Elle's New England Kitchen

I asked the Random Integer Generator to do it's magic thing, and it chose #16 out of all of the magazine giveaway entries.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

16

Timestamp: 2008-09-30 04:08:20 UTC

Who is #16?

Vicki said... 16

Oh, those bars look so simple and delicious!

Happy Birthday!

Congratulations, Vicki! I'll get your subscription ordered right away. (I'll email you for your address.)

Thanks to everyone, for your entries and birthday wishes!

I love holiday baking! And I start to plan what to make way before Christmas--just like I start dreaming of snow in July. (Really, I do! I know, I'm a freak.) So I thought I'd start a weekly series of the things I'm planning to make, along with some of the things I make every year.


This is one that I've had filed away for a few years, but I never got around to trying it. I don't know what I've been waiting for! These are so easy. Even easier if you use a food processor. They're a basic shortbread, so if you're looking for a sweet cookie, these aren't going to do it for you. But if you love shortbread or know someone that does, give these a try! You make the dough right in the food processor, knead it a few times to get it all together, pat it out on your baking sheet and cut them into little squares. So easy! The only problem is that they're teeny, and so easy to pop in your mouth...so watch out, hehe. You could also change the colors of the sprinkles for different occasions.

I also had some chocolate calling to me from my (not so) secret stash of goodies, so I figured I'd melt some and dip a few of the cookies--give them a bit of chilling time in the fridge. Mmmmm, those were good, too! But if you decide to do that and give them away, they need to be chilled or in a cool place. Next time, I think I'd add some mint extract to the chocolate.



Elfin Shortbread Bites
from Simply Homemade Food Gifts

1 1/4 cups flour
3 TB sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 TB red and green sprinkles

If using a food processor, pulse the flour and sugar until blended.
Add in the butter until it all resembles fine crumbs.
Add the sprinkles and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. (Don't overdo it, or the dough will turn pink from the red sprinkles. Trust me on this one.)
Remove to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough forms a ball.
Pat the dough out into an 8x5 inch rectangle on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares, and separate them on the baking sheet. (A bench scraper works really well for cutting them.)

If you're not using a food processor, mix the flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until you get fine crumbs, stir in the sprinkles and knead until smooth. Continue with cutting and baking the cookies...

Bake at 325 for 12-14 minutes, and then transfer the cookies on the parchment to a cooling rack.
Store in a tightly covered container at room temp for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

This is supposed to make about 160 little cookies. Huh? In what universe, I'd like to know. Maybe I made mine gigantic at about one inch each, but I got about 90, both times.

As with any shortbread, these get better every day. If they manage to last three days, they'll be even better!

Edit on Tuesday to add: I just chowed down about 10 of these (I told you, they're dangerous.) and they have improved, like shortbread always does. The flavor of the butter is more pronounced as is the small amount of sugar in these. I love shortbread!


Next week's holiday recipe? Well, I'm not sure yet, but it'll be good. :)

Well it's September 29th, and time to announce the three gelato package winners! And it was no easy task. I so wish I could give something to each and every one of you that took the time to leave a comment. But since I can't, I'll just have to keep having more giveaways, right?

Since it was so tough to choose three winners, I asked Erin from Ciao Bella to help me out. Thanks Erin! And while I'm thanking her for helping me choose, let me thank her here again for putting this whole thing together, along with everyone at Ciao Bella for sponsoring this.

Be sure to check out their site for flavor updates and where to find your favorite ones!




Here are the winners!

April in CT said... 8

My first gelato experience was when we lived in Charleston, SC about 6 years ago. I saw a segment on our local news about Paolo's Gelato downtown and it looked amazing. I HAD to try this stuff! At that time I'd never even heard of gelato so I was on a mission. I convinced hubby we needed to go so we printed our directions and we were off. How unfortunate that we couldn't find the darn place! We drove around and around..and around with no luck. I felt so defeated as we decided to head back home. Oh, but what did I spy out of the corner of my eye but the VERY tiny side street (with NO street sign, no wonder we couldn't find it!) Paolo's was located on! I nearly fainted..seriously. We circled around until we found a parking spot and this little shop was amazing. I'd never seen anything like it with so many flavors and they were all so pretty. I had strawberry and hubby had pistachio as we walked around downtown and window shopped.

I'm definitely looking for this at the grocery store and blaming it ALL on you when I buy some! LOL

***Because she and her husband drove all over town looking for this tiny, out of the way place--just to have a taste of gelato. (Good thing gas was cheaper then!)

Zen Chef said... 50

The original Ciao Bella store is on Mott Street in New York city and i used to live on the same street a few blocks down. Some people have spiritual rebirths, mine was an ice-cream rebirth and it was called Gelato. I started counting the days after that first bite and i'm proud to say, next spring i'll be 7 years old in Gelato years... That first bite of vanilla bean gelato was so perfect I felt in love with the innocent girl behind the counter. Poor girl! Needless to say it wasn't reciprocal. She probably quit because of me. There was the subway station around the corner from my apartment... or the one 5 blocks away where i would have to walk by the tiny shop on my way to work. Guess which one i would use the most?

***Willing to walk five NYC blocks to have a Ciao Bella Gelato fix. That's dedication!

Grace said... 18

sad news, elle--i've never had gelato. i suppose you could say i haven't lived. :)

***Now you can start living, Grace!

Thanks to all of you for playing along and entering!

Oops! Time completely got away from me and I ran out of time. So sorry, fellow Daring Bakers! I'll be back next month!

Happy Thursday! I have a couple of thoughts in my head, and need to get them out. Too much rattling around in there.

The first is addressed to the Patriots fans that had the balls to boo the team and leave the stadium before the end of last Sunday's game. What were they thinking? We have been spoiled by being lucky enough to have Tom Brady go this long without any huge injuries. And here are just a few of their stats:

1963, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Thank you Rauzulu's Street for those stats.

The Patriots also have a record 21 regular season game winning streak, just broken on Sunday. So they have a bad day, and these spoiled rotten fans in the stadium jump ship and disrespect the team that has given New England so much these last years.

You guys suck. What happened to supporting your team? Do you think booing them makes them mad so they'll work harder and win? No, it's a slap in the face, and I'm embarrassed for you. Everyone's trying to be first to show up to the Super Bowl celebration parade through Boston, but one loss and they're jumping ship.

I for one, will proudly wear my official Belichick hoodie and watch every game, and cheer for my team, win or lose. They've worked so hard for us, and it's time for us to step up and support them.

My husband says I take football too seriously, hehe. Funny, right? A husband telling his wife she takes football too seriously. hahaha! He teases me and says we should now pick whatever team is doing best and root for them.

I think he almost felt the daggers from my eyes boring into his very soul.

And I know, a lot of people hate the Patriots and Belechick. But don't hate me for loving them--they're my team!

Rant #1 over. hehe!



Next up--rude 4 year old kids. Sitting in the dentists waiting room yesterday, waiting for my daughter to have some stuff done. There's this little boy there no older than 4, maybe a young 5. He is wreaking havoc in the toy area, tossing stuff around and being loud, like a 4 year old boy will do. I'm fine with that. But his mom, instead of sitting right near him and quietly telling him to behave, is sitting directly behind me, and YELLING across the entire waiting room "Gavin, knock it off!" "Gavin, cut it out!" You get the idea.

So then little Gavin--with a cherub face--comes walking over to where I'm sitting. Down a few seats from me is a man, minding his own business and waiting with his young daughter. Gavin comes around to this guy and looks up at him. I'm thinking he's going to say hi or some other sweet little thing.

No. No, no, no and no.

He looks up at the nice man and says "Hi douchebag!"

Knock me over with a feather. I gasped, and loudly. I was shocked! The man was so taken aback, that he didn't know what the heck to say. We looked at each other and gave the silent "WTF?!"

Did his mom say anything? Keep in mind, she was right behind me, so there's no way on God's green Earth that she didn't hear him. So did she say anything to sweet little Gavin?

Not. One. Word. If at that moment, he hadn't had his name called to go back and see the dentist, I'd have given an earful to his mom. No such luck.

I can forgive the kid, because you know, kids will hear something and pick it up, then say it to anyone and everyone. It happens, right? What I can't forgive, is the mother that let it happen and didn't say a word to him. He'll never learn not to say it if she doesn't tell him not to.

Mr. Nice Man looked at me and said "You know, if they aren't taught respect, they don't show respect."

Amen, Mr. Nice Man. Amen.

Rant #2 done.


And third--Pork Egg Rolls, because this IS a food blog, no?



These are a real favorite around here. I can even bribe my sister in law, Orietta, with these. (Hi Ori!) They are so simple. A little time consuming, wrapping them and all, but so worth it. I always double the recipe, because if you're going to the trouble, you may as well make more and have extra. And they won't be around long, let me tell you. If you can't eat them all, you'll most likely find someone that will help you. Or freeze them for another day. Oh, and since the filling is precooked, you can taste and adjust seasonings before you fry them all up and realize you have bland egg rolls!

These are from Everyday Food and a good, basic pork egg roll. But feel free to change things up here and there if you like. I added water chestnuts, not for flavor, because they have none, hehe, but for some crunch and texture.


Pork Egg Rolls


1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs brown sugar
veg oil (for frying)
2 napa cabbage, about 2 1/2 lbs, thinly sliced
water chestnuts
8 med carrots, coarsely grated
8 minced garlic cloves
2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1 smallish can of water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
coarse salt and ground black pepper
2 lb ground pork
12 green onions, thinly sliced
32 (6-7" square) egg roll wrappers
2 large egg, lightly beaten

dipping sauce for serving



In a small bowl, combine soy, vinegar and sugar.

In a large skillet, heat 1 TB oil at med. high. Add cabbage carrots, garlic and ginger, and water chestnuts, season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes, stir occasionally.

Raise heat to high, add pork and soy mixture. Cook, stirring, until pork is done and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 min. Transfer to a plate to cool. (I made the filling a day ahead and kept it in the fridge, but for faster cooling, spread the filling on a large rimmed baking sheet.)

Working on a flat surface, put down 4 wrappers, keeping the others covered with damp paper towels. With a pastry brush, wet the 4 sides of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Put 1/3 cup of filling in the center of each wrapper. (don't be tempted to overfill)

Fold the point of the wrapper that's facing you over the filling, tucking the corner under the filling. Fold both side corners in so it looks like an open envelope. Tightly roll the wrapper to close and press to seal the edge.

At this point, you can freeze them: Freeze in a single layer at least 2 hours, transfer to a ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To fry, increase cooking time by about 3 mins per batch.

They say you can also bake these at 400° on a lightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet. Brush egg rolls with a bit of oil and bake till golden, 10 minutes. If baking from frozen, bake 15 minutes. (I have not tried this!)

For frying, I used a deep electric skillet. I like it because it's easy to control the temp of the oil. Pour in enough oil to be about an inch or 2 deep. Heat the oil to 350° and working in batches of 6, fry about 3 minutes on one side and flip the rolls, frying for about 2-3 minutes more. Remove to racks placed over paper towels to drain. Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees between batches. Serve with dipping sauce.






I don't have a special dipping sauce recipe, I usually just wing it till it tastes good:

Soy sauce, sesame oil, a little ginger, a bit of garlic, and a bit of brown sugar. Mix it all up and adjust to taste.


So that's it for this week's Thursday ramblings. Thanks for listening! Stay tuned for a Cinnamon Overload Apple Crisp recipe...

Is there anyone that doesn't like gelato or sorbetto?

Anyone? No, I didn't think so! And I'm glad that everyone likes it, because I have some to giveaway!

It's from Ciao Bella Gelato, and they're looking forward to sharing with you guys. In fact, they have been sharing with as many people as possible lately--check out the dates for the Mobile Tour. They're going to be at Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA this Friday from 5-8, Saturday 1-5, and Sunday from 3-7, parked in front of Staples on JFK Street. So if you're going to be in the area, get your butt over to the Ciao Bella Gelato Mobile for your free scoop!


For those of you not in the area, I have the next best thing. A chance to win a sample pack of four pints of their most popular flavors, including Blood Orange! They're also including some other branded Ciao Bella goodies with the gelato.

Here are some facts about their gelato, straight from the company:

I'm thrilled to be able to offer this to you guys, and so are the folks at Ciao Bella. Their motto is "Discover-Savor-Share," and isn't that really what food blogging is all about? It's discovering new things and sharing them with everyone. And Erin K. at Ciao Bella has been so great in orchestrating this giveaway, so a huge thank you to you and your colleagues, Erin!

What do you have to do to enter? Leave a comment telling me how you first discovered gelato. Was it while visiting Italy, or did you run out and get some after seeing it on one of Oprah's Favorite Things Episodes? Maybe you've gotten a free scoop already from the Gelato Mobile? Or even at one of their Gelato Bars. Oh man, I wish I lived near one of those! Or maybe you haven't tried it yet and this could be your first taste?

Whatever the case, tell me your stories about gelato, and I'll pick my three favorites from the entries. The Gelato tour wraps up in NY on September 29th, so I'll choose the three winners on that day.


If you'd like to check out the flavors, which are fabulous, go to the Ciao Bella website and have a look around. And if you really can't wait, then run to the store and get some! There's a list of stores there where you can find some. You can also order right from the site!
Good luck!


Photos and images are used with permission from Ciao Bella.

The Random Integer Generator has spoken, and we have two winners of their very own sherbet party! Sharon and Melanie, you guys are in for such a treat! Congratulations!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

28 60 

Timestamp: 2008-09-17 16:45:46 UTC

Sharon said... 28

Of course I need an excuse to have a party! Pina colada sounds like an amazing flavor and I'd hoard that one all to myself :)

Sep 3, 2008 5:04:00 PM

Mel, A Dramatic Mommy said... 60

Those look amazing! Count me in! Came over from Food Gawker. I'll definitely be lurking!

Melanie
msheridan98 [at] gmail [dot] com

Sep 4, 2008 2:02:00 PM

Thanks to all of you for your entries, and be on the lookout for more giveaways!

I can't believe I thought I'd have more time when back to school time came around. Last year, I home schooled one of my kids. This year, it was supposed to be two of them, but ended up being all four at the last minute. So yeah, free time is not very high on my list.

So here's a quickie recipe. These bars are so quick and easy, and insanely good. You can use any chocolate covered raisins, like Raisinets, but I like to get the dark chocolate covered raisins from Trader Joe's. These are like a cross between Toll House cookie bars and blondies. Originally found at VeryBestBaking.com. I also like to leave the cinnamon out of these. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to have anything competing with chocolate--I just want the chocolatey goodness to shine. And it does in these. The chocolate gets melty, leaving warm pockets of fudgy deliciousness and sweet raisins. Don't think I don't love cinnamon--I do! just not so much with my chocolate, hehe.

And speaking of raisins, I know some of you won't like these. It's the dried up fruit thing, right? Well they're not so dried up in these bars. They kind of plump up during cooking. Is it the chocolate around them heating up? I don't know for sure, but the results are delicious!



Raisinet Bars

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 package (14 ounces) NESTLÉ RAISINETS Milk Chocolate-Covered Raisins
1 3/4 cups quick or old-fashioned oats, divided



Heat oven to 350° F. Grease an 11 x 7 pan.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
Beat the sugar, butter and vanilla extract in large bowl until creamy.
Beat in the egg.
Gradually add flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture.
Stir in Raisinets and 1 1/2 cups cups oats.
Spread into prepared pan.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of oats.
BAKE for 34-38 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.


And now for the giveaway! Tomorrow is my birthday, and since I love you guys and you're so good to me, I want to share the love. I'm giving away a one year subscription to one of my favorite magazines, ever--Saveur. This one will be open to US residents as well as all of you international folks!



All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment and a valid email address where I can find you. I'll pick a random winning entry on September 30th, so that gives you two weeks.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Anyone who knows me, knows I loooove muffins. I think they're perfect little hand held excuses to have cake for breakfast or a snack. And it doesn't hurt if they taste good and are reasonably good for you.

These are all of those things. We had picked up a pint of blueberries (along with a bunch of other things) at Tuttle's Red Barn last weekend when we were out at the coast, and they were just begging to be added to some muffins. Tuttles is a family farm that's been around (and on the same land) since 1632. That's 376 years! The store/gift shop/fresh produce market/deli/bakery is huge and a lot of fun. We've been going there for years. I'd have taken pics, but I'm not yet at the point where I'm comfortable whipping out my camera and taking photos at a place that I'm not a tourist at. Silly, I know. But there are some photos on their site you can look at.

I was thinking they'd be good in a gingerbread muffin, but then thought that might be a little too heavy. Wanted something warm and spicy... Pumpkin pie spice? Apple pie spice? Nah... But then taking a look in the cupboard, I found it. Chai spice! Yeessssss!!!! Chai Blueberry Muffins.



And like all muffins, these are a snap to make. Dry ingredients added to wet ingredients, fold in your accessories, and you're ready to go. They're not overly sweet, so you may not want to cut the sugar in these. They're light, fluffy and moist and have a warm, spicy flavor. And they'd be great with apples, too!




Chai-berry Muffins

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chai spice blend
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint blueberries
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Heat the oven to 350°. Grease a 12 muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
To a larger bowl, add the oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla, mix well with a hand mixer or by hand.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine a bit.
Grab a rubber spatula and fold in the berries and nuts.
Fill the muffin tins--an ice cream scoop makes for more evenly sized muffins, and it's much neater than a spoon.
Bake for about 25 minutes and check. They should be golden brown and a tester should come out clean.
Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes or so, then run a knife around the muffins, and turn them out on the
rack to cool.


My chai spice blend is from McCormick's, but if you can't find that, it's pretty common these days, or you can make your own. Here's a recipe by Chockylit for it if you'd like to make your own. And how good do those cupcakes look?

(Said like the dog in that old commercial where the dog smells bacon but can't read the bag of treats. "Bacon bacon bacon bacon...BACON!!!) (Not that this recipe is even remotely like dog treats, though I suppose your dog would L-O-V-E it if you dropped some of this on the floor...)

But! Moving on. hehe. We made our own bacon. Yes. We cured it at home, and it's seriously one of the easiest things you can do in your kitchen. Easier than washing dishes, even! As easy as making toast!

If you guys aren't getting Saveur magazine, you should be. Not only is it full of wonderful and interesting articles, but it's loaded with beautiful food and regular people, and surprisingly easy recipes. Sure, there are some that are a little more complicated, but for the most part, very easy and totally doable. And it's just good food. Nothing that makes you go "Excuse me? Who in their right mind would eat THAT?!" It's the one of the few magazine subscriptions that I make sure to always renew. But don't take my word for it, go to their site and have a look around--get recipes there, too!

Anyway, the bacon. They have an article in the current issue called "Urban Harvest--A New Yorker discovers that age-old tradition of canning suits big-city life just fine." One of the recipes that caught our eye right away was the bacon. Not only did it look great, but it was so easy. It takes seven days, but that's just time sitting in the fridge. Easy!

You start with skin-on pork belly. It did take a little tracking down to get some, but we ended finding a great source for fresh meats in our area, and if we ever need a pig to roast, we know where to go. Try calling the butchers in your area, and if they don't have it, ask them who does. I ordered five pounds, which makes two batches--but if you're making bacon, you may as well have some extra to freeze, right?

So we brought the pork belly home and set to work. "We" would be my husband, Billy, and myself. (I? If my grammar is wrong there, I don't want to know. But please let me know anyway.) We had a total OMG and eeeewww moment when he flipped it over and my 13 year old said "Are those nipples on it?!?!" LOL! That was almost too much for me to handle. But what was even worse? Billy grabbed my kitchen shears and snipped them off, because you've got to put a dry rub on these, and who wants to rub pig nipples? Not me. Or him, for that matter. *Elle faints--almost* I had to look away while he did it, lol!

The rub is easy to do, but would have been easier if I could find my coffee grinder. Damn thing--I lost it when we moved, I guess. WTF? How do you lose one small appliance, and nothing else? Obviously, it didn't have it's own box for the journey over to the new place. It was packed with other stuff, and we didn't lose anything else. At least, I don't think we did, hehe. So--the rub! It's easy, and totally customizable. I followed the recipe this time, but I'll experiment with different combos next time.

Basically, you put the rub on, stick the pork belly in a zip-top bag, and put it in the fridge for seven days, flipping every other day. (The bag, not you. Though that would be something to see, wouldn't it?) On the seventh day, you've created BACON. Can you almost hear the choir of angels? hehe. Well, first you've got to bake it for two hours at 200 degrees. Then you've made bacon. Store it in the fridge for 10 days, or freeze for 3 months. Want to eat some? Of course you do! Just slice off how much you want, and cook it however you like--fry it up in a pan, or bake it. It's all good.

You can find the recipe and some step-by-step photos here at Saveur. I just love them, I really do.

But here are some of our step-by-steps to tide you over till you make your own bacon:

This isn't your everyday sherbet, either. It's Hola Fruta, and it's so much better than the sherbets we all know and like/love/hate. Sick of the old lime, orange, and rainbow flavors? I am!

Hola Fruta comes in eight mouth watering flavors that you can see if you follow the link above. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be Pina Colada. With shredded coconut and chunks of pineapple, it's so refreshing and different! Oh, and try blending it with some crushed ice and rum for a whole other kind of party. ;)

We tried the Peach, Strawberry, Pomegranate, Pina Colada and Margarita flavors, and truly, they're all so freaking good! Everyone in the family has their favorite picked out. Plus, every serving is low in fat and less than 150 calories.

The folks at Hola Fruta have been very generous and I have two party packs to give away to you guys! You get FIVE quarts, not pints, quarts! of their super premium sherbet, and everything you need to have a party. A bunch of plastic cups and spoons, an ice cream scoop, napkins, invitations, and for even more fun--beads and maracas! My kids love the maracas--like you knew they would, hehe.


This giveaway will run for two weeks, and on September 17th, I'll randomly choose two winners. Just leave a comment on this post, along with a valid email address!

Good luck, and don't forget to leave an email address where you can be reached!
You must also be a resident of the US, otherwise, you'd get melted sherbet and one hell of a mess. And an angry postman.