THE CHEFCHARETTE

Charles Aznavour-Mes Emmerdes, from the soundtack of Julie &...

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:07:17 -0700

Charles Aznavour-Mes Emmerdes,

from the soundtack of Julie & Julia

Julia Child's Crepes stacked with layers of Smitten Kitchen's Mushroom sauce

Sat, 07 Jul 2012 23:38:00 -0700

Two cooks & ladies I love: Julia Child & SmittenKitchen. They inspired me to go a little crazy on making crepes. I’ve been making crepes every day because I am so… determined to master it. It bothers me that I cannot make a crepe in a perfect circle that is golden brown at the right places. I leave studio early because I want to get a head start on my next batch of crepe’s. It’s a huge blessing that I have not failed studio (yet)

I made about 15 thick, bitter ones at the Hoffmann’s with their 5 year old expired flour (lesson #1 NEVER use old flour), another 15 for father’s day, another 15 to make more banana’s foster crepe’s for Henry & our friends, another 15 for other friends & coworkers… & am in the process of making 20 more. & honestly, out of the 60 that I had made, I was only able to keep & serve about 1/3…. or 20 crepe’s.

A crepe is a basic, thin French pancake that calls for few ingredients that we all (should) have: flour, eggs, milk, & butter (music to my ears) but it really takes a lot of practice & patience to properly make them. The first batches are almost always disastrous: oval shaped, punched with holes, lumps, uneven texture, too thick, burnt, too soggy/crispy…

But I love making crepes because it’s so exciting to hope that the next crepe will come out better, & (lesson #2) a great way to turn simple ingredients/ugly leftovers into a beautiful presentation. So far, I’ve filled my crepe’s with proscuitto & figs, mushrooms/spinach/onions sauteed in garlic butter, pesto chicken & sundried tomatoes, peaches with brown sugar & cinnamon, banana’s foster & ice cream.

& after so many attempts & learning from Julia Child, I have learned 4 tips to make decent crepes:

You must sift your flour before you mix it into your eggs/milk/water. This way, you won’t get these bubbly lumps of flour stuck in your batter
You must wait at least 2 hours (overnight is good) for the flour to expand, & batter to pour onto the pan with the right consistency
When cooking, the pan should be fairly hot & you have to turn your pan very quickly for the crepe to form a circle. Your crepe should only take 1-2 minutes to cook on each side. If it takes longer, your pan is too cold.
Lay crepes out on a cooling rack immediately after they are done cooking. Do not leave them out for too long or they’ll dry out.

I know, I know, we like to skip steps. But if you want to present your friends/family with appealing crepe’s or even feed them with leftovers & still impress them by rolling them into crepe’s (OHHH fancy!) , you must be patient & willing to invest the time & energy to make them.

Since I had so… many crepe’s, I decided to stack all these Julia Child crepe’s with SmittenKitchen’s mushroom sauce. (butter piled over butter piled over butter……the best.) Fortunately, my friend Diana (a mushroom lover) came to visit & to taste-test. She & her mom finished 7/8 of it after they were “full.” Lovely.

Process

Exterior Perspective

Section

Interior Perspective

Function

Blossom Dearie - Rhode Island is famous for you How I remember...

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:27:00 -0700

Blossom Dearie - Rhode Island is famous for you

How I remember my states & where my food comes from

Another goodbye dinner, that ends with Banana's Foster Crepes

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 16:32:00 -0700

As I was whisking the eggs into the flour to make crepes, the man fixing the fridge became the fourth stranger who asked me if I was running a restaurant at the Gamble House…& suggested me to. I laughed. That would be lovely. I give him the “I can’t, I have studio” response that we’ve all used: “I can’t go to your party because I have studio…. I can’t sleep because I have studio… I can’t work out because I have studio…. I can’t read because I have studio… I can’t go home because I have studio…. I can’t go home for Thanksgiving because I have studio…. I can’t eat because I have studio.” Studio is the sad excuse from good things. & blame for everything that goes wrong…. “I’m sick because of studio. I have high blood pressure because I have studio. I’m poor because I have studio. I have insomnia because I have studio. I have anxiety because of studio. I’m breaking out because I have studio. I’m fat & ugly because I have studio.”

My other arch alumni friend (& former Gensler employee) Henry, is leaving to Taiwan to serve. It definitely hurts to let this second all nighter partner go. I remember meeting him in my Freshman year when he was a 4th year. Since then, he’s encouraged me when I had major designers block or was frustrated with Rhino-modeling or wanted to drop architecture. He’s even come to my old apartment to do Autocad drawings for me at 3AM…..Henry has been such a great older brother/mentor to me.

I will never forget that last night we joined Yulee & Leon’s “charette night” at the Gamble House two years ago. Henry fell asleep almost immediately under the tables. What was supposed to be a productive all nighter/charette became a night of singing Falling Slowly/playing guitar, procrastination & ~~6 hour napping~~ sleeping.

So before Henry moved out, he & some of our friends came over for a “goodbye Henry” dinner. Henry is such a gracious & humble man who has strange, but brilliant & hilarious things to say. We’re all going to miss his words & friendly, geeky face.

I asked Henry a few days ago what he’d like for his final dinner, & he asked me to cook the same dinner I cooked & brought to his studio for his very final charette before he graduated. so cute. what an honor. After we settled down the table & took the first bites of our dinner, we both smiled, looked at each other, & said the same thing: the dishes have improved & are now more flavorful. Practice makes perfect.

Dinner Menu

Peach ginger iced tea

Mini fig, proscuitto, arugula & mini pesto pizza’s

Trader Joe’s Mushroom risotto

Sauteed garlic asparagus

Parmesan Tilapia filets

Banana’s Foster Crepes

I’m starting to realize that I shouldn’t post all my recipes on Tumblr, & must save some/many recipes in the actual cookbook. This banana’s foster crepe recipe has been a huge success among friends, family, & even their friends & family. It will certainly be included in TheChefCharette cookbook, which, is definitely making good progress. :) Feel free to come over to test/get a taste of what (could possibly) will be found in TheChefCharette.

Port de Bras II - This Is The Last Time: Christopher Hobson

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 14:29:21 -0700

Port de Bras II - This Is The Last Time: Christopher Hobson

Mary Poppins-A spoonful of sugar

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 23:59:26 -0700

Mary Poppins-A spoonful of sugar

Citrus Oatmeal with Cranberries & nuts (vegan)

Tue, 29 May 2012 11:24:00 -0700

Nothing starts the day greater than a heart-healthy bowl of oatmeal. This recipe prepares a much more nutritious bowl of oatmeal than your instant Quaker oats (with tons of refined sugars & preservatives) & only takes a few minutes to prepare!

Oatmeal just provides so many health benefits… it provides fiber, stops your cravings (& is low calorie/fat), stabilizes your blood sugar, removes bad cholesterol, possibly prevents heart disease & cancer, stabilizes levels of Estrogen (oh hey PMS…), & even soothes & enhances your skin. It’s great for anyone of all ages going through/preventing whatever health issues. (high blood pressure, heart problems, etc) & is suitable for so many diets (vegetarian, vegan, & gluten free)…. can it get any better?

I’ve always been a big breakfast & morning person. Mornings = new beginnings & new opportunities to improve & create. Even if my friends & I pulled an allnighter, seeing the sun rise was an indicator that I had to prepare a big bowl of oatmeal for me & my friend. Crystal would immediately brighten up once she heard me preparing a bowl of this oatmeal for her. Each spoonful of this heart-healthy oatmeal would not only give us such warm comfort & smiles, but the great citrus tang from the orange zest would wake us up from a painful, long night of autocad-ing. The nutrients & flavors altogether would give us that much needed boost to crank out those final hours by our 2PM submission deadline.

This fruity, nutty, nutritious, vegan & gluten-free oatmeal takes < 5 minutes to prepare. What’s more is that this recipe is so flexible that even if you can’t use even a few ingredients, you can easily experiment & replace them with others. See bottom chef notes for some ideas or stir up your own concoction :)

Citrus Oatmeal with Cranberries & nuts

(makes 1 serving)

Ingredients

2/3 C low-fat vanilla (dairy/nondairy) milk (see chef notes at bottom)
1/3 C quick-cooking oats
1/4 C cranberries
1 tsp brown sugar, more if desired
1/2 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (or other nuts)

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the milk, oats, orange zest, & dried fruit. If you have time, allow it to soak for 3-5 minutes.
Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir mixture and continue to microwave until mixture starts to boil.
Remove oatmeal from microwave and stir. Cover & let it sit for 2 minutes. Stir in sugar & nuts. Add more milk & orange zest if desired.
Serve warm & enjoy :)

Chef notes:

-if you don’t have some kind of vanilla milk, use plain milk/water & add 1 tsp of vanilla extract while soaking.

-regular milk can easily be replaced with soy or almond milk. If you can do without the creaminess, then milk can also easily be replaced by water.

-cranberries/raisins are easily interchangeable.

-if you’d like to experiment with fresh/dry fruit, feel free to make any of the following combinations: chopped pears (w/ orange zest/spoonfuls of orange juice mixed with the milk), banana’s with raisins, walnuts, & raisins for a banana bread flavor, &/or apples w/ raisins & cinnamon for an apple pie flavor. Sprinkle some turbinado sugar or pour in just a spoonful of honey or peanut/pumpkin/fig butter after microwaving if desired :)

Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:01:00 -0700

This is probably one of the most simplest, yet sophisticated foods you can make for breakfast, lunch, or some big snack in between finals. It’s piled over with smoked salmon slices (a powerfood packed with protein, vitamins A & B, & omega 3’s to give your brain that boost) & garnished with dill (an herb that fights bacteria…very helpful for those building models in studio w/ toxic chemicals…)

& lastly, it only takes 5 ingredients & at most, about 10 minutes to prepare. These ingredients can be found in almost any grocery store & are perfect to create other snacks (cream cheese w/ chives & crackers, salmon w/ dill)

So save your body from those sugar-loaded granola bars & junk food & feed yourself some open faced smoked salmon sandwiches to give you that needed boost for finals & charette :)

Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich

(makes 4 sandwiches)

Ingredients

2 bagels (whole wheat, onion, or everything are great choices)
4 oz sliced smoked salmon
cream cheese w/ chives
pepper to taste
chopped fresh or dried dill (garnish)

Directions

Wash dills thoroughly, drain, and set aside to dry.
Split bagels and toast in toaster/toaster oven (optional)
Spread however much cream cheese w/ chives on one bagel half.
Spread & fold over smoked salmon slices evenly on top of same bagel half.
Sprinkle pepper & garnish with chopped dill. Repeat with other bagel halves.
Serve immediately & enjoy!

woetothedownpressors: Frank Sinatra & Sammy Davis Jr. Me...

Sun, 13 May 2012 20:32:03 -0700

woetothedownpressors:

Frank Sinatra & Sammy Davis Jr.

Me and My Shadow

I miss these guys, perhaps some of the best music of the last century!

Starting the summer right, with my first baking class

Sun, 13 May 2012 02:17:00 -0700

During my finals, my breaks typically involved some kind of baking or cooking, whether it was to feed myself, to clean out my pantry/fridge, or to feed my friends, or a combination of all of these…. I would always find an excuse to bake and/or cook.

My friend asked me why I wouldn’t just take a break to watch a tv episode/movie, & I told him it’s simply because you can’t even share that with people. you can’t talk over it. but food? food is something you can always give, share, & enjoy with people. & have great conversations over. especially during finals. once you make one batch of cookies, you can give it to SEVERAL acquaintences, friends, professors, etc :) everyone gets a little bit of something.

….& oh, I learned that studying off the computer is a terrible idea, because my roommate & I constantly found myself wandering off through so many websites looking for some cooking classes I could enroll in. Even the night before my ballet final performance, I’d slide a batch of green tea cookies into the oven in between each of my run-throughs my petit allegro. (I prob spent more time baking than dancing & studying combined)

It was one of the most intense & tiring nights. but so. worth. it. mixing the green tea powders together, testing out the green tea cookie batter (& consuming too much caffeine through that) + saute-ing up & down & chasse-ing side to side.. well, you can be certain that i was sore for a week after that.

Honestly, culinary arts is something that I am considering. Whether or not I actually pursue baking as a profession or just keep it as a side hobby, I decided to sign up for a cooking class. While I was shopping at Sur La Table (therapeutic during finals), I I noticed that they had an upcoming macaron baking class. The $69 cost was very painful to see….but I could not resist. I’d go back to the class registration every day, in some hope that the fee would magically decrease, but of course, it didn’t. I ended up enrolling in it. I figured that if I learn the secrets to baking these RIGHT, then I’d no longer be a slave to Bottega Louie or ‘Lettes, but could reproduce them myself & for my friends :)

piping out raspberry buttercream onto each hazelnut crust :) i was scared of making misshaped rounds & overfilling the macarons, but they came out almost perfect!

Me + Chef Katherine Torres, a sweet, knowledgable, patient woman & baker. She graduated from the Art Institute & emphasized to me that those bakers who are artistically talented, are more likely to be skillful in baking than those who aren’t creative/artistic. She has not only inspired me, but she encouraged me. We’ll see where it goes from here ;)

p.s: please don’t ask me to make macarons for you. i received lots of help from her & other women. gotta practice them myself now ;)

The Bake Sale

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:42:00 -0700

I picked up my cute little 14 & 18 year old cousins (who I haven’t seen for 13 YEARS…) from school & brought them back to my house to spend the whole afternoon baking. Both are going to Taiwan for their first missions trip this summer & both need to raise about 2k. I was so happy. & I thought: well, why not do a bake sale? Why not catch up & bake together? I hardly get to see either cousin, & well…catching up while baking espresso brownie bites can’t get any sweeter.

I’ve made hundreds of espresso brownie bites (for my lovely sleep deprived studiomates), so I thought making 4 batches with them would be manageable (88 for them to sell their friends at school, 12 for me to feed my third year friends dying in the worst design charette of their lives) I had my 10 lbs of flour (5 lbs left),3 lbs of butter, 3 cans of cocoa powder, 24 oz. of chocolate chips, 1.5 dozens of lg eggs, my huge bottle of homemade vanilla extract, & my huge can of ground hazelnut espresso all ready.

After I picked them up from school, Emma, my 18 year old cousin (who when I last saw was about 5 years old) updated me that she just got accepted to USC’s School of Architecture. “I really… don’t know how I got in…”

I laughed, because I also felt & still feel the same way about getting accepted to USC’s architecture program She really, really wants to come & asked me for financial aid advice & about my experience studying architecture at USC. I suggested her to politely reach out to the financial aid committee & to show how passionate she is about studying it at USC. Our conversation flashbacks me back to me 3 years ago, when I had the same questions as she did: ”What’s dorming like? Where should I live? What about grades? I’m a slow learner… it’s hard isn’t it? …I don’t know…”

& I just told her about how great the learning experience is at USC. The struggles we have to endure through just brings us so much grace. & oh..the goodness of the Shop Cafe & coffee vending machines by the studio…

& then she told me…“I don’t like even like coffee….”

& I laughed….”Oh, you will. Believe me, I didn’t like coffee either, but you will. You like tea? Yeah, you’ll drink even more of it. & you’ll start liking & drinking coffee too.”

& we laughed together as she cracked the eggs in & I beat the eggs into the brownie batter.

It was a long,but lovely day. We baked for about 4 hours together & I dropped my 2 little cousins back to their church. I hugged them goodbye as we honestly don’t know when will be the next time we see each other. But I am so happy to see how they’ve grown. I am so happy to see Emma take good care of her little sister & our overall cousin-cousin relationship. Even though our parents & families have so much animosity against each other (that hinders us from meeting together), we’ve learned to love God & do anything to talk, see, care & pray for each other. I am so fortunate for my cousins. Thank you God.

The Chef Charette Cookbook

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:53:00 -0700

One of my best friends, a graphic design major at CSULB, was assigned to design & create a cookbook for her studio class. This is the original, & only copy that she has printed & hand-bound with scotch tape.

She asked me if I wanted to collaborate with her. I was honored. While I cooked, baked, & drew, she photographed & designed the layout. Although we had to cram this cookbook within a month, we worked well together. We’ve also agreed to add on more recipes, drawings, & photographs & to complete/publish this cookbook after this semester ends. Thank you everyone, for all of your support & encouragement. I’ll keep you guys updated :)

Landon Pigg-Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:49:00 -0700

Landon Pigg-Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop

Pear & Blue Cheese Salad

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:16:00 -0700

My lovely architecture friends & old studiomates invited me over for our traditional potluck BBQ. As much as I love baking, I care for everyone’s health (esp the junk food archies)…& I figured I should probably cut back on that & create something more refreshing & healthy (for the sake of my future kids & my studiomates not becoming overweight)

Salads are a great… & flavorful way to eat your vegetables. All the combined ingredients in this salad enhance each other. & they’re not only flavorful, but they also contain a wide variety of nutrients that make this salad delectable & healthy. Most of all, its tanginess & sweetness will refresh & wake you up from sitting throughout your long night (&/or morning)

Some of you are probably wondering why choose Bosc pears (why not Barlett pears?) Well, realistically you could use either type of pear, but Bosc is usually preferred for salads because they’re crunchier when raw. They’re also in season from Sept-April ,whereas Barlett pears are in season from Aug-Feb. You could peel the skin off before slicing them, but I like to wash them well & keep the skin on (because I’m honestly lazy & use the excuse of the skin giving it more fiber)

& if you don’t like blue cheese or almonds, feel free to substitute gorgonzola or walnuts instead. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so flexible, simple, & elegant.

Ingredients

10 oz spring salad mix
1/3 bunch red leaf lettuce
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste
3 bosc pears, thinly sliced
4 oz crumbled blue (or gorgonzola) cheese
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C caramelized almonds/other nuts (for instructions, see step 2)

Directions

Thoroughly wash and drain the spring mix and lettuce. Drain well, cut into bite sized pieces & set aside in a large bowl to air dry.
(skip &proceed to step 3 if you already have caramelized nuts) In a lightly greased skillet over medium heat, stir 1/2 C sugar & 2 tbsp water with 1 C nuts. Continue stirring gently until the sugar has completely melted & caramelized the nuts. Carefully transfer the nuts evenly onto a baking sheet with waxed paper. Allow it to cool and break into pieces.
For the dressing, blend together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, & sugar in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle salt & freshly grounded pepper to taste.
Pour dressing over salad & toss in sliced red onions, sliced pears, blue cheese crumbles, cranberries, & caramelized nuts. Lightly sprinkle some salt/sea salt. Mix well & serve cold. Enjoy!

Updated Espresso Brownie Bites Recipe!

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:11:00 -0800

I added some more adjustments to the recipe after I made it a third time. (third time’s a charm ;) ) The brownies are now more flavorful with added ground, hazelnut espresso (along with more caffeine) Hope you enjoy them!

Hiya ^__^ I noticed in your brownie bites that you have eggs listed twice, as well as salt, flour, and vanilla extract. I was just wondering what the correct recipe was, because I really want to make them :o) Thank you!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:51:00 -0800

Oh my goodness. I am so sorry about that! it’s actually only supposed to be 4 large eggs. I’m correcting the recipe now, thanks for letting me know! Let me know if you run into any problems in making the Epresso Brownie Bites! :) Happy baking!

Espresso Brownie Bites

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:03:00 -0800

Are you sleep deprived? Are you pulling an allnighter? Are you hungry & does that cup of coffee not fulfill your appetite? Are you a a girl who’s craving chocolate but that colossal sized brownie at the cafe just won’t do because it’s “too many calories?” Are you willing to take a bite-sized brownie because it’s “fewer calories?” Are you craving a brownie but can’t afford to let the chocolatey crumbles fall & STAIN your clean, white model?

If you said yes to any of these, then this recipe is for you.

but BEWARE- These brownies are loaded with caffeine, much more espresso than your typical espresso brownie. I made the big mistake of first making these brownies at midnight. After testing the batter & eating 3 brownie bites, I was bouncing off the walls… obnoxiously texting my friend, & could not sleep until 3:30 AM. Success in giving energy? I think so.

These espresso brownie bites go great with a nice cup of milk…at any time of the day (or night). with these caffeine loaded brownies, you’re set to draw, study… & because they’re bite sized, you can pop them right into your mouth, while building that clean model of yours all night long.

note: when blending sugar with butter, make sure you start with softened (either almost or completely melted) butter. When blending the butter with the sugar, keep blending it together until it’s well incorporated before you mix it with the other dry ingredients. This way, everything will blend together more evenly and your baked good will come out of the oven with the right texture.

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/4 C sugar
4 lg eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp espresso powder (i used Don Francisco’s finely grinded Hawaiian Hazelnut Espresso)
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter, vanilla, and sugar until well incorporated. Beat in the eggs.
3) In another large bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking powder, and espresso powder.
4) Gradually mix the cocoa mixture into the butter mixture. butter/sugar mixture into the cocoa mixture. Stir until smooth. gradually add the chocolate chips and stir it well.
5) Fill the brownie batter into each mini-muffin cup. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow it to cool for a few minutes then remove from pan. Enjoy!

Apple and Cranberry couscous salad

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:42:00 -0800

Couscous Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Israeli couscous
4 cups (32 oz) low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 medium granny smith apple, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

vinaigrette ingredients:

1/4 cup apple cider or white distilled vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

For the couscous: In a pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly browned, about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 - 12 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool. Add the parsley, rosemary, apple, dried cranberries, and almonds.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Serve immediately or refrigerate for 2-3 days and enjoy it cold! :)

To toast the almonds, place the slivered almonds on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven at 300F for about 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.

Italian Wedding Soup

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:01:00 -0800

So back from EFCI’s summer retreat, Shannon and I walked into the cafeteria and were craving some soup. We got the last bowls of Italian Wedding Soup. As we both took our first spoonfuls, our eyes lit up and we looked at each other in awe, and at the same moment, thought, and said, “I’m going to make this.”

So finally after all these months, just after I turned in my last studio project of this year, I did some research and decided to make it for GOC’s Christmas party/potluck. I was nervous because I’m a novice in cooking any meat (since I was a pescetarian) and in cooking soup. Anyway, I did my research on Giada’s recipe. A true, straight up Italian whom I can trust, and other various chefs. After some adjustments based on what I could find in my pantry and at my local Fresh and Easy store, this is what I’ve created.

Fortunately, it came out as a hit at the party and even my mom enjoyed it. Now that, is something. Feel free to have some fun and experiment with some adjustments!

Italian Wedding Soup (adapted from Giada)

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 small onion, finely chopped
1/3 C fresh Italian parsley
1 lg egg
1 tsp mminced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 C Italian bread crumbs
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb ground beef
freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

12 C low sodium chicken broth
1 lg. bunch of kale, coarsely chopped (unless you can find endive/escarole)
2 lg eggs
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cooked Israeli couscous (or orzo)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make meatballs, stir all ingredients except ground beef,cheese, and black pepper in a large bowl to blend. Then, stir in the cheese, beef, and ground some black pepper. Shape meat mixture into approx. 1-inch diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.
To make the soup, bring the chicken broth in a LARGE pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and kale and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the kale is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the egg, cheese, and Israeli couscous in a bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth and stir gently to form strands. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soups into bowls and serve. If desired, finish the soup with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Charette week

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:26:00 -0800

not only has the holiday season begun, but it’s charette week. My final project (of this year) is due this Friday. This is probably gonna be one of the best & most memorable weeks ever. I love all of my studiomates; and I’m soooo excited to cook (hopefully nutritious & high protein food) for my studiomates. And I hope that through this experience, I will not do it out of pride, but with really just out of a genuine, generous heart.