This is like the easiest summertime salad you could make. I think it may be even easier to make than a green salad. If you like corn on the cob and you don’t like it in your teeth, than make this salad. Riley had the brilliant idea of adding grape tomatoes from our garden. Just cut them in half and toss them in. Thank you again Ina for another “How easy is that?” recipe. Seriously, she says this on just about every one of her shows. Enough already.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network and Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients 

• 5 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

I know as you read the title of this post you’re reminiscing about all those classic Hall and Oates songs; Maneater, Say it isn’t so, Rich Girl. I can’t think of any other band that, when I hear them, brings me right back to the backseat of my parents beat up Subaru station wagon. No, not doing that. Sitting in traffic on the belt parkway, on our way home from another family get together on Long Island. You’ve been there right? You were patiently waiting to hear a good song on the easy listening station your parents are pumping on the crackling stereo only to find salvation in Sara Smile. Thank god! And you jam out in the backseat to yourself. You turn down your Walkmam so you can hear the Daryl belt out “It’s you……and me forever…….sara……”. There’s something about them, am I right? You get that feeling in the pit of your stomach as soon as you turn on one of their albums. It feels…..well, really good. Okay, I think I’m getting a little too hokey here but they really do it for me. And Daryl? Who doesn’t love that guy. What a crazy soulful voice. And John? Well, I’d like to hear who out there loved John with that big ‘ol moustache of his.

Sweet sunglasses and fly locks.

Best album cover......hands down.

We just got back from another enjoyable vacation at the Jersey shore, LBI to be exact. Every year we spend a week at the shore, with the exception of last year (I was 9 months pregnant). So this is my ode to you, misunderstood and under appreciated Jersey. Even though I know I will hit some crazy, slow-moving traffic to get to you, I still get in the car and endure the drive. I know I’m almost there when I ride over the bridge in Edison, see the busted looking movie theater on the left and boats in the bay on the right. Only an hour and a half to go. Should I go express or local lanes? Always local. Jersey drivers zoom by doing 90 but I don’t mind. Bruce is singing about Wendy as we pass the Arts Center and see Foreigner, Night Ranger, and Journey are playing tonight. Night Ranger? Didn’t they sing Sister Christian? I love that song. We are definitely in Jersey. But on we go……getting closer to exit 70 something.

Our house this year is just three houses from the bay (see view above) and across the street is an amazing multi-million dollar home. Who can afford these places? Doesn’t matter that our duplex has ants and ancient air conditioners. We are at the shore and the beach is just a short walk away. Yes, the beach. Soft, white-ish sand, hot as all hell and leading right to the water. The waves aren’t too rough and the water is a warm 72 degrees. The jellies are washing up but that’s okay. Riley collects them in a bucket and keeps herself busy while mom and dad relax by the water’s edge. I see two teenage girls lying by the lifeguard chair, listening to music on a portable ipod player. I remember being that teenage girl, a long time ago, singing, quite loudly, to Red Hot Chili Peppers. Except that was at Seaside. The beach is much different now. Not really the beach but the experience at the beach. It was so nice to nap on the beach, read a magazine even. Instead you’re on high alert and napping is for night-time. You can read your mag on the toilet.

Now its all about winning your kid a stuffed toy. Keeping them busy all day so that they pass out early at night so you can enjoy a glass of wine and an episode of Dateline before you pass out from too much sun and too much fun. I think I may have strayed a bit from my ode but I’ll get back there……Like the food at the shore. How you can I forget the food. All I got to say is 4 lobsters, 2 soft shell crab, 6 crab stuffed garlic clams, 3 corn on the cob, a load of fries….did I miss anything? Slaw too. So good, so fried, so flavorful. Tastes like the beach or the bay or Jersey. I don’t know, it just tastes like vacation. Did I mention the fudge? Yes, of course fudge. No taffy here. Taffy is for people without cavities. Soft, sweet and chocolatey. I could eat the whole 1/2 pound box but instead I share it with the kid. I guess I have to. That would be the nice thing to do.

How can I wrap this up without missing my point? The point being that the Jersey shore is friggen great. Or should I say just okay. I don’t want all five of you reading this to start booking your vacation next year at my potential beach house. If so, go to Seaside. You’ll love it there, I promise. No, leave me LBI with its nice beaches, not too wide, not too narrow. The summer beach house families, friendly and unpretentious. Delicious pizza, a bit pricey but thin crust non the less. Long Beach Blvd, mini golf, liquor stores, and the best breakfast place on the island. But don’t you go there. You stick to Seaside. I promise, you’ll love the clubs there. And they have a boardwalk. You’ll love it.

I made these at the bakery a lot. They are so good. Sooooo moist. Look at all the moist ingredients. Pineapple, apples, raisins……they are delicious. Make them for the kids, for breakfast, for whatever. They freeze well and taste even yummier with a glob of cream cheese. Did I mention they were moist?

Ingredients

• 1- 1/4 cups sugar
• 2- 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 large apple, peeled and grated
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1 cup (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Sift or whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add the coconut, raisins, apple, pineapple, zucchini, carrots, and nuts, and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil and vanilla. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and blend well.

Spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with muffin cups, filling each to the brim. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil (I used Smart Balance)
• 3 cups grated zucchini (unpeeled), use your grater attachment for the Cuisinart, its much faster.
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually beat in oil and sugar. Add grated zucchini, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, mixing well. Gradually blend in flour, mixing well after each addition. Fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips if using.

Pour into greased bundt pan (3 qts.) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour checking with a toothpick for doneness. The toothpick should come out clean and the sides of the bread should start to leave the pan.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes and gently remove to wire rack to cool completely. Serve with cream cheese if desired.

So this is the first disappointing brownie I’ve eaten so far. Actually, I should clarify that. The first disappointing brownie in the Search for the best brownie challenge. I’ve had many bad brownies in my day and for me, this one makes the list. I’m sure many would disagree with me and that’s fine. This is not the kind of brownie that I like to indulge in. If I’m gonna have a brownie it better be chocolatey, gooey, fudgy and impossible to resist. This one was none of the above. It lacked a rich chocolateness due to the minute amount of chocolate and was quite cakey. It was moist, I’ll give it that, but definitely more cake-like. I shouldn’t shoot it down completely. It was a good brownie when used in a sundae, topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. It absorbed the ice cream very well and didn’t have an overwhelming sweetness that would normally overpower the dessert. So if you have a fondness for a cakey brownie or are looking for an excellent brownie for a sundae, this is your bar.

Ingredients (courtesy of Fat Witch cookbook)

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″x 9″ baking pan with butter. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat (or in the microwave), stirring frequently. Set aside.

Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix until well blended.

Sift together flour and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, mixing gently until well combined.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only dry crumbs. Cool on rack for 1 hour before cutting into bars.

Makes 12-16 brownies.

Just the name of this recipe should make your mouth water. This is one of the first meals we ate down at the Zep’s shore house this past weekend and it was, in a word, decadent. And there was no chocolate involved I promise. It was rich and buttery, and the bread was drenched in that mix of egg and milk custard that makes french toast, well, french toast. And on top, soft warm blueberries and toasted pecans. This is a serious breakfast. You do need to soak the bread overnight so that it really soaks up that custard. If you want to make this for a special weekend guest, my advice to you: don’t get too drunk the night before lest you forget to soak your bread and instead be serving cereal for breakfast. Not impressive.

Ingredients

• 12 slices of french bread
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen? are you kidding)
• 1/4 c butter, melted
• 1/2 c brown sugar

Butter a large roasting pan. Lay bread in the pan.

In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and 1 cup brown sugar. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and sprinkle blueberries over the soaked bread. Set aside. On a baking sheet, sprinkle pecans and pour 1/4 cup melted butter over top. Roast in oven for 8 minutes, remove pan and pour over bread mixture. Then mix 1/4 cup melted butter and brown sugar and pour over entire french toast. Increase oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until custard is set. Let it cool for 5 – 10 minutes, cut and serve. No need for maple syrup here.

This is a good one. And you know its good if that’s how I’m starting. It’s fudgy, it’s chocolatey but not too overpowering, it’s chewy, it’s so good. It rivals and I think surpasses the first brownie recipe I posted from King Arthur and I think may have bumped it out of the first place position. I made this recipe for Riley’s preschool graduation Family picnic and a couple moms and one of the teachers raved about it. In fact, they took the remainder of them home. I have yet to find a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated that doesn’t totally satisfy and deliver. Definitely make this one. It will not disappoint. Did I mention its fudgy?

Ingredients

• 1/3 cups Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1-1/2 tsp instant espresso (optional)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp boiling water
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp table salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or 6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips)

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 18 inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8 inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9 inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14 inch length foil and fit into width of pan in th same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in meted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogenous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan sire rack and cool 1-1/2 hours.

Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve.

]]> http://suzyhomebaker.com/2011/07/13/searching-for-the-best-brownie-cooks-illustrateds-best-chewy-brownie/feed/ 0 suzyhomebaker IMG_5581 http://suzyhomebaker.com/2011/07/12/chai-tea-protein-shake/ http://suzyhomebaker.com/2011/07/12/chai-tea-protein-shake/#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:50:58 +0000 suzyhomebaker http://suzyhomebaker.com/?p=1184 ]]>

What a jump from fried food to a protein shake. Gotta have the bad with the good right. This is a tasty treat when you’re trying to avoid a really tasty bad for you treat. It’ll fill you up and it tastes, well, like Chai tea. Drink up.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Oregon Chai slightly sweet Chai Tea Latte Concentrate
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
• splash of skim milk
• cup of ice

Preparation

In a blender mix Chai tea, protein powder and milk. Add ice and blend till ice is incorporated and shake is thick. Drink it.

What else can I say? I’m always trying to find something to do with these yummy, yellow squash blossoms. Nine times out of ten they’ll get fried in some way. And this recipe is no joke. Three ingredients (not including the oil) and they are so satisfying and really addictive. I’ve never seen zucchini blossoms available in the supermarket but you almost always find them at farmer’s markets or farm stands. I paid $10 a pound for these. Sounds like a lot but I bought maybe 16 blossoms for about $2.25. They are light as a feather but once you dip them and fry them you’ll probably only eat 3 or 4 at the most. You’ll want to eat more, but the grease will put a stop to that. Definitely pull out the stamins from the inside and check for little buggers that may be hiding in there. We were so impressed with this batter that we sliced up some onion rings and started frying those up. It’s very similar to tempura batter so a selection of veggies fried up would be nice too. A tip though, dip your rings in flour first so the batter has something to stick to. PS: don’t look at the nutritional value below, you know they’re not good for you why torture yourself. Just be sure to hit the gym the day after.

Ingredients (courtesy of Bon Appetit)