"No Ordinary Snack"

The other day, as I was heating some chicken and cilantro dumplings as an afterschool snack for my three hungry kids, my ten year old daughter, while eagerly awaiting her portion, commented how this was “no ordinary snack.” Then, while slurping down her four dumplings, she continued in a proud (somewhat superior) tone, to note that other kids would typically come home to a bowl of gold fish or pretzels.

I guess she was right. Their afternoon snack wasn’t “ordinary” and on other afternoons, my kids could come home to empanadas, homemade soup or burritos. If I didn’t have “cooking with friends”, she probably wouldn’t be so lucky. You see, I had crimped these dumplings with Christina a few weeks ago and tucked them away in my freezer.

My friends and I are continuously cooking together to stock our freezers with nutritious meals to use for lunch, snacks, appetizers and light meals. So, at times, I may look like a super hero mom through the eyes of my children (and my four-year old did just notice that I had some nice muscles on my arms), but I will credit it all to the Cooking with Friends way of life. If I were on my own, I’d probably resort to a good old bowl of fishies.

So, thank you Sofia, with your inquisitiveness, for recognizing how Cooking With Friends can make something that seems impossible (or extraordinary) become possible for a regular mom.

Chicken & Cilantro Dumplings
Makes approximately 60

If I had to name a food that I most enjoy making with friends, I would have to say dumplings. These delicious two-bite treats are a staple in our homes and can be used as snacks, appetizers or even a light meal by themselves. You can vary the filling, by adding vegetables or changing the meat. They are truly devoured by everyone. Often times, my friends and I will make the fillings (which take less than 15 minutes to assemble) and then sit and crimp together. It’s a rewarding way to fill our freezers while spending an hour or so with a friend.
1 pound ground chicken
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh minc ed ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro (optional)
1/8 cup chopped water chestnuts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
1 pack dumpling wrappers

Mix together all ingredients. Set out a work surface with a small bowl of water (to seal the edges of the dumplings), a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and a crimper. Place a teaspoon full of the mixture on the center of a wrapper, moisten the edges with water and then crimp the edges together. You can either use your hands or a simple dumpling crimper. Lay the dumpling on the wax paper and repeat until all of the filling is used. Make sure the dumplings aren’t overlapping or they will stick together. To freeze, place uncovered in the freezer for about two hours until they begin to harden and the transfer to a zip loc freezer bag. Remove any excess air before sealing.

"You'll Like This."

“You’ll like this.” That’s what Debbie said during a morning run last week, while trying to explain why she never dropped off my share of mushroom ravioli from a recent cooking date. You see, it had been a somewhat amusing afternoon making ravioli together. Cue the wavy flashback lines…

Although Debbie made the dough ahead of time --as we usually do-- for some reason it was stubborn that day. She guessed that she might have added a bit too much water, which made it difficult to work with. There were lots of holes and the dough seemed a little rubbery, sort of silly putty-like. And since we didn’t have our friend Lou, the expert ravioli maker, to guide us through our mishaps, it was slow going. Nor did we have an electric pasta press, so instead we were cranking it all by hand. Needless to say, it was a sluggish and laborious afternoon making filling and then working with less-than-perfect dough.

I had to leave before we were finished, (saying goodbye to a countertop full of corn meal, dough and filling) but Debbie promised she’d finish things up and swing by my house the next day or so with my share of ravioli.
Well, days went by and she never came. It was unlike her to forget about me, but I just got too busy to check in with her. To be honest, I figured the ravioli didn’t turn out that well and Debbie decided to spare me. In fact, when Lou inquired how our ravioli-making session was, I told him that it was a disaster.

So, on our run the other day, after I casually asked what ever happened to the mushroom ravioli, I was quite surprised to hear Debbie breathlessly tell me how good it was! Before I had the chance to deliver an earful, she jumped right in with a “You’ll like this” and went on to tell me how she spontaneously (and elegantly) served our ravioli to friends at an impromptu dinner the night after we cooked together.

She described how effortlessly she pulled the mushroom ravioli out of the freezer and served it proudly, with a touch of melted butter and shaved Parmesan Cheese on top. While they devoured a delicious meal, Debbie talked about how we made it together and she began to divulge the history of our cooking together. (Debbie was my very first cooking friend as a grown-up mom.) My ears should have been ringing, she said. Through her story telling, I became very much a part of their meal.

When it comes to food and cooking, it’s all about sharing – we share the food and when we’re lucky, the stories that go with it. That’s what gives food meaning.

So I’ll forgive Debbie this time. But only because I really did like her story.

Here’s our filling, which was inspired by our friend Lou.

Mushroom Ravioli Filling

20 ounces mushrooms, cleaned, of your choice (baby bella, crimini, portabello)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon kosher salt

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil for a minute. Add the garlic and shallots. Season with salt. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 15 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and chop into small pieces. Reserve the cooking liquid (fabulous tip from Lou!). In a large bowl, mix together the mushrooms, bread crumbs, parsley, cheese and egg.

Use as a filling for ravioli (or dumplings!)

Mix and Run

Last Tuesday, with a mission to make breakfast for 75 third graders, Christina and I got together to bake zucchini and banana bread. Thanks to her fabulous, roomy kitchen with an enormous oven, she most often hosts our cooking dates. This was the fifth occasion we baked together during the year as part of a Healthy Breakfast program for my daughter’s school. And each time, it’s lots of fun.

Of course, last week was particularly jam-packed with all sorts of must-do appointments and meetings, and I was struggling to fit everything in. WhenTuesday rolled around and Christina and I were discussing what time to get started, I mentioned that I really wanted to fit in a quick jog. That’s when I got the idea to mix and run.

So, at 9:00 am on Tuesday, I arrived at Christina’s house, running shoes on, with bags of ingredients in hand. I was in charge of making the zucchini bread and Christina was to handle the banana bread. We were a divide and conquer team in our separate corners. I efficiently measured and mixed four batches of zucchini batter, filled the bread pans, placed them in the oven, cleaned up my mess and headed out the door. Since Christina was baking for other reasons as well and would be in her kitchen anyway, she had no problem keeping a watch on my breads while I went for a quick run.

Thirty minutes later, when I checked back in with Christina, the breads were just about finished. She had taken most of the loaves out of the oven and set them on racks to cool. As I wrapped the warm loaves in tin foil, I realized how lucky I was to have such kitchen comfort with a friend.

Judging by the reaction and the crumbs, this kid-tested zucchini bread is a winner. Here’s my recipe:

Zucchini Bread
Makes 6-8 mini loaves

1 cup canola oil
1 cup apple sauce
1 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups shredded zucchini

Using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, apple sauce and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well. Add the shredded zucchini and mix well. Divide batter into mini baking loaves sprayed with baking spray. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes until cooked through.

M&M's (Macaroons and Matzah Candy)

This past Monday marked the fourth consecutive year that Jackie and I made macaroons together. (I think we can officially call it a holiday tradition!)These flaky and sweet, two-bite morsels, drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate, have become an integral ending to our festive meal s and making them together, an especially enjoyable way to check something off the “to do” list. And this year, since we had a chunk of uninterrupted time while our kids were in school, we even whipped up a batch of chocolaty chewy Matzah crunch.

I was having dinner at my house that night and was a bit mess phobic, and Jackie was sweet enough to host our macaroon making date. To save some time (since we were making a quadruple batch of macaroons), I beat the egg whites and created the coconut mixture at my house. (Some smart advance prep work as it turned out.) I even texted (Yes I’m hip!) Jackie to pre-heat the oven so all I’d have to do is scoop and bake, giving Jackie plenty of table top space to mixed her ingredients.

Jackie and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time together in that hour and half time slot. While our macaroons baked, fragrantly filling Jackie’s house with a sensationally sweet scent, we sipped coffee together; and while we drizzled chocolate atop the golden coconut, we talked about random life things. I left Jackie’s house smiling, with several trays of macaroons in both arms, thankful to have cooking with friends, especially during the holidays.

Chocolate Drizzled Macaroons
Makes 2 dozen macaroons

Macaroons are the perfect cookie to make with friends since they are not labor intensive, the jobs can easily be distributed, and they can be made in large quantities in a short amount of time. Everyone leaves with a large batch. If baking with two friends, make three batches of the coconut mixture.

What you’ll need:

2 -3 friends
8 ounces sweetened angel flake coconut
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 stiffly beaten egg white
1/8 tsp. of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix coconut, vanilla extract, salt and condensed milk together in a mixing bowl. Beat egg white until stiff. Fold the egg white into the coconut. Form the coconut mixture into balls and place one inch apart onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven until golden for approximately 12- 14 minutes. Melt the chocolate chips in the oven for 1 minute until melted. Cool cookies on a cooling rack and drizzle melted chocolate over the macaroons using a small spoon.

'Let's Lighten Up'

Cooking With Friends April e-newsletter: 'Let's Lighten Up'