nutz and chocolate

Don't think that because your gift is a month late that I forgot your birthday, I just needed that long to plan and execute it. Don't think that because your birthday gift is a month late that I love you any less, I was thinking of you on that day, and I am on this one too.

Toffee is delicious, and along with a good book, makes a very great (very late) birthday present. It also keeps well while traveling across the country. Pistachio is an underrated and classic flavor, and too too perfect with chocolate and toffee.

Pistachio toffee
(adapted from Ghirardelli)

3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped and toasted
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Line a 9X9 (or similarly sized) baking pan with heavy duty tin foil or parchment paper.

In a heavy saucepan, cook the water, butter, sugar and salt over medium heat until the mixture reaches 305 degrees on a candy thermometer, stirring occasionally. At 305 degrees, the sugar should be golden brown. Remove from heat quickly, and slowly stir in the vanilla.

Pour into the prepared pan, and let sit at room temperature for one hour.

When cool, melt the chocolate and spread over the cooled toffee. Gently press the pistachios into the chocolate.

Let sit for one hour at room temperature, then break into pieces.

sweetie-potatoes

Birthday dinner continued! Sweet potato fries are always a good idea. I'm all for frying latkes during Hanukkah, but I was in no mood to fry anything for my dinner party, so these are baked. They won't come out like the fries you'd get at Five Guys, but they'll be a big hit.

Sage sweet potato fries

2 lbs sweet potatoes, sliced
generous drizzle olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried sage

Cut sweet potatoes into slices, about 3-4 inches long and 1/2 and inch thick. Place in a large ziplock bag with the olive oil, salt, garlic powder and sage. Seal bag, and shake to coat.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-50 minutes, moving and tossing the fries occasionally until crisp.

enchiladamama

About half an hour before my birthday dinner was supposed to start, I had a small episode of panic and thought there wasn't going to be enough food. I had ended up inviting a few extra guests at the last minute, and two people had shown up as a welcome but unanticipated surprise. I feared that no one would get enough to eat, but then I opened a beer, made some cinnamon-scented brown rice, and realized that it was my birthday and I was surrounded by my closest friends. There probably would be enough to eat, and if not, they would love me anyway.

Mushroom and zucchini enchiladas

20-25 small corn tortillas*
3 Tblsp. vegetable oil
two small zucchinis, sliced
one package mushrooms, sliced
16 ounces cheddar cheese
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
one batch mole poblano (see recipe below)

*I find corn tortillas tastier than flour tortillas, but more difficult to work with. Cold corn tortillas will break when you try and roll them, so I had to microwave them in batches for thirty seconds or so before filling and rolling them. 

Heat oil in a large pan and add mushrooms and zucchini. Saute until tender then remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl, combine black beans, cheddar, and cooled vegetables.

Working in small batches, heat the tortillas (30-45 seconds in the microwave), so that they're soft. Place a few spoonfuls of filling into each tortilla, roll it up, and place in a deep pan. When filling is gone, cover tortillas with mole poblano and some additional cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling.

birthday baby

Today is my 21st birthday! And naturally to celebrate, I've invited my closest friends over for a meal. And naturally there will be drinking involved, but I love cooking and I love eating, and there's no other way I'd rather celebrate than cooking and eating with the people I love.

Here's the menu:
gin and tonics
guacamole and peach salsa with blue corn tortilla chips
siracha coconut shrimp
sage and sea salt sweet potato fries
arugula salad with lime-spiked dressing
mushroom and black bean enchiladas with mole
strawberry pineapple fruit salad with mint
flourless chocolate cake

We sat on the floor because there isn't much room in my apartment. I don't think anyone minded.

My friends were mortified that I baked my own birthday cake, but I really wouldn't want it any other way. They fought me, but I won out on account of it was my birthday.

Chocolate cake and guacamole! Doesn't get any better than that.

I promise I'll post all the recipes soon. For now though, here is my standard guacamole recipe. You know how there are supposed to be no two snowflakes that are completely alike? I've found that the same thing applies to guacamole recipes. No one you ask will have exactly the same formula, and everyone you ask will tell you theirs is best, which is impossible, because mine is.

Best-ever guacamole

2 ripe haas avocados
1/2 a red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 a jalapeno, seeded and chopped finely
handful cilantro (about 15-20 sprigs), finely chopped
3-5 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
juice of half a lime
generous dash hot sauce, such as tabasco or siracha

Mash the avocados in a large bowl. Chop the other ingredients and add to the avocado with the lime juice. If you're not serving this right away, cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.