Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Last week I chaperoned a field trip to the Oregon Food Bank.  I spent roughly three hours with an ambitious group of fifth grade boys trying to separate bulk raw oats into family-sized quantities. The kids were grouped into teams of three to weigh and box oats into 2 pounds bags, and almost immediately they naturally started to compete to see who could produce the most bags, the quickest, and with the least waste.  It was hilarious watching these kids turn an ordinary service project into a head-to-head competition.  And I'll admit, I had fun.  The time was enjoyable and moved quickly since we laughed our way through the process.

What I found even more hilarious was the boys' conversation as they were separating all the oats.  It very quickly turned to discussions of oatmeal cookies, oatmeal muffins, and all things oatmeal.  The smell of the raw oats did circulate around the room as we worked, and for foodies, aromas often trigger food memories and food thoughts, but what was fun for me was to see and hear average 10-year olds doing the same thing.

After the field trip, I went straight home and began searching for oatmeal cookie recipes.  I wanted to reward the kids for not their effort, but for their joyful and exuberant attitude while serving others.  I was proud of these kids and what better way to say, 'job well done' than to provide them with the a small taste of what they had been talking about for hours...an oatmeal cookie.

Orange Angel Food Cake with Caramel Sauce and Tropical-Fruit Compote

Angel food cake, which got its name because of its airy lightness, was once considered "food for the angels".   If you have only had the boxed or bakery Styrofoam replica, you may be left scratching your head and wondering what makes this cake suitable for angels.   This recipe will provide you with the answer.  Light, moist, and subtly flavored with orange and vanilla, you will feel as though you have ascended into heaven with each bite, and that is before the caramel or the tropical-fruit compote has been added.

In order to make angel food cake, there are several baking fundamentals that are essential to know.  Unlike other cakes, angel food cake is made with the omission of fat, and actually the presence of any fat (i.e., butter, oil, and/or egg yolk) will cause problems; therefore it is important that your bowls and utensils are clean and that you carefully separate the yolks from the whites.

Additionally, angel food cake gets it light and airy texture from beating egg whites.  Use eggs that are at room temperature to aid beating your eggs to a larger volume.  The addition of cream of tartar will also help you achieve the best results.  Cream of tarter, which is a common ingredient used in baking that helps stabilize and give volume to beaten eggs, is found in the spices and seasoning aisle in your local grocery store.  The cost of the bottle is well worth its price since there is no substitute for it and because it does not have a shelf life.

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

When your life is food centric like mine, you find yourself reading food-related articles more than one should.  Instead of filling my mind with intellectually stimulating articles, keeping up with current world crises, and finding out who was snubbed from the Royal Wedding invite list, I read cookbooks.  I also subscribe to The New York Times solely for their dining in, dining out section and read The Oregonian only on Tuesdays because that is when FoodDay is featured.  Because who could resist an entire section of a newspaper dedicated to cooking, food, and recipes?

Today I stumbled across an article written on Will Write For Food by author, editor, and writing coach Dianne Jacob entitled, "20 Terms For Selling (I Mean Writing) Recipes".  (OK, truth be told I didn't actually stumble across it. The article was sent to me via email because I subscribe to her blog.)  The whole point of the article was to showcase phrases food bloggers use to "sell" their recipes--phrases that should be omitted since they are really just tired sales pitches to snow readers into the kitchen.  Phrases like "perfect for any occasion", "packed with flavor", "minimum time and effort", and "ideal for busy weeknights". 

Oops.  I would have almost used each of those phrases for this Parmesan Roasted Potatoes recipe.  Not that I was going to try to sell you this recipe, I was just going to write about it in an honest and genuine way.  Truly.  But each of those phrases would have been accurate for these Parmesan Roasted Potatoes.  Well, not "perfect for any occasion". That phrase I would have not used because who wants a starchy side dish at your 5-year old's birthday party.  Even as much as my family enjoyed this recipe that would just not be right.