Ella Avedikian
creative marketer, recent college grad, future employee. get to know me!
LinkedIn- Busted Cookbook
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Info
- SummarySocial media wonk with a keen eye and an active imagination. Pursuing a career in Inbound Marketing, and helping the world discover its newest wrinkle.
http://flavors.me/ellavedEducation-
2008 - 2011Emerson CollegeMarketing Communication in Advertising, Graphic Design
Activities: Earth Emerson, HOPE (student health awareness committee), Emerson Communication (EMCOMM), Acappellics Anonymous -
2010 - 2010CEA Global Campus SevillaHumanities & Spanish Language
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2007 - 2008Towson UniversityMarketing Communication
Activities: Towson Energy Activists, Towson Democrats, Peace and Social Justice
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Posts
- Apr 09, 12
I have decided to adopt the Easter holiday as a a great opportunity to gather up your closest friends and family and share all of your favorite recipes! This year my brother and I decided to get back to our roots and head to an Armenian church in Watertown for the Easter service. It was certainly a welcome reminder of Easters past; and a long morning of misunderstandings with elderly “Armos.”
After the service, there is a reception with the traditional goodies: Choreg (Armenian Easter sweet-bread), Borma/ Baklava, and hard-boiled eggs for cracking.
As you can see (top right), we turned our eggs into the deviled variety; and on the left you see lahmajun (lock-mah-june), which is an Amenian meat-pizza. I don’t eat it anymore unfortunately, but my brother and roommate were happy to do the consuming.
The Choreg was a big hit at dinner of course, and we finished off the meal with grandma’s cucumber salad and a steamy bowl of rice pilaf. (Tip: rice pilaf + sauce from the cucumber salad make a great combination).
Cucumber Sauce:
2 tblsp sour cream 2 tsp garlic powder (to taste) 1 tsp salt 2 tsp dill + garnish~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For those of you celebrating next week…
Happy Easter!
- Apr 01, 12
Lasagna is certainly worth the wait… but if you are interested in saving time during the preparation of this dish, I highly recommend using no-boil lasagna noodles instead of cooking them yourself. I decided to boil the noodles, if only to have the experience, and it was definitely a bit time-consuming. If you do decide to boil, remember to use olive oil in the water so the noodles don’t stick!
Shopping List:
4 zucchini 1 red, 1 yellow bell pepper 1 yellow onion 3 garlic cloves 8oz ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese 2 cans crushed tomatoes/ tomato sauceDirections:
1. Sauté veggies in olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic 3-4 minutes 2. Simmer sauce with olive oil and 2 minced garlic cloves 3. Combine ricotta and grated parmesan in mixing bowl 4. Layer in baking dish: sauce, noodles, sauce, veggies, cheese, repeat until top layer 5. Cover top layer with remaining sauce and sprinkle parmesan on top 6. Cook at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, checking top for browning {Recipe via Southern Living}
- Mar 01, 12
I don’t know how I made it this long without realizing it, but this stuff is amazing. Name an ailment. Yep, it fixes that too.
Click to view slideshow.My roommate Kevin has begun growing wheatgrass in his room, and it is quite impressive! I had never even thought of growing and juicing my own wheatgrass before, but now that I know how much closer the stuff brings you to super-human strength, I am glad I can reap the benefits of his sharp ideas.
I can’t say it better than the list can, so here are some facts that got me hooked:
1. Wheatgrass juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available. 2. Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer. 3. Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and uses up very little body energy. 4. Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. 5. Dr. Ann Wigmore has been helping people get well from chronic diseases for thirty years using wheatgrass. 6. Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, vitalizes and refines them. 7. Chlorophyll helps purify the liver. 8. Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems. 9. Wheatgrass juice cures acne and even removes scars after it has been ingested for seven to eight months. 10. Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a deodorant. 11. A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the diet prevents tooth decay. Wheatgrass juice held in the mouth for five to fifteen minutes will eliminate toothaches. It pulls poisons from the gums. 12. Gargle wheatgrass juice for a soar throat. 13. Wheatgrass juice keeps hair from graying. 14. Wheatgrass juice improves digestion. 15. Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances capillaries.{For 25 more examples of what makes wheatgrass so amazing, and tons more information on the “Living Food Diet” (including instructions on growing and juicing your own wheatgrass), please refer to Wheatgrass, Sprouts, Microgreens, and the Living Food Diet by Living Whole Foods, Inc.}
Remember not to ingest wheatgrass without juicing; because of its high cellulose content, our bodies cannot digest it properly. Drink the juice, and use the byproduct as a skin cream or chew it for the dental benefits (but remember to spit it out). Wheat grass is best taken right after juicing for high nutritional content. A normal juicing would yield 2 ounces of juice. If you have never drunk wheatgrass juice before, begin with only 1 ounce per day and gradually build to 2.
- Feb 05, 12
Sweet Potato Chili is here at last! {For my fellow Bostonians, I hope that this recipe will lift your spirits}.
Ask and you shall receive! I know the suspense has been killing you, and now you can try it for yourself! I will share a secret with you: cinnamon. If you have never tried adding cinnamon to your chili before, you are in for a treat.
For the appetizers, we kept it simple with a cheese plate and some pigs (or Smartdogs) in a blanket. My carnivorous brother didn’t even seem to notice that those piggies were fake–success!
Chili:
Shopping List:
2 Sweet Potatoes/ Yams 2 80z cans diced tomato 1 8oz can black beans 1 8 oz can kidney beans 2 cloves garlic 1 yellow onion Spices: Cumin, red pepper flakes/cayenne, chili powder, cinnamon Cheddar cheese & sour cream for toppingDirections:
Dice the sweet potato into bit-sized pieces Dice the onion and mince the garlic Combine sweet potato, onion, and garlic in a large pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes Add all remaining ingredients and spices to taste Cook for as long as you can wait, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked all the way through Taste and add spices as needed
- Feb 01, 12
Carrot cake is one of my all-time favorite treats, and the combo of that sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting with a hot coffee in my new hand-painted chevron mug just can’t be beat.
Learn how to make your own chevron mug {here}.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes:
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
- 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
- 2 – 3 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
Directions:
1 Preheat the oven to 350F. 2 Rinse the carrots and peel the rough skins off, then grate the carrots. 3 Place the carrots, raisins, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract together in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. 4 In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. 5 Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix. 6 Scoop into cupcake papers about 3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes at 350F, being sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking. Afterwards allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool on a wire rack. Frost cooled cupcakes.
- Jan 22, 12
Alright, so far my posts have consisted of starch, starch, and… a few veggies with starch. I may be continuing that pattern with this recipe, but using whole wheat pasta does change the game a bit. I admit that up to this point we have not really considered the nutritional value that can be added to every day meals, but I am still enjoying spending more time in the kitchen and learning to shop with recipes in mind. With this recipe, we do get our whole grains, which is a very good staple to add to our diet. Here’s what I found out:
Nutrients in whole grain= fiber, protein, healthy fats, and lots of vitamins and minerals. The straight starch in white flour, in the absence of the whole, is quickly turned into simple sugars in your body.This has two effects:
- Spikes your blood sugar
- Is easily turned into fat for storage
We also get our veggies, and if you decide to use pine nuts in the pesto, it turns out those also have major health benefits (great source of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals).
This is a quick and easy dinner that can become lunch the next day, since it is good hot or cold, and travels well. It also makes a great side at a dinner party or pot-luck.
What you’ll need:
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper, sliced or diced
8-10 Cherry/Grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 box whole wheat PenneFor the pesto:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
While boiling water for the pasta, combine the ingredients for the pesto and blend in food processor (see here for specific instructions)
Boil Penne with a little olive oil for 10 minutes
While pasta is cooking, sautee the bell peppers in olive oil until they begin to brown, then add tomatoes and finish sauteeing the veggies
Combine all
- Jan 10, 12
In case you have not yet made this discovery, this dish is a universal crowd pleaser. You will undoubtedly be the most popular person at any gathering if you arrive with a casserole dish filled with creamy, cheesy, layered potatoes. I brought this to a game night this weekend, and made fast friends. Down side: I am now expected to bring this to every future game night. Oy vey.
Even though I strayed a bit from the original recipe, this dish came out magically-delicious, and that was very reassuring. After countless flavoring failures in my tales of cooking past, I am now very hopeful for my future in the kitchen. I think in order to keep your spirits up, it’s good to get a dish right every other time or so.
More good news: this dish is easy to prepare, and hard to screw up. Mix cream with some spices, add it to your sliced potatoes, top it with cheese, and wait. Easy, right?
Ingredients:
2 lbs golden potatoes 1 qt heavy whipping cream 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper 1/2 tsp salt chopped fresh parsley OR I substituted a little chopped basil and chives 1 cup grated parmesan cheeseDirections:
Preheat oven to 400 Peel and thinly slice potatoes Layer potatoes in casserole dish Mix cream and next 5 ingredients in mixing bowl Add cream mix to potatoes Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes Add cheese topping and bake additional 15-30 minutesNote: I doubled the baking time before adding the cheese, and added a sprinkle of flour to thicken the sauce. I recommend making sure the sauce is the desired consistency before adding the topping, and also be sure your potatoes are cooking through if you ended up with thicker slices.
*This recipe came from the “Top 100 Recipes” edition of Southern Living magazine (which has a surprising selection of vegetarian recipes!)
- Jan 06, 12
After years of playing the pancake guessing-game, I have finally discovered the secret to a thoroughly warm and fluffy batch: patience.
The most common mistake in this process is keeping the heat above low. I am the classic impatient cook, but if you want fluff through and through, you must be attentive- that pancake needs your love.
The process:
The batter I used was your basic Aunt Jamima mix with a little vanilla extract.
Once you have your batter ready, prepare a small dish of melted butter for the pan. Dip a paper towel in the butter and use this to clean the pan between pancakes. Do not worry about using enough butter, the pan should just look clean.
With the heat on low: Pour a small to medium-sized pancake in your non-stick pan, larger pancakes may become too flat. Now wait. Keep waiting. When you see the edges of the pancake beginning to look a little yellow, and the top is less glossy, this means it is safe to lift the pancake with your spatula. Do not flip yet. It is important to keep separating the pancake from the bottom of the pan, and it is safe to flip when the bottom looks brown. Swift ninja hands for the flipping part- sweep that spatula fully underneath. Flip and wait some more before checking on the bottom half. When you get that nice golden brown, you’re all done![If you want to use chocolate chips, I recommend setting them aside adding them in immediately after pouring the pancake into the pan.]
More tricks: Serving hot pancakes
Since most people make pancakes one at a time in a home skillet, it can be difficult for a group to enjoy hot pancakes together. Try putting your pancakes in the oven at a low temperature while you continue cooking, that way we can all eat together!
This came in very handy when the neighbors came knocking at the door with their entire extended family just as we sat down at the table… which would have been very annoying if not for the love of good company : ) Time to make more pancakes!
Surprise Toppings
Most people gag when I tell them that I put sour cream on my pancakes, but this is one family tradition I will not budge on. Whether you use jam, maple syrup, whipped cream, or all of the above, I’m sure you will agree that this is one sugary-sweet breakfast food. Sour cream is a great option for cutting that sweetness, and is not as overwhelming as you’d think. Remember, don’t knock it ’till you’ve tried it. And please, share your reactions once you do!
- Dec 29, 11
This December marks my second year as a vegetarian, so what better opportunity to cook a meal that will finally get my family on board? They have always been supportive of course, but my brother seems to be convinced that no matter what dish I come up with, it will always be better with a little chicken to top it off. With this in mind, I decided that a spicy sweet potato curry would be the best way to his heart (especially since he has a soft spot for Indian food).
A word of advice: know your spices. The dish came out fairly well, but I struggled to achieve the right balance of flavor. I tried increasing the amount of curry and cayenne, but I couldn’t seem to taste the difference. Maybe it was unwise to trust a curry recipe that called for “optional” curry… Then again, there is a reason this blog is called busted cookbook– sometimes it’s easier to blame the recipe for your blunders in the kitchen. Since the new year has not actually begun, we can call this one a practice recipe. Well, let’s be honest– they’re all going to be practice recipes.
So this did not turn out to be the recipe that convinced my family how awesome vegetarian meals can be (they added chicken…), but they did agree that all it really needed was an extra kick. Next time I’m gonna wow ‘em for sure!
This recipe came from Savvy Vegetarian.com.
- Dec 21, 11
Welcome to Busted Cookbook: my personal food exploration.
It’s time to come clean. I have been falsely advertising myself as a foodie for nearly a year now. For shame. But assuming that the world is not coming to an end as we approach 2012, I have decided that my new year’s resolution is to live up to that name. I don’t know that I am doing such a terrible job now- I do love food and eat whichever variety of it that I please (mostly cheese). I guess it depends on your definition of a “foodie.” Do I have to cook every day? Do I have to be the authority on what it means to “eat well?” Do I have to eat well? It’s not that my diet is unhealthy now, but I wouldn’t call it healthy either. Perhaps the problem is that I’m not paying much attention to what my diet is. So this year, my goal is to pay attention: to learn about my diet, to use my kitchen, to read, to write, and to share everything with my (hopefully) readers.
I know that the world might not need another food blog, but it is my hope that while you are reading, I am cooking. Without Busted Cookbook, chances are that my many guides to a happy vegetarian diet will continue to collect dust on the shelves… and we can’t let that happen.
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Posts
- Nov 30, 11Eat With Me is an online community where food enthusiasts unite to share ideas, recipes, and experiences. The site allows contributors to submit posts for publication, share photos, and connect with a diverse community of fellow food lovers across the globe. I was asked to create this promotional postcard in order to generate awareness for the website and increase the blog’s contributor base. All photos were taken by Eat With Me contributors. (eatwithme.com).
- Nov 30, 11Here is another one of my college projects. We were asked to create a series of three print and/or billboard ads that convey the fun, iv league-chic personality of the Hugh Simms ties brand. I decided to only post one of the three for now, but will be sure to post more later on. The copy and design are original work, however all photos and fonts were retrieved from external sources.
- Nov 30, 11I created this website mock-up as a part of my senior thesis: a comprehensive inbound marketing campaign created for and presented to our client, vianne chocolat. The goal of this re-design was to transform the blog-like style and appearance of the client's company website into a cleaner model; making it easier for consumers to navigate through their purchase options.This mock-up was created for the presentation only.*vianne chocolat is a Boston-based artisan chocolatier. Visit viannechocolat.com to browse more "handmade artisan chocolates with a touch of local flavor."
- Nov 30, 11
This is a logo I created for Water Week at Emerson College. "Tap That" was the slogan for the event's campaign to promote the usage of tap water as an alternative to bottled water. The campaign informed students about the negative effects of the bottling industry, and that it is just as safe to use Boston's government regulated tap water (especially when keeping a filter in your home). So cap it, and tap it! - Nov 30, 11
I designed this business card as part of a college assignment. Peach Tree Tea does not actually exist, sorry :) The assignment was to create a business card for a fake company, allowing us to create an entirely new brand personality. The copy and layout are original work, all fonts and images were retrieved from external sources. - Nov 30, 11
- Nov 30, 11
This is an assignment I turned in for my first design class in college. Please excuse the outrageous quotes I used from my college roommate... and the seemingly random photo of Iranian poet Nima Yushij. The only instruction for this assignment was to create a book cover, re-designed or completely fabricated. Naturally, I chose to start from scratch.
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Tweets
- Can we talk about how @catiecolliton and I met Amy Poehler's dad, Bill Poehler a few days ago?!! I been callin you, @caeleycool
- Lunch! http://t.co/OwafbWV0
- Sign up for the @BUoutofTheDark Suicide Prevention walk this Saturday=> http://t.co/qEMEaVSb See you thereApr 24, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Yeah!! http://t.co/euyq8DFx
- Snack for the bus ride to dc tmrw! http://t.co/ry9qxOXH
- Apr 10, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Excellent #snackbreak http://t.co/fDV8BEe4
- Homes to lust after: re-purposed old barn! http://t.co/CQQySLNW @chevronseclairsMar 29, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- BU Bridge! http://t.co/HjGurJHP
- BU Bridge http://t.co/HjGurJHP
- Excellent work, @RickyGervais http://t.co/bGCkMbrYMar 19, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Woah Woah Wheatgrass: http://t.co/aMu8ZcCAMar 15, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Coming soon to http://t.co/Lgm0LE1A : veggie lasagna!Mar 15, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Is a spicy meal good for your heart? http://t.co/we78K6Zz via @TheWeek I sure hope so!Mar 15, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- zubrowka: vodka flavored with sweet-grass. #youlearnsomethingneweverydayMar 14, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- @BradleyGelber I've never participated in this #MarchMadness you all speak of, but I fear I may be in trouble :) Praying for #beginnersluck
- My coworkers have suggested that I "do a bracket." Help? @ShanaDub @BradleyGelberMar 13, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- 70 degrees out. Why am I inside?Mar 12, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Calling an ambulance at work=stressful.Mar 12, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Photos
