Madhu Knits and Cooks

Modern Baby Blanket for a Stylish Baby Girl

What to make for a baby girl who I knew would be as stylish as her modern and artistic mother?  Aaah, I don't know!  Fear sets in.  Fear followed by lots of flipping through knitting books and then Ravelry.com.  Finally inspiration hits when I find the Chevron Baby Blanket pattern. 

But sadly, it's not quite right.  Too many color blocks make it seem too childish, so I check to see if anyone has altered it in any ways I like.  Bingo! A few folks have altered the pattern to do one-color stripes that are thinner and more streamlined than the original pattern.  And two colors rather than five?  Perfect!

And thanks to the husband who helped me pick the perfect color combination that cements this blanket as modern and stylish, rather than frumpy and juvenile.  

The blanket knit up fairly quickly post-swatch-blocking, and knitting a whole blanket in cotton wasn't as hard on my hands as I expected.  Especially as the colors came together, I really enjoyed this pattern and the resulting blanket.  Full project details follow the close-up image below.

Modern Baby Blanket

Pattern:  Chevron Baby Blanket by Espace Tricot

Yarn:  Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in Sage (~2.5 skeins) and Lemongrass (~0.5 skeins)

Needles:  US 7 circular

Measurements:  Pre-blocking measurements of 21.5 inches wide by 25 inches long, and post-blocking measurements of 21.5 inches wide by 24.5 inches long

My First Deviled Eggs - Not a Bad Inaugural Attempt

As dedicated Madhuknitsandcooks.com readers know, I've had a slow introduction to the world of eggs.  I only just started making frittatas and hardboiled eggs a year ago, and I made my first scrambled eggs a few months ago.  But now the dam has broke, and I find myself increasing turning to eggs for more than just baking.  

My latest egg recipe was definitely the most complex - deviled eggs.  I decided to go with the pros at Cook's Illustrated for this recipe because even though their approach was the most complicated, I thought it would probably not only yield the best results, but also help inform my egg-cooking techniques moving forward.

Thankfully, I was right on the second point - their approach of boiling eggs and then letting them cool in a ice bath produced a great hard-boiled egg.  Unfortunately though, that didn't make peeling the shells off the eggs easier than the traditional, non-ice bath approach, but that's fine.

I ended up doing that under running water in the sink, and I covered the eggs by approx. 1 inch of water while bringing them to a boil.

After the eggs cooled, I sliced them in half.  As instructed, I discarded (into my mouth) the two egg white halves that didn't look the best so that the remaining 12 half-whites would be overflowing with filling.

I then mixed together the egg yolks with the remaining ingredients - cider vinegar, (vegan) Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise and mustard.  Instead of using a grainy mustard though, I used dijon mustard which I had in my fridge.

When I tasted the mixture, I thought it has too much mayonnaise flavor so moving forward I will probably reduce the mayonnaise amount by 1 tablespoon.  For this attempt though, I tried to offset that flavor by adding in more Worcestershire. 

That seemed to do the trick as the result was very good - tangy, slightly sweet, smooth, and a bit of umami flavor from the Worcestershire.  I look forward to make these eggs again!

Another Attempt at Dal Makhani - Not the Best, Not the Worst

With whole urad dal in my cupboard, leftover heavy cream in the fridge, and the Two Sleevers Indian Instant Pot Cookbook on my counter from the library, all signs pointed to making dal makhani on a recent chilly night.

The result wasn't the worst dal makhani I've made, nor was it the best.  I again used slightly too much cream.  And while the flavors from the tadka of cumin, onion, green chili, and the splash of lemon juice at the end came through, I was still underwhelmed by this too-beany dish.  It just wasn't enough flavor to stand up to the bland rice, nor enough flavor to stand on its own.

Some technical details are that I used approx. 2/3 cup of urad dal and rajma, which was probably  1/2 cup of urad dal and 1/6 cup of red beans.  I soaked the beans together overnight.  I cooked the beans in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 20 minutes, and did some light mashing, which I could have done more of.   I used 1/4 cup of heavy cream.

Crisped Edge Buttery Chocolate Chip Cookies - Easy Weeknight Treat

Hankering for some homemade chocolate chip cookies, but not quite settled on re-making one of my go-to recipes, I decided to try King Arthur Flour's "favorite" chocolate chip cookie recipe.  The recipe combines shortening with butter to produce crisped edge cookies with somewhat pliable interiors.  

And the unexpected bonus of these cookies was how buttery their flavor was - yum!  I don't know why they turned out this way, given the use of shortening (and not the butter-flavored version), but I look forward to remaking these over and over again.

I halved the recipe and used my trusty scale to measure the ingredients.  The only slight inadvertent change I made from the original recipe was that I poured out a little too much egg from my container, so used approx. 21g of a lightly beaten egg instead of 27g (which would have been half of the large egg I used).  

Otherwise, just followed the standard cream wet ingredients together, mix in dry approach, and then ready for the oven!

Cauliflower with Scallions and Black Mustard Seeds - Cauliflower for a Crowd

In what appears to be a 4 - 5 year trend, I picked up Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking off the bookshelf thinking that it's been some time since I last tried this cookbook, maybe I should give it another try? 

This after an initial recipe attempt in 2010 - Potatoes Smothered in Shallots - which I declared "incredibly bland" and "fairly," and a more encouraging 2015 attempt of Gujarati-Inspired Dal, which has since become a kitchen staple (albeit with several modifications). 

Sadly, this latest 2019 effort more approximated the 2010 Sahni experience than the 2015 one. Perhaps because I again followed the directions fairly closely or maybe because this cookbook just isn't my cup of tea. 

In any case, the recipe I settled on - Cauliflower with Scallions and Black Mustard Seeds - was both a little too long to cook and a little too boring to ever really want to make again. 

It took longer than I expected to cook in that it took not only a long time for the cauliflower to become tender on the stove-top, but also for the water to evaporate in the dish to produce a non-soupy consistency (approx. 15 minutes after removing the cover from the steamed cauliflower). This after I tried to drain some of the cooking water out to expedite the process. And then the final result was a slightly too-mushy cauliflower from overcooking. 

The flavors of the dish were also just...fine. The curry leave flavor didn't come out until I reheated leftovers. The mustard seeds, turmeric and scallion flavors all did come through, but they didn't really wow me. If anything, it was too much mustard seed and turmeric - slight bitterness mixed with each of their distinctive aromas - and not enough other balancing flavors. 

So while this didn't require a lot of hands on time, I don't think this will be a recipe repeat unless I am looking for something relatively benign for a crowd.

Black Eyed Pea Tacos - A New Mexican-Inspired Side or Tortilla Filling

I've had a can of black eyed peas in my cupboard for some time (so much time that I think this can was part of an apartment move last year).  And while the can hadn't yet reached it's 2020 expiration date, I decided that enough was enough and I should finally remove it from its perch on the cupboard shelf high above.

The resulting improvised sauteed black eyed peas were a perfect filling for tacos, and I think they would also be good as an enchilada filling or one their own as a side dish.  They had a nice kick from the spices, a hearty yet soft texture, and a nice tartness from the tomato and onion.  And while the spices initially seemed to overwhelm the flavor of the black eyed peas, as the mixture cooled a bit, you couldn't mistake the unique flavor of the peas in this dish.

And of course, this recipe also met a critical criteria for me - it was incredibly easy to prepare.  Took just 15 - 20 minutes to get a great filling meal for two on the table.  

I will definitely be making this again and again.  In fact, I just bought a 2-lb. bag of dried black eyed peas because I was so happy with this recipe.

Mexican-Inspired Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients

• 1 14-oz. can black eyed peas (or equivalent cooked beans from dry)
• 1.5 tbsp. olive oil 
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1 plum tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh jalapeno
• 1 pinch of garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
• 1 pinch of dried oregano
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp. minced cilantro
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium-high heat
• When hot, stir in onion and jalapeno, and saute until the onion becomes translucent (approx. 4 minutes)
• Stir in the chopped tomato, oregano, and garlic powder / minced garlic, and cook down for 2 - 3 minutes or until tomato is heated through and starts to break down
• Add in the black eyed peas and 1/4 cup of water.  Cook on medium-high heat until the beans are heated through (approx. 5 - 7 minutes) and the water mostly evaporates. 
• Garnish with cilantro, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
• Serve immediately on it's own, or place a desired amount into heated tortillas for tacos or enchiladas

Maple Cider Vinegar Carrots - As Interesting As That Flavor Combination Sounds!

Randomly picked up some rainbow carrots from the farmers market, but what to make, what to make?  Milk Street (yet again) to the rescue!

This time, I chose their Maple Cider Vinegar Carrots recipe because it seemed both relatively hands off and only required ingredients that I have in plentiful supply in my pantry.  I wasn't quite sure what the cooked carrots would ultimately taste like, but if Milk Street came up with this recipe, it couldn't be a crazy result right?

Thankfully it wasn't!  The velvety cooked carrots had an incredibly unique flavor - sharpness from the vinegar, but dulled from the maple syrup and the butter.  This dish though was somehow neither sour not sweet.  I honestly can't identify the flavor profile, but it was definitely interesting and a dish I would make again!

And thankfully, the recipe was also incredibly easy to prepare and largely hands off.  The most laborious part of the process was peeling the carrots!

Super Soft and Moist Almond Flavored Cake

Cake flour, cake flour, did I truly bake wonderful cakes before you?  It's hard to believe that I did given how consistently great my cake flour cakes have been. 

This simple almond-flavored cake was no exception, producing an incredibly soft, moist and dense cake that could be enjoyed by adults and children alike with its smooth, simple flavors.  

I halved the recipe because I didn't have a particular occasion to make it for, and I also substituted low-fat milk, which didn't seem to have a large impact on the outcome of the cake.  I also increased the amount of almond extract to 1 tsp. to get a stronger almond flavor. 

The only thing I would change in the future is to reduce the baking time.  I baked the cake in a 9-inch cake pan for approximately 23 minutes, whereas 21 or 22 probably would have been enough (note how much the sides of the cake pulled in from the tin post-baking).

The recipe utilized the "paste" method of adding in the butter to the dry ingredients to form a sand or paste-like texture, and then adding in the other wet ingredients in thirds.

I don't know if I have done this method before, so it was an interesting approach for me to try.  Not sure if this is what led to the super moist cake?  More research and experimentation is clearly warranted!

Roberta's Pizza Dough - Followed the Directions This Time, But Still a Lackluster Result

Five years ago, I made a sort-of attempt at the famed Brooklyn restaurant Roberta's pizza dough.  As documented on this very blog, this fake attempt was declared as such because I didn't use the right flour, nor did I have a scale at the time to properly measure the ingredients.  The result matched the lackluster effort - a hard-to-shape, sticky dough that produced a poorly shaped and blandly flavored pizza.  

Realizing a few years later that I now possessed the required missing elements - proper flour and a scale, I finally re-attempted this dough (recipe courtesy of Serious Eats) a few weeks back.  

And just to make sure I didn't mess it up the first re-attempt time, I tried it again a few days later using a room temperature rise instead of a fridge one.  Unfortunately, both attempts resulted in a baked pie that just wasn't too my taste.  Maybe I didn't bake the pies at the right temperature, but they were simultaneously very chewy and cracker-like as if both under and over-done.  The slices took a few too many chews to swallow, and the flavor wasn't as developed as some of my other cold-rise pizza doughs.

Oh well.  Back to the drawing board!  But at least with a scale, this recipe was relatively easy to construct.  Combine dough, rest, knead, rise, roll, and then bake!

As I mentioned above, I did one rise in the fridge (the above images) and then let the dough come to room temperature (pictured immediately above this text).  The other rise (pictured immediately below) is from doing a single rise at room temperature on my kitchen counter top.

Sautéed Squash Ribbons - a Unique and Wonderful Summer Treat

I don't remember how I found this recipe, but I am glad I did in the waning days of summer.  This Cook's Illustrated Sautéed Summer Squash with Parsley and Garlic recipe was the most unique preparation of summer squash I have seen. 

The squash is peeled into ~1 inch wide ribbons (beautiful!), flash sautéed, and then dressed with a lemon-olive oil dressing.  That's it!

At first, the squash tasted almost too lemony and tart, but as it cooled, the flavors mellowed out and were fantastic.  I omitted the parsley, which I didn't have on hand, and I think that any sort of herb would be great to add to this dish.  In the future, I can see myself doubling the recipe and serving it as a summer dinner or lunch party side dish.