Dulcedo

mashed potatoes with garlic and chives

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:18:00 +0000

Every year we have the same little tussle in our house around the holidays. Mom and Dad -- in their efforts to preserve, save, and protect -- insist that all holiday lights must be turned off when the last person goes to bed. I, however, relish the opportunity to fall asleep in the comforting glow of a Christmas tree. So this is where we butt heads, and the almost ritualistic annual scenario goes something like this: Mom and Dad go to bed. I fall asleep on the sofa next to one of the trees. Mom/Dad shuffles into the room at 3 a.m., turns off the tree, and grumbles something in my direction about sleeping in my own bed. I get up and either turn the tree back on or actually go to bed.

Now, I can see where the turning off of the lights makes perfect sense with our real tree, which is lit with big, multicolored bulbs. Dry tree + hot bulbs = no good. But that's only one tree. All the other trees are lit with tiny, twinkly LEDs, and who has ever heard of one of those spontaneously igniting some artificial greenery and burning down a home? Am I wrong in my belief that it's highly unlikely one of the little sparkly lights will set our home ablaze? No more likely than any other home disaster caused by water pipes, gas lines, etc.?

Mashed potatoes, beloved though they are, are often left off the holiday table because they demand last-minute preparation. However, if you can rope a couple of holiday guests into peeling potatoes for you (trust me, they'll be happy to be given a task), the recipe below should be last-minute manageable even as you wrestle with the roast beast. And the ultra-creamy results are sure to be appreciated by all.

A few pictures of our holiday beast (not so much roasted), just for fun:

Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Garlic and Chives
A recipe from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining: Thanksgiving Entertaining
Serves 10-12

5 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
12 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup minced fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper

Put the potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover. Salt the water, bring to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic and sauté just until it turns opaque, 1-2 minutes. Do not let it brown. Set aside.

Pour the milk into a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and gently bring to a simmer. Set aside and keep warm.

Return the potatoes to the pot and place over low heat. Mash thoroughly with a potato masher.* Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in 3/4 cup of the hot milk, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the sautéed garlic, and the chives. Add the remaining milk and, if necessary, the reserved cooking liquid, adding just enough for the desired consistency. Stir until light and fluffy. Do not overmix or the potatoes will turn gummy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

* I used an electric mixer for this step.

egg nog cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:55:00 +0000

Just a quick post today because Mom and I are about to leave for a little road trip to my second favorite place in the whole world -- Notre Dame! Most alumni make their annual pilgrimage back to the University during football season. Not me, though. Don't get me wrong -- I love Notre Dame football weekends -- but my favorite time to visit is when classes are finished, the students have gone home, and the casual visitors are few and far between. Perhaps that seems odd since all of these things are part and parcel of a bustling college campus. But when the campus empties out and I can wander down the quad without a single other person in sight, I can pretend that the Notre Dame of today is still my Notre Dame. Nothing has changed. I haven't gotten older. And I still feel right at home.

So here's the thing about egg nog cupcakes. They taste strikingly similar to a spice cake. And why shouldn't they? Spice cake = some sort of milk + vanilla + spices. Egg nog = some sort of milk/cream + vanilla + spices. Still good, though, and still worth making for a holiday treat. The pastry cream really makes the cupcake seem egg noggy, mostly due to its texture I think. One word of caution, though: these cupcakes inflate quite a bit in the oven and then shrink back a little as they cool, so don't make them in paper souffle cups (or you'll end up trying to hide the shrinkage with frosting, as I did).

Egg Nog Cupcakes
Yields 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
A recipe by Cheryl at The Cupcake Bakeshop
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp
3 eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup eggnog
1/4 cup bourbon/dark rum (all of one or a mix)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon each baking powder and soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Egg Nog Pastry Cream
A recipe by Cheryl at The Cupcake Bakeshop
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup eggnog
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting
Adapted from a recipe by Cheryl at The Cupcake Bakeshop
1 cup butter, room temperature
6-8 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup egg nog

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.Beat in the eggs one at a time until blended.

In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together eggnog, bourbon, and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the batter in three additions, alternating with the egg nog mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Fill your cupcake containers of choice 2/3 full and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling or frosting as desired.

To Make the Pastry Cream Filling:
Place flour in a heavy sauce pan, gradually whisk in eggnog until blended and smooth. Add egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until just combined after each addition.

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, removing from the heat occasionally to avoid lumps, until thickened. If necessary, strain through a metal sieve to remove lumps.

Remove from heat, stir in butter, rum, and vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming on the surface. Refrigerate until ready to use.

[To fill the cupcakes like I did, cut a cone shape out of the top of the cupcake, add about a teaspoon of the filling, and replace the cone "hat."]

To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy. Add half of the sifted sugar, the vanilla, and the egg nog. Beat until combined. Gradually add the remaining sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.

roasted dry-brined turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:15:00 +0000

Mmm...turkey. It's a shame my family only make it once a year. The Athlete insists that if we had turkey more often, Thanksgiving wouldn't be as special. I disagree -- I think Thanksgiving would be just as special, and we'd all be happier if we had more turkey. More is better, right? Isn't that the American way? Anyway, here is the recipe I used for our Thanksgiving turkey this year. In previous years, I used a Williams-Sonoma recipe that was perfectly fantastic. It certainly set the bar high, but this year's Martha recipe didn't disappoint.You have to start 2 days ahead of time, but the advance salt rub makes the turkey oh, so tender. (If you have even the tiniest cut on your hand, this process will seem torturous, so wear latex gloves.)

P.S. See those giant forks sticking out of our turkey below? Those are roast lifters. If you're going to attempt to roast any large piece of meat or poultry, do yourself a favor and pick up a pair. You'll be glad you did when your turkey is resting comfortably on a platter instead of the floor. (If you're obsessive like me, you'll get All-Clad lifters to match your All-Clad roasting pan, but it's not actually necessary.)

Roasted Dry-Brined Turkey
A recipe from Martha Stewart Living, November 2008
Serves 10-12

Kosher salt
14 dried bay leaves, 10 crushed and 4 left whole
1 whole fresh turkey (22 to 24 pounds), giblets and neck reserved for stuffing or gravy
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup water, plus more if needed

Combine 2/3 cup salt and crushed bay leaves in a small bowl. Rinse inside and outside of turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub 2 tablespoons of the salt mixture on each leg portion, 1 1/2 teaspoons on each wing, 2 tablespoons on each breast, and the remaining salt mixture inside the cavity. Place turkey in a large oven bag and seal tightly, removing any trapped air. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 48 hours.

Remove turkey from bag and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Combine 1 stick butter, the wine, and whole bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with rack in the lowest position. Rinse inside and outside of turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Tuck wings under turkey. (If the wings won't stay tucked, secure them with kitchen string.) Season cavity with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Rub remaining 1/2 stick butter on turkey and season with salt and pepper. Pour water into roasting pan.

Place turkey, legs first, into oven. Roast for 30 minutes, then baste with butter-wine mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 and roast, basting with butter-wine mixture every 30 minutes, for 2 1/2 hours.* (Add more water to roasting pan if necessary to prevent pan drippings from burning.) Rotate pan, and roast until skin is golden brown and thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone registers 165 on an instant-read thermometer, 30-45 minutes more. Transfer turkey to a rimmed baking sheet, reserving pan juices and roasting pan for gravy making, and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

* You may need to cover the turkey with a sheet of foil if it develops that nice, golden roasted color early on in the cooking.

honey-phyllo pumpkin pie

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 04:09:00 +0000

Yesterday we hosted the first holiday meal in our home in four years. FOUR YEARS. The remodeling project, which I've mentioned here on occasion, is taking a very long time. However, the kitchen portion of it is nearly finished, so we were long overdue for a holiday gathering. And as the aspiring hostess with the mostess, I don't think anyone was more excited than me. I poured over recipes, starched napkins, glittered leaves, and made my best attempt at creating a memorable occasion. (Mom obligingly created the lovely centerpieces for the table.) It didn't exactly go off without a hitch -- I spilled part of the pumpkin pie in the oven, reinforcements were needed to get the mashed potatoes and gravy ready in time, and, most unfortunately, Mom was too ill to participate -- but we still had many things for which to be thankful. Including this pumpkin pie.

When it comes to sweets, I'm not a pie girl. Cakes and cookies I crave, but except for the homemade apple version, pies don't interest me much. So when I tell you that one taste of this pumpkin pie made me want to snatch the pie plate and run out the door, leaving only crumbs in my wake, you'll know it must be good. So good....

I don't know if it was the fresh pumpkin puree that made all the difference, or the recipe itself, but the pie is outstanding. The fresh pumpkin puree is lighter and creamier than its canned counterpart, and so easy to make that I don't know why we all rely on the canned version so much. (OK, sugar pie pumpkins can be a little tough to locate in some areas. I got mine at Whole Foods and brought them on the airplane with me.) The phyllo dough preparation looks daunting, but it turned out to be fairly simple. And accented with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, the flaky phyllo crust was a wonderful complement to the pie filling. The walnut streusel completed the triumvirate and added a fantastic crunch to the dish. With such an amazing flavor, it seems a shame to wait until next Thanksgiving to make this again. I wonder where I can find sugar pie pumpkins in February? (I think this would be a more than suitable replacement for those chalky candy hearts most people eat that month....)

Honey-Phyllo Pumpkin Pie
A recipe from Martha Stewart Living November 2008
Serves 12

Fresh Pumpkin Puree
1 sugar pie pumpkin

Walnut-Oatmeal Streusel
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
3 ounces (1/3 cup) finely chopped walnuts
7 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey

Pie
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
17 sheets phyllo, 8 1/2" by 13 1/2" sheets, thawed
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
Walnut-Oatmeal Streusel
15 ounces fresh pumpkin puree or 1 15-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves

To Make Fresh Pumpkin Puree:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the stem from 1 sugar pie pumpkin and slice the pumpkin in half. Place halves cut side down in a baking dish filled with 1" of water. Roast for 45 minutes, or until the halves can be easily pierced with a knife.

Let the pumpkins cool and then use a large spoon to scoop out and discard the pumpkin seeds. Scoop out the flesh and then puree it in a food processor or blender.

To Make the Walnut-Oatmeal Streusel:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oats, walnuts, flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Melt butter and whisk in honey. Stir into oat mixture.

Spread streusel on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Bake, stirring occasionally, until light gold and crunch, 12-15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack. Streusel will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

To Make the Pie:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fold a piece of foil lengthwise to make a 2"-wide collar and fit it around a 9" deep dish pie plate, extending it 1/2" above the dish. Combine granulated sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in a small bowl.

Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with butter and generously sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Then sprinkle 2 tablespoons streusel over half the sheet. Fold the sheet in half from left to right. Brush top with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Gently scrunch right side, then fold back corners of left side to create a petal shape. Place phyllo in dish, pressing scrunched side into dish and tucking folded corners under (phyllo will not reach the center of the dish). Repeat 13 times, overlapping sheets when placing them in the dish.

Brush remaining phyllo sheets with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, and fold into quarters. Press into the dish to cover the bottom. Brush with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

Cut a circle of parchment at least 16" wide and fit into phyllo pie shell. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges begin to turn gold, about 10 minutes. Remove pie weights, parchment, and foil collar. Continue to bake until crust is golden brown, 10-15 minutes more.

Transfer dish to a rimmed baking sheet. Mix pumpkin, brown sugar, honey, eggs, milk, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, remaining cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of cloves in a large bowl. Pour into crust. Tent edges with foil and bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 60-65 minutes*. Let cool in pie dish on a wire rack. Sprinkle with streusel and serve at room temperature.

* I had to bake mine a lot longer -- about 35-40 minutes more, I think. I don't know if this was because I tented the whole pie with foil (I found it difficult to tent only the fragile crust) and that prevented it from baking, or if it was because Martha's original recipe was made for canned pumpkin pie.

pumpkin cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:24:00 +0000

THIS is why I got a new camera. Pretty picture, right? And let's be honest, we know it has nothing to do with my skills as a photographer because -- seriously -- I don't have any yet. That's OK though. Apparently, if you buy the right equipment and can manage to avoid a case of the shakes when you press the shutter button, a beautiful picture will magically appear.

Sorry, by the way, that it has taken me a month to figure that out. The camera and I went through an interesting "getting to know you" period. When the 40D showed up on my doorstop, I promptly brought it inside and placed it, unopened, in the middle of my floor. It stayed there for a week, in the company of its accessory friends, before I even dared to begin the long, uphill climb of the real photography learning curve. So far I've basically only figured out how to turn on the camera and the external flash. Fortunately, those two things, coupled with knowing how to compose a shot, were enough to get a few blog-worthy photos.

So perhaps you're considering upgrading your own camera? Well I'm utterly useless if you want to know something technical about digital SLRs, but I can tell you this: My old point-and-shoot took nice pictures. But they were just that -- pictures. The new camera takes pictures, but it also captures a moment. And those moments -- many of of them, at least -- are priceless. Take a look at this picture of the candles (click on it and view the big version). It's pretty, sure, but for me, it also brings to mind that chilly evening a few weeks ago that I spent curled up in my new arm chair with a blanket, a cup of soup, and nothing by candlelight in my apartment. That's what I want in a camera.

Our office manager had a birthday this week, and her only birthday treat request was that it come complete with the same vanilla bean cream cheese frosting I used on the red velvet cupcakes a few weeks back. No problem, since cream cheese frosting goes great with the pumpkin cake I had been wanting to try anyway. Last year I made Williams-Sonoma's pumpkin cakelets, so I wanted to compare them to Martha Stewart's pumpkin cupcake recipe. Martha's cupcakes were a breeze to throw together (I did them before work) and they had a great texture, but I didn't find them to be as flavorful as the Williams-Sonoma cakelets. They also shrank a little as they cooled, which isn't a huge deal, but something I find annoying nonetheless. Apples to apples, the Martha cakes are good, but the Williams-Sonoma cakes are even better. If you're looking for an autumal quick bread or informal dessert, head in this direction.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields about 18 cupcakes

Cupcakes
Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Frosting
Adapted from a recipe from the Cupcake Bakeshop
8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature
2 1/3 tablespoon butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/3 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egss, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture in two batches, beating until just combined. Stir in the pumpkin puree.

Fill your cupcake containers a scant 3/4 full and bake until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or decorating as desired.

To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add 2 cups of confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and beat until combined. Add the remaining cup of sugar and beat until well incorporated.

roasted root vegetables with rosemary

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:54:00 +0000

Happy Birthday, Blog! One year ago today I made my debut in the blogging world with a recipe for Red Wine Cupcakes. Lots of cupcakes and 68 posts later, I still really love putting figurative pen to electronic paper and tracking my successes and failures in the kitchen. Since I started Dulcedo for a mostly self-serving purpose (no more of those "Did I make this recipe already?" moments), I am continually surprised by all the people who write in to say they like it too. Your comments and emails always make my day - thank you!

Even blogs deserve birthday presents, right? This year my blog is getting a big one: a Canon EOS 40D Digital SLR camera. OK, maybe it's really just for me, and maybe my purchase of it coincides with the gradual puttering out of the Canon PowerShot s300 Digital Elph I've been toting around for the last six years. The point is that there is a new camera coming, which means there are better blog pictures on the horizon. The bad news is I'll have to cut back on grocery purchasing to pay for it, so there will be fewer blog posts. Just kidding. (That would be ironic though, huh?) I expect I'll experience a fairly significant learning curve as I move from the playpen of point-and-shoots to the playground of digital SLRs, so I'll be sure to share the highlights of this trip into the high-tech camera world so you can learn a little about them too.

In case you were starting to wonder if I survive on cupcakes and cookies alone, here is a recipe for the healthy file. I suppose it would have been appropriate to make a cake for this post, but to be honest, I'd choose a fabulous vegetable dish over cake any day. Well, almost any day. Anyway, these roasted root vegetables are so delicious that I'm going to include them on this year's Thanksgiving Day menu. They're unbelievably simple to prepare and they aren't messing around when it comes to flavor. I've left Bon Appétit's original vegetable mix largely untouched in the recipe below, but you can alter it to suit what you have on hand or available at your local store. Consider rutabagas, turnips, fingerling potatoes, leeks, anise, sweet potatoes -- so many options! I actually used a mixture of parsnips, celery root, carrots*, Brussels sprouts**, and red pearl onions. Next time I'll omit the celery root, since it seems that's not my cup of tea, and add more Brussels sprouts and garlic cloves instead. Also, I used a high-quality olive oil and salt (a fancy sea salt from Williams-Sonoma) in this dish because the simple ingredient list really allows the flavors to shine.

*I got the cool orange and purple carrots you see on top of the dish from Pike Place Market.

** They aren't a root vegetable, but if you want to use Brussels sprouts, prepare them by cutting off the ends, removing and discarding any yellow or loose leaves, and then rinsing the sprouts.

[This post was submitted for the October edition of The Heart of the Matter, a monthly blogging event focusing on heart health.]

Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary
Adapted from a recipe from Bon Appétit December 2001
Serves 8

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces red pearl onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup olive oil
10 garlic cloves, peeled
Kosher or other high-quality salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Position 1 rack in bottom third of oven and 1 rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Spray 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Bring a medium-size pot of water to boil. Place the pearl onions in the pot and boil for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the onions to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Once the onions have cooled, remove them from the water and pinch the ends to remove the skins.

Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl (do not include the garlic). Add the rosemary and then pour the olive oil over the mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Divide vegetable mixture between prepared sheets. Place 1 sheet on each oven rack. Roast 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reverse positions of baking sheets. Add 5 garlic cloves to each baking sheet. Continue to roast until all vegetables are tender and brown in spots, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, 30-45 minutes longer. (Can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheets at room temperature. Rewarm in 450°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.)

Transfer roasted vegetables to large bowl and serve.

pumpkin oatmeal cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 04:26:00 +0000

Sometimes the business world is a rough-and-tumble place...and sometimes it is simply ridiculous. The nature of my position is such that, when an employee has a concern or suggestion, it usually finds its way to me. I'd love to tell you that most of these concerns are well founded, but that isn't quite the case...mostly because 50% of the concerns are born out of overworrying and and behaviors I would categorize as just short of hysterics. Case and point: There is an ongoing discussion in our office about the proper way to evacuate if there is a fire at the front of the office suite. Obviously I recognize that evacuation procedures are important, so I put in a request to the local fire department to have a marshal come out and make a recommendation. However, while I'm waiting for that person to show up, I have to deal with the third of our staff that is convinced that breaking the floor-to-ceiling windows and falling 25 feet onto concrete and glass shards is the best way to evacuate on the highly unlikely occasion that there is a fire in the front of our crackerjack-box-size office that has gone unnoticed long enough to prevent people from making a simple exit through the front door. I think Charles Darwin would have some interesting things to say about people who fail to notice a fire in 15' x 30' office. I won't bring that up, but when the fire department comes and explains why it's a bad idea to punch out a hole and feed a fire in a small space with loads of oxygen, all those glass-breaking tools ordered by the renegade third of the staff are going straight back to the supplier....

Fall's favorite flavor is arguably pumpkin, but you don't often see it in cookie form. The texture and consistency of pumpkin usually lends a cakiness to the baked goods that incorporate it, so when I saw Garrett's recipe for pumpkin cookies over at Simply Recipes, I was a bit skeptical. I'm not one for cakey cookies. However, I was in need of many dozens of autumnal treats for an upcoming meeting, so I decided to give the recipe a go. (Plus, I've been so busy with cupcakes lately that the cookie section of the blog was starting to look a little wimpy by comparison.)

I swapped out regular butter in Garrett's recipe for unsalted (and upped the salt) because I generally prefer it, and I cut the amount of pumpkin seeds in half because a full cup just seemed like too much in a recipe that also called for oats and currants. The cookies had a great pumpkin flavor, but my honest assessment on Day 1 was that I didn't like them. They were overly moist and cakey, with none of the delicious chew of a normal cookie. I was pretty sure that I could save them, though, so I left them uncovered -- for 2 days. And the result? Much better. Really good, in fact. The cookies retained their excellent flavor, but also developed that much-desired chewiness. Apparently age improves men, wine, and pumpkin cookies.

[This post submitted for Sugar High Friday's October challenge: Spices.]

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from a recipe by Garret McCord
Yields about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup dried currants

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in two additions and beat until combined. Fold in the pumpkin seeds and currants.

Using a 1.5" - 1.75" scoop, drop dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Allow to cool on the sheet for a minute or two to set, then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store, uncovered, between layers of parchment or wax paper for up to 5 days.

red velvet cupcakes with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:55:00 +0000

In our family room at home there are two moss-green chenille chairs. In many ways, their outward appearance -- seemingly brand new -- conceals their history. These chairs, in addition to those surrounding the kitchen table, are the only chairs left that were in the house when I was born. Despite their good condition, it's easy to look at them now and think they don't belong. The green and harvest gold 1970s decor they once matched has long since been replaced with a country blue motif, but judging them by color and style alone overlooks the important role the chairs have played in our home. They've held grandmas cradling babies and served as walls for childhood blanket forts. They've been places of retreat for reading, for napping, for relationship ending, and for relationship mending. And for the past 19 or so years, they've dutifully flanked the Christmas tree, alternately holding presents and people during holiday gatherings.

As we remodel the kitchen and add on to the house, bringing new furniture in and taking old furniture out, I find that I have a renewed appreciation for these misfit chairs. They'll soon resign their post in the living room for newer pastures elsewhere, but I'm glad to know they'll still be available for afternoon naps, evening chats, and the holiday gatherings that develop in a new room of our home.

Kenny Chesney has a great song that traces his life through the moments experienced in a blue rocking chair. Though the moments he sings of are fictional (presumably, since he is from Tennessee and the song is about a chair on the beach), I think the sentiments are strikingly similar:

There's a blue rocking chair sitting in the sand
Weathered by the storms and well-oiled hands
It sways back and forth with the help of the winds
It seems to always be there, like an old trusted friend

I've read a lot of books, wrote a few songs
Looked at my life - where it's goin', where it's gone
I've seen the world through a bus windshield
But nothing compares to the way that I see it
To the way that I see it
To the way that I see it when I sit in that old blue chair

From that chair I've caught a few fish and some rays
And I've watched boats sail in and out of Cinnamon Bay
I let go of a lover that took a piece of my heart
Prayed many times for forgiveness and a brand new start

I've read a lot of books, wrote a few songs
Looked at my life - where it's goin', where it's gone
I've seen the world through a bus windshield
But nothing compares to the way that I see it
To the way that I see it
To the way that I see it when I sit in that old blue chair

When I decided I was going to make a red velvet cupcake, my first task was to figure out exactly what red velvet cake is supposed to be. Many people complain that it is nothing more than a yellow cake with red dye, that it isn't chocolately enough, or that it doesn't have any noticeable flavor, but after much consideration, I decided that red velvet cake is supposed to be like that initial whiff of cocoa you smell when you first open the cocoa container -- light but distinct. Therefore, a high-quality cocoa would be in order. The next decision was equally important: Would I follow tradition and use gobs of red food coloring, or experiment with natural products like beet juice to turn my cake red? After reading a few reviews about the so-so results of using beet juice, I opted to squash my inner baking conscience and throw artificial color into my batter.

You wouldn't even believe how many red velvet cake recipes I read before settling on this one. Thankfully, though, my time was well spent. This cake turned out wonderfully moist with a distinguishable cocoa flavor. The red color was festive and traditional, but deep enough to prevent it from looking shockingly artificial. I was similarly pleased with the frosting. It pairs well with the cake, but it isn't so sweet that your teeth want to stage a revolt (to borrow a phrase from Deb).

Just a couple of tips for making these cupcakes successfully: As mentioned, using high-quality cocoa is important. I chose Scharffen Berger, and though I winced at the price when I pulled it off the grocery store shelf, I really do think it made a positive difference in the taste of the cake. Furthermore, be sure to sift your cake flour, cocoa, and buttermilk, too, if you use the powdered version. Otherwise you may end up with smallish lumps in your baked cupcakes. Additionally, these cupcakes bake up exceptionally well in souffle cups. You'll want to fill them 3/4 full because the batter doesn't rise until near the end of the baking time. Since the internal structure is already developed by the time they rise, they don't overflow and tend to have domed tops. Finally, I noticed some color separation in my first batch of these cupcakes, so I added the note about stirring each cupcake with a toothpick just before sending the batch into the oven. The subsequent batches made this way came out with a much more uniformly red color.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes about 30 cupcakes

Cupcakes
Adapted from a recipe from The Confetti Cakes Cookbook by Elisa Strauss & Christi Matheson, via The New York Times and Smitten Kitchen (whew!)
3 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 cup unsweetened, high-quality cocoa (not Dutch process), sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring, or 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from a recipe from the Cupcake Bakeshop
24 ounces (3 packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
8-10 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set aside

Place oil and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater and beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add red food coloring and beat slowly to combine. (Take care -- it may splash.) Add vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined.

Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar until dissolved, and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

Fill your cupcake containers of choice 3/4 full. Give each cupcake a quick stir with a toothpick just prior to baking to ensure even coloring throughout. Bake for 25-30 minutes* or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or decorating as desired.

*For 4-ounce souffle cups, which are slightly larger than the wells of a standard cupcake pan.

To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add 8 cups of confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and beat until combined. Add more sugar until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness.

old-fashioned chocolate cupcakes with coffee butter frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:43:00 +0000

On Saturday afternoon, my apartment bore all the signs: The blinds were shut tight and the TV was off. There was a stack of dirty dishes in the sink, a pile of rumpled clothes on the floor, and I was planted face down on the couch, surrounded by a smattering of tissues -- clear evidence of a dating situation gone wrong. With my head buried ostrich-style between the cushions (because that obviously makes the real world go away), I wondered how I could have so grossly misjudged someone who was clearly not worth the space he takes up on this earth. For the next day, from that same relative position on the couch, I tried to understand how my sure-to-be-a-good-thing chef could have actually been a sure-to-be-going-straight-to-hell jerk. (I also pondered whether my dates were beginning to parallel the financial markets; the jury is still out on that one.) Finally, at some unknown hour on Sunday evening, I pulled myself up off the couch, washed the mascara stains off my cheeks, and started to clean up my disaster area of a living space. And as my pity party began to morph into a pissed-AT-him party, I did what any self-respecting baker would do: I made cupcakes.

(...and hoped that he'd accidentally shut his nether regions in the oven door.)

A simple description today for some simple cupcakes. I think, to date (no pun intended), I've tested out 3 different chocolate cake recipes on this site, and this one is, by far, my favorite. It is distinctly chocolately and exceptionally moist. Be careful, though, not to be overly generous when dispensing your batter into the cupcake liners. These cupcakes will nearly double in size in the oven, so failure to remain within the recommended fill level will result in an oven full of overflowing cupcakes. (Let's pretend, for my ego's sake, that I did not learn this the hard way.) Though both the cake and the frosting contain coffee, only the frosting carries the flavor, so even if you're not a coffee lover, the cake is worth a try.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Butter Frosting
Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
Recipe from Cheryl at Cupcake Bakeshop
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa powdered, sifted
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Coffee Butter Frosting
Recipe from Cupcakes by Susannah Blake
3 sticks plus 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
6 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
8 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso, dissolved in 4 tablespoons boiling water
Grated bittersweet chocolate for garnish

To Make the Cupcakes:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition.

Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Ensure that the batter is thoroughly combined, but do not over mix.

Fill your cupcakes containers of choice 1/2 to a scant 2/3's full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or decorating as desired.

To Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, dissolved coffee or espresso, and half of the confectioners' sugar until combined. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

sicilian pasta with shrimp & almond cream

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:43:00 +0000

I made this recipe before the Olympics and I'm just now posting it. Isn't that terrible? But what was it about the Olympics that was so captivating this year? Despite my relative lack of interest in watching sports on TV -- except Notre Dame football, of course (*cough*GoIrishBeatMichigan*cough*) -- I found myself glued to the television every night for two weeks while the athletes were competing. Track cycling quarter finals? I'm on it! Badminton at 3am? Count me in! Sometimes I even found myself staying up late to watch athletes from countries that I'm not entirely sure I could locate on a map. Seriously -- Burkina Faso? Djibouti? (Don't lie -- you know you wouldn't do any better.) Apparently I wasn't alone, though, since two-thirds of the American population tuned in. I think for me, this was the first Olympics where I was really able to understand -- and even relate to -- the kind of effort it takes to be successful at that level. With so many make-or-break, almost-doesn't-count moments, I could barely tear myself away. What kept you watching this year?

Those of you who subscribe to the Williams-Sonoma catalog might have noticed a reference to this recipe in one of the recent issues. It wasn't immediately obvious to me why Williams-Sonoma would choose this recipe for their catalog, so I decided to find out for myself. Plus, I was intrigued by the title of "Almond Cream" for what was clearly a tomato-based dish. I was delighted to discover that recipe is just like my other Williams-Sonoma favorites: simple, fresh, and completely delicious -- and not to mention cream free. However, before I can credibly sing its praises, I have to confess that I made a mistake in the cooking process. As I was typing this up, I realized that I used almost twice as many tomatoes as the recipe calls for. Deal breaker? No, not by a long shot. The sauce had great depth and I loved it, but I'm sure it didn't have the almond flavor it was supposed it. No matter -- this is definitely a recipe I'm willing to make again.

Sicilian Pasta with Shrimp & Almond Cream
Adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe
Serves 4

6 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 1/4 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 pound short, wide tubular pasta, or medium shells
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large bowl or in the base of an immersion blender, combine the almonds, tomatoes, olive oil, water and the 1 tsp. salt. Using an immersion blender, blend until the mixture is almost smooth, with just a few chunks of tomato remaining, about 3 minutes. (Alternatively, pulse in the bowl of a food processor.) Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Set aside.

In a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the almond mixture, stir until well combined, and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the cooking water and the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Add the pasta and stir to coat with the sauce. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

éclairs

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:27:00 +0000

"Binder clips in my hair," I thought. That's how I got here -- binder clips in my hair.

A few months ago I had the distinct "pleasure" of interviewing another round of candidates for our office manager position. (We all know how well that temporary employee turned out.) One of the interviewees -- a sullen girl, just a year younger than me -- was particularly memorable. To say she interviewed poorly would be an understatement. Slouched in her chair, decidedly underdressed, and without pen, paper, or appropriate questions, I was just about to usher her out of my office when she caught me off guard: "How did you get where you are?" she asked. "You look about my age -- how did you get your position?" I thought about it for a moment and then gave her a short summary of my work experience. This answer seemed to satisfy her, but it didn't satisfy me, so I continued to think about her question long after the interviews were over and a delightfully cheerful new office manager was hired (not the aforementioned girl, of course). The answer didn't hit me until a few weeks ago. I was sitting in my office on a sticky and hot Thursday evening. The rest of the staff had gone home hours ago, but I was chipping away at a particularly important and time-consuming project. In a brilliant stroke of conservationism, our landlord must have decided that no one works after 7:00 p.m., and therefore it must be OK to turn off the air conditioning at night. As I sat there in my squeaky desk chair with 8 binder clips from the office supply cabinet keeping my hair off of my now sweaty neck and face, it occurred to me that that's why I am where I am -- a willingness to tackle the extra project, attend to that last detail, and push forward long after my peers have laid their work down for the night.

I think it was nearly midnight when I finally packed up my things to head home. Though I was bleary-eyed and ravenously hungry, I couldn't help but smile. The project I had just finished would help ensure that a local nonprofit would soon receive a grant payment large enough to cover all their administrative costs for the next year. Is there a better way to spend an evening?

It’s the end of another month and time for another Daring Bakers challenge. The August recipe is for Pierre Hermé’s chocolate éclairs. I’m not wild about éclairs – I’m not likely to choose one out of a pastry case if there are other options – but I was still enthusiastic about giving these a try, especially since I got to make them in ~~Mom and Dad’s~~ my new ovens back home in IL. I found this challenge to be easier than the first, and quite a bit more fun because it didn’t contain as many tedious steps. To suit my own tastes, I substituted Pierre’s vanilla pastry cream for the chocolate pastry cream called for, but made no other alterations to the original recipe.

I thought my éclairs turned out perfectly acceptable -- my top rating for any éclair since I’m not a big fan of them to begin with. The vanilla pastry cream earns 5 stars and the éclairs themselves were quite pretty to look at. I should note, however, that they did deflate quite a bit after they were removed from the oven, perhaps due to the high humidity level in the house when I made them. Therefore, instead of sawing them in half before filling, I had to use two whole baked éclairs just to get one final filled éclair (not a big deal since there are only 3 people here to eat them all anyway).

The recipe below is rewritten and reorganized for clarity.

Éclairs
Makes 20-24 éclairs

Cream Puff Dough
A recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
5 eggs, room temperature

Vanilla Pastry Cream
Adapted from Desserts by Pierre Hermé
2 cups whole milk
1 plump, moist vanilla been, split and scraped, or 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 3 pieces

Chocolate Sauce
A recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar

Chocolate Glaze
A recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 teaspoons (1 1/3 tablespoons or 20 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
7 tablespoons chocolate sauce, warm or at room temperature

To Make the Éclairs:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt to the boil. Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium, and stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes more until the dough is soft and smooth.

Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the flat beater. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated. The dough should be thick and shiny and, when lifted, it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon. The dough should still be warm.

Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 inch plain tip nozzle with the warm dough. Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, chubby fingers, about 4 1/2 inches long. Leave about 2 inches of space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.

Slide both the baking sheets into the preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets 180 degrees. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes, or until the éclairs are puffed, golden, and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20 minutes. Allow éclairs to cool completely before proceeding.

To Make the Pastry Cream:
Bring the milk and vanilla bean (pulp and pod) to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and allow the milk to infuse for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Remove the pod and reheat the milk until it is hot but not boiling. [If using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, add the extract to the milk and heat until hot but not boiling.]

In a separate, medium-size saucepan, whisk together the yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Whisking constantly, drizzle 1/4 of the hot milk over the yolks. When the yolks are warm, whisk the remainder of the milk into the yolks until incorporated.

Place the saucepan with the yolk mixture over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, and then remove the pan from the heat. Press the cream through a sieve into the small bowl. Let the cream sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the butter. Cover the cream with a piece of plastic wrap—pressing the wrap against the cream’s surface—and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Pastry cream can be made up to 2 days in advance. Rewhisk before serving.

To Make the Chocolate Sauce:
Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens, about 10‐15 minutes. When the sauce it done, it will coat the back of your spoon.

To Make the Chocolate Glaze:
In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula until melted. Stir in the butter and then the chocolate sauce until incorporated. Allow glaze to cool and thicken briefly until it reaches a spreading consistency. Use immediately.

Assembly:
Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a wire rack over a piece of parchment paper.

Spread or pipe the warm glaze over the éclair tops. Allow the tops to set. Meanwhile, fill the éclair bottoms with the pastry cream. Once the tops have set, place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them. Serve immediately.

icebox cake

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:45:00 +0000

Here I sit, just 30 minutes left to a year, an age, I will miss. I’ve always been the nostalgic type, the type to appreciate the present and then miss it when it’s gone…sometimes even before it’s gone. It’s a good quality, but one that keeps me awake at moments like this, watching the minutes tick by on the clock. Only 24 left. Kenny Chesney’s “Back Where I Come From” floats out of the speakers as I type. This was a big year for me. I moved thousands of miles away from everything I hold dear to a place I knew nothing about, all in pursuit of a dream that I just can’t shake. I don’t have any regrets, but the sacrifice is steep, and times like these are when I'm most aware of what I've chosen to give up. I suppose it's no surprise that I just booked a flight home. In a perfect world, that's where I'd be right now, asleep in my bed, knowing the next day would bring kisses and hugs, celebration and cake.

Today is my 25th birthday.

Icebox cake is simple to make, but here are a few tips to help you turn out a cake that is both tasty and pretty: Use a rotating cake stand to assemble your cake. Mine is made by Ateco and is a little pricey at $75 (Thanks, Santa!), but Wilton makes a cheaper version. Also, when you are adding the layers of wafers, lean over the cake so you are looking directly down at it and can align your wafers correctly. This will keep your cake from looking like the leaning tower of Pisa when you are finished. Finally, keep your whipped cream in the fridge while you are assembling your cake (i.e., assemble near the fridge so you can just reach in and grab two scoops of cream for every layer). Sloppy cream = sloppy cake. Enjoy!

Icebox Cake
A recipe from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, via Smitten Kitchen

3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (9-ounce) packages Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies
Unsweetened cocoa or chocolate shavings for garnish

In a large bowl, beat cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.

On a flat serving plate, arrange 6 cookies in a circle, and then place 1 additional cookie in the center of the circle. All the cookies should be touching, but not overlapping.

Spread 1/2 cup whipped cream on top of the cookie layer making a 7-inch circle. Repeat with remaining cookies and cream, making 11-12 layers of cookies and ending with a layer of cream (11 layers will leave you with a few cookies left over for garnish; 12 will not). Cover with a cake dome and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

To serve, dust top lightly with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.

Yes, I made a wish!

filbert gateau with praline buttercream

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:47:00 +0000

I took a little hiatus from blogging. Perhaps you noticed? Yes, July was a month of fun. I went to Hawaii, lounged in the sun, and sipped cocktails on the beach. Just kidding. In reality, I spent the first two weeks of the month either horribly ill (hello, hospital) or horribly fatigued as a result of being horribly ill. No sun for me...or eating, for that matter. Anyway, the next week was spent trying to unbury myself from the pile of work that accumulated while I was sick. My sister came for a visit last week -- the one real bright spot in the month -- but then this week I sustained a debilitating injury whilst baking a batch of cupcakes. (I pinched a nerve while attempting to catch the bottle of Guinness that was plummeting toward my kitchen floor. I failed, but the story will be an excellent addition to my new book, The Perils of Stouts and Lagers.) ~~The good news is I'm feeling better.~~ Nah, who cares about that? The real good news is that I racked up a bunch of stories to tell while I was away, so I'll actually have something to say in subsequent posts. Oh, and if you like the biting sarcasm I seem to have contracted, there's probably more of that to look forward to. (For those of you who are more into the "daisies and sunshine" fare, well, I'm sure the sarcasm will wear off eventually. Check back in a few days.)

Now, about this cake. This was the first of my Daring Bakers' challenges and I'd like to be all raves about it, but I can't because the recipe was ridiculously poorly written. Sorry, Carol Walter, I don't know who you are and I don't own your book, but if the recipe for this challenge was copied exactly, you need a new editor and a new day job. And if not, well, someone did a bad job and it reflects on poor Carol. I'll throw a bone in Carol's direction, though, and say that the praline frosting here is delicious. Light, creamy, and full of flavor. Four stars for that. Two and three-quarters stars for the overall cake. It was good, but not so good that I'm contemplating my next opportunity to make it.

Fine. Three stars overall, but only because of the frosting.

[Per the Daring Bakers' rules, I made the recipe according to the challenge-chooser's instructions. However, the recipe you see below is my version -- rewritten for clarity and minus extraneous steps.]

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
Adapted from a recipe from Great Cakes by Carol Walter
Yields one 10" cake

Sugar Syrup
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum or Grand Marnier

Filbert Genoise
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
7 egg yolks
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
5 egg whites
1/4 cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

Praline Paste
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup sugar

Praline Buttercream
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup praline paste
2 tablespoons dark rum

Apricot Glaze
2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
1 tablespoon water

Ganache Glaze
6 ounces good semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum or Grand Marnier
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

To Make the Sugar Syrup:
In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. Can be made up to 1 week in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

To Make the Filbert Genoise:
Preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan.

Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add 3/4 cup of sugar, one tablespoon at a time (this step should take about 3 minutes). When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside. Wash and thoroughly dry the mixer bowl.

Place egg whites in the clean mixer bowl and beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over 15-20 seconds. Continue to beat for another 30 seconds. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Working quickly and excluding any large chunks, sprinkle the processed nuts into the egg mixture 2 tablespoons at a time, folding carefully for about 40 folds. When all but about 2 tablespoons of nuts remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Add in the final 2 tablespoons of nuts and fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 folds.

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. (If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter.) Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely.

[If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a Ziploc bag, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil and then place in the bag; use within 2-3 months.]

To Make the Praline Paste:
Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper and lightly butter.

Put the sugar in a heavy 10" skillet. Heat on low flame for 10-20 minutes until the sugar melts around the edges. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning, but do not stir. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals.

When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. When the mixture starts to bubble, remove from heat and pour evenly onto the parchment-lined sheet. As it cools, it will harden into brittle.

Break the cooled brittle into pieces and place in a food processor. Process for several minutes to make a paste. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Do not refrigerate.

To Make the Praline Buttercream:
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk in the sugar 2 tablespoon at a time until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.

Return bowl to the mixer stand and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture is a thick, cool meringue, about 5-7 minutes. Do not overbeat.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.

Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before proceeding.

Add 1/3 cup praline paste to the buttercream and whip briefly on medium-low speed to combine. Blend in the rum.

[Buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.]

To Make the Apricot Glaze:
In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed. Remove from heat and press the mixture through a mesh strainer, discarding any remnants.

To Make the Ganache Glaze:
Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the cream and corn syrup on low until the mixture reaches a gentle boil. Carefully pour in the chocolate. After allowing the mixture to sit for 1 minute, slowly stir the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Blend in the vanilla and rum or Grand Marnier. If the surface seems oily, add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes. Use immediately.

Assembly:
Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top side down on a 10" cardboard disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 tablespoons of warm sugar syrup. Spread on a 1/2 inch thick layer of buttercream, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edge of the cake. Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, and spread with buttercream.

Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.

Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze. Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move a large spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the cake is coated, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before the ganache begins to set.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top of the cake after the “bang." Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.

Leftover cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

deviled egg salad sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:24:00 +0000

I get up early. Waaaaay earlier than when I need to be at work. I check my email, eat some breakfast, and then I take my sweet old time getting ready. It's relaxing. I like it that way. What I do not like, however, is interruptions to this four-hour morning routine. I do not want to flop down on the couch with my bowl of Special K, pull up my email, and then be scared half to death by some scuttling black creature on the next couch cushion over. That's just wrong. It must be the result of some heavenly, anti-gravity force that my barely touched cereal didn't spill forth onto the laptop, the carpet, and everything else within 15 feet when I leapt from the couch as though it were on fire. Yes, there is a God, and He kept the cereal bowl in my hand and gave me a vacuum with which to suck up that slinky black insect. (And I think God would be OK with me condemning it to death in my vacuum canister -- it obviously would have eaten me if I hadn't sucked it up first.)

I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to give a very helpful review of this recipe. (So I guess you can stop reading now? Are you even hungry after that bug story?) I got up and made the egg salad in the morning before work but then I remembered that the first thing on my agenda that day -- after playing BugBusters, of course -- was a lengthy out-of-the-office meeting. I couldn't leave a mayo-based salad just hanging out in my hot car while participated in a stimulating discussion about short-term investment policies (not what I do for a living, thankfully), so I didn't get a chance to really eat the egg salad sandwich until I got home that day...and by then it was sort of...dry..ish...and I wasn't really hungry. Helpful, huh? Perhaps the best thing I can tell you is that I dipped my finger in the egg salad while I was stirring it together that morning and it tasted pretty good then. At least as good as any other egg salad I've had. Oh, and I used basil instead of parsley because that's what I had on hand...and then I threw it all over the plate for a palm-tree-like effect in my picture. Or does it look like marijuana? (Sorry! Promise to do better next time!)

Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches
A recipe from At Home with Magnolia: Classic American Recipes from the Owner of Magnolia Bakery
Makes 4 sandwiches

6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup diced and seeded grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped scallions (green and white parts)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 slices bread

Place all the ingredients except the bread in a medium-size bowl and mix thoroughly. Divide egg salad among 4 slices of bread. Top with the other 4 slices of bread and serve immediately.

strawberry cornmeal shortcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:34:00 +0000

Last Sunday I was perusing CraigsList as usual when I stumbled upon a listing for a piece of furniture that immediately grabbed my attention. There, labeled vaguely as an "antique dough table," was exactly what I had been searching for: an antique, glass-doored baker's cabinet. I didn't waste any time emailing the seller and setting up an appointment to look at it the next day. However, the picture in the listing didn't quite tell the whole story. This lovely piece of American furniture history was resting underneath umpteen layers of grime in a dark, creepy crawler-filled shed. Even as I gingerly investigated the structural integrity of the doors and drawers -- creepy crawlers seriously not being my thing -- a mommy opossum poked her head out of her nest to watch. This sort of situation would probably send most people packing, but under all that dirt I could see there were things about this cabinet to love -- original hardware and wavy glass, in particular -- so I gladly handed over $125 and whisked it away. (What? The seller didn't really know what she had and I sure wasn't going to tell her!) One can of Pledge and some very dirty towels later, it's now the most prominent piece of furniture in my apartment. But do you know what the best part is? I feel like I saved it!

What classic summer dessert could possibly do justice to a post about a classic piece of kitchen furniture? Strawberry shortcake, of course. Can't you just picture an apron-clad wife standing in front of this baker's cabinet 100 years ago, scooping flour from the bin and rolling out dough?* I can, and I might have done it, too, if it wouldn't be such a pain to clean flour out of the rough patches now present on the work surface. No matter. I got plenty of enjoyment just out of making my shortcakes near the old cabinet. Yes, I could talk about my newly acquired piece of home cooking history all day, which I'm sure you find irritating since all you probably want to know is whether or not this strawberry shortcake is any good. Well, the recipe is from Tom Douglas. What do you think?

*Visualizing this is much easier if you block out the Dyson that snuck into my picture. (And maybe the carpet, dry wall, and Pottery Barn drapes, too....)

Strawberry Cornmeal Shortcakes
A Tom Douglas recipe, via Star Palate: Celebrity Cookbook for a Cure
Makes 6 shortcakes

2 cups flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar for sprinkling
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 quart strawberries, hulled, sliced, and lightly sugared
Sweetened whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is in pea-size chunks, 7-10 times. Stir together the vanilla and the cream and then add to the butter mixture, pulsing until just combined. (If you don't have a food processor, you can do all the mixing the old-fashioned way: with a pastry blender.)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll dough about 3/4" thick. With a round cutter, cut the dough into shortcakes about 3 1/2" in diameter.

Place the shortcakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set that baking sheet in or on top of another baking sheet. (This double-pan method slows the browning of the bottoms until the shortcakes are cooked through.) Brush each shortcake with a little beaten egg white and sprinkle lightly with sanding sugar. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer about 1 cup of the sweetened berries to a blender or food processor and puree. Mix the pureee back into the sliced berries.

When the shortcakes have finished baking, cut them in half horizontally. Fill each of the 6 shortcake bottoms with strawberries and whipped cream. Replace the tops and serve immediately.

crostini with goat cheese, beefsteak tomatoes, & red onion

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:00:00 +0000

I've been apartment hunting lately. My lease is up at the end of the month, so as a self-confessed apartment committmentaphobe, I've been scouring Seattle-area neighborhoods for something that suits me better. Sure, I have a perfectly nice apartment now -- ample space, a garage, and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen -- but I can't help but wonder, could I do better? Could I live someplace with all of these amenities AND a view? I desperately want an apartment overlooking Lake Washington and the mountains. After all, I'll only be here for a few years and they sure don't have this sort of landscape in the Midwest, so I might as well enjoy it while I can, right? I think so, too, but unfortunately the view I'm after (unobstructed, of course) commands a high price out here -- a minimum of $300 more per month than what I pay now, and with far fewer amenities. I think the view would be worth it, but my inner perfectionist is holding out for that perfect combination of spacious, updated apartment and glorious, panoramic view at a price I can afford. And until then? I think I'll make month-to-month the name of the game....

Yummy, yummy, in my tummy. Will you be having friends over for the Fourth of July? (Or Bastille Day? Or for no particular reason at all?) Then may I humbly suggest this colorful, gone-before-you-know-it appetizer? I promise you'll love it if you give it a try. It's quick and easy and can be made ahead, but the best thing about it is that you can detect the distinct flavor of each individual ingredient. The crunchy toasts, juicy tomatoes, crisp onions, and creamy goat cheese combine for a palate-pleasing appetizer that is also a textural delight. Truly, the only disappointing thing about these for me was that I didn't have anyone to share them with! (So therefore, I will be making them again when I go home in two weeks....)

Crostini with Goat Cheese, Beefsteak Tomatoes, & Red Onion
A recipe from At Home with Magnolia: Classic American Recipes from the Owner of Magnolia Bakery
Serves 6-8

Tomato & Red Onion Topping
2 cups diced and seeded beefsteak tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Crostini
24 slices French-bread baguette, 1/3" thick
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 1/2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature

To Make the Tomato & Red Onion Topping:
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.

To Make the Crostini:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil with the garlic. Brush the top side of each baguette slice generously with the oil and garlic mixture. Bake until crisp and lightly golden, about 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer baguette slices to a large platter. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese onto each slice and then top with about 1 tablespoon of the tomato-onion topping. Serve warm or at room temperature.

classic caesar salad

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:46:00 +0000

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Caesar salad and movie about the life of Jane Austen -- an excellent way to escape what has been a constant stream of work: board meetings, press releases, an out-of-state conference -- scarcely a spare moment in the past two weeks to think of something other than my job (which I love -- probably too much). Jane and I are rather alike, I think. Fiercely independent, remarkably restrained and concerned with propriety, and stubborn in our desire for both personal and professional success. Jane didn't get both in real life; I suppose it remains to be seen if I will. The plight of the modern woman, no?

Come to think of it, if I wanted a break from thinking about work, this movie may not have been the best choice. Oh well. The decision to whip up this Caesar salad, however, was an excellent one. The dressing can be whisked together in a matter of minutes, and it's supremely satisfying when served over crisp romaine and topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you add in some tender chicken breast (or salmon) and accompany the salad with toasted, garlic-rubbed bread, you can escalate it from first course to full-blown meal. Glad I bought enough ingredients to make it again tomorrow!

Caesar Salad Dressing
A recipe from Deb at Smitten Kitchen
Yields enough for 10 ounces of salad

2 tablespoons mayonnaise - or - 1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, plus more, to taste
1 oil-packed anchovy fillet, finely chopped (optional)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk together the mayonnaise (or egg), lemon juice, mustard, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped anchovy. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.)

strawberry cupcakes with strawberry swiss meringue buttercream

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:46:00 +0000

I have done a lot of cupcake baking in the last year. I baked 300 of these for The Athlete's graduation party, made my first marshmallow fluff frosting, and used lavender and liquor to great effect. Today I'm glad to say that, as a result of all my cupcake trials and errors, I have a little piece of wisdom to impart -- a piece I haven't seen mentioned on any of the other blogs I regularly read. (It's simple, so I hope you aren't getting your hopes up for some earth-shattering cupcake tidbit.)

Cupcake bakers like me love to bake in those little white soufflé cups (sometimes called "nut and party cups") because they eliminate the need for muffin tins and they make our cupcakes look extra special. Yes, they are fantastic, indeed -- unless your cupcake, upon cooling, shrinks away from the sides of the cup, leaving you with a less-than-eye-catching final product. Those ugly, shrinky cupcakes are a very bad thing, but perhaps a thing of the past because I have finally figured out the common denominator in all my contracted cupcake experiences: egg whites. All of the egg-white-only recipes I have tried in the cups have pulled away from the sides, but the recipes using whole eggs yielded cupcakes that were a picture of pleated perfection. A simple deduction, for sure, but one that will save me both time and money spent in remaking recipes. Three cheers for learning!

Oh, I suppose you want to hear about these strawberry cupcakes? Well aside from being a little on the shrinky side (a sin hidden with the swirl of buttercream), they were lovely -- very fresh and light. Swiss buttercream is a little fussier than the standard American version I usually opt for, but it is by no means difficult and it's an excellent choice when you need a light, not-too-sweet frosting. Also, I really wanted a true strawberry flavor to shine in these cupcakes, so I used high-quality preserves and would recommend that you do the same. (The original recipe calls for straining the preserves used in the frosting, but I don't think that is necessary.)

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Cupcakes: Luscious Bakeshop Favorites From Your Home Kitchen
Makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes
3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
1/3 cup fresh strawberries, small dice, plus 12 whole strawberries for garnish
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk

Frosting
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 16 pieces
1/3 cup strawberry preserves

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the preserves and diced strawberries. Set aside.

In another small bowl, whisk together the flour baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour, beating until just incorporated. Fold in the strawberry mixture.

Fill your cupcake containers of choice 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before filling, frosting, or garnishing as desired.

Frosted cupcakes may be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

To Make the Frosting:
Combine the egg whites and sugar in the stainless steel bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch (about 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), about 2 minutes.

Return the bowl to the mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the egg white mixture on high until it is cooled to room temperature and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more. Fold in the strawberry preserves and use right away.

tuscan tuna salad

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:21:00 +0000

Just a simple tuna salad recipe for you today. It's the first thing I've cooked since I returned from my quick trip home for Memorial Day. I suppose this begs the question, "What did I eat all week?", and when I stop to think about it, I can't quite recall. Some jumble of Special K, Progresso soup, and South Beach Diet snack bars, I think. (Thumbs up to the South Beach chocolate mint bars, which only have 100 calories and taste just like thin mint Girl Scout cookies. Mmm...cookies.) I knew it was time to get back in the kitchen, but since I didn't really feel like cooking I had to pick something that was more or less effortless. Of all the effortless recipes out there, I'm not quite sure why I chose this one. I'm not particularly wild about fennel or tarragon, so if I were to make this again I would omit them entirely. Again, nothing particularly wrong with this recipe, but it didn't wow me and I can't say that I'm eagerly anticipating seeing it again as leftovers. Oh well -- back to the soup then, right?

Tuscan Tuna Salad
Adapted from Starting With Ingredients: Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Cook by Aliza Green
Serves 6

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 (6-ounce) cans tuna in olive oil, drained
1/2 of one small head fennel, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
16 ounces mixed greens
Handful grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

In a medium bowl, flake the tuna. Add the fennel, celery, and shallot and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, tarragon, and parsley until emulsified. Pour enough dressing over the tuna mixture to coat it lightly.

Arrange the mixed greens on a serving plate. Top with the tuna salad, adding more dressing if needed. Garnish with grape tomatoes and serve.

greek coleslaw

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 28 May 2008 06:07:00 +0000

My apologies for my near week-long absence from posting. It was the result of a technology problem -- namely, a total inability to connect to the internet -- that occurred while I was home for a long Memorial Day weekend. Now that I'm back in Seattle, I can share with you a simple coleslaw that makes regular appearances at our summer family get-togethers. Very simple, but very good. In fact, usually only 3/4 of the slaw makes it to the table because everyone walking past the fridge tries to sneak a bite. OK, maybe not everyone. Just me. And The Athlete. Anyway, the point is that it is delicious and great for gatherings where you actually want to spend time with your guests rather than slave away in the kitchen. Plus, it earns bonus points for not being mayonnaise based.

[Cavender's Greek Seasoning comes in a yellow shaker and can be found in the spice section of any standard grocery store.]

Greek Coleslaw
A family recipe; actual origin unknown
Serves 8-10

32 ounces chopped cabbage or packaged coleslaw
8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces sliced pepperoncini
Extra virgin olive oil
Distilled white vinegar
Cavender's Greek seasoning
Garlic powder
4-6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, tomatoes, and pepperoncini. Add just enough olive oil to very lightly coat and then add vinegar to taste. Sprinkle liberally with Greek seasoning to taste. Add a few shakes of garlic powder. Stir in the feta cheese and chill before serving.

spring wild rice salad

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:28:00 +0000

I'm sure I've waxed poetic here more than once about my love of Pike Place Market in Seattle. The produce is fresh, the flowers are gorgeous and cheap, and the surrounding restaurants and food stands have mouth-watering offerings. However, I don't think I have mentioned the nearby shops yet. (You were waiting with bated breath, weren't you?) One of my favorite places is Antiques at Pike Place. Perhaps their turnover is really high or maybe the vendors just make a point to rotate their wares frequently, but either way you can always count on seeing new trinkets and treasures every time you go. On my last visit two weeks ago, I was delighted to find a wheelbarrow out front full of random saucers and luncheon plates. (A food bloggers dream, for certain, since a new pattern breaks up the monotony of everyday plate pictures.) I want to move soon so it seems impractical to purchase more things only to pack them up in a few weeks, but I did pick out one plate that I just couldn't leave behind. What do you think?

I can't give a fair, all-encompassing review of this recipe because I didn't follow the directions...because I didn't read them very well...oops. And on top of my shoddy direction reading, I tried to take a few shortcuts. For example, I thought I could cut out some time if I just threw the asparagus in with the peas for the last minute of cooking. This would have worked like a charm if I had done it soon enough, but I waited until the peas were already thoroughly cooked, so that extra minute with the asparagus turned them into pea mush. Delicious pea mush, though. My bigger mistake, however, was failing to notice that I was only supposed to put half of the dressing on the salad. I, of course, didn't reference the recipe and dumped it all in, which left me with an overly lemony salad. Despite all my mistakes, though, the salad was still pretty good. I especially liked the addition of goat cheese and thought it really made the salad pop, so unlike Heidi's original recipe, I'm not listing it as an optional ingredient.

Spring Wild Rice Salad
A recipe from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks
Serves 8 as a side

1 1/2 cups wild rice, rinsed
3/4 cup dried yellow split peas
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup almond butter
Zest of one lemon
Scant 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Scant 1/4 cup hot water
Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
1 bunch chives, chopped
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

In a medium sauce pan bring the rice and 4 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and splitting open, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the split peas and cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain, salt to taste, and set aside.

Whisk together the garlic, almond butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Add the hot water to thin the mixture and then add the sea salt. Set aside.

Bring a saucepan full of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the asparagus. Cook until the asparagus is just bright and tender, about 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

In a large bowl toss together the wild rice, peas, asparagus, and half of the almond dressing. Season with salt to taste and add more dressing if needed. Serve topped with chives and crumbled goat cheese.

rhubarb cornmeal cupcakes with cardamom frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:05:00 +0000

I wasn't kidding when I said I've been thinking about rhubarb ever since I was treated to Tom Douglas's doughnuts and seasonal jam a while back. Not surprisingly, I wanted to stick it in a cupcake. I let the thought simmer in the back of my brain for a few weeks and eventually my inner cupcake compass led me down the path of rhubarb + cornbread + cardamom. It might sound unusual, but let me tell you, this combination is worth trying. (Trust me -- all the cool kids are doing it.)

Like many of my cupcake adventures, however, this one was not without its trials. For my first attempt at a cornbread cupcake I used a medium grind cornmeal. No good. Crunchy, dense, and decidedly un-cupcake like. For the second go around, I took a shot in the dark at the grocery store and purchased a box of Alber's cornmeal. It didn't give any information about the size of the grind, but when I shook the box it sounded soft (yes, sounded soft). It was also labeled as "degermed," so I bought it in hopes that the germ was really what made my first batch so crunchy. Fortunately, I was right. Cornbread Cupcakes Take Two came out with a soft crumb, just enough texture to let you know the cornmeal was there, and a distinct cornbread flavor.

The rhubarb compote also turned out to be a winning recipe. (I can imagine it would be good served with shortcake or ice cream as well.) Mine had more juice and less of the syrup that the recipe refers to, so in order to keep it from sogging down my cupcakes, I put the rhubarb in a strainer and pressed it lightly to extract the excess juice. (I used the reserved juice to garnish my cupcakes and give them their pretty bejeweled appearance.)

To top the cupcakes, I adapted my standard buttercream recipe by adding a little cardamom. Much to my delight, the cardamom was right at home with the rhubarb and cornbread flavors. If you've made my buttercream before, though, you know it is definitely sweet. The sweetness of this cupcake isn't as dessert-y as most cupcakes, so unless you want the frosting to be the dominant player, a light layer will suffice. (Even I used a bit too much.)

[Postscript: The cupcakes seemed a little dry to me the next day, so I would recommend serving them within 24 hours.]

Rhubarb Cornmeal Cupcakes with Cardamom Frosting
Makes about 12 cupcakes

Cornmeal Cupcakes
A Dulcedo original
1 cup degermed yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

Rhubarb Compote
Adapted from a recipe from Bon Appétit - March 2008
1 cup Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 1-inch-long strips orange peel (orange part only)
2 1-inch-long strips lemon peel (yellow part only)
3 cups 1/2-inch pieces fresh rhubarb (about 1 pound trimmed)
Pinch of salt

Frosting
Adapted from a recipe by Cheryl at The Cupcake Bakeshop
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 cup light vanilla soy milk
1/8 teaspoon cardamom

To make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the yogurt and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until just incorporated and there are no streaks of flour left in the batter.

Fill your cupcake containers of choice 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before filling, frosting, or garnishing as desired.

To make the compote:
Combine wine, sugar, orange peel, and lemon peel in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb and salt and simmer until rhubarb is tender but still retains its shape, about 9 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to shallow dish, arranging in single layer. Boil wine syrup in saucepan until slightly thickened and reduced to between 1/2 and 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour syrup over rhubarb and cool, then cover and chill until cold.

Compote can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

[To fill the cupcakes like I did, cut a cone shape out of the top of the cupcake, add about a teaspoon of the filling, and replace the cone "hat."]

To make the frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy. Add half of the sifted sugar, the vanilla, the milk, and the cardamom. Beat until combined. Gradually add the remaining sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.

[To give my cupcakes their bejeweled appearance, I drizzled some of the juice from the rhubarb compote over the frosting.]

mango sorbet

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:59:00 +0000

Hi, Grandma. It's me again. Grandma, do you remember when you gave me your ice cream maker a few years ago? That newer electric one that you never used? Well, I was awfully glad to receive it. I took it back to South Bend with me and tucked it away, waiting for an opportunity to use it (since ice cream makers aren't everyday electrics for the lactose intolerant). That opportunity didn't come while I lived there, so when it came time to move to Washington, I packed it up and brought it with me, certain that I would eventually have a chance to put it to use. Well, last week I got tired of waiting, so I decided to use it to make a sorbet instead (all the frozen goodness, no nasty side effects). A mango sorbet, in fact, since mangoes were on super sale at the grocery store. So I bought my mangoes and had everything ready to go, but when I pulled your ice cream maker out of the box, half the parts were missing! I guess that explains why you never used it.

After carting that thing all over the country, what could I do but laugh at the absurdity of it all? Well, laugh and buy my own ice cream maker, of course. So here is the mango sorbet recipe that has been a week in the making. The sorbet was fine, but as it turns out, I'm actually not a huge fan of mangoes. (Oh, the irony....) However, if you do like them and want to give this recipe a spin, here's what you should know: Unless you like your sorbets super sweet (as in, just this side of cloying), you'll want to take the sugar factor down a notch -- perhaps by substituting more lime juice for some of the simple syrup since, at only 3 tablespoons, the lime flavor isn't detectable in the final product anyway. Also, the recipe only made enough sorbet to fill four shell halves, but I'm not sure that serving the sorbet in the shells is a great idea anyway because it makes the serving size about three times larger than what the average person would actually want to eat.

Mango Sorbet
A recipe from Gourmet - July 1997
Makes 6 cups

4 ripe mangoes (about 3 1/2 pounds total)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Syrup may be made up to 1 week ahead.)

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap.

Wash and dry mangoes. Using a sharp knife, remove the 2 flat sides of each mango, cutting lengthwise alongside pit and cutting as close to pit as possible so that mango flesh is in 2 large pieces. With a spoon carefully scoop flesh from mango sides into a blender, leaving shells intact. With a knife cut remaining flesh from pit and add to blender. Add syrup and lime juice to blender and purée until smooth. Put mango shells on baking sheet and freeze while making sorbet.

Freeze mango purée in an ice-cream maker. Scoop sorbet into frozen shells, mounding slightly, and smooth surfaces. Freeze filled mango shells at least 6 hours, or until frozen hard. Frozen sorbets in shells may be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and kept in freezer 1 week.

vegetarian blt

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:19:00 +0000

I live in a school zone, so it's not uncommon for me to see a patrol car or two monitoring traffic on the road in front of my apartment when I leave for work in the morning. Normally they park on the side of the road or on adjoining side streets, but yesterday I pulled out of my garage to find one sitting at the end of my driveway. The driveway is somewhat narrow, so I assumed that if I pulled up behind him, he would move out of the way so that I could leave. After idling halfway up the drive for a few moments, it was clear he wasn't paying an ounce of attention to me, so I cautiously pulled up beside him. The officer in the squad car was targeting cars with his radar gun like he was John Wayne in some sort of shoot-'em-up Western movie, and he was so engrossed in the theatrics of it all that he didn't even seem to notice that he was now shooting through my car at all the passing vehicles. I'm glad he enjoys his work. I'm also glad that when he flipped on his flashing lights as I was leaving, it was to pull over someone else.

Vegetarian BLT = beans + lettuce + tomato. (I know, don't quit my day job, right?) I've been really into fresh green beans lately, and not content with eating them warm, I decided to play around with some ways to use them raw. I also really like sandwiches. I'm sure you can see where this paragraph is going, so I'll just cut to the chase: Don't use Miracle Whip here; it's "tangy zip" is made for lunch meats, not heirloom tomatoes. If you're feeling ambitious and want something other than mayo, try using this sun-dried tomato dip as a spread. I vote for the mayo, though. Simple is good...and oh, so satisfying.

[This post was submitted for Sandwich Festival 2008 and Vegetables, Beautiful Vegetables.]

Vegetarian BLT
A Dulcedo original
Serves 1

2 slices whole-wheat bread
1-2 tablespoons real mayonnaise
Handful of ripe baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
Handful of fresh green beans, trimmed
Handful of lettuce or other greens
Salt and pepper

I feel like the assembly of a sandwich this simple should be self-explanatory, but for those who are new to planet earth: Spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise on each slice of bread. Top one slice of bread with the green beans, tomatoes, and then season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and then top with the remaining slice of bread.

chocolate custard cake with raspberry-pomegranate sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Dana) — Sun, 04 May 2008 21:40:00 +0000

I am a nice girl, really. Nice, at least, until you call and tell me that the cake I just spent my afternoon making is not welcome at your restaurant. You see, I expect that if I make a reservation (well in advance), fully disclose that I intend to bring a small cake, and ask you to let me know if that will be a problem, you will do so more than 1 hour prior to my reservation. So when you, dear hostess at Bellevue's well-known Seastar restaurant, call and tell me that your "house policy" doesn't allow homemade cakes, I will quickly point out the grave customer service error you have just made and, as you now know, I won't mince any words. Yes, I'll hold while you try to figure out what to do with me, the angry customer on the phone. I'll also smile and reply with a polite "thank you" when you return and say, "Ma'am, your cake won't be a problem." I didn't think so.

David Lebovitz refers to this cake as "Chocolate Idiot Cake" because it's practically foolproof and, really, anyone can make it. I opted to rename it only so that it is clear that the texture of the cake doesn't actually resemble regular cake at all. It is dense, ultra chocolaty, and very, very rich. So rich, in fact, that after three or four bites, no matter how much you like chocolate, trust me, you're full. Also, because it is so rich, it really benefits from some sort of accompanying sauce. I obviously chose to make a raspberry-pomegranate sauce, but you could also use, as David recommends, cream anglaise or ice cream.

Chocolate Custard Cake with Raspberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Chocolate Custard Cake
A recipe from David Lebovitz
Makes one 9" cake or three 4.5" cakes
10 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
14 tablespoons (7 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Raspberry-Pomegranate Sauce
Adapted from a recipe from Bon Appétit - October 2006
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 12-ounce bag frozen unsweetened raspberries (unthawed)
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey

To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the springform pan(s) and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. If you suspect your springform pan isn't 100% water tight, wrap the outside with aluminum foil, making sure it goes all the way up to the outer rim.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (or microwave), stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and cover the top snugly with a sheet of foil. Put the springform pan into a larger baking pan, such as a roasting pan, and add enough hot water to the baking pan to come about halfway up to the outside of the cake pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. You'll know the cake is done when it feels just set, like quivering chocolate pudding. If you gently touch the center, your finger should come away clean.

Lift the cake pan from the water bath and remove the foil. Let cake cool completely on a cooling rack. Once cool, remove the sides of the springform pan.

Serve thin wedges of this very rich cake at room temperature. Cake can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

To make the sauce:
Bring juice to boil in large, heavy saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 35 minutes. Mix in raspberries and sugar. Simmer until reduced to about 2 cups, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Stir in honey and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use (can be made one day ahead).