Thursday, May 26, 2011

Millionaire's Shortbread



I just saw this recipe on "Five Ingredient Fix", a show on Food Network that uses only 5 ingredients per dish. It looks like it would be a treat for a summer barbecue.  I haven't tried it yet--but I did find out that there is such a thing as non-fat condensed milk, and  I am still trying to work what to use instead of all that butter. What do you think?

Ingredients
Shortbread:
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing pans
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Caramel Layer:
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
Chocolate Topping:
3/4 pound good-quality milk chocolate


Directions
Shortbread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 2 (8-inch) square nonstick pans and coat with flour, tapping off excess. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pans and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Caramel Layer:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Cool to room temperature.
Chocolate Topping:
In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Once chocolate has melted, pour it over the cooled caramel layer. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy, or store in an airtight container, at room temperature, or keep in the refrigerator.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Recipe for a Good Day

I can't put my finger on exactly why, but this has been a tough week. Classes are really slow, and I am feeling particularly uninspired. It seems like I have had a few bad days that are culminating to form a general bad week. I found this cute "recipe for a good day" on another blog, and it got me thinking...

"Don’t make any plans. do the things you need to do. friend calls you, wants something fun to do. suggest a hike at a local state park. call other friends. apply bug spray, suntan lotion. pick up food. pick up friends. listen to interesting radio music while sitting through absurdly slow traffic. arrive at park. hike five mile long trail through forest. sweat. drive to restaurant. eat. drink. ice cream"

I realized that we ultimately control our "bad weeks" because we can always plan something to look forward to or something that will make us happy, turning around a particularly frustrating week. Everyone keeps telling me that keeping a positive attitude is what it's all about, but this is easier said than done. Like most things in life, sometimes we just need instructions. Here are some ingredients for my "recipe for a good day", or for simply turning around a bad one.



Take a yoga class. Read a chick lit book (Something Borrowed...so good!). Watch You-Tube videos of babies laughing. Snuggle with my puppy. Take a long walk while listening to my favorite artist. Start a gratitude journal. Bake cookies (always a good one). Phone my best friend. Phone my Dad (he always makes me feel like I can do anything). Volunteer. When all else fails, take a bubble bath, eat some chocolate, and know that tomorrow is always another day!

What does your recipe look like?

xx,
Penelope Anne

Friday, May 6, 2011

A Night In WEHO

Ben and I just got back from dinner and it was so amazing that I had to blog about it as soon as I got home! After a tough week of work and school, we both decided to unwind while having a delicious meal at LA Foodshow (a restaurant in Beverly Hills that serves everything from fish and chips to chinese chicken salad), when much to our disappointment we realized it was closed when we got there (or closed down? hope not!). So we decided to be spontaneous and drive up Santa Monica and pick an interesting restaurant as we drove. We passed a few good ones, but then I saw a cute cafe with tables outside filled with people, so Ben made a quick left and we parked and went inside. Basix Cafe...the winning restaurant of the night, was perfect. It had a hip atmosphere and reminded Ben of the cafe's he used to frequent in New York. It was casual yet romantic, with brown beaded candleholders on the tables and intimate lighting. We were surrounded by cute gay couples, both young and old, as well as big groups who came for a cocktail an appetizer and a chat.

We began with cocktails--I had a Pomegranate Marga-tini and Ben a Cucumber Cloud that arrived with cucumber foam on top. I am not a big drinker, but I literally finished my drink in three long sips- it was that good! Next up, an artichoke ravioli appetizer and caesar salad. I am obsessed with artichokes and as we took the first bite we were speechless. WOW. After this we had our main courses (sea bass for me and pot roast for Ben). The fish was crispy on the outside but the inside melted in my mouth. It was the perfect meal, and the best part was that we were able to order high quality food in such a casual and friendly atmosphere. After that I decided I had a frozen yogurt craving (I know...how could I still have room? Blame it on my sweet tooth), so we went to the Yogurt Stop a couple blocks down. They offered flavors like "Original WEHO Tart" and "Peanut Butter Princess", and it was the perfect place to end our little West Hollywood adventure. Needless to say, my frozen yogurt is still sitting in the fridge as I wait to digest such a satisfying meal. Have a wonderful weekend :)

xx,
Penelope Anne