Spring is Here

I am 100% sure Spring has sprung. My itchy nose and eyes prove it. The trees have new green leaves and the plants are blooming. The weather is amazing right now, blue skies, a slight breeze, and sun shiny days. In honor of the new season, I decided to whip up some springy cookies. These are so cute with the blue glaze and these adorable pastel sprinkles. I have a confession, I have an obsession with sprinkles. My favorite place to get them are from the dollar aisle at Target. They come out with new sprinkles every season/holiday and I probably have almost every single one. I have a large plastic box that I keep all of my decorating supplies in. It's filled with sprinkles, frosting, food coloring, cupcake liners, piping bags, cookie cutters, and lots of other goodies. Here is my sprinkle collection:

On a side note, last night I went to a the Cindy Wolf Humanism in Medicine talk featuring Dr. Rachel Remen. She is the author or Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings and also the creator of The Healer's Art program. She is inspirational. Myself and a group of other medical students just finished the Healer's Art course and I loved it. I truly do believe what I learned and experienced will make me a better doctor. Last night, Dr. Remen told stories. She is a master storyteller. I have heard almost all of the stories she told nearly three times now, but they still brought tears to my eyes last night. They are so touching and moving, yet most of them are so simple.

Back to the treats. These cookies are really really tasty. The recipe called them teacakes because they are like a dropsy cookie on the outside but light and cakey on the inside. They aren't too sweet, which I like, and the glaze adds the perfect touch. These are the perfect cookies to bring in Spring.

Teacakes
adapted from Delicious Inspiration

For the cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour

For the glaze:

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• Enough water to make a thin glaze
• Food coloring
• Sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and grease a few cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, adding the eggs one at a time and then mix well. Add the vanilla extract, then the flour and stir until everything is well incorporated.

Roll dough into small balls and slightly smash down and place onto the baking sheets and bake until lightly golden on the outside, about 8-12 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack before glazing.

In a small bowl, make the glaze by whisking together the sugar and water, adding as much as you need to get a thin, pourable glaze (this should only be a couple tablespoons of water, add it slowly!). If your glaze gets too runny, add a little more powdered sugar until you get the right consistency. Add the food coloring until you get your desired shade of happiness (I added one drop of blue to get my springy blue color), then dunk the cookies in and let them dry on a cooling rack, sprinkling away before the glaze sets.

The Whole Enchilada

JC has been in-and-out of the house recently bouncing between Honduras, California, and Tucson. That means I have been home alone and it has made me realize how difficult it is to cook for just one. With that said, the past couple of weeks I spent little time in the kitchen (sad day) and much of my meals were prepared for me. I managed to make Indian takeout last for 3 meals (dinner, lunch, and another dinner), one pasta dish last a couple days, and various other forms of drive-through eateries.

JC is finally back in town for an extended period of time, so we decided to cook together last night. I was craving something rich, tomato-y, and cheesy. Originally we were going to do spaghetti night, but decided to postpone that for later in the week. Instead, I did a little online searching and a recipe for goat cheese enchiladas caught my eye. Enchiladas are one of my favorite dishes, but it is crucial you have good quality tortillas and sauce. My personal favorites are the cheese enchiladas from Rosa's on Campbell and Ft. Lowell. This is definitely the best Mexican restaurant north of 22nd St, and it is conveniently located just a few minutes from my house. They have, hands down, the best chile rellenos in town and their cheese enchiladas are to die for. My standard order (all a la cart): a cheese enchilada, a chile relleno, and a beef taco homestyle. Go there, you won't regret it. And to sweeten the deal, they have amazing salsa--beats Guadalajara by a mile! It is a cozy place, family owned, and they treat everyone like family. It's nearly always the same people working. Your food comes out on these rolling supply carts and everything is always piping hot ("hot plate!"). I love Rosa's.

I digress. Back to dinner last night. A recipe for goat cheese enchiladas caught my eye so we decided to try it out. The recipe is by Bobby Flay, who I am normally a bit skeptical of. My guilty pleasure is watching Throwdown even though I know it blatantly demonstrates how cocky Bobby is. Regardless, I still like the show and we decided to try one of his recipes. It seemed simple enough with a homemade sauce and tortillas stuffed with heaps of creamy goat cheese. The filling was perfect, the richness of the cheese and the cilantro flavor blended so well together. To be honest, the enchilada sauce was just meh. It wasn't anything too spectacular, just tasted like your run of the mill tomato sauce. Next time I'll probably try a different recipe or (gasp) I'll use something out of a can. But definitely hang on to this filling mix, it's just wonderful.

There are a few ingredients that may be difficult to find at your local grocery store. Luckily I live in Tucson, so everything I needed was readily available at my local Safeway. The ancho chiles and Mexican oregano can be found in the "Hispanic Foods" aisle where they keep all the bags of spices like menudo seasoning, pickling spice, etc... Cotija cheese is something really special. It has a flavor sort of like parmesan or feta and is nice and crumbly. It adds a great touch to the filling mixture to cut through some of the goat cheese. It can be found in the cheese section in basically any grocery store here in Tucson.

Goat Cheese Enchiladas 
from Bobby Flay

For the sauce:

• 3 ancho chiles 
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 (16-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, pureed
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:

• 1 1/4 pounds goat cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup freshly grated cotija cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (add more if you love cilantro as much as me!)

For the enchilada assembly:

• 12 corn tortillas
• 8 ounces Monterey jack, grated
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Make the sauce:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chiles, remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove stems and seeds, then place in food processor with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid and puree until smooth.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add ancho puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, pureed tomatoes, and stock and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with honey, salt, and pepper, to taste. For a chunkier sauce, leave as is. For a smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender, or puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Make the filling:

Place goat cheese, garlic, cotija, and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the cilantro.

Assemble and bake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Dip tortillas in chile sauce to lightly coat both sides. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese filling on each tortilla and roll up. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato-chile sauce into a medium, deep casserole dish. Arrange rolled tortillas in the casserole so they fit snugly. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the enchiladas are heated through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Garnish with green onions.

Side note: My parents have spent the past week in Berkley/San Francisco and LA. My mom bought me these ridiculous socks and I had to share. You can compare them to our real dog--he is sitting in his new favorite spot in the backyard.

Irish for a Day

Yesterday was St. Patrick's day. My schedule was filled with class, class, and more class. I ate dinner at my parents house. My mom had been cooking corned beef in her crock pot since 8 AM that morning. She used the broth to boil up some cabbage, carrots, green beans, and potatoes. We have this dinner every single year. We do not have one bit of Irish blood in our bodies, but I have a huge love for corned beef. It must be the incredibly salty flavor and how it's so juicy, fatty, and soft when cooked just right. This is one of my favorite dinners during the year and it never disappoints.

Last year I treated myself to a green beer and made some delicious Guinness stout cupcakes with Bailey's frosting. They were ah-mazing! To be honest, I don't like Guinness very much. It's way too heavy and I'd much rather have a nice amber. Regardless, Guinness tastes great in cupcakes for St. Patrick's day. Since I didn't want to have to buy a 6-pack of beer and have all this extra, I decided to change the cupcake recipe. Rather than an Irish car bomb cupcake, I decided to do an Irish coffee cupcake. I have a great recipe for a Black Russian bunt cake (are you sensing a cake theme here?). It is an absolutely delicious cake, so I amended it a bit to have more coffee flavor and be cute little cupcakes. The final product was perfect. A little chocolate coffee flavor from the cake and the sweet touch of Bailey's in the frosting. Topped off with some cute green sprinkles and you have the perfect St. Patty's day treat.

Irish Coffee Cupcakes
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen

Cake:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding
• 1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. Kahlua

Frosting:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsp Bailey's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the cake: Line a muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners. Combine all cake ingredients and beat with a mixer. Fill cupcake cups 1/2 full and bake for 20-22 minutes (rotating half way) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Bailey's and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

When the cupcake are completely cool, frost with your homemade frosting and decorate with cute green sprinkles. 

**What surprised me today: Every time I leave my house in the morning, I'm never really in a super chipper mood. I probably just woke up 20 minutes ago, haven't eaten anything, and now I have to go to school and sit through lecture. Every morning, I walk by the graveyard of a flower bed, filled with the corpses of my used-to-be bountiful veggie garden. Now all that remains are skeletons of what's left of a basil plant, jalapeno, cucumber, and a beautiful gardenia. I also have the pungent aroma of dog poo wafting over me because my neighbors do not clean up after their new puppy and some mystery animal has decided my driveway would be the perfect place for them to defecate on a daily basis. I ride my bike the 1/4 mile to school, trying my best to avoid the vast obstacle course of potholes, shattered beer bottles, and sorority girls leaving the fraternity houses disheveled and barefoot (heels in hand). This really is definitely not the best way to start your day. Today, I walked out the door and this is what I saw:

It surprised me so much I just had to snap a picture of it. Every morning I go by this tree and for the past few months it has been a mere skeleton. The branches had turned brittle and a stark white, as if it had literally been frozen to the core. All of the leaves were gone and it really was a sad sight. I had no idea if this tree had made it through the frost. I had pretty much forgotten about this tree, given that I see it every day and it looked like it had died. I passed it everyday, but never gave it a second thought, just another plant among the others. But when I saw it this morning, I noticed it was dotted with little splotches of bright green. I leaned my bike against the wall, and went up to take a closer look and it was covered in vibrant green leaves and buds. It seemed so amazing to me that these growths of new life were coming out of branches that looked as if all the life had already been sucked out of them. Though not scientifically correct at all, I envisioned these tiny green buds traversing the treacherous, dark tree branches and persevering to finally emerge, poke their heads out, and feel the sunshine. It reminded me that sometimes you'll find yourself if dark places that you think you'll never get out of, but then Spring comes bringing the sunshine and blue skies and you'll emerge stronger than you were before.

Crustacean

crus·ta·cean   
[kruh-stey-shuhn]
–noun
Any chiefly aquatic arthropod of the class Crustacea, typically having the body covered with a hard shell or crust, including the lobsters, shrimps, crabs, barnacles, and wood lice.

That is a crustacean. But I'm not talking about the sea creature. I'm talking about the restaurant. I first heard about Crustacean a few years ago from my mom. I heard about it again just a few months ago on the Food Network show Best Thing I Ever Ate. Duff from Ace of Cakes was talking about the garlic noodles at Crustacean in Beverly Hills. They looked delicious. Garlic and noodles, two of my favorite things in the entire world. I heard about Crustaean yet again a few weeks ago when I found out one of JC's friends works at the restaurant.

JC and I are taking a trip to San Francisco in May for the Nutrition and Health Conference sponsored by the College of Medicine and the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. I went to the conference last year when it was in Atlanta. Hands down my favorite conference of the entire year. I am so excited to go in May, especially because it is in San Francisco. Health, integrative medicine, nutrition, San Francisco...who could ask for a better conference?

Back to Crustacean. I was talking to my mom about how excited I am go try these "famous garlic noodles." She said she had a recipe from my uncle on how to make these noodles and emailed it to me. It is so incredibly simple. I need to preface this with I have never tried these garlic nodes, but if they are anything like this recipe, they must be amazing.

The only thing that really makes these noodles somewhat asian is the addition of oyster sauce. Everything else is pretty generic. I did use my special Chinese chicken soup base. I have no idea what this stuff is called, but my grandma fondly refers to it as simply "chicken in an apron". You can get these chicken granules at any Asian grocery store, I like 17th street market just because it is close by. I don't know what they put into these little yellow granules of yum, but they definitely know what they are doing. This soup base is so versatile. I use it for soups, pastas, and anything you need a little chicken broth for. Pick up a jar of this, you won't regret it.

Also, I used linguine pasta because I didn't have any sort of asian noodle on hand. I'm sure these would taste spectacular with a hand-pulled noddle from China Magic Noodle House. The type of noodle can really make or break a dish. Just like if your pasta is served too al dente or overcooked, the dish is totally ruined. With this dish, a great noodle paired with a delicious sauce is pure bliss.

So here is the famous An family garlic noodle recipe. I am excited to try the real thing soon. If you have tried them, let me know how the recipe compares. They don't look like much in the picture, but I promise, these won't dissappoint.

Garlic Noodles
adapted from Rasa Malaysia

• 1 lb fresh noodles (or pasta)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic (pounded)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (I use "chicken in an apron")
• 2 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 5 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

Heat up a pot of water and let it boil. Boil the noodles in the hot water until they are done, drain the water, and set aside to cool down the noodles.

In a pan, saute the garlic with the olive oil in medium heat. The purpose is to infuse the olive oil with garlicky flavor. Discard the garlic and then add in 4 tablespoons of butter and turn the heat to low. Add in the chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, oyster sauce and blend well.

Pour the garlic mixture over the noodles and toss them together to blend well. Add in the grated parmesan cheese, toss well, and serve immediately.