Bananacon (Bacon-Wrapped Banana Poppers)

The summer is a wonderful time, folks.  Full of long days and cool drinks, relaxation and busy travel.  It's that unique time of the year when you feel like your wildest dreams could be realized.  ...Even if those wildest dreams involve checking a few long-overdue home improvement projects off your to-do list. *ahem*

Since anything is possible, why not put bananas and bacon together for a sweet and savory appetizer or treat?

I can't claim credit for this idea.  A computer game that Kyle sometimes likes to play, called Starbound, has a feature where you can make food in-game.  One of the things you can make is called... you guessed it, bananacon!  Get it?  Like, banana + bacon =... BananaCon?  A convention for bananas?  Wait.  That's not quite right.

 

Source: http://starbound.wikia.com/wiki/Bananacon

Anyway, I decided to recreate them, à la Gourmet Gaming.  And let me tell you, these are even more delicious than they sound.  So kick back, enjoy your summer and this little treat.  You've earned it.

Warm Corn Chowder Salad with Bacon and Apple Cider Vinegar

It's that time of year.  That one where it might still be really cold where you are, or maybe it's looking like spring is around the corner... but chances are, we're in that weird in-between time.  Not winter, not quite spring.  We all know that time.  The one where you're not really doing one thing or another, but just kind of floating in between.  I've been there.  You probably have, too.  Between undergrad and graduate school.  Between job and other job.  Between Masters and PhD programs.  It's a thing.  It can be stressful.  And sometimes it can be freeing, to just be in transition and not need a plan for every moment.

So before winter goes away completely (although some would argue it never really arrived here in Indiana), here's a warm salad to keep you toasty.  It's got corn - reminiscent of summer and warm weather - and also hearty bacon, potatoes, and cooked vegetables to warm the cockles.  Let's get this last one in before we're no longer in between.

Summer Basil Potato Salad

In honor of a 70˚ day in February, here's a summer salad for you to enjoy.

You know, each semester brings its own feel, always reminiscent of the last, but with its own special twist.  It feels stressful every time, with weeks that never seem to end, and days where all you want to do is take a nap right there on your desk (I definitely had at least three such days this past week).  But this semester is special, in many ways.

It's special because it's the last time I will probably ever take a full load of courses, in my entire life (weird!).  It's special because it's the second semester I'm working at the Global Village Living-Learning Center, and now I've really gotten in the groove and been accepted into the fold, and I have a million cool events planned for my residents and it's crazy and wonderful and fun.  It's special because next fall may be completely different and I don't yet know how.  It's special because for the first time, I'm starting to really come into my own as a researcher, and I'm starting to submit papers to conferences, and to kind of be a real professional in the field.  And it's feels pretty good.

Now enough with this being inside on the computer - Kyle and I are going to go outside and enjoy this beautiful day with a little tasting over at the local winery.  How classy of us!

Baked Croque-Monsieurs

After a summer in France, I have to admit I'm a little disenchanted with the array of food we have to choose from here in the United States.  It seems like everything is so heavy and... fried... here.  And we eat so many chemicals I can't pronounce that it feels like I can taste the sodium benzoate and monosodium glutamate.  People aren't obese in the U.S. because of fat, or even sugar - I would argue that the big problem is the additives in the food.  Why do you think obesity only became an issue in France after American fast food chains moved in?  They had plenty of butter, sugar, and carbs before we came along!

Anyway, enough of the soapbox.  The positive side to this is that French food is awesome, and I appreciate it... a lot.  There are very few additives in the food you buy there, so everything is a little more natural, and lot more delicious.  Just a simple sandwich is a work of art.

So now I find myself back in the United States, and missing French food... Le sigh... But that's why I'm here with a recipe for croque-monsieurs that will knock the chaussettes right off ya feet! This gooey, cheesy, crispy baked ham and cheese sandwich will make you think you done died and went to paradis.  It's just what the médecin ordered.

Parisian Summer Salad with Baked Goat Cheese Rounds

In 10 days, I'm leaving on a marvelous adventure in France!  I will be one of four instructors for a six-and-a-half-week French immersion program for high school students.  It's going to be a lot of work, but it's going to be amazing.  I'll be in Brest, which is in Brittany, and from what I hear, they have incredible food.  Ever heard, for example, of a kouign-amann?  Basically, buttery, sugary, caramelized goodness.  And there's more where that came from.  So excited!

In preparation to go to France, I will share with you my own creation, inspired by the wonderfully fresh and light salads I had in Paris last summer with my family.  They often served their salads with toast topped with baked goat cheese, which pretty much has the texture of soft, creamy sex.  So, within days of coming home to the States, I whipped up my own approximation of such a salad, complete with sexy goat cheese toast rounds (ignore the burnt edges in the photo above - it was still phenomenal).

Hopefully this salad will transport you to the outdoor patio of a Parisian café in the summertime, where I often like to live in my dreams. Enjoy!

Favorite Chili & Corny Bread

I have a confession to make.  It took some inspiration from my truly lovely friend Janine (over at HeARTful Cooking) to get back on my food blog.  I really enjoyed making it, and I've cooked so many interesting things over the past year, but never found the wherewithal to just bite the bullet and make a post about it!

I tend to be long-winded in my blog posts.  I think that's my problem.  Ever get to a point where you know it'll take you so long to do something (like, really unnecessarily long) that you just don't want to start?  That was where I was at.  For a year.

But I really, really like this little blog of mine, and you know, next year's going to be a little weird.  My funding situation is potentially non-existent.  I probably won't be teaching.  I'll be taking just two classes, most likely.  I'll be retaking a Masters exam.  So I'll need to find some solace in food.  Cooking it, not getting take-out like I have been.  But that's a different issue.  (Damn you, Falafels and your shawarma!)

Welcome back to Please Pass the Muffins.  Here, we like muffins.  And you.

Cheddar & Apple Salad Bites

I'm back!  I've got bronchitis, and I sound a little pitiful when I talk, but I'm back!  And I promise, I didn't cough on these bites before I served them to my boyfriend for lunch.

The first week of classes went well, but it's funny how your body can just rebel against you and tell you a firm, "NO.  I'm not doing this anymore.  I need sleep, and water, and some antibiotics.  Then - and ONLY then - will I do what you want me to do."  I thought I had a cold for a while, but it didn't go away.  Then I got a cough.  And by Friday, I had a full-blown fever, which is always the winning point in the "should I go to the doctor?" argument I have with myself sometimes.  So I got "on the sauce," as my dad likes to say, and now I'm here.  Thank God I have a 3-day weekend and some codeine-infused cough syrup to help me recuperate.

Also, I finally finished reading a book I've been working on for literally more than a year (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in case you're really wondering).  I'm not sure why it takes me so long to finish books, but I think it has something to do with a lack of time for pleasure reading, combined with a desire to make things last.  Probably more of the latter.  It actually makes me sad to hear people say they finished a book in one day.  Where's the chance to really think about it and enjoy it and let the characters sink in and become part of you?

I guess I do the same thing with food, too - I've definitely been called a food hoarder more than once in my life.  I've let food go bad more than I'd care to admit because of this habit of wanting to "save it for later."  I just don't like to see things go quickly, you know?  I want to know that I've gotten to spend a sufficient amount of time with my food (or book) for my money.

These salad bites are my first venture into my new project, based on the lovely 30 Pounds of Apples and her delicious recipes.  So even though I may be slightly phlegm-y, I managed to keep my promise to myself (and to you) to do a post this week, and I intend to continue.  See you next week for round 2!

Elsweyr Fondue, Grilled Leeks, and Black-Briar Mead

So much has been going on lately!  I've been taking all kinds of trips all over the country and am planning more soon.  I wish I could talk about all of them in detail, but I will just say that I'm preparing for something, and I'm very excited about it.  After traveling to different states, I've been daydreaming about traveling to different states and different countries almost constantly, and I've been trying to come up with a Travel Bucket List.  Here's what I have so far:

1. England.  Not just London either, but Oxford, the Cotswolds, the Yorkshire Dales, Birmingham, and many other places I haven't even realized are there yet.  I've been to England twice already, but I need to take Kyle with me this next time.  I just love being there.  Having lots and lots of ancestors that are from there, I feel like I'm making a pilgrimage to the Motherland each time I go.

2. Argentina.  I have been infatuated with South America ever since I got the Amazon Trail CD-ROM game in like, 1996.  Argentina has always held a sense of mystery and exoticism that I've always been attracted to.  So much so that I did my 5th grade project on it.  I secretly want to hang with South American natives, drinking maté and dancing the tango.

3. Prince Edward Island, Canada.  If only because Anne of Green Gables was set there, and it looks gooorgeous.  My trip would, of course, be during the summer and not during the butt-ass-cold of winter.  And then I could pretend I'm Anne Shirley, traipsing about the countryside and getting into Scooby-Doo scrapes, turn-of-the-century style.

4. Washington State, USA.  I never had a huge burning desire to go there until Kyle's mom and brother moved out to Puyallup, WA, and I started to see pictures of lush, green forests and majestic mountains.  It looks like a beautiful place to be (almost reminds me of the Alps), and it has an alternative side, too - with lots of unique shops and cool, organic and ethnic restaurants - which is right up my alley.

5. Iceland.  Maybe it was seeing it from an aerial view as we came into the airport for our flight connection, but there's something other-worldly about Iceland.  It actually looked a lot like Mars from my IcelandAir jet.  And their language!  So alien and beautiful to my ears.  I want to hear moar.  Also, they have crazy Northern Lights, as seen in this picture.

 

6. Arizona, USA.  I went once in elementary school, and absolutely loved it.  There is a very quiet, serene beauty in the deserts of Arizona.  Once again, it appeals to my sense of mystery and exoticism, and I don't even need a passport to feel like I'm in a different world.

7. Cairo, Egypt.  Another childhood fascination of mine was ancient Egypt and its culture.  Seeing the pyramids at Giza and experiencing that culture firsthand would be an experience I don't want to miss.




These are just a few places, of course.  There are many others that are on my much longer list.  But one of these days, when I have the time and the financial resources, I will get on a plane and go!

Anyway, back to food!  In this entry, you will find the bulk of the Skyrim meal I made.  Not featured here are the Sweet Rolls I made to go along with it.  All the recipes are from the same lovely blog as last time, Gourmet Gaming, and all the food is inspired by the video game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is reminiscent of something a Viking would have eaten long ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Skyrim Sweet Rolls

A while back, I discovered a wonderful fantastic blog called Gourmet Gaming.  The girl who runs it posts a recipe every Wednesday.  Unlike most food blogs, each recipe must be for a food featured in a video game.  Every recipe is an original creation by her because, with very few exceptions, video games don't include nutrition facts and ingredients.  She does a phenomenal job recreating foods no one has ever seen before, let alone tasted.  Personally, my favorite part of each entry is seeing the side-by-side comparison of her food with a screenshot from the game, such as:

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep - Spark Lemon

Yoshi's Cookie - Yoshi Cookies

And of course...

Portal - The Cake Is A Lie

But the food that I was most excited to make was from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  Mainly because I had fallen in love with the Elder Scrolls universe when Kyle and Wil had me make a character in Oblivion a few years ago and roam around the gorgeous scenery and meet all the fantastic creatures.  It's like WoW on steroids, with prettier graphics and more features.  And then Kyle got Skyrim when it came out in November, and I fell in love all over again.  With the sweeping mountainous scenery, the animation and interactions with the people, and the food!  Food fit for a viking, which Kyle loved.  So I was joyfully overwhelmed when Gourmet Gaming posted Skyrim recipes.  And not just the sweet rolls, but an entire Skyrim meal!  I had to save up my gold to get all the fixin's for it, but I ended up making it just before Christmas. (Yes, I'm aware that Christmas was many days ago.  But I'm actually, legitimately going to try to post once a week again, yay!)

But let's start out with the sweet rolls.  This was dessert, but I made them first, because, as I suspected, they took the longest to make.  Many steps.  None of which I had ever really done before.  But so worth it.

Catch Up With Kale Chips

As the title of this post suggests, I'm playing "catch up" now that I have a leeeettle bit more free time.  As of right now, there is only a very small amount of work left to do on my grad school applications before I just sit, wait, and relax.

I say "relax," but it's actually quite nerve-wracking to have absolutely no idea where you're going to be in six months, and how things are going to play out during that time.  When will I move?  To where?  When will I start school?  How much financial aid will I get?  What will the area be like?  How will I get to visit someplace far away like Texas or Indiana?

These are the kinds of things that are always picking at my head like an angry bird.  No, not the kind on your cell phone.  Maybe more like an annoying bird.

But in the mean time, I'm still cooking, trying to save money and eat healthy at the same time, which is a large feat in and of itself.  Most days I'm not doing either particularly well!  But I try.  And I exercise!  Zumba is so. much. fun.  It gets me home late, which is the only reason why it's hard to make myself go, but once I get there, I have a blast!  There's no way the chicks on the ellipticals look forward to working out as much as I do.

Without further ado, I made kale chips a while ago now.  They came out a little oily, and very fragile, but for the price of 1 bunch of kale, I made the equivalent of like, 10 of those $5 bags of kale chips you see at health food stores.  AND Kyle and Jim, who are normally averse to eating healthy food, like them too.  Whoo!

Cilantro Pesto Pizza Bread

Can we talk about birthdays for a moment?  Mine was this weekend, and it was good, but strange.  I guess when we talk about birthdays, for a lot of us, that means talking about expectations.  I know I'm guilty of having a lot of expectations for what that day will be like.  I expect cake, I expect cards, I expect presents, and now that I'm older I expect some booze...  But I try my hardest to be flexible so that if things aren't perfect, I'm not disappointed.  It's hard, though, when a birthday is celebrated without your family, without most of your friends.

I will say that my coworkers really helped make that day special with all the decorations, gifts, and sweets they presented me with - I was really touched by all their efforts.  And all the cards and gifts I received in the mail, all the calls, texts, and Facebook posts reminded me that there are people all over the country (and the world!) who love me and who were thinking about me that day.  For all of you I am deeply and humbly thankful.  And, of course, my wonderful and doting boyfriend wanted to make my day as special as he could, and we did have a fun, special night out eating my favorite food, pad thai noodles.

It's hard to reconcile your expectations with reality sometimes.  And not just on birthdays either.  That's actually one of my biggest flaws - inflexibility.  Wanting things to be just so.  But I have been working on this for years, and I've gotten much, much better than I was when I was young.  It always helps to remind myself how things DID go my way, and to relive the moments when I felt on top of the world.  Like when you come in to work to find presents, cake, and a card waiting on your desk... or when you come home to find two packages waiting on your doorstep for you to open.  Even though you're 24 and not a kid anymore, these are the moments when the magic is still alive.

Brown Sugar Turkey Burgers

I cannot claim credit for this recipe.  This was all the idea of my new and dear friend Rose, who is among one of my favorite people I've met while living here in Georgia.  A little background, in case you do not know me personally (rare at this nascent stage of my blogging exposure, but hey you never know), or in case you do know me personally, but not as well as all that.

I was born in Maine.  Yup, like land of the lobster, and of saying "wicked," and of Whoopie Pies.  Oh God, Whoopie Pies... I'm thinking of trying to make those, just as a heads-up, guys.  Anyway, I am a proud native Mainer.  Ayuh.

I was raised in New Jersey, from age 3 to 22.  I lived about 45 minutes outside NYC, just close enough that a day trip into the city is easy, but just far enough away that I could get to nature and greenery very easily.  I was actually one of the few in my town who was fortunate enough to live across from woods.

I went to college in New York state.  Not to be confused with New York City, this area (called the Southern Tier of New York) is highly rural, sometimes isolated, definitely different from any New York you'd think of if you're not from there.  But beautiful.  Even in the cold-ass winter.

I moved to Georgia, about 1 1/2 years ago.  Why, you ask?  Partially because my boyfriend's family was here, and they let us live with them in my transitional period between college and grad school, and partially because I was ready to try someplace new for a while.  It's lovely, marshy, and palmy here, even through all the humidity.

Who knows if I would've gotten so into cooking, food blogs, and food in general if it hadn't been for Kyle's talented mother getting me started with her repertoire of recipes.  So that's my journey so far, in a nutshell.  I'm sure you'll hear about parts of it at a later date, but for now, enjoy these burgers that Rose whipped up one night and made me drool over when she told me about them the next day.

Shrimp Nacho Bites

Have you ever noticed how some people are unhappy no matter where they go or what they're doing?  Some people always have something to complain about.  Some people find fault with any new place they move, or even visit.  Some people find fault with every new person they encounter, and every person they live and work with, perhaps even smiling in their faces while behind their backs they tear them down.

Some people, on the other hand, are adaptable, and can be relatively happy anywhere.  They move to a completely new place, totally unfamiliar, and end up thoroughly enjoying it, while even most natives say they can't stand the area.  Some people see the best in other people, and try their best to like and get along with everyone.  It is rare for this type of person to hate or even actively dislike someone.  It is rare for them to complain about their lot in life, for they are thankful for everyone who cares about them, and for the resources to be able to live and have fun with those people who care about them.

I don't mean to be a downer, but I've been thinking a lot about human nature, and how some people do fit the first description above.  I personally try to be more like the second person.  While no one can be perfect all the time, and exactly fit the description of Person B, I do try my hardest.  Every day.  Even when I am sometimes surrounded by Person A's, and it's tempting to just complain about everything all the time.

But I have so much NOT to complain about!  I have an amazingly loyal and loving family, great friends here and all over the country, a boyfriend who is thoughtful, respectful, reliable, affectionate, and hilarious, a good steady job, and the ability to buy, make, and eat great food.

What do you have to be thankful for?  I know it's not Thanksgiving or anything, but give it a try.  Go ahead, actually make a list.  It will make you feel great to look at a quantified representation of all that is good in your life.  You might be surprised at how much good there is.

Tuna Salad Sliders

This tuna salad is an old friend to me.  It was made entirely with things I already had in my kitchen, at hand, and I have definitely made it before.  Except before I put it on bread instead of dinner rolls.  But you know, I think the tininess gives them character.  As it does with so many people we know and love: the Munchkins of The Wizard of Oz, Peter Dinklage, Snooki...   OK maybe not Snooki so much.  Now I'm mad that I even know how to spell Snooki, gah!

I recently read a post written by a blogger named Helen Jane (whose link I found through Joy the Baker, my food blogging girl crush).  This post was about blogging, which is something I started doing nearly ten years ago on Xanga (wow), but it's also something that I feel like I'm only just getting into, since all my previous blogs were only for me and my friends (and e-friends) to see.  This type of blogging, I thought after reading food blogs like Joy the Baker, 30 Pounds of Apples, The Pioneer Woman, and others that have become hugely popular, isn't nearly as much about your own musings and inner thoughts and emotions as it is about marketing to an audience, fitting into a niche, or having this upbeat, witty, slightly self-deprecating style that many of these women seem to echo.

But I read Helen Jane's post, her lament that the internet and, more specifically, the blogging world, is being increasingly monopolized by people who are doing it for money, for fame, for recognition, for something other than themselves.  And I thought maybe I had only been seeing that side of it so far, and maybe I didn't have to make my blog fit a template that I've seen repeated a dozen times or more at this point.  Don't get me wrong, I love the blogs I've mentioned above, and more like them.

But though I might be entertained by them, their style may not be one that I want to copy exactly.  I have my own voice.

So, in my own voice, I will tell you that this tuna salad is something I've made quite a few times, and is enjoyed by me and my boyfriend Kyle and whoever else happens to be there at the time.  The addition of the relish was an interesting idea that I got from my friend Dawn, who apparently got the idea from her mom, who got it from her mom, etc.  This tuna salad is nothing fancy, it's not gourmet, but it's what I like.  And that's what this is all about, yes?  I want to share what I like with you, in the hopes that you'll like it too, and share it with someone else in your kitchen, someday, maybe.  That'd be really cool.

Chicken Asparagus Casserole

Sometimes recipes are very well-thought-out, meticulously planned beforehand.  Usually, I plan at least a few days beforehand just because I always go grocery shopping on Mondays.  But this one?  This was a spontaneous event, a result of a sudden and unexplainable craving for chicken casserole.  Well, that and I was trying to figure out what I could make with the canned chicken and spinach I had sitting in my kitchen that needed to be eaten.  And I didn't even end up using the spinach.  But I digress.

I was actually inspired by something my boyfriend's brother/my good friend Clayton made: a delicious chicken and broccoli casserole with a cracker crumb crust on top.  I ended up using asparagus and breadcrumbs instead, purely based on my mood at the moment I picked them out at the store.

Sometimes you need a little spontaneity.  When things are getting to be routine, when you find yourself doing the same thing every weekend (can anybody say, Chinese takeout and Stargate: SG-1 on Netflix?), you need to say, "I am craving a casserole.  So I'm gonna make a casserole.  Not someday, but today, right now in fact!"  It helps spice things up.  No pun intended...

Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Pasta Salad

I brought this in to my work to contribute to our monthly pot-luck-cookout-feast-extravaganza (which is definitely competing for the spot as my most favorite thing about my job)... and. it. was. so. good.  It mayyy be because I'm partial to sun-dried tomatoes.  And fresh mozzarella.  And basil.  Or any combination thereof.  But I have to say, I did get rave reviews from all the ladies at work, many of whom are phenomenal cooks, so it was high praise indeed.  And the combination of flavors and textures was lovely, especially after it sat overnight in the fridge and the sun-dried tomato oil got to coat all the pasta and other ingredients.  I will definitely definitely absolutely make this again, for anyone who will try it.

Successes and Failures, in a Basket

So I had a recipe fail this week.  I wanted to recreate Joy the Baker's Simple Roasted Apricots with Honey Mascarpone, but instead of looking like this,

...it came out looking like this.

OK, so some of the ugly appearance may be due to the fact that I'm using my phone's camera rather than a nice one.  I'm still in the market for a new camera to replace my Olympus Stylus that now refuses to turn on, so any suggestions are welcome, especially if you have firsthand experience with a P&S/DSLR hybrid.

A lot of it may be the fact that I did not wait until the apricots were cool to put on the mascarpone, hence the liquidy, blobby mess you see above.  That can easily be avoided next time.  But I think the real problem is that her recipe calls for "a quick blast under the broiler," but I don't really know how to use a broiler!  I thought a quick look on Wikipedia would give me enough information, but when it came time to actually work the oven, I was confused as to why my apricots were getting limp and squishy instead of firm and slightly blackened on top.

So, needless to say, I said, "fork this one."  Both literally and figuratively.  I had this whole entry planned about how Joy the Baker has come into my life and helped to inspire me to write this blog, along with other food blog mavens... but that entry will have to wait until another time, when I can try another of Joy's decadent recipes, hopefully with a little more broiling prowess.

One thing I did manage to make successfully this week was this wonderful creation, made famous by V in "V for Vendetta":

It's an Eggy in a Basket!  I got some quick directions one morning from this recipe on Food.com - extremely simple and quick - and it turned out to be delicious, and not too bad-looking.  I really do need to get a new camera, though.

Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins (Times Two!)

Of course I had to make my first recipe post about muffins.  The title of this blog is not just an attempt at formulating a clever phrase that may be catchy one day (although that is certainly part of it); it is also an expression of my love for muffins, particularly chocolate chip ones.  Ever since I was young, I have had an affinity for these lovely baked goods.  I ate a muffin nearly every single morning for about a decade.  I never tire of them.  There's something so satisfying about the big kind especially, with the large, mushroomy top that you can pop off with little effort, revealing a soft, moist cylinder of cake underneath.

So, for these reasons, I knew I had to incorporate muffins into my first real post somehow.  I have actually never made muffins myself before.  I have always bought them from my local deli, bakery, and/or grocery store.  But recently, I acquired quite a lot of muffin mix from my local Winn Dixie.  (I say "acquired" rather than "bought," because Winn Dixie had a deal going on through which I got 6 packages of muffin mix fo' free when I bought 3 boxes of General Mills cereal, which we needed anyway.  Love when that happens!)  So I thought I'd take advantage of all the muffin makings I had (and still have) stashed away in my pantry.  But a blog post about adding milk to muffin mix is not very interesting.  So I thought I'd do a wee experiment: I'd make one batch of muffins with the mix, and I'd make one batch from scratch, both the same kind of muffin, and I'd see which tasted better and why.