Runner's Bread

I've run three marathons.  Mind you, this sounds like I'm a stud.  I am not.  I don't run fast.  I do a run-walk the whole time and usually complete a marathon in around 5 hours.   Still, finishing my first marathon was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.  I always remember the feeling I had as I crossed the finish line.  I was so impressed with myself and so happy that it was OVER.  I felt like, if I could do that, I could do anything.  I know a lot of people say that but they say it because it's true.

One thing that people who run marathons know is that, when you are training it is as much about running as it is about food.  When you are running for 5 hours, you get hungry.  You burn massive amounts of calories and you loose electrolytes as much as you sweat.  Before any run, I eat toast and peanut butter with sliced banana, a cup of coffee (which I know is not good, thank you) and a big fat bottle of water.  Most runners actually eat while they run.  It's totally counter intuitive to the old adage that was drilled into us as kids to "wait 20 minutes after eating before you exercise."  But when you run a marathon you have to learn to eat while exercising.  I eat a power bar, 2 goos, a banana, pretzels and anything else, my family and friends bring along the way.  When I am done with a run, I want to get something in my body right away.  I always crave savory foods after a long run, like a chicken sandwich and of course a ton of fluids.

In between marathon day and the beginning of training, there are a lot of medium runs.  I like those runs the best.  They are work but without the extreme physical burden of race day.  My favorite of these runs is the 7 mile run.  This is because I live 7 miles from the beach.  There is a bike path that takes you down to the ocean along the Ballona Creek (which, thanks to the army corps of engineers, is now a huge concrete drainage basin).  At no point do you cross traffic just the occasional cyclist, so it is the perfect 7 mile run for me.  When I get down to the ocean, it's so rewarding.  The marina opens up and the ocean breeze rushes in, cooling me off and telling me that I am almost done.

I haven't run a marathon in 4 years.  I remember asking The Husband (when he was still The Boyfriend) if he would wake up early on a Sunday morning to pick me up at the beach after one of my runs.  It was sort of a litmus test for our early relationship, and of course it worked out just fine.  I would ask him to pick me up in the little town of Playa Del Rey at a coffee shop where I finished my runs.  I would stretch and go inside for a huge glass of ice water and a muffin.  They served these insane muffins there that I called "Everything Muffins" because they seemed to have every kind of fruit, veg and nut inside them that you could imagine.  They were so hearty and delicious that I remember feeling like no muffin had ever been more delicious that they were.  Of course, endorphins will do that to you but still they were pretty damn good.

I have been thinking about training for a half marathon recently maybe in the fall and I thought that I would attempt to recreate the Everything Muffin on my own.  Also, I have a surplus of zucchini in my garden and it's a good way to use them up.

I've modified a few recipes to create this one.  Muffins seem fussy to me unless I'm cooking for a party so I made bread.  The bread is very hearty and dense.  It's more "healthy" than the original Everything Muffin.  If you wanted to add 1/4 cup more sugar and use white flour instead of white/wheat they would probably be more like the original.  And I'm sure it would be even better with cream cheese frosting but that's more like cake at that point.  Here is the version that I like.  It's good for an every day breakfast or for an post-run recovery snack.

Runners Bread

3 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour
1 t Salt
1 t Baking Powder
1 t Baking Soda
3 t Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Milled Flax (I have one with dried blueberries from Trader Joes that I like)
1/4 Cup Shredded Coconut (I used unsweetened but it doesn't matter either way)
1/2 nuts (I prefer walnuts but used almonds because that is what I had)
3 eggs
1 Cup Grape Seed Oil
2 t Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cup Turbinado Sugar
1 Heaping Cup Grated Zucchini
1 Heaping Cup Grated Carrots
1/2 Cup Yellow Raisins

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon,  flax, coconut and nuts and set aside.  Then in a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, vanilla, sugar whisk together.  Add zucchini, carrots and raisins to wet mixture.  Add dry ingredients to wet.  But into a parchment lined bread pan and bake on 350 degrees for about an hour.

White whole wheat is a great substitute for regular white flour.  You usually don't have to modify the recipe like you do with whole wheat flour and you still get some fiber.
Combine dry ingredients.  My dry ingredients included flax seeds with dried blueberries.  I bought it on accident and it was a great mistake.
Oil and eggs.
Add vanilla and sugar.
Add in the vegetables and then the dry ingredients.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Fill loaf pan with batter.  Slam down on the counter a few times to get the parchment in it's proper place.
Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees.  Use the ole toothpick test because it can take as little as 50 minutes depending on the oven.
Enjoy (with or without the run).

Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

My friend Beth got a little outdoor fire pit for her back yard.  She lives in a beautiful house in Mar Vista, just west of us.  She and her husband have worked so hard renovating their home and installing beautiful drought tolerant landscaping.  They have awesome parties loaded with southern delicacies like sweet tea vodka and 8 hour-smoked, pork butt.  Everyone loves it there, it's just a nice place to be.

A few weeks ago Beth mentioned that she was going to throw herself a birthday party.  As usual, I was super excited.  We brainstormed a little and I said that I would make some homemade marshmallows to roast on her new fire pit at the party.  It made me think about camping trips when I was little and cold winter nights with my friends, circled around the flames.  Who knows, maybe I'd even bring some graham crackers and chocolate...

But then the news came that The Husband and I booked a gig that night and I was going to have to miss all the fun.  I was so bummed to miss the party but I figured I would make the marshmallows anyway.  I mean, I love this girl like a sister and if I can't be there at least my marshmallows can.

I used Martha Stewart's recipe and made the yummiest batch of 'shmallows I've ever tasted.  I toasted and ate like four of them before I had to force myself to walk away (for fear of passing out on the kitchen floor in a diabetic coma).  They had the yummiest consistency.  Not at all like the store bought kind.  The are more substantial and when toasted, they develop an almost creme brule type crust around the outside while turning to pudding inside.

Since I missed the party, I think I should make it up to myself by going 'camping' in my back yard more often.  Maybe I'll spend a little time outside around a flame (even if that flame is a brule torch).  Maybe I'll surround myself with friends and sing campfire songs (or because we're work-a-holics, the 'idea' of friends and our ipod doc).  Perhaps I'll sit under the stars and think about life (or maybe just the moon, because I live in LA and we never see the stars).  It's not perfect dream but it will do.

Happy Birthday Beth! I love you this much...

Baklava

I know it seems strange that I'm posting this now, what with all the dieting and New Year's resolutions upon us.
It's almost subversive of me isn't it? I mean how could I ruin your plans like this? I'll tell you how, because this is The Debauchery Auxiliary... and you wouldn't be here if you were looking for fitness advice. Plus, you need this recipe. Trust me, you do. If not for now, for later. Put it in your bag of tricks and bring it out when you need a sweet, nutty, crispy big gun. This is the greatest baklava recipe I've ever used. I grew up on this and can't eat any other kind without missing this a little. As a good Greek, I feel like everyone should be able to make the world's greatest baklava too. It's actually not that hard, it takes forever, but it's worth it. Happy Debaucherous New Year my friends. This is how much I love you...

Festival Baklava
Interpreted from The Greek Feast Santa Barbara Style published by Olympus Press

Syrup:
4 Cups Sugar
3 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Honey
2 Sticks Cinnamon
1 Medium Sized Orange Sliced
2 T Lemon Juice

Pastry:
1 1/2 Pounds Frozen Filo Dough (defrosted by leaving on counter in it's plastic over night)
1 1/2 Pounds of Melted Unsalted Butter (approximately, I often use less)
6 Cups of Chopped Walnuts
3 t Ground Cinnamon
1/8 t Ground Cloves
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

First prepare the syrup...
Add sugar, cinnamon sticks...
honey...
and water in a sauce pan.
When all the crystals are dissolved and the syrup is getting hot, add the orange slices.

Let the syrup come to a boil and get infused and viscus. If you have a candy thermometer it should read approximately 219 degrees. I don't use one, but I use the oranges as my gauge. When they appear candied and the syrup is somewhere between honey and maple syrup, it's done. Remove the oranges and let the syrup cool (I use the oranges and peels in other dishes). When the syrup is cool to the touch (warm is okay) add the lemon juice. Set aside and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, 1/2 cup sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl.

Melt butter (I do it one stick at a time so I don't waste any).

Open defrosted filo dough and keep moist with a damp towel if needed. Set up your station by placing your filo dough, a large casserole dish, butter with a basting brush, and your nut mixture within reach.

Brush the bottom of the dish with butter. Layer one sheet of filo dough down (be careful it is delicate) brush butter the top of it. Repeat 7 times.
Cover the 7th buttered layer of filo with a layer of the nut mixture. Lay a sheet of filo on top brush with butter and repeat (7 layers of buttered filo, 1 layer of nuts) until the nut mixture is gone. I usually portion out about three or four nut layers in one dish of my baklava. Save 10 to 15 sheets of filo for the top. Work quickly and do not let the filo dry out.
When you are done, it will look like this. It's heavy.
Take a small, sharp, serrated knife and cut the baklava through in a diamond shape. Do this gingerly as the top layer of filo will try to pull up and away. Some recipes recommend that you don't cut through to the bottom but I always do. Spray or sprinkle the top of the filo with water to prevent burning.
Bake for about an hour and a half. You will know it is done because the top will be golden brown and the inside layers will be crispy, not soggy. It's not ready until the inside seems dry. Remove from oven and immediately pour half of the syrup on top of the hot pastry. It will slide into the cut marks, sizzle, bubble and smell amazing. Pour the rest on as you see fit. The filo will absorb most of the syrup but sometimes I put a little less on depending on my batch. I never let the syrup go over the top layer.
Let the baklava sit covered for 24 hours before serving.

Portion out baklava into cup cake papers as you use it, I often cut the diamonds in half, since the desert is so rich. This recipe makes about fifty servings and is perfect for big parties. Greeks serve this for every big occasion.
Here's to Debauchery!

Spiced Cranberry Poached Pears

These are my Holiday secret weapons. The ultimate in versatility. This recipe yields so many options and culinary variations that making them a few days before any holiday is just smart. It yields a cocktail mixer, garnish, a holiday salad component, dressing ingredient and a wonderful desert.

Spiced Cranberry Poached Pears & Syrup

1 gallon of sweetened cranberry juice
5 bosc pears
1 slice of lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon of mulling spices (juniper berries, star anise, cloves)

Peel pears with a fruit peeler.
Slice them in half, leaving the stem on if you like (I like).
Core with a melon-baller and a paring knife.
Find a nice cranberry juice or juice blend (one without high fructose corn syrup)
Put the cleaned pears in a large sauce pan and cover with the juice.
Add cinnamon stick, lemon peel, star anise, cloves and juniper berries.

Cook until the pears are tender. Remove the pears and spices and let the sauce reduce by over a half.

Once it is thick, sweet and syrupy (coating the back of the spoon) and your house smells like wonderful, consider the following options...

#1 Warm poached pears with vanilla ice cream and spiced cranberry syrup
(Or let the syrup and pears cool in the fridge for up to four days and make...)
#2 Salad w/baby greens, chilled poached pears, blue cheese & candied walnuts
#3 Cranberry salad dressing (olive oil, cranberry syrup, Dijon mustard, lemon, salt & pepper)
#4 Cranberry/Champagne cocktail (Champagne, cranberry syrup & a lemon peel)
#5 Chilled pears for breakfast. Perfect for a New Years hangover.

I hope you try them and I hope you love them. If you come up with any other awesome uses for these beauties, leave a comment below because I can't get enough of them.

The Bride, The Groom... & Fernando The Taco Man

A few weeks ago, The Husband and I threw an engagement party for our good friends Rick and Robin (whose wedding we are officiating in June). This party was so much fun to put together. We gave it a vacation theme because Rick and Robin's initials are R&R and also because, well, they like to party. We live in the front house of a triplex and our neighbors in the back have a huge beautiful yard. With their generosity, in two days, we turned that yard into a vacation-party paradise.

Meet the bride and groom...

This is Fernando the Taco Man. I'm in love with his Tacos. Like crazy in love. We had to feed 35-40 people at our party, so instead of working myself to the bone, I made drinks and cake and Fernando took care of everything else. It was awesome.

He brings his cart and all the ingredients and stays for 4 hours. His tacos are fresh, well seasoned, and delicious. We had, pastor, carne asada, carnitas, chicken, grilled onions, grilled mild peppers, rice, beans, guacamole, chips, two salsas, cilantro chopped onions, radishes and limes wedges. If you are planning a party where you have too feed 30+ people, I absolutely recommend Fernando (his number is (626) 278-6327). He was such a nice man, with such an amazing service. Look at all this yum....


The Husband ate seven tacos that afternoon. Seven. And the best part was that there were plenty of leftovers for dinner that night (and then some).

I made homemade margaritas with fresh squeezed orange juice.

We bought Mexican Cokes made with cane sugar. Yum.

And the Bride's favorite beer.

I made a double batch of The Pioneer Woman's Tres Leches Cake and managed to tier it.

And this Lemon bundt cake is my favorite recipe from the book 'Under The Tuscan Sun' buy Francis Mayes (I'll blog this one soon, it's too good).

Rick has an affinity for beer coozies, so we stole all of his collection and added some of our own for everyone to use. This one was epic.

Until...

The whole day was so fun because I didn't have to kill myself in the kitchen and we could still eat like a kings. But best of all, Rick and Robin had a blast and all their friends left happy and full.
We cannot wait for next Summer! These people, know how to party. Love you R&R.