Bistro-Style Mustard Vinaigrette (via Aud Monster’s Kitchen)

Beautiful salad, couldn’t resist reposting this beauty!

I don’t typically buy bottled salad dressings. Simple vinaigrettes take only a few minutes to throw together, and even slightly more complicated dressings like ranch or blue cheese are pretty easy. Plus, if you make them yourself you don’t have to worry about excessive sugar or high fructose corn syrup or any other strange ingredients. This recipe originally came from Cook’s Illustrated and is officially called Bistro-Style Mustard Vinaigrette, b … Read More

via Aud Monster’s Kitchen

Hospitality in Zermatt ~ Hot Chocolate (via Colton Graub Photography | © 2011)

This is an absolutely phenomenal vision. Wow wow wow!

Daily Photo ~ Hospitality in Zermatt – Hot Chocolate After traveling to Zermatt all day the day before, I woke up in Zermatt completely refreshed and ready for a good day of exploring.  This is the view that I saw from my hotel room, of all places.  I took it from a couple of angles along the balcony but it really didn't change the perspective that much and eventually I choose that this one showed the scene how I really experienced it.  For those … Read More

via Colton Graub Photography | © 2011

Recipe: Shrimp and Loofah Soup (鲜虾丝瓜汤) (via jenny’s world)

Fantastic. What exactly is Loofah?? Check this out!

Second year of medical school officially started this Monday for me! I still can’t believe that I’ve made it this far, haha. I just wanted to make this quick recipe post to commemorate the beginning of this school year as well as the end of summer…. a summer which has been, overall, pretty epic and pretty darn good. Monday started off with an early 8 am (th … Read More

via jenny’s world

Lighter Chicken and Dumplings and Asparagus with Citrus and Oregano (via Camille Cooks)

Oh boy! Another blogger who documents pricing in their recipes– check her OUT!

Don’t be intimidated by the recipe for “Lighter Chicken and Dumplings,” from the September/October 2009 issue of Cook’s Illustrated (recipe below). Indeed, you’ll need to follow a few particular cooking steps, but the rewards will be great. My diners loved this soup. And really, the preparation is not too difficult. You’ll notice that everything takes place in one pot — a Dutch oven — and the dumplings are simply dropped in to float and cook at … Read More

via Camille Cooks

Kim’s Pumpkin Soup (via Heart Spoon)

Last month’s cooking club was hosted by the lovely Kim, our lone vegetarian. One of my favorite cooking club conversations occurred thanks to her eating habits, (plus a few glasses of wine and some sheer honesty). Bianca: “Kim. To be honest, I didn’t know if I’d like you after I heard we had a vegetarian in the club. But I really do. You are fantastic.” Kim: “Thanks, Bianca. I’m happy I changed your mind.” Appropriately enough, her theme was a ve … Read More

via Heart Spoon

The Chocolatiest Birthday Cake (via Dinner & Dessert)

Gorgeous. Just, gorgeous.

I turned 24 on January 9, and wanted to make a cake to celebrate.  (Yes I made my own )  I knew it had to be chocolate, and I’ve had my eye on this Chocolate Intensity Cake for a while now.  The Daring Bakers made this cake in February 2007 and gave it rave reviews about how rich it was.  Perfect! I am one of those people who has a high tolerance for rich desserts.  I’ve never had to stop eating something because it is “too rich.”  I remember t … Read More

via Dinner & Dessert

Rocky Road Cupcakes — Pauladeen.com

 

 

 

 

 

Rocky Road Cupcakes

By Stefani Pollack

Take the road less traveled and enjoy a rocky road dessert found outside of your supermarket ice cream freezer. Start with a milk chocolate brownie cupcake, add more chocolate (in the form of mini chocolate chips), mini marshmallows, and chopped almonds and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing rocky road cupcake.  To make it unforgettable, add a chocolate meringue frosting toasted with a culinary torch (or your broiler)!

Yield: 18 cupcakes

Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
½ cup mini marshmallows
½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup almonds, loosely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and milk until blended.

Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.

Fold in marshmallows, chocolate chips, and almonds.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

Bake for twenty-five minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

Chocolate Meringue Frosting

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
18 almonds, mini marshmallows, and chocolate pieces for decoration

Directions:

Combine the egg whites and sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.

Set mixing bowl on top of a pot of boiling water.

Whisk until sugar has reached 110 F on a candy thermometer.

Remove mixing bowl from the pot and place on mixer.

Whisk for 10 minutes on medium speed using the whisk attachment.

Whisk on high speed for another five minutes (you should see stiff glossy peaks).

Whisk in cocoa powder until just integrated.

Spoon onto cupcakes.

Top each cupcake with an almond, marshmallow, and piece of chocolate.

Toast the meringue and marshmallow using a culinary torch or placing under your oven broiler for just a quick second. Make sure to not walk away as these will toast fast.

Stefani Pollack is the author of the popular cupcake blog, Cupcake Project. While she loves simple chocolate cupcakes, Stefani prefers creative cupcakes inspired by her favorite flavor combinations. She encourages her readers to branch out and experiment in the kitchen. Why cupcakes? They bring out the kid in us! Visit Stefani at www.cupcakeproject.com.

Rocky Road Cupcakes — Pauladeen.com.

Spicy Italian-Style Chicken with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions- Scarpariello (via Dinner & Dessert)

Another great Cooks Illustrated Chicken recipe added to the list. Oh Baby!

I was looking through the Cook’s Illustrated website for dinner ideas and came across this recipe when I was searching for chicken ideas. It sounded interesting and I wanted to try something different, so I decided to go for it. We ended up really enjoying it. I haven’t done a whole lot of cooking with bone-in chicken breasts, so this was a great way to get some practice. I really liked this combination of flavors. I didn’t find this to be all th … Read More

via Dinner & Dessert

Mushroom, Sage, Fontina, and Parmesan Pizza | Brown Eyed Baker

Mushroom, Sage, Fontina and Parmesan Pizza. One word: Ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous. Oh, my gosh.

Mushroom, Sage, Fontina and Parmesan Pizza. Ridiculous.