NEED, I tell you. Here.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Botany of Desire Review
Overthe past few years, Michael Pollan has become the new guru of what to eat and what not to eat. I thoroughly enjoyed "In Defense of Food" and picked this up thinking it would be similar. If you're a total foodie-nerd like me, you'll probably enjoy the book, but it's quite different than IDoF.
In this book, Pollan profiles four plants (apples, tulips, cannabis, and potatoes) and how they've adapted themselves to fit human desires (sweetness, beauty, intoxication, and control, respectively). It's an interesting read, but ultimately less about food than about botany and human desires (as the title would suggest, duh). Still, it's well-written and entertaining.
On a slight side note: Michael Pollan plays "Not My Job" on "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" and it was one of my favorite episodes of 2009. Paula Poundstone kills me. Listen here.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Ugh!
Maybe I just have no soul or something, but this movie looks terrible:
Plus Sandra Bullock's hair is just a no:
Image from yourmoviestuff.com
Plus Sandra Bullock's hair is just a no:
Image from Pajiba
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Recipe Round Up: Pumpkin
I've seen a ton of good pumpkin recipes lately on the interwebs, and with fall nearing its end, I figure now is a good time to share recipes to use up the leftover pumpkin. Sorry I don't have any photos--I simply forgot to take any.
Pumpkin, Sausage and Sage Gnocchi
I can't remember where I originally found this recipe, but it's become a staple when I'm not sure what else to cook. It's quick, easily adaptable, and very satisfying--a perfect fall recipe. Apologies for not having a very complete recipe here, but it's hard to mess up.
1 large can pumpkin puree
1 package loose mild sausage
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup cream, half and half, or chicken stock
4-5 sage leaves, finely chopped, or a few pinches of dried sage
1 package gnocchi (or any other pasta; rotini works well for this)
A pinch of nutmeg
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Sautee the onion until translucent with a swirl or two of olive oil in a large pan
Add the garlic, cook another minute or two
Add the sausage, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks
Once the sausage is cooked, add the can of pumpkin, sage, nutmeg, a few glugs of chicken stock, salt and pepper and stir; begin boiling the gnocchi or pasta
Just before the gnocchi is finished cooking, add a swirl or two of cream or half and half to the pumpkin sausage mixture
Once the pumpkin sausage mixture is heated through and the gnocchi are cooked, serve!
Pumpkin Chocolate Cranberry Cookies from my former roommate Sarah
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1 cup raisins ( I used Craisins)
.5 cup choc. chips
Cream together butter and sugar, add pumpkin, egg and vanilla till well blended. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt. Mix well. Add craisins and choc. chips. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
Thanksgiving Pumpkin Lasagna from Blooming Wildflowers
Two 15 oz. cans of pumpkin
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup half and half or light cream
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 pound sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 teaspoons olive oil
5-6 turkey sausage, veggie sausage or Italian sausage links
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
9 no-cook whole wheat lasagna noodles
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, saute sausage. Slice and set aside.
In a medium skillet, saute mushrooms, onion and sea salt to taste. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, cranberries, cream, sage, nutmeg, pepper (to taste) and sea salt (to taste)
Cover bottom of crock pot with a layer of pumpkin mix.
Top with a layer of noodles. Cover with a thick layer of pumpkin mixture. Add a layer of cheese mixture. Add a layer of mushrooms. Add a layer of sausage.Repeat until there are three layers. Top with the remaining pumpkin mix and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cook on high in crock pot for 3-4 hours.Serves 6-8.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Icing from Healthy Delicious
1 cup fat-free milk
2.5 tsp yeast (2 envelopes)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4-1/4 cups flour
3/4 stick butter, divided
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 oz low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 drop of vanilla extract
Heat milk in a microwave for 30 seconds, or until luke-warm. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir and allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes – the yeast should grow and become foamy. If it doesn’t, discard and start over with new yeast.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree with the remaining granulated sugar and the salt. Beat in the eggs until incorporated. Add 2 cups of flour and beat until combined. Beat in the milk mixture, being sure the include any yeast that settled to the bottom. Slowly add the remaining four.
Cover and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size – about 1 hour.
Divide dough into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about the size of a cookie sheet. Transfer to a cookie sheet and stick it in the freezer. Repeat with remaining four pieces of dough.
In a small bowl, blend 1/2 stick butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Divide the cinnamon mixture between the four sheets of dough, spreading it in a very thin layers. Roll the dough up, starting with the long edge. Cut each dough log into 12 slices (each will be about 1-inch thick). Transfer to a large roasting pan (I recommend lining the pan with a silpat or some parchment paper for easy clean-up), leaving a little bit of room between each roll. Cover and let rise for one hour.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Combine the cream cheese, 1/4 stick of butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. If desired, you can thin this mixture out with a splash of milk.
Remove buns from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
Pumpkin, Sausage and Sage Gnocchi
I can't remember where I originally found this recipe, but it's become a staple when I'm not sure what else to cook. It's quick, easily adaptable, and very satisfying--a perfect fall recipe. Apologies for not having a very complete recipe here, but it's hard to mess up.
1 large can pumpkin puree
1 package loose mild sausage
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup cream, half and half, or chicken stock
4-5 sage leaves, finely chopped, or a few pinches of dried sage
1 package gnocchi (or any other pasta; rotini works well for this)
A pinch of nutmeg
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Sautee the onion until translucent with a swirl or two of olive oil in a large pan
Add the garlic, cook another minute or two
Add the sausage, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks
Once the sausage is cooked, add the can of pumpkin, sage, nutmeg, a few glugs of chicken stock, salt and pepper and stir; begin boiling the gnocchi or pasta
Just before the gnocchi is finished cooking, add a swirl or two of cream or half and half to the pumpkin sausage mixture
Once the pumpkin sausage mixture is heated through and the gnocchi are cooked, serve!
Pumpkin Chocolate Cranberry Cookies from my former roommate Sarah
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1 cup raisins ( I used Craisins)
.5 cup choc. chips
Cream together butter and sugar, add pumpkin, egg and vanilla till well blended. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt. Mix well. Add craisins and choc. chips. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
Thanksgiving Pumpkin Lasagna from Blooming Wildflowers
Two 15 oz. cans of pumpkin
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup half and half or light cream
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 pound sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 teaspoons olive oil
5-6 turkey sausage, veggie sausage or Italian sausage links
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
9 no-cook whole wheat lasagna noodles
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, saute sausage. Slice and set aside.
In a medium skillet, saute mushrooms, onion and sea salt to taste. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, cranberries, cream, sage, nutmeg, pepper (to taste) and sea salt (to taste)
Cover bottom of crock pot with a layer of pumpkin mix.
Top with a layer of noodles. Cover with a thick layer of pumpkin mixture. Add a layer of cheese mixture. Add a layer of mushrooms. Add a layer of sausage.Repeat until there are three layers. Top with the remaining pumpkin mix and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cook on high in crock pot for 3-4 hours.Serves 6-8.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Icing from Healthy Delicious
1 cup fat-free milk
2.5 tsp yeast (2 envelopes)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4-1/4 cups flour
3/4 stick butter, divided
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 oz low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 drop of vanilla extract
Heat milk in a microwave for 30 seconds, or until luke-warm. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir and allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes – the yeast should grow and become foamy. If it doesn’t, discard and start over with new yeast.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree with the remaining granulated sugar and the salt. Beat in the eggs until incorporated. Add 2 cups of flour and beat until combined. Beat in the milk mixture, being sure the include any yeast that settled to the bottom. Slowly add the remaining four.
Cover and let rest in a warm place until doubled in size – about 1 hour.
Divide dough into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about the size of a cookie sheet. Transfer to a cookie sheet and stick it in the freezer. Repeat with remaining four pieces of dough.
In a small bowl, blend 1/2 stick butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Divide the cinnamon mixture between the four sheets of dough, spreading it in a very thin layers. Roll the dough up, starting with the long edge. Cut each dough log into 12 slices (each will be about 1-inch thick). Transfer to a large roasting pan (I recommend lining the pan with a silpat or some parchment paper for easy clean-up), leaving a little bit of room between each roll. Cover and let rise for one hour.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Combine the cream cheese, 1/4 stick of butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. If desired, you can thin this mixture out with a splash of milk.
Remove buns from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
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