Burgers for Cinco de Mayo? Yep.

This is how we do burgers at our (vegetarian) house. The walnut, black sesame burger is topped with pickled red onion and carrots and sunflower sprouts. Carrot parsnip chips with sea salt and thyme made the perfect side dish. So so tasty.

The bread that brought me back

So whoever said blogging had to be a consistent thing? After a nearly nine month blogging hiatus something has finally moved me to post.

That something is an amazingly delicious, shocking easy loaf of bread. You see, I've been on a bit of a bread baking bender. I love the way our apartment smells while it's baking and I really love saving the small fortune that we so often spend on breads from our farmer's market. This bread is hands-down my favorite yet. WARNING: if you only eat whole grain bread this bread is not for you.! The recipe is from the New York Times and was apparently all the rage (at least in New York) 3 years ago. It bakes in a oven safe dutch oven which is apparently what makes it so spectacular.

So where was I when everyone was making this bread? Well, I was pregnant and definitely wasn't (but should have been) baking bread.

It has everything I want in a bread—a nice crispy crust and a soft stretchy interior. And it was so so easy. Even if you are a bread baking novice you can, and should, make this bread. You will thank me. I promise.

 

Did I mention that the crust on this bread was heaven? So follow the link and go make this bread! You won't be sorry.

 

Happy Ramadan

This morning on our daily trip to the park, E and I stumbled upon something rather impressive—a giant throng of Muslims gathered in celebration of Ramadan. He played happily for an hour while the Imam at the podium talked of peace and celebration.  And he watched, captivated, as the crowd chanted, bent and knelt in unison.

I am so proud to to be raising my son in this city. A city where the call to prayer is not a strange sound, where he takes his Saturday morning nap to the sound of Hare Krishnas singing in the courtyard of the Methodist Church next door and where Every Single Morning after walking my husband to the subway we pass four Buddhist monks that wink at E as he smiles and waves.

New York, sometimes you frustrate and exhaust me, but today, I love you.

Pursuing Perfect Pie

I grew up in the south. And we're not talking about South Jersey, here. I am from the honest-to-goodness-south-of-the-mason dixon line, south.

In addition, I have a mother who is undeniably a gifted pie-maker.

Based solely on these two facts alone, you'd think I'd be able to throw together a decent pie.

I even know my way around a kitchen! I'm no gourmand, but I can absolutely put together some tasty food. But in spite of all of this, I am inexplicably terrified of making pies. Perhaps it's the mental block I have remembering the ratio of butter, flour and salt necessary for a perfectly flaky crust. Or perhaps it's just that I'm terrified I won't live up to my mom's pie-making awesomeness.

Since I've been on a bit of a fear-conquering streak of late, I decided to confront my pie terrors head on. My mom was visiting for Labor Day weekend which just so happens to always be near her birthday. Commence operation Birthday Pie.

For my first (totally from scratch) pie, I chose a Pear, Fig and Prune pie with an almond crust.  I even made a batch of honey almond ice cream so that if the pie was a total bust it could easily be drowned by it.


This is a picture of the result.

Pretty tasty if I say so myself! The crust tasted just like almond shortbread and the filling was comforting and gooey. 

I even puffed up with pride when my mom gave it her stamp of approval. 

Although it certainly was not perfection I don't think I'll be breaking out in a cold sweat next time I see a pie plate.

What do you do when your child wakes up at 6:00 on a Saturday?

Take a walk and go get pancakes, of course!