Basket full of goodies!

Baking, baking, baking is all I've been doing for the past 24 hours! (and hand-dipping goodies in chocolate too).  Tomorrow night at 6 pm is the Grande Finale of Man/Woman of the Year for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I was asked by a friend that is involved with the event to make a basket of desserts and yummy goodies to be part of the raffle for the night.  She thought that given the intent of my blog and my goals (to help raise money for leukemia research), it would be a great opportunity for me to give back to a cause that is so dear to my heart as well as get the world about my blog, and hopefully new charity - in the future, out there to a greater public group.  This is the final product!  I think that it came out beautifully.  Its hard to see everything that is inside due to the glare on the wrapping, but here is a list of everything! 

Six hand-dipped chocolate covered Oreos

Ten hand-dipped chocolate covered graham crackers

Tin full of hand-dipped chocolate covered pretzels

Box full of brownies

Box full of chocolate chip cookies

Two bags of chocolate cookies with Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

Bag and tin full of Reese’s Peanut Butter Blossoms – peanut butter cookies with Reese’s baked on top

Bag of “funfetti cookies” – sugar cookies with sprinkles

Four individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies filled with Oreo inside

Bag of white chocolate filled peanut butter blossoms

Bag of assorted cookies

Should anyone want to purchase a basket like this, please contact me.  All proceeds will be donated to leukemia research! 

  

David Loves Dessert!

Last night I arrived home at nearly 9 o'clock after working all day taking photos at Smithtown Hunt Horse Show.  Although I was not very hungry, the rest of my family has waiting to have dinner with me when I got home.  We were out the door and headed to dinner basically the second that I got home.  We went to our neighborhood italian restaurant, Due.  I have basically grown up going there since before I could walk or talk and since David has gotten sick, it has become even more of a frequent venue for family dinners and outings.  David ordered penne with pesto sauce, one of his favorite pasta sauces at Due.  Despite not being hungry enough to finish his pasta, he ordered dessert...tiramisu!  It is one of their best desserts and is homemade in the restaurant.  Here is a photo so you can see how delicious it looks!

I think that I am going to try to recreate this delicious dessert of lady finger cookies, whipped cream, coffee, chocolate sauce, and cocoa.  We'll see if David thinks it tastes as good!

A Home Cooked Meal - Summer Style: Grilled Shrimp Skewers over Salad

Yesterday was my mom's birthday and we had a very heavy dinner at Babbo (which was incredible and totally worth eating every last bite of).  I figured that as a late birthday gift, I would make dinner for the family rather than let her cook for us.  Because we ate so much last night, including 3 different pasta dishes, prosciutto, grilled bread with olive oil and chickpeas - all followed by our individual main courses, I wanted to make sure that dinner tonight was on the lighter side.  In order to suit this desire, I decided to make shrimp skewers and salad.  I think the dish turned out to be delicious.  Everyone seemed to enjoy!

Here's the recipe for the shrimp skewers:

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons bottled hot sauce (this does not make them very spicy at all...if you want a kick, I recommend adding some chili flakes)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 30 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 

Directions:

1. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them for at least 20 - 30 minutes so that they do not burn.  Place them in a shallow container and make sure they are completely covered in water.  Let them sit until you are ready to cook the shrimp.
2. Whisk together all components of the marinade.
3. Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel.
4. Pour the marinade into a ziplock bag and place all of the shrimp in the bag as well.  Massage the bag making sure that each shrimp is covered with marinade.  Place the bag in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. 
5. Take the shrimp out of the fridge and begin threading them onto the skewers that have been soaking for a while now.  
6. Place the skewers onto an already pre-heated grill and cook for 1.5 - 2 minutes on each side.   

And the salad dressing:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into a blender except the oils and mix until everything is combined.
2.  With the blender on, slowly add in each of the oils.  Blend until well mixed. 

Here is the finished product!

And we can't forget David's favorite part of any meal...the dessert!  The perfect dessert after such a light and delicious meal is some fruit and a good old fashioned Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookie!

S'mores galore!

Last night David and I were in the mood for something sweet - so we decided what could be better than some indoor s'mores!  I just arrived home from Israel on Monday morning and brought with me special Israeli chocolate, so we used that instead of a traditional hershey's bar.  They turned out to be absolutely delicious and we avoided all potential dangers of making s'mores inside at your kitchen table (although my dad was extremely nervous that we were going to screw up and somehow light the table cloth on fire).  We used a small s'more making kit that we had which gave us the flame.  We roasted the marshmallows until they were crispy outside and warm and gooey inside and then placed them in a graham cracker sandwich with a few squares of the chocolate that I brought home with me from Israel.  Here are a couple of photos from our adventurous night!

First Sale Was A Success!

Today I had my first sale at the Rice Farms Horse Show at Yaphank...and it was a big success!  Everything that I baked yesterday was sold and at the end of the day only a few cookie crumbs were left in my boxes!  Thank you so much to everyone that bought and supported my cause.  Because you guys, I will be donating $164 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma society.  Hopefully, I will be able to start the process of becoming an official non-profit charity on my own so that I will be able to run larger events and people will be able to donate to my cause as a real charity, but for now I am thrilled with the success of this first sale and I am excited to make this donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I am looking forward to many more sales in the future!  Here are some of the things that I had for sale today:

Delicious (and oversized) brownies

Frosting Filled Funfetti Cookie Sandwiches

Strawberry Banana and Chocolate Banana Cupcakes!

Brownies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and all sorts of Funfetti Cookies all packed up and ready to sell! 

We also had ice cream cone cupcakes courtesy of Aleesha Melwani.  Thank you so much to everyone that helped support me today!  It is very much appreciated and you should know that both your efforts and your donations are going to help an incredibly important cause.

Morimoto NYC - my first meal back from school!

Okay, so its official...as of tonight, Morimoto NYC is the best restaurant I have ever eaten at during the 18 years that I have been alive.  Seriously though, my family and I have eaten at loads and loads of great restaurants (including ones belonging to other Iron Chefs), but tonight was my favorite meal.  Absolutely everything that was placed on the table was extremely delicious, gorgeously presented, and super creative too!  I need to thank my brother David for picking this as the restaurant the family would go to for my first official meal home.  Because of his decision, I was able to eat the best food I've ever had!  Here are a few of the things that we ordered:

Tuna Pizza - this so incredibly yummy with a great crunch and spice to it

Morimoto Sashimi - this was so refreshing and delicious

Tempura Calamari Salad - this was my mom's favorite and towards the top of my list - just simply SO great

 

Kakuni - this slow cooked pork belly was actually incredible - the waiter told us it was one of his favorites, so we tried it...boy did he steer us in the right direction! 

Eel Cucumber Roll and Soft Shell Crab Roll - the eel in the roll was probably the freshest eel I've ever had the pleasure of eating

Sea Bass - this was probably my favorite of everything we tried...a very very close second would be the calamari salad - I simply loved everything about this fish dish and ate every last vegetable making sure to dip each bite in the sauce

Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake - all I can say is WOW! - this dessert was so spectacular and the center melted as I put it in my mouth

In addition to all of these wonderful things we also had the Crispy Rock Shrimp Tempura, Pork Gyoza, and Australian Wagyu Filet.  Overall, I think that every member of the family - mom, dad, David (and obviously I) - would recommend Morimoto NYC to anyone...aside from the fact that it's quite pricey...but absolutely and completely worth it.  The food was outstanding and its a really cool place with a great atmosphere and vibe.  My brother has set the standards high, but I am hoping that we will go to a lot more great places while I am home this summer!  I can't wait!

Sava's Ann Arbor - awesome breakfast!

All I can say is yum!  Every time my parents come to town, we visit Sava's at least once for the purpose of their banana nutella crepe.  Whether we go for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we always order one either as our entree or our dessert.  Since my dad was in town today to help me pack up my things, of course we went to Sava's for breakfast!  Let me tell you..not only is the crepe outstanding, but so is the bananas foster french toast.  I ordered it this morning and it was so great!  A HUGE portion that I wasn't able to finish, but none the less great.  Check out how great these look!  Maybe David and I will try to reproduce something similar (without the nutella of course, since he is allergic...which will make it not at all the same...but I'm sure we'll come up with something great).

Insomnia Cookies - will David and I be able to top them?

Hi guys!  So, yesterday I went into the brand new Insomnia Cookies store that opened in Ann Arbor...I wanted a little break from studying and a sweet treat for myself.  Well, when I walked in the door it smelled absolutely incredible!  It was the perfect aroma of freshly baked cookies mixed in with a s'mores campfire smell.  I couldn't resist buying more than one!  There I stood - deliberating what cookies to order.  Then, I decided that my best way to insure that I purchased the best kinds was to text one of my best friends who is a little bit of an Insomnia Cookie addict.  She told me that the s'mores cookies are to die for and the sugar cookies are a close second - of course, that's what I bought - one of each.  When I got back to my dorm room, I tried a bite of each cookie.  Drum roll please....I didn't even like the sugar cookie!  I didn't think it was flavorful and honestly it was not anything special.  The s'mores on the other hand is one of their deluxe cookies and I think it is deserving of that title.  It was far superior to their regular sugar cookie.  I would say I would only have the s'mores again - and maybe try a few new flavors.

I'm thinking that because I was so unimpressed with the Insomnia cookies, it would be cool for David and I to try and better them.  Maybe we will make the same flavors but play around with different recipes to try and find the perfect ones!  I will keep you posted on our progress!  Until Tuesday, wish me luck on my last finals of freshman year!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles!

Hey guys!  As I have been studying for finals this week, I have also been doing my fair share of procrastinating -- much of which has come in the form of wasting time surfing Pinterest.  I came across the awesome recipe by Sweet Peas Kitchen and I am thinking that I MUST give them a try!  These bite sized Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles sound absolutely delicious.  I am thinking that I will make these and sell them at my first sale, which will hopefully be at RCS soon after I get home!  If you try making them soon, let me know how they turn out!

Here are the ingredients you need to make these truffles full of wonderfulness:

• 1½ cups whole tiny twist pretzels
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter chips

And here are the cooking directions:

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2. Place pretzels in a resealable plastic bag and run a rolling pin over the bag crushing the pretzels into small bits; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt until completely blended and smooth. Add the pretzel bits and mix thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball (use your fingertips to shape the balls-the mixture is sticky). Place on prepared pan and place in the freezer until firm, at least 15 minutes.
5. Melt shortening and chocolate chips together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
6. Working about 4 balls at a time, dip balls in chocolate using a spoon or a dipping fork and place on a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Keep the undipped balls in the freezer until ready to dip.
7. Once you have covered all the balls in chocolate, place in the refrigerator until the chocolate coating is set. Once the coating is set melt the peanut butter chips and drizzle over each truffle. Return to refrigerator until drizzle is set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

(All credit for this recipe and the photo go to http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/)

Who can argue with Babbo?

According to David, dinner at Babbo was one of the best meals of his life.  He sent me this photo to prove it. 

Now, I know that he deserves to go to the best restaurants around, but I can't say that I wasn't just a little bit jealous to see that he was eating this incredibly delicious pasta dish while I was eating plain grilled chicken and boiled veggies in the college dining hall.  He promised me that we would go together to Batali's restaurant when I get home though...which I am so excited about!  We are planning to cook lots of yummy meals and desserts together as well as visit some of New York City's best restaurants.  I look forward to sharing recipes and experiences with you on this blog!  

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies - who could say no?!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies - another incredibly delicious dessert that I am planning to sell starting when I get home from college in nine days.  When I was home last, David and I baked these...and oh man were they good!  Who can resist a melting Oreo cookie surrounded by gooey chocolate chip cookie dough?  I know I can't.  To make these cookies, my brother and I wrapped Oreo cookies in Nestle Toll House Cookie dough as shown below.  We then followed the cookie instructions on the back of the cookie dough roll.  This was a quick and easy way to make extremely yummy treats that neither of us could stop eating!  Don't worry, this blog will not only be filled with recipes made from pre-made cookie dough and mixes - but, I figured I should start off the blog with some of David's favorites!  I plan to have these Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies be a staple item at all of my bakesales...I think they will be a crowd pleaser for sure!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes!

While walking today for Relay For Life at University of Michigan, I stopped at multiple different tents to check out all different things they were selling.  Some had cookies, lemonade, chips, hotdogs, etc.  You know, the usual things you would sell out of a tent.  I kept walking, trying to find something special that I would really enjoy eating - after all, I was breaking Passover with whatever this delicious pastry was going to be, so I wanted it to be good!

After walking about half way around the track, I stumbled upon a small tent...but what they were selling was anything but small!  They were selling deliciously perfect cupcakes...INSIDE ICE CREAM CONES! And the best part was that the people purchasing these wonderful cupcakes got to decorate and frost them on their own!  After purchasing and decorating two cupcakes (one chocolate and one vanilla) I bit into the vanilla cupcake.  Wow!  I had never had a cupcake in an ice cream cone before tonight, but man, let me tell you...it was soo good!!  My friend ate the chocolate one and completely agreed!

So, I am planning to add these delicious cupcakes to the list of things that I will be selling in order to raise money for leukemia research!  I am hoping to have my first bake sale fundraiser this spring at Riverdale Country School.  The date and time is still to be determined, but I am extremely excited to get this project rolling!  Hopefully it will be a big success!!

Connecting This Blog With Something That Means A Lot To Me

Hey Guys!  So, while I couldn't fall asleep last night, I came up with an idea.  In an effort to put this blog to use in more than one way, I am going to be selling many of the foods that I post on this website.  No, I didn't just decide that I am going to be greedy and make money off my blogging.  I came up with an idea that would help raise money for Leukemia Research!

Roughly one year ago, my brother David was diagnosed with leukemia and it has been a hard road for him as well as my entire family.  In hopes that one day there will be a cure, I am starting a charity in my brother's name - DRA Leukemia.  The proceeds from my food sales will go towards this charity that I plan to officially start when I get home from college in a little over a week.  I hope that everyone enjoys this blog...and buys some food once I start selling it!! :)

Possibly better than the cupcakes in NYC?

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Cupcake Station in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Now, I lived in New York City my whole life before coming to school in Ann Arbor, so I am pretty jaded as far as food goes.  It takes a lot to impress me, but OMG were these cupcakes impressive.  Not only were they beautiful to look at, but they were also delicious, moist, and full of perfection.  As soon as I tried these I knew I needed to bring them home for my brother to try!  So, when I was home last weekend, I brought these four flavors for my brother to try:  Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Lovers, Bump-a-licious, and PB & C.  He just as impressed by these cupcakes I was!  I don't know what I am going to do over the summer when I can't get them in New York.  I guess I will need to go searching every bakery in the city trying to find comparable cupcakes to these delicious ones from Cupcake Station!

DR. Bars - to die for!

Upon arriving home for spring break, my brother David and I decided that we were going to experiment.  Not the kind of experiments that include chemicals, goggles, and lab coats -- food experiments!!  Of course, this is the best kind of experimenting there is.  So, we starting thinking of things that we could bake.  In this process, my brother came up with a GREAT idea...what could be better than a bar made of warm ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookie, Ghirardelli milk chocolate caramel squares, peanut butter, pretzels, and decadent brownie?!  Once my brother came up with this concoction, I knew it would need to be named after him - the DR. Bar for his first and middle initials - also for the doctor that you may need to visit after eating the entire batch of bars because they are way too delicious to stop eating!

So here's what we needed to create these small bits of heaven:

1 roll of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
1 box of Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix (plus necessary mix-ins: eggs, water, etc.)
1 bag of Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate & Caramel Squares
Approximately 25-30 pretzels (any type of pretzels you like will work - you just need enough of them to fill one layer that covers the entire pan you use)
Approximately 1 cup of peanut butter (again, as much of it as you need to create a thick layer that will cover the area of the pan)

Step 1: Make sure that you either butter or spray your pan before you coat the bottom with a layer of cookie dough.  You don't want these super duper yummy bars to be stuck in there forever!  Once you have coated the pan so that the bars won't stick, the next step is to create a layer of cookie dough - it should be roughly 1-2 cm thick.  Then place your Ghirardelli chocolates on top of the cookie dough.  Because we did not have enough of them (we ate some before we began baking...oops!) we placed them as shown below, but for optimal taste and caramel in every bite, you should create an entire layer of these wonderful chocolates.

 Step 2:  The next step is to add a layer of peanut butter - you can make it as thick as you want or as thin as you want.  Then add a layer of pretzels.  They add a really nice salty flavor to the bars as well as a crunch.  Mmmm!

 Step 3:  Pour your brownie batter (which you make by following the instructions on the back of the Betty Crocker mix) on top of everything that you have placed in the pan so far.

 Step 4:  Make sure that you have covered the entire thing with brownie!  Then place in the oven on 355 for approximately 30 minutes.  The time necessary to cook these will vary greatly depending on how thick you choose to make the bars.  Test with a tooth-pick to see when they are finished.  Don't over cook them...they are best when gooey and melting!  Enjoy!