Vegetarian Meatballs

I am a fourth year medical student. It is still peculiar to say. It's odd to have a definitive answer when someone asks me what residency I am applying into, and to say that I have finished my Sub-I (sub-internship) rotation. There is so much I want to say about third year. It was wonderful and horrid at the same time. Dabbling a little in every field gave me a strong respect for the different aspects of medicine, from psychiatry to surgery. I hope that respect stays with me--too frequently do I hear specialists speak poorly of other fields. I don't want to do that. I am happy it's over though, it is tiring to switch tasks every 4, 6, or 8 weeks and begin learning about a whole new field.

I learned a lot about myself though: what I liked, what I didn't like, and that I can be cheerful at 4:30 in the morning during surgery rounds.

Now, Step 2 CK is over, I have CS coming up, and I am making my way through my anesthesia rotations, as a fourth year. Time is happening.

So much is happening in the world, and there is so much I want to say...but let's start with these vegetarian meatballs, because well...because.

We don't do pasta very much in the Shappenfeld household, but every once in a while I crave the basics, some spaghetti + tomato sauce. Simple, quick, comforting. I figured I'd try meatballs again, I've done a few variations in the past and not been satisfied, but these were different, and so, so good. The original recipe that I modified was vegan, so if you're interested in that, click on the credit link!

Vegetarian Tempeh Meatballs 
adapted from the Minimalist Baker

8 oz Tempeh
1 egg
0.5 cup parmesan cheese
0.33 cup bread crumbs
0.25 cup cilantro
2 Tbsp marinara sauce (we used Arriabata from Trader Joes...my favorite!)
4 cloves garlic
1 red onion, medium size, coursely chopped
canola oil

Preheat oven to 375. In a food processor, toss in tempeh, and pulse until it's small. Then add salt, pepper, garlic, onion and pulse together. Then add cilantro, marinara, egg, cheese, and bread crumbs, and pulse to mix well. Transfer mixture into a bowl. The mixture should be moist, and should easily form balls. Cover the bottom of a sautee pan with canola oil and put over medium high heat.

Form small balls out of the mixture and pan fry them in the sautee pan until brown on both/all sides (I made mine flatish, so I could just brown them on both sides). Then transfer to a pre-greased/parchment paper covered baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil, and put them in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Serve over pasta, cover with marinara sauce, and enjoy!

Suggested appetizer -- roasted peppers and fresh mozarella, balsamic and olive oil

Mint and Pea Crostini with Pickled Radishes and Burrata

Spring has finally laid its gentle hand on the winter-weary backs of Bostonians. That's my fancy way of saying -- it's SPRING! I classify that temperatures above 32F. The icebergs have melted (mostly), the sun is out (sometimes), and I don't have to wear multiple layers to brave the wintry winds (usually).

Celebration wouldn't be celebration without spring-type foods. Food with the colors, and the pretty, and the pop of spring. With herbs, green, and tart, and SPRING.

Can you tell I'm happy about spring? Sunshine for all!

Anyways, make this one night. It's simple, beautiful, and delicious. It may seem tricky to pickle something, but honestly, it's really not. The most complicated part of the process is slicing the radishes -- which is super easy if you have a food processor. The pickling process takes 10 minutes, and you can store the radishes in your fridge for about 1-2 weeks.

Mint and Pea Crostini with Pickled Radishes and Burrata
Slightly modified from Salt and Wind

Bread
Thinly slice a baguette and toast it at 375 with a little olive oil drizzled on top.

Pickled Radishes
This I learned from Cookie and Kate

Thinly slice 1 bunch radishes
3/4 cup vinegar (white wine or apple cider)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons salt
Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Mustard Seeds (optional)
Fennel (optional)

Slice the radishes thinly using a knife, mandolin, or food processor. Stuff them into a jar (I used a mason jar). Top with red pepper flakes and mustard seeds, or whatever other accoutrements (garlic cloves, fennel, etc.) Bring the vinegar, water, maple syrup, and salt to a boil. Turn it off, let it cool for about 30 seconds and then gingerly pour it over the radishes, close the container loosely, and let it sit for 10 minutes, and it should be good to go! Keep it stored in the fridge, closed, for 1-2 weeks.

Smashed Mint Peas
2 cups frozen peas
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons mint
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Siracha to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to boil, and cook the peas until tender, which should take 3-4 minutes. Make sure not to overcook them. Drain the water out of the saucepan, and add to the still warm peas the butter, garlic, and lemon juice. Smash the peas together. When you're almost done smashing them, add in the mint, cilantro, siracha, salt, and pepper, and then finish smashing. Adjust seasoning to your preferences.

Assembly

Burrata or Mozarella, sliced


Lay the slices of bread out on a tray. Top generously with the smashed pea mixture, then on one half side of the bread lay out some of the burrata, and on the other half side of the bread lay out the radishes. Drizzle with olive oil and pepper and serve.


 

The Shah (now Shah-Hoppenfeld) Tex-Med Holiday Extravaganza! AKA Thanksgiving 2014 in Review

My whole family is vegetarian. Well, my immediate family. For generations, we have been vegetarian. When my parents first moved to this country, that was a bit of a novelty. There weren't vegetarian restaurants galore, and whole foods selling all varieties of "fake meat." There was peas, cabbage, beans, and the occasional magic of tofu. Obviously this is hyperbole (sort of), but it's how they felt when they described it to me.

So obviously we never had the ginormous turkey for thanksgiving, and whatever it is people eat for the winter holidays. But my mom, always the light and life of our family, had a brilliant idea when I was a little girl of tex-mex holidays. After all, we love (no hyperbole) Taco Bell for it's vegetarian-friendly-at-no-extra-cost menu, so why not? Thus was born, the Shah (now Shah-Hoppenfeld) Tex-Mex Holiday Extravaganza!! No matter where I am, or who I'm celebrating Thanksgiving or the Winter Holidays with, I need Tex-Mex.

It reminds me of home, of tinsel wrapped around my banister, our big obnoxious plastic tree that was awkwardly bent at all angles but no one cared enough to fix it, my brother playing Golden-Eye, my dad looking at coupons for all the upcoming sales and separating out the worthwhile from the worthless, and my mom dancing in the kitchen taunting our dog with food singing "dancy-dancy, dancy-dancy, dancy-dancy-re!"  It might not make sense to you, but it makes perfect sense to me.

Now our family is bigger, with a lot more distance between all of us, but whatever. Nothing can stop the Shah (now Shah-Hoppenfeld) Tex-Mex Holiday Extravaganza. Full name, copyright pending.

So this year, we added in some new "traditionals" to the mix of our traditional. So along with tacos with all the fixings, we had cranberry sauce, brussel sprout salad, mascarpone mashed potatoes, and mushroom gravy.

So here's to what I'm most thankful for: a great family who will always add our own pzazz to tradition.

Cranberry Sauce - Modified from Laurie's Little Kitchen. Made it 2 days ahead of time to let the flavors meld. I made it in a slow cooker, and just dumped all the ingredients in -- instead of water, I used red wine, and for the spices I used 1 stick of cinnamon and 1 anise. I took the anise out half way so it wasn't overwhelming, and took out the orange when it was done cooking but left the cinnamon stick in. Loved it, will make it again. 

Brussel Sprout Salad - From my head. Sauteed up 2 bags of TJ shaved brussel sprouts with some olive oil, soy sauce, and a little bit of balsamic just until the shavings were wilted. Then mixed in cut up dried apricots, slivered almonds, and pistachios. Definitely one of the evenings favorites and will most certainly make it again. 

Butternut squash and apple soup - Modified from a food network site. Instead of carrots, I used 2 apples and used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and butter instead of peanut oil. I also added in garlic and onion. Overall, a phenomenal and easy soup to make. Especially if you get pre-cut butternut squash from TJs. Can you tell I use Trader Joes a lot? Served with sour cream, creme fraiche, or mascarpone with scallions.  

My brother sniffing the soup

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes and Mushroom Gravy - Definitely the winners of the evening. The mashed potatoes are from What's Gaby Cooking and the gravy is from Oh My Veggies. I basically followed both recipes exactly, except I used some Thyme in the mashed potatoes, and didn't peel them. For the gravy, I didn't use shallots, but instead used a red onion since I really enjoy the flavor more, and didn't use mushroom stock but used regular vegetable stock from Better than Bouillon (which I love).  

The evening's winner. Barely any left by the end of the night.

Our Traditionals -- Spanish rice, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, tortillas (corn + flour), hardshell tacos, chips, lettuce, beans, etc. It was wonderful, although I did learn that making spanish rice in the slow cooker does not turn out as well as stove top. Everything else was great though. 

Then of course the extras:

Krinkle in his bed.  

Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner with Tyler!

The Shah (now Shah-Hoppenfeld) Tex-Mex Holiday Extravaganza!

Modified Chile Rellenos

It's still winter. Spring break is around the corner, and it's still winter. My fingers, nose, and toes are well aware of that, but my brain and taste buds...not so much. I want tomatoes, I want avocados, I want iced coffee, iced tea, ICE. I want arugula salads with orange ginger vinaigrette, watermelon slices, frozen grapes, delicate asparagus, and cold noodle salad. I want spring, I want summer. I want sun, and flowers. Flats and shorts. Dresses and grass stains. I want it.

So to instead of doing a come-hither dance for the sun, I'm going to settle for spicy chile rellenos to light up my life, and belly. Chile rellenos are a Mexican dish that takes roasted chiles, stuffed with cheese, breaded in a delicious egg-based batter, pan fried, topped with a red sauce. It's amazing, wonderful, and immediately makes me think back to Arizona. Unfortunately, when I had a hankering for this dish, I didn't have the time or patience to make the batter, pan fry, etc.

So I modified it, and it was surprising easy, awesomely delicious, and as an added (unplanned) side benefit, healthier. This is definitely getting added into my weekly meal rotation.

Modified Chile Rellenos 
Serves 2-3

6 Poblano peppers (you can use any pepper, spicer or milder, poblanos aren't that spicy, but give a nice chile flavor)

Enchilada sauce (I used the Trader Joes brand, it's pretty good)
Mild Cheddar Cheese
Spinach

Extra stuffing/topping options: black olives, tomatoes, green onions, red onions, jalepenos, corn.

Wash the chiles, and put them on a cutting board. Lay the chile so it lays flat without rolling, and use a paring knife to make 2 cuts forming a T, one cut parallel to the stem, and one perpendicular, down the middle of from the stem to the tip. Expose the inside of the chile and scrape out the seeds. Be careful not to cut through the chile entirely, or not to cut off the stem).

Coat the chiles in a layer of olive oil, and broil them for about 5 minutes, turn them over, and broil for another five minutes. You want the skin to be blackened/charred, and the chile itself to be soft. When it's done, put in a heat proof bowl, and cover it for about 10 minutes. The steam from the chiles will make the skin easy to pull off.

Meanwhile put your stuff mixture together into a separate bowl. I mixed spinach and cheese together.

When the chiles are cool enough to handle, pull them out, and gentle peel off the skin, making sure not to pull apart the chiles. Then you want to lay the chiles onto a flat cutting board and place some of your cheese mixture in the middle, roll the chile around it, and put it into a baking dish. Do this with the remaining chiles. Cover with enchilada sauce and little more cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, and you're done! 

BBQ Tofu and Cheesy Potatoes

So many things are happening in the news that I don't even want to put into words what I'm thinking, but I'm sure y'all can figure it out:

1. Zimmerman got off because of a stupid law in Florida.
2. Texas passed the abortion bill
3. The House passed a version of the Farm Bill with NO Food Stamps. That's right. None.

So the world is happening.

And so is barbecue tofu in my house and seriously, talk about 30 minute meals. I missed the omnipresent BBQ sauce of my years in Texas and Arizona. Every place you went, there were at least be one bottle of BBQ sauce in the place. So I had the biggest craving for a Texizona meal--BBQ Tofu, Cheesy Potatoes, Rice, Roasted Tomatoes, and an Avocado.

Oh man, it was good. And it didn't take long at all. I promise you can make this meal in 30 min. or less.

What you need: 

BBQ Tofu

1 block extra firm tofu
bbq sauce (I used Stubb's, because well, ya can't take the southwest out of the girl!)
salt

Roasted Tomatoes

A handful of cherry tomatoes
BBQ Sauce

Cheesy Potatoes
2 tbsp. butter
6-7 small red potatoes
Whatever cheese you prefer, I used a cheddar mixture

Rice
As much rice as you would like, I used brown.
Salt
1 tbsp. butter

The morning you want to make the meal, strain the tofu, cut it into thin slices and put it on a baking sheet that is covered in paper towels. Cover the tofu in paper towels and try to press the liquid out of it. Cover it up with a fresh towel, and something heavy so that the water can wick away from the tofu all day, and put it in the fridge.

When you are ready to make the meal:

1. Put the rice on to cook first on medium heat, add salt and butter while it's cooking

2. Put the potatoes in a microwavable safe bowl with a little water at the bottom and nuke 'em for about 10 minutes, covered.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 400F

4. While this is happening, pull out the tofu, and put it in a mixing bowl with about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of bbq sauce. Honestly, it's an eyeball type of thing. If you like it really saucy, add extra sauce, if you like it with a hint of flavor, add less.

5. Toss the tomatoes into the bowl with the tofu and mix it up. Make sure to coat each piece of tofu in the BBQ sauce well.

6. Use tongs or your fingers (I just got in there with my fingers) to pull out the tofu and put it on a parchment lined baking sheet. You want to make sure they have a least a little bit of space in between them because you want the tofu to well-cooked on the outside.

7. Put the tomatoes in smaller, also lined baking sheet with whatever extra sauce you have.

8. Put both of them in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

9. Pull out the potatoes and use a fork to make sure they're cooked, if they are, smash 'em with the  fork and add in the butter and salt. Then add as much cheese as you'd like. I added a little less than 1/2 a cup.

10. Check on the rice, and strain it when it's done to your liking.

11. Plate the food! I put the potatoes on one side, rice on the other, layered the tofu on the rice, spread a strip of BBQ sauce on top with some cheese, and the tomatoes and avocado on either side.

Mita vs. the Parisian kitchen

Tout a Paris est miniscule. If my French is somewhat correct, the sentiment I'm trying to get across is that everything in Paris is tiny. The apartment in Paris is tiny, the shower is such that I have to you have to literally turn and slide to get in, and the kitchen makes the galley kitchens I was complaining about in Boston apartments looks huge.

A tasty meal of lentils and pasta with radishes,olives, and mushrooms

It's time to face the facts: I have been spoiled by a large kitchen in Texas, with a gas stove, a huge oven, and tons of prep space. Not that I would trade that for living in Boston next to my family, but still, my opinion of "normal" has shifted after two years of being spoiled.

This kitchen is about big enough to fit one person...or more like 3/4 a person. You stand in one place and just turn in order to reach EVERYTHING. To be completely honest, when I first saw it I started laughing and nearly had a cooking melt-down...how was I supposed to cook in a kitchen that small?

Teeny tiny kitchen

For three weeks?! But a cook is a cook...and you cook with what you got! So I pulled it together...and tried it out.

Our tasty meal of cheese, herbed cooked potatoes, radishes sautéed in thyme butter, blue cheese, Comte, olives, toasted baguette, and some rose wine.

After a few spills, a few bumps on my head from hitting it on the same damn cabinet over and over (literally, there is a bump), and one instance of veggies going flying when I tried to be supremely awesome and flip my food during a sauté situation, I'm happy to report that it's not that bad. Except for lacking an oven, it's pretty cool. I have all my spices, my tools, etc. It also has a pretty sweet washing machine in it! Okay, so maybe it's not ideal, but I can make some pretty darn good meals in that kitchen. Don't underestimate what you can make with a pan, some olive oil, veggies, and some spices.

Basically, my point is--don't judge a book, or a kitchen, by it's cover. You can make the most of anything..and make it pretty darn tasty.

 

Udon Chard Wraps

We leave San Antonio in 40 days. We drive to Boston in 40 days. We leave Texas in 40 days. We start searching for an apartment in 44 days. We go to Paris in 50 days. We go to Hawaii in 76 days. We go to Arcadia in 92 days. And I become a medical student in 96 days. 


Woah, that's a lot of countdowns. I've been trying to ignore them recently though...just having fun with what I can do now, read books, teach children, read the newspaper...sleep late. All things I hope I can still retain to some extent in medical school.


That's one of my bigger fears, that it will be a "step back" in some way. That I have just gained my adult life, and it will be yanked away from me by school. Don't get me wrong, I am ridiculously excited for medical school, and going back to studying, but I am worried that I will gain a myopic perspective about studying, and I don't want that. I want to continue to be well-rounded, read books, cook, make random political commentary, etc. I understand that I can't do it to the extent that I am now, and I don't really want that, but I am going to work damn hard to keep it. Luckily, I also think Tyler will help me out in remembering that hey, I can and should take breaks! Anyways, on to the recipe! 


These udon chard wraps are really freaking good! Albeit kind of messy to eat...


They are already vegan, but they are easily made gluten free if you substitute the udon noodles for rice noodles, or for quinoa. Try them, seriously. They might sound weird, but don't run away...I swear! They're great! Also, they're pretty easy to make...it took me just under 30 minutes.


Udon Chard Wrap 


There are 3 parts to this recipe: sauce, chard leaves, and noodles. 


Sauce
3 tbsp. peanut butter 
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seed oil 
2 tbsp. soy sauce
squirt of your favorite hot sauce (mine is sriracha) 
handful of chopped chives 
slightly less than 1/4 cup water


Stir these items all together, and you have yourself one tasty sauce! Add some salt if needed. 

Noodles
Some tofu, cubed
udon noodles


Cut up the tofu into cubes, and saute them in some olive oil until they are lightly brown on either side. 


While this is happening, boil some udon noodles until they are the softness you like. Strain the noodles, and then mix the sauce into the noodles and let it cool.


Chard Leaves


Bunch of rainbow chard leaves, that are relatively in tact still


Cut off the stems of the chard leaves, until it's just the leaves. On the bottom of the leaf, there will still be a thick stem left...cut it out careful. 
--------

When everything is done, lay out a chard leave, fill the middle with a bit of the noodles, put a few slices of avocado, or some walnuts or pumpkin seeds in the middle, a splash of hot sauce, and roll it up like a burrito. Enjoy! 

Thoughts of my Mother: Wanderlust and Palak Paneer

The recipe in this post will be rather long. It's not difficult, there are just several steps. If you want to try something new, try this.

Some people say my addiction to food is quite peculiar. My ability to remember exactly what I ate, and generally where I ate it, from years prior, I must say, is kind of weird. But food has always had a lasting impact on me. I think it's because so much of a culture is reflected in it's food. Indian, Moroccan, and Latin food with all of their spices conveys the spiciness and colorfulness of those cultures and regions, the eclectic mix of food you will find in America is the embodiment of the "melting pot," and the rich French food complements the culture where food can be the focal point of a person's day.

My baking style is me, but my cooking style is my mom: minimize the amount of dishes you need to clean, taste things and add a little more of this or that to make it just right, how to make meals for the week so you can eat well, but fast, how to make Indian food, Chinese food, American food, Mexican food, etc. My house was always filled with various spices, that to me were totally normal, but to most of my friends were completely foreign.

Some of the stories I remember most clearly from my childhood was when my mom and my Otti told me about food and food-experiences. They had the amazing opportunity, that a lot of people don't, to try new foods for the first time when they came to the United States. I would love to be able to remember the feeling I had when I first tried chocolate, or ate my first slice of pizza, or even what I thought of lettuce when I first chewed it. My mom can remember those things though: the first time she tried American chocolate (it's different!), saw and ate lettuce, ate at a Taco Bell...when she moved here, a totally different world of flavors opened up to her!

The story she told me, that will always stick with me, is when she cooked lettuce. She had moved to America recently, and was grocery shopping, and looking for cabbage to cook up, and saw lettuce. She wasn't really sure what it was (lettuce isn't all that common in India at the time), brought it home, and cooked it up. I remember her telling me about how confused she was...when she cut it, there was so much of it, but it cooked down to such a small, itty bitty amount. So of course she gave that to my father. Now he had been in the US longer, and knew it was lettuce. But he ate it anyways, without a word, because that's the kind of guy my dad is.

He took her to the store, and explain the different between lettuce and cabbage next time.

I am jealous that my parents had that experience. They were able to try new things, and remember them clearly. I want that, and I think that's why I have such a strong desire to travel, and see new things, and taste new things. It's hits your brain in a lasting way, and I want that experience my parents had, and could tell me about.

Today I felt inspired to cook because for the first time ever, I tried rhubarb. It's amazing...but that's a recipe for another time.

Anyways, I saw this recipe for Saag Paneer someone posted, and decided to make it the way I know how to, because it reminded me of being home. Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer are the same thing, literally translated, spinach cheese. It's basically creamed spinach and cheese cubes. It's fragrant, full of spices but not spicy, and filling. Quite easy to make too, and can last the week in a closed container in the fridge. If you've never had it, try it. You can find the spices at your local Whole Foods or if you live in Texas, Central Market.

Paneer (cheese)

You can either buy this frozen from outside or make your own, doesn't take that long.

0.5 gallon or 8 cups of whole milk
0.25 cup of lemon juice
0.5 cup warm water

Other stuff you'll need: cheese cloth or muslin cloth, fine mesh strainer, large pyrex bowl (optional)

In a heavy bottomed pot, bring the 8 cups of water to gentle boil, stirring occasionally to make sure the milk at the bottom doesn't burn. When it's boiling, add in lemon juice and warm water gradually, stirring all the while. You'll see the curds start to separate from the whey (liquid) right away. Turn off the heat, and continue stirring occasionally for about another minute or so.

Place the cheese cloth over the fine mesh strainer, and set that over the bowl. Slowly pour the curds and whey onto the cheese cloth, and you'll see the whey go through and catch in the bowl, and the cheese remain.

Once you pour it all through, lift the cheese cloth off the strainer, and twist it so the cheese in a ball, covered in cheese cloth (be careful, it'll be quite hot). Then just rinse the ball under cold water, to wash off any remaining lemon taste, and squeeze out any excess water. Place the whole thing under a heavy pot on a plate, and allow it to sit for about an hour to squeeze out the water.

When it's done, pull it out, cut it into cubes, and pan-fry the cubes in about 1 tablespoon of butter to brown them on the outside.

Palak (spinach)


1.5 lbs of fresh spinach, chopped (baby spinach is the easiest)
1 large red onion chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic (more or less depending on how much you like)
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. ginger grated
0.75 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
dash of cream
splash of lemon juice

Spices
2 cardamon pods
3 cloves
1 tbsp. cumin powder
3 tsp. tumeric (the yellow powder)
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
0.5 tsp. red chili powder or red chili flakes
1 tsp. salt
a dash of cinnamon
**Note, all these spices can be altered for your liking, so I added more spice, more cumin, and more salt, because that's how I like it. I also used a small piece of cinnamon bark instead of actual cinnamon**

 In a large soup pan, heat the butter on medium-heat, and then toss in the onions and saute them for about 5 minutes until they're soft. Then add in the garlic, and spices. Saute until fragrant, about a minute more.

Then add in spinach, and mix in until it's wilted down. Add in the yogurt and dash of cream. Mix well, allow it to cook for about 3-4 minutes. If it's too dry, add in more cream or yogurt. Then add in the splash of lemon juice and mix. Try it, if it needs more salt, add it, or if it needs more spice, go for it. Go by taste. When it's done, toss in the pan-fried paneer (the cheese), and serve with roti, naan, or over rice.

Optional additions: you can add in a tbsp. of tomato paste to add extra flavor, or fresh tomatoes. You can also top with cilantro, and lime slices.

Odd picture, but quite good!

Apple Tarte Tatin, Mezze, And DC

Hello All! It's been a while. The past few weeks have been a flurry of long car rides, students, grading, parents, plane trips, and apples. It's been tiring. 


I got back yesterday from DC very very late, and very very exhausted, but for the first time in a while, I fell asleep without an alarm clock.

Columns at the Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial with my finger in the picture

I believe that is called ecstasy. Not waking up to the sound of a horrible little music chime, but instead to the little rays of sunlight shining through your partially shut eyes. Lounging around in bed for an extra half an hour, only partially awake until your puppy licks your arm demanding to be pet. 


Needless to say, it was awesome. 


I was in DC for a medical school interview, and for obvious reasons I can't write about it. It was nice to experience rain again! And even though I was there for less than 24 hours, I was lucky enough to see the Lincoln memorial in the little time I had between the interview and the flight. It was a beautiful city, and I feel lucky to have been able to see it. 


On my way bake...I had the biggest urge to cook. I mean seriously, just for the sake of it, mix together things that would make something tasty. I know it seems like that's always the case, nothing new...but it's not. Sometimes it's a real drag to cook, and I go for weeks on end without an idea, without a thought about what to make. So I read my own baking/cooking blogs, and I use of their ideas, and try it out, but it's never the same as coming up with my own sha-bang, or tweaking one of theirs to make it mine. 


So today, I made a Mezze plate and an apple tarte tatin. A tarte tatin, according to wikipedia, was invented in a French hotel, Hotel Tatin, which was owned by two sisters. One day, one of the sisters was overworked and tired, and started to make an apple pie. She accidentally left the apples in the butter and sugar for two long, and it caramelized. Trying to save the dish, she put a pastry base on it, and baked the whole thing in the oven. When she pulled it out, and flipped it over, she was surprised how good it tasted, and how much the guests loved it. It just went on from there...

I must say, it's a beautiful dish...but, unlike any other tart or pie I've ever had, I felt like I didn't actually NEED the crust, the apples by themselves in the caramel sauce were AMAZING. 


Besides that, I also made some home-roasted red peppers...it seems odd to say "homemade" roasted red peppers since I did buy them from Whole Foods...but anyways, it was SUPER easy. So viola! Two/three recipes for the price of one in this post...enjoy!


Mezze Plate


It had peppered goat cheese, home roasted red peppers in a garlic marinade, homemade hummus, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and assorted olives. I served it with warm bread and olive oil. 

Peppered Goat Cheese


Take goat cheese that has been sitting at room temperature so it's soft and easy to work with. Use about 7-8 tablespoons of it, and mix it until it's soft, add in a splash of cream (about a 1/2 a tbsp.) and some salt and pepper to taste, and viola, done! 


How to Roast a Red Pepper


This is surprisingly easy, all you need is a gas stove. Buy some red peppers (large) from the store, preferably ones with stems, since it'll be easier. Wash them, make sure that they don't have any stickers on them. 

Then get a large bowl ready to put them in after they're roasted, with a cover (either plastic wrap or a plate that will fit on top). The point is  that after we roast them, we stick them in the bowl so that their steam will finish softening them. 


Anyways, turn the stove on high, and place the red pepper directly on top of the flame. You might hear some crackles and pops, but that's okay, that's just the water sublimating. Keep it on the stove until the skin of the red pepper is nice and charred all over. Don't get worried if it's taking a while, that's normal. 


As soon as the entire thing is charred, place it in the bowl, and cover it. IMPORTANT: don't open the cover except to put in another pepper. The steam needs to stay trapped.


As soon as you're done charring all the peppers, set up another bowl with a fine-mesh sieve placed on top. Then take one of the peppers, and slice it from the step to the tip. Then gently cut the stem and the seeds out, and place them in the sieve. If there is any liquid in the pepper, go ahead and run into the bowl under the sieve. Flip the pepper over, and using your fingers or the back of a knife, remove the charred part, slice up the pepper, and put it in the bowl. Do this with all of them.

When you're done, go ahead and mix in some chopped garlic, a splash of olive oil, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. You can keep them in the fridge in a container for about a week, or serve them fresh! 

Apple Tarte Tatin
Modified from joythebaker.com


7 apples, peeled and cored, and quarted (gala or fuji)
1 stick butter (4 oz)
0.75 cups sugar
4 tbsp. lemon or orange marmalade. [subsitute: 2 tbsp. lemon or orange and 1 tbsp. zest]
1 puff pastry tart
1 cast iron pot or dutch oven


Preheat the oven to 375F


In the cast iron pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Then take it off the heat, and mix in the sugar. Make sure the sugar is spread over the entire bottom, and then arrange the apples prettily on the bottom, in concentric circles, starting from the outside, in. 

Then heat the whole sha-bang on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. The sugar will caramelize and the apples will cook. After about 10 minutes, the apples will have gotten smaller, so any left over apples can be smooshed in there. Cook for another 5 min. 


While this is going, cut the puff pastry in a circle (I used a large plate as an outline) to fit over the apples. After you cut it, put it in the fridge to keep it cool, along with the scraps, which you can use along the sides of the tart.


After the apples are done, let them cool for about 5 minutes, then place the puff pastry cover over the top. Make sure to push the edges down along the sides, and if there is any space that's not covered, use the scraps to cover it. 

Then toss the whole thing in the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. The apples will absorb the carmel mixture during this time while the crust cooks.


After it's done, pull it out of the oven, and let it cool for 30 minutes, it'll be SUPER HOT, and super messy if you try to pull the tart out before it cools. 


When you want to take it out, run a knife along the edges, and place a large plate on the bottom, grab each side with pot holders and then just flip it over.. I suggest flipping it over the sink as some caramel sauce might still be loose and spill like it did with me. 

But then you're done! Serve warm with some ice cream! It should keep for another day or two :-)