CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

What I don't like about cooking is following a recipe. I have a very short attention span and I find them to be intimidating. But I have this amazing Sunbeam mixer from the 1950's that is black and chrome and purrs just like a car. I am totally obsessed with it and it has been telling me that I need to start baking so I can use it ALL OF THE TIME. So, I have this amazing cookbook that was given to me as a gift: The Barefoot Contessa. I am in love with this book and the woman behind it. Ina Garten is her name and she lives in East Hampton and loves to pack gorgeous shrimp salads when she goes canoeing. How nice. I want to be her.

She has a recipe for chocolate chunk cookies. I decided to attempt this the other night as my very first baking adventure. Her recipe made 40 cookies, so I cut it in half. Now, the reason why I can post this as MY recipe is because I screwed up when I split the ingredients in half. I accidentally forgot to cut in half the baking soda and vanilla.

Because of this, they were not "chunky". They were very thin. This was a bonus because I actually prefer thin cookies over chunky. They were super tasty- and that, my friends, is the beauty of NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

Ingredients...

1/3 Lb of Butter
2 Cups of Flour

1 Cup of Granulated Sugar

2 Tablespoon of Vanilla

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 Egg

1/2 Cup of Ghiaradeli Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I mixed the butter and sugar in my Sunbeam mixer (the best thing ever) until it was creamy. Then I slowly added the vanilla baking soda, salt, and egg. Once it was completely mixed, with a wooden spatula, I folded in the chocolate chips.

This is yet what I need to still figure out. So, thinking that my cookies were going to be chunky I made little balls and put them on a cookie sheet, like you normally do when you make cookies. When they were cooking in the oven, they pretty much melted down into one huge cookie. So, next time I will save my time and forget about making little balls and maybe just do it brownie-style in a glass dish.

IF THIS DISH WERE AN OUTFIT

Comme Des Garcons

PROCUITTO PIZZA & ASPARAGUS SALAD WITH ALMOND GOAT CHEESE BALLS

PIZZA

For pizza dough recipe, look at the post from yesterday about Thanksgiving bread. And leave out the garlic if you want. I did.

Ingredients...

Procuitto
Roma Tomatoes
Red Onion

Mozzarella

Garlic
Olive Oil

This is my new favorite food to make. The tricky part for me is getting the dough nice and thin and round; perhaps a rolling pin would be a good purchase instead of using a glass (don't do that at home). But, yes, you want to get your dough thin, as thin as you can get it and it doesn't have to be round, of course. I am still trying to figure out the topping situation. I shredded a TON of mozzarella cheese and after basting some olive oil onto my almost round shaped dough I started with the cheese. Followed by the sliced Roma's then red onion and garlic, more cheese, prosciutto, and topped with cheese. The pizza was awesome. Thin and crispy but the juices from the tomatoes made the dough a tad soggy. It really didn't matter though but I think next time I will put the tomatoes on top? We'll see. Super easy, super delish, and cooked in the oven for 45 minutes (Note: my oven is over 60 years old and is kind of slow- to be nice). I would think if you have a oven that works that preheating it at 400 would be fine. Mine was at 550 degrees and after 45 minutes the temperature was at a whopping 350 degrees. So vintage.

SALAD

Ingredients...

Mixed Garden Greens
Goat Cheese
Almonds
Asparagus
Balsamic Cream
Butter
Salt

I first made little balls of goat cheese and rolled them in crushed almonds. Then I sauteed some asparagus in butter and salt. Once cooked, set aside to cool down. Mixed greens tossed in balsamic cream, add the asparagus and top with cheese balls.

IF THIS DISH WERE AN OUTFIT:

John Galliano

BRAIDED GARLIC THANKSGIVING WREATH

Ingredients...

1Packet of Yeast

3 Cups of Lukewarm Water

1 Tblspn of Sugar

2 Tblspn of Salt

2 Tblspn of Honey

Pinch of Baking Soda

1Bulb of Garlic

1 Egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn on the water and wait for the perfect lukewarm temperature. Add the yeast and the honey and set aside for 5 minutes. Next add the salt and sugar and stir slow. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl mix the flour and baking soda and make a well in the center. Pour your yeast mixture in the well and mix well with a wooden spoon. Once it gets too dense to use the spoon, take dough out onto a floured surface and start to knead with your hands. Kneading is the most important part in bread making. The yeast is like the heart and you need to pump it to keep it alive.

Once the oven is hot, throw your bulb of garlic in. Once garlic is warm and soft, peel it and fold the cloves into the bread while you knead it.

Roll dough into a ball and place in a large bowl with a wet linen on top and let it sit over night. You don't NEED to do this but it is what I always do, and the longer it sits the more sourdough flavor it gets. If you happen to not turn out the light the same time as your bread and notice it doubles in bulk, punch it down and take it out to knead for another 10 minutes.

On Thanksgiving morning I preheated the oven to 450 degrees. I then took my dough and kneaded it again for another 10 to 15 minutes. Then I split it into 3 pieces. Twisting each piece about 15 inches long. And then I braided them and joined the ends together to create a wreath.

Place onto an oiled sheet pan. After it has been baking for about a half of an hour, take it out and baste an egg on top to give it a gorgeous glaze.

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Lanvin

NOVEMBER IS THE NEW AUGUST

Ingredients...

Yellow Fin Tuna
Artichoke Hearts
Grape Tomatoes
Red Onion
Avocado
White Wine
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Powder

In a small pan, I cooked artichoke hearts in a cup of white wine and set on a slow low heat and sprinkled salt from time to time while I flipped them occasionally.

In a bowl, I mixed a can of yellow fin tuna that had been soaking in olive oil with grape tomatoes, sliced red onion and a dash of garlic powder for good luck.

This is a petite dish. Small plate: Sliced avocado with salt and pepper on top. Nice couple of spoonfuls of the tuna salad and topped with the white wine artichokes.

This would be perfect in August, but will do fine for lunch in November.

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Lie Sang Bong

EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS ONLY FOR NOW

And, so therefore, it is good to start the morning off right. I have found that the mind is much sharper when spinach is consumed first thing. This breakfast is nothing special and it has even been posted before.

Ingredients...

2 Eggs
Handful of Spinach
Garlic
Olive Oil
Salt

Large pan, high heat, drizzled olive oil. Throw some freshly chopped garlic in there. Let it brown a bit for a minute or two. Crack 2 eggs. Don't touch, let them sit still for 30 seconds. Then gently crack the yokes. Sprinkle some salt. Move the eggs a bit but try not to tear them. Spinach on top and cover so it can wilt a bit, but not too much, unless you like slippery spinach. Time to fold. Try your best, it is a tough battle sometimes trying to succeed at that omelette style.

It is a tough battle sometimes just trying to succeed.

IF THIS DISH WERE AN OUTFIT

Barbara Bui

TODAY AT PREEN: SIMPLE SALAD

Ingredients....

Spinach
White Onion
Avocado
Romano Cheese
Sunflower Seeds
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

This is a light and healthy one. Tossed in a bowl and out the door for fashionable men and woman who are on the go.

IF THIS DISH WERE AN OUTFIT

Agatha Ruiz De La Prada

SLOW ROAST

Sunday's dinner was a slow roast of a chicken and a healthy medley of asparagus and cherry tomato in a white wine reduction.

Ingredients...

1 Chicken Whole
2 Bulbs of Garlic
Recycled Chicken Oil
Mediterranean Rosemary
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper

Asparagus
Cherry Tomatoes
1 Cup of White Wine
Teaspoon of Olive Oil
Sprinkle of Surgar
Salt to Taste

I want to make this my fall Sunday tradition. At around 4:30 in the afternoon I made a fire and I took a whole chicken and placed it in a glass dish. I smothered it in recycled chicken oil and showered it with Mediterranean rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. The oven was preheated to 400 degrees and I took 2 whole bulbs of garlic with the ends cut and placed them right inside of the chicken.

This cooked for over 2 and a half hours. Keep in mind my oven is from the 1950's and it is never really accurate.....

In a large pan I drizzled some olive oil and had the dial on high. I sauteed my asparagus and cherry tomatoes. With sprinkles of salt and sugar I then poured a cup of white wine and turned down the heat. Once the wine was reduced to about 50% I knew they were done.

Don't forget to take that luscious garlic from the chicken to add to your vegetable medley.

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D & G

THIS IS WHAT YOU DO IN THE AFTERNOON OF THE SABBATH

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients...

6 Dates
Bacon

On a chilly night wrap tight a slice of bacon around a lonely date. Place on a sheet pan at 400 degrees. Enjoy with a glass of deep red wine.

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Carlos Miele

DON'T EAT THIS AT HOME

Fried Mashed Potato Cakes.
Makes 3.

Ingredients...

Left Over Mashed Potatoes
Gorgonzola Crumbles

1 Egg Whisked
Bag of Flour
Olive Oil

This recipe needs not to be repeated. It is the starch that I love and it is the starch that never lets you down. But, it kind of did tonight. I thought I could make little fried mashed potato cakes but it ended up as fried potato mush.

I added the Gorgonzola to the cold left over potatoes, whisked an egg in a bowl, and threw some flour in a bag. Tried (desperately) to make small patties then dipped in egg and then in the flour. They pretty much immediately fell apart but I believe in perseverance.

In a large sauce pan I had about a half of an inch of oil cooking on high heat. Big mistake. If you DO try this at home, don't use so much oil. Browned on both sides and kind of ready to eat. They were still kind of grubbin and I actually ate every bite. But, I will not be making this any time again in the future.

NOTE: EXTREMELY EXPERIMENTAL! Made 2 cakes this way and then the third I mixed the egg in with the potatoes and then floured them before soaking them in the oil. This seemed like the way to go if you were going to actually attempt this. They looked great though, looked real light and fluffy, identical to this gorgeous McQueen dress below. Who would have known. ...

IF THIS DISH WERE AN OUTFIT

Alexander McQueen