Magical Cookies
I always knew that motherhood would take me to new and interesting places. Yet I never expected that it would take me here:
No stranger to health food – I’ve enjoyed the occasional green monster and plate of quinoa – I usually stay away from foods that sound more like bacteria, such as yeast. And yet, while I sit here and wonder if every little twinge and pinch is “it,” I decided to do something more productive with my time than watch trashy tv. Since you never know what will happen or what to expect, I decided to arm myself with some magical cookies in case things get a little tricky. Did you know that you could bake cookies, freeze and then enjoy them at a later date? I didn’t. Thanks to Facebook friends for teaching me that tip.
Once I got started, things began to get a little less intimidating. The first instruction is to mix some of the flax seed with water and let sit for a few minutes. Considering how un-appetizing it sounds, the flax seed didn’t smell too offensive.
After a few minutes, the mixture thickened into a paste, reminding me of a grainy mustard. I then proceeded to follow the usual cookie steps – cream your butter, mix sugars, sift flour – and then I got to the yeast. Honestly, I really hope these cookies work because willingly adding yeast to my food creeps me out. It doesn’t smell too good either. But into the mix it went, and was quickly whisked into and hidden by the flour.
A few steps and about 10 minutes later, I had a nice amount of cookies on my hands. The majority of them are going into the freezer for a hopefully soon-to-be determined later date, but of course I had to try one. Here’s my plate, together with a nice cup of red raspberry leaf tea.
These cookies were much better than expected. Would I eat them for fun? Probably not. But does the oatmeal and chocolate mask the magic, kind of stinky ingredients? Absolutely. Now let’s hope they work. In the meantime, I hope your 2012 is off to a fabulous start. Enjoy!
Happy Holidays!
A Night On The Town
While we wait for Baby LAIC to join us (still have a few more months), H and I have been cherishing the remainder of life a deux. This might mean sleeping late (something you can’t do with a hungry three-day-old) or taking each day as it comes, without a plan or care in the world. Two Saturdays ago, we ventured out for a night on the town and partook in the Food Network Food and Wine Festival. Our evening focused on restaurants from Brooklyn. Though I needed to stay away from the wine (I’m not one of those lax pregnant ladies who sneaks a sip here and there), there was much food to be had. Here are some highlights:
Above is a sardine or anchovy sampling (can’t remember which one) from Vinegar Hill House, a delicious restaurant in DUMBO. Fish while pregnant is a funny issue. You can’t have it smoked (sadly needed to avoid the ACME table) or raw (my personal favorite) but you can eat the type you (or at least I) would normally avoid, such as the ones mentioned above. However I was in the mood for adventure and decided to give it a whirl. Honestly? Quite good. I’ve eaten at Vinegar Hill House, so I wasn’t surprised, but the fish was satisfyingly salty. Reminded me a lot of caviar. Yum.
And then there were the tables that provided simple food, but had me coming back for thirds and fourths. Savory dairy has been my #1 pregnancy craving and I made no secret of it during the evening. I think the nice men from D. Coluccio & Sons probably got sick of my face, but they were very professional and humored me every time. Especially when I asked if I could have a lot (I know, I know, I have no shame, but who says no to a pregnant belly?)
H and I also learned new words that evening. Any idea how to make headcheese?
We had no idea but quickly learned that headcheese “is not a cheese but a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (sometimes a sheep or cow), and often set in aspic” (source). Yeah, we stayed away from that dish. Though I will say that Colonie did manage to make it look rather appetizing considering the ingredients.
Saved for last, we finished our meals with amazing desserts. Besides the delicious and decadent cake from The Chocolate Room, my night’s favorite dish came from this place:
When I first saw their offering, I thought it was a small lemon tart – one of my favorite sweets. Can you see how I was easily fooled?
However I was wrong. Instead, it was a yummy honey pie topped with salt. Sweet and salty is one of my favorite combinations and I loved every bite of it. I also had never tasted a similar dessert, and I appreciated its unique quality without being overly weird. (Is that a culinary term?) In my opinion, bite-sized pieces were the way to go. Sweet but not ovewhelming. You can learn more here.
So those were the highlights of our evening. Other notable items included caramel apples and nourishing butternut squash soup. Hopefully we’ll be able to go again next year though I’m thinking our event of choice will probably be geared towards people who like their fruits and veggies pureed. In the meantime, I’ll continue sipping my decaf coffee and dreaming of sashimi. Enjoy!
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