Dear Herman Melville,

I had this dream last night that I was at some large body of water with Ben, and somebody who was fishing caught a WHALE. And then, we ate that whale with a lemon-butter dipping sauce. It was tender.

When I woke up, I told Ben about how we enjoyed whale in my dream. He (a true english-major) thinks that I'm subconsciously searching for my "Moby Dick of Food".

Was there lemon-butter sauce in Moby Dick?

Love,
Kirsten.

"Hey look! An onion."

In keeping with my quest to use up everything in the fridge, I was rummaging about my produce drawers when I discovered to my glee a beautiful, succulent Vidalia Onion.
O Rapture! What shall I make?
Well, being that I'm down to pretty much flour, noodles, and various condiments I decided that a caramelized onion flatbread was in order. Now, I am far too broke to keep a well-stocked fridge at this point in my life, but if I did, I would have goat-cheese to put on this as well. If you have it, it would be great on here.
So here ya go, kiddies.

Caramelized Onion Flatbread

1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. honey
2 T. olive oil, divided
1/2-3/4 c. warm water (105-110 degrees F)
1/2 packet quick-rise yeast
1/4 t. salt
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. truffle oil

In a large mixing bowl, combing honey, 1 T. olive oil, yeast, salt, and 1/2 c. water. Let sit 5 minutes, then slowly mix in flour. Add more water gradually if necessary. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rise for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 T. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Throw in the onions and saute, stirring often, until slightly translucent. Stir in balsamic and saute until caramelized. Allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 425F. Punch down dough when fully risen, then roll out into a rectangle about 1/4" thick. Brush dough with truffle oil (or more olive oil), then top with caramelized onions. Bake about 10 minutes, or until golden.

Love,
Kirsten.

Sour Cream Apple Tart

Man, am I ever glad the holidays are almost over. I certainly cherish the time spent with family, but as an introvert, I find it very taxing to be festive all the time. Ben and I spent 4 days traveling around the grand state of Wisconsin, hitting as many family family functions as we could, and in the process amassed TONS of food. So this week, I've been trying my best to be inventive and use up as many of the odds and ends as possible.
Today I made a tart!

Sour Cream Apple Tart

6 oz. (half a block) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. plus 1 T. sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 T. flour
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. grated lemon peel
1/2 t. vanilla
4 medium tart apples
cinnamon
1 pie-crust (I used frozen, but you could make your own if you think you're cooler than me)

Peel, core, and slice your apples (I didn't have tart apples, so I squeezed some lemon over them to balance the flavor), place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon and 1T. sugar; set aside.
Cream together the cream cheese and 1/4 c. sugar. Beat in egg yolks, flour, sour cream, lemon peel, and vanilla. Lightly spray a baking sheet and lay out the pie crust. Plop the sour cream filling on the center, and spread, leaving a 2 inch edge of crust. Top evenly with apples. Fold up the edges haphazardly (it looks more rustic that way). Brush the crust with the reserved egg whites. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.




Love,
Kirsten.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce

With Benny gone for the evening, I wanted to make something simple and snacky. Enter, Coconut shrimp. It's fried, it's crunchy, it's sweet. It's dinner and dessert, all at once. I fully guarantee its deliciousness.

Here's how it's done:

(serves 4)
Start with 1 pound of large, raw shrimp. Peel and de-vein, give them a quick rinse, then drain on a paper towel.

In a shallow dish, mix together 1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs, 1 1/2 c. coconut flakes, and 2 t. chili powder. In another shallow dish, mix 1 c. flour and 1 t. kosher salt.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and about 6 T. of coconut milk.

Using a paring knife, butterfly the shrimp. Do this by running the knife along the curve of the back cutting almost (but not completely) through the flesh. It takes a bit
of time to do this for all the shrimp, but here is why you should: surface area. When it comes to crunchy fried things, surface area is your friend! By butterflying your shrimp, you are increasing the surface area and thus increasing crunchy deliciousness. Science!!

Next, do yourself a favor by designating a wet hand and a dry hand. It makes dredging a lot less sticky. Dip the shrimp in the flour, then in the coconut-egg slurry, then the panko-coconut breading. When coating with the breading, I like to really press the crunchies in there. It's just a good idea to do so. Repeat this process with all of your lovely crustaceans.
Next, grab a large, heavy skillet and pour in about an inch of canola oil. Heat it to medium-high.

Meanwhile, prepare the Orange-Chili Dipping Sauce by stirring together 1/4 c. of mayonnaise, 2 T. orange marmalade, and 1/2 T. sweet chili sauce. Put it in the fridge.

When the oil is hot, fry the shrimp in several small batches. Make sure they're not crowded, you want them to be comfortable. If you are good to them, they will be very good to you. Fry them for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden. Drain on paper, and serve with dipping sauce.

You're welcome in advance.

Love,
Kirsten.

Hello, Internet.

I am in my 4th year of college and my 2nd year of marriage. I've been studying music and cello performance in Wisconsin and I am almost done (yay!). Halfway through school I met my husband, Ben, and we were married 5 months later, no pregnancy involved. He's a very willing and hungry test-subject.

I decided to write this blog mostly as a way to share recipes with family and friends.
I've been finding that when people ask me how I am or what I've been doing, I talk about food. I like to tell people that I made wild mushroom pizza with a fontina-truffle sauce last night or share a recipe that I'm proud of. I like to tell people what they should be eating. By day, I'm a music student, but at 5:00 pm I am henceforth a CHEF. I love most any activity that involves me putting my hands into something sticky and messy and making something perfect from it. Cooking allows me to create something from start to finish every day, and the resulting sense of accomplishment is good for me.

Here are some things you should know about me:

I am very frightened of beans.
They're grainy. They're shiny. They have skin. I hate them.

Hard cheeses make my mouth itch, but I love them anyway.

I detest nuts in my baked goods.
I can't even tell you how many beautiful fudge brownies and carrot bars I've mutilated trying to pick those darn walnuts out.

I am suspicious of all leftovers.
I like the idea of leftovers. But regardless of how delicious something is the night I made it,
it's repulsive to me the next day. I have no idea why.

My recipes will ALWAYS allow for generous portions.
No worries, I'm here for you.

I am having a love affair with Steak. (Don't tell Ben.)
I recently came across a screamin' deal on whole beef tenderloins at my local grocery store. I bought three. Since then, I've been making steak once a week. I'm living the dream.

There are many combinations that can be made with butter, cream, and flour.
...And I love them all. Because of that, I will probably always be just a little bit fat,
but I'm okay with it. Real cooking is about making peace with yourself.

I am currently 10 days away from the end of the semester, and I can almost see the whites of exam-week's eyes. Recipes will follow.

Love,
Kirsten.