chocolate peanut buddies

This recipe (from Nestle) happened to fit perfectly with the ingredients I found in the kitchen. However, my peanut buddies are extra chocolatlely (I used 2 11 oz. bags of chocolate chips)- oh the cravings.

They are delicious fresh out of the oven, but be prepared to lick your fingers. You can also put them straight into the refrigerator to solidify the chocolate layer on top. Whatever you do, make sure you've "got milk."

(Very) Chocolate Peanut Buddies

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
6 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups chocolate chips, divided (doubled for very version)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat peanut butter and butter in mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Then beat in flour and salt. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Spread into ungreased 13 x 9" baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are golden. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes or until chocolate is shiny; then spread evenly on top. Let cool completely and then cut into bars.

still on the coffee kick...

What is specialty coffee? This Salon interview with coffee expert Michaele Weissman just scrapes the surface of this question. My blog will likely cover more in-depth information about coffee in the future, so this short Q & A is a fine place to start. Weissman makes a significant point during this interview, in that, for the most part, coffee is a misunderstood commodity with the majority of its consumers.

Therefore, I hope to provide some helpful information for all you caffeinated readers. Stay tuned.

Coffee Factoid: "The value of the coffee in a typical Starbucks coffee is about 6 cents."

True story.

cafe rated: big bear cafe

Last Monday I went to the Le Droit Park/Bloomingdale area for lunch. Located on the corner of 1st and R St NW, is a rustic neighborhood coffeehouse called Big Bear Cafe. A few quiet customers looked up from their laptops and newspapers as I walked in. I was excited about most of the items on the menu (individual French press coffee, large selection of teas, specialty salads, etc). Since I had already consumed two (or three) cups of coffee that day, I ordered a Chai tea and a hummus sandwich.

I did notice that Chai was not on the menu. And I thought it odd that a place like this would not serve it, because it is popular. So this was sort of a customer service test... Luckily, the male barista said,

“I can make you a Chai. How sweet do you like it? We brew it ourselves.”

Fantastic.

While I waited for my receipt to print, someone put Ratatat's "Classics" album in the stereo. This is one of my favorite CD's to listen to while working. Again, fantastic.

Due to the friendly, comfortable atmosphere (and the neighborhood), the café probably attracts a lot of interesting loners, which made for good people-watching. There are some really lovely photographs on the walls that look familiar to me somehow. Then I read the signature on the matte and see that they are from Claude Taylor Photography, the popular international print shop in Dupont. It makes me smile to think about local community support in a big city like DC.

Monday was a gorgeous day, the sun almost blinding because we had not seen it in four days. But I chose a table inside because it was also extremely windy. The outdoor stone patio of Big Bear Café, open yet intimate, wraps around the exterior of the corner location. There are large planters chock-full of greenery and wooden boxes housing bulbs or flowers waiting to bloom that border dining area.

I watched from the window as a passerby walked up to the planters and pruned a bit off one of the plants. I then realized that it was rosemary. In fact, all the planters were filled with herbs. A community herb garden sponsored by the neighborhood cafe. How neat! This realization was also a testament to the freshness of Big Bear's ingredients. You can check out photos of the cafe's history and of the herb garden's progress here.

For less than $10, I ate a delicious toasted hummus sandwich, complete with roasted red peppers, cucumbers and arugula, with a mixed green salad on the side. Of all the coffeehouses I’ve been to so far, Big Bear Café definitely takes the cake. I only wish it was in my neighborhood.

actual location: 1st & R NW DC
cyber location: www.bigbearcafe-dc.com
hours: M-F: 7a-6p, Sat: 7:30a-6p, Sun: 8:30a-6p
price: $ (of $$$, which is too much)
outdoor seating: yes.
cash/credit: both.
wi-fi: yes.


CAFE RATED:
Coffee: A (they serve only Counter Culture Coffee [which I love] made with the French press, so although I had a Chai tea, I believe I would have been satisfied with the coffee)
Food: B
Service: A
Atmosphere: A

blossom shots

I now understand the anticipation-overload that precedes the Cherry Blossom Festival. Although I missed most of the parade, I was able to catch the pale pink beauties at their peak. I believe the wind was averaging about 20 mph (the perfect day for a kite festival... oops), but otherwise it was a lovely day. Here are a few of my photos, and you can find more at flickr.

flavor of the week: easter edition

The flavor of the week is a sort of compilation of neat things I've stumbled across on the world wide web that are worth sharing. I'll do my best to get a variety of visuals, tangibles and edibles.

space savers: this corner coat rack will hold lots of jackets, scarves, children, bags, etc. it might look a little bulky, but for a tight spot, it's worth the functionality. and moving outside, these stair-like tier planters would be a fun DIY spring project. there's a unique aesthetic about them... a spacious alternative to the basic flower box.

kitchen aids: for those of us that can't do anything without our computers anymore (like remember song lyrics, addresses, schedules, etc) here's a new mac app to help you in the kitchen. souschef is a useful software that stores recipes, photos, blogs and other culinary interests. not that you have to get rid of your cookbooks... but the voice-activated feature of this program may soon make reading while cooking a thing of the past (you say, "computer, next selection," and it tells you your next step). pretty cool.
ps: if you don't have a mac, get one. find souschef and more awesome apps for cheap here.

love this lighting: this new york city apartment is on the market and hosting an open house tomorrow from 1p to 4p. while i'm not interested in the real estate, the space and lighting in these rooms are absolutely phenomenal. what do you think?

for your fancy easter basket: these elegant eggs with custom printed words and phrases would make a gift. paloma's nest in austin, texas also makes some other beautiful ceramic and porcelain pieces as well.

most monotonous song ever: i remember learning to play "hot crossed buns" on the clarinet in junior high. although it was probably challenging at the time, the song is dumb. but there's that saying, "don't knock it 'til you try it." and i've never eaten these traditional english buns, so i'm looking forward to making them. and if you've never had hot crossed buns, you're in luck. easter is the time to eat them. here are some neat versions to try... photos ordered respectively.
- hcb from what's for lunch, honey?
- hbc from messy cook
- hcb from colloquial cooking
- hbc from southern living
- hot crossed muffin buns