Mushroom Foraging

While walking after a recent rainstorm I spotted a peculiar object on the side of the road- a crazy looking mushroom... a giant puffball! And by giant I mean the size of my head. So intrigued was I with this object that I took a picture of it.

Imagine my surprise when later that day, I came across a New York Times article titled, "Fungus on the Lawn? Let's Eat!" The article encouraged readers to gather the mushrooms growing naturally on their property, and transform them into tasty dishes. Says author Ava Chin, "When I discovered a little softball-size beauty with a pure-white center last week at the College of Staten Island, I turned it into a stir-fry in garlic sauce. Once peeled, edible puffballs resemble buffalo mozzarella, and are rather pleasant."

As the locavore movement steadily grows, people have expressed interest in homesteading: caring for honeybees, gardening... cheesemaking. And while there is a certain type of panache to eating the gifts from the earth that sprout on your own property, frankly, mushrooms can be poisonous. A simple research of mushrooms reveals that while many are edible, there are just as many similar-looking ones that are deadly to eat.

So what's the lesson? Mushrooms are fun to find and look at. They are amusing. But try taking a Mushroom Foraging class before throwing lawn fungus into your soup.

'Round that Time Again

Step outside and take a sniff. No, take a deep wholesome inhale. And what do you smell? Cool, but not frigid air. The scent of red-tinged leaves on the verge of falling from their branches. You smell apples, even though there is not an apple orchard in sight. Autumn is on it's way.

And it is simply inevitable that Autumnal foods: pumpkin, acorn squash, apples, cinnamon and yes, candy, are craved by all. And though it may still be warm enough to take a quick dip in the pool, we start taking all of the fall-y food in stride.

I have posted these Carrot Oatmeal Cookies, courtesy of 101 Cookbooks, before. But as they are delicious, healthy and vegan, I am constantly trying to tweak the recipe to produce the best possible result. They are rich in spices, like ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, and though they do not have a single apple-related ingredient in them, they scream "Fall!" due to their orange hue and cozy maple flavor.

So behold: The Pumped-Up Carrot Oatmeal Cookie
(adapted from 101cookbooks.com)
1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cups chopped hazelnuts

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, oats, carrots and hazelnuts. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the oil, maple syrup, honey and spices. Mix until combined.
Using a cookie scoop, place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about an inch or two apart.
Bake on the top rack for 10-12 minutes, watching closely to make sure the bottoms aren't burned.

Food for Thought...

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway, and congratulations to the winner who will receive lovely non-stick pans from the CSN website!

I currently write a column on how to travel when you are vegetarian on the fantastic travel blog, Farewell Travels. Check out my most recent article, Tour Companies Step Up to the Plate, to see how to travel effortlessly and still eat well! 

Photograph of Chinese Dumplings from Wendy Wu Tours

Giveaway Time!

So the folks at CSN stores happened to contact me to offer a $40 giveaway! The website offers everything from dutch ovens to wine decanters to patio furniture. So how to get this gift?

Simply take a look at the websites www.Cookware.com, www.allmodern.com, or www.csnstores.com, and make a comment below on what you would buy with the $40 gift certificate. 

Happy shopping!

 

Candy Land Cake!

Once again, I have been commissioned to create a cake for a 4-year olds birthday party. The theme? Candy Land!

I wanted to go above and beyond with this cake, so I bought fondant to make a smooth canvas over the chocolate and vanilla flavored cake.

I melted chocolate chips for the Chocolate Swamp, and used Peppermints to create a sort of castle. And of course, it wouldn't be a Candy Land cake without a Gum Drop Mountain Pass!

Without a doubt, every kid at the party left dreaming of a sweet, wonderful world where sugary surprises wait at every corner. At the very least, I hope they left with an uncomfortable, but oh so glorious sugar coma!

"Best" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Anyone who has ever made chocolate chip cookies claims to have the best recipe. Some people swear by their Great Aunt's secret family concoction that has been passed down for generations, while others will always follow the recipe on the back of the Toll House package. Finally, some home-cooks will search for hours on allrecipes.com, scanning the web for the most promising cookie photograph.

But when it comes down to it, the "best" chocolate chip cookies come from the pros. Baking aficionado Jacques Torres to be specific, via the Martha Stewart website if we want to get technical.

The recipe below yields crunchy, chunky chocolate chip cookies that are not overly sweet. I sprinkled large-grain sanding sugar on the raw dough before popping them into the oven because I was feeling snazzy.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the Martha Stewart Website

1 pound unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

4 large eggs

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour

3 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 pounds Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) Chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.

Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Perfect Brownies

Sometimes it seems as though all the good food comes from Europe. France has its beignets, eclairs and crepes, Italy has its tiramisu and gelato, Belgium has its chocolate and waffles. 

And America has what? Fast food burgers and delivery pizza? 

With America's birthday a day away, it is fitting that our country should get more credit for its culinary contributions. Take the brownie for example. This tasty confection originally appeared at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and since then the recipe has been reproduced thousands, (shall I say millions?) of times since, both domestically and abroad. 

This recipe, found on the fantastic blog, Smitten Kitchen, creates fudge-like, dense and delectable brownies, laden with chopped walnuts. While some people are fond of cake-like brownies, I say, if you are going to have a brownie, have a brownie. 

So try Perfect Brownies for a stellar ending to a July 4th barbecue. Serve with strawberries and blueberries if you are feeling patriotic. But frankly, there is nothing more American than a brownie. 

Perfect Brownies

From Smitten Kitchen

10 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cups walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a brownie pan with parchment paper

Combine the cocoa, sugar, butter and salt into a medium sized bowl. Using a double-boiler, melt the ingredients together, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and eggs, beating after each one. 

Stir in flour. 

Stir in walnut pieces. 

Pour the mixture into the brownie pan and bake for around 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.