It's fall. It's beautiful. It's cold. It's time (for banana bread).

About two months ago, I was feeling pretty blue. There were a lot of changes happening, not all of them great, but not all of them so terrible, either. Since then, I believe that I have nailed down what was going right and what was going wrong. Does anyone else feel like maybe you don't evaluate life choices often enough? I hadn't been. At work we have been making the transition in our training towards lists, therefore, I have also been making this transition in my personal life.

What was going wrong?
-Lack of sleep
-Lack of exercise
-Little time having fun & engaging in stress-reducing activities (i.e. cooking)
-Rarely seeing my friends
-Eating out instead of in

What was going right?
-Promotion
-Moving somewhere new (and awesome)
-Organizing and cleaning
-Listening to This American Life on my commute

Long story somewhat short, things have improved dramatically. I am in my smiley, happy place again. This past week I got fairly sick and had to take some days off of work (something that I fought hard against, but ultimately, my body won). The reevaluation has brought one important thing to light, which is this: I need to cook, and I need to share it. Whether that sharing be physically sharing a meal with Ian, making treats for my staff, or writing to all of you about my kitchen adventures. So, here I am.

I now live in Quincy, a suburb of Boston. Ian and I love that we live a 10 minute walk from the train, a 30 second walk from the grocery store, and a 15 minute walk from the woods. Many days a week I now get to do two things that I absolutely love: hike and cook. It's mostly thanks to this guy holding the lobster claw:

Since we can get there by foot, we mostly hike around Blue Hills Reservation.

(that's actually the Boston skyline in the background)

As I mentioned, I had virtually stopped cooking, blaming it on the extra hours I was working. To be honest though, it's just as important to my well-being that I am cooking for myself. Once Ian and I moved, we both made the switch to cooking at home pretty much exclusively. I can proudly say that we haven't had food delivered since moving in September. A sampler:

(pasta, fennel sausage, tomatoes, cheese, spinach)

(braised pork, ancho chipotle sauce, pickled cabbage, cilantro)

(sword fish, grilled tomatoes & peppers, wild rice & kale salad)

Absolute favorite song right now. I listen to it on all occasions.

Overripe Banana Cinnamon Bread

Beginning notes:

1. Use overripe bananas.

2. Decide what kind (if any) of  "chips" you want in your bread (chocolate, butterscotch, cinnamon?).

3. For my west-coasters: your oven will be on for a while, choose a cool time of day!

Yield: 1 cake-sized loaf

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Banana Bread:

3 large overripe bananas

1 c sugar

1/2 c (1 stick) softened butter

3 eggs

1 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

1 t vanilla extract

4 T plain yogurt (I used greek, I don't think that it matters)

1 c cinnamon chips (or another chip that you fancy)

Streusel Topping:

2 T melted butter

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

2 t cinnamon

Heat your oven to 325 F. This low temp is important to keep your bread super-duper moist. This is also a good time to grease your pan. I use butter for the extra deliciousness, but a spray will do just fine.

Mash your bananas in a large bowl. If you freeze your ever-overripening bananas, defrost them first. Add butter and sugar, mix until smooth (bananas may be chunky). Add eggs and completely incorporate them into the mixture. Now mix in the vanilla extract and yogurt.

In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg).

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Throw your chips in and mix.

Empty the banana bread batter into your pan. Now it's streusel time: mix the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. The sugars should be damp and easy to crumble over the bread batter. Cover the top of your bread. Place your pan on a middle rack in the oven for about 40 minutes (depending on your oven).

Let cool in the pan (but eat some warm because oh-my-all-joyous-things it's so perfect that way).

Ending notes:

1. You softened your butter - good job! Now, don't you dare add that butter to bananas just thawed from the freezer silly. It'll only re-harden that way :(

2. This stuff melts in your mouth. It's just crazy.

3. I have missed you.

Have a great rest of the week everybody. And for the love of Pete, please take care of yourselves out there (I promise to try along with you).

Two Treats Are Better Than One.

Let's talk about how decadent life can be. A way-too-rich chocolaty treat AND a buttery, berry bar. Yes, I am talking about the best of both worlds, having it all, etc. And also, let's discuss the balance that is involved in that. Oh, have I touched on a sore subject?

There are some basic things going on here. I have multiple amazing things happening in my life. I want to be dedicated to all of them equally (okay, not really, but I want to be healthy about it). So there are aspects of my life which TAKE UP a lot of my energy - work, friends - and things that I need more of that might GIVE ME the energy to do things more efficiently - exercise, sleep. Do you really want chocolate for every sweet treat, or do you sometimes opt for something tangy? I would almost ALWAYS choose the chocolate because it's perfect to me. However, most would agree that it is the delicate balance of sometimes choosing a tangy option that makes eating both of these so special.


Oh, food. Your lessons are endless!


Clearly, I have no answers for you as of now. This has always been the discussion, the challenge. Work and play and how to live with them. Well, today was a play-day for me. I made both. Let's make this a little more interesting though, I will give you one today and the other next week. No need to rush. I hope that you try one (or eventually both) for your own enjoyment and share it with someone you love.

Homemade Oreos

by Joanne Chang

from FLOUR

To begin:

1. Instead of using that pesky refrigerator (too slow), I use the freezer to cool my dough.

2. There is a recipe for a vanilla filling, but the PB is just far superior (trust).

3. This one is actually sort of time intensive. So, pick out a movie that you don't have to pay attention to or invite a friend to chat with.

Yield: 12 (BIG) cookies

Difficulty: Moderate

Prep time: 3 hrs (including a waiting period)

Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c of the darkest chocolate chips you like, melted and cooled slightly
1 egg
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t baking soda

Vanilla Peanut butter cream filling:

6 T unsalted butter
3/4 c confectioner's sugar
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
3 T heavy cream

First make the cookies as they will have to harden for a while before baking.

Grab a bowl and whisk together the butter and sugar. Add vanilla and cooled chocolate. Add the egg last and make sure that it is fully incorporated. (Use a stand mixer or do all of this by hand.) 

In a separate bowl, stir the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda together. Use a wooden spoon to stir the flour dry ingredients into the wet ones. The consistency will be like Play-Doh. Let it firm for about an hour at room temperature (you may or may not be super impatient - like me - and you may or may not throw it in the freezer for 15 min instead).

Take out a large piece of parchment paper. Shape the dough into a rough log with your hands (about 10 in long, 2 1/2 in diameter). Place the log on the parchment paper and roll it up. Keep rolling and unrolling until the log becomes smooth. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm (again, the freezer?). Every 15 min take the log out to re-roll it as it may settle a bit and flatten on one side.

Heat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 1/4 in thick slices and place about 1 in apart on the baking sheet. Place this on a rack in the center of the oven.

Bake for 20-25 min or until the cookies are firm. Check them after 15 min by poking them. 

Let them cool completely. Fill them once cooled (or the filling will become melty - don't think I haven't tried).

Filling time:

Make this while you are waiting for the dough to harden in the fridge.

Beat the butter until smooth. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth, again. Add the heavy cream. That's it!

Scoop about a tablespoon of filling onto the bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie. Press them together. Stuff into mouth. Enjoy nirvana.

Ending notes:

1. These are some of my favorite cookies in the whole world right now. Also, you really can't have more than once - it's a lot to take.

2. Next time: Mom's Triple Berry Jam & Shortbread Bar.

3. Enough said.

So, any musings on the delicate balance of life? I would love to discuss it with any or all of you. Most importantly, my favorite part of posting has come. This is the part where I make sure that you know how much I miss and/or love you all very dearly. 

Have a fantastic week!

New Year, Favorite Chili

Why, hello there.  Happy 2012.  Can you believe it?  I guess you must believe it now that January is about half over.  Whenever a new year begins I always do the whole "Where was I this time last year?" question.  It never ceases to completely knock me out, how much can change in a year. It also never ceases to NOT matter one bit (where I was last year).  Although I know that the past can be largely influential, to look back does not encourage forward motion.

And this is what I hope for in the new year: focus on the present while moving forward (somehow)....

Now for a couple of oldies, but goodies.  Tried and true bits of joy.  Song and soup (both a bit shocking).

Starting notes:

1. I started using this recipe while I was in Korea because pickings were slim at the grocery store, but MAN do they love their spicy chili flakes!

2. This is taken from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. Over the past couple of years it has evolved into something totally different for me (and as always, use the sorts of veggies you like).

3. Meat lovers: go ahead. Add that meat. Paint the soup pot red! (Although, I have had many a meat-lover sing the praises of this chili...) 

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Serves: 7

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: 30 min

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 med onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp dried oregano (or "italian seasoning")

1 tbsp salt

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 med carrots, chopped

2 med squash, chopped

2 jalapenos, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans chopped green chile peppers

3 cans peeled, chopped tomatoes

1/4 c chili powder

1.tbsp black pepper

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can garbanzo beans

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 can corn

Wash, chop, mince, rinse, organize, turn on your music, pour yourself a drink, etc, etc.

Heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. 

Once the onion is soft, add celery, peppers, carrots, squash, jalapenos, garlic, and green chile peppers. When the veg is heated, cover, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Now add the rest of the ingredients (except for the corn) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

When your carrots are cooked through, add the corn. Simmer this for 5 more minutes. 

Garnish and serve! Things I like to garnish chili with:

-Medium cheddar cheese

-Avocado

-Cilantro

-Sweet red onion

-Sour cream

Ending notes:

1. This is SPICY. So, if you want less spice. Cut out a jalapeno or lessen the amount of chili powder.

2. If I had more patience I would: peel and chop my own tomatoes, soak and cook my own beans, so on and so forth.

3. The bread sitting next to the chili is jalapeno + cheddar corn bread. More on that later :)

Hey, how have you been? I miss you guys. Wherever you are. And if I just saw you (or talked to you) - I probably miss you still.

Sending my love, be well.