Maui Girl Cooks

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti

Tag Archives: Molly Wizenberg


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“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”  James Beard

A few months ago, I thought it would be fun to write a series of posts, during the holidays, with some suggestions for gifts/stocking stuffers for the foodies on your list {including yourself of course!}.  Well, it comes as no surprise to me that the train has left the station and I am late {yet again} in bringing this idea to fruition.  For example, I make fruitcake every year for my mom and aunt.  The recipe states that the cakes should be made around Thanksgiving so that they will be boozy, ripe and ready to eat by Christmas.  I was thinking about said fruitcakes around Thanksgiving, had all the ingredients out in plain sight, but the fruitcake ingredients have not yet turned into fruitcakes.  After I go swimming this morning, the afternoon’s project will be fruitcake . . . . . after lunch, of course.  As far as gift ideas for my readers, consider them gift ideas for any time of the year.  I certainly don’t need a holiday to buy myself something special for my kitchen!

But first, a friend mentioned that my most recent post listed all the ingredients for Date Walnut Cinnamon Bread by weight, specifically in grams.  Sorry about that!  I just updated the post to include measurements by volume, so now you can run to your kitchen and bake this scrumptious {and easy} bread.

And now, on to the gifts. . .

Holiday Gifts

1} Digital Scale– I have cooked without a scale for many more years than I have cooked with a scale, but now I cannot imagine not having one.  A scale offers ease and accuracy in cooking, and baking in particular.  It seems logical to think that if you measure 3 cups of flour, they will all be identical; no, they probably won’t be identical, and could be off by an amount significant to whatever you are preparing.  Professional bakers measure ingredients by weight to be precise and accurate, and to ensure consistent results.  In addition to being more accurate, measuring ingredients by weight is faster, and there aren’t lots of measuring cups to wash.  Cooks Illustrated likes this one {www.cooksillustrated.com}: OXO Food Scale model # 1130800.

2} Penzeys gift certificate or collection or herbs/spices- I love Penzeys!  They have an extensive catalog of herbs, spices and delicious blends.  Penzeys offers friendly, quick service and their products are high quality. Some of my favorite Penzeys’ products are:  Penzeys Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon {make this into cinnamon sugar to top your Date Walnut Cinnamon Bread}, Shallot Pepper, Sunny Paris Seasoning {yummy on popcorn!}, French Grey Salt and Dried Jalapenos {better than red pepper flakes on pizza and spaghetti!}.

3} Silicone Spatulas– Cooks Illustrated likes this one and this one.  The beauty of cooking with a silicone spatula is that they withstand very high temperatures, so your food is not laced with melted plastic.

4} Salt– A selection of different salts is tasty and fun.

  • Kosher salt– Use kosher salt for cooking & baking.  It is easy to find at most grocery stores.  Many cooks have a little bowl of kosher salt by the stove because it is easy to pick up a “pinch of salt” with your fingers.  It dissolves into food quickly so you can add it and taste for seasoning without waiting.
  • Fleur de Sel {salt}- After reading David Lebovitz’s blog post about his favorite fleur de sel {means “flower of salt” in French}, I got on line with Amazon straight away & bought some.  It is delicious!  Lest you think that if you’ve tasted one salt you’ve tasted them all, be assured that there is a distinct difference between salts.  Fleur de sel is not a cooking salt, but a finishing salt that you might sprinkle on a salad, steak, vegetables, or perhaps mix with some unsalted butter for a delectable spread for some warm yeasty bread.
  • Maldon Salt– Maldon salt is another finishing salt, and is great on Mocha Truffle Cookies and Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I have also made herb butter with Maldon salt, which makes a delicious herby, buttery spread with a few crunchy flakes of salt here and there; fantastic on a great piece of bread!

6} Salt Grinder– My mom & dad gave us salt and pepper grinders for Christmas one year, many moons ago, and we wouldn’t think of using sprinkle salt and pepper.  The taste of freshly ground salt and pepper is far superior to table salt and pepper that has been pre-ground so that it becomes a rather tasteless black dust after a while.  Once you get used to freshly ground salt, or one of the other specialty salts, iodized table salt will taste harsh and medicinal, and you will wonder why you ever put it in your food.  The salt grinder that we have used for quite a few years now is a Unicorn.  It has no metal parts to corrode, which can be a hazard of salt grinders.  It works well and is easy to fill.

7} Books

  • Vegetable Literacy {Deborah Madison}-This is my latest purchase from my favorite cookbook author.  Her recipes are delicious, uncomplicated and well-written.  In my opinion, if you love good food, you cannot go wrong with a book by Deborah Madison.
  • The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs {Karen Page, Andrew Domenburg}- This excellent reference book gives cooks ideas on what flavors work well together.  What acid works best with arugula?  What are the best herbs to use to jazz up your polenta?  What flavors work well with the chanterelle mushrooms you just bought {lucky you!!}?  The Flavor Bible has these answers and more.  The book is arranged by categories such as season, cuisine, ingredients, flavorings, tastes {i.e. sour, bitter, etc.}, oils, peppers, salts and more. There are no recipes in the book, but limitless ideas for making food the best it can be.
  • A Homemade Life {Molly Wizenberg}- I bought this book to take on a trip to visit my family on Oahu, when we were still living in Washington State.  Once I started reading, I could not put this book down.  I read Molly’s stories and recipes all the way across the Pacific Ocean.  Molly is a wonderful writer; you can also check out her blog Orangette, which I love.
  • My Berlin Kitchen {Luisa Weiss} – I just bought this at Costco and am almost finished with it.  Luisa is the author of The Wednesday Chef, another of my favorite food blogs.  Her book is a lovely read, a very personal memoir with recipes.

Happy holidays & bon appetit!

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.”    Julia Child

Ruffled Pink Hibiscus final

I left early for my walk this morning, though not as early as I should have.  I departed at 7:30, but the sun felt sizzling hot, just like it did yesterday, although today there was a nice cloud that stole the sizzle every now and then; I like that on a hot day.  The difference from yesterday’s walk is I left 3 hours earlier today, and yesterday’s walk ended up at the community swimming pool, while today’s walk ended up in the kitchen. For me, both are excellent destinations.  Following is a run-down of my kitchen adventures with recipes.

Upon returning from my 3.4 mile walk, I made some freezy Banana Mocha Frozen Yogurt with Crunchy Walnuts, satisfying & scrumptious.  Did I mention that it’s hot today?  This little snack really hit the spot & helped me to cool off.  It’s not super frozen, but more of a soft serve that tastes enough like ice cream to satisfy me.  You can put it in the freezer if you want it firmer.  If you leave it in the freezer until it freezes solid, you can bring it back to creaminess by whizzing it in the food processor again.  I find it easier to just make it and eat it right away, or within an hour or two.  My recipe is an adaptation of a tasty vegan Banana Soft Serve; find that recipe here.  After you look at the Banana Soft Serve recipe, take a spin around the Choosing Raw blog; Gena has lots of fabulous recipes.  You do not need to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy her site.

Banana Mocha Frozen Yogurt with Crunchy Walnuts
¾ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt {We use Nancy’s Plain Yogurt in the 64 ounce container.  Our yogurt is nonfat or low fat, whichever one has the latest pull date.}
1 ½ frozen bananas cut into small pieces {When our bananas are getting too ripe, we peel them, cut them in half and freeze them on a cookie sheet.  Pop them into a freezer bag, and they are ready for banana bread, banana muffins, smoothies, “frozen yogurt” and whatever else you might fancy.}
1 tsp cocoa powder {like Hershey’s}
¼ tsp espresso powder
Grind or pinch of sea salt {brings out the flavor}
20 chocolate chips {preferably dark chocolate, because it’s healthier}

Put the yogurt, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt in a food processor or high speed blender.  I have a little Cuisinart mini food processor that works great.  Pulse a few times to mix. Add chocolate chips and ½ a banana and pulse to get things going.  Once the first banana is blended in, you can add the rest of the banana pieces and process until smooth.  Top with crunchy walnuts or your nut of choice and enjoy.

I do not put any sweetener in this recipe, because the bananas are sweet enough for our tastes.  We have been eating plain yogurt for a long time, and find the sweetened stuff way too sweet.  If you need sweetening, try a little maple syrup or honey.

Banana Mocha Frozen Yogurt

The cilantro is washed & happy in its jar, which was formerly the home of kalamata olives.
Cilantro in Kalamata Jar final

Dandelion greens {a new favorite of ours} have been cleaned and are ready for salad with mustard vinaigrette.  This is my gateway recipe for mustard vinaigrette, from A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg. I love this book, and her blog Orangette.  I highly recommend that you stop by when you have a minute; you will be happy you did.  She tells great stories and her recipes are wonderful.

Dandelion Greens

Mustard Vinaigrette {from A Homemade Life}
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp + 2tsp red wine vinegar.  Add 3 tbsp olive oil & whisk well to emulsify {thicken}.

I actually just wing making mustard vinaigrette now; I start with a big plop of Dijon {smooth or grainy}, minced shallot, garlic {mashed to a paste with a little kosher salt} & vinegar of choice {I use Bragg’s apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, and occasionally I will use balsamic with a squeeze of lemon.}.  Whisk together to combine and then whisk in olive oil until it is the consistency you like.  If it is too sharp for your taste, add a little honey.

I steamed some asparagus, which we enjoyed with a dollop of freshly made mayonnaise, freshly ground salt & pepper.

Mayonnaise {adapted from The Best Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated}
1 egg {pasteurized if you are worried about eating raw egg}
2 tsp white wine vinegar
5 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice {original recipe is 3 tsp}
about 2 tsp Dijon mustard {I don’t measure, but just put in a nice plop; original recipe is ½ tsp}
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups neutral oil {I use canola}

Put egg, vinegar, lemon juice and salt in bowl of food processor.  Pulse a few times to mix.  Turn on the processor and drizzle in oil, until all of it has been added.  My Cuisinart’s feed tube has a hole in it, so I just fill it with oil until it’s all in, and then turn off the processor.  I don’t like the mayonnaise to be super stiff, so I turn off the processor as soon as all the oil is in.

There was a bit of broccoli, not your “regular” broccoli, but something like broccoli rabe, leftover in the refrigerator, so we ate it in the same way as the asparagus.  Delicious!

Broccoli Rabe final

The beets are tender now, from their time in the steamer.  Not sure if I will get to it today, but I am going to make Beet Namasu.  This is our new favorite way to enjoy pickled beets.

P.S. I did not get to making Beet Namasu.  We went out for pizza & beer at Flatbread Pizza Company in Paia.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Jack on his afghan finalThis is the reason I weigh close to 20 pounds; I lounge about most of the day!