Weekly Perks version 5.0

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Just Tell Me That You Want Me is a collection of Fleetwood Mac covers. It officially comes out August 14, but seeing as the internet scoffs at release dates, they're streaming songs at their site. You should listen to the Lykke Li one at the very least, but the New Pornos, Best Coast, MGMT, Karen Elson and The Kills are among the other contributors, so play around. -- Amanda

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It's nice to remember sometimes that in a world full of young people who love to go out and party, there are some (like us) who are just as content to stay home with a good friend, a beer, and a movie. I used to feel so inadequate, but in the past few years I've made peace with the fact that people are into different things. I love reading about people I respect and admire who have felt similarly. And as it turns out (though I feel like I kind of knew this about her already). This blog post, whose author feels really strongly adverse to social events, also recommends a great Charlie Kaufmann speech. -- Laura Kathleen

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One of the many things I would do if I had a few more hours in the day is spend more time preparing stuff that I love to eat and drink. And as great as a cold beer is in the summer, I'd love to make fancy drinks that look good and taste even better. One of my fave blogs, Sweet Potato Chronicles, has recipes for simple syrups that you can basically customize to make any flavour you want. Orange peel and rosemary syrup for a cocktail? Cilantro and mint? The opportunities and endless, and they're calling me. --Laura Kathleen

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If you are ever bored online ever again, you can refer to The Electric Typewriter's list of 150 Essential Articles and Essays. You've likely read a handful of these already (has any female who has ever dreamed of being a writer not read Didion's On Keeping a Notebook?) but they all look like the amazing 20-minute reads that'll bowl you over. I hope I'm not the only one who see's the list and is like "GAME ON. Summer goal." --Laura Kathleen

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I watched three amazing films while I was home sick last Thursday and Friday: Sunset Boulevard, The Last Days of Disco, and Mildred Pierce. All amazing, and all highly recommended. Click on the movie names to check out the trailers. -- Laura Kathleen

Easter Leftovers

That's a brisket pizza, folks!

I had a bunch of leftover brisket from my Easter dinner on Sunday night, so I decided to do something creative. After reading a super-simple looking pizza dough recipe from the latest issue of Lucky Peach (taken from Wolfgang Puck), I was itching to make it myself. It was easy, and possibly the best dough I've ever tasted. I topped the dough with barbecue sauce (Caioti-style), grated parmesan, and thinly sliced brisket pieces. It was heaven, and completely un-Kosher.

The final product.

Here's an even more simplified version of the dough that you should try, like tomorrow. I also have a lot of extra dough (this recipe makes 4 good-sized balls of dough), so if you're local you can swing by and I'll give you some of mine.

Lucky Peach's All-purpose Pizza Dough:
Makes 4 dough balls

1 packet active dry yeast
1.5 cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons EVOO
3–4 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt

1. Let yeast dissolve in the water, then add honey and EVOO and stir.
2. Mix together flour and salt, and add to the water.
3. Now things are going to get messy. Mix the dough together with your hands. It's going to be really goopy and stick to your hands. If it's unworkable just add more flour, little by little. Eventually it'll stop sticking to your hands, and then you'll know you're ready to move on to the next step.
4. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with Saran wrap. Leave it alone to rise for about half an hour.
5. Divide the dough into four parts and follow the next steps for each piece. Shape each ball by pulling the sides of the dough outwards and tucking it underneath the bottom. After a few minutes, roll the dough into a ball between your palm and a clean surface.
6. Put the dough balls onto a platter and cover with lightly oil Saran. Leave them for another half an hour.
7. Time to stretch out the dough! I like to hold it near the end, let it stretch down, and keep moving it around in a circle—let gravity help you with this one.

If you're going to use a baking sheet, make sure that you lightly oil it. Bake for 15 minutes or so at about 400, but keep an eye on it. You want it to look nice and toasty before you take it out.

Eat It: Taco Pizza

Remember last year, with the butter chicken poutine? How I nearly lost my damn mind? Well, it happened again. And it happened with butter chicken again, although this time it was PIZZA and it was so so so good. My friend Morrison made it and I swear, I reached nirvana. It really opened my eyes to the glorious versatility of the pizza crust. 

Well, this is not a butter chicken pizza recipe (although the jist of that is: butter chicken sauce instead of regular tomato. YOU’RE WELCOME). This is a taco pizza recipe, because I thought, “hey! A pizza crust is just like a big ol’ soft plate of nachos!” And guys, I might never go back. This might beat out real tacos for me, and that sounds like crazytalk, but it’s only crazytalk to someone who hasn’t tried taco pizza. Come on now – it’s time to become a believer.

I remembered to take a picture only after we had attacked –
the draw of the taco pizza was too strong.

Taco Pizza 

Serves three normal people or two hungry people 

From countertop to tabletop: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:
1 package of ground meat (I used turkey, but beef or soy would be equally delicious)
1 package of taco seasoning
1 pizza crust (my grocery stuff was out of fresh dough, so I used a pre-made crust)
At least 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (I used a little cheddar too)
1 quarter of a green pepper, diced
3 green onions, chopped

For Garnish:
Salsa
Sour cream
Avocado or guacamole
Fresh cilantro, chopped


1. If you’re using fresh pizza dough*, sprinkle down a little flour and roll it out. This is no time for thin crust, so go thick because your loaded pizza will need a solid base. A little cornmeal on the underside of the crust would probably just knock your socks off (but if you don’t have cornmeal, there’s no need to go hogwild and buy it – a little flour’ll do). I used a premade crust, so I just stuck it on the pan. Trust me, if this is your only option, just go for it anyway – the effect will still be amazing.

2. Brown your ground turkey, drain any excess grease, and follow the taco seasoning instructions. Usually they’re something like, “add a half cup of water and seasoning, then let simmer for 5 minutes.” Just do that. We’re not reinventing the wheel here. The only thing I’d recommend is not too let it get too dry – you want the meat to still be a saucy in the end.

3. Sprinkle a thin layer cheese on your crust to help keep this delicious mess together. When the taco turkey is ready, spread it thickly overtop, leaving only your crust for grabbin’ clear. Layer your veggies on top – I used green pepper and green onions, but hey! You might like to put diced tomato or corn or black beans or olives or jalapenos, if that’s your kinda thing. Listen to your heart and the contents of your pantry!

4. Sprinkle a thick layer of cheese overtop, then pop that baby in an oven preheated to 400°F. It should start looking good after about 5 minutes, then turn it up to broil for the last minute or two, so the top gets nice and browned.
* If you're using fresh dough, baking will take longer. Your oven should be turned up to about 450°F, and it'll probably take closer to 10–15 minutes.

5. Once your pizza’s baked and you’ve taken it out of the oven comes the hardest part – WAITING. Give it a couple minutes to cool down and stiffen up, so you won’t be trying to eat a burning, messy slice of goo. You’ve waited a few minutes? Okay, slice that pie up.

6. This is the step that took this pizza out of mere good territory and into the realm of greatness – THE TOPPINGS. I spooned a little salsa onto each slice, a couple small dollops of sour cream, a handful of fresh cilantro and a few slices of fresh avocado. Now dig in, you patient thing you – you’ve waited long enough. Eat it like a slice of pizza and bask in the deliciousness.

Bon appetit!

Eat It: Eggless Carrot Nog

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, guys. I've been holed up at my parents' house the past few days and it's been pretty great. My parents are dogsitting the world's sweetest toy poodle, Mia, and Charlie is just beside himself, trying to get her to play with him. We just watch the action from the sidelines, aka. the couch, while running marathons of House Hunters and drinking eggless nog.

Mia. She weighs maybe 4 lbs, tops.

Eggless nog, you ask? Well, my mom is severely allergic to eggs, so this year I made it my mission to whip up a batch of frothy goodness that she could enjoy too. And boy, was this stuff good.

Creamy, thick and better for you than traditional nog, it tastes like spending the holidays in Hawaii, due to the coconutty flavour it's sporting. It's a pretty orange colour, and as an added bonus it's lactose-free, so my fellow lactards can enjoy copious amounts without feeling hella bloated/smoking out the family. It's pretty sweet, so I'd recommend cutting it with some dark or spiced rum, or do as I've been doing and use it to whiten your coffee – it makes your morning cuppa taste just like pumpkin pie.

Eggless Carrot Nog
Adapted from here
Makes 2 cups

1/3 cup coconut milk (I used cream of coconut, which is slightly creamier)
1/2 cup carrot juice
1 1/4 cups vanilla soy milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Put all ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender for at least 2 minutes to whip all ingredients together.

Cheers!

My Easy Morning Muffins

Mornings are always stressful when you work 9 to 5 (or 10 to 5... or freelance from your bed), and eating breakfast isn't always a top priority. I thought I'd share with you a little trick I've got up my sleeve that allows me to sleep in a little most mornings and still have a bite before I fly out the door.

I am totally disabled when it comes to baking, but these are easy, fast, delicious, and healthy—so they'll start your day off right.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins
A 100% Laura Kathleen original recipe


Make a batch of these babies for the week. Stick 'em in the freezer and toast one or two in the morning. You can spread some butter or jam on them or just eat them as is while you are running for the streetcar.

1. Preheat your oven to 325.

2. Select three or four or your brownest, most overripe bananas and mash them with a fork.

You'll want the mashed bananas to look like this. Make sure you leave some chunks in there.

3. Melt about half a cup of butter. This is never glamorous. Do whatever you have to do to get that butter into liquid form.

4. Take all these ingredients—that's 1 cup of sugar, 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 tsp each of baking soda, salt, and vanilla, and one egg—and mix them together with the bananas. Chocolate chips are another welcome addition.

The mixture should look like this.

5. Grease a muffin tin, fill 'em up, and put the delicious mixture into the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, but keep an eye on them.

6. Tell your boyfriend that the only way he is allowed to eat any is if he cleans up and does the dishes. There are usually a lot of dishes and a big mess involved when I make these muffins.

7. When the muffins are done you'll be able to tell because the smell will be so overwhelming that you can't wait anymore. You'll also be able to stick a fork in and have it be fairly clean when it comes out. I like my muffins a little more gooey than that, though.

8. Eat one of those bad boys right away. They are so tasty when first out of the oven. Freeze the rest and look forward to getting up every morning so you can have another.

Eat It: Huevos Rancheros

It was that kind of morning: awake a little too early because we had just gained an hour, a fully stocked fridge, no plans in the foreseeable future. I had already spent half the morning lounging in bed with Mindy Kaling's new book (much to the chagrin of my dog) and decided no, heading out for brunch was not for me. I was going to cook at home, where the only dress code was my pink kitty kat robe.

And boy, was I glad I did. I only remembered to take a picture about halfway through, and only one at that. This huevos rancheros was great for using up some odds and ends from tacos a few nights back. You may have what you need already in your fridge – if so, you should make this some hungry morning or evening, when it's too cold outside and your body craves sustenance. A lot of the elements are food basics and can last a long time in your pantry, so have 'em on hand because I promise you, that hungry day will come, friend.

I'm addicted to cumin and cilantro, so you might want to scale back on those things if you're not a big fan. I try to always stock a can of black beans because they're perfect in a pinch – filling, nutritious, and inexpensive. The bean mixture is very adaptable, so use up your leftover mushrooms, bell peppers, corn, even shredded carrot. I'm no purist, and it'll still taste delish. You'll have about a cup of leftover bean mixture afterward too, which you can use as burrito filling, a pair to rice, a dip for tortilla chips, or add it to your next batch of chili.

Huevos Rancheros

Refried beans will serve 3

1 tbsp olive oil
Half a medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Handful of fresh cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1 tsp butter
2 eggs per tortilla
Shredded cheese (I used an Italiano blend with mozzarella, which was fine; cheddar would be better)
Small tortillas (I used jalepeno ones, which were mighty tasty)

1. Put the olive oil in a small pot or frying pan and start cooking onions on medium. Add garlic after a minute or two (it'll burn otherwise). Cook until onions are softened, then add tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes longer.

2. Add black beans, lime juice, cumin and chili powder, and mix well. Let cook at medium for roughly 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add some of cilantro (maybe 2 generous tbsps?), stir in, and let cook for 3–5 more minutes if you want your beans distinctly bean-shaped, or cook a bit longer if you like them as more of a paste. Mash the beans with your spoon, if you'd like. Turn off heat.

3. Put the butter in a frying pan; once melted, swirl the pan so it coats the bottom and let it bubble. Crack two eggs in it and let cook roughly 4 minutes – enough for whites to be cooked thoroughly but the yolks to still be runny. Remove eggs from pan and put them gently on a plate. Be careful not to break the yolks!

4. Place a tortilla in the frying pan used for the eggs. Sprinkle tortilla with shredded cheese and place eggs back on top of cheese. Remove tortilla from pan once the bottom is crispy and the cheese is melted.

5. Put a few generous dollops of black bean mixture on top of the egg-cheese-tortilla, plus some fresh cilantro. Other things that would be delicious on hand that maybe your kitchen has and mine did not: salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, guacamole or avocado.

Food Plans

I got the NOMS.

 Do you ever get to busy that making food for yourself is a luxury that time just can't afford? It's the beginning of Toronto fashion week and things on the home front are just going to have to suffer for a while. That doesn't mean, however, that a girl can't dream. Here are some recipes that I'm dreaming of while I eat another veggie wrap from Subway.

• Pumpkin chocolate cake, from Sweet Potato Chronicles
• Baked spaghetti squash with tomato and ricotta, from Big Girls Small Kitchen
• Poached eggs on asparagus with hollandaise, from Simply Delicious
• Buckwheat blini with caramelized shallots, wilted arugula, and creme fraiche, from Eat Live Travel Write
• Mashed chickpea and goatcheese sandwich, from Jennifer Bain at the Star

Eat It: Chickpea Salad

It's really really hot in Toronto right now. Crazy hot. 30 degrees Celsius by 9 am sort of hot. And I, sadly, am a girl without an air conditioner. Like Laura, I've been trying to find ways to keep cool that don't include living at the movies for the next two months, or setting up camp in my neighbourhood's 24-hour Loblaws.

But you need to cool off, and you need to eat. So you go to Loblaws, but it's too damn hot to cook, so what's a gal to choose? You should choose cold things, that's what. Cold things that you can chop lazily, throw together, mix and done. Bam. Cold goodness that will make sure you don't die as you're melting. Cold goodness that will provide your body with nutrients and fill you up because woman cannot live on popsicles alone (I found this out the hard way).

Eat It: Bacon Fried Rice

Last night, I had planned to go to the grocery store, but my day ran late, we had friends coming by and only about a half hour to make dinner, so I decided to cook with whatever was in my fridge. And boy, am I glad I did.

Please excuse my iPhone pic and extra veggies*

I'd completely forgotten how much I like fried rice. It's the easiest, most versatile dinner imaginable, and it's perfect for using up everything in your fridge. Chop up your last bits of red or green pepper, onion, carrot, zucchini, herbs, tomato, avocado and toss them in. Add a can of drained and rinsed chick peas or black beans. Throw in some frozen peas or corn. Leave out the egg and make it vegan. Add in last night's leftover taco meat, shredded chicken, strips of steak, cubed hamburgers, tofu, whatever! Raid your fridge and cupboards mercilessly and your taste buds will thank you for it.

I had some leftover bacon from brunch on Sunday, so I thought I'd use that up. And, lucky for me, bacon makes everything it touches the most amazing incarnation of its possible self. Onions and eggs cooked in bacon fat? Sign me up.

It makes for great microwaveable leftovers the next day too, and is just enough bacon to be office appropriate. You could even use the leftovers in burritos! Aw man, I'm totally doing that.

Shamless promotion

Today's just a plug, I'm afraid, but I promise it's a good one. For a few months now I've been working for Sweet Paul Magazine, which has great recipes, DIY advice, and awesome decorating ideas—all on the cheap! Amanda turned me on to this magazine back in the winter, and I cannot get enough! 

the cover

two of my favourite pages

I love copy editing recipes, and testing them out makes me feel like I'm doing my job better! I can tell you now that I've already made a few of them, which I can share with you now! Check out page 33 for the Rhubarb Strussel Cupcake, page 66 for the Roasted Tomato and Curry Soup, page 76 for the Potato Salad with Honey Mustard, and page 132 for the Raspberry Tarts with Mascarpone Cream. They are all super easy! If I can make them then you can.

The mag is only online, which makes it free and really easy to share. Congratulations to everyone involved, and I'm excited to start on the fall issue soon!

My new favourite breakfasts

Hi friends! I have three great recipes for you today, all for yummy breakfasts, and all totally basic and cheap. I'll list them ranging from easiest and least time consuming, to the most challenging.

Smoothies:

Inspired by this post by the Nutrition Diva, I have been making smoothies almost every morning. They are perfect for when you are still half asleep, and don't have much time to make food. These ones are super good for you, filling enough for a meal, and taste like a cup of sunshine... seriously.

I use a magic bullet to whip this stuff up, but you could use any blender as long as the quantities are right.

My version: 

2% milk, however much you want (I find this has the best taste and consistency once it blends)

one banana, chopped up

some strawberries, if you have them around

one ice cube, to cool things down

one spoonful of almond butter

one spoonful of cocoa powder

Blend it, pour it in a glass, and you've got a tasty way to wake up in the morning.

Next up, Skillet Eggs with tomatoes and goat cheese:

I made these this morning, which were easy and the perfect breakfast for two! (Since I'm just one right now, I will have leftovers, my favourite thing in the world)

My version:

Add a tablespoon of butter and cream to a skillet, and put it into the oven on broil

Once it melts, add four eggs, a whole bunch of chopped up grape tomatos, and some goat cheese

Put the skillet back in the oven, the recipe says to let it broil for 5 minutes, but I'd say 7 or 8, depending  if you like your eggs runny or more firm

Okay, now I'm pulling out the big guns (but not). Hollandaise on poached eggs!:

This one was a group effort. I did the eggs and sauce while Dan fried up some bacon and toasted the english muffins to perfection.

I took my recipe from here, and followed it pretty much to a T. Read it on the site itself, because hollandaise can be pretty tricky. I had to make two batches because (beware!!) if you take it off the heat, even for a second, the egg yolk and the butter will separate. Keep it warm, and keep whisking, until you pour the sauce over your poached eggs, which are sitting on top of applewood smoked bacon, on top of an english muffin. YUM. This is definitely the most complicated of the three, but still not so bad, as long as you have 4 hands instead of two. Give yourself some time for this one, and have extra ingredients on hand.

Post Frittata

A few things I'm feeling inspired by right now, in order of colour saturation.

Megan's long bob (photo by Lisa Warninger)

Scout and Catalogue's lightweight wool scarves. She hand dyes each one herself. This one looks like the rainy weather we haven't had a reprieve from lately. Once I save up some pennies, I plan to buy one of her lovely totes too.

Cocorosa's styling is enough to make me reconsider sweatpants, almost.

Calivintage's pretty layering.

via Craftster

The linen stitch. I love how it creates a sturdy fabric with just enough textural interest, and how it can even out very colourful yarns. Yes, I lust over stitch patterns.

 

via Refinery 29

Sephora by OPI's latest nail decals, Chic Print for Nails. I'm partial to the Giraffe and Tiger versions.

The home of the late Mimi Weddell, shared by Matchbook Magazine from Vogue Casa Oct 2005. The fearless colours and golden light are what draw me to these, although the hoarder bookstacks hit a little too close for comfort.

 

This raspberry limeade cocktail from The Kitchn. It may be cold in TO now, but soon it'll be hotter than we can handle. Cheers to that, friends.

Julia

I went to a silent auction last weekend, and I won something fantastic.

douchetalks

Julia Child's cookbooks!!! How exciting and extravagant. I'll have to have you over for dinner one day very soon.

I love watching her videos on Youtube, and I wish I had been alive when her show was on TV. I could watch this woman for hours. She's hilarious and I've actually learned quite a bit from her.







But my favourite Julia video has got to be this one. Enjoy!

Five Senses Friday, one day early

I've been a bit busy of late, so I don't have a calm, cool, collected post for you—I will give you a sensory treat instead. Along the same lines as Abby Try Again's weekly five senses friday posts, I'm giving you my take.

Smelling:
Long Winter Farm, you had me at lip balms that smell like maple almond and earl grey tea. Not only do Amanda's creations have mouthwatering names at great prices, but it sounds like she's living an idyllic life—she spends her summers in a yurt with her two kids, husband, and a troupe of goats, kittens, and puppies.

She sells soaps, creams, balms and perfume oils in her Etsy shop in a wide range of delicious scents, like pineapple cilantro, peppermint hot chocolate, and iced lemon biscotti. She'll even do a custom perfume oil or cream for you at the same price as her regular stock (a measly $8.50!) She has a bunch of floral and berry scents too, but the gourmand ones always get my olfactory nerves excited (you read that right).

Scents I just HAD to order? Campfire, chocolate lavender and clover lime. Come home to me now, so I can get sniffing!

Hearing:

Miss Moss's truly excellent blog always makes my day, but this mid-month mixtape really takes the cake. Download It Was A Good Day if you know what's good for you.

Touching:
This isn't something I can actually touch, but a cry for help to prevent me from touching something. Please, if you have size 9 feet, put me out of my misery and take these beauties off the market:

I've loved Clever Nettle's shop and blog for a long time now, but these boots are breaking my heart. I've been keeping an eye out for a pair of black or navy Ropers for a while, and then they come up in a marbled grey and slate blue? Just one size too small? I've considered cutting off my toes to make buying these worthwhile. At the very least, these give me hope that there's an equally perfect pair of tens floating out there in the world somewhere.

Tasting:

via Martha Stewart

Laura and I had a roomie date last night and made dinner together, and we made Martha's Herb-Crusted Salmon with Spinach Salad. It is so so so unbelievably good. It will make your heart feel full of the sunshine that's been sorely lacking this week. It will make your new cat stay by your ankles because your kitchen smells delectable. It pairs well with hemp beer in honor of 420 (our brew was Buzz). And it's nearly as delicious the next day for lunch, served cold. We added some dried rosemary to our herbs, but this is pretty damn near perfect as is.

Seeing:

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Last night, we also watched Valley Girl. Nicholas Cage's 'punk' look is like, totally rad, and he even breaks out a bit of the ol' crazy in the last act (disclaimer: I love batshit Nicholas Cage, and you will hear more about this). I've been punctuating my speech with "like"s and "totally"s and "fer sure"s all day. My favourite character was Loryn, Julie's tramp friend, played by Elizabeth Daily. I kept calling her Dottie (her character in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure) because I couldn't remember her name, but she's the most stylish of all the gal pals, and she's also the voice of Tommy from Rugrats! Who knew!

Anyway, she's a babe, and I am infinitely awed by her hair.

via — also, I will take those shoes, please.

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Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone, filled with even more sensory delights.