Xmas Cookie time!

Last Thursday I got together with 3 awesome friends to make 4 different kinds of cookies & a toffee/chocolate bark. The day started at noon with yummy lunch of homemade lentil & ham soup (thanks Mo!), right after that we got to work — our cookies to make: Sugar (double recipe), Chocolate-dipped Peanut Butter (double recipe), Gingersnaps & Linzer — a nice mix! We fist made all the batches of dough because they needed to chill for about 1 hr. 

B planned ahead and made the Linzer cookie dough at home, which was great coz they took a while to make. We started cutting them up, making sure we got even number for the tops and bottoms. As you can see the tops get cut on the inside too so the jam comes through. Bianca melted the blackberry jam a bit and topped the bottom cookies, in the meantime, I sprinkled the tops with lots powder sugar. Look how pretty these are!



Then we moved to the Gingersnaps, which where super easy to make. The only thing I did different was adding more sugar on top after they came out of the oven. These cookies are super crispy and taste like the holidays. 

Mo worked her magic on her toffee/choco bark. She learned how to make it at a class she took a few years ago. I just watched her make it — you have to move fast and make sure you have a candy thermometer!

Then was Peanut Butter time, which where also super easy, just had to scoop them, make balls and flat them out a bit. After they cooled I dipped half of each one in chocolate which makes them even more heavenly. 

Mo & B worked on the sugar cookies making them into tons of cute xmas shapes. By this time it was almost 6pm and I had to run, so I took some dough and made & decorated them the day after.
Overall it was a SUPER successful cookie day :) we got a lot done and all the cookies came out fabulous. Thanks to Mo for hosting, B for finding the amazing Linzer recipe and J for helping out and taking pictures. Oh, and of course thanks to little C for being such a good baby. Hope we do this every year!!

Top Chef Tapas Extravaganza!

Last week my friend Amanda wanted to throw a little pot-luck get together to watch the TOP CHEF finale. I'm a huge fan so i of course said yes and suggested a tapas theme. Us two—plus our friend Marcus—jumped in to it and started looking for great tapas recipes. I decided to make bacon-wrapped dates and a Basque Piperade with eggs and crusty bread (both recipes from our Portland shoot from my favorite tapas restaurant in town: Toro Bravo / Chef John Gorham). Amanda made some amazing beef empanadas (she cooked the beef for hours the night before) and a super fresh salad. Marcus got inspired by his favorite dish from Andina and made a crab, shrimp and avocado salad on top of  home made chips (he actually cut up tortillas in cute holiday shapes and fried them!). He also made some super tender ribs that where delish! 

This is the "Basque Paperade" Dish. I cooked it all in a large skillet on the stove, then cracked the eggs and popped it in the oven for about 15 min. I did have to fudge the recipe a bit because it makes pretty large quantities. I used: 1 1/2 onions, a 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes and a 12oz roasted red peppers. I also used regular eggs (not duck eggs), then followed the rest of the recipe.

_My bacon-wrapped dates

_Marcus's Ribs

_Amandas Empanadas

_Marcus Crab, Shrimp & Avocado salad on home made chips

The whole night was super fun and all the dishes where super delicious. We all really enjoyed it and want to do it again soon... what should be our next theme?

After Thanksgiving

I know it's been over a week after Thanksgiving, but i wanted to share a few pics of our meal. We where only 3 people (my hubby, my auntie AA and me) but we sure cooked for a lot more! which was a good thing 'cause we had plenty of leftovers — just finished them up this weekend. I really enjoyed the cooking and trying new recipes, but next year I'll be VERY happy to go to someone else's house :) Hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving!!

cranberry sauce / turkey brining / stuffed mushrooms app

turkey all buttered up and filled with citrus & herbs / cooked cornbread stuffing

cooked turkey & mashed garlic potatoes / my plate!

three desserts: apple pie, pumping pie and flan

Prepping for Turkey Day!

One of the things I've learned the most from cooking for Thanksgiving is prepping big time the day before. That way I'm not overwhelmed making all the sides and stand in the kitchen for 5 hrs. I don't usually cook for a lot of people, but we do make a lot of food — the hubby loves the leftovers — so the more I prep the better. Here is what I'm doing today to get ready for tomorrow... just wanted to share some tips!


Sides::

- Make the cornbread (from a mix of course!) for my cornbread, bacon & sage stuffing. I might also cook all the veggies for this, then just assemble & bake tomorrow. 

- Roast the chestnuts for my brussels sprouts w/ caramelized mushrooms and shallots side. 

- Roast 1 garlic head for my garlic mashed potatoes.

- Make the cranberry sauce. It'll be even better and thicker tomorrow.
Desserts::

- Make pie doughs. I'm making 1 apple and 1 pumpkin pie, so Ill just make the dough, separate them into disks, wrap them in plastic and pop them in the fridge.
- Mix pumpkin filling. The recipe says it's better to make it the day before so that sounds good to me!
Turkey::

- Make turkey brine. I'll be brining it over night, so I want to make sure the brine cools so it's ready tonight.

It might sound like a lot to do, but it'll be worth it! Tomorrow I'll get a chance focus on our 12lb turkey, relax with my hubby and auntie and drink good wine :) You might not want to do it all, but I hope this helps you and gives you some ideas on what to start today. 

Have a great Turkey day!!

Ven a comer a PDX!

Last week, Lynne from how2heroes.com came to shoot a bunch of videos here in Portland. I was lucky enough to help pick a mix of food carts, chefs and home cooks to shoot. We had a blast, ate amazing food and even got a chance to take a quick day trip to a few wineries and try some great wines. Here are some pics of our adventures!

Monday was food cart day: Jalapeño popper grill cheese from The Grill Cheese Grill, Potato Leek soup from Savor Soup House and Gingersnap cookies from The Sugar Cube. I also "made" Lynne try a ham, cheese & honey butter waffle sandwich from Flavour Spot.

For home cooks we shot 2 great friends: Jason (that's him getting ready for the shoot) made a delicious side dish of Brussels sprouts, caramelized mushrooms & shallots. Brian made a family favorite, shrimp scampi (that's us eating his leftovers).

We where also lucky to have 2 amazing restaurants participate: Screen Door made Grits & Grillades (the pic here is of a waffle & pears we had for brunch and some grits they made for a video). Toro bravo made 2 amazing dishes: piperade with baked duck egg and bacon wrapped dates... all delish!

On thursday we took a super fun trip to Dundee/Dayton area. It was my first time there so it was great to see how close Portland is from some great wineries. I also loved that they are literally across the street from each other, so it takes minutes to go from one to the next. My only advice: if you're planning on trying a few, bring your own snacks — only one offered few crackers. Here are the ones we went to:

_ Domaine Serene: Really nice with amazing views. It also had a fireplace that really made the experience great. Our favorite wines where from here.

_ Domaine Drouhin: Great views here too, they have a deck that'll be great to enjoy on summertime.

_ De Ponte Cellars: Small but nice, the girl was super friendly and she was a De Ponte.

_ Archery Summit: This was the only place that offered us crackers and water. It was a bit small too but really cozy.

So pretty much I had the greatest job for 4 days. I'll keep you posted to when the videos are up. Thanks to all the heroes to helped us make this an amazing week. In the meantime you should definitely subscribe to the how2heroes newsletter to be the first one to know when the videos are up, and to find any last minute thanksgiving ideas!

Asado Negro

The name "Ven a Comer" came to me while going through my food memories growing up. It was what my mom yelled when dinner was ready, she would say "Carla, ven a comer!" (Carla, come eat!) and I would come running, always picking up my dad and brother along the way.

My mom, Anamelia, is an amazing cook. She's extremely creative and ambitious, and she's never afraid. I learned a lot just by watching her, she'd come up with great meals on the fly, throw great parties with great food, or feed my friends late at night after my own parties. She also always wanted to learn as much as she could, I remember taking "bagel making" classes when we first came here. Somehow I've been able to carry on her talent and love for food, one of my favorites times in the day is dinner time, when my hubby sits down to eat and tells me how delicious whatever I made was... just like my dad always did (and still does) to my mom.

Here is a video of me making one of my favorite Venezuelan dishes: "Asado Negro". My mom taught me how to make it over the phone :) It's a traditional beef dish cooked with panela (cane sugar) that helps create the dark caramel color of it's thick, sweet sauce. The smell of it cooking on the stove instantly takes me back home... it's a wonderful feeling.

If you're still curious about more Venezuelan & latin food, watch my other videos: arepas, fried plantains, tostones & tres leches cake.

_NOTE: not sure why the video is cut off on the right, sorry about that!

Dear Birthday Cake,

Dear Birthday Cake,

I love you SO much. I love making you for my birthday so you can be as decadent as I want you to be. This year you where good... really good. We had you every night for a week and I didn't feel one bit guilty about it. You where a delicious chocolate cake, with 2 layers of peanut butter-cream cheese frosting, topped with a deep, beautiful chocolate glaze. I miss you so much already. Good thing the hubby's birthday is tomorrow, which only means one thing: more birthday cake to make!

CHOCOLATE CAKE (adapted from alpineberry)

INGREDIENTS::

_ 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (1 cup white, 3/4 whole wheat)

_ 2 cups granulated sugar
_ 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
_ 2 teaspoons baking soda
_ 1 teaspoon baking powder
_ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
_ 1/2 cup yogurt & 1/2 cup milk (recipe calls for 1 cup buttermilk)

_ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
_ 2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
_ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
_ 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (or hot water)

DIRECTIONS::

_ Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans (I used only 1). Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

_Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into bowl. Mix to combine the ingredients. In another bowl, gently whisk together the yogurt, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
_Add the coffee and stir just to combine (carefully because it might splash). Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is well combined.
_Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

_NOTE: This batter is really runny—but don't worry—it's supposed to be that way.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

INGREDIENTS::

_1 1/2 packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

_1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

_4-5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

_1 cup smooth peanut butter

DIRECTIONS::

_In a large bowl with an electric mixer, bean the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl often. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 min. Add the peanut butter and bean until well blended (Makes about 5 cups).

CHOCOLATE CLAZE (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

INGREDIENTS::

_8 oz semisweet chocolate chips

_3 tbsp smooth peanut butter

_2 tbsp light corn syrup

_1/2 cup half-and-alf

DIRECTIONS::

_In top of a bowl set over simmering water, combine chocolate, peanut butter and corn syrup. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk the half-and-half until smooth (Makes about 1.5 cups).

ASSEMBLING:

_I recommend making the cake the day before so it's cooled and ready to go.

_Layer the cake with a large serrated knife (I did 2 layers) and spread about 2/3 of the frosting on each layer.

_Crumb coat: I learned this at a cake decorating class I took. This means adding a thin layer of frosting all over your cake so the crumbs don't show at the end. I did this and placed the cake in the fridge for 30 min.

_Frost cake: Add the rest of the frosting to the top of the cake, then with you knife start spreading the frosting to the sides. Once you're done, put the cake in the fridge for another 15 min.

_Chocolate Glaze: Add ALL the glaze on the top of the cake, then slowly spread it to the edges of the cake, letting it fall nicely on the sides.

This cake simply amazing. It takes some time to make but it's worth it. The actual cake is super moist and has a great deep chocolate flavor but it's not overly sweet. The peanut butter frosting is delicious, definitely going to make it again. The glaze totally takes the cake to another level and it makes the cake look even more beautiful.

Will work for food

A couple of weeks ago I went to the lovely city of Boston for work. Besides my Dunkin' Donuts ice coffee (and sometimes a doughnut) every single day, I have to say I had some pretty amazing food while I was there. It helps a lot to have friends that love to eat, and I can say i'm lucky to have plenty of those :)

As soon as I got there — starving from the long flight with NO food — my friend Lynne had me over for dinner and made this amazing pork loin with mashed sweet potatoes and apple compote. It totally hit the spot and was perfect with a glass of red wine and some VMAs for entertainment.

One night, Lynne took me and the girls from the office to this great Italian restaurant called ERBALUCE. I can't describe how amazing the food was. We all ordered something different and the chef (Charles Draghi) was nice enough to send us a few little extra things. You can check out some of his videos here, specially the Chocolate & Caramelized Orange Tarts, I had it and it tastes as good as it looks!

Beautiful Summer Soup with edible flowers

Jessie's Crab Risotto on the shell | shrimps w/corn salsa

raviolis w/something delicious inside (can't remember what)

Lynne's bunny—I mean rabbit—with strawberries

Dreamy chocolate & caramelized orange tart

Other good spots I went to this time around:

SONSIE on Newbury street, great for drinks and people watching.

OLECITO on Inman Square, great fish taco & chips & salsa for lunch.

CENTRAL KITCHEN on central sq, always amazing. Everything is good.

STEPHANIES on Newubury, a bit pricey but the salads are really great.

JP LICKS, one of my fav ice cream places — had the oreo cake batter! dayum!

PHO PASTEUR on Chinatown, great soups after a shopping spree downtown.

Meal at SONSIE with Suru: Gnocci w/ tomato sauce | Butternut Squash & Sage pizza

Amazing beef soup from Pho Pasteur

Overall I had the best time in Boston, tons of work but tons of play as well. Thanks to all the friends who shared meals with me. Oh, and I also shot a cooking video which I will post soon!

Stuffed Grape Leaves

A couple of weeks ago — after fun times at happy hour with some friends — I happened to walk by a greek specialty store. I walked in pretty excited... I've been wanting to make stuffed grape leaves for a while and I knew I'd find them there. I left the store with a small jar of leaves, some amazingly fresh feta cheese, and a big smile.

The next day, recipe in hand, I got to work. I decided to try this vegetarian recipe, but instead of white rice i used brown rice (healthier and tasted the same). I recommend watching the video as well.

Though they required some patience to make (specially during the assembly) they where pretty easy. Cut up all the filling ingredients, wash up leaves, stuff, cook and eat! I served them with a quick yogurt sauce for dipping and they where delish (yogurt, lime juice, parsley, salt & pepper). The recipe makes a lot, so you'll have plenty of leftovers.

Banana bread

My hubby LOVES bananas, he eats one pretty much every day. But he likes them only when they are still greenish. I like them when they are all nice yellow. We both hate them extra ripe, so when we have a few I always try to make something good out of them — like muffins or banana bread. This time I made banana bread and added some coconut for extra texture and flavor... and also just because i can! I found this recipe online, changed a few things and wrote it down on a piece of paper. Today i can't find the original, so here is my version. I really think is one of the best ones i've made, it's SUPER moist and easy. With a nice cup of coffee is heaven.

INGREDIENTS::

_ 1 2/3 cup of flour (I used 1 whole wheat and 2/3 regular)

_ 1 tsp baking soda

_ 1/4 tsp cinnamon

_ 1/4 tsp salt

_ 2/3 cup sugar

_ 2 eggs

_ 1/2 cup melted butter

_ 3 bananas (smashed)

_ 2 tbsp yogurt

_ 1 tsp vanilla extract

_ 1/2 cup walnuts

_ 1/2 cup coconut (optional)

DIRECTIONS::

_ Preheat oven to 350º

_ Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt. Set aside.

_ Beat sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. About 8 minutes. Add the butter and mix.

_ Add the bananas, the yogurt and the vanilla.

_ Fold dry ingredients. Add the nuts and coconut if using (you can also add some chocolate chips!)

_ Cook for 45 to 1hr

After you make this you'll repeat after me: "I'll NEVER throw away bananas ever again" :)