want to make a mess!

From here, pour out your fresh coffee and FREAKING ENJOY!

I’ve been real busy the past couple weeks with work and...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:30:16 -0500

I’ve been real busy the past couple weeks with work and life. I’ve still been baking/cooking a ton, and next weekend I’m getting a couple new tattoos (!!). UPDATES SOON. For now, follow me on Instagram (ilovecake666) for daily updates on what I’m doing (and of course, eating!).

WINTER 2012, RECIPE 2: CRANBERRY-PEAR COMPOTE WITH FRENCH TOAST

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:35:00 -0500

Nigella Lawson is, and will always be, one of my absolute favorites. Not for her recipes but her simple approach and awesome attitude towards cooking and life in general; recipes will never be prepared the same twice, and that’s ok (I’d like to think there are other, bigger metaphors in that). I saw her make something along these lines (via rerun on Youtube), but switched things up to make it seasonal (trust me, I tried my darndest to find plums!).

French Toast:

4 slices of stale wheat bread

2 eggs

2 tbs. brown sugar

1/8 tsp. fresh nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Pear compote:

1 unripe pear (I used Bosc), sliced

1 tbs. butter

1 c. cranberry juice

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon (ground! In the video she uses sticks, but I prefer ground)

In a sauce pan on medium, stir sugar, cinnamon, butter and cranberry juice until the sugar is disolved. Add pear slices, and turn down to low. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until tender.

For toast, whisk together all ingredients (except for the bread!). Soak each slice of bread for a minute or two on each side (dense french toast is where it’s at). Heat up a griddle, and cook until each side is golden brown. Serve with hot pear compote over the top!

NOTES AND SUCH: Most importantly, use an unripe pear! There really isn’t too many delicious, ripe pears in grocery stores right now (as they are out of season), and this is a great way to use fresh fruit during the dead of winter. In Nigella’s video, she talks about stirring sugar before turning on the heat— to tell you the truth, I’m not sure if that’s a real thing or not (it maybe effects the way the sugar caramelizes? I don’t know!). Maybe next time I’ll test it!

WINTER 2012, RECIPE 1: CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH WHITE TRUFFLE OIL

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:28:04 -0500

Happy holidays and new year! I took this past week off to enjoy the festivities (and eat my weight in sugar daily). And I was absolutely spoiled this year! I think my two favorite things I got for Christmas were my new Instax Mini and a 50mm lens for my DSLR! Thanks Mom and Dad. Anyway, it’s officially winter! I’ll try not to bore you guys with an onslaught of stews and root vegetables.

1 large head of cauliflower

1 onion, chopped

2 tbs. butter

3-4 cups of vegetable broth

White truffle oil, to taste.

In a large pot, saute onions until in butter translucent. Add chopped cauliflower and roast until it starts to brown. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cook until the cauliflower breaks with the touch of a spoon.

Take the soup off of the heat. Using a blender, puree soup until creamy. Put back on the stove to reheat, and add salt and pepper as needed. When serving, drizzle with white truffle oil.

TIPS: Delicious! And so easy… It took me about 30 minutes to make from start to finish, including clean up. Be careful with the amount of truffle oil you use— you only need a little bit (or else it’ll get waaay too strong). WINTER SOUPS, AHOY!

FALL 2011, RECIPE 13: EGGNOG CUPCAKES

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:11:00 -0500

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! It’s the last day of fall, and my last recipe is JUST in the nick of time. SO, I’ve gotten a few requests for christmas-time cupcakes. To me, the holidays equal twinkling lights, pine tree candles, red wine and maybe a glass of eggnog to top the night off. Last year my mom made wonderful homemade eggnog which gave me the inspiration for these! Top with a little bit of cinnamon and you have yourself a wonderful, festive, untraditional dessert…

Cupcakes:

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 shot of rum

1/2 c. eggnog

Frosting:

1 shot of rum

1 c. butter

1/4 c. eggnog

Powdered sugar to taste (I used about 3 cups)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add a third of the dry ingredients to the wet, stopping to add some eggnog/rum. Once it’s all combined, scoop into a lined cupcake pan. For frosting, whip butter, rum and eggnog until smooth. Add powdered sugar in 1/2 c. increments until you achieve desired flavor and thickness! Make sure your cupcakes are completely cool before frosting.

Notes for the coolest cupcakes: CUPCAKES! I love em. Despite the small amount of eggnog added to these, they tasted QUITE like the holiday drink! I think the rum and the cinnamon helped. The cupcakes were delicious, but a little dense. The next time I might leave out a 1/4 cup of flour or so to see if that would help. Other than that, top with a cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Hey! I'm the owner of food porn and just wanted to drop by to tell you that I love your blog lots! Thanks for the submissions! x

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:49:55 -0500

you are too too sweet! thank YOU! feel free to reblog any of my pictures!

FALL 2011, RECIPE 12: VEGAN KALE/PUMPKIN STUFFED SHELLS

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:21:00 -0500

Kale is a beautiful, beautiful green. The amount of nutrients and vitamins in a serving of kale is pretty unbelievable… and I can’t believe I haven’t used it yet, in any recipe. To give the kale-virgins an idea of the taste and texture, I’ve always thought it had the texture and toughness of seaweed, without the salty fishy taste. SO PART II: I wanted to make some vegan italian food with the ricotta I whipped up.

1 batch of Vegan Ricotta

1 bunch of kale

1 box of large-shell pasta

1 1/2 c. pureed pumpkin

2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 tbs. honey

Olive oil (for pan)

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil a pot of water and cook shells til al-dente. Drain and set aside to cool. In the meantime, heat a large skillet with a little olive oil. Cook down the kale leaves until wilted. Add salt, pepper, honey and vinegar. Stir, and once well combined add kale and pumpkin to the ricotta. Stuff shells and place in a baking dish. Add a few dollops over finished tray, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the tops get crispy.

Notes for SUPER SHELLS: these were pretty darn good! Yes- it wasn’t exactly like ricotta cheese. BUT, I will say it wasn’t far off and I felt much better after eating it.. made a quick bechamel (vegan margarine, flour and soy milk!) to top off each dish!

FALL 2011, RECIPE 11: VEGAN CHEESE, RICOTTA STYLE

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:46:59 -0500

I’d like to start by saying: I do tend to have issues with ‘fake’ products. By this I mean soy based ‘meats’ that have a ton of additives, and of course fake cheese. Fake products that are so fake that they end up being bad for you? That’s where I draw the line. I mean, cheese is one of the most beautiful things on earth! And one of my favorite things in general. As a vegetarian, it’s easy to rely on said products and well… real cheese and that’s why I’ve started to give dairy the back seat recently. People (including myself) need to be less afraid of vegan food! This is a 2-part recipe (surprises to come!) so stick around…

14 oz block of tofu

2 tbs. tahini

1 tbs. garlic paste

4 tbs. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. basil flakes

A couple grates of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Drain your tofu. Press it between a clean towel to get all the water out, then place it in a large bowl. With a wooden spoon, smash all ingredients together until well combined.

PART II COMING LATER TODAY!

FALL 2011, RECIPE 10: SPARKLY PERSIMMON COOKIES

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:06:00 -0500

‘Tis the season for a good cookie recipe… and although I absolutely can’t knock the sugar cookie, they get a little old this time of year.

Before this recipe, I had never touched a persimmon. They look too exotic, too foreign sitting there by themselves in the produce section. It wasn’t until did a little research on in-season fruit did I discover little orange guy…

1 large (or two small) persimmons, half chopped and half pureed.

1/2 c. dried cranberries

3/4 c. white sugar

3/4 c. sugar in the raw (for rolling!)

1/4 c. shortening

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. shortening

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. soy milk

1/2 tsp. cardamom powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

3/4 c. roasted almonds (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir your persimmon chunks, cranberries, sugar and shortening until pasty.

Add your almonds, persimmon puree and soy milk. Slowly stir in all dry ingredients until well combined. Scoop teaspoon full balls of dough into your sugar (dough will be very wet). Place on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Notes for perfect persimmon cookies: Cookie recipes like these are exciting; non-traditional yet delicious and festive. There are few recipes that can make one reevaluate the holiday season (at least, the baking side of things) and although I don’t think they’re the best cookies I’ve ever made, there’s always room for improvement. Again, the dough will be very soft but just avoid using your hands! The sugar gives the a nice crunch to the cake-like center. Get going!! Christmas: t-minus 9 days. ALSO: Yep, these are vegan.

FALL 2011, RECIPE 9: WHOLE WHEAT WAFFLES

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:59:56 -0500

There are a few things better than waking up on a Sunday, going grocery shopping early in the morning, and realizing they have waffle irons on sale for less than $10. That said, I decided it was time to make a delicious stand-by recipe for whole wheat waffles. More importantly, I wanted a recipe that I could eat a ton of without feeling too terribly (the holidays.. ya know, they get to us all).

2 eggs

1 1/4 c. milk (I used almond!)

1/2 c. greek yogurt

1/4 c. oil (canola or veggie)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. flax seed

1/2 c. wheat germ

4 tsp. baking powder

1 heaping tbs. sugar

Pinch of salt

In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Slowly add in milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined, then heat up your waffle iron. Feel free to butter your iron, then cook all your waffles!

Notes for wonderful waffles: This is a pretty basic, simple waffle recipe. I topped mine with the cranberry sauce I made around Thanksgiving! Feel free to substitute extracts (I thought almond, hazelnut or peppermint would be delicious) and add in toppings (i.e. chocolate chips, nuts, berries, etc.). I was thinking peppermint waffles with white candy-cane flavored chocolate pieces would be GOOD. Next weekend, maybe?

WTF Wednesday: How do I make homemade coffee syrup?

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:43:00 -0500

I hate to say it, but my day hasn’t begun until I’ve had my cup of coffee. I’ve turned into one of them... One of those sassy “don’t you DARE ask me anything until I have this cup’a joe in me” people. I’m not proud.

Typically, I just go for the plain strong stuff. Little cream, lots of sugar. Every once in a while (and I mean a blue moon), I like a little bit of french vanilla syrup. SO WTF: can I have flavored coffee syrups, homemade-style? Yup. Equal parts sugar and water, boil it down then add your flavoring (vanilla beans, hazelnut or mint extract, etc.).

FALL 2011, RECIPE 8: ASIAN PEAR/GINGERSNAP CRISP.

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:58:06 -0500

Christmas is coming! CHRISTMAS IS COMING! And you don’t want to be that person who shows up at a party with yet another apple crisp. I thought of this idea because of my love for asian pears: they’re in season and a tart, delicious fruit that holds up so well when baking. So, get adventurous (or miss out on something awesome).

3 medium asian pears, peeled, cored and sliced.

About 2 cups of your favorite ginger snaps, crushed (I used Trader Joes’ Triple Gingers!)

3 tbs. unsalted butter

1 tbs. flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Juice from half of a lemon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and . In a large bowl, mix sliced asian pears with flour, salt, honey and spices. Pour into 9x9 baking dish. Melt butter, and pour over ginger snap pieces. Top pears with mixture, then bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Note for the coolest crisp: So simple and delicious. So simple, I’m pretty sure anyone who has absolutely no baking experience could make it! Asian pears work well with the snaps because they’re really mild in flavor (the triple ginger-ness of them made me quite nervous, but it ended up working really well). Serve with whipped or ice cream!

WTF Wednesday: How do I pop healthier popcorn?

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:53:00 -0500

Popcorn is my favorite snack (I know… that’s a bold statement). To boot, I like it best late at night, in my bed while watching a movie (and I pretty much watch a movie every night so this turns into a problem). SO WTF?! How to I make a healthier popcorn, that I can feel ok about eating before bed?

You air pop it. I know what you’re thinking, so I’ll get this out of the way: No, you don’t need a fancy air popper. All you need is corn, a pan and a fitted lid.

Put your popcorn in your pan, put on the lid and turn it on medium-high. Hold the lid tight, then shakeshakeshake. Your popcorn should be done in under 2 minutes (the fact that people spend MONEY on an air-popper kinda blows my mind). Top with salt, nutritional yeast, or anything that suits your fancy.

WTF Thanksgiving: What do I do with my leftover REAL cranberry sauce?

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:51:27 -0500

Everyone has one family member who does it; they use real cranberries instead of the delicious, gelled, can-shaped stuff. And although it’s delicious, I’m sorry but it’s just not right! Thanksgiving day is incomplete without the slapping sounds of canned cranberry sauces hitting the dish. So, WTF: what do I do with leftover REAL cranberry sauce? Strain it, and put it in alcohol.

…And if you’re so adventurous to make it, here you are:

2 c. fresh cranberries, chopped

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. water

In a pot on medium, stir sugar until it turns to caramel. Once bubbling, add cranberries and water. The caramel will solidify, but stir until the water heats up and melts it. Simmer until the cranberries brake down, then strain! Add the syrup to your favorite cocktail to give it a holiday twist.

FALL 2011, RECIPE 7: CHAI TEA

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 09:03:18 -0500

The past few weeks have been busy and things are only going to get worse. At work, I’m training someone and also learning a new job. At home, the holidays are coming up. Things have been stressful and this weekend I was ready to sit back and enjoy some much-needed time off… …and WHAT ELSE could say hello to a Sunday better than a nice warm cup of homemade chai?

3 bags of black tea

1 cinnamon stick

Fresh nutmeg (a couple runs down the microplane)

1 tsp. black peppercorns, slightly cracked (I used a mortal and pestle)

5 whole cloves

1 piece of ginger, about the size of your thumb, peeled

1 heaping tbs. cardamom (powder)

2 tbs. sugar

2 cups of water

2 cups of milk (I used whole because… well, why not)

honey, to taste

In a large pot, mix all dry ingredients (including teabags and sugar) with the water. Bring to a boil, and add milk.

Stir, and let simmer on medium for 5 minutes. Strain liquid once, then strain again but with a coffee filter.

Liquid could take a bit to strain, but give it time. Put your chai back in the pan and let it sit on low until your ready to drink it.

Hi, chai: So delicious! and easy! Here’s the reason why you have to strain twice:

All that spice is gritty and gross. For my second time around, I waited to put the milk in until after the strain which seemed to make things easier. For iced chai: Boil down the mixture until it’s almost concentrated. Cool, pour over ice and add your milk!

FALL 2011, RECIPE 6: OLIVE OIL/LEMON/PEAR BREAD

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:30:00 -0500

There are a lot of reasons why pears are one of my favorite fruits of all time; even as a little kid, I’d let them sit on the counter for far too long ensuring it would end up a drippy, fleshy mess by the end of first bite.

Their velvet consistency and sickly-sweetness have made pears a wonderful baking ingredient which is often overlooked. Maybe it’s because they share a season with the apple? Or maybe it’s because they are typically eaten canned by your grandmother… who knows. ALLS I KNOW: They’re freaking delicious and should be used more often.

1 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. white flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. grated pears (about 2 medium, skin on)

6 tbs. olive oil

1 large egg

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 tsp almond extract

1 tbs. lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

1 tbs. lemon juice

1/2 c. slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan (or whatever size you have). Sift first 7 ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, pears, olive oil, egg, ginger, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Slowly add to dry mixture, and whisk until combined. Pour into your loaf pan, then sprinkle almonds on top. Cook for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean!

Notes for perfect pear bread: WELL my experiment worked… olive oil not only makes things delicious, it dramatically lowers saturated and trans fat! Obviously, I wouldn’t recommend switching it out for, say, cake frosting. But if you’re making cake, quick breads or anything with flour I would highly recommend it! This loaf was super flavorful and quite light!

WTF Wednesdays: Does the "passive cooking method" work?

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:55:00 -0400

It’s all over the internets right now; cooking your pasta perfectly al dente with using less energy. This go-green approach is endorsed by cooks all over the country who swear it creates tastier, less-starchy dishes of pasty over traditional methods. AND, to say the least, I was interested. So, WTF! Does the “passive method” work?

It all starts with a typical pot of water, salt and a little oil (if you so choose). Bring to a rolling boil, drop your pasta in, let it cook for two minutes then turn the heat off and throw a lid on. Let your pasta sit for 4 minutes and voila! Now, I will admit… this not only created some of the best whole wheat pasta I’ve made to-date, it’s great because you really don’t have to keep an eye on it. If there’s one thing I love, it’s things that make my life easier in the kitchen. I’d love to try this on white pasta to see if the starch is out of control…

Cool/Weird Tip: Putting a green tea bag in your boiling pasta water is a great way to alternatively consume antioxidants!