Parmesan Popovers

If you haven't guessed it yet, from the many recipes I tried of Giada de Laurentiis and showed in my foodie blog, yes indeed she's on top of the list of my fave chefs on Food TV Network. Here's another of her dishes, the Parmesan Popovers, a perfect partner to any pasta dish. These popovers are light and airy and can be eaten at lunch or dinner.

PARMESAN POPOVERS

INGREDIENTS:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence (recipe here)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese (about 5 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a blender, combine the eggs, flour, salt, pepper, herbes de Provence, and parsley. Blen on medium speed. Turn the blender to low and slowly add the milk, then the cheese.

2. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove the popovers from the muffin pan and serve hot, or cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

YIELD:
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Kitchen Sink Cookies

I'm a sucker for easy and healthy recipe. This is an interesting cookie recipe I got from one of my fave Food TV Network stars, Ellie Krieger. I'm not sure why it is called Kitchen Sink Cookies, probably because it is so easy to make, very basic and you can really mix everything by hand. I love the recipes of Ellie Krieger because they're very healthy and the portion is just enough so you won't indulge.

KITCHEN SINK COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsps unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsps canola oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts
2 ounces dark chocolate, cut into chunks
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Combine butter, oil and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, stopping occasionally to scrape down bowl, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Add applesauce, egg white and vanilla and mix to combine. Add flour, oatmeal, salt and cinnamon and mix just until just combined. Add cherries, apricots, walnuts and chocolate and mix to combine.
3. Spray 1 baking sheet with cooking spray. Using 1 tablespoon cookie dough at a time, roll into balls and place 2-inches apart on baking sheet. Press cookies down with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly, as cookies will not spread as much as cookies with more butter.
4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned but still soft. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

Close Encounter With Giada

Italian food is one of my favorite dishes and I'm an avid fan of Everyday Italian hosted by Giada de Laurentiis at Food TV Network. I'd say that my cooking is mostly inspired by her recipes which are very simple and easy to make. I don't like very fussy and complicated dishes, I always go for the more convenient and practical ways to prepare meals for my family.

In 2006 when I learned that she's coming to MA to do book signing, I was very eager to go to see her face to face. I went with my girlfriend Lea to The Mall at Chestnut Hill in Sur La Table where she did the book signing. A lot of cooking aficionados showed up and we waited in line for hours to have our cookbooks signed by Giada. She's very pretty and petite and very nice, she answered questions from the fans. I remembered I just tried to cook a fish dish of hers where she used Tilapia, but I told her I used Salmon instead, she beamed and told me "there you go, it's good with other fish too."

My Influences

I'm not a born cook, I didn't even learn how to cook till I got married. So why on earth did I create a food blog you might ask? Well, nothing is impossible to people who put their hearts into anything. I was a wreck in the kitchen the first time I tried to seriously cook. My first Pancit dish (Noodle with Sauteed Vegetables) was overcooked with soggy noodles without my husband noticing it. He probably thought that's how Pancit was supposed to look like, lol. He loved it anyway so I just shut up my mouth and didn't crack anymore. I wonder if he was just being nice to me, lol.

Six years later, with so much telephone bills ran up calling my mom for tips and procedures; too many cookbooks bought and episodes of Food TV Network watched and online recipes printed; and of course a lot of determination and enthusiasm to learn; I would say that I'm now an official cook in the kitchen.

In my opinion cooking is an art and a never ending quest for perfection. One simple dish may be turned into an exquisite entree. I love to try dishes I see on my favorite food shows. I put my own twist and make them my own. I love to entertain and make my friends guinea pigs of the recipes I tried.

I hope to entertain you with the food that I will serve on My Kitchen Table, make yourself at home.