Desert Daydreaming...

If only I was going to Coachella instead of studying this weekend... 

Tribal Fringe Tunic

Long Tank Dress

Long Sleeve Cut-Out Maxi

Flutter Sleeve Maxi

Fringed Jacket

Tribal Armor Necklace

Ancient Tradition Body Chain

Diamond in the Rough Necklace

Snakeskin Arrow Cuff

Peruvian Bracelets

Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo Ball Soup is healthy comfort food at its finest.  It puts chicken noodle soup to shame!  I was feeling under the weather this past weekend, and making this soup set me straight.  I made it from scratch, but honestly, I've had much better, fluffier results using a boxed mix for the Matzo balls in the past.  I think the problem was that the recipe I used did not call for baking powder, which apparently is the key to fluffy Matzo Balls (my personal preference, some people prefer them firm).  I can only assume the boxed mix includes the necessary ingredients; and really, using the box mix is not very different from making it from scratch as far as the integrity of the ingredients...  You can upgrade the box mix by making your own chicken broth.

 

Matzo Lasagne

The love affair with Matzo continues, and this delicious version of lasagne is light and healthy too (with only 110 calories in each sheet of Matzo!).  I can't wait to try different variations of lasagna using Matzo.  The ingredients for this one are simple - just Matzo, onions, tomatoes, cheese, basil and olive oil. 

Saute 1/2 an onion (add 1 shallot for extra flavor) in some olive oil until browned, add in 3-4 chopped tomatoes - cook until well combined, then set aside:

Grease a baking dish for assembling the lasagne (I used an 8"x8" size dish).  

Boil a pot of water to soften the sheets of Matzo - place each sheet in boiling water for about 1 minute, then lift out with a slotted spatula; let them drain before layering in the lasagna dish.  Layer a sheet of softened Matzo, the tomato mixture, then some mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers 3 times.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  

Top with fresh basil and enjoy!

Love for Elephants

Elephants are one of the oldest symbols of good luck & also my sister's favorite animal.  I always think of her when I see them, and haven't been able to stop thinking about these adorable images of a baby elephant at the beach...

Darling print on Etsy

Gold Elephant Charm Necklace from Etsy

Jonathan Adler Elephants Salt & Pepper Shakers

Arther Court Elephant Pitcher

Shirt with Elephant print from Asos

Joie Dawna Elephant Print Dress

Arden B Elephant Scarf

Judith Leiber Elephant Clutch

Richard Avedon - Dior Dress

Passover Stuffing

I had never had Matzo until I met my husband (who is Jewish).  During Passover, Matzo, a flat, unleavened cracker is eaten instead of bread.  Unleavened bread is eaten because believers say the Israelites left in such a hurry they couldn’t wait for the bread dough to rise.  I quickly fell in love with this cracker, so delicious when simply spread with butter and jam, not to mention the many other ways to prepare it.

 

This year we were invited to a Passover brunch and I was tasked with bringing a savory dish.  I decided to test some recipes during the week before deciding what to make for the  gathering.  My mother-in-law sent me some of her recipes, and I decided to try making her Matzo Farfel with Onions and Mushrooms. It's basically Passover "stuffing".

I could not find any Farfel at the store, so I used Matzo meal instead (I believe the difference has to do with the coarseness of the meal - Farfel is a coarser meal).  [Sadly, I came down with a cold the day before the event which knocked me out + I didn't want to spread the fun around. It did call for some Matzo Ball Soup though, more on that later this week].

You will need:
2 cups Matzo Farfel
2 cups water
1/2-3/4 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
4 large onions
2 eggs
salt
pepper

First, boil the water and add matzo farfel until soft - strain - matza must stay moist, not wet:

Fry the onions & mushrooms in oil (add some chicken fat if you have it).
Mix together the onion/mushroom mixture, farfel, eggs, salt & pepper in a deep bowl.

The recipe calls to place the mixture in a greased flat pan with about a 2" edge.  After making these, I was in a bit of a muffin/cupcake tin craze, so I decided to make little cups of this stuffing instead:

Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes (I baked them for 20 minutes since the cupcake tins are smaller). Enjoy!

Cookbook Distractions

I am currently in intense study mode for the last level of a certification I've been pursuing for years now; the exam is the CFA, and it has 3 levels of curriculum.  Each level's exam is offered only once a year.  Needless to say, it's a long road!  Last year, during study breaks, I ordered DIY and craft book after book, which of course just served to torture me in a corner as I had to focus my attention elsewhere.  

This year, the addiction has manifested itself in the form of ordering new cookbooks (Amazon Prime membership is such an enabler!).  I just received my order of Ad Hoc at Home, a Thomas Keller (of French Laundry and Bouchon fame) cookbook based on his more casual restaurant, Ad Hoc.  Just skimming through the book (since I should be studying!), I can already tell it will provide a real education to cooking technique along with delicious recipes.  

I may just find the time to try a few recipes before the test rolls around on June 2nd... :-)

Spring Asparagus Milanese

This recipe is the perfect Spring-time seasonal breakfast/brunch item - light, yet filling and sooo delicious!  Once you have your water boiling for the asparagus and your butter melted for cooking the eggs, you are 4 minutes away from enjoying this meal.  Topping it off with Parmigiano-Reggiano perfects the finish. 

Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes

There's no denying that Easter has some of the best seasonal treats all year.  Cadbury Creme Eggs and Robin's Eggs top my personal list of favorites.  I love the cuteness of marshmallow peeps, but have never really fully embraced them (although I do prefer them when they are stale).  

When I saw a link to these Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes on the Hip Hostess, I had to make them stat!  So adorable!

I had these cupcake liners I'd been waiting to use, and they couldn't be more perfect for Spring:

Use your favorite chocolate cake batter, or simply use a boxed mix.  Pour into cupcake liners and place a frozen mini Cadbury Creme Egg in the center, then cover with batter using a spoon.  Beginning with a frozen egg ensures you will still retain the creme center in your cupcake rather than have it completely melt away in the baking process.

Once the cupcakes have baked/cooled, you are ready to frost! Prepare some butter cream frosting and dye a portion of it yellow for decorating.

You can use a plastic zip lock bag to pipe the frosting - just fill the bag with frosting and snip a corner of the bag adjusting for the desired thickness of the frosting.

Now pipe a round of white frosting around the outside perimeter of the cupcake and fill in the center with the yellow frosting to duplicate the inside of a creme egg :-)

I topped my cupcakes with a mini solid Chocolate Cadbury Egg, but you could also use another mini Creme Egg to top them off (how pretty are these cupcake liners as you peel them away?)

Bungee Cord Knot Bracelet

I been wanting to make my own jewelry with bungee cording; I also love the sailor knot trend.  Combining the two looks to make my own bracelet was super easy (albeit messy, considering I got super glue all over my fingers).

Supplies needed are: some bungee cord, end caps, a clasp, jump rings, and super glue.

Cut a piece of cord long enough to go around wrist after making a knot.  Lightly burn the ends with a flame to melt the cording and keep it from fraying. 

Tie a knot in the middle part of the cording:

Trim ends if needed to modify the length, then place a few drops of super glue in the end caps before affixing to each open end of the bungee cord.

Finally, affix closures to the end caps and enjoy!

Miso Marinated Black Cod

If you've ever ordered "butter fish" at a Japanese restaurant, you've had Black Cod.  This is not your ordinary fried fish stick cod variety.  I don't usually like white fish (as much as my go-to favorite Salmon), but Black Cod is definitely an exception.  It's no wonder it's also called butter fish - it is extremely silky and I find it to be VERY filling... 

This recipe is fantastic; the longer you can marinate the fish, I'm sure the better - I only had time to marinate for about 24 hrs, and it was still very good.  I served the fish with some bok choy sauteed in olive oil and garlic (if I had only had fresh ginger on hand, I would have used this recipe for the bok choy).