Honest writing.

I shared this through e-mail with friends who are writers, visual artists, sonic artists, and creators by nature, but I realized this is something I'd like my friends in cyberland to also check out. If you have followed Madame Munchies for a while, you know I think the world of Molly Wizenberg, food writer extraordinaire and the creative force behind the blog, Orangette. While the topic speaks to her own struggle to write I think the theme permeates throughout all of our journeys, escpecially for those who create. If you have some time, snuggle up with your favorite mug of tea/coffee or other beverage and soak this post in. You won't regret it.

This very topic has been of particular interest to me for quite some time - I find myself wanting to spend more time creating, whether it's writing, singing, playing the piano, making food, working on new zine ideas, knitting, etc. but have chosen to spend my free time doing other things instead (for various reasons, my friends). But I've noticed too that when I do create, my overall outlook and mood is much more positive. Reading this post also nudges me to finally read Bird by Bird. Thought this was kinda odd, considering I was discussing Anne Lamott over the weekend with some new pals at a BBQ. Coincidence?!? I think not.

Muffin Mania.

I guess you could say I've been on a "muffin" roll this month. Last week Molly Wizenberg of Orangette featured a post on ginger muffins from Marion Cunningham's book entitled The Breakfast Book (which I am squeamishly trying to be patient for as I placed it on "hold" at the library). In the meantime, though I was pleasantly pooped after attending a book club meeting, Sunday evening I made a batch of these spicy and energetic little muffins.

At first I was a bit concerned with the amount of fresh ginger used in the recipe. I kept reminding myself, that if Molly used that amount, I should use the same amount too. Trust Molly, trust Molly, trust Molly. After this mini-meditation, I plowed through the simple recipe and this is how they turned out:

Allowing them to cool, I sliced one muffin in half and slathered some softened butter on top each half. I have to say it wasn't what I was expecting. Though the batter included a substantial amount of ginger, it wasn't over the top (or over the muffin top, if you're up for a pun). They definitely had a kick to them, but they were bursting with citrus and spice notes (an not overly sweet, which I like). Easy to see why popping another two into your mouth takes no effort. The batter could easily be turned into a quick bread too. Accompanied with a cold glass of milk, these muffins are a great way to start your day or start someone else's day. Consider serving them at a brunch or party as a dessert too.

A Lil' Cake.

How could I forget to wish Madame Munchies a Happy Birthday? February 27th marked my blog's 2nd birthday! And while I didn't sing a song or do a dance, this past weekend I did bake a cake, but it wasn't in honor of my blog's birth.

Over the weekend, I had an impromptu baking session - I was invited over to hang out with some friends and we had a last minute potluck. I offered to make a dessert and after perusing several cookbooks (of which I'm still organizing and finding a home for), I came across Molly Wizenberg's French Yogurt Cake featured in her memoir, A Homemade Life. I know what you're thinking, haven't I babbled enough on Molly, her fabulous blog and book??? Well, dear friends, no I have not!

Of course given time constraints as well as purse constraints, I was looking for a recipe for which I had the majority of ingredients listed and it just so happened I had 95% of the ingredients for this one. Plus the name of the recipe was intriguing. I've had alot of success with cakes that utilize the moistening power of yogurt or sour cream, so I was pretty confident that this would turn into sweet success!

The recipe called for whole yogurt and my fridge was fully stocked with greek yogurt and instead of using a silly old regular lemon I used a meyer lemon, which added a delicate sweetness to this otherwise mild cake. What I love about this recipe is its flexability. Molly suggested using other citrus fruits if you have them on hand, she even recommended using a fruity olive oil to replace the canola oil that the recipe calls for. You could add ground pistachios or almonds, or even dried fruit and I think it would compliment the flavor base for this cake.

Either way you slice it, your friends and family will thank you, I've been told it could be the key to meeting my future husband.

Spilled Milk.

Fourteen days later, Happy New Year to you all! It's been an intense couple of weeks, for a number of reasons. I'm clearing out the old, so that the "new" and "wonderful" can meander over to my neck o' the woods! Just wanted to share a foodie podcast with y'all: Spilled Milk, which is hosted by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette and Matthew Amster-Burton, both Seattle based foodies and writers. The first episode is devoted to Fried Eggs, all of its glories, and includes a recipe for Kimchi Fried Rice. It will make you laugh, chuckle, even snort (I admit it, I caught myself a few times) and of course, it will educate and inspire. Check it out when you've got 15 minutes to spare, you'll be glad you made the pit stop. You can also subscribe to this podcast in iTunes.

Delancey.

I have often ranted and raved about one of my favorite foodie bloggers, Molly Wizenberg of Orangette. I spent last week visiting my mom and stepdad in Seattle (they live on Whidbey Island) and had the distinct pleasure of dining at Delancey with my mom.

When Molly's book, A Handmade Life, was released earlier this year, I eagerly awaited her appearance at a book signing in the midwest, but she didn't quite make it that far....and so I asked (begged and pleaded, sorta) my mom to attend a book signing in Seattle and have my book signed. Much to my mother's surprise, she had a splendid time at the event and read the book at a much needed getaway to Arch Cape, Oregon.

While planning our trip, I made it clear, WE MUST GO TO DELANCEY. And alas this past Thursday, after spending a lovely (and FREE) afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum, soaking in the rays of glorious modern art, we headed over to the Seattle suburb of Ballard to grab a seat at Delancey.


Luck would have it when we arrived, the wait for a table was 45-60 minutes but there were two seats at the bar, and so we dove for them. It really was a special treat to sit there, we got to watch Brandon, Molly and their crew, prepare pizzas, etc. The bar is literally where all the action is. In fact, had we not sat at the bar, we wouldn't have met our chatty diner, Matt (who has frequented Delancey two to three times a week since it has opened) and we wouldn't have had the chance to meet and chat with Molly.

To start we split a salad with grana padano, thinly sliced radishes and a red wine viniagrette. Simple and fresh. Matt convinced us to order the "Padron", a wood fired pizza topped with padron chiles, grana padano, aged and mozzarella. Honestly, it didn't take much convincing, both my mother and I are "spicy" indeed, and I'm not just talking about chiles! :) Watching Brandon monitor the wood fire oven's temperature constantly, you could tell he's serious about HEAT. The pizzas nearly take two to three minutes to bake. It's that HOT. And in my humble opinion, I would've waited half an hour for a pizza that good. The crust was delicate and puffy pockets of air filled special crevices that melted in your mouth. Heaven, we were in heaven.........which leads to us to dessert.

Two choices, we had to indulge with both - Molly's famous chocolate chip cookies with grey salt and an organic blackberry yogurt popsicle. Every adult and child's favorites, cookies and ice cream. All that was missing was a chilled glass of 2% milk to accompany them both. The cookie was delicious, chewy and crunchy all at the same time. The grey salt brought out the chocolate chips, made them sing, in fact. The blackberry popsicle was savory and sweet. There wasn't an ounce of guilt for eating such delicious treats.

Between our chatty conversations with other foodies and taking in the pleasures of simple food, prepared with heart and soul, it was meal to be remembered. Thank you Molly and Brandon, thank you.