Marcella Jewell
Skidmore College Class of 2015
contact me: mjewell@skidmore.edu
Quick Dinner Post: Miso Alaskan salmon with a corn, tomato, and carrot salad and wild rice on the side. I made the miso sauce with 2 tbsp of miso, 2 tbsp of hot water, 1/4 cup of raw sugar, and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Spoon miso over the salmon and broil it in the oven for 10 minutes. Baste the salmon with the miso sauce every few minutes. If you top it off with chopped chives and serve the salmon on a cedar plank, all your friends will think you are THE coolest young chef ever to roam planet earth (or at least your Mom will—thanks Mom!)

Quick Dinner Post:
Miso Alaskan salmon with a corn, tomato, and carrot salad and wild rice on the side. I made the miso sauce with 2 tbsp of miso, 2 tbsp of hot water, 1/4 cup of raw sugar, and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Spoon miso over the salmon and broil it in the oven for 10 minutes. Baste the salmon with the miso sauce every few minutes. If you top it off with chopped chives and serve the salmon on a cedar plank, all your friends will think you are THE coolest young chef ever to roam planet earth (or at least your Mom will—thanks Mom!)

Parmesan & Spice Charred Cob

1. Coat the cob with butter or mayo (butter is preferred).

2. Char a cob on the grill or in a grill pan.

3. Roll the cob in a mixture of parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper, maybe a few dried red pepper flakes, salt, pepper… really any combination of spices you wish to use.

4. Spend the next hour flossing your teeth.

Ta-da!

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille (ish) So I may not have state of the art lightening to enhance the luscious greens, yellows, and reds transpiring on my plate, so what?  I still managed to make a Pixar inspired meal complete with squash, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and EVOO.  The one pot stop is a simple slice, dice, drizzle, sprinkle, and into the oven it goes for 45 mins at 375 degrees.  Start with a can of diced tomatoes.  Dice half an onion and a few cloves of garlic, throw those in mix.  Layer extremely thin slices of eggplant, squash, red pepper, and zucchini on top of each other in a circular motion. If you channel your inner Van Gogh, you should end up with something that looks like this piece of art or this equally beautiful piece of art.  Even if your plate ends up a bit sloppier than the others, no worries, father thyme will compensate for any stubborn slices of vegetables that don’t quite have the oomph factor.   …and salt: ADD SALT. I think this could slide by a healthy comfort food, do you?

Ratatouille’s Ratatouille (ish)

So I may not have state of the art lightening to enhance the luscious greens, yellows, and reds transpiring on my plate, so what?  I still managed to make a Pixar inspired meal complete with squash, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and EVOO.  The one pot stop is a simple slice, dice, drizzle, sprinkle, and into the oven it goes for 45 mins at 375 degrees.  Start with a can of diced tomatoes.  Dice half an onion and a few cloves of garlic, throw those in mix.  Layer extremely thin slices of eggplant, squash, red pepper, and zucchini on top of each other in a circular motion.

If you channel your inner Van Gogh, you should end up with something that looks like this piece of art or this equally beautiful piece of art.  Even if your plate ends up a bit sloppier than the others, no worries, father thyme will compensate for any stubborn slices of vegetables that don’t quite have the oomph factor.  

…and salt: ADD SALT.

I think this could slide by a healthy comfort food, do you?

Homemade Strawberry Jelly

This is what happens when peanut butter jelly time rolls around but @sandyqyz doesn’t have any jelly in her apartment.  I boiled down a handful of frozen strawberries with a couple tablespoons of water and equal parts sugar.  You could forego the sugar for a tangier taste but the sugar is what makes the jelly thick and pasty.  The strawberries will break up and create a thick consistency once the sugar dissolves. Let it boil for a couple minutes and serve hot on toasted bread or a bagel.

Joshua Tree, California


I traveled to Joshua Tree, CA with Sam and her Mom for a couple days of incredible rock climbing and getting lost around Joshua Tree State Park.  We stayed in the most eclectic “rock house” which belonged to Sam’s Mom’s best friend from college, Kelly.  Two generations of college best friends allowed for an adventuresome trip.  We stocked up on Trader Joe’s yum yums before heading to the “land of broken dreams” as Kelly deemed it, which I thought had an authentic vintage wild west feel.  

As a college student, this trip not only posed as an incredible experience for I got to see beautifully preserved joshua trees and gorgeous orange rock.  The genuine feel that I had left earth and been hypnotized by the serene laid back aura truly mesmerized me.  Joshua Tree California could potentially be one of the most beautiful places on earth.  

We packed hearty, grainy lunches everyday to fuel our newly emerging climber muscles.  Our go-to sandwich incorporated every necessary food group.  Now that I’m reminiscing on how well the mustard and pesto complemented each other, along with the melted cheese oozing into the bread, my mouth can’t help but to water.  I think it was the best sandwich I’ve ever had.  Not bad for desert food!

One evening, we roasted an assortment of vegetable that had been coated in balsamic vinaigrette (very easy to make).  To recreate the roasted marinated veg, mix together olive oil, basil, balsamic vinaigrette, and mixed vegetables in a glass baking dish.  Throw it in the oven for 20 minutes at 450 degrees F.

Joshua Tree, California… land of broken dreams on the outskirts of Hollywood, hidden from tourists, and a heaven for explorers.  Don’t forget to stop at Trader Joes in Palm Springs and get fro-yo out of the wall at the end of each day!

Safe travels. 

Spicy BBQ Turkey Burger w/ Potato & Veg Salad

*groan with delight*

I was inspired by this new youtube channel I found titled “kin community”  and their amazing hot wing burgers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIk6volE9iI&list=UUv-D6IpYrkgaYIcUp3pvHcw&index=7&feature=plcp)  After watching their burger videos, I couldn’t help but make a burger for lunch that day.  I’m a sucker for BBQ sauce, I’ll eat it on everything.  I made my own spicy BBQ sauce marinade for the burger.  I normally eat turkey burgers since I do not have a taste for beef.  In addition to the charred barbecue goodness, I whipped up an healthy potato & veg salad.  I found that if you add a can of beans, the extra “bean juice” (I promise it’s not as gross as it sounds) along with lemon juice, a pinch more salt than normal, and pepper create a fresh, tangy sauce with a tart bite.  With this recipe, you don’t have to add mayo.

Spicy BBQ sauce:  Adding hot sauce to barbecue sauce takes the spread to a whole new level.  Use it on chicken, steak,  fries, wings, or anything needing an extra sweet & spicy kick.  I promise it has the Skid Kid Guarantee. 

The Senior Shwank Factor I mindfully designed these glamorous chocolate cupcakes to commemorate my Oma’s 75th birthday party, for she’s a raging chocoholic. As a remarkably fit and healthy senior citizen, however, she effortlessly fits in with the ragin’ grannies activists and Tuesday yoga club. No wonder she can chop down on chocolate and still maintain what I like to call a “semi slender senior waist of wisdom.” I took the liberty to adapt a healthy chocolate cupcake recipe from www.canyoustayfordinner.com (one of my current food blog obsessions). The cupcakes (without the extraneous yet delightfully decorative chocolate shavings and painfully sweet frosting) are only a mere 108 calories. Feel free to have a few. What would this world be without chocolate and its sweet goodness. Never underestimate the power of cocoa beans, they truly can be a life long friend. Your chocolate coma awaits.

The Senior Shwank Factor

I mindfully designed these glamorous chocolate cupcakes to commemorate my Oma’s 75th birthday party, for she’s a raging chocoholic. As a remarkably fit and healthy senior citizen, however, she effortlessly fits in with the ragin’ grannies activists and Tuesday yoga club. No wonder she can chop down on chocolate and still maintain what I like to call a “semi slender senior waist of wisdom.” I took the liberty to adapt a healthy chocolate cupcake recipe from www.canyoustayfordinner.com (one of my current food blog obsessions). The cupcakes (without the extraneous yet delightfully decorative chocolate shavings and painfully sweet frosting) are only a mere 108 calories. Feel free to have a few. What would this world be without chocolate and its sweet goodness. Never underestimate the power of cocoa beans, they truly can be a life long friend. Your chocolate coma awaits.

Sexy Mango Salsa


Mango salsa combines the succulent sweetness of ripe mangos with fresh herbs, sweet onions, and a variety of summer veg.  Salsa plays a large role in my diet, usually covering my scrambled eggs in the morning.  Mango salsa, however, tastes fantastic over white fish, in salads, or for your own dipping pleasure.  The variety of flavors work together really well, it’s also easy to add extra cilantro, lemon juice, mangos, tomatoes, or anything else to meet your tastebud needs.  Add chopped strawberries for extra color and to enhance the sweetness.  Homemade salsa always tastes fresher and more flavorful.  Physically seeing the chunks of vegetables and juices oozing together constitutes a work or art in my eyes.  I highly recommend trying this recipe out!

Other uses of mango salsa:

-On top of a turkey burger (see above)

-Microwave tortilla chips and cheese for 25 seconds and dip into the salsa

-Mix into salads

-Take a spoon and go to town

T.G.I.Summer!

Kale Basil Pizza | Caramelized Onion Apple Pizza

Place 2 funky shaped, 1/4th inch think dough blobs on greased baking sheets. Spread a generous amount of tomato/marinara/pizza sauce all over leaving room for the crust along the edges.  Top with loads of mozzarella cheese followed by toppings.  We put a cup and a half of shredded kale and one chopped up plant of basil on the first pizza.  On the second pizza, we first covered the mozzarella with thin apple slices then loaded on homemade caramelized onions (saute chopped onions in olive oil for about 25 minutes).  My family of four ended up finishing both pizzas by the end of the night.  This was one of our last dinners before my brother departed on his summer adventure.  T’was a dinner full of nostalgia and laughter.  

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and the center of the pizza has cooked through.  

Salmon and Broccoli Quiches

The Queen’s Diamond Jubliee inspired me to bake authentic British finger food.   These little rays of sunshine complement any afternoon tea or sunday brunch.  My brother and I , however, gobbled up the majority of them the minute they came out of the oven.  Not very British, we know.  

Good day!

Honduran Cuisine and the Practicality of Working to Eat:

I’ve always had a deep appreciation for rich ethnic food.  Lately, I’ve been desensitized by “the American diet” that flavors, seasonings, and recipes originating in other countries enrich my culinary experience now more than ever before.  The fact that food serves as the root of all culture makes me rethink the practicality of working to eat.  In self-sufficient communities, cultivating native food remains the major source of capital.  Coffee, corn, sugar, and tobacco provide many small, rural, Honduran communities with the means to live.  Without daily attention to farming and innovating agriculture, their micro-economics would fall apart.  I noticed that food was the product of their work, the reward if you will.  Can you imaging working for the sole purpose of feeding your family; the thought of a weekend getaway completely evading your mind.  The thought is so primitive, so simple, and so practical.  What greater pleasure exists than food?  I guess one could argue that love, shelter, and the necessities for survival linger in that range, but food sustains us more than anything and I strongly advocate the resurgence of the minimalistic diet and a reinvention of the food industry.   We take the abundance of food for granted in America, and we’ve succumbed to gluttony with the fast food market at our beckoned call.  I’m not asking you to stop indulging in Tuesday wing night, or the end of the year pig roast.  As Nietzche writes in Gay Science, “to diminish and lower the level of human pain, you also have to diminish and lower the level of their capacity for joy.”  The grueling process of farming thus heightens the joy of the product tenfold.  Maybe one would appreciate a Carl’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger more if they had to raise the calf first, or maybe they wouldn’t eat it in the first place.  Be aware, read the news, savor every bite and work for what really matters.  

Global Medical Brigade May 2012 Documentary, by Marcella Jewell

Hearty & Chocolatey Oatmeal Cookies

Do you ever have that overwhelming craving for freshly baked cookies?  I found myself quite hungry laying in bed last night and the instant I received a text message from my friend Joe from Cornell expressing his desire for some Oreos and milk, I knew I was craving some wholesome, mouthwatering cookies.  Upon waking up this morning, I ran straight for the kitchen to bake.  I have such an affinity for these type of cookies.  They are our “go to” cookies whenever my Mom and I have an urge to bake.  We replace the butter with coconut oil which makes a world of difference.  The coconut oil makes them fluffier, lighter, and semi guilt free.  They’re chewy, grainy, wholesome, chocolately, and very, very filling.  Never has food evoked such positive emotions inside of me.  During my most stressful moments of college, I’ve received a package full of these cookies from my Mom and I can’t tell her how much I appreciate them.  The earthy smell, grainy texture, and sweet taste make these the most delicious cookies I’ve ever had.  I hope you enjoy them!

Honduras

I’m off to Honduras on a Global Medical Brigade until Friday.  I’ll be documenting the whole trip with photos and words.  Adieu for now.  

Apple Rhubarb Galettes


Rhubarb is officially IN season.  I found some rhubarb verging on expiring in the fridge and decided to take advantage of its tangy goodness.  Always pair rhubarb with sweeter fruits like apples or strawberries because rhubarb is very bitter, sour, tart, etc.  These pastries are surprisingly healthy for being classified as a dessert.  The dough, however, calls for a significant amount of butter, but you can substitute Earth’s Best Margarine or coconut oil if you so desire.  

Here is a quick run down:

Dough: 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup ground nuts, 1 tbsp sugar, 5 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp water.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and freeze while making the compote.

Compote: 2 cups chopped apples, 3 cups chopping rhubarb, ground nutmeg, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, and a couple tbsp of butter.

COVER baking sheet with parchment paper

make 7-9 SPHERICAL PLATFORMS with the dough

EQUALLY divide compote among dough circles

FOLD edges over to secure compote in place

BAKE at 350 for 35-40 minutes.  Don’t let the bottom burn, unless you like an extra crunch.

They look beautiful, taste sweet and tart, fill the kitchen with an aromatic essence, and resemble little pockets of love.