Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Buttercup Pound Cake


I found this recipe in an ancient cookbook that once belonged to my grandmother. It was the 1950s and convenient foods were the current national obsession. This was one of the only recipes in the whole damn book that didn't involve any canned items. Despite the lack of enticing recipes, this thing is SO FUN to look through. There is a dish called "Clam Dunk"! I was almost crying laughing when I saw that(probably a sign of mental instability, but what are you gonna do).
Anyway, I was drawn to this recipe because of its name, which I thought was seasonally appropriate. It gets its sunny hue(much more impressive in person) from the four egg yolks in it(no whites). Even though I should have learned my lesson last time, I once again baked a pound cake for the full amount of time suggested. Therefore, it burned. I wasn't using a dark pan, the oven was my parent's super nice, not-too-hot one...I don't know what happened. No matter. It still tastes good (if you ignore the edges) and it will be gobbled up by the vultures tomorrow anyway.
SUGGESTIONS? for a treat for the casino? I'm considering lemon meltaway cookies (lots of buttah) or mint Oreo-style ones. Or should I not bring anything and instead indulge in the EPIC BUFFET?!?
EDIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!: dang dude, the casino is actually next week. i'm losing it. i will have to make the mint oreos to console myself.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Maple Oatmeal Bread



The real world is hard. It is 11:15 and I'm about to turn in for the night! How did I use to do this? I went to shows 4 times a week and still managed to be at work on time. The Diet Coke addiction must have been it. Really, my energy levels should not have sapped so much from 19 to 22.
You know what else is hard? Taking good photos of the food I've made. Most of the time my fork is halfway to my freshly-produced baked good when I realize I need to document it. I then position the baked good on some part of my comically inadequate counter space, where my shadow gets in the way (hungry, I guess?) for about 5 photos before I give up and dig in. Maybe I'll buy a book about food styling with the colossal (to me) check I'll be getting from my accidental overtime hours. Too bad I'll probably be too tired to cook.
Oh yeah, the bread. Despite its misleading name, the maple syrup did not impart a taste, merely a moist, cakey consistency to this loaf. (What a great word. Loaf!) It was not sweet at all. It tasted really good if you heated it up and put butter on it, but really, what wouldn't taste good if you heated it up and put butter on it?(Don't answer that.) After Andy and I each had a slice, I took it to work to be sacrificed.
Loaf! Loafing around. Loaf-of-bread pose(for cats). What a loaf of shit. (Just kidding. I made that one up.)

Friday, March 19, 2010

Jumbo Childhood Fantasy Cookies


Sounds intense, doesn't it? IT WAS. These were more accurately oatmeal-peanut butter-chocolate chip-Reese's Pieces-walnut cookies. They weighed about a pound a piece and added as much to yr belly fat. I didn't make up that title...that's honest to god the recipe's real name. If these cookies were your childhood fantasy, it's likely that you're obese or were severely deprived as a y'un (as my PA relatives say--and they think WE'RE backwards down here). I say "was" when referring to these cookies because I made them on Monday, and thanks to the vultures at the office they were gone by Wednesday. The Bailey's cheesecake I made for St. Patrick's Day shared the same fate...though there's one piece left for Andy in the fridge. It's nice to have a ready audience for my baking experiments, even if they're about as picky as Charlotte.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

I know...

it's been a while. I'm not sure why, but i haven't really been cooking lately. I did make some things that the pictures looked horrible of...as well as tasting bad(Moosewood's lemon mousse...taking a bite was like being punched in the face). But I am planning on an Irish potluck for St. Patrick's Day, involving Bailey's cheesecake and some soda bread. And probably potatoes and beer. So much brown! Monochromatic meal! We'll have to throw some green in there too.
I'll leave you with these profound musings...I wanna watch more 30 Rock.