How to make Cake à la Carrot, Without Tasting à la Box

Last Sunday I made a cake. Carrot cake to be exact.
It was my friend Maeve's birthday not too long ago but due to the unfortunate timing of spring break, we were unable to celebrate it together. So alas I decided to make a cake.
Carrot cake may be delicious but it is a complete pain in the you-know-where to make from scratch. Luckily for you (and me), Betty Crocker has provided us with a much simpler way to bake the cake without all the tedious peeling and grating of carrots. It requires you to go to the store and pick up a box of Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix. With a few simple tweeks, the cake doesn't taste so dry and cardboard-y, but moist and delicious. (It's the recipe from the back of the box that you usually ignore...)

Carrot Cake Recipe

1	package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® carrot cake mix
1/2	cup water
1/2	cup vegetable oil
4	eggs
1	can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained (if you can't find crushed, get "Pineapple Chunks" and crush it with a fork)
1/2	cup chopped nuts
1/2	cup shredded coconut
1/2	cup raisins

-Heat oven to 350 degrees.

-Grease bottoms only of two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans with shortening, cooking spray, or butter (whatever is most convenient). Lightly flour the pan. (Do this by pouring a little flour into the already-greased pan and move it around until the entire pan is covered in a thin layer of flour).
-In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and pineapple (with some juice). Use an electric mixer (if you can) on low speed for 30 seconds and on medium speed for 2 more minutes. Stir in nuts, coconut and raisins.
-Pour batter into pans. For 8 inch circle pans, cook 40-45 minutes. For 9 inches, cook for 30-35 minutes. If you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, it should come out cleanly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. THEN run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. (This is important as it helps keep the cake intact).

-Allow to cool completely BEFORE putting on the frosting. (This stops the frosting from melting off the cake).

FROSTING (the frosting makes a biiiig difference. making your own frosting is much easier than you expect, so don't shy away from it!)
-1 package (8 oz) Cream Cheese
-1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
-1 package (16 oz) Powdered sugar
-1 tsp Vanilla
-1 tsp Rosewater
-1 tbsp milk (add milk 1 tbsp at a time if you think the frosting is too thick. it makes it more spreadable!!!!!)
-(TIP: I like to add citrus zest. Try orange or lemon zest! Just grate the peel of an orange or lemon...)

-Using a mixer, mix together the cream cheese and butter until completely combined. It should have a soft consistency.

-Add in small amounts of powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup at a time) and mix in completely. Repeat until there is no more sugar left.

-Add in Vanilla and Rosewater. Mix. Add in milk if necessary (or whatever else you may want to put in)!

(OPTIONAL FINAL TOUCH: As final touches on this cake, I used almond slices and some fresh berries. I then arranged them like flowers all over the cake. It's quite simple to do. I had my friend, Livy, help and she had no problem whatsoever!)

I learned the importance of presentation way back when I used to enter cooking contests at the LA County Fair. No, that is not a typo. I love the LA County Fair--home of countless amazing memories and deep fried oreos. Taking an extra five minutes on a dish to make it beautiful and, sometimes, a work of art, is completely worth it. That is why I love cooking. It's scientific, relaxing, delicious, rewarding, and a form of artistic release.

So next time you make a cake, even if it's from a box, try using candy (anything from M&Ms to twizzlers) to make a fun design.

A few good ideas include:

• putting square chocolate cookies all around the edge in a checkerboard formation.
• using a variety of candy to make fun designs
• making flowers out of fruit!

In any event, welcome to the holiday season! Hope you are having a wonderful Passover, Easter, and whatever else there is to celebrate right about now... Spring!

This cake was one of the last things of grain that I ate this past week... Only unleavened bread for me. I'm attempting to keep kosher for once in my life. But let me tell you, seder food is some of the MOST delicious food ever! (Don't worry, I have some recipes coming up for you).

Hopefully you've also caught Spring Fever. So go outside, run around, enjoy the sunshine, Live Well, Eat Well.

Spring Rolled in a Bit Early, Pun Intended

4h20 pm. Pacific Coast Time.

I’m sitting on the plane typing up this post, whose very blank window has been idly sitting opened on my computer browser for about a week now. I apologize for the tardiness, but I have been enjoying this thing called Spring Break.

I must say that my spring break has been wonderful. Let’s just say that Los Angeles treats its Angelinos very well. But before I dive into unnecessary detail, I must turn back to the clock to the night before I left New York for Los Angeles.

Thursday. March 11, 2009. 7h30. Eastern Time.

A failed attempt at a small dinner on Wednesday (I blame midterms) somehow managed to turn into a dinner of 15 on Thursday. As a celebration of freedom, a bunch of my friends helped me cook. Su-chefs make life sooo much easier... and fun. We made Steak Spring Rolls and Orzo Pasta.

The Spring Rolls are surprisingly easy to make. The most difficult part is finding the spring roll wrappers, which are available at many Asian-specialty markets and many grocery stores. If your local store does not have them, usually you can order them through the clerk (which is true for most ingredients).

Steak Spring Rolls

Ingredients:
-1 package (approx. 20 individual) Spring Roll Wrappers
-1 head of Savoy Cabbage (the green cabbage)
-some cucumbers (take them from a salad bar!)
-A package of peanuts (you will want 2-3 per spring roll)
-1 bundle of green onions
-1 bottle Hoisin Sauce (found in the “ethnic food” aisle in stores)(or at M2M for fellow Columbians)
-Steak (use “stir fry style” or thicker cuts. DO NOT GET SKIRT STEAK! It dries out too easily. I used London broil… it was on sale)
-garlic
-olive oil/butter
-ground black pepper

-To maximize the ease of this recipe, it’s all about preparation. I usually make a fire-assembly-line type of thing (with different stations for each step).

-Station 1: Prepare a bowl or deep dish (I used a cake pan) and fill it with water.
Place the spring roll wrappers next to it.
-Station 2: Start my slicing cabbage into strips. TIP: Do not make them too thin, nor too thick. Also slice the green onions into strips (TIP: Cut it width wise, so it makes small cylinders. Also make them shorter than the cabbage strips) Then, slice the cucumbers. (EXTRA: You can also include carrots) Put the sliced ingredients on a platter with the peanuts. (View Pictures below)
Now that the hard preparation is done (yes, that’s the hardest part of this recipe), it’s time to prepare the steak.

Station 3:
-Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic.
-Put a little butter and olive oil in a pan. Turn on the stove to allow the oil and butter heat up. Put it on medium-high heat (again, this is dependent on your stove). Put the garlic in the oil/butter in the pan. (TIP: This is a very useful trick I learned from an old Italian woman; use it before you make any type of sauce or meat. It infuses the oil that you use to grease the pan with garlic!)
-Marinate the steak with crushed garlic, pepper, and oil. Put the steak onto the pan. Cook until the middle is as you please:

Here's a KEY (to judge how your meat is cooked):
--Red=rare.
--Pink (or pinkish-red)=medium rare.
--Brown=well done.
--Black=time to throw your meat away.
--Grey (the inside and outside)=the meat is bad.

-Wait until the cooked steak has cooled a little and then slice it. Put the slices of steak on a platter.

Final Steps/Assembly:
-Submerge the spring roll wrappers in the water for about 30 seconds-1 minute. It’s important that you submerge (submarine imagery is vital in this case) the spring roll wrappers until they lose their plastic-y texture and are completely soft.
-Place the wrapper on a plate. Then place a few slices of cabbage (1-2), green onions, a few peanuts, and some steak. Top it off with some hoisin sauce.
(Theses are fun because you can change any of the ingredients to satisfy your personal preferences)
-Wrap it up like a burrito.
-Enjoy!!

Spring Rolls may be delicious, but I personally need more food than that. So I made a delicious Orzo Pasta. (There is no need to be confused/intimidated by Orzo. Yes, it looks like rice. No, it is not rice. Yes, it is pasta. And yes, it is delicious.)

Orzo Pasta with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Parsley, and Feta

Ingredients:
-1 package Orzo Pasta
-olive oil (1 tbsp + some for cooking)
-salt
-approx. 1 cup of chopped feta
-1 bunch parsley
-1 package chopped tomatoes (I got them from the dining hall)
-some lemon juice
-pepper

-Put water in a pot and bring to a boil. I like to drizzle some olive oil and salt in the water as it boils. (The oil makes the pasta’s texture better and the salt decreases the boiling point. Yes, Chemistry! For others who are not scientifically inclined, it simply decreases the amount of time needed to boil.)
-Cook the orzo, according to the directions. It’s usually somewhere between 9-13 minutes.
-Drain the orzo in a colander. In the colander, run some cold water over the pasta to stop it from over-cooking. *Even though you may take pasta out of the pan, the heat continues to cook the pasta. *
-Chop up the parsley into small pieces. Chop up the feta into small cubes. Chop the tomatoes. (TIP: Make sure the chunks are big enough to have a nice taste of the ingredient, but not too big where they are a hassle to chew!)
-Put the chopped ingredients into the orzo. Drizzle olive oil (about 1 tbsp) as well as squeeze half a lemon to a full lemon’s worth of lemon juice onto the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
-Enjoy!!
Well, that was that. We all left satisfied—if not a little too satisfied—and full of food. Considering I was cooking for the 15 people, the bill was not too bad. The kicker in this recipe is the steak you use. I paid about 60$ for this entire meal. $30-35 was for the meat alone (which I hugely overestimated). Do the math… I know you can.

Luckily for me, my friend, Andrew, brought a cheesecake for dessert. Yes, it was classic New York Cheesecake (well, with strawberries). No, it was not homemade. Therefore, No. There is no recipe.

This meal was a great way to end midterms and kick off spring break. I honestly did not realize the irony of making spring rolls for spring break until I started typing this up, but it was definitely well worth the pun. Everyone joined in: proof that it's easy to make.

A few hours after dinner (around 5h00 am), I was on my way to Los Angeles. For me, Los Angeles is like my Mecca. Surrounded by good (local) produce and warm weather, I ate well every day. So look forward to a post on a delicious Indian feast as prepared by my mother and my best friend’s mother (Yes, our moms are best friends, too. It’s not creepy, but incredibly cute). As for now, always remember Live Well. Eat Well.


P.S. I would like to give special thanks to my wonderful models for being so beautiful and providing us with such wonderful photographs! In particular, thank you Alex, Micheal, and Willie!

A New Way to Wake up Sunnyside-Up

This past Friday, I had a nice brunch.
I almost always make dinner, so I thought it was about time to change things up.

I ended up making one of my favorite breakfast dishes. The thing that I really love about this recipe is that I created this from random ingredients I found in my friend's fridge one morning. Never underestimate your ability to make something out of nothing--or something out of random.

Les Crêpes avec un œuf, les tomates, basilic, et brie.
Crêpes with an egg, tomato, basil, and brie.

This recipe was inspired by a Tunisian Crêpe my friend once made me. (But it had tuna, harissa, and egg)...

I also made some simple nutella and blackberry crêpes.

Crêpes (10-14)

Ingredients:

BATTER:
-1 cup flour
-1 1/2 cup milk
-1 egg
-a pinch of salt

THE REST
-5 eggs
-a few sprigs of basil
-some brie (or any other cheese you want. I love Brie)
- 10-15 cherry tomatoes (estimate between 2-3 per crêpe)
-some cumin (pepper also works very well)
-nutella
-blackberries

• Mix the flour and milk until completely incorporated. (TIP: try to have as few "lumps" of flour in the mixture as possible. If you can/have the time, try letting the batter sit in the fridge for an hour or so, and then mix it up again.)
• Add the egg and salt and mix together. (Use a fork or whisk for this. It will be the most effective)
• Heat up the pan BEFORE you pour the batter on. Put a small piece of butter to grease the pan. I recommend using medium-high flame on your stove until the pan's hot, and then lower it to medium. (REMEMBER: every stove-top is different. i.e. electric vs. gas. You might have to do a little self-discovery to find the perfect temp)
• Pour a small circle of batter onto the hot, greased pan. Then by moving the pan in circles (SEE PICTURES), allow the batter to spread as thin as possible. Even if you have a perfect circle but extra batter on top, use a spatula to spread the batter to the outside (and you have an even bigger crêpe!)

Allow to cook

For simple crêpes on their own: Allow to cook until each side is golden brown (whether or not you like crispy crêpes is your choice). Normally only a few minutes per side.












I added nutella and blackberries. But you can do whatever you like... (butter and sugar, bananas, jam, lemon, nutella, peanut butter, honey... the possibilities are truly endless)









Now for the other egg, tomato, basil, and brie crêpes, this is how you prepare:

• Cut the tomatoes length-wise (it's easier to place on the crêpe). Cut small slivers of brie as well as strips of basil.
• Cook the first side of the crêpe until it is lightly golden or brown in some spots. Flip it over so the cooked side is facing up.
  
• (TIP: MAKE SURE YOU DON'T DO THIS ON A HIGH HEAT SETTING. IT WILL BURN THE CREPE BEFORE THE EGG COOKS) Crack an egg on it (no shells, please) and then place the tomatoes, brie, and basil on it. Place them wherever you want. I recommend attempting to place them far apart. (pictures below)
  
• Then sprinkle some cumin, or pepper, on top. Let it cook until the egg looks ready. (7ish minutes) For runnier eggs, be aware that there is a thin film on top of the egg when it's done cooking. This is natural. Don't worry.

• 

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Well it was indeed an amazingly delicious breakfast. In any event, I hope you make this recipe as I consider it one of my babies. It's really delicious and surprisingly easy to make. (Believe me... it sounds a lot harder than it actually is... UNLESS you have a crepe pan... then it's EVEN easier!)
And for the budget side of things: my grocery reciept for this 6 person meal was $24.36. That would be approx. $4 per person. Not too shabby if you ask me...

This has been a particularly hard week for most people I know. Amidst papers, homework, reading, midterms, and housing, you should keep yourself healthy. Mentally and physically. I won't call it the key to your success (that's up to you to find), but I will say it will help significantly. I hope all is well. And please, Live Well. Eat Well.