mollygilbert520

Torched Marshmallow & Sweet Potato Pie

November 21, 2014 by mollygilbert520 4 Comments

This. This! THIS is what #PieDayFriday is all about. Custardy and sweetly-spiced sweet potato pie, tucked into a buttery gingersnap crust and topped with too much torched marshmallow meringue.

…Yep. Marshmallow meringue.

Y’KNOW?!?

I’ve always been a straight pumpkin pie kind of girl (side of whip), but I figure I’m 30 now, and it’s high time to give the sweet potato a chance. Turns out it’s a seamless transition.

Subbing sweet potato for pumpkin in pie isn’t an earth-shaking departure, flavor-wise (our familiar pumpkin pie spices are ever present), but I know some people have strong opinions about the merits and downfalls of each. Personally, I am not one of those people.

I’ve actually heard that the best method for this kind of pie is to use butternut squash. Maybe next time I’ll try to distinguish this pie as SWEET POTATO by subbing out some of the traditional pumpkin pie spices, or adding a drop of molasses, or using heavy cream instead of evaporated milk?

Or maybe I’ll just keep it exactly as it is. Extra marshmallow, always.

…

I Think Thursday 11.20.14

November 20, 2014 by mollygilbert520 1 Comment

It’s Thursdaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Just one week until Thanksgiving! Here are some thinks for the week:

Remember our pumpkin mousse (above)? Now’s the time.
Thanksgiving recipes across the United States! This is fun.
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is one of my fave web series. The Kevin Hart episode is fantastic.
Ohhhh man, remember DELiA*s? (Best clothing catalogs and/or users of random capital letters ever).
Executive Women, Finding (& Owning) Their Voice. Great advice in here.
Ava Ryan (age 4), Queen of Vine?
Grammar nerds rejoice! This is amazing.
Famous Women on Aging. My fave: “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.” —Lucille Ball
8 Small Cooking Habits That Make a Big Difference. It’s true. Though I have a love/hate relationship with #4.
Brunch is for Jerks? I’m going to say no.

Happy almost weekend!

Kale & Sausage Stuffed Shells

November 18, 2014 by mollygilbert520 3 Comments

Remember stuffed shells?!? My mom used to make them for my sisters and me when we were kids, but I haven’t eaten a jumbo pasta shell, stuffed or unstuffed, in years.

I’m not sure where or how the craving first lodged itself in my brain, but when I saw a box of shells staring at me from the shelf at the grocery store, I snatched it up without thought and headed straight for the cheese section to find ricotta. Stuffed shells = happening!

After all, I enjoy stuffing things. I mean, there are like twelve recipes in my cookbook for things stuffed in other things… there’s Israeli cous cous-stuffed peppers, thai tofu-stuffed eggplant, salad-stuffed squash bowls… plus I’m always overstuffing my washing machine and then wondering why my clothes are still dirty. So.

Stuffed shells!

Mom used to fill her shells with a mixture of different cheeses (yum), but I wanted some protein and greens in there (I’m so adult), so I added some turkey sausage and wilted kale. Good choices, both. They heft up the meal and cut through the richness of the cheese (in a good way – the dish is still plenty cheesy!).

Now all I need is a tall glass of apple juice, my two sisters sitting across from me at the table in their feetsie pajamas, and the promise of an episode of Saved By The Bell (the early years) for dessert.

…I’m totally kidding I would never accept anything less than a cookie for dessert. Come on, mom.

Kale & Sausage Stuffed Shells

…

Pie Day Friday!

November 14, 2014 by mollygilbert520 Leave a Comment

WELCOME TO PIE-DAY-FRIDAY, FRIENDS! I’m so so excited to present this new little series to the blog, from now through the holidays! To answer some questions you may have:

WHO: Us!

WHAT: Pies!

WHERE: Here.

WHEN: Fridays, from now to New Years!

WHY: Because we all could use a little help with our pie game, amiright? (Except for my Aunt Maggie who is baller at pies. But still).

I’m starting out with my FAVORITE pie, an oldie but a goodie, an all-around classic and integral player in the holiday season lineup… PECAN PIE! (Are there a lot of caps in this post or IS IT JUST ME?).

Last year, I wrote about this pie: “You will want to make it. You will be proud to partake of it, even. It’s rich and toasty, sweetly mapled, faintly caramel-ish – it is deep, this pecan pie. Deep in the maple/brown sugar/molasses, complex-and-nuanced sort of way, not in the literal depth sort of way. You know. It’s like, deep, man.”

…Still true.

To make this thing we toast pecans for true nuttiness, use maple syrup and a glug of molasses instead of the usual corn syrup (for a cleaner, whole-er kind of sweetness), and round the pie out with some brown sugar for depth, heavy cream and egg yolks for pure richness, and salt to make it sing. And oh, does it sing.

And if you use store-bought pie dough? (Which I do only sometimes but have no shame in doing?) Easy as PIE. (…See what I did there?)

HAPPY PIE-DAY-FRIDAY!

Click here for the recipe for Deeply Pecan Pie.

I Think Thursday 11.13.14

November 13, 2014 by mollygilbert520 1 Comment

Oh, that up there? It’s a cran-raspberry pie! A crazzberry pie. It’s just doing a little foreshadowing…

But (pie), more (pie) on that (cough, PIE) later. For now, it’s another (Thurs)day another dolla! Here’s what I’m thinking about this week:

The cast of Mean Girls looks back. Stop trying to make “fetch” happen.
Do you like hanging out with yourself? The Luxury of Solitude.
Yours truly in 425 Magazine! Talking about sheet pans and why my grandmas are the best.
The truth about cast iron.
Women Rejecting Marriage Proposals in Western Art History.
Everyone I know keeps talking about this podcast. I just started listening and am hooked.
Oops. This is awkward.
This pie Gaby made looks illegal.
Relevant on Veteran’s Day and every day – the humans beneath the uniform. Very poignant.
Sucks to be a Mets fan, huh?
For anyone who lives in or plans to visit Seattle, this news is just tragic. I mean… WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?

Curried Coconut Chicken Soup

November 11, 2014 by mollygilbert520 8 Comments

I made you soup! It’s what often comes out of my kitchen when I’m feeling hungry but direction-less. I can usually be counted on to have an onion or two rolling around in the back of the fridge (I get anxious when I run out of onions, see), and probably some butter (same deal), and so it begins.

This soup was deliberate, though. There’s a place in Seattle (a grocery store called Metropolitan Market) where, when I’m feeling too lazy to cook but not too lazy to drive, I like to go to “grocery shop,” by which I mean I like to go and pick up one or two actual groceries and then load up on pints of house-made curried coconut chicken soup.

This happens… often. Because the soup! The soup. It’s so good. It’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy, just-creamy-enough with coconut milk, and full of hearty texture from still-crisp vegetables and tender pieces of chicken.

The soup has become a bit of a ritual for Ben and me, the ease of stirring and the smell of ginger and coconut, bread toasting, then cozying up at the table. We treat ourselves to it at least once a week, so I figured since I’m, you know, a chef and all that, I should try my hand at making it from scratch.

So here we are! It’s not exactly exactly the same, but it’s pretty close. Rich with spice and coconut milk, filled with tender veggies and shreds of chicken, it’s the perfect antidote to a long and chilly day….

I Think Thursday

November 6, 2014 by mollygilbert520 6 Comments

Another week in the books! (Above photo just because I miss my wedding. Will do a full wedding recap here soon!) For now, here’s what I think, this Thursday:

Ask Polly gets TOUGH on relationship advice. Whoa.
What Men Are Really Saying When Catcalling Women.
Can we all just take a second to re-appreciate this music video? N*SYNC 4 life. (I still know this entire dance b.t.dubs)
Long but interesting — Against The Grain. a.k.a. is gluten really SO terrible??
I love how all of the characters in Harry Potter have supremely well-thought-out backstories. Here, an official profile of Dolores Jane Umbridge (one of the best literary villains out there, I think).
Interesting parenting advice.
I kind of wish my name were Elizabeth Gallagher? This kid is cute.
Thanksgiving is almost here… we need some mashed potato tips!
Another genius Ina Garten meme. “If you can’t summon the flames directly from hell, storebought is fine.”
Jacques Pepin is INCROYABLE. I once saw him casually sculpt an incredibly lifelike rose from a stick of butter in about 2 seconds flat. Just saying.

(Cookbook!) Pears in Prosciutto

November 4, 2014 by mollygilbert520 4 Comments

Cookbook sneak peeeeeek! As you may already have deduced (from my shameless, hammering “reminders,” perhaps), the cookbook I made for you comes out in 27 days!

<——– That’s it! Holy sheet pans, Batman.

I’ve got to say, putting work out there, work you’ve spent hours and days and weeks and YEARS honing, is totally nerve-racking and a little bit terrifying, but I’m really quite proud of this little book, and I can’t wait to show it to you!

In that vein, I thought you might like some pears. Wrapped in some salty prosciutto and baked until tender and warm?

YEP YEP YEP.

These are capital E Easy (only three ingredients and minimal baking time), but don’t let that fool you – they’re also capital D, capital LICIOUS. The pears get sweet and soften a bit in the oven, while the prosciutto crisps up and lends a rich, salty bite. They make a great pre-dinner snack or party appetizer (they do well next to a generous cheese platter), and I hope they’ll get you in the mood for more stuff on a sheet pan! Stay tuned…

Pears in Prosciutto (from Sheet Pan Suppers)

It can be hard to tell if a pear is ripe for eating— especially Bosc pears, which are generally quite firm. Here’s the trick: Gently touch the flesh at the pear’s neck, just under the stem. If it’s rock hard, move on—it’s not ready. If it yields slightly, it’s ripe and good to eat.

Ingredients:

8 slices (about 1⁄4 pound) prosciutto, cut or ripped in half lengthwise to make 16 strips
2 Bosc pears, unpeeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper third. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Wrap a strip of prosciutto tightly around each pear wedge, placing the pears skin side down on the prepared pan as you go. Make sure to leave some room between pears on the pan. Sprinkle plenty of ground black pepper atop the prosciutto- wrapped pears.

Bake until the prosciutto is firm and crisp and the pears are tender, their tips nicely charred, 15 to 18 minutes.

Serve warm, while the pears are meltingly tender inside their crisp shells.

Makes 16 pieces.

I Think Thursday

October 30, 2014 by mollygilbert520 3 Comments

Hey! It’s Thursday again! Amazing how that happens like, every week. Here are some thinks for this installment of I Think Thursday:

Ina Garten drinking game. Enough said.
This twitter account for a fake progressive-parenting daycare is hysterical.
I love Sarah’s blog (and pantry sense).
Cutest Halloween costume ever? I think so.
15 career tips for smart women. Get after it, gals.
Brittany’s photographs are so colorful and amazing.
I’m totally still ALL about that bass. Here’s an amazing version of what the song would sound like in the 1940’s. …SWINGIN’, man.
Cute idea for an easy Halloween treat.
Or you could make Owl Cupcakes (above) and pretty much just win Halloween.

Happy Thursday, all!

Halloween Treats!

October 29, 2014 by mollygilbert520 Leave a Comment

Hi guys! I got married last weekend! More on that soon. In the meantime, it’s almost Halloween! If you’re looking for some last minute treat ideas, I’ve got you covered:

Pumpkin Ginger Cake with Salted Maple Glaze! It’s both vaguely spider-webby and great for a crowd.

Homemade Oreos (Fauxreos!) just feel right.

Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean Pudding gets Halloween ready with some chocolate cookie “dirt” and candy pumpkins.

Turn up your candy game with some Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows.

This Salty Caramel Thyme Dip is just waaaaaaiting for some sliced apples to do some dunking.

Dress up your Double Chocolate Baked Doughnuts with orange and purple sprinkles and voila! Halloweened.

OR you could just eat half a bag of Reese’s cups and call it a day. (…I mean. We’ve all been there.)

Happy Halloween!!