Thanks, Megan, for being featured, and for the rest of you, remember I always welcome guest posts and participants for the Friday Feature. Just send me an email to let me know you are interested!

Have a great Friday morning. I’ll be back later with some more wine country fun!

How long have you been blogging?

I’ve kept an online journal ever since I was a teenager. But I became serious about food blogging after I started a baking club with my friends after we graduated from college about two years ago. As an excuse to hang out, two of my best friends would come over once a week and we would whip up something tasty. Then I thought, “Hey, why don’t I blog about these?” So I started “Baking Whims”. But once I moved out of my parents’ house, I discovered I had to cook for myself. But I didn’t want it to be a chore, I wanted it to be fun! So I got a ton of cookbooks out of the library, started following blogs, and decided to add onto my baking escapades–so expanded “Baking Whims” into “Cooking Whims”. And that happened about a year ago.

What is your favorite thing about blogging? Least favorite?

My favorite thing about blogging is being a part of the food blogging community. When I first moved to the Boston area, I was a bit lost. I moved away from all of my friends, so my baking club get-togethers stopped. I didn’t know how to meet people and felt isolated in my little apartment. But once I joined up with the Boston Food Bloggers, I discovered a whole new world of friendships and activities I never would have found out about if I wasn’t blogging!

My least favorite part about blogging? That’s hard to say because I love all things about blogging! If I had to pick something, though, I would say it’s the dim light in my apartment. I live in a basement with little natural light, so it’s really challenging to capture a well-lit picture of my food.

What has been your most fun blog post to write?

I think the blog post that was the most fun to write was my Roasted Garlic Soup recipe. I was meeting up with some Boston Food Bloggers for a soup swap back in January, and I wanted to try something I never tried before. I love taking on challenges like that and stepping out of my comfort zone because then I actually learn something about cooking. Before I made the garlic soup, I had never roasted garlic, or even bought more than two heads of garlic at once in the store. I bought six for this recipe! (and had some left over).
I love writing about my learning experiences, whether they are good or bad, and hoping others can learn from what I learned–and that they’ll go out and try these recipes on their own too! Cooking for me is fun because I’m always finding things I don’t know about. And the blogging is a great way to log what I have done

Where do you see your blog this time next year?

Hopefully next year I’ll actually buy a domain for my blog and give it a redesign!

Is there anything else about your blogging experience you would like to share?

I look forward to blogging about my cooking adventures every night, and I would have to say it’s become my favorite thing to do outside of work. It’s much more than just a hobby, it’s become a part of who I am, my identity. If people ask me what I do and what I like to do, I always mention my food blog and my love of food!

Technorati Tags: blogger, Food, Friday Foodie Feature, Guest Blogger, guest post

What are your favorite dessert combination? I have so many, including lemon and raspberry, chocolate and orange, chocolate and raspberry, chocolate and coffee, and, of course, chocolate and peanut butter.

As soon as I saw Blog is the New Black’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Biscotti, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was baking some of it in my own kitchen.

And as soon as I made the biscotti, I decided it would be the perfect guest post for Meghan. If you’ve followed Travel, Wine, and Dine for a while, you may have noticed that Meghan has recently stepped up her baking a lot. I like to think I’m partially to blame for that! You see, my love for baking has no boundaries. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about heading into the kitchen and throwing together some delicious baked goods. I think sometimes that passion can be infectious. And I think that after our trip to King Arthur Flour together, Meghan caught a little of that passion too. So, that said, it’s only appropriate that I do a baking guest post for her.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Biscotti (adapted from Blog is the New Black)

Ingredients

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup creamy peanut butter (Note: I used half this amount — 3 ounces — and then dipped the biscotti in a pb-chocolate mixture)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugar.

Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Blend in the vanilla, and beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.

With the mixer on low speed, blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated, and then mix in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Divide the dough in half. Shape into logs on the prepared baking sheet, about 11-by-3 inches in size, spacing at least 3 inches apart.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven while maintaining the oven temperature. Let the logs cool for 10 minutes.

Slice the logs diagonally into slices about ½- to ¾-inch thick.

Lay the slices, cut side down, on the baking sheet.

Bake, turning the pan once, until the slices are slightly crisp, about 20 to 30 minutes more.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Optional: Melt about 3/4 cup of bittersweet chips (or milk or semisweet chips if you prefer) in a wide, shallow, microwave-safe dish, and stir a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter into the melted chocolate.

Dip one side of the biscotti in the chocolate peanut butter mixture, and place chocolate side up on a cooling rack or piece of wax paper. If the chocolate starts to thicken, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds, stir it up, and continue dipping.

Place the biscotti in the fridge to allow chocolate to harden.

Serve with coffee or hot chocolate.

How do you feel about baking?

For daily mouthwatering baked goods and other treats, make sure to check out Megan’s blog, Delicious Dishings!

Technorati Tags: baking, biscotti, chocolate, guest post, peanut butter

Today’s Foodie Feature is Karen from Gourmet Recipes for One, a blog that combines beautiful photos, a clean, eye-pleasing design, and gourmet recipes that are truly mouthwatering. In addition to being a fan of her blog, I also had the pleasure of finally meeting Karen at the Red White Tasting Crew event last week. I am excited that she is sharing the gorgeous recipe below with us; you will likely be seeing it again on the blog when I make it!

Happy Friday! Do you have any plans for the long weekend?

When I sat down to think about what to write for my guest blog for Travel, Wine, and Dine, I thought I’d create a new recipe just for the occasion, and one that included wine of course. Since risotto is one of my favorite things, I thought I’d make a version with wine as the main ingredient. Risotto is super easy to make, made all in one pot (love that!) and the hardest thing about it is the patience of stirring it for 20-25 minutes until it’s done. But when it is, you’ll adore this creamy, delicious Italian dish. This version is made with one of my favorite red wines for drinking so I thought I’d try it in the risotto. Phantom from Bogle Vineyards is a rich, luxurious blend of three unique varietals (Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Mourvèdre) and I love the rich purple-ish red color that is gives the risotto. And it’s a perfect wine for this recipe (Barolo is another good option as well). So, grab your own favorite red wine (or try mine) and give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think. And thanks to Meghan for letting me share your blog. Cheers!

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red wine risotto

This recipe is super simple and really highlights the wine that you use, so be sure to use a wine that you would drink as well. It’s perfect for one, or really easy to increase for entertaining.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 shallot, finely minced

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good red wine

2 – 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock

1 tablespoon cold, unsalted butter

2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice and cook until slightly toasted, 1-2 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add broth, a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Continue adding stock, a 1/2 cup at a time, until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. 2. Remove from heat and stir in butter until completely incorporated, followed by Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve warm with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano over top.

Serves 1, or 2 appetizer-sized servings.

Technorati Tags: cooking, Food, guest post, red wine, risotto

Janel’s baked chickpeas are perfect for a snack-lover like me; I would definitely add chili powder for a little kick.

We are supposed to be getting some more snow here in Boston today, and O am thinking about making up a batch of chickpeas in addition to some homemade habanero hot sauce. What are you looking forward to on this lovely Friday?

Are you a snacker, or can you get through the day with three solid meals and nothing in between? I am a serious snack-lover, for sure. Oftentimes when I meet with clients or chat about food with friends, I find out they’re not enjoying snacks between meals to stave off hunger. I’m always shocked by this as I see snacks as an opportunity to add in more nutritional powerhouses to my diet, and well, enjoy more food! Who doesn’t love eating more?! But when planning snacks, I always make sure to keep satiety in mind – I need something that’ll satisfy me between meals without causing me to crave more, and taste great as well!

One of my favorite flavorful and filling snacks to make is baked crunchy chickpeas. Chickpeas in any form are by far my favorite legume. Also known as garbanzo beans, they can be added to soups and stews or blended to make hummus. Chickpeas are very low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are a good source of protein and fiber. That filling fiber and hunger-blasting protein are the two key components to picking a satisfying snack.

Baking chickpeas brings out a nutty flavor, and slightly chewy texture with a little crunch. Whenever I’m in a snack rut, I’ll bake a batch or two and will keep them on hand in an airtight container for a few days (if they last that long in our home!) to grab and go between meals. My favorite thing about this snack, besides how satisfying it is, is the multitude of different flavor combinations you can use when baking a batch. For my latest batch, I kicked up the heat by sprinkling the chickpeas with a spicy buffalo wing seasoning from The Meat House. In the past, I’ve kept it simple with just salt and pepper, or an Italian seasoning blend. This snack doesn’t always have to be savory. I think next time I’ll try sprinkling on some cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat.

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon garlic powder*

⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend, or chili powder, etc.*

Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Drain canned chickpeas and rinse in a colander under running water. Pat chickpeas dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Add oil; sprinkle with spices/seasonings and salt. Stir to coat.

3. Spread chickpeas on nonstick rimmed baking sheet; bake 20 minutes. Stir; then roast 5 to10 minutes longer, checking frequently, until crisp but not burnt. (Cooking times may vary). Allow to cool before eating. Will keep several days refrigerated in a covered container.

*Here is where you can get creative with any spice or seasoning combo you’d like!

Have you ever made baked crunchy chickpeas? What’s your favorite flavor combo?

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Janel Ovrut is a Boston-based registered dietitian and food blogger. She writes about her kitchen creations while following a primarily plant-based diet in her blog Eat Well with Janel. A nutrition consultant to a variety of companies, institutions, and clients, Janel uses her nutrition expertise to help others make healthy changes, one bite at a time.

Technorati Tags: chickpeas, cooking at home, Food, guest post, healthy, healthy snacks, snacking, Vegetarian