Dean & Deluca Coconut Macaroons

w/ orange peel and cranberries + C0conut nests:

A few weeks ago I went to Georgetown - where I enjoyed the notoriously delicious "Goat cheese and Asiago" crepe - and happened upon the most beautiful macaroon display at Dean & Deluca's. I was enthralled by the tower made of tiers upon tiers of pastel colored french macaroons: lavender, vanilla, passion fruit, chocolate and mango (pictured). Alas, I ardently lamented my lack of photographic equipment. I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to actually take photos inside a D&Ds, of course. I would have been too worried the trays of ethereal confections would simply disappear in a cloud of vanilla scented smoke the moment I did. Around the corner there was a more homely display of apothecary jars, chocked full of coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate. These were hardly as elegant, but equally as inspirational.

I bought a box and took them home to share. The coconut macaroon was dense, not overly moist and with beautiful crispy edges. One or two of them appeared a bit darker than I would have liked, but the insides were sweet and sticky enough I didn't much care in the end. I was not a fan of the white chocolate the macaroon was dipped in, but the tart and sweet flavor of the cranberries was perfect with the smooth, fatty coconut. The only thing that could have made them tastier would have been a little orange zest. I can't even begin to talk about the mango flavored French macaroons with their sensual vanilla butter cream - not here, not like this. They were almost too delightful to put into words.

So, time passed and I mused and mused about macaroons. I went home last weekend for Easter, and in addition to dying Easter eggs, getting a pedicure and consuming copious amounts of candy I managed to dig up my "ye ole standby" coconut macaroon recipe. I was pretty sure I could re-create the Dean & Deluca's coconut macaroons with only a little trouble, but I wanted to make them my own. So, I nixed the white chocolate (a blessing) and added a teaspoon or so of fresh orange zest. I also upped the amount of coconut and flour from the original recipe and added a little more almond extract as well, just to keep things lively. The results were, in a word, scrumptious. Sure, they lacked some of the elegance of the French macaroon, and they weren't filled with butter cream, but they were ready to eat in half an hour, and just as sweet and even more satisfying.

As the first pan was baking, I noticed something extraordinary through the open kitchen door. In the dew speckled grass there were perhaps a dozen Easter eggs scattered around the yard. Was it an Easter miracle?! Had the Easter bunny come to visit... ME! Upon closer inspection I realized it was just a show of good will on our neighbor's part; after all, their Easter egg hunt started at a robust 7:30 that morning right under my bedroom window. Despite a little broken sleep, I was thrilled and promptly crept out in my pajamas and scooped them up. I was so tickled in fact that I used the remaining macaroon batter to re-create a nostalgic childhood favorite: the jelly bean coconut nest. There was always one tucked in our baskets as children. My macaroon was, per the original, very nearly, sickeningly indulgent even without the chocolate. But, it was dreadfully simple and the unconventional flavors of the jelly beans (I used Jelly Belly) added an extra element of surprise. I only wish I had found the time to whip them up earlier this week so I could have given them to neighbors and friends.

Notes: The first time I laid eyes on a French macaroon I was enraptured. I have never made any out of shear, unadulterated fear. But, I feel comfortable enough with whipping out some coconut macaroons until I get my nerve up. According to wikipedia a macaroon (or macaron) is composed of egg whites, almond powder and sugar. However, industry names like David Lebovitz describe the macaroon as more of "the result of a technique, rather than following a mere recipe". Lebovitz provides a list of great links to learn more about that mysterious, beautiful confection on his website. For the humble, timid follower of the coconut macaroon I list my recipe for "D&D Macaroons" here. Enjoy!

D&D Macaroons
Variation from a "Pillsbury: Best Desserts" recipe

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 (7 ounce) bag coconut

1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour a cookie sheet.

2. Whisk/Beat the egg whites until they are frothy and white. Add the sugar, flour, salt, almond extract, orange zest.

3. Add the coconut and cranberries and mix until thoroughly coated.

4. Drop the coconut mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 13-17 minutes until lightly golden. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

Coconut Nests:
1. Add two drops of green food coloring to the prepared macaroons, stirring until the dye is evenly distributed and the coconut is the desired shade of green.
2. Drop the macaroons by tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet and bake as directed.
3. As soon as the macaroons come out of the oven, press 2-3 miniature jelly beans into the hot coconut, pressing gently to create a "nest".
4. Remove the nests from the cookie sheet and allow to cool completely.

Disclaimer: Better photos to follow shortly, I got my hands on a family member's Nikon this weekend so I'm at her mercy for the actual photos.

Tibetan Style Chai Tea

+ SPUDS on TastyKitchen.com:

Did it rain where you were yesterday? It did here, and it poured.

I can't say I minded much, though. A rainy, sleepy Saturday was exactly what I needed. The Friday finale at work wasn't as bright and uplifting as I had hoped it would be. Responsibilities are piling up, as they seem to do in the government, with much grumbling and nit-picking while the clock ticks. I did some grumbling too, but it came in the form of despondent sighing and much cleaning of messy desk drawers instead of outright apathy. I wonder, does that make me more or less disgruntled than my co-workers?

Regardless, I didn't step out of the house once all Saturday. I even skipped stretch class and only got gussied up in my sweat pants and t-shirt because we had a visitor a little after lunchtime. It was the sort of Saturday when you watch an entire season of your favorite Showtime drama, order sushi for takeout (and have your very thoughtful boyfriend pick it up) and drink three or four cups of tea just because cradling something warm and aromatic is the perfect, if not picturesque, way to spend your cozy day off. It is also the type of Saturday a bandita like me spends trolling food blogs. I've been a closet Tasty-Kitchen follower for some time, but on Saturday I made it official. See that badge on the right-hand side of the page? Give that a click. SPUDS is very excited to, finally, be a part of it. We even think the Pioneer Woman herself gave our recipe a peek - if even if it was just to make sure we weren't posting any lewd advertisements instead of a delicious, easy cake recipe. But that counts, right?

Even before the weather changed - Friday was a beautiful, breezy sixty-something with sun - I had it in my mind to make this chai for the weekend. I got the recipe form a yoga instructor who, in turn, got it from a fellow yogini who begged it from a very zen and generous soul in the Himalayas. I'm awfully glad that they did. I have always been in love with chai - it is probably my favorite thing on the lunch buffet at Indian restaurants. The warm, milky sweetness and aromatic spices make it the perfect accompaniment to anything from a bad book review to a wedge of cake. I've wanted to make it at home since I started spending a fortune on watered down versions at cafes the country over. But, I've never found a recipe I quite liked or that didn't seem like it would cost a fortune to make. There is a trick to making good chai at home: not going broke on the ingredients.

In the past I have always been leery of "difficult" international recipes because of the pricey ingredients. After all, most chain grocery stores have limited stores of expensive exotic spices likes cardamom seeds. Take cinnamon sticks, for example. In our local Safeway a regular jar (5-6 sticks) was $5.99. But, if you go to your local Indian or Asian grocery you can buy double the product for about half the price. If you stop to think about it, this makes perfect sense. Chai tea, for example, is something every family makes. Therefor, any grocer with a savy business sense would keep these popular ingredients well-stocked and reasonably priced. Isn't it the same way with spaghetti sauce? And since most bigger cities have one or two International markets you're bound to find what you're looking for. So the next time you're trying your hand at making Miso or paella or even this chai tea (highly recommended) stop in at your local international market before heading to your normal grocer to pick up the more exotic items called for in your dish. Your wallet will be very glad you did.

Before I go off on a tangent about how delicious, and easy, this recipe is let me talk a moment about the ingredients. I used a Darjeeling tea; although, the recipe mentioned Orange Pekoe as an alternative. A cup of Darjeeling without any accompaniment might be a little too strong for most casual tea drinkers, but paired with the barely sweet milk and warm spice it provides the perfectly balanced tea flavor. Therefor, I highly recommend it. Dried spices like powdered ginger should not be substituted. For me, the fresh ginger is the real star of this chai because it provides a spiciness that is incomparable to the powdered version. Fresh ginger is sold, almost universally, in the produce section of your grocery store. You can peel the root or leave the peel on in which case I would wash it to remove any dirt. You can even freeze it if you're afraid you won't find a stir-fry or quick bread to use it in before it goes bad. But, once you start using it you really will have a hard time putting it down. Lastly, the milk. I used a skim milk because that is what we had available, but feel free to use a whole milk or even a soy milk if you're into that. Regardless of whether your version is non-fat, "skinny" or soy it beats the stuff in that green and white paper cup - you have my word on that.

Notes: This tea is so soothing and warming it is bound to dismiss the rigors of even the most vigorous of days at your desk. I reduced the amount of sugar used from the original recipe because I am not one for overly sweet tea. But, feel free to add a few teaspoons more if you like -the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup. Let the milk cool before storing in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Warm gently before enjoying.

Tibetan-Style Chai Tea pictured here with a Maple Snack cake. Also try Cinnamon Raisin Biscotti.

Tibetan-Style Chai Tea

A (slight) variation on a recipe from Lacy

5 cups water

3-4" piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into coins

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

3 cinnamon sticks

4 Darjeeling tea bags

4 cups milk, warmed

1/4 cup sugar

Preparation:

1. Bring the water, ginger, cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks and tea bags to a boil in a large pot.

2. Reduce the temperature and let the mixture simmer for 7-10 minutes. The longer you let it simmer the stronger the tea flavor will be.

3. Warm the milk in the microwave, 30 seconds to one minute. Remove the tea bags from the pot.

4. Add the milk and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat up and bring the tea mixture to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat and let the chai tea simmer for another 5 minutes. Strain the spices out and serve warm.

Lunch Box: Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

The post you thought you'd never see:

I wrote this post last week and I liked it so much that I have to post it, even though I've got a delicious salmon (salad) sandwich still on my lips and on my mind. It goes without saying that the shadowy threat of a possible government shut-down ignited fears as well as appetites last week. Even my candy jar had been all but wiped clean by lunch time. On my way to the Metro Thursday night I noticed a food truck, that usually clogs the courtyard at lunch time, was poised for sale at four-fifty in the afternoon. Since I was hungry, I slowed down just to catch a glimpse of the smiling vendor squeezing mustard onto a naked pink hot dog as his customer clawed through a basket of bagged chips and pretzels. I quickened my pace.

As a child I understood the magic that held a hot-dog together and gave it that remarkable texture. It never failed me. I always picked a hot dog when we cooked out, and cherished the cracked, charred surface slathered in mustard and onions or covered in coleslaw or, more traditionally, mustard, ketchup and relish. I even remember a fellow student exclaiming at lunch one day, "ew, you put boogers on your hot dog," in the fourth grade. That sort of killed the relish fetish for me for a good five or six years.

As I grew up I became less enchanted and more eerily aware of the hot dog and its place in society, the refrigerated section and my lower GI. My aversion to boiled hot dogs was already strong thanks to my Mother. I seem to be a minority, however, here in the states, and especially in the hungry working cities like the Nation's capital where food carts abound, drawing workers like flies. That wasn't quite the imagine I was hoping to conjure, but so be it. Still, I'm not surprised, really. Hot dogs are cheap, quick and easy to eat - either while driving or navigating your blackberry - and inherently satisfactory to the American psyche. College students and single young adults rely just as heavily on the hot dog as the rest of us at lunch time. But, that doesn't mean you have to settle for that insipid dog with the pert squeeze of mustard and not much else just for the sake of convenience.

A recent article in the Washington Post's "Express"showcased a variety of hot dog carts and diners in the Metro area. My own campus back out west had a local grease pit that had been around since the tertiary period, serving up heinous dogs, burgers and grilled cheese for dastardly cheap prices. I went once, maybe twice, just to be indoctrinated. I was disgusted with myself and the institution that little hole in the wall had become. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to taking my children there one day. But this article, with the artistic combinations and brilliant photos, reignited a little bit of the magic that marked the end of cold, rainy days and the beginning of a long, if sweltering, spring and summer.

I was especially intrigued by the Chicago style dogs with their menagerie of veggies - just never ketchup. And while I couldn't bring myself to make a special trip to downtown (read: to actually eat the mysterious cart hot dog regardless of its toppings), I also couldn't help but want to try the hallmark Chicago flavors - I had missed my chance in the Windy City a year ago. And as fate would have it a trip home last weekend would break my five year hot dog hiatus. Originally, I wanted to make make a rudimentary slaw of sorts, using all the same Chicago flavors. But, in the end, a Chicago-style hot dog is easy enough to make for your lunch box that making a "slaw" of your toppings would probably pan out being more trouble than its worth. Granted, the recipe below is more of a guide line than an actual recipe so don't say I took any credit. In my opinion the cheddar cheese was the best addition, as was the crisp dill pickle spear, but the preparation of your dog is what really makes or breaks your frank. I, personally, like mine grilled - if it's raining we've been known to split our franks in half and saute them in a dry pan to simulate the same crisp, grilled outside. But, whether you boil or microwave your hot dogs just do it to your taste.

Notes: I really don't want to know too much about hot dogs. But, the truth of the matter is no one really does. If you want some questions answered, or a little inspiration, check out the links below. Also, forgive my photos, but they were taken via iPod and lack a certain... level of clarity. You get the idea. How about those paper plates?!

All about hot dog toppings, sales and famous joints: LINK

For the "Express" Article that inspired this post check out this link: DOGS

How to lunch box your Chicago Style Hot Dog:

-Grill, boil or pan fry your dog the night before

-Wrap your bun in a paper towel and wrap in plastic wrap

-Layer your toppings in a Tupperware container and refrigerate

@ work:

-Simply reheat your hot dog and bun (still wrapped in paper towel) top and serve

Chicago Style Hot Dogs

From the books

Ingredients:

Cheddar Cheese, shredded (not strictly traditional)

Hot Salad Peppers

Dill pickle spears

Onions, diced

Mustard, plain

Relish

Tomatoes, chopped

Poppy seeds, or poppy seed hot dog buns

Hot dogs

Preparation:

1. Cook your dog according to your preference.

2. Warm your bun in the microwave wrapped in a barely damp paper towel to steam it for 10 seconds.

3. Top your dog with cheese and the remaining toppings. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with poppy seeds to finish.