Coconut Banana Bread

The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles. You can find the full challenge and photos of (almost) everyone's quick breads here.

"Quick bread is called just that as it doesn't require kneading or rising time." (Epicurious via Lis) As is one of the few things I manage to prepare quickly and it lets me pass off cake for breakfast, quick bread is definitely one of my favorite things to make. This Coconut Banana Bread is adapted from Orangette's Banana Bread with Chocolate and Cinnamon Sugar, which has been my starting point for banana-based bread since making it in 2007.

That said I always halve the sugar, skip the topping, swap half the unbleached all-purpose flour for whole wheat and add a little salt every time I make it...at the minimum...so it isn't that much like the original. But I still credit Molly for my ongoing obsession with banana bread. This time in addition to the usual changes, I  worked in some coconut, a touch of coconut oil and papaya thinking tropical would taste as good as it would feel in February.

Other than the banana overwhelming the papaya, this Coconut Banana Bread didn't disappoint. It is moist and dense with a subtle sweetness and a touch of a crunch from the coconut. Best of all you can almost feel virtuous eating it as the refined sugar and added fat are minimal and there is plenty of fiber. Temperatures upwards of 70 degrees Fahrenheit might still be a ways away but at least I have this bread to comfort me.

Coconut Banana Bread (with Papaya You Can't Taste :/) 
1 Ripe Banana
1 cup Diced Papaya (I'm pretty sure you could use another banana or two in place of the papaya as its flavor wasn't really present.)
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (like this reduced fat one that I use)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the banana and papaya well with a fork or the back of a spoon. Place the tablespoon of coconut oil in a 9 x 5 loaf pan and melt it in the microwave. Pour it into the bowl and use whatever remains to grease the pan.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Then add the flours, sugar, salt, baking soda and coconut. Stir to mix.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake approximately 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack until cool to the touch before serving (or it will stick to the bottom of the loaf pan and kind of fall apart...or at least that is how it worked for me after a mere 20 minute holding time.)

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat, and a picture.      

I don't know how to use torrents, but I know people who do. This clever comic illustrates how HBO is driving people to use them. (via Zak)

Could Pig MRSA be the new Bird Flu? "Microbiology, shows how an antibiotic-susceptible Staph germ passed from humans into pigs, where it became resistant to the antibiotics tetracycline and methicillin."

The Abortion Distortion: Just how pro-choice is America, really? by Jennifer Senior offered a memorable commentary on abortion, so much so that I actually remember the article two years later.

Shame isn't the solution for teachers or anywhere else.

Chrissie Wellington, a four-time World Ironman champion, offers good tips for athletic success in Ironman champ: Train your brain, then your body. "It sounds simple, but it's so easy to forget. If we let our head drop, our heart drops with it. Keep your head up, and your body is capable of amazing feats." 

Recipes Bookmarked
Date and Shallot Rosemary Chicken at PaleOMG
Gin & Honey-Soaked Mandarin Champagne Cocktails at Always Order Dessert
Swedish Semlor at NPR

 Barcelona Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain, September 2009

Somebody That I Used To Know

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat, and a picture.     

If I am near Concord, MA I want to eat at the Fife and Drum... It is cheap eats, a cause worth supporting and, most importantly, just sounds good!

My Current Desktop

This seems like a plausible explanation for many good concerts ending up in Charlottesville, VA instead of Richmond. Thank goodness for The National booking great shows in spite of whatever obstacles exist.

I caught When Weather Changed History: Race to Nome on The Weather Channel in October and thought it was a great story. This NY Times article touches on the story and points out that the dog statue in Central Park is one of the dog's from the race. To summarize the "race" - a series of dog sleds and mushers transported serum to treat diphtheria 674 miles in 5.5 days saving the isolated town of Nenana, Alaska (population 1,400) in 1925.

I need to hike again! These Pacific Crest Trail Moleskin Journals are inspiring. (via 101 Cookbooks) 

Recipes Bookmarked
Stuffed Apricots with Maple-Gorgonzola at Always Order Dessert
Maria Speck's Artichoke Tart with Polenta Crust at The Wednesday Chef (via 101 Cookbooks) 
Make Perfect, Restaurant-Style Shredded Chicken in Your Mixer (via Courtney!)

Gardenia Bonsai! February 2012, Mechanicsville, VA

(Loved this surprise! I couldn't stop saying wow and beaming upon receiving it. :D)

Total Eclipse Of The Heart

Burgers To Keep Vampires Away and Miso-Braised Bok Choy with Edamame and Carrots

The Daring Cooks’ February 2012 challenge was hosted by Audax & Lis and they chose to present Patties for their ease of construction, ingredients and deliciousness! We were given several recipes, and learned the different types of binders and cooking methods to produce our own tasty patties!

I did some learning...after having already purchased my very compacted and rather lean burger meat...so while my patties held nicely they weren't super soft.  Next time I'll go with fattier meat that isn't vacuum packed and be more aggressive with indenting the middle of the burgers to keep things light and more toward burger than meatball.

The good news is meatballs are just as tasty as burgers! Even when they have a vampire-fighting level of garlic inside. 27 minutes in the oven isn't long enough to mellow the flavor so unless you love, love, love garlic I'd reduce the tablespoon. You'll still get all the umami, especially if you plate it with the Miso-Braised Bok Choy with Edamame and Carrots.

Burgers To Keep Vampires Away

1 pound 85/15 Hamburger
1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 Flax Egg (Combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 of hot water and let it sit for 15 minutes to gel.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a pan with foil.
2. Combine the gelled flax egg, hamburger and minced garlic in a bowl. Mix with your hands, gently.
3. Once everything is mixed up, use your hands to form patties...ideally of the same size and shape... Indent the patties with your thumb.
4. Bake, turning once, for approximately 27 minutes or until their internal temperature reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Miso-Braised Bok Choy with Edamame and Carrots

1/2 cup Water
1 tablespoon Miso Paste
1.5 pounds of Bok Choy
15 Baby Carrots
1 cup frozen, shelled Edamame

1. Cut off the bottom of the bok choy, so the leaves separate. Rinse them in cold water several times until all grit is gone. Cut baby carrots into thin strips.
2. Pour water into a large saucepan with a lid. Bring to a simmer.
3. Add miso paste to the water and swirl until it dissolves. Allow it to simmer a little more to reduce the water a bit.
4. Add bok choy and carrot to the saucepan. Cover. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, once the bok choy begins to wilt add the edamame.
5. Once the bok choy is completely wilted, remove from heat and serve.

And Happy Valentine's Day! These are a work in progress... Maybe next year I'll have the perfect meringues. In the meantime my multi-year tradition of a savory Daring Cook's post on Valentine's Day continues.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat, and a picture.    

Siku, a most adorable polar bear, meets snow. (via Courtney)

These vegetables are beautiful...and I'm sure the buttery spread is alright too. (via Epicurious)

"As an American, I condemn a Republican “Fascist” just as much I condemn a Democratic “Communist.”  I condemn a Democrat “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Republican “Communist.”  They are equally dangerous to you and me and to our country.  As an American, I want to see our nation recapture the strength and unity it once had when we fought the enemy instead of ourselves." Margaret Chase Smith's Declaration of Conscience

This story's headline sounds like something the Enquirer would have printed when I was a kid... 83 Year-Old Woman Gets the World's First 3D Printed Replacement Jaw. (also via Courtney)

I want to watch Inside Nature's Giants...though I'm a little afraid it will turn my stomach.
(via From Inside Lions and Leviathans, Anatomist Builds a Following)

Recipes Bookmarked
Horseradish at All Our Fingers in the Pie
Individual Sauerkraut Mac and Cheese at Not Eating Out in NY

DC from the Key Bridge, Rosslyn, VA, September 2005

Moroccan Stew

This bright, yellow Moroccan Stew warms you from the inside out much like sunshine on your back on an otherwise damp, grey day. The beans and cumin's earthiness could sit heavy on the palate, but the sweetness of the raisins and cinnamon juxtaposed with the garam masala's spiciness makes this dish a party for the mouth.

That isn't to this stew is a light meal. It is incredibly filling  - likely due to the abundance of fiber and carbohydrates it provides. In fact, I ultimately decided against serving it with brown rice or plain yogurt as I didn't think it needed additional bulk.

If you need to buy red lentils, Indian/Moroccan spices or even non-local okra, I recommend Laxmi Palace in Richmond. The prices there are great and they have lots of items you will not find at a typical grocery store. Just be prepared when you go for the intense smell of curry.

Moroccan Stew
Slightly adapted from Spicy Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew (Paula's Moroccan Lentil Stew) at Kayln's Kitchen with reference to Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Stew at Everybody Likes Sandwiches and The Flavor Bible
Serves 6-8 (my yield was 7.5 cups) 

1 large Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon minced Ginger (I used The Ginger People's.)
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric
1 cup diced Green Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (Mine is spicy, so I omitted the cayenne from the recipe.)
1 teaspoon ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
6 cups Stock (I used 2 cups of reduced sodium beef stock and 4 cups of vegetable stock.)
1 1/2 cups Red Lentils
1 - 14 1/2 ounce can Chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed
1 - 14 1/2 ounce can Diced Tomatoes in Juice
1/2 cup Raisins
Salt to taste (I used an additional 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.)

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid (my beloved Le Creuset dutch oven was perfect) over medium heat. Add onions, ginger, garlic, and turmeric and cook stirring often until onions are soft, about 7 minutes
2. Add green pepper, garam masala, ground coriander, ground cinnamon and ground cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until green pepper begins to soften.
3. Add the stock, red lentils, canned tomatoes, and rinsed chickpeas and bring mixture to a gentle boil.
4. Once it begins to bubble reduce the heat to a simmer and cover pot with lid. Allow stew to simmer approximately one hour stirring occasionally. About 15 minutes before the dish is done, toss in the raisins so they get plump, juicy and delicious.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.    

Uneasy Rider, an interview with Mike DeStefano, made me tear up at the end. It captures a significant moment in the deceased comedian's life. (via The Improvised Life)

Kristen Bell's Sloth Meltdown made me laugh so hard. If you somehow managed to miss it, you have to watch! My Dad said her reaction reminded him of me... I'm going to take that as a compliment.

United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United State have joined forces to try and improve the lives of the egg-producing hens. Read about their surprising collaboration here.

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself and 30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself

A glimpse at Sunnylands, the estate built by Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg that is becoming a conference center. The view out the door in the first photo looks like it's a green screen.

Recipes Bookmarked
Buttermilk Roast Chicken at Smitten Kitchen
Dirty-Rice Collard Green Bundles at Epicurious
Ghee at Deliciously Organic
No-cook pumpkin chocolate icebox pie at Sunset
Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi at Simply Recipes

 Duomo, Milan, Italy, July 2006

Sharon Van Etten's Album can be streamed here. It's awesome... I hadn't heard of her. Thanks to Jon recommending it on facebook. 

Biscuits and Buffalo Smashed Chickpeas

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens! He studied 288 websites' scone/biscuit recipes and the bakers' comments, then made 16 batches to perfect his recipe all  with the goal of "[us being] able to make a good if not great scone (biscuit)."

I don't really need words to tell you he achieved his goal - just look at my biscuits. They were golden, fluffy, and tender. I followed his basic recipe and tips to achieve success that had my Dad on cloud nine on the first try. The directions below tell you what I did for that first batch but I highly recommend checking out the full details of the challenge (and trying it right away). The next batch, also below, involved blue cheese, dill and a bit of whole wheat flour with the white.

I chose those flavors as I wanted to make a variation on Buffalo Chicken Wings with the biscuit toning down the spiciness of the Buffalo-style Smashed Chickpeas. The biscuit tasted pretty good, in spite of being precariously close to burnt, but I'm not giving proportions as it wasn't quite right. The filling, however, was awesomely tangy and addictive so the recipe for that is below. I expect to eat it for lunch often move forward with or without perfected Blue Cheese and Dill biscuits.

I also look forward to making more biscuits in the future...and my Dad looks forward to eating them.

Basic Biscuits (as made in the aforementioned first batch)
Servings: Eight 2-inch scones or five 3-inch scones

1 cup Self Rising Flour (Spoon into your measuring cup and level. Do not pack it.)
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 tablespoons Frozen, Grated Butter
1/4 cup Skim Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream (I didn't have whole milk, but I'm sure that would work instead of this 50/50 mix.)

1. Preheat oven to 475°F.
2. Triple sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
3. Rub the frozen grated butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse sand.
4. Add nearly all of the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough (add the remaining liquid if needed).
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then lightly flour the top of the dough. Knead very gently 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth.
6. Pat the dough into a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle by about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate it for ~10 minutes. Then using a well-floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out without twisting six rounds, gently reform the scraps into another ~1/2 inch layer and cut two more scones.
7. Place the rounds spaced widely apart on a baking sheet. (At this point you can chill them in the fridge for several hours if you aren't ready to bake yet.)
8. Bake in the preheated very hot oven for about 10 minutes (check at 8 minutes) until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.
9. Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.


Buffalo Smashed Chickpeas
Servings: 3-4 ... it really depends on how much you eat ... I ate a lot. :x

Inspired by Buffalo Chickpea Lettuce Wraps by Jenn at Jenn's Lifestyle and Menu Blog featured at Kath Eats here and created with reference to Chef Dennis, Food & Wine, Gourmet via Epicurious, and Food.com's Buffalo Chicken wing recipes.

My family doesn't brave the heat too well, so this recipe caters more to the tangy, vinegar flavor of Buffalo Chicken wings and doesn't really need blue cheese to tone down its spice. Feel free to alter the spices to suit your taste. I may give into my urge to add some Sriracha next time.

1 14.5 ounce can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, minced (~1 heaping teaspoon)
1 1/2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Red Pepper Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
large pinch Cayenne Pepper
3/4 cup diced Celery

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook stirring occasionally until it begins to turn golden brown.
2. Add chickpeas and stir.
3. Add vinegar, hot sauce, tomato paste and cayenne. Stir until combined. Using the back of the spatula or spoon to press down the chickpeas to smash some of them.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in the diced celery.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.  

Martha Stewart's collaboration with Avery is available at Staples online now, and in-store come February. These may be perfect for baked goods at the Farmer's Market? Cost benefit analysis here I come. (via Oh Happy Day)

Baby Panda Tries to Escape (via Amanda)

Dr. Mary Ellen Avery is an inspiration. She not only holds a lot of firsts for women in medicine, she also made a discovery that continues to save premature babies lives today. (via Marina) 

Will this be the better way to make ethanol? "Processors for decades have used government subsidies to make ethanol from cornstarch and other sugars, but these are food products. Using them to make ethanol raises the demand for staple commodities like corn and cane sugar, keeping prices high. To date, [Dr. David A. Mullin's] microbe has thrived on cotton waste, a pure cellulose composed of fibers, twigs and seeds; on bagasse, the mulchlike residue of squeezed sugar cane; and on chopped-up copies of the city’s main newspaper, The Times-Picayune." Finding a Way to Put a Zebra in Your Tank at NY Times

This commercial made me cringe. (via Healthy is the New Skinny)

Recipes Bookmarked
Buckwheat Noodle Chow Mein at Clean Eating
Grenadine at All Our Fingers in the Pie (I had no idea it was concentrated pomegranate juice.)
Pixie Sticks at Shindig Parties to Go
Prosciutto Parmesan Puff Pastry Straws at Baking Obsession
Sweet Potato Latte at Epicurious
Upside-Down Honey-Ginger Cake at NPR's Kitchen Window

 View from Brooklyn Promenade, New York, January 2012

It's Real Real Estate It's Real

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.   

Carter & Co. Historic Wallpapers recreates and prints original wallpapers papers from the 1830s to the 1940s. Their creative process as described by Richmond's Style Weekly takes being detail-oriented to the next level and explains why their wallpaper is worth every penny of its cost. The Jacobs-Uberagua Celestial Ceiling wallpaper is my favorite.

I'm not a doctor, but I think I would choose to die like this article says they do. (via Jay Parkinson + MD + MPH)

Sara Dickerman's Against Pepper: Salt needs a new companion provides a concise history of how pepper became popular and describes the flavors of many varieties. I'd tell you that I'm now curious to try them only I'm not. Run-ins with Grandpop Stillman's freshly ground peppercorns as a child likely have put me off pepper for life.

57 Ways to Spread Kindness (via the kind and ever positive Andrea)

Sunflowers originated in the United States! But Russia popularized the use of their oil for frying and cooking thus saving the sunflower.

Recipes Bookmarked
Apple Sharlotka at Smitten Kitchen
Applejack Flamingo at Eat Make Read
Champagne Marshmallows at BraveTart
Chicken Soup with Ginger and Shiitake Mushrooms Recipe at Simply Recipes
Coconut-Almond Bars at Runners World
Cranberry Cordial at About.com via 101 Cookbooks 

 Flatiron District, New York City, January 2012

 Oh My God

J. Crew Warehouse Sale: What I Bought

If you live in Richmond, Virginia the odds are high that you know J. Crew's Warehouse Sale is going on right now. In case you somehow missed this fact, I'm here to tell you it is going on and going strong. The amount of merchandise inside is overwhelming and, while they try hard to keep things in order, you have to dig. So be prepared!

I went through a very small percentage of the overflowing boxes to find my haul below and I feel like I did very well getting new, current clothing at basically secondhand prices. I'm especially grateful to the individual who helped me in the tally line miraculously keeping my total under $50 when it should have been more like $80. Unfortunately this makes going back very tempting...but that is a whole different issue. 

Tips:
1. Wear leggings, a tight top and flats! This will let you try on everything over your clothing without bulk, even swimsuits. There are a few mirrors, but having a friend there to advise would be fun.
2. Carry only a credit card and ID. You won't want anything extra to hang onto when you're digging, hauling a giant clear trashbag of potential and/or trying on clothes.
3. Look at the clothing carefully as there are pieces with snags, holes, ink marks, et. cetera. 
4. Go at an off-peak time. I arrived at 11:30 a.m. today and it was a breeze.

The sale is open from 10 am - 8 pm daily until January 22 at 9750 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23060 (a former Borders). New shipments arrive daily and rumor has it things are folded when they first appear on the floor. Good luck figuring out when that is going to happen though...

Natasha top, $88 $8

Scalloped Lace Shell, $69.50 $54.50 $8

Teddie Dress, $198 $20

Ruched Betty Top, $60 $3  

Twist-front Bikini, $42 $3

in Charcoal & Black, $88 $3

in Blue, $88 $3

I went a bit overboard with the swimsuits. Oops. Swimsuit gifts may be in the future. Also, FYI, if you have any sort of stomach get a printed swimsuit. It will hide things better; in spite of being very well made and fully lined these show bumps.

Jules dress in Ashbury floral, $188, likely $20 at the sale

This dress was in my grasp, minus only a button, too. I wandering the sale a long while wearing it, but I didn't bite as it was tight across the back, verged on scandal when I raised my arms (sad as I am 5' 4"...on a good day) and because of Vika's texted counsel. In my laps several people inquired about the dress, so I found the one who emphatically said I should give it to her and did just that. She was so excited! It felt good to make someone's day.

Merry, Happy Christmakkuh!

I hope you had a day filled with happiness and good times with loved ones. Here are some photos from my Christmas Eve and Christmas including some gratuitous photos of myself in another thrifted outfit. Thank you for indulging me this year by reading!

 

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.   

Meg notified me that Richmond, Virginia has been proclaimed the capital of Tacky Lights. Thanks CBS Sunday Morning for spreading the word and showing me light displays I haven't seen. Our neighbors are on the official list, but the houses in the video put their display to shame.

This watch from 1928 is beautiful. I think we were meant to be...Sapphires are my birthstone after all. ;) (via Zuburbia)

I can't wait to explore the food pairing charts in this Nature article highlighted by Epi-Log and Gizmodo. From the article "...in North American recipes, the more compounds are shared by two ingredients, the more likely they appear in recipes. By contrast, in East Asian cuisine the more flavor compounds two ingredients share, the less likely they are used together."

Precocious was meant to describe kids like Alec Greven, who wrote How To Talk to Girls. (via Motivation Into Habit)

Fairway, which is right up there with Sahaldi's in Brooklyn Heights as, my favorite grocery store in the NYC area is now online. Yum.

Recipes Bookmarked
Glogg at NPR
Creamy Condensed Soup at Clean Eating 
Worcestershire Sauce at NPR Books

Tacky Christmas Lights (from a Point & Shoot Camera's Perspective), Richmond, VA, December 2011

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas from Meet Me in St. Louis is my favorite Christmas song after those in The Nutcracker. Read its history and listen to it here. The song begins at 00:36.

Char Sui and Char Sui Bao

Our Daring Cooks’ December 2011 hostess is Sara from Belly Rumbles! Sara chose awesome Char Sui Bao as our challenge, where we made the buns, Char Sui, and filling from scratch – delicious! And I'm only a week late telling you about it.

Sara performed exhaustive research: testing marinades, grilling, searing and baking and baking char sui and then making several variations on buns: baked, steamed and vegetarian. You can see all of her work here. I used her alternative marinade without red food colouring or maltose and made the I-don't-want-to-go-to-the-store substitution of Sherry for Shaoxing Cooking Wine. As Sara said grilling gave the best result, I had my Dad work his magic on the pork with a result so beautiful that I was almost sad to dice it to create the filling for the buns.

The hardest part was figuring out how to steam buns without a bamboo steamer. Ultimately, I used a vegetable steamer insert in a large stock pot removing the lid as quickly as possible when steaming finished and drying it before replacing it over the next batch. This minimized condensation droplets hitting the buns and prevented unsightly blemishes. It also made me feel a bit like a magician!

This challenge took some time, but was surprisingly easy and my buns tasted just like the cheap, tasty, steamed buns I used to purchase in NYC's Chinatown. I highly recommend it; the recipes I used are below the photos and Sara's other variations can be found at the above link.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.    

12 Christmas Trees Made Out of Books... I can't believe it is almost Christmas! (via Courtney who retweeted Kay Steiger)

"Mike Naumes thinks Oregon schoolchildren should be eating more Oregon pears. And not just the D'Anjou, Bartlett and Bosc pears approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's School Lunch Program, but the lesser-known Comice pears of southern Oregon's Rogue Valley." Oregon Senator Ron Wyden Pushes Local Pears For School Lunches with his proposed changes to the 2012 Farm Bill. 

Midnight Sun, Iceland is breathtaking. (via Gala Darling)

I was naive to think eugenics were limited to the Nazis during WWII. "States began practicing eugenics in earnest in the United States in the 1920s and ’30s, driven by a philosophy of social engineering once so popular that President Woodrow Wilson, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. of the Supreme Court and Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, were ardent supporters." Thousands Sterilized, a State Weighs Restitution 

Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton is heartbreaking, but to play devil's advocate... Shouldn't they get some credit for trying to use ethically grown cotton? Gosh knows where the cotton in my less expensive undergarments originates... Hopefully this issue can be resolved and they will continue supporting the region as I can't imagine the profiled worker's life getting better if they don't. (via Jaime and Carielle)

Recipes Bookmarked
Ginger Fig Crumb Bars at Lunch Box Blues
Lamb Kebabs with Pomegranate-Cumin Glaze at Epicurious
Minty Meringues at Camilla Styles
Nut Free Macarons at Brave Tart

Somewhere in Yellowstone National Park, August 2008

The Nutcracker is Christmas and the Waltz of the Snowflakes is my favorite piece from it. Growing up I wanted to perform the Snow Queen's the pas de deux.... That said this version doesn't have a snow queen, but hopefully you will find the sheer multitude of grand jetés as entrancing as I did.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.   

I always have wondered why older cheeses had sharp granules; Epi-Log explains.

Damn You Auto Corrects Top 25 Funniest Autocorrects of the Year made my eyes tear up from laughing so hard. It felt great. Don't click through if you don't find raunchy humor amusing. (via Alison)

Evan Ruggiero is inspiration to never give up... After osteosarcoma, multiple related surgeries, chemo and the amputation of his right leg below the tibia he is back to tapping. His inspiration is Peg Leg Bates. (via Meg)

"People like the farmer Joel Salatin, the cantankerous hero of Michael Pollan’s best-selling The Omnivore’s Dilemma, are routinely held up as visionaries for the kind of complete-nutrient-cycle, sustainable-agriculture operations they run in the comfortable United States, but Africa’s urban farmers are doing the same with far, far less." The Constant Gardeners by Joceyln C. Zuckerman

Motivation Into Habit provides some much needed fitness inspiration. (via Lara)

Recipes Bookmarked
The Crackling Spices of Indian Tempering at NPR's Open Window
Peppermint Pattie Pots de Crème at Eating Well
Ricotta Gnocchi with Spinach and Roasted Tomatoes at Vital Juice via Share our Strength's Cooking Matters
Sticky Marmalade Chicken at The Intolerant Gourmet
Thin Apple Tart and Linguine With Roasted Beets and Lemon Parsley Scallops at Tartelette

The Bear, November, 2011

 Ain't No Sunshine (Album Version)

Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine is much better than Bruno Mars' It Will Rain and has a very similar theme. Am I alone in not enjoying Bruno Mars? I change the radio station every time one of his songs plays.

Friday Distractions -- Random Links & Recipes Bookmarked

Ready for the weekend? To help you pass your Friday here are the highlights of what distracted me this week online, what I bookmarked that I hope to one day eat and a picture.

Scott Amron has developed a sticker that dissolves to clean the fruit it labels.

Hedy Lamar, who I've always found stunning, was also  patented "a frequency-hopping technique [in 1942] that is found in most digital devices that communicate wirelessly today." Her biography has been added to my endless reading list. (via Curtis)

Speaking of stunning, Carmen Dell'Orefice is still living life to the fullest and modeling at 80(!).

An ice cream Eiffel Tower, insight into the creation of Häagen-Dazs and a discussion of General Mills' international marketing strategy for the brand (or what their strategy was in May).

There is a Sweet Valley High movie in the works from Diablo Cody. My interest is piqued, but we'll see if it goes further than my interest in Sweet Valley Confidential months ago. I still haven't read it and looking at its Amazon reviews I shouldn't bother. (via Emily Miller)
Recipes Bookmarked
Easy Melted Brie with Honey and Herbs at NPR 
Quick-Roasted Green Beans And Shallots With Garlic And Ginger Juice at NPR
Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole at Eating Well
Cracking the Poached Egg Code at NPR's Kitchen Window ... before you poach watch Harold McGee's 40-second method to determine your eggs' age!

 Sunset on The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Rooftop, NYC, August 2006

(Missing the city! This is likely to be my first year missing the Christmas decorations since 2004!)

kick it Stereoheroes remix

Squirrel Print Clothing - What?!

Apparently squirrels were a print trend this Fall...in the UK. I thought only Alpha Gam's were keen on squirrels, so this blew my mind and I felt a need to share a round-up of the items I found. 

The NW3 dress and the Dorothy Perkins shirt are my favorites, though I'm still not sold on wearing squirrels on my everyday attire. My squirrel charm on a chain works nicely for when I want to wear this woodland creature!

In case you want to indulge in any of these items or see them from different angles you can click through the pictures to the websites.

YMC Silk Squirrel Dress, $375 at Urban Outfitters

Pink Squirrels All Over Animal Print Socks, $8 or 3/$20 at Urban Outfitters 

(Strangely enough these hot pink squirrel socks are for men.)

NW3 Woodlands Dress, $218.22 at Hobbs NW3 

(They also have a maxi skirt and tie-neck blouse.)

Jersey T-shirt, $70 at Eley Kishimoto

Squirrel Print Tee, $38 (Sold Out) at Dorothy Perkins

Camilla Norrback Dorothy Squirrel Print Blouse, $118.17 (Sale Price...Sold Out)

Its Fun to Squirrel Around Dress, $38 at Aristocracie (Clever name, right?)

$19.95 at Hey Cupcake 

(They also have an apron, a onesie, etc... I surprised Amanda with the t-shirt for her birthday!)

T-shirt, $14 one day, $19 the next, so ?? but hilarious!

Guys... Lest you feel left out here is one for you too and what a deal at that price. ;)

Common Sons Squirrel Cardigan, $172.71