Sharp Cookie

Cocunut Curry Thai Chicken

2005-06-20T18:30:00.000-04:00

Wow, I've been off the blog-wagon for a while now. There are a few reasons for my lapse, not the least of which is that my oven can't get above 350 degrees and my landlord doesn't understand why that's a problem. Anyway, I've had a few people indicate that they missed my blog lately, and dinner tonight was so delicious and pretty, that, well, here I am!
Like many of you, I have been watching "The Next Food Network Star." I have mixed feelings about the program. While I think it's interesting to see how they make a cooking show (it looks so hard!), I wish there was more about the actual cooking they're doing. Anyway, last night one of the contestants made this recipe: Coconut Curry Thai Chicken and I thought it sounded appealing, so I tried it tonight. Of course, I made a few changes, mostly so that I could avoid a trip to the grocery store. I used fresh red peppers because I had them, and I omitted the water chestnuts because I don't care for them. I also added a couple of tablespoons of yogurt to the sauce to thicken it, and served it over egg noodles instead of whole wheat linguine since that's what I had in the pantry. It was such a hit that my husband said, "You should really post this on your blog." So here it is!

IMBB #14: Orange You Hungry?

2005-04-24T19:59:00.000-04:00

This month, Foodgoat's hosting IMBB and came up with the clever idea of an orange theme. What fun! I'd had my eye on a simple carrot soup recipe anyway, and today turned out to be the perfect day for it. I spent the afternoon at a "Chocolate Fantasy Buffet" for work (I know, poor me, working on Sunday eating free chocolate. . .) so I wanted a very light and healthy dinner. This was just right - the beans and milk gave it a thick and creamy feel without being too heavy. The color was lovely too!

Creamy Carrot Soup
based on a recipe from Epicurious

1.5 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3.5 cups chicken broth
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bayleaf
pinch of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 cup drained canned cannellini beans
1 cup milk
salt to taste

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, approx. 15 mins. Remove bay leaf.
2. Add beans to the pot and puree using stick blender (or use countertop blender if necessary). Add milk to pureed soup, stirring thoroughly.

Raspberry Toffee Muffins

2005-04-06T21:04:00.000-04:00

After the deluge of IMBB muffin recipes flooded the foodblogs, there were so many that I wanted to make. The funny thing is, I only very loosely based this recipe on one I saw for Muffins a la Framboise at everyone's favorite foodblog. I hope you don't mind my sharing another muffin recipe. This one is very sweet and pretty, and nicely suited to an afternoon snack with tea -- more so than for breakfast, I'd say!
Raspberry Toffee Muffins

4 tbsp butter
2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 400 and prepare muffin tin by greasing or lining.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

Combine the dry ingredients in one mixing bowl and whisk the wet ingredients together in another bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Mixture should be lumpy.

Gently fold in toffee bits and raspberries.

Spoon into muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool for about 15 minutes before removing from tins. These muffins are especially delicious when served warm.

Loco for Coconut Sorbet

2005-03-30T20:35:00.000-05:00

Belated though this may be, I thought I'd give a quick description of the dessert I served at our Easter dinner. Unfortunately this post is sans picture because we ate everything before I remembered my camera. I'm sure you can picture this for yourself: a perfect round scoop of creamy white coconut sorbet atop a sweet yellow pineapple ring. Can you see it? Good.

Coconut Sorbet
1 can cream of coconut
1 cup milk (or half and half)
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
4 tablespoons of unsweetened dried coconut flakes(optional)

1. Whisk liquid ingredients together and prepare in your ice cream maker.
2. When the mixture is nearly finished churning, add the coconut flakes if desired.

There isn't an easier ice cream in the world! No cooking and cooling or blending or anything at all, and the result is creamy and delicious for spring. I like mine with pineapple or dark chocolate sauce. If you toasted some coconut flakes I'm sure they'd make a great topping too.

Orange-Chocolate Chip Muffins

2005-03-24T22:29:00.000-05:00

I whipped up these Orange-Chocolate Chip Muffins after a torturous afternoon at work; the chef at the tea room beneath my cubicle (literally!)was baking something delightful all afternoon, and I left work dying for my own fresh baked goodies. Luckily, Maki at i was just really very hungry also happened to be hosting an IMBB cupcake/muffin event today, so I can participate (albeit at the last minute) and satisfy my craving for something warm from the oven all at once!
I chose a basic low-fat muffin recipe as my base and decided to forgo the blueberries it called for (as I had no blueberries to use) and added my own mini chocolate chips and orange twist. Eating one fresh out of the oven, I must say I had a good impression. I might add another teaspoon of vegetable oil just for a touch more moisture next time, but with a cold glass of milk these were just right as a late night snack.

Orange-Chocolate Chip Muffins
(based on a recipe from "Cooking Light")

2 cups AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
freshly grated zest of one small orange
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 and line muffin tin.
2.Combine dry ingredients (except chips) in large bowl.
3.Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
4.Make well in dry ingredients. Pour in wet ingredients and mix gently just until moistened.
5.Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Yield: 12 small muffins.

Sugar High Friday: Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Topping

2005-03-18T07:13:00.000-05:00

My husband's birthday was last week, so of course I wanted to make him a special treat. While I would normally choose chocolate for such occasions, I also knew the kind ladies at his job were surprising him with a chocolate cake from a talented local baker. So I started thinking about fruit desserts, and settled on apples because, well, he likes them and there are so many recipes to choose from! There isn't any better combination than apples and caramel, as far as I'm concerned, so I knew this would become my Sugar High Friday entry as well.
I wasn't nervous about baking the cake, and I must say it turned out well. I used this recipe from Epicurious, except I added a pinch of nutmeg and substituted 1/2 cup of applesauce for part of the oil. The diced apples looked very pretty in the sliced cake.
You'll notice that that recipe includes a caramel topping. I didn't want to make that one because of all the butter. Mostly I wanted the challenge of working with sugar -- I say challenge because the last time I made a candy recipe it turned into a grainy disaster despite my careful attempts not to disturb the boiling contents. I was a bit worried, but there was no reason to be because this recipe for caramel sauce worked on my very first try! It's just a simple caramel sauce that dressed up the cake nicely, calling to mind the caramel apples I usually enjoy in the fall. The sauce was also great the next day over a bowl of ice cream.
Overall, this birthday dessert was a great success. There were so many textures, from the creamy ice cream to the soft cake to the caramel, which was soft on the cake and a bit chewy on the ice cream. I'm sure it will return to my table on many other special occasions.

Chocolate Yogurt Loaf

2005-03-15T18:48:00.000-05:00

I've really been enjoying Words to Eat By recently, and I just made Debbie's recipe for low-fat chocolate yogurt loaf. What a great treat! It is very chocolatey and even rich for a low-fat treat. A little slice of it with tea was the perfect afternoon pick me up at work. It whips up in a snap too. At first I thought the batter seemed too thick and it looked like an awfully scrawny amount in my loaf pan, but it puffed up beautifully in the oven. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Easiest Challah Ever

2005-03-10T11:50:00.000-05:00

Here's a rather blurry photo of a great bread from a mysteriously authorless cookbook I own. The book calls it a "braided loaf" though I'm pretty sure it's officially challah. I call it easy, tasty and very pretty too. The dough is always a dream to work with and the braid makes for impressive presentation.

1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup lukewarm milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups flour (I usually use 2.5 cups AP and .5 whole wheat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 lightly beaten egg
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon milk for glazing

1. Combine the yeast, honey, milk, and butter, stir, and leave for 15 minutes to dissolve.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture and egg. With a wooden spoon, stir from the center, incorporating flour with each turn to obtain a rough dough. (I usually do this with my standing mixer on low with dough hook - works fine).
3. Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a clean oiled bowl, cover, and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1.5 hours.
4. Grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and divide into three equal pieces. Roll to shape each piece into a long thin strip.
5. Braid the strips on the baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about 30 minutes, until nicely puffed.
6. Brush bread with glaze and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Mousse Memories. . . Old & New

2005-03-06T19:33:00.000-05:00

My brother kindly gave me a copy of Pierre Herme's magnificent "Chocolate Desserts" for Christmas, and I've been drooling over it ever since. He came for a visit this weekend, so I decided I simply had to make something from the book. Nothing could be more appropriate than chocolate mousse, which has been my dessert of choice since I was three. Waitresses used to always assume I meant chocolate pudding when I requested mousse, but they were wrong -- only mousse would do! This recipe is fantastic and easy, and manages to be both rich and light at the same time. It's a bit altered here to reflect the way I made it.
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (which I didn't have, so I used about equal parts unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate)
1/3 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
1 large egg yolk
4 large egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
1. Melt the chocolate either in a double-boiler or microwave. It should still feel fairly warm to the touch when you use in the next steps.
2. Boil the milk, then pour it over the chocolate. Whisk them together gently. Add the egg yolk and whisk it gently into the chocolate just until it's incorporated.
3. Beat the egg whites just until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat the egg whites until they are firm but still glossy.
4.Scoop 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture and whisk them together. Then, delicately but thoroughly fold the remainder of the whites into the mixture.
5.Turn the mousse into a large serving bowl or individual cups and refrigerate for 1 hour to set.

Scones 2: With Lemon Curd

2005-03-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

As promised, I tried another scone recipe. I was even less satisfied with this one than with the first, and in fact we didn't finish the scones - a testament to how unimpressive they were. Luckily, all was not lost because I made a delicious lemon curd to accompany the mediocre scones! The tangy citrus seemed a bit out of place in the midst of the wintry weather we've been having, but it was a nice bit of sunshine on my plate. The recipe was incredibly easy too. Hopefully you have a better recipe for scones to accompany it than I do.

Churning Away

2005-02-26T17:28:00.000-05:00

The new ice cream maker is definitely getting a workout! I made up a "lite" raspberry treat from approximately equal parts simple syrup, yogurt, skim milk, and frozen raspberries. I added a couple of tablespoons of Chambourd and spun away. It's pretty good, but defintiely not as creamy as ice cream. . . ah well, if I don't keep it light we'll need more workouts than the ice cream maker is getting!

Scones 1: Not My Cup of Tea

2005-02-19T11:34:00.000-05:00

I adore any kind of dry, not-too-sweet tea bread, and I've been developing a regular habit of drinking a cup of afternoon tea lately, so I decided a batch of scones was in order. I picked a basic recipe from America's Test Kitchen -- one without the 2.5+ sticks of butter many recipes seem to have! I added a bit of orange zest and orange juice, and, well, struggled to get the dough to come together. The result was a satisfyingly classic scone, but I'm not going to post the recipe as I think this was only a satisfying scone, not a shockingly divine scone. It has a slightly floury aftertaste or something, nothing offensive, but certainly nothing sublime either. I'll keep searching for the ultimate classic scone and report back when I find one!

February Birthday: A Cool Kitchen Present

2005-02-16T23:06:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday, and I am thrilled to report that my mother gave me the ice cream bowl attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer. So of course I had to test it out right away. I wanted to make a light treat, since between Valentine's Day and my birthday we've been eating too much delicious - but bad for us - food. So I picked this little recipe from Martha Stewart's site, added a bit less sugar, and poured a touch of Chambourd over the top. It was a lovely end to a lovely day! I must say, however, that making melting white icy stuff look nice under the flourescent lights in a kitchen a 11PM is a challenge I'm not ready for - so imagine the taste rather than study the picture, ok?
Buttermilk Sorbet
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes. Increase heat and bring just to a boil. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar syrup with buttermilk and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. When freezing is complete, transfer sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer for at least 1 hour before serving. Sorbet will keep, frozen, for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Another Great Blog

2005-02-11T16:39:00.000-05:00

Just a quick recipe to share with you today. I've been reading this blog a lot lately. The pictures and the recipes are fantastic! They certainly put me to shame. Anyway, I made the Mexican Chocolate Cake this week. I'm afraid I didn't remember to take a picture, but it's not the presentation that's impressive here -- it's the taste. The only real changes I made were baking the cake in a cupcake tin and adding a couple of tablespoons of Kahlua rather than coffee. I froze half of the cupcakes, so maybe when I defrost them you'll get a picture. But it would be better if you just made it for yourself!

Health Kick 1: Bran Muffins

2005-02-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

I decided to bake something semi-healthy the other day, and came up with these bran muffins. When Will and I taste tested them, I made an icky face and he made a yummy face. Turns out I have never tasted a bran muffin! Will assured me that, as bran muffins go, they are delicious, and I must admit the taste has grown on me too.
This is my recipe. It is adapted from Bittman's "How To Cook Everything":
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
scant 1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1. Preheat oven to 400 and grease or line a standard 12 cup muffin tin.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat together the egg, butter and milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Combine the ingredients quickly just until moistened. The batter should be lumpy and quite moist. add more milk if necessary.
3. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick interted into the center comes out clean.

Journey to Ciabatta

2005-02-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

Wow! I've just ended an 18 hour baking adventure and I am very pleased with the final result. This lumpy ciabatta is far from the attractive artisanal bread I was hoping for, but it tastes better than anything I've ever baked, ever. This is the first time I have tried a bread with an overnight starter, and the difference in taste is incredible. The bread has a crunchy exterior and the softest inside filled with bubbly holes. I was worried because my finicky old oven won't get hotter than 400 right now, and the recipe called for a 425 oven. While I think that may have left me with a lighter crust, I can't imagine this could taste any better.

Best Banana Bread Ever

2005-01-24T14:38:00.000-05:00

I had a few overripened bananas, so I decided to whip up my favorite banana bread recipe this afternoon. I've made this a few times already, and it is now my permanent recipe. The crumb is moist and spongy, and I always have the ingredients on hand -- including brown bananas, now that this bread is a must-have at all times. It freezes unbelievably well too. Here it is: Beth Hensperger's Banana Bread, from "The Bread Bible":
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium overripe bananas, mashed
1 1/4 cups unbleached AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, sugar and eggs. Beat with a whisk or electric mixer until light-colored and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mashed bananas and beat again until well combined.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Add to the banana-egg mixture and stir to combine. Beat well to make a batter that is evenly combined and creamy in consistency.
3. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes on a centered rack.

Mailable Chicken Soup?

2005-01-20T20:38:00.000-05:00

So I gave my dear little brother James the awful tonsil infection I had last week. He ended up in the ER during his first week back at college. Poor guy. When he asked me sweetly if I could send him some cookies, how could I say no? Three dozen of these oatmeal raisin and chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies are headed his way tomorrow. Of course, I had to do a little taste testing to make sure they met quality standards. The oatmeal cookies are some of the finest I've tasted, from a Cook's Illustrated recipe Brian kindly shared. The chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies are just the way I like them -- very chewy and fairly soft. I based them on the following recipe, except I used a combination of milk chocolate and peanut butter chips in mine: http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/BstBigFtChwyChcltChipCki.asp?lnkid=563 James, make sure you have some milk in the house -- and I'm awfully sorry about the tonsil chaos!

Almost Indian Food

2005-01-18T08:45:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't bake anything pretty this weekend but we still ate well! Since we're a bit homesick for the ethnic restaurants we frequented before we moved, in particular our favorite Indian place in Montclair, I decided to attempt a curry. We both agreed it was the best at-home pseudo-Indian food we've tasted. I got the recipe from Allrecipes, though I didn't really measure the spices precisely. I went by taste, and definitely added extra cayenne! Also, I wanted this to be a one-dish meal, so I added frozen peas and some peeled, quartered and boiled potatoes. Now you see why I call it pseudo-Indian. . . but trust me it's good! Next time, I'll make it with chicken thighs so I won't have to be so careful to keep the meat moist. Mmmm, and maybe I'll even attempt to bake some naan. Here's a link to the recipe: http://chicken.allrecipes.com/az/IndinChicknCrryII.asp?lnkid=563

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2005-01-12T13:39:00.000-05:00

Here is a slice of the gigantic coffee cake I baked yesterday. I think I finally found a recipe that Will and I, dutiful treat eaters that we are, cannot finish on our own -- which is good news for his coworkers! This cake is another recipe from Hensperger's "Bread Bible", which I am ready to step away from for now, though I have been very happy with all of the recipes I've tried so far. Next up, I think I'll revisit the focaccia I botched last month.

Commercial Break

2005-01-07T22:49:00.000-05:00

There's going to be a brief baking and blogging hiatus for me. I just got put on some STRONG antibiotics today and don't feel like eating much, plus I have a few commitments in Northern Jersey this weekend. I'll be back as soon as I can!

2005-01-06T15:19:00.000-05:00

I made another recipe from "The Bread Bible" yesterday. This one is Buttermilk Honey Bread, and it was great! Will and I ate nearly a whole loaf with dinner last night. It was still a bit warm from the oven. Today, I took this slice of bread and made a very childish lunch -- a chunky peanut butter and nutella sandwich. Mmmmmm.

2005-01-04T20:29:00.000-05:00

I made some simple cornbread today using a recipe from Beth Hensperger's "The Bread Bible". I was pretty pleased with it. Now if I can just get my hands on a cast iron skillet. . .

2005-01-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

Here is a coconut cake I baked for our New Year's gathering. I got the recipe from Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything" and was very pleased with the crumb - it was moist and not too sweet. Unfortunately, I was a bit lazy about the frosting and instead of going to the store for cream cheese or whipping cream, I decided to make buttercream frosting with ingredients I had in the house. Although the icing was fine, it was definitely too sweet for me. I don't doubt I'll make this cake again, just with a different frosting.

2004-12-27T13:17:00.000-05:00

Today is a wintry day worthy of a hearty soup, so I decided to use some of the beautiful tri-colored lentils I had in the pantry to make myself a bowl of soup. It hit the spot!
I do hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and got goodies for the kitchen! I know I did. My brother gave me an amazing dessert cookbook by Pierre Herme. My uncle gave my husband and me a fantastic picnic basket, which will be perfect for sunset dinners on the beach near our house. But the most special and surprising kitchen gift I received came from my grandmother, who gave me her 54-year-old silverware set. It was given to her all those years ago as a wedding present, and now we have it to commemorate our first Christmas as a married couple.

So good it's gone

2004-12-23T13:41:00.000-05:00

So despite being awake half the night with a wicked headache, I got up early today to get my baking done. I promised my mom I'd bring a treat for Christmas morning, so I made a banana bread with cocoa and chocolate chunks. I also promised my aunt I'd bring a treat for Christmas dinner, so I made Coconut Lace Brownies from Alice Merdich's "Bittersweet" book; I'd have made something fancier, like one of her gorgeous cakes, but the dessert has a very long and rocky ride ahead of it. The brownies are actually quite pretty all dressed up with their toasty coconut topping. I took a picture to share, but then my camera's battery died. Guess I'll have to make them again!

So why all the chocolate? Well, of course, I love it, but I especially wanted to make some recipes with cocoa because I finally found a box of Droste this weekend. Now, after two huge loaves of bread and a big batch of brownies, it's nearly gone. Oh well - I never did believe in hanging on to things because they're too good to use! Then they never get enjoyed, right?

2004-12-22T08:55:00.000-05:00

Mmmm, nothing says Christmas like gingerbread for breakfast. I made this very rich chocolate gingerbread last night to send to the ladies my husband works with, but since there are only three of them I kept a little for myself. When I tasted it yesterday I was mildly disappointed because I felt the molasses overpowered the spices and chocolate, but today I was pleased to find that the flavors had blended nicely. The recipe is from Beth Hensberger's "The Best Quickbreads", which I just took out of the library. I'll be trying another recipe soon, as I promised I'd bring baked goods to my mom's house for Christmas.

2004-12-20T17:56:00.000-05:00

Here's the focaccia. I think I stretched it out too far, as it came out much flatter than I wanted it to. My friend Brian said his came out big and puffy. Still, the dough was nice and bready and had good flavor, and I'm pleased with the golden color I got. I'll definitely use this recipe again (it came from Marcella Hazan's book) and just shape it differently.

Baking Round 2: Bundt Cake

2004-12-17T22:46:00.000-05:00

So this is my latest bundt cake. I've been making a lot of them because I love my new bundt pan, and because they're so easy to transport. I can just wrap my cake in foil and garnish it with whipped cream or confectioners' sugar or whatnot when we get to our destination.

This recipe is from Lisa Yockelson's Baking By Flavor. It's the Buttermilk Butter Pound Cake on page 198. Her directions were fantastic. As a relatively inexperienced cake baker, it was reassuring to have such clear steps to follow. Of course, I can't taste it until tomorrow, but I must say I'm pleased with the way it looks!

Sharp Cookie's First Finished Project

2004-12-17T18:59:00.000-05:00

As promised, here's the soda bread! It came out very well, and overall the recipe was a snap. The bread is very dense and not too dry -- a bit like a scone. We ate some with stew for dinner, but I'm most excited about having it for breakfast tomorrow.

I think our next project will be focaccia on Monday. Right now, however, I am going to make a buttery sour cream bundt cake to bring to my friend's holiday party tomorrow.

Off to the Races

2004-12-15T23:04:00.000-05:00

So my friend Brian and I were talking about learning to bake bread today, and we decided to begin baking together a bit. He's quite a bit more experienced in the kitchen than I am, and he lives four-hundred miles away, but it's nice to know I'll have his expert ear if I find myself fumbling!

Our first recipe is for a simple Irish soda bread. It seemed like a good, non-threatening place to start. What's better than warm, raisiny soda bread smothered in butter on a winter's day? Here is a link to the recipe we're using.

I'll be back to report our results on Friday, and perhaps to post a picture if I'm feeling adventurous.