January 23, 2006

Recipe Index

Dum da dum da dum da dum dum...

Presenting, in no particular order, the Always Order Dessert Recipes!

They're grouped by category and that's about it because I'm not so much into organizing and alphabetizing. One day, when my MS Word stops acting up, I'll auto-alphabetize. Until then, Ctrl + F is your friend.

Enjoy!


Cakes

Peach-and-Plum Saffron Almond Cake

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

Carrot Pulp Cake with Maple-Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

German Chocolate Cake

Apple Cake

Ginger-Scented Brown Butter Cake

Dimpled Quince Pudding Cake

Blueberry Almond Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut Lime Torte

Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake

Italian Rainbow Cookie Cake II

Glazed Meyer Lemon Nut Cake

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

Flourless Chocolate Orange Almond Torte

Orange & Vanilla Marmalade Mini Cakes


Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt & Sorbets

Sour Cherry Almond Frozen Yogurt

Beet Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Pepper Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Matcha (Green Tea) Ice Cream

Meyer Lemon Custard Ice Cream

Lebanese Milk Ice Cream

Coconut Ricotta Rum Ice Cream

Kiwi Sorbet

Passion Fruit Sorbet



Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Savory Rosemary & Chevre Muffins


Pancakes

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Hotcakes (Pancakes)

Coconut Flour Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Blackberries

Dutch Baby Pancakes with Cinnamon Orange Syrup


Vegetables and Side Dishes

Roasted Asparagus

Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter, Sage & Ricotta

Eggplant Ricotta Bake

Roasted Potato Salad w/ Red Pepper & Smoked Paprika Dressing

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts

Creamed Kale

Chipotle & Cola Braised Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Plum Tomatoes with Shallots & Garlic

Mofongo Stuffing

Spiced Cranberry Orange Sauce

Kale Chips

Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Baked Mozzarella Arrabiata




Soup

Creamy Asparagus Soup w/ Bacon & Asparagus Tip Garnish

Split-Pea Soup w/ a Smoky Garlic Yogurt Swirl

Chestnut, Bacon, and Green Apple Soup

Pumpkin Chili

Mexican Lime Soup with Spinach

Potage Parmentier (Potato Leek Soup)



Breads

Onion Brioche

Pita Bread

Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia Rolls

Vanilla Bean Challah

Pumpkin Spice Challah

Bamboo Charcoal Challah

Multi-Grain Bagels

Banana Bread

Pan de Mallorca / Mallorcan Sweet Rolls

Chipotle Challah



Financier, Madeleines & Other Teacakes

Sour Cherry Financier

Coconut Financier Madeleines

Ginger-Coconut Madeleines

Orange & Vanilla Marmalade Mini Cakes



Cookies, Brownies & Bars

Cardamom-Semolina Shortbread Cookies

Lavender-Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Vanilla-Flecked Coconut Macaroons

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie

Fudgy Coconut Flour Brownies

Salted Ginger Molasses Cookies



Donuts, Pastries, and Fritters

Sweet Carrot Zeppole


Puddings, Custards & Flans

Guava Flan

Classic Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Banana Coconut Custard Bread Pudding

Molded Salmon Mousse

Bourbon & Spice Pumpkin Mousse



Fruit Desserts

Candied Guava Shells

Cinnamon Apple Butter (No Sugar Added, Crockpot)

Vanilla Bean & Anise Poached Quince

Homemade Quince Paste (Membrillo)

Star Anise & Vanilla Bean Poached Pears



Pies, Tarts & Crumbles

Cinnamon Apple Pie-Cake

Rhubarb Cherry Rosewater Crumble

Orange-Hazelnut Baklava

Whole Wheat Pear & Cognac Crostata


Candy

Chocolate-covered Membrillo (quince paste) Squares

Cocoa Espresso Truffles

Salted Rocky Road Fudge

Homemade Almond Paste


Preserves

Orange Vanilla Bean Marmalade



Fish & Shellfish

Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs in White Wine Lemon Sauce

Mini Crab Cakes with Cilantro-Lime Aioli

Pan-seared Chilean Sea Bass in a Blood Orange Butter Sauce

Tuna, Parsley & Radish Salad

Molded Salmon Mousse

Rock Shrimp Cobb Salad

Steamed Mussels with White Wine, Rosemary & Bacon




Beef, Pork & Veal

Three-Meat Meatloaf Arrabiata

Pomegranate Braised Baby-Back Ribs

Sweet & Spicy Bacon

Marinated Flank Steak w/ Lemon Cilantro Dressing in Lettuce Wraps

Coconut Meatballs w/ Coconut Rum Dipping Sauce

Veal Marsala


Chicken, Turkey, and other Poultry

Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey


Salads

Roasted Potato Salad w/ Red Pepper & Smoked Paprika Dressing

Mesclun Salad w/ Ginger Vinaigrette

Salmon & Avocado Salad

Smoky Deviled Egg Salad

Tuna, Parsley & Radish Salad

Napa Cabbage Slaw with Mustard & Apple Butter Vinaigrette

Rock Shrimp Cobb Salad


Eggs

Roasted Tomato & Goat Cheese Omelet



Pasta

Beet & Goat Cheese Gnocchi

Fresh Basil Pesto Agnolotti

Spinach & Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter & Sage



Shakes, Cocktails, and other Beverages

Pecan Milk

Sparkling Gin Punch

Fresh Ginger Tea with Nutmeg



Miscellaneous Snacks

Arancini di Riso -- Fried Risotto Balls

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Fried Macaroni & Cheese

Smoky Jalapeño Poppers

Baked Mozzarella Arrabiata

Kale Chips

Bacon Wrapped Dates w/ Green Olive Dip
Posted by Alejandra Ramos at 3:58 PM
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January 15, 2006

About Me

Alejandra RamosI have two big passions in life: food and the written word. In January of 2004, I took a break from the latter, temporarily pausing my course of study at The George Washington University to move to Florence, Italy, where I enrolled at a professional culinary institute. It was a move that might seem whimsical in print, but which made sense to all who knew me and my love for the kitchen.

Within weeks of hatching my plan I found myself living in a lovely, albeit sparsely-furnished, flat just steps from the legendary Ponte Vecchio on the Duomo side of the river Arno. Eager to extract as much as possible from the experience I immersed myself completely in the Florentine culture, learning the language quickly and adopting as many of the local traditions as possible. Days were spent running through the cobble stoned streets of Florence, to-and-from classes in our perpetually sauce-stained chef whites, or shopping for produce and cured meats in the lush street markets.

There is a feeling of recklessness that takes over when you are 21, far from home, and lacking any real responsibilities. We lived our lives accordingly, befriending (and sometimes dating) good-hearted, but questionable characters--chefs, writers, painters, and vagrant travelers who had left their countries and traditions to make this ancient city their home, if only for a moment. We came from different backgrounds and spoke different languages, so our interactions were reduced to the most basic of human activities: food, drink, sex, and laughter, common denominators that transcend translation.

It wasn't all games. In Florence I also experienced loneliness, broken hearts, and the inevitable frustration that comes along with always being a outsider. I (and my roommates) existed in perpetual state of almost-poverty brought on mostly by irresponsibility and an unforgiving exchange rate. My roommates and I dealt with this the best we could, by fighting and flirting; crying and stealing (blood oranges and toilet paper, mostly. Occasionally bottles of olive oil.). Somehow, despite the drama, I learned to cook.

I named this blog Always Order Dessert, because the phrase perfectly captures the spirit of that time. Despite the frustrations (and the dwindling Euros), I always made a point of ordering dessert. I was never too full; I always made room for a bit more sweetness.

I now live in New York, the city of my birth, where I make my living as a magazine editor and as a writer. I spend nearly every second of my free time running back and forth between my laptop and my kitchen as I work on my first book, my blogs, and my cooking. I started Always Order Dessert so that I would have a place to share the stories, recipes, meals, and experiences that make up so much of my life.

Thank you for granting me a few moments of your time. I hope that you enjoy your visit.


Buon Appetito!
xoxo
Alejandra


P.S. Want to know more? Why not send me an e-mail?

Posted by Alejandra Ramos at 6:42 PM
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January 1, 2006

Press Features & Mentions

Alejandra Ramos (that's me!) and/or Always Order Dessert have been featured or interviewed by the following press outlets.

**Please note that this list is currently being updated; contact me directly for most recent clips**

Magazines:
Saveur
ReadyMade Magazine
L Magazine (New York City)

Bon Appetit
Taste of Home (Official Facebook Page)

Newspapers:

The Wall Street Journal
The Houston Chronicle
Atlanta Journal Constitution
NY Daily News
The Times of London
San Francisco Gate
The Washington Post

Wire Services:
The Associated Press

Websites and web magazines:

YumSugar.com
Slashfood.com
Gawker.com
SheKnows.com
HealthCastle.com
Cookthink.com
Mashable.com
Apartment Therapy's "The Kitchn"
SeriousEats.com
IdeasThatSpark.com/MyFox.com
LinkTropicalTraditions.com (original coconut recipe features)
Television

The Martha Stewart Show

MSNBC.com
Interested in interviewing me for a story that you're writing? I am available to speak with reporters for print, web, and television, and can discuss topics such as party planning, holiday recipes, blogging, cooking and shopping for food in New York City, baking, cooking in general, attending culinary school, and living/working in New York City. I am also fluent in Spanish.

To contact me, e-mail me at nanditablogs@gmail.comwith "Press Inquiry" in the subject line. I look forward to speaking with you!
Posted by Alejandra Ramos at 10:41 AM
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