I’ve been tagged for a second time! This time by Pam over at Cave Cibum who, coincidentally, will be sending me a package as part of Stephanie’s Blogging by Mail event. It’s so much fun to get to know so many great food bloggers by way of these events!
So, for those of you curious about my food likes and dislikes… this one’s for you!
My five favorite foods: Chocolate, gelato, mashed potatoes, edamame, quinoa
My five least favorite foods: Pickled beets, lima beans, rhubarb, cilantro, green olives (unless they’re stuffed with blue cheese or are part of the olive relish on a muffaletta)
Something I’ve never cooked, but really should have: Tiramisu
What I ate today: coffee, blondies (I won’t tell you how many, but you’ll see later why), veggie stir-fry, popcorn, diet Coke, and a big-ass burger from Red Robin
My last meal on Earth: Sauerbraten, potato dumplings, rotkraut, brotchen with butter, and the most enormous slab of chocolate cake
And… now I get to tag Tara over at Should You Eat That? with this meme so that I can get a little insight into her food world (because she’ll be getting a package from me!). I’m also going to send some virtual food blogger hugs her way, as she’s been dealing with quite a difficult loss in her life.
Of course, I wouldn’t leave you without a little food porn! I’ve been trying hard to get into the kitchen more this week and most of the ventures have been successful. This is my stand-out recipe of the week… it’s fantastic AND the prep all happens in one bowl!
I’ve been jonesing for blondies lately, and I found an amazing one bowl recipe from the cookbook How to Cook Everything over at Smitten Kitchen. This is such a flexible recipe, you can really add whatever you have on hand. It also doubles and… ahem… triples very easily. They’re even good when you forget about them and overbake them a little, though slightly undercooked is my preference.
I added milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips and cashews to this batch and I’m already dreaming about what I’ll put into the next one! This is such a keeper of a recipe! No need to think far enough ahead to have room temperature butter on hand… open to whatever you want to mix in… no muss, no fuss!
Blondies
(from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman by way of Smitten Kitchen)
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1½ teaspoons almond extract
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8×8 pan.
Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (see below for ideas).
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Allow to cool on a wire rack before cutting them.
Suggested add-ins (one or a combination of):
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries
Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting
I love reading about other bloggers memes. So much fun! And these blondies look so gooey and chewy… My goodness! It should be a sin to eat these!
So you like chocolate, eh?
Chocolate and cashews sound like a perfect combo in blondies… yum!
You don’t like cilantro? I love cilantro. It is like a stinky little piece of heaven. Hehehe. I love Red Robins, too. If I am going to eat 10000 calories and 100 grams of fat eating a burger, it has to be from Red Robins.
And those blondies look delicious, now I am hungry thinking about Red Robins and dessert :/
All this yummyness in one bowl??? I want a couple of slices now!
Those sound dangerously easy to make! They look awesome!
I’m SO glad those double (and triple) well! I always get a little feeling of disappointment when I see a brownie/blondie recipe that only makes an 8×8 pan. I want to slice big bars, not teeny ones, lol. And I don’t want it to look like I ate almost the whole pan by myself. This way, I make more and blame the kids! Those look amazingly good.
These sound and look amazing!! Just when I was committing to be better during the week…
it’s so strange to me that people have such strong aversions to cilantro! i have a pretty picky palate for stinky foods, and i’ve always loved it.
i’ve also always loved blondies, and i want to eat that raw batter. that looks a lot like the recipe that i use from cook’s illustrated. yum.
Looks like a blondie I should make.
Great food porn! I love blondies, especially with chocolate and toffee chips! Hmm. It’s still early. Maybe I’ll make some!
Now, those look good!
I’m ashamed to say that I have never made a blondie, but I’m going to save this recipe and give it a try. I’m much more experienced at eating them!
How fun to learn more about you and your blondies–like Lydia above I am a pro at eating them, but have never made them! This looks like a fine one to start with!
I love this recipe. It has made its way into my oven a number of times! You have a great combo here, sounds good!
Bwahahaah- Red Robin! I love their chicken whiskey river burger.
You’re 5 favorite foods sounded pretty damn perfect to me…up until quinoa. I’d have to replace that one with avocado.
Now that is some seriously Good Eats!
Oooops, watched too much food TV in the US again….
Looks good! I just made some peanut butter chocolate chip blondies last night. They’re a new craving….which could be trouble.
Hi there, just wanted to thank you for the lovely package you sent me for BBM. I am a bit busy with university assignments at the moment, but I will post about it very soon, along with finally answering this meme! Thanks again