Tastes on Trial

Daring Cooks, November 2010 - Blue Cheese Souffle with Grape Reduction Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 07:17:00 +0000

Blue cheese baked into a fluffy, walnut-encrusted souffle, drizzled with a sweet, all-natural sauce made from seedless black grapes...its like a wine and cheese tasting in one bite.

Well, hello again. Long time, no see. I don't know where my September and October went. I auditioned for a play in the beginning of September, was cast in a lead role, and a week later had begun rehearsing. The show was a total blast and a much needed return to acting, which I have been away from since starting law school in the Spring of '09. Still, when the curtain closed on Oct. 31, I was happy to say farewell. Nearly two months of daily rehearsals and set builds in addition to keeping up with school was enough for me [The final weekend of the show overlapped the first weekend of final exams...let's just say that when finals finally ended, curling up in bed never felt so good and so well deserved]. Left in the wake was any time to spend in the kitchen, much less write about it here. But, I'm back, baby.

While I was away, I committed to some big diet changes which I'll discuss in a later post since none of them affected this dish, but these changes are going to bring about more entrées on this blog and fewer desserts [Again, more on this later]. As a result I joined the Daring Cooks [The other half of The Daring Kitchen]. I'm still an active Daring Baker, though I took September off and didn't fully write on my attempts at the October Challenge.

My first Daring Cooks' Challenge was to create a souffle of some kind. As usual, a total first. What I gleaned from browsing recipes and tips, the big threat would be a collapsing top. Granted I chose a recipe that wasn't intended to result in a towering eggy fluff, but these souffles grew appropriately and held their shape. If you enjoy wine and cheese [or like your salty to come with a little sweet], your likely to enjoy this souffle. It's simple to prepare, and makes for a great appetizer or side [or a light meal]. Better yet, the grape reduction sauce is sweet enough using the grapes and water, adding a delicious touch to the souffles without the use of any table sugar. [Have you caught onto one of my diet changes?]

It's good to be back.

Dave and Linda from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen chose Soufflés as our November 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge! Dave and Linda provided two of their own delicious recipes plus a sinfully decadent chocolate soufflé recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s recipe found at the BBC Good Food website.

Blue Cheese Souffle with Grape Reduction Sauce

Like a wine and cheese tasting in one bite. The 4-serving yield is based on 1/2 c. size ramekins. The original recipe called for 6 1/4 c. size ramekins.

See Blue Cheese Souffle with Grape Reduction Sauce on Key Ingredient.

Brief - October DB Challenge and a note

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:53:00 +0000

Ok, so this is really just a placeholder post, so this month doesn't slip by without getting credit for completing the DB challenge. We were to make donuts this month and while I found time to make a small batch, I didn't have the time to photograph and really make a good post out of them. But, I shall. The donuts were rather good - and I made them sugar free. The past two months have been uproariously busy and as I type this, I am doing so as quickly as possible so as to get back to doing what I need to do. This post is really just to earn my monthly credit over at DB and also to let anyone - or the one person - who happens to come by this blog...this blog IS NOT DEAD! I'm coming back in about a week and a half. Been a good two months, but I hate how this blog has fallen far, far, far down to the wayside.

So, come the first week in November, life dials down a bit and I'll be back in the kitchen...likely to start with the Sugar Free Chocolate Donuts.

Love to all - or just the one faithful person still receiving notices of my posts.

Charlie

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Marshmallow Creme

noreply@blogger.com (Charley) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:42:00 +0000

Fluffy sweet potato whoopie cakes sandwich light and airy maple creme, hitting all the right notes and then some.

The first weekend after the start of school is always a nice breather. Saturday, my sister came for a visit. We took my new camera, went to a gorgeous local park and took some head shots for an audition she has coming up. [Since I've gotten my camera, I've only photographed food, but want to diversify my areas of photography.] My sister is incredibly photogenic and I got some good shots, but I'm definitely seeing areas that I must get better at. Speaking of auditions, I just had one myself. I auditioned for the Waco Civic Theatre's production of Noises Off!. As of this posting, no casting decisions have been made but, I've been invited to attend callbacks tonight. I'll update in a later post...hopefully with good news.

As August concludes, I can't contain my excitement for the Fall. I know I've mentioned my love for the Fall in probably 50% of my posts, but it's my favorite Texas season. [I'm sure if my part of Texas actually had Winters like the ones you see in Norman Rockwell paintings Winter would win, but they're usually just slushy.] The changing weather, the rustic colors and flavors, the approaching holidays, life just becomes more pleasant when Fall's arrives. I'm a Fall fanatic.

Sweet potatoes are a comfort food for me and trump the other potato varieties. They're so versatile, but are completely underused. It saddens me that the best they're known for is being mashed and topped with melted marshmallows. Well, my friends, that might just stand to change. I found Sprinkle Bakes while blog surfing and was instantly sucked in by the latest recipe featured: Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Marshmallow Creme. It may still be reaching high 90s outside, but I didn't care, the stunning pictures had me salivating - these creme-filled cakes headed straight to the front line.

I saw a special years back on a food channel that profiled a shop in the northeast that made and sold tons of whoopie pie varieties, but I hadn't tried one. Well, I suppose I could come close with those little chocolate rounds Little Debbie makes. [That makes mention three for Little Debbie on my blog.] They're way smaller, but essentially the same idea - a fluffy creme sandwiched between two equally fluffy cake rounds. In short, this is one serious dessert mama jama. The sweet potato and maple combo is truly divine, and I usually only reserve that descriptor for the Almighty. If you enjoy fall flavors even in the slightest, this is one dessert you must make. Be sure to see the original author's suggestions and a few of my own. Unsure of how the batter would rise in the oven, I made each cake too large. The hefty size of my whoopie pies made them nearly a meal in itself. FYI, the batter really only puffs up and doesn't really spread. So, pipe the width that you prefer and expect them to rise a little.

All us Fall lovers, let's band together and give the sweet potato a recipe it can be proud of.

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Marshmallow Creme

Heather @ Sprinkle Bakes recommends using fresh sweet potatoes as opposed to canned. I concur. Bake two sweet potatoes at 375 F. for 45 minutes. Peel and mash. In attempt to cut calories and sugar, I replaced the 3/4 c. sugar with Smart ...

See Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Marshmallow Creme on Key Ingredient.

For some time, I have been looking for an embeddable tool I could use to present the recipes for several reasons. One, the bulleted and numbered lists on Blogger are boring and I can't ever seem to get them to look how I want. Two, they are not conducive to printing - and what good is an online recipe if you can't print it. Heather @ Sprinkle Bakes also had a solution. This tool can be found at Key Ingredient.

Strawberry-Fudge Sundae Petit Fours

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:35:00 +0000

With these petit fours, a summer, all-American dessert classic is given a decadent spin.

I apologize for the backtrack in photo quality. I made and photographed these prior to getting my new camera.

Reading through the August's Daring Bakers Challenge, all I could think of were ice cream sundaes. I'm stuck in the dead heat of a Texas August where, even with the AC running full blast, I break a sweat by sitting in a chair. August heat in Texas reminds me of that old horror film, The Blob, where an amorphous goo swarms over streets and buildings, devouring all in its path. Like "the blob," Texas heat is just something you can't run from, it will find you. [If the Fall showed its face a little earlier this year, I wouldn't complain].

What was I talking about? Oh right, the August 2010 Daring Baker's Challenge. The challenge was to create either a Baked Alaska or Ice Cream Petit Fours using a browned-butter pound cake and homemade ice cream. I was a tad let down, at first, since this challenge was so similar to last month's challenge - both essentially were ice cream cakes made with a special cake recipe and homemade ice cream. My attitude changed when I realized this was an opportunity to get a little creative and make something totally original using familiar components. Out of this the Strawberry-Fudge Sundae Petit Four was born. [I say that as if I've just broken new ground in the petit four universe, I doubt this is a first.]

I didn't know much about petit fours going into this, and I'm sure I've only had them once or twice if I don't count the Little Debbie versions I ate as a kid. [So far I have managed to squeeze Little Debbie references into my first two Daring Baker's posts, perhaps a subconscious obsession is surfacing]. Though, I did know petit fours were supposed to be attractive and, despite their minute appearance, pack a flavor punch. I formed my vision.

Against my obnoxious desire to experiment with ice cream flavors, I thought it best to stick with the vanilla ice cream recipe provided by the challenge. A vanilla scoop topped with a fudge, caramel or strawberry sauce is the ice cream sundae poster child, after all. These toppings would appear in the form of a second layer to be sandwiched in between the layers of pound cake. After listing any possible topping I could think of, the choices were narrowed down to two: a caramel sauce and strawberry sauce. Each cake would be wrapped in a chocolate glaze and would be topped with a whirl of buttercream to look like whipped cream and a strawberry or caramel drizzle for some added color.

The idea for two distinct sundae cakes became one when my local store didn't have melting caramels, and I didn't feel it that important to hunt them down. [Reason #2 the Fall needs to get here...the best food and flavors come with it.] Plus, doubling-up on strawberry sundae cakes wasn't a bad back-up. Additionally, the cake recipe yielded a smaller cake than I expected, which is what I get for not adequately reading the instructions before making my plans. At 9 x 9, making two sundae cake flavors would have been excessive.

The recipe for this pound cake called for the butter to be browned, essentially melted and boiled until it turned a dark chocolate color and smelled nutty. I haven't revealed this yet, but I've had no sense of smell for the past five years or so, and I always forget about it until times like these. So, going on sight alone, I successfully browned the butter. This additional step simply added a slightly nutty [surprise] flavor to the cake. The cake was otherwise what you would expect out of a pound cake - sweet, dense, rich, and yummy.

Separately, making the ice cream was no issue, even without an ice cream maker. It was at the start of the assembly that I began to see signs of trouble. With the ice cream spread into about a half-inch thick layer over the pound cake, it began to soften rather quickly. Softening gave way to some melting which led to an assembly that was difficult to finish. Quickly, I spread the strawberry sauce over the ice cream, covered it with the top pound cake layer, wrapped it tightly in cling wrap, and threw it in the freezer. This would be the first of many thaw and freeze rotations that did slightly damage the results.

Making the chocolate glaze, it came to my attention I didn't buy enough heavy cream and again, not wanting to go to the store, I used whole milk as a substitution. The milk thinned the glaze, making it more of a sauce. After failing to coat two cakes with the "glauce," and watching the pound cake just soak it up, I thwarted what could have been these cakes' swan song, drizzled the sauce over the tops, just as you'd do with fudge sauce on a sundae. Got the chocolate on and the look down.

Practically, I don't think the petit four was ever intended to be made with ice cream. [Adamantly Agree, Slightly Agree, Don't Care, Disagree, Adamantly Disagree?] With such a small amount of ice cream filling, each cake is prone to quick melting. If I served these on a party table they would have lost their form in a matter of minutes. However, these were still fun to create and I didn't hear any complaints from those who ate them. The cake was slightly dried out from the constant freezing, but each flavor came together to create a sweet, refreshingly cool experience that truly put a decadent spin on a classic treat.

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 c. whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 c. heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 t. pure vanilla extract

Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.
Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.
In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.
Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.
Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Browned-Butter Pound Cake

19 T. unsalted butter
2 c. sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.
Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.
Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.
Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Petit Four Glaze

9 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 T. light corn syrup, Golden syrup, or agave nectar
2 T. vanilla extract

Stir the heavy cream and light corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dark chocolate. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir to completely melt the chocolate.
Stir in the vanilla and let cool until tepid before glazing the petit fours.

Strawberry Sundae Sauce

1 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. strawberries, diced
2 t. lemon juice
3 T. corn starch

Dissolve sugar into the water over high heat, stirring frequently, making a simple syrup.
Add strawberries to the boiling mixture and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer strawberries in the mixture for five minutes.Stir in lemon juice.
Pour strawberry mixture through a sieve to and return the liquid only to the stove. Reserve simmered strawberries to add back to sauce later or throw away.
Combine corn starch with 1/3 cup cold water and stir until dissolved. Add corn starch mixture to the strawberry liquid. Stir frequently, bringing mixture to a boil. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens to desired consistency. For a thinner sauce, use 2 T. of corn starch.
Stir in reserved strawberries if desired.

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

Banana Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Charley) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Ripened bananas are put to good use in this sweet, creamy ice cream with hints of vanilla and cinnamon.

The luxury of time, which I had in abundance this past month since I was on break from school, is now dwindling. School started this week and portions of my days are now devoted to class and, even more time consuming, the preparation for those classes. To top things off, next Monday I plan on auditioning for a local play at the Waco Civic Theatre. I may very well be one of the few to ever attempt to act in a show while enrolled in full-time law classes [Some of my classmates think I need to have my head examined.], but the show - Noises Off! - is one of my favorites, it's one I've always wanted to do and now I have the chance.

So, needless to say, while an open schedule allowed me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen in August, this new schedule is going to force me to make time for it. I thrives when juggling multiple projects and activities, and I suspect that taking classes, working on a show (if cast), and continuing to explore new things in the kitchen/developing photography skills will give me better results on all fronts. I like my down time, but too much idle time leads to an excessive laziness that I am very uncomfortable with.

Onto today's recipe. This ice cream developed from a situation I think everyone is all too familiar with - bananas ripening faster than they are eaten. I love bananas, but if I could change one thing about them, I'd double their shelf life. Buying bananas starts a race against the clock to eat the bunch before they get too many brown spots - I usually lose. The next plan of attack - finding recipes that make the best use of ripened bananas. Banana bread is always reliable, but for the amount of ripened bananas I end up with, I would be making banana bread about once every two weeks...and I get tired of eating the same thing repeatedly.

Back in July, I made homemade ice cream for the first time - without the use of an ice cream maker. I would never have done this if it weren't for the July Daring Baker's Challenge. The challenge opened a Pandora's Box, but I had to wait until now to buy an ice cream maker. First up - inspired by the withering bananas begging to be used - is this Banana Ice Cream. Until recently, I've been skeptical of using banana as a primary flavor in food, but I think this is just a delusion I formed when eating the banana flavored Laffy Taffy as a kid. [To be fair, I doubt there was any hint of real banana in this.] Actually, ripened banana is great for baking since, as it ripens, the starches convert to sugars and the fruit softens. It becomes a perfect natural sweetener and is easily mashed and mixed. True banana flavor compliments rather than overpowers, which is the case for the Banana Ice Cream. With hints of vanilla and cinnamon, banana is just one flavor on the palette. It'll chill the body and sweeten the soul.

Personally, I am far from perfecting the art of homemade ice cream. I did not let my churning bowl freeze long enough and thus the ice cream maker only slightly thickened my mixture. After a few tries, I had to freeze it to get the consistency of actual ice cream. As such, the finished ice cream had a frosty quality and did not hold as perfectly would be desired. But, this was my fault for not being patient. Still, I loved the flavor, and this will likely become a base for some interesting ice cream concoctions in the future. [Can anyone say Bananas Foster Ice Cream.]

Banana Ice Cream

Slightly modified from Our Best Bites

4 ripened bananas, sliced into 1/2 inch segments
1/4 c. white or brown sugar (I used white because its what I had on hand)
3 t. cinnamon
1 T. butter (optional, I did not use)
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Toss banana slices in 1/4 c. sugar, butter and cinnamon. [This seems like a lot of cinnamon, but the final flavor does not overwhelm.] Spread banana slices over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 15 minutes, turn banana slices and bake for 15 more minutes. Allow to cool completely.
While bananas cool, whisk together cream, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla until sugar is fully dissolved. Cool in fridge.
Place fully cooled bananas in a food processor/blender with 1/2 c. of the cream mixture. Blend until completely pureed. Add another 1/2 c. of cream mixture and blend again until combined.
In a large pan, pour pureed banana mixture into the rest of cream mixture and whisk until fully combined. Chill entire mixture in refrigerator.
Follow manufacturers instructions to churn in an ice cream maker. If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour mixture into a freezer-safe container. Freeze, stirring every two hours until fully frozen.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Charley) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:32:00 +0000

Two layers of rich, moist chocolate cake surrounded by smooth, decadent chocolate-sour cream frosting is garnished with chocolate shavings and walnut pieces.

I'll start off by saying that I can't take credit for this chocolaty masterpiece. My mom made this for my birthday, which was last Friday (Aug. 20). For some time now, it has been a running joke in my family that I was always worried my birthday would be forgotten. Several circumstances gave rise to this.

The particular day I was born occurs during one of the biggest transitional periods of the year, especially for kids. School begins and my birthday always occurred right at the start or right before, and no teacher was ever prepared for it. While all the other kids in the class got birthday treats from the teacher and some special attention on their day, I never did. This may sound totally narcissistic, but to a seven-year-old, watching every other kid get acknowledged year after year and never getting your turn, is, well..."not fair."

My family also consistently reminds me of action I took in high school to correct another birthday injustice, which looking back I have to laugh at too. During my high school days, the church youth group I belonged to celebrated birthdays each month by giving kids a personal-sized cake. It was just a nice thing a lady in our church did at the beginning of each month, but for several years in a row, she took the months of August and July off. Sick and tired of having my birthday ignored [and because I wanted my cake] I wrote a letter to our youth pastor asking why August (and July birthdays) never got cakes. Well, to shorten this story, I got my cake (as did all the other August birthdays), but not before having to do a series of embarrassing things [think lame restaurant birthday antics].

In all seriousness, while I think it's important to acknowledge people on their birthdays - no matter what age - this was a point of sensitivity for me, which I can now say was a little ridiculous. I've always been a very balanced and good-natured person...just so long as you don't forget my birthday. In truth, while teachers and youth groups may not have given me many birthday wishes, I always had friends who did and parents who made sure I knew they were glad to have me around. [After 26 years, this is still the case.]

When I announced last Friday that I would be coming to visit the following day, my mom asked if I wanted to have cake. I said, if you got the time, a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting would be great. When I showed up, this was waiting for me.

I knew she was making a Chocolate Sour Cream Cake [which I hadn't had in years], but I was not expecting something that seemed lifted right off the front cover of a premiere food magazine. I was glad I brought my new camera, and had a little photo session with the cake before digging into it.

If you haven't had a Chocolate Sour Cream Cake, the addition of sour cream to the cake makes it dense and moist, while complimenting the chocolate. Adding it to the frosting gives it a lighter feel than a typical buttercream and does wonders for the flavor as well. The cake is indeed rich, decadent, chocolaty, and satisfying.

I realized today turning 26 now puts me in a new bracket for many of those drop-down tabs you come across when filling out profiles and information on the internet. Still, this birthday was one to remember. A host of friends joined me for dinner and a movie Friday night. Saturday I traveled to Dallas with J. and S. to see the Bodies Exhibition, which was such a fascinating experience. [I marvel at how intricately our body is crafted, but the exhibit gives new meaning to the phrase "beauty is only skin deep." No one is attractive on the inside.] The three of us then made our way to my parent's house where we enjoyed great company and this delicious cake.

Consider this cake for your next special occasion...or maybe just for that week when Friday can't come soon enough.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake:

2 c. all-purpose flour, unsifted
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
3/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. butter
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. baking
2 eggs
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Measure all ingredients into a large bowl and beat for 1/2 minute at low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Then beat for 3 minutes at highest speed.
Pour into greased and floured cake pans: 2 9-inch pans or 3 8-inch pans.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water (or microwave or very low heat over burner) melt butter and chocolate Remove from heat and cool.
Pour melted chocolate in mixing bowl and mix sour cream and vanilla. Add powdered sugar a small amount at a time mixing well each time to avoid lumps in the frosting.

Before assembling the cake, be sure to let both cake layers cool completely. [Nothing is more annoying than pulling up cake crumbs when frosting, it throws the whole look.] To assemble the cake, frost the top of one cake layer and place the second layer on top of the first. Then frost the top and edges as desired. As always, how you decorate cake is up to you. Here, my mom topped the cake with chocolate shavings and lined the bottom edge with walnut pieces. To make the chocolate shavings: Pour melted chocolate chips in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Chill in the freezer and remove chocolate slab from pan when solid. Let the slab soften a bit to room temperature, then run it across a cheese grater. [I have a feeling that using a chocolate bar is also acceptable, if you feel like cutting a few corners.] If you really want to get creative, top with both white chocolate and chocolate shavings.

Copycat, Round 1: Sand Tart (Collin Street Bakery)

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:43:00 +0000

A sweet and tangy pecan-laced shortbread, dusted with confectioner's sugar.

I'm all about original recipes, and trying to create rather than recreate, but occasionally something is just perfect as it is. The problem - that something is made by someone or some place that keeps the recipe a secret. Copycats are my attempts to recreate what was already done right. I'm no expert food detective, my palette isn't that developed. But, I'll give it my best shot. I'll give credit where its due when I find a recipe that successfully mimics what I'm trying to recreate.

The Collin Street Bakery is a Texas exclusive. Actually, it's so exclusive that only three locations exist: two in Corsicana and one in Waco. I don't know how or why Waco was chosen as the one and only non-Corsicana location [it seems that Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio...heck, even Amarillo would have been more logical choices], but sure enough, the all-white, plantation-style building stands proud in a city that just doesn't really offer much in the way of unique bakeries or food shops.

For the most part, CSB is a traditional bakery, selling cakes, pies and cookies. Though, they do veer off the beaten path with their signature product - the fruitcake. [Yes, you read that right]. CSB sells these fruitcakes year round, tailoring the varieties to each season. Cast all doubts you may have about the "Christmas" cliche aside, CSB's fruitcakes are melt-in-your-mouth, slam your fists onto the table delicious. But, I'm not trying to recreate one of the fruitcakes. It's August, and I just have a feeling I'll be getting my fair share of fruitcake in the coming months.

Collin Street Bakery's Sand Tart.

If I'm being honest, although CSB's fruitcakes are outstanding, their other baked goods vary in quality. The pies I've tried have a nice home-baked flavor, their brownies are too cakey for my tastes [their cakes are good, though], but their cookies are a letdown in my opinion. They are not terrible, they just don't have that wow factor you'd expect from the place that mastered the fruitcake, something infinitely less liked. The cookies too closely resemble what your local grocery would sell. But, of the 15 or so daily varieties, one cookie is the exception - the Sand Tart. A tangy variation of the pecan sandie dusted in powdered sugar, the cookie's flavor starts with a sweet shortbread, continues with a tangy lemon punch, and finishes on a warm buttery note. The melt-in-your-mouth quality completes the experience. [Hmmm, a trend here.] I dare even the most stringent eater to have just one.

Why do I want to recreate this? Well, since I've moved, I now live a nice 15 minute drive each way instead of the convenient around-the-corner. Even moreso, baked goods have a nasty mark-up. [I get it, you got to pay rent and keep the lights on.] These cookies really aren't that expensive, but this recipe probably costs no more than $3 or $4. In the store that gets me 6 or 7 cookies. Here it gets me 20. I also know, if anyone has attempted to replicate this recipe, they haven't posted on it. [And, it's cool to know that my blog will be the resource on the copycat for this cookie.]

Onto the good stuff. How did I break down the flavors I needed to replicate? It was important my cookies have the buttery flavor and texture with the lemon zing. I compared several recipes online and attempted one that just didn't work. Incorporating the lemon flavor was simple, but finding the balance of butter was tricky - how to use enough to get the flavor and texture without ruining the cookie's ability to hold together.

After my first attempt that ended in the trash, I broadened my search beyond sandie recipes. [Clearly, the pecan sandie was in CSB's mind when they dreamt the creation, but they took it outside the box.] I came across a recipe for Lemon Meltaways at Cannelle et Vanille and it seemed like a good match. Well, it was. Aran - the chef and blogger - deserves the credit for getting me 90 percent to the finish line. I added a few extra steps along the way to get a closer result. You can see these steps below, but I'll point out here that brushing the baked and cooled cookies gives them that lemon zing while and allows more powdered sugar to stick to the cookie itself. Don't be scared by the amount of lemon going into this recipe, it really only compliments, it doesn't overpower.

If you've never had a CSB Sand Tart, this is pretty close. I didn't quite get the entire melt-away quality that I wanted, but these cookies have a nice, smooth texture. They're a worthy replacement and come close enough that I think I'll do just fine with a batch of these to satisfy that craving. If you are interested in trying the original Sand Tarts or any of their other baked goods, the bakery does ship nationally. See the link above, but don't forget to try the recipe below first.

Pecan Sandie Tart|copycat, Collin Street Bakery's Sand Tart
Recipe adapted heavily from Cannelle et Vanille

12 T. butter
1/2 c. confectioners sugar
zest of 2 lemons
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. vanilla
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. corn starch
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
Lemon juice for rolling.
Powdered sugar for rolling

Cream together butter, confectioners sugar, and lemon zest. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, corn starch and salt. Add to butter mixture in 1/3 cup intervals.
Stir in pecans.
Roll the dough into a log that is two inches by diameter and wrap in parchment paper. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cut the dough roll in half-inch strips and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. [Cookie tops should remain white/opaque, and are done when the tops are slightly dry to the touch.] Allow cookies to cool completely.
Lightly brush the tops and sides of cookies with lemon juice. [About one lemon squeezed will provide the needed amount for the batch.] Coat tops and sides of cookies with powdered sugar.

Peach Berry Cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:58:00 +0000

Separate layers of honey-coated peaches and mixed berries bring an all-natural, fresh sweetness to this low-sugar, rustic cobbler.

I think bakers have grown too comfortable using mounds of sugar to add sweetness to their dishes, forgetting that many items we bake with have the sweetness already built in, namely fruit. Not only do fruits have unique sweet flavors, combining them can be rejuvenating. Fruit doesn't get enough credit. [Begin quick science lesson.] The natural sugars in fruit - called fructose - are the kind your body is designed to digest. Your body breaks it down much faster than it does with table sugar (sucrose) - a manufactured sugar which your body spends extra time breaking down to the simpler form. Often, especially when sucrose is eaten in large amounts, the body converts it to fat before it can be broken down to the simpler form, leaving you with that little something extra on your hips. [End science lesson.]

As a dessert fiend who is trying to find healthier ways of getting my sugar fix, I have become thankful for the fresh, juicy, and sugary sweetness of fruit. Honey has also become an item I always have on hand. Make no mistake, honey is a natural sweetener - so far as you use one that hasn't been processed into oblivion . [Look for labels which indicate additives such as sugar, corn sypup, etc...] When you bake with honey, you have to be sure to consider its liquid form, but a creative baker can always find ways around this. I'm always experimenting with this, and will post where I am successful.

Today I was successful and present a cobbler that derives 95% of its sweetness from its fresh fruit base and a little honey. The other five percent comes from a small amount of sugar that I sprinkled on the top just for good measure. Tangy berries give sugary, honey-coated peaches a little kick and a honey-oat crumble gives the cobbler a rustic appearance and flavor. When you take the first bite of this cobbler, you will realize that it lacks the one cup or so of sugar that's usually called for. But, I doubt you'll miss it.

Peach Berry Cobbler

2 1/2 c. peaches, sliced thin (peel if desired)
1 1/4 c. mixed berries (thaw and pat dry if frozen)
4 T. honey
4 T. butter
1 c. oats
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. cinnamon
1 T. sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Toss sliced peaches and 2 T. honey in a mixing bowl. Evenly spread in the base of an 8 in. or 9 in. pie plate or baking dish. Evenly spread mixed berries on top of peaches.
Cream together butter and remaining 2 T. of honey in a standing mixer.
Combine oats, flour and cinnamon in a bowl.
Add dry mix to creamed honey butter in 1/2 c. increments, allowing to fully combine before adding more dry mix. Evenly sprinkle the oat topping over the the fruit in the pie plate.
Bake at 375 F. until fruit juices are bubbling and topping has slightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Pear-A-Thon Part I: Pear Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:19:00 +0000

A cinnamon-sugar dusted crust surrounds a sweet, spiced pear filling.

The way I perceive it, the pear is the supporting actress of the fruit world. They are recognizable and well-liked, but often take second billing to more common fruit like an apple or an orange. It's not until you see one that you remember how good they are. This seems especially true when it comes to baking, desserts featuring pears are few and far between. [Am I way off base with all this?]

While visiting my parents this week, I get a phone call from S. [I am living with her and her husband J. for the remaining year of law school - fantastic friends]. She and husband J. visited his grandparents and were sent back with about 50 pears hand-picked from the grandparents' tree. Knowing of my recent cooking exploits, S. said I could do what I wanted with them and suggested I try a pie recipe created by J.'s grandmother.

This is my first time to make and try a pear pie. Typically, this is something I'd normally reserve for the fall [The cinnamon and nutmeg seem to classify the flavors that way.] Still, the abundance of pears were begging to be used.. Despite being at the crest of Summer, I'm certainly not opposed to a little Fall flavor. Fall and Winter are my favorite seasons and I'll take a piece of them any time I can.

Aside from peeling and slicing the pears, which consumes most of the prep time, this is made just like a traditional apple pie. You can certainly use your own crust, but I cheated and used a thawed pre-made. [My drive back from Dallas took much longer than expected and I had to cut a corner somewhere.] If you do make your own crust, be sure to make enough for a 2-crust pie. Like an apple pie, the pear slices are tossed in a sugar mix that includes nutmeg and cinnamon. A small amount of lemon juice and zest adds a tartness that the pears naturally lack.

Before I share the recipe, I have one confession to make. Looking at the photo above, you may be wondering why the ice cream is sitting atop a pile of pears instead of a nice pie slice. Well, in my hurry, I forgot to add the flour to the filling. [I think everyone is guilty of this at some point, but I had to roll my eyes since this was such a simple step, yet it made all the difference.] The dessert still tasted wonderful, but the filling was runny and cutting a clean slice wasn't going to happen. Don't forget the flour.

Pear Pie

Pastry for 9-inch 2-crust pie, homemade or pre-made
6 c. pears, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
3 T. flour
1/2 t. powdered nutmeg
1/2 t. powdered cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
2 t. lemon juice
2 t. grated lemon zest
1 T. butter

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Combine sugars, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle over the pears in a bowl, then lightly toss to coat.
Pour the mixture into the pie crust, sprinkle with lemon juice and zest.
Add dabs of butter over the pie and cover with second pie crust.
Cut slits in the top crust, seal and trim the edges. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.
Bake for 40 - 45 minutes.
Cool at room temperature for at least one hour before serving.

Step one towards becoming a cliche foodie

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 10:11:00 +0000

[Note - This post was written at about 4 a.m. last night as a solution to an isolated incidence of insomnia. I was wide awake and felt this blog needed a little attention. Please forgive odd trains of thought, poor sentence structure, and just a general, all-around lack of editing.]

It's happened. I've been travelling among the food universe for two months now, and I've succumbed to the biggest cliche of them all - that all foodies are innately drawn towards France. I'm a true-blooded American and love, love, love this country, but yes, I have become enraptured by the world of French cooking and culture. Am I now an official foodie? Have I earned my membership card?

My entry into this culinary web-world back in June 2010 was based on a moment of sudden inspiration - the realization that cooking is medicine for my soul plus the possibility of turning that into an art which could be shared with others. Although my style - and blog - are still in development, I have been around long enough to understand why France becomes such an obsession for those who enjoy food. No country is without its signature food style, but France has epitomized romanticism in food, emphasizing that what you taste is only a portion of the experience. For the French, and really any food lover, food is a form of expression. Every one of us out here - bloggers or readers of blogs - sees that food is more than sustenance, that what starts out as a assortment of ingredients becomes something more by your hands. Each creation shares a bit of the maker with those who enjoy it. So, I get this cult fascination with French food - it's all so elegant, attractive, seemingly-gourmet, and delicious. The design element is just as important as the flavor.

I do want experience this country first-hand and hopefully that can be something I do after school. Since I'm currently on break from school and have been trying to find several new things to do, I've added learning French to that list. I've got my Rosetta Stone, and a few lessons under my wings - yes, I can now identify a dog, a horse, and a car in French (among a few other things). When the opportunity to visit France presents itself, I'll be ready. Who knows, maybe I'll be one of those people who plans to visit for a week or two but ends up staying several months just to soak it all up. So many of you probably already have - and gone back for more, but to this 26-year-old it is something to look forward to. A year left of school, a planned move to the West coast, and then it all begins.

Venison, soup and pizookie...oh my.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:58:00 +0000

This post brings quite an assortment of recipes. The recipes included in this post: Southwest Venison Roast, Chipotle-Cream Sauce, Tangy Chicken Rice, Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup, Crispy Tortilla Strips, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate Pizookie Base, and Simple Fudge Sauce.

Coming home from my weekend with the family, I wanted to find some recipes that would yield multiple meals for the week. I knew I was in possession of a venison roast, given to my parents by my uncle and passed on to me since they aren't the biggest venison fans. I decided it was time to cook it up. I kept the the seasonings simple, but wanted a southwest flavor - in my book TexMex never fails.

Southwest Venison Roast

1 venison roast
olive oil
salt, pepper, chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Coat roast with olive oil. Rub with salt, pepper and chili powder. Cook at 400 F for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and continue until cooked to desired temperature. About 1 hour and 15 minutes yields a tender and juicy roast cooked between medium and medium well. Be sure to baste the roast with the juices periodically throughout cooking to avoid drying out the roast.

Venison roast, not the one I made, but similar.
Photo courtesy of BBCGoodFood.com

To compliment the roast, I wanted something with a little spice. The smoky flavor of the chipotle is a great addition to almost any meat and I knew it would go well with the venison. I sorted through several recipes and chose a Chipotle-Cream Sauce. The sauce had a nice roasted spice that was cut by a smooth creamy texture. Indeed, the sauce worked perfectly with the roast, and gave it an extra dimension. I modified the recipe and replaced half of the whipping cream with whole lactose-free milk to meet the dietary needs of a friend. Doing so eliminated some of the lactose, but maintained a creamy texture when heated. As far as I was concerned, no effect of the sauce was lost.

Chipotle-Cream Sauce
Courtesy My Recipes

1/3 c. chopped onion
2 T. chopped roasted red bell pepper, canned
1 1/2 t. chopped garlic
2 T. butter or margarine
1/4 T. ground cumin
1/4 c. fat skimmed chicken broth
2 T. canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeds and veins removed
1 c. whipping cream

1. Combine onion, bell pepper, garlic, butter/margarine, and cumin in a 10-12 inch frying pan. Sauté until onion is limp, about 6-8 minutes.

2. Whirl mixture in a food processor/blender with broth and chipotles.

3. Scrape mixture back into frying pan. Add cream and stir over high heat until simmering, allow to simmer about 3 minutes.

Rice seems to be my default side for a meal like this. It is simple to prepare - given you have the time - and it is a side that can be tailored to the flavors of the meal. Typically, a tomato-based Spanish rice is surefire side for any Mexican or Southwest entree, but since I also served a tortilla soup with a strong tomato presence, I opted to take the rice in a different direction.

Tangy Chicken Rice

1 c. brown rice
2 c. water
1 chicken bouillian cube
1 tomatillo, finely chopped
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 T. lime juice

1. Bring rice, water, and bouillian cube to a boil over high heat.

2. When water is boiling, add the chopped tomatillo. Cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add cumin and lime juice to fully cooked rice.

I also decided this weekend that I wanted to make a tortilla soup. I'm not the biggest soup fanatic, but every now and then I do crave a good, hearty soup. Plus, for me, one soup equals lunch for a week. I decided I'd make a soup that could be served before the roast and rice and chose Rachel Ray's Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup. The soup was fantastic and had a robust tangy-savory flavor. It seemed to be a common complaint under the recipe's comments that the Ancho chiles were hard to find and I too was not able to find them at my local store. In place of the Anchos I added 2 red chiles to the the chicken stock and skipped adding them as later instructed. A user suggested also adding a second jalepeno and the juice of an extra lime to adjust the flavor. The result was a soup that hit multiple flavor notes - I was intrigued when I saw cinnamon and honey on the ingredients list. I'd like to get my hands on some Ancho chiles to taste the recipe in its original form.

Rachel Ray's recipe had no picture, but this is a similar finished look.

Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup

Recipe created by Rachel Ray

2 large ancho chiles, seeded and stemmed
1 quart chicken stock
2 T. vegetable oil
2 ears corn on the cob, husked, kernels removed (or 1 c. frozen kernels, defrosted)
1 large red onion, chopped
1 jalepeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 red chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chooped
1 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. smoked paprika (I used regular)
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 can (28 oz.) diced or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 T. honey
1 rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded
salt and ground black pepper
1 to 2 cups water, to thin soup to liking

Garnish: Sour cream, limes, avocados, tortilla strip (recipe below).

1. Add ancho chiles and chicken stock to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chiles are tender. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Meanwhile, heat a medium soup pot with vegetable oil over high heat. Add corn and sauté until charred on the sides, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat slightly and add onions, jalepeno, red chile pepper and garlic. Add cumin, paprika and cinnamon. Sauté for 5 minutes. Then stir in roasted tomatoes.

3. Puree ancho and chicken stock in a food processor/blender. Stir into tomato mixture.

4. Mix in honey and shredded chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste. Thin the soup with water to taste and desired consistency.

5. Zest and juice one lime and add to soup pot.

Crispy Tortilla Strips

6 wheat tortillas, cut into bite sized strips
olive oil cooking spray
chili powder
salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with olive oil spray.

3. Spread out tortilla strips on baking sheet. Sprinkle with chili powder and salt. Lightly spray tops of strips with olive oil spray.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, allow 5 minutes to sit on counter so the strips get crispy.

For dessert, I made a chocolate pizookie (pizza-cookie) with homemade peanut butter ice cream and topped with a fudge sauce. The Dark Chocolate Cookie and Peanut Butter Ice Cream are courtesy of Cherry Tea Cakes, a mouthwatering dessert blog created by Jana of Washington D.C. Again, I used lactose-free milk along with the cream successfully. Since I am new to the blogging word, and don't know the proper etiquette pertaining to the use of other bloggers' food photos, you can check the links above to see her mouthwatering photos. Click with caution as you will likely find yourself scouring the recipes she has posted. Thanks Jana for the fantastic recipes.

Creamy, nutty and sweet, this is everything ice cream is a rich frozen treat that is an excellent companion for a chocolate cookie. I love peanut butter and always wondered why its never had its own ice cream flavor. I suppose it is a flavor that begs to be paired, but I had no problem eating it by itself.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Recipe courtesy of Jana at Cherry Tea Cakes

1 c. milk

1 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

5 egg yolks

1 1/3 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 c. peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

1. Scald milk and cream.

2. Lightly whisk eggs in a stand mixer along with the sugar, then add scalded mixture in a slow stream on a low speed. Pour back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of the peanut butter. *Here Jana suggests reserving the other 1/2 c. to stir in the finished ice cream to create a swirl. I used added the 1/2 c. along here, foregoing the swirl.

3. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve if you would like a non-chunky peanut butter ice cream. Chill mixture.

4. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for an ice cream maker. If you have no ice cream maker, place in a freezer-safe container and cover with aluminum foil. Freeze for 6-7 hours, stirring the mixture ever hour and a half to two hours.

On Epicurious, the following recipe is known as a Dark Chocolate Cookie, but I feel the result doesn't quite match the feel of a cookie. To me it was more of a cakey brownie - a rich, dense flavor with a slight airy quality. On its own, the chocolate flavor is strong, but rather one-note. I decided to establish this as a pizookie base; when used with other flavors, it adds a great dimension to the dessert. In this case, the peanut butter ice cream was perfect with it.

Dark Chocolate Pizookie Base
Recipe provided by Cherry Tea Cakes, originating from Epicurious

3/4 c, all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. kosher salt (I used sea salt I had on hand)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl.
4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined.
5. Bake in either a parchment-lined pan or divide batter between several oven-safe bowls for individual servings. *I used a 10.5 x 7 baking pan. Using a larger pan will result in a thinner cake-base, which I would have preferred. Bake 7-10 minutes, depending on desired texture.

Finally, since I had baked my base perhaps a minute too long, I decided to add a fudge sauce to the add a little moisture to the dessert. Between the chocolate base, peanut butter ice cream and the fudge topping, this was one filling dessert that had the "grandiose" quality you'd find in a restaurant.

Simple Fudge Sauce
Recipe provided by Sunita for the The Daring Baker's July Challenge

1 c. sugar
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T. cornstarch (use a little less for a thinner sauce, a little more for a thicker one)
1 1/2 c. water
1 T. butter
1 t. vanilla

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and water.

2. Place pan over high heat and stir constantly until it begins to thicken and smooth. This will happen suddenly within 2-3 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and mix in butter and vanilla. Allow to cool or serve warm.

To assemble the pizookie: place a piece of the chocolate base in a bowl, then add a scoop or two of peanut butter ice cream. Lastly, top with the desired amount of fudge sauce.

Chicken Cordon Bleus, Bon Appetit.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:20:00 +0000

I've been taken over by a desire to outdo myself. This past weekend I visited my family. Saturday night my brother had plans and father was out of town, so it was just my mom and I. When together, my mom and I always take the chance to make a nice meal. My mom has always supported my culinary experiments and frankly, she is the one person in my family who enjoys trying new food as much as I do. God love the others, but they just haven't found the excitement that comes from trying new dishes and it is often hard to get them to participate or at least try something new.

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

I'd been watching quite a bit of Food Network since I moved in with my friends, but when I saw Tyler Florence of Tyler's Ultimate prepare his Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleus, I knew that was what I was going to be eating for dinner. I'm all about meals that look like they took a lot of time, but in reality are simple, and this was one such meal. For the sake of using what was on hand, I used regular ham instead of prosciutto, but did buy Gruyere specifically for the recipe. My experience with Cordon Bleu has been the prepackaged kinds that come frozen and the flavors here were on a whole new level. The Gruyere provided a subtle nutty balance to the ham and chicken's saltiness. I imagine this flavor combination would have been emphasized more had I used the prosciutto and I will do so next time I make this entree. Check out Tyler's fantastically easy and delicious recipe at the link above. It's sure to impress.

Ultimate Chicken Cordon Bleus

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
4 thin slices proscuitto di Parma
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated (about 1/3 c. for each chicken)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 c. panko bread crumbs
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only (or 2 T. dried thyme)
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 2 slices of prosciutto neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the prosciutto. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll inside the plastic wrap. Squeeze the log gently to seal and twist both ends tight to form a nice log. Repeat with remaining chicken.

3. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and kosher salt, pepper, and melted butter. The butter will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.

4. Remove the plastic wrap. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. Lightly coat a baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the roulades onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.

To go along with the Cordon Bleus I threw together a vegetable hash medley. To be honest, the inspiration also came from the same Tyler Florence episode, but I took the recipe in my own direction, simplifying it for the sake of time.

Green Bean & Bacon Hash

1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 c. bacon bits
1 1/2 c. fresh green beans, cut in half
3 mushroom caps, thinly sliced to yield about 15-20 slices
1 medium new potato, sliced to yield about 12-15 circles
1 1/2 t. rosemary
1 t. lemon juice

1. Heat olive oil in a sautee pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and bacon bits. Sautee until onion turns a light golden brown and softens.

2. Toss green beans, mushroom and potato slices in the oil mixture. Lower heat to medium and continue to sautee the vegetables until they have reached a desired texture.

Mom took control of the dessert this time and made a tart and rich lemon bar. Until this weekend, I had no idea the lemon bar had such a large following, so much that people consider themselves connoisseurs of the dessert. This shortbread cookie crust was light and airy out of the oven, but absorbed the oils from the lemon curd overnight making them slightly denser the next day. The curd had a fresh tart lemon flavor unlike other bars I've tasted where the flavor is muddled by filler ingredients. *I will have to get the recipe from my mother so I can post the link here, I will follow up on this.

Although we didn't intend to make the evening all about food, we ended up watching Julie and Julia. I'd seen it once before and was so charmed by Meryl Streep's performance. Child was such an impressive woman and proof that passion, personality, and persistence can take you a long way. Although I wasn't drooling over every dish featured in the movie (and from her cookbook), I would like to get a hold of a copy and take a few lessons from this fantastic and individualistic lady. The movie is a fresh reminder that it is never to late for anyone to make their mark, something which makes this soon-to-be 26-year-old grin.

Phew [wipes forehead with back of hand].

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:05:00 +0000

I'm going to state the obvious, but moving sucks. I've spent the past week packing up my one-bedroom apartment and moving into a spare room at friends' house. Most of my belongings went into storage, and I've still got to sort through the items I brought with me to my new residence, but I was amazed at how much junk I've collected over the past year and half - I certainly didn't bring it all with me when I moved from Dallas to Waco.

Nevertheless, I'm worn out. After seven consecutive days of packing boxes, thoroughly cleaning my apartment, painting and touching up the walls, moving furniture, losing my storage keys, getting new storage keys, and making trips back and forth between said apartment, storage and new house in the rain I am looking forward to the remainder of my break from school. This same time last year I was so financially destitute that I spent practically every day of my break working at a local restaurant, but with finances managed now, I am ready to enjoy my remaining four weeks off. I've got books to read - the last third of Atlas Shrugged has been starring at me for over a year now and a script idea that I would like to develop. I also intend to spend some additional time exercising, start some preliminary job research, and work on my English accent - I am auditioning for the Waco Civic Theatre's production of Noises Off! [one of the funniest plays I've seen] in August. So, there's stuff to do.

On top of that, I intend to spend a little time in the kitchen. I get my next Daring Baker's Challenge in a few days. Although this month has been my first as a Daring Baker (see Swiss Cake Ice Cream Fudge Bombe), I've noticed the past three months have included chocolate as a main ingredient. I've got no problem with this, but I'm guessing the August Challenge will likely go in a different direction - check back on August 27th for the results. Since I am trying to maximize my exercise efforts and get into great shape, I'm cutting down on baking. I have decided that the monthly Daring Baker's Challenge is the one dessert I won't hold back on, though - got to have some fun, right?

Lastly, as I've mentioned before, I am looking at a couple different cameras and hope to purchase one by the end of August. I can promise from there that this blog will contain not only more pictures, but pictures that are attractive. It's my goal to get one of my pictures on Food Porn Daily before the end of the year - not sure how lofty this is, but I'm a rather novice photographer.

Headed to Irving tomorrow to spend some time with my family - and taste test this month's Daring Baker's Challenge. I'm also forcing them to see Inception. I've seen it, but it was so good that I feel I have to share it with them and see it again, for my own selfish reason. But, for now, I'll sign off and return to my evening with the Food Channel. Yes, since I've finished moving today I've sat on the couch and watched every bit of programming that has come on this channel from Paula Deen to Cake Challenge to Food Star - its all so addicting.

Swiss Roll Ice Cream Fudge Bombe

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:13:00 +0000

Layers of homemade vanilla and chocolate ice creams and a fudge sauce are hidden underneath a dome of creme-filled chocolate cake rolls.

I knew when I signed up to participate in the Daring Baker's Challenges that this month, my inaugural month with the website, would be a busy one. My Summer school session just wrapped and plunged me into two straight weeks of rather dense studying for my law finals. During finals, the right side of my couch becomes my living quarters as I pour through notes, outlines and books for each class. Eating becomes merely a survival tactic and thus, the lack of posts this month.

Additionally, the moment finals ended last week, I had to begin packing for a move. I've lived on my own since starting law school in February '09, but have decided to move in with some good friends. Still, it's amazing how much crap one guy has been able to fit in a one-bedroom apartment. Moving certainly makes you take stock of your belongings, and I've learned I've got tons, but none of it is worth anything.

I could have sat this one out, but wasn't about to use one of my free passes on my first round out of the gate. So, amidst packing boxes, I made the Swiss Roll Ice Cream Fudge Bombe - as I only know to call it. I'm usually the impatient sort who doesn't cook things which spread the preparation across multiple days. I usually don't think that far ahead and find myself cooking something when I crave it. Though the multi-phase nature of this dessert was much friendlier to my schedule. This is one rich dessert, and way easy to make, despite the seemingly foreboding components.

I was particularly nervous about making my own ice cream. I've never owned an ice cream maker, and I've only had homemade ice cream once or twice. It was poorly made. So, I thought for sure, I was going to mess this up. Truth is, this was so easy a kid could do it, with minimal supervision. If you can mix things in a bowl, you can make homemade ice cream - without an ice cream maker. After you put it in the freezer, just be sure you stir it every 2 hours or so until it is fully frozen. I suppose that is the benefit of an ice cream maker, it constantly churns the ice cream while it freezes. Still, the ice cream recipes were simple and tasty. I'll look forward to experimenting with different flavors in the coming, HOT, Texas months. I'm also anticipating homemade versions of my favorite fall flavors - pumpkin and cinnamon anyone?

As a kid, I loved the Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls. My mom usually had a box of them - or the oatmeal cookies - in the house for our lunches and I was the geeky kid who ate it in phases, enjoying every bite. I'd first eat the chocolate ganache enveloping the cake. Then, I'd unroll it, lick the creme filling off before eating the cake itself. I ate each cake carefully, as if it might explode at any given moment. Actually, I started a trend among my friends who, prior to seeing the way I ate the Little Debbie's, would finish their cakes in two bites. With such a fond childhood memory, you'd think I would have made the connection sooner, but alas, it wasn't until I was rolling the cake in the sugar-coated towel that I realized I was making my own large, homemade Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll. I suppose my mind had been ravaged by finals and the moving process. The parchment paper did not peel away quite as easily as it seemed to in the pictures Sunita provided, but, I managed to get it all off without tearing apart the cake. I still had a solid rectangle of cake to roll. I'm not sure if this was the result of baking too long or perhaps a measurement in the cake was off, but it was only a minor glitch.

While rolling the cake, I half expected it to just crumble beneath my fingers. I don't know, the doomsdayer in me felt that I had successfully made the ice cream, so I was bound to get something wrong and this seemed like the next logical thing. But, the cake rolled nicely both when using the towel and again when I actually frosted it with the creme filling.

As of this writing, I have not tasted the assembled dessert. I am bringing it to my family in Dallas in a few days. However, I can't imagine that this classic chocolate-vanilla combo is anything but delicious.

Note: I halved the entire recipe - making one cake (10 rolled slices), one cup of each ice cream, and about 1/2 cup of fudge sauce.

Note 2: My apologies for the one measly photo included in this post. At the time this was taken all my kitchenware was packed in boxes, and foil was what was sitting around. I also chose not to take photos of the steps to save myself some time. I am likely going to invest in a camera this next month and promise more attractive photos in the future.

[Due to the hectic schedule outlined above, I've not taken the time to include the recipes for this dessert. Instead, I've attached the link you can visit to get the skinny on making this Bombe. See Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake]

Swiss Roll Ice Cream Fudge Bombe

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

The Cajun kick.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:27:00 +0000

This past weekend I got in the mood for Cajun. Last summer, I waited and bartended for a local Cajun restaurant and recently got word that it was closing down, which didn't surprise me since business was consistently slow while I worked there. It's a shame, really, because the restaurant was unique to the area and had some rather original Cajun dishes. So, I suppose this being on my mind - the remembrance of gumbo and shrimp etouffee - led to me craving some hearty, spicy Cajun food.

Living solo with a lot of friends away for the summer, I decided to keep it small and simple: Red Beans and Rice with Cajun Eye of Round Steak. Truthfully, any steak would work - and probably better so since the eye of round steak is rather thin, but its what I had in the apartment. I also tried my hands at pralines - for the first time, but I'll save that for another post as I'm still testing a few recipes. I'm sure they'll make an appearance soon, but I am eating them as fast as I make them - really, and exercising double-time to make up for it.

But, for now, here is a quick, easy and simple way to get your Cajun fix. Enjoy.

Easy Red Beans & Rice

Cajun Eye of the Round

Going into business.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:41:00 +0000

Coming on the downside of June, I am looking at a week and a half before I get my first Daring Kitchen Baker's challenge...the underlying motivation for starting this blog. I'd obviously like to extend the scope of this blog, making the Baker's Challenges a component, but not the sole purpose of this blog. After all, a blog that only has one posting each month doesn't get much attention. Still, this week I stepped away from the blog and shifted my focus to begin forming a business venture.

For some time, it has been on my mind to start an in-home (cottage) bakery business. As a law student, I'm limited in money and to some extent in time, so it seemed to be a potential way to bring in a little extra money. I'd always known, if it was something I ever did, I would deal in desserts. Desserts are what I enjoy making and are what captures most people's attention. Over time I've drummed up different ideas from unique cookies, cakes, pies, etc...and then thoroughly researched the best way to market and package all of the above to make an attractive and delicious product. My main problem has always been finding a venue to launch my business. For the past year and a half, I've lived in Waco, Texas - most people know Waco as the site of the Branch Davidian/FBI face-off of the early nineties. Waco is a rather desolate town and if it weren't for Baylor University's presence, it certainly would be even more so. Since I don't consider Waco my hometown and view my time here as temporary, I also haven't involved myself in the community and live inside the Baylor bubble. Still, I had wanted to get something started, so I started to think outside the box.

Waco does have a rather large flea market that is open every weekend, which attracts people from the Central Texas area. Like any flea market, vendors sell everything from tires to clothes and jewelry to junk from their garages to certain food items. It's certainly no farmer's market where people come with the intention to seek out food items, but having visited the market several times, it occurred to me that this could be a way to get something started. After inquiring about the venue, I learned space rental was rather cheap and the owners were rather open to my products as they were different than what is usually found at their market. So, I signed up for a space this past weekend and got to baking.

My debut product is something that is well-known in certain circles, but was entirely new to the Waco crowd - the Cake Pop. For those who still haven't heard of these clever variations on cake, a cake pop is combined cake and frosting, rolled into a ball and dipped in candy coating - chocolate or vanilla. It is a rather simple creation, but is an incredibly versatile dessert and a baker can get mightily creative with the flavor combinations they create. I learned of these several months ago and after trying them, have become addicted. They seemed to be a great product to lead with, they were simple but unique...not too mention, tasty. I made over 300 in several days, keeping the flavors rather straight forward - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and red velvet. I knew going into this, the idea would be foreign to the flea market guests.

My pilot day was a learning experience. I did sell some pops, but not nearly as much as I had hoped or expected I would. I determined this was because I lacked an eye-grabbing display. The actual pops themselves were in coolers over dry-ice since the Texas heat would annihilate them, but I learned you have about two to three seconds to get the attention of customers passing by and my set-up asked people to spend a little more time figuring out what it was I was selling. The actual pops I sold received positive feedback. Those who took a look bought them and loved them.

So, I will be back at the market this Saturday and am taking a different approach. Unfortunately, I can't display the cake pops themselves, but I can put together a composite display of photos that will be varied and colorful enough to get people's attention. So, my task this week is to create a display that shows off the product and gets people to stop. Once they stop, it's hard to say no.

I may be away from the blog again this week as I work on putting this together so I can have a more successful Saturday. I'd love to get a booth established weekly and begin to expand what I make. I've got a flood of ideas, and come the fall will have other opportunities to expand beyond the flea market. But, for now, I am determined to crack the code for success and get people excited about these treats.

The beauty of self preservation.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:15:00 +0000

Starting this blog took quite a bit of time last week, which is funny enough since I am not to the point where I'm driving traffic to it. I know it takes a few months to get these things going, and that is if you are a prolific blogger. So, heading to Houston this weekend to visit some family, I took a few days off. Anyone have those family members who, come hell or high water, always manage to be great hosts? That would be most of my extended family, but particularly my Aunt and Uncle who live in The Woodlands, TX. They are true "foodies" and spare no expense when company comes around. Since they moved to The Woodlands from San Francisco last year, I have enjoyed many a fine, fine meal while visiting. Sadly, in a rather surprising turn of events, my Aunt passed away this past December. She was a beautiful, successful, intelligent, and vivacious woman, who truly enriched the lives of those she met...as was evidenced by the over 150 in attendance at her funeral.

For all my Uncle has been through, he still throws a get-together like the two of them did when my Aunt was alive. We all enjoyed each other's company, had a fantastic meal and tried to escape the humid heat by jumping in the pool. It's interesting how we can lose someone so important in our lives, and feel the impact of that loss, but the understanding of our own mortality becomes so vividly clear that we recognize the need to celebrate the life we still have left to live. Ahhh, the beauty of self preservation.

Tilapia tacos in a hurry.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:56:00 +0000

Quick note: Recipes are the base of a food blog, but I'm learning that personality and story are what make it come alive. Bear with me as I try to find the right balance of both. I know you don't want to read about how I mix this or add that. The personality will develop. For now, I am trying to make posting a routine activity and also looking forward to the day I get a camera that will take a decent picture. That day will come!

Onto the recipe for today...

Innovation may be lacking from the recipe today, but efficiency and taste sure aren't. Tex-Mex has to be one of my favorite food types. The flavors work so well together, the ingredients are affordable, and meals can usually be made in a quickly...the perfect formula for a busy student who still likes to enjoy his meals.

No class today, so I took a lazy Friday. I slept late, put in my exercise time, and spent the day designing graphics for this blog and developing the theme before getting together with some friends. This endeavor is still green, but its lighting a fire in me. I've immersed myself in this these past few days and have really enjoyed learning the science behind operating a blog, but I'll save that for a future post.

I had to make dinner a quick project tonight, but didn't want to sacrifice the three things I shoot for in each meal - a protein, simple carb and healthy fat (despite my proclivities towards dessert, I'm otherwise a health guy). I also tend to be an impulsive cooker, meaning, I don't really plan my meals. So, I opened my freezer, saw tilapia and thought fish tacos!

I'm a sucker for a good tortilla. It's such a simple food item, but a fresh-made, warm tortilla is comfort food for me - even plain. I'm also a tortilla snob. Let's be clear that Mission tortillas are not tortillas. They are flour cardboard and, in my opinion, have the potential to destroy the meal. Luckily, my local grocery makes delicious fresh tortillas that rival some restaurant-style tortillas. I keep a constant supply.

The tacos hit the spot and I wrapped the day with some friends. I'm headed to Houston tomorrow to see some family and take care of some other business. I'm likely to have something to write about as they never fail to have fantastic food.

Tilapia Ranch Tacos

Le Francais Patissiere Defi (Warning: Possible crude translation)

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:49:00 +0000

This morning I had a midterm exam, atypical for law school since each class usually only has one final exam which determines your grade. I actually didn't mind the professor breaking up the class with two exams, but I'm glad its not a routine thing for each class. Finals week - what law students label as the week (really two) we all spend holed up in our apartments cramming for each exam - is an absolute bear and something I can only tolerate once every few months. Translation: One midterm is acceptable, having one in each class in addition to a final would justifiably be torture.

Onto the real reason for my post today. I mentioned in my first post that I joined The Daring Kitchen as a way to learn some new cooking skills and expand my culinary horizons. However, due to site rules, my membership doesn't start until July 1st and leaving me unable to participate in the June Baker's Challenge. Shame, since as of the completion of my exam this morning, I was looking ahead to a three-day weekend and a hankering to bake something that would impress my friends. I got the idea to take a stab at May's challenge, the Piece Montee (Croquembouche). It may be a little Johhny-come-lately of me, but after looking at the Baker's results, and having never tried making this sort of thing before, I thought it would be a nice warm up for what's to come in July.

The croquembouche is actually the term used for the creation made by arranging the individual profiteroles (filled pastries) in a stacked formation, then drizzled with a caramel sauce. I am only one man, in a small apartment with a few good friends who would be willing subjects, and have no use for a colossal pastry monstrosity. But, for the right audience, it could be a neat presentation. Still, I opted to cut the recipe in half and skip the caramel assembly.

The creme patissiere (filling) had to be made first since it required at least six hours of chill time. I didn't know going into it, but I was making a traditional eclair/donut filling. It was simple to do and, since I preset all my ingredients, it was done and in the fridge in a matter of minutes. The recipe was for a plain vanilla filling, but rarely do I settle for vanilla - though it shines at times, and thus I whisked in a about 1/3 cup of pre-made strawberry glaze in the creme. The strawberry would go well with the chocolate glaze that finishes the dessert.

Next came the pate a choux (puff pastry). The directions seemed easy enough, but I hit a few walls. I think this can be chalked up to me halving the recipe, which didn't quite give me the results proportion would indicate. My first attempt came out too runny, which I think was caused from not giving each egg enough time to incorporate. The batter goes through a few different stages and changes states quickly, so it becomes a question of knowing when you've hit the right stage - something I imagine comes easily after a few go arounds with the recipe. On this try, eight eggs, two cups of flour, a stick and a half of butter, and two batches later I got it rather close. The batter was still wet, but dry enough to hold its form when piped. Because me and piping bags equal a huge mess every time no matter how many precautions I take, I used a quart-sized freezer bag, sealed it and snipped a corner. So much easier to fill and left no mess. The instructions called for the batter to be piped on wax paper, but after one of my previous failed attempts started heavily smoking in the oven, I realized that the paper I had was low grade and microwaveable only - why sell that? I threw the next batch down on foil and hoped it wouldn't alter the results too much. Had I remembered to use a little cooking spray on the foil, I imagine the choux would have come out much better. They stuck to the foil a little and I lost some bases on a few. Still, and despite my multiple attempts, I was pleased with how this final attempt came out.

My attempt at food photography - with my cell phone and the help of Google Picasa.

I will get better at this!

Several hours later the filling had chilled. Realizing the potential for another piping disaster I played this safe. I used a piping bag this time since the creme was stiff and didn't attempt to over stuff the chouxs - something with a little more confidence I might have tried to do. Then, to complete the pastry - and perhaps the best part of it - I dipped the tops of each pastry in chocolate (Ghiradelli semi-sweet). For an item many view as foreboding and something better bought at a French bakery than made at home, this was quite simple and tasted great. As with any first attempt, you have to work out a few problem areas, but you learn from the mistakes - the whole point of The Daring Kitchen concept. The ingredients were all standard and nothing special had to be bought or sought out. Another great feature of the choux and creme patisserie is that both are incredibly versatile. The choux on its own is rather flavor-neutral making it the perfect base for a sweet or savory item. I'll have to experiment with this in the future. As for now, I've punched my card and am going to probably wait until the July Challenge for my next big effort. Although it doesn't officially count, I'll consider this Daring Baker Challenge, Round One complete...or maybe just a successful pre-game.

Profiteroles complet!

Note to self: be on the lookout for deals on cameras.

Vanilla Creme Patissiere (Pastry Cream)
Pate a Choux (Puff Pastry)

Killing a sweet tooth without killing the waistline.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:37:00 +0000

My classes wrapped for the day and I headed to the store on impulse to get a few things I've been needing. I've always heard going to the store on an empty stomach is never a good idea. Three classes back to back had left me a little hungry. Luckily, I was limited to the $20.00 I had in my wallet. It still didn't stop me from getting sudden cravings as I passed certain areas of the store...namely the bakery.

I had gotten everything I needed, and decided I would pick up something sweet to tie me over for the week. I have a love/hate relationship with desserts. I am a sugar addict. Nothing makes me happier than something that oozes chocolate. But for health reasons, I heavily restrict what I allow myself to eat. So, I've learned to be creative in satisfying my sweet tooth. When I do allow myself something fun, I still try to keep it under control. Thus, I usually stay away from the ice cream aisle. A serving of ice cream is certainly not the worst dessert you can find, but I have control issues when it comes to desserts; meaning, once I start, I can't stop. So, you see, a pint of Ben & Jerry's may claim it has four servings, but to me, it really only has one. Knowing this, I rarely tread into ice cream territory. I'd yet to see a truly low fat/sugar option. But, maybe I hadn't been looking hard enough.

As I scanned the freezers, I noticed Blue Bell had a line of No Sugar Added Ice Creams. Certain the nutritional facts would still be disappointing, I checked it out. All in all, considering that it is ice cream we're talking about, it seemed like a great option. The fat and sugar content had been reduced, and the calorie content was quite reasonable sitting at 110 calories for 1/2 a cup. I bought the Strawberries 'n Cream flavor. To go along with it, I bought the Cool Whip Chocolate Dip. It wasn't long after I got home that I served myself a bowl of the ice cream topped with a few scoops of the dip.

It was fantastic. The ice cream may have sacrificed sugar content, but it didn't skimp on flavor. Nor did it have that faux sugar flavor that so many artificially sweetened/sugar substitute desserts have. Made with skim and whole milk, the ice cream remained creamy at the expense of less fat. Most other "lowfat" frozen items have a shaved ice quality that just doesn't do the trick when you want something creamy. The addition of the already low-cal and low sugar cool whip made for quite an enjoyable dessert. The chocolate Cool Whip was the perfect compliment to the strawberry ice cream. I'd go as far to say that it could stand on its own. All in all, a very satisfactory and quick dessert for only 130 calories, 3 grams of fat and about 5 grams of sugar.

The ice cream carton is tagged with the word "NEW," but I'm not sure how new this product line is. Still, a low-fat/cal/sugar ice cream that is still worthy of being called ice cream was a stellar find. If you need to take care of a sweet tooth, but don't want to hurt the waistline, this seems about as good as you can get.

Images courtesy of Blue Bell and Kraft Foods.

Someone hand me a spoon, I'm ready to dig in.

noreply@blogger.com (Charley C.) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 05:40:00 +0000

For someone who loves food as much as I do, it is surprising that I've remained rather unaware of the blog universe devoted to the subject. What started as a search for some dessert recipes a few weeks ago has become a full-blown venture into a world of culinary ecstasy - all made by the hands of everyday people. Clicking from blog to blog, I've found myself lost in a labyrinth of inspiring recipes, interesting writers, and stunning photography. I always knew there was a need for such photographs in a cook book, but who knew that food photography could be such a personal art?

I grew up in a house divided when it came to food. I had an adventurous palette, but the finicky tastes of my younger siblings often dictated the menus. Regardless, my mom was and still is an excellent cook; she just didn't get to show it off too often. My mom recognized early on that she had a fellow food-enthusiast in me and fostered my curiosity. As a young boy, I'd help with the simple cooking tasks. As I got older, I graduated from mixing banana bread batter to being put in charge of meals and dishes for holidays and special occasions. I took the charge seriously and always set out to find something new that would impress those who tried it - and possibly convert a few of those finicky eaters.

At 25, I'm still a "foodie," but being a law student with limited time and money has dictated that I restrain my culinary efforts. I still find opportunities to develop my cooking abilities by trying recipes out on friends and family, but this immersion in food blogs these past few weeks has left me feeling futile. So many entrees, so many desserts, so much that I want to try it frustrates me. I think I found a solution.

I came across a blog today that immediately fascinated me; one that has actually gotten me a little anxious and is the reason I am starting this blog. Earlier this evening, I became a member of The Daring Kitchen, a community of foodies who participate in monthly cooking challenges proposed by different members and then each reveal their successes (or failures) all on the same day at the end of the month through their own personal blogs. I marveled at the idea and realized that this is what I needed. The endless culinary possibilities to be found online were overwhelming, but this instantly clicked as a fun and unique way to expand my horizons on the food front.

Due to community rules, I will have to wait until July 1st before I get my first challenge. I wait in suspense. In the meantime, the direction of this blog is yet to be decided. But, I'd like to add my passion to the internet food community. Starting this off will be a little makeshift. I don't have a flood of recipes ripe for the posting, plus I lack a quality camera. For the sake of the Daring Baker Challenges, cell phone photos will have to do for now.

I look forward to seeing this develop and I am excited to be a part of the world wide food community. I'll be putting my tastes on trial and sharing it here. Someone hand me a spoon, I'm ready to dig in.

Charlie C.