If there is one dessert that I make when I need or want something from my boyfriend it's probably a chocolate molten cake.  There is something about the decadent nature of this dessert that causes the recipient to feel beholden to anyone who takes the time and effort to prepare it.  The best kept secret about this dessert is the fact that despite being an impressive and seemingly complicated thing to make, it is fact a breeze to whip up.  But please don't tell anyone else about this.  For if you want someone to feel indebted to you, make them a molten! 

This recipe comes from Nigella Lawson's, How to be a Domestic Goddess . 

Molten Chocolate Cakes 

• 1/2 Stick unsalted butter at room temperature 
• 1/2 Cup sugar 
• 12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
• 4 Large eggs
• 1/3 Cup flour 
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pinch of salt
• 6 ramekins (ceramic molds) approx. 6-ounces in size, lined with parchment paper 

1)  Prepare the ramekins that you'll bake the moltens in:  butter them and line the bottom with parchment.  This step will insure that the moltens will ease out of the ramekin molds after baking.

2)  To start melt the chocolate because it needs a chance to cool before you add it to the rest of the ingredients.  To melt the chocolate start by boiling a pot that has about 3-4 inches of water in it – you want there to be enough water so that it won't evaporate quickly but you also want to be able to rest a glass or metal bowl over the pot without the bottom of the bowl coming in direct contact with the water.  The idea is to melt the chocolate with indirect heat, i.e. the steam from the water.  Once the water comes to a boil turn down the heat to medium and place a glass or metal bowl over it and add the chocolate to the bowl.  If using bars of chocolate break them into small pieces so that they will melt faster.  Once the chocolate melts take off the heat and and allow to cool.  I find Ghirardelli's bittersweet chocolate works well in this recipe and their bars come in 4 oz. size so you need exactly 3 of them.

3)  Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl while the chocolate cools.   The butter must be at room temperature so that it's softened and easier to work with.  This just means using a spoon to stir them together until totally incorporated.  Then add one egg at a time and beat into the mixture.  Once you've added all 4 eggs add a pinch of salt (I use sea salt) and the vanilla extract.  The next step is adding the flour.  And finally, mix in the melted chocolate.

4)  Fill the ramekins with the batter evenly.  You can either cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to bake them or you can bake them immediately.  If you cook them immediately bake for 10-12 minutes at 400F.  If refrigerating them bake for 12-14 minutes at 400F.   I recommend serving with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Note:  To more easily remove the moltens from their ramekins after they've baked, gently slide a knife around them to loosen and flip onto a plate.

Enjoy! 

When I was younger I recall pasta salads being a staple item come summer time.  They were ubiquitous at summer barbecues and beach parties.  I haven't encountered a pasta salad in the longest time and I don't know if this is because people are still steering clear on account of the low-carb craze or what but I miss these salads and I'm bringing one back! 

I first made this salad a year ago when I came across the recipe in a Martha Stewart cookbook.  I remember why I tried it in the first place – the idea of a minestrone salad sounded so good to me.  I love minestrone soup so I figured it wasn't much of a stretch to assume I'd like this salad.  This salad brings together a symphony of summer vegetables and it still amazes me that with such simple seasonings this salad packs so much flavor!  It's the perfect dish to bring along to a summer pot-luck or simply to enjoy with any summer meal.  This is also a very easy recipe to double so you can accomodate any size crowd!

Minestrone Salad from Martha Stewart Living Annual Recipes 2002 

1 Teaspoon coarse salt (I use sea salt)

8 oz. Gemelli or other pasta (I used farfalle)

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice (I also added a summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice)

4 oz. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups corn kernels, cut from 1 ear, or defrosted (I used defrosted)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons baslamic vinegar

1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 pound of tomatoes, coarsely chopped  – use whatever variety is fresh – I used grape tomatoes

1 handful chopped fresh basil 

1) Boil water for the pasta, once it comes to a boil add a big pinch of salt and then add the pasta.  Depending on the type of pasta you've chosen the exact cooking time may vary – check the box and then test the pasta a few minutes before the instructions on the box.  That way you can make sure to get the pasta al dente without over cooking.  Because the pasta will continue cooking a little while after being drained and it will absorb the dressing you want the pasta to be very al dente.  Drain and rinse pasta and set aside.

2) Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until it begins to soften – about 2 minutes.  Then add the carrot – cook for 4 minutes.  Next add teh zucchini, green beans, and corn.  Cook until all of the veggies are tender about 10-15 minutes – stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer the veggies to a bowl, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, cannellini beans, tomatoes, and the pasta.  I also added freshly chopped basil.  Taste the salad and adjust the flavors – add more salt/pepper if necessary.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy! 

There seems to be a heat wave going on everywhere right now.  When I talk to my parents in Boston, my boyfriend's parents in Toronto, or relatives in Europe the topic of conversation is always the heat!  Well, normally I'd complain about not having a grill but right now I'm quite content grilling inside on my little grill pan with lovely cool central air conditioning!

I've been using my grill pan a bit more recently and the perfect occasion to break it out today is for my submission to the Carnival of the Grill hosted by Adam of Men in Aprons.  I love the idea of this – I only wish there was a way to taste everyone's creations too!  Since it's so hot these days I wanted to grill something light and summery.  One dish that has proven to be a winner combines one of my all-time favorite ingredients: pesto.  I love the intense flavors of a freshly made basil pesto and I make it fairly often as it pairs wonderfully with so many things.  When I saw Giada De Laurentiis on Everyday Italian make beautiful grilled tuna steaks served with pesto I was inspired.  I've made this dish several times now and not only is it delicious but it's super easy to make as well.  I make pesto and then grill the tuna for a few minutes on each side so that it's seared on both sides but still rare in the middle.  This is a fantastic summer dinner.

For the tuna:

Grill Seared Tuna Steaks with Pesto

• Fresh Tuna Steaks (approx. 2 inches thick or so)
• Salt/Pepper
• Olive oil

1)  Heat a grill pan over medium to high heat.  You want the pan to be sizzling hot when the tuna is placed in the pan – to test it I sometimes just flick a little water on the pan and if you hear an immediate sizzle then it's ready.

2)  Wash the tuna steaks and pat them dry with a paper towl.  Drizzle with just a touch of olive oil and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. 

3)  Add the tuna to the grill pan and leave it for about 2 minutes.  Flip the steaks and grill for another 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and you can either serve the tuna steaks as is or serve them sliced.  To cut the tuna make sure to slice it tuna against the grain meaning against the lines of the fish.  Serve with pesto.

For the pesto:

Basil Pesto

• 2 Big handfuls of fresh basil, remove the stems
• 1/2 Garlic clove
• 1/4 Cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 Teaspoon sea salt
• 3-5 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (I give a little range here – it's about achieving the right flavor and thickness which depends upon your tastes – if you're not sure start w/ 3 tablespoons and add more if necessary) 
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon of finely grated parmesan cheese

1) In a small dry pan toast the pine nuts over medium heat. Keep an eye on them and shuffle the pan from time to time so that they get a nice even golden color. The pine nuts will toast very quickly, when they are golden on most sides remove from heat and allow to cool.

2) In a food processor (you can also use a blender, just be sure to scrape down the sides frequently with a spatula so that everything gets incorporated) add the basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, toasted pine nuts, and start to pulse it. Slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube as the blender is running. You'll notice the pesto start to come together and transform from a coarse mass of basil into a smooth sauce. The reason that I give a range for the amount of olive oil is so that you can control for the consistency that you prefer. For a more coarse thick pesto use less olive oil, for a smoother thinner sauce add a little more. Over time you won't even need to measure as you'll develop an eye for your desired consistency. Also, I usually wait to add the parmesan cheese until after I've blended the other ingredients – I learned this from Giada and I find that by not mixing the parmesan in the blender you get the added texture of the cheese in addition to flavor. A very important part of the pesto-making process is to taste as you go along and adjust the flavors to your liking. Keep in mind though that the parmesan cheese is very salty so wait until after you've added the cheese to adjust for saltiness.

I am very excited to share the first ever video segment on my blog. I hope to make this a regular feature on my site. As you'll notice when watching I'm a total newbie at the whole cooking on camera thing. (Most notably, I was so overly concerned with prepping my area that I completely forgot to get myself camera-ready!) My aim is really to help share tricks, techniques, tools, and recipes in way that will be useful to people. I am open to any comments or suggestions! When brainstorming about a yummy, easy recipe to prepare for my debut on camera I quickly came up with the idea of guacamole. It wouldn't require me to turn on a stove so that meant that we could easily stop and restart without interrupting the cooking process. Guacamole is always a welcome addition to any gathering. There is so much to love about this dip: the creaminess of the avocado, the zing from the lime juice, the freshness from the cilantro – all of this pairing so nicely with a salty, crispy tortilla chip. I hope that you'll enjoy this!

Guacamole

2 Ripe avocados
1 Lime
1/2 Clove garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons red onion, chopped
1 Pinch coarse sea salt
5 Grape tomatoes chopped or 1/2 tomato diced
1 Small handful chopped cilantro (if you're not a cilantro fan you can omit this)
Jalepeno - optional

1) Mince the garlic – when finely minced sprinkle with the coarse sea salt and mince together with the knife using the side of the blade to help mush the mixture into a paste. Creating a paste will help to incorporate the garlic flavor without overwhelming anyone with a bite of sharp fresh garlic. (This is a great technique to use when making tzatziki too.) Add to a small/medium size bowl.

2) Chop the red onion and add to the bowl. When choosing avocados make sure they are ripe – they will give in to the pressure of your thumb when ready. Prepare the avocados by sliding your knife through the top of the fruit until you reach the center pit, then run your knife around the fruit so that it breaks open revealing two halves, one with the large round pit. To extract the pit whack your knife into the pit so that it sticks and then turn the knife to losen it – it should come right out. Just whack the knife against your cutting board if the pit remains stuck to your knife. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the avocado and give it a quick chop before adding to the bowl.

3) Slice the lime and squeeze the juice from the entire lime into the bowl – the acidity from the limes will help prevent the avocado from turning brown. It also adds fantastic flavor. I like to use a fork to help extract the juice from limes – twisting it in the lime as I'm squeezing is very effective I find. (The limes that I used on the video clip had no seeds but if there are seeds in your limes you may want to squeeze the juice into a bowl to make it easier to remove the seeds.)

4) Now, here's the fun part: with a fork "mush" the avocado while also mixing in the garlic, onion, and lime juice. You can make this guacamole as chunky or mushy as you please!

5) Chop the cilantro and tomatoes and add those in – stir to combine. If you want to add some heat to your guacamole you can add some finely minced jalepeno at this point. Be really careful when dealing with the pepper though because the oils from the pepper are what irritate your eyes and cause them to sting! Also, be sure to remove the seeds and ribs of the pepper as that is where a lot of the heat comes from – the rib is that white part that holds the seeds to the flesh on the inside of the pepper. I've seen some people use rubber gloves when dealing with hot peppers – you can use whatever method you feel most comfortable with! Just make sure to wash your hands really well afterwards.

Enjoy with some tortilla chips!