Don't Forget Delicious!

My OpenSky Shop is now open!

2010-08-10T13:21:47Z

I’m excited to announce that I am a part of a new(ish) offering called OpenSky, which help bloggers like me to recommend products that we really love. OpenSky integrates directly with my site, so I can tell you about products I’ve actually tried and if you’re interested, you can purchase them without ever leaving Don’t Forget Delicious!

As mentioned in my disclosure on the About page, I do participate in some affiliate programs and such to help defray the costs of running a website, and this program is another way to do that – a way that I think will be great for you and for me. But I want to reiterate that I will NEVER endorse a product I don’t believe in, or give a product a good review just because it was sent to me. If I recommend a product on this site, you can rest assured that it’s because I believe every word I am saying. I will only recommend products here that I would personally recommend to my family and close friends.

With all of that out of the way, let’s get down to the fun stuff! I’m a picky buyer, I’ll tell you. So you won’t be seeing a flood of items on my site. But I do enjoy finding interesting new gadgets and goodies to make the kitchen even more fun. This set of bowls falls into that category.

CaliBowls

Fun you say? Bowls? Really?

Yes, really. Well, at least to a kitchen geek like myself (your mileage may vary). This bowl set is made of polypropylene and is amazingly lightweight, yet sturdy and solid. It has a lip that keeps things like batter from slopping out while you are stirring. I found them a joy to use, and they came through the dishwasher looking brand new. I am confident that I will enjoy using these for years to come.

Here are the official details:

Patent pending lip around the top of the bowl is designed at an angle which pushes food onto your utensil avoiding any spillage and overflows.
Multi-size bowls accommodate a variety of kitchen tasks.
Set of 4 bowls- 1 cup bowl, 1.5 cup bowl, 3 cup bowl, and 5 cup bowl
Nest neatly inside one another for easy storage.
Made of Polypropylene, a plastic polymer that is exceptionally durable.
Manufactured using partial recycled material
Microwave Safe & Dishwasher Safe
BPA Free
Price: $30

If you’re interested in these bowls, just click on this button to add it to your cart, then continue browsing the site. You can get back to your cart at any time by clicking the “Shopping Cart” link on the right hand side of this site (just below the Founders Club button). AND to celebrate the opening of my OpenSky shop, I am able to offer you a 25% coupon until August 16. Just enter EXCITE25 during checkout to save.

Thanks for hanging with me and here’s to more fun to come!

Words that feel good in your mouth

2010-06-18T16:01:13Z

It’s been very hot here lately.

VERY hot.

And my air conditioner really doesn’t work well, so my house is extra-hot.

Let’s just say that cooking has been minimal of late.

So for today, all I’ve got to offer you is whimsy.

I was just sitting here at my desk at work today and all of a sudden the word “mirin” popped into my head. Isn’t that a fun word? Mirin. I love it. It just feels good in my mouth.

This is the kind of thing that makes my boyfriend shake his head and smile as he tells me how weird I am. Another example: the time I made a comparison between Doberman Pinschers and green grapes.

What can I say? My mind works in circuitous, convoluted ways. Apparently it’s different than the way other people’s brains work.

Back to the words.

Thinking about how nice mirin feels in my mouth, got me thinking of other fun culinary words. Here’s my list of culinary words that are fun to say:

Mirin
Osso bucco
Spatchcock
Semifreddo
Absinthe
Acidopholous
Baba ghanoush
Dacquoise
Ganache
Umami
Jagermeister
Langostino
Paillard
Quinoa

What words do you love to say?

Monthly Munchies: Almond Tea Cakes

2010-06-13T19:35:16Z

WHAT IS MONTHLY MUNCHIES? Each month, I take cookies or other goodies to my office staff meeting. They all get to enjoy some homemade treats and I get to use them as my guinea pigs to try out new recipes. I’ve been doing this for over 4 years now.

Also see this month’s second Monthly Munchies recipe – Buttermilk Babycakes.

This is another take on the Swedish Visiting Cake from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking, From My Home to Yours. It really is a perfect recipe – quick, easy, delicious and very customizable.

This time, I did the recipe straight out of the book (well, adapted just a little), but baked them as mini-cupcakes. Topped with a couple of slivered almonds and sprinkled with raw sugar, they became fancy little almond tea cakes.

If you haven’t tried this recipe yet – please do. It’s the kind of recipe that should be in every go-to file!

Almond Tea Cakes

Slightly adapted from Baking, from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Makes 28 tea cakes

Ingredients

Baking spray
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Sliced almonds and raw sugar for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with the rack in the center of the oven. Spray mini-cupcake pan with baking spray.

Measure the sugar into a medium bowl, add the zest and rub them together with your fingers, until sugar is moist and aromatic and the zest is well-distributed.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the salt and extracts. Whisk until well blended.

Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.

Add the melted butter and mix with spatula, just until well-incorporated. Batter should look homogenous and shiny. Using a spoon or disher, fill mini-cupcake cups about 2/3 full. Top each with a couple of sliced almonds and sprinkle raw sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Begin checking at 10 minutes to avoid overbaking. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cakes cool before popping out of the pan.

Monthly Munchies: Buttermilk Babycakes

2010-06-13T19:12:28Z

These babycakes are a bit like a little girl who’s grown up and is getting ready for her first prom – sweet, simple and soft, but all dressed up and looking glamorous!

When I ran across this recipe a couple of months ago, it really stuck in my mind. It is such a simple recipe, but for some reason, it just really appealed to me. I could almost taste the cookies and couldn’t wait for an opportunity to try them.

So when it was time again for Monthly Munchies, it was a natural choice. I wanted to dress things up this month a little, though, so instead of doing these as cookies, I did them as bars and used a cutter to make pretty shapes. The texture is much more cakey than cookie-like, so it worked out perfectly.

This was done in a 9×13 pan, and they rose a little taller than I expected. Next time I would use a larger pan to get a little bit smaller babycakes. So choose your pan depending on how big you’d like them to be.

This recipe didn’t disappoint. They are delicious and soft, with that trademark buttermilk flavor. Cutting them into pretty shapes before drizzling allows the glaze to drip appetizingly down the sides. Everyone commented on it, so do take the extra few minutes to give them that special touch.

Buttermilk Babycakes

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients

For Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For glaze

2 cups confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line a 9×13″ or larger pan with parchment or foil and spray lightly with baking spray. Set aside.

Measure flour, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Add zest to sugar in mixer bowl and rub together with fingers until sugar is moist and fragrant. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla.

Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk alternately at low speed, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beat until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread with a rubber spatula. Batter will be thick, so you will need a little patience and a gentle touch to get it spread evenly and without displacing your parchment (if using).

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick tester comes out clean (moist crumbs okay).

Place on rack and prepare glaze while cake cools.

Whisk glaze ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

Remove cake from pan. It’s okay if it is still a little warm as long as you can handle it comfortably. Using cookie or biscuit cutters, cut into shapes, placing cutter carefully to avoid waste. Move babycakes onto a piece of parchment, foil or wax paper because you WILL have some mess from drizzling the glaze.

Use a spoon to drizzle about a tablespoon or a little less onto the top of each babycake, encouraging glaze to drip down the sides. If desired, top with a berry or other decoration. Allow to sit until glaze has dried.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Favorite Kitchen Tools – Chef’s Knife

2010-06-11T01:23:03Z

The chef’s knife is probably the single most important tool in the kitchen. It’s what we use every day for chopping and slicing and preparing to cook. A good one can make your kitchen experience a dream and a bad one can create a nightmare!

For the longest time, I used a cheapy Wal-Mart chef’s knife. It got the job done, right? It was just good enough that my frugal self just couldn’t see spending hundreds of dollars on an expensive one.

Then, a few years ago, I saw this Wusthof Emerilware chef’s knife set on deep discount on a website that was going out of business. It was such a good deal that I went ahead and bought it (looks like Amazon’s got it at a pretty good price right now, too).

I had no idea how much easier it would be with a good, sharp knife. Right after I cut my thumb with the first stroke, of course! I was so used to bludgeoning my food with my old, cheap, dull knife that I used waaayy too much pressure when I switched to this Wusthof and cut myself as a result. Once I eased up, it was all good. Wow! What a difference! It has completely changed my experience.

If you are using a cheapy chef’s knife, do yourself a big favor and spend a few bucks to get a better one. You will be amazed at how much better it works for you. Truly.

Foodbuzz is featuring a Wusthof Emerilware chef’s knife on their Daily Special today. You can get it at Chef’s Catalog for only $14.95.

I’m not saying this is top of the line, but if you’re still using a supermarket knife, it could be a big step up for you, just like it was for me. For that price, it’s worth a try.

As much as I appreciate the improvement my Emerilware knife made, now I’m wondering if some of those even more pricey knives are really worth the money. Some of them are fabulously beautiful, too. Have you seen these New West Knives? Wow. Someone get me a drool-cup.

So tell me – what kind of knife do you use? How much did you pay? Was it worth it? What should my next knife-upgrade be?

Next time, I’ll remember to go light until I get used to it. I’m trying to maintain my “never been to the emergency room” status.