Hey good cookin'

wheresanfrancisco: San Francisco Classic #4: Cioppino Created...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:26:43 -0500

San Francisco Classic #4: Cioppino

Created around the turn of the century by Italian immigrants who settled in North Beach, Cioppino is a hearty San Francisco original, based in tomato broth with shellfish like clams, mussels, shrimp and crab and more, capitalizing on the freshest of supplies from the nearby coast.

Where to try: Sotto Mare in North Beach, 552 Green Street, 415.398.3181

thecakebar: Oreo Mini Cheesecakes Tutorial

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:23:49 -0500

thecakebar:

Oreo Mini Cheesecakes Tutorial

thecakebar: Rock Candy Tutorial/Recipe remember you can also...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:23:46 -0500

thecakebar:

Rock Candy Tutorial/Recipe

remember you can also use rock candy as a topper like on the cupcake pic ;)

thecakebar: Chocolate Pots

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:23:44 -0500

thecakebar:

Chocolate Pots

thecakebar: SURPRISE! these are really cupcakes!

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:23:42 -0500

thecakebar:

SURPRISE! these are really cupcakes!

thecakebar: Funfetti Homemade Twinkies

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:21:56 -0500

thecakebar:

Funfetti Homemade Twinkies

thecakebar: OMG I love these chocolate candied orange...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:21:54 -0500

thecakebar:

OMG I love these chocolate candied orange ornaments, too bad Christmas is over :(

foodopia: whoopie pie with white chocolate ganache follow...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:21:50 -0500

foodopia:

whoopie pie with white chocolate ganache

follow Pastel Macaron for more!

thecakebar: Watermelon Margarita Popsicles I love the lime...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 22:21:47 -0500

thecakebar:

Watermelon Margarita Popsicles

I love the lime slice on top :s

fauxpasta: I didn’t welcome fall into my life until just about...

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:31:38 -0400

fauxpasta:

I didn’t welcome fall into my life until just about two weeks ago, when I started going off the deep-end on soups and pumpkin and all that other crap girls love, like Glade Apple Cinnamon candles for $2.50 at Target. There’s nothing like obliterating your palate by having a scented candle burning at the table. “The cinnamon neurotoxins are telling my body that it’s time for soup!” I recently exclaimed. And of course now it’s 80 degrees outside here in Oakland.

And so I present to you:

Slow-Cooker Cauliflower and Potato Soup with Bacon, Chives, and Sour Cream (Or: Loaded Baked Potato Soup)

Soups are pretty fool-proof and a good place to start if you’re new to cooking and waiting for your kitchen-literacy to kick in. Also good if you like eye-balling things, which is exactly what I did with this recipe.

A quick note: as listed in the title, this is a slow-cooker recipe, so it is… hands-off. And slow. You could easily do this on the stovetop in a pot, though - I only did it in the slow-cooker because it was looking so neglected, sitting there in the corner.

Ingredients:

1 cup of caramelized onions (I had them left over)

1 cup of diced yellow onions

OR

2 cups of sauteed onions

2 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme

A few sprigs of parsley

1 whole clove of garlic

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 head of cauliflower, cut in large chunks

5-7 medium-sized yukon gold potatoes, peeled

I had a sweet potato so I peeled that and added it in with the over veggies, if not, add 1 more cup cauliflower or potatoes

4 carrots, scrubbed, unpeeled, cut in big chunks (you’re going to fish them out later)

4-6 cups of low-sodium vegetable stock

half-and-half or heavy cream or whole milk or non-dairy milk

salted butter

TOPPINGS (for two-ish servings):

2 strips of bacon

2 dollops of sour cream

2 tablespoons of fresh minced chives

freshly grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

salt

pepper

Put everything in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. When you open up the lid and sniff, you will wonder if you made a horrible mistake by cooking cauliflower for that long. Don’t worry, it’s fine! Drink a glass of wine or sparkling apple cider and forget about your worries.

Fish out the carrots, thyme & parsley if you can. Compost or discard those items. Let everything in the slow cooker cool for 10 minutes, and use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.

If you’re like me and don’t want to eat the same soup for 4 days, ladle about whatever you think you’re not going to eat of your now-smooth soup into manageable portions, and freeze. I like to use old salsa jars for this. Let the soup cool almost completely before you freeze and leave some space at the top (I learn the hard way). Label your jars or tupperware or ziploc bags with the date and contents.

If you’re ready to eat some soup now, mince up some fresh chives and dice a strip of bacon per person and fry it up over medium heat until crisp, then drain over paper towels.

For the soup you are going to eat now, transfer however much you want into a medium-ish pot and heat. Taste it. Does it need something? What does it need? You’re not a soup whisperer. Probably a lot of salt. Start with 1/2 tsp at a time and stir well. Crack some white pepper into your vessel and breathe deeply. Never stop tasting.

Look at you, you wholesome soup goddess, you! Remember, 4 spoonfuls deep into a bowl of soup is really the moment of truth when it comes to seasoning. Are you gonna get salted out or are you going to stew in a sea of blandness? The margin of error is not as small as salad dressing but is not quite as wide as roasted potatoes, so keep that in mind.

Then, pour some half-and-half (or milk type of your choice - I’m not particularly recommending non-dairy options here unless you’re using coconut or soy creamer — this soup really likes dairy) into your pot, taste again, take off heat immediately. Add a dab or two of butter. Per serving I’d say 2 tablespoons of half-and-half and 1/2 tablespoon of butter is good. You’re already such a saint for using cauliflower when you could have just used more of God’s golden bocce balls: potatoes.

Serve in bowls, top with sour cream, chives, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Top with more salt and pepper if you want. I had a salad on the side because I just like saying soup and salad.

When you want to use up your frozen soup, re-heat it and add the dairy products then. The soup keeps longer and better in the freezer without them.

Leveling up a commoner’s soup: you can push your soup through a fine-mesh sieve once it’s pureed and get the kind of soup people rave about at restaurants, but it does tend to leave a lot of vegetable pulp and matter behind.

Oh! And follow us on Facebook, we post over there sometimes too.

Nellie

foodopia: gorgonzola and pistachio shortbread: recipe here

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:31:34 -0400

foodopia:

gorgonzola and pistachio shortbread: recipe here

Homemade Sriracha of the Day

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:31:34 -0400

Homemade Sriracha of the Day

pbs-food: Clams and Chicken Paella Recipe | Fresh Tastes Blog |...

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:31:34 -0400

pbs-food:

Clams and Chicken Paella Recipe | Fresh Tastes Blog | Marc Matsumoto

thecakebar: DIY Granola and Yogurt Banana Pops!...

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:58:24 -0400

thecakebar:

DIY Granola and Yogurt Banana Pops! (tutorial/recipe)

foodopia: roasted basil parmesan shrimp: recipe here

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:58:19 -0400

foodopia:

roasted basil parmesan shrimp: recipe here

pbs-food: If I was a kid I would want my lunch to look like...

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:58:13 -0400

pbs-food:

If I was a kid I would want my lunch to look like Elmo every single day. Too fun!

Get the directions here: http://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/try-sesame-street-bento-fun-school-lunches/

Photo

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:58:06 -0400

Photo

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:55:58 -0400

mydecolife: OH MY GOD!!!!!!! SUCH SWEETNESS!!!!

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:55:51 -0400

mydecolife:

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! SUCH SWEETNESS!!!!

foodopia: pink grapefruit lemonade: recipe here

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 05:55:47 -0400

foodopia:

pink grapefruit lemonade: recipe here