De-seeding a pomegranate the easy way.

     Need to de-seed a pomegranate but dont want to turn you kitchen in to a bloody murder scene while you rip the pomegranate apart and the red juice flies? Here's a nice way to quickly and efficiently get the seeds out! You dont need this, or this, or this. Just normal kitchen supplies people!

     When you are picking out pomegranates, you should look for a smooth surface with no puckering or dry spots, and it should be heavy. This means there is still a lot of water in there and you pomegranate will be delicious. 

     Please dont laugh at my cell phone video: 

Cozy Cauliflower Cheese, gluten free

         The other day we hosted a “Hipster Thanksgiving” for our friends. Named so because we did turkey day before everyone else! Clever, right! Right? It was definitely something that couldn’t happen without all of our friends bringing dishes! We had everything a proper thanksgiving should have... including almost 20 people stuffed into my apartment, and a too small kitchen! It was crazy, and fun, and just what I love to do.

     Ever since then I have been craving comfy cozy foods. This is especially difficult because I live in coastal Florida, which you know definitely never feels cozy like a cool fall day. In my search, I ended up on an english website where I saw this dish, albeit a much simplified version. ANY new way to make common things is great in my book. So I read the recipe... and promptly changed it to something way delicious (at least to me).

Cherry brandy and brandied cherries?

Brandied cherries:
1 cup H2O
cinnamon stick
cloves
maple syup
1. Boil for about 5 min, then add 1/2 cup brandy!
2. Place cherries in a jar and cover with mixture.
3. Let sit for 2 days, or a few months...

Cherry brandy: sqish cherries into a jar and cover with brandy. Hide for a few months.

Hopefully these will both be ready by Xmas...

Taste and Create #1: Adventures in Shaw!

I think you should know how I was feeling about this taste and create... Excited? Yes. A little nervous? Yes. Like I am stuck in one of those dreams where I don't have any clothes on and everyone is staring and mumbling? YES!

This blog just got started, and Ill move to wordpress someday. It stared as "just for fun" but I dig the support and friendliness I get from passer-bys (mostly DB challenges) and being able to showcase my skills in the kitchen area. When life is all about trying to finish your masters, a little creativity is required so one does not go insane. Lets just say my friends and family don't have the address to my blog yet... I am THAT nervous about it.

Naked dream in real life blogland.

This brings me to my next point... Stephanie has seen me! Aahhhhh! I decided to participate in the Taste & Create challenge here to try to get out there and get okay with people actually looking at (and judging) it. Lets just say I am happy I did! I was paired up with Steph from Adventures in Shaw and I was super excited to try a recipe. Her blog is really nicely put together and was fun too look through for ideas! Go check it out. I was going to do the Artisan Boule bread (bread is yummy and useful) or the Chicken Piccata (lemon + capers... sign me up) or the Strawberry & Cardamom Pancakes (lets face it, Cardamom is my favorite sweet spice!) but I was drawn to the appley goodness of the eternally autumnal Walnut & Apple Dutch Boy. It is autumn after all. And the name is just fun.

Recipe: adapted from Adventures in Shaw.

Ingredients:

3/4 c AP flour

1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 T brown sugar

2 T grade B maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c milk
2 t vanilla
1 whole egg

3 egg whites
1 c dried apple, chopped
handful chopped walnuts, toasted
1 T butter, melted

To bake:

1 T butter for the pan (x2)

10 to 12 inch oven proof skillet
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Mix everything.

3. Put 1 T of your butter in the pan and put in oven to melt.

4. Pour half of your batter into the pan.

5. Bake for 15-18 min.

6. Pull out, slide dutch boy off pan and consume! Don't forget to make the other one too...

Walnut choppage.

Dutch boy w/o walnuts for my friend.

Dutch boy w/ walnuts for me! Reminds me of the surface of mars...

Verdict: Yummy! This was nice and less time consuming alternative to pancakes! Make batter, pour, bake, eat. Niiice. I think I will try to make it with coconut flour next time for a carb-friendly version. That and I reallyreally like coconut flour... Thanks Steph!!!

<3

BEST apple spice cake ever!!! Seriously.

Dinner at the parents house. This will consist of yummy food and a walk in the woods after dinner, they want to show me the pawpaw grove. We'll need plenty of sustenance for that 20 minute journey, lol. So, I'm bringing dessert. What am I bringing? I decide on something Autumnal, you know, since its Autumn. Well, apples are a fall food, so lets make an apple cake! Hey- I saw one the other day on the kitchn website.

Print.

Buy brandy.

Bake.

OHMYDARWIN! Delicious!!!


Apple spice cake with brown sugar sauce, via the kitchn, with some edits by me.
Cake
1 c golden raisins
1 c brandy
1 c unsulphured dried apple slices, cut into eighths
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 c AP flour
1-1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1-1/2 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 t fresh ground cloves
1-1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 c applesauce
3/4 c chopped pecans, toasted
2 medium sized tart cooking apples, such as Northern Spy or Rome Beauty, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Additional butter for greasing the pan

Directions
In a small saucepan, soak the raisins and apples in the brandy for 20 minutes, then heat over med-low for about 10 mins. Do not drain!
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl (of stand or handheld mixer) blend both sugars.
Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until thickened and pale (2 minutes with a machine, 4 to 5 minutes by hand).
Add the cooled melted butter and applesauce mix to blend.
Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just enough to moisten most but not all of the flour.
FOLD in the dried fruit and brandy mixture, chopped pecans, and diced fresh apple.
Don’t fret about the ratio of fruit to batter — there is a remarkable amount of fruit but it bakes into a wonderfully chewy cake.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and set in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched, a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Brown Sugar-Brandy Sauce
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream (36%)
2-1/2 tablespoons brandy
Directions
Combine the butter, sugars and cream in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan.
Stir this mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a very gentle boil, stirring all the while.
Cook 5 more minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy or other liqueur.
Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. To rewarm, either microwave the uncovered sauce on low power or transfer the cold caramel to a saucepan and stir over low heat until warm.


Cut the cake and drizzle with a little sauce... mmmmm!!!
We had about 1/4 of it left... between 5 people... since dinnertime. We're not big dessert people either! My little sis (shes 7) declared she likes it more than angel food cake and strawberries, which is her all time fave. (No worries people, I boiled off the -OH for the sis!) The sauce makes it over the top. I would think a scoop of vanilla ice cream would not be amiss. If you want coronary disease and yumminess all in one!

This picture really doesn't do it justice! It bakes up chewy and perfect, I promise!!!

Here is my tasty lunch from today. I thought I would share.
Sammie: Challah slices, avocado, lettuce, white anchovies marinated in mexican spices.
Yogurt: Im addicted to yogurt so whenever I find something new I pick it up. This was actually pretty good! Ill buy it again if I see it!

Happy Late Halloween from Anck Su Namun (me).