Un-Generous (plus some dip)

Posted on October 23, 2012 by kaprise

I tend to be a generous person. As a child, my mom used to pack me several times the amount of food for lunch because I shared with everyone. And… until recently I’ve been very generous about everything. I share notes, I share tips for school, I share my time, I share a lot of things… but recently I’ve been feeling the opposite of generous. I don’t feel like talking to anyone. I don’t want to share. I don’t want to give anyone anything. And the phrase “THAT IS MINE” keep bubbling out of my lips. Childishly so. There is actually no point to this story. I just thought I’d share these new childish personality developments in my life.

Anyway. The point of this post was to share my new favorite thing on earth. Spinach Artichoke dip. I did some research on spinach artichoke recipes and I couldn’t find a one that I agreed with. Some of them add a roux (which I hate because I think it smells like play-doh) and some use peppers (which I find slimy) and then some used milk (which I hate buying because I don’t drink it) and some used packaged mixes (which I eschew with disdain). I know. I’m a difficult person. Anyway. I made several different versions of this dip before I settled on this particular ratio. This dip is not creamy and gooey, but instead it is heavily packed with spinach, caramelized onion, and chopped artichoke all held together with a bit of cheese and burnished in the oven to a golden crisp. I will tell you up front… this dip? This dip was not cheap nor was it quick, but it is absolutely worth the effort.

Kaprise Kitchen’s Spinach Artichoke Dip

3/4 pound of fresh baby spinach
28 oz of artichokes, chopped and drained well
1 red onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
8 ounces of cream cheese (use a good quality, full fat cream cheese)
8 ounces of sour cream (again, use a good quality and full fat variety)
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese (for the third, and shockingly not the last time, a good one that is full fat)
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (tada! a good and full fat variety)
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan (guess what? use a good and full fat variety)
salt and pepper to taste
About 4 tablespoons of butter

In a large saucepan, melt a tablespoon of butter. Saute the spinach and garlic in batches until just wilted. Set aside in a colander to drain.
Wipe out your pan, and melt another chunk of butter. Saute the onion until caramelized and fragrant. Add a sprinkle of salt to help the onion along.
Once the onion has caramelized, toss the chopped artichoke in the pan with the onion and another chunk of butter. Toss and allow the artichoke to gather some color as well. Set the artichoke/onion mixture aside.
In the same pan, slice in the cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the sour cream.
In the cream mixture, stir in the artichoke and onion mixture. Remove from heat
Gently squeeze the spinach leaves to remove excess liquid. On a clean cutting board, roughly chop the spinach
In the saucepan (or a large mixing bowl if you pan won’t accomodate all the ingredients), combine the spinach with the artichoke/onion/cream mixture.
Fold in the feta and mozzarella, making sure that the cheeses are evenly incorporated.
Take a quick taste of the dip… add more salt and pepper as needed. You might get creative and add some cayenne for an extra kick, or throw in some diced jalapeño. The world is your own bowl of dip! (because oysters gross me out)
Divide into oven-safe dishes and top with parmesan.
Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden on the top.
ENJOY!!!!!!

Filtering Crazy

Posted on October 12, 2012 by kaprise

I’m not the most normal person I know. In fact, I occasionally do things that are outright batshit crazy. Like… a week ago I walked into J-Crew. They were having a sale. I dropped about $500 on accessories in 15 minutes and walked out. I mean really. Was that necessary? No… because that was crazy. No one needs $500 worth of belts and headbands. No one. So I chose 4 things and returned the rest. Did I look like an incredible nut job? Yes. My receipt was longer than my grocery receipt.

Anyway… the point is. Since I am unemployed, trying to find a job, and trying to find the motivation to be happy and productive… I’ve been a bit unstable. Like crazy.

So, I’m cleansing my wardrobe today… it’s been a long time coming. And I’m putting together some neat, work appropriate outfits, and then I’m going to start running. Like running a lot.

Plans? Run a marathon. Take the CA bar exam. Get a job.

Oh and yes… I’ll be back in a couple days with some salted chocolate dipped caramels, which I have already devoured, and a recipe for steak salad.

So. Bored.

Posted on September 30, 2012 by kaprise

So. I’m unemployed… and you’d think that will all this extra time that I would be doing something amazing with my time… but truth be told? I pretty much sit around glued to my laptop surfing the web for random things and then I sit around obsessing about random things. Today I spent a good 3 hours looking at feathers. Yes. Feathers. Because I decided that I really, really need this adorable feathered vest. Unfortunately it’s sold out, so I thought “I WILL MAKE IT” and spent the better part of my afternoon plotting how to emulate this little vest. This is what I want:

Anyway… In an attempt to collect my thoughts of be more productive, I’m going to post a bit more here. Maybe the audience will help me feel some responsibility to moving on and getting back into shape.

Goals for this week:

Run every other day
Apply for 5 jobs (okay. I should apply for like 50)
Finish one creative project
Cook something. Anything… and share with you guys!

Oh… I also spend a lot of time playing with my hair. I found these little clip-in extensions that I have had for a couple years, and decided to sweep my hair up with them… it’s fun!

I bought mine at Sally Beauty Supply… and I believe THESE are the ones I have.

Little Tricks

Posted on September 29, 2012 by kaprise

A couple weeks ago, my mother returned from a trip to see a friend out in Chicago. Not only did she return with a million adorable new additions for her wardrobe (can I mention how JEALOUS I am to have missed out of Chicago shopping?!?!) she also came back with a little trick. Her friend explained that if you wrap a ripe avocado tightly in foil and then refrigerate, it stays bright and fresh until you are ready to finish eating it… works on cut and uncut avocado!!

So.. of course I tried it. And ladies and gents… it actually works! So I thought I’d share!

xoxo

-H

Who knew????

Posted on September 21, 2012 by kaprise

Seriously. Who knew that 3 weeks traveling abroad, followed by back to back road trips to help family and friends get settled into new apartments and places would result in an early run-in with the flu? I guess I over did it?

I just returned from Boston on Sunday at 11:00pm after a whirlwind 25 hours of full on crazy. My dear little cousin just moved to Boston to start work a couple weeks ago… and since she has been swamped with work, we planned a quick trip to get her settled. We did 7 hours of bargain hunting on Saturday night and outfitted her with new towels, sheets, a foam mattress topper, mirrors, work suitable clothing, cute shoes, and a million other odds and ends. At the end of the trip it took us 4 trips from my car to unload and unpack. At midnight, we finally had finished, slapped on some crazy party makeup and zipped into little dresses before we were out dancing…. and then we met some random people and partied until the sun came up. Weird? Probably. After a quick nap, J and I were back to bargain hunting to finish outfitting her place. The minute I got her settled, I hopped in the car and drove home as the sun set.

I woke up on Monday feeling a little under the weather. After walking my dog and breaking out into a cold sweat, I determined that I was indeed sick. Fever, chills, and some major crankiness later… I’m feeling better. So. Happy Friday. I’ve slept away the entire week to battle my cold.

And since there has been a serious lack of pictures… here are some:

The cutest little cup holder… It’s a little bear! Is Dunkin Donuts this cute in the United States???

Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3:30am…. Completely empty!!

Oh look…

Posted on September 14, 2012 by kaprise

I’m back… as promised!

So… I spent a few days with my older sister and whipped up some things for her to eat through the week. She’s an intern, so she spends a lot of time at the hospital and very little time at home. Since she spends so little time at home, it’s obviously difficult to find delicious and healthy meals to whip up in short periods of time.

This time I made roasted root vegetables and meatballs. Meatballs get popped in the freezer to be cooked freshly each day and the root vegetables are roasted all at once and refrigerated to be eaten for a couple days. S commented that how I made roasted vegetables are better than the way most people make them…

I laughed, because the key to having really delicious roasted vegetables is patience. There is a distinct difference between the temperatures at which vegetables are cooked that makes them more or less palatable… and how long you cook them.

The general rules I follow when roasting vegetables: (At some point, I’ll get more specific and even bring pictures!!)

Use good quality olive oil, salt and pepper. I normally coat the baking sheet with a light coat of oil, toss the vegetables on the sheet with another generous drizzle of oil with the salt and pepper
Space the vegetables out – the closer the vegetables are, the more likely they are to steam instead of roast… and you end up with uneven slices and soggy vegetables
Roast at higher temperatures. I normally roast my vegetables at 425 F or 450 F. The higher temperature helps the vegetables get that desirable golden crust and cooks the insides of the root vegetables into a fluffy texture.
Roast longer. There is a distinct difference between well cooked vegetables and undercooked. I think this is what sets my roasted vegetables apart from most others… I cook mine for a LONG time. I normally put a tray of cauliflower and carrots into the oven at 425 F for 65 minutes. Most recipes I’ve seen for comparable roasted vegetables say about 30 minutes. Vegetables take on an entirely different texture once they have been roasted for longer. Sweet potatoes start to caramelize and take on a chewy texture that rivals the best caramels. Carrots become plush but toothsome bites that are like distilled sunshine.
Rotate generously – I rotate my pans about 3 or 4 times. I often switch from the bottom to top racks to ensure that the vegetables roast evenly and flip the pans around so everything is browned nicely.

Next time? There will be pictures. So many pictures.

xoxo

-H

I swear

Posted on September 13, 2012 by kaprise

… no seriously… this time I swear that I will update more frequently. You know how I know? I’m so totally unemployed… hunting for a job and sitting around eating chocolate. It’ll be a great opportunity for me to do some self-exploring and update here more frequently.

Even amongst my closest friends, most don’t know about all of the little things that I do to occupy my time. I don’t sleep very much (and as I say this I’m laughing, since last night I actually slept 14 uninterrupted hours), but since my days are normally a bit longer than most people and I’m antsy, I occupy myself with books, craft projects, and learning new little skills… I have a laundry list of things I like doing. And now? Now is the opportunity for me to share my insights and my weird little life with you.

So… Since I last posted. I was in the throes of studying for the NY/NJ bar exam. I took the NY and NJ bar exams at the end of July. Then I drove to DC for a weekend trip. Then I went to Korea. I went to Thailand. I went to Cambodia. I came home to New York. I drove up to Buffalo. I went paddleboarding. I drove home. And this weekend I drive to Boston.

I traveled a ton… and I realized that I really need to keep my camera with me more often…. those beautiful moments in life are just so fleeting, I hope to capture more of them in film (well… digitally since I don’t have a film camera… though…. maybe I should take up film???).

Anyway… in the coming days I will tell you more about my travels and my plans and projects!!!

love!

-H

The Cold and Ruthless

Posted on July 3, 2012 by kaprise

Do you have a friend that is just prone to dramatic interludes and drama-packed day to day?

I have two. Every single day is another drama and action packed life… and they way they narrate their lives is as if the world is ending and there is an ebola outbreak that they are singlehandedly trying to stop. Don’t get me wrong… there are somedays that I feel overly dramatic and I narrate my harrowing day in overblown terms… but mostly for comic amusement and mostly so I can just blow off steam. But M? She actually believes that she faces these true life or death scenarios and that she was in grave danger. Her dog recently was hospitalized, and you would have thought the leader of the free world was hurt and she was his only lifeline. I sympathize as a dog owner, but I also believe that if you are capable of spending two thousand dollars fixing your three thousand dollar pet, then this isn’t a real problem.

The cold and ruthless little voice in my head just says “those aren’t real problems.” I don’t think I’ve ever had a “real” problem. There are some little nuisances, annoyances, and dramatic stories, but I’ve never had a problem. I’ve never been deathly ill, or broken, or stranded in a place where no civilized hand could reach out and help me. I’ve never wanted for food, shelter, or any comfort.

For the most part, my friends are like me, we enjoy a good life. We have the ability to gripe on about stupid things like how the $20 martini was just not all that great, and how our fancy leather shoes got damages when we accidentally spilled that overpriced martini on them. So when one of my friends complains about their hardships, I just hope that I do not do the same where such trivial matters becomes mountains in my minds eye when there are people who suffer from true hardship and battle harrowing days.

Oh Puppy

Posted on July 2, 2012 by kaprise

I just removed a tick from my dog’s ear. I’ve had Boo for over 4 years now, but I’m still horrified whenever I see one of those slimy little bugs. This time, I used tweezers, but I think I nicked a little bit of my dog’s ear in the process of yanking the bugger out. Ugh. It’s so gross.

So gross.

DRAMATIC FAINT.

I flushed the bug down the sink, but now I think I should have burned it alive as punishment for biting my doggie’s ear. Gross. So Gross.

Today has been an epic day of bugs. I woke up with a giant something weird thing crawling on the floor. Then there was this disgusting hairy spider on my car, so I had to get out of the passenger door and swat at it in the middle of a parking lot like a deranged person. Then there was so hideous looking bug on the back deck… and then the tick.

So. SO. Gross.

Coconut Spiced Macadamia Nuts

Posted on June 24, 2012 by kaprise

Oh hello… I bet you almost forgot that I actually post recipes and fun stuff! But I do have this lovely LOVELY recipe for you… finally!

If you are like me and are barreling through summer studying for an exam (ahem bar and board takers) you understand how stir crazy you get sometimes. After reading through evidence (of all horrible things) for a few hours, I was falling asleep in my chair. In attempt to perk up and distract myself from the fluffy pillows on my bed, I whipped up these roasted nuts, lightly spiced and crunchy sweet. I made them first with almonds, and then with macadamia nuts. I far prefer the macadamia nuts because of the contrast between the creaminess of the nut and the crunch of the coating. However, feel free to make these with any type of nut! The nuts end up just a bit coated in sugar and a bit crusted in coconut. Some of the coconut just caramelizes with the sugar and you get these delicious bites of spiced coconut. So… ON TO THE RECIPE!

The measurements are not exact, but this is what you need:

1/2 cup of flaked, unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups of macadamia nuts
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cumin*
A sprinkle of paprika and red peper powder*

Lightly toast the coconut flakes. Stir in the spices and pour into a separate plate.
In the same pan, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the surface and allow it to melt. Once the sugar has melted, you must work quickly so that it does not burn!
Remove the pan from the flame and toss the macadamia nuts to coat in the sugar.
Then quickly sprinkle the coconut mixture evenly over the tops of the glazed nuts and stir rapidly
Quickly remove the mixture to a large, flat plate and cool.
Store after completely cooled

* If you like a spicier nut, feel free to up the quantities of these spices. You could even crumble a little rosemary in here!

Kaprise!

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