running with tweezers

Hay Hay It's Donna Day: Terrines!

It's here! The announcement of the latest theme for Hay Hay It's Donna Day. See...the great thing about being able to host HHDD is that you can pick a really challenging theme...and it's okay because you can't win! I'm kidding - mostly.

The theme for this round of HHDD is terrines. This is a theme that I have been wanting to do for some time...and now have the opportunity to give them a go. There are a few types and definitions of terrines. For the purpose of this challenge, we are using the word terrine to mean prepared or made in a terrine or loaf-shaped pan. Often, terrines have layers throughout them that, when sliced, create a beautiful look for the dish. 

Here are some helpful resources for tips and recipes for your terrine:

• This overview by Hertzmann at a la carte is a great place to start. It gives some good background information and some simple starter recipes
• There are 222 results for "terrines" here at Food Down Under!
• As usual, Flickr is a brilliant source of photo inspiration. When I searched for "terrine", I got close to 2,000 results. Here are stunning examples of a sweet and a savory terrine. Do your own search and see all of the drool-worthy images.
• The Mahalo post about terrines has lots of interesting links to the history of terrines, as well as terrine recipes out there in blog world.
• The best mainstream source for recipes would be Epicurious.com - 47 results and several photos.

Now that your trepidation has subsided and you're completely excited about the theme of this edition of HHDD, here is all of the important information regarding the contest:

• The theme for HHDD is terrines. The only rule is that your terrine must be rectangular or loaf shaped. That will even the playing field and let the intricacies of the terrines shine through. You may make a sweet or savory terrine. Colors, multiple ingredients and layers are encouraged but not required!
• You do not have to use a Donna Hay recipe. Any recipe or creation of your own works!
• The deadline to submit your entries is Saturday, November 10th. The round-up will be posted a week later on November 17th.
• Please email your HHDD submissions to runningwithtweezers@gmail.com. In your email, please include the following information: your blog name, your name, your location, your recipe name, and the permalink to your entry.
• The winner will receive a food-related prize worthy of being given to the person who conquers this challenge! Good luck!

The recipe for my terrine comes from Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2: Peach and Vanilla Panna Cotta, which is on page 106!

Peach and Vanilla Panna Cotta - serves 6 to 8

For the gelee:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 peaches, stoned and halved
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin

For the panna cotta:

• 2 tbsp. powdered gelatin
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 3/4 cups single or pouring cream
• 1 cup icing (confectioners) sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

- Place the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the peaches and allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Remove the peaches (reserving the cooking liquid), slip off the skins, and set the fruit aside.
- Place 1/4 of the peach liquid in a bowl, sprinkle over the gelatin and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the gelatin mixture to the remaining liquid in the saucepan, stir through and simmer for 2 minutes or until dissolved.
- Place peach halves, cut-side up, in a well-greased loaf tin and pour over the liquid. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
- To make the panna cotta, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside for 5 minutes. Place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and stir. Add the gelatin mixture and simmer over low heat for 4 minutes or until dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature then pour the mixture over the set jelly and refrigerate for 6 hours to overnight. To serve, dip the tin into a baking dish of warm water and invert onto a plate. Slice and serve immediately.

so good you need a firearm to eat it

As you know from my post yesterday, I've been a little under the weather the past few days. Therefore, there has been lots of mindless surfing of the Internet and, more specifically, food blogs. One of the ones I go to quite frequently is So Good Blog. It's chock-full of random tidbits, nibbles, and bites about the world of food. Often times, it's very much like a bus full of carnies - it scares the crap out of me to look at it but i stare anyway.

Of all of the posts I've seen on SoGoodBlog, this one takes the cake...or the pie, as it were. Originally found on andiamnotlying.com, this McDonald's-infused culinary wonder stopped me in my tracks. I am going to blame my morbid fascination on the Mucinex-induced haze or the fact that I'm jacked up on about 5,000% of my daily recommended dosage of Vitamin C. In any case, I wanted to share this with those who may have not had the good fortune to come across these photos as they traveled the Internet. Please make sure you see the last photo of this delicious dish for some inspired plating and food styling techniques!

pass the tissues, pwease.

This blog has come to a screeching halt...mainly because it's hard to cook and type while blowing your nose and coughing. See...the boy came this weekend...and as soon as he got here, he was sick. Really sick. Didn't get out of bed until Sunday sick. As soon as he went home, the sickies transferred to me. The past three days have been a life of rolls of toilet paper in the bed, fizzy pink grapefruit Airborne cocktails, and Chinese soup delivery.

Since I have nothing of any interest besides whining to post, I thought I would put up a link to what I wish I was eating: herbed matzoh ball soup, a recipe I posted to the blog in April.

Fear not, I will be rallying tomorrow to make my _________ for the upcoming edition of Hay Hay It's Donna Day. You thought, due to my medicated stupor, that I would slip up and reveal the theme? Not a chance! The new theme and my post will be announced on Friday.

Also...is there anyone out there on Facebook? I have come across several food bloggers through Facebook and it's nice to see them out there and get to know them a little bit more. Running With Tweezers has a Facebook group you can join here.

product spotlight: matisse & jack's

Remember when I said I don't bake? You certainly wouldn't be able to tell from the looks of this blog as of late. I do like challenging myself and trying new things - in fact, I'm considering asking if I can join those fancy folks over at Daring Bakers.

See this chewy and delicious bar on the left? Yeah...I baked it. However, it's not from scratch. In fact, it's not even "dessert". It's a pretty yummy product that I received from a company called Matisse & Jack's. I don't normally talk about products on this blog...but these are great quality and I think people who read here might enjoy them, too.

They make bake-them-yourself energy bars! If you're like me, you often don't have time for breakfast or to make something before you head out the door or to the gym. I'm a big fan of energy and granola bars...but normally once I eat them, I just feel guilty about shoveling in all that added sugar and preservatives. The packaging provides you with several ways to make the bars so you're able to control the amount of sugar or dairy that you put into them - and you can customize them with extra ingredients to your taste.

I tried both flavors - chocolate chip and cranberry - and I was really impressed with both types. They had an interesting texture - chewy and soft but still dense. The other great thing is you're able to cut them into whatever size pieces you want - larger "bar" sized servings (I got about 9 bars out of a package!) or smaller "pick me up" snack bite size.

Go visit Matisse & Jack's for more info on the products, how to order, and recipes using the mixes!

easy peasy

You would think that with all of the soup that's been going on around here at Running With Tweezers as of late...that I would have grown tired of it by now. Not so. The truth is that soup is often my go-to thing (along with pasta) to throw together when I'm stressed or feel under the weather and want the comfort of something homemade. There are also the times where I want the comfort of a bacon cheeseburger shoved through the window of my car...but that's another post altogether.

The week I was getting ready to head away to the mountains, I felt like a whirling dervish. I had the laptop on the dining room table while I was running about, folding laundry, sending emails, packing, and making sure the cats didn't recreate Lord of the Flies while I was gone. I popped in on Serious Eats and saw this quick Nigella Lawson (swoon) recipe for pea soup. I took off to the kitchen to put some stock on to boil. From start to finish, this took about 20 minutes. The key here is the balsamic vinegar. It really adds a zip to the soup and highlights the freshness of the pea taste. Obviously, this was taken before the Parmesan cheese was added but make sure you include it. The salty contrast with the soup is wonderful.

Editors Note: I am fully aware of the fact that this is one ugly soup. A client I work for sometimes has a funny saying: "Looks like crap, tastes like delicious!" It makes me laugh...but it certainly applies here.

Easy Pea Soup - serves 4 -Adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to Eat

• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

- Warm the stock over medium to low heat in a saucepan. Add the peas; cook until tender

- Transfer peas and stock to a blender, and process until smooth, adding the balsamic vinegar toward the end.

- Pour in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour a little bit of olive oil on top. Grate or sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over.

Hay Hay...

...guess who won Donna Day?

I'm so tickled to announce that Running With Tweezers was the winner of the latest tart-themed edition of Hay Hay It's Donna Day! It's particularly sweet because of the absolute fits these tarts gave me the first, ummm, two times.Thanks to everyone that read my tale of woe and still found it in their heart to vote for me .

Thanks to Barbara over at Winos and Foodies for coming up with such a fun blog event...and to Sarina at TriniGourmet for doing such a great job of hosting - and for the great Caribbean Gourmet Magazines as the prize. I can't wait to check them out!

I'll be posting the theme for the upcoming round - and all the important details and the inspiring Donna Hay recipe - on October 27th!

Image found on google.com

zip and zing

That's what I need. Seriously.

I have been in a *major* slump. The weather is changing for the better, so I can't blame the heat - or the cold. Work has been a little stressful but nothing more than usual. The boy is wonderful, as always, so it's not that.  I've had a lot on my mind...and yet nothing at the same time. So what gives?

I. don't. know.

I haven't felt like cooking, either...although I suddenly got the urge to just mess around in the kitchen - standing around chopping things seems to clear my head sometimes. Inspired by a pineapple salsa that should have been great but wasn't that we had this past weekend in Birmingham, I decided to make a batch to my taste.

I love fresh pineapple but wanted the salsa to have some tartness and some heat. I threw in some pink grapefruit and the usual salsa suspects: cilantro, red onion, and jalepeno. Something was still missing...the sweetness balance was off now. I reached for something a little unorthodox: crystallized ginger. Dicing it up really fine let it mingle throughout the salsa..and the sugar from it mixed with the juices and really amped up the overall flavor. It was a great accompaniment to a spicy rotisserie chicken and would be great with anything blackened.

Gingered Pineapple and Grapefruit Salsa - makes about 3 cups

• I large ruby red or pink grapefruit - peeled (white stuff too!), segmented, and cut into small random pieces
• 1 small fresh pineapple - cored, peeled, and cut into small random pieces
• 1 medium red onion - cut into small dice
• 1 medium jalepeno - seeded and cut into small dice
• 1/3 bunch fresh cilantro - stems removed and leaves randomly torn into small pieces
• 6 pieces (adjust this to taste) crystallized ginger - cut into small dice
• 1 teaspoon course salt

- Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Allow them to sit together for at least 30 minutes so flavors meld together and the juices of the fruit start to release. Store tightly covered if not serving immediately.

In all the time that I've been blogging...I have never taken part in Weekend Herb Blogging, which takes place over at Kalyn's Kitchen, a site I check in on almost every day. The event is celebrating its SECOND anniversary! This salsa is what I'm bringing to the party! Congrats Kalyn on an wonderful blog and blog event!

fully loaded

It's good to have friends. See...in case you didn't know, Running With Tweezers has a Myspace. One of my newest friends is Drew, who roasts some amazing coffees as Drew's Brews. As a coffee fan...and girlfriend to a rabid coffee drinker and best friend to some serious fans...getting to know Drew and his coffee seemed like a good idea. He was sweet enough to send me some samples and I've become hooked. I've ordered several kinds & shared some with friends..and each type has been incredible - I'm still hooked on Lost Weekend.

When the boy and I booked our mountain house for vacation, we were informed that there was an ice cream maker on the premises. We practically squealed (well *I* did, at least). Ice cream is a big treat for me...and sounded like the perfect project to splurge on during vacation. It all seemed to come together perfectly - merging our loves of coffee, ice cream, and cooking. The rumblings began weeks before we left and I came prepared with a copy of David Lebovitz's Coffee Ice Cream recipe, which I found a copy of on Elise's Simply Recipes.

Sure enough, on a Friday evening, I was out on the patio...enjoying the view and chatting with a friend on the phone. I see, out of the corner of my eye,a flurry of activity in the kitchen. The boy had taken the kitchen by storm and had started prepping the ingredients for coffee ice cream...with chocolate covered espresso beans in it. An hour or so later, we were enjoying the creamiest, most heavenly textured ice cream I think I've ever had. The crunchy, dark coffee beans were such a great contrast to the rich ice cream. Add them in after the liquid has cooled & before it all goes in the ice cream maker...and make sure you don't this *right* before bed!

Gravel Springs Coffee & Chocolate Covered Espresso Bean Ice Cream - recipe adapted by The Boy from David Lebovitz's recipe in The Perfect Scoop - makes about 1 quart

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans (decaf unless you want the caffeine in your ice cream) - we used Drew's Brews Gravel Springs

• Pinch of salt

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee (press grinds through a fine mesh sieve)

• 1/2 cup chocolate covered espresso beans - some chopped and some left whole (optional)

- Heat the milk, sugar, whole coffee beans, salt, and 1/2 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan until it is quite warm and steamy, but not boiling. Once the mixture is warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

- Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a medium size metal bowl, set on ice over a larger bowl. Set a mesh strainer on top of the bowls. Set aside.

-  Reheat the milk and coffee mixture, on medium heat, until again hot and steamy (not boiling!). In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour the heated milk and coffee mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks are tempered by the warm milk, but not cooked by it. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

- Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof, flat-bottomed spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula so that you can run your finger across the coating and have the coating not run. This can take about 10 minutes.

-  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Press on the coffee beans in the strainer to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible. Then discard the beans. Mix in the vanilla and finely ground coffee, and stir until cool.

- Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Hay Hay! Vote for Donna Day!

It's time again to vote for Hay Hay It's Donna Day, hosted this go-round at TriniGourmet. There are some great tart recipes - both sweet and savory - included in the roundup!

If you liked the Dark Chocolate Tart with Candied Grapefruit Peel, go cast your vote through the TriniGourmet site...or just send an email to HHDD@TriniGourmet.com and vote for Running With Tweezers! You have until October 12th to get your votes in!

one mean bean spread

I don't know if I've mentioned this, although in two years of blogging I'm sure it's come up once or twice, but I love noshing. As a meal. Yes, I love my salads and my soups...but my favorite way to eat is to make a plate of dips, spreads, meats, cheese and olives and just snack. I've been known to order an antipasto or charcuterie plate as my entree when I go to a restaurant. On our (already very unusual) first date, the boy and I each contributed our favorite cheeses and meat to a spread that was devoured sitting on the floor while polishing off a nerve-soothing bottle of wine.

Hummus is one of my favorite additions to any nosh. I love any variation of it. As I was preparing to go away on vacation the other week, I saw this recipe and knew I had the ingredients lying around to throw it together. It came together in mere minutes and, with the addition of some charred crusty bread and some olives, I was having the most delicious nosh I'd had in some time. The addition of the olive oil is key...but if you want to bump it up a notch, a drizzle of truffle oil on this is divine.

Savory Cannellini Bean Spread - recipe found here at Chow.com

•      3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•      1 tablespoon garlic
•      4 teaspoons fresh savory or 1 teaspoon dried Savory
•      1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•      3 cups cooked cannellini beans

    - In a medium sauté pan, cook 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh savory (or 1 teaspoon dried savory), and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until the aromas are released, about 3 minutes.

   - Add 3 cups cooked and drained cannellini beans and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.

   - In a food processor or blender, puree the bean mixture and another 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm with crostini, pita chips, or vegetable crudités.