Food Philosophy

I must share my latest (non sexual :) ) foodie crush... I am enamoured by the smart, interesting and fascinatingly foodie content of Food Philosophy and its mastermind, Jennifer Iannolo. This is one sharp foodie.

Food. Sensuality. Sass. These are the three words that greet you when you first land on the website. Three words that say so much about what I imagine to be her food philosophy. A philosophy that I am happy to subscribe to...

There are pages upon pages of articles on food related topics such as Exercising your Mental Mouth, which discusses both your "inner chef" and the notion of food memories. What about Rosemary-Scented Hair? And let's not forget about her event, Sex on a Plate... yeah, I wish I could teleport to New York for this.

Gawd... I hope I don't sound like a crazy!! It's just foodie-awesomeness that makes me smile and want to cook and create even more...

Exotic rice pudding

All I wanted after this past wintery weekend in Banff was some sort of subtly sweet and warm... After lazing on the couch for a few minutes, I couldn't wait a moment longer and had to get back into my kitchen. Oh... how I missed it this weekend!

I have been thinking about making rice pudding for weeks now... and figured that this was the perfect time to check that off of the foodie to do list!

Another beauty... and Creamy Dreamy Goodness

I get completely wrapped up in the story telling way of Deb, the creator of A Smitten Kitchen... this blog/website is a tremendous resource that strips away the pretense of cooking and marks successes and failures with equal flair. Her style of writing seems to transplant you into the circumstance in which she created or adapted a given dish... I am unfailingly drawn into her world. So, with that, I welcome you to add to your blog roll, the wonderful works of A Smitten Kitchen.

Courtesy of A Smitten Kitchen and America's Test Kitchen Cookbook, my mom made these Dreamy Cream Scones for Christmas... though, my mom's take on the title is Creamy Dreamy Scones.

Hot hot chocolate

Now, I had a bit of chocolate left from the breakfast bar dipping and was not so interested in the scraping and mess of cleaning it out... so I opted to make a mug of hot chocolate! I was thinking of a mole sauce as I chose the spices to accompany the chocolate... but you can really add what you would like.

Ingredients (if starting from scratch):
- 40g (1/4 cup) chocolate (I prefer dark chocolate.)
- 250 mL (1 cup) milk
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Chili powder

Melt the chocolate. Whisk in 250 mL of milk. Bring to a low boil. Sprinkle with cinnamon, a dash of chili powder and a dash of cinnamon. Stir and enjoy.

Breakfast in a bar..

True to form and most cooks, I cannot seem to make it through a single attempt at a recipe without adapting it to my own particular taste and style. Add this, remove that... bake longer, cool less. Whatever it may be, it seems to be what makes cooking more enjoyable.

The original breakfast bars recipe came courtesy of Nigella Lawson and her cookbook, Nigella Express. She didn't underestimate the allure of these bars when she confessed that not only she, but everyone she has given them to, has become happily addicted to them.

Enjoyment aside, these bars have been a lifesaver. I made them before a week-long business trip and saved myself many a miserable breakfast search. And I've saved myself from a coffee shop turnover by keeping a container of these bars in my office at work. Have I sold you yet??