Month: January 2009

cake

beatty’s chocolate cake

this is probably not a great post to start off the new year. if you make this recipe, i can pretty much guarantee it will ruin any attempt at a new years resolution to eat healthier. in fact, it’s happening to me. like right now. as in, i’m eating this cake as i type this post and i can’t stop – and although i feel a little guilty, it’s just too good to put down.

you have to understand, this is an ina garten cake – yes, THAT ina garten cake. i think it’s made its rounds on the food blogosphere already, but i’ve only just discovered it (thanks to the girl and her copy of ina garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home), and now i’ve converted to the church of chocolate cake. the problem with most chocolate cakes is that they end up too dense and crumbly. since this one is loaded with buttermilk, it’s incredibly moist and delectable, even a week later. the frosting is smooth, rich and still gives a good flavor contrast to the cake.

sure, you can make this recipe and stack it like a normal 2-tier cake. but if you want to “class it up,” do what i did and get some biscuit cutters of varying sizes and create some new cake shapes. then, because both the cake and frosting have coffee in them, top your tiny cakes with chocolate covered espresso beans. making tiny cakes gives people the illusion of only eating a little bit, when each one is really much larger than one serving of normal sized cake.

i have to apologize to any of my coworkers that read this blog. i was planning on bringing in some of this cake to share, i really was, but i just haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. i’ve got tons of leftover cake from cutting out the rounds a bowl of frosting left too, but i’m sorry, i’m going to be selfish on this one. this cake is all mine. time for another bite.

how-to

pete’s culinary resolutions for 2009

Post author By petebakes
Post date January 4, 2009
93 Comments on pete’s culinary resolutions for 2009

it’s time, once again, to get wrapped up in the fervor of the season and make resolutions we will probably never keep. and although i’ve only actually kept one (to walk more and take the bus less), it’s still not a bad idea to reflect on the past year and think about what we can do for ourselves and others to make this new year the best yet. so without further ado, here’s what i’m looking forward to changing in my life in 2009:

be a better grocery shopper
have you ever heard of the method of shopping around the borders of the grocery store? that way, you hit the fruits and veggies dairy and meat counter, but skip the snacks, soda and other preservative-laden junk. yeah, i don’t do that. i rarely have a balanced collection of food in the fridge, and it’s time to fix that.

cook more seafood
fish is great, but i only know a few simple recipes. i’m slowly getting over my fear of screwing it up (and making the apartment stink for days afterward), but i need to kick it up and experiment with different flavors and ingredients.

eat at thai x-ing
i keep hearing legends of how great this restaurant is, but i still haven’t experienced it first hand. thai x-ing is basically a basement on the edge of NW DC where one guy cooks everything and there’s only one table. you have to call hours beforehand just for pickup so he has time to get to your order. we must go.

bake a bastilla
bastilla is a traditional moroccan dish with layers of chicken, eggs, almonds and a ton of fragment spices like turmeric and ginger, wrapped in dough and topped with cinnamon and sugar. it’s been on my recipe list for months now. edit: i finished this one! check it out!

a few blog-specific resolutions:

post more often
i’m not setting a number for myself, but i want to get a couple of recipes in each week, along with at least one post a week on techniques, equipment or anything else i can offer (advice, cookbook reviews, etc).

actually learn how to use the settings on my camera
i know the best way to learn about photography is to practice, but i also know my camera probably has a ton of handy features that could speed up the learning process. it’s time to figure out how to take pictures in my low-light kitchen so i’m not limited to the few hours of daylight i have after work to bake.

all recipes will be in american and metric measurements
this is a simple one. and with a new baking scale, i’ll probably actually keep this one!

check out more resolutions from luke at cookography and nick at macheesemo. what are you looking forward to in 2009? any resolutions?

savory

mini spanakopita wonton-thingers

Post author By petebakes
Post date January 2, 2009
14 Comments on mini spanakopita wonton-thingers

it’s officially the new year and i’m officially behind schedule already! after spending a week in the unseasonable warmth of the great northeast, i’m back home, a few christmas presents (baking toys) richer and watching a law and order: svu marathon, trying to figure out how many hours i’ll be spending in the kitchen this weekend. i’ve got some incredible butter and bacon filled treats coming soon, but as it’s the new year, i thought i would give you something that’s at least a little bit healthy (i use that term very loosely). i’ve actually had this post saved as a draft for a few months now but it’s perfect for any season. hope you had a great new year!

for a few months straight in college, my roommates and i would make spanakopita just about every other day. it’s one of the simplest recipes around and it usually disappears in a matter of minutes. if you want to “class up” spanakopita for a party, here’s an equally easy and delicious recipe that guests can grab and go. you can also do what the girl and i did and just eat about 50 of them for dinner. the puff pastry crisps up perfectly and the feta gives it a great bite.