Candy Sensation + Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

Any candy fans out there? I haven't yet blogged about candy, but at the behest of a friend, I'd like to introduce you to Germany's newest candy sensation:

Fresh Cola Mentos

That's right, people, Mentos has finally acknowledged in flavor form that the coolest thing about their candy is that it creates an explosion when dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke. Now you can not only wow your friends at the party with a sick Mentos/Coke show, but then you can top it all off by whipping out a roll of Fresh Cola Mentos when they're still speechless from your performance. Trust me, you'll have them coming in droves.

Now, who's going to write Mentos to tell them to start producing these in the US? Dear candy-loving friends, pull out your pens and paper and take one for the team.

And without further ado, here's one of my favorite cookie recipes.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

recipe from my mother

yields 3 1/2 dozen if you make golf ball-sized dough balls

Ingredients

-1 cup flour

-1/2 cup sugar

-1/2 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. baking soda

-1/4 tsp. salt

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup butter or butter-flavored shortening*

-1 egg

-1/4 tsp. vanilla

-3/4 cup rolled oats

-1/4 cup chopped nuts, optional

-extra sugar for dipping, optional

Method

One bowl recipe! Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix together your dry ingredients, and then add the liquids and combine. Roll the dough into balls. (I always use my hands instead of spoons). Dip the tops of the balls in sugar if desired. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet or pizza stone, and bake for 8-10 minutes. 8 minutes yields slightly chewer cookies; 10 minute-cookies will be crispy. I prefer these crispy.

*Butter-flavored shortening generally is a good substitute for butter in cookies. It's not any healthier, but it's much cheaper. It tastes the same or better when used in most cookies. I wouldn't, however, use it is a butter sub in brownies, cakes, or quick breads though. Thanks to my sister's friends for scientifically verifying the aptness of this substitution. They did a whole experiment!

Eggplant Marmalade

I don't really like eggplant. In fact I really used to hate it. Mushy pulp with slippery seeds - not for me. However, as a vegetarian, people seem to think that 1) eggplant is always a perfect substitute for meat and 2) that I love eggplant. As such, I've made it a recent mission to figure out how I can actually adopt a little affection for this vegetable.

There are two ways that I've had it and enjoyed it. First, if you've never had Saad's baba ganoush, then you are missing out on one of the main reasons that pita was invented. It's smoky and creamy, the absolute perfect combination of tahini and eggplant. Second, once I fried Indian eggplant - also good, but one can't eat fried eggplant everyday. Other than that, I've rejected all of my grilled, steamed, sauteed, and lasagna'ed eggplant attempts. So after a visit to the Turkish market last Friday, I find myself once again with a rather large eggplant sitting in my fridge. What to do? I'll admit, this baby almost became baba ganoush after a tempting offer of tahini from a friend, but I had no lemon juice. The thought of slicing it made me think of all the tough and bitter eggplant I've ever had. Not happening.

Then I stumbled upon this eggplant marmalade recipe, which I altered using a few different vegetables and cooking techniques. This, my friends, is eggplant heaven. In a only a few steps, you can transform baked eggplant into pasta sauce, sandwich filling, vegetable dish heaven! Also, added bonus - it's a budget recipe!

I've got a lot more eggplant experimenting to do, but for now, I bring you eggplant marmalade, my first real e-plant success. For tips on how to use it and how much to make, see the text below the recipe.

Eggplant Marmalade

yields about 1 cup, depending on the size of your vegetables

Ingredients

-1 large eggplant

-1 medium yellow onion, diced

-1/3 cup black olives, coarsely chopped

-2 medium tomatoes

-approx. 2 tbsp. olive oil

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Once the oven is hot, place the eggplant on a cookie sheet, and bake until soft and collapsed. (In order to prevent messiness, you can line your cookie sheet with foil). The baking took me about one hour. Once you've finished baking the eggplant, remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Then slice the eggplant, and scoop out all the flesh with a spoon. In a bowl, mash the eggplant with a fork. Don't worry if it's still stringy, you will cook it down in a moment. Set the eggplant aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to boil on the stove. Score the tomatoes with an "x," and drop them into the water. Cook the tomatoes for about 3 minutes. Then remove them from the water, plunge them under a cold faucet, and peel the skins off. Cut the tomatoes into 1-in chunks, and let them drain in a colander. Meanwhile, dice the onion, and saute it in a medium saucepan for about 5 minutes in a glug of hot olive oil. (You'll want to have a little more oil on hand to mix in later). While you are cooking the onions, dump out the water you boiled the tomatoes in, and return the tomatoes to this same pot. Cook them over a low heat with a dribble of olive oil. Stir them frequently. You'll want to cook out most of the liquid from the tomatoes. Add a dash of salt to speed up the process.

In the other pot, after the onions have browned for a few minutes, reduce the heat to med-low, and add the eggplant, the olives, and the minced garlic. Stir and begin to reduce the liquid content. At this point, you can change the consistency of the mixture. Add more water if you want it juicier, or cook longer if you prefer it to be thicker. I added about 1/3 cup of water. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper, and continue cooking. I cooked the eggplant for about 15 minutes. Just before you have achieved the desired liquid content, add the tomatoes (which should contain little juice by this point) to the eggplant, and combine. Remove the pot from the heat, correct the seasonings, dribble a little more olive oil over the marmalade, and give in a last stir. My eggplant required a good deal of both salt and pepper.

Suggested Uses

-Chill the eggplant for a few hours, and eat it cold in pita, with some sliced cheese, bell peppers, and lettuce as a healthy sandwich.

-Double (or triple) the recipe, and serve it hot over pasta. I would suggest using a shell- or tube-shaped pasta which will "catch" more of the sauce. You may also want to increase the onion or tomato content.

-Serve it for breakfast with a poached egg on top.

-I haven't tried this, but I suspect that it would also be tasty with some spicy peppers and maybe a tablespoon or two of good-quality vinegar mixed in. Serve with a soft cheese and crackers for a snack.

Budget Tricks - Poached Egg in a Cup

As the header above this blog title reveals, I am indeed an ex-college student. Though all of this seems to imply that I have earned a university diploma, suffered through microeconomics lectures with 250 people, and consumed one too many coffees in the library café, the real issue here is that I am now living off my own nickel. And this economy isn't throwing anyone a bone. I'm pretty good at budgeting, generally. I know what I spend, when I spend it, and how much I'm willing to shell out for each purchase. For example, when it comes to produce, I buy only what's in season, and I often shop at markets, which tend to have fruits and vegetables that are not only cheaper, but also more fresh. Because I'm a vegetarian and I have a somewhat insane addiction to raisins and peanuts - did I mention that I'm also weird? - I make a special trip to buy these items in bulk. When it comes to whole grains, tea, and salt, I'm always willing to pay a little extra for quality. [I have a whole system worked out for the purchasing of clothing as well. I almost always buy from the super clearance section, and I'm a huge fan of thrift stores. Running shoes though? I refuse to sacrifice my feet and knees to the pavement. I used to buy cheap sneakers, and my poor toes were so blistered everyday that they looked like they'd been run over by a car tire, which, had I not been so frugal, might also have led to additional purchases of bandages and tape. But I digress. Also, you'll probably never want to read about food if I continue discussing my feet].

Back to the issue at hand, I find that I'm happiest in the kitchen when I'm able to merge healthy eating, maximum flavor, and wallet-friendly shopping. Some of the ways I do this I mentioned above - making smart and seasonal purchases, taking an extra walk to go to the more reasonably priced store, but I also try to come up with creative uses for everyday foods. In this department, I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve. One of my very favorites, however, is to deploy the egg as not a mere addition to a meal, but as a protein-boosting, creamy sauce that replaces other sauces that are more expensive as well as high in sodium, sugar, and preservatives. There are a million ways to cook an egg (and I'm only exaggerating a little), but I've found that as a condiment, the poached egg works well. You'll have a soft and fleshy white that, when ladeled over your food, will break open so that the milky yolk can being used for dipping. The poached egg can be eaten over steamed broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, toast, skillet corn, couscous, salmon, you name it. In particular, I like to have it at lunch with a bowl of warm salsa, a fresh jalapeño, and a tortilla. Add some refried beans and you've got yourself a five-minute taco.

Which brings me to the "in a cup" part of the poaching. Poaching an egg can be a daunting task. It's a little tricky to slide the egg into hot water without letting the white go everywhere and create a stringy soup rather than a nicely rounded lump. If you get the poaching right, you'll come up with a beautifully-shaped egg, but I've found that when I'm cooking for myself, I almost always favor speed and convenience over presentation. Hence the poaching in a cup. Easy, fast, and versatile. Do it at home.

Poached Egg in a Cup

this recipe is for one egg

Ingredients

-water

-egg(s)

-salt and pepper to taste

-any other seasonings you like on your eggs, coordinate this part with whatever you're planning to serve with the egg

Method

Pour a couple of inches of water into a small pot. Over the stove, bring the water almost to the point of boiling. Once bubbles gather around the sides and bottom of the pot, reduce the heat to medium. In the meantime, crack an egg into a mug or a ramekin (or another dish that can withstand heat). Don't stir the egg - you do not want to break up the yolk. Top the egg with salt, pepper, and seasonings. Just after you have reduced the heat of the water, set the ramekin into the pot. You'll want the water to reach the level of the top of the egg, but you don't want any water to get into the ramekin itself. From here on, cooking time depends on how hot your water is. You'll want to remove the egg as soon as the white becomes opaque. This generally takes me about 2 minutes. Make sure when you remove the ramekin to use tongs or a towel because it will be quite hot. As soon as you've removed the egg from the heat, carefully slide it from the ramekin onto whatever you're serving it with. I ate mine with sauteed cauliflower, tomatoes, and feta. The egg won't stay warm long so eat it right away.* I break the egg into bits and often use bread or veggies to sop up the yolk.

*I hear the you can reheat a poached egg by placing it back into the hot water for a minute or so, but I've never tried this myself.

Apfelkuchen

I have a little confession to make about today's post: I'm letting you into the gloriously tempting world of divine German pastries, complete with drool provocation via my digital cam, and I'm not even offering you a recipe.

Dear readers, I am sorry.

Honestly, for my non-Germany-based readers, you really should be kicking yourselves for not being in The Land of Many Bakeries. If you could only see the endlessly delicious street corners, the bakeries filled with treats of all shapes, creams and custards and glazed fruits and chocolate. Oh, the chocolate. The best thing about it all is that everyone here loves sweets. We all know how positively annoying it is to be in a place where you feel like the lone non-dieter, the only person who really, really must have a treat at least once a day. When you feel like the Santa Claus on Christmas Eve compared to the stick-thin rabbits surrounding you? Well, you will never, ever feel that way in Germany. Bring on the butter and sugar, folks, we're having a party! Or maybe not a party, we just need a little mid-morning pick-me-up. That's the spirit.

I've tried to be responsible to my stomach, but thus far, I've tasted Mohnschnecke, Apfelkuchen, Macarons (yes, I know that they are French), hazelnut ice cream, raspberry ice cream, butter cookies, almond croissants, Ritter Sport chocolate, cappuccino-flavored chocolate, waffle cookies, rhubarb squares - what, not stomach-conscious you say? What about the Sephardic orange cake? That's healthy, right?

I'm dying to make a few of these recipes. Unfortunately, as I've mentioned a few (too many) times, I'm a bit short on baking hours so you can expect plenty of experimentation mid-September. For now let's begin with a few words on this pictured Apfelkuchen. What you see here is the most typical German apple cake. It's baked in a sheet and cut into large rectangles. The bottom layer is a light yellow cake - thicker than pound but heavier than angel food. Second, there's a creamy layer, topped with thinly sliced peeled apples. Last, you've got crumbly streusel to round out the cake's textural variation. When I first purchased this cake, I had the option of buying it with a glazed top in place of the streusel, but my hitherto unacknowledged streusel affinity won out, and I succumbed to buttery bliss.

My second thought, after the streusel vs. glaze debate, was that the cake layer was too thick compared to the custard-cream layer. I might have thought differently had the cake been of the thicker pound variety, but this cake looked like it only functioned as a serving platter for the cream. Bite number one, however, proved to me that I judged too soon. The cream is shockingly sweet - thick and milky, and in fact, it needs to be cut by the light texture of the cake. The streusel gives the whole cake a necessary crunch, making each bite a play of moist and dry, slippery and chewable, buttery and fruity.

I offer two primary suggestions for this pastry. Most importantly, the thickness of both apples and streusel layers should be increased, as both were slightly overwhelmed by the cream. Next, the butter content in the streusel should also be upped. When I test an apfelkuchen recipe in September, I'll make sure to create a cake with slightly better ratios. On the other hand, I'm sure that the apple cake recipes vary from bakery to bakery here.

Besides this complaint, all I can really say is that oh my, do Germans know their pastries.

Oh, and to those of you who are celebrating Tish'a b'Av, hurry and buy your cake before the fast begins!

Guest Post - Ooey, Gooey Bars

I know I just posted a recipe called "Ooey, Gooey Brownies," but I'll admit to a little recipe name pilfering. Truth be told, I stole the name for those brownies from this dessert. These are the original Ooey, Gooey cake squares. By now all of you readers know that I am in Berlin, Germany, where I find myself swept up in all sorts of activities (not the least of which is eating a lot of tasty treats). As such, my family is helping me keep up the blog during my stay here. Today I introduce you to Chelsea, my lovely sister - who has a blog of her own, which you should all check out - the writer for The MuffinTin Post's very first guest blog! Chelsea presents one of her favorite desserts, an easy one to whip up for last-minute guests.

From here on out, Chelsea's takin' the reins.

"I love not only making but also eating Ooey Gooey Bars! These are a great dessert for any occasion and definitely a huge hit when I take them places! These are GREAT with a glass of milk and even with fruit like strawberries or blueberries on top! I you love them as much as I do.

Here is what to do:

1 package yellow cake mix
1/4 cup butter
1 egg

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 in. cake pan. Mix together melted butter, cake mix, and egg. Spread into the pan.

1 lb. powdered sugar
2 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese

Beat sugar, eggs, and cream cheese together. Spread the mixture over the cake mix, creating two layers.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. You don't want to bake the bars until the are totally dried out. Bake the top layer just enough that it becomes glazed. You'll want the top layer to be ooey and gooey. Let the bars cool for about 15 minutes before cutting them to serve.

Try not to eat the whole pan yourself . . .

Quinoa with Fruit

I think I'm overworking myself a bit. I spend three hours per day in class, plus several hours of planned appointments/excursions/tours after that. I study Hebrew every morning for at least an hour. I try to run as often as possible. I've started impromptu German lessons two to three times per week, unfortunately held from 9pm to 12am. Then there's reading and writing for class each day. And on top of all of that, I'm supposed to get out and see Berlin as much as possible!

Doing all of these activities leaves me with little sleep each night, and for better or for worse, coffee just doesn't cut it in the morning. I need something energizing and nutritious to get me through the day. I've never been able to skip breakfast - I eat it even in the most dire of circumstances - but now my breakfast standards have been boosted up a notch. I need whole grains and protein! However, being in Berlin, my breakfasts are also a food experiment. I've tried different kinds of yogurt, berries, muesli, and juice, and I've found that even far away from my standard products, breakfast here is still my favorite meal of the day. There is one breakfast, though, that I can't get here. Hailing from the Andean region of South America, quinoa, the US food industry's latest and greatest new import item, is a unique and deliciously simply grain.

The word quinoa comes from the Peruvian indigenous language Quechua, and in eating the tiny granules, you are actually consuming small seeds of the quinoa bush. Quinoa is similar to couscous, but it had a thin fibrous strand surrounding the kernel. Nutritionally, quinoa beats most of its competitors. It has about 12% protein, but not only that, it in fact provides a complete protein since it contains all 9 essential amino acids. It is a good source of fiber, magnesium, and iron, and it is gluten-free. As an added bonus, it's also kosher for Passover because it wasn't know about when these dietary restrictions were made!

Quinoa can be eaten all sorts of ways: as an accompanying dish with vegetables and some olive oil, in soup, as a pepper or tomato stuffing, or alone. However, as I said earlier, I've been searching for hearty breakfasts, and quinoa fits the bill. Here's an experimental quinoa breakfast I tried. It's the simplest of recipes, but it will keep you going until noon!

Quinoa with Fruit

Ingredients

1 part quinoa

2 parts water

hefty pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp. of sugar per cup of quinoa

handful of dried fruit, chopped

Method

Rinse the quinoa using a fine sieve. This is important because many brands of quinoa currently imported are not thoroughly washed. Then bring the water to boil in a saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add the quinoa, and boil for 2 minutes. Then reduce the water to a simmer, and add the salt and sugar, stirring well. Cook the quinoa until almost soft. This should take about 12 minutes. In the remaining few minutes, add the dried fruit. Then finish cooking. When the quinoa is finished, the strand surrounding the kernel will have detached from the seed itself. The quinoa will also have expanded, similarly to couscous. I like my quinoa with a slight bit of crunch so I generally undercook it by a few minutes. Drain off excess water, and serve the dish immediately.

A Proper German Meal

Today I bring you the first proper German meal I have prepared in Berlin. As I mentioned in my last post, I've been a little starved for a real dinner since I've been here. Today, my first free day since the beginning of my study program, I decided to rectify the situation with a little trip to the store. Actually, I went to four stores. First, I went to Bio Company to buy a special tofu product. (More about that later). Then I went to Kaiser's, where I bought non-produce items like yogurt, bread, and crushed tomatoes. Afterward, I stopped at a produce stand for fruits and vegetables, and finally I headed to a Turkish shop that sells nuts and dried fruit. 

[An aside: I must add that I have at long last found a local store that sells dried carob! I've been looking for a year now! I consider this no small accomplishment since I generally go out of my way to find and purchase dried fruit.]

After my tour of German food vending establishments, I returned home to my small apartment in Kreuzberg, went for a run on Karl Marx Boulevard, and then fired up my stove to prepare a German Abendessen.

The Menu

Tofu bratwurst with onions

Purple cabbage sauerkraut

Green salad with quark dressing

Rye bread

The salad dressing is a typical German sauce, but I was experimenting so the recipe is still in the works. I'll have it to you shortly. First, let's take a look at tofu-wurst preparation.

Ingredients

Tofu bratwurst or the real thang of course

Water

1/2 tbsp. of oil (enough to very lightly coat a pan)

Onions, make as much as you want

Salt to taste

Method

If the tofu bratwurst has a casing, prick it several times with a fork before you begin cooking. Places the bratwurst in a skillet, and add enough water to the skillet so that the water comes up halfway on the side of the tofu. Bring the water to a light simmer, and cover the skillet. Depending on the size of the tofu, you will need to simmer it for some time. I had small bratwursts, and I cooked mine for about 20 minutes. Standard size should take about 30 minutes. The tofu will absorb some of the water and expand in size. Do not boil - only simmer - the water throughout this period. After the tofu has expanded, drain the water from the pan, and turn up the heat to med-high. Add just enough oil to the pan to coat the bottom. (I used just a few drops of oil). Pan-fry the bratwurst by letting it brown on one side and then rolling it to the other side. I rolled the bratwurst around in the pan so that all sides would be crispy. About halfway through this process, add the onions, along with the salt. Pan-frying will take 5 to 10 minutes. After the tofu is nicely browned, remove it and the onions from the skillet. Serve while still warm.

Since in Germany, I haven't yet had time to make homemade sauerkraut - which I prefer - so after I finished my tofu-wurst, I opened a big bottle of red cabbage sauerkraut that I bought a few days ago. No, that's a lie. I re-opened the bottle. I have, in fact, been eating this stuff for every meal since I bought the bottle. I've actually even been spooning it out of the jar for a little snack mid-day. It's that good. However, although I've been eating it cold, directly from the fridge, I wanted to warm it up for this dinner. I warmed it in the same pan in which I cooked the tofu. 

To serve the whole meal, I nestled my tofu-wurst into two mounds of onions and kraut. Then I broke of a piece of hearty German rye bread, and I made up a huge green salad with that soon-to-be-published quark dressing.