Do-rite Donuts

There's a new donut shop near my office, which is bad for both my waistline and my wallet. Thankfully, Do-Rite Donuts close early in the afternoon once they sell out of the day's product. I've accumulated these pictures from three separate visits over the course of several weeks.

Maple bacon cruller - French crullers have become my favorite donut. I believe they were my grandfather's favorite because whenever he would visit, he would bring us a few. They tend to be lighter than most donuts due to the pockets of air in the piped shape. Unfortunately, this donut did not really do anything for us as the maple frosting was overpowering, and the texture did not compare favorably for a cruller.

The meyer lemon pistachio donut was quite muted in flavor. 

I don't really recall ever having a buttermilk donut before Do-rite, but their version is a home run. Crunchy on the outside with a rich crumb that just melts in the mouth.

I thought the sticky bidness sounded like a good match for Aaron's love of cinnamon rolls and my love for caramel. It was certainly light and delicate, but the pecans were a miss on this sticky bidness. 

As a chocoholic, I loved the thick layer of ganache on the valhrona chocolate cake donut. Perfect balance especially with a cup of coffee. 

Finally, there was the carrot cake donut with a tight middle to hold the the cream cheese and nuts. A delicately spiced and glazed muffin disguised as a donut. 

A year ago today...

I started this blog as a creative outlet from my day job and to hold myself accountable to using the contents of our weekly produce share. I was a newlywed, and I wanted us to eat healthier and seasonally by incorporating more produce into our diets. Admittedly, I am not sure what will come of this blog as time goes on. I am disappointed that I have not been able to blog as frequently as I would like, but I'd like that to change with the bounty of summer around the corner. I hope I can continue challenging myself in the kitchen to try new recipes, flavors, and techniques.

Today, I'm finally posting pictures from our deliciously memorable meal at goosefoot. Not only was the food gorgeous eye candy, but it was also my most enjoyable restaurant meal in recent memory. Service was smooth and professional but personable. We were given our menus as a souvenir because it was printed on planting seed paper!

lobster/scallop/hubbard squash/licorice root/curry

 sunchoke soup/potato/shrimp/truffle essence

 loup de mer/meyer lemon/leek/tapioca pearls

roasted quail/spiced beluga lentils/ginger/compressed apple

angus beef/heirloom carrots/goosefoot/cumin/shallot jus

pleasant ridge reserve/celery-truffle caponata/almond

 

palate cleanser: beet, yuzu, pomegranate, tonic

passion fruit/coconut/lime/vanilla cremeux

chocolate/sea beans/orange/mulled wine

gooseberry dipped in chocolate and chopped hazelnuts

Goat cheese, arugula pasta

Do you love goat cheese as much as I do? This is one of my favorite pasta dishes, but yet, I probably haven't made it since being married. I was not sure how Aaron would like, but thankfully he proved me wrong and really enjoyed this simple weeknight dinner.

Hot pasta water is reserved to create a creamy sauce when warming goat cheese and wilting the arugula. Fresh lemon zest and halved grape tomatoes add brightness and balance to the bold tang of the goat cheese, the peppery arugula, and rich garlic infused olive oil.

Goat cheese, arugula pasta
adapted from allrecipes

5 oz goat cheese, broken into chunks
2 cup arugula, coarsely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes halved or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
zest of 1 lemon
8 oz whole wheat rotini or penne pasta

1. Prepare the pasta to al dente according to the instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup hot pasta water.
2. While the pasta is cooking press the garlic cloves into the olive oil and whisk in lemon zest. Combine the tomatoes and arugula in your pasta serving bowl. 
3. Add the cooked pasta, goat cheese, lemon garlic infused olive oil and 1/4 cup hot pasta water to the serving bowl. Toss the ingredients to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup hot pasta water if needed. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Szechuan Green Beans and Pork

After making the Swedish Meatballs, I had some leftover ground pork that I wanted to finish. One of my favorite Chinese dishes is spicy green beans stir fried with ground pork. I served these over a bed or quinoa. The beans are fresh and crisp along side the richness of the flavorful pork. The recipe is available here.

Swedish Meatballs

I'm embarrassed to admit that my first experience with Swedish meatballs was from a frozen Budget Gourmet entree as a kid. They were good enough to have left a favorable impression on me. The only other memory of having Swedish meatballs was from Ikea. For something so delicious, these memories just don't do it justice. As with all things that I enjoy, I set out to make them from scratch. As usual Cooks' Illustrated did not disappoint.


The meatballs are tender, flavorful and moist. The sauce is rich, but a little on the thin side. I didn't have ligonberry jam on hand, but I did have a bag of frozen cranberries to make cranberry sauce. I love the tart cranberry sauce that plays against the creaminess of the sauce and the decadent meatballs. I am able to get 36 meatballs from this recipe. The cooked meatballs and cranberry sauce freeze really well. You'll just have to make a new batch of the sauce. To cut back on the fat, I like to bake these meatballs in a mini muffin pan at 375 for 20 minutes. The recipe is available for you here.

Ramps Pesto v2.0

The ramp frenzy has come early this year due to some unusually warm weather in March. This year I bought a couple of bunches from Whole Foods. I decided to make pickled ramps for my first canning effort of the year and my first true pickle. I will post more on those pickled ramps when I open them later this year.

After pickling the bottom of the ramps, I was left with the leaves. I decided to revisit ramp pesto, but I wasn't all that thrilled with last year's version. I found this alternate recipe for ramp pesto and followed their suggestion to blanch the leaves this time to tone down the pungency. I also had pine nuts now that they finally went down in price! If you've been following me for awhile now, you can probably guess that I also like to finish my pesto with some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

With this special pesto in hand, I decided to splurge and try some handmade pasta from a nearby artisan, Pasta Puttana. The ingredients are organic and sourced from local farmers. To ensure that the premium pasta and this special pesto didn't compete with each other, I kept it simple and opted for the egg linguine. I was amazed by the wow factor of this simple dinner. Aaron completely inhaled his portion as I quickly snapped a few pictures before devouring it myself. I was too impatient to take more than four pictures! If you can get your hands on some ramps, make this pesto. You won't regret it.

Chicken and rice with peas and scallions

Admittedly, there are some weeknights when I am tired from work and just want a quick and simple dinner that doesn't require a lot of prep or special ingredients. This chicken and rice dish often comes to mind since it's quite seasonless. There are a few items where I feel incomplete whenever my supply starts to dwindle. Scallions and lemons are on that list because they are versatile, affordable, and pack a lot of punch. 

If I recall correctly, I first read about this dish in a forum where posters listed some of their favorites from Cooks' Illustrated. If I hadn't seen it listed there, I may not have ever given it a second thought especially for such an ordinary description. It's surprising that a simple list of kitchen staples would result in an enjoyable weeknight meal. The rice is simmered with onions, garlic, and chicken stock. As the chicken stock cooks down, I then add the chicken to the skillet, which further flavors the rice. When the dish is ready to be served, the rice becomes tender, almost like risotto but without the cheese and sauciness. The freshly squeezed lemon adds that bright acidity making you savor each and every bite. 

Skillet Chicken and Rice with Peas and Scallions
adapted from Cooks' Illustrated

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
1 1/2 cups brown jasmine rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
5 scallions, sliced thin
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, garlic and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover. 
3. Pound each chicken breast in between two sheets of plastic wrap into uniform thickness of 1/2 inch. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. After the rice has cooked for 25 minutes, lay the chicken breasts on top and cover.  Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees. 
5. Once the liquid has cooked off and the chicken is done, remove the skillet from the heat. Add the frozen peas, cover and let them warm through. Gently fold in the scallions and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.