running with tweezers

Mix Shake Stir

From the looks of this photo, you'd think that I've been sitting on a porch being International Woman of Leisure drinking cocktails in a rocking chair. Quite the contrary. Work has been blissfully busy. The creative juices are flowing on some really great projects...and my personal life is beaming in beautiful rays of awesomeness that are filling in the spaces in-between. 

Through all of the chaos and hustle & bustle, I got an email from the publishers of Danny Meyer's new book, Mix Shake Stir. As a fan of mixology - how great is it to start a meal with a mindblowing cocktail? - I jumped at the chance to review the book. 

Let me tell you - it's swoonworthy. The photography is gorgeous. The writing is engaging. It explains the powers of using a recipe for a drink as you would a dish and the benefits of precision in your cocktails. There is even a section of great bar snacks. Recipes are diverse and there is something for everyone. I opened a page and saw a recipe for something I had lying around the house - a pint of kumquats I snagged from a shoot. The Kumquat Mojito is tart, sweet, refreshing and light. Try it - you won't be disappointed.

I will be giving away 3 copies of Mix Shake Stir via Twitter in a fun way. Be friends with runwithtweezers and send your favorite drink recipe in 140 characters or less (make sure you send me a DM to let me know!). The best 3 Twit-recipes will win a copy of the book. Winners will be chosen on Monday, May 18th!

Kumquat Mojitos - makes one drink - recipe originally found in MixShakeStir by Danny Meyer

• 2 1/2 kumquats, halved
• 8 fresh mint leaves 
• ice 
• 2 oz. white rum, preferably Myers's 
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice 
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup   

- Muddle the kumquats and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and the rum, lime juice and simple syrup and shake vigorously. Pour the contents - including the fruit and mint - into a Collins glass and serve.  

tonight's post brought to you by the letter T...

It's been a looooong time since there has been a cocktail or glass of wine on this blog. Let this not be confused with the frequency that they are consumed. It's just that, well, drinks are hard things to take a photo of and making drinks at home is...indulgent.

When I saw that tarragon was theme for this week's Root Source Challenge over at CookThink, it got the wheels turning about using it in a cocktail. I haven't taken part in the RSC, which I was doing with some regularity before everything went topsy-turvy. Why not just go off the rails and try something new? A martini! Might not get another spare moment to take part for a while!

Some people find tarragon to be a mild herb. I am not one of them. The slightly licorice-y taste must be something I am sensitive to because I always have to use it in small doses or overpower it with something else. For this drink, I chose the former. I made a simple syrup with some tarragon i finely chopped. You can strain the bitties out if you want but I prefer to see them in the drink. To compliment the herb flavor, I roughly pureed some fresh apricots. The mild fruit flavor took the edge off of the tarragon and imparted a delicate fruit flavor in the vodka. If you would rather not have a chunkier puree, strain it or use straight juice. Mango and peach would also be yummy in this!

Apricot-Tarragon Martini or...The TarraTini!

• 2 ounces of your favorite vodka - My current favorite is Prairie (organic vodka from Minnesota!)
• 1/2 ounce apricot puree or juice
• 1/4 ounce tarragon simple syrup - bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil and add chopped tarragon - strain it if you want a completely clear simple syrup or keep the bits in for a cue to the tarragon. You can make as big a batch as you want - I used 1 cup water to 1 cup sugar and added 1/2 cup chopped tarragon.

Shake in a martini shaker and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a tarragon sprig and enjoy. This recipe could also be used as a base for bellinis - just pour the apricot puree and simple syrup into a champagne flute and top with bubbly!

 

the devil made me do it

First of all, thank you to everyone for the amazing comments and the support you've shown me both here on the blog and in private. It means so much to me.

I have been working like a dog - 11 straight days of shooting - so there hasn't been much time for cooking here at home. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for tomorrow is the last day. I am going to work on something really fresh and light and yummy for the end of the week.

In the meantime, my latest article for AtlantaCuisine has been posted. This time, it's about the current craze here in town for deviled eggs. You can learn how to cook the perfect deviled egg and then use your skillz to make my recipe for BLT Deviled Eggs, complete with Bacon Salt and all!

my darling clementine

See this? It very well may be my dream dessert. While molten chocolate is nice and all, I am a fruit dessert kind of person. It has its drawbacks, which are that a lot of fruit-centric desserts come in the form of tarts and ice cream. I haven't run across many desserts that have it all for me: lush cakey-ness, bright fruit taste, and rich without being overly heavy.

Until now.

Leave it to Nigella Lawson to create this dreamy dessert. I ran across this recipe some time ago and stuck it in the bookmarked recipes to be made later tab. This month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge (hosted by Ani at Foodie Chickie), which was to make a Nigella recipe, was the perfect excuse to give it a whirl.  Little did I know that this cake has been made about 234,445,977 times on the Internet - and for good reason.

Outside of boiling the clementines, it's terribly simple to put together - a plus for someone like me with mild baking anxiety. The smell that wafts through your house while the clementines are cooking is dreamy, making this the ideal dessert around the holidays or for parties. Your guests will be a little wowed by the smell as they walk in the door. The results are a pudding-y, rich, flavorful cake that wasn't all that heavy. Plus, with no flour in the recipe, it's perfect for those with dietary restrictions.

One note about the recipe, I noticed: All of the reviews of this cake scream about how much it sticks to the pan. I did a test of it...and yes...it does. For my cakes, I used small Wilton fluted shaped pans with a healthy dose of Baker's Joy. They popped right out. Without the non-stick baking spray, they stuck to the inside and fell apart. If you're using the spring-form pan, I would recommend using the parchment or the baking spray, as well.

Clementine Cake - makes one 8" cake - originally published in How To Eat by Nigella Lawson

• 4 to 5 unpeeled clementines (about 1 pound total weight)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/3 cups ground almonds
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

- Put the unpeeled clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours.

- Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds.

- Then chop everything finely — skins, pits, fruit — in the food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to 375ƒF. Butter and line an 8-inch spring form pan.

- Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can't balk at a little light stirring.

- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning.

- Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the pan. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it any time.

kitchen of love: arugula salad with parmesan, pine nuts, and grilled peaches

Food is sexy, don't you think? Well...most food is sexy. I'm not a believer in the chocolate and strawberries and champagne recipe for getting in the mood for love. Sure, I mean...that works, too. The truth is...I find lots of different foods sensuous for different reasons. Some make you feel warm and cozy. Some spicy foods really stimulate the senses and wake you up. Others, like truffle oil, awaken something very earthy and primitive in my brain.

I also think healthy food can be a big turn-on, too. You can eat something colorful, vibrant, filling, and delicious...and not feel like you need to lay around in your Juicy sweat-suit for the rest of the night. When I saw that Chris at MeleCotte was hosting a blog event around savory aphrodisiacs, I was really excited. As someone who isn't really a chocolate eater, it's nice to see a group of savory recipes that get people going.

Arugula has long been thought of as an aphrodisiac - as far back as the first century. Pine nuts are also considered one, due to their high Zinc content. I wanted to make a light, visually beautiful salad highlighting these two ingredients. I added shaving of salty Parmesan and quickly grilled peaches. I am adding peaches to my own aphrodisiac list - who doesn't swoon a bit thinking of biting into a juicy, fleshy peach. All of the elements of this salad just work and it comes together in a flash. The pine nuts toast while the peaches are grilling. You make a quick dressing and plate it all together in a flurry of wonderful colors and textures, leaving you plenty of time for...other things.

Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Grilled Peaches - serves 4 as a starter or side salad

• 1 bag of prewashed arugula or one heaping handful per person
• 2 medium peaches, pitted and cut into 3/4 inch wide slices
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
• Vinaigrette: juice of one lemon, 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

- Make your vinaigrette to taste and set aside.
- Heat two pans - one grill pan and one small saute pan - to medium heat.
- On the grill pan, lay peach slices and grill for about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and repeat on other side.
- In the small dry saute pan, toast pine nuts lightly. When golden brown, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Arrange arugula on plates. Place 1/4 of warm peach slices on each plate. Scatter pine nuts and shave Parmesan cheese loosely on top. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Go check out Chris's blog MeleCotte. It's a great blog from a fellow Atlantan. The round-up for her event - Kitchen of Love - should be up any day now.

holy edamole!

I am a big fan of edamame. I am also a big fan of things that taste great and come together in an easy instant. Work has been nuts...and when things get busy, it's hard to focus on eating right. Edamame is always my go-to snack when I don't feel like cooking something but want a salty-ish snack to munch on. It's also incredibly good for you - as high in protein as most meat and chock full of calcium, iron, and several B vitamins.

So, you can imagine my delight when I ran across this recipe in  the January issue of Cooking Light. A low fat alternative to guacamole, which I seriously love. I was sold. This recipe comes together in about 5 minutes, including time to flash the frozen edamame. The flavors and consistency can be adjusted to your own personal taste. I love guac with lots of heat, garlic, and lemon....so I modified the original recipe a tad when I made it. More lemon juice, more garlic, and a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce. It's delicious on it own on chips (I've used Terra Spiced Taro root chips here) or incorporated into meals. This would be an easy veggie dish to whip up for a party. Super Bowl, anyone?   

Edamole - adapted from the original recipe which appeared in Cooking Light Jan 2008 - yields 6 servings

• 3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 garlic clove, halved

- Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Cover and chill.

This is my entry into Weekend Herb Blogging, this time being hosted by Claudia at Fool For Food. This is my second back-to-back entry to WHB - miracles will never cease. As always, a big shout out to Kalyn for establishing this event and for creating such a wonderful blog!

The RWT Chili Cookoff - The Roundup!

A new year means a new round-up of recipes! Thanks to everyone who took part in the RWT Chili Cookoff! Despite the hectic holiday season, we had quite a few entries. Despite the hardcore chili purists who insisted that chili = meat, there were also a number of vegetarian options. Way to go, folks! The details on how you can help pick a winner are at the end of this post.

Let's start the show:

Sarah from North Carolina, who blogs at Sweets by Sarah, gets us started with lots of enthusiasm for chili...and a hearty bowl of her delicious-looking Wheat Berry Chili.

Taking part in his second challenge here at RWT is Adam, who blogs from Alabama's BedHeadBlog. He puts a spin on a traditional meat chili with his yummy Bratwurst Chili - nice sour cream dollop there!

Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen takes the chill of her Canadian winter with another vegetarian chili, Black Bean Chili with Toasted Spices.

Dhivya from California's Culinary Bazaar shows us a really interesting twist on chili: a Chili Lima Beans Curry.

Showing us that "almost" doesn't count in just horseshoes and hand grenades, Cris from Brazil's From Our Home To Yours shares her Almost Vegetarian Chili.

Taking us step by step in making his Chili with Homemade Cheddar Biscuits over Rice is Bradley from Boston's Sauces and Stuff.

Getting spicy in Australia is Daphne from her blog More Than Words. She shares her recipe for Spice Medley Chili.

I am a big fan of green chili, so I was excited to see Michelle from Portland's Je Mange le Ville submit her delicious Working Person's Green Chili Bowl.

It's always nice to see fellow Atlantan Chris, who blogs at MeleCotte, take part in the blog events! She shares yet *another* vegetarian chili recipe - this time, a scrumptious Black Bean Chili.

Another Georgian, this time Augusta's Lynne from Cafe Lynnylu, brings the heat - both literally and figuratively with her beautifully photographed Two Steps from Hell Chili Verde.

Danielle from Sweet and Savory Eats took a welcome reprieve from the holiday cookies and cakes to submit her all-American Adaptation of Boilermaker Chili.

Atlanta's Tony Clark gets out from behind the camera (for a brief moment) and into the kitchen with stunning results: hopefully his Chili is as tasty as it is pretty.

Jason Perlow from New Jersey's Off the Broiler shares a really unusual and totally vegan chili recipe: Spicy Portabello Mushroom Chili with Pomegranate.

 

Providing the first white chili of the cookoff is Toronto's Kevin, who blogs at Closet Cooking. His Turkey White Chili looks hearty and healthy!

Suzana takes part all the way from Portugal! She gets up close and personal on her healthy Veggie Chili recipe on her blog Home Gourmets.

That's all, folks! Now...for the fun part: the voting! You do not have to have taken part in the Chili Cook-off to vote. Send your vote for the winner of the challenge - who will receive a lil' foodie prize and bragging rights - to runningwithtweezers@gmail.com. You must get your votes in by Sunday, January 13th. I'll announce the winner then. Good luck!

broadening horizons, expanding waistlines, and extending deadlines

I've almost gotten through enough of the holidays that I can get back to blogging at a serious clip. This year's merriment put a hurt on me. I can still fit in my jeans and my corduroy pants, so at least there's that. One more meal - a blowout New Years Eve meal - will be my last hurrah and then it's back on the straight and narrow. In the meantime, a few points of interest.

- Has anyone seen the latest issue of Gourmet Magazine? All I can say is...wow. What a thoughtful and interesting issue...and I'm not saying that because it has some of my peeps in it. This issue is all about The South. It's chock-full of wonderful narratives and history about the wide reaching influence of Southern cuisine. It also does a great job of showing that Southern cooking goes beyond fatback and sweet tea. It's also nice to see some local folks getting some much deserved press: Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Scott Peacock of Watershed (in a touching article about his relationship with Edna Lewis).

- I haven't been blogging much but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading blogs. I have a couple new favorites:

• DirtySouthWine - I love this blog. Hardy is from here in Atlanta. His blog is full of humor and great wine & food tips. His wine choices are unusual and not your chain store wine picks. It's fun and a good read.
• CurdNerds -  I came across this site when I was researching what to pair with Reblochon. It's a really cool, informative site.
• Smitten Kitchen - Yes. I am the last food blogger in the free world to find this blog. It's so good. Just go.

- One last thing: The deadline for the RWT Chili Cook-off has been extended to Sunday January 7th, 2008! I have gotten several entries...but this will give folks that were just too busy with the holidays a chance to get in on the challenge if they so choose. Check out all of the official details here.

                                          -

cheese and the cookbook bottleneck

Hi. My name is Tami...and I am a cookbook addict.

You think I'm kidding? Ask me how many I have coming to me from Amazon right now.
I need an intervention. Seriously.

I received a copy of Adventures of an Italian Food Lover by Faith Heller Willinger months ago. I got it right at the tail end of the blog event that Cath over at A Blithe Palate hosted. If you missed it, go check it out here...so many great entries.

Anyway.

I made a thing or two out of it after reading through the entire book. It's an interesting mix of travel guide/storytelling/recipes that was, at first, hard to get into. Once I got going, though, I couldn't help but keep reading. I love the rustic and charming illustrations throughout it, too...

...and then it sat...and sat. On top of it went Bittman (man he's heavy), Flay, Hay, and the 4 Ingredients and 10 Minutes cookbooks I found in the sale bin at TJ Maxx. Wait till you see what I cook in just 10 minutes with only those 4 ingredients. MacGuyver, look out.

Today...I re-visited Adventures of an Italian Food Lover and made something tasty and delicious: smoked mozzarella cutlets. How can fried, gooey squares of smoked cheese ever be bad? Grown up cheese sticks? Yes, please. The recipe was super easy, delicious, and worth my house smelling like fry oil for the time being.

To soften the blow of eating a block of fried cheese, I topped them with a quick salad of roasted red & yellow peppers, capers, good balsamic and extra virgin olive oil. It gave a little fresh zing to them, which was appreciated. I'll be working my way back through this book again to try out some of the seafood dishes, for sure.

Now where did I put Alice Waters...

The RWT Chili Cook-off!

Did you know this blog takes requests? I didn't really, either. However, I was asked by a friend of mine - and secret reader of this blog - if I had any great chili recipes. That made me think....did I?

I didn't, actually...until now.

In an effort to make a really hearty chili that wasn't loaded down with meat, I went hunting for vegetarian recipes. I found this recipe on Epicurious.com. However, it didn't seem very much like, well, chili. Where is all of the spicy stuff?!

I thought that the autumnal ingredients in the soup could handle some heat, so I've adapted it a bit. I added more chili powder and cumin, included some jalapeno, and threw in a bit of cayenne pepper. Also, for presentations sake, I swapped out part of the black beans for garbanzo beans - they keep their consistency when cooked and made the soup from looking so dark. I encourage you to serve this when you cook it so the greens still have their oomph.

This recipe is incredible. Trust me. You won't miss the meat.

Since we're all looking for hearty, heart-warming meals to make in these winter months, I am hosting a chili cook-off! This way, we can all exchange recipes and see all different varieties of this cold weather favorite. Here are all of the details:

• The RWT Chili Cook-Off will start on December 5th and go through December 31st. In that time, post your favorite chili recipe to your blog.
• There are no rules. I encourage all sorts of recipes and ingredients. They don't all have to have ground beef in it! Add pork, veggies, sausage, beans, chicken...let your imagination go wild.
• After the closure of the challenge, a winner will be chosen (i haven't decided if this is going to be a democracy or not) and awarded a food-related prize!
• Send your cook-off submissions to runningwithtweezers@gmail.com. Include in your email: your name, your blog name, your location, the permalink to your post, and your recipe name.
• Good luck!

Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard - adapted from the original recipe found here on epicurious.com - makes 4 main-course servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and diced into small pieces (include the seeds if you want to up the heat)
• 2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 3 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves or kale leaves (from 1 small bunch)

- Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; saute until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add jalapeno and squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in cayenne pepper, chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard or kale; simmer until chard or kale is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.