Memorial Day

Today we remember and say thank you to all who have served (and are serving) our country.  Have a great day, enjoying family, friends, annnnnnnnnd picnics galore!  Speaking of which, I loooooooooove this picnic set by Martha Stewart:

[available here]

A veritable holiday feast

Happy Friday!  Nothing puts a bounce in my step quite like knowing that I have one more day in my weekend.  Hopefully most of you have a three day stretch ahead of you with nothing resembling work on your calendar.  And it looks like the weather is going to be beautiful around here -- perfect for golf, biking, le tennis, and, of course, outdoor dining!  If you're looking for some last-minute ideas of things to make or take to a picnic, here are some of my favorite options:

• Create your perfect burger (I've been obsessed with using toasted English muffins as buns lately)
• Pat's loaded baked potato salad, here to dismiss all previous notions of this classic side dish
• The most epic macaroni and cheese this world has ever known
• A colorful and quick lentil salad, which can be served cold or warm

And save room for the pièce de résistance -- dessert!  All but one of these are weather-friendly and need minimal attention beyond a simple covering until you are ready to serve.  The other just needs to stay in the freezer until serving, but you'll welcome a cold treat when temperatures creep into the 90s:

• An oh-so-chewy sugar cookie sure to please every palate
• Chocolate cake perfect for serving a crowd
• Creamy dreamy coconut cookie ice cream sandwiches, made ahead and individually packaged for easy serving
• Salted brown butter Rice Krispie treats that will surprise and please kids and adults
• From scratch brownies so good they'll swear it's a box mix but better!

[classic American picnic dessert at its best]

Me?  I'm making those salted brown butter crispy treats and toting them to the other side of the state.  "But Katy, what on earth would make you want to venture into enemy territory?"  Family, friends, grilling, eating, and shopping, of course :)  Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

One ingredient dessert

Go ahead, call me a hypocrite for what I'm about to admit: this week I'm on a self-imposed sugar/junk food detox.  After this past weekend of miniature cakes, excess frosting, and a self-serve candy bar (just to name a few), I felt like I needed to hit the reset button.  Let me be clear -- this is not about calories or dieting or anything obscene like that.  It's just that reaching for the Nutella and ice cream upon waking up, after every meal and as soon as I get home from the gym made me think that my appetite was a little unbalanced.  I'm pretty sure the last time I went 4 days without dessert, cookies, anything sweet, even a piece of chocolate, was 1999.  I remember it like it as yesterday... because it was AWFUL.

For some ridiculous reason, I decided that I would a) give up something for Lent, even though I'm Presbyterian and we just don't do that, and b) choose to give up "junk food" of all kinds.  That included sweets, chips, pizza, crackers... leave it to the type A personality to be detailed and thorough.  So many of my friends in junior high were Catholic (roughly 98%), and I thought it would be fun to partake in my own little willpower experiment since it meant nothing more serious to me than that.  It's safe to say that I suffered some sort of brain damage prior to that decision, especially given that Girl Scout Cookies are delivered during the Lenten season every year.  Anyway, I completed my challenge successfully, only to go on an all-junk food diet for the week after just to right the universe.  I don't recommend this to anyone, ever.  Case closed.

I decided this week (read: 5 whole days) I needed a little break... keeping in mind that we're approaching a holiday weekend when I can reassert my place in the world as a food aficionado.  So I wanted dessert last night... what to do, what to do.  Then I remembered seeing a few online mentions of frozen banana custard.  That required one ingredient.  One. Ingredient.  Shut. Up!

This "custard" is cold and creamy and sweet and healthy!  Of course, when I make it again, I might try adding a few chocolate chips or spoonful of peanut butter or Nutella to the mix.  But know that this was delightfully refreshing and satisfying all on its own.  Seriously, how have I not known about this until now?  And hey, this week isn't going as badly as I remember the first round many years ago... but that doesn't mean this will become a regular event.


One Ingredient Frozen Banana Custard
-makes about 1 cup

1 peeled banana, sliced into pieces, frozen in a sealed plastic bag

Add banana to bowl of mini food processor.  Start blending.  The contents will progress from slices...

...to tiny Dippin' Dot sized bits..

...to smooth banana custard in a few minutes.  Dish out and enjoy!

Almond layer cake

[one heck of a decadent cake]

There's nothing better than a cake to celebrate a special occasion.  But what about two special occasions: a quarter century birthday and graduation from law school?  That kind of double milestone requires an extra special cake.  You know, something that says, "Hey, world, we're grown-ups now!" (Do grown-ups say those sorts of things?)

The quarter-century lady let her soon-to-be lawyer half of this also soon-to-be-married couple (congrats!!) choose an almond cake with chocolate frosting.  And what good timing did he have.  Not only had I made a chocolate frosting recently that I was just bursting to share with you, but the family and I enjoyed an adorably petite almond cake for Mother's Day that I was dying to attempt myself.  The chocolate frosting was first made to go with those dynamite peanut butter cupcakes, but I scaled down the recipe so much that I wanted to make a big batch to ensure correct proportions.  And the almond cake... ohhhhhh, the almond cake.  After much Googling (don't you love how that's a verb?), I'd seen this recipe from the Sky High cake book pop up a few times, so I took a risk with it.  What's that line about great risks and even greater rewards?  I don't know, nor do I feel like Googling it.  The bottom line here is that this cake was so rich, so fragrant, and bursting with almond flavor that I truly forgot it was the first time I'd made it.

[what to look for in the baking aisle]

[sifting out the large and unfortunate clumps]

[cylinder o' almond paste]

[breakin' up, break-breakin' up]

[glorious crumbs!]

[doesn't that little cake seem to say, "oh, hi there!  mind if I join your party?"]

Almond Layer Cake

(adapted from Sky High)

-makes three 9-inch cake layers OR two 9-inch cakes and one 6-inch mini cake

4 1/2 cups cake flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup prepared almond paste (look for an 8-ounce can in the baking aisle)

2 2/3 cups sugar

2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon almond extract

10 egg whites

1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter the bottoms and sides of three 9-inch round cake pans (or two 9-inch and one 6-inch).  Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment and butter the paper.

In a medium bowl, sift together (or use a whisk to break up the large clumps) the cake flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  Place the almond paste and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Begin to cream the mixture on low speed to break up the almond paste, then increase the speed to medium for about 2 minutes, or until the paste is broken into fine particles.  (see pictures above for visual cues)

Add the butter and almond extract and beat it well, then the egg whites, two or three at a time, beating just long enough to incorperate after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to make sure it is evenly mixed.

Dust about a third of the dry ingredients over the batter and fold in with a large rubber spatula until just combined.  Fold in about half the milk.  Gently fold in half the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finally, fold in the last of the dry ingredients just until no streaks of white remain. Use a light hand and do not overmix.  Divide the batter among the three prepared cake pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (for my slightly more full two 9-inch cakes, it took about 35 minutes; for the 6-inch, roughly 30 minutes) or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out on to wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners and let them cool completely, about one hour.

Layer cakes and top with desired frosting.  Might I not-so-humbly suggest this chocolate frosting, complete with an instructional video at the bottom for assembly.

The world's best chocolate frosting

[my very own little almond cake]

Isn't that the most adorable little cake you've ever seen?  A mini cake, if you will, all for me.  And while I'm going to keep the cake recipe and finished product until tomorrow's post, this chocolate frosting recipe was meant to be shared with the world -- shouted from the rooftops.  Some icings and frostings can be a bit tedious to make, with all of the whisking of egg whites and room temperature butter.  (Mind you, they are all totally delicious and utterly worth every second of labor.)  But until I made this frosting, I had been under the impression that a great frosting takes great work.  Nope, no way, not this time, not this frosting.

This chocolate frosting recipe comes from, who else, the experts at Hershey's.  And, though they left out a few details (such as the oh-so-crucial sifting), the recipe is quick and easy.  How quick?  Melt the butter in a microwave quick.  How easy?  Whisk everything together by hand, no electric mixer needed easy (though if you wanted, you could certainly use it).  Just use cocoa powder rather than chopping and melting down chocolate easy.  The first two times I made this I used a whisk, but the last time I caved and used my beloved KitchenAid... hey, I doubled the recipe and my arms were a teensy bit sore from a new workout at the gym the previous day.  Cut me some slack... please?

I think you will when you taste this.  If you've ever had a problem exhibiting self-control with those store-bought cans of chocolate frosting, well, you haven't got a prayer with this stuff.  It's so creamy and chocolatey and makes you think you've never had real chocolate icing before this moment.  And it may be the reason behind my doubling of the recipe.  I had enough for the layer cake, my mini cake, and oh, a 1/2 cup extra to spoon feed to myself straight out of the bowl save for later.

[sifting is the key!]

[smooth butter and cocoa mixture]

[so happy together]

[growing stack of cake and frosting]

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting
(from Hershey's website)
-makes roughly 2 cups

1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Stir in cocoa and whisk until completely dissolved (and no clumps of cocoa remain).  Add half of the powdered sugar, and whisk until no white remains.  Add milk, stir to incorporate, and add remaining sugar, again whisking until no white remains.  Stir in vanilla extract.

**Frosting too stiff?  Add milk one tablespoon at a time and stir until desired consistency for spreading is reached.

**Frosting too thin?  Add more powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

To level and frost your cake, check out this video.  Great visuals for an otherwise wordy process.  I'm a very visual learner, so I thought this would help.  For this particular cake (recipe coming up tomorrow), I wanted a more rustic homemade look, so I didn't level the cakes.  It's totally up to you.  After all, it will taste just as delicious flat or rounded :)

Don't leave home with a naked cupcake!

That's the slogan of the Internet company Cupcake Cuddlers, whose product I first saw this weekend at a family friend's rockin' party of a wedding.  There were Cuddlers indicating the bride's and groom's cupcakes, and then sweet bow-adorned ivory ones for the guests' desserts.  Not only was my first impression of the cupcake out of this world, but the local favorite Dainty Pastry Shoppe in Latrobe totally delivered with moist delicious vanilla treats.

After looking through my camera, I was pretty disappointed with my lack of pictures of the food at this awesome wedding because there was so much to share, the highlight of which was the candy bar.  A friggin' candy bar, like this, but way cuter and with much better candy.  (Say what you will, but I've never been a fan of the classic hard candy.  If my mom is reading this, she just cringed.)   Just trust that I did my patriotic duty to indulge in everything edible :)  Yes, I did it for you.

Picnic pretty

Although many people have taken it upon themselves to begin grilling season early (myself included), Memorial Day is basically the universal start to outdoor cooking season.  With just over a week before the big charcoal showdown, I wish I were having a big party so I could utilize both of these.

First, hot dog... sleeves?!  Yeah, hot dog sleeves!  How many times have you been carrying a large tray of hot dogs in buns only to have one rogue wiener roll off the tray into the sunset onto the ground.  These handy things will make serving a thousand times easier:

[available here]

Uhhhhh, hold up.  Is that a red and white checked cupcake box?  Be still my never-overlooks-an-opportunity-for-cupcakes-and-themes heart.  And while I do have a glorious permanent cupcake carrier of my own, I don't really like to take it places and have to either a) unload remaining (if any) treats onto another plate, or b) leave the carrier behind and pray that I get it back within the next century.  I don't mind leaving it with friends, but in large gatherings, containers tend to go home with different people than with whom they arrived (tsk tsk).  Anyway, this solves both of those problems and looks mighty cute in the process:

[available here]

Simple pleasures

Whoever said that money can't buy happiness was totally full of crap.  This is how I cheered myself up after a slightly frustrating day yesterday:

...wasn't that easy :)

Strawberry coffee cake muffins

 [rule-breaking never looked or tasted so good]

In many ways, it would seem that I was destined to love baking.  One such reason is that most bakers wake up at unseemly hours to begin the day's work.  And I am, without a shadow of doubt, a morning person.  (Consequently, I am no night owl.  If I am conscious when the clock reads 10:45 at night, consider it a major victory.)  Saturday was one very early day.  I "slept in" until 6:30, read for an hour and a half, and then began baking muffins.  I must've been in a slightly defiant mood because I just couldn't bring myself to follow the original recipe exactly, even on the first trial.  No, I didn't want to use any plums, and the initial process didn't make much sense.  And a topping without brown sugar?  Pfff, please, Martha.  I love you, but let's get real.

If you're a plum enthusiast, by all means, use them.  I'm not crazy about them, but really it was because at 6:30, I was going to use what I had available - fresh strawberries.  I've rarely seen strawberries baked INTO things, rather than just used as an afterthought or garnish at the end.  Why the shunning, bakers of the world?  Bake these and you'll think twice about ignoring these red beauties of spring and summer.  The crunchy sweet crust on top of the muffin is a nice contrast to the barely tart softness of the warm strawberries swirled into a fluffy muffin.

[be gentle]

[hello, old friend]

[why, yes, I'd love an elegant breakfast for one, thank you!]

Tip: If you don't have the time to wait for eggs to come to room temperature, fill a small bowl with warm-hot water and let eggs sit in bath for 5 minutes until no longer cold to the touch.

Strawberry Coffee Cake Muffins

(adapted very loosely from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)

-makes 20 standard size muffins

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 Tablespoons brown sugar, loosely packed

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter, cooled
2 cups chopped (1/2 to 3/4-inch chunks) strawberries (about 1 pint whole strawberries)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line two standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners (if you only have one pan, cover the batter bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until it's needed) and set aside.  [Note: I opted for coating the pan in nonstick spray and skipping paper liners, and wished I had used the liners in the end.  Just easier for inverting, cooling, and serving.]

In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon; set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and remaining 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and set aside.  In another large bowl, whisk together melted cooled butter, vanilla, milk, and eggs.  [If your resulting mixture looks a little curdled at this point, don't panic!  This will go away in the next step.]

Fold the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture gently with a rubber spatula until just combined.  Again, gently, fold the cut up strawberries into the batter until evenly distributed.  Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full, or until equally full of batter.

Sprinkle cinnamon brown sugar mixture evenly over tops of muffins.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes (18 worked for me), or until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.  Remove pan to a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully (and with an oven mitt) turn out muffins onto rack and, right sides up, allow to cool completely.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Store in covered container for up to 2 days.

Pittsburgh eats & a sandwich fit for a queen

Another day of rain, another day of reliving the glorious weekend we had.  All of the galavanting I did around the city had me indulging in various eats and treats along the way:

• Arugula and parmesan tortelloni in Shadyside
• A doughnut in Squirrel Hill
• A refreshing beer along the Monongahela River
• Four onion soup in the South Side
• Apple pie ice cream in Oakland

Oh, that's a lot of eating and treating, I know.  But all but the first were under $5, and I think it was a nice sampling of this fair city of ours.  I did do some toiling in the kitchen, albeit brief, and this is Saturday's light and luxurious dinner for the whole 45 minutes I was at my apartment: a HAB (no, not those Habs, how dare you) sandwich.  On my way back from Shadyside, I wanted to have a quick dinner before heading to the other side of the river, so I impulse grocery-shopped and left with one Granny Smith apple, 1/2 pound of thinly-sliced ham, a wedge of Brie cheese, and a pack of whole grain English muffins.  Some people go for a new TV or shoes, I go for food, thankyouverymuch.

What a study in flavors and textures this sandwich is -- the crisp bite of the tart apple, the dreamy creamy smooth Brie, the delicate and salty ham, and the crusty yet chewy nooks of the English muffin.  Swoon.  Although so simple in preparation, this sandwich feels like an instant getaway to a small outdoor cafe somewhere in France... you know, where the word "yinz" [shudder] is pleasantly absent from everyday language and Versailles is pronounced like Ver-sigh and not Ver-sales.  I love my city, but just sayin'.

[a cheerful lookin' apple, even amidst slaughter]

 [what a preppy little sandwich]

HAB (Ham apple brie) sandwich
-makes 1

1 English muffin or two slices of bread, your choice
1 Granny Smith (or other relatively tart) apple, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
Sliced deli ham
Small wedge of Brie cheese

Toast English muffin lightly.  Layer thin slices of Brie, ham, and roughly 1/3 apple slices on one side of muffin (or bread) and top with other half.  I opted for two layers of cheese, but play with this and layer as much or little as you see fit.  Enjoy with remaining apple for an easy and satisfying lunch, dinner, or hearty snack.  Take comfort in the fact that no heat-expelling oven was used in the making of this :)

Walking (in) sunshine

Monday, Monday.  I had a plan that if today were going to be like yesterday and Saturday, I was going to call off work to spend even more time outside.  But, after waking up to rain pouring from the skies amidst 50 degree temperatures, that plan was quickly nixed.  Cool rainy days were meant for productivity indoors... and the wearing of warm and fluffy scarves.

My sincere hope is that everyone was able to get outside this weekend, especially if you're in western PA, and enjoy the absolute paradise that mother nature provided.  For me, it all started with a lovely anniversary dinner complete with outdoor seating on Friday night (thank you thunderstorms for sparing us!).  On Saturday, I left my apartment at roughly 10:30 in the morning and didn't return until 9:45pm, only to return for a half hour around 5 for a quick dinner (to be described later).  What was I doing that entire time?  Strolling.  Walking.  Exploring.  Sauntering.  You name it.  Oh, and just generally acting like a tourist in my own city, camera out in full force.  (Sunday I did much of the same but minus the camera, unfortunately.)

[my favorite combination of purple and green - Wimbledon colors]

[I pass this house in Squirrel Hill often, and each time I look at it from this angle, I think of a medieval castle, tucked safely away behind tall hedges... and a mote]

[somewhere in Point Breeze, causing passersby to smile]

[in the Schenley Farms Historic District, a house with the brightest and most welcoming entrance]

[ye old Cathreejal Cathedral and a watercolor sky]

[view of the city from the Hot Metal Bridge]

All of these were taken on Saturday, and I'd say I logged between 10 and 12 miles in all.  I highly recommend this tactic to anyone.  A day when you have no plans at all, put on some comfy clothes and tennis shoes, take the essentials (phone, wallet, camera, sunglasses) and set off outside with no particular destination in mind :)

What did you do outside this weekend?

The Perfect Burger

It's full on grilling season, people!  If you're in western PA right now, you may have to grill outside and dine inside, but that's no reason to frown.  Last weekend I made that mind-boggling good Pat's potato salad, and even had burgers for dinner two nights ago, so it's only fitting that I stumbled onto this feature in the New York Times entitled, "The Perfect Burger and All Its Parts."  (Ahem, mother nature, that's your cue to be awesome and grant us a spectacular weekend.)

There is an interactive feature about building the perfect burger, piece by piece.  And a recipe for the ultimate in burger buns.  I'm saving this one to try in the coming weeks, so I'll report on my findings.  All in the name of perfection, of course :)

What makes for your perfect burger?  Is it a mixture of different meats?  Or a spicy sauce?  Or maybe something hidden within the patty, such as cheese or jalapenos.  I'd love to hear!

No post today

Day of mourning for the end of the Pittsburgh Penguins' season, and especially the end of an era at Mellon Arena.

[thanking the fans, 5-12-10]

[The once Civic Arena being built]

Peanut butter cupcakes

[imagine opening your lunchbox to find one of these... swoon]

This recipe for peanut butter cupcakes has been in my "to try" folder for probably a year, and after tasting them, I'm kicking myself for waiting such a long time to bake these.  One of my favorite (and few) cupcakes that I like from a local bakery boasts a peanut butter frosting, but I have yet to encounter a peanut butter cupcake anywhere.  I've always been a fan of peanut butter paired with something sweet -- chocolate (hello, Reese's cups), bananas, and apples.  But no peanut butter cupcakes?  I think I have more bakery experiences than the average Jane, and I have yet to see a peanut butter cupcake.  What gives, people?

So you can imagine how glad my stomach was that I stopped thinking (my brain sometimes tries to force fruits and vegetables into this unwilling body of mine) and started baking.  Very basic ingredients, especially since I halved the recipe, and quick prep.  Also, I originally planned to top these with chocolate frosting but, when it came time to dress them, all I wanted was a spoonful of grape jam.  And that is what I did, my friends.  Dee-lih-shuss.  The mild sweetness and touch of salty in the moist cupcake with peanut butter's very own soulmate, grape jam, was a perfect pre-Glee snack.  Next time I make these, I plan to fold in some chopped peanuts for a little crunch in the cake itself.  Whoever said peanut butter and jelly is for kids only clearly never bit into one of these beauties!

[bird's eye view]

[easiest measure & mix peanut butter job ever, thanks to this]

Peanut Butter Cupcakes
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
-makes 20

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky will do)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup roughly chopped unsalted or lightly roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and powder, and salt; set aside.  In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add peanut butter and mix.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

With mixer speed on low, add half of the flour mixture, all of the sour cream and vanilla extract, and the rest of the flour mixture, beating until incorporated after each, scraping sides of bowl as needed.  Fold in chopped peanuts, if using.  Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into the centers come out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.  Let cool in tins on wire racks for 10 minutes, remove cupcakes from pans and let cool completely.

Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.  Top with favorite jam or jelly just before serving and enjoy!

Pat's loaded baked potato salad

I know this isn't the kind of recipe I should be writing about only weeks before swimsuit season, but when have I ever been one for timing?  Or coordination.  Or subtlety.  I digress.  Before you raise your fists to the computer screen, shouting something along the lines of, "Why, Katy, why?" I'd like you to hear me out.  This potato salad is not your ordinary potato salad; in fact, there is no mayonnaise or vinegar in sight.  Instead, it contains ingredients that pretty much guarantee culinary greatness: roasted potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, butter, and a full pound of crisped bacon... [insert Homer Simpson-esque drooling noises here]  Sorry, I'm fine, I'm fine.

I can't claim credit for this fantastic reinvention of a picnic classic.  A few weeks ago, when we were celebrating a friend's birthday with a cookout and hockey game, a friend of mine, Pat, brought this unorthodox version of potato salad.  I know this is something I shouldn't admit, being a lover of food, but I'm a bit picky sometimes.  I'm one of those people that always asks, "What's in this?" at potlucks, picnics, and buffets.  I didn't waste time talking once I saw this.  You can see every ingredient at first glance and the moment you dig in, you can taste every ingredient.  After asking around, I discovered that Pat made this fantastic dish and I had to get his secrets.

Pat said he found the idea for this potato salad online but made a few changes to "both satisfy [his] cooking snobbery and elevate the calorie count."  Well said, Pat!  Instead of boiling the potatoes, he roasted them.  Also, rather than just mixing the shredded cheese in at the end, he melted some over the potatoes so it would hold up better in the finished dish.  And, Pat warned me in advance that this recipe takes some time with the cooking and chilling, so don't think you're going to throw this together an hour before your office picnic.  Who knew that a lawyer could have such skills in the kitchen?  Thanks for sharing, Pat :)

[uncooked potatoes about to get a tan]

[potatoes, meet sour cream and butter, your long lost friends]

[oh, cheese!  how nice of you to join the party]

[a little green onion for flavor and fresh color]

[not an ideal picture, but after waiting hours, I just wanted to eat it]

Pat's Loaded Baked Potato Salad
-makes 9ish cups

4 pounds Idaho potatoes
1 pound bacon, crisply cooked and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups (about one 8-ounce block) grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray

(Note: You can pan fry your bacon and drain it over paper towels, or you can cook it in the oven on a wire rack over a cookie sheet at 400F for 20 minutes.  I chose the latter because it's less work for me and the bacon gets done all at once.)

Preheat oven to 425F.  Peel potatoes, rinse, and cut into 3/4-inch to 1-inch chunks.  Distribute potatoes evenly between two quarter sheet pans and coat potatoes/pans with nonstick cooking spray.  Toss with rubber spatula to evenly coat.  Roast in oven for 10-20 minutes, tossing with a spatula about halfway through, until slightly golden.  At this point, check to see that potato pieces are done (fork tender... or let one COOL and eat one).  Remove potatoes on baking sheets to cooling racks.

Toss potatoes and sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over each cookie sheet of potatoes (that's 1/2 cup total, math majors).  Allow cheese to melt and potatoes to cool for 20 minutes.  Transfer cheesy potatoes to a large bowl or plate, cover with foil and chill in fridge for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

In a large bowl, stir together sour cream and butter until relatively uniform mixture is achieved.  Remove potatoes from refrigerator and add to sour cream and toss to coat.  Add remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon and stir until evenly distributed.  Taste for seasoning -- I found that I didn't really need much more salt due to the bacon and cheese, but added a pinch anyway.  I also added 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.  Stir once more.

Chill at least two hours before serving, but I made mine a day before it was to be eaten and, frankly, I think it was better since the flavors were allowed to mingle.  Let sit, covered, at room temperature for an hour before serving.  Enjoy and savor every bite, knowing that a swimsuit could never make you this happy.

Also, my dad requested that I post a little discovery of his from Monday night.  He originally ate the salad cold and loved it, but decided to microwave it for 15-20 seconds the second time around and said it was to die for!...fantastic!...out of this world!  Too bad I left the remainder of the dish at my parents' house.  Tear.  Welp, guess I'll have to make it again.

Shoes & funny food

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  Despite the cold front that hit Pittsburgh on Saturday, mine was fantastic: Dinner at an Irish pub and new shoes on Friday, lots of organizing and an awesome hockey game on Saturday, and home for Mother's Day yesterday.  My new friends:

 

[available here]

Also a discovery of this weekend is this deliciously entertaining website that my sister sent to me.  So far, this little guy is my favorite.  The caption reads: "They may look cute in the store, but then you bring them home and they grow up into a turtle loaf."

A date of different kind

After months of hearing about the world of wonders that is the new Market District Giant Eagle out in Robinson Township, I requested that we take a field trip to this king of grocery stores.  Holy overwhelming, people.  I'm the kind of person who normally takes an hour for a routine food shopping trip.  I like love the grocery store.  It's relaxing to me, and yes, I like to "interview" my produce (as my mom would say).  But this place, wow.  Good thing it isn't my regular grocery store... I'd never get anything done.  And it's a little scattered, but that's okay for this adventure's purposes.

We hit the restaurant section first after arriving: cold and hot bars (buffets), a crepes bar, barbeque/roasting counter, pastry counter, gelato case, pasta bar, salad bar, pizza oven, Asian food and sushi, a panini counter.... whew!  Matt and I each made our own dinner, picking a little from each section.  I can't count how many times I've ordered a dinner and not been thrilled with one part of it, so I end up begrudgingly swallowing it or pushing it around my plate before I ignore it completely.  This meal was an animal of a different color -- each part was hand-selected by yours truly.  I ordered a crab cake, a Tuscan vegetable stack, and garlic green beans, all of which were absolutely delicious (and warmed upon ordering!):

[exactly what I wanted]

After our tummies were quite happy and full from dining on our grocery store dinners in the upstairs cafeteria, we decided to explore the rest of the store.  The produce section is unreal and features a hydroponic lettuce garden.  The meat and cheese counters had us ogling for much too long.  (Rattlesnake meat, anyone?)  Matt was especially excited about the nut butter station... and I can't blame him.  The homemade honey peanut butter was incredible:

 [insert obvious joke about pot and kettle here]

Because it's Friday and a well-transitioned paragraph is not in my blood today, here are some other highlights of GE's new digs:
-Cooking school on the second floor
-Beer store for purchase and slight enjoyment within the confines of this area
-Health and wellness section, oddly organized by alphabetically lettered aisles
-Bulk foods section including beans, nuts, and dried granola mixtures
-Candy, card, and gift shops

If you're bored on a rainy day, head over to this gem of a store and you can thank me later.  It's a trip for any foodie :)