Recipes

I love sitcoms and no other sitcom in the 90′s was as popular as Friends except maybe for Seinfeld. I have always enjoyed the show. It's funny and the actors are great. I just haven't connected to it like my “holy four”. Those shows I can watch over and over again, Roseanne, Frasier, Cheers and The Big Bang Theory.

I get Friends and I can understand why it was so popular. It's a great show. I just can't help the urge to scan the TV for something else while I am watching it. It's like the really hot, nice guy you meet that you have absolutely no attraction towards. You understand why others like him but you don't have visions of running towards him in slow motion for a big kiss.

The other day I was scanning the TV and came across a particularly funny episode of Friends. In this episode, Monica asks Phoebe for her grandmothers secret chocolate chip cookie recipe as an engagement present. Phoebe agrees Monica excited tells Chandler that when they have kids in the future she wants to be the mom with the world's best chocolate chip cookie recipe.
At the coffee house, Phoebe tells Monica some bad news. The recipe was lost in her apartment fire but if Monica wants it, she has one last cookie she can use to figure out the recipe. Monica being the expert chef she is starts experimenting. Together Phoebe as the taste tester and Monica as chef they make over 100 batches of chocolate chip cookies. Never quite getting it right. After the last batch, Monica defeated gives up, crying she says
“I guess I won't be the mom that makes the world's best chocolate chip cookies. I do however make the best duck confit with broccoli rabe. Kid's love that right?”.

Ross upset by his sister crying asks Phoebe “Is there any relative that could have the recipe?”

After some back and forth with Ross. Phoebe answers “My grandmother said she got it from her grandmother, Nestley Toulouse”
“What was her name?” Monica asked
“Nestley Toulouse”
“Nestle Toll House!!!” Monica screams
“American's always butcher the french language” (Check out this clip)

So naturally I came away from it with a strong craving for chocolate chip cookies. The world's best chocolate chip cookies. Oh no they couldn't be that ol' recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag oh no I wanted them to be “The worlds best”.

When I think of the best and most thoroughly tested out recipes I think of America's Test Kitchen. Have you ever seen that show? It's amazing! Seriously, you wouldn't think so right away because it's on PBS on Saturday afternoons but man is that a great show. I got into a year ago when I moved into my new place and had to wait 2(!) weeks for the cable to be installed. The main host wears a red bow tie and I love it. They test out and taste-test recipes. Want to know how to make perfect mashed potatoes? Check them out. Now sometimes you don't want things perfect. Many of the recipes I create are based off intuition rather than technique but when it comes to baking you have to be very precise and well, perfect.

Last year (I can't believe it is already 2012!) I bought the very large America's Test Kitchen Cookbook complete series 2001-2011. I could lift with it and gain some muscle to burn off the sugar from the cookies. Its that big. Its full of all of the recipes they have tested from the beginning of the series. If Monica had this book instead of a stale frozen cookie she would have saved herself a lot of time and the episode would have only been 2 minutes of “I'm afraid to sail” (why even bother with a second story line if it is going to be this bad) “comedy”. Really, with the green screen did we learn nothing from this.

He knows. Look at him. Oh, He knows.

Never one to let me down the guy in great red bow tie, the cookbook had a tested tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe. Now don't let me fool you, it's not as easy as the recipe on the back of the bag. It's a little more involved. But it is the world's best chocolate chip cookie from the guy in the red bow tie and Michael Phelps didn't win 8 Olympic metals learning to swim off of a Wheaties box. Nope this recipe will take some work but like Micheal Phelps when you finish you will have the admiration of the world or Jane from two cubicles down. Either way, you will be proud of what you have achieved in the kitchen.

If you follow the great one in the red bow tie's recipe exactly these cookies will be perfectly crispy on the edges, gooey on the inside with a strong chocolate chip flavor. The best I ever tasted. If not, then I am sorry. The great one in the red bow tie works in mysterious way. On another note, I'm thinking maybe I should look up his name. Nope, I don't think I will. I like him just the way he is in my mind.

Monica's “World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies” No thanks to Phoebe and Nestley Toulouse but the great one in the red bow tie.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 with the oven rack in the center. The original recipe calls for lining the baking sheets with parchment paper however, I found this wasn't neccessary. Sift flour and baking soda together. Set aside. Heat 10 tbs of butter in skillet over medium-high until melted. If using a non-stick pan, keep a close eye on the butter as it will be harder to tell when it has burned. Continue cooking and swirling around the pan for 1 – 2 more minutes until golden brown but not burned. If it burns, throw it out and start over. This has to be done right or else they will taste horrible. Add the melted butter into a heatproof bowl and add remaining butter. Stir until the remaining butter has melted.

To the melted butter add both the brown and granulated sugars (it is very important you use both. This adds to the depth of flavor). Also, add the salt and vanilla and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the egg and egg yolk slowly mixing on low until it is smooth with no lumps remaining about 30 seconds (*Be careful to not curddle the egg). Let stand for 3 minutes and then whisk again for 30 seconds. Let stand 3 more minutes and whisk again for 30 more seconds. Repeat once more until the mixture is thick, and shiny. Stir in the flour mix for 1 minute, until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and stir once more gently.

Divide the dough using a small ice cream scoop (about 3 tbs) into 16 small balls. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time, until the cookies are golden brown and still puffy. The centers will be soft and the edges golden about 10-14 minutes. Let cool on cooling rack to room temperature.

White rice, is by its very nature boring. It is usually scooped out without thought playing second fiddle to the star, the main course. This thought is abundant as the large amount of Minute Rice products line the shelves at grocery stores across America. I am here to tell you that although all rice may seem the same, this is far from truth.
Rice is important to my Hispanic culture. How important? My mom made it a habit to serve rice with everything, even spaghetti. Yes, spaghetti. Women in my culture wear their recipes as a badge of honor. Read more

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley
salt and pepper
1 lb thick cut bacon
30 oz fresh spinach
8 oz sour cream
2 unbaked pie crusts
1 onion
1 lb mushrooms
1 cup monterrey jack cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
8 eggs

My husband is in love with another woman. I don't blame him, I’m in love with her too. She's spicy, she's sweet. She's exciting and keeps us guessing. She takes the average and spins it into gold. She's amazing and her name is Cajun Food.  
My husband and I were introduced to Cajun food for the first time at a small hole in the wall take out restaurant in Madison. Immediately we were infatuated. We ate the meal feverishly as if someone was going to take it away any minute. We declared through full mouths and large bites, that we will, no must explore this cuisine.
A week later, we were experimenting with recipes and tried our first Shrimp Etouffee, it was delicious but not like what we experienced the first time at the restaurant. Like a heroin addict chasing the elusive first high, the recipe evolved over the course of 4 years.
Read more