Dime Store Foodie

A Cake For Baby

2012-03-18T12:40:00.002-07:00

I recently volunteered to bring a cake for a baby shower, which usually isn't too big of a deal but recently I seem to be unable to find time to do anything but the most basic tasks to keep my life afloat. Because of this very reason intially I thought about going the easy route and picking something up at the bakery and having them put something nice and tacky on the cake.....easy right? Sure, I could have went the easy route but noooooo, I had to complicate my life and all the lives of those who live with me and be an overachiever and make the cake myself. Besides, babies are worth it!

Now I am a decent baker, but a cake decorator I am not. More often than not my cakes end up looking like the leaning tower of Pisa rather than cake perfection, but I wanted to prove that I could get a cake evenly frosted and beautiful, and if it was a disaster I knew that my backup plan was the bakery. So naturally the first step was to decide what flavor of cake I was going to tackle. After drilling the mommy-to-be she informed me that she is quite fond of lemon (a girl after my own heart!) so I went with a lemon poppyseed cake. I wanted to jazz up your standard lemon poppyseed, with visions of an almost custard like cake, heavy on the eggs, and moistened up with ricotta and buttermilk and peppered with ample lemon zest to offset the nutty flavor of the poppyseeds. I really wanted this cake to be heavy on the lemon so I aspired to brush the cakes with a lemon simple syrup (in the future Limoncello would be yummy for a post-baby boozy cake) and follow that with a delicious, buttery, lemon curd as a filling. And the piece de resistance, a cream cheese and mascarpone frosting.
Now this all sounds sooooo much better than it actually turned out to be, although it was delicious, I didn't end up brushing the cakes with the syrup, but next time I definately will. The cake did end up being heavy on the eggs and I did do lemon curd as the filling. I frosted the cake with the cream cheese and mascarpone frosting, flecked with pieces of lemon zest just to pump up the lemon factor. I also pulled out all the tricks I could think of to ensure that the cake would not only be moist and delicious but also beautifully frosted. Note to self, cream cheese frosting is not the easiest frosting to use, best to train oneself to frost a cake using sturdier buttercream.

In the end I stayed up until midnight frosting this son of a b*&^%, and usually this would be a complete annoyance but it actually turned out quite good for myself, since convieniently I found myself all alone, watching "Crazy, Stupid, Love" eating leftover frosting, and thoroughly enjoying, well....... Ryan Gosling. Did I achieve cake perfection? Well, since my cake did not look like it came out of a Dr. Seuss book I would say that it was darn close, and the fact that it was pretty damn tasty didn't hurt either. Happy birthday baby......I hope you love cake!

Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese
and Mascarpone Frosting

For the cake:
3 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons poppyseeds
3 cups lemon curd (for the curd I used Martha Stewart's recipe, you can find it here, I simply doubled it)

For The Frosting:
1 8oz package cream cheese at room temperature
8 oz mascarpone at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Butter and flour the pans and set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the ricotta and the buttermilk, set aside. In a large bowl beat together the butter and the sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat just until combined. The batter will look curdled, don't worry it's okay.

Add the flour mixture and ricotta/buttermilk mixture in three additions, alternating between additions, starting with the dry ingredients and ending with the wet ingredients. Beat well between each addition. After the last addition scrape the bowl and stir until just combined. Gently stir in the poppyseeds. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, smoothing the batter out to get an even surface. Here's where one trick comes into play. I wrapped both of the pans in a wet towel fastened in place with a safety pin, which for some reason seems to give you a nice even cake (no domed cake!). Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place cakes on a rack and allow to cool. Once the cakes are cooled remove the cakes from the pans by inverting the pans onto the racks. You might have to run a knife along the edge of the cakes to loosen them. Remove the parchment and allow the cakes to cool completely.

Once the cakes have cooled completely wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer overnight. This helps them hold up better to frosting them. The next day mix the cream cheese, mascarpone, and butter together until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and mix until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until the frosting firms up a bit, about an hour. Meanwhile remove the cakes so they thaw just a little bit. Using a serrated knife split the cakes lengthwise, which will give you four cake layers. Place a dollop of frosting the serving plate. Place the first layer of cake, cut side up over the frosting. This will prevent your cake from moving everywhere while you are frosting it. Around the edges of the cake I put pieces of parchment underneath it to keep the plate clean from any frosting that might drip down when your icing the cake. Pipe a think ring of frosting around the edge of the cake, this will form a dam which will keep the curd from leaking out the sides. Fill the inner portion with a layer of curd. Place the second layer of cake ontop, again cut side up. Repeat this step with this layer and the next. Once you have filled the third layer place the last cake layer on top. For this layer I use the bottom portion of one of the cakes and place the cake cut side down, which gives a nice level top.

Once the cake is done being filled here comes the fun part. I read somewhere once that using a wide puddy knife is quite effective in icing cakes, so I decided to give this a test run. At this step please do not use a puddy knife that you have actually used to puddy your walls....seems self intuitive but you never know. Anyhoo, place large amount of frosting on the top of cake. Using an icing spatula spread the frosting over the top of the cake down the sides. Go back over the sides and using the puddy knife, turning the cake as you go, to even out the frosting and give you as nice straight edge. Flatten off the top of the cake with the icing spatula and there you go. You can add more frosting to get good coverage over the cake. When frosting a cake I have also heard that putting on a "crumb coat" helps a lot in in getting a good even layer of frosting. A "crumb coat" is simply applying a thin layer of frosting on the cake, refrigerating it until set, then proceeding the remaining frosting. Since I am the world's worst procrastinator I did not have time to do this, but in a world where I acutally plan and do things ahead of time I will try this. Once the cake is frosted you can put a pretty border on the bottom and voila! Your done.

The Long Journey Back

2012-02-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

Soooooo, yeah, I haven't posted anything in a really long time.....a really, really, long time. Now for anyone even remotely curious you might be asking "why ?" The only answer I can give is that basically I got knocked up, and I reluctantly admit that I am not a super mom or a super pregnant lady and due to unforeseen and predictable circumstances, I found myself unable to be inspired by food for quite some time. What circumstances could have caused this lack of inspiration? Well it could have been the annoying yet predictable recurrence of nausea for at least 4 months, or the unpredictable gestational diabetes that followed (oh carbs, how do I love thee....let me count the ways!), which pretty much eliminated the possibility of me being able to each anything interesting for the rest of my pregnancy, and finally the complete and utter chaos of a four year old and a newborn. Now I know, there are a lot of people out there that have more than two kids and somehow achieve greatness, but hey, I am still learning how to parent two, so give me a little bit of a break (and as previously stipulated, I am no super mom). Anyway, life has finally started to return a little closer to normal, I have now successfully figured out how to find 10 minutes to grab a shower without major catastrophe's occurring, and my newest addition is sleeping through the night (now that I have stated this fact I have jinxed myself and now she will not sleep through the night....awesome). In addition to a shower I have also found a way to steal a few moments to write a post, and thus hopefully I can return to the blog bandwagon. Now boarding the blog bandwagon seemed somehow much easier when I started writing this post, but grew increasingly difficult when I had to consider what recipe I wanted to post. Carb deprivation, complete lack of sleep, and raging hormones all accumulated to complete and utter emotional instability and therefore a severe lack of motivation to cook anything requiring some effort for quite some time.....I think I have over dramatized my pre/post pregnancy reality......I'll quit milking it! Anyway, I had to find a way to regain my culinary inspiration and this recipe was just the trick. It came to me on a very chilly and dreary day and was just the right thing to bring me back (the fancy set of All Clad utensils my hubby bought me helped just a little bit too) to gastronomic enlightenment (I love that!). It involved making delicious homemade chicken stock, which I detailed here, and adding lots of healthy veggies and of course pasta! So here it is, my return to the food blog universe, I hope the food force will be strong with me........where's Yoda when you need him.

Tortellini Soup With Sausage and Kale

1 1/2 lbs sweet Italian sausage (linked)
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups diced onion
2 cups diced carrots
4 garlic cloves minced
2 bunches of kale roughly chopped
8 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 lb cheese tortellini
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

In a large stockpot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until no longer pink in the middle, and browned on both side, about 5 minutes. Remove sausages from pan and set aside. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic to pot, cook the veggies until the carrots are tender and the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the kale, and cook until it starts to wilt, another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce soup to a simmer and simmer until kale is tender, about another 15 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until pasta is Al dente, about another 3 minutes. Slice the reserved sausage and add to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve the soup with freshly grated Parmesan, a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and some good crusty bread. Yummmm.

I used rainbow tortellini just to give the soup some color!

Let Him Eat Cake

2011-03-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

Every year for my husbands' birthday I of course make him a birthday cake. My hubby's a little unusual in the fact that he doesn't want your traditional layer cake with fluffy frosting, no, he always wants a cheesecake. Now I usually make him this chocolate espresso cheesecake that I found ages ago in Bon Appetite, but this year he shocked me and asked me to shake it up just a little and make a butterscotch cheesecake, because....well, he loves butterscotch (I up till this point did not know this, although his repeated requests for butterscotch fudge at Christmas should have clued me in).

So dragging my sick self up from my quarantine and I attempted to whip up this cheesecake. Stupidly I had the dumb idea to make homemade butterscotch instead of cheating and just buying some. Fair warning, do not attempt to make candy when you are sick, it will not turn out well. And do not use those piece of crap "non-reactive" plastic spatulas when making any sort of caramel, it totally f#$%s it up! Nevertheless I continued on with my cheesecake plans, cursing my grotesque looking butterscotch, hoping for a miracle from the kitchen gods for success because lets be real, I was not going to do this f#$%ing thing all over again, I was barely hanging on to consciousness as it was! So I diligently put everything together, ignoring the butterscotch hell sitting in the bowl on the counter, and I added it, with the hopes that it would magically incorporate smoothly into the filling and no one would be the wiser. Well the gods must have been smiling on me that day, or hoping to get rid of me, because it did go in and I did have wonderfully velvety smooth cheesecake filling, that I baked, chilled, and waited on, hoping for butterscotch Nirvana. Did this momentous thing happen? Why yes, yes it did, and thankfully for my husband, it was delicious, as I could tell from how quickly he licked the mixing bowl. So in the end he did eat cake......quite a lot I might add. That's what birthday's are for......so we can all have the chance to dive fork first into cheesecake heaven.

Chocolate Butterscotch Cheesecake

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

1 package of chocolate wafer cookies
5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
2 8oz packages of cream cheese at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
3 eggs at room temperature
2 egg yolks at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1-1/2 cup butterscotch sauce
1/4 cup whipping cream
4oz dark chocolate chopped

Note: For homemade butterscotch I used the recipe from Simply Recipes here.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor grind the cookies to a fine crumb. While the processor is running drizzle in the butter until thoroughly incorporated. Press the crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the crust up about two inches on the sides. Triple wrap the pan in foil, making sure the foil forms a good seal around the pan. Set aside.

To prepare the filling, using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the sugar and the cream cheese until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally. Add the sour cream and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Scrape bowl and mix again. Finally add the vanilla and butterscotch, mixing to completely combine.

Lastly in a small pot over medium low heat add the whipping cream and chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and shiny. Set aside.

Pour half the filling in the prepared crust. Using half of the chocolate, drop spoonfuls evenly throughout the filling. Drag a knife through the chocolate, swirling it with the filling. Pour the remaining filling into the crust and repeat with the remaining half of the chocolate.

Place the cake in a roasting pan and filling the roasting pan with hot water until it comes about 2 inches up the sides of the cake pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake the cheesecake until the middle has a slight jiggle to it but the edges look set, about 1 hour. If the cake starts to brown to much on top just cover loosely with foil. Remove the cake from the waterbath and place on a rack to cool. Once cooled remove the foil and place in the refrigerator. Chill the cheesecake a good 4 hours before serving, but it is best to chill it overnight.

Combating Virally Induced Laziness

2011-02-22T22:46:00.000-08:00

So I know, I haven't posted anything in a week......anybody out there miss me? My official excuse for this apparent laziness? A really nasty cold, which has rendered me a useless pile of crap huddled either on my couch or hiding in bed trying desperately to escape the reality that I have not posted anything all week.

But here I am trying to come out of my virally induced funk to write something in the hopes of keeping the few readers that I have.
So what to post? I honestly haven't cooked anything all week so a recipe at first seemed unlikely. Luckily I had made something a couple of weeks ago, when I had an appetite, that was super yummy, and wouldn't you know it, I just so happened to be reserving it for just a situation like this. It's a different twist on Chicken Parmesan, which of course is one of my all time favorites. So here it is, my resurrection from near death, back into the blogging fold.

Chicken Parmesan With Polenta

Cook Time: 2 hours

Sauce:2 medium onions diced

2 medium carrots grated
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Chicken:
8 thinly sliced chicken breasts
1-1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3 eggs beaten
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Polenta:
5 cups cooked polenta (cook according to package directions)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cream

1lb fresh mozzarella sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the sauce, in a heat the olive oil and butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots. Cook the vegetables until tender, about 10 minutes. Make sure to sweat the vegetables and not brown them.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer until bubbling. Add the remaining seasonings except the fresh basil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer the sauce uncovered for about 45 minutes. Add the fresh basil and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering prepare the polenta. Add the butter and cream to the cooked polenta. Poor the polenta into a buttered 9-inch square baking dish. Level off the polenta and chill until firm, about thirty minutes. This can be done the day before.

To prepare the chicken, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs. Preheat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Dredge the chicken in the eggs then the bread crumb mixture. Place breaded chicken in the skillet and brown on both sides. Set chicken aside.

To assemble cut the polenta in eight equal squares. Place in a buttered 10x13 inch casserole dish. Place one piece of chicken on each piece of polenta.

Top the chicken with a slice of mozzarella. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 35-45 minutes.

For Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T23:19:00.000-08:00

So tonight, on the eve of Valentine's day I thought I would just pass on a little treat, no commentary, just a little treat to hopefully trigger some lust out there. Happy Valentine's day to all my readers!

Raspberry Creme Brulee Tart

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Crust:
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
3-5 tablespoons ice water

Creme Brulee:
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1/4 cup raspberry preserves
4 tablespoons sugar
1 pint of fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor pulse flour, sugar, and salt to blend. Add butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. Add three of the tablespoons of the water and pulse until the dough comes together. Add more water if needed. Press the dough into a 10 inch tart pan. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and poke with a fork. Place tart shell in the oven and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. If the shell puffs up while cooking just pierce with a fork to deflate it. While the crust is baking start making the custard by heating the cream and the vanilla bean paste until steamy. While the cream is heating in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment beat the eggs and sugar until thickened and pale, scraping the bowl to ensure all the yolk is emulsified.

Remove the cream from the heat and with the mixer running slowly add the cream, tempering the eggs. When the crust is done baking remove from the oven. While the crust is still hot spread the preserves all over the crust. Strain the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Slowly pour the custard over the preserves and bake at 325 degrees until the custard is slightly set but still has some wiggle to it.

Remove from the oven, cool, then refrigerate until completely set, about an hour. Turn the broiler on, placing the rack on the highest level. Sprinkle the 4 tablespoons sugar over the top, and place tart under the broiler. Broil just until the sugar caramelizes, about 2 minutes. Remove the tart from the heat, allow the sugar to cool, then top the tart with fresh raspberries.

For The Love Of A Rotisserie Chicken

2011-02-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

Since Valentine's day is upon us I think that a post about love is quite appropriate. So this post is simply about my love for rotisserie chicken's. My reason for loving them is quite simple.....they make my life easier, and anything that can make my life a little easier I immediately place in the love category.

A rotisserie chicken makes my life easier by being delicious, affordable, and versatile......and of course when I am done with them I am able to add to my skeleton collection in my freezer so I can make chicken stock until my little heart's content (that sounds a little disturbing.....oh well). So needless to say many rotisserie chickens have been used in my kitchen to make sandwiches, soups, casseroles, burritos, tacos....you get the point. But this time I decided to use my tasty roasted chicken to stretch my wings and deviate from a very comfortable path, a lasagna path.

Usually for me when I do lasagna I do a traditional red sauce lasagna, but this time I wanted to be a bit daring and mix it up a bit with a white sauce lasagna featuring my tender bird sitting in the fridge, waiting to be dismantled. I also decided to incorporate lemon and yummy artichokes into my lasagna (boy I feel so saucy right now!). I did however underestimate how much bechamel I would need for a lasagna, so that was a bit of a bummer, and while I did like it (my husband especially liked it), change for me is a bit difficult, and I missed my red sauce lasagna. So if your feeling a bit daring, and love bechamel this baby is meant for you. Change is good, except when red sauce is missing from the equation.

Artichoke And Chicken Lasagna

Cook Time: 1-1/2 Hours

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and chopped
16oz frozen artichoke hearts thawed and chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
zest from three lemons
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
16oz whole milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups pesto
8 cups whole milk
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 package no boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the ricotta and the eggs. Set aside. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about three minutes.

Add the chicken and the artichokes and saute until heated, about 10 minutes. Add a teaspoon of the salt, half a teaspoon of the pepper and half of the lemon zest. Saute for an additional minute then remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice, stir, and set aside.

For the bechamel heat the milk over medium heat in a heavy pot until steaming but not boiling. While the milk is heating melt the butter in another pot over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk into the butter. Let the roux cook for about 2 minutes.

Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Whisk the milk until thickened, about 8 minutes (it should coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat and stir in the remaining salt, pepper, and lemon zest.

To assemble the lasagna butter a 9x13 in glass dish. Ladle a layer of bechamel on the bottom (about 2 cups). Next add a layer of noodles, then spread half of the ricotta mixture on the noodles. Add a layer of pesto on top of the ricotta followed with a cup of the mozzarella and then 2 cups of the bechamel. Next add another layer of noodles, then chicken, then mozzarella, then bechemel. Continue with the layers until you have used all the ricotta and the chicken.

Finish with a layer of noodles and top off with the last of the bechamel. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the lasagna is browned and bubbling. Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

It's A Tortilla! Well Sort Of.......

2011-02-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

I recently found myself on a quest to incorporate some Spanish cuisine into my cooking repertoire. I had first wanted to conquer Paella but until I find the funds to purchase this Paella pan at Williams-Sonoma that dream will have to remain on hold. So I backtracked a bit and decided to start with something simple....dipping my toes ever so gently into Spanish food waters.

The first idea that came to mind was a Spanish tortilla. Now here in the states when one thinks of a tortilla it usually involves either corn or flour and is vehicle for salsa or some type of yummy taco fillings. But a Spanish tortilla is none of the above, and after making this one I would say that it is probably a close cousin to the frittata (what came first, the tortilla or the frittata?). Now traditional Spanish tortillas are basically just potato, onions, and eggs, and are impressive in their sheer girth, but with some limitations on the sizes on pans that I had in my arsenal I knew that mine would not be as impressive.

But I decided to go ahead with it, because it may not be that authentic but I had a feeling that it would still be good. I also decided to play with the filling a bit, because I had found some beautiful Swiss chard at the market and some yummy chorizo that I just couldn't make an executive decision on what to do with, that is until now.

The one amusing this about this whole process was the flipping, since unlike a frittata which you finish cooking under a broiler, a Spanish tortilla is flipped in order to cook the eggs through. So flipping this massive thing with limited equipment involved a small heated discussion with my husband and then a joint decision to use a cookie sheet in the flipping process, which in the end turned out well. So after I mastered flipping, with some Julia Child-esque repairs to it, we dug in, serving it with a some nice toasted bread. Unfortunately it was good enough to convince me that I need yet another pan, so the thickness is spot on.......damn you Williams-Sonoma.

Spanish Tortilla With Chorizo and Swiss Chard

Cook Time: 25 minutes

10 eggs beaten
1/2lb chorizo crumbled
1 large bunch of Swiss chard chopped
1 medium yellow onion sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
3lbs red potatoes peeled and thinly sliced (a mandolin works well for this)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pepper

In a large (14-inch) non-stick skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and season with half the salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes frequently to prevent browning (for a Spanish tortilla you want the potatoes cooked but not too crispy on the exterior).

Once the potatoes are done place on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Discard any excess oil in the pan and add the sausage to the pan. Cook until the sausage is almost cooked through then add the onion, and cook until the sausage is cooked through and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes, then season with the remaining salt and pepper.

Return the potatoes to the pan and poor the eggs over the sausage mixture. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the bottom is set and the eggs start to bubble a bit, about 5 minutes. Using a large plate or cookie sheet invert the pan, placing the tortilla onto the plate.

Then push the tortilla back into the pan, cooked side up and cook until the eggs are completely cooked, about another 5 minutes. When the tortilla is cooked through remove from the heat and allow the tortilla to sit in the pan for about 10 minutes. After the tortilla has cooled slide it onto a serving plate and slice.

Post In A Pinch

2011-02-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a little bit of a panic attack when it dawned on me that I had not posted anything since Saturday. Additionally I had nothing in my house to cook with, at least anything that wasn't frozen solid.

So I hurried home after work and surveyed my kitchen for odds and ends that could become something more substantial, and wouldn't you know it I found some yummy Valrhona chocolate that I had wanted to use for another recipe that just didn't pan out.

So chocolate it was, and now what to do with it. It had to be something easy, because it was just me and the three year old for the evening. More surveying was needed, and after going through every cupboard at a frenzied pace I figured out what to do........cookies.

So I feverishly cleaned up the sugar I spilled all over the kitchen during my treasure hunt, threw everything back into its respective drawer or cabinet, ran to the store to pick up chocolate chips, picked up the little one from daycare, made her dinner, got her bathed, pretended that Dora the Explorer was the most fascinating thing ever, read the bedtime stories, brushed teeth, put her to bed, gave my husband a kiss when he got home, and at ten o'clock at night I made cookies, and thank god they were good, because I think I would have caused major harm to my innocent mixer had they not turned out. As it turns out they were more than good, ending up to be like a brownie in a cookie, and the end result was simple, a post in a pinch.......and a chocolate craving satisfied.

Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

Cook Time: 45 minutes

2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 tablespoon water
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3oz melted dark chocolate
12oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl combine the espresso powder and water and stir until the powder is dissolved.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment cream the butter. Add the sugar and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each addition.

Add the vanilla and espresso and mix well. Add the chocolate and mix until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, mix until just combined, then add the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes before baking.

Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, scoop the cookie dough into equal portions (about 2 tablespoons) on a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the middle of the oven and bake until the middle looks set but is still soft, about 10 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow the cookies to sit on the cookie sheet about 5 minutes. Remove the cookies using a spatula and place on racks to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Pasta For Men.....And Three Year Olds

2011-01-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I am cooking and writing about ANOTHER pasta dish I feel like I am being a little repetitive. But in my household pasta is a staple, our culinary life blood if you will. There literally isn't a week where we don't have pasta, in some form, and maybe it is sad to say, but I honestly would be lost without it. So here I am, writing about yet another pasta dish, letting you know ahead of time that there will be more pasta on this blog, and hoping that the few readers I have won't stand up and leave me.

For this dish I wanted to have something very hearty, something that feels like it just sticks to your bones, which in the winter is exactly what I crave. In the pasta world I think that there is one sauce that does just that, ragu. Ragu's are always heavy on the meat (which is why I think men love them) and require a fair bit of cooking time. Now I know that I have done a ragu on the blog before, but I wanted to offer a little less time consuming one for those short weekday nights. Also, the great thing about ragu's is they get better with time, so the sauce can be made the night before and then reheated for pasta time the next day. The beauty about a ragu is that you can also use any variety of meats, I have used lamb, and even chicken as a meat base for my ragu's.

For this one I decided to use ground beef, pork sausage, and a little prosciutto, because the beef gives that richness in flavor, the sausage adds a bit of peppery kick, and the prosciutto adds a bit of a savory flavor, and fortunately all of them don't need hours of cooking time like larger tougher cuts of meat. The pasta choice for this dish was pappardelle, the fatter cousin of fettuccine, which I think holds up well to a rich meaty ragu. A ragu also traditionally uses a sofritto as a base, which is a mixture of onions, celery, and carrots. But for this ragu I decided to just go heavy on the onions and garlic, and add a little bit of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, which is usually one of purposes that I think a sofritto serves as in a ragu.
I also went with the addition of some sun dried tomatoes, which also added a wonderful rich tomato flavor, and a variety herbs to bump up the complexity a bit.

So I ragued away, and plopped this enormous bowl of pasta covered in meaty deliciousness in front of my husband, who with some affection says "why do you cook for any army?" But judging by how quickly my picky little three year old blew through a bowl of this pasta on her very own (she's definitely Italian), I would say that I was glad I cooked for any army, and for three year olds.

Pappardelle With Ragu

Cook Time: 1 hour

1lb lean ground beef

1/2lb pork sausage
8oz prosciutto chopped
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion chopped
8oz Crimini mushrooms sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
28oz crush tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1-1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup Mascarpone
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2lbs Pappardelle

Preheat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the onions, mushrooms and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and wine. Reduce heat to medium low and bring to a simmer. Once the sauce is at a simmer add the sun dried tomatoes, the bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer the sauce over medium low heat for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

After the 30 minutes add the remaining fresh herbs, and the Mascarpone. Simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat a large pot of boiling water over medium high heat. Salt the water and add the pasta.

Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes if using dried pasta, if using fresh reduce the cooking time to three minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss the cooked pasta with the ragu, using some of the pasta water to loosen the sauce and to thoroughly coat the pasta. Sprinkle the tossed pasta with the Parmesan and you're done! Buon appetito!

Daydreams Of Mexico

2011-01-25T19:01:00.000-08:00

The other day I was reading a post by David Lebovitz about a recent trip he took to Mexico, and the yummy Arnold Palmer's he was having (in Mexico?) and it got me thinking, well obsessing, about how much I love Mexican food......and unfortunately how crappy the dreary view from my front window is.

But while hallucinating about a skinny version of myself frolicking on white sand beaches in a bikini that I only could have worn when I was eight, I started to day dream about the flavors that I have experienced eating some of the more memorable Mexican meals in my day. All I could think about was the heat, smokiness, and the freshness of Mexican cuisine.

Then for some unexplained reason I looked down at my cup of tea and out of the blue shifted gears and thought, "a good piece of shortbread would be nice." Sometimes I wonder how my brain even functions. But this randomly placed thought, smack dab in the middle of my Mexican daydream, gave me the grand idea of how to fuse British and Mexican, killing two birds with one stone, satisfying my lust for shortbread with my longing for the flavors of Mexico. Long story short (or short story short in this case), I ended up with chocolate, dulce de leche, cinnamon, vanilla, shortbread and chiles. The perfect accompaniment to my tea as I watch the rain and think of Mexico.

Mexican Inspired Millionaire's Shortbread

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 oz dulce de leche
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
6oz chile infused dark chocolate

Note: I like to make dulce de leche at home, and David Lebovitz has some excellent instructions here to do it, but you can buy it commercially as well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 inch pan and set aside. In a small bowl combine the flour, salt and cinnamon and set aside. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment blend the butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix again.

Add the dry ingredients and blend until the dough comes together. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake until pale in color and the edges are slightly golden, about 20-25 minutes. When the shortbread is done remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Once the shortbread is completely cool in a small bowl heat the dulce de leche in a microwave just until soft enough to spread, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla bean paste and then spread the caramel over the shortbread. Allow the caramel to set at room temperature before you start on the chocolate.

When the caramel has hardened, melt the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler or in a bowl over simmering water. Pour the chocolate over the caramel, spreading it evenly, and allow to set at room temperature. When the chocolate has started to harden but is still a little soft, cut the shortbread into serving sized squares, then allow to completely set.

Waste Not Want Not

2011-01-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

When it comes to food or anything used to make food I'm a little bit of a clepto. I am one of those people who goes to the supermarket knowing that I probably have a box of panko, but just to be sure I need to buy another one. So needless to say, at one time I think I had five boxes of panko bread crumbs in my cupboard......oh, and I currently have about 5 pounds of Irish butter in my refrigerator, and three bottles of the same type of paprika. You get the picture.

One of the more disturbing collections I have rests in peace in my freezer, well, resting in peace until its soup time. In fact if you peered into my freezer you might question my sanity (although you might without even looking in my freezer), since what you would see are bags and bags of little skeletons. Whose skeletons would they be? The numerous chickens and turkeys that gave their lives for my palette, and in my opinion I wouldn't be doing them justice if I didn't maximize their use. What is the moral to this disturbing tale? When you cook a chicken or a turkey, don't throw out the bones, you're missing the best part.....be a clepto damn it in the worst way!

Now changing gears a little bit the dish created for this post is a tried an true soul endearing dish. Grandmother's around the world would testify that chicken soup feeds the soul, and in every way I would agree. You can be on death's bed and feel like you're gonna die and to have a bowl of steaming chicken soup presented to you can lift you from that abyss and make you feel human again. Is it because it's the best tasting dish ever made? No. Don't get me wrong, its delicious, but I think the draw of this dish is the the fact that chicken soup is quite simply, a symbol of love. And frankly that is what cooking is all about, to show those around you how much you care, and how much the people in our lives mean to us. At least in my mind that's what it should be about.

Chicken soup inspired, I decided to deviate a little bit and make a traditional variation of this dish, chicken and dumplings. But after rummaging through my bone collection I stumbled upon a turkey that I made earlier in the fall and decided to go with turkey and dumplings instead of the standard chicken. So on a Saturday night there was boiling, chopping, and stewing. I can safely say that making this dish was equally as enjoyable as eating it, because by the end of the night my whole house smelled like turkey soup, and as I turned out the light in my room to go to sleep, the smell of yummy soup still waffling in the air, I found myself reminiscing about the chicken soup moments in my life, and I fell asleep.....easily.

Turkey And Parmesan Dumplings

Cook Time: 2 hours (not including cooking time for the stock)

8 cups turkey or chicken stock (I prefer homemade)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium yellow onions chopped
2 medium parsnips chopped
4 large carrots chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
2lbs shredded cooked turkey meat
1 teaspoon thyme
2/3 cup half and half
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup cold butter diced
2/3 cup cold buttermilk

Note: For homemade turkey stock simply take a leftover turkey carcass with a fair bit of meat still on it, I typically have a lot of dark meat left on my turkey's, which works great for this soup. Cut the carcass up a bit and place in a large stockpot. Add a couple carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and parsnips to the pot. Add some fresh herbs such as bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme along with some kosher salt and pepper. Add about 10 cups of water and simmer covered over medium heat for about three hours. Strain the stock, reserving all the meat from the turkey. Let the fat settle and scoop away with a spoon. Making the stock the day ahead and refrigerating it will make this much easier.

In a large stockpot heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the veggies and sweat until slightly tender, about 8 minutes. Add the turkey meat and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, and the thyme, and bring the soup to a simmer.

Cook covered on medium low heat for about 45 minutes, occasionally stirring the soup to prevent it from sticking. To thicken the soup, mix the half and half and flour together. Add the half and half mixture to the soup slowly, stirring constantly. Season with the salt, pepper, and parsley.

To make the dumplings, mix the flour and baking powder using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and beat until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the cheese and parsley and mix quickly to combine.

Add the buttermilk and mix just until combined and the dough comes together in a ball. Form the dough into about 2-inch sized balls. Flatten the dough balls into disks and place in the soup. Turn the heat down to low and cover and cook for about 15 minutes (no peeking).

Oh Canada!

2011-01-19T23:38:00.000-08:00

After struggling the last few days to find inspiration for another post I suddenly realized I didn't have to look far. In fact all I had to do was look to my mum, and grandmother, who both happen to be two Canadians alive and well living here in the U.S. It is because of this very fact that my summers as a kid usually involved a trip to central Canada, where my grandmother and mother grew up and where my great grandfather and grandmother had a farm. Some of the greatest memories of my childhood were centered around these family trips up to "the farm" as we affectionately called it (I know, how inventive).

One particular summer stands out in my memory. It involved the grand idea of all of us renting some horrible RV, loading up the lot of us and driving all the way to Calgary........together, for hours....yeah, not so good. By the end of the trip I swear we were all ready to kill each other and I think my grandmother had just about enough of being a grandmother by the end of that trip. I think it was me spilling an entire bowl of potato salad all over the floor that sent her over the edge, or maybe the continual screaming that my twin cousins did (who were about 8 months old at the time) from about Idaho till....well....Calgary, or maybe last but not least my uncle and father rocking out to Phil Collins at the highest decibel. Ahh, good times, torture can be enjoyable.

Torture aside, I can still remember the way that part of Canada smells, like fresh cut grass and cows. I remember the way the crickets sounded in the barn in the evening and how my great grandmother's house always smelled like fresh milk and pie, which I know sounds strange but if you've ever been around freshly pasteurized milk (not homogenized) you'll completely understand where I'm coming from. It is these memories that make me love Canada, and dearly miss it when I am away. So it seemed natural to me to use this bit of inspiration to cook a uniquely Canadian dish.

So what was this Canadian dish you might ask? I decided to try my hand at poutine. Now for those of you who don't know what this heavenly creation is, it is simply french fries smothered in gravy with cheese curds.....how awesome is that! It is your classic drunk food, yes I said it......and you all were thinking it. I think it was invented to help all that Molson go down much easier. So with poutine on the brain I first had to conquer the gravy. Traditionally the gravy used to make poutine is chicken stock based, but a mixture of beef and chicken stock can be used. I liked this idea since I have always wanted to take a stab at making homemade beef stock and I also think beef stock just has a great richness in flavor. So, beef stock it was.
In order to conquer this task I had to get some soup bones, which required a trip to my favorite butcher, and luckily he had some beautiful bones (yes, I mean the soup bones). So with utter joy I headed home and started the stock, but made one crucial error.

While the bones were baking I decided to sit and watch a little TV, and "Dirty Jobs" just so happened to be on. And wouldn't you know it, it just so happened to be an episode where they butcher a very cute dairy cow. The combination of this horrid show paired with the house smelling like a tannery sent me to a very unhappy place, and I seriously contemplated becoming a vegetarian.....well somewhat seriously. Nevertheless I was able to put my conscience on the back burner, think happy thoughts about cows in green meadows, totally forget where my soup bones actually came from, and finished up my stock. And after a little salad, and a prayer for the bones as they went in the trash I whipped up the poutine.

The verdict on mission poutine.....so worth it, even though I was mentally tortured by cow slaughter and the subsequent sight of cooked femur bones, and the best part of the mission had to be my husband's reaction which was "that's it? With a name like poutine I was expecting more." But I think the name does it justice. It may be simple, but it is absolutely one of a kind, and worth a big name. Kind of like my memories of Canada, simple yet the best that there is.

Poutine

Cook Time: 1 hour (Excluding stock cook time)

Note: The fries for poutine are typically deep fried, but I decided to go a little healthier and roast the potatoes, but if fry away if you prefer!

31lbs russet potatoes cut into wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups beef stock (for the stock you can use
homemade or store bought)
2 cups chicken stock
1 yellow onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 cups cheese curds

For homemade beef stock simply take about 3 pounds of soup bones, preferably with some meat still on them, along with about a 1/2 pound of stew meat and bake them in a large pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove bones and meat from pan and place in a large stockpot. Add about 2 cups of water to the pan the bones were baked in and scrape up all the browned bits. Pour the water over the bones in the stock pot and add your flavor enhancers. I like to use onion, carrots, garlic, parsnips, celery, fresh herbs (thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary) and peppercorns. Add an additional 8 cups of water and simmer, covered, for about three hours. You may have to periodically remove scum from the surface of the stock while simmering. Strain the stock to remove all the veggies and bones and refrigerate. Skim off all the fat that has solidified on top and discard, and voila! Yummy stock.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the potatoes in the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper and toss again. Pour potatoes onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast the potatoes until crispy, about 35 minutes, occasionally stirring the potatoes so they evenly brown. While the potatoes are roasting make the gravy. Start by melting the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onions and garlic and saute until tender and the onions are starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, cook for about 2 minutes. Add the stock, stirring constantly. Cook the gravy until it is thickened, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. To serve simply pour gravy over roasted potatoes and top with the cheese curds and parsley.

Curing A Little Writer's Block

2011-01-17T00:50:00.000-08:00

As you can probably guess from the title I am having a little writer's block......major writer's block really. In fact I have been questioning just all together how interesting writing about food can really be? It's not like I am traveling to exotic places, or doing something cool like eating my way through Italy while telling you about the meaning of life.

No, I am just another boring home cook telling you about my boring life! Ok, maybe I should take a deep breath and get off that subject. Whew! Anyway, I have been doing so much cooking lately I think the source of my writer's block might be from a little cooking fatigue (how is this possible?). The sad state of my personal physique is not helping things at all as well, because I am literally growing by the minute, as a result of all this cooking.
So today I attempted to remove my mental block by engaging in an afternoon of classic brainstorming, but in the end I quite literally sat on my butt most of the day, watching Harry Potter way too many times, drinking too much tea, and not coming up with any ideas on the following: what recipe to post, what to write, and how to demonstrate, in some small measure, that I am interesting enough to risk reading this silly blog on a regular basis. I think it was about after my third run through Harry Potter that I looked over at my dark kitchen and decided get up off my big butt and cook something, anything, in the hopes of restoring some inspiration to my blogging life. Because the best way to ride the bull is to get back on after you fall, right?

Now I know I am suppose to try to be inventive and interesting and I know I have already posted something involving blood oranges before but I just have too many of them in my refrigerator to ignore and damn it, it's my blog so I will use them again as a last ditch effort to bring me back from the brink of writers purgatory. So to end this useless story I whipped, I stirred and I baked, and in the end made something delicious. And even though I still feel like I am facing a writing wall I feel like I have taken a few steps back, back enough to blog another day. Now hopefully for the next post I can find a way to be interesting.

Blood Orange Pound Cake With Blueberries
And Cardamom Scented Whip Cream

Cook Time: 1-1/2 hours

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon blood orange zest

1/3 cup blood orange juice

2 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon blood orange juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cardamom Whip Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar

Fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place baking rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment whip the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla bean paste and zest, and mix well. Add the sour cream, then half of the flour mixture, the juice, then the remaining flour. Mix well between each addition of the wet and dry ingredients.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. If the cake starts to get too brown cover with a piece of foil. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a rack and cool for 10 minutes in the pan. After 10 minutes invert the loaf pan and remove the cake from pan.

For the glaze combine the powdered sugar, orange juice and vanilla. Drizzle the glaze over the cake while still warm and allow to cool completely. While the cake is cooling in a medium bowl beat the whip cream until soft peaks form.

Add the spices, vanilla and sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. To serve, once the cake is cooled, slice the cake and spoon some of the cream over the cake. Top with the blueberries.

Falling Off The Wagon......Big Time

2011-01-13T21:49:00.000-08:00

Now I know that I said I was going to eat healthier, but old habits die hard, especially when it is dreary and cold outside. Winter weather here in the Pacific Northwest comes in one form......rain, and more rain.
Usually I take this in stride but occasionally I find myself needing a little pick me up, and rich delicious comforting food will do that (at least for me).

So what to make? For a little background information I am a big tea drinker, especially black tea with some milk and sugar. There are not too many nights that I don't have a spot of tea in the evening, and this particular night definitely called for tea so I decided to go with something that would complement my little cup of hot wonderful. The initial thing that came to mind was colcannon, which is a hearty, stick to your bones dish from Ireland.

Colcannon to me is the one of the ultimates in good cheap comfort food, and it is quite simply a mix of buttery mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage. I decided to got the cabbage route since I just so happened to find a beautiful head of cabbage at the market. And if this dish wasn't fattening enough, add some yummy bacon just for good measure. I justified this decision by telling myself that this is also a traditional addition to this dish, and why not go with tradition right? I followed it up with some crusty bread and some good Irish cheddar and voila! I found myself in fat heaven, along with my cup of hot wonderful of course. So did it cheer me up? Yes. Did my butt grow an inch as a result? Yes. Oh well, maybe it's time to invest in a treadmill......or some willpower.

Colcannon

Cook Time: 20 minutes

3lbs russet potatoes peeled and quartered
1/2 lb bacon chopped

4 cups chopped cabbage

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup half and half

1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large pot boil potatoes over medium high heat until for tender, about 15 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Add chopped bacon and cook until the bacon starts to get crispy, about 4 minutes. Drain the excess fat and add the cabbage to the pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute until the cabbage is tender but not too soft, about 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and mash using a food mill, potato ricer, or mixer. Add the butter, half and half, and remaining salt and pepper. Stir in the the cabbage and bacon mixture and serve immediately.

Note: Leeks, chives, or scallions would be a very yummy addition to this dish....maybe even some good grated Irish cheddar.

A Sunday Night Quickie

2011-01-11T00:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, what to have for dinner on Sunday? Especially a Sunday where I have been completely lazy and not planned anything. I have recently felt good about my culinary selections since I have been trying to eat a little more healthy, and hopefully I will continue to do so in the future (gulp).

But healthy in my experience not only requires willpower but planning and that my friends I did not do for Sunday. Sunday as I might have said before is the one day of the week I really want to cook dinner, and a nice one if I can. It just seems to recharge my batteries before I face another week in the salt mines. However, it is hard to recharge the battery when you're stressing about how to do it. I find that for various reasons when I find myself in a pinch I always fall back on pasta......it is my old reliable, and always a little bit of a comfort for me.

And this scenario I think definitely fell under the "pinch" category......so pasta it was. But what to do with pasta, the possibilities are endless damn it! I wanted to continue with the healthy theme, well kind of anyway, and I remembered that I had some chicken tenderloins in the freezer that were leftover from a vetoed recipe. I also had some broccoli in the refrigerator that was growing some interesting fuzz (see I have healthy stuff, even though it is sitting next to four pounds of butter) but nonetheless it inspired me. Luckily, these three things were enough to get me going, and I went to the market to get fuzz-free broccoli...........and some more butter, not that I didn't have enough already.
So I came home with my broccoli and lots of other stuff I didn't need (damn you Whole Foods!) and with a "swish and flick" as my Harry Potter loving three year old would say, I whipped up my Sunday feast, while taking a few timeouts to dance with my little one in the living room. And as I sat and ate my little Sunday pasta supper I thought to myself that Sunday couldn't get much better. I did a little shopping, a little cooking, ate lots of pasta, and to top it off, had free tickets to three year old ballet theater in my living room.......life is good.

Fusilli With Broccoli And Lemon Basil Chicken

Cook Time: 45 minutes

1-1/2lbs Chicken Tenderloins
Juice from two lemons
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2lbs broccoli florets
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1lb fusilli pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In a small food processor or blender combine one clove of the garlic, the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, zest, basil, red pepper flakes, and half of the salt and pepper. Blend until the basil and garlic are finely chopped. In a medium dish drizzle about a quarter of the basil mixture over the chicken tenderloins. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette. Toss the chicken to coat and marinate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a large pot of water until boiling. Salt the water and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain pasta and pour into a large serving bowl. In addition to cooking the pasta steam the broccoli until tender crisp, about 3 minutes. Plunge the cooked broccoli into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain the broccoli and add to the pasta.

Once the chicken has marinated season the chicken with the remaining salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken, browning the tenderloins on both sides. Remove chicken from the heat, place on a cutting board, and let rest for about 5 minutes.

Mince the remaining garlic and add to the skillet you used to cook the chicken. Cook the garlic just until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the yummy brown bits. Once the chicken has rested cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the broccoli and pasta.

Pour the juices from the pan over the pasta, broccoli, and chicken followed by the reserved vinaigrette. Toss the pasta until well combined, using the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Salt and pepper the pasta to taste. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss again. Serve pasta with some additional Parmesan and a little freshly chopped basil.

Hooray For Healthy

2011-01-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well here I am, joining the fray, writing about a waist-friendly recipe to start off the new year. Now as you can probably tell from reading this blog I am not usually the purveyor of low-calorie food. However, I want to do better, if not for the sake of my growing a$% than for the sake of my growing husband.

This is easier said than done, and I found it very difficult to come up with a recipe that does not involve the following: butter, cream, mascarpone, and cheese of any sort. But I will persevere, and so I headed off to the market in search of a muse for my low calorie feast. The unfortunate reality of this mission hit me when I just so happened to pass the cheeses at the market and felt my heart practically sink into my stomach.....so many lovely cheeses, so many calories to burn.

So with a gulp and maybe a small tear I restrained myself and moved on, and luckily found some lovely shrimp that caught my attention. Now this had potential. I also found some nice fresh pineapple and then the idea came to me.....shrimp tacos. I know, shrimp....pineapple, tacos usually wouldn't be the first thing to come to mind with those ingredients but what can I say, I'm a little odd. Anyway, so I hunted, I gathered and I headed home to complete my anti-calorie festivus.

Let it be known that for this recipe the no cheese rule fell through a bit, however, I did go with a low calorie Queso Fresco so that shouldn't be considered cheating should it? Guilt set aside the tacos were very yummy, I topped them off with red cabbage, fresh avocado, pineapple salsa, and a little bit of Queso Fresco, and after eating them I felt a little bit better about the low calorie life, that is until I saw the Haagen Dazs in my freezer.

Shrimp Tacos With Pineapple Salsa

Cook Time: 1 hour

Shrimp:
2 lbs medium raw shrimp peeled, de-veined
and tails removed

1/4 cup cilantro

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pineapple Salsa:

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

2 jalapenos finely chopped (remove seeds to decrease heat)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Red Cabbage:
1 small head of red cabbage thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Flour or corn tortilla's
Sliced avocado
Crumbled Queso Fresco

In a small food processor or blender combine the cilantro, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings. Blend until the the cilantro and garlic are finely chopped.

In a medium bowl combine the shrimp and the marinade and marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour. To prepare the salsa in a medium bowl combine all the ingredients, toss well and set aside. Do the same for the red cabbage and set aside.

Once the shrimp are done marinating preheat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Pour the shrimp and marinade into the hot skillet and saute just until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes.

Remove shrimp from heat. To assemble tacos top shrimp with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, crumbled Queso Fresco, and prepared salsa.

A Little Curd To Mend A Wound

2011-01-04T23:19:00.000-08:00

It's funny where you find inspiration. It might be a memory of a loved one, a picture on your wall, a song on the radio, a sunny day....or a sad little Christmas tree naked in your front yard. I know that this sounds strange but I found myself this weekend feeling very sad, since we took all evidence of Christmas out of our house.

Down came all the decorations, the ornaments, and the Christmas tree, and I'm always traumatized by the sight of it sitting in the front yard waiting for a swift burial. So how does one mend this post-holiday wound? With curd, and in this case blood orange curd. I am a very big fan of classic lemon curd....how can you go wrong with that much melted butter? And while I know I should be focusing on cooking waist friendly dishes like everyone else, I just can't help myself. Especially when I know that all I needed was the healing power of luscious melted butter and citrus, lopped over a shortbread crust......a perfect companion for a nice cup of tea on a wintry sad day.

So since I just so happened to have left over blood oranges from my blood orange champagne cocktails, I figured why not give it a go, shake up classic lemon curd with the yummy floral citrus flavor of blood oranges. But I have to say that I did give it a moment's pause, because curds can be somewhat labor intensive and well I don't know if my fragile emotional state could handle lumpy curd so I decided to do an adaptation of a recipe I found in Fine Cooking, which is ridiculously easy, although the initial steps in this recipe results in an off-putting curdled nasty looking concoction. However, after this curdled mess is heated the butter melts into an amazing velvety smooth curd. In the end my mission was achieved, and the curd was the perfect bandage for my emotional wound, and helped me say goodbye to my Christmas tree friend.

Blood Orange Curd Tart

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Curd: Adapted from the recipe

Lemon Curd For Scottish Shortbread by Elinor Klivans in Fine Cooking Magazine.

For the curd simply follow the recipe in the link but substitute in the following:

2/3 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice for the lemon juice
1 tablespoon blood orange zest for the lemon zest

3 whole eggs instead of 2

Crust:

1-1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment mix butter and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, salt, and almonds and mix until the dough starts to come together.

Press dough into a 9-inch tart pan and chill for 30 minutes. Once the crust has chilled poke crust with a fork and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Remove crust from oven and cool completely. While the crust is cooling make the curd according to the recipe provided in the link. Pour the hot curd into the crust and allow the curd to set at room temperature. When the curd is set the tart is ready to serve. You can also chill the tart until serving.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T21:34:00.000-08:00

I thought I would send a quick happy new year to my dear readers with a little New Year's Eve treat!

Blood Orange And Pomegranate
Champagne Cocktail

Pomegranate Juice
Freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Simple syrup (1 part sugar plus 1 part water-cook until
the sugar dissolves and chill until ready to serve)
Champagne (although I like Prosecco)

In a champagne glass slowly pour the champagne till about half up the glass. Add a splash of the simple syrup, then the pomegranate and blood orange juice.

AND

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

10-12 medium sized jalapenos split
down the middle and seeds removed
1 8oz package cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a sharp white cheddar, but a jack or Manchego would be yummy)
1/4 cup diced green onion
6 strips of bacon, split in half
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, green onions and salt and pepper. Stuff each pepper with about 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Wrap each pepper in one half strip of bacon. Place wrapped peppers on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until the bacon looks cooked through.

Happy New Year everyone!

A Luxurious Holiday

2010-12-30T23:06:00.000-08:00

So in my previous post I just so mentioned that I would dedicate the next couple posts to foods that amp up the indulgence factor before we all take our new year's vow of calorie celibacy. So I will make good on my promise and send you another fat-tastic recipe, in memorial to this holiday season which seems to have ended in a heartbeat.

Now this recipe I actually made on Christmas Eve, completely violating the rule of no red meat on that particular day.......my devout Roman Catholic Italian grandmother would kill me if she knew. My excuse for this violation is very simple. We always have dinner at my mother's on Christmas Day, so I always feel compelled to make something very nice for my hubby and little one on Christmas Eve, since I don't get to cook on Christmas Day. So for the past few years I have been playing with what I want to traditionally serve on Christmas Eve and this year I decided to go with a little bit of an ignored dish in our family's repertoire (this is more economical that anything), beef tenderloin. I chose beef tenderloin for really one main reason.....ease, and since beef tenderloin typically has a very short cooking time I knew I would therefore have plenty of time to actually relax and watch "It's A Wonderful Life" on my Christmas Eve. Unfortunately I made the grave mistake last year to do a turkey, while trying to wrap all my Christmas presents, finish the dessert to take to my mother's the next day, and "help" Santa set up all the goodies for my little girl. Needless to say I was able to watch midnight mass from the Vatican in total and finish it off with a little "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."............three hours of sleep later.
So this year I wanted to spare myself this agony and wanted something easy, and surprisingly this dish was just that, however I still found myself up till three o'clock in the morning wrapping Christmas presents.....I really need to do something about that. Anyway, I decided to serve it with yummy horseradish cream, au gratin potatoes (a future blog recipe I think) and a nice salad, and I have to say it was worth the enormous price tag I paid for it. It got me thinking that if next year I have conscience and decide to go with fish for Christmas Eve, this would make a great New Year's Eve dish, finished off with a yummy Champagne cocktail!

On a side note I would like to thank all my readers (the few of you there are) and wish you all a very happy and safe New Year! I hope all of you continue with me on this blogging journey in the new year! Buon appetito to you all, and happy cooking!

Mushroom And Herb Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

Cook Time: 1-1/2 hours

Filling:
8oz Crimini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup crushed crostini (you could substitute with fresh bread crumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Beef:
1 2-1/2-3lb beef tenderloin butterflied (the butcher can do this for you)
kitchen twine
1/4 cup chopped peppercorns ( I do this in an old coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste (to do this simply take one clove of garlic
and sprinkle with a little salt and smash with a knife blade or you can you a mortar and pestle)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter

Horseradish Cream:
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons fresh chives chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For the filling place the mushrooms and garlic in a food processor. Process until minced. Meanwhile melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushroom and garlic mixture and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Place breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and herbs in a small bowl, toss to combine. Add the mushrooms to the breadcrumb mixture and mix well, set aside as you prepare the beef.

To prepare beef in a small bowl combine the peppercorns and salt. Lay beef flat on work surface, and spoon stuffing down the center of the tenderloin, leaving about a 1/2 inch gap at each end. Roll the tenderloin up and with the seal facing down secure the tenderloin with the kitchen twine, trussing the tenderloin in six spots to evenly secure the meat so the filling doesn't spill out.

Once the meat is trussed rub the roast with the garlic paste then press the peppercorn/salt mixture all over the beef, forming a bit of a crust. Heat the olive oil in a medium roasting pan or large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When the olive oil starts to smoke place the roast in the pan and sear on a sides, trying to evenly brown the meat. Drizzle the melted butter over the meat.

Place the roast in the oven and cook until it reaches an inner temperature of about 135-140 degrees, which is medium rare. If you prefer rare cook until you reach an inner temperature of 125-130 degrees. Remove the roast from the oven and place on your cutting surface. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes before you slice it. To slice the beef, remove the kitchen twine and slice the roast in 2-inch thick slices. Serve with the horseradish cream.

Fish In A Pocket

2010-12-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

I am very ashamed to say that I have been a very bad blogger and have not written anything in a long while. But after my little Christmas break I thought I would post a few recipes of indulgence, since it is still the holiday season until the end of this week. So I would say that definitely calls for a little indulgence until we all vow to live a calorie restricted life in the next year.

This post actually focuses on something that for the most part isn't usually considered indulgent (at least on the calorie scale)....fish. However, it is amazing, and disturbing, how easily I was able to transform something that typically is associated with something completely healthy and turn it into something.....well....less healthy (isn't it amazing what puff pastry does to a person). The inspiration for this recipe was very simple..beurre blanc. For anyone who is not familiar with this wonderful creation it is quite simply a white wine and vinegar reduction emulsified with butter until it turns into this creamy, yummy, butt enlarging sauce that just happens to be AMAZING with fish. Another culinary triumph for the French.

I have to say that I might have had a little "Julie and Julia" moment thinking about this tasty number, and I knew right then and there that I had to create a calorie excessive recipe focusing on this little sauce. Now even though this sauce is rich enough in its own right I found myself thinking how I could top its indulgence factor even more, and I figured what the hell, why not top it off with puff pastry.....it's Christmas right? So what I ended up with was a heavenly, Macy's day float inducing, button busting dish....but I have to say a bit of a heart attack in a dinner. So you might ask why, why make something so rich that makes your thighs grow like a Chia pet? Because decadence is worth it, in small intervals anyway........and besides, it's the holidays. I know....excuses, excuses.

Puff Pastry Wrapped Cod With
Sauteed Spinach, Mushrooms
And Beurre Blanc

Note: The Beurre Blanc is a recipe adapted from Julia Child's book Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, With Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle

Cook Time: 1 hour

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1lb fresh cod cut into four chunks
1lb fresh baby spinach
8oz shitake mushrooms sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon cold water

Beurre Blanc:
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 white wine vinegar
1-1/2 cup butter cut into chunks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan combine the vinegar and white wine. Cook on medium heat until the white wine and vinegar are reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking constantly until all the butter is added and there is a thick sauce. Whisk in the chives, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Once wilted set the spinach aside and add the butter. After the butter has melted add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Set the mushrooms aside and add the remaining olive oil. Increase the heat to medium high. Season the fish with the remaining salt and pepper. Sear the fish on both sides and set aside.

On a well floured surface roll out one sheet of puff pastry into an 11-inch by 11-inch square. Cut the puff pastry into four equal squares. Spoon four equal portions of spinach into each square followed by four equal portions of the mushrooms. Top the mushrooms with a piece of fish. In a small bowl combine the beaten egg and water to make an egg wash. Brush the edges of each pastry square with the egg wash.

Roll out the second square of puff pastry in the same way. Cut the four squares and place them over the fish. Seal the edges with a well floured fork and place on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each pocket with the egg wash and bake the fish pockets until the pastry is browned and puffed up, about 15 minutes. Slice the pockets in half diagonally and serve with the beurre blanc.

A Little Cookie For Christmas

2010-12-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

It has definitely been a bit of a hectic week, and Christmas this year has not disappointed when it comes to stress. This time of year I have to say for me is a double edged sword, since I do LOVE Christmas but hate all the stress and preparation for Christmas. My husband likes to say that I can be a bit of a Grinch, but when I get all my present buying, cooking, and mailing done I think I am just as Christmasy as anyone. This whirlwind of activity, especially since I am a bit of a procrastinator, has caused me to loose track of other things going on in my life.

Case in point, last night, when I finally had a chance to sit down for five seconds I realized that I had not posted ANYTHING this week (bad, bad, blogger). Needless to say, I panicked a little, and thank goodness I had this cookie recipe on the back burner (one of the only signs of organization in my life). The inspiration for this little cookie actually came from fruitcake, which I am not a fan of (I don't think I am alone with this one). But there is something great about some of the flavors of fruit cake, and I wanted to use some of those flavors on a little bit of a more simplistic level, a.k.a no weird, strange looking, boozy fruit. I also wanted to utilize one of my favorite yummy things, pistachios, which always make me think of Christmas. But unfortunately the thought of pistachios diverted me, and all I could think of was baklava (YUMM). Now I found myself drifting from the fruitcake theme to a baklava theme. So in an attempt to remain focused on my original idea, these cookies ended up being a mishmash of fruitcake, baklava, and a sugar cookie, and therefore to me, very representative of my crazy life as I know it right now. So this cookie recipe might sound strange but judging by how fast my husband's co-workers ate them I think they were good. Here's to a crazy Christmas!

Honey, Cranberry and Pistachio Cookies

Cook Time: 1 hour

Filling:
3/4 pistachios
3/4 dried cranberries
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
2 tablespoons orange zest
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (optional)

Cookie:
2-1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon orange zest
4oz melted white chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large food processor chop the pistachios and cranberries until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process until thoroughly combined. Set aside while you prepare the dough.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour and the salt and set aside. In a large separate bowl the mix the sugar and butter until combined. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and zest and mix. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Gather the dough together and flatten into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a well floured surface. Divide the disk into four portions. Roll each portion out into a 10-inch long and 8-inch wide rectangle, or until the dough is about 1/4 of an inch thick. If the dough cracks just moisten your fingertips with a little water to seal it. Spoon a long line of filling down the center of each rectangle, leaving about a half an inch on each end. Roll the dough up around the filling, making sure the finished roll is seam side down. Trim the ends at an angle and then slice the roll in one inch slices with a well floured knife.

Place each slice on parchment lined cookie sheets. Cook the cookies for about 10 minutes or until they are slightly browned on the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes. Then place cookies on rack and cool completely.

Once the cookies are cool, drizzle with the melted white chocolate. When the chocolate sets they are ready to serve! Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

A Recipe That Needs Very Little Commentary

2010-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have a recipe that is soooo good words just fail to adequately describe its perfection. This recipe is definitely one of those.

This recipe came to me through my love affair with Panettone, which is an Italian bread originally from Milan that you typically get right around Christmas. Panettone is best described as an egg bread similar to Challah or Brioche but sweeter, and is dotted with delicious candied orange peel and raisins. I love just eating it with a bit of butter alongside a cup of coffee in the morning, but it also makes a delicious french toast. This time however I decided to turn my beloved Panettone into bread pudding, which is one of my most cherished desserts. So if you haven't guessed already this Panettone transformation was ridiculously delicious, and since I am at a loss for words this post is very short, because......well.....the food speaks for itself. Now fortunately I have to go out and buy another loaf of Panettone......another reason to love Christmas.

Panettone Bread Pudding

1 16oz loaf of Panettone cubed
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-1/2 quart baking dish and set aside. Place the cubed Panettone in a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the heavy cream, milk, eggs, vanilla bean paste, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and orange peel. Whisk to combine. Pour half of the cream mixture over the bread and stir to combine. Let stand for about 5 minutes.

Pour bread mixture into prepared baking dish and pour remaining cream mixture over bread. Drizzle the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake until the pudding is set, pulling away from the edges, and is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm with a drizzle of cream.

Chili To Warm The Soul

2010-12-16T23:31:00.000-08:00

Winter can sometimes be a little bit of a culinary dry spell. There's usually not a great variety of fresh veggies and fruit, and grilling tends to get a little problematic.....although it can be done, believe me, I know. That being said, winter does bring out the best in soups, stews, braised meats and all those soul warming dishes that we all love that at other times of the year just aren't applicable.

So in the spirit of these culinary treats I decided to tackle a little bit of a revision of one of my family's favorites, chili. The chili that I am used to having usually involves ground beef, beans and some typical Mexican inspired seasonings, such as cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Now while this version is delicious, I wanted to change it a bit, and try to infuse some fresher flavors that to me bring to memories of sunnier and warmer days.
This chili overhaul initially began as a means to use up a heaping pile of dried Pasilla chilies that were left over when I attempted (I use this term loosely) to make my own salsa. For weeks every time I would pull out the crazy drawer in my kitchen (this drawer is actually the equivalent to the island for misfit toys) which is a mess of a drawer filled with half used containers of nuts, dried fruits, rice, pasta, and of course Pasilla chilies, I would remind myself to use them for something, to get them out of my life for good (along with every other half opened container of food junk I have).
But of course I would forget, until I discovered a box of cornbread mix( I know, a mix....how terrible...but it is good, I swear) that my husband loves in another cupboard and for some reason chili came to mind and the Pasilla's now had a purpose. I have to say that this recipe in particular felt like a science experiment, there was a lot of chopping and blending and stirring, and I even mixed in a little grilling just to make things extra festive! In the end I wound up with...well...chili, just a little bit more jazzed up than before. And the bonus? Once less misfit in my crazy drawer. Where's my margarita!

Three Bean Chili With Grilled Flank Steak
And Cilantro Cream

Pasilla paste:

6oz of dried Pasilla (Ancho) chilies

3 garlic cloves

1 lime zested and juiced

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup cilantro

1/2 cup water

Steak:

1 2lb flank steak

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup Pasilla paste

Chili:

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions chopped
3 bell peppers chopped (yellow, orange and red)

2 28oz cans diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup beer (I like to use a good IPA)
1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 16oz can pinto beans

1 16oz can black beans

1 16oz can kidney beans

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 lime juiced
Remaining Pasilla paste

Chipotle Cream:
8oz creme fraiche
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno roughly chopped
1 small shallot roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Pasilla paste place the dried Pasilla in a small stock pot and cover with water. Boil the Pasilla's over medium high heat until they are softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the peppers and rinse in cold water. Remove the stems and place in a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend the ingredients until smooth and set aside.

For the steak rub the spices on each side of the meat, then rub the Pasilla paste on both sides. Refrigerate and allow the meat to marinate for about 30 minutes.

While the steak is marinating heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook vegetables until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the remaining Pasilla pepper paste, beer, and the spices and simmer until the chili is reduced, thickened, and the flavors combine, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the cilantro cream place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Drain and wash the beans and add to the chili, cook an additional 10 minutes or until the beans are heated through. To finish the chili add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime. Remove the steak from the refrigerator and grill until medium rare, about 5 minutes on each side. Place steak on a cutting board and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and place on top of the chili. Garnish with the cilantro cream, fresh chopped cilantro, and some grated cheese (I like a good smoked Gouda) and you're ready for a margarita in December......although a good winter beer would be excellent!

A Minty Little Truffle

2010-12-14T00:13:00.000-08:00

A few posts back I tested the waters of truffle making and made pumpkin truffles, and my dear husband yet again served as my test subject. Now he usually gives me a one or two word response (maximum of three) when it comes to my cooking, and it is usually something like this..."it's good," or "I like it."

But when I made those truffles I got an actual suggestion, "ooh, you should do a peppermint truffle next." Now since he actually exceeded his three word maximum I had to do it, and he even gave me suggestions on how to create these tasty little treats to boot....a budding chef in the making.......maybe I am rubbing off on him, scary. Sometimes I really think I bite off more that I can chew because I was not in any way prepared for the horror that would come to me when making these stupid things.
Now you're probably asking yourself how could there be horror when chocolate is involved? We'll there can be, and I can honestly tell you that chocolate seizing on you is horrific, especially when it is midnight and you are trying to finish these #$%!%&* truffles for a potluck the next day and you have had three bags (not one but three) of white chocolate seize on you. You then find yourself running to the store in the middle of the night, make-up smeared, hair a mess, covered in chocolate, asking yourself in your car why the damn chocolate won't melt properly and telling yourself that if this last bag you are about to buy doesn't melt then you are just going to chuck it all and never lay your eyes on a truffle again! I will warn you ahead of time that due to this set of unfortunate events I didn't take as many photographs as I should have, hard to work a camera when your sobbing over grainy white chocolate that refuses to melt.
Nonetheless I did get the last bag to melt.....well sort of.....and learned a little about melting white chocolate in the process. So once again I used my husband's test subject skills and had him taste my minty little truffles and he said "they're good." Success measured in two words or less.

Peppermint Truffles

Estimated Cook Time: 4 hours

8.5oz dark chocolate (I like Valrhona) chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
(you can use peppermint oil as well, but use much less)
16oz white chocolate finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

In a small sauce pan over medium heat bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Add the vanilla and peppermint extract. Place dark chocolate in a large glass bowl and pour the hot cream over. Let stand for 2-3 minutes. Stir the chocolate and cream mixture until smooth. Stir in the butter until completely melted and incorporated into the chocolate and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Once firm, using a small melon baller, scoop small portions of the truffle mixture out, using the palms of your hands if you have to to form nice balls of chocolate. Once you have formed all your truffles place them back in the refrigerator for an hour until they are firm.

For the white chocolate place the chocolate in a double boiler set over medium heat. If you don't have a double boiler you can use a metal heat resistant bowl fitted over a saucepan with simmering water. Add the peppermint extract before the chocolate is melted. Do not allow the water to get too hot, this will burn the chocolate. Actually the best way to heat the chocolate is to bring the water to a simmer and remove from the heat and melt the chocolate off the heat. Also, don't use a wooden or plastic spoon to stir the chocolate, since both can contain moisture which can cause the chocolate to seize up (seizing is when water is introduced to the chocolate causing it to become more solid and grainy....not good). Instead always use a metal spoon, especially when stirring white chocolate.

Once the chocolate is melted remove from the heat and allow to cool. Now you can go to the trouble to temper the chocolate but I just didn't have the energy to do it. However, if you fancy tempering the chocolate, David Lebovitz does a great job explaining how to do it here. Once the chocolate is cooled, using a fork, dip the dark chocolate balls in the melted white chocolate and place them on a foil lined tray. Immediately after dipping sprinkle each truffle with the crushed peppermint candy. Place the truffles back in the refrigerator and chill until set, about another hour. Remove truffles from refrigerator about a half hour before serving.

Going Dutch For Breakfast

2010-12-09T23:46:00.000-08:00

Me and my family are big fans of breakfast, and I have to say that breakfast is a staple for dinner in our household (refer back to my breakfast burritos post). Now for breakfast I traffic in the usual suspects....eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, waffles.....you get the picture.

This time however I wanted to try something a little different (shocker), and wouldn't you know it once again fate delivered my inspiration for this post. The story is that I was looking on the web for recipes that featured Panettone, which is an Italian bread that is usually served around Christmas, and amongst the list of websites featuring Panettone a curious word flickered across the screen, Pannekoek (pah-nuh-cook). I had never heard of this dish, so of course I was curious. In summary Pannekoek is a dutch pancake, which can be either savory or sweet and are made with WAY more eggs that your traditional pancake. I think they taste kinda like a thick crepe, which of course makes them delicious, and when you bake them they puff up into this impressive mass, and then rapidly deflate when taken out of the oven, like a giant sigh after a tough day. So after serious deliberation I decided to do a sweet variety of Pannekoek and when my husband asked what I was making for dinner and I replied "Pannekoek" he gave me a look like I had gone to the loony bin. Although I have to say that the look he gave me after he tasted it was a little different. A dutch breakfast for dinner is awfully tasty!

Baked Pear Pannekoek With
Pear Brandy Maple Syrup

Estimated Cook Time: 45 minutes

Pancake:
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 medium Bartlett pears peeled and sliced
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Syrup:

1-1/2 cups grade A pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/4 cup pear brandy

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (204 degrees Celsius). In a large bowl combine the flour, milk, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, orange zest and granulated sugar. Beat batter until most of the lumps are gone. Pour the melted butter in a 14 inch non-stick skillet and pour the batter over the butter.

Arrange the sliced pears in the batter and sprinkle the brown sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon over the pears. Place the skillet in the middle of the preheated oven and bake until the pancake is very puffed up and the batter is set, about 30-35 minutes.

While the pancake is cooking combine the syrup, cinnamon, orange zest and brandy in a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat just until the flavors combine. Set the syrup aside. When the pancake is ready remove from the oven and light dust the pancake with the powdered sugar. Slice the pancake and serve with the brandied syrup........of course a side of sausages doesn't hurt!