Discover Homemade Yogurt

My go-to breakfast is Peet’s French Roast Coffee and Greek yogurt, usually Fage with fruit or honey. I find this gives me the nutritious energy I need to get through the next few hours, preventing me from becoming famished between meals.

We recently got a Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker to make fresh homemade yogurt and it’s been fun to make and enjoy. The process requires boiling milk, adding in yogurt starter (either freeze dried or using previously made yogurt), pouring into glass jars, and letting sit at the correct temperature in the yogurt maker for the required amount of time (8 hours for whole milk, 10 hours for 2% milk, and 12 hours for skim milk). This means you should plan ahead, because when time is up, the yogurt needs to be transferred to the fridge for at least three hours. My husband found this out the hard way his first time, having to wake up at 2 a.m. to make the transfer!

The result? Firm, tart, creamy, fresh yogurt that differs from store-bought yogurts in taste and texture. The yogurt’s silkiness feels fundamentally distinct, with its natural flavor and unique texture coaxed from the milk, one of the products that magically transforms from its original liquid source. Eating it feels elemental, something from the original food substance we discover after birth, and the basis of our innate love of milk-based foods like butter, ice cream, and cheese.

You can customize your yogurt with add-ins of your choice: I like great jams like Bonne Maman Wild Blueberry, or honey, berries, nuts and granola. You could also add brown sugar and cinnamon, vanilla extract, or even coffee.

The yogurt maker, yogurt starter, and extra jars are available on Amazon, making it easy to get all the equipment you need to get started. If you’re a big yogurt fan like I am, check it out. The effort put into creating this creamy goodness makes for a satisfying breakfast or snack that doesn’t disappoint.

Making Monkey Bread

Monkey bread is one of those brown sugar cinnamon comfort foods, easy to make and even easier to eat. It smells intoxicating coming out of the oven, with its sweet, cinnamony, yeasty scent that could make grown men dizzy. It looks great turned upside down out of a tube pan, and the only question is how long it will last before every last sticky, buttery bite is gone.

This recipe uses regular-sized canned Pillsbury biscuits, one of those welcome shortcuts that probably tastes just as good as bread made from scratch with one tenth of the effort. It’s also a winning recipe to make with kids since it’s fun and turns out so eye-catching and yummy.

My daughter Amanda just finished 7th grade, and we’re looking forward to whipping up some fun foods in the kitchen this summer. This recipe makes a crafty cooking project with great teachable moments to share cooking concepts:

- How to use a knife properly

- The best cinnamon

- How some ingredients can be increased from the recipe amount if you really love them (I’m talking about the cinnamon, natch)

- How yeasty items can rise while baking

- How to grease a tube pan so that the bread comes out easily when inverted

- How to invert the bread properly

This makes a tasty breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert treat. Try it- it’s so easy a kid can make it.

Monkey Bread

(adapted from a recipe found at Cooks.com)

3 cans Pillsbury biscuits (we used Grands! Jr. Golden Layer Buttermilk)

1 T plus 1 t cinnamon (my favorite is Penzeys Vietnamese Cinnamon Extra Fancy)

3 T granulated sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat over to 350 F.

2. Combine 1 T of the cinnamon and the granulated sugar in a bowl.

3. Cut each biscuit into fourths on a cutting board.

4. Roll biscuit pieces in cinnamon sugar until coated. Place them evenly in greased tube cake pan.

5. In a sauce pan, melt butter, brown sugar, and 1 t cinnamon over medium-high heat until smooth and creamy. Pour over biscuit pieces.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cake is slightly crunchy on top.

7. Remove pan from oven. Place a plate on top of the pan and carefully invert so the cake releases onto the plate.

Warning: May be addictive. Enjoy!

Madeleine Raspberry Shortcakes

My daughter and I made up these yummy summery treats by starting with a traditional idea, changing it, and assembling the ingredients in the quickest, easiest way.

The original idea was to make a strawberry shortcake for dessert. At the store I got inspired to do a twist on the traditional when I saw these little, luscious Madeleine cakes and some beautifully ripe, red raspberries. Instead of assembling it all on a plate as I originally intended, my daughter simply picked up a Madeleine, scooped on some whipped cream, and placed raspberries on top.

What could be simpler? They’re pretty, delicious, easy to eat by hand, and a great combination of tart fruit, creamy goodness, and buttery cake. You could use blueberries too to make a festive and colorful 4th of July sweet. Bon appetit!

Foodzie: Taste Something Different

I’ve recently subscribed to the Foodzie Tasting Club, featuring monthly deliveries of new and different edibles hand-picked by foodies based in San Francisco. I heard about Foodzie from Brit Morin on Google+ and decided to try it out.

Each month Foodize sends an email to subscribers with a link to choose one of three tasting boxes. It costs $29.95 a month including shipping. Foodzie focuses on artisanal small food makers, and creates themes around the tasting boxes to tie the items together.

My first delivery was the Brooklyn Tasting Box, which featured items from urban artisan food providers in that fine city. I enjoyed trying:

- Rosemary Onion Crackers (tasty and light)

- Organic Dried Mangoes (good but I like Sigona’s better)

- The King Candy Bar (named after Elvis)

- Beer Truffles (my husband loved them)

- Bacon Fat Old Bay Peanuts (oh yeah, these were surprisingly delicious)

- Farmhand Granola (good but not great)

My second delivery was a Sweet and Savory Snack Box offering another set of new and fun edibles to try:

- Sparkling Yerba Mate Classic Gold drink (interesting- I’d been curious about yerba mate)

- Syrian Pepitas (naturally savory and crunchy, a healthy munchie)

- Organic Dried Plums (much much better than typical prunes)

- Bumble Chocolate and Peanut Sesame Candy (not so great- I like Chinese sesame candies better)

- Parmesan Rosemary Microwave Popcorn (yum, you add the flavorings after popping and shake everything in the bag)

My latest delivery was a Portland, OR Tasting Box including:

- Artisanal Spanish Salami (wow- packs an intense flavor punch with nutmeg and cloves)

- Dry Roasted Salted Hazelnuts (yum, the best hazelnuts I’ve had)

- Marionberry Pate de Fruit (delish gelled burst of berriness)

- Red Raspberry Soda (refreshing sparkling juice soda)

- Chocolate Coconut Cookie (raw vegan cookie was better than I expected, with a soft texture and date-coconut-chocolate taste)

I’ve enjoyed trying all these new artisanal food products from small producers, and look forward to discovering many more in future tasting boxes. If you want an easy way to try new, flavorful food items delivered to your door, join the Foodzie club.

Spring Dinner Grazing Menu

I recently helped organize the Stanford Parents’ Club Spring Dinner, an annual social event this year held at a home in Palo Alto. We hired the wonderful Cosmopolitan Catering to provide the meal.

Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, we designed a more casual small plate grazing menu with multiple food stations. We wanted to create a more interactive party flow (by the way, Wolfgang Puck made the same change for this year’s after-Oscar party). The caterer cooked up the following flavorful eats:

- Antipasti platter with a great assortment of Italian cheeses, cured and dried meats, grilled, pickled, and marinated vegetables, with Italian breadsticks and crostini

- Beef brisket sliders with bleu cheese sauce and caramelized onions

- Pulled pork sliders with honey mustard BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese

- Grilled vegetable sliders with provolone and roasted garlic

- Jojo potato wedges

- Chinese chicken salad in take-out boxes with chopsticks

- Thai noodle salad, also in take-out boxes

- Garden fresh crudite in shot glasses with pesto ranch and red bell pepper sauce

Many attendees contributed a variety of desserts to end the meal on a sweet note. We had plenty of red and white wine, water, iced tea, hot tea and coffee to drink.

The grazing menu offered a delicious assortment with something for everyone, and worked well in creating a casual, easy-going mood for the party. Having guests bring homemade desserts also added to the festivities with both the wonderful sweets and by allowing guests to participate with a personal touch.

To top it off, we enjoyed delightful spring weather, jazz keyboard music performed by a Stanford student, and lots of lively conversation and laughter. We even witnessed the solar eclipse which peaked during our dinner party. Several guests brought viewing glasses and pinhole papers to see this special event, and hundreds of crescents glimmered on the house as the sunlight shined through the leaves on the trees.  Magical.

Nutella Cheesecake Bars

Okay, I admit it. Sometimes it’s hard to come up with blog articles that tie in to Silicon Valley. This is one of them. I saw a gorgeous photo for these Nutella cheesecake bars on Pinterest. I clicked through to get the recipe on a blog called The Moonlight Baker.

My husband is a huge Nutella fan, so I thought it would be great to make these for his birthday. They’re not at all healthy, organic, or nutritious, but boy did we enjoy these sweet celebratory squares for his birthday dessert.

My 15-year-old daughter Valerie whipped them up using the Cuisinart. The tri-colored layers make for a visually enticing presentation, they cut up easily for serving, and the tantalizing tastes are mouthwateringly full of creamy, chocolatey flavor. The cookie-like crust on the bottom makes a nice firm foundation to support the cheesecake layers above. The bars are satisfyingly complete, surprisingly not too sweet, and need no additional garnishes or accompaniments.

If you like cheesecake and you like Nutella, try these Nutella Cheesecake Bars for something simple, satisfying, and flavorful.

Sur La Table Cooking Class: Ad Hoc At Home

One of my favorite restaurants is Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc in Napa. It combines comfort food in a casual setting with gourmet French touches. Everyone at the restaurant eats the same meal on any given night, the diners entrusting the chefs for the evening. It’s a two-way street: the chefs must live up to that trust and deliver a satisfying and delicious meal that doesn’t cater to the lowest common denominator.

When I saw that our local Sur La Table store offered a cooking class featuring recipes from Keller’s Ad Hoc At Home cookbook, I decided to sign up. Not only did it include cooking instruction and lunch, it also featured an autographed copy of the cookbook. My friend Xenia signed up too, and it was definitely more fun to take the class with her.

Our chef instructor Gale Tan clearly explained and led us through the meal. Her three sous-chefs had already started preparations since some of the components (red wine reduction, oven roasted tomatoes, and garlic confit) required more time than we had. While this class was hands-on, it was not demanding as we only did a small fraction of the work required to prepare the meal (and none of the clean-up--what a treat!).

We enjoyed:

Iceberg Lettuce Slices with Blue Cheese Dressing, Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, Bacon, and Brioche Croutons

Beef Short Ribs

Smashed Roasted Marble Potatoes

Apple Fritters

The cooking instruction room has a wonderful set-up with a U-shaped preparation area for students, a huge assortment of tools and gadgets, and all the features of a full-stocked kitchen. Everything tasted delicious, and I appreciated mini-lessons that Gale gave such as some knife skills, adding a dash of truffle oil to the potatoes, cutting the brioche croutons much larger than described in the recipe, and the wonders of a Vitamix professional blender.

The dish I enjoyed the most was the retro iceberg lettuce salad with homemade blue cheese dressing, oven-roasted tomatoes, crisp but not greasy bacon, and the large brioche croutons. Everything melded together wonderfully: taste, texture, temperature, color, and smell worked in perfect harmony. It was decidedly a lot more work than I’m used to putting into a salad, and I’m not sure I’d try recreating it at home, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to have it again.

An Ad Hoc cookbook recipe I tried and enjoyed at home is the sauteed cabbage. I adapted the recipe by only including purple cabbage instead of combining with the green savoy cabbage. What makes it so nice is the addition of roasted pistachios. You can see in the photo how beautiful the colors shine through, and the healthful benefits of the dish make it that much better.

Sauteed Red Cabbage (adapted from Ad Hoc at Home)

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

Canola oil

4 cups ½-inch-wide strips purple cabbage

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

3/4 cup chicken stock

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the nuts on the sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Heat canola oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Put shredded cabbage into pan and reduce heat to medium, stirring while cooking for about 4 minutes.

Add shallots and chicken stock to pan, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer and continue to stir the cabbage while cooking for about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and cook until the cabbage is tender. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Stir in the pistachios. Transfer to a serving bowl.