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Yearly Archives: 2011

Wildflour Bakery In Providence

Written on January 27, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Restaurant Review

When I first arrived back in Providence, one of the very first things I did was stop by the newly opened Wildflour bakery which specializes in vegan and gluten-free pastries. Clearly, I have my priorities.

The bakery had a really friendly atmosphere. The staff were more than helpful with any and all questions we had on their baked goods. And there were a lot. Everything in the showcase(pictured above) was vegan, and on the shelf above that sat out the vegan/gluten-free baked good. The choices was almost mind blowing considering I feel lucky to be able to order 1 or 2 things off of a menu usually.

We finally settled on a gluten-free brownie and raw cheesecake to split between 3 people. One of the workers told me that the gluten-free brownie was better than their “regular” brownie, so it certainly seemed promising. The cheesecake was on the pricier side but considering the size of it and the work that goes into raw cheesecake I knew we had to try it.

Ultimately, the brownie paled comparison to the cheesecake. It tasted a little starchy and overly sweet without that deep richness that a good brownie has. I thought that some of my brownies tasted better than that and my parents agreed(and not just because they’re my parents I hope).

I really enjoyed the cheesecake. My guess at the recipe would be a thin almond/date crust with a filling made of soaked cashews, coconut cream, lemon juice, and agave, covered with coconut flakes and raw chocolate syrup, kind of similar to my recipe. But aren’t things always so much better when someone else makes them for you?

In short, I will definitely be back; there are too many desserts I haven’t tried yet, and I could always use a break from baking. Oh, they also serve raw juices, but who wants that when you have cheesecake staring you in the face? That’s what I thought.

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Grasshopper Brownies

Written on January 26, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

These are my new favorite brownies. They’re also probably the most fattening/sugary brownies I’ve ever made. Coincidence? I think not.

I’ve been wanting to make grasshopper brownies for the past few months. If you don’t know what those are, they’re a layer of brownies topped with a peppermint filling and a chocolate top. Delicious, no? These are so sweet and rich and they absolutely melt in your mouth. I couldn’t praise these enough. It’s like a peppermint patty in brownie form. Just don’t think about how many calories in them and enjoy.

Grasshopper Brownies

Ingredients(Makes 16 servings):

1 1/4 cup flour(I used gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4oz(1/2 cup) chocolate chips
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg

2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter(or Earth Balance)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 tablespoon butter(or Earth Balance)
8oz(1 cup) chocolate chips

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Start by sifting together the first 6 ingredients. Melt down the 4 ounces of chocolate and mix this with the cooking oil. Add that to the flour mixture along with the water and egg and mix to form the batter. Grease an 8×8 cooking pan and spread the batter in. Bake for 25 minutes and let this cool completely.

To make the filling, melt a stick of butter, pour in the peppermint extract and sift in the powdered sugar. This will form a loose filling. Spread it over the cooled brownies in as even a layer as you can.

Tip: If you’re having trouble with the peppermint mixture sticking when spreading, put a piece of saran wrap between your hands and the filling and use that to press the filling down.

Lastly, melt 8 ounces of chocolate with a tablespoon of butter and spread this out evenly on top of the peppermint layer. Take care to move quickly and gently so that the peppermint layer and the chocolate don’t get mixed together. Let the top harden completely before cutting into these with a sharp knife.

You can really use any brownie recipe for the bottom; I just included that one for convenience sake(it also makes incredibly moist brownies which is never a bad thing). I wasn’t crazy about the filling as I was making it, but combined with the chocolate and brownies it’s just rich enough not to get lost in the experience. Yes, experience, because these brownies are better than any trip to Disney World.

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Mocha Buttercream

Written on January 25, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Remember when I made cupcakes and was too lazy to frost them? Well, 6 days later it snowed again and I had nothing but time.

At first I was going to try a chocolate buttercream but to get chocolate to be the right temperature seemed like more work than reward. Also, I was on a coffee kick and decided to split the difference and settle on mocha. Who doesn’t love mocha lattes and mocha cappuccinos? It’s an excuse to have chocolate in the morning. This frosting is just as rich and pairs perfectly with any chocolate cake recipe.

Mocha Buttercream

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter(or Earth Balance) at room temperature
3 cups of powdered sugar, divided
2 tablespoons warm water + 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules(you could substitute with 2 tablespoons of strongly brewed coffee)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Cream together the stick of butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar.

Once the mixture is homogenous, mix in the coffee, cocoa powder, and 1 more cup of powdered sugar and beat again.

After that has come together, sift in the last bit of powdered sugar and beat until the buttercream is smooth and there are no lumps.

Let’s address some elephants in the room:

1) I’m completely aware of what color the frosting is and what it looks like. You don’t have to tell me because I’m not blind. In fact, I was the one licking it off my fingers, so clearly the flavor trumps the appearance.

2) I know I can’t pipe frosting to save my life. My favorite Charmed one was Piper; I loved Billie Piper as Rose in Doctor Who; I, on the other hand, am no piper. You can hire me to bake your birthday cake but God help us all if you want me to decorate it.

I will, however, garnish with some espresso chocolate bark because that’s how I roll.

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Raw Vegan Hazelnut Cream Cheese

Written on January 24, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Uncategorized

At one point in my life I had a love affair with Panera Bread. Haven’t we all? I remember when I was writing my thesis working in the same Panera Bread for at least 4 hours and taking advantage of the free refills. Well, not being able to eat wheat put a huge wedge in our relationship. I pine for their cinnamon crunch bagels to be back in my life.

Another favorite of mine was their reduced-fat hazelnut cream cheese. It’s tart, nutty, and sweet, and a perfect pairing for that cinnamon bagel I was talking about. I decided to try and make my own without dairy. At first I didn’t love the flavor, but by the next day everything tasted ten times better. It reminds me of the filling for my raw cheesecake recipe. And who wouldn’t love cheesecake filling on a bagel? This is slightly healthy for you, but more importantly completely delicious.

Raw Vegan Hazelnut Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours
1/3 cup hazelnuts
2 1/2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 heaping Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 Tablespoons coconut milk or other non-dairy milk

Soak the cashews if you haven’t already done so and drain off the water. Add the first 4 ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until it’s smooth and homogenous. Next add in the nutritional yeast and cinnamon and process again, slowly adding in the coconut milk until it reaches a cream cheese-like consistency.

Store in a refrigerator for up to a week.

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Like I said, this tasted much better the next day. The consistency was perfect for me—thick but easily scooped and spread. It tastes nutty, spicy, and has a nice tang from the lemon juice that balances with the nutritional yeast to taste like real cream cheese.

An aside on the bagels I use: I never buy gluten-free bread. There are so many other foods that are naturally gluten-free that I just don’t bother looking for replacements. But I really wanted photos to do this recipe justice and when I went to Trader Joe’s to buy regular wheat bagels I found these Udi’s gluten-free bagels for $4.50—“cheap” compared to other stores. I have to admit these were spot on in flavor and texture to regular bagels. I wouldn’t buy them regularly simply because I’m not used to having bread in my diet anymore, but if anyone’s looking for a gluten-free bread replacement I’d recommend these.

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What Would Your Last Meal Be?

Written on January 23, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

On Wednesday when I was ~~wasting my time on~~ perusing Twitter, I came across this article on the real last suppers death row inmates chose. I thought it was a fascinating look inside the inmates mind. I was surprised with some(like the smoker. What kind of meal is that?) and sympathized with others(I mean, who doesn’t want to sit down to a burger, fries, and a milkshake?). And then I started asking myself the very same question: What would my last meal be?

My initial reaction was that I’d eat all the things with gluten I can’t but crave—Dunkin’ Donuts lemon filled powder donuts, Boston Market mac n’ cheese, and a big chewy chocolate chip cookie. But after thinking about it I realized I don’t want to go out of this world gassy and bloated; I’ll take my vanity to the grave.

So then I thought I’d eat a really good Holiday meal with food like the best quinoa dressing, whole roasted chicken, and fingerling potatoes.

Who am I kidding? That’d be a great healthy meal to eat before a race, but it’s no last meal. I don’t have a sweet tooth; I have 26. So I’d more likely have to order a dessert platter.

Oh Baby bars so that I could die fat an happy.

Taza chocolate. Like I said, I can’t resist it.

Godiva’s flourless chocolate cake. I’m still in awe of how good this was, even better than my version. Those little bastards.

And a pan of these brownies, which are sinfully good(recipe coming later this week!).

That’s more like it. Can you see a theme?

What would you want for your last meal? Feel free to share recipes!

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Four Humor’s Sake

Written on January 22, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Uncategorized

Today I’m making my first of 2 trips back to Providence. Because of that, I’ll probably only be eating Larabars in the car and Whole Foods hot bar on the road for lunch. Instead I’d thought I’d (try to) humor you with some little known facts about me.

Four TV Shows I Watch:

Ok, let’s get real: If you know me, you know I watch a ton of TV. The national average is around 150 hours a month; I’m pretty sure I can knock that out in a week. What can I say? I’m an overachiever. So let’s make this one fourteen.

Grey’s Anatomy
Modern Family
Brother’s And Sisters
Survivor(I’ve watched every season; that’s more than half my life if you’re wondering)
Big Brother
Today Show(They Tweeted me once; it’s like I’m practically on the show!)
I Love Lucy(I own 3 seasons and watch it when I’m bored)
Doctor Who
Torchwood
Top Chef
Days Of Our Lives(There’s a long story for this but I’ll save it for another day)
30 Rock
The Office
The Next Food Network Star(If fellow food blogger Aarti Sequeira can win this, I sure as hell can)

Four Things I’m Passionate About:

Award Shows
Celebrity Romances
Brownies
Cooking without having to clean up afterwards

Four Words/Phrases I Use Too Much:

“Amazing.” Some days I ask myself if I know any other adjectives at all.
“WTF”
“Oh Really?” I have a deep love for sarcasm, but you probably haven’t realized that.
“How easy is that?” Oh wait, that’s Ina Garten. I get me and her confused all the time.

Four Things I’ve Learned In the Past:

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Blood stains are really hard to get out of white socks.
If you go into Target for paper towels, you’ll also come out with a new shirt and season 1 of Modern Family.
If Ricky just let Lucy be in his show, each episode would have been approximately 5 minutes long.
Sweet and sour sauce makes anything better.

Four Things I’m Looking Forward To:

Season 6 of Doctor Who
A time when 40 degrees doesn’t sound warm
The National Marathon
The day I’m on national television(hopefully not Maury)

Four Things I’ve Loved This Winter:

Snow days
Being home every day to watch Days Of Our Lives
Listening to We R Who We R 3 times in a row
Oh Baby Bars

Four People I Want to Complete This Survey:

Jesus
Kate Walsh
Julian Assange
Mickey Mouse

Did you learn anything new? More importantly, do you want to play along? Go ahead and tell me 4 things that you love lately.

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How To Make Food Tastier With Just 1 Ingredient

Written on January 21, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Highlights, How To, Recipe Round-Up

There are certain secrets to cooking. Seasoning is one of them.

My favorite way to think of seasoning is that it shouldn’t flavor the dish; instead, it should make the dish taste more like itself. Certain ingredients are really good at that, especially in the right recipes. Here’s my quick list of “secret” ingredients that you can add to any dish to make the flavor pop. Look out because the cat’s coming out of the bag.

Salt is probably the most common seasoning. It’s also one of our taste sensations. We all salt our dinner plates but do you salt your desserts? A little bit of salt in sweets makes the flavor irresistible.

Example:

Banana Chocolate Chip Blondies with Peanut Butter Frosting

We all know a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down. But we don’t all know how good it works in savory foods. Most of the time when we’re cooking dinner, we don’t think to use sugar. Even if the flavors you’re working at aren’t sweet, a little sugar—just like a little salt—can go a long way in making savory flavors pop.

Example:

Vegged-Out Quinoa and The Best Quinoa Dressing

I’m always(OK, once) asked what’s the secret to making brownies taste good? Well, here’s one of them: instant coffee. The bitterness in coffee pairs really well with the bitterness in cacao and helps to make the flavor richer and deeper. Add a teaspoon of instant coffee to any brownie mix to boost the flavor.

Example:

Outrageous Triple Chocolate Brownies

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Most of the time, none of us think of nutmeg. We use it in pies and pumpkin bread in the Fall and that’s about it. But a pinch of nutmeg with any earth flavor like chicken, potato, or greens can enhance the overall dish.

Example:

Sautéed Spinach With Silken Tofu

Bay Leaves are the unsung hero of great tasting beans and marinades. You never see them because they’re not edible and need to be discarded after cooking. But adding a bay leaf when cooking beans or lentils, or when marinating chicken adds a strong earthy flavor that only enhances everything that’s there.

Example:

Mediterranean Chicken Marinade

Now I’ll open it to you: Do you have any secret ingredients that make people say “This is so good! What did you do to it?” that you’re willing to share?

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Sautéed Spinach With Silken Tofu

Written on January 20, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Really good food speaks with it’s flavor. It was hard to pick a name for this recipe because it’s not like anything else. At first I was tempted to call it a low-fat creamed spinach but if you were looking for creamed spinach and came upon this you’d probably be disappointed. At the same time, it’s so much more robust and filling than regular sautéed spinach.

You know what I’d call this? Delicious. It’s a rich spinach dish bursting with flavors that’s good as a side to something like roasted chicken or baked seitan. The “secret ingredients” in this are cinnamon and nutmeg which enhance the earthiness of the spinach.

You don’t need to call it anything, really. Just grab a fork and dig in.

Sautéed Spinach With Silken Tofu

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tablespoons green onion, diced
1 bag of frozen spinach, thawed and drained OR 6 cups fresh spinach
1 16oz pack silken tofu
2 tablespoons non-dairy cream(optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Start by heating the oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and the onion and let it toast in the pan for about 3-4 minutes.

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Add in the spinach and mix it with the ingredients in the pan.

Next, open up the tofu and add it to the pan as well. Break it up with whatever tool you’re using to stir the pan and start to incorporate it as you pour in the cream.

Once the pan is homogenous, let it sit and the excess water start to boil off.

As it thickens up and gets ready to be served, season the pan with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and toss the ingredients again. Remove from the heat and serve hot.

All the different flavors come together to make one cohesive, delicious dist. The nutmeg and cinnamon add an unrecognizable warmth that really enhances the spinach. And the tofu makes this rich and hearty with a slightly creamy texture. Go ahead and call it what you want; I’m too busy eating.

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“Oh Baby” Is Right

Written on January 19, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

For the past 2 months I’ve been telling myself I would make peanut butter cups but never got around to it because of how much work it feels like(how lazy is that?); truthfully, I’m fine with dipping a piece of chocolate in a jar of peanut butter and leaving it at that. But after seeing these bars on Michelle’s blog I remembered I had bookmarked Jenna’s Oh Baby Bars. Now these are simple enough I could do.

My only problem was that the recipe seemed to call for no-stir peanut butter and the only one I had enough of was a runny, natural-style peanut butter. I adjusted the ingredients and proportions a tad to account for this and then went from there. All I can say about this is “Oh baby” and that Jenna is a genius for this recipe.

Ingredients I used(Made 10 thick bars):

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
10oz semi-sweet dark chocolate chips

Instead of blending the ingredients at room temperature, I melted 1/4 cup of Earth Balance and the coconut oil together first. Then I stirred in both of the sugars and lastly the peanut butter.

Once that was homogenous, I spread it out in a large loaf pan and dropped it on the counter a few times to level it out. Of course, I taste tested what was left in the mixing bowl and it was perfect.

Then I melted the chocolate with the remaining tablespoon of margarine in my microwave and spread it out on top of the peanut butter layer.

And then I pretended I was a chocolatier(I’m not going to say this is my dream job, but if it’s what the fates handed me I would not complain and just eat chocolate) and gave it a fancy swirl top.

When that was done, I threw this in the refrigerator to harden and after an hour or so began to cut squares.

In terms of flavor, these are absolutely delicious. Texturally, the bottom layer was a little soft; next time(and there will be a next time) I’d probably reduce the margarine by 2 tablespoons and replace that with coconut oil. Or if I’m being a better planner I’d just buy no-stir peanut butter like the original recipe uses.

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Espresso Chocolate Bark

Written on January 18, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Screw Folgers, eating this is the best part of waking up:

One of my favorite things to snack on lately have been chocolate covered coffee beans. It’s coffee, it’s chocolate—what’s not to love? I though about how I could make an at-home version for less that’s just as good and settled on this bark recipe. I couldn’t help myself from eating it piece by piece as I was making it; I’m still a little buzzed from all that dessert. Best of all, it’s 3 simple ingredients! Yes, 3! I urge you to make this for the coffee addict in your life; they’ll love you until they crash.

Espresso Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

1 bag(12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whole coffee beans(most grocery stores let you buy these in bulk)
2 tablespoons coarse cane sugar

Melt down the chocolate chips and lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray. Spread out the chocolate to be about 1/2 an inch thick. Sprinkle on the coffee beans evenly and press them into the hot chocolate gently.

Lightly sprinkle a layer of sugar over the chocolate while it is still melted. don’t worry about even layering since most of it will shake off when it’s dried. Just make sure to cover all of the chocolate.

You can either let the chocolate harden at room temperature or speed the process up by putting it in a refrigerator. When it’s hardened tilt the large piece of chocolate to shake off all the excess sugar. Break the chocolate into single-sized chunks.

These are just as good as any chocolate covered coffee beans. I wanted to try them with a darker chocolate but after tasting how bitter the coffee beans make the semi-sweet chocolate I think any darker would be hard to eat. The sprinkle of sugar adds a great texture to contrast with the crunchy beans. Now you can have your coffee and eat it, too.

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