Pots and Pins

St. Paddy's Day Runner...

Pots and Pins — 2010-04-13T08:00:33-07:00

We don't normally make a big deal out of St. Patrick's Day...maybe lunch at Kells or JJ Mahoney's or Paddy Coynes...3 of our favorite haunts at any time of the year. We always have corned beef, cabbage and potatoes at some point during the week of the 17th, usually this way (most excellent!) but this year...well, in a weak moment I agreed to throw a leetle St. Patrick's Day party for my young friends...girls that I've "mentored" for several years now, who will be graduating this spring and going off to college in the fall...girls who know just what buttons to push to get their way...I'm such an easy mark!

To help get me in the mood I made myself an St. Paddy's Day Runner...scrappy foundation pieced -and now I've got to get on the ball and get the manse all shined up for the festivities! Oh, I wanted to show you my latest obsession...crystal or glass bottle stoppers...

Found in antique shops looking so lonely without their bottles...aren't they great?!? The mister asked, "What do they do?" Well, they're doing it...they just sit and look pretty...which is what I used to be so good at, until Father Time had his way with me!

Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-12T08:49:42-08:00

The girl is coming to town with Baby Max for a visit...I was under the illusion that she wanted to see the fam, you know, go to lunch, shop, sit and visit at night...but apparently the girl has other ideas! She has already booked several photo-shoots for when she is here...and wanted me to let you know if YOU would like her to take your photos (thereby taking more time away from me...but it's actually okay because then I'll have Baby Max all to myself!) you can contact her (or me) and set one up. I must say, she's very reasonable and extremely talented - go to her website and see for yourself:

Lyndsey.Fagerlund: Imagery

Don't you wonder about the next shot? Where DID all that food go?!?

Blarney Stone Soup...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-11T09:24:04-08:00

Legend has it that those not lucky enough to be born smooth talkers may acquire the gift of eloquence by kissing the Blarney Stone...at Blarney Castle...in Ireland. A long way to go, at great expense, to learn to speak like a used car salesman, or an attorney in heat, or the mister after a celebratory time with his good friend Jack, who happens to be Irish. While the mister has not actually kissed the Blarney Stone, he comes from a long line of people who have and Blarney runs deep in his veins...which is why his initials are B.S. Just the other night the mister was regaling me with a story from his youth - and the Blarney was virtually flowing from his pie-hole! His walk down memory lane was triggered by a scene from NCIS...and there he went - traipsing at the speed of AARP, describing for me how he once stole a duck from Rock Creek Park in D.C., then took it home to his bathtub where it happily swam for about 15 minutes before his father ordered him to return it to the park. Fascinating, no? But wait! There's more! While he pranced around the room, arms flailing, he moved closer and closer to the box of Girl Scout Cookies I had hidden in my nightstand (in case of an emergency where a burglar might be hungry). His voice raised almost to a crescendo as he dipped down, opened the nightstand drawer and removed the cookies...Thin Mints...which everyone knows is any burglars cookie of choice. Then, as he ended his story, box securely in hand, he exited the room, surely thinking he had mesmerized me with his tales of yesteryear to the point that I didn't notice his theft. Whatever...I have more in the freezer.

Years ago, for St. Paddy's Day, I created this soup for my kids...I told them about the Blarney Stone and how people were not only smooth talkers but NICE talkers...I dropped real rocks into their soup bowls and read them a little ditty I wrote - here's part of it:

Blarney Stone Soup

With one sip of this soup you will find

That everyone is very kind!

You will say and do the nicest things

All day long your heart will sing!

The Blarney Stone's magic only lasts one day,

But if you try real hard, maybe you'll stay this way!

They were duly impressed - for about 5 minutes. The boy loved eating soup with a rock in it, the girl turned up her nose and would have thrown the rock at her brother had I not intervened.

Of course, I did what all good mothers did, I lied to them about the rocks. I told them they were "chips off the old block" from Blarney Castle - the boy LOVED his rock and kept it in his room in a special box for years. The girl was on to me from the get-go.

About those rocks...your basic, garden-variety rock will work just fine, provided you can lie like an Irishman. Just boil them in water for a bit to remove any mold, dirt or dog pee. Drop a rock into each soup bowl, and cover with the most delicious Potato-Pea Soup ever. Serve it up steamy hot with a slice or two of Irish Soda Bread (the Americanized version made with sugar is SO much better!) and you'll have yourself a great meal for St. Paddy's Day or any other "Spring" occasion!

It's the perfect soup for St. Paddy's Day - it's bright green color comes from peas and fresh parsley. It's thick with potatoes and then, to make sure the Blarney will be flowing like whiskey in an Irish pub, top it off with a bit of cream...4 dangs, my friends, print this and make it for your wee ones, and may you live to be 100 years old, with an extra year to repent!

Blarney Stone Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, diced

32 oz. chicken broth, plus more for thinning, if desired

2 cups frozen peas

4 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup fresh parsley, rinsed, stems removed, chopped

1 cup Swiss Cheese, shredded

Heavy cream to garnish, optional

Melt butter in large soup pot. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil and stir until smooth. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. (You can use a regular blender, transfer the soup in batches and blend until smooth.)

Meanwhile, in a small pan, boil rocks covered in water for 10 minutes. Remove with tongs and place one rock into each bowl.

If you want your soup to be thinner, add more stock. Before serving, taste for seasonings, add more salt and pepper if desired. To serve, pour soup over rock and top with a drizzle of cream. Serves 6.

"May the grass grow long on the road to Hell for want of use." ~ Irish Toast

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One year ago: Quilt Show Pictures

Two years ago: Caveman Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Valentine Quilt...Or not...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-09T08:13:32-08:00

Two years ago I purchased a couple of jelly rolls (for your non-quilters those are rolls of fabric strips) with every intention of making a quilt for Valentine's Day...well, it didn't happen...nor did it happen the next year...but finally, after two years of waiting, my quilt is done!

This is a super simple pattern - even though it looks difficult. It's called Merry-Go-Round by American Jane Patterns for Moda. The pattern called for 3 jelly rolls...naturally, I didn't have the right amount...I only had TWO! So I made a few "adjustments"...had to use every bit of scrap that I had left to finish this quilt - so it's not perfect, but then it IS my quilt...see if you can spot them!

This isn't a very big quilt - it measures 54 x 60 inches - just big enough to snuggle in with Baby Max...

Speaking of Baby Max...he gets to come to Gramma's house at the end of the month! I'm so excited - I've been on a buying spree getting all the things he'll require so his stay will be more than satisfactory! (Hot Wheels, alphabet blocks, kiddy spoons, animal crackers, sippy cups, etc.)

Italian Beef Stew...Stracotto di Manzo...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-08T09:43:07-08:00

Baby shower, funeral, yard work, Chinese food, reruns. That sums up my Saturday. Newspaper, grits, meeting, church, church, church, Italian Beef Stew, Oscars, Barbara Walters, News. And that sums up my Sunday. The only thing that brought me true comfort and peace this past weekend, aside from seeing Tom Ford at the Oscars (now THAT'S how a man should dress!) and Sandra Bullock win her golden statue (compared to Meryl Streep she's like a hot-dog at a banquet - but I love hot-dogs!) was the Italian beef stew. Is that wrong?

Normally I make Oscar Gumbo for our Oscar night festivities...but this year, in honor of Meryl being nominated for Julie and Julia, I decided to make Beef Bourguignon...however, finding myself surrounded by guide books of Italy, I switched gears and herbs and opted for Stracotto di Manzo...Italian Beef Stew...which, in my humble opinion, was every bit as deserving of an Oscar as Meryl.

This dish is very much like Beef Bourguignon...it's slow-cooked with vegetables in wine (I used alcohol free wine, Fre, produced in Napa Valley by the Sutter Home Winery, which is quite good, has all the properties of real wine so the taste and health benefits are there, as well as the marinating magic). The main difference between this dish and Beef Bourguignon would be the flavors, due to Italian herbs, and it's served over Orzo instead of egg noodles...but you could use noodles, rice, potatoes or another pasta.

The mister has a business friend who told a story about how much his friends in India liked his jokes...they said he was mind-BLASTING...he corrected them and said they meant mind-BLOWING but they responded with, no, no, no, you are better than that, you are mind-BLASTING! And so, my friends, is this dish. Mind-blasting, rich, hearty, comfort food...meat so tender you don't need a knife...vegetables swimming in a gravy so aromatic you'll want to wear it as perfume and need I remind you that Sophia Loren was raised on this kind of food...and look at what it did for her! Make this one kids...it's a 5-danger for sure.

Italian Beef Stew - Stracotto di Manzo

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 lb. beef chuck pot roast

1/2 lb. pancetta or bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed, peels removed

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon fresh oregano

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 1/2 cup red wine or alcohol free wine

1 can (10.5 oz.) beef consomme

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 box (16 oz.) Orzo, cooked, according to package directions

In a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pot, heat olive oil until hot over medium-high heat. Season both sides of pot roast with salt and pepper and add to pot, allowing to brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer roast to a plate. Add pancetta or bacon to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in celery, carrots, onion, garlic and mushrooms, and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Taste for seasonings, add more salt and pepper if needed. Add in bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Stir to blend. Add in tomato paste, wine, beef consomme and diced tomatoes. Stir to blend. Add meat back to pot, push down to submerge. Cover pot with lid and put in a 350 degree oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Cook Orzo according to package directions and set aside.

When roast is done, remove from oven and using a spoon, skim off as much fat from the surface as you can. To serve, add Orzo to a bowl and top with beef, vegetables and gravy. Serves 6.

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not." ~ Mark Twain

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One year ago: It Was A Huge Success!

Two years ago: Cupcake Fillings

Homemade Ravioli and Toasted Ravioli...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-05T10:37:48-08:00

They say the quake in Chile caused the Earth to move off it's axis...and I do believe it also caused me to shift from mine. Homemade pasta is something I've never dared to do...after all, I've been quite satisfied with dried pasta for my entire life (I only know what I know and did not know there was something better!)...and then I tasted fresh pasta from the store...and then came the earthquake and I found myself thinking about making my own pasta and not just pasta but ravioli. Crazy, I know, even for a crazy person, but I couldn't stop myself.

After doing some reading about pasta, and watching countless You Tube videos, I decided the time was right...so I enlisted some help by asking my 12 year old neighbor of Italian descent to join me in the kitchen. We started with a Jamie Oliver pasta recipe...he made it look so simple on his video and only two ingredients - eggs and flour! However, we ended up with dough so tough it could only be used for a door stop. Sorry Jamie, I'd love you wrapped with a bow under my Christmas tree but your pasta recipe was a disaster! (Yes, I'm blaming Jamie as I'm quite certain me and my little sous chef did not screw up!) Jamie also used a pasta machine, which I don't have...yet.

With the first batch tossed into the trash, along with the recipe, we switched recipes and made batch #2...still stiff but better, and with the addition of water it was workable. Ignore those creepy finger shots! I used half all-purpose flour and half semolina and by batch #3 and #4 we finally got our groove on.

The square shaped ravioli cutter ($4.95) was great - it cut and sealed at the same time. And don't they look perfect?!? We made two different fillings...a ricotta, basil, Romano cheese filling and a sausage, Parmesan cheese filling. TO DIE FOR. And then...THEN...we toasted them! If you've never had toasted ravioli you haven't lived...it's usually served as an appetizer in Italian restaurants and it's BIG in the Midwest - go figure?!? When we lived in Memphis a friend of mine, Johnny Greganti, would bring in brown paper, greased-soaked sacks filled with his wife's homemade toasted ravioli and sell them to us for $5 a bag...what a STEAL! Toasted ravioli dipped into marinara sauce is like having Pavarotti sing O Sole Mio right into your face...unbelievably good.

Katie and I made about 72 ravioli...we delivered some to a friend, she took home 2 dozen for her family, I set aside some for our dinner and I froze the rest...and now I just love going out to my freezer, opening the door and seeing those perfect little bundles of yum stacked up so nice and neat...pure joy!

Don't let the length of this recipe scare you away...making pasta truly is EASY and FAST and the taste makes it worth the effort...oh, you don't need to make 72 ravioli either...the recipe below will make about 16 to 20, depending on the size you cut them.

Dough Recipe and Fillings Adapted from several recipes, including Recipe Zaar #59359

You will need a ravioli cutter (there are many to choose from) or a ravioli wheel to make these

To make dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semolina flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 to 3/4 cup warm water

To make Ricotta Cheese Filling:

1 container (16 oz.) whole milk Ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

To make Sausage Parmesan Filling:

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (if using links remove casings)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Make dough: (If you're not using a food processor, read next paragraph.) In a large bowl, sift flour and semolina together and mix with a whisk to combine. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, eggs and about half of the water. Process, adding water slowly. After all water is added, feel the dough. It should appear crumbly, but should hold together when pushed. If it's too dry, add more water. Process until dough makes a "thumping" noise as it moves around the bowl...and is almost all combined into one big mass. Dump onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes, incorporating flour if dough is too sticky. Dough should be soft but not sticky at this point. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

To make dough without a food processor, mix flour and salt together with a whisk in a large bowl. Pour out onto a work surface into a big pile and make a well in the center. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Pour beaten eggs into the center of the well with a bit of the water. Using your fingers, incorporate the flour into the eggs, adding more water as your are able. Dough should be pliable and soft but not sticky. Knead until smooth. If it's sticky add more flour. If it's too stiff add more water. Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

Make Ricotta Cheese filling: Mix all ingredients into a bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside until time to make ravioli.

Make Sausage Parmesan filling: In a large skillet, cook sausage, according to package directions, until done, breaking into very small pieces. Drain and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl combine sausage with the remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside until time to make ravioli.

After dough has rested, cut in half and roll out each half on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough until it is very thin (about 1/8-inch thick). Drop about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling about 2-inches apart onto one of the dough sheets. When sheet is covered with filling, cover with second sheet of dough. Using your fingers, gently press dough between the fillings. Using a ravioli cutter or a ravioli wheel, cut out the ravioli. Place ravioli onto wire racks and allow to dry for one hour before cooking. (This is crucial or the dough will not hold together and if freezing the ravioli, you still need to allow to dry first!)

To cook the ravioli: You can cook the ravioli two ways...by dropping it into 6 to 8 quarts of boiling, salted water and cooking for about 10 to 15 minutes or...you can toast it.

Toasted Ravioli:

2 eggs

splash of buttermilk or whole milk

salt and pepper

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs, seasoned with salt and pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil

12 fresh homemade ravioli

Marinara sauce (At this point I was about all cooked out so I used a store bought sauce and doctored it up with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.)

Beat eggs and splash of buttermilk together in a shallow bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine bread crumbs in a second shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. (If your bread crumbs are fresh and not crisp, spread them on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler for about a minute or two until they are toasted but watch carefully so they don't burn!)

Heat sauce in a small pan and keep warm. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the fresh ravioli in the egg mixture and then bread crumbs. Gently drop ravioli into the hot oil and cook until deep golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to a wire rack (put paper toweling underneath to catch any drips.) When ready to serve, transfer marinara sauce to a small bowl and dip the toasted ravioli into sauce...and then count out the dangs...FIVE of them...and after each one say God Bless America!

They don't look so pretty...I had trouble keeping the breading on...and the ones I have eaten in restaurants always look pretty...so I'm going to have to try this again and again (yeah!) until I get it right...they are delicious though - down to the last crumb and definitely worth the effort!!

Monkey Bread...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-04T07:16:24-08:00

For Christmas my aunt and uncle surprised me with a Williams Sonoma gift card...imagine if you poured a stiff one for an alcoholic, or gave drugs to an addict, or set a gambler up with a bucket of quarters in front of a slot machine...imagine how their hearts would race, how their eyes glaze over, how their palms become sweaty and then they drool while hyperventilating...'cause that's EXACTLY what a Williams Sonoma gift card does to me. I am completely powerless with gift cards...unlike money, which has been known to burn holes in my pockets, they take over my mind and the only thing I can do is chant - over and over - TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER.

No, I'm not as stupid as I sound...I didn't just blow the card...I used such restraint you would have thought I was medicated ...I was zombie like walking around looking at everything...it's one of my very favorite places to go...surrounded by all that kitchen stuff...which I imagine Culinary Heaven is like. I'll know "I've arrived" or our "ship's come in" when I have a wall in my kitchen filled with Le Crueset just like Williams Sonoma - think how FUN that would be!!! Everybody sing! To dream...the Impossible Dream....

After THREE trips to Williams Sonoma ...three blissful/agonizing/excruciatingly joyful trips, trying to decide how to spend my card, I finally made some purchases...and the Monkey Bread Ceramic Mold was one of them...it spoke to me.

Totally unnecessary, frivolous, impractical...which is exactly why I love it! A Bundt pan would work just as well but in the world of Monkey Bread People, having my OWN designated MOLD means something. (I only know one Monkey Bread Person, that would be me, and I'm very impressed with my mold, thank you very much.) Monkey Bread is manna from Heaven with glaze. It's fun to make and fun to eat and every calorie-laden bite is like surround sound in your mouth - flavor and fun combined into extreme comfort food.

Yes my friends, grab a Kleenex and dob the tears from your eyes...if you must hum a Negro Spiritual at this time, no one will blame you...Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Because eating Monkey Bread is a spiritual experience...Amen.

Monkey Bread - Adapted Slightly From Williams Sonoma Kitchen

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the Dough:

3/4 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees)

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 package rapid-rise yeast

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons salt

For the Sugar Coating:

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Glaze:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon water

Butter the Monkey Bread mold, or a Bundt pan, with the 2 tablespoons butter. Have all ingredients at room temperature. To make the dough: In a bowl, whisk together the milk, water, melted butter, sugar, egg and yeast. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt and beat on low speed just until combined. Slowly add the milk mixture and beat until the dough comes together, 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough is shiny and smooth, 5 to 6 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball. Coat the inside of a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl and coat the surface of the dough with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the sugar coating: In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Put the melted butter in another bowl. Set aside.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into an 8-inch square. Cut the dough into 6 equal strips, then cut each piece crosswise into 8 pieces to form a total of 48 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, dip into the melted butter and roll in brown sugar-cinnamon mixture, coating well. (I put the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture into a plastic Zip-lock bag and added the dough balls, in batches, to the bag to coat with sugar - worked like a charm.) Stack the balls in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes. Do not let the dough rise over the top of the pan.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the rack to catch any drips during baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and set the pan on the foil and bake at 350 degrees, uncovered for 20 minutes. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the center edge of the bread, next to the tube, springs back when touched, 25 to 35 minutes more.

Meanwhile make the glaze: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and water. Heat, whisking until the ingredients are dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Transfer the bread pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the bread out onto a plate and let cool for 10 minutes. Using a spoon, drizzle the warm glaze over the top and sides of the bread. Let the glaze set for about 10 minutes. Serve the bread warm. Serves 8. Reheats nicely in the microwave.

"The trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind." ~G.K. Chesterton

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-03T11:06:25-08:00

To say I'm the Rodney Dangerfield of Cook's would be fair, at least around the manse. I get NO respect. Case in point...I was in the middle of making what turned out to be the best cake I've made in eons when the mister and boy walked in and wanted to know what was for dessert. I explained to them the cake was "rising" - it's a yeast cake - more like bread - but cakey - I'll explain later. So I tell them that dessert will be late, and they'll have to wait. My words hung in the air like something escaping from the dog's backside, and then they fell on deaf ears only to be followed by the screeching sounds of the boy's tires burning out of the drive...the mister dispatched him to the store to get him dessert.

The boy returned with two slices of cake - one for each of them. Frosting made with lard, cake made with margarine, preservatives, unpronounceable ingredients...shameful...disgusting...so, so rude!

This is the dessert that was WORTH waiting for. St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake...doesn't look like much, does it? A cake made with yeast so the bottom half is bread-like, but sweet. And the top half, well, it's just a caramelized butter/sugar party. By the time the cake was done and the house was filled with it's aroma, fresh from the oven, the mister and boy came padding downstairs with their tongues hanging out - ready for round two of dessert. I felt a bit like the Little Red Hen...if you didn't help make it or in this case, if you couldn't wait AN HOUR for this incredible cake, and you were satisfied with CAKE FROM A GROCERY STORE THEN YOU DESERVE NONE. But words failed me...and I could not stand one more second of waiting...none of us could...it wasn't even cool enough to touch or to be sprinkled with powdered sugar! We dug right in...oh momma...5 dangs so loud and clear the ol' Dang Meter 'bout fell on the floor! After eating a coma-inducing amount, I retired to my chambers, passed out with a smile on my face and dreamed of St. Louis, where the girl was born...and where I should have sniffed out this recipe decades ago (obviously my sniffer was not as finely tuned as it is today)...but it wasn't until yesterday that I even knew St. Louis HAD a cake - let alone a rich gooey butter cake! When I did my daily check-in at Smitten Kitchen I read about it and since everything I've made from Smitten has been fabulous, I just knew this would be, too. Click here, go, read, drool, print, make, eat. Thank the New York Times which is where Smitten found this recipe. Thank her. Thank me. Thank the Good Lord for St. Louis and Goo and Butter and Cake.

Just look at that!! Crispy crust so chewy and dense, like the edges of a brownie only better, and the gooey center - lip-lickin' good...buttery goodness that can't decide if it's supposed to melt or stand up and salute...then there's the cake...sweet, creamy, moist...Can I get a Glory, Glory Hallelujah?! How about an Amen?!

Italian Chicken, Beans and Artichoke Stew...Spezzatino...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-02T09:27:13-08:00

Could you use a big bear hug? The kind where someone you love wraps you up in their arms and whispers that everything is going to be okay? Well, consider this dish just that...a big bear hug in a bowl. It's comfort food that is truly comforting. Rich and savory like Cassoulet - hearty and hale like Beef Stew - yet it takes no where near the time of those dishes!

As you might have guessed, the mister and I are back to reading our many guide books on Italy...this is going to be the year folks...(either he takes me or my new husband will!) so while we're thumbing through travel books, talking about what a great job Rick Steves has, we're also stuffing our faces with Italian fare...trying to soak it all in. This recipe is actually adapted from several recipes...and you can adapt it as you see fit. I like to use bacon because of the smokiness it lends to this stew, instead of pancetta which would be more authentic. I also like to use chicken tenders instead of chicken legs...what I'm saying is, this is a very forgiving dish that allows for all kinds of changes.

Italian Chicken, Beans and Artichoke Stew - Spezzatino

1 lb. bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces

2 celery stalks, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cans (14 oz.) chicken stock

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more for garnishing

10 chicken tenders

3 cans (15 oz.) Cannellini beans, or other white beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (13.75 oz.) artichoke hearts packed in water, drained

In a large, heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan with the bacon grease, over medium-high heat, add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in salt, pepper, chicken stock, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaf and basil; mix well. Add the chicken tenders and cook over medium heat, uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover, reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes. Add the beans and artichoke hearts and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings, and add additional salt and pepper if needed. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a generous tablespoon (or two!) of crisp bacon and garnish with additional fresh basil. Serves 6.

"Eggs have no business dancing with stones." ~ Italian Proverb

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One year ago: French Butter

Two years ago: Orzo Tabuleh

Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons...

Pots and Pins — 2010-03-01T09:14:54-08:00

When the mister and I were first married we did what all newly married couples do...we established some ground rules. After the mister tried to decorate our home so that it looked like the inside of a Holiday Inn...grass-cloth on every surface with tropical print bedding, drapes, rugs...I decided that he could have control over the outside of our home but I would have control over the inside. He quickly agreed...too quickly...he pointed out that we lived in an apartment and therefore there was no outside so he didn't have any chores to do...ever. Obviously an oversight on my part. So I made a few amendments...the mister would have to make ice cubes (this being before the invention of an ice maker) and he would have to clean the showers, windows and all AUTOMOTIVE ISSUES were his and his alone. He agreed. And we didn't have one problem with our system until the car died. Then he tried to push fixing it onto me. I pushed back. Automotive was his department. Why he didn't just go outside and look under the hood and kick a few tires was a mystery to me! That's what all men did, wasn't it?!?! My dad can hear a bad exhaust 5 miles away...he can change a car's oil in under 15 minutes and he's never met a carburetor he didn't like...he KNOWS cars. And I stupidly thought all men were born with car knowledge. Oh how wrong I was. Turned out the mister knew how to start a car, drive it, park it and he also knew that the trunk of a man's car was meant to carry golf clubs, in case he happened by an empty golf course on his way home from work. And that is all he knew. Over years, he's only learned one additional thing about cars...who to call when they break.

My car suffered a recent stroke or something very similar. When it wouldn't start I informed the mister he was up at bat. And while he dealt with the car surgeon, I made Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons. I was already eating my third cookie by the time he was finished. Which means these cookies are extremely easy and fast to make and/or the mister is extremely slow at talking to car people...long story short, my car has been resuscitated and the mister thinks he walks on water.

These are slightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside - sweet chocolate flavor marries the coconut...a match made in Heaven! You're going to love these! 5 dangs worth!

CHOCOLATE-COCONUT MACAROONS

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg white

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoons almond extract

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 bag (14 oz.) flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with foil and grease and flour foil or use Silpat sheets. Set aside. In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in cocoa powder and then coconut. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, about the size of golf balls, onto prepared baking sheets; with back of spoon, slightly flatten each mound. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks. Makes about 24 cookies.

"If you can't make it good, at least make it look good." ~ Bill Gates

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One year ago: Cassoulet

Two years ago: Slow-Cooked Cuban Pork Chops