When I think of pastry chefs, I think precision; a bright white, wrinkle-free, double-breasted chef jacket that seems to never get dirty, fondant cut into floral shapes and carefully spray painted to depict Orchids and Lilies, an oval shaped spoon of freshly churned ice cream served with pretty pâtisseries. Hardcore perfectionists, that’s what I think of.

This weekend was my very dear friend’s birthday, so instead of buying a cake, I wanted to make something special for her; I wanted to make her a cake myself. Having never done this before, I have to give a big shout out to my homie Duncan Hines for making this happen, couldn’t do it without you man.

I learned a lot of things the hard way with this dessert- it was supposed to be covered in roses but ended up in ruffles. In the end, I am really proud of my creation and collaboration with Duncan Hines. More importantly, my friend loved it so that took the cake. ZING! (…)

I will gladly share with you my failures and provide shortcuts and pointers to all the newbies like me out there. But before you even think about starting, you need to plan what kind of colors/decorations you will need and have the proper tools for them: Mixer (doing this by hand will take you forever- I borrowed an electric mixer from my sister), decorating bags (I bought disposable ones), cake turntable, food coloring (I used gel coloring, you can use any other ones), angled spatula, three decorating tips (I used a rose/petal tip, small round tip and a closed star tip), three coupler and screws for the pastry bag, a cardboard cake circle, and cake pans (i used 3, 8.25 inch circle pans). I know, it’s a lot but it will be worth it if you plan on decorating cakes in the future. This all cost me around $60 from Michael’s arts and crafts store. (Ignore the white flower nail, my flower decorations melted with sadness and despair).

Second, ingredients:

Cake:
Cake mix of your choice and its ingredients (Duncan Hines’ Fudge Marble, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 3 eggs, 1.25 cups water)

Buttercream Frosting:
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 tbs shortening (Crisco)
8-10 tbs heavy cream, cream or milk
2 bags confectioners sugar (64 oz)
1 tbs vanilla extract
Nutella, small container
Flour (to flour your cake pans)

Preheat oven to temperature on cake mix direction and prep your cake pans by greasing it with shortening and dust it with flour.

Fill them up with your prepared cake mix and put them in your preheated oven to bake.

While you are waiting for the cakes to bake, start making your Buttercream Frosting by mixing all of the softened butter until it is whipped and airy. It takes about 3 minutes.

When your butter is whipped, add shortening and then add confectioners sugar slowly. If it is dry, add some heavy cream slowly, spoon by spoon, until you have a stiff but smooth consistency.

When your icing is all finished except for the color, you can start prepping your pastry bags (this picture shows you from the bottom up for how to do this: 1) cut tip of bag large enough to place coupler inside  2) put tip over the bag that is over the coupler  3) use the screw to hold it all together):

Before adding color to the icing, I knew I would want a white border of some sort so I filled my prepared round tip pastry bag first. Lesson learned: Do not fill your pastry bag so full like I did, fill it half way or less or else you will have to use a lot of force to get the icing out.

Now, you can add your color! I used a sky blue gel color. You can use a toothpick and just dip it in the gel once, the color will spread throughout your icing with just a tiny dollop. (I only had a chopstick. Ha)

Dip your toothpick (or chopstick!) into the icing and blend it together with the electric mixer. This is what mine looked like:

Now fill your other pastry bags- not as full as I did! Fill them half way and they will be much easier to handle.

Now that your decoration icing and tools are prepared, set up your decoration station. Place the cardboard cake circle on top of the cake turntable and spread some icing on it, it glues your cake right on.

Place one of your cakes (bottom side down) onto the center of the cardboard and make a border with your icing, I used the closed star tip. This will indicate how far to spread out your filling.

Take a heaping amount of Nutella and spread a thin layer over the cake. Lesson learned: Always use a heaping amount of icing and filling before spreading, there will be less crumbs and cake breakage.

Do the same thing with the second layer of cake, except put the flattest side face up.

After, put your last layer of cake on top with the flattest part facing up.

Now, “crumb coat” your cake by putting an appalling amount of icing on top. Spread the top first, try your best not to break the cake. When you spread the icing, it will start to fall over to the sides- that’s good! You will use this extra icing to ice the sides too.

Now wrap it in love!

And voila! We just “crumb coated” our cake!

Now we are ready to decorate and drape this cake in pretty ruffles.

How to Make Ruffles with a Rose/Petal Tip:
With your rose/petal tip pastry bag, start by having your tip in a horizontal direction. We will start making ruffles on the sides first, then we will worry about the top of the cake.

Squeeze the icing out (keep your tip horizontal so the line comes out as a ribbon), and wiggle the pastry bag left to right. Make one vertical line at a time until all of your sides are covered with ruffles.

To decorate the top of your cake, start with the perimeter of the cake and turn your cake turntable as you keep making one long wiggly ribbon. Don’t worry if it breaks a bit, just cover it up with more icing and continue until the center is covered.

For the border, I wanted to do little pearls so I used the round tip to pipe out dots. I dotted the bottom of the cake like this:

You now have a ruffle cake!

I’m not going to lie. This took a lot of patience and I wanted to choke my pastry bag at times, but squiggly ribbon after squiggly ribbon, ruffle after ruffle, it all came together and I am quite proud.

Pastry chefs, bakers, cake decorators… I do not know how you do it. My hat goes off to you.

One day, I’d like to discover a huge trust fund that’s been hidden from me my whole life. I will bathe in black and white truffles, brush my teeth with foie gras, exfoliate my face with Caspian Osetra Caviar… maybe I’ll take a casual weekend trip to The Fat Duck or something. I’ll bring friends and family with me and at the end of the meal say, “nah, nah, I got it.” But for now… truffle oil will have to suffice. I’ll buy the dried version of Chantrelles and eat tobiko off of the California rolls my friend usually pushes aside. Life is so hard.

Truffle oil makes me feel like I’m rich without greedily taking away from my wallet. I love how a few drops can go such a long way. One of my favorite things to do on a lazy night is boil pasta, mince a few cloves of garlic, grate up some Parmesan and drizzle with the oil. Quick, easy, elegant, and scrumptious. A great tip that I picked up is that there is a big difference between pasta and egg noodles when using truffles. Egg noodles have a very silky texture, compared to pasta where it is much more starchy and chewy. Silky textures and truffles are truly a match made in heaven.

And getting into heaven is not hard at all. You only need a few ingredients:

Ingredients:
8 ounces Egg Noodles
3/4 pint Heavy Cream
3 tbs White Truffle Oil*
3 tbs Butter

Top with:
Grated Parmesan
Chopped Chives
Salt and Pepper

*I found this truffle oil in TJ Maxx’s homegoods sections. Most food specialty stores will have it, sometimes Stop & Shop has it too.

Directions:

1) Boil a pot of salted water for pasta

2) Mix butter with white truffle oil

3) In a saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer. Add truffle oil and butter mixture and let it melt. Season with salt and pepper and mix.
( I sauteed garlic and ham first, but optional)

3) Add egg noodles to boiling water. Cook until tender. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and add noodles to cream sauce.

4) Coat the noodles with cream sauce to absorb the flavor. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta water to have desired amount of thickness.

5) Plate pasta.

6) Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top and garnish with chopped chives.

Bon appétit!

Prep time: 25 minutes
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 people
Total Cost of Recipe Amount: $11
$13 white truffle oil bottle
$5 Parmesan
$3 butter
$3 chives
$3 heavy cream
$5 egg noodles (16 oz) 

There is just something so uniquely satisfying about this meal, specifically on Sundays. Fridays and Saturdays speed by so quickly and leave you feeling exhausted by the time you wake up Sunday morning- the same exact time where the feeling of dread slowly starts to creep up on you because the hectic work week will begin soon. Is there no winning? You reach your ultimate high of happiness during the end of the week, but all of sudden, you realize you have to wait another whole week for the same feeling again? No. You’ve never been more wrong in your life. There IS a way to kick start your week and transition to the highs and lows of Sundays to Mondays. The answer is brunch. The answer will always be brunch.

Take the Red Lentil for example. This place has some serious brunch options on Saturdays and Sundays. Although I shy away from vegetarian and vegan restaurants, I’ve never had better hash in my life- and I didn’t even miss the corned beef! Loaded with diced potatoes, artichokes, chickpeas, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, crunchy kernels of corn and a sprinkle of tangy goat cheese, this flavorful dish only cost me $6.50. Rarely do I ever not see the bottom of my plate, but it was extremely filling and justified as a great breakfast the next day. The best part about it was that you leave feeling full without being disgustingly sluggish.

Hash - $6.50

Although I’m sure one order of hash was enough for 1-2 people, there is nothing better than a variety of food. We also ordered a “side” of sweet potato fries (enormous) and guacamole and salsa with chips. To wash these down, I ordered the Starter Juice (carrot, apple and ginger juice) and my friend ordered an organic iced black tea.

Chips with Salsa & Guacamole - $5

Belgian Sweet Potato Fries - $4

Each and every dish was unbelievably fresh! You can almost even see it through the pictures. The sweet potato fries were served with BBQ sauce and were baked instead of fried. There were also other minute details that I really appreciated. On the other side of the menu displayed a glossary of food terms many people have a hard time recognizing; seitan, tempeh and others.

The service was great as well. Our waitress gave me the yummy juice recommendation and I have a feeling she can offer helpful guidance to indecisive diners as well. It should be noted that there is a ~15-20 minute wait for brunch during Sunday mornings though, so I would recommend avoiding peak times (noon). Even if you decide to wait it out, there is a chocolate shop nearby, coffee shops and Armenian markets you can browse through as well.

Overall, I am anticipating my next visit to the Red Lentil. As an avid lover of restaurants that carry meat, this one is definitely an exception. Who knows, maybe I’ll get the seitan next time or soy chicken? Wheat-based meat sounds slightly intriguing, doesn’t it?

You’ve genuinely altered my view of Vegetarians and Vegans, Red Lentil. You rock.
Total Meal: ~$34.00
Servings: 2-3 people

Perfectly cooked, al dente pasta laced with flavorful cream sauce and vibrant green peas is something everyone should be entitled to- but all those calories… ouch. Sometimes the guilt you feel after swiping that last piece of rigatoni in sauce hurts! Fortunately, instead of using heavy cream, there is an alternative. Milk and flour.

Thanks to an inspirational allrecipes recipe with helpful comments and a few tweaks, here is another meal any newbie can make with ingredients everyone is familiar with.

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta (I’m using rigatoni)
1/2 pound Spicy Italian Sausage, remove casing
1/2 pound Sweet Italian Sausage, remove casing
12 oz frozen green peas
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
6 garlic cloves minced
1  1/2 cup milk
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter (healthier: light canola butter)
1 tbs all purpose flour
Salt and Pepper

(The picture below shows 1/2 the recipe amount, so use a large pot instead of a sauté pan to fit all the ingredients for the whole amount)

Directions:

1) Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. In the meantime…

2)   In a sauté pan, sauté garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes

3)   Add Italian sausage meat and cook until brown. (Drain the oil for less calories)

4)   Add frozen peas and cook for 5 minutes

5)   Add flour and mix

6)   Add milk and butter. After it boils, bring to a simmer and add Parmesan cheese

7)   When pasta is al dente, drain and add to sauce

8 )   Mix up all that goodness. Season with salt and pepper. (If sauce is too thick, add more milk)

9)   Pat yourself on the back because you just cooked like a champ.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Total Cost: ~$20 ($4 per person)
Servings: 5-6 people

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The best $3.99 I ever spent was something specifically designed for Salmon. My future brother-in-law exposed his secret seasoning blend, which is now my favorite cheap Friday night meal (thanks, Quan!) It’s not a Monday night meal, nor is it a Tuesday night meal. It is an inexpensive Friday night meal because that’s when Haymarket’s affordable selection of produce and seafood comes out! For a large filet of Salmon, you only pay $5. Make sure you cook it that night or else you will sacrifice the quality of the fish.

Let’s do the math:
$5 (Salmon filet that serves 4-5 people)
$3.99 (Seasoning blend that will last you forever)
$.25 (Lemon)
$9.24 Salmon for 4-5 people

I’m completely okay with that. If you are only cooking for one or two, leftover Salmon is also great crumbled up with greens and salad dressing for your next lunch. Also, the recipe’s seasoning blend can be found at any Stop & Shop near you. So don’t worry, you won’t have to purchase any exotic spices like Himalayan Pink Sea Salt. (Don’t you hate it when a recipe calls for only three ingredients, but one of them is insanely difficult to find? “Ooh, so that’s the catch!”)

Paul, you're awesome - $3.99

Ingredients:
1 Whole Salmon Fillet
3 tbs Chef Paul’s Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning Blend
1 Lemon, thinly sliced
Olive Oil

Directions:

1)   Drizzle olive oil in baking pan (or other cookware) and on top of Salmon

2)   Season with seasoning blend

3)   Place sliced lemons on top

4)   Loosely cover with tin foil and bake at 375F for 20 minutes (if frozen, 35 mins at 400F)

5)   Take the Salmon out and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes

6) Dig in and enjoy.

Prep Time: 30 mins
Level: Beginner
Total Meal: $9.24
Servings: 4-5 people

This recipe saves me every time I feel like pulling that fire alarm when I crave cold, creamy, slowly churned ice cream. So Ben & Jerry, I sincerely apologize for leaving you guys, but I’m sure we’ll meet again in the future. Your calories are just too expensive and my expenses are quickly piling up! I’m sticking to my faux ice cream because it costs me only 200 calories with 0.6 grams of fat.

So what’s the secret? Frozen Fat Free Cool Whip. It’s cheap, convenient, and all you need to do is freeze it to get an ice-cream-like texture. It’s ridiculously easy, I promise! Just look:

Ingredients:
~1/4 Fat Free Cool Whip of container, frozen
1 cup strawberries, halved
2 Truvia packets (or another sweetener like Stevia)
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup water

Directions:
1)   Take cool whip out of freezer
2)   In a sauce pan, combine strawberries, sweetener, red wine and water on medium heat. When sauce is boiling, immediately reduce to low heat and cook until reduced to desired thickness (~5 minutes)
3)   Scoop out a quarter of cool whip from the container into a bowl and pour sauce on top
*If sauce is too thick: add water and simmer until satisfied with consistency.

Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite life-saver recipes?

Some people don’t have the time to make elaborate dinners or wait three hours for their sauces to simmer. Fortunately, I have the time and energy- but I am lazy. Oh, woe is me!

Therefore, I’d like to share my simple and delicious spaghetti recipe with my fellow lazy friends, exhausted parents on week nights and newbies in the kitchen that do not want to start another fire.

First, you’ll need a couple of ingredients:

Ingredients:
2 tbs Olive Oil
1 tbs butter (optional)
1  1/2 cups Crushed Tomatoes (with or without seasonings)
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tbs Chopped Fresh Basil
4 Cloves Garlic (or to your taste)
4 oz Cappellini Pasta

Directions:

1)   Start boiling water with 1 tbs salt for pasta. Meanwhile…

2) On medium heat, heat olive oil and butter. Sautee garlic for two minutes and for the love of all good food in life, please do not burn it

3) Add crushed tomatoes, bring to a light simmer then turn to low heat

4) Add basil, mix and let the awesome aromas take over your kitchen

By this point, you will hear people in your house say “My god! What is that heavenly smell?” Refrain from boasting until you are completely finished cooking. Onward!

5)   Add pasta to boiling water. When al dente (~ 3 minutes) strain and add to sauce.

6) Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

7) Coat the pasta with sauce by tossing it together

8) Add some more Parmesan at the end if you'd like

True lazy home cooks will not be done at this point though. There are 2 more ingredients I left out before making this a truly simple and sluggish dish for the lazies.

9)   TV
10) Bed

 Enjoy!

Fabulous home cooks right here!

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Tartines

Panko Crusted Rack of Lamb

Baked Zucchini

Ham & Vegetables Crepes with Gruyere Sauce

A plate of goodness. Aww yeahhh...

Yep. It was a good, filling night.

Below is the tartine recipe to make you an hors d’oeuvre superstar!

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Tartines
(From Epicurious with some tweaks)

1 French baguette (cut 1/2-inch thick)
3.5 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tbs julienned sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbs julienned fresh basil
1 tps balsamic vinegar
2 tbs black olive tapenade
8 oz mild goat cheese log, cut 1/4-inch

1) Preheat oven to 350 F

Meanwhile…

2) Brush baguette slices with olive oil, face up on baking sheet
Toast in the oven for 7 minutes. When finished, set aside to cool but leave oven on.

3) Combine fresh and dried tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil

4) Spread each toast with tapenade, then place sliced goat cheese on top
*TIP* I used a wire to cut the cheese log. You can also use dental floss.

5) Scoop a teaspoon of tomato mixture on each toast. Sprinkle salt, pepper, olive oil for finishing touches and bake for 5 minutes.
Aaand voilà! You are now an hors d’oeuvre superstar!

Cheese lovers! We have a problem on our hands…

Indulging in our love for these savory little morsels can be costly and nobody wants to spend $20+ at a restaurant for a few small chunks that were laid out nicely. We demand more! Fortunately, not everything that tastes delectable and elegant has to be in a luxurious setting. How, you say? Great question.

Whole Foods’s section of packaged sampling cheeses

With a lonely chunk of Pecorino sitting in the darkness of my fridge’s drawer, it needed some friends I could devour with: Cave aged Gruyere $1.44, Bucheron (Goat’s milk) $2.38 and Gouda 3 years $0.90. If you found wafers like I did or have bread sitting around, now’s the time to use it. To bring it to the next level, add a side of jam, chutney, honey or fruit- like Brie with fig jam. Salty and sweet flavors compliment each other so well.

For $5, bread and some wine from your cabinet, this is the ultimate way to relax on any night.

Bon Appétit!