Emily's Eats

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

2011-04-10T20:36:00.006-04:00

I was using StumbleUpon the other day and found this great recipe for yummy cinnamon bread (http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/). Today was a beautiful day and finally starting to look like spring, so after cutting the grass, I came in, opened the windows and baked all day.

First I made my favorite chocolate chip cookies (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/Detail.aspx) which I added regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and chopped up walnuts. I also let the dough sit for a couple hours in the fridge after making the dough so it would be nice and firm when I went to scoop it out on to sheet trays. While those were in the over I started on my bread.

If you've ever made cinnamon rolls the process is similar. I followed the recipe making the dough (though I did just melt the butter and heat up the milk in the microwave, rather then on the stove top. And instead of adding the yeast to the dry ingredients I added it to the melted butter and milk after it had cooled.) I allowed my dough to rise as the recipe suggests, and then punched it down. It was a very sticky dough which can be hard to work with. To compensate I floured the counter, and my rolling pin. I rolled the dough into a ball after punching and let sit on the counter for about 5 minutes so the gluten fibers in it could rest before I rolled it out. When it came time I rolled it into a square about 20 inches by 15 inches. It wasn't perfectly square but I made do. Then I spread the melted butter on with a pastry brush and sprinkled the cinnamon sugar heavily on. As instructed in the recipe I cut the square into 6 pieces horizontally, and then stacked them on top of each other. After I cut those 6 into 6 additional pieces, creating numerous square pieces. I then squished these into a 9x5x3 loaf pan I had greased with crisco. I let rest for about 30 minutes, which gave the dough some time to rise again, completely filling in the pan. I then baked the bread for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. I let rest for a little bit (10 minutes or so), loosened the edges and then flipped on to a cutting board. Once done, I flipped it back over on to a plate. Turned out great! What an awesome recipe, I hope you all have the chance to try it too! It'll make a great breakfast for my family all week.

My bread >

"Joy the Bakers"'s bread >

Hope all is well!

Here today, gone tomorrow

2010-12-30T23:34:00.000-05:00

Just about once a week I get the thought that I should get on here and update my blog, but the problem is I really have nothing exciting to say. I'm not going to make myself seem all self glorified and share my bit of knowledge with the world. Im not better than anyone and I really dont know all that much. I mean no one really does, just an exchange of knowledge from one person to the next. Anyways Christmas has come and gone and my last few days of freedom at home are dwindling. Back to school where at least time goes by quickly and I can go back to work and make money. I wish money wasnt so essential to life because it really does suck having to depend on an income to be able to afford fun things. Cest la vie right? So ill end this ramble with some possible new years resolution ideas for 2011.

1.) Work out once a week, or at least once every couple weeks, worst case scenario once a month. Better idea, play more Wii. Its exercise that tricks you into thinking its not!

2.) Diet of some sort? Give up soda or juice? Eh overall eat food I love in better portions and dont eat those foods that are throw away calories, they dont taste that good and my stomach will thank me for removing the extra baggage.

3.) Blog more, write more, even if its just for myself and no one else to read. Reading is knowledge and writing is an essential skill.

4.) Be happier, tare down walls, live life to the fullest, try things I said I never would

5.) Stick to the resolutions

Alright thats all for today, happy holidays to everyone and enjoy the new year. Happy eating.

I'm published!

2010-06-14T00:59:00.005-04:00

Check it out, http://uptownclt.com/2010/06/eat-on-the-street-harvest-moon/

Eat on the Street – Harvest Moon Grille

CURRENT ISSUE — BY EMILY JONES ON JUNE 28, 2010 AT 3:40 PM

I walk briskly past Johnson & Wales University. The enticing aromas help to quicken my pace. The bright-orange boxy cart catches my eye as I pass fellow students walking to class. As I stand in line I notice small signs propped against the cart promising fresh ingredients. My appetite grows. Once I order, I wait only briefly before a warm white box is handed to me, then I take a seat at a small table. Other hungry customers quickly take my place, eager to get a taste for themselves. As the wind steals my napkins, I take my first bite and force myself not to inhale my lunch from Harvest Moon Grille, Charlotte’s first artisan food cart.
Grateful Growers Farm, which owns and operates Harvest Moon, is famous for humanely raising its own pigs and for having some of the best pork in the universe, so I was surprised when Cassie Parsons, one of the farm’s founders and head chef of The Harvest Moon Grille, steered me away from a pork dish and toward a steak and mushroom quesadilla.

“It’s the best item on the menu today,” she encouraged.

The menu of the moment doesn’t always match the menu on the website due to constant changes and what looks best at the farmers markets that particular week or day.
It’s hard enough to find someone who actually looks at you when you order your food, let alone takes the time to shake your hand and describe where your food came from, so I was already falling in love with this cart. When she’s not working the grill inside the cart, Parsons is out front with a warm smile, greeting every customer that comes to the window. So, while a young chef named Adam manned the grill, Cassie explained where and how my food had been grown. She told me that culinary students who work for her visit local farmers markets, help pick out the food, and participate in deciding what they’re going to make that week.

“One of the best parts of the cart is the connection it creates for students, who are able to experience the simple joy of finding good products and sharing them with the community through our cart,” Parsons said.

A sticker on the bumper of the truck that pulls the cart reads, “No farm, no food.” It was just a simple bumper sticker, but loaded with implications. Like any other business, the cart has to make money by selling a product; this cart offers more than a simple meal. Everything has been grown or sourced with care, and then cooked with the same respect. According to Parsons, the animals are never pumped with drugs or made to eat things unnatural to them. Vegetables and other produce used in the Grille’s menu are kept far away from chemicals or pesticides while being grown. The food you get from the cart essentially comes straight from the earth to your plate, or, as Parsons puts it, “No middle man necessary.”

My steak and mushroom quesadilla was handed to me in a small white box. The powerful aroma jabbed me in the face as I opened the box, with a woodsy scent from the mushrooms perfuming the seasoned steak. The melted cheese enrobed what Parsons described as, “top round that has been brined for three days, then braised slowly.” Along with the mushrooms and caramelized onions, the ingredients blended together between two golden-brown tortilla shells – an olfactory bomb that tasted as good as it smelled.

Is this food trying to make a statement?
“Just because we work in the middle of the city doesn’t mean farm-fresh food should be out of reach,” Parsons said.
Over coffee it became evident that Cassie Parsons is the type of person who gives you a genuine smile and looks into your eyes when she talks. She is confident, but not boastful, and is comfortable in her own skin. She speaks with passion and conviction and clearly loves her job. But this wasn’t always the case. She moved to Charlotte 14 years ago and worked as a chef at a high-end steak restaurant, but, she soon realized she wasn’t satisfied with the quality of food it was serving. It didn’t take long for her to see how rising food costs caused compromises in quality at most restaurants. She decided she didn’t want to be a part of this cycle anymore so she started her own organic garden to grow produce she could sell to local chefs. While many of her friends thought it was a beautiful idea, the chefs didn’t bite. Organic products weren’t yet mainstream, and the extra cost couldn’t be justified.
She decided she had to keep fighting, especially because of her concern about the relentless loss of farmland. According to Parsons, in the past 19 years more than half of North Carolina’s farmland, 9 million acres, has been paved over. The idea of the Grateful Growers Farm had been gestating in the back of Parson’s mind for a number of years.

“All I wanted to do was make really great food, eat well, and provide for my friends.”

She grabbed hold of that simple concept and ran with it. After a lot of hard work she eventually got a grant from an organization that seemed thrilled by her innovativeness. Parsons had cleared the first obstacle, and with her partner, Natalie Veres, was able to start Grateful Growers. And thus, the 10-acre farm they now enjoy, in Lincoln County, was born in December 2004.
In addition to the hogs they’re famous for, they also raise close to 500 ducks a year, as well as a handful of chickens and turkeys for personal use. They also grow about 40 pounds of shiitake mushrooms annually. In addition to Peres and Parsons, the staff on the farm includes one part-time employee helping with farm work, a part-time bookkeeper, a part-time sales associate, and several volunteers who staff the tables at farmers markets.

After a few years of selling their farm-raised pork, chicken and other products to chefs and farmers market patrons, they decided, during the summer of 2009, to create The Harvest Moon Grille. From Monday through Thursday, just a walk away from anywhere in uptown, they cook and serve organic food, sourced from more than a dozen farms and local businesses. Parsons is delighted with the response, especially because The Harvest Moon Grille runs well with only one full-time and four part-time employees. She told me, “This little cart has created a true connection between the growers, the guests who get to enjoy their products, and the employees.”

In so doing, The Harvest Moon Grille has unintentionally become a symbol of possibility in Charlotte’s streets, stirring up the tastebuds, and perhaps the imaginations, of everyday consumers, offering farm-fresh meals in a city environment. As our cities grow ever taller, businesses such as The Harvest Moon Grille remind us that we all started with the soil. “No farm, no food.” Indeed.

~ Emily Jones

Theme

2010-03-17T21:23:00.003-04:00

So here's a brand spanking new idea I just thought of, about two seconds ago. I'm going to focus on a theme for my blog. Of course the overall theme is food ... but thats so broad! Also I can only tell you guys what i'm doing so often, i'm not that exciting. Don't get me wrong I love school and i'm thrilled beyond belief to be back in labs and out of the classrooms in dress clothes. But I feel like there should be more. Most every successful blog I've read has had a theme. Whether it's cheap meals or upcoming trends in the industry, there is always a focus. If I keep concentrating on only what I do and see then this blog will be too narrowed and eventually it'll just turn into a brag blog which just isn't pleasant to read. So I need to ask a favor from you the readers (there are readers right?)! Suggestions on what your interested in. If I don't know about the topic, ill research it. What interests you? And don't worry i'll be coming up with some ideas too because obviously this is my blog so I want to write about things i'm interested in too! So if you're reading this, please don't hesitate to comment.

I hope you find yourself today with family and friends on this lovely Saint Patrick's Day.

May your neighbors respect you, Trouble neglect you, The angels protect you, And heaven accept you.

Knife Cuts 101

2009-12-30T21:06:00.006-05:00

I was thinking, it'd be kind of neat if I could do a post about knife cuts. I know a decent amount about them anyhow. So here's my thought, ill take some pictures of me doing cuts and walk you through it.

Lets just start off nice and easy. You know the basic shape of a french fry right? Well its official fancy French name is a Battonet cut. The dimensions for it are 1/4" x 1/4" x 2 or 2-1/2". But personally I think 2-1/2 inches is way too short for a french fry, so feel free to make your cuts longer for whatever food your using it for.

By the way, while writing this blog I found a neat website showing some equipment and talking about knife cuts.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/worldtastes02Seg1.pdf

Well since I mentioned potatoes, let's just keep with that. Potatoes are functional for many foods, including stews, soups, and well just about anything.

You're going to want to set up your cutting board before you get started. The general rule I've heard is, you want your board to be as big if not bigger then the knife your using when it is laying diagonally. To keep your board secure on your counter try placing a wet paper towel or regular towel underneath it. Make sure to have the bottom of your board touching the end of your counter, this way you won't have to lean over when you cut.

After your board is all set up you're going to want to wash your potatoes really well. I'd suggest using Russet potatoes for french fries because they have more starch and less moisture, which makes them good for baking.

When you've gotten all the dirt of your potato, go ahead and peel it. It doesn't matter much what kind of peeler you use. At home I use one with a spinning blade but the one I use at school doesn't swivel at all. If this doesn't make sense, just go ahead and bet the one you have is fine.

The next step is one I had trouble with at the beginning. A seasoned chef will make it look easy to square of a potato, but it takes a little getting used to. My number one mistake was not keeping my knife straight as I cut. If you're new to using a chef knife it helps to keep your back straight as you cut and look over the food your cutting as you cut to make sure your knife is where you want it to be.

The goal is to waste as little potato as possible. Start with one of the larger sides and make a straight cut down to square it. Once straight, flip this side to the bottom so you wont have to worry about your potato wiggling around on you. Continue to cut all the other sides until you have a square potato. This is very important because if you don't start off with a square potato, you wont end up with correct or straight cuts.

With a Battonet cut you're going to want to bring your knife so it is 1/4 of an inch away from the end. Making sure you are cutting the longer end, make your cut. If done right you should get a square sheet of potato, with the thickness of.. you guessed it, 1/4 inch. You will continue to cut the rest of the potato into the same size sheets until done. At this point you can decide if you would like to trim your sheets down to 2 inches or larger. But whatever you decide, cut all your sheets the same way. After your sheets have been trimmed, you will begin to cut them into 1/4" sticks. It may be difficult at first to find how much 1/4" is but try using a ruler at first, it really helps. Eventually it'll get easier to remember how the cut looks. Continue to cut the rest of your sheets into 1/4" x 1/4" x 2 or 2-1/2" (or larger) cuts until finished. Take a step back and look at your perfect Battonet cuts! Not only do they look nice, but they'll cook evenly so you won't have to worry about some burning and some still be undercooked.

Pictures will come soon to accompany this, and ill write some about the Julienne cut which is very similar to the Battonet, only half the thickness.

Hope all is well =)

Have a wonderful New Years!

Where i've been

2009-11-03T09:06:00.000-05:00

Geese a pete, has it really been since August that I last posted? Well to let you know why, college has a way of draining other thoughts from your mind. Here's a quick overview of what I've done my first two and a half months in Culinary School.

I started this whole adventure off by packing all my worldly possessions into the back my parents mini-van (and some of my car too) and drove eight hours to North Carolina. I never realized how much I love driving until I was doing it by myself for the whole trip. My family and I's caravan made stops along the way but even still thats a lot of time alone in a car. I got to listen to a lot of good music and enjoy the view of the mountains. It was a long but good trip.

After just about every one in my family had a heart attack from carrying all my stuff up to the second floor of my dorm, I realized I had packed a lot. But now looking around, it all fits, it all has its own spot in this 16' x 10' room.

I started out first day of classes with Essentials of Dining Room. I found out very quickly i'm not made to be a server. I have the memory of a goldfish and i'm clumsy as hell. But I made it through and I had the chance to learn a bit about wine and tea and some other tid bits that are pretty interesting.

Then nine days later, on to Intro to Baking to Baking and Pastry. Also a side note, i'm not much of a baker. Don't get me wrong I love to make pies and cakes and everything, just don't ask me to decorate them. And shaping dough into different knots, yeah I don't have the patience for that. But now from that class I know how to make a simple soft dough, pate a choux (used to make éclairs, cream puffs and other pastries) and pastry cream. It was well worth it to take the class, but that doesn't mean it was easy for me haha.

The next class I went to, I thought would be really difficult but it turned out to be the opposite. We had the coolest, calmest teacher who reminded me a lot of the dad sea turtle off of Finding Nemo. Soups, Stocks and Sauces actually turned out to be a lot of fun. Mostly knife cutting to make mire poix (2 parts onions, 1 part celery, 1 part carrots) to make stocks, and other cuts so we could make sauces. I feel better about my knife skills now because of that class and I can proudly say I know all the mother sauces and have made most of them. (Different types of roux's shown below)

Today will be day seven of Traditional European Cuisine. If you can braise and stew you can pass this class because that is about 90% of what it is. I actually think this is the hardest lab I've been in so far. It's the first time we've had to plate food (we serve our food to the dining room), and it is a lot more fast paced. But I really enjoy it so far, but really can you not like a class where it's main ingredients are meat and potatoes.

I've been involved in a couple clubs while being here. My main three that I like a lot are Book Club, Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K) and my Democrat Club.

My roommates (except one) and I all go to book club every Friday. Right now we're reading Uchic, The College Girl's Guide to Everything. It's an alright book but its more of an index. We're talking about maybe keeping the club together and starting another book soon so i'm really excited about that.

For R.A.K, we do just what it says. We've only gone to one event but it was a lot of fun. It was called Trunk or Treat and it was for inner city kids to come and get free candy from our parking lot where it was safe to be out at night. My roommates and I made crayon costumes out of fabric and hot glue and decorated my car with cardboard to make it look like a crayon box. Very fun night, and I enjoy the club too.

I feel like I get the most out of my Democrat Club. I get a hard time because my roommates call it my "I Love Obama" club. But I deal and go anyways. I doubt I have many readers so I don't mind getting too political. But last night we talked about health care and how many people it would benefit if it was nation wide. Yes I've heard the arguments (taxes will go up, we won't get to choose our doctors, etc.) but the thing is right now businesses (not all do) pay for their employee's health coverage. For a small business that is a substantial cost. With our companies having extra costs we aren't able to compete as well with other countries companies who don't have that cost. I don't know how the bill is going to be thrown all around and eventually settled but if we only have to pay higher taxes, those same people will be saving money with their businesses. Not to mention the millions of people who don't have health care because they can't afford it. People's health shouldn't be an option.

So in these past two and a half months I've learned quite a bit, been involved as much as possible and have enjoyed my time being "independent". Oh and I've learned how to iron haha. If you're coming to Culinary School you better know how to iron because your jackets have to be pristine. But anyways to wrap this up, if you're reading please leave me a comment, i'm starting to think the only people who read this are my friends.

And I promise I won't take so long to post again.

All my love,

Emily

China Palace

2009-08-28T14:04:00.000-04:00

So it wasn't much of a palace. Really just a regular Chinese place, among many others scattered throughout Englewood. A group of friends and I walked in and noticed at around one in the afternoon that the dining room wasn't occupied by any other people besides an elderly couple. The man in the group was wearing a green bib with John Deer tractors on it. So to say the least, it wasn't really a fancy restaurant. We sat down and we're pleased that before even asking the waitress filled all our glasses with ice water and set down two kettles of hot tea. I was surprised because at most of the Chinese restaurants I had been to, the customer always had to ask first. We were each given a lunch menu with offered large portions of food for a very reasonable price (only about $6.00 a meal), which was good news because we're all soon to be poor college students. If I can remember correctly there were 4 proteins, a few vegetarian options and then a list underneath each with popular dishes. Chicken, pork, beef, vegetable and tofu seemed to be what they were. So no there wasn't any duck or anything to that extent on the lunch menu, but still a farely nice array of choices. After we all decided what we wanted (Szechuan Chicken for me, Sweet and Sour Chicken for one friend, Chicken and Broccoli for another, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Mongolian Beef for the last), we had more choices to make. With our meal came soup, an appetizer, and choice of rice. Our group isn't a very risky group so for soup I chose Egg Drop, a friend chose Wonton, two chose Hot and Sour, and the last picked Vegetable Beef. I don't think our appetizer choices went much further then Crab Rangoon because we all loved them. Except one friend who gave us hers to fight over. I chose white rice, and I think the rest of the group chose fried rice. We were first served our soup and given enough time to actually finish it before moving to the main meal. I really enjoyed my Egg Drop soup, the Hot and Soup was tastey and so was the Wonton. The Vegetable Beef was good enough but I wouldn't have ordered it because it was a little plain. When our meals came we were served a generous portion of rice, two Rangoons, and a decent amount of the meat and vegetables in my case. The sauce was very good on my dish and so was the chicken but the vegetables were a bit of a let down. A few baby corns, a couple water chestnuts, and then the rest was chunks of onion and something else I couldn't identify. It kept reminding me of cabbage but I don't think thats right. So never the less, I avoided most of the veggies. The Crab Rangoons were some of the best I ever had. Some of my friends said it was because the cream cheese ratio was higher then the crab. At the end of the meal I didn't need a box because I had easily eaten all of the food because it was all very good. But I defintely was not ready for dessert. We each paid up at the counter and left a few dollars each at the table. As we left we were pleased with the meal and glad for the relaxing time we had at a pleasant resturant. I would go again if I wasn't moving and I suggest to anyone reading this who lives in the Dayton, OH area to visit as well. China Palace is located at 375 W. National Road in Englewood across from Marion's Pizza and right beside the Police Department. Go for a relatively cheap meal, that promises a large portion and good service.

I love Chinese not only for the food but also for the fortune cookies. Here are some of my favorite fortunes I've gotten.

Happiness lies in good health and a bad memory.

What's vice today may be virtue tomorrow.

You have a strong desire for home and your family comes first.

Happy news is on its way to you.

As every thread of gold is valuable, so is every moment of time.

Nothing in the world is accomplished without passion.

Find release from your cares, have fun.

Cooks know the secret to delicious, nutritious meals. It takes time.

Comment with your favorite fortune cookie quotes =)

Ohio to North Carolina

2009-08-27T23:49:00.000-04:00

The big move happens in three days! I've been waiting and counting the months, weeks and days with anticipation, and though I'm still very excited I'm becoming more and more anxious. Eight hours and almost five hundred miles away from home is where my stupid butt decided to move. What the heck was I thinking?! Alright, I know I can do it, and it's all I ever wanted since I found out when I was young that people actually get paid to cook! It still seems like the classes I'm going to be taking should be more of a hobby then actual preparation for a job. Geese, but never the less, moving that far from home isn't something I would normally do by choice. But this is what I keep telling myself, I'd be moving at this time anyways no matter where I went. So yes, it would have been easier to go someplace an hour away instead of eight but I have to keep remembering I'm doing this for a reason.

Everything's gonna be alright, I can do this.... Everything's gonna be alright, I can do this

As far as class schedules go, I think I got off pretty good. Labs Monday-Thursday 145-745. I have each lab for about two and a half weeks and then I switch to something else. So here my classes are, in descending order of when I take them.

Essentials of Dining Room
Students are introduced to front-of-the-house (FOH) operations and professional dining service techniques. Etiquette, quality service, positive guest relations, effective communication skills and guest check handling are emphasized. Students actively perform hot and cold food and beverage service using various service techniques. Students will be prepared and take the Federation of Dining Room Professionals Associate Certification exam as an outcome assessment.
3.000 Credit hours
3.000 Lecture hours

Introduction to Baking and Pastry
Production includes basic breads and rolls, laminated dough, muffins, quick breads, cookies and pies. Proper use of the baker's scale, liquid measurement and equipment identification are a primary focus for this course.
3.000 Credit hours
3.000 Lecture hours

Stocks, Soups, and Sauces
Students are introduced to cooking techiques of simmering and boiling. Lecture, demonstration and production focus on stocks, sauces, soups and related ingredients. The proper use of knives, tools, smallwares and equipment will be emphasized.
3.000 Credit hours
3.000 Lecture hours

Traditional European Cuisine
Students are introduced to the cooking techniques of braising and stewing. Lecture, demonstration and production revolve around traditional European cuisine, ingredients and plate presentations.
3.000 Credit hours
3.000 Lecture hours

New World Cuisine
Students are introduced to cooking techniques of grilling/broiling, roasting and deep-frying. Lecture, demonstration and production revolve around North, Central and South American cuisine, ingredients and plate presentations. The proper use of knives and basic vegetable cuts is emphasized.
3.000 Credit hours
3.000 Lecture hours

So wish me luck! And thanks to the few people that check my blog regularly, that's you Fraley =)

Don't kill the yeast!

2009-07-14T14:50:00.000-04:00

That is my #1 concern when making any bread that has to rise. It seems unless you use a thermometer or you've been doing this a while, you will kill the yeast. This has been a horrible realization for me because I get to the easy part of letting my dough rise, and realize it isn't because I once again killed the yeast.

Today has been a lazy day for me and with the knowledge that I dont have to go to work later I decided to make cinnamon rolls. I've used this same recipe a few times and they always seem to turn out well (when I don't kill the yeast!). So enjoy and I'll write some more comments after they come out of the oven, yumm =).

Clone of a Cinnabon

Ingredients:
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees
C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1.Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

2.After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

3.Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4.Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

I always read the reviews for the recipe a few times before I start making anything because I figure someone who's made the food before knows how to make it better then me.

The most important review I found was the steps to make this recipe without a bread machine. Very important to me, because.. I don't have a bread machine!

*Dissolve yeast and warm milk in a large bowl.

*Mix in sugar, margarine, salt and eggs.

*Add flour and mix well.

*Knead dough into large ball. using your hands lightly dusted with flour.

*Put in bowl, cover and let rise about 1 hour or until double in sized. Then continue on where the previous recipe left off.

I found some helpful hints like a glass pan works best. When spreading the cinnamon mixture on the dough go ahead and mix the butter, cinnamon and sugar mixture together first because if you don't the drippings will fall to the bottom of the pan. The last hint is to use a 350 degree oven rather then 400 and to cook for 20 minutes, not 15.

When I made these cinnamon rolls at school I remember the tops burning and then the middles being undercooked. So I learned and spread the rolls out more, didn't overlap them, covered them with foil for the first part and then took it off to let them brown. But then again that was with a convection oven (which cooks 25% faster due to a fan in the back), so i'll see how these rolls turn out in a regular old oven from the 70's.

Recipe Credit: Marsha Fernandez
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Clone-of-a-Cinnabon/Detail.aspx
Photo: Echo

From seed to the table

2009-07-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

This spring our family decided to get rid of the huge burn pile in our backyard, clean up the mess, use the rototiller until my dad was about to pass out, and then put in a garden. Its been an interesting process but fun none the less. My dad had a vision for all the vegetables we would have, and the exact place they should be planted. As the season progressed so did our vegetables (and the weeds!). Through the last week and a half, we have been happy to get at least 10 squash, 2 or 3 green peppers, 3 jalapenos, and 1 cucumber from our garden.

It seems our main concern is an overabundance of squash! We cut two squash at an angle into about 1/2" thick slices and then sprinkled the slices with "Mrs. Dash" and a bit of fresh basil, and then grilled them on the grill outside. I think they turned out a little mushy the first time (possibly from overcooking), but the second time we cut and grilled 3 squash and put them in freezer bags and froze them to enjoy later in the year. This batch was thicker, so I think they held up to the grill better and retained their flavor.

On one night when we were contemplating what to make with our squash I found this recipe for Creamy Pesto Shrimp. It turned out to be a pretty easy and tasty recipe which went well with sliced squash thrown in.

Ingredients:
1 pound linguine pasta
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pesto
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in cream, and season with pepper. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Stir Parmesan cheese into cream sauce, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Blend in the pesto, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened.

4. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes. Serve over the hot linguine.

Step 4 is where I added the squash but the problem was I had to wait around while the squash cooked and then in turn overcooked the shrimp. So I highly suggest adding any vegetables before the shrimp, cook them about half way (still hard but fork is starting to slide in easier), and then add the shrimp.

Recipe Credit: Loretta Buffa
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Pesto-Shrimp/Detail.aspx
Photo: Mika707

If your like my mom and me not too long ago you may be asking "But what the heck is Pesto?". Its a mixture mostly made from basil (which we also have an overambundance of!), olive oil, garlic, usually some type of nuts and seasonings. I found this recipe and it seemed to work well in our creamy sauce. I also liked this recipe because it called for almonds which are cheaper and easier to find then walnuts.

Easy Pesto

Ingredients:
1/4 cup almonds
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place almonds on a cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted.

2. In a food processor, combine toasted almonds, garlic, basil, olive oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Process until a coarse paste is formed.

We dont have a food processor so I just used our blender and that worked fine. This recipe seemed to have more liquid in it then normal in a pesto so I added just a few more leaves and basil and that evened it out.

This recipe makes more then you need for the Creamy Pesto Sauce so you may want to consider only making half of what it calls for, or you'll end up like me with a tupperware container of 1/2 c. of pesto that we won't probably use before it goes bad.

Recipe Credit: Rebecca Jane Thompson
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Pesto/Detail.aspx
Photo: Fit and Healthy Mom

When it comes to gardens, in the end we've realized they're a lot of work. The process of getting ready surpass the joy of freshly grown produce. If you have the time, and patience to put in a garden then go for it! Right now we're optimistic about doing it again next year but mostly because as my parents say we're enjoying the "fun part".

Manchestor Orchestra - I Can Feel a Hot One

2009-07-06T18:45:00.001-04:00

Through the last post I watched and listened to this video at least ten times. Enjoy

Garlic and Sapphires

2009-07-06T16:30:00.000-04:00

The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

As I was searching for a font type for this post, I figured Times was the most appropriate because the author of this book, Ruth Reichl worked as the food critic for the New York Times.

This recollection of her ordeals as a critic was a refreshing change to the monotonous series of "Young Adult" literature I have surrounded myself with throughout the last couple years. My mom's friend heard I was intending to go to culinary school and recommended both this and Tender at the Bone, which is by the same author. I began with Tender at the Bone, well mostly because I got it from the library first, but also because it was written first. Ruth describes her life growing up cooking and finding food can become a career, not just a passion. She remarks on her journey and growing into the food enthusiast she is today.

Before I began these two books I thought I may want to pursue the same path. Love food, learn about food, make money talking about food. But its become evident the process isn't so easy. The stress involved with being a food critic is enough to scare anyone away. But the intense passion for food that can be translated to paper is transfixing. What I admire most about Ruth's role as the food critic for the New York Times is her honesty. She doesn't write just for the people who can afford to go to fancy restaurants all the time, but also for people who can only go once a year and want to know what to really expect. Through Garlic and Sapphires Ruth recaps all the disguises she creates so she wont be recognized as she reviews New York's best restaurants. These costumes become more then just that, they become characters. She embraces fully the personalities, voices, and thoughts of the women she becomes. With the help of her new disguises she is able to see the true colors of the top restaurants many people are paying to eat at. She comes to find that the taste of the food isn't the only thing that creates a good dinner, it's also largely the atmosphere and service of the restaurant. As a poor and homely women she gets thrown to the side and ignored. The food is more then mediocre and even though she is putting on an act she still embraces the embarrassment of being mistreated. When she comes back as herself, she is treated as a Queen. The Chef sends out his best food, the sommelier serves her the best wine and the waiter dances around her every need. She is in awe of her fantastic treatment but astonished at the difference.

Garlic and Sapphires has given me an appreciation for food and the creativity and passion that goes into making an unforgettable meal. The adventure that is Ruth Reichl's life is one of excitement and appreciation. She is a knowledgable writer and chef, and I hope I can acheieve even half of what she has done and earned in her life.

Brief? Introduction

2009-05-29T14:58:00.000-04:00

Hey, how's it going. I guess I should start off with a brief introduction, so hello, my name is Emily Jones. I currently live in Ohio but I intend to move to North Carolina in the fall. I am continuing my education at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte with a major in Culinary Arts. I really enjoy writing, reading and trying new foods. Old foods are good too, can't go wrong with mashed potatoes. But anywho I hope to keep this going all summer with recipes I've tried and possible restuarant reviews. Ill end with a quick (...not really) summary of my background (in the style of a college application essay).

When I look back at my childhood it was always surrounded by food. I was always cooking with my grandma, taking cooking classes, getting cook books from the elementary library (mostly to look at pictures, but I remember making rice pudding once!) and doing cooking projects in 4H. When it came time to make a decision on my career later on in my life, it just made sense that I would pursue my passion in the culinary arts.

As a sophomore I was encouraged to make a final decision on my future goals. I had taken every home economics class available at my school, and was becoming anxious to continue my culinary education. At this point I had the opportunity to attend a local technical school. I was familiar with the school because my brother had attended it a few years prior. It was a clear decision for me because I could be cooking most of the day rather then sitting in a classroom. The program I joined opened up my eyes to the world of culinary arts.

After recently graduating I have come to realize the culinary field has so many more components then I was aware of. It can be hard, intense, and laboring, but I love every second of it.

(Good friend Brittney, Culinary Instructor, Myself)