My Beets are Slamming

Blondie, blondies...

2010-02-13T00:03:00.006-05:00

Blondie, a rich, sweet bar cookie or an American new wave punk band fronted by Debbie Harry. I happen to enjoy both very much, unfortunately, sometimes I enjoy the band at karaoke night after too much liquid confidence belting out “One Way or Another” with bravado.

This past snow day home all alone, I put on Autoamerican, my favorite childhood album and made Blondies, sing out loud to my hearts content. The recipe is a variation from Smitten Kitchen’s adapted Blondie recipe and it's oh-so good.

I made my blondies with chocolate chips, bananas and walnuts, because its what I had in my pantry but the possibilities are endless.

8 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Prepare a 8x8 pan with butter, set aside. Melt butter and mix with brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add pinch of salt and flour mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, banana, chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees or until middel has just set.

Aphrodisiac desserts

2010-02-05T23:19:00.010-05:00

I’ve always thought that aphrodisiacs were bull testicles, raw oysters and copious amounts of red wine. However that all changed when, last Tuesday, I attended an aphrodisiac dessert class where basil, raw chocolate, and pine nuts made me all warm and fuzzy inside. The class was instructed by Anita Sharp, vegan chef and owner of Electric Blue Baking, held at The Brooklyn Kitchen. The class introduced us to all natural, fresh ingredients that included kaffir lime leaves, pine nuts, cashews, agave nectar, fresh coconut, raw chocolate and young ginger, just to name a few. Combined, they made fluffy souffles, rich creamy sauces and sweet syrups without all the heaviness of traditional ingredients like heavy cream and butter. The class became very interesting during the plating where our imaginations and libidos ran wild.

The next time I’m looking to get into the mood I’m heading straight to the kitchen with pine nuts, basil and raw chocolate to illuminate my mind and speed the spirit.

Almond and 5 spice cake, with pine nut cream, and chocolate pearls

Pumpkin souffle cake, young ginger syrup, garnished with prickly pear, brandy soaked hibiscus flower and basil leaf.

If i could have dinner with any three people living or dead.....

2009-11-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

2009-11-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

Coming soon recipes videos music and other random goodness