Tomorrow marks a day that I have been waiting for since last April.

Tomorrow night is the culmination of twelve long months of anticipation.

Tomorrow I begin my journey back to one of my favorite cities, New York, for girl’s weekend twenty-thirteen.

After college, my closest girlfriends and I scattered all over the world.

Yes. The world.

Our girl with the furthest to go is my very own blogger best friend Jeanelle, coming all the way from Amsterdam. And I couldn’t be more excited.

While I love all of the girls that will be in NYC this weekend, seeing Jeanelle will be an extra treat. Not only does she live on another continent, I rarely even have the luxury of chatting with her on the phone. There are few people on the planet more like me or that I relate to more. We have the same passions. Both love yoga and food and are deeply in love with our families, travel and life.

I guess you could say I’m pretty ecstatic.

The only way to pay homage to my long lost friend who I will soon reunite with is by posting something as special and original as she is.

Something I know she would love.

You will need…

1 bunch basil leaves (about 3 cups)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

Wash, dry and roughly chop the basil leaves.

Bring them to a boil with ¾ cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

Remove them from the heat as soon as they boil and stir in the sugar.

Set aside and let the mixture infuse for 20 minutes.

When the basil mixture has cooled, transfer it to a blender or food processor. Pulse it for about 2 minutes.

Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Bring the basil mixture to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat.

Clip a candy thermometer to the pan and cook until the mixture reaches 238 degrees F.

While the syrup is cooking, whisk the egg whites at medium speed until they form soft peaks. About 2 minutes.

Once the syrup has reached the desired temperature, gradually and steadily pour the syrup down the side of the bowl until it is completely incorporated with the egg whites.

Whisk the meringue until stiff peaks form and the bowl cools down. About 8 minutes.

Add the salt and butter and whisk on high speed until the meringue emulsifies and becomes completely smooth and fluffy. About 8 more minutes.

Serve on cupcakes or in between your favorite cookies.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Basil Buttercream

1 bunch basil leaves (about 3 cups)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

Wash, dry and roughly chop the basil leaves.

Bring them to a boil with ¾ cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

Remove them from the heat as soon as they boil and stir in the sugar.

Set aside and let the mixture infuse for 20 minutes.

When the basil mixture has cooled, transfer it to a blender or food processor. Pulse it for about 2 minutes.

Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Bring the basil mixture to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat.

Clip a candy thermometer to the pan and cook until the mixture reaches 238 degrees F.

While the syrup is cooking, whisk the egg whites at medium speed until they form soft peaks. About 2 minutes.

Once the syrup has reached the desired temperature, gradually and steadily pour the syrup down the side of the bowl until it is completely incorporated with the egg whites.

Whisk the meringue until stiff peaks form and the bowl cools down. About 8 minutes.

Add the salt and butter and whisk on high speed until the meringue emulsifies and becomes completely smooth and fluffy. About 8 more minutes.

Serve on cupcakes or in between your favorite cookies. 

After an eventful, work and fun filled four days in Atlanta I’m back at home and back on my computer.

My brand spanking new computer. Well, not completely new. But it has a new frame and a new screen. New, clean, beautiful and not broken. All wins.

And as excited as I am to be back in action, today is a pretty sad day.

Unless you have been living under a rock today, you know about the horrifying bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

As I’m sure most of you are, I’m deeply saddened by the events today. It breaks my heart that people have enough hate and pain in them to hurt other people. You must be in a dark, black hole of a place to inflict that kind of fear in people.

I find it difficult to be faced with a problem with no obvious solution.

So I’m going to do the only thing that I think I can do to help.

Spread light.

And love, and kindness, and fun, and help, and all the other things that pull people out of the darkness and hate.

All that I can do, and probably all you can do is to spread your light.

Say please. And thank you. And open doors for one another. Offer someone else your seat. Or a snack.

It’s really difficult to be upset when everyone around you is being kind.

Part of spreading light for me is sharing. Sharing experiences and sharing food.

So here is something tasty for you to share. Share with family and friends and enjoy the good things in life.

You will need…

5 ancho chiles

3 dried New Mexico chiles

2 dried chiles negros

1/3 cup sesame seeds

5 whole star anise

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

2 cloves

12 black peppercorns

12 inch cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons raisins

20 whole almonds

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 corn tortilla, quartered

5 medium plum tomatoes

5 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 small onion, quartered

5 cups chicken stock

3 ¼ ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by covering all the chile peppers with hot water in a medium bowl and soak them for 30 minutes.

While the pepper are soaking, combine the sesame seeds, anise, cumin, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick in a large skillet.

Toast the seeds and spices over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant. About 2 minutes.

Grind the seeds and spices until they are into a fine powder.

In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening.

Stir in the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds and tortilla.

Cook the mixture over moderate heat until the almonds are toasted and the raisins are plump. About 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, turning until the skins are lightly blistered on all sides. About 12 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes to the bowl with the seeds and almonds.

Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. About 8 minutes.

Transfer the garlic and onions to the bowl with the tomatoes.

Empty the vegetables onto a work surface. Peel the garlic cloves and coarsely chop them along with the onions and tomatoes.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening in the skillet. Stir in the chopped vegetables and the spice powder and cook over moderately high heat until warmed through. About 3 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the now rehydrated chiles and add them to the skillet.

Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the peanut butter.

Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and blend the mixture either with a hand emersion blender or in a food processor. Season the mole with salt and pepper, add in the chocolate and blend until very smooth.

Then in a second large skillet, heat the olive oil till it is very hot.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and brown the chicken well on both sides. About 4 minutes a side.

Don’t worry about cooking the chicken completely. Just make sure it is well browned.

Add the chicken to the pot of mole and simmer for an additional hour.

When the chicken has simmered for an hour, remove from the mole and place on a cutting board.

Depending on your textural preference either shred or chop the chicken and add it back to the mole sauce.

Serve the chicken and mole hot over rice or in a burrito.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Chicken and Chocolate Mole

5 ancho chiles

3 dried New Mexico chiles

2 dried chiles negros

1/3 cup sesame seeds

5 star anise

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

2 cloves

12 black peppercorns

12 inch cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons raisins

20 whole almonds

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 corn tortilla, quartered

5 medium plum tomatoes

5 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 small onion, quartered

5 cups chicken stock

3 ¼ ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 lbs chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by covering all the chile peppers with hot water in a medium bowl and soak them for 30 minutes.

While the pepper are soaking, combine the sesame seeds, anise, cumin, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick in a large skillet.

Toast the seeds and spices over moderate heat, stirring until fragrant. About 2 minutes.

Grind the seeds and spices until they are into a fine powder.

In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening.

Stir in the raisins, almonds, pumpkin seeds and tortilla.

Cook the mixture over moderate heat until the almonds are toasted and the raisins are plump. About 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook, turning until the skins are lightly blistered on all sides. About 12 minutes.

Transfer the tomatoes to the bowl with the seeds and almonds.

Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. About 8 minutes.

Transfer the garlic and onions to the bowl with the tomatoes.

Empty the vegetables onto a work surface. Peel the garlic cloves and coarsely chop them along with the onions and tomatoes.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the shortening in the skillet. Stir in the chopped vegetables and the spice powder and cook over moderately high heat until warmed through. About 3 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the now rehydrated chiles and add them to the skillet.

Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the peanut butter.

Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and blend the mixture either with a hand emersion blender or in a food processor. Season the mole with salt and pepper, add in the chocolate and blend until very smooth.

Then in a second large skillet, heat the olive oil till it is very hot.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and brown the chicken well on both sides. About 4 minutes a side.

Don’t worry about cooking the chicken completely. Just make sure it is well browned.

Add the chicken to the pot of mole and simmer for an additional hour.

When the chicken has simmered for an hour, remove from the mole and place on a cutting board.

Depending on your textural preference either shred or chop the chicken and add it back to the mole sauce.

Serve the chicken and mole hot over rice or in a burrito.