A azing

Have you have ever been the receiver of that perfect corner piece of ooey gooey brownie, the one with the perfectly crisp edges and the melted center? Well, my friends, the invention of this marvelous piece of baking gold is here to guaranteed that you will never long after the 4 sole corner pieces again.

Behold, the edgiest brownie maker on the planet (and I'm pretty sure it'll make a mean lasagna in a couple of months):

Not only is this the only device for the perfect edge, it is also great for the myriad of taste buds in your house. This little number was dark chocolate with peanut butter chips throughout and an extra bonus of roasted pecans on half, for the hubby of course, leaving the other half pristine.

But don't thank me, talk to the folks at Baker's Edge for bringing us this glorious tool. And the recipe in the package isn't too bad either!

You say potato, I say poh-tah-toh CHIPS!

Mediterannean Cod with Pink & Purple Poh-tah-toh Chips

The fish is a take off on my traditional halibut, cod, flounder standby where I saute ribbons of onions and garlic with some fresh pepper, usually the small hot variety, then add chunks of tomato that become smashed and turn it into a "stewpy" sauce. This time I added thick slices of a fresh, sweet, red pepper that was begging to be eaten. (It was also yummy while fresh dipped in hummus while we waited for our starchy friends to finish cooking)

Close up of the Pink and Purple Potato Chips in all their crispy, crunchy goodness!

These guys were an impromptu delight. Usually the hubsband (yes I did mean to spell it that way, it's better than when we were engaged and I called him my financier!) likes the smashed variety with a bit of sauteed garlic and dill in olive oil.

This time I sliced them to boil them a bit faster, we were starving, and when they were about done (read: we had already snacked on everything not nailed down and weren't as ravenous) I transfered them into a nonstick skillet with olive oil then seasoned them with kosher salt and pepper.

And voila! An impromptu dish becomes a standby. Oh yes, my starchy friends, your days are numbered :)

Standing Room Only

My original intention when starting this post, was to share with you the tight quarters from which we create meals. But a funny thing happened on the way to the dog park/farmers market yesterday morning and somehow these small digs are hardly worth mentioning.

Many of my new blogging friends have chatted with me *offline* about their beautiful kitchens, their lack of space, or have commiserated with me in a familiar dream-like trance about their "one day kitchen." That is in fact what motivated me to take this photo in the first place. However, my gripes and sarcasm about this lonely 25 inches of counter space (if that!) are hardly relevant now....

Yesterday morning was average. I followed my usual routine on market days, leaving a bit earlier for the run so that little Lola could get some exercise before we proceed to gather goodies from the farmers.

We arrived unceremoniously enough and while she did her stuff I took a seat next to a fellow pup owner. I commented on his darling dog.

"Surely she was a pit mix with that gorgeous broad jaw and stunning speckled face. What a doll! What's her name?"

"Funny thing" says the guy, "she doesn't have one yet."

We got to talking and it turns out he found her in Jersey City just two nights ago. As he tells it, she was being badly beaten by a group of kids at around 4 a.m. Between looks of disgust and despair I wondered what this man was doing out at such an hour, especially if he lives in the city. Which surely he must as he is at a dog park here at an early hour.

If you know me you probably know I like to talk. So I asked him what he was doing in such a bad neighborhood at such an un-g-dly hour. He shuddered and mumbled something I took to mean, "don't ask."

"All I know is she saved my life" he said, slowly nodding his head and looking at his cute new friend in awe.

Trying to make conversation I asked where he lived which prompted yet another heartbreaking comment, "right now? In cardboard."

Sh*t, there I go again opening my mouth. Can't leave well enough alone.

"My wife died August 10th and I lost it...." he mumbled something else and it was at that time that I could see that he was really hurting. There was something in his eyes that looked like the dampness of death had taken over his once happy heart.

He stared into the distance.

I could only speculate as to what he meant when he said that she saved his life. But it's not my business to speculate.

When he again turned back my way I quickly changed the topic. I learned that he was a well traveled and published photographer in addition to holding an impressive education with advanced degrees.

Here was this seemingly average man. Clean shaven, well dressed, sitting among other dog owners on an average morning at a neighborhood spot. Everything seemed average.

I told him I didn't want to be condescending but it would be an honor for me to give him some money for a good breakfast and a treat for his new pal which he promptly declined.

"I'm not working my dog at the run. Let's be dog run friends."

Ouch. I get it. I said goodbye and that I hope to see him tomorrow (today), and I bound towards the market with Lola.

My eyes were a bit wet as I realized that

....I had a wallet with some (trust me not lots!) of money,

....I was going to gather more (not that we need for anything) food to make for our family,

....I would take that food to our home (not too big but certainly a fine place to rest our heads),

....I would speak to my Mom on the phone, my sister over IM and my dad through email, and hubby about a zillion times...just to say I love you.

....later tonight I would make dinner (or as luck would have it, have dinner made for me) with my darling husband.

It is so easy to get caught up in the 'woe is me' syndrome which most likely results from our feeble attempts to keep up with the joneses (or in our case multiple gazillionairres living next door!). I know we all know this, and probably talk about it all the time, but I just had to write this down if only to remind myself. If only so that the next time I complain about something in my life I could look back(or someone out there could kindly refer me to this post) and remember to be thankful.

So who am I to complain about my small kitchen when it overflows with enough fresh and frozen produce to support a small army if ever Armageddon should come?

I'm thankful for my tiny apartment that is under 600 square feet and the kitchen that only one person can walk into at a time. I'm not thrilled that our only source of light (5 small windows) faces 4 walls and a public restroom, but it could be worse. It could really always be worse.

All I know is that now I will always carry a $20 with me in a little envelope with his name on it. Just in case.

Sensuous Home

As luck would have it, I married a pretty talented guy. He not only puts out all sorts of fires each day at work, but he's pretty handy at home too!

This semester will find me at the university until 9 each night, which means starting dinner when I get home at 10 is not an option. Unless...

You have yourself a miracle husband.

In this case I have found one, and no ladies, he is not for sale. You might hear me gripe about him on occasion, but that is truly a result of his unfortunate membership to the genus of male. Again, not relevant here.

The irony of this story being the phone conversations we share while I either prepare to teach or begin my journey home which usually include the playful "sensuous home, why don't you see what we have in the fridge that could turn into an edible dish." So there you have it. My titles are usually relevant, if not overtly so!

The highlight of this meal was his creative interpretation of one of my all time favorite side dishes. Well, there are two here, but I'm focusing on the israeli couscous because I'm sure you've had it up to here (too bad you can't see me gesture to the sadly short top of my small 5'3' frame) with zucchini and eggplant.

If you have never experienced this savory side dish, do yourself a favor and run to your local food mart of choice and demand that they begin carrying it. Niceties aside, this stuff is quite spectacular! Although I do endorse kindness to strangers. Again, another post.

Israeli couscous is simply larger sized couscous. But the addition of size gives way to richer, more pasta-ish consistency, and man does it pick up flavor. We treat it like orzo or arborio, cooking it in stock.

But the thing that makes these guys sensational is if you sautee some garlic and onions in olive oil and then add the israeli (sometimes called middle eastern) couscous to the mixture and toast them before adding liquid.

It literally seals the deal that you will find yourself with an incredible dish. I have tossed in shitake mushrooms, bits of pancetta, whatever is on hand.

So there you have it. Tip of the day: Run out and find yourself some israeli* (middle eastern, mediterranean, whatever!) couscous and try it tonight. And if you're really nice, share your results!

Happy eating :)

*if you care. the reason i so staunchly stand behind the title of israeli couscous is because this supposedly 're-branded' invention by israeli's originated from sephardic jews and frankly, i didn't feel like calling it sephardic jew or heeb-couscous.

We've gone cake crazy!

note the dense milk chocolate, gooey brown sugar, toasted pecan bits and dried cherries as they take this simple zucchini cake to the next galaxy of goodness...

Toasted Pecan, Cherry and Milk Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ever since the advent of our zucchini bread creation, we have been adapting, modifying and just plain loving the heck out of the combination of moist zucchini, brown sugar, and all the accoutrement's that take this treat from a bread to a cake.

This weekend found us in dire need of a sweet treat to break our fast, and this little number came in handy as it helped empty the fridge and satisfy our sweet tooth, and was concocted in under an hour.... kind of!

So here is one more reason not to fret over the abundance of zucchini this time of year. Firstly, because they freeze beautifully after being grated which secures this number in seasons to come. Secondly, this is an ideal way to incorporate veggies into your diet. (Okay so maybe that's cheating a bit with all the added sugar.) And last but not least, it's a fun way to empty your cupboards of leftover bits of walnuts, pecans, almonds, dried fruit, fresh fruit, caramel bits, or chocolate in any form.

I would offer to share a slice of this heaven but it disappeared before it had time to cool.

Maybe next time?

Happy eating!

Simple end of summer side dish....

Okay, so clearly you weren't intrigued by my poetry. I get the point, stick to the food lady!

In case you haven't noticed, fresh corn is at it's peak about now and it's really reasonable to buy by the boatload. But what to do with all that creamy sweet cobbed corn? Why create many mini meals and side dishes and PLEASE don't forget to freeze some for later, you will thank me I promise :)

Roasted Garlicky Corn Risotto

Once off the cob, this corn turns golden brown and begins smiling with the addition of some fresh rocambole garlic and olive oil. You can either remove it from the pan to make the risotto, adding it in later, or you can just make it all at once which gives the corn a velvety texture.

Either way, this is a simple and satisfying side dish. But top it with some grilled shrimp, tuna or a piece of roasted chicken and you will hear crickets at dinner!

Sweet days are made of these:

This is a day in the life of us.

Wandering through the city streets you might think natures' gone,
But if you look closely you just might see that really it's all 'round.


The city delights even the cynics with authentic treats abound,
Making even the most civil animals nothing if not spellbound.


Slowly soaking up the sights you just might find a treat,
Even though we're city folks we still enjoy fresh eats.

We might not have your typical parks with trees and grass a plenty,
But our pups enjoy a dip in the pool and it doesn't cost us a penny!

Nature is truly alive and kicking in our metropolis,
You just have to keep your eyes alert and surely you'll see our bliss!