Christmas Cookies

Despite the fact that this year's Christmas is a bit unorthodox (you know, I'm on the French Riviera and the palm trees have Christmas lights on them...) and the fact that I don't actually celebrate Christmas, I was determined to make Christmas cookies as usual. And by usual, I mean the last two years. I don't know what it is about this time of year, but it puts me in super-intense baking mode!

I invited the other students from my university to come over to my apartment last week and have a baking day. We planned to make enough so that everyone could take some home. The morning of, after having bought all the ingredients, it suddenly dawned on me that we only had one cookie sheet. While that didn't seem like the fin du monde at the time, it meant we could only bake 12 cookies at a time. That might not seem so bad to you, but now would be the time to share that we were stirring and swapping cookies out of the oven from noon until...(wait for it)...9 PM! I'm telling you, without the extra excitement that the Christmas season instils in me, I would have given up earlier or ended up on the floor crying. Fortunately, neither happened and everyone went home with their own little bunch of delicious Chistmas cookies to share!

I was a little torn on which cookies to make, but finally settled on sugar cookies (not pictures because they're so boring!), snickerdoodles, chocolate gingerbread cookies, and cranberry white chocolate oatmeal bunches. Oh, the deliciousness that ensued!

Snickerdoodles

These snickerdoodles were my favorite from the day. I'm not sure what was so different, but they turned out so much more delicious than last year. I got this recipe from the FoodNetwork site because they were rated 5/5 stars by 111 people! I'm telling you, those people were SO right! These were soft, chewy, and were subtly cinammony. Plus, they sparkled!

Snickerdoodles
from Gale Gand
makes 35-40 cookies

For the topping:
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cookie dough:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (I didn't use these and they were still delicious)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients.

In a bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.


Martha Stewart's Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies


These cookies were a close second to the snickerdoodles. They were super spicy, which I particularly like for Christmas cookies. I couldn't find molasses here, so I substituted it with a mixture of honey and maple syrup. I couldn't taste anything particularly off about them, but they were INCREDIBLY moist which made them difficult to pack up. Nonetheless, they were delicious. I haven't really enjoyed working with the dough of gingerbread in the past (something I avoided last year with the gingerbread cupcakes), so this year I decided to add chocolate and see how that would work. I also changed the recipe a little, using more cocoa instead of chocolate chunks, so the cookies would not really be chunky (I'm not sure why, but the idea of chunky gingerbread didn't appeal to me in the least). For all the changing around I did, they turned out pretty darn good!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
from Martha Stewart
makes 2 dozen

7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Martha Stewart's White Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

These cookies were an incredible flavor combination, but a little too chunky for my taste. Although, I imagine they would be wonderful with a warm drink, because they would be perfect for dunking. I added white chocolate chunks into the cookie batter because I love the combination of cranberry and white chocolate, particularly around the Christmas time.

(White Chocolate) Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
from Martha Stewart
makes 3 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
2 large eggs
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries
(I added in a chopped white chocolate bar at the end)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla, milk, and eggs. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, gradually add milk mixture, and beat well. Add the flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Remove bowl from the electric mixer, and stir in the oats and cranberries. Place dough in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Shape 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball; place on one of the prepared sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing 3 inches apart. Press with the bottom of a glass to flatten dough into 2-inch-diameter rounds.

Bake until golden but still soft in center, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from oven; transfer with parchment to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

London: Maze Grill

While I was in London I wanted to stop by Maze Grill to try out the supposed greatness that is Gordon Ramsey. I was nervous about the excessive prices so Nayereh and I opted to go for dessert. It was quite dark, so my photos are a little hard to make out. When the barman noticed I was photographing my dessert, he was kind enough to light a match for me to have a little more light. Both of our desserts were very multidimensional but ultimately quite harmonious on the palate. The portions were quite small, though, so I would not advise going on a completely empty stomach.

my amazing chocolate moelleux, pistachio sabayon, and honey milk ice cream

nayereh's tarte tatin with beurre noisette ice cream

Maze Grill
10-13 Grosvenor Square
London, W1K 6JP
Tel: 442074952211
Tube: Bond Street

London: Sushi at Donzoko

Not having enjoyed any sushi what-so-ever since I've been in Nice, I was hellbent on finding some as soon as I was in London. I asked my friends who live in London, Tom & Lindle, and they in turn asked a friend of theirs who had a particular affinity for Japanese food, and he recommended us to Donzoko.

It's in a very lively area of London, sandwiched between the Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus tube stations, which was quite helpful considering we were told to be sure to make a reservation. We made a reservation for 8, which was lucky because when we entered the restaurant, there were hardly any available tables.

Nayereh and I got seated on the "bar", which was nice because we got to watch the sushi masters at work, delicately and carefully preparing each roll. To start with, I ordered an iced oolong tea, which had such a full-bodied, earthy taste that I didn't even sweeten it. It was a nice drink to clean my palate between sushi, with not too much caffeine to have in the early evening.

For the sushi, we had cod roe and squid sushi, which was tender and delicious. In terms of Nigri, we had, between the two of us, a toro (medium fatty bluefin tuna belly), a squid, and another white fish I cannot for the life of me remember (this is what happens when you post too late and forget all the details of your amazing meal!) .

I was super excited about the toro because I've watched Chef Morimoto use thin slices of it, like this one, in all sorts of recipies on Iron Chef almost like it's a little shaving of truffle. You could definitely taste the high fat content but it was so tender and delicious! Other parts of tuna can be a little chewy, even when raw, but the belly was just packed with flavor and juiciness.

We had several other sushi rolls, but we were so excited to devour them that I didn't get a chance to photograph them. Afterward, though, we ordered a plate of octopus tempura. It was a little chewier than other octopus's I've ordered before (this might be because I've often had baby octopus or just the tentacles, like they serve at Zaytinya in DC), but it was still intensely delicious and was accompanied by a great sweet and spicy dipping sauce. I don't have too much experience to compare to, but I loved Donzoko and would definitely recommend dropping by next time your in London for great Japanese food. For those less interested in sushi, they had pages and pages of hotpots, noodles, and a series of garlic dishes that they are supposedly very well-known for.

Donzoko
15 Kingly Street
London, W1B 5PS
Tel: 08713328395
Tube Stops: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus

London: Borough Market

One of my favorite culinary experiences in London was Borough Market. We went on a Friday morning, trying to avoid the craziness of the weekends, but it was surprisingly crowded. It was a particularly exciting market because so little of it was just produce. Don't get me wrong, I love good produce just as much as the next foodie, but there's something to be said for more multi-faceted markets.

Borough Market has everything from artisan cheeses, pastas, olive oils to home made jams and and sauces to food stalls selling almost every type of food imaginable. It's a little hard to stay too long at this time of year because its outdoor and so darn cold outside, but I couldn't tear myself away! I couldn't afford to buy much, but I got a lot of ideas (example: mushroom pate, made with tons of raw mushrooms and good olive oil and herbs).

Another fun fact? The British are very generous when it comes to samples. Almost every stand allowed you to sample their products (and duh, who am I to refuse?), without any pressure to make a decision and buy something. After sampling anything and everything we could get my hands on, Nayereh and I stopped for a nice, organic wheatgrass shot and then had an amazing lunch of halloumi burgers, made with shredded vegetables and soft, chewy Halloumi cheese. You could have it with a bun, but I opted for salad, and was pleseantly suprised to see they gave a little of several different types of salad including one with bulgar wheat, a beet salad, and a shredded carrot (how French!) salad. Amazing!

it was impossible to get a shot without people rushing by, but now you can see the hustle and bustle atmosphere of the market (a contrast to the mellowed out Nice markets)

so many types of apples! i opted for hot apple cider with fresh ground cinnamon instead.

the most creative sauces and jams you can imagine. i loved the redcurrant, rhubarb, vanilla jam.

yerba mate and the traditional cups/containers it's drunk in

pestos and tapenades that i wish i could bathe in

nuts, nuts, nuts

the organic juice bar we stopped at for wheatgrass shots

wheatgrass, in the process of being picked to juice

chlorophyll, minerals and vitamin-rich wheatgrass shots

Iranian Food in London: Behesht

I first heard about Behesht first from an old friend who used to live in London. Then, someone (an Italian, mind you) went as far as to tell Nayereh it was the best restaurant in London. But when I coincidentally sat down next to an Iranian on my flight to London and he told me I couldn't miss it, I knew it would have to be one of my first meals in London.

We arrived after a bit of searching, it's not at all in central London. That said, the neighborhood was no where near as dodgey as some other areas I stumbled into accidentally throughout my trip. We knew we were getting close as we saw Iranians of all ages walk away from the restaurant towards the tube stop with expressions of pure contentment on their faces. When we got there (maybe a 10 minute walk from the Kensal Green stop), we were pleased to find the place was packed full of Iranians and non-Iranians alike. As the photograph above shows, the restaurant was full of really traditioanl Iranian tapestry and tilework and it was a real treat for me, not having been to Iran in over three years.

For an appetizer we ordered tadiq covered in ghormeh sabzi, a stew made with herbs, kidney beans and chunks of slow-cooked lamb. They topped it with some saffron rice, adding a little bit of sweetness to the yum-fest already going on. In the background is masteh moosir, a thick yogurt made with copious amounts of garlic.

Another amazing thing about Behesht was the prices. The dishes were between 5-7 pounds. Not bad, considering the mounds of rice, roasted tomato, and salad that accompany the kabob. And the food was incredible. Both Nayereh and I agreed that we have never had better Iranian food outside of Iran. The rice was soft and fluffy and both types of meat were tender and full-flavored. If you're planning a trip to London, I definitely recommend stopping by at Behesht if you're interested in having some really authentic Iranian food.

two skewers of minced lamb kabob

saffron-marinated bone-in chicken kabob

Adventures in London!

France is the best place to study abroad. Unlike the US where attendance often counts towards some sort of participation grade, the French system (at least at the University of Nice) is dependent entirely upon exams. While that places increased pressure on the exams, it makes attending class entirely optional. Because of such, I used a quiet week in my schedule to take advantage of a cheap flight (70euros roundtrip, can you believe it? Thank you EasyJet!) and go visit Nayereh in London. I had never been before and became quite enamored with the city after only a few days. As if I needed any more convincing, the city had quite the wide array of culinary options. I plan on posting on most of them, so be on the look out for that. Other than stuffing our faces, we managed to get in quite a good bit of sight-seeing and museum-visiting.

Westminster Abbey

the Tower Bridge at night

the incredible lobby of the British Museum

ancient Persian pottery in the British Museum


a Louise Bourgeois spider in the lobby of the Tate Modern

a view of the Thames from the coffee bar of the Tate Modern

the fountains of Buckingham Palace

Green Park