“I’ve feasted on the sustenance of the Southern folk, and I did not find it to my liking,” admitted the ranger.

The stranger scoffed, “Perhaps you have encountered counterfeit aberrations of our vittles that flood these parts, food that only hopes to imitate a shadow of our flavors.  I assure you, the fare of my people is quite different.” 

Even though I lived in a rural area growing up, I was lucky enough to have an authentic Mexican restaurant near my house in high school.  There’s how I was introduced to sopes. Real Mexican food has incredible, fresh flavor combinations, and this dish is a perfect example of that.  If you’re going to substitute any of these ingredients with Mexican cheese, a tortilla, or Tostitos salsa, then seriously don’t even bother making this dish.

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Tags: food, mexican, Rachael, recipe, sopes

I don’t know where Tom went, but I have an idea and it involves Skyrim. Between the occasional cryptic text and sudden exclimation of “YOU CAN COOK!” I knew we wouldn’t be seeing him for awhile. So if someone you know has been devoured by Skyrim, this recipe may help bridge the gap between our world and Skyrim.

Skyrim Salmon Steak

Ingredients
6 ounce Salmon steak, skin on
1 teaspoon of butter
Salt
Pepper

Equipment
Pan
Spatula

Directions
Over a medium to high heat, melt the butter in the pan over the stove. Rinse the salmon in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Dust the salmon  fillets with salt and pepper on the pink side and only salt on the skin side. Once the pan is hot, place the salmon skin up in the pan for 2-3 minutes until the salmon begins to slightly brown around the edges. Flip the salmon and finish it skin side down until the skin is crispy and the fish is cooked, about 5-8 more minutes.

Looking for a late fall side? Tryout this:

Cranberry & Almond Green Beans

Ingredients
1 cup of green beans
1 teaspoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of dried cranberries
1 tablespoon of sliced almonds
Salt

Equipment
Pan
Spatula

Directions
Heat the olive oil in the pan over a medium heat. Saute the green beans until warm, then mix in the cranberries and almonds. Continue mixing until the almonds begin to brown. Salt to taste and then serve warm.

Tags: beans, cook, fish, green beans, main, recipe, salmon, side

“This feels like cheating.”

“You’ll be fine, just wing it – it’s what I always do!”

“But I’m not you!”

“Thank the gods for that, could you imagine how awful two of me would be?”

“One is bad enough,” the mage replied as he presented his gift to the elven king. It looked like a pie, smelled like pudding and tasted like heaven.

It feels weird categorizing this as a baker’s recipe, since there is very little actual cooking. But a dessert is a dessert and I feel like those usually fall into the domain of the Baker.

In high school, a friend’s father would make these pies around Christmas and would often sell them at silent auctions for fund raising. I became notorious for viciously bidding against people for these pies – had I know how easy they are to make, I would have just made them myself! But after I spent far too much on a single pie, he finally gave me the recipe but I’ve since taken the recipe and reworked it slightly – like the addition of a cookie crust. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: baker, chocolate, chocolate silk pie, mousse, pie, recipe

The dwarf suspiciously picked up the small square of pastry, which immediately crumbled between his large, cumbersome fingers.  ”What is this devilry?” roared the hungry dwarf.  ”Have you shrunken our feast with your elven magicks?”

The elf server sneered at the the dwarf.  ”This, master dwarf, is but a preamble for the feast ahead.”

The dwarf grumbled.  ”There’s no point in baiting a dwarf’s appetite.”

My office holds charity potlucks every few months, and for our fall potluck we decided to incorporate a contest into the feast, so I knew I had to step up my game.  Unfortunately, this dish didn’t win (the prize went to caprese salad skewers, gotta hand it to this simple but delicious dish), but I still got a lot of compliments!

The problems with cooking for a potluck is 1) the dish needs to be prepped the night before (For some reason clients don’t take “Hold on, I need to peel and cut these apples” as an excuse for a late report.) and 2) there is limited fridge/freezer space and only one tiny toaster oven available in the office kitchen.  Therefore, your dish needs to come in a crock pot, be reheat-able in a microwave, or served cold.

My original idea was to make one of my favorite appetizers: baked brie, but I knew it would be impossible to achieve that melty deliciousness sans oven.  So I made up this fun, alternative appetizer.

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Tags: appetizer, apple, autumn, brie, fall, pastry, putlucks, Rachael, recipe

In honor of my friend Bruce’s birthday, he requested a batch of spice cupcakes for his birthday cupcakes. As someone who is always willing to try something new, I tackled this quasi-gingerbread cake and gave them their own kick by topping them off with a caramel frosting. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: baker, caramel, caramel frosting, cupcake, frosting, recipe, spice cake, spice cupcake

Elves are weird, Thaxus thought after helping himself to another chalice of elven wine. Who else would find a way to combine vegetables and dessert?

Carrot Cake holds a special place in my heart, simply because of the wonder creation that is Carrot Cake Soup. Sadly, the soup isn’t that great (but if you allow some vanilla ice cream to melt over some carrot cake… mmmm delicious). Still, with the harvest coming to an end, I found myself with far too many carrots and decided I could trick people into eating them the old fashioned way: by hiding them in cake! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: baker, cake, carrot cake, carrot cake soup, cream cheese frosting, cupcake, frosting, recipe

The feast of kings and peasants all revolve around the same classic meal: chicken. A roasted bird is a majestic centerpiece on the table that brings people together with the idea of home cooked goodness.

There is nothing quite like roasting a whole chicken. For some reason, people seem to think that it’s a lot of work and are usually impressed by it when serving it for dinner. Besides, what is better than devouring a whole chicken leg? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: chicken, cook, gravy, recipe

The days grew shorter in the wood, and one early morning Azel awoke. Darts of cold, honey-colored sun had slipped through cracks in the bark of her hollowed home at the base of the tree. The crisp air made her grateful for her blanket of moss, though her nose felt like a snowdrop. She warmed her nose with her hands and smiled. She knew where she would find her meal today.  She sheathed her dagger and slipped out of the opening at the base of her tree.

The trees were quiet, but murmured at the sight of the dryad passing into the orchard.  The orbs of fruit hung low on the branches.  Azel picked one and cut its skin, but just as the tangy scent sprang from the apple, there was a rude commotion  and the sound of clumsy hooves.  Azel sprang into the tree and readied her dagger for the hunt.  

Fall arrived in New England last week. Though it’s my favorite season, I bitterly resisted at first because the end of summer signals two things that I dislike:

1)  That the season has changed, but I’m not returning to school for the first time in memory. Thanks, necessary arrival of adulthood!

2)  Autumn is short, and soon I’ll be battling cold, snow, and ice again for at least six long months.

However, it only took a few days for me to fully welcome my fall favorites back into my life: Shipyard Pumpkinhead & Sam Adam’s Octoberfest, Starbucks’ pumpkin spice lattes, candles that smell like pie, comfy knits, and my Gryffindor hoodie. So I happily decided that it’s also time to transition to Fall cooking. Let me let you in on a secret: Fall cooking is the best cooking!

Each season I tend to have a go-to ingredient. I keep that ingredient plentiful, then I use it gleen inspiration or to spice up dishes I whipped up after a twelve hour workday. For example, this summer that ingredient was coconut flakes. This fall that ingredient is, as it usually is, apples!

Apples are perfect because they smell incredible, can be used in sweet and savory dishes, and, if you grew up in the Northeast, carry lots of childhood memories. I’m certain that my love of this season entirely stems from trips to my town’s apple farm and my grandma’s apple pie. Pure, simple, Americana.

Here’s the perfect savory combination:

Apple Pork Loin

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Tags: apples, autumn, cook, fall, pork, recipe

“Next time you say there is a chimera in the kitchen, can you please specify it’s the delicious kind?”

It’s been ages since I’ve had time to post a recipe and since my cupcake ones tend to get the most attention, I knew I had to return to form. I occasionally bring baked goods to my local Magic playgroup and after bringing chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Oreos once, I knew I would have to go back to the well and craft something new. Plus I had recently devoured some cookies and cream frozen custard, so I definitely had cookies on the mind.

Just a warning to all bakers out there, this recipe requires an entire package of Oreo cookies. I advise you pick up regular, not double stuffed, because I have no idea what is actually in Oreo frosting. Also, the frosting on these cupcakes is cream cheese based so these must be refrigerated once finished. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: baker, Cookies, cookies & cream, cream, cupcake, recipe