Author: Annie

Chipotle Pecan Brownies and “The Unofficial Girls Guide to New York”

December 5, 2013February 7, 2017

Welp, it’s officially time to start making holiday treats and going gift shopping. Last night Jonah and I went to the Holiday Ale Fest, and it really got me into the holiday spirit. In thinking of holiday gifts, I want to tell you about this little book that I think would make a great present: The Unofficial GIRLS Guide to New York.

Now, before we jump in here, let me clarify that this book is the GIRLS guide, as in the TV show. Which I love. The past 2 seasons, my friend Erica has come over every week to watch it with us. The characters are fantastic (I think Shoshana is my favorite), the storyline is ever-entertaining, and it certainly captures certain aspects of being a twenty-something in a big city and not having any idea of what you’re doing with your life. Which I may or may not be able to relate to.

So when my aunt and uncle (of Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook fame) told me they were writing a GIRLS book, I was incredibly excited. Jonah and I rattled off interviews they could do, recipes, etc. But they had already thought of everything. This book is half fan-girl material, half guidebook, with some great recipes sprinkled throughout. Since receiving it in the mail, I’ve loved flipping through it, reading the stories of all the locations – not only because they make up the backdrop for this great show, but also because it’s New York, and there are so many interesting tidbits about all of these places. I’m just sad the book wasn’t out in time for our trip to New York!

I wanted to give you a little sneak preview by letting you in on one of the recipes. I decided to whip up “Agave’s Chipotle Pecan Brownies” a couple weeks ago, and dang were they good. More cake-y and less fudgy, the chipotle brings a really nice smoky and spicy flavor to these sweets. These would be a great unique treat to whip up for a holiday party! The recipe comes from Oberlin’s Agave Burrito Bar & Tequileria (Oberlin is where Marnie, Hannah, Jessa, and Elijah went to college, and where Marnie meets Charlie at the Oberlin College Galactic Safe Sex Ball 2007, which you can read more about in the book). I made half the recipe, and still had a 9×13 pan full of these bad boys, so I’ll give you the halved version, plus the full amounts in parentheses.

Chipotle Pecan Brownies

Ingredients

6 oz semisweet chocolate (12 oz)
1 cup plus 2 Tbl unsalted butter, room temperature (2 1/4 cups)
1 3/4 cups sugar (3 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (1 Tbl)
4 eggs (8 eggs)
1 1/4 cups flour (2 1/2 cups)
3/4 tsp cinnamon (1 1/2 tsp)
3/4 tsp chipotle powder (1 1/2 tsp)
4 oz pecans, crumbled to your desired consistency (8 oz)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish/pan (or 2 if you’re using the amounts in parentheses).

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate, stirring frequently. While the chocolate is melting, cream the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the vanilla, mix again, and then add the eggs. Mix to combine – it should be “creamy and lemon colored.” With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in a little bit of the chocolate. Let the mixer stir this small amount in, then slowly pour in the rest of the chocolate and mix until it’s just incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, and chipotle powder, then stir to combine. Remove the bowl of chocolate from your mixer base, and gently fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate batter until thoroughly combined.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and scatter the pecans over the top. Bake for 25 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The brownies should be just set in the center of the pan. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for an hour before cutting. Serve them up and enjoy!

Restaurant review: Remedy Wine Bar

December 2, 2013February 7, 2017

Remedy Wine Bar // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler

And we’re back! I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. Mine was filled with family and (of course) a huge amount of delicious food. Just what Thanksgiving is supposed to be. Now it’s time to get back to blogging!

A few weeks ago I was invited to a blogger event at Remedy Wine Bar, a lovely little spot in NW Portland. First of all, let me just say, is there anything that can be bad about good wine, good food, and good company? No, no there is not. But this spot definitely has something about it. Located on the north Park Blocks, the wine bar is chic and modern, but still cozy, with big windows overlooking the park. The building used to be an old pharmacy (that’s where the name comes from), and it definitely feels like a piece of old Portland, updated to meld with the ever hip Pearl. I can perfectly picture coming here for a glass of wine during First Thursday.

It was a Tuesday night, which is flight night at Remedy – each week they feature 2 different flights of 3 wines each on a different theme. The week I went, it was might Malbecs. Among the bloggers, there were definitely those that knew their wines. I was not one of them. As far as wine goes, I get my motto from a professor of mine and her husband: “If you don’t like it, don’t drink it.” I can never remember which wines are supposed to taste like what, and I can’t tell a fancy bottle from a cheap one. So when I like a wine, I drink it; When I really like a wine, I’ll maybe write down the name or snap a picture of the label.

The folks at Remedy were right there to help us learn about the wines as well as to talk with us about what we were tasting. Josh, who brought us our wine, even got out a big old book to show us maps of the regions our wine was from. Manager Dan Beekley and owner Michael Madigan were incredibly friendly, talking to us about their vision for the wine bar, what they love, what they do. They seem to have an incredible knowledge of wine, and it shows on their menu. Everything we tasted was delicious, and I can’t wait to go back to try more. It was just an all around incredible evening.

In addition to some fantastic wine (my favorite that we tried was the Bodegas Azul Reserva 2009, which you can find on their regular wine by the glass menu), we also got to sample some delicious bites by chef Ingrid Chen. The obvious group favorites were the cheesy bits – like a cheez-it but for grown ups, dusted in blue cheese powder from Rogue Creamery – and the tarte flambe with delicata squash, bacon lardons, and caramelized onions. We also enjoyed the white bean dip (one of the creamiest versions I’ve ever had), the warm olives, some marcona almonds, and a cheese plate and charcuterie plate.

If you’re in the neighborhood, looking for a soothing, beautiful spot to enjoy a glass of wine with some delicious snacks, this is most definitely the place to do it.

Weekend Finds 11:24:13

November 25, 2013February 7, 2017

It has been an interesting week. Jonah has been in Buenos Aires since the 16th, and on Tuesday, I will pick him up at the airport in Seattle, where we’re spending Thanksgiving/akkuh. I spent a few days in Seattle with my dad and Darla doing some belated birthday celebrations, which was incredibly fun. Lots of eating and adventuring. Which leads me to the weekend finds. Getting ready for the holidays, plus a little adventuring.

1. Pumpkin Chai Bread

Pumpkin Chai Bread from Adventures in Cooking // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Pumpkin Chai Bread from Adventures in Cooking

I’ve been waiting to venture into the land of pumpkin flavored things, though I’m not sure why. This pumpkin chai bread made an appearance tonight for commune dinner. It was a big hit. I definitely recommend it for a sweet but not too sweet dessert.

2. Jaipur Avenue Chai

Jaipur Avenue Chai // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Jaipur Avenue Chai

When I go to my dad’s house (which I did this past week while Jonah was gone), they almost always have at least one box of Jaipur Avenue Chai in the cupboard. This chai is so rich and delicious, and I love the flavor profiles. Saffron is my favorite! I’ve been able to find it at a store in my neighborhood called Foster & Dobbs, but my sister, who lives in Berkeley, has been ordering it online. It would make a great host/ess gift for the holidays!

3. Jalapeno Cornbread and Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing

Jalapeno Cornbread and Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing from Local Milk // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Jalapeno Cornbread and Buttermilk Biscuit Stuffing from Local Milk

While there are a lot of ingredients in this jalapeno cornbread and buttermilk biscuit stuffing, and you’ll have to make two other recipes before you can even start on the stuffing itself, this looks absolutely incredible. A delicious southern twist on traditional stuffing.

4. Not-your-normal Hanukkah treats

Frittelle Di Riso // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Frittelle Di Riso

I’ve been so focused on Thanksgivukkah that I’ve almost forgotten that Hanukkah lasts for eight whole nights, meaning lots of opportunities to try some different oil-laden delicacies. This article from the Kitchn has some neat suggestions, but I am particularly interested in trying frittelle de riso.

5. Bar Sajor

Bar Sajor // Weekend Finds, Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Bar Sajor

This was (one of) my birthday surprise dinner(s) in Seattle. It’s one of Matt Dillon’s restaurants, a spot I’ve been wanting to go for a while now. The space was just beautiful, the staff was amazingly friendly and helpful and fun, and the food was spectacular. I can’t decide if my favorite dish was the chicken liver pate with delicata squash and chestnuts or the caramelized butter ice cream with chocolate chip cookies.

Mexican Feast: Chile Relleno with Shrimp

November 19, 2013February 7, 2017

Chile Relleno with Shrimp // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler

At the end of October, we took a trip to Mexico. My mom rented a house in Sayulita for a couple of weeks (we were only there for 1 week), and we spent our days swimming in the ocean, reading, swimming in the pool, and eating a lot of incredibly delicious Mexican food. Perhaps my favorite thing about our trip was all of the seafood, particularly shrimp. I am a big fan of shrimp, especially when they’re cooked to perfection and slathered in butter and garlic. Another amazing preparation that we ate (at least 3 times in a week) was chile relleno stuffed with shrimp.

Knowing that I love to cook, my mom asked one of the housekeepers from the complex to come over one night to do a kind of cooking lesson with us. Maria was fantastic – funny, smart, and an incredible cook. I think she was surprised that we a) wanted to help so much with the cooking and b) that, amongst us, we knew a fair amount of Spanish! She said that many of people she cooks for say they want to practice their Spanish, but don’t actually end up talking with her that much. But Jonah is fluent in Spanish, and my mom and sister aren’t half bad either.

Maria showed up to our house at 5 o’clock, and immediately got to work boiling tomatoes and peppers, roasting poblanos, and chopping away. I’m going to focus on the recipe for Chile Relleno stuffed with shrimp, but she also made us Mahi Mahi with garlic, 3 different salsas (one mild, one hot, and one pico de gallo, or salsa Mexicana, as she called it), beans, rice, guacamole, tortillas, and flan.

And thankfully, after cooking for us in the very hot kitchen, she joined us at the table. Maria made 6 peppers, so I’ll give you roughly that recipe. She didn’t measure a single thing, so a lot of this is my own guess work.

Chile Relleno with Shrimp

Ingredients

1 poblano pepper per person you’re feeding. 6 people? 6 peppers.
1/4 lb shrimp per pepper
~3/4 cup all purpose flour (for coating the peppers)
4 eggs, separated
Vegetable oil
Salt

Instructions

First things first. Roast the peppers. If you’ve got a gas stove, you can do this right on top of the burner. If you don’t have a gas stove, turn on your broiler, and put the peppers on a pan in the oven. Keep a close eye on them. Either way, you’ll want to turn them (with tongs) every minute or so. You want the skin to char and blister. Once they’re charred, you can either put them in a bowl and cover it, or use Maria’s fantastic technique: tie them up in a plastic bag. You want the peppers to steam up, which will help soften them and loosen the charred skin. After allowing them to sit for about 10 minutes, peel and seed the peppers. Seed them by making a lengthwise cut along one side, and cutting out the seeds with a small knife. You want to leave the stem in tact.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp, and boil until pink, but still tender. Drain and sprinkle with salt. Gently stuff the peppers with the shrimp. Put the flour on a large plate, and coat each pepper in flour. Set aside.

In a bowl, whip egg whites until foamy, but not quite till peaks form. Add the yolks, whip some more. Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a (preferably non-stick) pan over medium heat. You’re going to cook your peppers one at a time, so it may not be a bad idea to set your oven to 200 degrees and put a pan in there to put the finished peppers on, so they’ll still be warm. When the oil is hot, coat a pepper in egg mixture, and place it in the pan. Now you’re going to kind of baste the pepper with oil. Using a spoon or a spatula, gently splash the hot oil up onto the pepper, so that even the part not touching the oil cooks a bit. Continue to turn the pepper and “baste” until the egg is nice and browned. Place in the oven, and repeat with the rest of the peppers.

Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream!