Almond Anise Biscotti

My elementary school art teacher taught me the word "kick". No, she didn't kick us... but she did teach about "short-lived obsessions." This is the best I can do to describe a "kick" if you haven't heard it in context. She was a little wacky as all fantastic elementary art teachers should be and she would announce each time she had a new kick. Her kicks were ever changing and comprised of colors, animals, or even words. But my kicks tend to revolve around an ingredient, or type of food. I've been on muffin kicks and homemade bread kicks, but not until recently have I been dreaming of biscotti. I'd say it's a kick in the making.

I had this biscotti recipe bookmarked for a really long time. I'm guessing about a year. Strange as it seems, I was a little perplexed by biscotti. They are basically twice baked cookies if Italian origin and you enjoy them with your coffee. It's like an adult version of cookies and milk. M really likes biscotti, especially if it has a hint of anise. I have not had many biscotti in my day which may be the reason I never made them until now. I used a recipe only slightly adapted from Dorie Greenspan. They have cornmeal, which gives them a chewy factor along with the crunch. When I make the next batch, there are some proportions I should follow versus following the recipe so closely. The cookie should be a little higher and thinner. I argued that I followed the 3/4 inch direction, but M says higher and skinnier. I'll also try a completely different flavor combination too.

Short and fat, or tall and skinny, they taste nice.  They are not overwhelmingly anise-y or I'd have left them all for M. I think I'd take it up another two notches or use anise oil next time for a more intense flavor. Dipping in chocolate is a necessity, and M found by accident they are delicious frozen. I hope to share more biscotti recipes with you soon... especially if this kick really evolves into something tangible.

Almond Anise Biscotti
adapted from Baking from My Home to Yours

1 1/2 C  + 2T flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C yellow cornmeal
1/2 C butter
3/4 C sugar
2 tsp anise seed
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
3/4 C sliced almonds
1 drop anise oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Mix flower, baking powder, cornmeal, salt in a medium bowl.
In a mini food processor or blender, mix anise seed with half the sugar. Blend until the seeds are broken up and the sugar starts to smell faintly of anise.

Cream butter in a mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and anise sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and make sure to scrape the bowl a few times. Add extract and mix in. Mix in the flour on low speed until almost incorporated. Add the almonds and mix until incorporated.

On a silicone mat lined baking sheet, form the dough into a 12" long log. Alternately, you can make two 12 inch logs side by side. Log should be about just over an inch high. Bake 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board. Slice the dough into 1/2 inch pieces - no need to discard the ends! Set them back on the baking sheet with a little room in between each (top should face up). Bake for 15-20 more minutes or until the edges are golden and firm. Cool on a rack and store airtight.

For the Chocolate
Melt 6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave.
Dip half of the cooled biscotto (singular) into the chocolate and set on a silicone mat or parchment to harden. Store in an airtight container or freeze. You can also leave them out if you really want them to get crunchy - they will last a week or so without freezing.

Rosemary Focaccia

I recently planted an herb garden in window boxes on our deck. We get fantastic sunlight in our neighborhood and there were some leftover hangers begging me to use them. (If you didn't know, San Francisco has crazy microclimates and it can be foggy in one neighborhood and two blocks away really sunny.) Finding boxes that were the correct size was quite a feat. I think it took me two trips and M one trip to find one that fit the width and length of the ancient hangers. I planted Rosemary, Italian Parsley, Cilantro, Sage, Thyme, Mint, and Oregano all from little starter plants. So far I have only managed to kill the Oregano and I'm crossing my fingers on the rest which are no where close to plant death. I also planted basil from seeds and they are beginning to sprout!

While M's parents were here they also helped us clear out the backyard (shared by 4 units and not actually used by anyone) and build a raised bed. This is going to be an interesting learn-to-garden experience. At most, I've grown peppers and tomatoes in pots, and helped my grandpa harvest tomatoes when I was little... maybe this previous experience will inspire my green thumb.... 

Our yard was really really overgrown. One side has pavement and tons of leaves, the other has a mixture of weeds, overgrown shrubs, and hidden flowers. The weeds and grasses were reaching almost 18 inches in height. We would have received a "notice" if living anywhere where the backyard was visible to the public... thankfully we have an 8' fence surrounding us! Oh, and I should mention we just rent so maintaining the yard is technically not our responsibility! So, while my in-laws were digging around in our backyard, they found a healthy, mature rosemary plant (among other treasures I'll share later). This is where the rosemary for the focaccia came from.

I know I posted about Rosemary Focaccia once before, but that was long ago when I was new to the blogging world. I actually used the same basic recipe as before, but changed the ingredients slightly. I'll add the new recipe to this post. I can't wait for more fresh herbs this spring/summer. Do you have any great recipes for herb bread? Or herbs of any kind, I'm hoping to have enough to share. 

Rosemary Focaccia
adapted from a recipe by John Ash, From the Earth to the Table

1/4 C olive oil - good quality (plus more for the top)
1 1/2 C warm water (110˚-115˚F)
1 T + 1/2 tsp yeast
3 3/4 C a.p. flour
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 T chopped Rosemary

Stir the yeast into the warm water in a large bowl. Let it stand for about 5 minutes until it gets bubbly. Mix in the oil, flour, and salt. Knead until smooth (about 10 minutes). Coat another clean bowl with olive oil and coat your dough too. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm area for 1 1/2 hours (or doubled in size). Punch down the dough and prepare a 12x17 pan with olive oil. 

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Stretch the dough across the entire pan making sure to keep it even. Dent the dough with your fingertips and cover with a tea towel. Let it rise again for about 15 minutes. Dent the dough again and add about 1/2 C more olive to the top making sure to spread it evenly. Use a pastry brush to spread the oil if you need. Pooling in the dents is welcome, your rosemary will have a nice hot tub. 

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle the rosemary on top. Bake for 10-12 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Enjoy warm! 

Additional topping ideas: Sliced black olives (one of my favorites in Italy), Rosemary + Garlic, Kosher/Sea Salt, Pizza Sauce, Golden Raisin, Green Onion   

Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

I'm going to tell you first that I don't really like cheese flavored snacks. I was never a fan of goldfish crackers until they made the parmesan cheese flavor - and even those I would never buy. I don't like cheez-its either. Yellow cheese and I are not great friends. I have eaten more recently (meaning the past 5 years) in an attempt to be less picky and compromise on sandwich cheese with M. After all, we don't need to store multiple cheeses in the fridge or they get moldy too quickly. I like most other cheese, even the smelly ones. I've also grown to like bleu cheese, thanks to our good friends at Williamson Winery. It will be hard to forget Bleu cheese on top of Irish Cheddar with a little drop of honey. mmmm. 

Now that you know my history of cheddar cheese dislike, you may be asking why I chose to make cheese crackers for the Easy Bake cOven recipe of the month.... I could have made home made oreos or pop tarts. Home made graham crackers should have come before goldfish crackers as well! Fortunately for me, there was a block of neglected cheddar cheese in the fridge calling my name. It started to look a little frosty on two edges so I cut those pieces off and put the rest to good use. (yeah yeah, but all cheese is mold right?)

M and I eat a lot of crackers. They are a good snack to pack with lunch, and are good to munch on when we get home from work if we won't be cooking for a while. The whole wheat version of a goldfish cracker was pretty tasty. They puffed like goldfish (though I wasn't as interested in creating an exact replica as Smitten Kitchen). They had a nice crispy exterior, and as Nicole mentioned when she picked the recipes, you can control every ingredient that goes in. 

The recipes we used all came from Smitten Kitchen. The version I made using 100% whole wheat flour. I don't know that I need to try these with all purpose flour, but I imagine the AP flour version tastes slightly more like the original. Give them a try yourself! They are quick and cheap to make, and your children may love them! 


Whole Wheat Cheese Crackers

1 1/2 C cheddar cheese coarsely grated
4 T butter
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse a couple of times to incorporate. Mix for two minutes or until the dough forms a ball and sounds like it might break your machine. Immediately roll into 1/8 inch thickness (if I did these again I'd make them slightly thinner). Cut with any shape cookie cutter as long as it is easy to eat. (I used a 1 1/2" biscuit cutter). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet as close as 1/4" and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Cool on the pan for 30-45 minutes. Remove and store air tight. 

Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is one of those tasks you either love or dread. If you have no idea what you need, you might dread walking up and down every aisle, but if you are prepared and have a game plan grocery shopping can be great. 

One of my favorite grocery stores in San Francisco is Rainbow Grocery Coop. While only supporting the vegetarian needs of the community (they don't sell meat) they have managed to make organic produce and bulk items affordable. They have everything from bulk herbs and spices, to grains, chocolate, peanut butter, honey, and every specialty oil imaginable. It is definitely a fun and cheaper way to try out new products (like the the dried refried bean mix I bought). Purchasing in bulk I also find fulfilling. Less waste from plastic and cardboard packaging, and you get to store everything in pretty jars when you get home. 

So how do you shop? I usually never go without a list or I end up buying things I don't need but can't remember if I have. Knowing what you need is essential in sticking to a budget and not over-buying. It will also help keep you from purchasing snacks and other products on SALE that supermarkets intentionally place in your path to get you to buy! 

I keep a magnetic notepad on the fridge and write daily the items we run out of or items I need for a specific meal. You could also try these spectacular notepads from Knock Knock with all the basics. Knowing what you need is step one. Then you just need to remember to bring your list and re-usable bags to the store with you! 

The best way to circulate a grocery store is first to shop the perimeter, then move in to the aisles. On the perimeter, you will find Produce, Dairy, and Meat. If you fill up your basket with fresh and healthy products first, you will have less room for cheetos and chips later. I also like to limit which aisles I shop. I steer clear of the snack aisle and stay near the canned beans, rice, and tomatoes. I actually find the aisles in the middle of the store overwhelming, so having a list helps me navigate to the items I know I need rather than staring at a shelf full of salad dressing trying to find best possible deal. 

On my last outing to Rainbow, I may have bought slightly more veggies than we need, but we are trying to eat less meat. For all of the items you see in the first picture (minus the eggs and yogurt because I forgot to set them out), I only spent $100. This is more than enough to last M and I two to three weeks. I have our staple items like fruit, rice, beans, lettuce and potatoes, but I also bought some fun items as well. At Whole Foods or Safeway for the same organic ingredients, I would have spent at least 20% more. 

If you don't know how to stock your kitchen, Real Simple has a great checklist for you. Listing ingredients by Pantry, Refrigerator and Freezer. Happy Grocery Shopping Everyone! 

A Delightful Trio

I love avocado. I tend to over-use the word love (and I sometimes "hate" things I only dislike) but I do love avocados. Their skin is beautiful deep purple and slightly lumpy. They fit perfectly in your palm while you slice them. Their flesh is silky and vibrant green and I will eat them plain, entirely plain. 

Since moving to land of Avocado (aka California) I have adapted very well to eating almost everything with it. Likely anything on the menu that is "California style" has avocado on it. We even add avocado to BLT's, which you must try if you haven't. Within a couple of months of living here, I had developed my signature Guacamole. It's the perfect amount for a dinner for two, and can be scaled easily to feed more people. 

This year, the Superbowl happened to fall on one of the warmest days of winter! It was close to 80˚ outside when our normal highs are around 55˚. We hosted a small party and probably spent more time in the kitchen and on the deck than watching the game. Ok, so maybe that was me and some of the other girls, but it was so hard to escape the sun! I made the guacamole as usual, and created a black bean and corn salsa and a pico de gallo for fun. All three were delicious and almost completely gone by the end of the night. Fresh salsas are really quick and simple and you can spend less than you would on sauce in a jar. And they're FRESH! If you can slice a tomato, you can make fresh salsa. (If you can't slice a tomato, maybe you should call me for a lesson). 

Guacamole
serves 2
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 T minced onion
juice of 1/2 of a lime
2 T diced tomato (optional)

Mash the avocado with a fork in a small bowl. Mince the garlic, or use a garlic press and add it to the avocado. Mince the onion and mix it in. Add the lime juice and salt and stir until combined. Adjust salt to taste. Add tomatoes to the top and serve. (Double everything for additional servings). 


Black Bean and Corn Salsa 
serves 4-6
1 15oz can low sodium black beans drained and rinsed
3/4 to 1 c fresh or frozen corn (if frozen - bring to room temperature and drain)
1 jalapeno seeded and minced (add seeds if you like spicier salsa)
1/4 c red onion diced
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and let sit for at least one hour before serving. 


Pico de Gallo
serves 4
4 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
1/4 C diced red onion
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and let sit for at least on hour before serving. 

do you know Sweet Paul?

I just learned about Sweet Paul today via the lovely Decor8 blog. If you haven't hear of Sweet Paul before, you should definitely take a minute to check it out. They just released their Spring 2011 Magazine which is full of kid friendly crafts and foods. Here is what they have to say about their magazine:


"Sweet Paul magazine is based on Paul Lowe's wildly successful blog Sweet Paul, which ranked 22nd in the London Time's Top 50 Best Design Blogs. With over 100,000 hits a month Sweet Paul has become a regular read for editors, stylists and foodies all over the world. Paul's motto is "chasing the sweet things in life" and the magazine sure lives up to that. It will be filled with easy and elegant recipes, fun and stylish crafts, entertaining ideas, shopping tips, up and coming crafters and so much more." 

 One of my favorites - Hand Talking Tattoos from Hand Talking Hands A+R 

Why do I love it? It's a web based publication (although you can order a printed copy if you desire) which you can download, or "clip" pages from. It is full of beautiful, elegant photography and simple and inspiring recipes. I've added a few of the Spring pages here but you should check out the 128 page issue! Also, be sure to read the back issues beginning in Spring 2010 and the blog! 


p.s. I'd like the dog on the blog cover... please feel free to hand deliver a puppy at any time! 

The Gravy Stops Here

I've mentioned before I have a mild affection towards biscuits. When I made biscuits a while ago, I tried to figure out why. Maybe you have lovely images of your grandma in the kitchen on a Saturday morning rolling and cutting biscuits, flour dusting her floral apron... My image is slightly different, possibly even frightening.

We used to eat Biscuits and Gravy fairly frequently growing up. I know, this meal is extremely terrible for you, but it's what we did. You could call it a tradition. (My grandpa also used to feed us popcorn and milk which I'll try to explain another time). We didn't have home made biscuits, and if we did, we didn't have them often enough for me to remember. We had biscuits in those scary peel and pop cans. They scared you too. Don't deny it. Just the thought of peeling back one of those corners made my blood pressure rise. I was actually thankful those times the "pop" didn't happen and you had to smack the can on the corner of the countertop to open it. 

I can't remember the last time I had biscuits and gravy. I can't bring myself to eat them anymore because all I can think about is the gravy slowly clogging my arteries. For now, I'll take my biscuits with Honey or Apple Butter. yum.

I'm going to try and be that grandma someday....