• erin

    Dumplings with my family A recent graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, I found myself with no money, no kitchen equipment, and an exceptionally huge appetite. Ideas, improvisations, and yummy meal solutions were discovered in the kitchen of my very first apartment. Contact
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    • © erin mcdowell and the apartment kitchen, 2009-10. all photography and content, unless otherwise indicated, is property of the author. unauthorized reproduction or use is prohibited. please ask before using.

    Oatmeal Wheat Bread

    I was feeling homesick over the weekend. But rather than mope around, I decided to be proactive. I gave into the homesickness, and spent the morning listening to music and baking bread. This loaf was delicious and turned out beautifully, but it takes time. Trust me, though, it’s well worth it. It’s great for sandwiches, toast, or eating alone – or freeze it and use later!

    Equipment Spotlight

    I don’t know why I’ve held off talking about my newest piece of equipment: an immersion blender! Before I gush too much about how amazing this addition has been to my kitchen, let me say that it is all of the following: inexpensive (around $30), small (easy to store), and infinitely useful. Now I puree sauces, soups, even vegetables with ease. It’s especially great to use in when pureeing hot foods – I used to get burns from splashing boiling soup – no more!

    Printable Recipes!

    Some changes are happening around here – sorry for the recent lack of posting! I’m in the process of changing some of the formatting of the blog (mostly boring html site stuff which no one, including me, understands). But one fantastic new feature available in this change is PRINTABLE RECIPES! At the bottom of every recipe on the site is a Print This Post button that will give you totally condensed and printer friendly recipes.

    Hooray for my webmaster and great friend Chris Hurte for making this and other upcoming changes possible!

    Chicken Meatballs with Coconut Curry

    I’ve been watching cookies get photographed at work all week. This, inevitably meant that I ate cookies all week. A lot of cookies. So when Matt mentioned curry as a dinner option this week, it had never sounded better. We make our curry with coconut milk which gives it a silky, smooth texture but it’s still soupy enough to feel rustic and comforting. The ease of meatballs and roughly diced veggies made this meal easy to assemble the day before, and just bake when I arrived home – it was a nice change of pace and was ready in a snap.

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    Caramelized Onion Soup

    I am a major onion eater. I don’t care about the consequences, I could eat them like apples – even if it meant driving everyone around me far, far away. I love this onion soup because it’s easy and I always have everything I need for it right on hand. I don’t call it “French Onion Soup” because I don’t top it with the cheesy crouton garnish (which is delicious, of course). Instead, this is merely an enriched broth that can be made quickly and enjoyed for days.

    Vegetarians – don’t just substitute vegetable broth for the beef broth, you won’t get the rich flavor that’s typical for this soup. Instead, use mushroom broth – it has a rich, meaty flavor that’s the ideal substitute.

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