Entries Tagged as 'rosemary'

Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread

October 3rd, 2011 · No Comments

This was the perfect summer bread. I had zucchini from the farmers market and a ton of rosemary growing on the deck.

Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread Recipe
From: Simply Recipes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

3 cups (390 grams) flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoons salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest
3 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 pound of zucchini)

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 4×9-inch loaf pans, either coating with butter or spraying with baking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and rosemary.

Beat the eggs in a mixer (or by hand) until frothy. Beat in the sugar. Beat in the melted butter and olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest and grated zucchini.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time, stirring after each incorporation.

Divide batter/dough into two loaf pans. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Test after 40 minutes. If you gently press down on the surface of the loaf, it should bounce back, and a bamboo skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.

Remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes and then remove the loaves from their pans to cool on a rack.

Yield: Makes two loaves.

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Danny & Caroline’s Wedding

June 21st, 2010 · No Comments

On Saturday Danny & Caroline got married at Cheney Mansion in Oak Park. We left our house with plenty of time to make the 18 minute drive to Oak Park, but didn’t realize the Puerto Rican parade was on Saturday. The parade itself is downtown, but in all of the communities with large Puerto Rican populations… ours and the neighborhoods surrounding ours… it’s mayhem! People just run around, bike around, drive around waving flags and celebrating. I’m sure it’s a good time, but we had to be somewhere. There were tons of road blocks and redirects and it took us more like 45 minutes to an hour to get out to Oak Park. I felt like we were in that Seinfeld episode.

Finally we arrived. The ceremony was just beginning. Attendants were walking down “the aisle.” Caroline was about to take her stroll down so we got to see her “backstage.” After she made her entrance we were allowed to make our way across the lawn and watch the ceremony. Cheney Mansion has such beautiful grounds. And the weather was so nice too. The day before we had tornado-like storms. Saturday’s weather called for it to be sunny and in the 90s. A bit too hot, but actually by 5:30 p.m. it was perfect.


Danny & Caroline’s Wedding Ceremony


The Bride and Groom Kissing


All done!

I couldn’t hear everything that was said during the ceremony because we were so far in the back, having arrived late. It seemed pretty traditional. I saw parents stand up at different points. It was quick, though. 15 minutes? 20 minutes? Afterwards Danny and Caroline greeted everyone in a receiving line.


Danny & Caroline greeting everyone

We had cocktails outside for an hour or so. Very nice. Like I said, the weather was perfect and the gardens at the mansion were gorgeous. The wedding was odd in that Dallas’s family was there, but then I’d turn and a lot of our friends were there too. I wasn’t used to seeing these people all in the same place.


Ed, Jen, Chad, Kristin


Jen & Chad


Cory (bridesmaid) & Miko


Aunty Glenna & Uncle BB


Dallas’s parents Kathy & George


George, Kathy, Rachelle, Dallas


Dallas, Uncle Neil, Scotty (Danny’s brother and Best Man)


Caroline & Danny


Rachelle & Dallas


Loden & Trent

After a while, Caroline’s dad announced that it was time to come inside the mansion for dinner.


Caroline’s dad announcing dinner


Wedding Program

It was expected, but I always like it when my name is spelled right.


Wedding Placecards

And I loved these poppies.


Centerpieces


Aunty Peggy, George, Kathy, Aunty Karolyn, Uncle Sonny, Aunty Gail, Aunty Laura, Aunty Glenna, Uncle BB, Uncle Neil

Look at this. Chris is almost as tall as Dallas and Brad. He’s 14!


Brad, Dallas, Chris

After dinner we all kind of mingled and visited while waiting for the band to start up.


Aly, Danny, Amanda

If you didn’t notice earlier, Danny’s boutonniere is rosemary. Fitting, since he works in a kitchen. Here’s Dallas trying to get a whiff.


Brad, Danny, Dallas


Brad, Danny, Dallas

The dance floor is on the 3rd floor of Cheney Mansion. The wedding band was JT and the Clouds, a popular Chicago band. One of Danny and Caroline’s first dates was to go see them play. Also, the lead singer, Jeremy, aka JT, works with Danny.


JT and the Clouds

Kenji arrived on floor 3 ready to dance!


Kenji

Tommy and Derek? Not so interested.


Tommy & Derek

Caroline and Danny had their first dance.


Danny & Caroline


Danny & Caroline

Some were a little shy to get dancing at first, but it wasn’t long before the dance floor was packed.


Dance!


Loden, Trent, Caroline


Loden, Danny


Danny & Rachelle


Loden & Ed


Loden & Danny

Fun wedding. It went by SO FAST! Congratulations, Danny and Caroline! I wish we were done already! :)

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Martha Stewart’s Rosemary Butter Cookies

August 28th, 2009 · 2 Comments

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These Rosemary Butter Cookies are the perfect mix of sweet and savory, which I love. I also loved how these cookies had a bit of a crispness on the outside but were soft on the inside.

I found the recipe for Rosemary Butter Cookies in Martha Stewart’s Cookies, made them with the rosemary I grew on our roof deck, and brought them to a barbecue. I don’t know if they were fully appreciated by the crowd there. Bake these for people who love fresh herbs and nontraditional flavors combinations.

This was my first stab at rolling out cookies into a tube shape, freezing or refrigerating them and then slicing off individual cookies. They didn’t turn out exactly round, but otherwise turned out great.

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Martha Stewart’s Rosemary Butter Cookies
Rosemary, which denotes remembrance, love, loyalty and friendship, has long held a place of honor in wedding ceremonies. These were originally developed as favors in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Makes 5 dozen.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup fine sanding sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw instead)

Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in whole egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour, rosemary, and salt, and mix until combined.

Halve dough; shape each half into a log. Place each log on a 12-by-16-inch sheet of parchment. Roll in parchment to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log. Transfer to paper-towel tubes to hold shape, and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Brush each log with egg white; roll in sanding sugar. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

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Potato Rosemary Pizza

November 17th, 2005 · 6 Comments

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Pizza Metro, Wicker Park, Chicago

Some food porn brought to you by Pizza Metro. I’ve said how much I love them and having them so close to my apartment. We’ve spent countless nights after going out sitting at the counter at 2am waiting for our slices. Sometimes we call ahead and by the time we get there the order is ready. I am in love with the potato rosemary pizza. It’s so good. Sometimes we even sprinkle more rosemary on it when we get home. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I ever move out of this neighborhood and don’t have Pizza Metro so close!

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Pizza Metro

June 12th, 2005 · 3 Comments

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Pizza Metro, East Ukrainian Village, Chicago

Pizza Metro is by far my favorite neighborhood pizza place. The pizza, including the slices, are made to order, so it’s fresh and the prices are really affordable. My favorite is the potato rosemary pizza.

Also, Pizza Metro is open really late so there have been 100 times when I’ve been in there after bar close ordering pizza and staring into space trying to follow the employees Spanish conversations. One time they caught me laughing at something they said and asked me “habla espanol?”. My response was “uh.. un poquito.”

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