Chomp it up.
I’m going to make some Ginger Cupcakes for Rockford sometime, but first I’ll need the “cupcake container of the future” to store them in.
I found the cupcake recipe (and quite a few others on my “to make” list) on the 101 Cookbooks site. The Web site is run by a woman who is working her way through her own cookbook collection rather than buying new ones. A novel idea, huh? I should try that myself.
Weeks and weeks and weeks ago, when we were all healthy and the skies were filled with rainbows and the meadows were alive with soft happy little bunnies, we tried another Cook’s Illustrated recipe. And it was good.
Stir-Fried Eggplant with Garlic and Basil Sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus 1 more teaspoon
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (6 to 7 cups)
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
3/4 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into rough 1/2-inch pieces
For sauce base: Mix fish sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggplant and cook, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds, until browned and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Push eggplant to sides of skillet, clearing center of pan. Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger to center of pan and mash with back of spoon; cook until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds, then stir mixture into eggplant. Add Thai Sauce Base and stir until combined. Off heat, stir in scallions and basil; serve immediately.
This is not to say that there are no longer rainbows and bunnies, but things get a bit less cute and fuzzy when your baby has a cold. Trust me on this.
I needed to make a dessert for church this evening, and I didn’t want to go back out to the grocery store. So the hunt was on for a recipe that I had all of the ingredients to make. I found a coconut pie recipe on the back of a bag of Baker’s coconut and thought I had all of the necessaries. “Thought” being the operative word there. I didn’t actually have any “all-purpose baking mix,” and I only had three eggs. I know I have a recipe somewhere for a do-it-yourself Bisquik, but I also had a box of Krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix sitting on the shelf.
This is one of the easiest pies I’ve ever made (it’s made in a blender. a blender!), and it was gone by the end of the evening. Three cheers for three-egg pancake pie!
Amazing Coconut Pie
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose baking mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups Baker’s Angel Flake coconut
Place milk, sugar, baking mix, eggs, butter and vanilla in blender container; cover. Blend on low speed 3 minutes. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with coconut.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center of pie is set and top is golden brown. Serve warm or cool on a wire rack. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.