Whew. I need a little break. I know, I'll play Four Foods on Friday, the cool little meme from Val at Fun, Crafts and Recipes. Today's the last leap day of February, so we'll find out just who won the Chocolate Cookbook. Mmmmmmm, chocolate. Ahem. Here are this week’s four questions.
#1. Do you ever use scissors to cut any foods? Which? Raw or cooked?
I have used scissors to cut the backbone out of a raw chicken. I've also used them to snip herbs like parsley and dill into recipes and salads. I keep two pairs in the kitchen for stuff like opening bags, etc.
#2. Popcorn. Homemade, microwave, bagged, hot, cold. How do you like it?
Ideally, a giant tub of hot buttered movie popcorn. Since that is only a dream these days, I do microwave Boy Scout Butter Light popcorn. Maxwell (okay, Maxwell's MOTHER) sold it this year, so we had a good bit, and it is very very good. Advance orders available.
#3. Sushi. Love it or hate it?
Love it, which totally surprised me when I tried it. Like the whole soy and wasabi and ginger scene as well. Max eats it too, although sometimes he just wants the sticky rice and gives me the salmon (or whatever...)
#4. Share a dessert recipe.
This I found on Smitten Kitchen, also in "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman. (If you are a "cooker" and don't have this book, GET IT.)
Blondies
How to Cook Everything
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or ½ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Butter an 8×8 pan (or I do the foil as handles thing -- line the pan with enough foil to overlap on two sides and add a few minutes to the cook time -- easy to get out and easy cleanup, for those of us who need as little evidence of late-night cooking as possible...)
Mix melted butter with brown sugar - beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. I always err on the side of caution with baking times — nobody ever complained about a gooey-middled cookie. Cool on rack before cutting them.
Further additions, use one or a combination of:
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips (I ALWAYS put them --usually Semi-Sweet AND White yummmm or Semi-Sweet & Butterscotch.)
1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter
Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting
Allrighty then. I think I may make a batch.
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