Thoughts at the End of my I-search

The closer I get to finishing my i-search, the more I realize that cooking kicks ass! Yes, doing this project was hard at times (especially when I had to look up chefs, their histories, and the awards they’ve won) but I’ve learned so much. Before this project, I thought the only way to get recipes was going through one of my mom’s ancient cookbooks. There are not just cookbooks! There are blogs, magazines, and TV shows! People even print recipes back of boxes!

I know I want to have a career that involves cooking when I grow up. The recipes that are created, the history of the food, and even the cooking itself is all so interesting and fun to me. I thought I was going to write a cookbook as part of my career, but now my options seem endless! I could have a cooking show; I could work at a food magazine; or I could even just keep on blogging about food (the love of my life) until I turn 80!

Food is so important. And I don’t think people realize how important it really is. I’m not talking about just bread or meat or the plain food we need to survive. During this project I got to really think about where food comes from and what it takes to be able to work with food (to be a chef) and for the first time, I got to find out the answers to all my questions. Food is not just something we need to survive. Food can be turned into a popular gift or even a work of art.

Food has even been known to define hierarchy! I’m not talking about who’s in charge of whom in the kitchen. In the past, only the wealthy could afford good food. You wouldn’t see a rich family eating the same food that a poor family would. A poor man might eat plain bread while a rich man might be eating roast pig or whatever they ate back then. Food is amazing! Everyone eats it and everyone needs to appreciate it more. This project gave me an opportunity to appreciate food and to be creative in writing my own blog. Bon Appetit!

Dessert Puff Pastries

The back left is filled with blueberries; the back right is filled with cherries.
The front left is filled with chocolate chips; the front right is filled with strawberries and brie cheese.

Puff pastry, 1 package (14 ounces)
Melted butter, about 1 tablespoon for each pastry
Granulated sugar, about 1 teaspoon for each pastry unless the fruit is really sour
Your choice of filling: fresh blueberries, fresh pitted cherries, fresh strawberries, chocolate chips, brie cheese
Powdered sugar, for garnish
1. Thaw the puff pastry for two hours or more in the refrigerator.
2. Wash the fruit you want to use for the filling and dry it well.
3. Cut the pastry into four pieces.
4. Roll out one piece really thin. Cut it in half.
5. Put your choice of filling in the middle of one of the puff pastry halves. If you are using fresh fruit, sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Brush melted butter on the edges of the pastry and fold the long sides so that they meet in the middle. Fold the short sides up toward the center (they won’t meet in the middle).
6. Cut the other half of the puff pastry into strips the long way, about an inch wide, and wrap around the finished packet. Places the wrapped packet on a rimmed baking sheet.
7. Do the same thing (Steps 4 through 6) with the three remaining pieces of puff pastry.
8. Bake at 400F for 17 minutes or until nicely browned.
9. Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar

Makes 4 dessert puff pastries
Of my own devising

Salmon in Puff Pastry

I made this recipe a couple of days ago. I served it with asparagus and a salad.















1 sheet frozen puff pastry (one 14-ounce package), thawed
4 6-ounce (4 x 2  x 1/2-inch) skinless salmon fillets
1 lemon, cut in half
salt and pepper
sprigs of fresh thyme

1. Butter large baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Unfold the sheet of puff pasty. Cut into four pieces. Roll out each piece into a 12-inch square.

3. Set one salmon piece on the diagonal in one corner of the pastry. Squeeze some lemon juice on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with the thyme sprigs. Roll the salmon up in the pastry on the diagonal, tucking in the edges just before you stop rolling. Continue with remaining 3 pieces of salmon.

4. Arrange salmon packages, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and thermometer inserted into fish registers 145°F, about 30 minutes.

4 servings
Of my own devising

Cowtown Chocolate Cake

Whenever we have family or friends coming over for dinner, I fix this cake, especially if it is someone's birthday.
This version has raspberry icing on top of the chocolate icing. I prefer the chocolate by itself.









1½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered (not ground) instant coffee or espresso
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
1¼ cups buttermilk

1. Adjust a rack to the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round layer-cake pans, line them with rounds of parchment or wax paper cut to fit, then butter the paper, and dust the pans all over with flour. Invert the pans over paper and tap lightly to shake out excess. Set the pans aside.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and the powdered coffee. Set aside.
3. Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over warm water at moderate heat. Cook until the chocolate is almost completely melted and smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside. Cool.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Beat in the vanilla and the brown sugar.
5. Remove and reserve 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Beat the remaining sugar into the butter mixture. Add the yolks and beat well. Add the cooled chocolate and beat until smooth.
6. On low speed, add the sifted ingredients in three additions alternately with the buttermilk in two additions, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula and beating only until smooth after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside.
7. In the small bowl of the electric mixer, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they hold a soft shape. Reduce the speed to moderate and gradually add the reserved 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Increase the speed again and continue to beat only until the whites hold a point when the beaters are raised. They should not be stiff or dry.
8. The chocolate mixture will be thick; add about one-quarter of the whites and fold the two together, or stir a bit to incorporate if necessary. Then add the remaining beaten whites and fold until completely incorporated.
9. Place half of the batter in each of the cake pans and smooth the tops.
10. Bake for about 35minutes, until the tops of the cakes barely spring back when pressed gently with a fingertip and the cakes just begin to come away from the sides of the pans.
11. Remove from the oven and cut gently around the sides of the cakes with a small, sharp knife to release. Let stand for 5 minutes.
12. Cover each cake with a rack, turn the cake pan and the rack over, remove the cake pan and paper lining, cover with another rack, and turn over again, leaving the cakes right side up to cool.
13. When cool, place one layer on the plate upside down.

Icing
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup granulated sugar
4 ½-ounce unsweetened chocolate
pinch of salt
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into slices
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Stir the cream and sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until it is melted; then add the salt, butter, and vanilla, and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
3. Place the pan in a large bowl of ice water and scrape the bottom continuously for a few minutes with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is cool and slightly thickened.
4. Transfer the mixture to the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat a high speed for a few minutes until the color becomes slightly lighter and the icing is thick enough to hold its shape.
5. Spread a layer of the icing about ¼-inch thick over the layer on the plate. Place the other layer on it, right side up (bottoms together). Spread the remaining icing thinly on the sides of the cake, and more thickly on the top. Smooth the sides and the top with a knife.

12 portions
Adapted from Maida Heatter’s Cakes

Megan and Jill Carle: My Heroes

All my favorite cookbooks are by Megan and Jill. They are College Vegetarian Cooking (2009), College Cooking (2007), Teens Cook Dessert (2006), Teens Cook (2004). Teens Cook was one of the first cookbooks I ever owned. Some of my favorite recipes are from that cookbook and include Potato Chip-Crusted White Fish with Potato Wedges and Seven Layer Bars. Megan and Jill have really good recipes which are also really easy to make which means that I don’t get confused in the middle of the recipe. The recipes are for dishes that I actually like to make and eat. Also I have most of the ingredients in the back of my cupboards and in my refrigerator. Jill and Megan are closer to me in age so it makes it more fun to cook their dishes. They like the same things that I like.
My mom started paying me $10 to cook dinner once a week. Without these cookbooks I would have no idea what to cook for dinner and I would lose out on a lot of money. Two of my favorite dinners are Macaroni and Cheese, broccoli, salad, and probably ice cream. Or Sloppy Joes in buns, potato chips and green beans or asparagus depending on the season. I make desserts about once a week. My favorite is Vampire Cupcakes because you can put different fillings inside of them, like whipped cream or strawberry sauce.

Pasta with Broccoli and Caramelized Onions

2 onions
2 tablespoons oil
1 bunch broccoli
1 pound uncooked small salad macaroni or other small pasta
¼ cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or more to taste
salt and pepper

1. Peel the onions and slice them into thin rounds. Place the oil and onions in a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. While the onions are cooking, cut the florets from the broccoli and discard the stems.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until al dente. Al dente basically means not mushy. After the pasta has been cooking for 6 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta water for the remainder of the cooking time. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
4. Add the drained pasta and broccoli, almonds and balsamic vinegar to the pan of onions and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. You can add more vinegar if you want.

Serves 4
Adapted from Megan Carle and Jill Carle’s College Vegetarian Cooking

Cooking with my Friends

When my friends and I hang out, we get hungry a lot. Most of my friends are really good cooks so when we get together we really like to cook. We can always try new things and create good memories.
On last Monday, Julia and I were really hungry and we didn’t want to eat the food that her mom had offered us so we decided that we would make a plain vanilla cake. It wasn’t until after we made the batter that we realized that she didn’t have any cake pans because her neighbor had borrowed them. Oops. We turned the batter into muffins and baked them. The muffins were more like cupcakes so we beat cream cheese, sugar, and whipping cream together to make frosting. They were so so good.