sunday morning breakfast

why can't i cook every morning? well, i don't have an hour to make steel-cut oatmeal every morning so that's my first problem. but i finished my grant last night and have this "free time" this morning...so i decided to treat myself.

steel-cut (or irish) oatmeal with a delish almond/pear/orange/ginger topping.
thank you sunset (once again) for the inspiration.

first the orange zest hits your nose--very fresh and i love the smell of citrus. then, when you take that first bite, the ginger creeps in. next time, i will use some fresh ginger and it will pack a bigger punch. the almonds provide a nice hearty crunch while the dried pears provide a softer texture. and with a hint of brown sugar on top...this was truly a treat for a sunday morning :)

german chocolate cookies

chocolate, coconut, and pecans--it was the only name i associated with these delish ingredients :)

plus i needed something to start off this week and this semester right. first ta meeting of the semester with a new ta and 7 returning tas. first writing group meeting of the semester--and you know this think tank needs some juice to get things rolling.

• 1 stick of butter
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 c chocolate chips
• 3/4 c coconut
• 1/2 c chopped pecans

preheat over to 350. line cookie sheet with parchment.

cream butter and two sugars together until smooth. add egg, vanilla, and salt until creamy.

in separate bowl, combine flour, soda, powder. add to wet ingredients. stir in chips, cocnut, and pecans.

roll tablespoons-sized balls of dough between your hands and place on parchment. bake for 13-15 minutes (13 minutes if you like them more chewy, 15 minutes if you like them a little more crispy around the edges). cool on rack.

enjoy :)

san diego restaurant week--suite and tender

it's not like someone had to twist my arm to try a new spot, but san diego restaurant week provides you just that--a reason to try something new. so friday night, i did just that.
first things first, this place was boojie! lots of textures and smells and ambience galore.while waiting for all of our party to arrive, we had drinks at the bar. i had the passion (vodka, sparkling wine, passion fruit puree, and cranberry juice). it was delish, not $13 delish, but pretty tasty.
then we had our three courses. i started with spinach salad with seckle pears, pine nuts, pancetta, and a caramel dressing. then i moved to the seared sea bass with israeli cous cous, pea tendrils, and tomato confit. i finished it up with pecan pie and maple ice cream and caramel syrup.
o to the m to the g! this place was amazing. the sizes were just right. the flavors blended together beautifully. the three-course menu options were plentiful, as they had lots from which to choose. the service was great. even the bathrooms were boojie (that's right, you try finding the doors to the dimly-lit, guys and gals room). all in all, a very cool friday night and another sd restaurant checked off the list. only 1 million more to go...
http://www.suiteandtender.com/

chicken escabeche with cilantro black beans

thank you sunset magazine for this delish and easy gem
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=50400000109256

as of about the last 4 years or so, i have not been eating (or preparing) a lot of meat. mostly, i cave to peer pressure in that i cannot explain to my grandparents why i don't eat meat when there is meat available to eat. so i eat it. the same goes when i have omnivores and carnivores over to my house.

i had my friends over to eat. she east just about anything but he does not eat red meat...so i was looking for a chicken dish. this popped out and it was tasty!

that cilantro hits first and then the jalapenos kick in (i used much more of both than the recipe called for). i can see making these beans again for my veggie friends because they were delish!

happy tummy to make up for a rough couple of days.

just your average tuesday night

i am a big sister, of big brothers big sisters of san diego. i have been matched with my little sister for over 2 years now. she is 17. she is a high school junior. she loves food but is 17 years old so her palate is not yet as refined or as adventurous as mine. i try to keep it real with stuff i know she loves and i only push a little bit with the new stuff. tonight we kept it real. i made penne alfredo with chicken and broccoli. this kid would eat noodles with alfredo sauce and broccoli almost everyday if you let her. this is usually her menu preference at most italian restaurants. i don't think it's a bad thing at all--although her grandma pokes fun at her for ordering the same dish everywhere we go. if a teenager wants to eat green vegetables, i say give them to her! chicken breasts butterflied, broccoli steaming, water boiling...i get the basics going. a little salt and pepper and olive oil for the chicken--nothing fancy. when that's done, i melt a little butter, add cream and boil to start the sauce. i put in some cheese and pepper and dinner is pretty much done. "i want to be able to cook like you." i smile. all the while, i am listening to stories about her boyfriend and her family and college and all kinds of other topics. i don't think i am really doing much, which is why i chose to cook this after a long, long day at work. but it made me stop and smile. and then we ate.