morestomach

chocolate wonderfuls

Published on July 15, 2013October 3, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach16 Comments

the thing about planning a wedding
is that there are a bajillion little pieces,
that on their own are manageable,
but the total sum of them all
makes me want to take a nap

and i’m not a napper.

when in the midst of
planning a major blueberry picking expedition
organizing a jam & can session
brainstorming wedding invite layouts
discussing wedding cake options
eyerolling at my bridesmaids’ still not being attired
i had a hankering for chocolate.
these chocolate treats first appeared
in my previous space.
but due to a heavy crack down on dairy treats
we shelved it

it was quickly decided that chocolate wonderfuls
had to make a re-appearance in our lives.
i luckily found a good NON-DAIRY
sub for CONDENSED MILK
(which the consumption of would have me in a moaning fetal position)
(let’s not think about that)

there is no lie in my heart
when i tell you that this is an ass growing treat
i’ve been working out like a mad woman
and counting my calories ~~like kate moss counts cocaine lines~~
to fit into my gown
but these …
all else ceases to matter
the entire pan was meant to be shared
but the most we could bear
was to share with each other

sometimes
just sometimes
when things are chaotic
and the things that need to be done
don’t get done
instead, baked goods get made
(& consumed)
and it’s not just ok,
it’s wonderful

chocolate wonderfuls
adapted from dw’s mama (who’s his gma)

Chocolate Layer

6 oz dairy free organic semi sweet chocolate chips (i used taste the dream)
1 egg + ½ cup brown sugar + ½ tsp vanilla + 1 TBL flour + ¼ tsp baking powder + pinch of salt (from Cooks.com)
1 TBL barely melted coconut oil (you could probably nix it, i will next time)
Pinch of salt
½ cup chopped pecans

Shortbread layer & crumb topping

1 ¼ cups spelt flour, sifted
1 ½ cups quick cooking rolled oats
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup softened coconut oil (i usually measure out a cup and put in fridge to firm up for 20-30 min)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

preheat oven 350F.

double boiler style, melt chocolate. in a bowl mix together 1 egg + ½ cup brown sugar + ½ tsp vanilla + 1 TBL flour + ¼ tsp baking powder + pinch of salt. very carefully add to the heated chocolate, whisking like mad, you don’t want scrambled chocolate eggs. add in the coconut oil (or nix it) and the salt. finally add in the pecans and vanilla. remove from heat, set aside.

in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil and brown sugar. add in the egg and vanilla. stir in the dry ingredients.

in a 9X9 pan, (you can first add in parchment paper if you want). press about 2/3 of mixture in as evenly as possible. spread the chocolate filling. crumble remaining oat mixture over the filling.

bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown.

cut into bars when cool.

to store: well covered in fridge. take out for about 15 minutes prior to eating, though eaten fresh out of fridge is fine, albeit they’ll be hard. due to the use of coconut oil if left out at room temp the treats are on the softer side, since coconut oil melts at such a low temp. we ~~like~~ love these chocolate wonderfuls cold & hard or super soft & warm.

coconut egg curry

Published on July 8, 2013July 6, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach17 Comments

incidentally when i think of Indian food
i think of Ethiopia.
when we lived in addis ababa
there were only two restaurants
we frequented:
an italian cafe that boasted
the most impeccable service
and an Indian place
where i had my first ever taste of
goat.

Indian food also makes me think
of a Bangladeshi boy who used to leave
me love poems in my locker.
we always ran into him and his family
when we dined at the Indian joint.

since africa
(a place i still dream of)
my experience with Indian food
has been a love/hate battle.
the harmony between spices
and ingredients
perfectly balanced with
rice or
naan
but is just havoc on my system,
particularly if butter or cheese
plays heavily in the dish.

this dish, for me,
is a godsend
i love eggs,
in any form
and while it does play a
minor role against the heavy
punches of cardamon and even cinnamon
i am appeased
because hello
Indian food at home is the best

just a note,
i have attempted two different
recipes,
one from the beautiful Journey Kitchen
that was lovely
but the one i feature today is from playful cooking
which really satiated my cravings

also, the recipe calls for
unsweetened coconut flakes
yeah, i couldn’t find the unsweetened
stuff in my pantry
so sweetened went in
it wasn’t cloyingly saccharine
but i would imagine the
dish could do without the
added sugar

last,
just so you know,
again, we lived in Africa for just under
two years, i was only in
8th & 9th grade,
and always heavily chaperoned
on the rare occasions i would
venture out of the compound
i barely remember my time there,
i can only recall the
loveliness of the landscape
the cold climate living in Mt. Entoto‘s shadows
injera
the quiet dignity of ethiopians

tiny, beautiful things

Published on July 1, 2013June 29, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach2 Comments

i recently finished
this book
she writes with such
compassion & conviction.
now i’m reading her
other book.
i’m not much for non-fiction
but this,
i can deal.

from all around pinterest:

still looking for a reason to wear this dress :: lawd, i’d love to dine al fresco like this :: this ink is so beautiful :: i have kim chi on my mind :: finally. this country gets it right. One Love :: still dreaming about the shorter locks ::

there was a jaunt to a
free range, naturally fed
livestock ranch
some gathering
some laughing
some water play
some swooning
this is my life.
and i love it.
(you can follow along here)

other things:
a son of a holocaust buys german
oh, my alma mater … no words
i’m not excusing her, but you know, get over it people
no lie, matt nathanson can do no wrong.
bff has an official fb page, she’s making our wedding cakes
as a former yearbook editor, i would not have caught this
saw World War Z, so far, best summer movie
i’m hoping to bust this out soonish

have a wonderful week friends,
enjoy the holiday,
be safe,
be good.

baked yeast s’mores donuts

Published on June 24, 2013June 23, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach37 Comments

it’s early morn,
8am.
well, early for Sunday.
roll over and
he’s sprawled out,
with child-like abandon,
vulnerable
adorable
kissable
accede to impulse –
kiss his cheek
the kind of kiss that
doesn’t take much thought
a take for granted kind of kiss
the kind that
you know will happen
again
and
again
and
again
like a habit,
like we’d kiss everyday
for the rest of our lives.

make way to the
tiny urban kitchen:
dishes from the evening before’s meal
piled high.
it’s a struggle
sometimes
to not succumb to the desire to
dine on throwaway
paper plates.

with kitchen cleared,
coffee cooling
set out ingredients for
breakfast —
a dessert really.
it’s a messy job,
one that requires
cleaning of more dishes,
of scrubbing counter tops
but with an end result like this,
it’s acceptable.

and when he finally
emerges,
slumber still clinging to his body
greet him with yet
another kiss
(we can’t ever get enough!)
(stop gagging)
and offer up a small delight
to fully waken him up.
because the rest of the day
beckons…

how do you like to spend your Sundays?

S’mores Donuts (baked & with yeast)
*listen. i didn’t taste a s’more until i was well into my late 20s. i was in West Virginia and i loved this so much that during the 5 day camping trip i had marshmallow and chocolate smeared all over my face and graham cracker crumbs in my hair the entire time. when i have a hankering for this i buy all the ingredients and in our urban living room dw puts it all together for me and torches it with a creme brulee torche. i won’t lie, this is more like a cake shaped in a donut form, but it is nonetheless delicious. because it’s a cake, it keeps well, covered, at room temp for a few days or in fridge. if you don’t have a torch, ~~i feel sorry for you,~~ it’s still good and gooey. (click on pic to enlarge & see the recipe, or the recipe follows with a few notes…)

donut ingredients
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 3 crackers whizzed in food processor, leftover can be used a garnish)
1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup semi soft coconut oil
6 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut yogurt (So Delicious has a great Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup coconut milk

toppings:
melted vegan marshmallows, amount at your discretion
melted tempered dark chocolate, amount at your discretion

method:
preheat oven 350F
sift together dry ingredients in a bowl
in a mixing bowl, cream together coconut oil + sugar, add in egg + vanilla. add in the coconut yogurt. alternating between the dry ingredients and milk, add to mixing bowl. pour into prepared donut pans. bake for 10-12 minutes (aim for 11 minutes). allow to cool slightly in pan and then flip them out carefully onto wire rack and cool completely. repeat with remaining batter.

assemble by drizzling melted dark chocolate on top. allow to cool before drizzling the melted vegan marshmallows. again, cool slightly and then sprinkle on some graham cracker crumbs. torch it up if you want.

will keep at room temp, covered for a few days, or move to fridge.

pb + chocolate cakelettes

Published on June 17, 2013June 17, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach10 Comments

june is roaring in like a ferocious
Dragon.
as though it knows its time is
limited,
Summer is raising the
temperature,
washing over the streets
and sidewalks,
over us, and tossing up
heat like insult.

and so on the hottest
day of the season
thus far, i cranked on
the Oven
and baked for
Movita Beaucoup’s graduation
from baking school.

this is a celebration
for finishing school,
for the burn scars,
for the calories consumed.

and in true fashion, movita is hosting
another Cake-Off.
last year i made little
chocolate cakes
and lost.

this year i made little
cakes again.
i better effing
WIN.

please vote for me here.

pb + chocolate cakelettes
cakes adapted from tartelette
filling adapted from angry asian creations

*note: if you go to tartelette’s recipe it does have one piece missing in the method that caused me some minor anxiety. google is your best friend.

tulip paste:
4 oz coconut oil, right on the cusp of solid & liquid, tho leaning more twds solid, obvi.
4 oz powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup egg whites, at room temperature, approx 4 egg or 122 oz
4 oz all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 TBL cocoa powder

*note: this will make a buttload of tulip paste, i only made two sheets and the rest were turned into cookies.

cream the coconut oil + powdered sugar. i kept the coconut oil in the fridge and let it sit at room temp for a few minutes. work quickly because it has such low temp melt rate/threshold. add in the egg whites (*this was the piece that was missing). sift the cocoa + flour and then add to the mixture, don’t over mix. incorporate it just enough. pour into piping bag that’s been fitted with small plain tip. at this point, use right away or keep in fridge. remember, the properties of coconut oil is different from butter, it will get hard in the fridge quickly, but handle it for too long at room temp with your body temp hands and it will liquefy. (i learned this the hard way).

on parchment paper, in the actual baking sheet you’re going to bake the cake in, pipe design to your liking (delectable deliciousness has a great tutorial). i kept it simple, with just dots and lines. freeze, and keep frozen until ready to pour cake batter on top.

cake batter:
4 oz almond meal/flour
3 ozpowdered sugar
1 oz organic AP flour
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
3 egg whites
1 oz organic sugar
1 oz melted coconut oil

preheat oven to 450F
in stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat both flours, powdered sugar and 4 eggs until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom. add yolk and mix until combined. set aside.

in another bowl, whip up egg whites until foamy and add the sugar in a steady stream, whip until glossy and peaks appear. fold meringue mixture into other bowl. stir in melted coconut oil and fold until well incorporated but careful to not deflate the meringue base.

remove baking sheet of tulip paste and pour batter on top. aim for as thin a cake as possible.
bake for 6 minutes. remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes and invert sheet onto platter or counter and peel away the parchment paper. (can be kept wrapped in fridge for up to a week or in freezer for a month)

using either pastry rings or cut up acetate strips (like when i used them to make dw’s mint chocolate cake) into 12″ strips and taped to make 5″ rings. cut strips of cake and fit into the makeshift molds/rings. fill with filling of your choice, allow to set in fridge for a few hours or overnight before removing from rings.

peanut butter cashew cream filling:
1 cup/5 oz organic raw cashews, soaked in warm water for 3-4 hours
5 generous TB organic peanut butter
1 TBL raw honey
splashes of non-dairy milk, i used so delicious coconut creamer to thin out

in cuisinart or food processor mix all ingredients until smooth and reaches desired consistency.