Stephanie's Slice Of Life

- Welcome to my blog!
  
  Posted at 2:19 pm by StephMo
  
  Nov 12th
  
  Welcome to my blog! My name is Stephanie and I was born, raised, and still live just outside of Boston. I’m the mother of two children and I own a very small antique business, as well as a baking business. I love and appreciate all things old, whether antiques or architecture, and love to give items new life by repurposing.
  
  I love food, too much, and I get immense joy from how my food can make others happy. One of the best compliments I have ever received was my daughter telling me that my cooking has ruined everything else for her. I’ll take that!
  
  I’m much more of a baker than I am a cook. Not that I don’t like cooking, I just wish I didn’t have to do it every day. I’d much rather cook when I feel like it. But, since I don’t have a personal chef and my family is picky about eating every day, here I am. Part of the motivation behind this blog is not only to give me someone to talk to during the day other than my dogs, but to be able to share some of the recipes I’ve tried and really enjoy. My blog may not look as professional as some, but you will notice there are no pop ups or ads. I am not writing this blog to make money, just to share and hopefully become a site you frequent.
  
  My favorite cookbook is my mother’s Betty Crocker cookbook that she received as a wedding present back in 1969. I had been using the one my mother gave me as a wedding present in 1998, but now I have been enjoying the “vintage” recipes more. I also love reliving my childhood with Boston Cream Pie, Chicken Croquettes, and Rice Pudding, to name a few. It tends to be my “go to” for many recipes, and I am on a quest to try as many as I can, #stephandbetty.
  
  I also love to take pictures of nature, wildlife, architecture, and every day things that just make me smile. You can see my photography on my Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/stephaniessliceoflife/, and if you like my posts I hope you would give me a follow. So this blog is just going to be about “my slice of life” and I hope you’ll enjoy some of it!
  
  Posted in Blog Posts
- Ratatouille
  
  Posted at 10:22 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 22nd
  
  Ratatouille, a French vegetable stew, got a little boost in popularity from the Disney movie about a rat that becomes a chef. Very cute movie if you haven’t seen it. The vegetables were sliced, and looked not only beautiful but delicious. I recently watched the movie again and it put the idea of making this dish in my head.
  
  The sliced beautiful ratatouille in the movie is not the ratatouille I remember pushing around on my plate from my childhood. I remember my mother making a ratatouille when I was younger with chopped up vegetables and it having a very strong eggplant taste, which I am not the biggest fan of. While I did anticipate enjoying this dish more than the one my mother made, I was really only making it because I liked the look of it and it was something fun for my daughter and I to make together.
  
  Well, to my surprise I absolutely loved the taste and went back for more. The sauce and spices mixed with the thinly sliced vegetables was incredible. It is a little time consuming, but worth the effort. Sadly once again I was rushed taking photos because my family was waiting for dinner so it doesn’t look as “pretty” as all the other photos you may see on-line, but it is the taste that really matters, right?
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2 mini eggplants
  
  1 large zucchini
  
  1 large yellow squash
  
  3 plum tomatoes
  
  2 tbsp olive oil
  
  1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  
  1/2 small onion, chopped
  
  28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  
  salt
  
  pepper
  
  basil
  
  parsley
  
  1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  
  When shopping for the vegetables try to find them as close in size as you can. For the yellow squash I only used the fatter part of the squash, and saved the rest to eat at a later time. Mini eggplants are a must as a regular size would make slices much too large.
  
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  
  To prepare the sauce saute the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and continue sauting for one minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, spices, and vinegar and bring to a simmering boil. I didn’t measure the spices, if I were going to guess maybe 1/2 – 1 tsp of each.
  
  Let the sauce cook on a low simmer for about 15 minutes.
  
  While the sauce is cooking slice the vegetables. Try to slice them thin, maybe 1/8 of an inch.
  
  Pour the sauce into a casserole dish. I used a pie plate which was a little too small for all of the sauce. I ended up not using all of it, and hindsight should have used a little less.
  
  Arrange the vegetables in the sauce.
  
  Brush with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
  
  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
  
  Now, you can either be done or add a little cheese like I did. I grated some Gruyere and sprinkled it on top and continued baking for a few minutes until the cheese was melted.
  
  So good!
  
  Posted in Ratatouille, Side Dishes | Tagged food blog, food blogger, layered ratatouille, ratatouille, ratatouille recipe, stephanie's slice of life
- Coconut Custard Pie
  
  Posted at 8:53 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 21st
  While this recipe is for a Coconut Custard Pie, I decided to use the Custard Pie recipe in my mother’s old Betty Crocker Cookbook and tweak it a little. The only ingredients I changed were that I added coconut, and did not add the nutmeg. This was the first custard pie I have made, and Betty once again did not let me down. #stephandbetty
  
  This cookbook was published in 1969 and there are many quotes and tips that you just wouldn’t see today. Above this recipe was the following quote. Oh boy, slightly outdated. You have to laugh, and be thankful that while the recipes have stayed true, some other things have changed.
  
  Ingredients for a 9 inch pie:
  
  4 eggs
  
  2/3 cup sugar
  
  1/2 tsp salt
  
  1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
  2 2/3 cups milk
  
  1 tsp vanilla
  
  1 cup + 2-3 tbsp shredded coconut
  
  Prepared 9 inch pie crust
  
  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a glass dish with pie crust. You can use store bought, or any recipe you choose. Here is the link to my favorite crust recipe https://stephaniessliceoflife.com/2020/11/25/vodka-pie-crust/
  
  In a mixing bowl beat the eggs slightly. The original recipe suggests a rotary beater, but I used an electric mixer. I do remember using a rotary beater many times when I was young, however.
  
  Beat in the rest of the ingredients except the coconut. Fold in the coconut.
  
  Pour into your prepared pie plate. I decided to use a ladle, and added the last few scoops once the pie was in the oven so not to spill. Sprinkle remaining 2-3 tbsp of coconut on top of pie.
  
  Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, bake for 15-20 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean.
  
  Cool before serving. I prefer custard pie cold, but it can be served at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.
  Coconut Custard Pie
  
  Print Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  4 eggs
  2/3 cup sugar
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/4 tsp nutmeg
  2 2/3 cup milk
  1 tsp vanilla
  1 cup coconut (plus 2-3 tbsp)
  1 9 inch pie crust
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Beat eggs slightly. Beat in remaining ingredients except for coconut. Fold in coconut.
  Pour into prepared pie crust. Use ladle if needed to pour into the crust while already in the oven to prevent spills.
  Sprinkle remaining 2-3 tbsp of coconut on top of pie before baking.
  Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until knife inserted between the center and edge comes out clean.
  Cool before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.
  Posted in Coconut Custard Pie, Pies | Tagged betty crocker custard pie, coconut custard pie, custard pie, custard pie recipe, food blog, food blogger, pie, pie recipe, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life, vintage betty crocker recipes
- Chicken Piccata
  
  Posted at 11:48 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 4th
  
  This recipe is delicious, there was nothing to change in my opinion, just yummy. I have had Chicken Piccata many a times over the years, whether at an Italian restaurant, or on my mother’s dinner table. However, I realized recently while looking at a restaurant menu that I had never cooked it myself. I also realized I have never made Chicken Marsala which will be my next chicken dish to cook.
  
  If you aren’t familiar with Chicken Piccata, it is a fried chicken breast topped with a lemon butter sauce. I probably had you at butter, right? Let me just say that there is a lot of butter in this recipe, so of course it is going to be good. Butter makes it better! The chicken was tender, and the combination of sauce with capers was perfect.
  
  Unfortunately, I had two hungry men waiting for their dinner and didn’t have the time to get the nicest photos. My son always tells me it’s not how the photos looks that is important, it is how the food tastes. He’s a wise young man.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (it may have called for 2 but I used 3)
  
  Salt and pepper
  
  Flour
  
  6 tbsp butter
  
  5 tbsp olive oil
  
  1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  
  1/2 cup chicken broth
  
  1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
  
  I trimmed the chicken breasts and cut them in half. Between plastic wrap I pounded the chicken with a mallet until slightly thin. Next time I think I will pound them a little thinner.
  
  Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour until coated.
  
  In a large skillet over med/high heat add 2 tbsp. butter and olive oil. When the mixture is sizzling add 3 pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
  
  Flip the chicken and cook for 3 minutes, the chicken should be brown.
  
  Remove the chicken from the pan onto a plate.
  
  Add 2 more tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Once it begins to sizzle, cook the other three pieces of chicken the same way. Remove from the pan onto the plate with the other chicken.
  
  Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and capers. Return to the stove and heat to boiling while scraping the pan and stirring. Add the chicken back into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. I flipped the chicken half way through so both sides would be simmering in the sauce.
  
  Remove the chicken from the pan. Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the pan and stir vigorously until butter has melted.
  
  Plate the chicken and spoon the sauce and capers over the chicken. Pairs well with a side of pasta.
  
  Yum, yum, yum!
  
  Posted in Chicken Piccata, Dinners | Tagged chicken piccata, Chicken piccata recipe, chicken recipe, food blog, food blogger, italian food, lemon butter sauce, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Fruit Cake
  
  Posted at 7:10 pm by StephMo
  
  Mar 2nd
  I have never tasted a Fruit Cake until this cake. They were not something I ever had a desire to taste, and honestly they seemed very unappetizing to me. As I was perusing through my mom’s old Betty Crocker cookbook they caught my eye. I really don’t know why, maybe because of the vintage feel. For whatever reason, they intrigued me. So here we are, a recipe for Fruit Cake.
  
  My mother hated them and would probably be horrified if out of all the pages in that book, I chose to stop at Fruit Cakes. My husband saw the apricots, dates, cherries, and pineapple on the counter and said “You aren’t making a fruit cake, are you fruit cake?”. Then proceeded to tell me he wasn’t going to try it. That went without saying for my children, but I was going to try it. While combining all of the ingredients I just kept thinking how bizarre this whole recipe seemed.
  
  Some of the fruit listed in the ingredients were not something I could find, like candied pineapple or green maraschino cherries. I did find dried pineapple slices and that is what I used. I omitted the nuts as my family has allergies, but I have included them in the recipe.
  
  I have to admit, I didn’t mind it. The dates were a little overpowering, however. If I were to make this again I would use more pineapple and cherries, and less dates. I enjoyed when I got a bite of cherry, but most bites were mostly dates. Overall, not a bad flavor and I can imagine it would be much better tweaked. So if you like fruit cake, I think you would like this recipe.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 8 oz. package dried apricots (about 2 cups)
  
  1 8oz. package pitted dates (1 1/2 cups)
  
  1 1/2 cups whole Brazil nuts
  
  1 cup drained red and green maraschino cherries
  
  1/3 lb. red and green candied pineapple, cut up (about 1 cup)
  
  3/4 cup flour
  
  3/4 cup sugar
  
  1/2 tsp. baking powder
  
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  3 eggs
  
  1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  
  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil, grease the pan.
  
  Leave all the fruit and nuts whole except for the pineapple. The original instructions state to combine all of the ingredients together, which I did. Right after the put in the flour I realized that the dry ingredients should be combined in a small bowl, then added to the fruits.
  
  Pour or spoon the batter into the greased pan.
  
  Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. You may want to cover with aluminum foil for the last 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning.
  
  Once the cake is done remove from pan using the aluminum foil, and cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting.
  Fruit Cake
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  8 oz pitted whole dates
  8 oz dried apricots
  1 cup maraschino cherries, drained
  1 cup pineapple, chopped
  1 1/2 cups Brazil nuts
  3/4 cup flour
  3/4 cup sugar
  1/2 tsp baking powder
  1/2 tsp salt
  3 eggs
  1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil. Grease pan.
  In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients.
  Spoon into pan.
  Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Loosely cover with aluminum foil for the last 30 minutes to prevent excessive browning.
  Remove from pan with aluminum foil and cool on a wire rack. Cool completely before cutting.
  Posted in Cakes, Fruit Cake | Tagged betty crocker fruit cake, food blog, food blogger, fruit cake, fruit cake recipe, jeweled fruit cake, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
  
  Posted at 7:58 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 2nd
  This recipe is another childhood favorite of mine that my mother would make out of her Betty Crocker cookbook. I haven’t had it since I was young, and it brought back such fond memories when I came upon it in the book. I must admit, it tastes even better than I remember. Not only is this another recipe to add to my “Steph and Betty” collection, it has now become a favorite of my family. Yum. I looked the recipe up on-line and it seems they have changed it slightly since the 60’s, but I’m sticking with the original. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
  
  There isn’t much cake as you can see, but it is just enough with all of the delicious fudgy pudding sauce. Before baking the top is covered with a mixture of brown sugar and cocoa which makes a wonderful crunchy layer. It reminds me somewhat of today’s lava cakes. It isn’t hard to make, and will not disappoint. Trust me.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 cup flour
  
  1/4 cup sugar
  
  2 tbsp cocoa
  
  2 tsp baking powder
  
  1/4 tsp salt
  
  1/2 cup milk
  
  2 tbsp shortening, melted
  
  1 cup brown sugar, packed
  
  1/4 cup cocoa
  
  1 3/4 cup hot water
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
  Combine the flour, sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. The original recipe doesn’t suggest sifting, but I always sift when I use cocoa.
  
  Blend in the milk and melted shortening. This is the first time I have ever melted shortening. You can melt it in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave as I did. I assumed you should let it cool a little before adding, but not too long as it will re-solidify.
  
  Spread the mixture into an ungreased 9 x 9 square pan or dish. The original recipe said to pour, but I found it was more of a spread.
  
  In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over the batter.
  
  Pour the hot water over the batter.
  
  Bake for 45 minutes. While hot cut into squares; invert each square onto a plate and spoon sauce over each serving.
  
  Betty suggests serving with whipped cream, I think this is more of an ice cream dessert personally. Or plain, it really doesn’t even need a topping.
  
  Enjoy! #stephandbetty
  Hot Fudge Pudding Cake – Betty Crocker
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 cup flour
  1/4 cup sugar
  2 tbsp cocoa
  2 tsp baking powder
  1/4 tsp salt
  1/2 cup milk
  2 tbsp shortening, melted
  1 cup brown sugar, packed
  1/4 cup cocoa
  1 3/4 cup hot water
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
  Blend in the milk and melted shortening.
  Spread evenly in an ungreased 9" x 9" casserole or pan.
  Combine the brown sugar with 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over the batter.
  Pour hot water over batter.
  Bake for 45 minutes.
  Cut into squares while hot and invert onto a plate. Top with sauce.
  Posted in Cakes, Hot Fudge Pudding Cake | Tagged betty crocker hot fudge cake, betty crocker hot fudge pudding cake, chocolate cake, food blog, food blogger, hot fudge cake, hot fudge pudding cake, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life, vintage betty crocker recipes
- Parker’s Maple Barn
  
  Posted at 10:52 am by StephMo
  
  Feb 25th
  
  I have been going to this restaurant off the beaten path in Mason, NH since I was a young child. This is another one of those places that I have no idea how my parents found out about it, as it was not close to home. This maple barn is about an hour and 15 minutes from Boston, and you would never find it unless you were looking for it. While I loved the food and seeing the unique restaurant itself, I always dreaded going because my parents would leave so early to get there. This is a very popular place and there can be quite a long wait, which my parents always tried to avoid by getting there when it opened. Obviously even pre-internet the word got around about this fantastic little spot.
  
  I hadn’t been in quite a few years and decided on a breakfast date with my husband. Unlike my parents who could only go on weekends, we went during the week and did not have to wait very long for a table.
  
  Outside you will find little covered bridges and other things to walk around and look at while you are waiting. They also have a sugar house open in March where you can see how they have been turning their maple sap into maple syrup for over 50 years.
  
  When you enter the rustic barn restaurant you will be greeted by the smell and sound of wood stoves crackling, along with a barn full of antique farm pieces. My favorite are the tables made with antique cow stanchions that were once used when milking. Of course I love these since I love all things old, repurposed, and unique. If only I could figure out a way to sneak one out 😉
  
  For this trip my husband and I both tried the Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes to be a little healthier, which were really good. I was a little skeptical about buckwheat, but I have to say I really enjoyed them. In the past I have tried their other pancakes which were even better.
  
  I hardly ever use maple syrup, and never on pancakes. I figured I would give it a try since they make their own, and after trying it I kept finding myself adding a little more onto my pancakes. Wow, it is really good, and I don’t think I have ever said that about maple syrup. The next time we go I might have to buy some. When ordering pancakes everyone gets their own little “nip” size bottle of syrup to use and take home. Let me tell you, those little bottles did not go to waste at my house.
  
  Even though the pancakes were more than enough for breakfast, I wanted to try a side of something as well. I ordered the corned beef hash and while I like hash, I’m not usually one to eat much of it. This hash was so good that I admit I ate a little more than I probably should have. I really had to use willpower to stop myself from eating it it all.
  
  I mean look at that, right? My husband also ordered an omelet that he really enjoyed.
  
  As March is the busy time for them with tapping trees and making syrup, make sure to take a trip to this wonderful barn soon and experience a little taste of history, and REALLY good maple syrup.
  
  Posted in Blog Posts, Parker's Maple Barn, Restaurants | Tagged food blog, food blogger, maple syrup tapping, pancake restaurant, parker's maple barn, stephanies slice of life
- Espresso Martini
  
  Posted at 6:31 pm by StephMo
  
  Feb 24th
  
  Whenever I am at a restaurant or bar lately all I see are espresso martinis, they seem to be the new thing. Of course they have been around for quite some time, but the ones that seem to be popular now aren’t creamy looking. I always stayed away from espresso martinis because of the cream added, and now I don’t have to because as you can see this recipe has no cream.
  
  The recipe calls for espresso, which I did not have. I used regular coffee and it still tasted delicious! However, I could not get that wonderful foam on the top that you see in bars. If you have an espresso maker then I’m sure you will. You can also use decaf coffee or espresso if you would prefer not to have caffeine in the evening.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2 ounces of vodka
  
  1/2 ounce coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
  
  1 ounce espresso (I had coffee)
  
  1/2 ounce simple syrup
  
  Ice
  
  Coffee bean garnish
  
  In a cocktail shaker combine all of the ingredients with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a martini glass. Top with a few coffee beans for garnish if desired.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  Posted in Espresso Martini | Tagged espresso martini, espresso martini recipe, food blog, food blogger, martini, martini recipe, stephanie's slice of life
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
  
  Posted at 3:31 pm by StephMo
  
  Feb 17th
  You may be wondering why these are called Kitchen Sink Cookies. The name comes from the saying “everything but the kitchen sink” which means basically everything you can imagine is in them, except the kitchen sink. I was curious where this expression originated from, and it began during World War II when troops were bombarded and would say they were hit “with everything but the kitchen sink”. Kind of an interesting little fact.
  
  The ingredients I had in the house allowed me to make a salty and sweet cookie. I used chocolate chips, pretzels, coconut, and potato chips. Yes, potato chips. I must admit I was skeptical adding them, and must also admit they were not my favorite ingredient. I have seen them used before in cookies and decided to give it a try. I had planned on using M&Ms until I realized my husband had eaten them, I wasn’t very happy about that. The point of Kitchen Sink cookies is to add whatever you want! You can use butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, toffee bits, nuts, whatever.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 cup butter, softened
  
  1 cup sugar
  
  1 cup brown sugar
  
  2 eggs
  
  2 tsp. vanilla
  
  1 tsp. baking soda
  
  2 tsp. hot water
  
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  3 cups flour
  
  1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)
  
  1 cup crushed pretzels
  
  1 cup crushed potato chips
  
  1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  
  Coarse sea salt (optional)
  
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  
  In a stand mixer, or by hand, cream together the softened butter and sugars until smooth.
  
  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
  
  Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Add baking soda mixture to the batter along with the salt and combine well.
  
  Add flour and combine well.
  
  Gently mix in the rest of your ingredients.
  
  You can either use a cookie scoop, or roll the dough into balls, and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. If you’d like, sprinkle a little coarse sea salt on the cookies before putting them in the oven.
  
  Bake for about 11 minutes or until cookies start to brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  
  Get yourself some milk and enjoy!
  Kitchen Sink Cookies
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  1 cup butter, softened
  1 cup sugar
  1 cup brown sugar
  2 large eggs
  2 tsp vanilla
  1 tsp baking soda
  2 tsp hot water
  3 cups flour
  1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  1 cup crushed pretzels
  1 cup crushed potato chips
  1/2 cup shredded coconut
  1/2 tsp salt
  coarse sea salt
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  In a stand mixer, or by hand, cream the butter and sugars until smooth.
  Add the eggs, combine well. Add the vanilla, combine well.
  Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Add to the mixture along with the 1/2 tsp salt, combine well.
  Add flour, combine well. Gently combine the rest of the ingredients into the batter.
  Using a cookie scoop, or roll into balls by hand, and place dough on an un-greased cookie sheet. If you'd like, sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Bake for 11 minutes, or until starting to brown.
  Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  Posted in Cookies, Kitchen Sink Cookies | Tagged cookie recipe, everything but the kitchen sink cookies, food blog, food blogger, kitchen sink cookies, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life
- Katz’s Bagels
  
  Posted at 2:22 pm by StephMo
  
  Feb 15th
  
  Every few months or so I take a ride over to Chelsea for bagels. This little family run bagel shop sits on the corner of Park and Pearl Streets, and is pretty much the only place I will go for bagels. It isn’t that far of a drive, maybe 20-25 minutes, but far enough that it may seem odd when there are a handful of other bagel shops within a mile from my house. They may be called bagels, but they aren’t really good bagels. If you have never had an authentic bagel you probably don’t know what I am talking about, but I strongly encourage you to try them.
  
  This isn’t the type of bagel shop where you order a bagel toasted with cream cheese, or a bagel sandwich, or sit an have coffee while you eat your bagel. You order your bagels, and your cream cheese comes in a container. Sometimes we will get some on the way to the beach so I always go prepared with a plastic knife in the car. Even though they have signs up stating they do not toast bagels, I bet people ask every day if they can get their bagel toasted.
  
  When I got home today I only managed to type the title of this blog before diving in to a fresh marble bagel smeared with their own scallion cream cheese. So good! I don’t know what it is about their cream cheese, but it is the best I’ve ever had. It’s so good that I will even admit that I have had two of their bagels in one day. I know that is very piggy and I’m not proud of that, but I couldn’t help myself. Don’t judge until you’ve had them!
  
  Katz’s has been in the same location since they opened in 1938. In the 70’s they created the pizza bagel, which is just what it sounds like. Flattened bagel dough topped with sauce and cheese, delicious! They also have hot dog bagels which are a huge favorite of my son. I love that every time I order some they always ask if I’d like a packet of mustard. Sadly, when I went today they were sold out. That just means I have an excuse to go back soon. They also have the most delicous chocolate half moons, and that is a big deal for me to say because as a baker I hardly ever find a bakery I really like. Once I stopped in when they had Babka, which of course I had to try, and it was yummy. Basically I love everything they make.
  
  I have been going to Katz’s for as long as I can remember. Now that I think about it, I have no idea how my parents would have known about this place without the use of the internet or social media. I guess it has had a name for itself for quite some time. We would drive over on occasion and I would always have one of their pizza bagels on the way home. In fact one day we got rear ended by another car while I was eating one of the pizza bagels and it ended up all over my face. I know I should be thankful I wasn’t hurt, but at the time I was really upset my bagel was ruined. My father was more upset that the car was ruined. To each his own.
  
  The next time you are anywhere near the Boston area, or just craving a really good bagel, go to Katz’s. You won’t regret it. And grab me a half moon if they have any 😉
  
  Posted in Blog Posts, Katz's Bagels, Restaurants | Tagged authentic bagels, bagel shop chelsea ma, bagels, food blog, food blogger, katz bagels, katz's bagels, katz's bagels chelsea ma, stephanie's slice of life
- Tiramisu
  
  Posted at 9:43 am by StephMo
  
  Feb 6th
  I have been promising to make my son Tiramisu for quite some time. With the best of intensions I have purchased marscarpone cheese and lady fingers a number of times, only to then have them expire and go to waste. I have never been a big fan of Tiramisu, and this may have contributed to my avoidance in some way. However, I tried the Tiramisu at Eataly, a restaurant in Boston, and it was one of the best desserts that I have ever had. One of those desserts that you don’t want to end. It was that good.
  
  So once again I purchased the marscarpone and lady fingers determined to not allow these ingredients to go to waste yet again. As I was looking for recipes, I decided to see if Eataly happened to publish their recipe. Well, they do! So that is what I made, and it tasted just like theirs. Delicious!
  
  Did you know that raw eggs were part of the ingredients? I did not, and must admit I am a little funny about that. I am one of those moms that never let my children eat raw cookie dough because they could get sick. However, this dessert is so good that it was worth throwing caution to the wind. The next time I make this dessert I will see if I can find pasteurized eggs.
  
  I made a half recipe as I realized the container of marscarpone I purchased was only one cup, and this recipe calls for two. Use a larger dish than I did when you go to make this, or make a half recipe if you only need a small amount.
  
  On a side note, there is also folding involved in this recipe. If you are a Schitt’s Creek fan then you will appreciate why I was laughing while I was folding. “You just, here’s what you do, you just fold it in”. If you haven’t watched the show I suggest that you do, it’s hilarious.
  
  Ingredients for the full recipe:
  
  2 cups marscarpone cheese
  
  5 eggs (separated into whites and yolks)
  
  5 tbsp. sugar
  
  2 cups heavy cream
  
  4 espresso shots ( I used about a cup of coffee)
  
  1 (8.8 ounce) package of lady fingers
  
  Cocoa powder
  
  Instructions:
  
  Divide the egg whites and yolks into separate mixing bowls.
  
  Combine the yolks with the sugar and mix well. Add the marscarpone to this yolk/sugar mixture and combine well. Set aside.
  
  Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside. There is a lot of whipping into stiff peaks in this recipe.
  
  Beat the heavy cream with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  
  Fold the egg whites into the marscarpone mixture.
  
  Fold in the whipped cream.
  
  Pour your espresso or coffee into a shallow bowl. Dip half of the lady fingers quickly into the coffee and line the bottom of the dish. Remember, I halved the recipe so you will need a larger dish than I have used.
  
  Top the lady fingers with half of the marscarpone mixture. Repeat with the rest of the lady fingers and marscarpone mixture.
  
  Sift cocoa powder over the top. As you can see I do nothing neatly when I bake.
  
  Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
  Tiramisu
  
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  Ingredients
  
  1 cup marscarpone cheese
  5 large eggs
  5 tbsp sugar
  2 cups heavy cream
  4 shots of espresso (or 1 cup coffee)
  1 8.8 ounce package of lady fingers
  cocoa powder
  
  Instructions
  
  Divide the egg whites and yolks into separate bowls. Add sugar to egg yolks and combine well. Add marscarpone in with yolk/sugar mixture and combine well. Set aside.
  With electric mixer on high beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  With electric mixer on high beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
  Fold egg whites into yolk/sugar/marscarpone mixture.
  Fold whipped cream into mixture.
  Pour coffee into a wide bowl. Quickly dunk half of the lady fingers into the coffee and arrange on the bottom of a square dish.
  Spread half of the marscarpone mixture over the cookies. Repeat with the rest of the cookies and marscarpone mixture.
  Sift cocoa powder over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
  Posted in Dessert, Tiramisu | Tagged food blog, food blogger, Recipes, stephanie's slice of life, tiramisu, tiramisu recipe
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