... once upon a time

....the Jewish American Princess, along with the rest of the big (sometimes poisoned) apple, prepared for a storm. With expected winds stronger than the wolf could ever huff or puff and rain not made of lemon drops or gum drops, the Princess stocked her chambers with Magic Hats. But worse than the hurricane, a bigger storm was brewing. The Little Princess was to leave for college the following morning. The Princess reflected on her last night at home before leaving five years ago, with a bonfire and too many tears. She knew she needed to prepare something extra special for the Little Princess. Spell book after spell book, nothing seemed magical enough. So with a bit of pep, a dash of sparkle and a pound of love, the Princess collaged a bunch of recipes together.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Dulche de Leche Filling

http://www.marthastewart.com/282243/one-bowl-chocolate-cupcakes

http://www.marthastewart.com/317743/basic-buttercream

http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/6604

Making homemade dulche de leche was a cinch and some of the best ever. Sinfully rich and incredibly addicting. Use a knife to make a hole in the middle of the cupcake and use a pastry bag with a small tube attachment (or equip a large ziplock with a small tube attachment) to fill with the dulche de leche. Clean the tube, fit it to a new bag, and go with the icing. If you're baking when owls are sleeping, have some fun with the decorations. If its nearly three am, permission is granted to just make swirls. Bippity boppity boo.

May the Little Princess' college adventures be sugary sweet, pink and perfect. And may she always know how loved she is.

So, come on Irene and hit us with your best shot.

...once upon a time

....the Jewish American Princess' life changed forever. She was forced out of her ivy-covered Kingdom with only a piece of parchment written in Latin. She was forced out of her suburban Kingdom and had to bid fond farewells to the brook that babbled and the tennis moms who zumbad. But the Princess did not recline in her throne and allow these changes to bring crystal tears to her eye. No. The Princess packed her pink, monogramed duffles and followed the King to the big City. Without the shoes of Carrie Bradshaw, the witty tongue of Holly Golightly or the wardrobe of Serena van der Woodsen, the Princess whipped out her greatest asset. She got into the kitchen and started cooking.

The Princess made took her first stab at Indian food. And cheese making. It was a big undertaking, but she very much needed to break in the new quarters.

Paneer
Recipe Below


Shockingly Simple, Terrifically Tasty. Once spiced and in the dish. Eating it plain might be revolting.

Saag Paneer
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/saag-paneer-spinach-with-indian-cheese-recipe/index.html


The decision to substitute Greek Yogurt for the Plain Yogurt was made. And it was made with a kick and a bang and a boom.

Tandoori Spiced Chicken Breast with Grilled Tomato Jam and Yogurt
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/tandoori-spiced-chicken-breast-with-grilled-tomato-jam-and-herbed-yogurt-sauce-recipe/index.html


Again, the decision to use Greek Yogurt was made and a substantial substitution. The tomato jam was to die for. Perfect to keep in the fridge as your newest and greatest condiment. For a less spicy version (yes, please, and thank you) omit the chile. The chicken recipe seemed a little spice, so the white pepper was omitted and the cayenne amount quartered. It still had a heck of a bite.

Even if her living quarters are only a quarter decorated, the Princess will sleep with a fully tummy tonight, with the city lights sparkling above her and the weekend in sight.

once upon a time...

...the Jewish American Princess got caught in the most terrible of storms. It was thundering thesis and flooding flashcards. It was College at its most ferocious. So the Princess took a break to cook something warming and colorful for her and her favorite Jester.

Lunchbag Swordfish with Mediterranean Tomato Sauce and Linguine

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/lunchbag-swordfish-with-mediterranean-tomato-sauce-and-linguini-recipe/index.html

This was not the easiest fish dish that the Princess had ever attempted, but it was definitely one of the most rewarding. She decided to wrap the fish in parchment paper (cut into hearts! Insert "awwww"'s here) instead of using brown lunch bags, as suggested by commenters. Here the Princess must admit a mini-defeat: her fish was a little undercooked. Perhaps had she cooked it for a few minutes longer than the suggested time, she might have been ok. The best food is delicious and fun. This definitely fits the bill.

With her stomach full of healthy, colorful goodness, the Jewish American Princess braved the cold and head out for the Hall of Requirements. 

Oops. Library.

once upon a time...

... there was a battle on Iron Chef America between the Jewish American Princess' two favorite Philadelphia chefs, Jose Garces and Michael Solomonov. While her chambers are fit for a Princess, her cable service is not. And thus, the Princess and her foodie chamber mate headed deep into the city to join Michael Solomonov for a viewing party. The champagne (diet coke) flowed and the caviar (mac and cheese) was divine. It was the perfect Sunday evening, the perfect cap to a delicious weekend. The Princess had previously tried two new spells, from her new spell book of choice, "the heart of the artichoke" by David Tanis. Both were absolute successes.

Fragrant Chicken with Prunes
'
"heart of the artichoke" page 256
http://www.mercurynews.com/recipes/ci_16381307?source=sphere_article&nclick_check=1

Following her whirlwind days spent in Morocco, the Princess needed to re-create one of the slow cooked wonders she experienced. It was the perfect mix of sweet and savory. A perfect winter dinner. Serve with homemade couscous.

Rosemary and Scallion Focaccia

"heart of the artichoke" page 167
http://www.scribd.com/doc/37442669/Excerpt-From-Heart-of-the-Artichoke-by-David-Tanis

A dragon that the Princess had never even attempted to slay was bread. Bread always seemed too complex. Bread is like a glass slipper: it has to be perfectly moist, perfectly salted and perfectly fresh. Given her previous successes with David Tanis, the Princess allowed him to lead her into the forbidden cooking forest. She passed her sushi dragon (slayed), the Queen's noodle kugel dragon (slayed. Twice), and then came face to face with the bread dragon. She prevailed and pulled out a wonderfully crusty and warm bread from the oven. The Princess was overjoyed, although nervous about the next dragon on her list...dumplings.

The Jewish American Princess wishes all of her readers a very happy Valentines Day, filled with chocolates and cookie dough. A very special thank you to the King and Queen, who presented the Princess with some delicious treats to ring in the holiday.

once upon a time..

...the Jewish American Princess went on a journey with twenty other Princesses and Princes. They traveled for far to strange lands with monkeys and apothecaries. Upon returning to her fair kingdom, she had new courses to catch up on and old friends to catch up with. But she was hungry. Hungry for cooking.

Magic Cookie Bars

http://www.eaglebrand.com/Recipes/Details/Default.aspx?RecipeId=3934

A graham-cracker crust, chocolate chips and dried coconut? These bars are a mish-mosh of deliciousness. 

 Wild Mushroom Ragout With Ziti

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/book-reviews/david-tanis-wild-mushroom-ragout-with-ziti-cookbook-review-recipe-from-heart-of-the-artichoke-and-other-kitchen-journeys-134341

"heart of the artichoke and other kitchen journeys" by david tanis (p.197-198)

Besides being one of the most delicious dishes the Princess has ever made, it was also the best smelling. Her chambers smelled of fresh herbs and winter warmth. This is a very heavy ragout, with a meaty feel. It is the perfect vegetarian dish for the winter months. 

And so the Jewish American Princess moves forward with her semester, with her last few months of collegiate cooking.

once upon a time...

...the Jewish American Princess submitted the last scrolls and packed her oversized pink duffle and headed back to her suburban kingdom. While most Princess anxiously await returning to their mother's cooking, this particular Princess anxiously awaits returning to her beloved KitchenAid Standing Mixer. For amongst the Royal Family, the Princess is the only spell reader, the only chef.

After disappearing for a few days of beauty rest, the Princess re-emerged in the kitchen on Christmas Eve. She knew she needed something new, something exciting. However, she knew that there could be no leftovers, due to the Chinese Feast occurring on Christmas Day.

Chicken Stuffed with Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Parmesan

 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-Breasts-Stuffed-with-Fontina-Artichokes-and-Sun-Dried-Tomatoes-241332

This is one of the tastiest dinners that the Princess had made in a while. All the ingredients were purchased at Trader Joes, and the Sun-Dried Tomatoes packed in Olive Oil could account for the success of the dish. She tossed the leftover stuffing with some chicken broth and using it as a sauce while baking the Chicken. The Pine Nuts were added at the very end of baking, a last minute decision to add some texture It was a very flavorful Winter supper.

Rock Road Brownies

 http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/01/rocky-road-brownies-recipe/

 While the spelll calls for adding the marshmallows at the beginning of baking, the Princess decided to wait until fifteen minutes in, to assure that that they would not disappear. (Marshmallows are the trickiest of baking beasts, tending to disappear if cooked for too long) The Princess also decided to purposefully undercook the brownies, because the royal family loves undercooked baked goods.

And so the Princess wishes all a happy end to the Holiday season. And a fabulous beginning to the sale season.

once upon a time...

... the Jewish American Princess was craving a warming, Fall/Winter transitional dinner. So she turned to her talking mirror and decided she needed something with Butternut Squash.

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/butternut-squash-risotto-recipe/index.html

Trader Joes sells some wonderfully large bags of cubed Butternut Squash, very inexpensive Spanish Saffron and a Four-Cheese Blend that give this recipe a delicious depth.

And so the Princess, in her Butternut Squash carriage (Pumpkins are so last year), headed back to the library. For there were scrolls upon scrolls to be written...