Uncategorized « DinnerCakes

Greetings From The West – Day 1

September 2nd, 2009

by Chef Edwin

Greetings from far away DinnerCakes HQ! Chef Edwin reporting to you on the road to Phoenix. Day one was pretty rockin’. I picked up Krissy, my travel partner, Tuesday morning and we went to get some grub (priorities). We’ve agreed on a no-franchise policy so we ended up driving around Hawthorne for some tempting looking eateries. We found a place that roughly translated to “my favorite taco” which amused us immensely, so we decided to try that. Unfortunately, my LA driving skills are somewhat lacking and we ended driving around it several times trying to figure out how to actually get into its parking lot. We then found some place called Mi California, with the i’s replaced with palm trees. We had a good feeling about that, which was confirmed by our waitresses’ limited English vocabulary (that is always a good sign).

We got chips with salsa and some bean dip which was really a light-ish chili. The salsa was very fresh and the chili was a great combination of beans and beef for a dip. They had this special for the day, a wet burrito which we both ordered. Steak. Oh yeah, so my vegetarian ways have taken a back seat for this trip. Let’s face it, that’s not an easy lifestyle on the road.

After after a full day of non-foodie related matters (mission beach, dome imax, etc), it was time for dinner. My not-as-trusty-as-I’d like tour book suggested an enticing place called Corvette Dinner in the downtown area. After circling its alleged block several times, we were disappointed to discover its empty wooden frame. Alas, the Corvette Diner is no more. We were in a diner mood, however (Krissy had a hankering for breakfast), so we eventually found a place called Ruby’s Diner. Pretty cool decor and good food. I had a turkey club which wasn’t anything to write home about, but still good. Their shakes, however, were amazing. I love a good shake and the peanut butter cup I had was a perfect concoction. So thick it collapsed the straw. Mmmm…. We filled up on the shakes so much that I couldn’t finish half our meal. We were ok with that. After a busy day and a filling meal, we lost steam rather quickly and didn’t make it out to sample the nightlife. Instead, we went to the hotel and passed out, looking forward to another day.

Right now, I’m writing this while on the road to Phoenix, our next destination. We’re still not sure what we’ll be sampling while their, so if any of you have suggestions for Phoenix or Flagstaff, send em my way! Most cities you can’t throw a rock without hitting a place for food, but most of them aren’t worth even considering. We want the good stuff.

That’s all from me for now. I’ll share day two as soon as I get a chance!

Chef Edwin, the traveler!

5 Comments »

Follow-up on Easy, Gluten Free, Vegan, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Banana "Ice Cream!"

September 2nd, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

I received a few questions regarding yesterday’s post about what happened with the texture after I put the banana ice cream back in the freezer, both in the comments and via e-mail. Rather than bury the answer in the comments I just wanted to post it more clearly for you here –

When I first took it out of the freezer again it had basically frozen solid and was too firm to scoop with a spoon. The color also browned a bit. I left it sitting out for a little while to dethaw, and after about 10 minutes the texture was definitely much better and not like Dippin Dots anymore. So if you refreeze it, remember that it will brown a little because it’s banana, and be sure to then let it sit out before serving.

2 Comments »

Food Photography – Fun with Cake Toppers

September 2nd, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Here are some photos of an ocean-inspired triple layer mocha fudge birthday cake made for me this past summer.

The cake was heavenly, but what gets me is how real that crab on top looks!

No slices were wasted.

Comments Off on Food Photography – Fun with Cake Toppers

easy, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free…

September 1st, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Time to check in on yesterday’s experiment – easy, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, sugar free banana ice cream!

I took two bananas, broke them in half, and froze the four pieces in a ziploc bag overnight.

Today I took the bananas out of the freezer and popped them in the food processor. The first few seconds of this experience was a little terrifying – the food processor was not excited about mashing up only four pieces of banana, and I had to hold it tightly so that it didn’t fly off the counter.

After pulsing for a few minutes, the consistency sort of resembled Dippin’ Dots.

At this point I tasted it, and it was just as creamy and rich tasting as the article I found claimed it to be. Success!

I didn’t love the Dippin’ Dots look, so I spooned it into a bowl, covered it with Saran Wrap and popped it back in the freezer. I’ll check back in a few hours to see if it’s a little more “formed.” Stay tuned!

6 Comments »

While The Cat's Away…

August 31st, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Hey friends!

Just a reminder that Edwin is going on vacation! He’ll be back towards the end of next week.

Until then, it’s just you and me! The posting schedule may look a little different than usual, but Edwin will be posting photos and updates from his journey as possible.

With Edwin mostly out of the picture (mwhahaha!), let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like me to explore or cover this week. Maybe we could do something that Edwin would freak out about if he was here… like talk about Paula Deen’s recipe for Fried Cheesecake (can you feel your heart clogging yet?).

Actually, on a much healthier note, I recently found a link for easy, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, sugar free ice cream. Seriously – and the secret ingredient isn’t tofu!

The link pulled me in with the title, “How To Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient.” Apparently the secret ingredient is banana – peeling and freezing a banana and then whirring it in the food processor can give you a rich and creamy ice cream-like texture. The article also suggests experimenting with an extra ingredient or two… like peanut butter.

Have you guys heard of this before? It sounds pretty awesome. Why don’t we give it a try? Meet you back here tomorrow!

2 Comments »

An Important Announcement!

August 28th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for an important announcement!

The photo above is of me (Heather) and my husband (Morgan). Morgan doesn’t blog here on DinnerCakes, though I do frequently mention him. My co-blogger Edwin (whose birthday it was last week!) and I are just chums.

Click here to read more about Edwin and myself and how we know each other.

2 Comments »

Emptyin' Out The Fridge – "Leftover" Pita Pizza

August 27th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

Next week is going to be pretty exciting for me. On Monday I leave for California to begin a road trip through some of southwest US with a friend from college. This trip has gone through many (many) changes since its original inception back in June and, quite frankly, I’m very glad it still happening. We’re going with the flow, but our plan is to hit San Diego, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Zion and Vegas!

I’ve been trying to go through any leftovers I may have, as I’ll be emptying out the fridge before I take off. Soups are my usual method of disposing of extras. Just throw whatever veggies you have on hand with some mire poix, stock, a few spices and you’re bound to come up with something tasty. It’s hard to make a ‘bad’ soup, if you ask me; something you disdain putting in your mouth. My appetite was craving something more substantial, however, and I ended up in the delicious territory of pizza land. I don’t even remember the last time I HAD pizza.

Treat this as more of a guideline or inspiration rather than a recipe. This is nothing more than the union of my personal taste with what I had available. Feel free to go nuts (I’ve never had corn on my pizza before). Pitta, muffin, real dough…. whatever tickles your fancy. Be sure to comment on where your creativity takes you.

Oh, and if any of you have suggestions on where to eat where we’re headed, throw em my way. 😉

“Leftover” Pita Pizzas
If you have a broiler, toast the bottoms of your pitas for a few minutes to give it a more close-to-the-original taste. I went with a frying pan (no oil), with moderately satisfactory results. Consider this an optional chip.

4 pita breads; cut in half
1/2 cup tomato sauce
4 ounces mozzarella
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/2 jalapeño pepper; sliced
1/2 red onion; chopped
1/4 red bell pepper; chopped
handful grape tomatoes; sliced
a few pinches of oregano
a few pinches of basil

Move a rack to one of the bottom levels and preheat the oven to 400.

Spread several spoonfuls of tomato sauce (your own or from a jar) on each pita, leaving a half an inch for the crust. Add about half the cheese to your pitas then sprinkle with your vegetables. Follow with the remaining cheese and your herbs.

Bake your pizzas for 8-10 minutes, until cheese has melted. Let cool briefly and enjoy.

2 Comments »

Food Photography – Blueberry Pie!

August 26th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Pictured: Blueberry pie that I made for my husband’s birthday last month. Blueberry filling from Simply Recipes and lattice crust from The Art and Soul of Baking.

2 Comments »

A Different Kind of Asian Salad? – Baby Spinach Salad with Lychee Vinaigrette

August 25th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

As Heather mentioned, this weekend was my birthday and I had a blast. Some friends and I went out to Coopers Rock, West Virginia for some camping and climbing. I’m a firm believer that everyone should have a cake on their birthday, but after Saturday I may have to amend that to cakes and smores. Mmm…

I finally got a chance to make something with the lychee my sister gave me as a gift, and after a weekend of eating from bags (I swear, I eat worse camping than I do at home) I opted to go the healthy route with a salad. I posted a somewhat similar recipe not too long ago using apples and lemon as the dominant flavors, but went much more mild this time around. Lychee’s creamy flavor is soft and subtle so this won’t hit you like a punch, but still good for something different.

Baby Spinach Salad with Lychee Vinaigrette

4 ounces lychee; peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons white whine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces spinach; roughly chopped
8 ounces mandarin oranges
2 bartlet pears; chopped
1 carrot; grated

Blend the lychees and strain. Mix the juice, vinegar and olive oil to form your vinaigrette. This is pretty thin, so feel free to add more oil if you want it thicker. Toss your spinach and fruit together then add the vinaigrette. Enjoy.

2 Comments »

Mini Lemon Pound Cakes

August 24th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

The first thing I tried baking in my new place was, one of my favorites, pound cake.

I’ve tried a number of different pound cake recipes in search of a favorite – CakeLove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch, Martha Stewart, William Sonoma and Food Network. But I think the best recipe I’ve tried so far is from Sur La Table’s The Art and Soul of Baking (the last time I made it was for my Red, White and Blueberry Trifle on July fourth).

So when testing the oven I wanted to make something that I’ve made before and that I know is great, but I wanted to experiment with the flavor a little. I’m not a lemon person (I can’t stand strong lemon tasting desserts), but I’ve had some excellent lemon pound cakes before – just a little hint of it can be extraordinary. After some tinkering, this method gave me just the right amount of lemon.

I poured my batter into a mini bundt pan (it was actually a mini pumpkin pan from Williams-Sonoma, but it’s basically the same as a mini bundt pan), and I baked it for about 18 minutes at 350 F. Be careful and watch the timing – the cakes will dry out more quickly when cooked in minis instead of in a loaf pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and the top should be firm to the touch, but the cakes will still be very blonde instead of golden.

If you don’t have the Art and Soul of Baking (please buy it!), you can find the complete recipe on TheCityCook.com. Instead of 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, use 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla and 1/2 tablespoon of pure lemon extract (still use the vanilla bean pod, though). Leave the other ingredients unchanged. When the pound cakes are baked, poke multiple holes in the cakes and, using a cooking brush, brush cakes lightly with additional drops of lemon extract. Check it out!

1 Comment »