Sophisticatedly South of the Border

A friend of mine told me how much he loved Mexican food, so I promised him I'd dedicate a post to him. After a lot of looking around I finally found a recipe that to me, puts forth a lot of the classic spices that are known to Mexican cooking but with a more formal approach. Being in college I get my fair share of Chipotle and Taco Bell and the unfortunate attempt at the dinning commons presenting their students with tacos, rice and beans and what they seem to think are churros. These Chilaquiles may sound extremely labor induced but I promise you - they are not! The direct translation of this word (go me for 11 years of Spanish!) means "greens in broth"
To me they seemed like a more dressed up version of nachos, with better flavors and a more detailed approach to these flavors.

Doesn't that look like a slice of spicy heaven?

 

 Here's the recipe:

20-30 chips (or depending on how many hungry mouths you're feeding and how big your chips are)
1 1/2 cup diced salsa
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth (just to make it a little more flavored)
1 cup cheddar or sharp cheddar shredded cheese
1/4-1/2 cup of beans, you can mash these up a little just so it helps with the consistency
sour cream (garnish)
cilantro (garnish)
diced onion (garnish)
Make sure to have the following spices on hand: olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and paprika.

Preheat your oven to about 350F and ontop of a baking sheet layer about 7-10 chips on whatever thickness you'd like. Make sure to drizzle some olive oil before you add any of the spices otherwise they aren't going to stick and your chips will be bland and boring :( After adding all the spices, send your chips into the oven for about 12 minutes, make sure to check them so they don't burn - you can add extra time if you think they aren't as golden as you'd like. While they are in the oven, mix your salsa with your broth to make it a bit more liquidy and better to lay on top of the chips
Once the chips are out of the oven alternate between each ingredient; starting with the salsa add some beans and then cheese, more chips beans and then cheese.
Throw these bad boys back into the oven COVERED with foil so that nothing starts spilling out - at the same temperature for about 15-17 minutes at the MAX! Again make sure to keep checking on them so that the cheese is not burnt!
Garnish your slice with some sour cream, cilantro (completely optional since I personally HATE it!) and onions.

Hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know of your thoughts and comments! :)

The Combination

I'm a student at The Pennsylvania State University and if you live in the states, you know that the past few months haven't really been easy for us Nittany Lions; from a child abuse scandal to the firing of many important administrators (including the university president) to riots and now, the passing of our legendary football coach, Joe Paterno. Amidst all of this emotional turmoil, I've been trying to pass some time by reading up on recipes and flipping through cooking websites hoping to find a recipe worth blogging about.
This recipe puts together two very unique sweet items into one delicious combination. These Tiramisu Pancakes are simple but so warm and welcoming, whether you chose to make them for dessert or breakfast - you can add your own touches to make them appropriate for the time of day. 

The recipe is as follows: (serving about 5 people)

For the pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar  -- you could also do 3 table spoons of dark brown sugar if you're going with the cinnamon/cardamom ingredients*
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, slightly rounded, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a generous pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cups sour cream
3 large eggs *since I'm vegetarian, this would be excluded if I were making these pancakes, excluding them isn't a big deal but just make sure to keep an eye on the consistency of the batter and add a little more milk if you need too*
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons instant coffee
*if you want to make these a little morning themed, rather than coffee - add in some cinnamon and cardamom, both will be great combinations with the cocoa powder and vanilla*

For the glaze (optional):
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
For the cream:
4 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions:
Start by preparing the cream and the glaze. For the cream, beat all ingredients together and whip until you have soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator. (Tip: this cream tastes amazing, and is what really makes these pancakes. If you like generous amounts of cream on your pancakes, you might want to make a double portion.) The glaze is optional, but very, very (and I mean very) good. Simply combine the ingredients well. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure the cocoa powder is well sifted, so that it will dissolve evenly.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk and sour cream until smooth (it helps to slowly dilute the sour cream with the milk while whisking, which reduces the chances of clumps). Add the instant coffee powder and mix well until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing gently until you have a slightly lumpy batter but without any large clumps of flour. If batter is a little runny, add a tablespoon or two of flour. I like to transfer my batter to a measuring cup or something else with a spout, for easier cooking.
Let the batter sit while you preheat your griddle.

When griddle is hot, drop batter in portions desired (1/4 cup for regular-sized pancakes) onto the greased griddle. When bubbles come up and edges look cooked, gently flip to cook the other side. Once pancakes are cooked, transfer to a plate. Spread a small amount of the maple glaze over the top of the pancake so it soaks in while still hot. Continue with the remaining batter until done.
To serve, dollop a generous amount of the cream in between layers of pancakes. Top with more cream, and then top with shaved chocolate, or a light dusting of sifted cocoa powder.
Serve with extra cream and/or glaze on the side for dipping. A bonus: these pancakes taste amazing even when cold.

Let me know what you guys think! :) 

Hot Cocoa Cookies

After my first week back at school I realized how difficult it was going to be to continue making blog posts without a kitchen :( But no fear readers, I'm getting an apartment next year which will allow me to make my own recipes and posts - but for the next 4 months or so, we'll have to deal with me telling you about great recipes I've found.
I go to school in Pennsylvania, a VERY cold state! Its unfortunate since I hate winter and hate wearing layers but there are always some great things that are only really fit for winter - such as hot chocolate. This recipe incorporates hot chocolate into a cookie form, amazing isnt it? Mixed with some mini marshmallows, its like you're biting into a cup of hot chocolate whenever you want.

You can see the little marshmallows peaking out!

Aren't they cute? Here's the recipe! Hope you like them!

Eataly

During my last week of break at home, I went on a little adventure of my own. I live about 15 minutes from New York City (even that's a bit of a stretch) but I never visited the city as often as you would expect. I loved visiting it for all its beauties in the lookout of a tourist but never really took the time to get to know the true city. I spent a day in the city with some of my friends to just enjoy our time away from school and the struggles that are part of it. After a day of walking around aimlessly, my friend and I walked into a lovely little place called Eataly. Owned by the world famous chef, Mario Batali this beautiful location on 5th Ave, represents everything that is Italian cooking, delicacies and tradition. Although I was unable to eat anything due to a time constraint, the smells and smiles on people’s faces told me that this place was one in a million. 

Here are some amateur iPhone pictures to show you what the place looks like:

 

  There are multiple little sections dedicated to different types of foods including wine and cheese, seafood, breads, meat, pasta and desserts. There are an enormous amount of tables in each section so you can sit down or take your plate around and get a little taste of everything. I would think of it as many mini-restaurants in one giant restaurant! If you ever get a chance in NYC, make sure to check this place out!