Baker's Theory

5 Favorite Things

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Happy Sunday! I had a really great weekend. How about you? Here are some of the highlights from our corner of the world. 

#5: Running!

I absolutely adore spring. This weekend had especially nice weather and I have been logging in the miles on my shoes. Did you know that you should dress for 20°F warmer than it is outside when you’re going for a run? This rule was well met on Saturday when it was 80°F out and I could pull on my cute new running shorts.

Ever since quarantine last year, running has become one of my more regular hobbies. Before then, I was more of a begrudging runner, often dwelling on whether I should run that last mile or just walk home. Now that I implement high intensity intervals into running (30 seconds run, 30 seconds walk), I can run for a much longer time. HIIT significantly improves endurance.

I’m suspicious it has spread to the twins, too, who regularly go out for runs in nice weather and use their own HIIT timers. Jim has finally pulled out his sneakers and met up with me for a run on Saturday! It never fails to make my heart flutter to see him running towards me!

So far this year I have run and/or walked 111 miles! Now that it’s really warming up, I hope to make that 300 miles before the summer ends! Do you have any workout goals this year? 

#4: Big Macs & Burgundy

Jim and I went to pick up my glazed rainbow plate from Lauren’s birthday pottery painting pottery, and it was so nice outside that I just felt like being out for a bit longer. My husband is much more planned, and I knew when I asked him if he’d want to go to Barnes & Noble since we were already out, his preference would be not to, but he indulged me anyway. 

I am almost finished with the Silk & Song series and am ready for a new book. Just this week, Malcolm Gladwell’s newest book, The Bomber Mafia, was released, so I decided to pick it up. Of course, books in bookstore are like Pringles and once you pop you can’t stop, so I also got two other books as collateral. 

One was a bartender guide which you may have noticed has had quite an influence on my recent posts, and the other was this hilarious little book on pairing wine with real world food called Big Macs & Burgundy by Vanessa Price. She has a great knack for humorous and informative writing, and she supplied all of her research and charts into this charming book where she pairs wine with the entire Taco Bell menu, movie theater candy, hot dogs, and every dipping sauce for McDonald’s chicken McNuggets. 

She has pairings for more fancy, “refined” foods, too, but it is refreshing to know that wine can be enjoyed beyond the snobby realm it is notorious for. My first one to try from her books is Sancerre and Cheetos. 

#3: Mucci's Italian

My favorite restaurant FINALLY reopened for dine-in after over a year of COVID beginning. It is a fantastic little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant with a Golden Fork award and a never disappointing rotating menu.

The last time I was there, in fact, was February 2020, when Jim and I met up with my childhood best friend, Kaylee, for dinner because she was in town for a business trip. Little did I know that Kaylee, Jim, my mom, and my bridal crew Morgan and Lauren were all in on a secret singing telegram delivery who A) looked just like Vince Vaughn in a top hat and bow tie and B) would serenade/announce the destination for my bachelorette party to the tune of I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane in front of my tiramisu and 45 other people.

It was a pretty mortifying experience, one I have reminded all parties involved that I will not forget when any of their celebratory moments come. I was also fairly certain Mucci’s would never allow me back in because A) Vince’s voice filled/disturbed the entirety of the restaurant (which is about 10 sqft including the kitchen) and B) the owner stood at the bar cleaning the same wine glass for the 5-minute duration of the song with a harrowing glare that laser beamed right into my soul. 

In fact, I’m pretty sure he remembered me when Jim and I walked in for our reservation yesterday for our date night, but COVID has been so hard on small businesses, I’m pretty sure all has been forgiven. 

Anyway, we feasted!!! We ordered hangover kale, sweet pea agnolotti, a fried chicken pizza, and (what I thought was) a fantastic rosemary olive oil cake with grapefruit curd and Italian buttercream. (I will be attempting to recreate this soon, probably with orange curd.)

#2: Playing Music with Jim

We went back to where it all started yesterday for our monthly date night: the piano room at Jim’s parent’s house. My husband and I met at work in July 2016, volunteered (with Jim’s twin, Joe) to create a holiday trivia game for a work party in December 2017, and began playing music together in January 2018. Jim plays the piano beautifully and I get by on my cello. 

Once a month I’d drive my cello to have a classical jam session with Jim in the lovely piano room. The first piece we worked on was Largo from Chopin’s Cello Sonata. We moved on from that to other Romantic era music and our friendship bloomed. 

We both love to play music together and reminisce on our origin story. Yesterday was no exception! Romantic classical music holds a special place in our hearts. We came over to Jane and Joe’s house and quickly jumped in to Schubert’s Nacht und Träume. I really love that we can do something together we both enjoy and create something out of it. 

#1: Mother's Day Weekend

I cannot express how excited I am for next weekend!!! And I am writing about it now because I’m pretty sure next Sunday will be very busy. My mom and I are having a girls weekend on the lake! I get to dote on her and we get to share some much needed mother-daughter time. 

My mom is such a special woman and I love her so much. She deserves massive recognition for being the most kind and generous human being I’ve ever met and been fortunate enough to have been raised by. She is my inspiration, conscience, and life coach. 

She is also the perfect lady, hostess, badass boss, traveling companion, brunch buddy, wedding planner, fashionista, and mom. Happy Mothers’ Day to my incredible mom!

My mom has given me an appreciation for what it means to be a nurturer and maternal figure, and I recognize that in all of the important ladies in my life! So I also have to wish my husband’s mother, Jane, the happiest Mothers’ Day as well! Jane has gracefully conquered motherhood in raising four wonderful gentlemen, and I am incredibly blessed to be married to one of her creations. She is also my inspiration! 

Happy early Mothers’ Day to all moms out there! You are SO loved. 

Cucumber Mint Splash

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Cucumber Mint Splash! It actually has lime, too, is garnished with blueberries, and is topped with lemon-flavored San Pellegrino soda water. I have been craving something fresh, sweet, and puckering but without any alcohol. I also am desperately searching for any reason to use my cute cocktail skewers. 

Fun, non-alcoholic drinks are severely underrated, and are just as fun to dress up as cocktails. Shaved cucumber peel rolls up into a nice spiral and protects a fat blueberry. It’s skewered under a lime wedge with pure panache. 

The remaining spike of the skewer impales half of a fresh cucumber spear. That’s garnish #1. There’s also a fresh sprig of mint and, of course, a fun straw!

Now there is a way to make this alcoholic, too. Gin and limoncello can get muddled up with the lime, mint, and cucumber. But trust me, it’s perfectly good without them and a heavy hand with the lime juice. 

This drink is actually a spin off of a gin sling! In the alcoholic version, it uses limoncello instead of vermouth. The lemon-flavored San Pellegrino is really yummy on its own, too, and sort of tastes like sparkling lemonade. 

Recipe

Cucumber Lime Mint Splash

A non-alcoholic beverage for a refreshing, sweet, puckering treat! Muddled mint and cucumber in lime juice, strained and topped with ice and lemon-flavored San Pellegrino. Garnished with a lime, cucumber rolled up around a blueberry, and a cucumber spear next to a sprig of mint and a fun straw!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cucumber
  • 2 Limes
  • ½ cup Blueberries
  • 6 sprigs Fresh mint
  • 1 can Limonata San Pellegrino
  • 4 oz Gin OPTIONAL
  • 2 oz Limoncello OPTIONAL

Instructions
 

  • Take four of the sprigs of fresh mint and remove the leaves. Drop the leaves in a cocktail shaker. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the cocktail shaker. Muddle mint leaves in the lime juice.
  • Using a vegetable peeler, shave off two long pieces of cucumber. Reserve for garnish. Then cut the cucumber in half and quarter the halves. You will have eight spears of cucumber. Chop six of the spears and dump into the cocktail shaker. Save two of the spears for garnish.
  • Muddle the chopped cucumber spears with the mint and lime. If using alcohol, add in gin and limoncello and muddle further. Cover and strain into a low ball glass.
  • Make the garnish. Cut the second lime into wedges and skewer one wedge on to each skewer. Roll up the shaved cucumber around a blueberry and skewer that below the lime wedge. Then stab remaining skewer into a cucumber spear. Repeat for second drink.
  • Split remaining blueberries between the low ball glasses, top them with ice and divide the lemon-flavored San Pellegrino between them. Insert the cucumber speared garnish, the remaining two mint sprigs, and a fun straw.
Keyword cucumber lime mint cocktail with blueberries and limonata sparkling water

Like this? Try these!

Coco Chanel Martini

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Happy Saturday! Time for another libation creation! Jim and I went to Barnes and Noble earlier this week so I could get Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, and I wound up getting two other books, too! The first one is a hilarious guide on how to pair wine with real-world food. (For context, the first wine pairing is with Cheetos.) And the second one is a bartender reference book! 

I was in the mood for something just a little sweet that could maybe go with these brown butter cookies. This led me to the chocolate section of my bartender guide, which subsequently led me to the ever-so-cool sounding “Coco Chanel” martini. 

I have no idea what the story is here–whether Mademoiselle Chanel requested this martini while she drafted sketches of tweed pencil skirts, or maybe met up with Dior and Yves Saint Laurent as they ordered a round of them and passive aggressively critiqued haute Parisian society? Regardless, I liked the idea as I dunked my cookie in a martini glass. Very posh.

The other nice thing about this drink is that I had everything on hand. No crazy ingredients like banana cream pie liqueur or organic sunglasses flavored vodka. It’s equal parts gin, Kahlúa, and half and half. I even had the chocolate curl garnish! (Could probably get away with swirling chocolate syrup into the glass if you don’t have chocolate curls.) Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. 

I highly recommend this drink with cookies, by the way. It’s a major milk upgrade. Hope you have a nice, swanky weekend!

Coco Chanel Martini

Made with fixings most households are already equipped with: gin, Kahlúa, and half and half. This is lightly sweet but not an overpowering martini garnished with chocolate curls if you please!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 1 cocktail

Equipment

  • Cocktail shaker
  • Martini glass

Ingredients
  

  • 1 oz Gin
  • 1 oz Kahlúa
  • 1 oz Half and half
  • ½ cup Ice
  • Chocolate curls for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Combine gin, Kahlúa, half and half, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Cover and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with chocolate curls.

Brown Butter Cookies

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I am late to the brown butter game. Missing it is proof I am horribly oblivious and constantly in my own world because Jane makes pretty much every batch of chocolate chip cookies with it and I’ve had more than a fair number of them!

My delayed senses picked up on something last weekend, though, when she made these delicious caramel chocolate bars. I picked one up and my nose perked. Did I smell nuts? She said no. It definitely smelled nutty… And she explained: it was the brown butter.

What is browned butter?

It’s butter that is heated to be more than melted but less than burned. It is not too tricky to make and it smells marvelous. You must whisk it constantly on medium-low heat, and the second you see a bit of golden brown beyond the foam, remove it from the heat. 

I’m not a brown butter pro by any means, but I am enjoying learning. From my “research,” I’ve learned it goes with gnocchi and pasta, and I’m going to take my liberties with it for pancakes and hot buttered whiskey and coffee. It has a distinct, nutty and caramelized flavor that is just delightful and adaptive. 

Softened or Melted?

In my cookie baking experience, I learned that you soften butter and then cream it. You never melt it. Actually, I haven’t found this to be true for these brown butter cookies. 

I tried the first batch (just giant chocolate chunks, thanks to Jane for supplying them!!) with melted/browned butter and mixing it with the sugars. Because I can’t leave well enough alone, the next day I tried the second batch (M&M, chunks, chips, and peanut butter chips) by browning the butter, then cooling it back to a “softened” texture to cream with sugar.

To be honest, the texture of the cookies was the same! Nice and chewy, which is how we like it. Hope you do too!

Brown Butter Cookies

A nutty, caramelized flavor upgrade to your favorite CHEWY cookie! You can add chocolate chips, chunks, nuts, M&Ms, toffee chips, or peanut butter Reese's chips! Or just plain, ya know.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Bake Time 12 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 stick Salted butter
  • ¾ cup Brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Sea salt
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp Baking soda
  • 1¼ cup All-purpose flour
  • 8 oz Chocolate chunks, nuts, M&Ms, or chocolate chips or any combination that totals 8 oz
  • Flakey salt for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
  • In a small saucepan, melt butter on medium heat, whisking constantly. It will foam up once or twice, but do not stop whisking. The second you see a light golden color in the center of the pot, remove from heat, continue whisking for another 30 seconds, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add brown sugar, regular sugar, and salt to the butter, mixing thoroughly with an electric mixer on medium-low speed.
  • Crack an egg into the sugar and pour vanilla extract on the egg. Continue mixing on medium-low speed.
  • Add flour slowly, a quarter cup at a time on low speed. Do not overmix. Sprinkle in your mix-in of choice (chocolate chunks are our favorite, or chunks, peanut butter chips, and M&Ms!!) and fold them in with your hands, gently squeezing the dough.
  • Spread parchment paper onto two cookie sheets. For regular-sized cookies, form 1" balls or cubes of dough, placed 2" apart. This will yield 24 regular cookies, 12 on each pan. For large cookies, form 1½" balls or cubes of dough, placed 3" apart. This will yield 12 large cookies, 6 on each pan.
  • Place the first pan for 11-13 minutes. For regular cookies, cool them in the pan, sprinkle with salt, and serve.
    For large cookies, place a towel on the counter and drop the pan on its bottom 5 times on the towel, causing the puffy cookies to collapse and flatten. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes. Repeat dropping the pan 5 more times. Sprinkle with flakey salt and cool slightly before serving.
Keyword brown butter cookies

Other buttery things...

Rustic Tomato-Shallot Rotini with Bacon and Feta

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Hi. This post is essentially “other things you can do with leftover pasta” Part 2. (Part 1 here.) Besides scrambled eggs or grilled cheese, this is one of my lazy, go-to dinners. It can be made at two speeds: fast or ultra fast (ultra fast if you’re using leftover pasta, in which case it is a one-pan meal).

We have in this pan all the essentials for happy forkfuls: pasta, salty cheese and bacon, jammy tomatoes and shallots, and greens to appeal to virtue (but not TOO many–we’re not saints). 

Rustic, humble, low maintenance, and vaguely familiar, the whole ensemble reminds me of Noodles & Company mashed with Mongolian BBQ. Just need to get Jim on board with a giant Mongolian flat top grill the size of our kitchen island. 

Now, FYI it’s not an extremely saucy pasta; you cook bacon, remove the bacon from the pan, cook tomatoes and shallots in the bacon fat with a splash of red wine vinegar, and when it’s jammy, you add in the (already cooked) pasta, spinach/kale, crumble the bacon back in, and top with feta. But you know? I grew up eating noodles with butter and cheese. This is kind of like that. Familiar. Cozy.

If you’re going out of your way to make pasta for this dish, I’d definitely reserve a half cup of pasta water and add it to the tomatoes and shallots. Pasta water has nice starches in it that thicken into a sauce when reduced. 

But honestly, it’s fine without it, and (A) I like getting rid of leftover grains/starches, especially when they are disproportionate to the amount of chicken or whatever that is also leftover and (B) cooking pasta and/or chicken in bulk at the beginning of the week opens up the doors for lots of culinary options. 

In other words, you don’t have to eat the same thing every day for dinner, leftovers after leftovers. Southwest pasta salad today is jammy tomato rotini tomorrow! 

Rustic Shallot and Tomato Rotini with Bacon and Feta

When you have leftover pasta, make this. It comes together extremely fast and you're ready to eat in 20 minutes. Add chicken or let the bacon shine solo.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices Bacon
  • 2 Shallots sliced thinly
  • 1 cup Cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 1 tsp Red wine vinegar
  • 2 cups Pasta cooked
  • 1 tbsp Butter salted
  • 2 cups Baby kale or spinach
  • ¼ cup Feta cheese crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Fry bacon in a cast iron skillet on medium heat. When fully cooked, remove from skillet and set aside on a plate.
  • In the same pan, undrained of the grease, toss in the tomatoes and shallots and pour vinegar over. Stir constantly until tomatoes soften and become tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the cooked pasta and butter to the skillet with the tomatoes and shallots. Toss to combine. Cook another 2 minutes. Add in kale or spinach, stirring to facilitate the wilt, about another minute.
  • Remove from heat. Split between two pasta bowls. Top with feta and serve.

Oh, did you like that?

Southwest Pasta Salad with Zesty Ranch

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Guys, I am a leftover queen. Repurposing leftovers should be its own class of cooking and I would own it! It makes me happy to give them new life. Let’s be honest. Leftover grilled chicken isn’t great microwaved.

This pasta salad produced a GIANT serving for one. Probably could have split it. Definitely ate the whole thing. Sorry, not sorry. Homemade ranch dressing is so easy to make and make disappear. 

The Gist of it

  • Make the zesty ranch. It’s lime juice, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and Tex-Mex spices. Always adjust the salt to your liking. 
  • Pro tip: I find it easiest to make the dressing in the same bowl that you plan to toss the salad in. It’s one less dish to wash! 
  • Chop peppers, chicken, avocado, onions, and tomatoes. Toss in the bowl with dressing and roasted corn, crumbled cheese, kale (or spinach if you prefer), and pasta. 
  • Inhale pasta salad. Don’t forget to breathe.

This salad is best made with leftover pasta, grilled chicken, and all the vegetables you are trying to rid your refrigerator of. I guess you could boil pasta for the salad and grill chicken specifically for this, but that sounds like more work. 

I had leftover pickled red onions and roasted corn on the cob, but regular red onions and plain corn from a can work just as well. The easier, the tastier. 

Southwest Pasta Salad with Zesty Ranch

Get ready to eat a big bowl of yum. Chopped bell pepper, minced jalapeño, pickled red onions, queso fresco crumbles, baby kale, rotini, avocado slices, roasted corn, chopped tomatoes, grilled chicken, and a quick, delightful southwest-themed ranch dressing.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American, Southwest, Tex-Mex

Ingredients
  

Salad

  • 8 oz Grilled chicken chopped
  • 2 cups Rotini pasta cooked
  • ½ cup Roasted corn
  • 4 Cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 1 Orange bell pepper chopped
  • ½ Avocado skin removed, seeded, sliced
  • 2 Green onions sliced thinly
  • 2 tbsp Red onion slices optionally pickled
  • 2 oz Queso fresco crumbled
  • 1 cup Baby kale or spinach
  • 1 Jalapeño minced, seeded if sensitive to spice

Southwest Ranch Dressing

  • Juice of Lime
  • ⅓ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • ½ tsp Onion salt
  • 1 tsp Tomato paste
  • ¼ tsp Chili powder
  • pinch Cumin
  • ¼ tsp Garlic powder
  • ½ Jalapeño small, minced

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the salad dressing in a large bowl by combining all of the ingredients and stirring thoroughly with a fork or whisk.
  • Add to the bowl all of the salad ingredients. Toss to coat in dressing. Serve.
Keyword Southwest ranch dressing, Summer salad, Tex-Mex pasta salad

Birthday Cake Cocktails

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Not sure what has gotten into me these days, but I am becoming really interested in craft cocktails. As of late, any upcoming event that I host spurs me to do research on delicious libations. Brunch club led to the blackberry champagne mules from Half Baked Harvest. Those, in turn, inspired me to churn out Black Thai Affairs. 

Most recently, I threw my girlfriend, Lauren, a birthday party at a pottery painting place with her friends last weekend. True to form, this little soiree inspired me to bring along cute cocktails. It was a birthday party, after all, so birthday cake flavor seemed fitting. 

People. These drinks wound up being a HUGE hit. They really did taste just like birthday cake and one was just enough to unleash our inner Picassos. Birthday cake cocktails are strong. (As they should be! Birthdays are equal parts celebration and coping with the fact that you are aging.)

When I made these drinks for the party, I did a double whammy: fun straws AND a sprinkle rim. The sprinkle rim was made by twirling the cup rims in melted chocolate and then sprinkles. It was very “extra,” as they say. Having made these a second time for photographing, I have to recommend the straw for functionality. The sugar from the sprinkles throws off the balance of the drink, so don’t include it in your sip. But gosh, it sure looks cute. 

Birthday Cocktails: The gist

I seriously made these in under five minutes, and I was in the back room of some pottery painting place. It wasn’t even a proper kitchen. These come together in a jiff and are a real crowd pleaser. BUT. Make sure you get the exact ingredients. Only Absolute Vanilla vodka and only Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur. I mean it. No substitutions, ya hear? K, here’s the quick version:

  • Decorate the rim with sprinkles. Melt chocolate in a bowl large enough to accommodate the rim of your glassware. Swirl the rim in the chocolate and then swirl in a plate or sprinkles. 
  • In a cocktail shaker, combine vanilla vodka, amaretto, white chocolate liqueur, half and half OR coconut cream, and ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour through strainer into glass. That’s it!

By the way, marshmallows make a really fun garnish. We just tossed them in the drink. This Smash Mallow brand is pretty good–we tried the chocolate coffee and the raspberry chocolate flavors. But you could always make your own marshmallows if you’re feeling ambitious. Bigger, Bolder, Baking has a recipe for birthday cake marshmallows that has been on my list to try for a while now. If you make them, let me know how you like them!

I assure you these birthday cake cocktails are now instituted for birthdays from now on. This recipe has quickly become a favorite, and now Jim jokingly asks if I’m trying to clean out the liquor cabinet with all of my concoctions. I mean…it is getting kind of crowded. I have to do something. 😉

Birthday Cake Cocktails

Alex
It tastes just like birthday cake. This yummy concoction is perfect for throwing a birthday bash!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Sprinkle rim 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

For the cocktails

  • 10 oz Vanilla vodka Absolute
  • 15 oz Coconut cream OR half and half
  • 5 oz White chocolate liqueur Godiva
  • 5 oz Amaretto
  • 1 cup Ice

For the sprinkle rims

  • 1½ cups Sprinkles
  • ⅓ cup Chocolate chips any flavor

Instructions
 

Sprinkle rims

  • Grab a microwavable bowl that the rim of your glasses will comfortably fit in. Melt chocolate chips in the bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
  • In a separate bowl, also able to accommodate the glass size, pour in sprinkles. If it's large enough, you can also use the container the sprinkles are packaged in.
  • Turn your glasses upside down and place in the bowl of melted chocolate, twirling to get an even coat. Next, dip the glass in the bowl of sprinkles. Turn right-side up and allow to dry. Repeat with the remaining glasses.

Cocktails

  • In a cocktail shaker combine vodka, cream, white chocolate liqueur, amaretto, and ice. Cover and shake for 30 seconds. Remove cap and strain into sprinkle-rimmed glasses. Serve with a fun straw or garnish with a marshmallow or both.
Keyword Birthday cake flavored cocktail, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, sprinkle rim, vanilla vodka

More like this recipe...

Coconut Bell Pepper Peanut Curry

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Eons ago, I wrote a post about flavor balance and by now you might have noticed I have romanticized the idea ad nauseum. What can I say? I’m obsessed. I make it a personal goal to pack as many wedges of the flavor wheel into a dish as I possibly can. Sometimes it works out. This time, it did. Introducing…Coconut vegetable curry, another Thai-inspired recipe.

I love the vibrant red and orange colors of bell peppers, sweet green sugar snap peas, and a golden coconut sauce to blend them all together. Who knew eating vegetables could be so sensory? 

Typically I’d add a protein to this dish, but my workouts these days have shifted to cardio more than weight lifting, so carbs and I are friends again. (Not that we ever weren’t.) Plus, I’m pretty sure it’s healthy to eat just vegetables every now and then, you know, since we’re not living the life of Neanderthal meat heads sitting at our kitchen table on our laptops for eight hours a day. 

I’ve been on a big Thai kick lately and just can’t get enough of these south east Asian flavors. Sweet, savory, salty, spicy, acidic, and creamy ALL IN ONE. Yeah. Big deal alert. If Guy Fierri were in our kitchen, I picture him exclaiming in delight, “That is packed with flavor!” May I also add that this dish goes swimmingly well with a Black Thai Affair cocktail if you’re looking to go all out? 

Further…have you tried scooping rice with an ice cream scooper??? I give this method 10/10 for presentation! I’ll make yet another plug for Better than Bullion and recommend that you cook all of your rice (jasmine, of course) in water with Better than Bullion Chicken Base. It adds a touch of really nice flavor without being overpowering. A good sidekick to a good curry!

So this recipe has lots of ingredients…such is the nature of southeast Asian cooking. However, it actually comes together in under 30 minutes! Faster if you have help with dishes, too! The recipe probably looks obnoxiously long, but it’s really not that complicated. I’m just trying to give more explicit instructions ever since I charged Jim with the task of making homemade pastaroni on his own. 

Here is the gist of it:

  • Get the rice going (cooking in Better Than Bullion Base, duh) so it’s ready with the rest of it. Do yourself a big favor and use a rice cooker. 
  • Caramelize onions. If you’ve done this before, you know it takes a little while, a touch of sugar, oil, and salt. 
  • Add garlic, ginger, jalapeño, lime zest, lime juice to the onions. Oh, and salt. Always salt along the way. Probably add chicken if you want some oomph. 
  • Veggie dump into the pan. Bell peps and peas. Salt again. (It’s in tiny increments, don’t worry!) And peanuts! 
  • Once that’s all pretty cooked and tender, you add a saucy mix of soy sauce, sriracha, vinegar, peanut butter, fish sauce, ground mustard, and coconut milk. Simmer and then you’re done! Garnish with basil and/or green onions. Scoop the rice with an ice cream scooper. 

Hope you and your family enjoy this immensely and get loads of flavor and nutrition from it! Feel free to share your pics and tag @bakerstheory on Instagram!

Coconut Bell Pepper Peanut Curry

Alex
Super saucy and delicious. Checks off every flavor on the wheel in a comforting and nutritious way. You can use whatever vegetables you have, too. I just like this combination.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai Fusion
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Rice cooker
  • Zester

Ingredients
  

Vegetable Curry

  • t tbsp Sesame seed oil
  • 1 Onion sliced thinly
  • 1 tsp Salt staggered in ¼ tsp intervals
  • 2 tbsp Brown sugar
  • ½ tsp Ginger peeled and grated
  • 5 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 Lime, zested and juiced
  • 2 Jalapeños seeded and chopped
  • 2 Bell peppers sliced
  • 6 oz Snow peas or sugar snap peas whole
  • 4 oz Shitake mushrooms sliced
  • ¼ cup Salted peanuts plus more for topping
  • 1 tbsp Sriracha
  • 2 tbsp Seasoned rice vinegar Kikoman
  • 3 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Peanut butter creamy
  • 13.5 oz Can of coconut milk
  • 1 tsp Fish sauce Red Boat
  • 1 tsp Ground mustard

Rice

  • 2 cups Jasmine rice dry
  • 4 cups Water
  • 4 tsp Better than Bullion Chicken Base optional

Instructions
 

For the rice

  • Combine rice and water in a rice cooker, pressure cooker, or pot. Add chicken base, if desired, or other spices. Cook until tender and fluffy, about 20 minutes. *Serve with an ice cream scoop for a nice, rounded serving.

For the vegetable curry

  • In a large skillet on medium heat, warm the sesame seed oil. When hot and shimmering, add onion slices and stir occasionally for 5 minutes.
  • While onions are cooking, peel and grate the ginger, crush and mince the garlic, zest and juice the lime, and seed and chop the jalapeño. Gather them all in a small bowl.
  • When onions start to brown and caramelize, add 2 tbsp of brown sugar and ¼ tsp of sea salt. Stir again, but not too often, to allow onions to caramelize further with the sugar.
  • While onions caramelize, chop bell peppers (sans seeds) and mushrooms, and gather in a bowl with the snow or snap peas.
  • Once onions look golden, limp, and browned--almost noodle-like--add to them the small bowl of ginger, garlic, zest, juice, and jalapeño. Stir and add another ¼ tsp of salt. (It's important to salt along the way rather than all at once!) Sauté this combination for 2-3 minutes. Then add the peppers, mushrooms, peas, and peanuts. Sprinkle in the remaining ½ tsp of salt.
  • Stir the contents of the pan and then allow to it cook unattended while you prepare the sauce, about 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl (perhaps the one from the garlic-jalapeño mixture if you haven't put it in the sink yet...) whisk together sriracha, vinegar, soy sauce, peanut butter, coconut milk, fish sauce, and ground mustard. When vegetables are tender and soft, pour the sauce into the pan. Cook another 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and simmering.
  • Serve in large bowls with rice.
Keyword Bell pepper coconut curry

More like this recipe

5 Favorite Things

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Howdy and happy Sunday to you. Apologies again for not being so present here at BT the past week. It has been an eventful few days across the board and maybe you get it, too. Sometimes I just don’t feel like cooking! Did you know stress prevents you from being creative? Yeesh. Not to worry. I bought a boatload of groceries yesterday and I’m feeling GEARED. UP. TO COOK. Anyway! It’s Sunday. Time for 5 Favorite Things!

#5: Double Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Holy bananas, people. I have been trying FOR WEEKS to make a fudgy chocolate chip banana bread, never successfully. I should have just started at Two Peas and Their Pod’s blog. In fact, their post was the whole reason I wanted to make double chocolate chip banana bread in the first place. Their recipe is pretty much a chocolate bomb and much to Jim’s amusement*, I started my morning with it every day this week. 

I think for the next brunch club, I’ll have to make this again, but use teeny-tiny loaf pans and mini chocolate chips. It’s gonna be extra cute and fudgy, and definitely be accompanied by espresso in tiny cups served affogato style.

Trying other blogger’s recipes is how I spend about half of my time! I love getting ideas from my fellow food bloggers, and Two Peas and Their Pod along with Half Baked Harvest are two of my favorites.

*I typically prefer savory breakfast food and my husband prefers sweet breakfast food–donuts, cereal, yogurt, muffins, etc. I always make fun of him for this and fondly call his breakfast “glucose.” He was delighted to turn that on me.

#4: Portuguese Port

Like I said, this was a weird week. I woke up on Tuesday–a week after getting my first COVID vaccine (Moderna) and my arm was swollen like a balloon, red, itchy, painful, and firm. This is apparently called COVID arm and is a normal, if annoying side effect that is a slight and delayed allergic reaction. I’m fine now, and I’ll still get the second vaccine. 

But with my balloon arm, I wasn’t up for my usual lifting workout, so I had some extra time on my hands. All of my extra time is spent reading–fiction or non-fiction, and often food-related. I love to learn everything I can about food.

I am planning a gathering to show “How to Arrange Charcuterie Board & Wine Pairing” for The Brunch Club, and so I was researching what wine pairs best with chocolate. Milk chocolate, specifically. The answer: Portuguese Port. I picked some up, poured a tiny glass, made a mental note to acquire port glasses, grabbed a tiny Godiva milk chocolate bunny, and was sold. I understood immediately. This is how to pair wine and chocolate. 

While a cabernet sauvignon and a dark chocolate truffle sound gorgeous in theory, one bite and one sip will make you pucker. The chocolate is sweeter than the dry wine, so it makes the wine taste sour. The key to pairing sweet stuff with wine is to pick a wine that is sweeter than whatever treat you pair it with. Port is sweet wine–sweeter than chocolate, and that makes it a great complement to it. 

#3: Birthday Parties

Why don’t we have birthday parties as grown ups? I vote to bring birthday parties back! 

I threw my buddy, Lauren, a surprise party at a pottery painting spot that offered to give 90% off the studio fee if we showed up in our pajamas. As if that weren’t excellent enough, the crowd of Lauren’s friends was a hilarious bunch and everyone got along swimmingly. 

Two of my favorite parts to the evening (besides celebrating in good company, of course) were these social lubricants known as Birthday Cake Cocktails (recipe coming soon…) and the simple act of painting pottery! Above is the guacamole bowl my friend, Morgan, painted and it is adorable. (It still has to undergo glazing.) I posted hers because mine is shamefully un-complex and plain. Regardless, Morgan and I have set out to go once a month for Ladies’ Night because painting pottery is equal parts challenging and therapeutic. 

#2: Revisionist History Podcast

Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite non-fiction authors. He has a unique approach to conveying complicated points. He brings together seemingly disparate ideas to illustrate his argument, and it’s an experience in itself to watch the points unfold in his books. If I could ever meet someone famous, it would be Malcolm Gladwell. 

As if I couldn’t get enough of his literature already, he also has several podcasts. I tune in to one of his podcasts, Revisionist History, on my longer runs around the neighborhood. This podcast explores “things overlooked and misunderstood.” 

The one I listened to today covered the Catholic doctor, Dr. John Rock, and his development of “the pill” in the 1950s. Before that, he gave an argument on how the LSAT is like bullet chess and the story of the tortoise and the hare. 

Definitely check him out! He is such an interesting person!

#1: Middle Ground

It is exhausting to keep up with current events these days. I have re-written that first sentence four times before deciding on those specific diplomatic and vague wordings. Frustration is a good word to describe how I feel about it. 

Now, more than ever, we have to be the most careful about how we express our opinion. Everything is a hot button topic these days, even seemingly innocuous things like books and colors and pronouns. It’s confusing to me, and I just try to tread lightly, keep my head down, share recipes and joke, but I’m tired. 

Social media has facilitated this political divide we find ourselves in. If you don’t agree with someone, you can either attack them verbally from the safety of your keyboard, or you can remove them from your list of friends and connections. 

People have become very uncomfortable with opinions that differ from their own. In a time when I’ve heard more preachings of tolerance than ever before, I observe something quite the opposite. We are intolerant of anyone who disagrees with us, and that is a terrible condition. 

The most prevalent and polarizing topic of late, the one that occupies a regular spot in my brain now, is race and violence. I won’t share my thoughts on it here, but it is on my mind often. 

Something that has stuck with me since Brunch Club was that this group of different people at our table were able to talk about their thoughts on touchy subjects like the Derek Chauvin trial or the Duante Wright shooting. No one got up and left mid-meal. No one stormed out to demonstrate their convictions. Voices were never raised. We had respect for one another, a common, uniting faith, friendship, and most importantly, we listened to each other. We created common ground. What a world it would be if everyone broke bread together that way. 

These issues aren’t going away and talking about them with people who don’t agree with us is healthy. It might even be a start to dealing with the problems, in fact. I think social media has disillusioned a lot of people into carving out their own echo chambers of agreement. We only surround ourselves with people who say, “Yes, you’re right.” Hecklers are actually good medicine and you should keep them in your life. Even elementary English classes teach children to incorporate an acknowledgement of the opposing view. 

My dad and I used to half-kiddingly claim we were on the brink of a second civil war when I was in college during the 2016 presidential election. Who knew our sense of humor was also prescient? I would challenge anyone reading my little humble corner of the internet to bring up the elephant (or donkey) in the room with someone you know has different ideas altogether than you. Invite them for coffee, talk, and most importantly, listen. I hope someday we can all find a middle ground, and I ain’t talkin’ about coffee beans. 

Black Thai Affair

by

Black Thai Affair...

I heard the Oscars are on today. I won’t pretend to care about the Oscars, but I won’t pass any reason to make a swanky beverage or meal, either. 

I happened to buy a lot of Thai-inspired ingredients at Trader Joe’s this weekend, so my inner bartender unleashed its creativity (and might do so every weekend going forward…) to produce this little number. Pretty lovely colors and SO fresh.

Not sure what Brad Pitt or Ryan Gosling will be wearing tonight–in fact, I’m not even sure this award ceremony will occur in person? But while the stars are presumably donning their black ties and Versace, I hope you can slurp on these Black Thai’s and play fashion police from your couch.

Thai ingredients

I don’t actually know for certain, and I could really learn more on southeast Asian cooking, but Thai ingredients that could lend themselves to libations are jalapeños, ginger, basil, honey, and limes. Maybe peanuts. 

Blackberries probably don’t grow in Thailand…I think they are a European fruit. But I’m on a blackberry kick, so whatever! Anyway, ingredients don’t need to come from the same place in the world to work together for a higher purpose like cocktails. 

Grab all of your bartender toys

If you’re in the business of collecting kitchen gadgets, listen up. There are just a few essential bartending tools you NEED to make a good drink. This recipe calls for all of them. Then there are fun extras that you could get by without, but might want nonetheless. Here are the essentials…

  1. Muddler. For mashing fresh herbs and berries
  2. Cocktail shaker. With a built-in strainer and cap. If you have a fine mesh colander, grab that, too. Cocktail strainers still let seeds through.
  3. Channel knife. Have you ever seen a martini with a twist? Channel knives create the twist. Don’t use a regular knife.
  4. Micro zester. Citrus flavor is all in its skin, and you extract it by zesting it. Don’t use a cheese grater.

The fun extras… not necessarily needed for this recipe, but always fun to have!

  1. Fun straws! I usually use paper striped straws or thick plastic straws. If you don’t have straws, try a sugary or salty rim. Melted chocolate or lime juice help most things adhere to the glass.
  2. Garnish skewers. These are like extra long toothpicks and provide a mini snack to complement your drink. You could do without them and slice fruit or cheese to slide right on the glass.
  3. Old fashioned ice cube trays. They make ice cubes look much more elegant than generic refrigerator cubes. If you can’t, go for crushed ice.
  4. High ball and low ball glasses. Like wine, the type of glass you serve your drink in matters. You wouldn’t serve soup on a plate, would you? But if you lack the space for multiple types of glasses, every-day drink ware or even plastic cups can get the job done.
  5. Fresh herbs and flowers. Mint, basil, thyme, and rosemary all make fantastic and fresh additions to garnish a drink with. Small flowers like baby’s breath or jasmine also take a cocktail to the next level when sprinkled atop. 

I know it sounds a bit putzy, and it is. But I don’t think J. Lo puts her Oscars outfit together without a bit of fuss. It takes work to look extra good! And the reward for these black Thai’s is HIGH. This is a stiff, fresh, sweet ‘n’ spicy drink, my friends, perfect for channeling your inner Joan Rivers and gawking at Hollywood. Happy slurping.

Black Thai Affair

Alex
Thai flavors meet blackberries. Extremely refreshing and perfect for a spring cocktail.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American, Asian
Servings 2

Equipment

  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Muddler
  • Cocktail shaker
  • Micro zester
  • Channel knife

Ingredients
  

  • 3 bunches Basil leaves ~6 leaves per bunch
  • 10-12 Blackberries Plus 6 more for garnish
  • 1 Jalapeño chopped (seeds included)
  • ½ tsp Fresh ginger grated
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 4 oz Gin Hendricks, preferably
  • 4 dashes Orange bitters
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 cup Ice
  • 8 oz Ginger beer

Instructions
 

  • Take one of the bunches of basil and remove the leaves. Place leaves in a cocktail shaker with 10-12 blackberries, and chopped jalapeño (including seeds).
  • Peel about an inch off of a ginger root and use a microzester or grater to grate 1/2 tsp of it directly into the cocktail shaker.
  • Add honey, gin, and bitters directly to cocktail shaker.
  • Using a channel knife (or a regular knife) cut two twists off the lime, about 3" long each, and reserve for garnish. Zest the remainder of the lime directly into the cocktail shaker. Then slice the lime and juice it over the cocktail shaker.
  • Place ice in cocktail shaker, cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Get a large liquid measuring cup and place a small, fine mesh strainer above it. Remove the cocktail shaker top and pour the contents over the strainer. (This is double straining it and may take a while and some extra shaking.) It will yield about 1 cup of liquid.
  • Distribute the cup of liquid between two low ball glasses. Insert an old fashioned ice cube in each glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish by tossing three blackberries around the ice cube in each glass and place the remaining basil bunches in each glass. Serve with a straw.
Keyword Asian Cocktail, Gin Cocktail, Jalepeño Blackberry Ginger