recipe

recipe: black sesame cupcakes

in , ,


idk what you were drinking doing saturday night but this girl was recovering from a night of quarter tones and xylophones via midnight improvised black sesame cupcakes. it's what happens when you get out of rehearsal in soho and it's already past your bed time and the 19-year-old in you asks the 23-year-old in you if you should hightail it to the party in the heights but because a 62-year-old chinese jewish grandma comprises most of you these days {and bc everyone else in the band tells you that you're too old for these partying shenanigans}, you go home and soften some butter.

anyways, i love black sesame to the point where it baffles me why everyone in america doesn't. it is nutty and smokey kinda and so... couthly sophisticated. black sesame goodies are never too sweet, just badass.


black sesame cupcakes.
this recipe is a work in progress. the cake turned out deliciously, but i could see the future version of myself deciding to add more sesame seeds. the frosting was a learning experience... i think for now i'll just recommend using a basic buttercream frosting recipe minus some of the vanilla, and adding a couple tablespoons of ground black sesames.

ingredients
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 c white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tb cocoa powder
3 tb black sesame seeds, ground in a spice grinder
2/3 c milk

clues
preheat oven to 350.

cream butter and sugar. add eggs. stir in vanilla.

in a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. add to the butter mixture. stir in milk.

bake in muffin tins. if making mini cupcakes, bake for about 10-12 minutes. if large cupcakes, bake for 18-24 minutes. 

cool, frost, sprinkle with a few more sesames, and spread the good word of black sesame things.

-yeh!


recipe: herby crackers!

in

make these crackers if you identify with the following:
1. you could be charged in plant court for third degree herb garden slaughter, 
2. as a result, you're left with a shit ton of leftover store-bought herbs every time you need two sprigs of rosemary and like one sage leaf for that roasted chicken you couldn't not try.

ingredients
1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 tb finely chopped herbs {i used rosemary, sage, and thyme}
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tb + 1 tsp olive oil
6-8 tb water
a few pinches of smoked maldon salt flakes {if you're fresh out, sea salt or kosher salt works too}

directions
set oven to 450. in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, herbs, sea salt, and pepper. stir in 3 tablespoons of olive oil until mixture becomes mealy. add water, one tablespoon at a time, until a dough forms {you may not need all 8 tablespoons}.
give it a little knead. 
roll out dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. roll the living daylights out of it, until it is super thin.
brush with remaining teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with maldon salt.
bake for 12-18 minutes, or until slightly browned.
remove from oven, and before it cools, you can use a pizza knife to cut your big giant cracker into baby crackers.

-yeh!

pimp my latke

in ,

{ways to jazz up the ex-boyfriend latke, or any latke, really.}

the salmony spud: top them with sour cream and salmon, finish with pepper and scallions.

the morning after, or, what to do with leftovers the next day: refry them or toast them, add a poached egg, salmon, salt, and pepper.

b.l.t.l.: if you're feeling extra unkosher, add a few handfuls of chopped bacon to the potato mixture. fry. top with mayo, a tomato slice, and butter lettuce.

asianized: to the potato mixture, add a few stalks of chopped scallions, some kimchi, a drizzle of sesame oil, and ginger.

baked: yep, it's sacrelige, but it will also make you feel less dead after eating five. i baked mine on parchment at 375 for about 25 minutes, flipped them over, and then stuck them back in the oven for about 25 more minutes. 

-yeh!