Cookie Monster

I don't like desserts and I am not sure why some people love them so much. I will always choose something savory over something sweet. However, there are days where I do crave something sweet namely a chocolate chip cookie. There are about a thousand recipes claiming they have the best recipe and I have tried many of them. Baking is a science and when you tweak it..it does make a difference whether noticeable or not but the end product does change. The order of the ingredients to the temperature to how you are feeling that day will nake a difference in your baked goods.

I do enjoy baking and it's always been a great distraction from what I am suppose to be doing..usually cleaning my room or finishing up paperwork. I like to bake for others. Honestly, I will not eat a batch of cookies. I usually trust other people and so far I have no complaints on these cookies. So here is my version of a chocolate chip cookie. It's a bit healthier so you can feel less guilty when you have eaten half of the batch. : )

8-10 tablespoon of butter or margarine or coconut oil (softened)
**coconut oil usually will give you a crispier cookie**
3/4 cup of brown sugar (either dark or light )
3/4 cup of white sugar
2 eggs (room temp)
2 1/4 cup of flour (take up 2 tablespoon of flour and substitute with cornstarch)
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of salt
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chip

Preheat oven to 335 F

In one bowl, mix the butter, brown and white sugar. I often forget to take the butter and eggs out earlier. I am not the best at planning. So don't be like me, if you think you are going to bake, take the eggs and butter out so when you are ready, they are at room temperature. Or if you are like me, put the butter and both types of sugar in oven as it preheats. I warn you now, too long in the oven will make your batter too runny. I would say like 2-3 minutes would usually do the job.

Mix until the butter and sugar have become one. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. I would add some of the dry ingredients and mix that with the butter and sugar mixture. I would also alternately add the eggs. So add some flour, mix, add some egg, mix, flour, egg and mix. Remember to add the chocolate chips. Mix everything so that it looks like the chocolate chips would be in each ball of dough.

If you like your cookies, more chewy; cover the bowl with plastic wrap put the batter in the fridge. Some recommend overnight, I don't have that kind of patience. I would say 15 to 20 minutes. I know the cooler the batter, the easier it is to form the balls and for the cookies to keep it's shape. This is especially helpful when making cookies in NYC during summer months. If you aren't patient, then forming the cookie balls after mixing the batter will usually lead you to a flatter and crispier cookie. Also this recipe, the cookies are chewier.

Let's say you magically have some patience and you cooled the batter just a little bit. Time to roll some cookie balls. They go on an ungreased cookie sheet. You can use ice cream scoopers or two spoons or simply your two hands. Try to make the cookie balls the same size. I would say leave about 1-2 fingers space between each cookie ball. If your cookies are too close together, you might end up with one massive cookie or square cookies because you have to cut them to separate them. I notice many people don't care as long as they taste good. So far, I haven't had any complaints.

After you filled a tray, put in oven and bake for 11-13 minutes. Softer cookies will take less time. Check to see how easy it is to lift the cookie off the pan with a spatula. If it sticks then it probably can go back in oven for a minute longer. Be careful, cookies can and will burn quickly. I would recommend pouring yourself a large glass of milk to enjoy with your cookies. Please let your cookies cool just a bit before eating it. If you don't, don't blame me when you burn your mouth.

Eat Your Vegetables

Back in my day, I often find myself saying that more and more...I think my age is catching up with me. I know age is only a number and it doesn't really matter. As I get older, my taste buds and palette have somewhat changed. There use to be things that I would choke down just to avoid the flavor...namely vegetables. I have spent most of my life finding ways to avoid them. I remember when I was a kid, I would chew once and hope it goes down. I often would sit at the table choking because let me tell you, bok choy often needs more than one chew to go down smoothly. I learned that lesson the hard way. I have also learned and don't like to admit it but vegetables aren't half bad.

There is one salad that I can eat over and over again. I even liked it more than the fried chicken at the restaurant. I am wiping away the drool as I type this but every time I think about this salad, I salivate just a little bit. The carrot and avocado salad from ABC Kitchen is amazing. The decor there is just the right touch of whimsy and playfulness. It's chic without being uptight and it's just beautiful. You feel at home but yet it still makes you feel like you are somewhere special. Enough though, I would eat any of their veggies. I am not sure if they put magic fairy dust but it's so simple and the purity of the flavors of the vegetables just shine. Here is my attempt:

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Carrots
Squash
Onions
Zucchini
Root Vegetables

1 clove of garlic
Salt
Pepper
Cumin

Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar or Lemon Juice
Feta or Goat Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 F

I would say equal amounts of each of the veggies. Cut them into cubes or slices. Chop up the garlic and mix with the veggies. Everything goes in a baking dish or cookie sheet. Brush the veggies with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt, pepper and cumin. Season to taste. I would go easy on the cumin though, a little bit goes a long way. All of that goes into the oven for about 20 minutes. Check and see. If you like your veggies crunchier, take it out. If not, leave it in. You can always cover the veggies with foil to speed along the cooking process. Try not to burn the veggies.

After veggies are done and drizzle some olive oil and balsamic. I would say 2 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar. Toss in some cheese. The amount of cheese depends on how much veggies you cook, you want bites of cheese. Remember the veggies are the star of the show. The cheese is just to give it some creaminess.

Enjoy.

pork belly bahn mi from cafe bunn mi #sfmusteat, #porkbelly, #innerfatkid