Browned butter banana strawberry muffins

I'm not going to lie, getting through that cleanse was tough. I honestly didn't think I could go without sweets, yogurt or cheese for ten whole days.

I really shouldn't have tortured myself while on the cleanse but I accidentally did so in two ways.
1) I spent way too much money buying cheese at Trader Joe's the day before I started the cleanse--I actually had to put my cheese library in a tupperwear at the back of the fridge just so I wouldn't be tempted.
2) I discovered a list of the best food blogs and subsequently went a little nuts while browsing them in between customers in the tasting room last week.

Numerous new food blogs combined with deprivation does strange things to the brain. I found myself dreaming of a life where all I do is make/drink/critique wine and write a food blog. I began wondering if I would love being a doctor as much as I love food, learning about wine, drinking wine, reading about food, writing about food, taking pictures of food and dreaming up recipes.


My top five favorite blogs:
101 Cookbooks
Joy the Baker
Smitten Kitchen
What Katie Ate
Cannelle et Vanille

I snapped out of my obsession with becoming a professional foodie/wino the moment I ate these muffins. I am super excited to start medical school and spend the next four+ years of my life studying my butt off.

I followed this recipe and used half a cup of buttermilk instead of yogurt to make muffins... I baked my muffins for 22 minutes at 350 F. The oven at my new house is a bit temperamental so I would check them after 15 minutes and go from there.

6 ounces unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cup mashed banana (from about 3 medium bananas)

1/2 cup diced strawberries plus 1 strawberry very thinly sliced, for topping

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl. Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, and yogurt or buttermilk. Whisk in the mashed bananas. When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.

Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients. Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour. Fold in the diced strawberries. Fold together ingredients, but try not to over stir.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and top with thinly sliced strawberries.

(Adapted from Joy the Baker)



I've mentioned this before but I freaking love breakfast!

Sometimes your body needs a break

I spent the first ten days of June on a cleanse. Before you jump to any conclusions- I did not drink only lemon juice, honey and cayenne. I did not consume crazy clay drinks and only eat fruits and vegetables. I also did not waste away and turn into a pile of bones.

Instead, I spent 10 days reminding my body that I am in control of what I eat... I laid off the caffeine, fried foods, gluten, processed sugar and dairy; ate lots fruits and vegetables; drank 8+ glasses of water each day; used very little oil in my cooking; made a lot of lentils, quinoa and lean protein; fell in love with avocados (treat of the day!); and spent time with my friends without drinking.

I wasn't perfect. I broke the cleanse twice after careful consideration- once to enjoy a glass of rose while watching an incredible sunset on a porch, and again to have a drink prepared by Jim German. I still exercised control but couldn't justify missing out on the Walla Walla/Waitsburg experience because I was on a "cleanse".

I was very surprised how people reacted to my "cleanse". I expected criticism for not drinking at gatherings and a lack of understanding while attempting to cook for other people. I was pleasantly surprised by the understanding, support and encouragement I received.

I walked away being able to function in the morning without caffeine, snacking more responsibly and exercising more will power when it comes to sweet things. Something about doing this cleanse made me more aware of all the little things I put into my body on a daily basis...

Also, did I mention I feel great?!

Click here for the cleanse I did. Highly recommended!

Cheesecake bakeoff

A few weeks ago I wrote about a goat cheese cheesecake. Shortly after the creation of that masterpiece, I was sitting with a few friends enjoying the last of that cheesecake when the idea of a cheesecake bake off came up.

I was browsing through an Indian grocery store a few weeks before I left Seattle and stumbled across a very large can of mango pulp--the prime ingredient in a mango lassi (delicious Indian mango yogurt drink spiced with cardamom). I grabbed one thinking it would come in handy at some point this summer.

The idea of a chai flavored cheesecake is something that has also intrigued me for some time--something about cardamom, saffron and ginger flavors in a cheesecake make my mouth water.

When it came to my entry for the cheesecake bake off I pulled that giant can of mango pulp out of the cupboard and went to work. The result-a mango flavored cheesecake with hints of cardamom and a crystallized ginger graham cracker crust.

Crust
1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of finely minced crystallized ginger
1/4 tsp of cinnamon and ground cardamom
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) melted butter

Mix ingredients together and bake at 325 F for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool while preparing the filling.


Filling

2 cups of mango pulp
3 8 oz packages of cream cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp of ground cardamom
4-5 saffron sprigs-ground up in with a mortar and pestle (optional)

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add spices and mango puree and beat until well blended. Pour filling over crust in pan.

Bake cake at 325 until set and puffed and golden around edges (center may move very slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and prop the door open for an hour before removing the cake. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Serve topped with fresh strawberries and shredded unsweetened coconut.

This mango cheesecake went up again the goat cheese cheesecake topped with a berries in a lime-mint dressing. They were both amazing!



The consistency of the goat cheese cheesecake if far superior so if you want a super creamy cheesecake I would try swapping out 1 package of cream cheese for 8 oz of goat cheese.

Palak Paneer & Baingan Bartha

After spending two months in India this last December and January, I came back with a desire to cook Indian food on a daily basis. A combination of laziness, lack of kitchen space, and a good reason to cook a labor intensive meal prevented me from following through with my desire. My friends here in Walla Walla have this monstrous kitchen with wooden counter tops that scream "Cook on me!". Needless to say, I finally took the time to put together the spice box I brought back from my trip and jumped into the kitchen.

If you desire to cook Indian food there are a few spices you should always keep on hand:

Cumin, corriander, mustard seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, curry leaves, saffron, gharam masala, chili powder and asofoetida.

If this is too complicated there are a variety of premixed spices available at Indian grocery stores that are premixed to compliment to the most popular Indian dishes. I usually use a combination of individual spices and mixes in everything I make. That way, if I mess anything up on an individual spice basis the medley of spices tends to mask it.

What I love most about the cuisine of Gujarat is the multitude of dishes present at any one meal. This concept called a thali consistently amazes me. While the meal we set out to create was more punjabi in style, this idea of making a meal comprised of many individual pieces of goodness is a helpful thing to keep in mind at all times while cooking.



India is the only country where I could not get enough of their cuisine. In fact I spent weeks after my trip in serious withdrawal from naan, masala dosas and spicy vegetable dishes. I never became bored of Indian food because of its complexity in terms of spices, vegetables, grains and techniques. When eating out in India you choose from restaurants dedicated regional specialties or venture outside the box for "Chinese" Indian food or Italian. In my book, Indian cooks are allowed to adapt whatever cuisine they like to their taste. I haven't experienced anything bad yet- even "masala" potato chips, "masala" omelets and "masala" pizza are all amazing.

I am a huge fan of Punjabi food (from the northern regions of the country where wheat and rice coexist in harmony) and when I set out to cook Indian food this past week I decided to go with my two favorite north-Indian dishes of all time. Palak Paneer and Baingan Bharta.

Palak Paneer (should be renamed- Palak Ricotta)
1.5 10 oz bags of frozen spinach thawed
4 oz of lowfat cream cheese
4 oz of ricotta cheese (lowfat is fine)
3 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of olive oil
Half a white onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped
1 jalepeno (less if you don't like spice)
3 cloves of garlic- finely chopped
2 tsp of garam masala (equal parts ground cumin and corriander suffice here)
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp chili powder
3 tbsp of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4-6

Indian cheese is a little hard to come by outside of Indian grocers and Whole Foods. I discovered that ricotta cheese browned in butter and spices does the trick. First melt 2 tbs of butter in a pan. Add 4 ounces of ricotta, 1 tsp of the garam masala, sprinkle of pepper and a pinch of salt to a sautee pan on medium heat. Cook until the cheese melts, turns slightly brown, and combines with the butter and spices. Set aside to cool and re-harden.

In a larger sautee pan, add olive oil and the rest of the butter. Add all the spices and stir for about 3-4 minutes on low/medium or until the spices start to sizzle and smell amazing. I learned that the trick to spicing food is all about this oil+spice process. By heating the spices in oil you release their flavors more efficiently than by adding it to whatever dish in the midst or end of cooking. Next, add the ginger and garlic. Stir until garlic browns. Add the onions and stir on medium head until they become translucent. Add the spinach, lemon juice and a liberal amount of salt. Stir until spinach and onion mixture simmers for 3-5 minutes. Add the cream cheese. Once cream cheese is melted use either a hand blender or put the mixture in the food processor and process until the mixture is creamy. Place back into sautee pan and add the ricotta. Simmer for 5 minutes and reduce to low heat until ready to serve.

If you want, you can replace the cream cheese with 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream for an even creamier less cheese-like tasting dish...

Baingan Bartha

When I was a kid I hated eggplant. The hatred was so strong my parents would not let me leave the table until I shoved down a few spoonfulls of the stuff. Somehow eggplant became my favorite vegetable and I have this dish, another Indian dish my father makes, and Eggplant Parmesan to thank for it.

3 eggplants -Roasted in tin foil for 45 minutes at 400 F. Use a spoon to separate fleshy part from skin. If it isn't perfect-don't fret.
2 tbs of butter
2 tbs of olive oil
1 stick of cinnamon
2 tbs of Baingan Bharta masala
1 tsp of chili powder
2 curry leaves broken up -take them out when you're done cooking!
2-3 fresh cloves.
1 bag of frozen peas (10 oz I believe)
1 can of finely chopped tomatoes
1.5 onions chopped into small pieces
2 jalepenos/other hot pepper (optional if you don't like spice)
1 tsp of ginger finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
cilantro for garnish

Serves 6-8 easily with leftovers. I would suggest halving the recipe.

Start by heating the oil and butter and adding all the spices except for the curry leaves. Simmer on low/med heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, jalepeno and ginger. Once the garlic begins to brown add the onions. Stir until onions are translucent.



Add the peas, tomato and eggplant. Stir consistently for at least five minutes or until the eggplant and all the other ingredients are simmer and developing a creamy texture. Keep on low heat until ready to serve. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Highlight Reel

Every week in Walla Walla seems to be better than the last. This one was particularly memorable.

1) Tasting 3 vintages of Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon from the Seven Hills Vineyard (2001, 2006, 2008) while eating Tagliatelle with Peas, Pecorino, Chili and Mint

My palate for wine is still developing and I am not about to review wine in detail for everyone to read about. I'll get there someday, but until then I'll be VERY brief. Feel free to debate me/school me about any this if you see me in person ;)

2001- Soft tannins, super smooth, less fruitiness due to the age.

2006- blackberries, pepper, herbal note, smoother than the 2008. Beautiful lingering sweet finish.

2008- dark fruits (currants and blackberries), dusty nose with hints of black pepper.

This was an interesting tasting because all of the wines were from the same vineyard. In other words, this was a great way to asses the characteristics of the wines from a single vineyard in the Walla Walla valley. I came away with a greater understanding of how varying conditions in the same place, year to year, result in wine with different tastes and characteristics. Though there was some oak used on all of these wines it isn't so overpowering that one couldn't taste around it... I think the peppery and herbal notes are perhaps an expression of these particular grapes at this site. Overall, it was great experiencing the difference in the fruitiness, color and tannin over the years...

2) Indian FEAST- palak paneer, homemade naan, baingan bhartha, aloo gobi with chicken, basmati rice on a bed of roasted potatoes, one giant blueberry muffin

I seem to have befriended some very talented chefs. This will make for many more culinary adventures this summer. I cannot wait! Stay tuned, recipes for the palak paneer and baingan bharta to come!




3) Dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in the entire world Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen

Carrot and Feta Salad
Roasted Quail- Rhubarb, golden raisin chutney
Flatbread with house cured pork jowl, caramelized onion, fresh local goat cheese & farm fresh egg
Chocolate ricotta cheesecake

Eating all of this amazingness while drinking a Spanish Rosado on the porch at sunset with one of my best friends in the entire world. Heavenly :)

4) Pig Roast + pulled pork sandwiches + homemade South Caroline style BBQ sauce + the best potato salad I've ever had + so much wine + cheesecake bake off (paired with some awesome rose)



Look how excited they are about the crispy pig butt...
My philosophy for the summer is eat everything placed in front of me. For the first time in my life, vegetarianism is on hold in order to live life to the fullest. So far so good :)

Guest Recipe: Goat's Milk Cheesecake

How do you impress the biggest foodie and wine lover you know?

One of my best friends set out to do this last week with this recipe and a bottle of Ensemble Cellars Blanc de Blanc dry sparkling chardonnay (she gets mad props for tracking down a bottle of this limited release sparkling wine).

Needless to say I think she succeeded. I also had to include this recipe in the blog because two of my favorite things in the whole world are goat cheese and cheesecake.



Original Recipe is from the Abbey Road Farm Bed and Breakfast

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of sour cream
1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
10 honey graham crackers
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temp
two 8 oz packages of cream cheese at room temp
8 oz of soft fresh goat's milk cheese (chevre)
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

1) In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla until the sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate

2) Preheat oven to 350 F. Adjust oven rack to center.

3) Place graham crackers in a food processor and process to measure 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Add 1/4 cup of remaining sugar and cinnamon to the bowl along with the crumbs and pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until well mixed and crumbly. (We didn't have a food processor so good ol' "crackers in plastic bag" crush with rolling pin method worked just fine here). Stirring in the butter by hand also worked out just fine.

4) Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing the cheesecake. Reduce oven temp to 300F.

5) Combine the cream cheese and goat cheese in an electric mixture bowl or mix together by hand/with a hand mixer if you don't have one. Beat in the remaining 2/3 cup of sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Finally add lemon juice and vanilla.

6) Pour the batter evenly over the crust in the springform pan and bake for 45 minutes or until the cheesecake is set in the middle. Turn off the oven, prop the door slightly open and let the cake cool for an hour. Spread the sour cream topping over the cake and cool in the fridge overnight.

Top with fresh berries.

Walla Walla. Let it begin.

Figuring out what you love and where you belong is a lifelong quest. On that note, making the decision to leave my amazing friends in Seattle, commit to my first year of medical school in Pullman, and move to Walla Walla for the summer was pretty ridiculous. Since making the decision to leave my amazing job at Eastside Dermatology to go to India this past December, I have become a huge fan of drastic change. I realize now that without big live moves we'd only inch toward what we truly want in life. Why not leap and deal with the consequences?

Enough with the philosophy--this blog is about two loves of my life--food and wine.
With 100+ wineries and an abundance of fresh produce--Walla Walla is truly my idea of heaven. A week into my Walla Walla summer, I know that my loyalty to this town extends beyond my four years at Whitman. The people here are friendly, the town has culture, life is easy, and the food is great.

With that I bring you my first true culinary adventure in way too long. Walla Walla is home to some pretty amazing Mexican food and the taco trucks are especially tasty. Though I have been slowly branching from my vegetarian diet, my instincts are to think of meals that don't involve meat.

Moroccan Tacos
Filling:
1 can of garbanzo beans- rinse well
1/2 sweet onion
2 tbs of olive oil
handful of raisins
1/2 tbsp of cumin and corriander (or one tablespoon of garam masala)
few pinches of chili powder (more if you want them spicy)
pinch of cinnamon
Juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onions with olive oil and spices. Add garbanzo beans. Mash with a fork. Add raisins. You'll know the filling is done when the bits at the bottom of the pan start to crisp. Add lime right before serving.

Serve on tortillas with grated carrots and/or cabbage and goddess dressing (or another tahini based dressing).



I'm going to work on my presentation and take better pictures in the future... the i-phone isn't the best/where are the grated carrots right?




Cucumber-Mint Quinoa Salad

1 cup of quinoa cooked and then cooled
1/2 a cucumber cut up
1/2 cup of feta
3 tbs of roasted pine nuts
6 leaves of chopped mint

Dressing:
2 tbs olive oil
3 mint leaves chopped finely
Juice of 1 lemon + little bit of zest
2 tbs of orange juice
1 tbs of white wine
1 tsp of rice wine vinegar
pinch of garlic -fresh or powder
pinch of cumin
Salt and pepper to taste