Monthly Archives: May 2010

Spring Flavor, Cold Weather

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When the weather is fluctuating between summer and miserable, it’s rainy outside and all you want is to curl up with a blanket…you make risotto. This is a perfect dish: with all of the fresh flavors of spring (asparagus and ramps) and the warmth and coziness you crave. Spring risottos can be found everywhere right now, like at the Kitchn and from some of my DC friends One Bite At A Time and Florida Girl in DC. Here’s just another one to throw into your repertoire.

Grab a big pot and some of your favorite farmer’s market finds and mix it all together before it gets too hot outside. This risotto is flavorful, filling, surprisingly easy and lasts a whole long time. Perfect for the rainy spring day – which will probably last all week here in DC.

Spring Risotto with Asparagus, Ramps and Sundried Tomatoes

  • 4 Tbs olive oil
  • 4 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
  • Batch of ramps (about 6), with the greens separated
  • Bundle of asparagus (about 6 stalks), chopped
  • 1 medium clove of garlic, minced
  • 3 cups Arborio rice
  • 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 4 cups vegetable broth heated (the heated part is important!)
  • 3 cups white wine
  • salt
  • pepper
  1. In a large heavy bottomed Dutch Oven or stainless steel pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
  2. When oil and butter are hot add the onion, ramp bulbs and garlic. Saute until onions and ramps are tender.
  3. Add the asparagus and saute for a few minutes.
  4. Stir in rice and saute for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to LOW and stir in the dried tomatoes and Parmesan.
  5. Add 1 cup of hot broth and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until rice has almost completely absorbed broth.
  6. Add 1 cup of white wine, stirring constantly.
  7. Repeat this process of alternating between broth and wine, stirring until combined after each addition (this takes time…don’t cook fast…keep on low)
  8. Season well with salt and pepper, stir until rice has absorbed broth.
  9. Serve immediately and top with more Parmesan. (This probably serves 6 as a meal….I ate it every day for a week for lunch. Heats up well.)

Grab a big bowl of risotto (with extra cheese please), curl up on the couch, pop in a movie and savor the warmth.

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Double Strawberry Cupcakes

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Strawberries are here!

For a couple weeks now, I’ve been ignoring my kitchen. I ate out a lot, kept the lights off and only ventured in to fill up my glass of water. I lost that comforting relationship I had with my kitchen. I forgot I loved its black and white tiled floors, the giant stove top, my collection of bottle openers, the smell of coffee in the morning. So to say the least, my kitchen needed some love. This weekend I was ready to get back in the kitchen and thankfully, it showed me some love back….

in the form of perfect strawberry cupcakes.

I’ve been wanting to make cupcakes with real strawberries in them every since I tried Baked and Wired’s excellent version. On Sunday the Dupont Farmer’s Market looked like a strawberry field, as the first batch of the season were finally ready. I couldn’t pass up the chance to try to make them and get back to baking.

Let me tell you, these cupcakes did not disappoint. It’s very difficult to get me excited about an all-fruit dessert (what? no chocolate?!) but these have such incredible flavors of fresh strawberries and sweet vanilla. Also, the strawberries (and probably the whole milk too) make the cake very moist.

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 2/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with paper cups.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar.
  3. Add the eggs, vanilla and milk.
  4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients.
  5. Finally gently incorporate the strawberries.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.

Fresh Strawberry Butter Cream

I’ve never had good luck with butter cream, but I tried a different method and Martha Stewart’s recipe (halved) this time. I never got the “stiff, glossy peaks” but it still came out great. It’s super sweet but balanced by the fresh and tart strawberries. It also reminds me a lot of strawberry ice cream….looks like it too!

  • 2 egg whites
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into 1 inch slices
  • 1/2 chopped strawberries
  1. Heat egg whites and sugar in a double broiler and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat for 5 minutes on medium speed, then for about 6 minutes on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. (I swear I mixed for 15 minutes and this didn’t happen–maybe because I was using a hand mixer?)
  3. Add the butter one piece at a time and incorporate.
  4. Add the strawberries and continue to beat so they get chopped up.
  5. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to three days.

Show your kitchen (and your taste buds) a little love and make these cupcakes. Seriously. Happiness. Joy. Sugar.

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Dreamy Peanut Butter Frosting

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I’ve probably talked about chocolate cake one too many times on this blog. But really, can you ever get enough?

My go-to recipe is Martha Stewart’s One Bowl Chocolate Cake which is incredible and also super easy .

So I won’t go on and on about the cake. But I will suggest that you pair it with some melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cream cheese frosting! I’ve made cupcake versions of this too and they’re a hit. Yummm – omg why am I writing this post without a slice of this in front of me??

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  1. Beat the cream cheese and the butter together.
  2. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and continue to mix well.
  3. Slowly add the sugar and beat until incorporated.
  4. Try not to eat the entire bowl before frosting the cake.

(PS. Do you have a chocolate cake recipe to share? I’m 100% open to testing as many as possible!)

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