Don't Forget...The Food Blogger Bake Sale!

Just a quick reminder that the Food Blogger Bake Sale is taking place all over the nation tomorrow, Saturday, May 14th!  


Here in San Diego the event will be at Great News Cooking School in Pacific Beach, and I would highly encourage you to drop by and: 
-pick up some sweet treats
-enter our raffle to win one of 3 Wilton baskets valued at $150 each
-meet some lovely and talented bloggers
-show your support for Share Our Strength - this fundraising event donates 100% of proceeds to end child hunger!  

If you missed my first post about this event, be sure to check out my Sweet Spring Sandwich Cookies and get all the details about Share Our Strength.  If you are not in San Diego, you can easily find the bake sale happening in your city by simply visiting Gaby's site.  And definitely visit Marie's site, because she was the wonder woman that organized this whole event in San Diego!  For more info, check out the flyer below.

Sweet Spring Sandwich Cookies, and Food Blogger Bake Sale

So I have been thinking about cookies a lot.  Well actually not just cookies, I have been thinking about candies, and marshmallows, and cupcakes... really all sorts of baked goods and treats.  I have had cookies on the brain because I have been brainstorming what would be the perfect cookie to have at a bake sale.  

The Food Blogger Bake Sale is a national event that was started last year by Gaby of What's Gaby Cooking to benefit Share Our Strength and their efforts to end childhood hunger.  Check out the Share our Strength website for more information on this cause, and to see how last year's bake sales across the country raised more than $1 million dollars.  


This year, the Food Blogger Bake Sale will take place on Saturday, May 14th in cities all across the country.  If you don't live in the greater San Diego area, visit Gaby's site for a list of cities and states that are hosting bake sales to find a location near you.  If you are lucky enough to live in sunny San Diego, then you can come satiate your sweet tooth and support the cause by coming to our Bake Sale!


The San Diego Food Blogger Bake Sale is organized by my lovely friend Marie of Meandering Eats, and a whole bunch of other amazing food bloggers are participating.  Due to a previously planned event, my smiling face won't be there to greet you, BUT I will be sending delicious baked goodies to the sale.  After hearing all the treats other bakers will be making, trust me - You do not want to miss this.  So here are the details: 

Date:

Saturday, May 14th 2011

Time:

10AM-2PM

Place: 

Great News! Discount Cookware and School
Pacific Plaza
1788 Garnet Avenue

San Diego, CA 92109

What to bring:

A smile!

Dollar bills - all treats will be priced on the dollar! 

Hope you can make it to the event, if you have any pertinent questions or would like to participate or donate, don't hesitate to contact me directly by email.

Citrus Palmiers for Frosting for the Cause

Hi friends!  I am really excited to share with you that I am guest posting today over at Frosting for the Cause! 

For those of you not familiar with the project, Frosting for the Cause is organized by Paula of Vanilla Bean Baker, and she has brought together a group of 365 bloggers and bakers to share their recipes and their stories of how cancer has touched their lives.  As part of the project, we also pledge to donate $25 to 
the American Cancer Society to help find cures for cancers affecting women world-wide.  After the year is finished, this project will have raised an astonishing $9,125 dollars to support cancer research from the bloggers alone!!!  In addition, we will also donate our baked goods to our local women's hospice or hospital, to bring smiles to the faces of those suffering from this horrible disease.


Head on over to the Frosting for the Cause site to read about how cancer has touched my life, and about how one very brave woman inspired my decision to purse a career in medical research.  At one point or another, cancer will touch everyone's life; I hope that my story, and those shared by hundreds of other women, will raise your awareness and make you take a moment to think about donating even a small amount to help find a cure.  You can donate directly to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and keep in mind that every little bit counts.  

The recipe I chose to share for my guest post is a classic French palmier, brightened up with happy notes of citrus.  This recipe is extremely easy to make, and it produces beautiful heart shaped cookies that are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who eats one.  I am sharing the recipe here, but please don't forget to read the whole post (and see more photos!) over on the Frosting for the Cause site.  

Thanks for your support!

Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart

Valentine's Day is right around the corner.  Whether you are trying to forget the holiday or you are pumping up your romance muscles, you cannot possibly ignore the mounds of boxed candies at the grocery store, the cheesy Hallmark cards, and the increased frequency of the Kay Jewelers commercials.  

I think most people take issue with Valentine's Day because it is a specific day artificially designated to show your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/secret lover (ha!) just how much you care by showering them with expensive gifts or fancy dinners. Frankly, most people don't like to be told what or when to do something, and they also don't feel like they need to go to extreme measures to share their affection. Fair enough.  If you are one of these people, then honestly, don't do it.  Seriously. 

But if you do your best to shun the commercialized products and get over your issues with the big V Day, you just might be able to get to the core of a holiday that is supposed to be only about love.  And no matter how big of a scrooge you are, don't try to tell me that spreading a little bit of extra L.O.V.E. around is a bad thing.

Recipe Update: Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

As I have written The Cilantropist over the last year, there are some recipes that I get from cookbooks or magazines and I put my own spin on them; however, as I become more inspired by the 'hows and whys' behind cooking, I find myself working to develop my own recipes based on basic techniques and principles of flavor.  I feel more confident completely re-vamping a published recipe, or simply starting from scratch and writing my own recipes.  What does that really mean?  These days, I spend a great deal of my kitchen time with recipe testing.  I think it is important to perfect both new and old recipes, which is why I often go back and test recipes I have previously posted. 

Case in point: my recipe for Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies.   

Ever since I tried this recipe for the first time almost a year ago, I have not been able to make any other kind of chocolate chip cookie; I was so smitten, that I was able to overlook the slightly arduous NY Times recipe, that became an extremely arduous recipe when I tried to halve the ingredients.  Despite being difficult, I did cut the original measurements in half, posted them on this blog, and the recipe worked.  

But really... 

Who wants to measure out 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons flour?  Or 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar?  I like nice, round measurements, especially for a chocolate chip cookie that should bring me soothing, chocolatey comfort rather than stress.  I decided enough was enough and so this week I reworked the recipe to be easy-peasy. 

I had planned to try and change just a few of the measurements, and see how it went.  Admittedly, I wasn't sure I could come up with a recipe to rival the original and so I wasn't even going to tell you I was working on it (yes I know, sneaky sneaky).  But then plans changed when this cookie turned out to be fantastic, and I was so tickled pink that I just had to tell you all about it.  

Now I am sure Mr. Torres (or his battalion of pastry chefs and bakers) painstakingly concocted his heavenly chocolate chip cookie recipe and I am by no means saying my tweaks and changes make it the pinnacle of perfection.  Yet, it is amazing how just a little math and flexibility with ingredients can make the recipe substantially easier to follow, while still producing what I think is the best chocolate chip cookie.       

Now I have said it before and I will say it again: I am thick-and-chewy cookie kind of gal, so these confections are the stuff of my dreams.  This recipe results in a cookie with a little extra heft because of the inclusion of bread flour;  I mean look at it, this cookie has some serious height and a center that is soft and dense.  Not to mention, it is riddled with enough chocolate chips to satisfy even your strongest chocolate craving.      

So, now that I have fixed up the recipe to be all new and shiny for you, go ahead and check it out.  It will still be listed under Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip  Cookies, and I would highly recommend that you make these as soon as possible.  I promise it is super easy, so you have no excuse not to make them.  (As though you needed an excuse to make chocolate chip cookies anyway.)

Enjoy! 

And just so that you know, in the future (and also in the past) if I - make any minor recipe revisions/suggest ingredient substitutions/include extra instructions for freezing or canning - I will post those on The Cilantropist Facebook Page.  If there are any other major recipe changes like this one (especially to favorite recipes), I will devote a short post to keep you updated.   

Peppermint (and Cocoa) Meringue Kisses, and Giveaway Winner!

Did everyone have a lovely holiday?  I hope so, and I also hope that many of you are still enjoying a relaxing vacation before heading back to work!  My Christmas with family and friends was everything I hoped it would be and was surprisingly stress-free...with the exception of my flight to Norway.  

The east coast winter storm basically closed most airports and left thousands stranded after the holidays; though my travels were interrupted, I count myself lucky that my delay meant more time with family and not more time sleeping on the floor of Newark Airport.  I finally arrived in Oslo today after having TWO cancelled flights on Sunday and Monday this week (if you follow me on twitter you heard all about it!) and this Norwegian Cilantropist is looking forward to a week and a half of bliss.      

So for today, I am going to tell you about the peppermint meringue kisses that I made before the holidays.  I know that Christmas is officially over, but as a good friend reassured me, peppermint flavors can be enjoyed throughout winter and should not be limited to the holidays.

The recipe comes from Desserts 4 Today by Abigail Dodge; earlier this year, I was the lucky winner of a copy of Desserts 4 Today through a giveaway on VinoLuci's site.  This book has loads of fabulous recipes that all use only four ingredients.  (Get it, Desserts "4" Today?)  Oh yes, you heard me right.  You can whip up a quick and easy dessert with four things that you already have in your pantry, or can easily pick up from your local grocer.      

Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook and Cookie Giveaway, and Tate's Cappuccino Shortbread

Guess what I have for you today??  A giveaway that includes not only delicious cookies to feed you for a day, but a great cookbook that you can use to bake your own cookies all year!  

The kind folks over at Tate's Bake Shop in the Hamptons, NY contacted me and asked if I would like to try out their cookies and receive a copy of their Bake Shop Cookbook plus a copy of the cookbook and a cookie gift pack for one of my lucky readers.  Of course I was interested!  I had heard of Tate's in passing, but never had the pleasure to try out their famous cookies.  Tate's Bake Shop features cakes, pies, crumbles, and of course their famous chocolate chip cookies, all of which are baked from the best natural ingredients.  Their baked goods have received numerous accolades such as Best Hamptons Bakery in 2010, and have been featured in major national publications.  

In a 50-brand taste test, Tate's chocolate chip cookie was voted #1! 

From chocolate chip, to oatmeal raisin and white chocolate macadamia nut, all Tate's cookies are the thin-and-crispy variety.  If you have ever made Thomas Keller's chocolate chip cookies, they remind me of those, although Tate's recipe seems more simple and easy.  I would be remiss if I didn't fess up and tell you that I usually prefer a thick-and-chewy chocolate chip cookie (much like the Jacques Torres recipe) but Tate's cookies still proved irresistible for me.  

Created by Diane's Iced Italian Cookies!

Are you on holiday vacation time yet??!  Well, if you aren't free from the ball and chain of work yet, I hope I won't make you too jealous when I tell you I will be off of work for a full two and a half weeks!  YAY!  I just arrived in Ohio this morning, and after a week and change here, I will head to Norway for another week.  I am fully ready for last minute Christmas festivities, catching up with family, and quality time with my honey.  Even in vacation mode I will still be updating with new posts over the next two weeks so be sure to keep up!  


To kick off the holiday vacation season, I am excited to share a guest post from Diane of Created by Diane.  I met her earlier this year, and I immediately liked her friendly personality and infectious smile.  I was also extremely impressed by the simple perfection of her Italian Iced Cookies: they are delicious and they look beautiful.  (I was lucky enough to get one of her signature red hearts that is the trademark of her blog!)  Come Christmastime, I knew I wanted to feature her fantastic recipe, but I also wanted to learn the techniques she uses to decorate her cookies.  What better way than to share a guest post so you can learn her techniques as well!  I hope you enjoy, and be sure to swing by her blog and check out the rest of her great recipes and other Christmas treats like snowflake cookies and Christmas tree Santas.      

_______________________________

I want to thank Amanda for letting me share my love of cookies with you today!

I'm Diane and I blog at Created by Diane.

Cookies are especially nice at Christmas time, but these cookies can be adapted to meet any occasion. This is my favorite cookie recipe. I bake an Italian Cookie, the type you'd find in an Italian bakery. They aren't as sweet as sugar cookies and rise up nicely, hold their shape and have a cake like quality to them that is irresistible. They have a lovely vanilla taste with a sweet icing on top.

** Cookie and Icing Recipe for Created by Diane's Italian Cookies **

Follow the recipe to bake the cookies, and then these directions for icing:


To start decorating, begin with a cooled cookie and prepare icing according to the recipe. Place icing in a piping bag with a #2 tip for outlining your design.





Outline your cookie. Leave just a little cookie showing so the icing won't fall off the edge when you fill it.  When you do this, hold the tip slightly off the surface of the cookie and just let the icing fall down onto the cookie for a smooth line. Don't stretch the icing.

A Celebration of Food and Friends, and Chocolate Cranberry Layer Cake

Did you hear the news?  Well, if you are late to the party (and I don't mean the actual party where we had this amazing cake), then I can let you know right away that I am officially out of Project Food Blog.  Yes, after more than three months of hard work and nine rounds of competition, my run has come to an end.  I would be flat out lying if I said I wasn't disappointed (there was $10,000 and title of food blog star at stake!), and when I heard the news on Friday, I did get a little emotional.  But, here's the thing: I surprised even myself when I realized I wasn't feeling sad about actually being eliminated.  There were no tears, I didn't have a breakdown, and I didn't feel like life was falling apart.**  And here is why: I am still a winner. Participating in this contest has brought only good things to both my life and this blog.  I thought to myself, "Ok, well, I am just going to go back to what I was doing before.  Only better."   

And then almost immediately, my phone started ringing, my email inbox filled up, and messages came flooding through on Twitter; new blogger friends, loyal readers, and real-life family and friends from near and far were all contacting me to share their feelings with me, to tell me that they were proud of me, or just to let me know that they care and still think this blog is awesome.  And that was when I started feeling a sort of aching in my chest that was just overwhelming.  It was as if the huge support I had received throughout this process was all being distilled into one perfect crystalline moment.  I knew I had given it my all, I had put my heart into each and every moment of this contest, and I hadn't let anyone down; all the way through to the end, YOU, my loyal readers and friends have supported and encouraged me every step of the way.  There really are not sufficient words to tell you just how much that means to me, so I will just offer you a simple and giant 

THANK YOU!      

I started out in the contest thinking that if I made it to the second round, it would be amazing (not kidding, I really said this to all of my friends) and then somehow I managed to find myself in the ninth round with only 11 other phenomenal bloggers left.  (I still sometimes find this unbelievable.)  At that point, I took a good hard look at my blog, and realized that it had undergone an incredible transformation into almost exactly what I had hoped it would be when I started it earlier this year: a place for friends to gather and share in the beauty and goodness of great food and great people.  Because Project Food Blog not only challenged me to grow and make The Cilantropist a better place, but it also brought together a like-minded community of people who support each other and revel in deliciousness.  I got to meet and be inspired by so many talented bloggers, and most importantly for me, I got to experience everything with constant encouragement from family and friends.

So, at the end of the day, even though I lost the competition, I think I have more than enough reasons to celebrate. I especially wanted to show those nearest and dearest to me how much I appreciated all their help... and so naturally I showered them with food.         

Ginger Spice Cookies

I think that cookie-eaters fall into two camps: those that prefer their cookies chewy and soft, and those that like a cookie with a little crunch.  Obviously many people enjoy all cookies, and there are certainly as many shades of grey (or golden brown in in cookie-speak) in between a soft and a crunchy cookie as there are different types of people.  But if forced to choose, I think you could definitively say if you are one type or the other.  Think about it now... Do you prefer a soft chocolate chip cookie or a Thin Mint with some bite?  A chewy molasses spice cookie or delicate lemon shortbread?  Arguably tough choices.      

Me?  I fall into the soft and chewy camp, although I certainly never deprive myself of a Thin Mint straight out of the freezer.  If you fall into the latter group, these Ginger Almond Wafers will appeal to you most, though they are sure to please even the most die-hard chewy-cookie fan.  I can attest to that fact myself, and I also have the opinions of several other professional cookie-eaters (you know who you are).

Almond Amaretto Cookies

For at about the last year, I have been drinking coffee every morning at work.  That jolt of caffeine gets my engines revving and makes me feel so much more productive.  Most of the time I set our espresso machine for a ‘mild’ Americano; unless I am desperate I won’t stoop to drinking drip coffee from the break room since it tastes like old tires and has waaaay to much caffeine for me to handle.  Even still, there are times when I overdose on my drug of choice and it feels like my little heart is just racing away. 

On the weekends, however, I have a very different experience with coffee and caffeine.  To get my fix, I often make myself some tea at home, where I can put my feet up and languish over my breakfast.  Or, later in the day I might stop at Starbucks to relax with some java (don’t hate me, I am a loyal patron).  I thoroughly enjoy savoring the coffee, and it is time for me to be alone with my thoughts, to people watch, or to read a book.  A coffeehouse is also one of my favorite places to meet up with friends.  It is like a home away from home where we can gripe about work, laugh over embarrassing moments, and recount our daily adventures.