SUGAR, BUTTER, FLOUR & SUBSTITUTES

What is it about the combination of sugar, butter, & flour?

I must confess. I am not a great baker. Mostly because I have a very low tolerance for white flour in my recipes. I NEVER add flour to my soups in order to "thicken it up". Something about that just makes my blood boil. The soup isn't think because its hardy, full of vegetables. No, its thick because the recipe calls for flour? Flour in my soup?

Get out of my kitchen. Get out.

Instead of adding this empty ingredient, I puree a cooked potato or zucchini with some soup broth. As you can see I have very strong feelings on this subject.

I will substitute ingredients like NOBODY'S business.....and I'm NOT sorry about any of it. If a recipe calls for white all purpose flour, I put in 1/2 whole wheat. Unsalted butter? Earth Balance or just oil to the rescue. Milk, well that's almond milk of course. Sugar? SUGAR...hahaha I will cut that shit in half! I no longer metabolize it like a seven year old. I crash and feel sluggish. My energy level gets depleted. That doesn't make me stop eating it, but it does mean that sweets make less appearances in my kitchen.

There is one problem with all of this substituting & his name is James, my boyfriend (<3 him & his sweet tooth). "And don't you go replacing any of the ingredients." He'll say as I got to make cookies. James is the only reason I make sweets.

As I'm writing this, I'm also suffering from a sugar crash induced by a Rhubarb Raspberry Tart. I used all the sugar it told me to. I used all the REAL butter it called for. The only thing I didn't use was white flour. It was....packed with layers upon layers of stimulation for my taste buds. Once I could only manage 1/2 of a square before putting it away.

I hope that I still have a link for this because James loved this tart. It might make an appearance again, in like 4 years.

MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Have you been lately? Well, its the same as you left it. GIGANTIC with lots of stairs and strollers. It seems as if you need 2 days to get through it all. Add a day and a half if going on a weekend.

I do have to inform you that the cafeteria has quite a selection. Walking towards it I said "I'll just have some fruit. Something small." Next thing I knew I had a chickpea salad, mozzarella & tomato, orange & a small bag of chips! All so good.

RECIPE: STAR FRUIT SMOOTHIE

I might of had a little too much to drink last night. Two pomegranate martinis, a bit of wine, 1/2 a tequila drink later and what a headache this morning. I'll be juicing & making shakes all day which means I need to step outside and get some fresh veggies.

Star Fruit Juice

1 Star fruit

1 juice of an orange

1/2 juice of grapefruit

Juice orange & grapefruit. Cut up star fruit & blend all. Enjoy.

CLEANING OUT THE FRIDGE & PANTRY

With my boyfriend being an "Amazon-aholic" the kitchen gets stocked up with bulk food buys (I enjoy this perk of living with him a whole lot). I'm always buying veggies on a whim & not to mention both of us going out to eat with plenty of leftovers sitting around! There's a new rule set for the apartment: no eating out until we clean out. Its been two and a half weeks and still going.

Fresh veggies that are left consist of: celery, 2 small carrots, 3 radishes, old (too old) kale, 1 avocado & 1/2 head of cauliflower.

One thing I miss (and didn't know I enjoy) is the buying of fresh herbs. I find myself looking for cilantro. Some basil? Nope. If I go in grocery store I won't come out with just basil. Not surprisingly it has made me more creative with what I cook. Digging a little deeper into the pantry. Substituting for what i don't have. I expect this to last until saturday when my little sis comes into town.

p.s. as I write this I'm in a bakery eating an organic cupcake. Sssshhh don't tell the cat.

New year, new blog.

I'm not late, am I? New years resolutions are like those friends you see from time to time. “HEY! Great to see you again! Lets hang out more often.” Those conversations happen with the best of intentions. So do the New Years resolutions. I have been meaning to create a food blog for some time now. Always gathering up recipes, marking up my cookbooks, making modifications to ones that don't quite hit the mark.

Growing up I've watched my mother as she cooked. I have been a vegetarian for about 5 years now.  Being first generation of Polish immigrants, you could imagine it not going over so well. Poland is a meat loving country and so was my family. Being the odd one out I had to take the matters into my own hands.

Today I LOVE VEGETABLES and have a great passion for cooking them. I've collected quite a few vegetarian cookbooks. From vegan, to raw & vintage. My thirst for "unique" was unruly & I just couldn't help myself. How many households did this old used cookbook see? Which recipe was the best? How can i make it better? I must say I have a lot more control over it these days ( that & i just don't know where to keep them all).  It can't just be any old cookbook anymore that makes it up on my shelf. Each one is special and its time to start documenting my favorites.

With that said, its time to review those pages and share the events that happen in my kitchen. Page by page I will review & modify with you.

Enjoy!