happelsauce

December 24, 2009

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas…Cookie

Posted by annie happel under Sweet Somethings
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It’s Christmas Eve. I’m with my family in a cozy log cabin in Mazama, Washington where the treetops glisten! Really, they do. We spent the day cross-country skiing in 18 degree sunshine.

Now Pom’s fixing dinner, Ellie’s reading the trial transcript for her Alabama death penalty case, Henny’s reading, and me? I’m Happelsaucing. Obviously.

Macaroons and Mexican Wedding Cookies. Together on a platter they are the very picture of Christmas. They look like snow. Elegant, edible morsels of snow. Please close your eyes and envision them now because I just realized that the photos I took are still in San Francisco. Dang. I promise to post them later. (Update! It’s January 26th and I’m making good on my promise. Photos, glorious photos!)

It turns out that Mexican Wedding Cookies and the Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons have more in common than one might think: Both cookies resemble snow – in the form of a powdered sugar coating and shredded coconut respectively, both contain less than eight ingredients, both are easy to make, and both taste wonderful but in completely different ways. And I think it’s their differences that make them so delicious together. After all, isn’t that what the holiday spirit is all about?

The Mexican Wedding Cookies are nuttybutterybombs – they have a shortbread-like consistency, rich and subtly sweet .

On the flip side, the Macaroons are lightsweetchewymorsels – miniature coconut islands resting in pools of dark chocolate. (They require 4 egg whites, so they’re the perfect cookie to bake after whipping up a batch of Tiger’s Swedish Pancakes or another recipe that calls for egg yolks.)

Place one of each cookie on your holiday cocktail napkin and indulge. They’re worth every bite, down to the last crumb.

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

From Room for Dessert, by David Lebovitz

Makes About 30 Cookies

4 large egg whites

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I like Guittard bittersweet chocolate chips)

In a large pan, mix together the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey, coconut and flour.
Stir constantly on medium-low heat, scraping the bottom as you stir.
When the mixture just begins to scorch at the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature. (At this point, the mixture can be chilled for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months.)
When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Form the dough into 1½-inch mounds (sticky fingers!) and evenly space on the baking sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown. Cool completely.

To dip the macaroons in chocolate:

Melt the chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave.)
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap.
Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the chocolate and set the cookies on the baking sheet.
Leave untouched for a half hour or refrigerate 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate is set.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

From The Joy of Baking, By Stephanie Jaworski

Makes About 2 Dozen Cookies

2/3 cup toasted pecans (Walnuts or hazelnuts will work too, really it’s whatever nut you prefer.)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (Use the highest quality butter possible, I used Kerrygold. Plugra is also excellent.)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

For Sugar Coating: 1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool.
Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Beat in the vanilla extract.
Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined.
Stir in the nuts.
Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm.
Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.
While the cookies are cooling, sprinkle about one cup of powdered sugar onto a tray lined with parchment paper.
Place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Very gently (so the cookies don’t crumble) roll the cookies in the sugar to coat.

December 17, 2009

Cheese Souffle: Puffed and Proud

Posted by annie happel under Souffle
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Julia Child. For me, the mere mention of her name invokes visions of…butter. Lots and lots of butter. After all, in her last magazine interview, Julia was asked, “Do you have a favorite ingredient?” She replied, “Yes. Butter.” Amen, Julia. Such a wise woman.

Back in October, Whit, Ellie and I decided to hold our very first “Julia Night.” We would cook from Mastering the Art of French Cooking and watch episodes of The French Chef, Julia’s cooking show produced and broadcast in Boston from 1963 – 1973. (Ellie owns the box set.) All three of us are Julia fans. Meaning, we were admirers before Julie and Julia hit the theaters. We all thoroughly enjoyed reading My Life in France. It’s a story based on love – love of cooking, love between husband and wife, love of France, and love of life. Of course, Julie Powell of “Julie and Julia” fame is to be commended for cooking every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking – it takes a brave woman to dedicate an entire year of her life to expanding both her culinary knowledge and her waistline.

For our first “Julia Night”, the menu consisted of the following:

Cheese, olives and fruit.

Bouillabaisse from MTAOFC – a traditional fish soup from Marseille.

Chocolate Souffle from MTAOFC.

And lots of wine.

We finished grocery shopping around 8pm and didn’t eat dinner until after 11pm. After devouring our seafood soup and souffle, we selected another Julia episode and retired to the couch. I fell asleep before the opening credits finished rolling and didn’t wake up until 4:30am, shoes still on and smelling like a French fish monger. But it was entirely worth it. Our first Julia night had been a success!

On Monday, the three of us reunited for “Julia Night Part Deux,” this time at Ellie’s place. We were so inspired from the airypuffedgrandness of our chocolate souffle that we decided to adopt a souffle theme, whipping up one savory and one sweet – a Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffle and a Grand Marnier Souffle with Creme Anglais. Plus a spinach salad with apple and almonds that provided a refreshing intermission between our souffle saga.

Here’s the thing. Souffles aren’t very difficult to make and the wow-factor is immense. A souffle hot from the oven – puffed and proud – is a sight to behold. Both our savory and sweet souffles were delicious, but I’ve decided to post the savory recipe because it was truly the best in show. We poured the souffle batter into six ramekins and one large coffee mug. 25 minutes later, we opened the oven door to behold golden domes of goodness. Each spoonful was simultaneously rich and light. We decided that souffle is the perfect comfort food – a beautifulbutterybloated wonder. I can’t wait to bake more.

Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffle

Adapted from Bon Appetit. Not MTAOFC. Sorry Julia.

Serves 4

Grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 stick butter

5 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/4 cup dry white wine

6 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 6 ounces)

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 large egg whites

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F.
Generously butter one 10-cup soufflé dish or six to eight ramekins, depending on size
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to coat. (If using 1 1/4-cup dishes, place all 6 on rimmed baking sheet.)
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Cook without browning until mixture begins to bubble, whisking constantly, about 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk, then wine. Cook until smooth, thick and beginning to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Mix yolks, salt and pepper in small bowl.
Add yolk mixture all at once to sauce and whisk quickly to blend.
Fold in 1 1/4 cups Gruyère cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (cheeses do not need to melt).
Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites.
Transfer soufflé mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Gruyère cheese.
Place soufflé in oven and reduce heat to 375°F.
Bake soufflé until puffed, golden and gently set in center, about 40 minutes for large soufflé (or 25 minutes for small soufflés).
Serve immediately (or risk serving a sad, limp souffle.)

December 13, 2009

Tiger’s Swedish Pancakes

Posted by annie happel under Breakfast
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Full disclosure. I would like to tell you my Tiger Woods story. It’s timely and juicy and good, I promise. But here’s the hitch, it’s not entirely Happelsauce worthy. I mean, this is a food blog, not The Superficial. I figure that I need a good recipe to accompany my true Tiger tale, so recently my mind got to churning. What recipe could I possibly associate with Tiger Woods?

My brain played a far-reaching game of connect the dots. I was in the shower yesterday when I recalled one of my favorite bedtime stories when I was little. It was called Little Black Sambo. (Please note: At the time, I was unaware that it was such a controversial book. It was first published in 1899. According to Wiki, it may have contributed to the use of the word “Sambo” being used as a racial slur, for crying out loud!) But, in the book, Sambo is the protagonist and the Tigers are the greedy antagonists. See where I’m going here?

In case you haven’t read it, it’s the tale of a boy named Sambo who gets repeatedly threatened by hungry tigers and ends up giving them all the new, colorful clothes off of his back so they don’t eat him. Sambo cries, feeling utterly alone and defeated by the greedy tigers, when he hears a horrible “Grrrr” in the distance. He finds the tigers fighting each other over who’s the grandest tiger of all. They “caught hold of each other’s tails” and ran so fast around a tree, they became a blur and melted into butter. Sambo’s father stumbled upon the golden butter on his way home from work and brought it back to his wife that evening. She used the butter, “just as yellow and brown as little Tigers,” to make an enormous batch of pancakes for her family.

Dots connected! Pancakes and greedy tigers.

Good news is, one of my absolute favorite breakfasts of all time are pancakes…Swedish pancakes, at that. Oh yes. Pom would channel her inner-Swede and make them on the occasional Sunday morning, inevitably making my day. They’re thin and egg-y and taste like heaven. I’ll post the recipe below. Please make them! But, don’t head to the store to buy eggs and milk for the batter quite yet. I’ve rambled enough. It’s finally time for my true Tiger tale. Thanks for bearing with me.

Over 4th of July weekend in 2006, I met up with Lex, Allie and Katie in Las Vegas. It was my first time visiting as an adult. I’d been there once before with my family when we were on an epic canyon tour throughout the southwest. I think I was 12. I remember the endless breakfast buffet at The Mirage and not much else. On my first night in Vegas with friends, we ventured from our room at the MGM Grand and ended up at the Bellagio. It wasn’t until after dinner and a couple bottles of wine that I realized I’d left my ID in our room, on the other end of The Strip. Crap. I couldn’t get into a club without it. And it was our first night in Vegas! Dancing at a club was next on the agenda. I urged Lex and Allie to have fun without me while cursing myself for putting a damper on our escalating Vegas momentum. I suggested that I wait for Katie to arrive (her flight was delayed leaving Seattle). She would drop off her bags in our room, grab my ID and then the four of us could rendezvous. But, Lex and Allie, being the most excellent of friends, insisted that we stick together. So we walked out the sliding glass doors of the Bellagio and parked ourselves on a faux marble bench to wait in the 102 degree heat. It was a little after 11pm.

A friendly hotel valet/bellhop wandered over and started chatting with us. We were the only people outside and we were losing steam. He eventually walked off to attend to an approaching car. A few minutes later, he hollered at us from the other side of the road, “Ladies! Ladies!” And motioned with his arms to come his way. We had no idea what he wanted. Again, I urged Lex and Allie to go and they insisted I come too. We headed in the valet’s direction. He was standing next to an unmarked door on the side of the casino. We approached and were greeted by a familiar face at the door…Tiger Woods.

“Hi, I’m Tiger.” We all made introductions and shook hands. Then we followed Tiger and his two friends up the dark stairway, through the back entrance and to the VIP booth at Light, the club at the Bellagio. Vodka and cranberry juice appeared on the table. Tiger lit a cigar. He wasn’t friendly, but he wasn’t rude either. He seemed relatively void of emotion and interest. Neither Lex, Allie or I said much to him. We learned from his childhood friends that they were in Vegas to celebrate a 30th birthday. I mixed a drink, exchanging wide-eyed glances of sheer amazement with Allie and Lex. Our first night in Vegas and we were hanging out with Tiger Woods in his VIP booth. Really? Another drink, more observations. I knew that Tiger was married, so why was he letting the cocktail waitress sit on his lap? I’m naive, I guess, but I didn’t expect it. Another drink, Tiger left the booth. Another drink, and I promised myself that if and when he returned, I would talk to him. Where had he gone, anyway? And where was the cocktail waitress? Katie had arrived at that point and was hanging out with us and Tiger’s friends. An hour or so later, I was feeling bold and bossy from the vodka coursing through my veins, and Tiger returned. It had to have been around 2am at that point. Tiger’s star power had worn off. He hadn’t smiled all night. Here was a guy who seemingly had everything in the world, and he seemed sad.

“Tiger, are you happy?” Yup, I said it. He asked me to repeat the question a few times. More than twice. And finally his answer was, “I have everything I want.” From afar, Tiger does seem to have everything – Fame, Fortune, Family. But happiness? Maybe that’s the intangible element he’s never known to strive for. Maybe because he always thought it came bundled with the three F’s. Or, even worse, maybe he never considered happiness as something to strive for in the first place. I don’t know.

We were asked to leave the VIP booth shortly after I talked to Tiger. I don’t think it was a coincidence. Poolside the following day, I couldn’t help but wonder then what so many people are wondering now. Who is Tiger Woods? He seemed like a guy who’d never thought about much of anything besides golf. He’s had blinders on his entire life. He was raised to see the golf course and not much else. And he’s only human. He wants things. When he sees something he wants, something pretty predictable like a hot Vegas cocktail waitress, he gets it. He doesn’t question his motives because he doesn’t have to. Just yesterday, I read a sentence in The Open Road – The Global Journey of the 14th Dalai Lama by Pico Iyer that struck a chord and seemed ever so timely:

Happiness is a function not so much of our circumstances as of our perceptions.

I think Tiger should ponder that sentence and then he should set off on his road to happiness by making a big batch of “Tiger’s Swedish Pancakes” for Elin and the kids. How about that?

Tiger’s Swedish Pancakes

Serves 4 (unless one of you is me)

6 egg yolks

4 cups lowfat milk

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 cups flour

Lightly beat the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl.
Add 2 cups of milk, sugar, salt , flour and whisk free of lumps.
Stir in the remaining 2 cups milk and melted butter. Batter will be very thin.

Pour about 2/3 cup batter onto a lightly buttered large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.

Loosen pancake all around with a spatula and flip. (Rumor has it that it helps if you’re Swedish.) Remove from skillet and repeat until batter is gone.
Fold pancakes in half and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.
Serve with lingonberry jam, pure maple syrup, or a light dusting of granulated sugar and a touch of milk.

November 25, 2009

Good Morning Granola

Posted by annie happel under Breakfast
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What is it about granola that makes it greater than the sum of its parts? Rolled oats + nuts + dried fruit + honey = a mouthful of magic. Really. I don’t think I’m exaggerating here. Granola is satisfaction. And, as it turns out, it’s a snap to make. I recommend you forego buying it from the grocery store, in the bulk bins or from the cereal aisle, and start making your own. I have three good reasons:

1.) Making homemade granola is easy and vastly more cost-effective. (Okay, that’s two reasons in one, right off the bat!)

2.) You control the ingredients. Don’t like raisins? Fine. Don’t use them. Prefer pistachios over almonds? Perfect. Swap ‘em in.

3.) Baking granola will make your kitchen smell delicious.

Now, I’m not claiming to be a granola guru, but I have experimented with more than a couple recipes over the past few months. I was initially drawn to those containing a variety of different spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. And, I liked the idea of using applesauce in lieu of oil for a healthiercrunchier granola. But, it turned out that the medley of spices only jumbled my taste buds, and I almost lost a tooth from the applesauce crunch.

The good news is that I think I’ve finally found that the secret to great granola, and it is arguably (or so I’ve been told) also the secret to a great life. Keep it simple. Okay, shhhhh. Remember, it’s a secret.

The runaway recipe winner is adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home. No spices, no applesauce, just pure granola goodness. Ina’s original recipe is for a Fruit Crunch Sundae with shredded coconut and slivered almonds. I’ve tinkered with it to suit my taste buds – omitting the coconut, adding dried cranberries and roasted flax seed, and subbing dry roasted pistachios for the almonds. Feel free to try different fruits and nuts to make your favorite flavor combination.

I love this granola with plain yogurt, sliced fruit, and a dash of cinnamon. Or, for the perfect blend of cereal shapes, I mix it with Heritage Flakes cereal, Trader Joe’s Organic High Fiber O’s and rice milk. Or I just eat it with a spoon, straight off the cookie sheet while it’s still cooling because it tastes like oatmeal cookies. Maybe even better.

Good Morning Granola

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Makes about 8 breakfast bowl fulls

3 cups quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats

1 cup dry roasted pistachios (shelled)

1 cup sweetened cranberries

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

4-6 tablespoons good honey

pinch of salt

Sprinkling of roasted flax seed, to taste (I love the Golden Roasted Flax Seed from Trader Joe’s)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the oats, pistachios, cranberries, oil, and honey together in a large bowl until they are completely combined. Pour onto a sheet pan and bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. (Be sure not to over bake! The cranberries burn easily.)

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring once. Sprinkle with roasted flax seed and stir again.

Serve with yogurt or milk and seasonal fruit.

Store in an air-tight container – tupperware or large ziploc bag.

November 10, 2009

Fancy Fresh Fig and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Posted by annie happel under Pizza
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Fresh Figs

Only recently have I discovered the wonder of the fig. True, I ate Fig Newtons when I was a kid, breaking off the cakey edges first and then popping the seedysweet middle in my mouth. A few years ago, I discovered fig spread. I would put a dollop of it in my greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon for breakfast. But fresh figs eluded me until about a year ago. I think I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since, because I now eat them ALL the time. I equate summertime in California with an abundance of figs dangling from trees, begging to be plucked. I’m in denial that it’s officially fall and soon figs will be almost impossible to come by until early next summer.

Breakfast of Champions: Fresh figs, yogurt, cinnamon and honey

I’m taking this opportunity to encourage one last figtastic affair with a recipe adapted from The New York Times. It was originally published in the end of September – “Fig Tart With Caramelized Onions, Rosemary and Stilton.” It was accompanied by a mouth-watering photo. I saved the article with the intention of baking it soon, very soon.

A month passed by and I still hadn’t tried it. Then, on a wind-whipped and stormy Saturday night in late October, I met my friend Sarah (travel companion on the French Riviera, creator of this blog’s namesake, and cross-country pen pal extraordinaire) at her apartment in Brooklyn. Neither of us wanted to brave the torrential downpour going on outside, so we opted to get cozy with delivery and a movie. I opened Sarah’s three-ring binder full of local restaurant menus and in the front pocket, like some sort of sign from the fig fairy, was the very same fig tart recipe I’d saved. So, we had no choice but to head out for ingredients and wine and make the thing come alive!

We returned from our grocery gathering mission drenchedwithsquishysocks and with a few ingredient variations. Most significant of all, there was no puff pastry to be found in a two mile radius. I swear. So, we opted for whole-wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe’s. (A healthier option, certainly.) And, we swapped out the Stilton cheese for a log of chevre. Ohh, and a splash of red wine found its way into the milk and egg mixture. (In other words, Sarah’s first glass of wine went straight to her head. She got tipsy and proceeded to spill the contents of her second glass onto the counter, with a healthy dash landing in the mixing bowl.) We rolled with it. Nixed the sherry vinegar (it’s made from wine, after all) and opted for the unanticipated splash of red wine instead. I’m happy to report that all ingredient swaps worked beautifully.

Oozy figs and onions and pine nuts and chevre...oh my!

The caramelized onion base was a bit of a revelation for me. I’m convinced it’s the best foundation upon which to place other pizza toppings. The figs were wonderful, but you could do potato or tomato or sausage or peppers or all of the above. Just make sure you take the time to saute the onions until they’re soft and brown.

Caramelizing Onions

We ended up eating the ENTIRE pizza. And it was good to the very last bite.

Fig and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Adapted from The New York Times

Serves 2-4 as a main course. (I’m tempted to say it serves 2, period, to make myself feel like less of a piglet. It’s a pizza. You know how much you handle.)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large white onions (1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 sprig rosemary, more for garnish

Pinch sugar

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

Flour for dusting

Whole-wheat pizza dough (enough for one pie, we used Trader Joe’s)

1 pint fresh figs ( 3/4 pound), stemmed and cut in half lengthwise

1 log goat cheese, in small pieces

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Good-quality honey for drizzling, optional (We omitted, but would be a nice addition if you want a sweeter pie.)

In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter with oil. Add onions, rosemary and sugar. Cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are limp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until smooth. Stir in the onions. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Apply a thin layer of oil to an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet.

Use a fork to spread onion mixture evenly over dough (let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl), leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange figs, cut-side up, in even rows on onion mixture. Scatter cheese and pine nuts over figs. Gently fold over edges of pizza dough to form a lip and brush with egg mixture.

Bake until pizza is golden and figs are a little oozy, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with rosemary needles and drizzled with honey, if desired.

Dinner Is Served

November 9, 2009

Snap, Crackle and Pop!

Posted by annie happel under Happelsauce
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I’m determined to land a job before the holidays set in. I don’t want to write a “Dear Santa” note begging the old man for employment. I’d like to bake him cookies and relish in the splendor of a few relaxing, cozy days before I return to my job to work like hell for something I believe in. I’ve had some time this past month to reflect on my job search and I’ve determined that more than anything, I’d like to work for an organization that promotes causes I’m passionate about. Yes, sustainable food, but there’s so much more out there. I don’t want to inflict constrictions on myself. The job market is bad enough.

Picture this. It’s Saturday morning. I roll out of bed, brew a strong cup of Earl Grey tea, smile at the sunshine, then sit down at the computer and am confronted with this article on the front page of The New York Times. Waaaa waaa. At least I’m not the only one.

As Henny said a couple of months ago, “Looks like I picked the absolute worst time to leave my job.” Maybe true. I replied, “If all else fails, I can head back to the farms.” And that’s certainly true. When I’m feeling utterly fed up with my job hunt, I daydream about WWOOFing in Mexico – speaking Spanish, mastering the art of making corn tortillas, taking a break from fieldwork while sipping a Negro Modelo in the shade. Perhaps it’s the daydreams that sustain me. The thing is, I’m honestly loving San Francisco. I want to make it work here. I really do.

In recent job news, I made it to round two for an Editor position with an online social entrepreneurship venture and had to submit a lengthy application. One of the components was writing a timely news summary item. I’ve deemed it Happelsauce worthy and included it below. I think I once claimed that rice krispie treats were good for me, but I only said it to make myself feel better for eating half the pan. How do these Kellogg’s executives come up with this stuff?

A Collector's Item

Snap, Crackle and Pop Goes Kellogg’s Immunity Claim

Thanks to San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Kellogg’s has announced that it will discontinue boxes of Rice Krispies, Cocoa Krispies and Frosted Krispies cereal that feature the eye-catching banner reading, “Now helps support your child’s IMMUNITY.”

For food industry giants, it seemingly all comes down to food science. The online Rice Krispies product homepage states that each Krispie “is made from a single grain of rice.” Okay, fine then. But click on the Product Details tab to learn that each grain of rice is blasted with first and foremost, sugar. Then glucose-fructose syrup, barley malt flavouring, and the list goes on. How could these little Krispies possibly boost immunity? Apparently, when the other ingredients include increased amounts of vitamins A, B, C and E. As Marion Nestle, nutrition professor, food activist and author, so eloquently put it, “Yes, these nutrients are involved in immunity, but I can’t think of a nutrient that isn’t involved in the immune system.”

Herrera, caught wind of Kellogg’s latest effort to slap health claims on their sugar-laden products sprayed with a variety of vitamins and minerals. On October 27th, he wrote a letter to the president and CEO of Kellogg’s expressing concern that their immunity claims were misleading. He mentioned parents increasing concern with the spread of the H1N1 virus (“swine flu”) and suggested the importance of parents receiving “accurate information about what they can do to protect their children’s health.” One week after Herrera sent the letter, Kellogg’s decided to discontinue the claim.

All you Krispies fans out there, hold onto your box of Snap, Crackle and Pop with the immunity claim emblazoned across the front. It’s officially a collector’s item.

October 27, 2009

Nomadic Nibs

Posted by annie happel under Happelsauce
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I’ll be the first to admit it. I’ve been neglecting my sweet, little Happelsauce. It was not supposed to be this way. I swear. It’s just that I’ve been an wayfaring wanderer these past few weeks. I’ve been staying with friends, cooking in their kitchens, and living out of a suitcase. My nomadic lifestyle has been mostly fun, a little exhausting, and not at all conducive to posting food-inspired tales. Internet has been spotty at times, the cord that connects my camera to my computer has disappeared into the depths of my duffel bag, and I’ve been consuming more Lara Bars in the past 40 days than I have in my entire life.

In late September, my friend Annie returned to her room in Oakland that I had been fortunate enough to sublet for a couple of months. I rolled out of the East Bay and into Healdsburg for a very early Thanksgiving feast with my Oakland roommates and friends, with Nattie’s 30th birthday celebration almost immediately following. Then I headed back into San Francisco, gathering no moss and a bad cold. I plied my body with Cranberry Pomegranate EmergenC and hot tea and come the next weekend, I was almost as good as new.

I moved from the Mission to Russian Hill, then back to the Mission. I spent five days dog sitting for Isis, the deaf rescue pit bull who loves humans but wants to eat other dogs for dinner. Isis, goddess of motherhood and fertility and instilling sheer terror in other neighborhood pets. From there, I was off to New York City, where I currently reside in Lex’s cozy apartment in Chelsea. On Friday, I’m off to Chicago to meet Rebekah’s baby for the first time. I’m envisioning little Charlie in a tiny pumpkin costume, or perhaps shrimp nigiri?

I’m proud to report that I have managed to document some of my adventures from these past few weeks. I uploaded my photos yesterday with the help of Alexa’s camera card reader. So, without further ado, I present a mishmash of my exploits, mostly food-centric and all fun-centric, starting in mid-September at the Pike Place Market and up through last Sunday’s Brooklyn Flea, where Martha Stewart with video cameras in tow graced the DUMBO parking lot with her presence. I will share some good recipes soon. Come November, I’ll be back in San Francisco, grounded and focused on one thing only: finding a job. Okay, maybe two things: finding a job and Happelsauce. Actually, three things: finding a job, Happelsauce, and yoga. That’s it.

September 28, 2009

Love At First Bite

Posted by annie happel under Little Bites
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The first time I tried a kale chip was at the Park Slope Food Coop. Love at first bite. Undoubtedly. They were called Quite Cheesey Kale Chips but were vegan and raw. Quite the contradiction. I guess the cheesy flavor comes from the nutritional yeast that generously coats each dehydrated piece of kale. They were my new crunchysaltycheesy addiction. As far as addictions go it could have been worse, but at almost $8 for a 3.5 ounce bag, I might as well have been munching on dehydrated gold.

So, when I bid farewell to Brooklyn and the Food Coop, I left my beloved kale chips behind as well. It helped that I flew immediately to Barcelona, where I immersed my taste buds in pan con tomate, jamon, calcots, cava, and non-vegancheesygoodness. It was the easiest break-up ever. Kale chips and I were over and I never looked back. Until last week.

Kale Close-up

On Friday I bought a bunch of kale. When I was in the grocery store, I envisioned the usual – sauteed in a little olive oil with lots of garlic, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes. I took it home and forgot about it for a few days. By the time I remembered that it was still sitting in the fridge drawer, I needed to cook all of it. Otherwise, I was bound to have a bunch of wilted, sad kale. I wanted no such thing.

Memories of my long-lost love for kale chips came flooding back to me. Could I make them? I didn’t have nutritional yeast on hand, but I was willing to forgo recreating the faux cheesiness. I just wanted a crispycrunchysaltylemony kale chip. Something to munch on that made me feel good. I googled “homemade kale chips” and found a few simple recipes that I used as my guide. I chopped my bunch of kale into bite sized pieces, tossed them with a little olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, pepper and parmesan. About 20 minutes later, I pulled them from the oven and ate two baking sheets worth in under 10 minutes. The world’s best snack food? Quite possibly, yes.

Goodness In Every Bite

Parmesan Kale Chips

Serves 4 light snackers, 2 hungry snackers, or 1 bingeing kale chip addict

1 bunch of kale, rinsed, dried and chopped into bite sized pieces

about 1 teaspoon olive oil, or just enough to coat the kale

juice of one lemon, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
Spread kale evenly onto baking sheets.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until kale is crispy and parmesan is browned but not burned. Make sure you check the kale while it’s baking because it will go from perfect to perfectly charred in a few seconds.
Cool for a few minutes and serve them in a big bowl with your favorite drink. I like them with something bubbly – kombucha, sparkling water, or champagne. Kale chips deserve the best.

September 16, 2009

Shell Collector Capellini

Posted by annie happel under Pasta
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I had never been a member of a book club until last month. I crashed Whit’s. Her friend Kay was hosting at her apartment on Divisadero Street. The book of the month was The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan. Being a last-minute attendee, I hadn’t read it. As it turned out, I wasn’t the only one. So, we ended up having delightful non-book related conversation and a Middle Eastern inspired meal that corresponded with the book’s setting in Israel. The evening was topped off with Bi-Rite Creamery ice cream and a divine caramelized fig sauce that Kay had whipped up. Oh, and me, in my lifeisrosyaftertwoandahalfglassesofwine happy state, suggesting the next book and therefore volunteering to host the next book club. Was I even a member? Apparently, yes.

I suggested The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr. It’s a book of exquisitely written short stories that make for a relatively quick read. Perfect for book club. I had read the book earlier on this summer and each story was still vividly etched in my memory. That almost never happens.

The Shell Collector

Selecting The Shell Collector set the wheels in motion for a mollusk-inspired dinner. Mussels in white wine? Maybe. Escargot in garlic butter? Probably not. Clam pasta? Perfect. The recipe calls for canned clams, which are admittedly a little scary in the can, but once they’re nestled in the butterywiltedoniongarlicparsleywine sauce, they morph into bite-sized sea gems. Trust me.

I served the pasta with a big salad – lettuce, sliced plums, quartered figs, goat cheese and toasted sliced almonds.

Salad, So Close You Can Almost Taste It

It was quite good, if I do say so myself. As was the conversation. And the wine. Next month’s book is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Perhaps there’s a potato peel pie recipe in little Happelsauce’s future?

Shell Collector Capellini

Serves 4 as a main course

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 smallish white onions, chopped
5 or 6 cloves of garlic, minced
4 oz. canned anchovies, chopped coarse
6 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons dried rosemary (or a little more fresh if you’ve got it)
2 10 oz. cans chopped baby clams and their juice
1 pound fresh baby clams, scrubbed
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried basil or a handful of fresh, torn
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dash of red pepper flakes
A couple of dashes of vermouth or white wine (so the sauce is not too thick – the pasta will absorb a lot)
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
Enough capellini for 4

In a large skillet heat 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil and sauté the onion until wilted.
Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or so–don’t brown.
Add the anchovies with their oil and stir until they ‘melt’ into the sauce.
Add the butter, another 1-2 T. oil, and the rosemary.
Open the canned clams and drain their juice into the skillet. Bring the sauce to a low boil and season with pepper to taste. Simmer 5 minutes.
Add the canned clams and the fresh clams and continue to simmer for another 2 minutes.
Stir in the oregano, basil, and parsley.
Thin with a little vermouth or white wine and add lemon juice to taste. If the sauce is too thin, cook it down a bit. If too thick, add more vermouth and simmer a bit.
Toss sauce with hot cooked pasta, parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Serve with lemon wedges, more parmesan and a big salad.

Clam Capellini

September 8, 2009

September 5th

Posted by annie happel under Happelsauce
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Time is flying. Flying! Somehow it’s been over a week since I last posted anything on my little Happelsauce. I think I’ve been in a semi-paralyzed state as of late, with a big birthday looming. Saturday, September 5th. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I contemplated spending the long weekend in New York or Seattle. For a few hours, I convinced myself that I should splurge on a workshop at Esalen because it would be the perfect way to ease into a new decade of life. I was a little fearful to face the long weekend in the Bay, with my best friends and family far away. My life here is so very new and the last thing I wanted to feel was lonely. But ultimately, I decided to stay put and make the most of it. And I’m so happy I did.

I emailed friends and invited them to join me on a birthday hike to the Tourist Club in Marin. It’s a big Swiss Alps inspired house that’s nestled in the woods, owned by Nature Friends, a non-profit confederation founded in Austria in 1895 that is now composed of over 500,000 hikers, climbers, skiers and others who love the outdoors. Non-members can enjoy the club on most weekend days. Oh, and did I mention that the Tourist Club serves beer? And pickles? Danke to the genius who installed the beer tap.

Watermelon and beer at the Tourist Club

I had asked friends to bring picnic goodies and their friends. The more the merrier. There turned out to be almost 20 of us perched on a shady deck, nibbling on farmers market fruit, heirloom tomato and basil salad, roasted garlic bread, olives, goat cheese and spicy nuts.

Picnic

Whit surprised me with an assortment of heavenly cupcakes from Kara’s – chocolate with coconut cream cheese frosting was my favorite, with carrot cake a close runner-up.

Cupcakes and Trivial Pursuit

Yum!

We ate and drank and talked all afternoon. Then, just as the fog rolled in and blanketed the valley below, we headed back down.

Friends on the trail

Twisty road and Marin fog

Feeling the effects of my ripe old age, I was showered and ready for bed by 8pm. I had opened the most thoughtful presents and cards from family and friends and was sitting on my bed when my roommates burst in with a cake, singing “Happy Birthday!” I blew out the candle with tears streaming down my face. I felt so lucky and so loved. As it turned out, Ellie had ordered me a red velvet cake from a bakery in Berkeley and enlisted Dan to pick it up and surprise me with it. I cut a huge slice, ate the entire thing and promptly went to sleep. Somehow I had managed to turn 30 years old. And honestly, I had never felt better.

Scrumptious Red Velvet from Ellie

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