Butter’s Got A Date With a Moroccan Chef! (PFB: Challenge #2)

(video w/music below)

I made it to round 2 of the Foodbuzz Contest! Thank you all!

Getting Outside My Comfort Zone

For my next challenge I had to pick an ethnic classic that is outside of my comfort zone.

Hmm…

Although, not food related, a few things popped into my head, triggering several memories of failed attempts of “going outside of my comfort zone”:

• 2nd grade with a boy named Richie and my birthday present (a nurse’s kit)  
• Age 22, falling down a flight of stairs, left with a skirt that ripped all the way up the back AND around, hanging on by a thread and a waistband (not even sure how that is possible)  
• The ropes course I did a few years back where I found myself dangling upside down 25 feet in the air wrapped up in my harness and a series of pulleys and cables

There are more and I will spare you the details, but these are the first things that came to mind when reading about my next challenge. But I have to admit, I love change, trying new things and staying out of “the zone.” It’s what makes life interesting and a whole lotta’ fun! So bring it on - Let’s DO this! 

Where to Start? 

I went through piles of recipes and combed the Internet before settling on one. The Irish Mother was truly a godsend because she spent a day helping me look for some recipes that I will use in a later challenge if I make it through. Thank you @TheIrishMother!

Then, one of the hardest recipes that I have ever seen...Was I nuts? Wait, don’t answer that.

Eliza, an amazing and generous friend of mine, who lives in Morocco with her husband, inspired me by sending me a recipe for her favorite classic dessert - Chebakia.

Chebakia…Wha’? 

A Moroccan cookie - okay, this should be simple enough right? No way, it is quite a process and more of an art form if you were to ask me.

If I have ever been out of my comfort zone in the kitchen, this was it. I wish I could say that I had no idea what it would take, but after a deeper exploratory, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.

When Eliza sent the recipe she said,

“Ha haaaa, you are ambitious to try it, it's a bit labor-intensive…” 

I also read things like,

“Chebakia are time-consuming to make. Most Moroccan women enlist the help of a sister, mother or friend…"  

“To make it look nice and attractive it is little difficult”

Oh, boy, here we go…

Where Do I Get This Stuff?

Even though I've never baked with sesame seeds and orange water, I knew what they were. But I was completely out of my element when it came to saffron threads, Moroccan yellow colorant and Gum Arabic grains.

So I called International Grocery in Hell’s kitchen and the kind gentleman on the phone told me to come on down - he had everything that I needed. 

Making the Chebakia 

I went into the kitchen at 6PM and didn’t leave it until 1:30AM. Whoa.

This takes practice and a lot of spirit!

Jeff offered to help videotape the steps (for the movie below). I would get to the next step and say, “Okay honey, I am ready!” As the night progressed, he started dozing off on the couch. At one point he started shuffling in with his video camera and one eye open in order to get me frying and dipping the Chebakia into the honey bath. Then, as he went back to nap, I heard his honey glazed feet stick to the hardwood floor as he walked away. Oops.

At about 1:00 am I sent some snapshots to Eliza, to see if they looked right, cleaned up and went to bed. The next morning, I rushed to my computer to see if my Chebakia was up to par and read,

“OMG!!!! Absolutely perfect!!!! I'm impressed…”

Great, they look right, but do they taste right? Are they any good? I thought they were were delicious, but had nothing to compare them to. 

The True Test - Hitting the Streets of NYC

So, I headed downtown in search of a Moroccan restaurant to see if I could get anyone with experience to try them.

Six restaurants later (most were closed in the morning) we came upon Bab Marrakech, a Moroccan Grill in Hell’s kitchen. 

I was so excited, that I went straight to the kitchen. The chef came out and chuckled when I asked him if he knew what Chebakia was and he said “Oh yes, of course!”

I told him about my contest and asked if he would look at my treats. At first glance, he said that they looked pretty good. Then, I asked if he would taste one and give me feedback. “Sure, why not.” He said that I did really good job for my first time and they tasted good. For some constructive feedback, they just needed to be a little softer and I could achieve this by working the dough longer. We talked for a bit and people watched as I asked questions, thanked him for his time and told him I was going back home to practice some more.

Then, something unexpected happened. I was invited back next week to learn from one of the Moroccan woman who is a master chef of all Chebakia in the land! Okay, so maybe a little exaggerated there…but that’s how I felt when I received the invitation. I accepted!

Here is a little movie of my experiences so far.

Please vote for me and my Chebakia to advance to the next round! 

Voting Open: September 27th - September 30th. 

I really appreciate all of your support!

Thank you Eliza, Yassin, The Moroccan Grill, International Grocery and my love, Jeffrey!

-Love, Butter

PS

Yassin, my friend’s husband is an amazing musician and they sent me this audio file to share with all of you to experience a little more of Morocco, enjoy!

Please Help Butter to Become...The Next Food Blog Star!

(Video below)
Let The Good Times Roll

Hello Hello Hello…I am so excited (can ya tell?)!

It was about three weeks ago when I first discovered a contest with Foodbuzz to become the next Food Blog Star. Sounds like a new adventure that would encompass everything that I love and what this blog is all about. So, I am all signed up and ready to go!

This has been quite an experience so far. I have met oodles of new and talented people, shared in so many laughs, discovered the most delicious recipes and joined an amazing community. I found something that I never knew I was looking for.

I read a book recently that has been quite inspiring called The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. Sir Ken Robinson says,

“For most people, a primary component of being in their element is connecting with other people who share their passion and a desire to make the most of themselves through it.”

He goes on to explain what it is to be part of a tribe stating,

“What connects a tribe is a common commitment to the thing that they feel born to do.”

Well, I have found mine. And my tribe is in all of you.
Only you would understand and know what this means. 

Now, I have to admit that with this passion comes a strange obsession. 

When you have a fire in your belly for baking, writing, living life and a competition in the works, something takes over – rendering you completely powerless. I mean, there is flour in places I never knew possible, there is a lighting studio jimmied in the kitchen hanging from the hutch, and I haven’t seen the afternoon sun for almost 4 days. In addition, Jeff has been calling me during lunch over the last week, asking if I have been outside…hinting at the fact that this contest was making me a little weird.

My friends have been more than supportive. They have been helping in several taste tests, giving me feedback along the way, and allowing me to take extra video, and pictures (to put in the movie below). They have dealt with my strange behavior as I watched them eat after shoving a cookie into their mouth and they have smiled cautiously as I hovered over their shoulders trying to catch a glimpse of their genuine reactions as they take their very first bite.

So what I have come to realize in writing a response for what defines me as a food blogger, is that this blog is so much more than being about me – it’s more about US.

I mean really, what is a baker or a cook without someone to eat it? And what is a blog without its readers and participants?

Here is a perfect example of the influence some of 
my newest readers  have had by providing me with 
new recipes. Thanks again @janis_tester, @ bakingbarrister,
@VinoLuci, Rick from Bittersweet and Foodbuzz!

As I dug deeper into this first challenge I thought about it some more and then asked questions like:

• What if you didn’t visit here to read these stories, call me a cookie slut, propose to my coconut, or play in the sandbox (i.e. Twitter or blog comments field)?
• What would it be like if I had to run the calories off alone with no one to share in the embarrassment when I fall down, tear my earmuff or get tangled in my headphones?
• What about the smiles I’d miss when giving a friend a cookie, plate full of crostadas or boatload of cream filled éclairs?
• What about the cakes I wouldn’t get to bake or candles I would miss seeing blown out had I not had such amazing people in my life?
• And what about the times I would miss Jeff saying, “What in the heck are your doing out here?” when it is 3am and I am caught in a hundred degree kitchen on a hot summer night - baking, covered in flour and taking pictures with my little desktop studio trying not to make any noise while he sleeps?
• And finally, where the heck would I be without my muse who visits me when I bake and feed him peanuts as he dreams for something more? Oh, ‘Lil Walter!

I will tell you what – without all of you, Running On Butter and tasting life wouldn’t be nearly as fun. And, I wouldn’t have as much to write, facebook or tweet about!

With all of these experiences, I have the fortunate blessing of having something to pay forward and several ways in which to do it.

So here are the 2 things that I would like to answer for the judges -

• What defines me as a food blog is sharing with all of you - Our love for food, fun, life as well as this unique tribe. And of course, throw in some quirky humor too. 
• I have what it takes to be the next Food Blog Star because food is life and I am living and sharing it everyday! With so much going on in the world, this has become a platform to spread and receive joy...with food. There is so much to offer in recipes, stories, pictures, adventures, love, life, laughter and endless ways to give back. 

So, to close, I will leave you with a short video to share some of the experiences that I have been so fortunate to have because of  my readers and friends.

Live Life….And Put Some Butter On It!

To vote for me, please click on this badge on September 20-23 (closes at 3PM EST) and follow the instructions. Thank you SO MUCH for reading and sharing.

Love, Butter
PS If you want to add to this blog entry, I encourage you to – please join me and leave them in the comment section below

Who me? A Cookie What?!!

Kiss Me In the Kitchen

When is it, exactly, that a good girl goes bad? I mean, I, Butter, have always been known for being good (well, most of the time anyway). And now, it looks like my reputation might be in jeopardy, ever since last week. Either that, or I have been in complete denial this entire time.

This is because I was recently called a “cookie slut.”
You can only imagine my surprise.
My initial response was “I beg your pardon” …until I realized that they might be right. 


Am I? {Gulp}
…A baking jezebel? 


Do I need help? I mean, I have been known to frequent all sorts of bakeries, as well as woo many a cookie right on my kitchen counter. And yes, yes, there have been some late night rendezvous.

All right, all right {sigh}. Come on now, who can blame me? With so many cookies in the world, how can you expect me to commit to just one? I mean, if I am being judged because I love these delicious concoctions of goodness, then I might just have to accept a little bit of name-calling.


Even though I find it perfectly healthy to explore all of the possibilities out there, I thought that I would listen to the feedback provided by my friends and evaluate this life of indulgence.

So I went on a journey of self-discovery and wow, what an eye opener - Whew! I am relieved to say that it’s not completely my fault. I seem to have several enablers so, I cannot be held fully responsible for my actions. You look and tell me whose fault it is and if you could settle down with just one…

Here are my top 5 enablers (this past week anyway)

#1: This was a ridiculously delicious recipe and absolutely the fault of @Janis_tester (A.K.A. #1) who provided me with a link to her recipe for Inside Out Carrot Cake. I whipped these up and everyone loved them! We set up my new little photo lighting studio and took some pictures. Thank you for this recipe Janis (from Bite Me New England)!

#2: I blame this late night in my kitchen on a recipe that was inspired by @baking barrister from http://www.bakingbarrister.com  who recommended her version of Chocolate Chip Cookies. Jeff said that this was the ONE and ONLY if you are looking for a classic chocolate chip cookie. I agree! Thanks for the tips and inspiration Baking Barrister!

#3: In the mood for a little peanut butter morsel with your chocolate chip? This was a very memorable evening originally inspired by @VinoLuci from http://vinolucistyle.com/blog, who sent this Tweet with a link to the recipe, “VinoLuci RT @HowToSimplify: New Post: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies http://su.pr/2RGUwo I was done in as well –and by the way, milk is key! Thank you for the recommendation @VinoLuci :)

My friend Sally and I brought them to the Mind Body & Spirit Fitness run last Saturday. We even made a personal record for pace that day! Coincidence? I think not.

#4: These healthy tasty little bites couldn’t be ignored due to Rick’s MaryAnn and Ginger Cookies recipe. I just added a little glaze to top them off. Thank you for the recipe Rick (from Bittersweet!)

foodbuzz

#5: And last but not least, while we are calling out enablers, let’s not forget foodbuzz who has connected me to so many in this community. I would almost venture to say that they are the biggest culprits. They designed a contest that has me completely sucked in…there is no escape! http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog

So in the end, after days upon days of reflection and self-discovery (and a very full belly), I have decided…

That I will continue with my life of cookie love and that the only help that I need is in finding more recipes and eating all of these cookies!

LIVE the life YOU want!
Love, Butter

Hello My Precious Little Coconut Lover

Something's Got a Hold on Me (alternate version)

Have you ever made something so good, that you wanted to profess your love to it? I have mentioned this in the past with eclairs and sticky buns, but I recently fell in love yet again. Yes, I admit that I have total commitment issues when it comes to dessert. I'm afraid I may be developing a bit of a reputation. 

Anyway, I sat down and wrote a love letter to the new love of my life - Coconut Cream-Filled Macaroons, which I have nicknamed Precious Little Coconut Lovers. What do you think? Should I send it?

Dear Love,
Hello my precious little coconut lover, my naughty little friend. I know that we just met, but I feel like we have known each other our entire lives.

I mean, Martha told me about you, but I had no idea how well we would get along.

You are such a wonderful little nugget of goodness. So wonderful in fact, that I would like to introduce you to more of my friends. I have a feeling that we will all get along very, VERY well.

I took some pictures of you from our last date – take a peek, you look so nice J. I also jotted down a few secrets of what makes you so special.I would like to share them with my friends. Some have said that they would love to know exactly what I see in you.

I hope that we get to see each other again soon. Next time we can stay home alone in order have more time to ourselves.

Can I pick you up tomorrow at 8?

Love,
Butter
P.S. Even though my friend Larry called you a tease,I think you were just being yourself, so pay no attention to him.

Here you are getting ready before going to Ron’s house

Here are your friends who stayed behind with Fran and Chet

Um yeah, that is me after we spent some time together. You're just so nice and sweet, it all went right to my head 

Attached Note: Here is that secret to what just makes you so darn special. My friends want to know what I see in you.
Coconut Cream-Filled Macaroons
Precious Little Coconut Lovers
Recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies 

Ingredients
Cookies:
3 cups unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
3/4 cup of sugar
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon coconut extract (plus a little extra splash  J)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons cream of coconut, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (use butter flavored if you can)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar (I like to add 3-4 more tablespoons)
1 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions
Make the Cookies:
Gently stir together coconut, sugar, egg whites, coconut extract and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold for at least 1 hour. You can prepare the night before if you'd like. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Scoop cookie dough with a tablespoon and shape into a ball. Be careful not to pack these too tight (I made this mistake my first time). Gently place these on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper and lightly press. Not too much though, they look nice and delicious when they are full and almost plump looking. Place them about 1" apart and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown lightly. Rotate the pans halfway through cooking time. Remove from the oven, transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool.


Make the Filing:
Combine the butter, cream of coconut, and vegetable shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for about 1 minute until smooth. Then add confectioners sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract. Beat on medium speed, until smooth, pale and fluffy for about 2-3 minutes.


Put It All Together:
Place a healthy teaspoon of filling on the bottom of a cookie. Put another on top (flat side on cream) to create a delicious little sandwich. Repeat, repeat, repeat until they are all sitting there as if begging you to take a bite! But wait…. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until filling is firm. I know it’s tough, but I would wait about 40-50 minutes. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, at room temperature for about 3 days. They are the most delicious and chewy when served at room temperature.

Important Note: Remember, just make sure you don’t pack the dough too tight or overcook. Watch them closely and take them out when they have a golden toasted color.

Love you all,
Butter