Latest Where'abouts & What'abouts

Hello Friends,

Fall is here and what’s that sound in the distance? A pumpkin spice latte brewing? Nah, that familiar fall rumble in my life can only be two things – my stomach is empty or a moving truck is coming around the corner.

 

After 12 months living with my culinary school colleague we decided to part ways and last week I moved in my 4^th New York City apartment in 5 years. Despite my best effort not leave my previous block, after the water main break and  the corner store falling onto a bus during rush hour, I took the hint and expanded my search.

There are not many activities that can simultaneously make you feel terribly single, hopeless worthless and ultimately broke then searching for an apartment in New York. Despite the crushed ego and maxed out credit cards my search ended successfully and I found suitable (by NYC standards) one-bedroom just a few blocks north. The new place is still in Harlem so the block has the familiar ‘hood vibe I blend in so well with.

Now that I’ve gotten settled it’s time to get back to work. Work has been busy, and busy is good! This summer I continued developing recipes, expanded into product development for food companies and most recently scientifically proved mashed potatoes can be legally called "fluffy."  But since I like to stay busy I picked up some catering jobs, wrote an article for Chile Pepper Magazine and took on the exhausting role as chef for a start up gluten-free pie company.

The pie company sounded like a good idea when I first got involved. The pies were made in designated gluten free kitchen in Long Island City and were sold to retailers in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Although there was a demand for the product, the little G-Free pie company’s boat had too many holes to keep me on board. [Insert Ah-ha Moment™*].

If I was going to put that much of my time and resources into a company, it’s going to be my company. One month before my 29^th birthday I decided to make my business official and ordered letterhead.  Eventually I got around to filing the needed paperwork and established Joanne E., LLC – Culinary Consulting and Catering Services. Thinking it’s always best to work your way up I’ve decided my official title would be “Dishwasher & Founder.”

Although ‘Dishwasher’ does have a certain je ne c'est quoi, I’ve decided to list “Culinary Consultant” as my occupation when I signed back onto the virtual bar scene. After realizing my left hand was looking rather naked compared to most of my friends and peers I decided it’s was time renew my online dating membership. 

After spending some time off the dating grid this rapid dating style serves as bit of a refresher course in dating Do’s and Don’ts. For instance I’ll try to never again say, “Just because I hate cats, doesn’t mean I’ll kick your puppy” on first date." - Bet you thought I made that up just for Facebook. Nope that verbal diarrhea was strait from the mouth of yours truly.

I hope all is well you and there are many delicious fall feasts in your future.

Tootles! 


~joannE. 

Dishwasher

Joanne E., LLC

*hey, Oprah has people everywhere!

Cupcakes for Everyone!

Makes 12 Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Nut & Soy Free Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups Brown Rice Flour

¼ cup + 4 tsp Potato Starch [1]

3 Tbsp + 1 tsp Tapioca Starch [2]

½ tsp Xantham Gum

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Salt

1 cup Rice Milk

1 tsp Cider Vinegar

½ cup Dairy & Soy Free Shortening [3]

1 cup Granulated Sugar

¼ cup Applesauce

2 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat Oven to 350° and line cupcake pan with liners.

In a small bowl whisk together, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xantham gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat shortening and sugar together for 30 seconds on medium high speed. Add applesauce and vanilla extract. Beat an additional 2 minutes on medium speed until fluffy and well combined.

Slowly add remaining dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with rice milk. Mix until well combined, scrapping down the sides of the bowl. Evenly divide batter between muffin tins. Bake 20-22 minutes, rotating once.

For Frosting

1 cup Dairy & Soy Free Shortening

4 cups Powdered Sugar

2-3 Tbsp Rice Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat shortening on medium high speed for 1 minutes. Sift powdered sugar into bowl using a fine strainer or sieve. Starting on a low speed, combine sugar and add vanilla. Increase to medium speed and add just enough rice milk for the frosting to become easily spreadable.

*Decorators Tip: Fill a Ziploc bag with frosting and cut off the corner for a easy-ready to use piping bag. 

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[1] Not the same as Potato Flour

[2] Also called Tapioca Flour

[3] I recommend Spectrum's Organic Shortening

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P.S. Look who discovered some new Pisca Features! 

#iusetobefun

I always said you could tell a lot about a person by their shoes. If my now standard Saturday night footwear is any indication of my life…. #iusetobefun

Happy Blog Birthday!

joannE. was officially launched two years ago today! My recipes and ruminations have been viewed in 70 countries, translated in 40 languages and received almost 20,000 hits! Thank you readers, bad blind dates, the GAP's poor jean craftsmanship and hungry friends who have supplied such great material! There is only more to come...

My Culinary Achilles’ Heel

I’ve tackled the Turducken, a French apple tart, and Escoffier’s mother sauces. But there is one recipe that still haunts me and can make me sweat when requested at a potlucks or bake sales.

After years (and I mean years!) and hundreds of failed attempt at this classic recipe I finally surrender my inadequacy and put the recipe away, permanently.

What is the recipe that has caused me so much culinary angst? Clue: It’s one you’re Grandmother and 10 year old little brother probably mastered on their fist attempt. 

Yes, it is embarrassing but I have no shame (have you read this blog?) and I’ll admit my culinary Achilles’ heel is the…. Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie.

The constant failure that plagued my cookies over the years is they fall flat, very flat. Once they are removed from the cookie sheet you can almost see through them. I’ve hundreds articles and several books on chocolate chip cookies and still success eludes me. It’s been almost 6 years since my last attempt.

I wish I could say I willing to attempt this recipe again because of pride but like most of my crazy talk in my life it’s because of a man, or should I say men. Most women who are chefs or cook professionally can relate. When I guy finds out what you do, first they assume you are a baker and second they ask, “So you like to bake. Cool. You must make really great cookies, huh?”

This un-witty banter usually results in me saying, “No and no. I much rather break down a side a beef then roll out cookies and frost cupcakes.”

And…. then they walk away.

Realizing my verbal diarrhea (albeit honest verbal diarrhea) isn’t helping my love life, maybe it was finally time to give the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe another whirl?

Perhaps it was the culinary degree which now hangs in my kitchen, the two hour NYU lecture on the chocolate chip cookie I attended or my 2010 tax return that list “Culinary Professional” as my occupation but I started out feeling confident.

My approach was to treat this recipe like one I would in the test kitchen. I would gather my mis en place (Exhibit A) and follow the recipe exactly. If it read “beat for 30 seconds” I would count to thirty – not thirty-one and definitely not twenty-nine.  

Using an ice cream scoop I kept my cookie size consistent, and boarding on being neurotic, I even weighed a few sample to ensure consistency (Exhibit B). 

And the results…..

Dare I say success?

Even the last batch, that I forgot about (I poured a large celebratory glass of wine after the first successful batch and another - a tad larger - after the second) turned out better then any previous attempts. 

Bring it on Toll House, Bring it on! 

New Year, New Pants, New Reasons to Cheers

Work has been slow this month. It’s hard to make a living feeding people when everyone just started their new year’s resolution diet. I’ve been meaning to start mine but keep forgetting and pass the workless hours of my day mindlessly eating. Speaking of, did I tell you I split my pants on January 2? There were my favorite jeans!  I knew they were getting worn out but thought I could squeeze another year out of them.

In hopes replacing my favorite jeans with an identical pair I went to the GAP. When I asked the tattooed sales associate for the style and size. she responded, “pshh, we haven’t carried those in years…..sor-ray.” Geesh! It wasn’t like I asked for a light acid wash pair with stirrups.

Gazing at the denim wall, I tried to decided which style would fit (and if there is a god) flatter my stalky 5’ 2” frame (I’m afraid I out grew “curvy” after Thanksgiving).  I reached for the pair that was described with words like “relaxed,” “comfortable,” and “high-waisted.”

I went to into the dressing room armed with a pair the same size as my favorite jeans, a size larger (because honestly my favorite jeans were only really comfortable on the second or third wear) and the size I wish I was (sometimes you just want to cause yourself pain to make sure your heart didn’t stop after that last cheeseburger and dirty martini).

My first attempt was with a pair labeled the same size as my favorite pair. Crap! It’s never a good sign when they feel tight just going over your calves. I pulled them up and over my derrière and attempted the hop and button. Rrrrrrripp - No that did not just happen! Well, all I can say is that the quality of Gap Jeans has really gone down if they no longer withstand the simple hold-your-breath-hop-and-button technique.

Other pairs wear too big others too small. I felt like Goldie Locks but nothing was “just right” and I don’t think she broke out spin-class like sweat while sampling porridge.

So this month I’m raising a glass to the elastic waist band and long live the legging trend!

Cheers!

Chabrot (pronounce sha-broh)

At my next dinner party I will be serving "Chabrot." I'll make the brothy soup, you bring the wine! 

Chabrot (pronounce sha-broh)

Bowls of brothy soup 
1 Bottle of inexpensive wine

1) Finish all soup solids, leaving just the broth
2) Announce "Let's make chabrot!"
3) Add wine to bowl (approx 1/2 the amount of broth) 
4) In unison, diners put elbows on table and lift soup bowls
5) Everyone drink "chabrot" simultaneously



*Making chabrot was originally a peasant custom to get diners to clean their own plates. 


- Recipe courtesy of Mark Oldman's Oldman's Brave New World of Wine