I've Created A Cookie Monster V.2.o

Friends, foodies, and friends of foodies; you can read as many cook books as you want or watch as much of the Food Network as you please, but there's no better teacher than your mistakes. It's been some time since The Project has seen a new recipe, but this post marks a new step in my culinary quest: I'm getting the hang of this baking thing.

The last post marked my first attempt at baking and while the results were a success (read: I did not burn down my house), the cookies were some what disappointing. I cut corners by using pre-mixed pastry flour and a mint flavouring instead of manning up and finding vanilla extract. The result was a batter that looked like a brownie and tasted like a peppermint patty, which isn't a bad thing, but it certainly wasn't a cookie. Disheartened, I took to the interweb, and found out some helpful stuff:

A) Leave the butter to warm up to room temperature. Softer butter means an easier time mixing, particularly if you're using an electric mixer. There's also less of a clean up.

B) Preparation goes a long way. Measure everything you need prior to starting and you'll be able to keep a cool head while in front of a hot oven.

C) Moderation. Moderation. Moderation. You need a balance of flavours in a cookie. Too much chocolate and you'd might as well be munching on a Hersey's Bar, or too much mint and you feel like you're chewing on an after-dinner mint.

D) Leave plenty of room in between cookies on a baking sheet. Oh for the love of baked good, leave PLENTY of space. I thought an inch of space between every two Tbsp of batter would be enough, but I still ended up with this:



Anyhow, it took more screw ups that I'd like but I'm more confident sharing my results this time around. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: The Caroline Cookie



The Caroline Cookie

What's In It:
-1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter
-1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
-2 large eggs
-2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
-3 tsp of grounded cinnamon
-1 1/4 (310 mL) of a cup of all-purpose flour
-1 tsp of baking powder
-125 grams of milk-chocolate chip
-1/3 of a cup of toffee bits

Makes one dozen cookies



1. Prior to starting, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Next, in a large bowl, place the butter and beat with an electric hand mixer, adding the sugar gradually. Cream together for 5 minutes or until fluffy and light.



2. Afterwards, add in one egg at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Now mix in the vanilla extract.



3. In a smaller bowl, mix together the cinnamon, flour, and baking powder.



4. Combine the dry ingredients with the rest of the batter and mix well. You can continue to use your electric mixer, or go old school with a spatula.



5. Fold in the toffee bits and chocolate chips.



6. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (NOT wax paper like I used in my first attempt... oops), place about two tsp of batter, leaving at least one inch of space in between. Warning: these cookies with spread like a hot, up-and-coming pre-pubescent Canadian singing sensation through Youtube. Proceed to bake in a preheated oven for 13-15 minutes.



7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack afterwards. Savour with a cold glass of moo moo juice.

I've Created A (Cookie) Monster

The sun lies buried beneath the throng of thunderclouds and the torrential rain on a Sunday afternoon. Inside the kitchen I’m safe, but my gut, like the contents in my oven, is a mixture of things. It’s one part hungry, one part terrified as I try my hand at this mad science known as “baking.”

The pings of hail pellets stop long enough for me to hear the “beep-beep” of the oven. I don my oven mitts and pop the door to catch a glimpse at the fruits of my labour.

Suddenly, a flash of lighting appears at the corner of my eye followed by a crack of thunder. The kitchen lights dim but I have no need of them, for the fragrance of mint and cocoa surround me in a comforting aura that begets the foul weather outside.

The lights return to normal. In front of me are seven jumbo mounds of decadence. “THEY’RE ALIVE!” I bellow. My brother pops down from the upstairs study. “‘Bout damn time,” he says.

For the longest time, the thought of having to bake terrified me. I still can’t rationally explain it to date, but it’s held me back from testing out cakes, pastries, and cookies ever since. So last Sunday I grew a pair, baked some cookies and they turned out alright.

They’re not perfect by any means and they’ve got a brownie-like texture too them (probably the result of my sloth and using pre-mixed flour). Also, the mint, while a decent substitute for vanilla, came off a bit too strong. Alas, I’d still consider these Mint Chocolate-Chunk Cookies a success, and at the very least, a stepping stone for more baked goods to come.



Mint Chocolate-Chunk Cookie

Adapted from the Guy can't Cook, by Cinda Chavich

What's In It:

-Half a cup of butter (125 mL)
-3/4 of a cup of granulated sugar
-1 Large egg
-2 tsp (10 mL) of mint extract
-3/4 of a cup of all-purpose flour
-Half a cup of dutch cocoa powder
-1 tsp(5 mL) of baking powder
-50g of white chocolate (solid bar/ chunk/ chip)
-50g of bittersweet chocolate (solid bar/ chunk/ chip)

Makes one dozen cookies or half a dozen jumbo cookies



1. Start by placing the butter in a large mixing bowl and with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter while adding the sugar gradually. Beat together for 5 minutes or until fluffy and light.



2. Add in the egg and mint extract and beat well.

3. In another bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Mix well.



4. Stir in the dry ingredients into the butter mixture to combine. Add in chocolate chunks/ chips and mix well. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour. Near the end of the hour, pre-heat oven to 350° F (180°C).



5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of the batter to form one cookie (use 2 Tbsp for jumbo cookie). Leave at leave 5 centimeters of space between each mound of dough as the batter will spread while baking. Bake for 15 minutes, careful not too over bake. They're meant to be soft and moist.



6. Let cool for 10 minutes and savour with a glass of moo-moo juice (milk).

Nothing Fishy Here...

Oh it's good to be back. I won't waste your time with excuses as to why it's been 30 days since the Project's last post. You came hear to read about sometime tasty and delicious and I aim to deliver. But before we continue, let's go over some of the events that have transpired in the last month or so.

1. I've still been eating and cooking, but nothing really note worthy to share.

2. I found a new cookbook... in the form of my Nintendo DS. It's called Personal Trainer: Cooking and it's not really a video game but a cooking guide in the form of game cartridge. It's been on the market for over two years now, but I've just discovered it recently so it's all new to me.

3. I turned 20 last Thursday and have been on a string on celebratory restaurant excursions for the last week or so.

4. Event number three is the reason I've been visiting the gym more frequently. If I'm going to die a food-related death; it won't have anything to do with high cholesterol levels at the ripe age of 20.

Note: If I'm dying because of food, it's going to be because I choked on a fish-bone while trying to pronounce "kumquat" during a dinner conversation. Ha...kumquat.

Anyhow, event number four brings us to this week's recipe which is originally from my cousin Manh-Tu Nguyen. Years ago we trained at the same gym and were always pressed for time for a healthy and tasty meal. So one day he whipped up a tuna spread and threw it on a few leaves of lettuce and that's how the Lemon Tuna Lettuce Wraps were born!

It's light, refreshing, and ridiculously simple. Heck, it practically makes itself. Give it a try for a quick lunch or post-work out snack.

Lemon Tuna Lettuce Wraps



What's In It:

-One head of Boston (Butter) Lettuce
-One can of tuna (albacore, yellowfin, or skipjack all work well so take your pick.)
-Two Tbsp of mayo
-One celery stalk, diced
-One tbsp of orange zest
-One tbsp of lemon zest
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Squeeze of lemon juice

Makes 10 lettuce wraps



1. Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Set aside. Dice the celery into one centimeter thick pieces. Drain tuna and empty content into a medium-sized bowl. Combine celery, mayo, salt, pepper, citrus zests and mix thoroughly.



2. Savour by spreading one Tbsp of tuna mixture onto a leaf of lettuce. Garnish with julienned cucumber and slices of cheddar and wrap the lettuce around the mixture like a taco.



Tips: If can substitute the citrus zest with a few shakes of McCormick's Citrus & Pepper Seasoning like I did. A bottle will go for about $3.99 and it's a decent investment if you love that lemony flavour on your poultry, fish or veggies.

Love Thy Neighbor

I remember a simpler time. An easier time. A time where neighbors could turn to each other when in need of a mere cup of sugar. Wait... never mind, that's just the opening from one of my favorite elementary reads, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.

So what does this book have to do with the pursuit of all things tasty? Well other than sugar and the possibility of pork roast, not much. But the story's intro echo's a fun idea for this week's post: rather than borrowing ingredients, why not borrow kitchen appliances?

Those close to me will know that I'm a waffle guy. Crepes, pancakes and French toast all have their moments, but I just can't say no to a waffle. That being said, I'm not the biggest fan of spending money on a waffle maker.

This is where my neighbor came in. We were walking and talking one summer night when she brought up her new waffle iron. That's when the proposal came down: her waffle iron for my stick of butter. How was I supposed to say no to that? She was also kind enough to lend me the waffle recipe!

While we were making the waffles, we both agreed that waffles without fixings isn't much of a waffle experience at all. Originally, I was planning to whip up a strawberry and-kiwi fruit compote, but I set the blender for too long and ended up with more of a smoothie. Whoops. Well, you learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. Case in point:



Light and Fluffy Waffle Mix with Strawberry-Kiwi Drizzle.
Recipe courtesy of Dana Li

What's In It:

-Three (3) eggs
-One cup (250 mL) of milk
-Half a cup (125 mL) of melted butter
-Two cups (500 mL) of all-purpose flour
-Pinch of salt
-Three tsp (15 mL) of baking powder
-Two tsp (10 mL) of sugar

Strawberry-Kiwi Drizzle
-Splash of Orange juice
-Five large strawberries, hulled and quatered
-Half a kiwi, peeled and sliced.

Makes nine waffles (varies with waffle maker), serves three.



1. Beat whole eggs in a bowl until thick.



2. Whisk milk and melted butter into eggs.



3. In a seperate bowl, combine salt, sugar, baking powder, and flour



4. Shift into egg mixture and mix well.



5. Add about two Tbsp of batter into waffle iron to make one waffle.



For the Strawberry-Kiwi Drizzle:

In a blender or food processor, add a splash of orange juice with strawberries and kiwi. Quickly pulse the ingredients repeatedly until fruit mixture is thick and chunky. For a thinner drizzle, hold and blend for five seconds.



6. Savour the waffles with remaining strawberries, drizzle, and/or syrup.



Notes:

-You can save yourself some time by going with premixed flour. Spend less time measuring and more time eating!

-A BIG thank you to Janice Lee for helping out in the kitchen and for the waffle iron.

Five Hours of Sleep, 10 Minutes of Prep, and One Fantastic Sandwich

Oh Sundays. We heart you dearly. Not only are you the only day of the week that can be confused with a delicious dairy dessert, you give us peace, quiet, and another Student Showcase! This week's recipe comes from the fashionable Stephanie Fereiro. A Ryerson journalism student like myself and Jaclyn, she brings us her Brie and 'shroom Breakfast'which. Quick, portable, and more than ideal for breaking that fast when school rolls around.

Photography courtesy of Stephanie Fereiro.
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You know what’s beautiful about mornings? Stretching all of your limbs under your warm duvet, reveling in the softness of half-awake dreaming, and listening to the birds chirping outside your window while your mother brings you fresh brewed coffee and breakfast in bed.

Unfortunately not all of us live with our mothers, we wake up to alarm clocks instead of baby birds, and working two jobs and freelance writing put a big, fat “STOP RIGHT NOW” sign right where the face of that dream-someone should be. Or, if you’re like me, your cell phone doubles as an alarm clock and you sometimes hit the “talk” button and say a sleepy “hello?” to the imaginary person on the other end. And then your roommate makes fun of you. But it’s time to forget all of that! It’s time to wake up and stop hating mornings! (Or you could just make this recipe for lunch. You know, if you have the time to sleep in…)

This morning, after what felt like five hours of sleep, I decided to make myself the most gourmet breakfast I could muster up. The meal, which only took about 10 minutes to prepare, turned out delicious, and I wasn’t feeling empty by the time my lunch break rolled around at work.

What I Made:

A breakfast sandwich – but not your typical ham, egg, and cheese number – served with leftover fruit salad and a mug of Earl Grey.



What's In It:

-Extra virgin olive oil
-Teriyaki sauce
-A quarter of a large portobello mushroom
-One egg to fry
-Two slices of whole wheat bread
-A few slices of brie
-Half an avocado, sliced*
-Baby romaine lettuce
-Light mayonnaise
-Fresh ground pepper

Serves One

How I Made It:

1.First I prepared all of my ingredients: I cut the avocado in half and made little slices I could scoop out later, sliced the brie, and cut up the mushrooms.



2.Then I cooked the mushrooms: I turned a small frying pan on medium heat and added a drop of extra virgin olive oil. When the pan was hot, I threw my mushrooms in and splashed on some teriyaki sauce, then gave them a little stir.



3.While the mushrooms cooked, I started getting the sandwich ready: I toasted my bread, spread on some light mayo and added a little pepper.

4.When the mushrooms finished cooking (about two minutes or until dark brown), I pushed them to the side of the pan, added another little drop of olive oil, and fried my egg in the leftover teriyaki sauce.



5.While the egg was frying I topped one of my slices of bread with all of the sandwich toppings, making sure to put the cheese on top so it would melt.



6.When the egg was medium-cooked (yolk not too runny) I placed it on top of the cheese followed by the mushrooms on top, and then topped it off with my second slice of bread.



7.Then I cut the sandwich in half and put it on a plate with some leftover fruit salad I made the day before and a dollop of vanilla yogurt.



So, if you’re tired of grabbing an apple and a granola bar on your way out the door and feeling starving by lunch time, or if you’re making breakfast with someone who refuses to eat cereal, try this gourmet break-wich. I promise it’ll be worth waking up just a little bit earlier to take the time to make it.

* I’m aware that my avocado looks over-ripe and you can tell I cut out the gross bits… Sorry. It was still wonderful.

It's No Longer a Sausage Fest...

Over the last few months I've realized that there's nothing more satisfying than cooking. This blog began as a means to let my friends, family, and colleagues know what I loved to do most: EAT. Erm, sorry. I mean "cook". But eating is pretty awesome too.

With that in mind, it's time The Project move forward and not only share what I love to create and savour, but show off some of the (pork) chops of my fellow foodies. And so I give you: Student Showcase !

This is the first (of what I hope to be many posts) from students who enjoy cooking but don't necessarily have the means of showing off their creations. Our first volunteer is the lovely and talented Jaclyn Tersigni who was kind enough to bring you some of her Ham & Veggie Medley Frittata.

Photography courtesy of Jaclyn Tersigni.
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Eggs ain’t just for breakfast. Frittatas (a sort of omelette-quiche hybrid) are perfect for lunch and dinner. They’re traditionally fried but this North American version is finished off in the oven.
What you’ll need:

•Eggs. How many depends on how many you’re cooking for. I typically use two if I’m cooking for myself. I made this frittata for three people – including an 18-year-old dude with a bottomless stomach – and used ten eggs.

•Fillings: In this frittata, I used orange and red pepper, asparagus, onion, and ham. Other great fillings include mushrooms, broccoli, cubed potato, bacon, spinach, feta, and olives. For something a little different, try adding arugula pieces (mildly spicy flavoured lettuce) to the top of the frittata after cooking

•A tablespoon or two of milk for mixing with eggs.

•Olive oil and, if desired, garlic (for sautéing).

•An oven-safe pan. Size depends on how many eggs you’ll be cooking. For anything less than four eggs, use a pan with a diameter of about five inches.

1. Prep is the name of the game and the name of the game is prep. Wash and chop/dice all your fillings beforehand.



2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk well, with a tablespoon or so of milk. Whisk well! Whisk lots! The more you whisk, the more air gets into the egg mixture, the fluffier the frittata will be. If you want, you can add some hot sauce, freshly ground pepper, or what I like to do – add a few drops of chipotle sauce for a smoky flavour that works incredibly well with onion, pepper, and bacon fillings.

3. Leave your eggs for the time being. Get your pan out and start to sauté your veggies over medium to medium/high heat, stirring often; I sautéed mine in olive oil and minced garlic to add flavour. If you or your guests don’t like garlic, skip it – it won’t be easy to pick out come chowdown time.

4. Once the veggies have softened and the onion is beginning to look translucent, transfer to a plate. Spray your pan well to avoid sticking, then add the veggies back to the pan. Distribute them evenly around the pan, then pour your egg mixture evenly over the pan and veggie mixture. Keep the heat at medium to medium/high. At this point, turn your oven’s broiler on high.



5. Keep a close eye on the pan – this isn’t the time for tomfoolery, folks. Once the eggs’ edges begin to solidify, gently push them in about half an inch to allow the runny egg fill the space and begin to cook. Once there is little to no runny egg left, carefully transfer the pan to the middle rack of your oven. If you desire, sprinkle some cheese over the top before putting the pan in the oven.



6.Cooking time from here on depends on the strength of your oven’s broiler. Keep your eye on it. Once the top of the frittata has solidified and there is some slight (I emphasize slight, who likes burnt eggs?) browning, it’s done. Take it out, step back and admire, then slice it like a pie or pizza.



Ketchup ain’t the only condiment for frittatas. Try salsa, Tabasco or a similar hot pepper sauce, Sriracha sauce, or even fresh guacamole. Since this was a dinner time frittata, I served it alongside some mixed greens. I’m of the opinion that a cold beer is a nice beverage accompaniment – a lager, preferably.

The B.L.T. Project Pulls a Cereal Salads

So you know how I said school was over for me? Yeah, that was a lie. I forgot that I start summer school as of Monday. Alas, this is what you get for jumping into university-level economics and never bothering to pick up an economics text book. Thankfully, I cut my losses and dropped the course.

So I may not be cut out to be an economist; that's fine. Numbers and playing the stock market were never my strong suits anyways. But what I am strong at is making some quick and easy oatmeal to get myself (and all those stuck in the summer school boat as I am) out the door into the classroom.

Prior to starting the B.L.T Project I came across Cereal Salads, another food blog by a fellow Ryerson journalism student. The thing I enjoy about Cereal Salads is how she turns dull oatmeal into something colourful and appetizing with every other post. That, and she's got a heck of lot more vegetarian friendly dishes that I currently do. Sorry, but I just love my meat.

Reds and Raisins Oatmeal

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups of water
-2/3 of a cup of quick rolled oats
-1/2 a cup of raisins
-1 Fuji apple, cored and diced
-2 Tbsp of brown sugar
-1 Tbsp of maple syrup

Serves one



1. Boil water in a small pot on high heat. When water comes to a boil, add in brown sugar,syrup, and oats. Reduce to medium heat.



2. Stir oatmeal occasionally for three to five minutes until oatmeal thickens. You can core and dice the apples while waiting.



3. Stir in maple syrup, raisins, and chopped apples.



4. Garnish with some grounded cinnamon. Savour and don't forget to get to class!


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What's this? You decided to read this post all the way to the bottom? Well then, I figure it's only fair to inform you that I've got my hands on a brand spanking new BBQ. Time to brush up on my grilling skills!

Below are some photos of my dad and I putting the beast together. Only cut myself once during the whole ordeal. A personal best!