Summer Caprese Pasta

It's been a week since Small One moved and so far she is loving Pittsburgh!  Pittsburgh was my nearest "big city" for the first 22 years of my life (and my home for 3 glorious months after college) and I'll be the first one to tell you there is a lot to love about that town.  I'm definitely missing her back here in Philadelphia though, so when it was announced that this week's theme for the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange was pasta, I knew just what to make!

Last year, in the heart of tomato season, Small One invited a couple of us over to try her very favorite pasta dish that her mom (Small Mom) makes every summer when the tomatoes are at their ripest.  Its a super simple dish with next to no seasoning that lets all of the bold summer flavors be the star of the show.

If you want some more super fab tomato pasta recipes, check out the host sites Gimme Some Oven and Bake Your Day.  This week is sponsored by Pappardelle's Pasta and Recipe's For Change so don't be afraid to show them your love as well :)

INGREDIENTS:
-1/2 pound short grain pasta (we used gemelli)
-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
-3 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes
-1 oz of basil (a big bunch)
-8 oz fresh mozzarella balls
-2 Tbs of olive oil
-2 tsp kosher or sea salt

Optional:
-Grilled Chicken
-Fresh parmeasan cheese

Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to package instructions.  When done, drain the pasta and allow it to cool for a few minutes, just until it stops steaming.

As soon as you put the water on to boil, start preparing your veggies.  Mince 2 cloves of garlic very finely and add them to the bottom of a large bowl.  Since the garlic won't be cooked in this recipe, it is extremely important to make sure you chop it as finely as possible--a hunk of raw garlic will definitely ruin your bite!  Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces and add them to the bowl.  Next, rough chop the basil and add it to the bowl as well.  Finally, halve or quarter (depending on their size) the fresh mozzarella balls and add them to the bowl. Sprinkle the vegetables with a teaspoon of kosher salt or sea salt (less if you are using table salt) and mix everything together with a wooden spoon.  Allow the ingredients to rest for at least a half hour for the flavors to combine.  I found that the amount of time it took for the water to boil, and the pasta to cook and cool was the perfect amount of time for the vegetable mixture to sit.

Once the pasta has cooled for a few minutes, add it to the bowl and drizzle with 2 Tbs of olive oil.  Sprinkle with another tsp of kosher or sea salt and toss all of the ingredients gently with a wooden spoon.

The flavors are absolutely perfect on their own, but if you want to add a little protein to your meal, this pasta is fantastic topped with grilled chicken.  Otherwise we recommend serving it with an extra drizzle of olive oil and some additional kosher salt on the side.  Summer caprese salad is also lovely topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.

Tomato love and summer pasta love <3

XOXO,
Tall One

Black Forest Crescent Bites

We've made it no secret how much we love watching the Olympics.  The only trouble is, The Spatularettes are a little bit behind when it comes to technology.  The rest of the year my 27 inch tube TV isn't a bother, but once every four years I really wish I had something a little nicer.  It's probably no surprise then that I have been hunting for other places to watch The Games.  Small One and I went out a couple of nights, but mostly I have relied on a spatular friend and his 60 inch HD flat screen.  He's been more than hospitable, inviting me over on multiple occasions to cheer for the U S of A.  He does have one stipulation though... that I bring a snack along!  Given that I'm a spatularette, it seems like a fair trade-off.  I needed something quick that could  be thrown together between work and the start of the women's gymnastics all around finals so I dreamed up these sweet little bites.  They only take a few minutes to assemble and bake in 15, making them the perfect treat for girls on the go!

INGREDIENTS:
-1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
-8 bing cherries, pitted and halved
-Whipped cream cheese
-Mini chocolate chips
-Butter or butter substitute
-Powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pop a can of crescent rolls and unroll the dough.  Separate the triangles and cut each one in half.  If the dough is thick, use your hands to flatten it out a bit.  Lay 1/2 a cherry in the center of each triangle and top it with 1/4 tsp of mini chocolate chips.  Add a very small dollop (we used the 1/4 tsp) of whipped cream cheese to each bite.  Fold the edges of each triangle up and around the filling then gently use your hands to roll the dough into a ball making sure the fruit and chocolate is tightly sealed inside.  Place the balls on a baking sheet and put a small little pat of butter or butter substitute on top of each one.  Bake for 15 minutes and dust with powdered sugar as soon as you remove them from the oven.  Allow your sweet little bites to cool for at least 15 minutes and then enjoy!

We think these are a GOLD MEDAL snack!!

XOXO,
Tall and Small

Dear Small One

Dear Small One,
Three years ago, almost to the day, I sat along the river on Pittsburgh's North Shore with my spatular at the time.  We looked up at the massive digital clock that sits atop Mt Washington and watched as the minutes clicked by.  "Just think," he said.  "In 33 hours you won't be a Pittsburgher anymore... you'll be a Philadelphian."  That moment was the definition of the word bittersweet. By no means was I ready to leave, but I couldn't have been more excited about what the next chapter of my life would hold.  The last three years since I made the big move have brought me more happiness than I ever dreamed was possible, especially because I was able to spend two of them sharing a city with you.  But now the bittersweet day has come for me to say to you: Small One, you're not a Philadelphian anymore... you're a Pittsburgher!

When we first met six years ago, I knew we were destined to be great friends, but I never imagined that you would redefine the meaning of best friend.  During that time I have experienced some of the lowest moments of my life as well as been on top of the highest mounts and there is literally no one else in the world I would have wanted at my side through it all.  You were the one who sat with me when I got the call that my grandfather had passed away and you were in the passenger seat when I totaled your car and broke my hand.  You were the first person I hugged when we won the conference championship in cross country and the one who makes me laugh until I cry.  It doesn't matter if nobody else laughs... we know that we're funny :)

I hate to see you leave, but I am so excited about what life holds for you.  I have no idea where your path will lead you but I am confident that you can change the world--whether it be through science or the way you touch people's lives.  Things are obviously going to change as life pulls us in different directions, but I know that our friendship will remain a constant.  Some bonds are too strong to be broken.

So today as you say goodbye to the City of Brotherly Love and hello to the City of Bridges, just remember that you will always be by best friend and my other half.  I love you with all of my heart!

XOXO,
Tall One

South Of The Border Gazpacho

There are so many things I love about gazpacho that I don't even know where to begin!

The first time I ever tried gazpacho was during my junior year of college when I spent a semester studying abroad is Seville, Spain.  I lived with a family and my host mom could put together a rockin pot of Sevillano gazpacho.  Out of respect to her genius and that beautiful city, I'll never ever try and recreate it.

The second truly memorable bowl of gazpacho I had was at a little Spanish restaurant in St Augustine, FL.  Sometimes my job sends me fun places and I spent a week in Florida last February.  My boss, coworker and I ventured into Old Town St Augustine one night and stumbled upon an absolute gem of a restaurant  (now if only I remembered the name).  Anyways, they served gazpacho as a simple chilled tomato broth topped with all of the gazpacho fixing to be mixed in by the patron.  It was an interesting take on the dish that I had never seen before, but I liked it so I tried to tie it into today's recipe.

The next thing I'm loving about gazpacho is that it fits perfectly into this week's SOUP theme on the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange hosted by Gimme Some Oven and Bake Your Day.  This week's prize giveaway is an awesome set from Le Creuset and as always the project is benefiting American tomato farmers through Recipes For Change.

With all this great gazpacho inspiration, I knew I wanted to try something a little different... a little spicy... a little south of the border.  How this recipe actually came about though was through a manic shopping trip at Trader Joe's.  I had about ten minutes to spare before I was going to miss my train so with no list in hand I sprinted through the store grabbing anything and everything that might work in gazpacho (check out my loot below) and I figured I'd sort out the rest when I got home.  And you know what, sometimes mass randomness turns out to be the world's best ingredient because this gazpacho is awesome!  It is just spicy enough and focuses on the flavors of the individual ingredients instead of being weighed down with seasonings.  It also makes a huge batch.  Small One and I each had a big bowl for dinner last night, I ate it again for dinner tonight, and there is still plenty left for me to pack in my lunch for work all week.  Score!

INGREDIENTS:
-64 oz bottle of tomato based vegetable juice
-12 oz jar of salsa (we used medium)
-2 beefsteak tomatoes, rough chopped
-1-2 red chili peppers
-Handful of cilantro
-1 tsp garlic powder
-2 tsp cumin

-1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed.
-1 cup of baby heriloom tomatoes (or grape tomatoes), quartered
-1/2 cup of red onion, chopped
-1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
-1 green pepper, chopped
-2 ears of fire roasted corn, corn cut from the ear

Optional:
-Sour cream
-Sliced avacado

For the base of the gazpacho, pour the entire bottle of vegetable juice into a pot or a very large bowl and set aside.  To the bowl of a food processor, fit with a steel blade, add the contents of 1 jar of salsa, 2 large tomatoes, 2 red chili peppers, and a handful of cilantro.  Use your best judgement when it comes to the chili peppers as if you aren't careful you will add some serious heat.  The ones I used weren't exceptionally spicy, otherwise I would only suggest using one.  Process the ingredients for about 30 seconds or until almost smooth.  Add the contents of the food processor to the pot and stir gently.  Finally mix in the garlic powder and cumin.  Taste the soup to see if it needs any salt.  Ours didn't since bottled tomato juice typically has a pretty high sodium content.

For the vegetables, I like to add half of the chopped veggies to the gazpacho, and save the other half in small bowls on the side to top the soup when serving.  It is a nice way for everyone to get exactly what they want.  If this seems like too much work, go ahead and throw all of the veggies in at once.

Last summer, we found a Smitten Kitchen recipe that involved indoor fire roasted corn and we decided to incorporate it into this recipe.  It is pretty simple to do, and adds a nice smoky flavor to the corn. Simply turn on one gas burner and slowly turn a husked (but not cooked) ear of corn in the flame until it is well charred.  If you don't have a gas stove or don't want to go to the trouble of fire roasting, boiling or oven roasting will work just as well!  Regardless of how you cook it, when the corn is ready to go, use a large knife to trim the whole kernels from the cob and add them to the soup.

Chill the gazpacho in the refrigerator until mealtime.  To serve, we topped ours with sour cream, avocado slices, and the remaining black beans, tomatoes, onion, mushroom, pepper, and corn.  The different textures made every bite a surprise!

Keep on feeling the TOMATO LOVE!

XOXO,
Tall One

Food For Thought

"What are you waiting for?  A written invitation to participate in life?  Well you have one.  It's called your birth certificate."

Man!  Who knew a commercial could be so inspiring?  But these Olympic ones really hit home.  This is a goodie back from the '08 Games and it kinda got us thinking.

Are you living the life you want to live, or the life you feel obligated to live?
Do you surround yourself with good people?
Are you the kind person you want to be?
Do you have dreams and aspiration?  Do you follow your passions?
Do you wake up every day excited about what life holds for you?
Do you wake up every day believing that anything is possible?

If the answer is no, well then what are you waiting for?

Just some food for thought :)

XOXO,
Tall and Small

Fish and Chip Sliders

We both work inside so we always make it a point to spend as much time as possible outdoors once we call it a day (or a week) at the office and the lab.  In Pennsylvania you spend most of the winter cooped up in your apartment so this time of year it seems like a sin not to head outside at the very first opportunity.  But we have a confession to make.  We've been breaking our own cardinal rule quite a bit over the last few days.  In fact, we've spent very little time outdoors and instead our bums seems to be permanently attached to the couch.  Why is that, you may ask?

The OLYMPICS, of course!!  That's right, The Spatularettes are true Olympic addicts!  We just can't seem to get enough oft the fanfare, the competition, the patriotism, the Visa commercials, or the way that Ryan Lochte looks in his bathing suit. ;)   We're willing to drop just about everything to catch that next gold medal event.

Another fun fact about Tall and Small: we have a true obsession with all things British--our apologies to anyone we've ever subjected to our British accents.  So what's a girl to do when her two favorite things come together for two glorious weeks?  Uhhhhh, make some awesome food!  Duh!

Nothing seems more British than the classic Fish and Chips.  We decided to spatularette it up a bit and turn it into a fun slider.  All of the components of this British meal come together as a little hand held sandwich so its perfect for serving at parties or picnics, and a great way to get kids to try something new!  This is the first time we ever beer battered and  fried, but were surprised at how easy it was.  Just a little disclaimer, Tall One has terrible ventilation in her kitchen, and her apartment was smelling a little bit... fishy... for a few days after Opening Ceremonies.  So crank up your fans, turn on your fryers and celebrate Great Britain, American style!

INGREDIENTS:
-1 lb cod
-12 oz bottle of beer
-2 cups flour
-3 tsp Old Bay
-1 large potato
-Canola or vegetable oil for frying
-Sea salt
-8 slider buns

Optional for serving:
-Cole slaw
-Lemon wedges
-Malt vinegar
-Tartar sauce

Pour the canola or vegetable oil about three inches deep into a heavy bottom pot or a dutch oven.  Turn the heat to medium-high.  Ideal frying temperature is 375 degrees and it will take 15-20 minutes for your oil to get up to heat.

While the oil is heating, prepare the potatoes and fish.  Simply slice the potato into 1/4 inch rounds and set aside until ready to cook.  When the oil is hot, add all of the potatoes at once and fry for 10-15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.  Drain the potatoes on a paper towel and generously salt them with sea salt.  Keep the potatoes warm in the oven while the fish cooks.

To make the beer batter, pour the bottle of beer into a large bowl.  Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of flour and 2 tsp of Old Bay seasoning until smooth.  In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup of flour and 1 tsp of Old Bay.

Cut the fish into 3 inch piece.  Submerge the fish in the beer batter and then coat it in the flour mixture before sliding it into the oil to cook for about 5 minutes.  Repeat with each piece of fish.  Don't try to squeeze too much fish into the oil.  You'll probably need to fry it in 3 separate batches unless you have a very large Dutch oven.  Once the fish is golden brown, remove it from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow it to drain on a paper towel.  Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

To assemble the sliders, place one "chip" and one piece of fish on each slider bun.  Serve with the toppings of your choice.  We topped ours with a spicy slaw and lemon wedges.

**Fish and chip recipe is courtesy of the one and only Paula Deen.

(Fish and) chip chip cheerio mates!!

XOXO,
Tall and Small

Chocolate Stout Potato Chip Cupcakes

About a month ago, my friend Maria was checking the daily updates on Groupon and came across an awesome deal for a cupcake workshop.  She texted to ask if I would like to join her and it took about 2 seconds for me to respond with an excited YES!  We had no idea what to expect once we scheduled our class, but let's face it... a cupcake workshop has to be good, right!?  Well I'm here to tell you that it was way more than good :)

They call me Tall One for a reason!

The Little Hands Art Studio is located in East Falls and focuses mainly on children's parties and classes.  A couple nights a week though, Jess (the owner) opens up for special adult only cupcake workshops.  The events are BYO wine (because everything is better with a glass of wine!) and feature a super fab and original cupcake recipe.  The events are extremely low key and last about 2 hours.  All of the guests play a role in the prepping process, but there is plenty of time to mingle, chat, and sip your wine while the cupcakes bake.  To cap the night, the whole group sits around a long table together to frost and decorate the cakes.  So relaxing, so fun, and so delicious!

You'd have to be crazy not to enjoy this workshop.  Jess is funny, witty, and has some really great baking tips up her sleeve as well.  The workshop made for a truly wonderful evening with a friend, but this is also an  awesome date idea if you are trying to impress a spatularette (hint hint to all you spatulars out there).  Jess does private parties as well, so if you are looking for an idea for your next birthday, girls night, or work function, this could be it!  And if that description didn't sell you, then this recipe (courtesy of Jess at the Little Hands Artist Studio) for Chocolate Stout Potato Chip Cupcakes will!  Maria and I loved them so much that I decided to make them again this week for her birthday.  They are the perfect blend of sweet and salty that I guarantee you will not be able to resist!

INGREDIENTS:

Cupcakes:

-1 cup of stout beer

-1 stick unsalted butter

-2 eggs

-1 cup dark brown sugar- well packed

-3/4 cup sour cream

-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

-3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 cup granulated sugar

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

-1/2 cup crushed potato chips

Frosting:

-1/2 stick butter- unsalted, room temperature

-8 ounces cream cheese

-4 cups powdered sugar

-4 tablespoons cocoa powder

-1/3 cup stout beer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners.

Start by melting a stick of butter and 1 cup of stout beer on the stove top in a heavy bottom pot.  Let it cool for about 20 minutes and then transfer it to the bowl of your stand mixer.  Add 2 eggs and 1 cup of brown sugar to the butter/beer mixture and mix until well combined.  Add the sour cream and the vanilla and continue to mix for another 30 seconds.

In a separate bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while mixing on a low speed.  Fold in the crushed potato chips. (we used a food processor to make sure our chips were crushed very finely, but you could also use a rolling pin and a plastic bag).

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove the cupcakes from the tin and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

For the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa and powdered sugar.  Slowly alternate adding the dry ingredients and the 1/3 cup of beer to the mixer, beating until smooth after each addition.

Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with crushed potato chips.

**Note: This is the perfect amount of frosting for spreading, but if you plan to pipe it I would suggest making a batch and a half.

Chocolate and potato chips go together like peanut butter and jelly... or wine and cupcakes!

XOXO,
Tall One