frites & fries - Garlic Knots Most of my early food memories had to do with all the garlic dishes that my grandmother made. Preschool-me was so fascinated by the fact that Grandma smelled like garlic 24/7 and I was always so amazed that something so small could create so much flavor. My grandmother’s native Shangdong province uses a lot of garlic in their cooking so it wasn’t surprising to see my mom or my grandmother use up an entire bulb of garlic for a small dinner. When I make something with garlic in it, I tend to go nuts and use way more garlic cloves than necessary because I love using it. You don’t have to use the same amount of garlic I used in these garlic knots but here’s a rough guideline. Guide to Garlickyness (based on number of cloves used for these garlic knots): For 40-50 knots (adapted from White on Rice Couple): Dough: 1 ¾ c. water (about 115F)¼ c. olive oil1 tsp. sea salt1 tbsp. granulated sugar1 ½ tbsp. active dry yeast5 ½ c. all purpose flour Garlic Coating: Preheat the oven to 400F.
Twix Caramel Brownies Twix Caramel Brownies Last week we hosted a barbeque for our good family friends. I couldn’t decide what dessert to make, so I made three:) I wanted to make sure there was something for everyone to enjoy, plus, you all know I love an excuse to bake:) I decided to make brownies, because brownies are always a hit at parties. I didn’t want to make plain chocolate brownies so I jazzed them up with Twix candy bars and caramel. Josh and I both love Twix candy bars. I stirred the Twix candy bar chunks into the rich, chocolaty brownie batter. I poured the batter into the pan and drizzled caramel ice cream topping evenly over the brownies. After I impatiently let the brownies cool, I cut them into squares and placed them on a platter for the barbeque. If you are looking for a simple and fun way to jazz up the traditional brownie, try this Twix Caramel Brownie recipe. If you like these Twix Caramel Brownies, you might also like:
No-Bake Chewy Cookies and Cream Bars Oh how I love a treat that can be whipped up in about 15 minutes. My boys and their buddies couldn’t get enough of these Chewy Oreo Bars we had as an after school snack this week. Sometimes my spontaneous recipe creations turn out to be the most fun, lol! Yes you use an entire package of Oreo Cookies, but what you get in return is a marshmallow-y Oreo treat that is worth every bite Surprise the kids (and yourself) with this one, they’ll be all smiles, Enjoy! 3 whole ingredients. Break out your Cookies! Place them all in the food processor or blender and mix until ground. Like so. Melt the butter and marshmallows into a large bowl until puffed. You’ll get a little something like this Working quickly, pour in your ground cookies. Mix, mix and mix You’ll get a gooey mess….that’s delish! Transfer to an 8×8 inch baking pan and let set for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares and indulge No-Bake Chewy Cookies and Cream Bars One 16 oz package of Oreo 5 cups Large Marshmallows 4 tablespoons butter 1.
Ramen Hacks: 30+ Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Instant Noodles SLIDESHOW: Ramen Hacks: 30+ Easy Ways to Upgrade Your Instant Noodles [Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Ramen in the U.S. has come a long way. Once known only in its 10-for-a-dollar instant-lunch form—a staple of offices and dorm rooms all around the '80s and '90s—high-end real ramen shops are springing up left and right on both coasts and everywhere in between. As a half-Japanese kid in the '80s, I grew up eating instant ramen at least once a week, and it still holds a special place in my gut. That said, my tastes have changed and expanded considerably over the years, and sometimes that little flavoring packet just isn't enough. As a card-carrying member of the Ramen Transmogrification Society of Greater New York,* it is my duty, my honor, and my privilege to share with you some of our methods and recipes. For full, step-by-step instructions on any of these dishes, please click through the slideshow above. * Our membership is pretty thin right now—care to join? Simple Add-ins Mix-ins. Eggs
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake - StumbleUpon Smooth, creamy, decadent cheesecake studded with sweet morsels of cookie dough and bursts of mini chocolate chips? All atop a chocolatey, buttery crust? Garnished with sweetened whipped cream and more chocolate chips? Oh baby, sign me up for a cookie dough cheesecake IV. Immediately. Hands down one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever tasted. P.S. One Year Ago: Cookie Dough Topped BrowniesTwo Years Ago: The Best French Bread Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Note: this cheesecake, like any good, baked cheesecake, tastes best after being refrigerated overnight. Ingredients Crust: 4 tablespoons butter, melted 2 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (I like to use chocolate Teddy Grahams but you could use any chocolate wafer cookie or even Oreos) Filling: 4 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sour cream (I used light and it worked just fine) Cookie Dough: Garnish: Directions For the cookie dough:
Warm Toasted Marshmallow S'more Bars Barbecue Chicken Rolls You are cordially invited: Who: You, Dr. Drew, and his team of addiction medicine specialists What: An intervention for Miss Andie Mitchell, a dangerously addicted egg roll wrap pusher When: Immediately Where: Andie’s home, Seattle, WA Why: Because in one month’s time, Miss Mitchell has exhibited signs of extreme dependency on egg roll wrappers. If you or someone you love is suffering from extreme dependency on egg roll wrappers, seek help by calling 1-800-Egg-Roll. If you are a mature adult, able to use egg roll wrappers in a responsible manner, feel free to make barbecue chicken rolls for a snack, dinner, or the Oscars this Sunday. Warning: These rolls are habit-forming. For the complete recipe, substituting barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese, and a step-by-step tutorial, click here. Tagged as: appetizer, barbecue, BBQ, cheddar, cheese, chicken, easy, egg roll, healthy, light, rolls, sauce, wrappers
The Brownie That Will Change Your Life - StumbleUpon Let me start off by saying that viewer discretion is advised for today’s post. OK now with the story that preludes possibly the greatest brownie I have ever sunk my teeth in thus far in my life. Last Saturday Mrs. Zesty had a baby shower to attend and she was designated for a dessert/sweet treat for the girls. Last week was a bit of a zoo and I think I forgot about prepping this dessert until Friday afternoon at work. I knew time was tight and I didn’t want to spend all night Friday night to prep a dessert. This recipe, I cannot take any credit for and nor will I try as it is compliments of Nestle Toll House and as you can see from the reviews…. Ingredients 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix1 cup chopped nuts ( Optional )1 cup Evaporated Milk1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted35 (10-oz. pkg.) caramels, unwrapped2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Method Preheat oven to 350° F.Combine cake mix and nuts in large bowl. Drop remaining batter by heaping teaspoon over caramel mixture. Thanks zesty
OMG These Geeky Banana Sculptures are Bananas! Banana art: Dragon bananas, superhero bananas, and zombie bananas! Read on to see even more bananawesomeness carvings. Make sure you [ FAN THIS ] and get daily awesomeness right in your feed!!! Photos by y_yamaden [ source ] How to Make Caramel Apple Shots | Food Republic - StumbleUpon Photo: Michelle Oddis Once in a while, a party trick comes along that grabs our attention. Food blogger Michelle Oddis of That's So Michelle loves making caramel apple shots we can't imagine anyone would turn down. Here's what you'll need: 10 small granny smith apples 1 envelope knox gelatin 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 drops yellow food coloring 1 envelope Land 'o Lakes caramel hot chocolate (regular would do just fine if you can't find caramel) 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup butterscotch schnapps lemon juice Halve and hollow out apples, cutting them from the stem down using a melon baller or spoon. Whisk water with envelope of hot chocolate in a medium saucepan, then add coconut milk. Arrange apple halves tightly on a cookie sheet, pour caramel mixture in and refrigerate overnight. Cut halves in quarters and those quarters in half again.
Watermelonade Recipe at Epicurious photo by Roland Bello yield Makes 1 gallon (serves 16) active time 30 min total time 30 min You would be hard-pressed to find something more refreshing than watermelon. Garnish: lemon slices; mint sprigs Preparation Cut watermelon flesh into 2-inch chunks and discard rind. Cooks' note: Watermelonade can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. root beer float cupcakes It never takes long into the first hot week of the summer for me to get swept up in some sort of dorky nostalgia for a time or place I never knew, in this case, Main Street, U.S.A. with its drugstore soda counters counters, elaborate marble and stainless steel fountains manned by soda jerks serving five cent Cherry Cokes and root beers to bright-eyed youths that always said things like “Sir” and “Ma’am”. Of course, modern times call for modern formats, don’t they? Something you can pack up and bring to a barbecue or picnic? Thus I quickly became consumed with the idea of turning a root beer float into a cupcake; what I struggled to work out were the logistics. I started with a root beer cupcake, which was actually a chocolate root beer cupcake, adapted from the Root Beer Bundt Cake in one my favorite cookbooks that I so, so eagerly anticipate the follow-up to this fall, Baked. I was hoping it would make a dozen cupcakes. I then spent a ridiculous amount of time pondering the frosting.