Author: petebakes

savory

pumpkin corn chowder

after i graduated from college, i wasn’t exactly batting down a barrage of job offers. that’s not to say that i wasn’t prepared to find a job, but as a creative writing major, i was a little uncertain about my future. graduation meant moving back to my parent’s house in pennsylvania while i job-hunted for positions in dc. getting an interview meant having to take a few hour drive south – or, as i did, crashing with my girl in baltimore, an almost halfway point. i had several interviews spaced a few days apart (for the job that i still have now!), so crashing for a night became crashing for a week…and a half.

so what did i do on those days in between interviews? well, besides online job-hunting, not a whole lot. so when the girl got home after a full day of summer classes to find me still watching tv in my pajamas, i figured i need to find a way to busy myself (and repay my incredibly gracious and beautiful host in the process). so began my quest for new meals!

i dedicated my days to cooking things i had never attempted to surprise the girl each night with a new dinner. that week marked a few first-time meals for me, but what really sticks out in my mind is this pumpkin corn chowder. using fresh corn helps, and make sure you use plain canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie mix, then adjust the flavors with your own spices. if you like hearty soups, this is the way to go. as with any soup, the fun is in playing around with the ingredients, so feel free to deviate from the recipe to make it your own.

cake

nana josé’s chocolate pecan cake

Post author By petebakes
Post date April 15, 2009
7 Comments on nana josé’s chocolate pecan cake

i’m a bit late on this one, but really, is there any bad time for a flourless chocolate cake? last week was passover with my girlfriend and her family, and a few days later was easter with my own family. i’m still recovering from over 100 hours of straight eating (mostly sweets) – chocolate caramel covered matzah to giant easter egg cakes. and lots of peanut butter cups.

once we arrived at my girl’s parent’s house, we got started on the cake, which could not have been easier (the whole thing is mixed in a blender!), but what makes the cake really work is the fresh berries and lime juice. i’m almost embarrassed to say that this was my first flourless cake, but it’s a perfect spring dessert (and the perfect end to a really awesome seder feast).

although the cake has a cup of pecans, the final result basically tastes like a rich brownie. to get a more intense pecan flavor, next time we might toast the pecans or even add some on top before serving. also, the recipe below calls for strawberries and blackberries, but we made ours with blueberries and raspberries. so even though passover is almost over, and even though you probably already have a house full of leftovers, don’t be afraid to whip up one more treat.

one last thing – i’m proud to announce that i’ll be entering the food blog battle arena with 5 other talented bloggers in the very first FOODIE FIGHT! foodie fights is a really cool spinoff of the cook offs going on over at macheesmo, and i’m excited to be a part of it. check out the foodie fights site for the rules, secret ingredients and other contestants. i can’t wait!

paintings

announcing: weekly food paintings!

Post author By petebakes
Post date April 14, 2009
13 Comments on announcing: weekly food paintings!

i consider myself extremely lucky to have the spare time to do creative things. i used to draw as a kid and i’m in school now for graphic design, but painting gives me a chance to both unwind and concentrate intensely at the same. i love the feeling of the paint against the canvas, and watching blocks of color become fully formed pieces. i’m excited to announce that i have a number of paintings on sale right now – and there are more coming. click to check them out!

it seemed like a natural fit to capture some of my favorite foods (and other food-related subjects) on canvas. right now i’ve got five paintings for sale – but i hope to get a new one up every week or so. keep checking my etsy store for updates. i love the idea of owning original pieces, so these are NOT prints – they are one-of-a-kind paintings. i’m not taking commissions per say, but feel free to suggest subjects in the comments!