Peach-Pecan Muffins

Summer bounty equals far too many peaches at times (though there really is no such thing). Some of these peaches were getting a bit... squishy, and since I can't use more than one in a smoothie each day, I decided to make muffins. It's also that on-and-off drizzle outside that northeastern Ohio excels at during the last summer, so I relished the opportunity to turn on the oven.

Peach-Pecan Muffins

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon Trader Joe's Spicy Chai Mix (I threw this in on a whim, because I like spiced peaches, but if you don't have it, consider a teaspoon of cinnamon, a hearty pinch of nutmeg, a half teaspoon of ground ginger and some cracked black pepper instead.)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk (or soymilk, or apple juice, or peach nectar...)

1 egg

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped fresh peaches

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix together dry ingredients, beat together wet ingredients with a fork. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in peaches and pecans, then spoon into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners until 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for around 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Eat while warm with butter.

Asparagus Salad

When I was a junior in high school, our food service program started Taste of Konawaena, an evening food festival of student-cooked dishes, for the public to enjoy. My senior year, I prepared an asparagus salad, and won first prize in appetizer and the people’s choice award. It’s still one of my favorite composed salads. Recipe follows.

Asparagus Salad:

1 pound thin asparagus, tough ends broken off, then cut or snapped into 1 inch pieces (if you want to make it really pretty, you can cut the stalks on a diagonal)

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 hard boiled eggs, sliced into circles (or ovals, whatever tickles your fancy)

4 hearts of palm, sliced into circles

Salt and fresh cracked pepper

Pecorino-romano, grated

Combine olive oil and garlic in a saute pan with a pinch of salt. Cook on medium heat until the garlic is dancing in the pan and smells cooked, about a minute. If you were to taste it, the garlic would be soft and aromatic, not crispy. Turn the heat on low, add the asparagus pieces and another pinch of salt and a grind of pepper and cook for a few minutes, until the asparagus is bright green and the center of the stalk is no longer bright white. If you were to taste the asparagus, it would be crisp and not stringy. Remove from heat immediately.

Arrange the salad on four plates, with one egg, one heart of palm, and a quarter of the asparagus on each plate. Play with circles and lines and the beautiful asparagus tips, and make it pretty. Scatter a few grinds of black pepper on the top and sprinkle with grated pecorino-romano.

(Feeds four as an salad course, or one hungry Ma’ayan who is craving asparagus, though I only used one egg and two hearts of palm for my single dish)

Winter Term, Day Thirty One: Sometimes Good Things End

A final trip to West Side Market and Trader Joe's today, to get all the ingredients for our last final delicious meal.

On the menu:
Hummus by me (topped with sambal and sriracha OR za'atar and olive oil)
Oregano flatbread by Daniel
Terra chips brought by Carolyn
French onion soup with Gruyere toast by Michael
Greek salad with lemon vinaigrette by Amanda
Grilled asparagus, zucchini and red peppers by Daniel
Penne alla vodka with pancetta by me
Spaghetti with mushrooms, garlic, and olive oil by me











Dessert:
Nainamo bars by Eli
Chocolate espresso scones by Daniel
Lime-coconut macaroons with haupia (coconut pudding) filling and chili chocolate dipping sauce by Daniel
Grapefruit cupcakes with grapefruit curd, whipped cream, and spun sugar by Eliza
















In addition to all this great food, we had lots of great people around: Mike, Hana, Carolyn, Yoshi, Chris, Sneha, Tevi, Daniel, Michael, Eliza, Amanda, Eli and Matt. Thank you all who came and brought plates. It was an incredible end to the month of food.

Winter Term, Day Thirty: Pizza Day

Daniel had made granola by the time I woke up this morning. I proceeded to make a Feve-brunch like scramble with cubed flank steak, avocado, onions, cilantro, salsa, and cheddar cheese.



Dinner was pizza night. Toppings included:

Tomato sauce
Alfredo sauce
Roasted red peppers
Onions (raw and sauteed)
Roasted shallots
Roasted garlic
Sauteed spinach
Sauteed portabellos
Black olives
Pepperoni
Shredded chicken
Cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese

We also had Italian wedding soup with mini meatballs, orzo and spinach, Chris made baked brie, and Daniel made espresso chocolate chunk scone with a coffee glaze for dessert. Yoshi and Sneha rounded out house pizza night.

Winter Term, Day Twenty Nine: Nacho Night II

Daniel's back, and he brought back many Dutch treats, like a poffertjes pan and mix... tiny puffed Dutch pancakes topped with butter and powdered sugar. One bite pancakes are definitely my style.






Tonight was nacho night, take two.

The options included:
Mexican chicken by Daniel
Seasoned beef by Amanda
Guacamole by Amanda
Pickled onions, with and without habeneros by Eliza
Cheddar cheese sauce by me
Grilled onions by Daniel
Sauteed peppers and onions by Amanda
Roasted red pepper tomato soup by me
Rice, cilantro, salsa, minced onions, queso fresco, lime, tortilla chips