Homemade Granola

Granola is the perfect homemade gift for the holidays.  Make a large basic batch and sprinkle in your favorite ingredients.  Pack into mason jars, cover the lid with festive fabric, tie with twine and voila!

My classic base is both gluten-free and dairy-free.  Remember if you are planning on gifting granola to any gluten-free bellies out there, definitely purchase "certified gluten-free" oats.  Oats are naturally gluten-free, however they may be grown next to wheat fields and many times are harvested and processed with the same milling equipment as wheat, therefore contain cross-contaminants unless labeled GF.

If you opt to use the vanilla beans I promise you won't be sorry!  The best thing about vanilla beans besides their true flavor is that you get multiple uses out of this precious ingredient.  After you've split each pod open and de-seeded, pop into a jar of sugar for a vanilla kissed version, which you can use for any baking; I like to leave the pods in my sugar for months, but even after a week the sugar will be sufficiently scented.  If you are one to keep simple syrup on hand for desserts or cocktails, add the beans and let cure for a few days before using.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

babycakes

BabyCakes NYC is definitely on our list of bakeries to visit when we travel to New York.....one of these days.

Erin McKenna bakes up a beautiful banana bread loaf. Not just any banana bread, a recipe that is completely vegan & gluten-free. I prefer pouring the batter into muffin tins to create adorable babycakes. The miniature cakes are moist and sweet all the way through. I'm used to my hearty gluten-free muffins, these are light and almost springy. A delicious alternative to my Bittersweet Banana Cupcakes.

Corn Muffins

Salvadorian Coffee Cake

I love when my friend Roxana comes to town. We went to the CCA together, therefore you can gather that she is a fellow food lover! She's always up to explore new restaurants and delights in my home baked goodies.

I've been saving this recipe for her visit: Gourmet Magazine this March has a recipe for a Salvadorian Quesadilla. You'll find no tortillas here, however cheese is a must. This cake is an El Salvadorian sweet, a delicious poundcake that is usually enjoyed for breakfast with coffee. So I suppose I could name it, Salvadorian Coffee Cake. A hint of parmesan, a sprinkling of sesame seeds, creamy creme fraiche (substitute for sour cream) & a buttery crumb set this cake apart from a typical sourcream coffee cake.

Delicious served with a dollop of creme fraiche or fig preserves and of course a steaming cup of coffee.

After taste testing, the cake is lacking a bit of pungency from the cheese. Roxana is from El Salvador, and I listen up when she has critiques or comments on her native dishes.
"Did you use cake flour? It's too crumbly and it definitely needs more cheese."

Overall, a very Americanized version of the classic Salvadorian Quesadilla. Her sister is the baker in the family and has promised me her recipe. I guess the trick is to use rice flour, rather than cake flour and a native Salvadorian cheese as well as Parmesan.

Overall Gourmet, your recipe receives a B-. Scrumptious particularly when dipped into hot coffee, albeit a bit crumby and lacking cheese flavor, most of all a B- for breaking with tradition.

Yogurt On-The-Go

Convenience plays a huge role in modern day life. We are accustom to all of the prepackaged foods, drinks and take-out. Cooking has taken a back burner to all of the other important tasks and to-dos in our lives.

I encourage you to get back into your kitchens. Whether it's cooking a few big meals on the weekends so you have home-cooked dinners throughout the week or it's as simple as skipping the take-out and picking up fresh ingredients for a quick stir-fry one night out of the week.

We really do have it so easy now! There is no need to milk our own cows, make our own cheese, slaughter our own pigs, collect our own chicken eggs, sow our own seeds. So it might seem like such an extra effort to actually dust off that stove-top and see what you can create.

I have friends that eat out nearly every meal. If that sounds familiar, then start with a realistic goal. Perhaps once per week you'll pack a lunch and every Tuesday you'll make dinner at home. Start your own routine and give it a go for at least a month and see how you feel.

The Essentials of Granola