Pie O My

Amazing Fried Chicken

2012-01-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

I have made fried chicken a few times during my cooking days and even blogged about it already once. I feel though that the recipe I am sharing today is so blog-worthy, it's not to be missed if you're a fried chicken fan. It is flavorful through and through thanks to an overnight refrigeration covered with an amazing dry rub. And unlike other fried chicken recipes I have tried, this one creates a nice crunchy crust and very moist, tender meat. Not an easy combination to achieve.

This is another wonderful recipe from Bon Appetit, my go to culinary magazine of which I have been a devoted follower for many, many years. This is from their most current edition for February 2011. I won't go into too much detail about the preparation as the recipe is very self-explanatory. You can also go to their website and not only see a video on how they made it in their test kitchen, but also had to take care of your cast iron skillet.

Have I mentioned recently how much I love my cast iron skillet? It is my favorite tool in the kitchen. Purchased as a graduated set of 3 pans, 10 inch, 8 inch, and 5 inch for an extremely reasonable price of $5.00 at a garage sale, these pans were an absolute steal. They were used but in very good condition and I continue to treat them very well. They will last me forever. Which may not be that long if I don't quit eating fried chicken!

Skillet Fried Chicken
(Bon Appetit February 2012)

2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 3–4-lb. chicken, cut into 10 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Peanut oil (for frying)

Preparation

Whisk 1 Tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Season chicken with spices. Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover, and chill overnight.

Let chicken stand covered at room temperature for 1 hour. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and 1/2 cup water in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, cornstarch, remaining 1 Tbsp. salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. pepper in a 9x13x2" baking dish.

Pour oil into a 10"–12" cast-iron skillet or other heavy straight-sided skillet (not nonstick) to a depth of 3/4". Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 350°. Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.

Working with 1 piece at a time (use 1 hand for wet ingredients and the other for dry ingredients), dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge in flour mixture; tap against bowl to shake off excess. Place 5 pieces of chicken in skillet. Fry chicken, turning with tongs every 1–2 minutes and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature of 300°–325°, until skin is deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165°, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for thighs, legs, and breasts.

Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet, allowing excess oil to drip back into skillet; transfer chicken to prepared rack.

Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Thai Green Curry Seafood

2012-01-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

I always thought I wasn't a fan of curry after a dreadful experience tasting curry for the first time in college. I believe the curry was some sort of yellow powdered mixture that a dorm neighbor cooked up. She was half Japanese and introduced some of us non-adventurous diners to things such as seaweed covered rice balls, ramen noodles, and the aforementioned curry. I still love seaweed in the sushi format and indulge occasionally in a doctored up bowl of ramen, but it wasn't until I braved curry again in the form of a Thai dish did I decide that it was delicious.

I saw this recipe while cleaning out old copies of Bon Appetit (May 2009) and thought it looked intriguing and perfect for the cold, wet, wintery days we've been experiencing. It is like a soup and actually Bon Appetit referred to it as an International chowder. Be forewarned though, it is very, very spicy in my opinion. As my BFF Patti would say "burns baby's tongue." It called for two jalapeno peppers and I used only one and it still was quite spicey. I read the label on the curry paste and it said it was 30% peppers which could explain the heat. I would definitely make this again but omit the extra pepper altogether and not use as much water called for to make it a bit thicker in consistency.

Many Thai recipes require a lot of different ingredients and this one was no exception. Once I got everything prepped though, it went together very fast-about 20 minutes.

Thai Green Curry Seafood

2 tablespoons unrefined peanut oil
5 green onions, finely chopped, dark green parts separated from white and pale green parts
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 1/4 cups water
1 13- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2 small fresh red Thai chiles or 1 red jalapeño chile
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced on diagonal (about 1 cup)
4 cups thinly sliced bok choy
8 ounces uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
8 ounces bay scallops
1 pound green or black mussels, scrubbed, debearded
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 cups (about) steamed rice

Unrefined peanut oil can be found at natural foods stores and markets. Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, and fish sauce are sold at many supermarkets and at Asian markets. Look for fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves at markets. If unavailable, use 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel for each lime leaf.

Preparation

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add white and pale green parts of green onions, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and garlic; sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add curry paste; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 cups water, coconut milk, chiles, lime leaves, and fish sauce. Bring to simmer. Add carrot; cover and cook until carrot is just tender, about 5 minutes. Layer bok choy, shrimp, scallops, then mussels in pan. Cover and simmer until mussels open and seafood and bok choy are cooked (discard mussels that do not open), about 5 minutes. Stir in dark green parts of green onions, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and basil.

Divide rice among 4 shallow bowls. Ladle curry over rice and serve.

Snow and Soup

2012-01-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

Today we experienced our first snow of the winter. Only a dusting but still lovely as it is Sunday and tomorrow is a holiday so no need to worry about traveling to work. What a perfect day to make a pot of soup.

We have a wonderful company here in Oregon called Bob's Red Mill and they make the most amazing whole grain, flour, beans, and a plethora of other natural products. I found a package of their 13 Bean Soup Mix at the store last week and the variety of colorful beans looked so fantastic. Knowing I had a ham bone in the freezer left over from Christmas I knew that a bean soup just had to be made.

This soup turned out so well. It is hearty yet it is made with no added fat so it is also healthy. It has just the right amount of heat from the chili powder without being overwhelming and the cumin gives it some added flavor dimension. A great soup to have on a snowy Sunday and leftovers for lunches throughout the week. Perfect!

13 Bean Soup

2 cups 13 Bean Soup Mix

1 Ham Hock
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 15 oz can tomato sauce or 1 quart tomatoes
1-1/2 tsp to 1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic or 2 tsp garlic powder

Wash and soak 13 Bean Soup Mix overnight.

Drain and rinse beans. In a large pot, bring 2-1/2 quarts water to boil with beans and ham hock. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Remove ham hock and let it cool. Remove any meat from the bone, chop it into small pieces and return it to the pot.

Saute in another pan, chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper,chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Add the sauteed vegetables and the tomatoes into the soup pot. Simmer 30 minutes.

Makes about 8 servings.

A Seattle Vacation

2012-01-09T05:05:00.000-08:00

I leave you with some pictures of some iconic Seattle locations this week. No time in the kitchen for me.

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

I am going to relax today as I begin a week-long vacation. This will be my first whole week off since I began a new job in November 2010. In reflection, 2011 was truly one of the most satisfying years of my life. Though it was somewhat stressful initially learning a new job after fourteen years at the previous one, I have not looked back once regretting my decision.

My new career choice has filled me with such satisfaction and a new found compassion for my fellow human beings and an empathy for people, most of the time by no choice of their own, are dealing with such difficult lives. Prior to taking my new job I had no idea what real suffering was all about. I am so glad I can be a small part of a healing process for people who face huge challenges.

I give you this recipe for yummy chocolate peanut butter cookies that are really over the top if you're a peanut butter cup lover (I am)! And I leave you with hopes that you have a wonderful New Year filled with happiness, laughter, time with your families, however you may define the word, and the ability to do what you love in life.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. coarse salt
¾ stick (6 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. milk
2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cups, divided

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Blend until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add in 1½ cups of the chopped peanut butter cups and fold in gently with a spatula.

Use a large dough scoop (about 3 tablespoons) to drop rounds of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing 2-3 inches apart. Gently press a few pieces of the reserved peanut butter cups into the top of each of the dough balls. Bake 12-14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. (The cookies may seem too soft immediately after coming out of the oven but they will set as they cool. You don’t want to overbake them.) Let cool on the baking sheets about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

The Pink Stuff

2011-12-25T13:06:00.000-08:00

Most families have old favorite recipes that get trotted out during the holiday season. I know I have mentioned a number of my family favorites like angel cookies, rib roast, and Yorkshire pudding. Today I am going to share a tried-and-true, wouldn't-be-a-holiday-without recipe from The Husband's family.

It is referred to as "The Pink Stuff" and my lovely mother-in-law makes it for Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. It is gobbled up in great quantities and loved by all who are lucky enough to taste it. One day I was looking through an old cookbook called A Taste of Oregon and I came upon a recipe that looked very similar to the description my Mom-in-law has given me as to how she creates her pink stuff.

This year she decided not to make the pink stuff for Christmas dinner so I took it as an opportunity to try my hand at making this recipe to see if it was indeed similar. It is very simple to make if you have a food processor, which I do. Mom-in-law does not. She takes the cranberries and grinds them through a manual meat grinder apparatus she screws onto the counter top. I can't even imagine the effort that must entail!! Five seconds, pulse, pulse, pulse, and viola, perfect finely chopped cranberries for me. I am lucky to live in Oregon where local cranberries can be found in the grocery stores. So good! Throw in a can of crushed pineapples and a pile of miniature marshmallows and some sugar and let sit overnight. The next day whip up some cream and combine with the rest of the ingredients and there you have it...The Pink Stuff.

P.S. If you're like The Husband's family, you might as well make a double batch while your at it. Take my word for it. There will be no leftovers.

Mother's Cranberry Christmas Salad (a.k.a. The Pink Stuff)

1 pound fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup drained, crushed and/or tidbits pineapple
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup whipped cream

Grind cranberries. Add sugar, then pineapple. Add marshmallows. Let this set in refrigerator overnight. Add whipped cream just before serving. Serves 6-8.

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

2011-12-11T14:30:00.001-08:00

Sometimes when I cook something that I think would be great to blog about, it turns out to be rather homely and not very photogenic. Such is the case with this delicious apple pie. It looked so inviting in an old issue of Bon Appetit, but when I took it out of the oven it was a little on the dark side and not that appealing in appearance.

That is not to say while baking it didn't fill up the house with the most intoxicating smells of apples and cinnamon. Yum. And it was love at first bite upon tasting. What makes this apple pie rise above the rest in my opinion, is the addition of a couple teaspoons of vanilla extract and the use of brown sugar instead of white sugar with the apples. The recipe also calls for raisins which I opted not to include this time.

The other wonderful thing about this pie is that it was so easy to put together as there is no top crust but instead a delicious crumb topping. If you are a fan of apple pie this should be on your list of recipes to try. I think you'll agree it's a keeper.

Cinnamon Apple Pie with Raisins and Crumb Topping
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup (or more) ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Filling:
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 3/4 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 6 medium), peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 8 cups)
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Crumb Topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in processor. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix 1/4 cup ice water and vinegar in small bowl; add to processor and pulse until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if mixture is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out dough on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish. Fold edges under and crimp, forming crust sides 1/4 inch above rim of pie dish. Freeze crust 20 minutes.

For filling:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Mix brown sugar, flour, lemon peel, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add apple slices, raisins, and vanilla; toss until well coated. Transfer filling to unbaked crust, mounding filling slightly in center. Bake pie until apples begin to soften, about 40 minutes.

For the crumb topping:
Whisk flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture begins to clump together.

Sprinkle topping evenly over hot pie. Continue to bake pie until apples are tender and topping is browned and crisp, tenting pie with sheet of foil if browning too quickly, about 50 minutes. Cool pie on rack at least 2 hours. Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Homemade vs. Store Bought

2011-12-04T08:46:00.001-08:00

A quick blog entry today to expound on the cost savings in most cases between homemade and store bought products. Last weekend The Husband requested one of his favorite dinners, Fettuccine Alfredo and Caesar Salad. As we were grocery shopping I went to the fresh pasta section of the refrigerator case and picked up a 12 oz. pack of fettuccine. I was so startled at the price, $5.95, I put it right back on the shelf.

We are lucky enough that we can usually purchase whatever we like, though I do compare prices, utilize coupons, and look for sales items. But really, $5.95 for 12 oz. of flour and egg?? Ridiculous considering I have a manual pasta maker at home and know that the quality of homemade pasta is light years ahead of anything purchased, both in taste and in texture.

So home we went pastaless for the time being.

Upstairs from the basement came my tried and true Italian made Atlas pasta maker purchased at a garage sale for just a few dollars. In a matter of minutes I had mixed 2 cups of flour, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkle of water to make my pasta dough. In came The Husband who did the cranking and we had a pound of pasta made within one half hour. Not only was it a great activity for the two of us (come on, we've been together 17 years, it doesn't take much to excite us), but it was an amazing cost savings.

Here is the breakdown: Store bought fettuccine $5.95 for 12 oz or .50 cents per ounce versus Homemade fettuccine $ .96 for 12 oz. or .08 cents per ounce

Consider cooking from scratch more often for great cost savings and healthier, better food.

I Had A Dream

2011-11-27T12:08:00.001-08:00

A couple nights before Thanksgiving I had a dream about a turkey sandwich. Not just any garden variety turkey sandwich, but a turkey sandwich recipe that I had created. I was so excited about this jolt of food creativity. Not only was it this amazingly creative recipe but in my dream I had also envisioned a blog entry.

Now here is the thing. In the light of day I knew I hadn't created this recipe. Who hasn't heard of a Turkey, Avocado, and Bacon sandwich before? But in my dream, it was a slider on a leftover dinner roll, and I had given it a terribly creative name: TAB.

No not this Tab. My new and amazing sandwich was going to be called the TAB and everyone would be clamoring for it. I think I need to get a life. This food blogging has really taken me "around the bend" as a dear old friend once said to me about my blog.

Well, not being the most clever person in the world, I just knew when I awoke I couldn't let this burst of inspiration pass me by. So today, two days post Thanksgiving with a Tupperware full of turkey leftovers, I decided to make my "dream sandwich." May I present the TAB.

Ingredients: Turkey, avocado slices, bacon slices, small dinner rolls, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Put it all together and enjoy.

Homemade Pretzels

2011-11-26T07:23:00.001-08:00

I've never had an Auntie Annie's soft pretzel. I have certainly been enticed by the wonderful aromas of those shops in the shopping malls, but it's just not something I've ever tried. Recently, while watching Good Eats with Alton Brown on the Food Network, he made soft pretzels and they looked so darn fun to make, I just knew it was something I had to try.

These were fairly easy to make, though the shaping took a few tries to come up with the classic pretzel shape. Like the bagels I made recently, these most be boiled first before baking. If when boiling, they lose there shape, they can easily be rearranged when you set them on the baking sheet. The toppings I chose were sesame seed and salt, using a large grained salt as opposed to kosher or table salt. I read about brushing them in butter when they come out of the oven and then dipping them in cinnamon sugar. That would be good too.

If you're a fan of the soft pretzel, this is a recipe you'll want to try for a fun day in the kitchen!

Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. Makes 8.

Lucky Winner

2011-11-19T14:46:00.001-08:00

There are a number of added benefits to writing a food blog besides getting to cook and experiment in the kitchen. One of these benefits is getting exposure to and enjoying the hard work of other dedicated food bloggers. Early when I started blogging I stumbled upon the wonderful blog of Debby called A Feast for the Eyes. As I read her blog, I realized I had found a fellow home cook I could really relate to. Her down to earth recipes, wonderful photos, great tutorials, and delightful writing style had me hooked.

Recently Debby had a giveaway contest for a gift basket from a famous bakery in Southhampton, New York called Tate's Bake Shop. This is a bakery frequented by the likes of Ina Garten, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Ray. Recently Consumer Reports listed their chocolate chip cookies as the best of 18 store-bought and fast-food chocolate chip cookies.

Well lucky me! I won the giveaway and what a lovely package showed up at my door. In it were two packages of hearty, delicious granola, a very generous coffee cake absolutely loaded with pecans, and a Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook. I can't wait to try to make some of these famous baked goods in my own home. Thank you Debby for the opportunity to win such a lovely prize and I look forward always to reading your blog. And thank you Tate's Bake Shop for your divine baked goods. Much appreciated!

Soup's On!

2011-11-12T06:16:00.001-08:00

I'm ready to admit it. It's Fall. The leaves appear on fire on all the trees here in my town, labeled a Tree City, USA. It's gorgeous. It's also frosty in the mornings and chilly at night and the furnace is up and running.

All of this means only one thing; it's time to make soup. I have it in my mind that this winter I am going to experiment with more soup recipes. I have been clipping and bookmarking recipes like crazy. We'll see if my enthusiasm continues throughout the cold months ahead.

This is a great recipe that I have been seeing on fellow food bloggers sites for some time now. It sounded so warm and substantial for a soup dinner and it was that. Served with a piece of Texas garlic toast, it was a wonderful meal. This would be a great meal for after work if the potatoes are baked ahead of time. Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions, divided

Preheat oven to 400°.
Bake potatoes at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Cut up two of the potatoes into bite size cubes, skin on. Scoop out the flesh of the other two potatoes and mash well. Discard skins. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, fry bacon until crisp then take out of pan. Reserve 1 Tbsp. bacon fat in pan. Add butter and melt. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft. Do not brown. Add milk, chicken broth, all of the potatoes, seasoning. Heat until hot but not boiling. Add 3/4 cups of the cheese and cook until melted.

Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir into a slurry. Add to soup and cook until soup thickens. Add bacon bits, reserving a few for tops of soup bowls.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top with green onions, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and a dollop of sour cream. Serves 4.

Thank you Mother

2011-11-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

Sister Peggy and Blog Author's 6th and 7th Birthday Cakes
(We share the same birthday a year apart!)

This blog is dedicated to my amazing mother. I recently had a wonderful visit with her and we were discussing a project she had begun to tackle; that of organizing the zillion old family photos in many, many photo albums and shoe boxes. I offered to take the project on and scan important photos to share with my siblings so we can all enjoy them and pass them on through the generations.

Sue and Peggy's Shared 7th and 8th Birthday Cake

While going through them, I found the following photos of birthday cakes my mother made for us when were were young and I was quite flabbergasted and in awe of how she was able to tackle such cooking projects in those days. I must explain that my parents had five children with the oldest one only being five years old when the baby of the family was born. Imagine having that many children so close in age to feed, bathe, clothe, tend to when hurt or sick, and most importantly of all, love. She and my father did all of that and more. I think my siblings would agree, we grew up in a pretty remarkable household.

Sister Linda's 7th or 8th Birthday Cake

Back to the cakes. I wanted to share these photos and also a web site called Animal Cut Up Cakes that I found. This site shows the exact cookbook these designs came from and how to make these very cakes. It was a free advertisement cookbook from Baker's coconut, circa 1959. These family photos are all taken in the early-mid '60's. As noted in the photos, coconut is a prominent feature on all of them. Aren't they wonderful? And wasn't my mother amazing? Oh, by the way, she still is!! Thanks Mom for all you did for us to make our birthdays so special.

Brother Frank's 5th Birthday Cake

Brother Mike's 3rd birthday Cake

Homemade Bagels

2011-10-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about making bagels for such a long time. What was holding me back? I think it was the intimidation of having to boil these doughnut-shaped rolls in water first. I have had terrible luck making doughnuts and having them keep their shape. Well, I'm here to tell you, making bagels is SO MUCH easier. This recipe is anyway.

I found this recipe on a wonderful website called The Galley Gourmet and the author has a wonderful tutorial of how she made hers if you're interested in step-by-step visual instructions. After reading this blog I was convinced to give them a try. I will share her recipe with you and encourage you bread makers out there to give these a try. They are far superior to the too soft versions we find in our supermarkets and the flavor is delicious. The Husband declared "These are the best bagels I've ever tasted." High praise indeed!

Homemade Bagels

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus extra for kneading
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Poppy seeds (optional)
Sesame seeds (optional)
Dried onion flakes (optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the water. Continue to mix until the dough comes together in a mass, about 4-6 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and knead for another 8-10 minutes until soft and smooth. Put the dough in a bowl sprayed lightly with non-stick baking spray. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Gently deflate the dough and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425º F and bring a large pot of water to a boil; then reduce to a simmer.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Press each piece down to get rid of air bubbles. Form into balls and roll the balls between your palm and the work surface, rotating to form a smooth ball. Coat a finger in flour and press it through each ball to form a ring. Work the rest of your fingers into the hole, stretching the dough and widening the hole to about 1/3 of the bagel’s diameter. Place the bagels baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Gently lower the bagels into the water in batches, 2-3 bagels at a time. Boil, uncovered for about 1 minute. Turn them over once and boil for another minute. Using a perforated skimmer, remove the bagels from the pot, letting the water drain, and return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle tops of bagels with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried onion flakes, or leave them plain. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 8 bagels.

Not Ready For Fall

2011-10-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

I thought about making a big pot of soup over the weekend but then decided that I'm not ready to give in and start cooking Fall recipes. I had recently made a shopping trip to the new Trader Joe's in town (it's about time we got one), and I picked up a bag of Meyer lemons for a darn good price.

I just knew I would be inspired to whip up something with these wonderful lemons if I looked in a recently acquired new cookbook, The Bon Appetit Cookbook. This cookbook is chock-a-block full of amazing recipes from apples to zucchini, breakfast through dinner, and beyond. I have a special warm spot in my heart for Bon Appetit as of late, as I was given a little bit of press on their blog site for cooking a recent recipe they published in one of their issues. It's always been one of my very favorite magazines since I started subscribing in the early '80's.

I found just the recipe for my "I'm not giving up on Summer" lemon dessert. I share with you this Meyer Lemon Mousse. It didn't call for Meyer lemons but since that is all I had, that is what I used. Meyer lemons have a much more distinct orange taste and are far less tart then our common garden variety lemons. They made for a delightful change and a delicious dessert. I also modified the recipe a bit as it called for toasted coconut layered between the mousse which I opted not to do. Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Mousse

2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream

Place 2 teaspoons water in small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 10 minutes. Whisk sugar, lemon juice, yolks and lemon peel in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Add butter; stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and just begins to bubble at edges, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture; stir to dissolve. Transfer lemon curd to medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.)

Beat cream in medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold 1 cup cream into curd.

Spoon into serving dishes and let chill for at least one hour. Serves six.

Deep Dish Pizza

2011-10-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

I have attempted to make homemade pizza a few times at home and I had just about given up. I never have been able to achieve the perfect pizza parlor results I have been looking for. Even after investing in a pizza stone and a pizza peel, I still ended up with flabby thin crust pizza and a broken pizza stone. Don't believe the manufacturers instructions about it being okay to put in the oven at 450 degrees.

Recently I stumbled across this recipe for deep dish pizza on a blog called SparkPeople and this pizza sounded like and turned out to be a real winner. We haven't traditionally been deep dish pizza fans at our house, but one taste of this fantastic pie and we are now converts.

The recipe below calls for pepperoni but I opted for a Pizza Margherita (tomato and fresh basil) and sausage and olive for my first attempts. It is hard to say which I liked better. They were both fantastic. This dough for the crust is so wonderful and pliable. Unlike thin pizza dough that has to be coaxed into what I always hope to be a circular shape, this is easily pushed into the cake pan and up the sides. It bakes into this extremely favorful (thanks olive oil), very light, and richly browned crust. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone interested in making pizza from scratch at home.

Deep Dish Pizza

Dough

1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic , minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Toppings

1 (3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups tomato sauce (see related recipe, "Basic Pizza Sauce")
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions for Basic Pizza sauce

Cook oil and garlic in medium saucepan over low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, herbs and peppers, increase heat to medium, and cook until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Instructions for dough

1. To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil.

2. Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. To shape and top the dough: Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

4. While dough rises, put half of pepperoni in single layer on microwave-safe plate lined with 2 paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard towels and set pepperoni aside; repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.

5. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 (or four, as was our case) wedges. Serve.

Thanks for Lunch Jodi

2011-10-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today I would like thank Jodi for our wonderful weekend lunch. I have never met Jodi. She is a work friend of The Husband's. She is also an amazing canner and has shared with The Husband and myself some lovely food she has preserved. This includes Albacore Tuna from our local waters on the Pacific coast, delicious dill pickles, and peaches extraordinaire!

I like to prepare at least one nice lunch on the weekends as The Husband and I never get to have lunch together during the week. On this particular day I decided to make a lunch using all of these wonderful products sent to our home by Jodi. The menu consisted of tuna sandwiches, pickle garnishes, and peaches for dessert.

The tuna was fantastic. A nice solid block of light tuna that was flaky and full of rich tuna flavor. The pickles had just the right amount of tartness, garlic flavor, and bite to them. And the peaches.....oh where do I start. I am a huge fan of peaches but unfortunately most commercially canned peaches are mushy and have a distinct tinny taste to them. The moment I opened the jar I knew these were something special. They tasted as if they were straight from the orchard, bursting with fresh peachy flavor and they had an almost floral aroma to them. Delicious!

So again, thanks Jodi for lunch and I hope we can meet someday so I can thank you in person.

Perfect Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs

2011-09-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law Steve came through again, recommending this winning recipe he had previously tested. This recipe originates from Bon Appetit magazine and it is from the June 2011 issue. It is in the quick and easy section and it was just that.

This was a fast no-fuss way to prepare a succulent chicken dish. I had the entire meal on the table within 30 minutes, from start to finish. I served this along side some rice with roasted almonds and fresh green beans and tomatoes from our garden. A couple of helpful hints: take the chicken out of the refrigerator 1/2 hour to 1 hour prior to cooking to ensure your chicken is cooked through, and I feel it is imperative you use a cast iron skillet to get optimal browning of the chicken skin. Enjoy!

Perfect Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs

6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking.

Nestle chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue cooking skin side down, moving chicken around to ensure even heat. Cook skin-down until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven and cook 10-13 minutes more. Flip chicken so the skin side is facing up and cook until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature registers at least 165 degrees, about 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using.

Overnight Buttermilk Waffles

2011-09-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

I have found the perfect waffle recipe. I'm serious. These are the best. They come together in a matter of mere minutes the night before cooking them. They then sit in the refrigerator overnight and the little yeasties work their magic and in the morning, Viola! Magnificent waffles.

I must warn you. Be sure and use a nice big bowl when you make these as the batter expands dramatically. I nearly had a batter disaster in my fridge in the morning. The batter was up to the very edge of the bowl. These are best eaten immediately after they come off the waffle iron in order to keep the wonderful crispness intact. If serving for a brunch or breakfast for a crowd, it might be best to borrow a couple of waffle irons and have a few going at once.

I served mine with extraordinary Irish butter and Canadian pure maple syrup. Heaven!!

Overnight Buttermilk Waffles

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (.25-oz)
1/2 cup warm water (approx 100-110F)
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, stir together yeast and warm water. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in buttermilk, melted butter, sugar and eggs until well combined. Stir in flour and salt until batter is smooth.

Cover bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (for 8-12 hours).

In the morning, remove waffle batter from the refrigerator. Stir in baking soda, and mix vigorously until well incorporated. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Preheat your waffle maker as directed by the manufacturer.

Dollop waffle batter onto hot, lightly greased waffle iron (as directed by the manufacturer) and allow to cook until golden brown.

Serve immediately, with butter and maple syrup. Serves 4-6

Heirloom Tomato Soup

2011-09-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

I just have to make recipes right now to use up the bounty of tomatoes coming from our garden. With many, many days of 85-95 degree weather in the middle of September, the tomatoes have decided to ripen all at once. The picture below is one Sunday morning's harvest. As there are just The Gardener and The Cook in our home, I look for recipes that will freeze for the future and this fits the bill.

This recipe comes from Lynne Rossetto Kasper's wonderful site for her radio show on PBS called The Splendid Table. If any of you foodies out there haven't discovered her weekly hour long radio show devoted to all things good in food and wine, you must tune in. Of course
it's available to download via podcast so there is no excuse not to listen. It is informative, inspirational for cooks, and often amusing.

I used all yellow heirloom tomotoes and I opted not to serve this soup with the heavy cream called for. I wanted to savor the wonderful, pure taste of tomatoes and basil in soup form. Very delicious!

Heirloom Tomato Soup

Extra virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large cloves garlic, minced
Pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 generous tablespoon tomato paste
2-1/2 to 3 cups chicken broth (homemade preferred, but low sodium canned works, too)
A big handful fresh basil leaves, torn
15 medium or 10 large delicious ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped (do capture their juices for the soup)
1 cup whipping cream for serving

Generously film the bottom of a 12-quart pot with olive oil. Set over medium high heat. When warm, add onions and about 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to color.

Stir in the garlic, red pepper, and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute. Add broth, basil, and tomatoes. Bring to a lively simmer, cover the pot, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until tomatoes are softened and soup tastes fresh, but mellow. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Once soup has cooled, puree two-thirds in a blender or food processor. Rewarm or serve close to room temperature. The all-important finish is stirring a generous tablespoon of cream into each bowl. This soup freezes well without the cream. Serves 6-8.

Tomato Caprese, Part Three

2011-09-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

Each year I have had this little blog of mine, I have done a recipe at the end of the summer involving a take on the Italian classic Tomato Caprese. Year one with my sorrowful lack of knowledge about how to use my camera gave you this example. In year two I learned how to use the vivid colors feature and the zoom lens and created this plate of goodness.

This year I must carry on the tradition but I added a twist and made a wonderful hot pasta dish with all of the components of a Tomato Caprese salad. I must confess that not all of the tomatoes this year were from our garden but the yellow and red ones were, as was the basil. A most delightful and very quick to put together supper. Here is how it's made as best as my memory serves me as I had no recipe.

Tomato Caprese Pasta

12 oz. dried pasta (choice of shape is optional)
1 container of small mozzarella balls, cut in half
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 cloves of garlic sliced finely
3-4 medium tomatoes, cut into small pieces
10-12 basil leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Put pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Gently heat up the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the garlic and watch carefully so it doesn't burn. As soon as it starts to color, add the tomatoes and turn the heat down to low. Cook the pasta. When done, drain and put in large bowl. Toss in the tomatoes, garlic, and oil along with the cheese and basil leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve along with some Italian bread. Enjoy. Makes 4 servings.

Shrimp and Grits

2011-09-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Southern cooking. Not something I'm very familiar with. I've done the pan fried chicken with so-so results and that about covers it until I tried this recipe for Shrimp and Grits. Spectacular! Normally served in the South as a breakfast meal, I made this for dinner and it was very satisfying. For an added boost of protein, a fried egg could be the topper.

We have a local company in Oregon called Bob's Red Mill and they make a huge array of grains and one of their wonderful products is various sizes of cornmeal. For this recipe I used fine ground and the end results were the most fantastic, smooth and creamy grits. Think of grits as Cream of Wheat only with a corn flavor and amazingly rich and delicious because of the cheese, butter, and cream. Topped with the spicy shrimp and sausage bits; a perfect compliment to the grits. This recipe will definitely be on the cooking rotation.

Shrimp and Grits

Grits
1 cup yellow grits (not instant)
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 jalapeño, seeded, diced
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Shrimp
1/2 cup 1/3" cubes andouille sausage
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, divided
16 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined
1/4 cup (or more) beer
1/4 cup low-salt chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Preparation

Grits

Bring 3 cups water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits. Turn heat to low; gently simmer until grits begin to thicken. Continue cooking, stirring often and adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick, until tender, about 1 hour. Stir in cheese, butter, and jalapeño, then cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Shrimp

Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; sauté until fat begins to render, about 5 minutes (if sausage is very lean, add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet). Add garlic and 1 tablespoon butter; stir until butter melts. Add shrimp. When garlic begins to brown, add beer and chicken stock. Simmer until shrimp is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; set aside.
Divide grits among bowls, forming a well in center. Spoon shrimp mixture into center of grits. Sprinkle tarragon over.

Our State Fair

2011-08-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

Yet another week with nothing to post. It's the end of summer and we must make the most of it. This weekend was for visiting with family and friends and a trip to the Oregon State Fair. The beauty of going to our fair is that it is a mere five blocks from our house. There is no excuse not to go! I will share a few colorful highlights and then I must get to work and come up with a fantastic recipe for next week.

Award winning canned goods

Amazing flowers

Newly hatched chicks

Lunch

Colorful fair goers

And colorful rides

Trip To Mountain View Farm

2011-08-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

A lone oak tree near Salem, Oregon as we left for our trip

This weekend took us 300 miles north to the town of Port Angeles, Washington on the picturesque Olympic Peninsula where my sister and her husband live on a beautiful farm. Their farm sits in the midst of the Olympic Mountains and a more dramatic setting would be hard to find. The land on which they live has been in my brother-in-law's family for well over a hundred years, having been homesteaded by his Norwegian ancestors and passed on through the generations. I can imagine that when these folks ended up in this magnificent part of our country, it must have reminded them very much of the home they left behind, surrounded by forests, mountains, rivers, and the sea.

My brother-in-law, his father, and my nephew built their house about 10 years ago on this working farm and have made the most wonderful home imaginable. There are fields of grass which are grazed by a herd of Scottish Highland cattle, descended from the original livestock owned by the Norwegian ancestors. They are peaceable animals and ironically, there is not much, if any red meat eaten at my sister's home, so these animals indeed live the good life!

The original barn still stands and it is very much in use today for storing hay to feed the livestock as well as housing many original pieces of farm equipment. What fun it is for us city folk to explore around the barn and outbuildings, examining these antiques.

The occasion for this trip was a family reunion and it was fantastic. There were multi-generations of family as well as old friends, with everyone enjoying the wonderful food and perfect weather.

Four generations of beautiful women!

Nothing out of my kitchen this week but I hope you enjoy these pictures from my weekend at the farm.

Peanut Butter Pie with Honeycomb and Chocolate

2011-08-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a totally over the top pie I made for the Husband's birthday. Don't tell him it was for his birthday. He hates celebrating his birthday. I served this the day after his birthday at a little non-birthday dinner for him with our friends.

This pie is sinful. It has all the components of a Butterfinger bar, deconstructed into a pie. Peanut butter, chocolate, crunchy graham cracker crust, and to top it all off, the most amazing honeycomb candy pieces. What an absolute hoot it was to make that. It's the most simple sugar syrup flavored with honey boiling away on the stove. Then a tablespoon of baking soda is added and a huge volcanic eruption of molten, foaming sugar is expanding in the pan, the likes of which I have never seen before. When cooled, you just crack it and it is an airy, light, carmel tasting candy. Very fun!!

This pie comes from Bon Appetit and here is the link if you would like to see their recipe.

Peanut Butter Pie with Honeycomb and Chocolate

Crust
9 graham crackers, coarsley crushed
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Filling
8 large egg yolks
12 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I used 1 tsp of vanilla extract)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Honeycomb1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon baking soda, sifted

Preparation

Crust

Preheat oven to 325°. Finely grind graham crackers, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a food processor.Transfer crumb mixture to a medium bowl. Add butter and stir to blend. Use bottom and sides of a measuring cup to pack crumbs onto bottom and up sides of 9" glass or metal pie pan.Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Filling

Mix yolks and 6 Tbsp. sugar in the bowl of a stand mixers fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at high speed until ribbons form, stopping once to scrape down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes.

Combine milk and remaining 6 Tbsp. sugar in a large saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add bean. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove bean. With mixer running, gradually add hot milk mixture to yolk mixture. Scrape mixture back into pan. Clean bowl. Whisking constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove pan from heat; whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Return custard to mixing bowl, beat on high speed until cool, about 4 minutes. Mix in butter on Tbsp. at a time. Add peanut butter, powdered sugar, and salt; beat to blend. Scrape filling into cooled crust; smooth top. Chill until set, 2-3 hours.

Topping

Stir chocolate and butter in a medium bowl set over a saucepand of simmering water until melted and smooth.

Drizzle some of the chocolate glaze over the peanut butter filling, making a circle in the middle of the pie and leaving a 1"-2" plain border. Pile pieces of honeycomb and salted peanuts on top, then drizzle remaining chocolate glaze over.

Honeycomb

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Combine sugar, corn syrum, honey, and 1/4 cup water in a heavy deep saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Cook without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar turns pale amber. Working quickly, add baking soda (mixture will foam up dramatically); whisk quickly just to combine. Immediately pour candy over prepared sheet (do not spread out). Let stand undisturbed until cool, about 20 minutes. Hit candy in several places with the handle of a knife to crack into pieces.

Three Times Is A Charm-French Macarons

2011-08-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Voila la Macaron Francais!!

Here is a French bakery classic, the French macaron. They have also been the rage amongst food bloggers for a couple of years now. It was time I got on the band wagon and gave my spatula a whirl to try and master these elusive cookies.

The thing about them is that the list of ingredients couldn't be more elementary: ground almonds, egg whites, powdered and granulated sugar, and flavoring of your choice. These cookies are all about technique. One false move and you have a tray full of tasty sweets, but they are not French macarons. There are a couple things imperative to a true macaron. They must rise with a small "foot" at the bottom and the top must be smooth, shiny, and nicely rounded over. It is said that making these are one of the trickiest techniques in French pastry making and that French bakeries throw away approximately 20% of them due to failure.

My first attempt turned out wrong as the batter was too thick. I flavored these with some finely grated lemon zest and a few drops of yellow gel food coloring. As you can see, they did not smooth out and the foot never appeared, just big cracks. They tasted very good.

My second attempt turned out wrong as the batter was too thin. The variance in batter texture has to do with how many times you fold it once the dry ingredients are incorporated into the stiffly beaten egg whites. These ones didn't rise at all and their tops cracked. They were flavored with vanilla extract and colored with a few drops of red food gel. Everything I have read says to use gel food colorings because even the slightest variation in moisture in the batter can effect the end results. These too, were very tasty.

Today I attempted chocolate macarons as posted on a great baker's blog by the name of David Lebovitz who is an ex-patriot who lives in Paris.....lucky, lucky David. I'm not going to post his recipe. I'll just direct you to his site, Living the Sweet Live in Paris, and let you read up on his thoughts and his links to the many people who have achieved success and their techniques.

The possibilities are endless with flavorings you can use for both the cookie base and the fillings. I filled these chocolate ones with a cherry butter cream which I made by combining powdered sugar, a little butter, a dollop of cherry jam, and a few drops of red food gel. if you attempt to make these, just know to be patient and give yourself time for some trial and error. Once you've made your first successful batch you may be so excited you'll have to call your mother and tell her. That's what I did!!

Homemade Pita Bread

2011-07-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Making bread is so satisfying and making homemade pita bread was just plain fun. Simple as can be with just a few ingredients and the most basic of bread making techniques, and the end results are magic pockets of bready goodness!!

Serve these pitas cut in wedges with refreshing cucumber tzatziki or hummus as dips or stuff with falafal or grilled steak or lamb and some fresh tomatoes and lettuce for a satisfying dinner. I know I'll be making my own pita bread from now on when I'm inspired to cook Mediterranean.

PITA BREAD (Arabic Pocket Bread)

Prep. time: about 2 hours (most of which is raising time)
Yield: 6 larger (or 12 smaller) pocket breads

1 cup wrist-temp. water
1 1/2 teaspoons (half of a 1/4-oz. packet) active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
about 3 1/2 cups of flour (I substituted 1 cup of whole wheat flour)

a little oil for the dough
extra flour for rolling out

1) Place the water in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes-it will become foamy.

2) Add sugar or honey and salt. Stir until everything dissolves.

3) Add three cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing enthusiastically with a whisk. As the dough thickens, switch to a wooden spoon and, eventually, your hand. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour, as needed, to combat stickiness. When the dough is smooth, oil both the bowl and the top surface of the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

4) Punch down the dough and transfer it to a clean, floured surface. Knead it for about five minutes, then divide it into 6 equal pieces Knead each little unit for a few minutes, then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a very thin circle. (Make sure there is plenty of flour underneath!) The diameter of each circle is unimportant, as long as it is no thicker than 1/8 inch. Let the circles rest for 30 minutes.

5) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a baking tray in the oven for a minute or two, to heat it. Then brush it with oil - or dust it with corn meal. Place as many circles on the tray as will fit without touching, and bake for just 6-8 minutes, or until puffed up and very lightly browned.

6) Remove from the oven, and wrap the breads in a clean, slightly damp tea rowel, then place in a brown paper bag, close up, for 15 minutes. This will keep the breads supple. (if you'd prefer the pita bread crisp and cracker like, bake 10-12 minutes and simply cool on a rack.)

Vietnamese Chocolate Truffle Iced Coffee

2011-07-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

During the summer it is a rare thing for me to make an iced coffee at home. Unsweetened ice tea is my usual go-to refreshing beverage. Recently, because I'm a publisher on the Foodbuzz food blog community, I received two 12 oz. bags of coffee from Godiva as part of a Foodbuzz Tastemaker program. I'm sure everyone is familiar with Godiva's ethereal chocolates, but who knew they produce flavored coffees also.

My wonderful gift box contained a bag of French Vanilla and one of Chocolate Truffle. They also have a Hazelnut Creme flavor. I have to say The Husband and I are not really fans of flavored coffees for our morning blend, but as an iced drink they couldn't be more appropriate.

My iced coffee drink was concoction of my own making; Vietnamese Chocolate Truffle Iced Coffee. Now that's quite a title. I have read of methods to make a cold brew coffee concentrate which creates a strong, smooth blend of coffee. The finished results was an extremely strong concentrate that you can add hot water to for regular coffee or prepare as an iced beverage. I'll give you a brief run through of the process. My measurements for the condensed milk and regular milk is variable. It's all a matter of taste.

Vietnamese Chocolate Truffle Iced Coffee

1 cup of coffee grounds
1 3/4 cups of cold water
Condensed milk
Milk, half and half, or heavy cream

1) Put 1 cup of coffee grounds and 1 3/4 cup of cold water in a bowl. Stir to ensure all of the grounds are moistened. Cover and let steep for at least 8 hours at room temperature.

2) Line a fine meshed strainer with a coffee filter or double layer of cheesecloth. Pour coffee mixture through strainer slowly and let drip until the majority of the liquid has seeped through into a receiving container.

3) Fill a glass with ice. Fill glass 3/4 full with coffee concentrate. Add 3-4 tablespoons of condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of milk, half and half, or heavy cream and stir well.

When I poured in the milk I immediately thought of Carly Simon's song Your So Vain and the line about "clouds in my coffee." The end result is a wonderful caramel colored beverage. Enjoy!

Berries In The Valley

2011-07-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

It's finally berry season here in the beautiful Willamette valley. Nothing beats our strawberries, Marionberries, and raspberries. Though we had another wet Spring and early Summer, the strawberries have been delicious.

In honor of them, I made a Victorian Sponge Cake layered with homemade strawberry jam using the recipe featured from my blog previously. The Victorian Sponge cake is a very traditional cake in England and is often the test of a true home cook at their country fairs. For you local readers, think Gerry Frank's Oregon State Fair Chocolate Cake Contest, without the chocolate! It is said to have been the favorite cake of Queen Victoria.

This is a plain cake but the flavor was great and the strawberry jam, or any other preserves you like, really makes the cake. With a slice of this cake, a cup of tea, and a vivid imagination, I was in England again!

Victorian Sponge Cake

3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup softened butter
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup jam
Confectioner's sugar to dust the top of cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8 inch cake pans and line the bases of each with parchment paper, then spray with baking spray.

Lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla extract. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the butter with the sugar until the mixture is pale, light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour over the the top and fold in lightly until the mixture is smooth.

Divide the mixture between the prepared pans. Cook for 20 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Leave the cakes to cool in the pans for a few minutes then carefully turn out onto a cooking rack. Leave to cool completely.

When the cakes are cold, sandwich the two halves together with the jam. Sift the confectioners sugar on top.

Homemade Fudgesicles

2011-07-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

Taking a bite of these icy chocolate fudgesicles took me right back through the time machine to Lulu D. Haddon Elementary School cafeteria on ice cream day. The flavor and texture of these are very reminiscent of those ice cream treats but the good thing about this recipe is that they are non-fat. I used skim milk, though you could probably use a higher fat content milk if you so desired. Mix the ingredients together, give them a quick simmer over the stove, pour into popsicle molds and then be patient. It's as easy as that. Enjoy!

Homemade Fudgesicles

2 cups low fat or skim milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup or agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cocoa powder, sugar, corn syrup (or agave syrup) and vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook just until all of the sugar and cocoa powder is dissolved. Pour hot mixture into popsicle molds and freeze overnight, or until solid.

Makes 6-8 large popsicles (depending on the size of your molds)

Summer Fruit Dessert

2011-07-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

It was time to clean out the refrigerator freezer last weekend. Along with the unidentified foil packets filled with mystery meats (all of which I tossed), I found two freezer bags filled with blueberries from our backyard bushes. I knew I must put them to good use pronto as these same bushes are currently full of flowers and soon will be bearing lots more berries.

There are such wonderful fruit desserts that have the most quaint names such as cobblers, buckles, grunts, betty's, etc. and I opted for a buckle. This website gives great definitions for the differences in all these types of desserts. It says the buckle is similar to a crisp in that it has a streusel-like topping and when baked, it comes out with a buckled appearance. This is a delicious, moist cake thanks to the buttermilk with a slight lemon taste which really compliments the blueberries. It made for a wonderful brunch contribution.

Blueberry Buckle

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
dash salt
1/4 cup room temp unsalted butter, cubed

In a small bowl, sift the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a fork or your fingers, mix in the butter until pea size crumbs form. Store crumb topping in freezer.

Cake

1 1/2 plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp room temp unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries (If still frozen, allow for extra cooking time)

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, forming the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Add one egg at a time to the mixing bowl, mixing after each addition.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/2 of the buttermilk and vanilla. Mix.
Add another third of the dry ingredients and the final half of the butter milk. Mix.
Add the remaining third of the dry ingredients. Mix.
Fold in 1 cup of blueberries.

Spread cake batter evenly over a greased 9×9 baking container of your choice. Sprinkle the remaining cup of blueberries over top.

Remove crumb topping from freezer and spread over the berries. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until it starts to brown.

Summer Colors

2011-06-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

Some colors of the summer to share.

Buns In The Oven

2011-06-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

One of my nephews and his wife just brought a new baby into the world, a beautiful little girl. She is my third grand niece and I can't wait to meet her. My family is getting larger and every addition adds a great new dimension to the mix. We are very blessed.

Today I tried my hand at making my own buns to bake in the oven, hamburger buns. I found this recipe courtesy of Annie from her wonderful food blog called Annie's Eats. It's an amazing place to visit if you want great recipe ideas and amazing photographs. This recipe couldn't be easier and the only thing to consider is the time it takes to make the buns. It takes two rises of 1-2 hours each, so plan ahead. They can easily be made and kept in the freezer well wrapped for a couple of weeks.

Our meal today consisted of barbecued pulled pork on these delicious buns and potato salad. It felt like summer even though the temperature outside wasn't all that convincing. I'll share my recipe for pulled pork another time, but be forewarned, I use commercial barbecue sauce.

Light Brioche Burger Buns

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. warm milk
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. instant yeast
2½ tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1 large egg
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For topping:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water, for egg wash
Sesame seeds

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the milk, water, yeast, sugar, salt and egg. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flours to the bowl, and mix until incorporated. Mix in the butter. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 6-8 minutes. The dough will be somewhat tacky, but you want to avoid adding too much extra flour which will create tough buns.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a dough scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each portion of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again, 1-2 hours, until puffed up and nearly doubled.

Set a large metal pan of water on the lowest rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F with a rack in the center. Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the buns about 15 minutes rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Cocktail Time

2011-06-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a favorite cocktail I can't believe I've never blogged about; the Cosmopolitan. Made famous during the run of Sex in the City, this rather "girly" drink is a refreshing substitute for my Perfect Friday Night Martini. Be forewarned though, unlike the traditional martini, this cocktail goes down quite smoothly so be sure and pace yourself if you are having more than one.

The recipe I share with you is great as it can easily make as needed without too much fuss and bother. The measurements below make two drinks, but just do the math and you could make them by the pitcherful. Now wouldn't that be a fun party!

The Cosmopolitan

1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
2 parts triple sec (orange flavored liqueur)
2 parts cranberry juice
4 parts citrus vodka

Put all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with 5-6 ice cubes and shake vigorously for 60 shakes. Pour into pre-chilled martini glasses and serve.

Chocolate Tiramisu

2011-06-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a delicious dessert that is quite sublime. It is the Italian classic, Tiramisu with a twist; chocolate. The traditional Tiramisu is layers of marcapone cheese mixed with eggs, lady fingers dipped in espresso, maybe some whipped cream, and liberal sprinklings of chocolate shavings.

This recipe, obtained from the June volume of Bon Appetit magazine, is made using a chocolate mousse. It is absolutely divine with it's varied textures of fluffy mousse, cake like coffee flavored lady fingers, and the creamy marscapone cheese on top. This was a multi-faceted dessert to make but from start to finish, probably only took an hour. They did need to sit in the refrigerator a few hours to set.

If you are looking for a medium challenge in the kitchen and a dessert to impress your family or guests, this just might be the recipe for you.

P.S. As there were only three of us for dinner the night I served these, I was easily able to cut this recipe in half, making only 4 portions as opposed to the 8 the recipe below makes.

Chocolate Tiramisu
Espresso Syrup

1 1/2 cups espresso or strong coffee
1/4 cup sugar

Tiramisu

1 3/4 cups mascarpone cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
4 large egg yolks
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped, plus more for shaving
About 48 soft ladyfingers

Preparation

Espresso Syrup
Stir espresso and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves; set aside.

Tiramisu
Combine 1 cup mascarpone, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk to blend; cover and chill.

Place 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, 10-15 minutes. Whisk the remaining sugar, yolks, 1/4 cup cream, and 1/4 cup water in a medium metal bowl to blend. Place bowl over a large saucepan of boiling water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water) and whisk constantly until custard thickens and temperature reaches 160° on an instant-read thermometer, 3-4 minutes. Remove bowl; add gelatin mixture and whisk until dissolved, 15-20 seconds. Return bowl over water, add chocolate, and whisk until almost melted, about 30 seconds.

Set bowl in a large bowl of ice water and whisk until chocolate is melted and custard is cool, 5-6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining mascarpone. In another medium bowl, beat remaining 3/4 cup chilled cream until firm peaks form. Fold cream into custard in 2 additions to make a chocolate mousse.

Spread 1/4 cup chocolate mousse in bottom of each of eight 1-cup teacups or ramekins. Dunk ladyfingers in the espresso syrup and arrange in a single layer on top of the mousse, about 2 to 3 ladyfingers per cup. Repeat layering with chocolate mousse and soaked ladyfingers. Spread 2 Tbsp. mascarpone topping over ladyfingers. Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve.

Exploring With New Ingredients

2011-06-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I discovered a new ingredient, Quinoa. It is a grain-like product which is all the rage on many of the food blogs I read. It is nutritious, easy to cook, and very adaptable in recipes by picking up on flavors it is mixed with. Here is a link to Wikepedia for all of you interested readers who want to learn more about this remarkable food.

As I was making a Mediterranean inspired dinner with grilled lemon chicken breasts for the main dish, roasted asparagus, and Tiramisu for dessert, I decided to use the quinoa I had recently purchased and experimented to create a Greek style salad. With no recipe at hand when I made this salad, please take these measurements and adjust them to your liking. I was very pleased with the results and I hope you will be too.

Quinoa Greek Salad
1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cup water
3 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
2 roma tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 large cucumber, cut into bite size pieces
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Make quinoa. Bring water to boil then add quinoa and let simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered, until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and take off heat to cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, add all of the vegetables, cheese and cooled quinoa; mix gently.

Make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, dill, oregano, salt and pepper until slightly emulsified. Pour over salad and gently mix until it is all well coated. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Prawn Summer Rolls

2011-05-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

After all that coconut cake, it's time for a light, refreshing recipe. These summer rolls fit the bill. They are crunchy, flavorful, and fun to make. Warning though, they do take a lot of prep work and ingredients to put together, and the rice paper wrappers are not the easiest things to work with. Patience is a virtue with these things.

I was up for the challenge and I am glad I gave them a try. Served as an appetizer before an Asian-inspired meal, or solo as a lunch, they are quite satisfying.

Prawn Summer Rolls
4 ounces bean thread noodles (cellophane or transparent noodles)
12 8"-9" rice paper rounds
18 cooked medium prawns (about 10 ounces), peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves or parsley plus 1 tablespoon chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup English hothouse cucumber, cut into matchstick-size pieces
1 cup carrot, cut into matchstick-size pieces
12 small green or red lettuce leaves

Put noodles in a large bowl. Pour enough hot water over to cover; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool; drain and set aside.

Fill a pie plate with warm water. Working with 1 rice paper round at a time, soak rice paper in water, turning occasionally, until just pliable but not limp, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a work surface. Arrange 3 shrimp halves across center of round. Top with some leaves of each herb, then daikon sprouts (if using), cucumber, and carrot. Arrange a small handful of noodles over. Place 1 lettuce leaf over, torn or folded to fit. Fold bottom of rice paper over filling, then fold in ends and roll like a burrito into a tight cylinder. Transfer roll, seam side down, to a platter. Repeat to make 11 more rolls. Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate.

To serve, cut rolls in half on diagonal with dipping sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce
Makes 1 cup
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed in garlic press
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons peanut butter, smooth or chunky

Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When the oil is just starting to get hot, add the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, water and peanut butter and stir until smooth. Simmer until thickened. Let cool. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the sauce is too thick after storing, whisk in a bit of water to thin it out.

A Coconut Cake

2011-05-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I made a cake from scratch and when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetite, I knew I had to give it a try. I made some variations to the original recipe. One was to add some coconut extract to both the cake and the frosting. I read some reviews of this recipe and a common complaint was that there wasn't enough coconut flavor. The other thing I did, just because, was to add a layer of lemon curd in the center of the cake. You can't go wrong with a little lemon curd.

Another thing I read in the reviews was that this recipe is very similar to an Italian Cream Cake. I've heard my dear friend Warren exclaim about his Italian Cream Cake recipe, but have never tried it. I'll have to ask him if this is similar to his cake extraordinaire.

The cake was delightful and it was served to my lovely mother-in-law for a belated Mother's Day surprise.

Coconut Cake

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups (loosely packed) sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites, room temperature

Coconut Frosting
3 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup (about) sweetened flaked coconut

Preparation

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 11/2-inch- high sides with nonstick spray; line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds. Mix flour and coconut in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, coconut extract, and baking soda in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks and beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating just to blend after each addition. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another large bowl until peaks form. Add 1/3 of egg white mixture to batter; fold into batter just to blend. Fold in remaining egg white mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter between pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around sides of cake pans. Invert cakes onto racks. Carefully peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

Frosting
Using electric mixer, beat sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Place second layer, flat side up, atop frosting. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle some of coconut over top of cake; pat more coconut on sides of cake. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Still on Vacation

2011-05-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous blog, I'm on a break from the kitchen. I will be back with something new from the kitchen next week. Thanks for your patience!

I thought I would share with you a picture of some of the egg cups I have collected over the past 20 years. They come from scouring antique and collectibles stores, as well as gifts from family and friends, and from travels both myself and my parents have made to England. They eat a lot more soft boiled eggs in England than here and they are much easier to find "over the pond."

See you next week.

Family, Fun, and Crabs

2011-05-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

For 17 years now I have had the honor of attending The Husband's family crab feast in Astoria, Oregon. Astoria holds a Crab Festival each year on the last weekend of April, which coincides with my father-in-law's birthday so the family celebrates both with a wonderful gathering. Though the crowds have gotten somewhat smaller over the years, an air of festivity still abounds.

The main components of the day haven't changed much over the years. Crabs are ordered through a local seafood shop and we pick them up, one per person, all cooked, cleaned, and ready for eating. Food preparations start by boiling eggs, making dips, preparing the garlic breads, putting out relish trays, and making a big huge green salad with all the trimmings. The table is set including nut crackers and picks for all and we are ready for the big dinner.

Everyone has their own methods for how they eat their crabs. There are the folks who like to pick and eat as they go and then there are the others (the patient ones) who prefer to pick all their crab meat into a nice tidy pile before eating. I, if you hadn't picked up on it already, am of the latter category. I learned after my first year to never leave your bowl of cracked crab unattended because there are those in the first category who have eaten all of their crab and will try to "borrow" some from their neighbors.

Some people come prepared for the meal with their own accessories, such as the wrist bands noted in the photo below which are used to soak up the crab juices that inevitably run down the arms. It is a messy job with crab shells flying and more often then not, a sharp jab from a shell into a finger or two. It's all worth it in the end though.

It is so comforting to have family traditions, no matter how big or small, to look forward to and participate in and I feel so lucky to be a part of this one every year.

A bonus photo taken on the following Sunday morning very early in Seaside, Oregon where the weather was absolutely perfect and the water was like a mirror.

Happy Third Anniversary Pie-O-My

2011-05-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Three years and 245 blogs later, I still look forward every week to trying a new recipe, taking photos, and writing a few words about my experiences in the kitchen. What a fulfilling hobby this has turned out to be. It has taught me how to be a much better cook, how to be more organized, the importance of how food looks as well as tastes, and developing a writing style that expresses my own voice.

Thank you to my loyal family and friends who have been, from the get go, so generous and kind in their words of support toward my little project. A great big thanks to The Husband, who patiently waits for meals on the weekends as I style yet another plate, or take just one more photo, and who has been my guinea pig for more than a few failures! You mean the world to me.

This blog has brought additional rewards in the form of a plug in a local newspaper, a mention in Bon Appetit Magazine for the chocolate-mint cookies pictured below, and many very generous food samples from outstanding companies throughout the country. These perks have been a totally unexpected bonus! I also receive a small monetary stipend each month for being a publisher with FoodBuzz. As The Husband likes to say regarding this extra income, "Don't quit your day job."

Instead of cooking up something to celebrate the beginning of my fourth year of this blog, I thought I would go back in my photo archives and share a few of my favorite pictures with you. I look forward to continuing this blog for a long time to come.

Time for a Vacation

2011-04-30T04:32:00.000-07:00

I leave you to gaze upon one of the magnificent mountains here in beautiful Oregon, Mt. Hood. This was taken last weekend as we were driving to Bend, via the Columbia Gorge route. It really doesn't get much better than this for scenic splendor! I'm out of the kitchen for next couple of weekends, so no cooking for me.

Sometimes You Can't Go Back Home Again

2011-04-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

For some reason a few months ago, I remembered a dish my mother use to make us when we were growing up, called Steak Bake. It was a favorite of my father's particularly, but I think is was an all around family favorite too. I asked my mom about the source of said recipe and if she might still have it. Well, after much searching, she e-mailed me the recipe and the source was actually a Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbook. You usually can't go wrong with those recipes.

Today I thought it was time to try this Steak Bake and see if it was as good as I remembered. There is nothing too difficult about putting together, though it did take a number of steps to come up with the finished product. I left out the green peppers and mushrooms as there is an dislike to both products in our home.
Here's the verdict: The Husband said "I wouldn't care if we never had this again" (Interpretation-Hated It!!) I thought it was certainly edible but not something I would go out of my way to make again. So, the moral of the story is sometimes it's best to leave fond memories alone!

Steak Bake

Beef Mixture

1 1/2 lb. sirloin or cube steak, cut into thin strips
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. molasses
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
16 oz. can whole tomatoes, cut up
4 oz. canned mushrooms pieces & stems, drained
10 oz. pkg. frozen French cut green beans, thawed & drained

Biscuits

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tbsp. sesame seed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place meat in 2 1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup flour, teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss to coat meat. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Add molasses, soy sauce, onion, green pepper, tomatoes and mushrooms; mix well. Return to oven and bake covered for 30 minutes. Stir in beans.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In small bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine milk, oil and egg; add to flour mixture stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto hot meat mixture, sprinkle with sesame seed. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. 6-8 servings.

Cooking with Beer

2011-04-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

My challenge this weekend was to come up with a recipe using beer. And not just any beer, but New Belgium Brewing Company brews. I was recently the lucky recipient of a tidy stipend to try their products and I chose to buy some Fat Tire Amber Ale to cook with. I chose this particular beer based soley on the wonderful red bike on the six-pack. It's so darn fun!! Tasting the beer by itself was delicious. I'm not a big beer fan, but this ale is just how I like it - a good malt flavor with the hops just ever so slightly coming through. A perfect beer by itself or served alongside you're favorite meal.

The two recipes I chose to make were a brand new creation and an old stand by. I made my never-fail and amazing no-knead bread which utilizes a small quantity of beer and I also devised a white cheddar cheese, beer, and broccoli soup. For this soup I utilized a local cheese from the Willamette Valley Cheese Company. I love their cheeses and try to buy them whenever I can. They are so flavorful, particularly this Farmstead Cheddar and I like to buy locally made products whenever possible.

I'm not sure which dish accompanied which as they complimented each other so well. The bread was so good dipped into the cheese soup. Almost like fondue only much thinner. I garnished the soup with crisply sauteed and browned shallots which added a light carmelized onion flavor.

Thanks so much to the New Belgium Brewing Company for inspiring me to cook with beer. I will do it again very soon!

White Cheddar Cheese Beer Soup

1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. butter
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tbsp. grated shallot
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. white pepper
3 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 c. beer
2 cups of broccoli flowerettes, steamed
16 oz. shredded sharp white Cheddar

In large saucepan melt butter; stir in flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Add garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard and pepper; blend well.

Gradually stir in chicken broth, half & half and beer; cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cheese, stir until melted. Add the broccoli. Heat gently, stirring frequently; do not boil. Serve with croutons and/or crusty bread. Makes seven (1 cup) servings.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a stipend to purchase products from the New Belgium Brewing Company.

Cream Puffs

2011-04-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

It's Spring in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. That means unsettled weather. One moment there are beautiful blue skies above and then within minutes, from the west come big, dark rain clouds that burst open in a torrent. But there are also the white, fluffy, multishaped cumulonimbus clouds that remind me of cream puffs. (Without thick, rich chocolate sauce dripping from them.)

Cream puffs are so easy to make and when served with some whipped cream and chocolate sauce dripping down to the plate, you've got yourself an elegant end to any meal. Give them a try sometime for a special treat.

Cream Puffs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Place the butter and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour mixture. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about a minute or two). Transfer the dough to your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, and beat on low speed a minute or two to release the steam from the dough. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste. Spoon or pipe 6 mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them a couple of inches apart. Beat together the egg and salt for the glaze. With a pastry brush, gently brush the glaze on the tops of the dough.

Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for a further 30 to 40 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are dry inside. Turn the oven off and, with the oven door slightly ajar, let the shells dry out for a further 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

To serve, slice open cream puff. Spoon in some whipped cream and pour over your favorite chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

A Spring Break

2011-04-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

I don't really get a Spring Break but I am taking a break from the kitchen this week. Just because. Instead, I will share some pictures I took of some boats. And the remnants of an old cannery. I like boats. I grew up in a town surrounded by water, and boats. Big huge aircraft carriers, fancy yachts, speedboats, row boats.....you get the picture. Now for some pictures from Astoria, Oregon one foggy morning a few months ago.

Snickerdoodles

2011-03-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a wonderful, old fashioned and easy cookie to whip together on a Saturday. This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookie Cookbook. My adaptation is to add 1 teaspoon of vanilla as I think it is essential in almost any baked good, particularly cookies.

A couple of these, served with a cup of hot black tea and I'm a happy girl. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Naan Bread

2011-03-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the Naan bread which accompanied the Chicken Tikka Masala Indian dinner from last week. This is a very simple recipe and quite fun to make. The results were spectacular. Give yourself time though as it does take awhile to get through the rising processes and then rolling out and cooking each piece of bread. It's well worth the effort!

Naan Bread

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all are cooked. Cool on a wire rack. Makes approximately 14.

The Mysterious World of Indian Cuisine

2011-03-12T04:41:00.000-08:00

I've finally dipped my toe in the vast cuisine of India. India has always been a place of great interest to me, but it's based on just a few things. In 1984 I watched the most wonderful Masterpiece Theater series called the Jewel in the Crown and that began my initial intrigue of the place. Since then I have read the 4 books it was based on by Paul Scott, subtitled The Raj Quartet. I always watched the Travel Channel whenever anyone goes there, but particularly enjoy Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations series when he has traveled around the subcontinent. I enjoy watching him go anywhere though!

As far as Indian food, I have had a very limited tasting. Here in my town, we have only two Indian restaurants. I use to go to one of them and particularly enjoyed their lunch buffets, for which I'm told Indian restaurants are known, until one memorable lunch. It was my turn to choose where my co-workers and I should dine and I decided to take them to this place. Now you should know that these particular co-workers were males of the most basic meat-and-potato eating crowd. The fact I could even get them in the door was somewhat of a miracle. So there we were lined up at the steam tables when one of my co-workers in front of me delightfully pointed out a rather large cockroach crawling around the perimeter of the Tandoori Chicken tray. Needless to say, I never heard the end of it about that lunch and I have never eaten Indian food again. Until today.

I so enjoyed the spices and exotic flavors of the limited dishes I have tried so I decided I should give it a try at home. My menu for this Indian feast included: Chicken Tikka Masala, Naan bread, Basmati Rice with slivered almonds and cucumber wedges. To end our southeast Asian feast, we had a cool and refreshing lemon sorbet.

I will post today the recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala and will tell you about the Naan bread in the next post. The house was filled with heady aromas and it was a rich, lovely sauce coating the yogurt marinated chicken. Just as I remember it tasting, minus the cockroaches crawling around!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt or a fat free plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Masala Sauce
2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced fine
2 medium garlic cloves , minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano or jalepeno chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons garam masala
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (Optional for cilantro haters, or use parsley)

For the chicken, combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

For the sauce, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Cover chicken with yogurt mixture thickly and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro if using, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve with basmati rice and Naan bread. Serves 6.

Hummus, Oh Yes!

2011-03-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love hummus. Unfortunately, The Husband-not so much. That didn't come out right. I love, love, love The Husband. He doesn't love, love, love hummus. Oh this is getting confusing.

The point is, I don't make it very often when I'm the only one eating it. We do both enjoy pita chips and a big bag was purchased this weekend so I felt the need to whip up a batch of that creamy, garlicky, Middle Eastern favorite. It is traditionally made with garbanzo beans, also called chick peas. Another vital ingredient is tahini, a sesame seed paste. The tahini I had, but not the chick peas. I said to myself, "Self, why wouldn't cannelloni beans work just as well." And you know what? They did! So here is my tried and true hummus recipe which I gladly share with you.

Hummus

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
6 Tbsp tahini, stirred well
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling over the top of desired
1 14 oz. can chickpeas (or cannelloni beans), drained and rinsed
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil together in a food processor, fitted with a steel blade. Process until mixture is smooth. Through pouring hole, slowly drizzle olive oil, pulsing until mixture is thoroughly combined. Put in serving bowl, drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita chips.

Potatoes Fit For A Queen (Or A Duchess)

2011-02-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here is a fantastic potato dish when you want to fancy up your dinner table with just a little extra effort. Duchess Potatoes are basically mashed potatoes bound together with eggs and any extras that suit you, then piped onto a baking sheet and cooked until browned. The results are a creamy, tasty, and might I add, elegant addition to your plate. Give them a try sometime, you'll be glad you did.

Duchess Potatoes
(Makes 8, 2 inch diameter servings)

2 large baking potatoes
1 large egg
2 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp cream
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp finely grated, Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes into 2-3 inch cubes. Boil in salted water until tender. Let cool for 20 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients and beat with electric mixer until very smooth. Place potatoes in large heavy duty pastry bag, fitted with large star tip. Pipe onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned. Serve immediately.

Dulce De Leche Cookies

2011-02-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

What a satisfying endeavor, baking cookies, and I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. There is usually nothing to complicated about the process and the end results are so delicious. A wonderful side effect is that the whole house smells great as the cookies bake.

I have seen the recipe for these cookies on a few websites and they sounded so marvelous I had to try them. I'm a sucker for anything that tastes of butterscotch or caramel and for those who don't know this product, dulce de leche is basically a caramelized condensed milk. It is easily found in the Hispanic section of any grocery store in the town in which I live. I also know that there are recipes on the Internet for making your own, but it takes hours and the thought of putting a unopened can of condensed milk in my oven to bake for a few hours is, quite frankly, a scary thought. My oven is dirty enough without an exploded can of sticky sweet milk burning away!

These are meant to be a sandwich type cookie, but after trying one in that form, I found them to be just too rich so I opted to go with just a nice, thin single cookie. They're great and will be added to my cookie repitoire.

Dulce De Leche Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup store-bought dulce de leche, plus more for filling
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until just softened and broken up a bit. Add the 3/4 cup dulce de leche, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix only until the flour is just incorporated. You may need to finish off the mixing with a big spatula.

Spoon the dough onto the lined baking sheets using a heaping teaspoon of dough for each cookie. The dough will be soft. Leave 2 inches of space between each cookie for the baking spread.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will be honey brown with a light crust, but still very soft when they come out of the oven. Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a minute or two before removing to cool.

Once the cookies are cooled completely, spread them with dulce de leche and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt if you like. Keep well wrapped for up to four days.

Fairy Gingerbread

2011-02-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

Isn't that a marvelous name for a cookie? And these are marvelous cookies, indeed. Light as air yet they have a most potent double whammy punch of ginger flavor. They use fresh, grated ginger as well as lightly toasting ground, dried ginger. When you take a bite, they literally melt in your mouth and then you can feel the warmth of the ginger spreading. They are quite remarkable and quite addictive. You've been forewarned!

This recipe came from the Cook's Illustrated folks other great cooking publication and show called Cook's Country. It takes rather old fashioned recipes they find from old cookbooks and other sources and modernize them for today's kitchens and cooks. I am never disappointed with their recipes and this one will be a keeper.

Fairy Gingerbread

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
9 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (Using a rasp grater works very well)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare your cookie sheets. Spray the cookie sheets with cooking spray and cover with a sheet of parchment paper.

2. Heat the ground ginger in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Combine the flour, toasted ginger, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

4. Using a stand mixer beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, on medium-high speed.

5. Add fresh ginger and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

6. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with 2 additions of milk.

7. You are now ready to spread the batter evenly on the 2 prepared cookie sheets. Each sheet should have about 3/4 cup of batter. Do not fret if it looks like there is not a lot of batter on the sheet. These cookies should be really thin.

8. Bake until a deep golden brown, about 16 - 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. I baked it 16 minutes, but that felt a bit too long. Assess halfway through and determine how much more time you will need.

9. Once completely baked, take the cookie sheets out and score immediately using a chef's knife or a pizza cutter.

10. Once the cookies are cool, about 20 minutes, you can remove the cookies from the parchment. Go over scoring lines with the dull side of a paring knife and they should separate perfectly. Enjoy!

Super Bowl Sandwich

2011-02-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

Apparently there is some sort of big game on today. I swear I didn't even know which teams were playing until this morning as I watched Sunday Morning on CBS. I thought the Dallas Cowboys were playing because I kept hearing the Dallas Stadium was covered in snow (as is practically the whole USA).

Well, I'm not going to be called a party pooper and I decided to get into the spirit of the day and make a manwich, even though the chances of The Husband watching the entire game is slim to none. He is known to sit through baseball game after baseball game and when his alum team, the Oregon State Beavers are playing football he will pay attention. Thankfully though, his interest in pro football is near zero.

We will most likely tune in for halftime entertainment, which again I learned, thanks to Sunday Morning on CBS, will be the Black Eyed Peas. While watching these said Peas, we will eat our manwiches and pretend we care, like all good Americans do because afterall, isn't the Superbowl a truly American tradition?

My sandwich is made with the most delicious coldcuts out there, from Boar's Head, a 100 year old company out of New York City. I first tried them while living in Seattle and use to buy it at the Pike Place Market at a wonderful Italian food shop called DeLaurenti's. Check it out next time you're in Seattle. Our local grocery store, Roth's, fortunately now carries these products.

I used an Italian bread, sprinkled olive oil and red wine vinegar over, spread on some olive tapenade, then layered mortadella, black forest ham, provolone, genoa salami and cheddar cheese. Served with some chips, a slice of pickle, and a cold beer and we're ready for the game!

Carmelized Onion Goat Cheese Tart

2011-01-29T05:57:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I open up the freezer and decide what can stay and what most go. I do this mostly so I can close the freezer door. Where does it all come from? Anyway, I found a sheet of puff pastry left over from the holidays and knew it must be used. One cannot let a piece of delicious puff pastry go to waste.

As I had just finished watching the wonderful movie, Julie and Julia, I was in the mood to cook something French and chose to make a sort of French tart with caramelized onions and goat cheese. This is a extremely simple dish to put together and the results are superb.

Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Tart

3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled into small pieces
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed at room temperature
1 large onion, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil
1 egg beaten with a Tbsp of water or milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out puff pastry until it's approximately 14 inches long and 8 inches wide. Put on ungreased baking sheet. With a pastry brush, paint around the edges of the pastry and then fold the edges over approximately 1/2 inch. Put baking sheet in refrigerator while cooking onions.

Put approximately 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a heavy saute pan and heat. Cut onion into thin slices. Put in saute pan and cook, stirring frequently until they are a dark golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

Distribute onions over cold puff pastry. Top with crumbled goat cheese then Parmesan cheese. Drizzle entire thing with some olive oil. Brush edges with egg wash. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

Cookies and Milk

2011-01-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

Here is my idea of a perfect weekend day. Me puttering in the kitchen, concocting something yummy for dinner, listening to NPR on the kitchen radio, The Husband in the TV room blissfully channel surfing (blissful because I'm not in there wanting to take control of the remote!), and the rest of the world is outside of our home leaving us alone. Call me anti-social if you will, but I'm not really. We just work very hard all week and relaxation in the variety of forms it takes in our house is much deserved.

Some weekends I go all out and whip up something fanciful and new to try, but this weekend the best I could come up with, at the request of The Husband, was peanut butter cookies. He wanted nothing fancy, just the honest-to-goodness, peanut butter cookie like Mom use to make.

I remember the first time I made peanut butter cookies when I was a teen, I found a recipe in this large book called the Whole Earth Catalog. It was some kind of "hippie" catalog and what it was doing in our house and who brought it in is a mystery to me. But anyway, they were delicious. Alas, I was unable to find that recipe on the Internet so I went to one of my tried and true basic cookbooks, The Joy of Cooking, and found a wonderful substitute. Served with a glass of milk, these cookies will surely remind you of your childhood.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter until soft. Add sugars and beat until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Beat until creamy. Add salt, baking soda and flour and beat until combined.

Roll the dough into small balls. Place then on cookie sheet. Dip the tines of a fork into granulated sugar and press cookie balls flat making cross hatches. Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets onto cooling racks.

A Cup of Goodness

2011-01-17T04:35:00.000-08:00

My last post was about the cold, wet weather and here is a cup of goodness to warm you up from head to toe. This is a very tasty recipe and the good thing is you can sweeten it to your liking. I love Chai but find it is often too sweet when I purchase it a coffee shops. Enjoy!

Masala Chai

Makes 2 cups

1/2 cup of water
1/1/2 cups of whole milk
1 star anise
1 1/2 heaping spoonfuls of loose leaf black tea, such as Darjeeling (or 2 tea bags)
1 small 1/2 inch of ginger, peeled
5 green cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 tsps of sugar or to taste

Lightly crush the cardamom pods so the seeds are exposed. Place the star anise, cardomom pods, ginger, cloves and cinnamon in a small pot and cover with 1/2 cup of water and bring to a gentle boil. Boil for around 10 minutes, then add the milk and tea.

Keep on a low heat so that the milk is scalding (make sure it doesn’t boil). Steep the tea for about 10 minutes. Add a couple spoonfuls of sugar. Pour through a strainer into cups and enjoy!

Sunny Skies Ahead

2011-01-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

It's rainy, windy, cold and grey in Western Oregon. I am hopeful for Spring, which is just around the corner now that we have gotten through the Christmas holidays. I share with you some springtime sunshine coming through the windows at my father-in-law's in Astoria, Oregon and a wonderful bluebird house awaiting some new residents.

Perfect White Bread

2011-01-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. We're suppose to eat whole grains and stay away from white bread but sometimes don't you just want a wonderful slice of homemade white bread? Well, I know I do so Sunday seemed the day to dig for a recipe and give it a try. What a delicious dinner of split pea soup and bread we had.

At some point in my culinary experiences I have made a loaf sandwich bread but it has been a very long time. I went to my tried and true McCall's Cookbook and found just the recipe called McCall's Basic White Bread. The ingredients were simple and on hand and instead of making two loaves as the recipe stated, I cut it in half and came up with a delicious single loaf and those are the measurements I will share with you.

As it was in the oven, the house began to smell like a wonderful bakery. When I took it out of the oven The Husband happened to come through the kitchen and exclaimed "Wow, get the camera." He is well trained and knows that pretty much anything cooked in our home must get an obligatory glamour shot taken prior to consumption, whether I have decided to blog about it or not. See ladies, husbands are trainable given the right positive reinforcement like fresh from the oven bread!

McCall's Basic White Bread

1 pk Yeast; active, dry
1/4 cup Water; warm (110-115 degs)
2 tsp Sugar
1 cup Milk
3 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Butter
3 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
1. In a small bowl mix the yeast and the 1/4 cup warm water; add the sugar, stir well, and set aside until proofed. It is proofed when fermentation is apparent: the mixture will swell and small bubbles appear on the surface. (If it doesn't proof at all, it means the yeast is not fresh.)

2. In a small saucepan heat the milk with the salt and stir in the butter until it melts. Set aside to cool until it is no warmer than the yeast mixture.

3. Put 2 cups of the flour in a large mixing bowl and stir in the milk mixture. Beat well with a wooden spatula, add the yeast mixture, and continue beating the dough until it is smooth, adding an additional cup of flour to make a firm dough.

4. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and begin the kneading process, which evenly distributes the fermenting yeast cells through the dough.
5. There are several kneading methods, but the basic one is to flour the dough and your hand lightly, then push the heel of your hand down into the dough and away from you. Fold the dough over, give it a quarter turn, and push down again. Repeat pushing, folding and turning until the motion becomes rhythmic.

6. Knead for about 10 minutes, kneading in additional flour as necessary, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, and blisters form on the surface.

7. To test whether the dough has been kneaded enough make an indention in it with your fingers; it should spring back. If blisters form on the surface of the dough and break, this is another sign that the kneading is sufficient.

Note: If you have a heavy-duty electric mixer with a dough-hook attachment, knead the dough with the hook and finish it off on the board. This is what I did and it saves lots of energy.

8. Butter a large bowl, transfer the dough to it, and turn the bowl until the dough is well coated with butter on all sides. Cover the dough with a dish towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, until it is doubled in bulk. A good, warm, draft-free place is inside your room temperature oven.

9. To test further if the dough has risen properly, make an indentation in it with two fingers: if the dough does not spring back, then it is ready.
10. Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, or two pans that are about 8x4x2 inches. Punch the dough down with your fist to deflate it; transfer it to a floured board and knead it well for about 3 minutes. Pat it into a smooth round or oval shape and let it rest for 4 to 5 minutes.

11. Then form into 1 large or two small loaves, by shaping the dough into an oval the length of your bread pan, then gently stretching, rounding, and plumping it in the palms of your hands, tucking the edges underneath and pinching them together.

12. Lift carefully; drop the dough into the pan or pans and smooth out. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise again in a warm draft-free place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is double in bulk.

13. Preheat the oven to 400F. Brush melted butter over the top of the dough.

14. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes; reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the crust is well browned and the bread sounds hollow when removed from the pan and tapped on the bottom with the knuckles.
15. If you like a crusty loaf, remove it from the pan about 5 to 10 minutes before the end of the baking time and let it finish baking on the oven rack. It will get brown and crusty all over.

16. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack before slicing.

The bread may be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator after it has cooled. If you seal it in a bag before it is completely cooled, the crust will become soft. Stored bread will keep about 1 week. It also freezes well if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and sealed in a plastic bag and can be kept for up to 3 months.

Hey Baby!

2011-01-02T04:10:00.000-08:00

The Husband and I often go to a wonderful breakfast institution in our town called The Original Pancake House. They're not fooling us though. We know they are not the "Original" by any means, though they have very good food. One of their specialties is the Dutch Baby which comes to the recipients tables all puffy and golden and delicious looking.

We have never ordered one and recently I decided to give making one at home a try. One word: Spectacular! This is so easy to whip together, especially if you are use to making popovers or Yorkshire pudding. The batter is very similar as is the cooking technique. Make sure to use the correct size pan and the secret is to preheat that pan for 10 minutes in a very hot oven. I used my trusty, well seasoned cast iron skillet and I delivered a perfect Dutch Baby to the breakfast table. A dusting of powdered sugar and a sprinkling of fresh lemon juice is all you need to accompany this tasty treat.

P.S. Congratulations to my beautiful niece and her husband on the birth of their new baby girl!!

Dutch Baby

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups skim milk (per recipe, makes for a crisper end product using skim milk)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush surface and sides of large skillet with oil. Place skillet on oven rack and heat until oil is shimmering, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flour, cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs in another bowl until frothy and light, about 1 minute. Whisk milk, butter, and vanilla into eggs until incorporated. Whisk one-third of milk mixture into flour mixture until no lumps remain, then slowly whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.

Carefully pour batter into heated skillet and bake until edges of Dutch Baby are deep golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer skillet to wire rack and sprinkle Dutch Baby with lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar. Cut into wedges. Serve.

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-12-26T02:31:00.000-08:00

I will never buy granola bars again now that I have discovered how very tasty and easy they are to make at home. I like to put a morning snack in my purse for those times when I am about to go sit in a two hour meeting at work and my stomach is grumbling for lunch. There is nothing more embarrassing than stomach growls in a quiet meeting. OK, I guess there could be some things more embarrassing!

I found this recipe while browsing through one of my cookbooks called A Taste of Oregon which was gift, I believe from my best friend in the early '80s. It was published by the Junior League of Eugene. It is chock full of wonderful recipes, many using local ingredients easily found in Oregon such as seafood and fresh vegetables.

This is one of those very adaptable recipes where the extra additions can be anything that suits you. I chose to add chopped pecans, shredded coconut and dried cranberries. It was a wonderful combination of ingredients. The other variation I made was to use treacle, an English golden syrup, instead of the honey. It adds a light molasses taste which is just delicious.

This will be a recipe I will make again and again.

Granola Bars

3/4 cups butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups granola cereal
2/3 cups chopped nuts, coconut, dried fruit, seeds

In a 3 quart pan melt butter, then add brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt; stir until blended. Stir in granola and extra goodies of your choice. Pour into a well greased 10 x 15 inch pan. With your hands, press in firmly to form an even layer. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven until browned and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully because these get dark quickly. Cool slightly and cut into bars while still warm.

Easiest Candy Ever

2010-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Okay. I've not been very inspired to cook as of late. I began a new job a few weeks ago and it is taking all the energy I can muster to take in all that I have to learn. Because of that, my weekends have become a precious commodity, not to be spent cooking and then having to clean the kitchen (that's the part I am trying to avoid!)

Anyway, I felt I had to get into the spirit and make at least one holiday goodie and this is what I came up with; a tremendously easy white chocolate/peppermint bark. Here's the recipe and the variations are what ever you feel like throwing on top of a sheet of melted chocolate.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

1 lb. premium white chocolate
1 cup crushed peppermint candy

Slowly melt chocolate over a double boiler or even easier, put it in a microwave container and set the timer on 30 seconds. Stir, put in for 30 seconds more, stir, etc. until it is almost entirely melted then just keep stirring until it is completely smooth.

Pour melted chocolate onto a sheet pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the peppermint chips on top and let cool completely. Take sheet of chocolate out of pan and cut into bite size pieces.

Hasselback Potatoes

2010-12-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

This blog is dedicated to Patti, Peggy, Robin and Debbie, my peeps in high school. The recipe today is ~~Hasselhoff~~ Hasselback potatoes. When I first read the name of these Swedish-style baked potatoes, my very favorite soap opera star of all times, David Hasselhoff immediately came to mind. I know I'm not alone in voting him the sexiest of daytime stars from the early years of the 1970's, right girls??

We would race home to watch Dr. Snapper Foster in our fave rave soap opera, The Young and the Restless and swoon. All of the other TV doctors paled in comparison. Who needed Dr. Steven Kiley on Marcus Welby or Dr. Joe Gannon on Medical Center when Snapper Foster was curing all that was wrong in Genoa City? And there was plenty wrong!

WHAT HAPPENED??? Poor, pitiful David Hasselhoff can't catch a break these days. It all went down hill after the infamous hamburger eating incident, caught on video by one of his "loving" daughters. Who amongst us hasn't gotten the munchies after having a cocktail or two and felt the need to shove an entire hamburger into our gaping maw, all at once? And now his newest TV venture, a "reality" show was cancelled after only one episode. Oh well, we will always have our memories of Snapper Foster - a teenage girl's fantasy doctor.

Now on to the recipe. Very simple. The tricky part is cutting the potatoes into slices without going all through the other side. I stuck a couple of chopsticks on either side of the potato and cut through until I hit them and didn't slice through once. The results were lovely, crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, slices of yummy potatoes. This is a wonderful alternative to the boring old baked potato that often accompanies our meatloaf dinner. Enjoy and thanks for indulging me in my walk down memory lane.

Hasselback Potatoes

Medium size baking potatoes.

Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Butter
Garlic slivers, onion slivers, any spices you'd like to sprinkle on your potatoes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash potatoes well. Lay each potato on a cutting board.
With a sharp knife, thinly slice each potato, being careful to not cut all the way through. (Tip: I lay a chopstick on each side of the potato so I don't accidentally cut too far.)

Season each potato. You could get creative, slide a sliver of garlic between the layers, experiment with different herbs, butter, use whatever might sounds good to you.

Place potatoes in a baking dish that has been drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 min, or until the inside is tender.

A Turkey Leftover Alternative

2010-12-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

For a nice change a pace from turkey, turkey and more turkey, how about some Chinese food. This recipe comes from one of my favorite Asian cookbooks which I have mentioned before called Steamy Kitchen by Jaiden Hair. It incorporates many styles of Asian food including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and even Philipino. The recipes are easy to follow and the photos are amazing. The author also has a wonderful food blog by the same name.

This particular recipe caught my fancy and though it was really simple to make, it does take four different bottled sauces. These include soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese black vinegar and Chinese rice wine, plus I used sesame oil to saute in. Luckily when I went to my local Asian market I was able to find the three that I didn't have for very reasonable prices and these bottles should last awhile. I did splurge on the meat and purchased a boneless rib eye but considering this made three servings from one steak, it was worth it and oh so tender!

Stir Fry Beef Broccoli

1 lb top sirloin or flank steak, sliced into 1/8-in strips

For the marinade

1½ teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cooking oil

For the Stir-fry Sauce

3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar

For the Broccoli

1 broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Marinate the beef in soy sauce, cornstarch and the ½ teaspoon of oil for 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a small bowl, mix together the stir-fry sauce ingredients.

In a wok or large frying pan, add 1 inch of water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. Broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Heat the pan over high heat and when hot, add the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

Pour in the stir-fry sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat a back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well. Serve over hot Jasmine white rice.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

2010-11-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

With the last little tidbits of turkey left from Thanksgiving it was time to make soup, and what a satisfying soup it was. A few years ago I read about making turkey stock prior to turkey day and freezing it so it is on hand for the gravy, which is what I do each year.

This exercise entails buying a few turkey wings, which I find out Whole Foods or a local grocery store, if I'm lucking. I roast those for 45 minutes to an hour until they are nice a browned then throw them in a stock pot with the usual soup makings including water, celery, carrots, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, fresh thyme and a bay leaf. This is left to simmer for a couple hours, strained, then refrigerated overnight. In the morning, the fat is skimmed off the top and the stock is ready for the freezer.

I had a leftover quart of stock which made the perfect base for my turkey wild rice soup. This rice is something I buy at our local farmers market and it is a really nice blend of a variety of rices including, wild, red, brown and white rice. The rest of the soup consisted of celery, carrots, some onion, frozen peas and the leftover turkey. Serve with rolls or as I did, hot popovers and you have a great meal.

Thanksgiving 2010-The End!

Thanksgiving Appetizers

2010-11-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have been having the time of my life planning and cooking for Thanksgiving dinner this year. It will be traditional in every sense of the word. Personally, I don't think Thanksgiving is the time to try out new recipes. People (and I mean me) like the old standards: turkey, dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, veggies, gravy, pie. Oh sure, go ahead and throw in another pie besides pumpkin or shake it up a bit and add some garlic to the mashed potatoes but leave the rest alone.

Now here is where you can deviate a little bit. The appetizers. Of course you don't want to serve anything very filling as there will be much to contend with during the main feast. But a few tasty tidbits to whet peoples appetite is just fine.

I read this recipe for Parmesan Cream Crackers from the New York Times "The Minimalist" column written by Mark Bittman and it sounded like the perfect bite, served with a variety of olives and a sparkling wine or cider. Let me tell you, once you've tried these delicate, flavorful morsels you will never want to eat a Goldfish cracker again! They are cheesy, flaky, easy to make and sooooo good!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Parmesan Cream Crackers

1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes or grated (a very good way to do it)
1/4 cup cream or half-and-half, more as needed

Coarse salt, pepper, sesame or poppy seeds, minced garlic or whatever you like for sprinkling (optional).

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust with flour. Put flour, salt, cheese and butter in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until flour and butter are combined. Add about 1/4 cup cream or half-and-half and let machine run for a bit; continue to add liquid a teaspoon at a time, until mixture holds together but is not sticky. I actually combined everything by hand and it turned out just fine and very easy to roll and cut.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/2-inch thick or even thinner, adding flour as needed. Cut with 1-2 inch biscuit cutter or transfer sheet of dough to prepared baking sheet (drape it over rolling pin to make it easier). Score lightly with a sharp knife, pizza cutter or a pastry wheel if you want to break crackers into squares or rectangles later on. Sprinkle with salt or other topping if you like.

Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in a tin for a few days.

Beef Barley Soup

2010-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

These damp Fall days always make me want to bring out my favorite soup kettle and spend an hour or two in the kitchen cutting, chopping and stirring up a pot full of goodness. This weekend beef barley soup was on the agenda. My BFF Patti was talking about her husband's delicious vegetable barley soup he had made earlier in the week and it inspired me.

This was a great recipe to make as I had everything I needed in the cupboard and freezer except for carrots. I always like to cut up my own stew meat from a chuck roast. You know what you're getting that way. Also, I just love the process of chopping up all of the veggies even though I have a fancy food processor that would do all that work in half the time. It's such a therapeutic thing for me to do. I get the radio on NPR and listen to the entertaining Saturday morning shows and before I know it, the soup is simmering away.

Serve this wonderful beef soup with a crusty piece of bread and a hearty glass of red wine for a delicious meal. There will be plenty for leftovers throughout the week too!

Beef Barley Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks and patted dry
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts beef stock or broth
1/4 pound medium pearled barley, rinsed in cool water and drained (NOT THE QUICK COOK!)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained (I cut these up before adding)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Working in batches, add a single layer of beef cubes to the skillet and sear on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle with black pepper. Leave the remaining oil in the skillet, and set it aside.

In a 5-quart soup pot, bring the stock or broth to a simmer. Add the browned beef and rinsed barley, cover, and return to a full simmer. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano and thyme. Cover the skillet and cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes.

Transfer the vegetables to the simmering soup, then add the chopped tomatoes, peas and corn. Simmer for 15 minutes and add chopped fresh parsley before serving. Yield: about 10 servings

420 Miles in 24 Hours

2010-11-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

The Husband and I got in our car on Sunday morning with our goal being a relaxing 24 hour mini-vacation and indeed, we got exactly that. I thought I'd share a few pictures from our great excursion to Bend via the Columbia Gorge and then home through the Cascades. I never tire of the beauty that is Oregon! No recipes this week. I'm taking a respite from the kitchen.

There were little creeks and mighty rivers.

There were spectacular waterfalls and towers up to the clouds.

There were salmon fighting the current to go home upriver and The Husband fighting the snow through the mountains to deliver us home safely!

Butterscotch Pie O My

2010-11-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a pie made from two different sources. The pie crust is from Cooks Illustrated, the group that takes a recipe and using science, comes up with foolproof ways to make them the best they can be. I saw their show one Saturday where they used this vodka pie crust recipe and thought I would give it a "shot"(pardon the pun). It certainly worked fine, but I think I will stick to the Dorie Greenspan foolproof recipe I last tried for pie crusts as my go-to method.

The butterscotch pudding recipe is from a Better Homes and Gardens Holiday magazine I recently purchased. It is actually from a Butterscotch Meringue Pie but the sound of the meringue part didn't thrill me so I just made the filling and it was by far, the best butterscotch pudding I have ever tasted.

One note: This pie does not travel well as noted by the Tupperware of mush we ended up delivering to my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. Though it wasn't very pretty, I hope it tasted fine.

Vodka Pie Crust
(this makes a single crust)

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
2 Tbsp cold vodka
2 Tbsp cup cold water

Process 3/4 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Once chilled, roll out the pie crust using quite a bit of flour on your board, as it is a sticky dough. Place in 9 inch pie pan gently and turn under 1 inch overlay of dough and crimp edges. Or you can do as I did and make a decorative pattern and applique them on to the edges of the pie using egg white as your glue.

Place crust in the fridge while preheating the oven to 425 degrees. Place a vegetable oil sprayed piece of foil pressed into the crust and fill with pie weights or beans and bake for 15 minutes. Take from oven, carefully remove foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes until crust is golden brown. Cool on a rack. Once cooled, it is ready for a pre-cooked filling.

Butterscotch Filling

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 egg yolks
1 cup milk (I used non fat and it worked fine)
3 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk. Whisk in the egg yolks until combined. Whisk in the remaining milks. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Put a piece of plastic wrap on the surface so a skin doesn't form while mixture cools.

Put in cooked pie crust and refrigerate 4-5 hours. I decorated mine with whipped cream and shards of hardened caramelized sugar. To do this I just cooked 1/2 cup of granulated sugar over high heat in a shallow pan, swirling pan constantly until sugar was melted completed and a medium amber color. Be very careful as once the sugar starts to turn amber it can get too dark and bitter quickly. I then poured this onto a greased piece of foil, let it cool completely, then broke it into small pieces. It was a nice addition to the butterscotch flavored pie.

Fall is Here, Time for Apples

2010-10-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

It's apple time in the Pacific Northwest so it's time for a wonderful variety of apples at our local farmers markets and grocery stores. I can't resist buying apples when they are at their peak and eating them crisp and cold from the fridge. Occasionally though, a cooked apple dessert is just the thing for a Fall day and when I saw this recipe in the Oregonian, I knew it was a must try.

This comes from one of my favorite cookbook authors and collaborators, Dorie Greenspan who has worked with many famous chefs such as Julia Childs amongst others and has developed amazing books, including her own Baking: From My Home to Yours. She has recently come out with her newest book called Around My French Table and this recipe is included. I have yet to purchase it but I have read great things and look forward to ordering it from Amazon very soon.

A little about this cake. It is all about the apples which have a very thin layer of cake surrounding them. I used two varieties; Honey Crisp and Liberty to make my version but Ms. Greenspan recommends using 4 different types to get a mix of tart and sweet and a variety of textures. It's a delicious dessert and very simple and quick to put together.

Marie Helene's Apple Cake

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

4 large apples

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons dark rum

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and center a rack in the oven. Butter an 8 inch springform pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the springform pan on it. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

Peel the apples, cut them in half, and remove the cores. Cut the apples into 1 to 2 inch chunks.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until foamy. Pour in the sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the rum and vanilla. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, when it’s incorporated, add half of the melted butter, followed by the remaining flour mixture and butter. Mix in between additions so you have a smooth, thick batter.

Fold in the apples with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread with spatula so the batter is somewhat even.

Slide the pan in the oven and bake 50-60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for five minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake and remove from the pan. Cool cake until slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the pan, wait until the cake is completely cooled. Slide a long spatula between the cake and pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving platter.

Pork Paillards with Sour Cream-Paprika Sauce

2010-10-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just have to sit down and go through the ever growing stacks of magazines that accumulate around the house and pull out recipes and articles I may use at a future date and then get the rest into the recycle bin. Otherwise our house would be inundated by them. Yesterday was that kind of day, though I must admit I barely made a dent in the piles.

I did come across this wonderful and quick dish in a Martha Stewart magazine. Her publications are always filled with such great recipes, decorating ideas and interesting articles it's hard for me to throw them away. But get rid of them I must, lest I become the next star on the show Hoarders-Buried Alive, with my out-of-control magazine addiction!

This is a very fast recipe and from start to finish, this dinner took no more than 30 minutes to put together and it was a winner.

Pork Paillards with Sour Cream-Paprika Sauce
(Serves 4)

8 pork paillards
Salt and Pepper to taste
Flour for dusting meat
2 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp paprika

Season pork with salt and pepper on both sides then dust lightly with flour. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 paillards and saute on 1 side until golden brown, approximately 1-2 minutes. Flip and saute paillards until cooked through about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining meat.

Saute onions for 2-3 minutes until transparent. Add white wine to skillet and deglaze pan; cook until wine reduces by half, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and any plate juices. Simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Gradually add in the sour cream and the paprika. Season to taste. Serve with buttered parsley noodles.

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies

2010-10-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

This is a cookie from my youth, either in this shape or in the pinwheel shape, which were my particular favorites. I found this recipe in the September 2010 issue of Martha Stewart's Everday Food magazine and just knew I had to try them. This is not a recipe if your goal is to whip out a batch of cookies in a hurry. These took some time but were totally worth the effort. The recipe states it makes 18, but I only managed to get ten out of the dough and had only enough chocolate, even after adding three more ounces, to coat nine cookies. Oh well, nine cookies are better than none!!

Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies
(as adapted from Everyday Living Magazine)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for working
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
9 large marshmallows, halved
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on high, scraping down bowl as needed, until light, 4 minutes. Add egg and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls, 3 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined baking sheets. With the bottom of a measuring cup dipped in flour, flatten cookies to 2 inches in diameter. Bake until dry and set, about 7 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove from oven and top each cookie with a marshmallow half. Bake until marshmallows are soft, 2 minutes.

Remove from oven and, with a metal spatula sprayed with vegetable spray, gently flatten each marshmallow. Let cookies cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 minute increments, stirring often, until chocolate is thoroughly melted. Place one cookie at a time on tines of a fork, submerge in chocolate, then tap fork on edge of bowl to remove excess. Place on wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let cookies set in refrigerator, about 10 minutes.

Mom's Clam Dip

2010-10-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

This blog entry is in honor of my mother's clam dip. It is a family tradition. There isn't a family gathering that goes by where this isn't served by someone. Sometimes the simplest of food items can evoke such strong memories and for me, this is one of those items.

Growing up, my parents use to throw parties in our remodeled basement which was where it was "happening." There was a bona fide bar with three built in bar stools that were ever so fun to spin around on. There were two large mirrors on the walls. There was a red linoleum tile floor, a couch, chairs and a piano. Eventually it was additionally decorated to resemble an English pub, with English beer glasses, a map of the Underground and various other souvenirs my parents collected on their travels to England.

Well, back to the clam dip. The day after these parties I would go down to explore the aftermath where it smelled of stale beer and cigarette smoke (weren't the '60s something) and inevitably there would be left over chips and clam dip sitting around. Not for long! Nothing better than slightly soggy potato chips and clam dip which has been out all night.

We're all grown up now and I wanted to make sure I got this recipe (I use the term lightly as I don't believe there is a recipe) written so it can be passed on to the next generation. Like my grandmother's English tarts, my mother's clam dip is and shall remain a family tradition.

Mom's Clam Dip

1 8oz package cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 can chopped clams, undrained

Beat cream cheese, garlic powder, mayonnaise and approximately 2/3 of the clam juice until smooth and creamy. Drain clams of remaining juice. Add clams to cream cheese mixture and stir until blended. Serve with chopped veggies and potato chips.

This is my take on this concoction. I'm sure my two sisters have their own variations, but the basics would be the same.

Lunch At The Coast

2010-10-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

The Husband and I took off one recent beautiful, sunny Fall Saturday and drove to Newport on the Oregon coast for a walk around downtown and lunch at Mo's. You Oregonians will be familiar with Mo's delicious clam chowder.

It's worth the drive just for a cup, along with their yummy cheesy garlic bread. The day was perfect and it was a fantastic, much needed get-away.

Homemade Cannelloni

2010-09-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a divine recipe for that special occasion when you have a lot of time for cooking and you want to make an impressive, delicious dish for a crowd. The beauty of this recipe is that all of the components can be made in advance, the dish can even be assembled the day before one's dinner and the last minute kitchen preparation time is avoided.

If there is one thing I can't stand about entertaining, it's being stuck in the kitchen slaving over the oven while my guests are all having fun without me. I often look for recipes just like this one that can be done ahead of time when I am going to entertain a group. An unstressed hostess is a good hostess!

This is such a sublime dish. The crepe "noodles" are the most delicate of creations. I suppose those no-bake lasagna noodles could be cooked up in a pinch and used as a substitute but oh, they just wouldn't have the consistency that these had. It's a great recipe for the vegetarians in the crowd too. Be sure and let this sit after taking out of the oven for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it so the cheeses congeal a little bit before serving.

Homemade Cannelloni

For sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (28- to 32-oz) cans Italian tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

For crêpes
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

For filling
2 lb fresh ricotta (3 cups)
2 large eggs
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella (I used small, fresh mozzarella balls)

Special equipment: 2 glass or ceramic baking dishes, one 13 by 9 inches and one 8 inches square

Make sauce:
Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, water, sugar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from heat.

Make crêpes:
Break up eggs with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl and stir in water until combined (don't beat). Sift in flour and salt, then stir batter until just combined. Force through a medium-mesh sieve into another bowl.

Lightly brush an 8-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter and heat over moderate heat until hot. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom, then pour excess batter back into bowl. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Cook until underside is just set and lightly browned, about 30 seconds, then invert crêpe onto a clean kitchen towel to cool completely. Make at least 11 more crêpes in same manner, brushing skillet with butter as needed and stacking crêpes in 3 piles.

Make filling and assemble cannelloni:
Stir together ricotta, eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut mozzarella lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks.

Spread 2 cups sauce in larger baking dish and 1 cup in smaller one. Arrange 1 crêpe, browned side up, on a work surface, then spread about 1/4 cup filling in a line across center and top with a mozzarella strip. Fold in sides to enclose filling, leaving ends open, and transfer, seam side down, to either baking dish. Fill 11 more crêpes in same manner, arranging snugly in 1 layer in both dishes (8 in larger dish and 4 in smaller).

Spread 1 cup sauce over cannelloni in larger dish and 1/2 cup in smaller dish. Tightly cover dishes with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling and filling is hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Cannelloni can be assembled (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered with foil. Chill remaining sauce, covered, separately. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before baking, covered with foil. Reheat sauce, thinning slightly with water.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

2010-09-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Tired of the same old boring tomato salsa? What you need to do is get a fabulous sister-in-law with a major green thumb who gives you a sack full of lovely tomatillos and a fresh green salsa is a food processor whirl away. This is super easy to put together once everything is peeled and cooked. There is no dicing or mincing involved. Just chuck everything into the bowl of the processor and pulse a few times and it's done.
Serve with chips or as a topping for green enchiladas which is what I'll be doing with mine. Thanks for all of the produce Christie. You're the best!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

8-10 tomatillos, peeled and cut into halves
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 large onion, cut in quarters
3-4 green jalapeno peppers, seed if desired to avoid too much heat
1/2 cup cilantro

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tomatillo halves, garlic, onion and peppers on sheet and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast approximately 20-25 minutes.

Let mixture cool for a few minutes then place in food processor fitted with steel blade and add fresh cilantro leaves. Pulse 5-6 times until it forms a smooth sauce. You make need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Serve as an accompaniment with corn chips or as a sauce for enchiladas or burritos.

A Summer Salad

2010-09-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

As mentioned previously, the poor garden is not fairing well this year due to our long, cold late spring/early summer and the tomatoes are yet to ripen. I do have basil though, so pesto has been on my mind. A cold pesto pasta salad screams of summer to me so I am not going to let the fact that there are no ripe tomatoes in the garden stop me. Off to the store I go for some very nice tomatoes called Romanescas, a variety I had never heard of before. They are a bit bigger than a cherry tomato and in a kind of oblong shape. Perfect!

This is one of those recipes where I just clean out the cupboards, adding to the salad as my mood suits me and today this included 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, 1 small can of diced black olives, cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese, and some peas along with the pesto and some mayonnaise. It's the kind of non-recipe I love to make.

Pesto Pasta Salad

1/2 cup pesto, fresh or homemade (My pesto recipe can be found here).
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lb. pasta (any shape you want but I like Rotini)
1/4 shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz. chopped tomatoes
4 oz. fresh Mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1 small jar drained marinated artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
3/4 cup frozen green peas
2 green onions, finely sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Bring to boil 5 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and run under cold water until pasta is cooled. In a small bowl, mix pesto, mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese together. Add to pasta along with the rest of the ingredients and toss all until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Salem Saturday Market 9/11/2010

2010-09-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

The anniversary of September 11, 2001 always makes me somber and reflective of those horrid events that took place and how this country and world have evolved since. This a.m. as the news channels were showing images of that dreadful day, I decided to go do something that would make me smile and that was to wander the aisles of the Salem Saturday Market on this beautiful late summer morning. Enjoy the pictures and the sunshine.

Fall Garden Haiku

2010-09-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

The corn unripened
Green stalks reach out for the sun
Fall comes too quickly

Doughnuts In A Muffin

2010-09-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

This recipe is dedicated to all my doughnut loving friends and family (you know who you are Warren and The Husband). I like to think they're a wee bit healthier than the greasy, fried doughnut from the corner shop or grocery store, as they're baked. And as the cook, let me tell you they were a heck of a lot easier to make. I have attempted homemade doughnuts twice and after the second time, I vowed never to do it again. It is messy, difficult and needless to say, greasy.

This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour, a really great site for recipes of all kinds. So, if it's Sunday morning and you don't want to get out of your bathrobe and run out for doughnuts, just make some muffins instead. And the good thing is, this recipe makes enough for leftovers!

Doughnut Muffins
(makes 18 muffins)

For the Batter

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 to 1 ¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

For the Toppings

Glaze (for six muffins)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter; melted
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon hot water

Cinnamon Sugar Topping (for six muffins)

1 1/2 Tbsp butter; melted
1 Tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Sugar Topping (for six muffins)

1 1/2 Tbsp butter; melted
Sanding Sugar or Decorator Sugar

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with paper muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.

5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

7) Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

8.) In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth.

9.) When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. For the cinnamon sugar muffins, dip the muffin crown in butter then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture. For the sugar coated muffins, dip the muffin crown in butter then sprinkle the top with sanding sugar.
10.) Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Muffins will keep at room temperature for about a day.

Salad Caprese, The Sequel

2010-08-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite summer time treat (besides ice cream!) Tomatoes fresh off the vine (not ours unfortunately, this year), fresh mozarella cheese, basil and splashes of good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, seasoned to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. The classic Italian Salad Caprese.

It is so simple with such a small number of ingredients yet the finished dish is ever so satisfying. The Italians are very good at putting together recipes like this. I have blogged this salad before here, but I'm particularly pleased with this version using heirloom tomatoes. I just think they're gorgeous.

Fun Buns

2010-08-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here is another buttermilk recipe; the third I've made this summer - starting with buttermilk fried chicken, then the buttermilk pie and now these. This recipe was the easiest of all with a quick 6 minute knead using the dough hook on my mixer and then letting the dough rise a couple of times. The results made me smile. The rolls turned out so big and fluffy. They are a very bready roll, not particularly light in texture but very tasty. Now I can't wait for winter so I can start making hearty soups and stews again, with these delicious rolls as an accompaniment.

Buttermilk Cluster

1⁄4 oz. active dry yeast
1⁄2 tsp. sugar
1 3⁄4 cups buttermilk
1 tbsp. honey
5 cups flour
1 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
Unsalted butter, for greasing
1 egg

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, sugar, and 1⁄4 cup water heated to 115°; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in buttermilk and honey; add flour and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 6–8 minutes. (Sprinkle in a little water if dough seems dry.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to let dough rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 400˚. Grease a 9" round springform pan with butter. Uncover dough; divide into 12 portions. Roll each dough piece into a ball; transfer ball to pan; repeat with remaining dough. Cover pan with plastic wrap and set aside to let dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tsp. water. Uncover dough and brush egg mixture over the top. Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dough registers 190°, about 35 minutes. (Mine took 45 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Buttermilk Pie

2010-08-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sounds strange, doesn't it? A buttermilk pie....what in the world would that taste like? I had recently made fried chicken which called for a buttermilk soak overnight and had a 1/2 quart of the stuff leftover. I have heard about this Southern specialty before so thought I would give it a try.

This is basically a custard pie but instead of the normal cream or milk based custard filling, it utilizes the slightly tangy and may I mention, lower fat buttermilk. This was a very easy pie to make as I cheated and used a pre-made frozen crust. Here's the verdict from our house: I liked it alright though not enough to make again and The Husband gave me his version of a thumbs down by stating he wouldn't care if he ever had a piece of that pie again. So, if the unusual ingredient of buttermilk turns you on, knock yourself out making this easy to bake pie.

Buttermilk Pie

3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp flour, plus a little for dusting
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
nutmeg (optional)
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat eggs slightly and add sugar and flour. Then add melted butter and mix well. Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix.

Dust the unbaked pie shell with a little bit of flour. Pour batter into shell and place on a baking sheet. Dust the top if desired with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Bake until custard is set, approximately 1 hour. Cool before cutting into slices.

Someone Had A Birthday

2010-08-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Isn't it nifty? The Husband turned fifty! And to celebrate this monumental occasion, I made him some of his favorite candy - Peppermint patties. This is a recipe I obtained from the now defunct (and sorely missed) Gourmet magazine a few years ago. These are so simple to make and the results far surpass the silver foil covered patties in the store. Happy Birthday dear!!
I made some revisions in this recipe when I made them and instead of rolling out the fondant and cutting with a cookie cutter, I just rolled it into a log, cut it into 1/4inch slices and then flattened those into rounds. I also used coating chocolate instead of the tempering method as described below. I just find that too tedious to deal with. I also need to work on my dipping techniques so I can perfect some fancy swirls or a signature mark of some sort. Practice makes perfect.

Happy Birthday Husband!!

Peppermint Patties

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (less than 1 pound), divided
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)
10 ounces 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Beat 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar with corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, shortening, and a pinch of salt using an electric mixer (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium speed until just combined. Knead on a work surface dusted with remaining 1/4 cup confectioners sugar until smooth. Roll out between sheets of parchment paper on a large baking sheet into a 7- to 8-inch round (less than 1/4 inch thick). Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove top sheet of paper and sprinkle round with confectioners sugar. Replace top sheet, then flip round over and repeat sprinkling on other side.

Cut out as many rounds as possible with cutter, transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, gather scraps, reroll, and freeze, then cut out more rounds, freezing them. (Or do as I did and just roll the kneaded fondant into a log about 7-8 inches long, freeze for 15 minutes or so, then cut into 1/4 inc slices and smash those down into a circle.

Melt three fourths of chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Remove bowl from pan and add remaining chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool until thermometer inserted at least 1/2 inch into chocolate registers 80°F.

Return water in pan to a boil and remove from heat. Set bowl with cooled chocolate over pan and reheat, stirring, until thermometer registers 88 to 91°F. Remove bowl from pan.

Balance 1 peppermint round on a fork and submerge in melted chocolate, letting excess drip off and scraping back of fork against rim of bowl if necessary, then return patty to sheet (to make decorative ridges on patty, immediately set bottom of fork briefly on top of patty, then lift fork straight up). Coat remaining rounds, rewarming chocolate to 88 to 91°F as necessary. Let patties stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

A Favorite Cookbook

2010-08-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Cooking vegetarian isn't something I choose to do that often, but when I do, Mollie Katzen's original Moosewood Cookbook is one of my go to cookbooks. I'm sharing two recipes today; one for baked falafel (or as The Husband says " You can't say falafel without saying awful"), and lemon-tahini dressing.

Unfortunately, I totally blanked out as I made the lemon-tahini sauce which is the recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook that I wanted to blog about so I have no pictures today. I will provide you with the recipe along with some excellent baked falafel. This is an experiment that went very well. Usually falafel is fried in oil but I tried instead to bake them and see what happened. They turned out to be slightly crisp using just a tad bit of olive oil on the bottom of the baking dish. A much healthier alternative to the original method.

I just love falafel and lemon-tahini together with veggies as a sandwich in pita bread along with some cucumber tzatziki sauce as I have blogged about previously, or just falafel mashed up over a bowl of brown rice with the lemon-tahini sauce over the top. It's a very filling alternative to a meat based meal.

Baked Falafel

1 15-19 oz can well drained and rinsed chickpeas
2 finely minced green onions
2 finely minced garlic cloves
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp tahini
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil evenly in baking dish.

Mash chickpeas with a potato masher, then add onions and garlic and blend together. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.

With floured hands, shape mix into ping-pong size balls and place in baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes on one side, then turn them over and bake another 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Lemon-Tahini Sauce

3/4 cups tahini
3/4 cups plain Greek style yogurt
1 medium clove of garlic, minced well
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 finely minced green onion
3 Tbsp finely minced parsley
Salt to taste
dash or two of cayenne pepper
dash or two of paprika
1 tsp ground cumin

Beat all of the ingredients together well, using a whisk or wooden spoon. The more you whip it, the thicker it becomes. Serve at room temperature over falafel, sauteed vegetables or if thinned, this makes an excellent salad dressing.

Creamsicle Ice Cream

2010-08-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

You all remember those little cups of ice cream from the school cafeteria with half vanilla, half orange sherbet, don't you? Well here is an ice cream that tastes just like those cups of yummy and it's so easy to make. No cooking or fussing with a custard base. This is made by just mixing 5 ingredients together, throwing them into the ice cream maker and 25 minutes later, voila creamsicle ice cream. Enjoy!

Creamsicle Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups cream

1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. Chill in refrigerator for a couple hours until very cold. Mix in ice cream maker as directed by manufacturer.