this was dinner tonight. inspired by the zucchini strand spaghetti from smitten kitchen. but a completely different flavor... the only things in common are zucchini and spaghetti really. this is a very quick and easy, light spaghetti dish that i've altered from my lemon fettucini with sundried tomatoes. hope you like it!

ingredients:
3/4 lb of spaghetti (about 2 quarter-sized diameters worth) - cooked al dente
2 zucchini - grated through a large grate
4-5 cloves of garlic - chopped fine or through a garlic smusher
1 shallot - sliced thin
1 1/2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
parmesan cheese
butter
crushed red pepper flakes
fresh ground pepper
salt
chili oil (optional)

step 1: spaghetti time
while spaghetti is boiling, prep your ingredients! grate your zucchini or cut them into very thin long slivers. chop up the garlic and shallot. make sure to add salt and olive oil in the spaghetti. when the spaghetti is al dente, turn off the heat and dump the water. do not strain! pour out as much as you can without using a colander. the starchy water will help soak up the lemon juice later.

step 2: flavors
while your spaghetti is boiling, heat up about 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan. throw in the garlic and let that cook in low-medium heat. then throw in the shallots. add another tablespoon of butter and the crushed red pepper flakes (as much as you'd like really). let that simmer until the garlic bits turn a little toasty and the shallots are translucent.

step 3: mix it up
once the garlic and shallot looks toasty, now add in the lemon zest and lemon juice. bring that to a nice simmer and add another table spoon of butter. once that's melted, slowly add in the spaghetti. you don't need to pour in the excess water. add salt and fresh ground pepper to the mix. let that sit and bubble for about 2 mins mixing constantly to let the flavors work into the pasta. now toss in the zuccini and mix for another 2 mins - if you chopped them by hand, you might want to throw them in before the pasta. plate your pasta and add freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh ground pepper if you want, and drizzle some chili oil.

if you don't like lemony flavor, this dish is so not for you. if you don't like spice, i woudn't suggest this either. the spicy mix complements the lemon really well so you want to make sure you add a little extra! enjoy!

he's been craving madeleines for about a year now.  i used to get them at starbucks in college because my boss liked them and we'd share a pack. it occured to me today that my uncle - who we don't talk to anymore - used to be a french pastry chef and would make me little madeleines with raisins. i was his favorite... i wonder what he's doing now.

anyway, this recipe is from epicurious - from gourmet, september 2001 - i'm going to write out what i did both so that i can remember at a later date, and because i'm actually quite proud of these scrumptous pods. i do not bake well. especially when i have to convert measurments and degrees. but these my friend came out beautifully!

makes about 24 madeleines.

ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (i found a box of cake/pastry flour - honestly don't know the difference)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
powdered sugar for decorating
madeleine pans (i just used 1 pan with 12 pods)

step 1: prepping
preheat oven at  350°F or about 180°C, fan forced oven. mix the sifted flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl - any bowl will do, if you have a favorite mixing bowl like i do, don't use it for this mixture, save that for the next part!

step 2: the arm workout
if you have a mixer, i'm jealous. this was my workout for the day. in your mixing bowl, beat the 3 eggs until light and fluffy - foamy is what they called it in the recipe - about a minute for you mixer owners and 5 mins for the unlucky ones. mix in the vanilla and then gradually sift in the granulated sugar while beating the mixture on high speed, or when your arm feels like it's going to fly off.  the whole mixture should triple in size according to the recipe, but i only got it to about double, that's still okay.

*meanwhile*
melt 3/4 cup of butter in a saucepan or the microwave. it's better to strain it after but it won't be that bad if you don't either. also have about 2 tablespoons - ish of melted butter on hand for buttering the pan.

back to your mixture, you should have a very fluffy mix going on. now fold in the flour mixture slowly. break it up into 4 or 5 times - don't just dump it! then fold in the lemon zest. make sure to not over mix. just fold until the ingredients are mixed. lastly, fold in the 3/4 cup of melted butter.

step 3: the bake
once you've got your batter nice and mixed, brush on some of that melted butter on the pan. use about 1 tablespoonful in each tray, it should look about 2/3 full. place in the oven and bake for about 10-11 minutes. stick a toothpick in the middle of one of the pods to see if anything sticks - if there's nothing - they're done! let them cool on the try for about 10 mins and then flip them over onto a cooling rack and they should all fall out. sift powdered sugar on the shell looking side once they're cool.

our apartment smells delicious. we've had about 3 madeleines each and it's way past my bedtime. i hope you like them!

Seconda chance per questo scrittore che tutti amano e che a me non riesce proprio ad entusiasmare. Dopo "La lunga notte del dottor Galvan" avevo deciso di provare con questo, "Il paradiso degli orchi", primo libro sulla saga di Benjamin Malaussène, professione capro espiatorio.

Non c'è che dire, Pennac scrive da Dio, è ironico e pungente. Ma se non hai una buona storia da raccontare allora te ne puoi stare a casa....

In compenso mi ha fatto riannusare Parigi, i suoi profumi e le sue puzze, con sprazzi di metropolitana - fermate conosciute e sospirate - e di cimiteri.

Frasi da ricordare:

- "Ogni volta è lo stesso choc. Tanto fuori è buio e sinistro, quanto l'interno sfavilla. Tanta luce che scende a cascata silenziosa dalle alture del Grande Magazzino, rimbalza sugli specchi, gli ottoni, i vetri, i finti cristalli, scorre nei corridoi, vi impolvera l'anima - tanta luce non rischiara:  inventa un mondo."

- "Ecco. Non bisogna mai esagerare il male che si può fare agli altri. Meglio lasciare a loro questo piacere"

- "E' a questo punto che ho cominciato a non trovarlo + tanto chiaro. E ad avere fifa. Una strizza larvata che non mi ha più mollato un attimo. Con effetti secondari liquefattivi. 'Vezarde', direbbe Rabelais. Cagarella, insomma."

Edizione: Universale Economica Feltrinelli

Prezzo: 7,50 €

okay this recipe is SUPER easy. my mom used to make it for me for breakfast when i had game days. but she always makes hers better somehow, i think it's just made with extra chinese love.

ingredients:
fresh rice noodle rolls (you can find these at any asian market, next to the fresh flat cut rice noodles most commonly used in seafood chow fun.) *make sure it's the ROLLS not cut noodles*
peanut butter (smooth works best)
maggi seasoning OR soy sauce
finely chopped fresh cilantro (or coriander)
fresh ground pepper (optional)
toasted sesame seeds (purely for garnish really)
canola oil
sriracha chili sauce (or any other asian hot sauce of your choice)

step 1: fry em up!
you can keep the rice noodle rolls in the fridge for a few days after purchasing and they will be just fine. drizzle some canola oil on a heated sauce pan. (do not use olive oil, it will not taste the same!) lay each roll down and fry on each side until a bubbly layer starts to form and the middle is soft. you can leave them as long as you like until a light yellow brown depending on how crunchy you want the sides. keep in mind that it will get a bit soggy and chewy later the longer you leave it on. plate and you're done with the cooking!

step 2: the decorating
layer on some peanut butter on each roll. it should be a bit melty and smell absolutely delicious. next put a couple splashes of maggi seasoning OR soy sauce over the place. next comes the ground pepper and sesame seeds - just a little will do! then top with the chopped cilantro/coriander. garnish with some hot sauce on the side and you're ready to rock and roll.

optional:
my mom likes to add a little of that japanese seaweed seasoning, very interesting flavors when it's the kind that has salty and sweet bits.

hope you like it!

setelah sekian lama mencari dari gunung ke gunung, laut ke laut, darat ke darat, dada ke dada....

(eh, yg terakhir salah...)

akhirnya sayah punya blog juga....

pertama, saya ucapkan terimakasih selega - leganya kpada bapak guru TIK sayah yg baru
mengajar sayah d klas 2 ipa 7 ini tapi sayah tiddak tw syapa namanya.....

tapi mukanya lebih mirip kaya iklan XL sih....

hehe.., bcanda pak guru....

peace....

yang kedua
cukup sekiandh dari sayah..., mudah2an ada yang mau membuka blog sayah yang tidaak berguna ini....

aminn...

wassalam....

my pesto pasta salad is pretty easy. i kinda threw it all together because i had pesto to use up. here it is!

ingredients:
1 box/packet pipe rigate pasta (aka large elbow pasta) - i like this kind because chucks can get stuck in it and it hides flavors inside pretty well - cooked al dente, drained & set aside to cool
1 red bell pepper (or capsicum as they call it here) - diced
3 springs of green onion - chopped
1/2 can of artichoke hearts - quartered
extra virgin olive oil (use a good one!)
1 bunch of fresh basil (just the leaves) - washed and drained
1/4 cup of roasted pinenuts
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan (i add a little bit of romano cheese as well)
chili infused extra virgin olive oil or red chili flakes
fresh ground pepper
salt

step 1: the pesto
you can always buy a little tub of your favorite store bought pesto for this, skip to step 2 if you did that. to make the pesto the easy way, use a food chopper/processor. i bought my little chopper at target for 10 bucks - saves my life when it comes to pesto and salsas. okay, finely chop pine nuts, garlic, basil leaves, parmesan cheese - start in that order and add each ingredient after adding about a table spoon of extra virgin olive oil to the mix. you should end up with about 3-4 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil in the mix. salt and pepper to taste.

if you're doing this the old fashion way. chop everything as fine as possible, yes even the cheese if you don't have a fine grater. crush the pine nuts in a zip lock bag by rolling a canned soup over it a few times. throw everything chopped in a bowl and drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. salt and pepper to taste.

*note* you can keep this in the fridge or freeze little portions for quick dinners or to top off some chicken.

step 2: the mixing
now that you've got the pesto, all you really need left is to mix it all together. i like to let the artichoke hearts soak in the pesto for a while before throwing in the other mixtures so it absorbs more of the pesto flavor and not taste like it's from a can! toss in the pasta a couple scoops at a time to make sure you have enough pesto for the mixture. it's up to you how tasty you want it! mix in the chopped bell pepper and green onions. top with salt and fresh ground pepper.

step 3: the extra kick
to make sure the salad isn't too dry, this is where i would add in a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil but for this pasta, i added chili infused extra virgin olive oil. you could use just regular chili oil (make sure it's just a splash) or red chili flakes with regular extra virgin olive oil. i find that the added little spice balances the parmesan cheese really well.

hope you like it! can be served cold, room temp or warm.

El misterio de Nikki Gray
 

Y como regalo, pensando en Daemonicus Imprimatur, y sin que Insomnia Delirata se entere... colgaré algunas imágenes "de la bella muchacha de la foto 2".

I just read an article about how the British are bad tippers. The best part was the ensuing commentary, much of it from those I can only assume have never waited tables. Suggestions ran from changing the way American restaurants do business to getting a better paying job.  And this all for a waiter in the New York restaurant business. I wonder what those same commentators would say if they were dealing with someone who worked in restaurants that were not top scale?  Where taking home $30 a night was a good night? I'm guessing they would say the same thing.

Ah yes, like most who have attended college I have done my share of restaurant work. Everything from bussing tables/ washing dishes to bartending and floor management. In upscale and 'family dining' restaurants. I have to say, no matter where one works, it's a shitty job.

And it's shitty because of the customers and the management. The customers want to believe that they are superior to the person trying to accommodate their often ludicrous requests. The management wants one to work like a dog and be grateful they allow you to make money in their restaurant. The word raise is not in their vocabulary. When waitstaff asks management for a raise they inevitably get the same response "Be a better server." Balls. In some places one can be the top earner and still not make a living wage. It's arrogant for a customer to make assumptions about the staff. Not every server works in a five star restaurant. Nor is every server a college student who deserves to make less money because they are in school.

A server is a person who works hard for little money. After tipping out 10% to both the bartenders and bussers, and accounting for a standard 15% Federal tax, what does the thirty dollar a night server take home? About 15-17 dollars. Times five days a week, comes to about 75-85 dollars a week. Oooh yeah, they're living high on the hog!! Oh wait, plus the 2.85 they make an hour here in Michigan, which is automatically taxed, so that's-- Oh hell I don't know, but not a enough to live on I can tell you. Let alone raise children with.

Nothing gets my fur in a bunch faster than those who take exception to tipping waitstaff.  It's the superiority of the customer who seems to feel that your service is worth shit. That as a person you are so far beneath them on the social scale that they can ignore your work. And it is work. It's much more than carrying plates. Servers work very hard to make things look easy to the customer. That's part of the job. They don't have a PDF to keep track of the seven to ten tables they have. They rely on memory. They can't control mistakes made in the kitchen but they are certainly responsible for it. They are not to blame for arbitrary changes management makes from one day to the next but they have to commiserate and ego stroke the ranting of customers who are upset by those changes. And none of this includes the work they do before and after they begin waiting on tables.

I'm not saying every server is stellar. I once refused to tip when the service was very poor. But I then I let the server know why they got nothing. And when they got upset, I told them that waiting tables is a skill, not a gimmee.

Here in the U.S. one should tip 15-20% of the bill. Period. And that is for standard service, not for exceptional service. Exceptional service should be rewarded with a higher tip. Try to remember this. If you tip well, waitstaff will be all over you next time you come in. They will actually squabble in the backroom over who gets the honor of waiting on you.

All servers have great memories. They know who the bad tippers are and they always pass them off to the worst waitstaff. So, if you are constantly getting a different lousy server at a local restaurant, it's probably because you are a crap tipper and the service will always be rotten, for you. And you alone.

Servers might be poor, but they're not stupid.

Dogwoman

it's like a quiche, like a frittata, and like a savory pie, but BETTER and bite-size! it's taken me a few attempts to get the perfect taste, i suggest playing around with the recipe to find your favorite combo.

ingredients:
6 store-bought pastry crusts (you can you use filo dough as well, just wrap it into a pouch and butter well)
2 big handfuls of baby spinach, washed and dried, then chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 medium button mushrooms, wiped clean then diced
1 cup grated colby cheese (jack cheese would work really well too - i don't have jack cheese here. boo.)
3 egg whites
butter
garlic salt
fresh ground pepper

preheat oven: 250°C

step 1: the filling
in a small saucepan on low heat, melt some butter and throw in the onions. let the onions sweat a bit till their see through and then throw in the mushrooms. this is a good time to add garlic salt and pepper if you like more punch. let the mushrooms soften just a little, then throw in the chopped spinach. turn the heat off as soon as the leaves begin to wilt. take the pan off the heat and let the entire mixture cool.

step 2: the mixing
throw the cooled filling into a mixing bowl and fold in the grated cheese - make sure you leave about 1/4 cup of the cheese out - you'll need it later! Make sure the filling is cool enough so the cheese doesn't melt. this is also another good opportunity to add in more salt and pepper. now slowly mix in the egg whites, make sure you're not whipping, just mixing.

step 3: the baking
fill the pastry cups just to the top and then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. you can brush some butter on the top of the pastry part if you like. bake for about 20 mins on 250°C and then another 5 mins at 200°C. the top layer of cheese should be melted and toasty.

bon appetite!

so this is one of my favorites since it's very easy to make and pretty light. definitely not vegan with the ricotta but that's the yummiest part.

ingredients:
baby spring mix (you can buy the prepackage stuff)
if you want to make your own: baby spinach, baby arugula (rocket), & baby romaine should do
1 hand full of semi-dried tomatoes, diced up
1/4 of a red onion, sliced thin and broken up
2-3 tablespoons of light ricotta cheese
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

step 1: the base
mix the leaves, sliced onions, and semi dried tomatoes together

step 2: the dressing
slowly whisk in some extra virgin olive oil into some balsamic vinegar. about 2-3 tablespoons of each should do. i generally eyeball the oil parts.

step 3: the finish
mix in the dressing with the leaves, onions and tomatoes. i like to mix it all together with my hands to make sure the small parts aren't left on the bottom of the bowl. top the salad with dollops of ricotta. i like to drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top of the cheese parts. add a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper.

enjoy!

Like mutual of omaha
Got the ill boat
You've never seen before
Gliding in the glades
And like lorne greene
You know i get paid
Like caprese and with the basil
Not goofy like darren or hazel
I'm a mother fucking nick at night with
Classics rerunning that you know all right
Now remain calm no alarm
Cause my farm ain't fat
So what's up with that
I've got friends and family that i respect
When i think i'm too good
They put me in check
So believe when i say i'm no better than you
Except when i rap
So i guess it ain't true
Like that y'all and you just don't stop
Guaranteed to make your body rock

Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this motherfuckin' party out

Said, "doc what's the condition
I'm a man that's on a mission"
Said, "son, you'd better listen
Stuck in your ass
Is an electrician"
Like a scientist
Mmmm when i'm applying this
Method of controlling my mind
Like einstein and the rappin' duke combined
Hey baby bubba now what the deal
I didn't know you go for that mass appeal
Some call it salugi
Some hot potato
I stole your mic and you won't see it later
Cause i work magic like a magician
I add up like a mathematician
I'm a bank cashier
Engineer
I wear cotton but i don't wear sheer

Shazam and abracadabra
In the whip i'm gonna cruise past ya
Yo money, don't chump yourself
Put that shit back on the shelf
Light rays blazin'
You're out of phase
And my crews amazin'
We're working on the record yo
So stay patient

Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this motherfuckin' party out

Now, i go by the name of the king adrock
I don't wear a cup nor a jock
I bring the shit that's beyond bizarre
Like miss piggy
Who moi
I am the one with the clientele.
You say, "adrock, you rock so well"
I've got class like pink champale
Mca grab the mic before the mic goes stale

Don't test me
They can't arrest me
I'll fake right cross-over and shoot lefty
You look upset, yo calm down
You look cable guy dunked off of your crown
I flow like smoke out a chimney
You never been me
You wanna rap but what you're making ain't hip hop b

Get your clothes right out the dryer
Put armor all up on your tire
Sport that fresh attire
Tonight we goin' out set the town on fire
Set the town ablaze
Gonna stun and amaze
Ready to throw a craze
Make your granny shake her head
And say, "those were the days"

Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check it out
What-wha-what-what-what's it all about
Work-wa-work-work-work-wa-work it out
Let's turn this motherfuckin' party out

today i bring you my favorite potato recipe. i honestly don't remember where i got it from or if i made it up myself.

ingredients:
small potatoes - washed and ready to go
fresh rosemary leaves - chopped
1 chopped yellow onion
2-3 cloves of garlic - chopped fine
shallots - sliced thin
extra virgin olive oil
grey poupon
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

step 1: the potatoes
boil the potatoes until soft - not cracked! about 8-10 mins will do depending on the size. drain the potatoes and slice in half or quarters.

step 2: the spices
in a frying pan, drizzle some olive oil and throw in the onions. let the onions sweat a bit and then throw in the garlic and chopped rosemary leaves.

step 3: mixing it all together
throw in the cut potatoes, open sides down. throw in 2-3 tablespoons of dijon mustard. and mix it around until it's covering every potato. let the whole thing cook until potatoes are brownish and crispy. salt and pepper it up & it's okay to have burnt garlic and onion bits!

step 4: the best part
in a separate pan - i like using my cast iron - drizzle some olive oil and throw on the shallots. cook until crispy brown. throw this on top of the potatoes when serving.

i like to add a dollop of sour cream :)

tapi begitu selesai registrasi, gw bingung mau nulis apa....

walhasil gw gak nulis apapun dalam blog yg gw buat. udah berapa lama, gw jg udah lupa kalo gw punya blog dan sambil mengingat2 password blog gw, dan eng..ing..eng... jadi deh .....ini hasil tulisan gw yg pertama..

Mungkin menulis itu perlu diawali dari sesuatu yg simple dulu... seperti tulisan gw saat ini.

Mudah2an lain waktu gw bisa "menulis cerita" dengan lebih baik lagi.... Amin...

prep time: 15 minutes | cooking time: 20 minutes | makes 12

Ingredients
1 cup soy or rice milk
4 black teabags or 2 tablespoons loose black tea
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain or vanilla soy yogurt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of ground white or black pepper

For topping:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or ground mace

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and line tin with cupcake liners. In a small saucepan heat soymilk till almost boiling, add tea bags, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.When ready to use stir teabags and thoroughly squeeze to insure as much tea is dissolved in milk as possible.

In a large bowl wisk together oil, yogurt, sugar, vanilla and tea mixture until all yogurt lumps disappear. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and pepper into wet ingredients. Mix until large lumps disappear; some small lumps are okay. Fill tins full and bake about 20 to 22 minutes until a sharp knife inserted comes out clean.

Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before adding topping, or the sugar will melt and not look pretty or powdery.

To assemble, sift confectioners sugar over cooled cupcakes first, then mix cocoa, cinnamon, and nutmeg together and sift onto each cupcake. Enjoy!

from Post Punk Kitchen: http://www.theppk.com

• Oma's zelfgemaakte frikandon
• Kroepoek van onze Chinees

ingredients:
fennel - sliced as thin as possible
baby spinach - washed and dried
orange cherry tomatoes - sliced
cucumber - sliced
red onion - just a few slices
olive oil
fresh mint leaves
salt + pepper
honey
mustard
apple cider vinegar

step 1: the grilling
heat up a cast iron pan and drizzle some olive oil on top. place the fennel as slices on the pan and grill on each side until wilted and crusty brown.

step 2: the salad dressing
whisk a spoonful of mustard and honey together with a couple splash of apple cider vinegar. whisk in some olive oil. add more honey or apple cider vinegar depending on taste.

step 3: the salad
mix the dressing in with the baby spinach first. then layer in the sliced cucumbers, onions and tomatoes.

step 4: the fennel topping
place the fennel in a bowl and drizzle with some olive oil. add salt and pepper to your heart's desire! chop up the mint leaves and mix those in with the fennel. place this mixture on top of the salad and there you go!

We're attending a wind-up party for Ashley's soccer team tomorrow night at the coach's house, so tonight I prepared Ree's Bacon Appetizers. I had to prepare them ahead of time and store them in the fridge overnight, because they take two hours to cook! By the time I get home from work tomorrow night I'll have just enough time to cook em and pop em on a plate alongside some Boursin Cheese and crackers. The timing is perfect as they'll come out of the oven right before we leave, so I won't have a chance to wolf down 3 or 4 (or 12 or 13) before they hit the buffet table. These have been REALLY popular at the parties I've taken them to previously. My brother likes them so much that he will walk into my house on any regular day (like to pick up Richard for a movie) and shout, "where's my bacon thingies woman? Get in the kitchen and make em for me!" (he's still alive only because I love my nephews so much and I'd hate for them to grow up without a father)

I included the type of crackers I used in the picture in case any of my Canadian peeps are having trouble finding "club crackers" and want to make this recipe. I remember club crackers from when I was a kid, but I couldn't find them in any of the grocery stores I frequent. I found these Toppables at Safeway and I think they're the closest to the real thing we Canucks can buy North of the Lower 48.

Oh Em Gee, they're delish!