PB Espresso Brownies

My lab seems to have a lot going on lately! First, Juhi finishes her med school apps, warranting cupcakes. Next, Kate, the post-doc I've been learning some cool imaging techniques with, has her birthday! Which I did not find out about until the day before. Luckily, I had a chance to ask my favorite screening question ("what's your favorite ice cream flavor?"). The answer: chocolate and peanut butter!

One of my favorite (and easiest) chocolate desserts to make is Giada's espresso brownies. Essentially all you have to do is fancy up some boxed brownie mix and BOOM you have a delicious treat with that extra kick. I decided this time to kick it up 2 extra notches (a la Emeril) and incorporate peanut butter into the brownies AND frosting. I seemed to be on a candy streak (after the Andes for the cupcakes), so I bought some mini Reese's and chopped them into "chips" to throw into the batter.

After that, I had to find a recipe for peanut butter frosting (because there's never such a thing as too much peanut butter). I simply spread the buttercream on top of the brownies, threw them in the fridge, and brought them into lab the next day.

How'd they go over? Considering the fact I had to hide one brownie to bring home, I think the lab enjoyed them. Words such as "decadent", "rich", and "best thing ever" were used to describe these creations. I'm really glad they liked them - here's the recipe so you, too, can wow your favorite chocolate-peanut butter lover. Don't even wait for their birthday.

Don't like coffee? Don't worry - these have a very subtle coffee flavor, as the espresso actually serves to amp up the chocolate. Ina Garten has an episode about it, so it must be true.

Peanut butter-y chocolate-y espresso-y goodness.

Kate's Peanut Butter Espresso Brownies
Makes 16 big brownies

Brownies - inspired by Giada
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. espresso powder
1 box brownie mix with chocolate chips, preferably Ghiradelli
15 Reese's minis, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Whisk together water, vegetable oil, eggs, and espresso powder. Mix in brownie mix until just combined. Stir in Reese's.

Transfer to greased 9x9 brownie pan, and cook 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost with peanut butter frosting once cooled, allow to set in fridge before serving.


Frosting - inspired by Sally's Baking Addiction
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter (NOT all-natural)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk (or cream)

Combine butter and peanut butter, beat until fluffy and smooth. Incorporate vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly beat in powdered sugar (adjust quantity depending on desired sweetness). Add milk or cream, and beat till smooth. The frosting may be a bit soft, so allow some time to set before serving or frosting.

A Side of Cauliflower

Yes, I know you're wondering - has Andrew gone vegetarian?! What's this about posting about a weird  white vegetable, I thought he only made decadent desserts and manly meaty meals. Well don't you fear, I didn't JUST eat cauliflower for dinner (I also had some leftover rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods with the Blueberry Balsalmic BBQ sauce from last week and some tomato sauce over some angel hair pasta). But you already saw those recipes, so no need to reiterate ;).

I've heard from some of my friends they don't like cauliflower for a variety of reasons: it's weird-looking white vegetable, strange texture, etc. - to me, all cop-outs, I LOVE IT. So I came up with a cauliflower dish for the cauliflower-suspicious amongst you.

The secrets of this one? Butter and spices. Because, well, everything goes better with butter (channeling Paula Deen), and spices can perk up what can be a bland starchy veggie. Peppers help sweeten the deal, too. There are a million and one variations you can make on this: switch the spices, throw in an extra veggie to melt in, finish it off in the oven, but this is how I made it tonight.

I want to eat it right out of the pan! Oh wait, maybe I did...

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Pan-Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts
Serves 2-4

4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 peppers, sliced into strips
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
salt and pepper

Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper, and saute until slightly softened, 7-10 minutes.

Add peppers, season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and continue to saute until the peppers melt down and the cauliflower is browned, another 5-7 minutes.

Throw in the pine nuts so they can toast a bit, then serve right away!

Maple-Frosted Carrot Cupcakes

So my friend Xixi sent me a gchat yesterday - "Andrew, I'm making cupcakes for my lab... I need an assist, would you be able to help?" My response: "Uhhh YES of course! Let's do it!" Apparently our last foray into baking for her lab (chocolate red wine cupcakes) was such a success that she had to follow it up with something equally as delicious! Though I have faith in Xixi's baking abilities, she needed a little cheerleading from me to take her cupcakes to the next level. Note - it was all her, I just measured and mixed a bit.

She sent me over the recipe we were making - a Smitten Kitchen carrot cupcake with a maple cream cheese frosting. Ummmm YUM. I'm actually not super into carrot cake but I was in a mood so I acquiesced to her demands. So begrudgingly. This is what transpired...

Dry ingredients expertly combined. Lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger - almost like a pumpkin creation!

Slowly add the dry to the wet ingredients, otherwise you'll make a mess when you try to stir it in!

I told you - CARROT cake.

All these carrots make it healthy ya? 

Whilst we were waiting - an orange-strawberry ginger beer cocktail.

The final product - sorry it turned out slightly blurry.

As with previous cupcake recipes, this frosting was TOO SWEET if you add the full 2 cups of powdered sugar - so again I cut it down to 3/4-1 cup. There's also already maple syrup in there, so take that into account when you consider your sweet tooth.

What's the cocktail, you ask? Simply muddle juice from half and orange and 4 strawberries with 3 oz. rum. then distribute amongst three glasses, and top off with ginger beer (my new favorite mixer). It's a refreshing summer drink with a kick!

So, Xixi, I hope your lab loves *our* cupcakes (though it can be our secret that I helped). I'm free to help baking again anytime!

Blueberry Baking Bonanza (Pt. 2)

And the blueberries kept rolling in! Now for the dramatic conclusion of my escapades in baking the berry of the blue variety (recall part 1).

Lemon Blueberry Cookies: I was in a giving mood, so I decided to make some cookies to bring into lab. In keeping with my lemon-blueberry theme, I found this delicious-sounding recipe for cookies. I also did a slight modification - though I love cheesecake, I decided to forego the cream cheese center, mostly for time concerns. If I did want to add it, though, I would have whipped 4 oz. cream cheese with about 1/4 cup sugar to make a more cheesecake-like filling. Still, the cookies turned out cakey and delicious (some of my labmates decided they were more like muffin tops), and they are so light you could eat 10 of them. Except they have 1 cup of butter. Figure that one out... In my experience, they also didn't spread very much in the pan, and for me took about 13-14 minutes to cook.

Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Sauce: OK, so not baking technically but still amazing. I love blueberries, and of course because I'm Italian love balsamic vinegar, so when this recipe combined them both I died. Then made it. Then died again. I am only slightly bitter that I had to buy 24 oz. of ketchup to use 3 Tbsp, because I'm definitely not into ketchup. I also added about 1/2 tsp of pepper just to spice things up a bit (see what I did there?). As with the tomato sauce on my last post, WAIT for the blueberries to cool before transferring to the blender. The only thing worse than tomatoes all over your kitchen is blueberries. That stuff doesn't come out.

Over pulled chicken, with sauteed veggies on the side - recipe to follow!

What would you eat this over? ANYTHING - chicken, sandwiches, however you like your BBQ sauce. Maybe even a pizza (though don't tell my ancestors).

Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars: For our lab retreat up to Northern Michigan (more on that another time), I had to bring some more baked goods (especially since they have had a lot of the windfall of my baking streak, I couldn't stop now). I'm also really into using boxed cake/brownie mixes in new and exciting ways because a) it saves me a ton of time and b) it looks like it didn't. So now that I have divulged my secret, here's the recipe. The only thing I noticed was that the top was browning a bit before the center was set, so I would bake uncovered for 40 minutes (until the top is sufficiently browned), and then cover with foil for the last 15 minutes or so (until the cheesecake part is set).

About to go into the oven - attempting to be artistic with the "crumb topping".

Fortunately, these were a big hit - they taste like blueberry cheesecake on a poundcake vehicle. Make a double-batch they're so easy!

As for the rest of the blueberries? They'll be eaten the old-fashioned way, just as they are :).

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

When the undergrad in my lab, Juhi, was almost-but-not-quite done with her med school apps, I decided to entice her with a proposition: finish the apps, get a baked reward from yours truly. Apparently it worked because she finished them within a couple days. However, admittedly it took me a couple weeks to make good on my promise, but nevertheless I did NOT forget!

How did I decide what to make for the occasion? I simply asked Juhi what her favorite flavor of ice cream was, and went off of that. When she said "mint chocolate chip" I was super-excited because I love mint too! So this would not be an unenjoyable experience (though is baking ever?).

I immediately scoured the interwebs for recipes - cupcakes, brownies, cakes, cookies, I saw them all. But when I found a recipe for cupcakes with a mint oreo INSIDE, I was set. And cupcakes are easy to work with for a group (much moreso than a cake, where you have to cut and make a mess blah blah blah).

Of course, no cupcake is complete without a delicious frosting, and because I was cheating with the cupcake (see below), I had to bring it on the frosting. Of course no mint cupcake would be complete without a mint frosting, so I found a delicious mint buttercream to use. In general, I tend to think most frosting recipes are too sweet, so I usually start with 1/2-3/4 of the sugar in the recipe and add more as necessary.

The final result? You judge for yourself how minty fresh I got with it. Needless to say, Juhi loved them, though probably not enough to re-do her med school apps just to get another batch (all you have to do is ask!).

Mint on mint on mint.

Juhi's Mint Cupcakes

Cake (makes 24) - inspired by Half-Baked
1 devils food cake mix
24 mint oreos
Andes mints, for decoration

Frosting (makes 1 cup) - inspired by Cooking Whims
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 Tbsp milk
1 cup powdered sugar
12-15 Andes mints, finely chopped
green food coloring

Follow directions on cake mix for the cupcakes. Pour into greased or lined muffin tins, only filling about halfway. In each cupcake, push an oreo into the center, being sure to cover them completely (and not eat too many of the extras!). Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make the frosting, whip butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the milk and a couple drops of green food coloring and continue to whip until smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once incorporated, fold in the chopped mints. Transfer to a Ziploc bag or pastry bag (if you're fancy).

Once the cupcakes have cooled, pipe frosting on using your chosen method, and top with an extra Andes mint. Refrigerate until set.

Blueberry Baking Bonanza (Pt. 1)

...the first in a two-part series about a boy who baked way too much.

It's been said: When life gives you 7 lbs of blueberries, you bake as much as possible.

OK so that's not an actual saying, but I definitely can say I lived that mantra since deciding to go to a U-Pick Blueberry Farm in Dexter recently. I've never gone blueberry picking before, but I have to say it's really fun and a good way to spend an hour or so on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. And after earning your blueberries, don't you have a right to eat as many baked goods with them as possible? Another instance where calories don't count.

So what delicious goodies did I make, and how can you do the same if you're so fortunate to hit the blueberry jackpot?

Blueberry Oatmeal Loaf: Using this recipe, it turned out a bit dry (probably from all the oats). Next time maybe I'd cut down on the oats or add a bit more oil. However, it was delicious to eat with my next act...

Fresh out of the oven!

Blueberry Sauce: Think cranberry sauce but with blueberries. All the recipes I found had cornstarch which a) I didn't own at the time and b) didn't think was needed to make a delicious sauce, so I had to combine Ina Garten's recipe with some of my tricks from making a killer cranberry sauce. Here's what I came up with:

Makes 1 1/2 cups
6 cups blueberries
3/4 cup sugar (I started with a bit less and added more as necessary)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla 

Combine blueberries and sugar in a large saucepan, add water, lemon juice, and spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer until thickened (about 15-20 minutes). The blueberries should "pop" and the sauce begin to turn a deep purple. You know you're done when the sauce is thick enough so that you can run your finger down the back of your spoon without the sauce filling in - note that it will thicken a bit more as it cools. 

Take off heat, add vanilla, and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve over cakes, roasted turkey (a la cranberry sauce), or even in a cocktail (blueberry sauce + vodka).

Mmmm simmering down. Hard to be patient while this is happening.

Blueberry Pie: Duh I had to make this. However, it's not as simple as you'd think to find a good pie recipe. Everyone has their own rules of cornstarch, sugar, lemon, everything that I was slightly overwhelmed with the possibilities. When I found this recipe, though, and everyone was raving about it (even my hometown TV stations), I knew I had my winner. Fortunately, by this point I had acquired corn starch and pie crusts in anticipation of making pie. For the crust, admittedly I did cheat - I used Kroger's frozen ones that I baked following package directions. But I'm a grad student, so I'm allowed a little shortcut every now and then!

It's healthy because there are fresh blueberries. Ignore the sugar and carb content.

If I had to do it again, I think i would cut down on the lemon or vanilla - having both in there was a bit funny to me, so I'd play around with the ratio. Also it does get better the more you allow it to sit in the fridge, so I'd make it the day before an event (if you have self-control!). Having fresh blueberries mixed into the pie was a really good idea, and made me feel healthier in practically eating from the tin. Almost.

...what did I make next? Stay tuned for part 2, coming soon to an Internet near you.

Welcome! And a Pasta Story...

Welcome to Pasta for Thought, a new food (and life) blog. But mostly food, because let's be honest that's what I think about 90%+ of the time. By way of introduction, my name is Andrew, and I'm a 3rd year MD/PhD student at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I'm originally from New Jersey, and went to school out in California. Through my life, I've had the unique opportunity to do lots of traveling with my family all over the world, to places such as Italy, France, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

You may ask how all of this has influenced my cooking. As you can imagine, based on the name of the blog, I end up holding tightly onto my Italian/New Jersey/New York roots. I do love trying new things, though, whether it's a new cuisine, technique, or a twist on an old classic!

OK, enough talking more eating.

So for my first post, let me tell you a story that is not atypical for me for a Saturday afternoon.

• Andrew goes to grocery store
• Andrew sees random ingredient(s)
• Andrew gets inspired to make some random recipe
• Andrew spends hours making said recipe

In this case, "ingredient" = good-looking plum tomatoes and "recipe" = fresh sauce. Of course, the next thing I think is "I have some random semolina flour, I should make pasta." Have I ever made pasta before? No. Do I own a pasta machine? No. Did I care? No (though I definitely had no idea how it would turn out).

After many hours (more than I care to admit) of research, the following is what I came up with.

Dough kneaded, rested, and ready to roll!

 Who needs a pasta maker when you have... a rolling pin?

 Cut into artfully (?) irregular tagliatelle strips.

Fully cooked, with a dollop of home-made sauce on top!

Oh, and what are those specks of green in the pasta? Basil. Because... I had it in my garden. And why not spice up your pasta when you're making it from scratch?

From my kitchen to your stomach, buon appetito!

Also, if you have any ideas for future posts, or questions, feel free to comment - I can do my best to answer them for you!

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Fresh Pasta

Makes ~3/4 lb (healthy portion for 2)

Inspired by Giada de Laurentiis and this website

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup semolina flour

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp olive oil

Mix together dry ingredients and put on your clean countertop shaped into a mountain, making a divot for the wet ingredients. Crack eggs and add olive oil into a small bowl, whisk a bit, then add to the divot you created. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into this divot as you mix with a fork, until a dough forms. Add a bit of flour or water if it doesn't come together correctly (though be patient).

Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes (don't give up - it's worth it!), and allow to rest covered for at least 30 minutes. If it'll be a couple hours before coming back, you can put it into the fridge, just allow it to warm up before the next step.

Roll out the dough using your handy pasta maker (follow those instructions) or a rolling pin. It may be best to do this in a few portions so it's manageable, otherwise it may take up too much space on the counter. Don't be afraid to flour the counter and rolling pin liberally. Cut into desired shape (if you don't have a pasta maker but do have a pizza cutter, that makes it so much easier).

To cook, simply place into salted boiling water as you would dried pasta. However, keep close by, they'll only take 2-3 minutes to cook!

Variations

To lemonify: add zest and juice from one lemon into the wet ingredients

To basilify: add finely chopped basil (~2 oz.) into the wet ingredients

Fresh Sauce

Makes 1 qt

Inspired by my grandma

4 lbs fresh plum (Roma) tomatoes

salt

basil

Wash and cut the tomatoes, removing any excess seeds or water (though no need to be obsessive). Throw into a large saucepan, add about 1/2 tsp of salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring every few minutes (as to not burn the tomatoes).

Once the tomatoes have cooked down and are sufficiently mushy, remove from heat. WAIT until they have cooled sufficiently, and then blend to a smooth consistency in the blender (if they're too hot, the top will come off and make a mess in your kitchen!).

Return to saucepan, and cook down, adding salt to taste (just till it makes the sauce taste less "tomato-y"). When you are about to serve, stir in a few leaves of basil.