Yes and Yes Book Club: Binge By Tyler Oakley

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Homemade Roast Beef Sandwiches

It's book club time again! Head on over to Yes and Yes to check out my review of Tyler Oakley's Binge while binging on Homemade Arby's Style Roast Beef Sandwiches! Learn how Tyler became the man he is today. Which involved a short stint at Arby's, totaling multiple cars, meeting Michelle Obama, starring on Amazing Race. Check out the article and recipe here! Also see his response to my desperate tweet...

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Toasted Bread And Butter Pudding

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Toasted Bread and Butter Pudding

It's a gloomy day here in The South. And though I went for my daily anger run on the treadmill and was bullied (with love), by my dear friend Fitness Instructor to attend her morning class, I still found myself unhinging for a fundraising hot dog for lunch.

Hours later I again found myself needing a feeding. So before I slipped into a shame spiral of Netflix viewing for the evening I continued my quest to use only what I have on hand. Have you figured out how lazy I am when it comes to grocery shopping? And to think I used to do it for a living. 

The end result was bread pudding. Folks down this way love their bread pudding. And on more than one occasion I have heard the harsh whisper of "it's good, but it's not my momma's". And since my momma didn't make bread pudding growing up I went to one of my books of worship and asked one of our chosen people for inspiration. 

Ruth came through (not Biblical Ruth - though I image she has a good kugel recipe or two up her robe). 

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Toasted Bread And Butter Pudding

Recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Reichl

ingredients

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened

12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices challah or firm white sandwich bread

3 cups half-and-half

4 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

instructions

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish.

Butter both sides of bread and arrange in one layer on a large baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. (Leaving oven on.)

Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until sugar is dissolved. Halve toasted bread slices diagonally and arrange triangles in rows, overlapping slightly, in buttered baking dish. Pour custard evenly over toast and let stand for 15 minutes.

Put baking dish in a larger baking pan and add enough boiling water to reach halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake until custard is set 2 to 3 inches from edges but still trembles in center, 50 to 60 minutes (custard will continue to set as it cools). Serve warm.

***notes on recipe: I used a cubed brioche in place of challah. Topped with mixed berry compote.

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Salami Hummus Sushi

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Sushi: Salami and Hummus

If you are a regular reader you know that last week I was removed of my debit card by a nice person out in the world that wanted to borrow it. And with that temporary change to my wallet I challenged myself to spend the next week cooking with items that I had in my home with no trips to the grocery store. 

While one evening perusing the social media mega god Facebook I saw a friend post his evening meal. He dubbed it a Salami Taco. Simply a round of salami with a thin layer of hummus, topped with rice, and folded for ease of eating. He also stated that it was, "also kinda sushi".

The resulting negative support of his "friends" got me thinking of what dire straits I would be in with my cooking challenge. Then I realized I, too, had salami, hummus, and rice in my larder.

As my salami was still uncircumcised I got to thinking of his sushi comment.

I do love sushi.

And that is how I ended up dining on Salami Hummus Sushi. Luckily I had some chipotle hummus to give it some life.  

Sometimes all you need is a little push to get you up the summit.  

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SUSHI RICE

RECIPE COURTESY OF ALTON BROWN

ingredients

2 C sushi or short grain rice

2 C water, plus extra for rinsing rice

2 T rice vinegar

2 T sugar

1 T kosher salt

instructions

1. Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.

2. Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes

3. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.

Yes and Yes Book Club: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

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BIg Little Lies Cocktail

It's Yes and Yes Book Club time again! This month I read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and drink Fizzy Pink Cocktails. This perfect for the beach book takes us deep inside the crazy lives of suburban Australian families with secrets to keep and cocktails to down. 

Head over to Yes and Yes here to read my review and get the recipe! 

If you have any suggestions on new Summer cocktails please share below!

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Dark Brown Sugar Cookies

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Dark Brown Sugar Cookies

This past Friday I found myself languished in an oversized booth of a new Thai restaurant painfully waiting for my Panang Curry to arrive tout de suite. It had been a draining week in the cube and I needed sustenance and ginger martinis fast! Upon arrival I unhinged my jaw, inhaled my curry, cleansed my palette with a second martini and flagged down the wonderful waitress so I could pay my tab. 

And in that slow motion moment in all great movies. She returned uttering that dreaded and demoralizing phrase, "Do you have another card? This one was DECLINED!!!!". Followed by a cackle one only sees in great Disney movies the moment the pre teen princess decides it's a good idea to trust her gut and go with the strange bitter hag she only just met.  

Panic set in until I realized that for some strange reason I was griping some crumpled up green receipts in my hand. It was then I realized that those were not receipts but cash! Not something I normally have. So I did what all my forefathers before did. Paid the lady and got on my way. 

One quick call to my bank later I was informed that my debit card had been "compromised". Apparently someone had tried to use it to buy a $299.04 movie on "m-video.com". Now I am not a cheap person but I don't pay for those kinds of movies. There are plenty of free sites. And to pay $299.04 for one I said to that phone banker, "daymn".  So they kindly stopped the transaction saving me from paperwork and the poor house.

However that leaves me cash poor for one week as I wait for my new card. Which lead me to think this is a perfect time to play the game Eat Only What's In Your Home and Not Buy Groceries For A Week. It's a fun game I sometimes play given my monthly (not weekly) pay check. It makes you think outside the box and not waste a thing. 

Naturally I needed cookies for breakfast today while I watched This Old House. And since I was using only ingredients presently located within the confines of my apartment I was limited.

The end result being Brown Sugar Cookies. There are few things I stock up on. Dark Brown Sugar is one of them. For some reason down here in North Carolina Dark Brown Sugar is not always at the grocery store. So when I see it I load up like I'm heading to the bunker for a few years. 

My breakfast cookies turned out well. And this recipe could not have been any easier. One bowl is all you need. Just two notes. The original recipe called for 2 Cups All Purpose Flour. I had to add almost another full cup to make the dough the correct consistency. And I also made the balls much smaller than the original 1/4 C stated in the recipe. 

Let me know below if you like this recipe! And please feel free to hit that share button to impress all your friends with them!

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DARK BROWN SUGAR COOKIES

RECIPE INSPIRED BY SERIOUS EATS

INGREDIENTS

14 T butter, melted

1 3/4 C packed dark brown sugar

3/4 t kosher salt

1 large egg

2 t vanilla extract

3 C All Purpose Flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Move oven rack to middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

2. Mix together melted butter, 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, and salt until well combined. Stir in vanilla extract and egg until combined. Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until combined.

3. Divide into balls. Roll balls in remaining dark brown sugar and place on baking sheets. Press balls with fingers until about 1" thick.

4. Bake until cracked on top and golden ring of happiness is visible. About 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes on pan. Move cookies to cooling rack until cool to touch.

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