My best friend in the whole world, sarah, once said something that I thought was hilarious: “It’s hard for me to say I’m sorry.  So, I didn’t.”  Of course, I’ll never let her forget that.

I have the opposite problem of Sarah; I’m often over appologizing for everything.  I don’t even want to think about how many times I say sorry every day, for the silliest things!  So, I’m not apologizing, and I’m not making excuses for not writing on my blog.

I will say, though, that my quality of life has greatly improved over the past few weeks, and I’ve actually been able to sleep, and cook a little, and catch up with old friends, and work on the garden.  I’m still quite the busy bee, but I’m much happier now that my life is multifaceted again.

sleeping with coltrane

Hooray for relaxing!  Now, that’s something worth blogging about!

I’ll also give a big hooray to gardening.   The recent hail storms in Oklahoma took a big hit on our garden, but we have had some survivors.

I started off the morning pulling up some weeds, and then I trimmed some of the beet greens and lettuces and pulled up an icicle radish to make a simple salad.  I drizzled it with a simple vinaigrette of grapeseed oil, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and lavender, and then I added a bit of tarragon, also from the garden.

garden salad

So, it’s been a great morning so far.  I can’t wait to see what the rest of the day has in store!

The past week I’ve been trying to focus on cleaning up and clearing out.  There are still piles in my apartment that I haven’t touched since I moved in about 4 months ago.  There has been a pile of clothes lying at the foot ofmy bed, since I left them there after washing them last week (on my last day off).  Aside from the mess in my own apartment, we’ve also been doing some cleaning around work.  Alyssa was awesome and really got into cleaning the deep shelves beneath the chef’s table…

alyssa getting down and dirty to clean up the kitchen

I don’t think most people realize how much cleaning is such an important part of kitchen work; I know I was shocked when I first started working in a restaurant.  You have to constantly work to keep your station clean, and keeping communal areas like the walkin or dry goods storage areas clean is an ongoing process.  Sometimes I actually  feel like I spend more time cleaning than I do making food (that was especially the case at Spiral, where we rotated jobs and cleaned EVERYTHING ourselves.  I’m not complaining, though, that job was one of the best experiences I’ve had, and it taught me so much about the importance of cooperation in the kitchen).   But, in the end, it’s all those menial jobs (like washing produce and keeping the kitchen clean) that allow you to create food.  Like these tarts:

alyssa's butternut citrus tart

And both of these tarts were also, in a way, a product of our deep clean, since we were able to use ingredients that may have otherwise gone to waste.  Alyssa used the ends (the butts, as I call them) of the butternut squash since the kitchen just uses the necks to make the noodles.  The cardamom tart has a filling with dried apricots, since we still have some of those in stock from the fall menu, but we aren’t using them anywhere on the winter menu.  And, both tarts used brazil nuts, since we have a lot of those in stock, but we aren’t using them that often.

david & alyssa

All in all, a clean kitchen makes for a happy kitchen, and a clean home makes for a happy home.  So, now, I think it’s time I focus my attention on that pile of clothes and at least one of the piles.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I haven’t had time to blog lately because I’ve been so busy, still getting settled into my job as Pastry Chef at 105degrees (Matthew Kenney’s newest raw restaurant in Oklahoma City).  One of the coolest things about 105degrees is that it’s much more than a restaurant, there is also an academy where students have come from all over the states (even internationally) to learn how to prepare raw food in the first accredited raw food academy.

I’ve had the chance to get to know and work with so many passionate and talented people, and I’ve learned so much while I’ve been here (I can’t believe it’s only been a few months!).  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, but I figure, I’ll just start with the present, and eventually I’ll deal with the catching up.

So, here’s (one thing) that we’ve been working on lately:

Raw White & Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart

This tart is a special we’re currently featuring at 105degrees.  We had an abundance of raspberries, so in a collaboration with my assistant Kristen, and Alissa (you can check out her blog here) and Hillary, the two Level II students working on my station for the next two weeks, we came up with this tart to feature as a special.

The tart has a dark chocolate crust, a creamy white chocolate filling, and it’s topped with fresh raspberries covered in a sweet glaze, which, as Helen sweetly said, makes it look a bit like a jewel.  We wanted to make it nut-free (we love creating nut-free options for people who have trouble digesting nuts), so we used coconut meat to give the filling creaminess, and cacao butter to thicken it and give it a delicious white chocolate flavor.  After assembling all the crusts and allowing the fillings to harden in the freezer for a little while (hardening the filling makes it easier to top with the berries so that the filling isn’t oozing out everywhere), we topped the tarts with fresh raspberries and finished them off by painting on a glaze made from agave and reduced pear juice.  I’m really proud of Kristen, Alissa and Hillary for their help in coming up with and making these beautiful and delicious treats.

If you’re near Oklahoma City, you should stop by and try one….

well, i had such great plans to make my blog look a little nicer.  and to update it, for that matter.  but the past few months have been quite busy, with a sudden move to oklahoma city, a roadtrip, and a BUNCH of work, all of which will be explained in the next few paragraphs.

at the very end of august i left fort worth (and my boyfriend, my job, my friends, my house…) and moved to oklahoma city where i  started as the pastry chef for 105degrees, matthew kenney’s newest restaurant.  i originally found out about it in july when reading another blog that mentioned the academy, which is part also of the project.  i had NO idea how much work goes into opening a restaurant.  i mean, of course i knew it would be a lot of work, but really, i was still surprised.  but, things have calmed down a bit now that we’re into the groove of things and i’m having a lot of fun trying new things and working with such great food every day.

this is one of the plates at the restaurant; it’s the passion fruit parfait, layered with a passion fruit creme and pineapple ice cream, and topped with a gingery granola.  despite the poor picture, it’s really lovely, and delicious, too.

and here’s a picture of the smallest corner of my new apartment (from the one day in the past week when it was actually sunny).  this is the only corner that is unpacked, but hopefully that will change in the next couple of weeks.

sorry it’s so short, but i’ll write again soon with more info and more about my favorite thing to think and talk about: food!

xoxo kelly

raw granola with macadamia milk

Several weeks ago I made the decision to be “RAW” for the month of March. Before I go any further, I must confess that lasted only about 12 days before I caved (for millet porridge, of all things). Unfortunately, I found myself eating so many nuts and avocados, and my stomach just wasn’t having it (besides, when you’re craving quinoa and beans it’s really hard not to justify eating it). But I have no regrets, and I learned a few things: aside from gaining a deepened level of respect for raw foodists, I also tried a few raw recipes that are so delicious that I will definitely continue to incorporate into my diet. I recommend Cafe Gratitude’s cookbook. I’ve looked at several RAW (un)cookbooks, but out of all of them, Cafe Gratitude’s seems to provide a good amount of practical recipes (read: don’t require tons of equipment or take 5 days of prep work) and still taste falvorful. The Tom Kha soup, for example, was fantastic. But, of course, it doesn’t take a recipe book to enjoy the naturally good flavors of a fresh grapefruit or a mango with chile. And you don’t need a recipe to make a delicious salad or fresh nut milk. In fact, the nut milks I made were so much better tasting than purchased nut milks (that often still have unrecognizable ingredients) that I think I’m going to blending my own from now on. I like knowing exactly what I’m putting into my body, so milk made only from macadamia milk is as comforting to my mind as it is delicious and nourishing. So, while I’m not going to start eating RAW all the time, I think those 12 days refocused me on the great flavors of really fresh food and the importance of nutritious food, two things I hope to always remember.

Oh, yeah, and that picture…
During those 12 days I was lucky enough to have access to my friend’s dehydrator, which, on a break from pumping out “buckwheaties” and sweet potato chips, managed to crisp up some soaked nuts, seeds and grains to make a delicious raw granola.

raw goodness

Unfortunately there’s no recipe as I didn’t follow one or measure anything. But if you want to make some raw granola, it’s as simple as soaking whatever seeds, nuts and grains you choose (I used buckwheat, oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and walnuts) adding flavors to your liking (I used cinnamon and added chopped apples and dates and a bit of raw agave), mixing it all up, and dehydrating it 24 hours or so, until crispy. Break it into chunks and serve it with homemade raw milk and fresh fruit for a delcious and satisfying breakfast.

tears were shed, but we’re okay

vegan chocolate almond poblano cupcakes

Poblano peppers naturally have a rich, earthy, and somewhat sweet flavor that is really brought out when they are roasted; I’ve heard some describe the flavor with hints of cherry, licorice, and tobacco. To roast the peppers, you can use the flame of your gas oven (if you’re lucky enough to have one), or, if you’re like me, you can use the broiler inside your electric oven. Roast each side of the peppers for several minutes until they are charred. Cover them with a lid (or put them in a plastic bag and seal) for a couple of minutes immediately after roasting to allow for easy removal of the skin.

roasted poblano peppers (with skins)

After roasting the peppers, I tasted one and decided that they would go perfectly with the flavors of chocolate and almond. I based my recipe off the VCTOTW chocolate cupcakes recipe, which can be found here. However, I added two roasted (and peeled) poblano peppers to the soy milk in my blender before combining it with the other ingredients. The cupcakes were amazing, the poblano taste was a little subtle and perfect with the almond, and there was just a bit of heat. (Whenever it becomes this cold outside, I welcome a bit of heat in everything!) For the frosting, I used 1 roasted (peeled, this time seeded) poblano pepper along with the other ingredients. I used a different icing recipe than the last time I made these; I wanted something fudgier (is that a word?), something rich. The final result was delicious–so good, that I think I may make adding poblano peppers to my chocolate a regular thing. I hope you enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Almond Poblano Cupcakes:
makes 12 cupcakes
2 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled (reserve seeds)
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
3/4 cups evaporated cane juice (granulated vegan sugar)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Vegan Chocolate Poblano Fudgy Frosting:
enough frosting for 12 cupcakes
1 roasted, peeled, seeded poblano pepper
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice (granulated vegan sugar)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup nondairy milk
3 tablespoon refined coconut oil (refined will not give a coconut flavor)
pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup of vegan powdered sugar*

In a blender, combine soymilk and poblano and blend until smooth. If you would like to make two colors of icing, as I did with the green and cocoa, work in two (half-sized) batches, first making the icing without the cocoa, then making the icing with only 1/8 cup cocoa.

Mix granulated sugar, cocoa, nondairy milk (with blended poblano), coconut oil, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from hear and allow to cool completely.

After mixture is cool, stir in almond extract. Beat in the powdered vegan sugar a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.

* Vegan powdered sugar can be quite expensive, so I make my own. Grind one cup of evaporated cane juice in a coffee grinder and add 2 tablespoons tapioca flour (or arrowroot starch or cornstarch). Easy, and much more economical.

Voting will begin no later than Monday, December 29 at 8 p.m. at NO ONE PUTS CUPCAKE IN A CORNER, and will be open through Friday, January 2 at 12 noon.

Iron Cupcake Earth is a monthly challenge where bakers all over the world compete, creating cupcakes using the same special ingredient. It wouldn’t be possible without a lot of people who donate items for prizes and the sponsors for the event. So, special thanks to:

BETTY TURBO, who is offering this original piece of art http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5002976

LOTS OF SPRINKLES, who made these cupcake earrings http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281

CAKESPY, who will be doing a piece each month for the winner
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382

As an added bonus for December there is a limited edition cupcake pincushions by Moda Home, complements of SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.

Also, thank you to the corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; the CUPCAKE COURIER http://www.cupcakecourier.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com.

December is, no doubt, a busy month for everyone. As the holidays approach, it seems like everyone is

On top of all that, I’ve been busy with finishing the semester (taking finals, writing papers), graduating, moving out of my apartment in Abilene, and moving into my sister’s place in Ft. Worth. Oh yeah, and I decided to do another craft fair.

Bake My Craft:
What started my freshman year (5 years ago) as “Rock Paper Scissors” (a small group of people seated around tables in the “bean sprout” [the "chili's-style grill" at ACU], trying to sell their homemade goods and art), has grown (at least a little) to become an annual event on ACU’s campus. Not that it’s that big of a deal; I’m sure most people at ACU could care less. But, it was definitely fun and I’ve enjoyed watching it grow (and the quality of the art/crafts improve) over the years. This year was especially exciting with a live performance by Peter and the Wolf (thanks to dustin of silence productions for setting that up) and tons of Christmas baked-goods, which my mom helped me bake. (Thanks, mom!)

some flyers i made for this year’s event

some of my favorite vendors

my table was still a mess when haruka took this photo

and, of course, christmas yummies

bake my craft: holiday sugar cookies

Holiday Sugar Cookies:

For the Holiday Sugar Cookies, I used this recipe from baking sheet, except I used soymilk + vinegar instead of buttermilk, earth balance instead of butter, and extra baking powder instead of the egg. As Nic warns in his directions, the dough is really soft and sticky, and mine had to be constantly kept in the freezer in order to be workable. Perhaps this was worsened by the substitution of earth balance for butter? Anyway, the extra work and time was worth it because the cookies were soft and delicious. I also used the icing recipe (although without food coloring) and then sprinkled the tops with turbinado.

Moving/Chaos/Peace:
Moving is always chaotic in my family. I tend to hold onto things, unable to part with them because of vague “memories” or fears that I’ll need them…someday. This results in my having too much stuff. Moving, while it can be stressful, gives me the opportunity to look at things I have and think about how often I use them, and if I really need them. It’s a good time to clear out some stuff and clean up my life.

But this move has been even better because I am moving in with my sister in Ft. Worth. I always thought I would move far away from Texas as soon as I finished school, but I am actually really excited about this move. Ft. Worth seems like a really nice place–already I feel a kind of neighborhood vibe, but there are still so many wonderful things that I’ve always associated with big cities. Plus, I’m excited about living with my sister, being able to paint my room whatever color I chose (a first for me!), and having a beautiful kitchen and a little room outside to make a garden.

I’ve only been in Ft. Worth a few days, and while I was excited about going new places and finding my way around, I spent a little time in the kitchen, too.

good morning muesli

Good Morning Museli:
I didn’t really measure anything (I know I should start doing that more often…), but muesli is the type of food that you can just use whatever you want, or whatever you have, so recipes aren’t really necessary. I combined rolled oats, raw almonds, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, dried cherries, golden raisins, dehydrated coconut, and oat bran. I soaked everything overnight in soymilk, and then served it with pomegranate seeds. The perfect way to say Good Morning! And the perfect send-off meal for my drive to Houston.

cranberry cupcakes petits fours glacés

For my first round of Iron Cupcake, I felt inspired to try something a little different. It seemed like a good idea, but it turned out to be an Iron Cupcake failure. I think, however, with a different recipe and quite a bit more practice, it could be a really good thing.

I based my cupcake recipe off of Shmooed Food’s Fluffy White Cupcakes.

I changed a bit of the ingredients and the amount, and I only came up with 18 cupcakes (instead of the original recipe’s 22). Here is what I did:

Light Almond Cupcakes:
scant 1 cup vanilla almond milk
6 oz plain soy yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line or spray a cupcake tin for 18 cupcakes.

Pour the lemon juice into the cup measuring cup and then fill the rest of the way with the almond milk. Mix together in a bowl with soy yogurt and set aside.

Mix together all the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.

Add oil, vanilla, and almond extracts to milk/yogurt mixture.

Add wet mixture to dry and stir with a fork. Stir just until everything is well combined, and then divide the batter between the prepared cupcake tins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

I ate one (or two) before trying to turn them into petit fours, and they were delicious. They were really light and fluffy (maybe I’ve become too accustomed to whole grain baked goods), and although that isn’t the best textured cake for a petit four, I decided to continue anyway.

I refrigerated the cooled cucpakes, sliced them in half horizontally, and filled them with my Port Cranberry Sauce.

Port Cranberry Sauce:
about 12 oz cranberries
1/2 cup ruby port
1/2 cup sugar sugar

Put everything in a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer for about 25 minutes, until it reaches your desired consistency. If necessary, add more port or cook for longer to adjust.

I also used the Port Cranberry Sauce to coat the sides of the cupcake.

Finally, I tried this poured fondant recipe to top the cupcakes.

That was the big mistake. I was trying to make things easier for myself by not having to grind massive amounts of my sugar into powered sugar (per all the other poured fondant recipes I’d seen). So, I got out my candy thermometer and got to it.

I should have never tried to blend the mixture. Perhaps I heated it too much (past the soft ball stage), because even though I have a really good blender, it wasn’t working well. I added some of the leftover cranberry sauce, and still, the blender was having a difficult time. As you can see from the picture, it isn’t a pretty sight.

Things I would change:
-make mini cupcakes instead (or, really, just make cake and cut it the real way)
-use a denser cake recipe
-blend my jam so there are no cranberry chunks
-use a different poured fondant recipe

Despite all these problems, I feel like I’ve learned a few things, and at least I’m not completely discouraged. Next month I’ll start a little early, and hopefully have something that looks a little better.

Well, it’s been several days since A Place for Us tagged me for a MEME. Finally, although I probably should have been focusing on other things at the moment, I’ve finished it.

And, I’m almost ready to post that poblano cupcake recipe (it gets a post all of its own because they were that good). When I get around to doing that, I’ll tag someone else for the MEME.

1. Who did you spend at least two hours with today?
Everyone in my digital graphics class… it’s so sad; I have no time for a real social life now!

2. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks?
Graduating! And then figuring out where to go and what to do with my life!

3. Who was the last person you called?
My mom; I was baking cookies and wanted to talk while I was rolling balls of Chinese almond cookies (this week’s BAKE MY DAY…hint, hint)

4. What were you doing at 12am last night?
Working on a poster in the art lab

5. What did you fear was going to get you as a child?
Lots of things! Mostly a burglar under my bed. Or under the car when I was stepping in. (I’m still afraid of that, to be honest. At night when I’m alone I can’t get into my car unless I first check underneath it [from a distance!] and inside it through the windows) Paranoid? Maybe…

6. When did you last see your mom?
A few weeks ago when I went home for the weekend. My health insurance it about to expire when I graduate, so I had to go to the doctor.

7. What are you wearing right now?
My bathrobe; I just got out of the shower.

8. Where is your favorite place to be?
This week it has been my apartment. Maybe because it’s cold outside? Or maybe because I know I’m moving soon. But I just want to stay home and bake and read and sleep all day. Oh, if only…

9. Where is your least favorite place to be?
In my 8:00 TR class. I’m just so sick of school and I don’t know why I ever decided to study English. I enjoy reading, but 4 years of writing the same paper about post-colonialism or marxist feminism is killing me! It’s interesting, yes, but I’m ready to talk about something new. (Gosh, I feel like I’m being a little complainy in this MEME…I’m not a negative person!).

10. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?
London! I miss it everyday and I would do almost anything to be able to go back there. Stupid immigration and tier system nonsense!

11. Where do you think you’ll be in 10 years?
Maybe San Francisco or Portland (that would be nice!); in an apartment with a kitten and hopefully several very dear friends close by.

12. What was the last thing that really made you laugh?
I can’t remember; I laugh all the time (too often, in fact; sometimes I feel like it’s cheap because I laugh so much). Earlier I was talking with a friend who had to take a ridiculous survey to apply for a job and that was pretty funny.

13. What cities/towns/villages have you lived in?
born in San Antonio, TX on vacation
Houston, TX
Louisville, KY
Herndon, VA
Houston, TX
Abilene, TX
Oxford, UK
Abilene, TX
Portland, OR (only for a summer)
Abilene, TX
London, UK
Abilene, TX

14. Are you a social person?
I’m about 50/50 introvert/extrovert. I love hanging out with friends and sometimes I feel full of energy and I just want to have giant dance parties every night. But other times I just want to be alone or with only one other person, curled up with a book or the first season of Peep Show (or Wallace and Gromit, if I’m feeling it) and a good cup of tea.

15. What do you like about winter?
I agree with A Place For Us about the hot chocolate and soups, and especially about hibernation and rest! I love taking a break from school (even if I am working still). I love holiday smells and baking. I love shorter days and the way the colors look different outside (even if we don’t have a very picturesque winter in Texas). I love bundling up in tons of layers, and I love that it finally isn’t hot and that we don’t have mosquitoes!

harissa & pepitas

I love the combination of sweet and spicy, with a little bit of salt; it’s perfect because it satisfies all of my cravings. This recipe combines the spiciness of harissa, the sweetness of agave, and the delicious flavor of pumpkin and sesame seeds to make the perfect snackable treat. It’s perfectly delicious on its own, but if you can manage to stop yourself from munching, they are delicious mixed into homemade caramel popcorn with pistachios, a little extra harissa to taste, and bite-sized pieces of dried mango, papaya and pineapple.

spicy caramel popcorn with harissa pepitas, pistachios,
sesame seeds, and dried tropical fruit

Harissa is a traditional North African paste made with dried chilies, garlic, oil, salt, and various spices such as cumin, coriander, caraway and cinnamon. You can buy harissa paste already made, but it isn’t difficult to make your own, and it’s much less expensive (try this easy recipe, which is the one I used on my pepitas).

Harissa Pepitas:
3 tablespoons harissa paste
2 tablespoons agave nectar
a tiny bit (about 1 t) oil
2/3 cups pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
a couple pinches of salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, mix harissa, oil, and agave into a paste. Add pumpkin seeds and coat well. Spread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and salt. Toast for about 5 minutes and then stir. Continue toasting about 5-8 minutes more, or until the seeds are toasted and significantly less sticky.