This post is a bit overdue, but thanks to the aforementioned router problems, I’ve not had a chance to blog much lately. As of now, however, I’m sitting in the beautiful Princeton Public Library, which thankfully has free wireless throughout. Although I could spend a whole post waxing over this library’s many charms (clean, lots of windows, outdoor seating, a huge children’s/YA collection on its own floor, a fireplace…), it seems I’ve been tagged for the 5 Facts meme again, this time by Venus at L’Atelier Vi. I really like her blog and photography, so what the heck…maybe these ones will be a little more interesting than the others (but don’t worry, this will be the last meme for a while!).

5 More Facts About Me

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General | 3 Comments »

Hooray - I’m back from the land of February doldrums and an unusual week of multiple-day migraines, although without a recipe to share, I’m afraid. However, I hope to make up my absence by participating in a meme, since I’ve been tagged not once but twice: by Gabi at The Feast Within and Erika at Tummy Treasure. With all this attention, you’d think I was hiding some juicy secrets somewhere! As this was my first meme, I probably thought too much about what to share…and can someone who has a blog still consider herself a “private” person? Still, there’s a balance of sorts in sharing personality tidbits without getting too cozy with the Mysterious Readership. I mean, surely no one cares about such things as how many times a day I brush my teeth and what size jeans I wear. At least I hope not. Ok, ok, enough bellyaching…since one meme asked for 5 facts and the other 7, I’ll take a page from Brilynn’s book and go with a median 6:

6 Facts About Cookworm

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General | 8 Comments »

I’ve just found out that I received a Host Award (which I think is like an Honorable Mention) for the December DMBLGIT (aka Does My Blog Look Good In This) contest! The notable picture was the lemon curd which you can see above in the header; I’d submitted it sort of on a whim and am completely surprised to be counted among the winners! Many thanks to all the judges and to Dayna the host at food+photography. I competed with some very talented photographers and it’s quite an honor to have my pic picked among so many gorgeous entries.

In other news, I recently found out that someone from the Pittsburgh City Paper, a local newsweekly, did a brief article on local food blogs and mentioned cookworm. The article also introduced me to some other Pittsburgh bloggers that I’d not known previously. Thanks very much to writer Colleen van Tassell, who fortunately seems to find me amusing rather than simply freakish (good thing she doesn’t know me in real life).

But seriously, it really is encouraging to see that people are reading and enjoying things around here. I’ll do my best to keep up a steady stream of improvements. Thanks!

General | 6 Comments »

I was going to wait until it was officially 2008 to roll out this redesign, but I got so used to looking at the new header and colors while testing them out that I just can’t stand to look at the old ones any longer. :) So here it is! I hope you like it.

Although I’ve had a chance to work on the website here and there, I unfortunately did not have time to do the Bûche de Noël (aka Yule Log) for this month’s Daring Baker challenge. I know, what a way to start out as a newly minted DB, right? There are some fantastic cakes out there, though…take a look at the Daring Bakers’ Blogroll for a peek at their lovely creations.

One reason this month was so busy for me was due to time spent making treats to give as gifts. Last week, I spent 4 hours after work making three and a half batches of truffles with my friend K. We made ginger, plain chocolate, and cinnamon orange cocoa-dusted truffles, and soft chocolate/Grand Marnier centers enrobed in a crisp, bittersweet shell. We used Alice Medrich’s recipes (which are the ones I always use), and a mix of Callebaut and Guittard chocolates. They were heavenly!

I did learn some important lessons, however, that will stay with me the next time I fantasize about opening my own tiny patisserie - namely, that rolling chocolate for hours is actually pretty hard work! Still, there are worse fates than being coated in chocolate, don’t you think? I mean, it’s got to be much better than turning into a blueberry and having to visit the Juicing Room.

Anyway, before I out-dork myself with yet another silly reference, I’d like to give a scrumptious, ganache-covered thank you to every person who has stopped by to read cookworm this year. Even though the blog is only 6 months old, I’ve had a marvelous time connecting with people, learning all sorts of bloggy things, and of course, cooking! Here’s wishing you all a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2008. May the coming year be your most delicious one yet!

Candy Land, General | 7 Comments »

You know the blogging bug has taken hold when there’s a constant buzz in your ear that reminds you just how long it’s been since the last post. This week that very bug has been winging around my brain, wondering why I haven’t come up with anything yet for goodness’ sake. Oh, I’ve been cooking, here and there, and baking, just a little, but some hyper-busyness followed by the great urge to nap has kept me from having very much to say. It’s also nigh impossible during the week to get a good picture of whatever it is I’ve made, since the sky is smoky when I leave for work in the morning and inky on the ride home. The recent acquisition of a high-wattage bulb, which was supposed to mark the end of my troubles with taking photos indoors, was not quite the magic lamp I’d anticipated. What it really comes down to is that I’ve got a lot to learn about strobes and lighting paraphernalia and all the myriad types of set-up, not to mention settings on the camera itself. The person who commented that new cameras are fun is right indeed, but I’m afraid there’s nothing at all wrong with the lovely camera I’ve been borrowing - it’s the photographer that needs an upgrade!

Meanwhile, the weekend seems to have gone by in a flash, no pun intended, and the only thing I have to show for it is a pear cranberry cake that I wasn’t too crazy about. I’m not sure if it was the cake itself or merely lack of enthusiasm on my part, as there’s nothing very specific wrong with it…apart from just being sort of greasy and boring. Update: it did get better the next day. As for the grease, well there is a cup of oil in it, and I really ought to know by now not to bother making cakes that call for that much oil. Anyway, I do still plan to take it in to work tomorrow…but don’t worry, I’m not trying to push a nasty cake on my wonderful co-workers. In fact, I’m pretty sure most people there will like it, at least the ones that aren’t as picky as me. :) At worst, I can always turn it loose on the grad students, who will eat anything if it’s free. In case you’re curious, the recipe was adapted from this one (found by trolling the internets for bundt cakes with lots of fruit), but again, it’d require a bit of manhandling to make it anything but average. On the plus side, this was a good opportunity to practice with camera settings a bit. You can’t even tell how wet and grey it was outside.

General | 4 Comments »

What a wonderful Thanksgiving it was this year. In fact, it was probably the best Thanksgiving I’ve had in recent memory, and I’m pretty sure it was because of two orthodox details that happened to be missing this time around. First, it was all vegetarian and thus no turkey, second, the dinner was spent with friends rather than family. I can’t thank our wonderful hosts enough, who were so gracious and made terrific food, and also the lovely friend who invited us.

Although I’ve had some fantastic post-Thanksgiving dinners with friends, turkey, and all the fixings, I’m usually obliged to spend Thanksgiving Day itself with family. However, as my family is quite small, it seems a bit overkill to go into a cooking frenzy (especially since I’m the only one who likes to cook), so we go out to eat, which to me seems most un-Thanksgivingy. And let me tell you, even supposedly reputable restaurants can serve a pretty horrible interpretation of Thanksgiving dinner. Needless to say, I was tickled pink to have another option this year (which involved some careful strategizing to please the family, mind).

First things first: vegetarian Thanksgiving isn’t all about Tofurkey, believe it or not. There was nary a meat substitute in sight; instead, everyone contributed to an amazing array of dishes, which spanned the unconventional (hominy stew, nut loaf, homemade samosas, roasted beets and red carrots) to the deliciously traditional (stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a shocking magenta cranberry sauce). In fact, there was more food than I recall seeing at Thanksgivings of any kind. To top it off, we even got to take home leftovers. I’m still swimming in food heaven.

Of course, I couldn’t help myself but go a bit manic and bring not one, but three dishes along, which thankfully wasn’t interpreted as overbearing by our hosts. :) So to log this year’s contributions, and also since we’re too exhausted to do a post-Thanksgiving this year, what follows are a few short words and some quickly-snapped pictures of the dishes we brought.

First was a savory Mushroom and Onion Tart. I used purchased puff pastry for this, and next time I may bake the pastry first rather than with the topping on (or perhaps just use less topping, or use a thicker crust), because the middle slices were a bit too soft to hold easily in the hand. It’s a mixture of caramelized onions, sautéed oyster and shiitake mushrooms with fresh thyme, topped with a few sliced kalamatas and some shredded Gruyère.

The other things were brought were, of course, desserts. Tiramisù is a nice crowd-pleaser, and my mad scientist makes a wonderful one. Along with all the typical ingredients, like savoiardi, mascarpone, and good-quality espresso, he uses a special Portuguese twist (which you can probably guess). The recipe is from a highly amusing and talented friend, Dushyanth.

As one dessert just didn’t seem like enough to my sugar-obsessed brain, I made a Lemon Cream Tart, using Pierre Hermé’s ultra-decadent Lemon Cream recipe. I did cut down the butter only slightly, and frankly am glad to have done so, as more would have been way over the top. The cream is supremely luxurious and rich, but I couldn’t resist adding some chopped crystallized ginger to gild the lily. I’ll post the full recipe for this tomorrow.

General | 2 Comments »