Shaking N Baking

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2011-12-22T20:11:00.001-05:00

So, as some of you have heard, I am home from my Qatari Adventure. I got home about a week ago, just in time to be involved in all the last minute preparations for Christmas. While most are really excited that I am home and back in the good ole US of A, you are also asking how long I am stateside and what my next plans are! Well, the first question is easy…I’m here for good…no current plans to return to Qatar (or go anywhere else!) anytime soon.

While I loved living in Doha, Qatar, the job that I went to do turned out to be very different from what I was actually asked to do. I wanted to go to Qatar to gain experience doing certain tasks and be in a role that turned out to be very different than what they had in mind for my position there. I fought hard to make it into what I had hoped and could tolerate, but in the end I was unable to convince them to change their ways and mindset. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted this experience to work out and last for two years, I couldn’t continue to endure some of the things that were going on. I won’t go into too many details in this public forum, but invite me out for chai/drinks and I’ll spill the beans. Just know that I am a strong woman that doesn’t give up on things easily and I believe this proved to be both my greatest asset and my biggest downfall while in Qatar. I still gained a lot of great experience, and learned a ton about business (especially international) and even more about myself. I met a bunch of really great people that I hope to turn into lifelong friends and be able to travel the world to see them in their home countries someday.

So, what’s next you ask? I’m not entirely sure. While I would love to continue to pursue my dream of baking and providing high quality sweets/desserts to people, I’m not sure if I can do this immediately. I do think that I need to stick close to family for now though, so while a quick trip to the DC area is planned, I think I’ll be settling in CA at least for the short term. If you know of any great opportunities that I should pursue, please let me know!

I recently posted on my FaceBook page the quote, “I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.” I am living that quote right now. I am enjoying the time I have with my family and friends this Christmas and New Year’s season. I am praying that God will show me how this fresh start is going to lead me to wonderful things that I just don’t see quite yet. I’m confident that whatever is next will be just another adventure that will teach me a bunch of lesson in life.

With Love,
Christina

Thanksgiving in Doha, Qatar

2011-11-24T09:57:00.001-05:00

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and family in the United States! What a day of food, fun and football! This is also a great time to remember all that we have to be thankful for in our lives. For me, this year I am most thankful for my parents who have taken on so many things for me to be able to come to Qatar and be on this wild adventure! Not only are they taking care of my loving cat, Marvin, but they are also minding my finances and sending me lots of care packages so that I don’t miss too much of home.

I am also very thankful for the love and support of friends. So many of you have kept in touch via Facebook, mail, Skype or emails which is such a blessing. Every time I connect with someone from home it makes me grateful for the connections I’ve made in this life that endure space and time. It also reminds me how thankful I am for today’s technology! My grandparents could have never imagined Skyping with someone on the other side of the world!

While I could easily fall into a woe-is-me thought process because I am not home for the holiday, I am far too blessed for that. God has me right where he wants me at this exact moment. I’ve spent many holidays away from family, so this is not a new thing for me, though being so far away and facing some of the challenges I face here it is a bit bittersweet this year. But I am choosing to focus on the blessings.

This time of year also reminds me of how fortunate I am to be an American…and an American that can afford to live comfortably, or at least have family and friends that would help me if needed. So many people in this world are hungry today. To think that there will be way too many leftovers and wasted food on American tables today is a bit sad. I wish somehow this world could figure out how to distribute the excess from one part of the world to another. I wish we could all share the benefits and reduce the struggles of our fellow mankind in the world.

On that note, I recently read a food blog written by a woman who lost her husband unexpectedly in August. She is doing her best to move forward and remember to be thankful for what she does still have in this life, as well as help others. (In Jennie's Kitchen for those that want to read her beautiful, yet heartbreaking journey.) She inspired me to ask of those with a little extra this Thanksgiving and Christmas Season to consider giving back.

Whether you support Small Business Saturday and support your local independent small businesses or simply spend a bit less at the major chains, this will go a long way in helping your local community. (Yeah, I know it’s sponsored by American Express, but you don’t have/need to use your credit card…in fact I would encourage you to spend within your budget!) Don’t forget that you favorite Mary Kay, Tastefully Simple, Party Lite or other independent consultant would love your business too.

You could volunteer at your local shelter to help those less fortunate than you. I remember making sandwiches one year for my local shelter in Reston, Virginia. That simple act of purchasing and making 60 sandwiches to be delivered to the shelter for their clients was immensely rewarding. I also was richly blessed when I went on a mission trip to Denver and worked with the homeless community for a week with D.O.O.R.. The people that you are able to bless are truly in need, whether it is because of a mental, physical illness or whether they battle addictions that have stolen their lives. Most of the people that go to shelters are keenly aware of their dire situation and just want a warm smile, listening ear and a bit of help. Find a local shelter in your community and get plugged in…not only during the holidays, but year-round.

You can also get involved with groups that volunteer year round. There are the biggies like Red Cross, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, but don’t forget the smaller ones too. The local Boys and Girls Club or your local high school’s booster club would probably gladly welcome a donation or the offer of you time to help. Also, if you’re already involved in a church, get involved with one of the ministries! Extra hands to help your community go a long way and you normally get a pretty decent blessing out of it too.

If you really want to keep things personal, offer to babysit during the holidays for that single mom/dad that you know so they can go shopping or get some rest one afternoon. Go hang lights or decorate for your elderly neighbor (and then take them down after the season!). Take a meal to a family that you know is barely making ends meet. Have coffee with that single gal/guy that is missing their family because they live far away. Smile at people while you’re out…it’s amazing how much this simple, free gesture can make a difference.

No matter what I hope that today and year-round you remember to be thankful, even when there are storms and struggles in your life. I am thankful for some of the struggles I’ve endured because they have made me the person I am today. While I don’t wish to ever face some of those struggles again, I also realize the blessings that came from them. Thank you God for always working things out for good.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have an extra piece of pumpkin pie for me!

With Love,
Christina

Quick Photo Post and Request for Help!

2011-10-29T19:48:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! This will be a quick photo post...I know I've not written much this much (heck, not at all!). Trust me that it's been super busy here and the weather has finally cooled off so there is a lot more to do when I have time off. I'll do my best to write more again soon, but in the meantime, here are some more photos!

Having a bit of fun at the Irish Harp...I can't hear you!

This little guy (named him Mortimer) was hanging out at the villa...seemed suspicious of me.

A customer took this photo and posted it on our Facebook page...a bit blurry, but a good shot overall.
Shows you a bit of the shop and what I look like 54+ hours a week!

Sunsetting...on our way to the beach....over the dunes and through the sand!

Sand Duning and Overnight Camping on the Beach....So fun, so beautiful, so scary!
We went through that waterto the other side...

View from the top of the Dunes....we'd just come from that direction!

Another view from the top...Breathtaking!

We were just down in that valley...those are our fresh tracks!

Lindsay and I at the Ministry of Sound Beach Party...Fun times at the InterConteniental Hotel

Photo of Doha...on the Corniche

Doha Skyline at sunset

This was dinner one night...Lobster with Pasta...so good (La Dolce Vita at Souq Waqif)

I can't seem to get this next photo to rotate properly...but it's a recipe I made with my mom, but I didn't keep the actual recipe! It's called "Apple Cheesecake Breakfast Bars" and if you can help me find the recipe I'd be so grateful! I've done internet searches and can't seem to find it! It was in one of those small recipe books they sell at the checkstand of grocery stores...in May.

Apple Cheesecake Breakfast Bars...HELP!

UPDATE: My brilliant friend, Kathy, quickly found the recipe!! Check it out here! Thanks Kathy!

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Relationships and Chocolate Pudding Pie

2011-09-24T16:45:00.001-04:00

“Christina, you just have to understand that your American way of being friendly is often misinterpreted as romantic here. You need to stop it.” This was the verbal blow given to me by a guy that works at one of the other restaurants near our bakery. We had been discussing among other things relationships and how things work in the Middle East/Qatar. He said that I flirted with way too many people here. He defined my flirting as the smiles I easily gave to anyone and saying hello or chatting with them. I said that I was simply just being friendly, that I liked to smile at people and that I talk to just about anyone if they’re not being jerks. He then let go with the above line. I was a bit hurt. Why should I change who I am and how I am just because they can’t understand that I’m just trying to be friendly?

I posted about this on Facebook. I got lots of comments about not changing who I am or how I am along with some advice on bridging the culture gap. One friend (Hi Cathy!) even suggested that I contact the US Embassy to see if they could offer any advice on how to work out this challenge. I’ve not done that yet, instead choosing to be more selective in whom I flash my “eyes-smiling” smile at. So far, this tactic seems to be working. I still smile at just about everyone, but not everyone gets the “eyes-smiling” smile (does that make sense!?) opting instead for the “closed mouth” grin. So, you could say, I’ve tried to change who how I am a bit…not a bad thing, and sometimes the “eyes-smiling” smile creeps out and shows itself anyway.

In that same vein, I’ve also met some really great customers. Of course, I often hear giggles from my staff when I sit and talk with American customers (why are they mostly men!?). The customers are normally quite engaging and share a common humor and understanding that fills a hole in me. I don’t think I prepared well enough for the fact that some things (humor) just wouldn’t translate here. Only my American friends/customers seem to understand sarcasm or silly “That’s What She Said” jokes. My staff of course sees the laughter and joking as flirting (::Sigh::) when really, I’m just having fun with some customers.

That’s not to say I’ve not met some really great locals with wonderful, humorous sides as well though. We have a few customers that are starting to become friends and even though I had to literally explain the concept of sarcasm to avoid a major confusion recently, we’re having fun learning each other’s cultures. The night that I was invited out after work and I only had a tank top on under my uniform jacket, I was more uncomfortable than they were even though we went to a place filled with mostly men in thobes. I thought for sure they thought I was a Western Hussie….I was told to just relax that it was ok and more common than I realized. We found common ground in music from the 80’s and 90’s, playing music on the laptop and singing along to power ballads by Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton and Bryan Adams. Introducing each other to new music and laughing the whole time when something just wasn’t translating. Of course, being on their “home turf,” I’ve been introduced to new foods, new hobbies (shisha anyone!? *cough* *hack*), and interesting ways of approaching things. (By the way, I was told that here when people ask where I’m from that I should respond, “America” not “United States”…they’ll understand faster. You don’t get tips like that from the travel books and websites!)

As much as I’m realizing that I need to adapt to this culture, I’m also firmly reminded that a lot of things are universal. People are people no matter where you are in this world. The people here all desire love, joy, peace, understanding and community with others….just like we do in America, just as I imagine they do in Europe, South America and Asia. This human need is so strong that people look for it in a smile, in a friendly “hello,” or an inadvertent touch. Sure, at times it will be misinterpreted, but at other times it may just help someone get through the day. I suppose in the end it is balance and just knowing how to respond if someone misunderstands.

Relationships seem to be a big theme right now in my life. Not only have I had the above experiences, but a few friends back in America have been sharing their relationship experiences as well. Rita is being super brave and blogging about her journey of going on 35 dates in 35 days in light of finding herself single upon turning 35 recently(Her blog Rita’s Quest is great…read it!). Her experiences have been so transformational and eye-opening to read, sometimes even helping me to see some things about myself that I could probably work on in regards to relationships. Still another friend recently has been emailing me about her experiences with a dating coach and the changes she’s making to hopefully find her a partner to share life with as she is in her mid/late 30’s as well. Still another woman that I know posted on her Facebook about “what’s left?!” when one of her friends told her to stop dating her typical type of man, but you could read the relational frustration in her post. All of these women, along with the experiences above have given me pause.

I find myself asking, “Am I such an odd duck that I’m really ok with being single right now (meaning my late 30’s)?!” Sure I still long for relationship, I crave that emotional intimacy with someone like I had at the beginning of my (former) marriage, but I think I can honestly say that, for now, I’m really ok with being single. To the woman that asked “what’s left?!” on her Facebook, I responded “Happiness being single!” and I honestly meant it! I know that had things played out differently in my life, and I sat here married with kids that I would likely be just as happy, but I also am grateful that I’ve been able to lead the life I have BECAUSE I’m single. In no way am I saying that my friend’s journeys and changes they are making to find a husband are not great, because I think they are wonderful! I applaud them both for getting out there and going after what they want in life and finding someone to share that with. I guess for me, right now, that’s not what I want. I’m so glad that we can all be so unique and yet, honestly, so much the same. It’s also good to know that if I happen to meet a wonderful man in the coming days and decide to be happy with someone that none of you will hold this last paragraph against me…right!?

By the way, I spoke a lot of romantic relationships in this post, but I realize that relationships go way beyond that…even to friendships. The recipe I’m sharing with you in this post is one that made for my friends in DC last Thanksgiving. By request of the host of Thanksgiving dinner (Hi Cody!), I took a chocolate pie for dessert (along with a pumpkin, but don’t get greedy for recipes!). This pie was so delicious! It was intensely chocolatey and I just so happened to perfect the crust for once in my life (Ugh! Who else struggles with pie crust!?). As you can see from the photo, I barely snapped a shot before it was completely gone and devoured by my friends. Great pie, great friends, great memories…great relationships that continue beyond physical space and time. Maybe in honor of my friends, if I can find the ingredients here, I’ll make this pie again soon. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and make it for you and the people with whom you are in a relationship, romantic or otherwise. I miss you friends!

Not really a glamour shot, but this is one mighty tasty pie!

Recipe: Chocolate Pudding Pie
Source: Gourmet

Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 5 hr (includes chilling)

Ingredients
For pastry dough:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chilled heavy cream

Equipment: pie weights or dried beans
Garnish: bittersweet chocolate shavings (optional)

Preparation:
Make dough:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful of dough: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated. (Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and form into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make pie shell:
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp edge decoratively. Prick bottom and side of shell all over with a fork, then chill shell 30 minutes.

While shell chills, preheat oven to 375°F with a baking sheet on middle rack.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake on baking sheet until pastry is set and edge is pale golden, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil, then bake shell on baking sheet until pale golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool shell.

Make filling:
Whisk together cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes (mixture will thicken). Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth.

Pour filling into cooled shell and chill, its surface covered with wax paper (if you want to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, beat cream with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon onto pie.

Gourmet Cooks' notes:
Pastry dough can be chilled up to 2 days. Pie (without whipped cream) can be chilled up to 1 day.

With Love,
Christina

Beach, Becalm and Beans

2011-09-16T06:23:00.003-04:00

Have you ever feel like time is passing quickly and that you’re missing out on things, only to realize that in fact time isn’t passing as fast as you thought and you’ve experienced way more than most?! This realization is what happened to me recently. I was starting to feel like I was missing out on all there was to see and do in Doha. I was starting to feel that my time here was passing quickly and that before I knew it this adventure would be over and the only thing I’d have gained was work experience. Then, I met “Mr. Donut.”

Mr. Donut and I met while I was driving from the grocery store to work to drop something off. He saw me driving and singing in my car to some very loud, very American rock music. It was me blowing off some steam and just recapturing joy through music and not having a care in the world about what was going on around me. I was “in the moment” of the music. Of course, I also was trying to be very aware of the other cars on the road and that’s when I noticed a handsome local man smiling at me and gesturing (in a friendly way!) to me. I politely smiled and laughed having been “caught” in my moment of singing in the car. He seemed to persist in his polite gesturing and seemed to be offering me something he had in his car with him. I, being a cautious woman, continued to politely smile and drive towards where I knew I’d have plenty of people around. In most situations like this, the other person usually drives off in the other direction (this isn’t the first time I’d been caught singing). But, Mr. Donut followed me all the way to work and parked next to me. As I got out of the car he engaged me in conversation and offered me the cookies he’d been showing me, as well as to take me to dinner. Not wanting to be rude and offend him, I reluctantly accepted the gift of cookies, exchanged numbers and went into work. I immediately told my co-worker about the experience and had a good giggle about how these things always seem to happen to me randomly. But I also was intrigued by this man and texted him a thank you for the cookies and invite to dinner.

Mr. Donut and I texted each other a few times, he stopped by work one morning with 18 donuts (who needs 18 donuts? This sweet gesture is how he got his nickname), and we set up a time to get together. I must admit, I was really curious about getting to know a local man who, when I met him, was wearing a thobe and driving a Lexus SUV (though he also owned a hot new Camaro!). He was also around my age (a rarity in my new circle of friends).

The day that we spent the majority of our time together, we went to the other side of Qatar, Zekreet to be exact. Sure, I was a bit nervous at first about hopping into the Lexus and wandering off to the desert with him (Lindsay was on high alert for my “help me” text should the need arise), but soon I was at ease and we had a great chat. I was amazed at how he seemed to be so unlike my initial impressions of single men in the Middle East. He was respectful of me (a woman!), spoiled me with gifts (without seeming to want anything in return if you get my drift), insisted on paying for everything everywhere we went and always seemed to be concerned if I wanted or needed something (Water? Tea? Hungry? Air conditioning at the right temperature?).

That day, we went to two beaches, drove to see the camels being trained for the races, ate at the Souq, hung out by the water on the Corniche, took some photos and just had a great time talking together. We shared stories about our past, our families and things we wanted for the future. It was almost too comfortable really…though it was just the kind of day I needed to have at that time.

Zekreet, Qatar

Camels off to be trained for racing

Notice the trainer is barefoot and smiling for his photo!

Just past the Lusail area...That "home" used to be the previous Emir's

Tide was coming in when we were there

Doha...Artistic View

Doha Skyline

So after a few times of getting together I was starting to wonder…how this would ever really work. He was a Muslim after all. He’s a local (we certainly got looks when we were out and about from other locals…much like I imagine any mixed race couple would have in earlier decades in the states). I figured I would let it play out and just trust that God knew what I needed most for now, but also guard my heart a bit. And of course, after just about a week of knowing Mr. Donut, he said that while I was wonderful, that due to family reasons he could not continue to see me. While I have my suspicions that this may not been 100% the truth, it was sweet all the same. (Maybe he did want something for those gifts afterall!?) I bid him farewell, offered to return the gifts (beautiful necklaces and earrings…he told me to keep them) and wished him well. This mature, handsome, local man and I parted ways…and it was ok because it was meant to be that way and I had learned a lot during our time together.

What did I realize? I’ve been here three months….time is passing just as fast as it always has and always will. I also realized that I have seen and done a lot in Doha since arriving. These three months have been filled with lots of work, yes, but it has also been filled with a lot of unique experiences that I will treasure and remember for the rest of my life. That this time is shaping me into the person that God wants me to be in the future. God also recently reminded me that He is ever-present with me, even in Qatar. That while I can’t seem to find a church to call home and have that traditional community of believers, that I am still not alone.

You see, I tend to be a bit of a restless soul or a renaissance soul I’ve been told. Someone who always wants to be moving, accomplishing, achieving, getting what is best out of life and me. I fight for it. It’s not always a bad way to be, but it’s not always productive either. I find myself getting sucked into situations that probably would turn out a lot better if I were to just be still and let God do the work without me mucking it up.

This message came to me loud and clear one night on the way home from a really long (somewhat stressful) day at work. I was spent, emotionally and physically. I just wanted to go to bed and sleep for a long time (not gonna happen anytime soon). I plugged my iPod into the car stereo and hit play…God knew I needed to hear the song “Word of God Speak” by Mercy Me. As I sang along (yep, still doing that), I could feel that God was speaking to me and telling me to be still, becalm. He was reminding me that though I’m all the way on the other side of the world from all that is familiar…that He was right here with me and therefore everything was going to be just fine…. I needed to let Him do the “fighting” for me and be still. I cried tears of joy and relief, much like I always do when God decides to remind me that I’m in the palm of His hand and He’s got things in control, that I can relax and rest in Him. (Of course, because I've put this out there, I'm sure this refound peace will be challenged, so please pray for me!)

I know this blog post is a bit different than some of my others, but I thought I needed to share this part of the journey as well. I’m realizing that this journey is much bigger than just work experience and living in/experiencing a different part of the world. It’s about me being open enough to experience the things that God has planned for me to shape me into who He needs me to be for the people and places he is guiding me towards. He’s putting people in my path to teach me things about myself and others…all for His good and His glory. Pretty cool beans, huh?!

Heehee…see how I did that...I mentioned beans…that brings me to the recipe portion of my post. It’s one of my new creations that I seem to be surviving on these days. There is a lot of rice and mystery meat being offered in these parts. While I’m all for adventure and trying new things (remember, I tried camel!), some of these new things don’t play well with my body…so I had to find something familiar. I came up with this recipe while wandering around the grocery store and craving an avocado salad that my friend Jane had made for me before I left California on this adventure. I did my best to remember most of the ingredients and tried to recreate it. I know I didn’t quite hit the mark, but it is a darn tasty substitute when I can actually find avocados (here today, not the next, but just wait a week, they’ll be back..oye!). This “salad” consists of all things familiar and known…it’s super easy to make and tweak with whatever you like and can find…which, changes for me all the time. So, I’m giving you recipe as I’ve made it twice now…seems these ingredients are becoming consistently available in Doha. Give it a try, tweak it to your liking, and just realize…it’s better than mystery meat any day! (Sorry no glamour shot of the salad...it's not much to look at anyway!)

Doha Avocado Bean Salad (DABS?)
1 ripe avocado, diced
A handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 shallot, sliced finely
1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can of sweet kernel corn, drained
A helping of black olives (mine need to be rinsed because they’re packed in olive oil!)
A healthy drizzle of Italian salad dressing

Toss everything together in a large bowl. Serve.
I like mine with crackers or tortilla chips, though I struggle to find good tortilla chips here.

With Love,
Christina

Busy Bakery and Cheesy Bread

2011-08-23T12:11:00.000-04:00

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I last posted! Sorry for all of those who anxiously await updates! I know most of you also follow me on Facebook, so you know I’m still alive! HA!

We finally opened the store on August 4. We were originally going to open on August 1, but that got delayed and then in the afternoon of August 3 we were told we’d be opening the next day! What a flurry of activity that created…talk about a bit of stress! But, we survived (barely!) and are now starting to find our footing and get into a routine. Of course, since it has been Ramadan, we have only been open in the evenings. I’m sure once Ramadan is over and we’re open all day we’ll have a bit more adjusting to do again.

The cupcakes have been well received and my staff is adorable. We have lots to learn together about the changes in concept, adjusting to that as well as serving Arabic customers along with the customers that are from all over the world. I’m still adjusting to the structure within the company at large, but also trying to focus on what is best for the store and getting the job done the best way possible. Not always easy, but I’m hoping in the end it will all be worth the personal and professional struggles.

Personally, not much has been going on since I feel like I am either at the store or sleeping…the life of a manager at a new store right?! I did get my temporary license, so I am renting a car a white Nissan Sunny!). That has been such a life-changing event…for the better. Being able to go wherever I want whenever I want without paying for and waiting for a taxi has been great. Of course, this doesn’t mean I’ve ventured too far. The malls/grocery stores still seem to be the places I find myself most often, but I’ve also ventured to the Souq as well. The Souq is an open-air market of sorts. It has a ton of local merchants that sell everything…candy, pets, fabric, jewelry, etc. It also has several restaurants that serve a variety of cuisines.

Camel at the top, Mixed Grill Kebabs and Rice on my plate

One night, a few of us went to dinner at Tajine…the Moroccan restaurant. Most of the food seemed to be standard fare, what you would expect at a Moroccan restaurant such as kebabs, rice and chicken. Much to our surprise, there was also baby camel listed on the menu. We were all intrigued, yet no one wanted to commit to eating it as their main entrée…so we decided to share it and each get our own other entrée as well. I must say, it was a lot better than expected. It was a bit stringy, in a pork or beef roast cooked in a crock-pot kind of way, and it had a gamey or unusual taste to it. No, it didn’t taste like chicken…HA! It was good, but not something I would probably eat often. It had a bit of fat to it as well, which seemed out of place in this land of kebabs. I ended up sticking to my mixed grill entrée mostly and sharing some of the fat from the camel with a stray cat that we named Scavi (short for scavenger). Scavi was my best friend for most of the meal after I fed it just a little bit! This made me miss my boy, Marvin.

Scavi, the Scavenger Cat

After dinner we wandered around the Souq and discovered that if anyone thinks there is a shortage of fabric in the world, we’ve found the hidden stash. Fabrics of all colors and textures seemed to flow from every store in one section of the market. (My mom’s fabric dreams come true…really!) As we wandered further we found the “pet” section and were immediately greeted by these chicks that had been dyed…so sad...we noted that PETA would go crazy in this area. The colored chicks were only a precursor to the dyed birds and bunnies. Luckily, they don’t dye the dogs and cats. We also found the jewelry section of the Souq and the candy section…all good things for this girl though I didn’t actually buy much.

Poor baby chicks :(

They really don't know when to stop dying their pets. :(

One thing I have noticed here is the lack of bread as we know it in the US. Sure they have their naan and rolls seem to be served with dinner a lot, but traditional bread doesn’t seem to be a big staple here as it is in the US. I’m wondering if once we move accommodations (exciting news, I hope!), and we have a stove/oven that really works properly, if I’ll be able to make some of the breads I’ve made in the past. With that thought, I started thinking of one of the breads that mom and I made when I was in California: Chunky Cheesy Bread.

Chunky Cheesy Bread Loaf

Anyone who knows my eating habits well will tell you that I adore cheese….of just about any kind. I also really enjoy fresh breads, so this recipe was a must try. It was also fairly easy. Mom and I each made a loaf out of the dough and both used slightly different techniques, but both turned out great. It certainly was best warm, but it made for good sandwich bread with salami the next day as well. The recipe comes from the same cookbook I blogged about last post, A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. I’m telling you again, it’s a great book! Give this a try if you want to have cheesy bread goodness in your home!

See how the cheese goes all through the bread...Yumm!

The Recipe: Chunky Cheesy Bread
Source: A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees)
2 tablespoons rapid-rise yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 to 6 cups bread flour

Chunky Cheese Part
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 scant cups cubed Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon seasoned salt or garlic salt
Sesame seeds

Generously grease two 8x4-inch or two 9x5-inch loaf pans. (This is important to prevent bread from sticking to pan.)

In a mixer bowl, hand-whisk water and yeast together and let stand 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve yeast. Briskly whisk in sugar, salt, mustard, eggs, oil, butter, and half of bread flour and mix. Begin kneading with dough hook on lowest speed 5 to 8 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to make a soft, elastic dough. Form into a ball in mixing bowl, spray lightly with a large clear plastic bag. Let dough rise 30 minutes.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Divide dough in half. Press each half into an oval and distribute 1 cup shredded cheese over each. Press in cheese and roll up each section into a jellyroll.

Using a dough cutter or sharp knife, cut each jellyroll into thick slices and then in half—basically odd-sized chunks of dough. Arrange chunks of dough in loafpans. Scatter cubed Cheddar cheese over chunks of dough, drizzle with oil or butter, and scatter on seasoned salt or garlic salt (any gourmet herb mix will also do) and sesame seeds.

Place loaves on a baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise 30-45 minutes until quite puffy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until well browned and sizzling and cheese is melted, about 30-45 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing and serving. Serve warm or as a sandwich base.

With Love,
Christina

Random Thoughts, Photos and Recipe: Outstanding French Country Bread

2011-07-20T06:24:00.000-04:00

So, as this adventure in Qatar continues, I have some random thoughts about being here, working here and such.

The Beautiful Beach of the Persian Gulf

I’ve gone on and on about how beautiful the water/beaches are here. Yes, the water is turquoise blue, the sand almost white, and the water is warm and salty as you would expect. The views of the water are surprising at times with the absolute beauty. There is also the opulence of some of the places we’ve been. The crystal chandeliers, the gold leaf trim or speck in the walkways. The towers of the downtown Doha area are so interesting and reach to the sky with such a beauty in the way that they seem to defy gravity and involve such ingenuity.

But, right alongside of all that beauty is poverty. The men who work on the towers to build them so beautifully sleep in shacks that don’t have air conditioning or running water. They work in the heat of the day and sometimes into the heat of the night to meet the deadlines set by those who sit in plush offices. The workers only make on average $300 Qatari Riyals a month…that is the equivalent of about $82 US Dollars. They send most of that home to their family in their country of origin. It is sad to see the heartache and tiredness in their eyes. You know they live in such awful conditions yet have such a love for their family that this hard life seems like the best option for them. As they lay specks of gold into the walkways, they simply dream of providing a better life for their family back home. I suppose that, in and of itself, is beautiful, yet heartbreaking at the same time.

Towers Area of Downtown Doha

Another thing that boggles me sometimes is the way that the “locals” feel so entitled. I’ve been told many, many times when working to open the bakery to remember that you can’t tell a customer “no” when they ask for something. They say to remember that if you tell them “no” that they could complain to higher management to get what they want or simply just never set foot into the store again. Can you imagine? I mean, I understand making a request and being disappointed that the store doesn’t offer it (heck, I’ve been lots of places here that don’t serve iced tea, a staple for me in the States!), but to complain to the point of going to higher management because we don’t serve the flavor of juice you want? It’s a challenge to remember that I’m not dealing with the American way of thinking and the way of doing business. The Arab world apparently does not like to confront people directly nor call people out when they are just plain wrong or telling mistruths (note I didn’t say lies…that would be rude!). This creates a culture of a lot of double-talk and going around people to get what you want. The He-said, she-said game is quite maddening at times.

Camel Crossing

They also have a lot of “tomorrows” here. I’ll do it tomorrow can mean that they will actually do it the next day, or it could mean a week (or more!) from now. For this “say what you mean, mean what you say” gal, that is difficult to handle. I always try to explain why something is delayed if I can’t meet a deadline, not just “Oh, I’m working on it, I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Let's think about that tomorrow!

On a happier note, the pubs and clubs here are quite fun! One of the few forms of entertainment that I have indulged in is going out at night to dance and let my hair down so to speak. The places I have gone are normally crowded with a lot of international people…a slice of the United Nations! Most people are very fun and are there to just have a good time. I’ve met some interesting people who are always interested (and some surprised) that I’m from the United States. It seems that not many Americans find their way over here for an extended period of time. I also think it’s great that English is so often spoken and understood by the internationals. I wish I knew at least one other language, as it seems everyone here knows several (yes, I know, that high school Spanish class didn’t quite stick with me all these years later).

Shiny Happy American Gals!

The photo below makes me laugh. It was taken the night that Lindsay and I decided to have Taco Tuesday! We had gone to the store and purchased everything we (thought we) needed to make a great taco night. We started to make dinner and got interrupted by the villa maintenance people who were there to fix our washing machine. After three weeks without the machine we weren’t about to turn them away. Well, three hours later, we were able to finish cooking our meal!! This is when we also discovered that we had a bottle opener, but not a can opener. I wasn’t about to let that fact keep us from our beans, so I started to dig into the can…besides being dangerous, it actually worked out great…we got our beans and had super yummy tacos…just a bit later than expected. We call this photo a testament to American ingenuity…I didn’t get a photo of the strainer we made from an aluminum tray, but we credited that same ingenuity for that invention as well. Oh, and for those that are curious, we bought a can opener and proper strainer the next time we were at the store. Heehee!

American ingenuity at it's finest!

Now for a random recipe. The recipe below was taken from a cookbook by Marcy Goldman called “A Passion for Baking”. This bread recipe was one that my mom and I made while I was in CA waiting to start this Qatari adventure. It looks like it requires a lot, but most of the time is spent waiting for the bread to rise and do its thing. I must say, this bread tastes SO good. If I had the means here, I would try to make this bread every week and use it in place of the stuff we buy at the store. Worth every second of waiting…give it a try (We made one big loaf, but later thought it would have been better as two smaller loaves). The whole cookbook has several recipes that we tried and loved…and several that we just didn’t around to making but look so yummy. I’d recommend the cookbook as well as this bread!!

Outstanding French Country Bread

Recipe: Outstanding French Country Bread
Source: A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman

Sponge Starter (8-16 hours ahead)
1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees)
1/4 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 cups, approximately, bread flour

Dough
All of sponge starter
1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees)
1/2 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 to 6 cups bread flour

For Sponge Starter, in a small bowl, stir together water and yeast and let yeast dissolve by briskly whisking.

With a whisk or wooden spoon, stir in bread flour to make a thick mixture. It should be like a gloppy pudding. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap (leaving a small air space); let stand at room temperature 8-16 hours.

Stack two baking sheets together and line top sheet with two sheets of parchment paper. If your oven and baking sheets cannot accommodate two breads, prepare another set of sheets to bake second bread (or make one large bread).

To make the bread, stir down starter to deflate it. Spoon it into mixer bowl. Hand-whisk in 1 1/2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees), yeast, oil, salt, sugar, and most of flour. Stir to make a messy mass and then loosely cover bowl and let until dough is smooth and resilient but not tough and bouncy. Remove dough hook and lightly spray dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover entire mixer and bowl with a large clear plastic bag. Let rise 90 minutes to 2 1/2 hours until dough has doubled.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Divide dough in half (or keep it as one large bread); form into two balls.

Gently place balls of dough, seam sides down, on prepared baking sheets. Spray dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover baking sheets loosely with large clear plastic bag. Let dough rise until puffy (and 50% larger in volume).

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Slash loaves with a sharp knife before baking. Spritz with water and dust with flour. (If dough deflates with you slash it, it rose too much but might recover with oven heat.)

Atomize oven with a few squirts of water and place baking sheets on lower oven rack. Spray oven interior every 5 minutes for the first 15 minutes (Do not spray oven lightbulb!). When 20 minutes remain, reduce heat to 425 degrees to finish baking. Loaf should be well browned after a total of 25-35 minutes. Cool well on a wire rack before slicing. To store, keep in a loosely sealed plastic bag (which softens crust but keeps bread moist) or in a brown paper bag lightly sealed.

With Love,
Christina

3 Weeks Down, 101 To Go…and a Recipe for Strawberry Summer Cake

2011-07-04T02:33:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day Americans! July 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays. As Americans we give ourselves permission to get outside in the sunshine, go to the pool, lake or other body of water, wear our swimsuits all weekend, have summer foods such as hot dogs and homemade ice cream all while enjoying time with friends and family. To top it all off, we watch the grand fireworks displays and go “Ohhh, ahhh, so pretty!” Good stuff all around.

This July 4th, since I’m living in a foreign land, I wasn’t sure how this holiday would be celebrated, if at all. Lindsay and I had tossed about the idea of hosting a party with all-American foods, but that seemed to fizzle a bit since we really didn’t get a good head start on the planning. As the weekend approached, we ended up making plans to go out to a nightclub one night and then to spend the night on the beach the next night.

The nightclub was fun, but really, not very July 4th inspired. People here dance and drink too much just like they do in America, but there are also all kinds of social rules that make things a bit more interesting. Not to mention the fact that since most of the people don’t seem to speak really great English, when you’re yelling over the music it’s twice as hard to have a decent conversation…things get lost in translation or just aren’t understood at all.

Personally, I was looking forward to the beach. I was anticipating swimming in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf in the dark, laying under the stars on my new beach towel and just having a good time with my new friends. We did all that, and it was a great night, but the real treat came when someone down the beach from us shot off some fireworks. Yes, this American girl who seems to miss home a bit too much at times, got to see fireworks for July 4th weekend. Granted, it was only 5-6 fireworks, shot one at a time, but it made me so content and happy to know that even in this land, far away, I was able to experience a bit of an American tradition. To know that not everything would be have to be sacrificed for this experience, that there would be glimpses of home even in the desert, made me a bit giddy inside. I watched each one wide-eyed with a huge grin on my face.

In honor of the weekend and home, I’m posting a recipe that I made while I was home in California, waiting for this adventure to begin. It’s a super yummy Strawberry Summer Cake from Smitten Kitchen. I made this one day after going to the farmer’s market with my mom. We bought the sweetest, early season strawberries! I adore strawberries and I didn’t want any of them to go to waste, so after I ate some, covered some in chocolate and still had some leftover I searched for a recipe that would let the strawberries shine. Smitten Kitchen has never disappointed me, so I went with her recipe.

The results were great! The cake was light and moist, yet let the warm strawberries shine as the star. It was best when slightly warm and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. But who am I kidding, it was also great direct from the pan the next day too. It would be a great pot-luck recipe because it can be made ahead of time, uses “normal” ingredients, keeps really well and is easy to serve (not messy).

Give this one a try…If fruit wasn’t so expensive here and our oven wasn’t on the fritz, I may have just tried to make this one for the beach…then again, our peaches and grapes from Tunisia were pretty good all on their own.

Strawberry Summer Cake

A slice of Strawberry Summer Cake

Enjoy the holiday my American friends!

Recipe: Strawberry Summer Cake
Source: Smitten Kitchen

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate
1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (200 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup (118 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 pound (450 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (what I used). I did not test this with a standard 9-inch pie plate but looking at the margin of space leftover in my deep-dish pan after baking the cake, I suspect you’d be safe. This cake would also work in a 9- or 10-inch springform or cake pan. The 10-inch would make a thinner cake than pictured.

Whisk flour or flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer (though I had to overlap a few to get them all in). Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.) Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into wedges. Serve with lightly whipped cream.

With Love,
Christina

Quick Photo Post from Qatar

2011-06-23T05:32:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of my first two weeks in Qatar! We have been busy doing things to get ready for the store opening as well as just getting our bearings on where things are. Highlights so far have been the tasting for the Sheikh, meeting a ton of people from all over the world and experiencing some different cultures. I'll try to write more soon...but the internet isn't always reliable!

Aspire Park...the home of the Asian Games and future home of the World Cup 2022!

Our store!

The air-conditioned bird towers...really, they are air-conditioned inside!

This is how we displayed our cupcakes for the Sheikh!

My bedroom with touches of home

My entrance area and vanity area (you can also see into the bathroom!)

My bathroom

My built in stairmaster...that would be 50 marble steps up to my bedroom.

Our kitchen/laundry room

The beach at Katara looking towards the InterContinental Hotel

A decorative fishing boat at the Katara beach

The ampitheatre at Katara

My morning and afternoon treat...brought to me each day without asking.

Our first "regional" meal. We went to Mamig at Katara. It is a Lebanese restuaruant.

With Love,

Christina

Qatar Adventure Begins!

2011-06-15T02:35:00.000-04:00

Welcome to reading Shaking N Baking from Doha, Qatar! I arrived on Saturday, June 11in the early evening after a 20 hour travel adventure from California!

The flight from Washington, DC to Doha was on Qatar Airways and I must say….WOW! Qatar Air really knows how to have their passengers travel in style (even us economy travelers). The seats are spacious, food was good, included a mid-flight service of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream even! I was trying to adjust to Doha time so I stayed awake for the entire 12 hour flight and caught up on several movies (4 to be exact!). The flight attendants were cute young men that were incredibly polite and more like waiters in a high-class restaurant with their customer service attitude. The guy that was waiting on my section of the plane even took time to chat with me about the dinner selections, my reasons for traveling and our new store…even promised to visit because “there aren’t really any good cupcakes in Doha now.”

The culture was immediately noticed upon stepping off the plane. The men in thobes and women in abayas were everywhere in the airport. Going through immigrations was a breeze. I found it a bit funny that the woman processing my visa asked me about having a husband three times…asking me if I was traveling with my husband (no, just me), when he would be joining me (I don’t have a husband), and then telling me that I should have brought my husband with me (I would have if I had one!). This exchange was quite a “Welcome to Qatar, you’re a woman” experience, yet in a sweet way.

We (meaning Lindsay and I) found the people that were waiting for us at the airport after gathering our luggage and just a bit of a wait (our plane was a bit early)…and being oogled at by the male drivers waiting for others. We both felt a little uncomfortable with all the stares, but tried not to let it affect our excitement. The people that brought us to our villa are all very sweet and kind people….fast friends!

We were shown our new home, and assigned our rooms. I’m on the top/third floor. 50 marble steps lead to my room….built in stair-master! I’m also on the same level as our rooftop terrace. It’s quite nice and our villa, while not as good in some things (the internet connection is poor), is great in others. The best news so far has been that the air conditioner in our villa works great! It runs almost 24 hours a day! I’m still adjusting and trying to figure out where I want to put everything and how everything works. (What is that hose next to the toilet and how does it work!?)

After a bit of a slight panic about my carry-on luggage (being left in our driver’s car, but fairly quickly returned), we unpacked a bit but then went to bed. I had heard my first Muslim call to prayer, breathed my first dust-filled breaths and exclaimed with joy just how blessed I am to be here in Doha.

More soon…including some photos!

With Love,
Christina

Classic Goodie: Seven Layer Magic Bars

2011-05-13T10:00:00.002-04:00

There was a time in my life that I worked with church youth groups and was asked to not watch rated-R movies since our youth could not watch them and they typically expose us to themes that are not the best for our minds. This time period produced some great movies that people often will reference in conversation. People are shocked that I have not seen some of these “classics.”

Awhile back, a good friend sent me an odd text message that turned out to be just such a reference to a movie that I had not seen. He was surprised that I didn’t understand the reference and when I told him why he suggested that we start to meet up and “catch me up” on some of these classics. The deal was that I would bake with him (teach him how to make some of the classic goodies) and then we would watch a classic movie.

This turned into a weekly treat for both of us as we worked our way through goodies and movies. We made chocolate chip cookies twice and then we made these seven-layer magic bars. I’d never made them before, but the recipe looked very easy, and it was even on the can of sweetened condensed milk!

The bars are made by simply layering the ingredients into a pan and baking. We took the easy way and ground the graham crackers in my food processor and using pre-chopped nuts. This recipe felt very semi-homemade to me. Not much true baking skill is required. It would be a great recipe to quickly pull together to take to a potluck or party. The only downside for me is that it includes coconut. Had I been making it for myself, I would have probably omitted it and said six-layers were enough…but since these were a childhood favorite for my friend, we stuck to the recipe and he took home all of the leftovers!

He said that they were perfectly delicious and just as he remembered having as a child….so I call that a success! Give them a try!

Oh, by the way, we watched Shawshank Redemption, Silence of the Lambs and The Green Mile. So, what movies are on your classic “must-see” list? Let me know in the comments!

Recipe: Seven-Layer Magic Bars
Source: Eagle Brand

Ingredients
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup (6 oz.) butterscotch-flavored chips
1 cup (6 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions
HEAT oven 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom of
prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds.

For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up by edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into individual bars.

With Love,
Christina

Comfort Food: Mac ‘n Cheese

2011-05-06T10:00:00.002-04:00

I think most of us have a food from our childhood that we would consider a comfort food. For me chocolate chip cookies, mom’s meatloaf with mashed potatoes and the cheap pot pies seem to rank towards to top of my list. One food though really seems to always evoke a childlike comfort more than any other…Mac ‘n Cheese.

Growing up a latch-key kid there weren’t many things that my sister and I could cook alone during the summers or after school. We ate a lot of snack food and things that simply required us to boil water. Hot dogs were great, but mac ‘n cheese was my preferred choice. To this day, seeing the blue box of Kraft takes me back to those summer days lounging in front of the tv (Is it no wonder the battle of the bulge hit me as a kid?!)

With all of the changes going on in my life right now (Qatar has been delayed...maybe up to 2 months!), I started to crave comfort foods. I decided that instead of turning to the ever reliable blue box of Kraft, I would try to expand the comfort food horizon and see if I could find a new version of the delightful pasta and cheese treat. With the recent food truck craze in DC it wasn’t too hard to find one that served mac ‘n cheese. CapMac (http://www.capmacdc.com/) is a mac ‘n cheese lover’s dreams come true. They serve several kinds of macaroni covered in cheese or other sauces, but my taste buds delighted in what they call “Balls Out.” It is their version of mac ‘n cheese with chicken meatballs garnished with crushed Cheez-its. Nirvana! It was so creamy and filling, certainly satisfies the comfort food craving. The only downside is the cost…eating from a DC food truck isn’t cheap! So my quest continued.

I decided that it couldn’t be that difficult to make mac ‘n cheese from scratch at home, and thought I'd try to bake it rather than do a stovetop version. I searched the internet and found the recipe below. It came together easily and was tasty. It’s not perfect…It wasn’t as creamy as I’d hoped for, but I’m sure it could be adapted just a bit to be pure perfection. I liked that this recipe didn’t try to get too fancy. There are a ton of recipes out there that add all kinds of things to the basic mac ‘n cheese. Heck, I was tempted to try adding in some crispy bacon, but wanted to find a good basic recipe before I started to experiment.

Give this one a try. It hit the spot and was just as easy as making mac ‘n cheese from the blue box. It was also easy to reheat and eat as leftovers for a few days.

By the way, what are your comfort foods? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Recipe: Mac ‘n Cheese
From: Very Best Baking

Ingredients
1 2/3 cups (about 7 oz.) dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.

COMBINE cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1½ cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

With Love,
Christina

Qatar Bound!

2011-04-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

That's right friends, family and followers, I'm headed to live in Doha, Qatar for two years! I will be helping open and manage a new Red Velvet Cupcakery in the Katara Cultural Village Project. Our current timeline is to leave at the end of this month. I'm super excited and hope that you will all continue to keep in touch with me. I'll be sharing my experiences here, as well as continue to try out new recipes.

With Love,
Christina

Happy 2nd Anniversary! Let's celebrate with Sugar Cookie-Chocolate Crunch Fudge

2011-02-28T10:00:00.006-05:00

Today is Shaking N Baking's second anniversary! Woot!

When I started this blog I was not really sure where it would go or how long it would last. I am excited that it is still up and running and with just a few exceptions I have been fairly consistent in my posting. I hope that you (whoever you are!!) enjoy reading my ramblings and the recipes I share.

To celebrate, I thought I would make something chocolate again. The perfect recipe to try came across my path via a calendar that I get every year from Pillsbury. The calendar has a new recipe each month and this is February’s recipe this year. It is a Bake-Off winner too!

I also thought that this would be a great thing to send to my niece Jessica in our ongoing cookie tin. I am hoping it won’t melt when it crosses the frozen East Coast into the warmer climates of the West Coast.

The ingredients are all very easy to purchase, or you may even have them on hand already (like I did!). It all came together fairly quick as well (15 minutes or less). The tricky part is getting it to 160 degrees…without a candy thermometer this could prove difficult.

The result is very yummy fudge that reminds me a lot of a Hershey’s Krackle bar (which you can only find in the miniature mix now). The granola adds a crunch that is welcomed, yet in an unexpected way. Certainly a quick and easy fudge to make if you want something a bit different.

Photo from Pillsbury.com

Recipe: Sugar Cookie-Chocolate Crunch Fudge

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies, cut into small chunks
2 bags (12 oz each) semisweet chocolate chips
5 teaspoons vanilla
6 Nature Valley® pecan crunch crunchy granola bars (3 pouches from 8.9-oz box), coarsely crushed (heaping 1 cup)*
Fresh mint sprigs, if desired

Instructions:
In 3-quart heavy saucepan or deep 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook corn syrup, butter, salt and condensed milk over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until well blended. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in cookie dough chunks. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and candy thermometer reads 160°F. Remove from heat.

Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Add crushed granola bars; stir until well blended. Cook over low heat 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is shiny. Spread in ungreased 12x8-inch or 13x9-inch pan.** Refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours or until firm.

Cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Serve in decorative candy cups or mini paper baking cups on platter garnished with mint sprigs.

* To easily crush granola bars, do not unwrap; use rolling pin to crush bars. (Or unwrap, place in sealed plastic zip bag and use rolling pin to crush.)

** To easily cut fudge, line pan with foil so foil extends over sides of pan. Lift candy from pan using foil.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Marbled Cheesecake Bars, Lemon Bars & Scott’s Almond Roca

2011-02-21T10:00:00.004-05:00

Hey look! It is finally a new post from me! I am so sorry that I took a bit of a break from blogging, but sometimes that is what happens when life gets too busy. I am excited to be getting back to it though and thought as a treat I would share with you a few of the things that I have made recently. Catching up so to speak but also sharing some sites and recipes from others.

Marbled Cheesecake Bars
The first recipe I want to share is from Eagle Brand. I know them best as the sweetened condensed milk people. I made these yummy cheesecake bars because I wanted to make something chocolate-y for a church event, but I didn’t want it to be overly chocolate. I also wanted to be able to cut them into individual servings and display in cupcake paper cups so that they were easy to serve.

They were a big hit at the event, and I even had enough left over to take into work the next few days. They kept well and I thought they were delicious. A bit rich, but hey, that’s what cheesecake is all about and certainly with just a bite-sized piece (or two!) you had enough to satisfy and not be overwhelmed.

My only recommendation or change to this recipe would be to use more of the vanilla batter when you first pour it in and make less chocolate batter. I did a true 50/50 and the bars ended up being mostly chocolate with a vanilla swirl versus a true swirl of both.

Photo from Eagle Brand Website

Recipe: Marbled Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients
2 cups finely crushed creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 24 cookies) (Think Oreos)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Instructions
HEAT oven to 300ºF. Combine cookie crumbs and butter in medium bowl; press firmly into bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking pan. BEAT cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour half the batter evenly over prepared crust. STIR melted chocolate into remaining batter; spoon over vanilla batter. Swirl through batter with knife or metal spatula to marbleize. BAKE 40 to 50 minutes or until set. Cool. Chill. Cut into bars.

Lemon Bars
The next recipe is from one of my favorite food bloggers ever: Smitten Kitchen. She is brilliant! I always turn to her for recipes and tips when I need something that I know will work out perfectly. She takes the time to adapt the recipe so that it works…and shares how and why she made the adaptations. Her photography is brilliant too (check out her link for photos for sale). Her blog is a work of art!

So, at the aforementioned church function, I also wanted to take something that was NOT chocolate. I know everyone says they love chocolate, but if you are like me, you also crave the not-chocolate, not-vanilla tastes every now and then. I thought lemon bars would be perfect for this reason. They could also be individually cut and slipped into cupcake paper cups for display and serving.

This recipe was perfectly easy to follow…the only thing missing was how long to bake it if you wanted to have a 1:1 ration of filling to crust as was recommended (if you read her post, you will see what I mean). I baked mine for about 20 minutes. I thought I’d burnt them, but they tasted wonderful and got RAVE reviews. I would recommend watching them after the 15 minute mark and making your own judgment call on how long to bake them.

Photo from Smitten Kitchen

Head to her site for more yummy photos…She offers them for sale, this one included!

Recipe: Lemon Bars
As adapted by Smitten Kitchen

For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the full-size lemon layer:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

[Or] for a thinner lemon layer:
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (3 to 4 lemons)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the greased baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (less if you are using the thinner topping), or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Scott’s Almond Roca
This final recipe comes from a friend. He is a wonderful guy who owns cats, loves wine, has a great sense of humor and apparently one kick-butt recipe for a mock almond roca. Scott posted that he was making this delicious treat on his Facebook page awhile back (around December if I remember right). I immediately asked for the recipe because I love Almond Roca. I have very fond memories of stealing several pieces from the pink can at my Grandma’s. For those that do not know about Almond Roca visit their site, but it is similar to an English Toffee, only in a round piece covered in nuts. Yum!

Scott tried to slip a fast one on me by giving me a faulty recipe but I caught it before I made an attempt at making this and he came clean on the real recipe. (I want to believe it was a simple error on his part… heehee!) Do not make this unless you want to become instantly addicted…that was the warning I got and will pass along to you…because it is accurate. This candy is so easy (well, besides having to stir for 20 minutes) and so worth every minute you have to wait to break it up to eat. Thanks Scott for sharing!

(I do not have a photo of these treats….they were gone way too fast!)

Recipe: Scott’s Almond Roca
Ingredients:
1 cup Slivered Almonds
1 cup White Sugar
1 tbs. Water
1 tbs. Light Karo Syrup
1 cup Butter (DO NOT substitute margarine)
2 Large (1/2 Pound Each) Hershey Bars* (or however many it takes to get to a pound of the smaller chocolate bars!)

Instructions
Combine almonds, sugar, water, Karo syrup and butter in a frying pan or pot on medium-high heat.** Stir constantly until the mixture turns one shade darker than light brown sugar (this takes approximately 20 minutes). When it starts to caramelize it happens quickly so be patient and watch the mixture closely. Try not to let it smoke or it will have a burnt taste.

Pour the mixture into a well-greased 13" x 9" pan (it will be extremely hot, so be careful). Place each Hershey bar on top (they will soften quickly) then spread evenly over the entire pan. Top with some extra almond slivers.***

Let cool/harden and cut or break into pieces.

Scott’s Tips
* I've used various (semi-sweet, dark, etc.) Hershey chocolate chips which also melt well. I've experimented with other brands of chocolate (e.g., Ghirardelli), but none seem to work as well as Hershey.
** I like to add a shot of brandy, rum and/or a small amount of vanilla extract for flavor. It works best to add the alcohol just after the butter completely melts (the alcohol content evaporates by the time the caramel is ready).
*** I like to add a few sprinkles of cinnamon (after everything cools off), as well.

Hopefully you will take the time to make and enjoy each of these recipes. They are all wonderful and from trusted sources of yummy food. Do you have a favorite food blog that you enjoy to cook from (you know, besides mine!)? Share it with me in the comments!

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Blog Behaving Badly

2011-01-23T10:00:00.004-05:00

Friends, Family, Followers -

Happy New Year!! I hope that 2011 is going well for you so far.

I wanted to quickly write and let you know that I am FULLY aware that I've not posted since October 2010! In my defense, about a week after I posted those yummy chai cupcakes I started classes again for my BS degree AND I got a part-time job, on top of the much longer commute to my full-time job I started early October. *phew* No excuses, I know...you need your Shaking N Baking fixes. SO....I will tell you that I am hoping to get back on a regular posting schedule soon. Any ideas on what you'd like me to try and make? I know my Daring Kitchen friends have been doing some fun things lately....I can't wait to get back on track with them!

With Love,
Christina

Chai Latte Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2010-10-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

I was introduced to chai lattes back in 1999. I was teaching ballroom dancing and our studio manager (who I'm convinced was bi-polar) would bring them to the instructors every so often on days that she felt like being nice to us...they were rare treats. :-)

"Chai is the Hindi word for a tea made with milk and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and pepper" (Betty Crocker website). Since I don't drink coffee, chai lattes are my drink of choice when going to coffee shops. They are creamy and spicy and are good either piping hot or cold. Perfect for a drink that may sit on the desk while the world whirls around and the drink is forgotten until things simmer down.

These cupcakes were found when I realized I had some extra cake mixes around and wanted to doctor them up a bit to use them up. Those that know me well know that I don't normally like to use store-bought mixes, but prefer to make everything from scratch. BUT, if I have a mix in the house, I will doctor it up to use them. I searched the Betty Crocker website and when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it.

The cupcakes were very easy to mix up. The batter was thinner than a normal cake batter, to the point that I double checked the amount of water I used twice. It was so thin in fact that I put it into a piping bag to control the flow when I was filling the mini-cupcake pan. They baked up beautifully though and smelled wonderful!

I moved onto the frosting. I had a batch of buttercream leftover from when I made the sheet cake, so all I had to do was add the white chocolate. Easy, right?! Well, it is if white chocolate doesn't hate you...like it seems to hate me. For some reason, whenever I try to melt white chocolate it seizes up on me. So frustrating! Luckily, I had enough to try again and the second time really took my time and was much more diligent in my stirring. I finally got the chocolate melted and added so that I could frost the cupcakes.

I piped the frosting onto the cupcakes, sprinkled with cinnamon and then took my first bite....mmmmmm, these are like a fall day in heaven! The cakes are spicy and the frosting balances it with a sweetness that works so well together. I quickly gobbled up two or three (ok, I lost count!) minis and had to stop myself before eating more! I brought them to work two days later (yeah, I debated whether or not to keep them all for myself) and got rave reviews from my co-workers (even though they fussed about always bringing in sweets).

These cupcakes were a hit...a keeper for those times when you have cake mix around and need a quick, yet fancy-feeling dessert during the fall (ok, anytime, but they really taste so fall-like). Here's a glamour shot:

The Recipe:
Chai Latte Cupcakes
From Betty Crocker
1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist French vanilla cake mix
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 package (1.1 oz) instant chai tea latte mix (or 3 tablespoons from larger container) (I used Oh My! Chai from Tastefully Simple)

1. Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal pans (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (approx. 2/3 full).

3. Bake 18 to 23 minutes (10 to 12 minutes for minis) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Spread or pipe frosting mixture on cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Makes 24 regular-sized cupcakes

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 bag of white chocolate chips
1 cup solid white vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 teaspoon flavoring (I used Wilton Clear Vanilla...you can use regular vanilla, just remember it'll make it off-white in color)
2 tablespoons water
1 lb. pure cane confectioners' sugar (approx. 4 cups)
1 tablespoon Wilton Meringue Powder (You can find this easily at Michael's craft stores)

Melt the white chips in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second increments. Remember to stir the chips between each heating, you likely will need to heat it slightly less than you think (keep stirring!). Once melted completely, let cool for about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Add melted chocolate to the buttercream, blend completely, use immediately.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Daring Bakers: Sugar Cookies (September 2010)

2010-09-27T11:00:00.001-04:00

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

Sugar cookies are a long-standing tradition in our family. I have fond memories of the sweet treats from my childhood. In fact, we have a “secret family recipe” that has been passed on throughout the years (nope, I’m not sharing that one on the internet!). When I saw that the challenge this month was sugar cookies, I was happy (knowing it wouldn’t be much of a challenge) but also a bit disappointed (knowing I wouldn’t learn a whole lot).

The good news is that a friend asked me to bake and decorate sugar cookies as baby shower favors for her sister. Her sister is having twins soon so the theme was Noah’s Ark. I thought I would try something new and order pressed sugar decorations from SugarCraft to use on a standard cookie shape. This was I could make a bunch of them quickly and still have them be adorable. She also asked me to make and decorate a sheet cake with the design of the invitation on the cake (and there was my challenge for the month!).

I used my family recipe for the cookies and a royal icing recipe I knew and trusted (since that’s what my friend had tasted and wanted). The whole process is fairly straight forward. My best tip is to use multiple pans for baking. I use two with Silpats, and can basically be baking from start to finish with no breaks since they only take about 8-10 minutes per batch. That’s about the same amount of time it takes to roll, cut and get the next batch ready.

So…the pressed sugar decorations arrived (amazingly intact) and were super cute (I thought!). Here’s a glamor shot of the cookies and then how I wrapped them to be favors.

Here are a few other cookies that I’ve done over the years…I think I’m getting better! What do you think:

Oh, and for those that are wondering…here’s how the sheet cake turned out.

It turned into a major undertaking, but was worth it in the end. I’m told the mom-to-be was quite happy with both the cake and the cookies. I’m so glad to be a very small part of this important event in her growing family’s life.

To see how the other Daring Bakers did with this challenge, head over here. They made some amazing cookies!!

And one last thing…if you want to order cookies, a cake or other dessert from me, just let me know!

The Daring Bakers Recipe (Because I can’t give away the family recipe!)

Basic Sugar Cookies

Makes Approximately 36x 10cm / 4" Cookies
200g / 7oz / ½ cup + 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
400g / 14oz / 3 cups + 3 Tbsp All Purpose / Plain Flour
200g / 7oz / 1 cup Caster Sugar / Superfine Sugar
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
5ml / 1 tsp Vanilla Extract / Or seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Directions

Cream together the butter, sugar and any flavourings you’re using. Beat until just becoming creamy in texture.
Beat in the egg until well combined, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the sifted flour and mix on low until a non sticky dough forms.
Knead into a ball and divide into 2 or 3 pieces.
Roll out each portion between parchment paper to a thickness of about 5mm/1/5 inch (0.2 inch).
Refrigerate for a minimum of 30mins.
Once chilled, peel off parchment and place dough on a lightly floured surface.
Cut out shapes with cookie cutters or a sharp knife.
Arrange shapes on parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate for another 30mins to an hour.
Re-roll scraps and follow the above process until all scraps are used up.
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan Assisted) / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
Bake until golden around the edges, about 8-15mins depending on the size of the cookies.
Leave to cool on cooling racks.
Once completely cooled, decorate as desired.

Royal Icing
You can find the Royal Icing Recipe I use by clicking here. Just add a bit more water to the recipe for flooding.

Daring Baker’s Royal Icing
315g – 375g / 11oz – 13oz / 2½ - 3 cups Icing / Confectioner’s / Powdered Sugar, unsifted
2 Large Egg Whites
10ml / 2 tsp Lemon Juice
5ml / 1 tsp Almond Extract, optional

Tip: 2 amounts of icing suga are listed, the lesser amount is good for a flooding consistency, and the larger amount is for outlining, but you can add even more for a much thicker consistency good for writing. If you add too much icing sugar or would like to make a thinner consistency, add very small amounts of water, a few drops at a time, until you reach the consistency you need.

Directions

Beat egg whites with lemon juice until combined.
Sift the icing sugar to remove lumps and add it to the egg whites.
Add very small amounts of water, a few drops at a time, until you reach the consistency you need.
Beat on low until combined and smooth.
Use immediately or keep in an airtight container.
Tip: Royal Icing starts to harden as soon as it’s in contact with air so make sure to cover containers with plastic wrap or moist paper towel while not in use.

Decorating Your Cookies: Flooding
"Flooding” a cookie is a technique used when covering a cookie with Royal Icing.

1. You outline the area you want to flood which helps create a dam.
2. Then fill or flood inside the area you’ve outlined.

Decorating Your Cookies: What You'll Need

Piping bags / Parchment Cones / Ziplock Bags

Elastic bands
Piping tips (between sizes 1 & 5)
Couplers
Glasses (handy for standing your piping bags in)
Clean clothes, dry & damp
Toothpicks
Gel or paste food colouring

Decorating your cookies: Royal Icing
The most important thing when it comes to decorating with Royal Icing is the consistency.

There are two ways of flooding your cookies. Some like to do the outline with a thicker icing and then flood with a thinner icing. Some like to use the same icing to do both which saves time and you don’t have to have two different piping bags for each colour you’re using.

The Same Consistency Method:

Mix your royal icing according to the recipe/instructions.
Drag a knife through the surface of the Royal Icing and count to 10.
If the surface becomes smooth between 5 & 10 seconds, the icing is at the correct consistency.
Tip: If your icing is too thick, thin it by adding a few drops of water. Mix, do the 10 second test, then if it’s still too thick, add a few more drops of water, repeat, etc.
Tip: To thicken your icing, add small amounts of icing sugar until thick enough for the 10 second test.

Two Different Consistencies Method:

Mix your royal icing according to the recipe/instructions.
Separate into 2 different bowls, one lot of icing for outlining, the other for flooding.
For the outlining icing, drag a knife through the surface of the Royal Icing.
If the surface becomes smooth at around 10 seconds, the icing is at the correct consistency.
Tip: If your icing is too thick, thin it by adding a few drops of water. Mix, count to 10 seconds, then if it’s still too thick, add a few more drops of water, repeat, etc.
Tip: To thicken your icing, add small amounts of icing sugar until thick enough for the 10 second test.
For the flooding/filling icing, drag a knife through the surface of the Royal Icing.
If the surface becomes smooth at around 3-4 seconds, the icing is at the correct consistency.
Tip: If your icing is too thick, thin it by adding a few drops of water. Mix, count to 3-4 seconds, then if it’s still too thick, add a few more drops of water, repeat, etc.
Tip: To thicken your icing, add small amounts of icing sugar until thick enough for the 3-4 second test.

Colouring:

Separate Royal Icing into separate bowls for each colour you plan on using.
Tip: Make sure to cover the bowls with cling film or a damp cloth to prevent the top from setting and then making lumps.
Using a toothpick, add gel or paste colouring to each bowl and mix thoroughly until desired colour is reached.
Tip: You can use liquid food colouring but you might not be able to get the desired strength of colour, liquid colouring will also thin out the icing so you’ll need to add more icing sugar to thicken it again.

Prepping and filling your piping bags:

Attach your icing tips to the piping bags using couplers.
Tip: You don’t need to use a coupler but it makes it easier if you want to change tip sizes
Tip: A size 1 tip is best for doing intricate details. A size 2 tip is good for some details and outlining. Fill or flood with sizes 2 – 5.
Tip: You don’t need a piping bag, you can use a ziplock bag with a tiny bit snipped off the corner. I would however recommend getting a piping set if you don’t have one as it will be much easier and more precise.
Stand the piping bags in glasses with the tops of the bags folded over the top of the glass.
Fill your icing bags with each coloured icing.
Tie the ends of the piping bags with elastic bands.

Decorating: Outlining

Fit the piping bag with a size 2 or 3 tip.
Tip: Or snip a very small bit of the corner off of a Ziploc bag
Hold the piping bag at a 45 degree angle above the cookie where you want to start the outline.
Gently squeeze the piping bag and start moving in the direction you want to outline the cookie.
Start lifting the piping bag away from the cookie so that the flow of icing falls onto the cookie, making it an even and neater outline.
As you start to reach the beginning of the outline, bring the piping tip closer to the surface of the cookie to meet the start of the icing outline.
Tip: If you’re doing an intricate cookie, like a snow flake, you won’t be able to lift the tip as far away from the cookie.
If you’re doing a different colour border, eg. a black border, let the outline dry before flooding. If using the same colour for the outline as you are flooding with, begin flooding after doing the outline.

Decorating: Flooding

Fit the piping bag with a size 2-5 tip, the bigger the area being filled, the bigger the tip.
Tip: Or cut slightly more off the corner of a Ziploc bag to create a slightly larger opening.
Quickly zigzag back and forth over the area you want to fill.
Tip: You need to be quick when flooding the cookie so don’t worry too much if it’s not filled in neatly.
Using a toothpick or clean paintbrush, push the icing around into the gaps that are still remaining.
Either pick up the cookie and tip it from side to side to even out the filling, or lightly bang the cookie down on your kitchen counter.

Decorating: Melding colours

If you would like to add lines or dots to the base colour that you flooded the cookie with so that they meld and dry as a smooth surface, you need to add the lines/dots/patterns as quickly as possible after flooding and smoothing the surface of the cookie.
Tip: Make sure to have all the colours you’re planning on using ready and close by so that you can switch between colours quickly
Simply pipe other colours onto the flooded surface in patterns or lines which you can either leave as that or then drag a toothpick through to make marbling patterns.

Decorating: On top of flooding

If you’d like to do other patterns/outlines or writing on top of the flooded surface so that they are raised above the flooded background, simply allow the icing to dry, preferably over night.
Fit the piping bag with tip sizes 1-3.
Pipe patterns or write on top of the dry icing.
Tip: For writing, the consistency of your icing should be thicker rather than thinner, drag a knife through your icing and when the surface smoothes around 12-15 seconds, the consistency is correct.

Packaging and Storing:

Once fully decorated, allow cookies to dry for 24 hours in a cool and dry area.
Stack cookies in an airtight container, from largest cookies at the bottom, to smallest and more intricate at the top, with parchment or wax free paper in between the layers.
Store in a cool and dry area with the container’s lid firmly sealed.
Will last for about a month if stored this way.

Enjoy With Love,

Christina

Exciting News!!

2010-09-27T10:00:00.002-04:00

The gals at The Daring Kitchen asked for some of us Daring Bakers/Daring Cooks to contribute towards the weekly Food Talk article. I stepped up to the plate and....

This is my week!

Go check it out! The article is titled: Cooking Together With Aphrodisiacs!

Thanks for the opportunity ladies!

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: Food Preservation (September 2010)

2010-09-14T10:00:00.008-04:00

The September 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by John of Eat4Fun. John chose to challenge The Daring Cooks to learn about food preservation, mainly in the form of canning and freezing. He challenged everyone to make a recipe and preserve it. John’s source for food preservation information was from The National Center for Home Food Preservation.

When I first opened this challenge, I was excited to have a reason to try my hand at something that I was exposed too when I was a young child. My grandma, mom and I used to spend hours in the kitchen canning peaches and tomatoes during the summer. My job during the canning process, especially with peaches, was to make sure that the pretty side of the fruit was facing out. I was such an eager helper, and I'm sure that this job was given to me because my smaller hands fit in the jars easier! Of course, there was always those few peaches that needed to be "tested" (read that as eaten!) for quality control. The funny part is I don't remember ever using the canned results later in the year, though I'm sure they were.

Since apples aren't quite in season yet here (give them a few more weeks!), I decided to try my hand at the bruschetta in a jar. I'm a huge fan of bruschetta and the whole process was going to be fairly quick and easy.

I had to go purchase some of the items needed for canning. I already had the jars, lids and tops because of the apples that mom and I canned last season (and I used to make pies mid-winter! Yum!). What I didn't have were the jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter and the headspace measurer. Granted, the lid lifter and the measurer were luxury items, but I found an entire "kit" for canning at Bed, Bath and Beyond for only $10. (Psst...I couldn't find the kit on the BBB site, so that link goes to the Ball canning site where you can purchase it. That site also has some great recipes.) I used my big stock pot with the pasta strainer insert as my "shock protector." It worked great!

Once I had all of the equipment and ingredients assembled, I was ready to get going. Since it was only me, I decided to half the recipe. You'll see I still came up with 5 jars of preserved goodness. I used about 10 plum tomatoes and then one "regular" tomato because I had a bit of room left in the last jar. The texture difference was pretty amazing. I'm glad I used mostly plum tomatoes.

Since I was only using half the tomatoes, I also halved the liquid recipe. For some reason, this did NOT work out. I think it may have been because I didn't pack my tomatoes in tight enough (therefore needed more liquid). BUT, the good news is that the liquid was a quick and easy thing to whip up so I just made a full recipe and had plenty (with a bit leftover in the end). You may want to make extra just to be sure you don't run out mid-canning like I did. (Advice when packing the jars: Don't be afraid to really pack the tomatoes in there...I think it worked better in the end. The liquid was a bit more tricky to get down in there, but the end product was prettier (in my opinion).)

The "cooking" process was simply to just let them boil away for 20 minutes...how easy is that! Once they were done and had rested in the hot water for 5 minutes I removed them to the counter (on a pot holder!) and waited for then signature "ping" of a good seal. I was rewarded with 5 solid "pings" before I knew it!

I've not yet tasted the bruschetta...but I'm hoping to break into a jar later this week to give it a try. I'll do my best to come back and update you on how it tasted....but honestly, it smelled wonderful going in, so I can't imagine it'll be bad. :-) Here's a glamour shot of the jars after they were done:

For other recipes and to see the wonderful results of other Daring Cooks, visit The Daring Kitchen.

The Recipe:

Bruschetta in a Jar

Recipe Source: Bernardin Canning Website

Ingredients:
Plum/Roma Tomatoes* - 3 1/2 lbs
Fresh Garlic - 5 Cloves, Minced
Dry White Wine - 1 Cup (Reminder: Use something you'd drink!)
White Wine Vinegar - 1 Cup
Balsamic Vinegar - 2 Tbl
Sugar, Granulated - 2 Tbl
Dried Basil - 2 Tbl
Dried Oregano - 2 Tbl

* Note: Although other tomato varieties may be used, firm plum tomatoes yield the best results. If using round garden-variety tomatoes, seed tomatoes and drain in colander for 30 minutes then chop.

Headspace: 1/2 “ (1.27 cm)

Processing Time:
20 minutes for altitude of 0 ft (0 m) to 1,000 ft (305 m)
25 minutes for altitude of 1,001 ft (305.1 m) to 3,000 ft (915 m)
30 minutes for altitude of 3,001 ft (916 m) to 6,000 ft (1,830 m)
35 minutes altitudes above 6,000 ft (1,831 m) to 8,000 ft (2,440 m)

Directions:
1) Place 7 clean half-pint (250 ml) mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Heat lids in hot water, not boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.

2) Wash, seed and chop tomatoes into 1/2 inch (1cm) pieces; measure 9 cups (2250 ml), set aside.

3) Combine garlic, white wine, wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, water, sugar, basil and oregano in a deep stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a full boil; reduce heat. Stirring occasionally, boil gently, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

4) Pack tomatoes into a hot jar to within 3/4 inch (2 cm) of top rim. Add hot liquid to cover tomatoes to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top rim (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more tomatoes and hot liquid. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining tomatoes and hot liquid.

5) When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars – 20 minutes.

6) When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.

7) After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Serving Suggestions:
With boiling water canning, very little oil is used since the oils can weaken the seals on the jar.

For the Bruschetta, olive oil and fresh herbs can be added before serving on top of toasted bread or as a condiment to a dish.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Braised Hoisin Beer Short Ribs

2010-09-04T10:00:00.008-04:00

I've taken to reading a lot of other food blogs. There are some really great ones out there that inspire me all the time. One that I came across this past summer is The Bitten Word. It's written by two guys that live in DC. I love their writing, photography and willingness to be creative in the kitchen.

I was stalking their blog one afternoon when I came across this recipe for braised ribs. I've been fondly remembering the braised short ribs that I had at Ulah Bistro for my birthday. I took this recipe as a sign that I had to try to make them...see if I could make them as fall-apart-yummy as the restaurant and the guys at The Bitten Word did.

I made my way to the store, got all the ingredients and then waited until this weekend, and an extra day off from work, to make this recipe. Though not difficult by any means, this recipe is a bit time consuming...but it's all just simmer time...not active cooking. It was perfect for the day I had planned.

Seriously, the whole house filled with the delicious smells of these ribs cooking. The end result is fall-apart-no-knife-needed meat. The sauce is sweet and yet you get a nice tang from the beer and ginger. The garlic melts into the sauce and adds such a beautiful layer of flavor. I served with garlic mashed potatoes and a salad (something green!). SO, SO GOOD!!! Go, get what you need to make these this weekend...what are you waiting for!

Seriously, I don't know why a knife is shown!

Photo Credit: The Food Network

Braised Hoisin Beer Short Ribs

Found on The Bitten Word who got it from Dave Lieberman via Food Network
4 to 6 servings
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 3 hr 20 min
Total: 3 hr 45 min

3 pounds beef short ribs, about 10 ribs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 to 12 garlic cloves smashed
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
12 ounces good ale (recommended: Bass)
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 cup hoisin sauce

Directions:
Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot with a lid (Dutch oven) over high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides, in batches if necessary. Remove the ribs and pour off all but a couple tablespoons of the rendered fat.

Return the pot to the stove, lower the heat to medium and saute the garlic and ginger for about 3 minutes. Add the ribs back to the pot. Add the beer and the vinegar. Stir and then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Pour the hoisin sauce over the ribs, move the pot to the oven, and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Remove ribs and ginger from sauce. Strain fat from the top of the pot so that you're left with just the good stuff.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Daring Bakers: Baked Alaska and or Ice Cream Petit Fours (August 2010)...Not Really...(But Look...It's Butterfinger Ice Cream)

2010-08-27T10:00:00.003-04:00

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

I was so excited about this challenge. I'd always wanted to try my hand at brown butter, baked Alaska and petit fours! Alas, I failed....I didn't allow enough time in my schedule to complete this challenge. I did make the ice cream part needed, so I'll share that recipe with you along with what should have been an awesome challenge recipe. Maybe one day when I have a bit more free time (oye!), I'll attempt this challenge.

I made Butterfinger Ice Cream. It's a basic vanilla ice cream with chopped Butterfingers in it. Yumm....it's so good...

The Recipe:
Butterfinger Ice Cream
Adapted from Kitchen Aid's French Vanilla Ice Cream
2 1/2 cups (590 ml) half-and-half
8 egg yolks
1 cup (235 ml) sugar
2 1/2 cups (590 ml) whipping cream
4 teaspoons (20 ml) vanilla
1/8 teaspoon (.5 ml) salt
2-3 Butterfinger candy bars, chopped

In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat half-and-half until very hot but not boiling, stirring often. Remove from heat; set aside.

Place egg yolks and sugar in mixer bowl. Whip using a whisk attachment. Mix about 30 seconds, or until well blended and slightly thickened. Continuing, very gradually add half-and-half; mix until blended. Return half-and-half mixture to medium saucepan; cook over medium heat until small bubbles form around edge and mixture is steamy, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Transfer half-and-half mixture into large bowl; stir in whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Cover and chill thoroughly, at least 8 hours.

Using a container with a spout, pour mixture into your prepared ice cream maker. Churn until desired consistency. Add in chopped Butterfinger candy during last 2-3 minutes of churning. Immediately transfer ice cream into serving dishes (soft serve consistency), or freeze in an airtight container.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

PS...Here are the challenge recipes in case YOU want to give them a try. You can also visit The Daring Kitchen for more information and to see this challenge as completed by others.

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)

2. Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.

3. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.

4. Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

5. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Brown Butter Pound Cake
19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.

2. Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.

3. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.

5. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.

6. Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze (For the Ice Cream Petit Fours)
9 ounces (250g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
1 1/2 tablespoons (32g) light corn syrup, Golden syrup, or agave nectar
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract

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

Meringue (For the Baked Alaska)
8 large egg whites
½ teaspoon (3g) cream of tartar
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
1 cup (220g) sugar

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form.

Assembly Instructions – Ice Cream Petit Fours
1. Line a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) pan with plastic wrap, so that no sides of the pan are exposed and so there is some extra plastic wrap hanging off the sides. Spread 1 ¾ to 2 cups (450ml to 500ml) ice cream into the pan. Cover with more plastic wrap and freeze several hours.

2. Once the brown butter pound cake has completely cooled, level the top with a cake leveler or a serrated knife. Then split the cake in half horizontally to form two thin layers.

3. Unwrap the frozen ice cream. Flip out onto one of the layers of cake and top with the second layer of cake. Wrap well in plastic wrap and return to the freezer overnight.

4. Make the chocolate glaze (see above.)

5. While the glaze cools, trim ¾” (2cm) off each side of the ice cream cake to leave a perfectly square 7.5” (19cm) ice cream cake. Cut the cake into twenty five petit fours, each 1.5”x1.5” (4cmx4cm).

6. Glaze the petit fours one at a time: place a petit four on a fork and spoon chocolate glaze over it.

7. Place the petit fours on a parchment-lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for one hour.

Assembly Instructions – Baked Alaska
1. Line four 4” (10cm) diameter tea cups with plastic wrap, so that plastic wrap covers all the sides and hangs over the edge. Fill to the top with ice cream. Cover the top with the overhanging plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, or until solid.

2. Level the top of the brown butter pound cake with a serrated knife or with a cake leveler. Cut out four 4” (10cm) diameter circles from the cake. Discard the scraps or use for another purpose.

3. Make the meringue (see above.)

4. Unwrap the ice cream “cups” and invert on top of a cake round. Trim any extra cake if necessary.

5. Pipe the meringue over the ice cream and cake, or smooth it over with a spatula, so that none of the ice cream or cake is exposed. Freeze for one hour or up to a day.

6. Burn the tips of the meringue with a cooking blow torch. Or, bake the meringue-topped Baked Alaska on a rimmed baking sheet in a 500°F/260°C oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Serve immediately.

Butterfinger Cookies and The Cookie Tin

2010-08-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

Most of my family has always enjoyed sweets. Cookies reigned supreme...I think because they're quick, easy and can be snuck from the jar easily without getting caught.

Awhile back, my Auntie Jan C. and I shared a Cookie Tin. What's that you ask?! Well, it's a tin that we sent back and forth across the country to each other filled with our latest baking delights. We included the recipe so that the other person could easily recreate the goodie whenever they wanted. We also kept track of what was sent so that we didn't send duplicates. It was great fun. So much fun in fact, that I decided to revive the idea with my own niece, Jessica.

Jessica is turning into quite a baker/cook. She and her sisters helps my sister make cookies for lunches each week and I'm told they're wonderful. So, I approached Jessica with the idea of the Cookie Tin and we're off. I decided to get it started. I purchased the tin and then had to decide what kinds of cookies to send.

I decided on Butterfinger Cookies. They're pretty standard cookie-fare based on the ingredients, yet they have the added twist of a bit more brown sugar (which I have in bulk it seems!) and the delightful peanutty sweetness of Butterfingers. They turned out great and were a big hit with Jessica! I can't wait to get the filled tin back with her first creation!

PS...I'll include the "Cookie Tin Instructions" after the recipe for those that may want to start this idea with a loved one.

The Recipe:
Butterfinger Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted, cooled
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup chopped Butterfinger candy bars (about 8 “fun size” candy bars or 2-3 regular sized bars)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I used my Silpats). Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy. Beat in vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Fold in chopped Butterfingers.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Cook 8-10 minutes or until edges start to brown and cookies are set. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

How the Cookie Tin works:

Each person will have the tin for approximately one month (or less) before they should send it back.
Bake something that will ship well. Pack in the tin. (Remember that plastic baggies, parchment paper or wax paper are good to use to keep items fresh and separated. Also remember the temperature outside; chocolate doesn’t do well in the summer!)
Write on the recipe log. Use your initials for the “who” part.
Include the recipe for the item you are sending. It can be typed or hand-written.
Ship to the other person!

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: The World of Pierogi (August 2010)

2010-08-14T10:00:00.012-04:00

The August 2010 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n' Bites and Anula of Anula's Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

So at first glance this challenge seemed a bit repetitive to me....much like when we made dumplings or potstickers. I wasn't overly excited about the filling choices either and didn't really have time to be overly creative. BUT, in the spirit of being a Daring Cook and wanting to participate, onward with the challenge!

Starting with the filing...I chose to make the Russian Style Pierogi. Sure it has cottage cheese in it which I'm not a huge fan of, but hey...it's cheese, it'll melt and be yummy right?! Besides...it has bacon!

The dough was pretty straight forward. Very stretchy when rolled though (again, very similar to the potsticker dough). I used the pierogi form (I found mine at Sur La Table) as a template to cut my circles. Easy enough...so onto filling. As I learned, more isn't always better in these situations and this held true. The pierogi forms are fairly unforgiving. The filling portion squeezes out the "bottom" and it difficult to get out of the form if you over fill, not to mention it doesn't squeeze together very well and "seal" the dough.

But, after a few tries I got the hang of it and realized that the recipe was going to make enough to feed an entire army....and their enemies! (Note: feel free to cut the thing in half, or even a quarter, unless you want to freeze them for later!)

The next step is to boil them. Also pretty straight forward, just remember to time them and flip them so that they cook evenly. This is also the step that you'll find out if you sealed them well enough or not. They explode pretty fast if you didn't. Makes for messy water, but not a big deal otherwise.

Verdict...they were ok like this. I wasn't a huge fan...and no, cottage cheese doesn't exactly melt and become the cheesy goodness I'd hoped for. So, the next step in trying to make them a bit better was to fry them. Also, hoping to speed up the process a bit, a large pierogi was formed and sealed using a fork. The result:

This method increased the flavor content...much better, but then again, what isn't usually better fried! :-)

To see other Daring Cooks' creations, visit: The Daring Kitchen.

Special thanks to Neil for helping me out with this challenge!

The Recipes:
Cottage Cheese Wareneki (Pierogi)
Adapted from The Mennonite Cookbook

Dough Ingredients:
½ cup (125 ml) milk (can be whole milk, 2% or skim milk)
½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream
3 large egg whites
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
3 cups (450 gm) all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Mix flour and salt, add other ingredients, and knead dough until you have a smooth dough. (I kneaded this dough quite a bit, and it yielded a nice, pliable dough).

2. On a floured surface roll out fairly thin (1/8” or about 3 millimeters), cut into 2” (5 cm) squares, and fill with 1 tsp (5ml) cottage cheese filling (see below).

Cottage Cheese Wareneki Filling Ingredients:
Traditional
1 lb (455 g) dry cottage cheese
3 large egg yolks
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Mix well all the ingredients for the filling.

2. Put 1 rounded teaspoon (5 ml) of the filling in each square, fold corners to form a triangle, seal edges well using your fingers or a fork

3. Cook in salted, boiling water for 5 minutes.

Note: Boiled pierogi can also be fried after boiling for a nice crunchy dumpling.

Note: If you can't find dry cottage cheese, simply drain normal cottage cheese by nesting the cottage in a few layers of cheese cloth or a fine sieve over a bowl.

Note: You can very easy make a sweet version of Warenki - just add some fruits and sugar to the cheese filling and mix well together (strawberries or blueberries are great idea!)

Russian Style Pierogi
Makes 4 generous servings, around 30 dumplings Traditional Polish recipe, although each family will have their own version, this is Anula's family recipe

Dough Ingredients:
2 to 2 1/2 cups (300 to 375 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
About 1 cup (250 ml) lukewarm water

Filling Ingredients:
3 big potatoes, cooked & mashed (1 1/2 cup instant or leftover mashed potatoes is fine too)
1 cup (225 g) cottage cheese, drained
1 onion, diced & sauteed in butter until clear
3 slices of streaky bacon, diced and fried till crispy (you can add more bacon if you like or omit that part completely if you're vegetarian)
1 egg yolk (from medium egg)
1 tablespoon (15 g) butter, melted
1/4 (1.25 ml) teaspoon salt pinch of pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients for the filling (it's best to use one's hands to do that) put into the bowl, cover and set aside in the fridge until you have to use it.

2. Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl or on a work surface and make a well in the center. Break the egg into it, add the salt and a little lukewarm at a time (in my situation 1/2 cup was enough). Bring the dough together, kneading well and adding more flour or water as necessary. Cover the dough with a bowl or towel. You‟re aiming for soft dough. Let it rest 20 minutes.

3. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out thinly (1/8” or about 3 millimeters) cut with a 2-inch (5 cm) round or glass. Spoon a portion (teaspoon will be the best) of the filling into the middle of each circle. Fold dough in half and pinch edges together. Gather scraps, re-roll and fill. Repeat with remaining dough.

4. Bring a large, low saucepan of salted water to boil. Drop in the pierogi, not too many, only single layer in the pan! Return to the boil and reduce heat. When the pierogi rise to the surface, continue to simmer a few minutes more ( usually about 5 minutes). Remove one dumpling with a slotted spoon and taste if ready. When satisfied, remove remaining pierogi from the water.

5. Serve immediately preferably with crème fraiche or fry. Cold pierogi can be fried. Boiled Russian pierogi can be easily frozen and boiled taken out straight from the freezer.

Other types of fillings:

Potato and Cheese Filling
Ingredients: 4 – 5 (600g – 750g) boiled potatoes 4 table spoons butter (60 g) or olive oil (60 ml) 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (50 ml) milk 1 egg white (from medium egg) ½ cup (about 120 ml) farmers‟ cheese ( or any unripened cheese like Indian Paneer) salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients thoroughly.
2. Fill pierogi as instructed above.

Meat and Cabbage Filling

Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) cooked meat (minced or cut very finely) 500 g (18 oz) white cabbage (chopped and simmered in a little bit of water, until soft) 1 onion (diced and fried) 1 whole medium egg 1 tablespoon (15g) butter dry breadcrumbs (add as much to hold the filling together, about 2 tablespoons) salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients thoroughly.
2. Fill pierogi as instructed above.

Soy bean Filling

Ingredients: 350 g (12 oz.) soy beans (canned, drained and minced) 2 medium eggs 1 onion (diced and fried) 100 g (2/3 cup) dry breadcrumbs salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients thoroughly.
2. Fill pierogi as instructed above.

Sauerkraut Filling
Ingredients: 2 cups (500 g) sauerkraut 1 big carrot, grated 1 shallot, chopped and fried with a tablespoon of butter few (about 3) wild mushrooms (I used dry ones, you can use fresh but chop them and fry on some butter before adding to the sauerkraut cabbage) salt, pepper and cumin to taste.

Directions
1. Sauté all the ingredients together until soft, cool before filling pierogi.
2. Fill pierogi as instructed above.

Seasonal Fruits
You can also fill pierogi with whole seasonal fruits for example- strawberries, blueberries, morels, grated apples etc. To prevent the fruits from „sogging‟ just add a little bit of potato flour inside with the fruit and sweeten them after the boiling on the plate rather than putting sugar inside.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Daring Bakers: Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake (August 2010)

2010-07-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

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

I apologize in advance, this blog post will be short…lots going on this summer!

This recipe seemed like a fun one to try to beat the dog days of summer. It took a bit of planning ahead because of the two different types of ice creams. I’ve made lots of ice creams before so the hardest part on those was deciding what flavors to use. I finally settled on Butter Pecan and Pistachio. Both were yummy on their own, though the butter pecan’s texture was a bit icier than I’d had liked and the pistachio had a bit of an odd aftertaste (maybe just me?!). Both worked well for the end product though.

The part that had me the most nervous were the swiss rolls. I was nervous because I have such lousy luck with “rolls.” I’ve tried pumpkin rolls and buche de noel (those fun chocolate logs at Christmas) with little to no success. I’m not sure what I do wrong, but I think it may have something to do with the towel or cooling process (any tips?!).

This cake “roll” was not much different except that I pressed on. I followed the recipe to the letter, even went out and purchased the exact size pan recommended. My cakes first stuck a bit to the pan (ok, so I did forget to use parchment), then when I unrolled them they cracked like they always do…:::SIGH::: Like I said though, I pressed on and filled them with the whipped cream anyway (which, is divine!! USE THE FULL VANILLA BEAN!).

I decided that the best way to cut things from the freezer (the frozen swiss rolls, end product) is with an electric knife….such clean, quick work! :-) The assembly was easy, though a bit time consuming (waiting for each step to freeze before moving to the next). So again, plan ahead.

Overall, this recipe was a challenge (the rolls still beat me I feel), but it was a fun way to have an ice cream cake. Personally, I think I’d use the store bought stuff in a pinch…Little Debbie does a wonderful roll and some of those store bought ice creams are great…though my homemade ones are pretty good too.

To see other Daring Bakers' creations and get a downloadable PDF of the recipes, visit: The Daring Kitchen
Enjoy!

The Glamour Shot!

Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake
(Inspired by the recipe of the same name from the Taste of Home website)
The Swiss Rolls:
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 10 - 12 minutes
Rolling and cooling time: at least 30 minutes
Filling: 5 - 8 minutes
Filling and rolling: 5 - 10 minutes

Ingredients:
6 medium sized eggs
1 C / 225 grams caster sugar /8 oz + extra for rolling
6 TBS. / 45 grams/ a pinch over 1.5 oz of all purpose (plain) flour + 5 TBS. /40 gram / a pinch under 1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted together
2 TBS. /30 ml / 1 fl oz of boiling water
a little oil for brushing the pans

For the filling:
2 C / 500 mls/ 16 fl oz of whipping cream
1 vanilla pod, cut into small pieces of about ½ cm (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
5 TBS. / 70 grams / 2.5oz of caster sugar

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven at 200 deg C /400 deg F approximately. Brush the baking pans (11 inches by 9 inches) with a little oil and line with greaseproof baking paper. If you have just one pan, bake one cake and then let the pan cool completely before using it for the next cake.

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat till very thick; when the beaters are lifted, it should leave a trail on the surface for at least 10 seconds.

Add the flour mixture, in three batches and fold in gently with a spatula. Fold in the water.

Divide the mixture among the two baking pans and spread it out evenly, into the corners of the pans.

Place a pan in the center of the pre-heated oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or till the center is springy to the touch.

Spread a kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle a little caster sugar over it.

Turn the cake on to the towel and peel away the baking paper. Trim any crisp edges.

Starting from one of the shorter sides, start to make a roll with the towel going inside. Cool the wrapped roll on a rack, seam side down.

Repeat the same for the next cake as well.

Grind together the vanilla pieces and sugar in a food processer till nicely mixed together. If you are using vanilla extract, just grind the sugar on its own and then add the sugar and extract to the cream.

In a large bowl, add the cream and vanilla-sugar mixture and beat till very thick.

Divide the cream mixture between the completely cooled cakes.

Open the rolls and spread the cream mixture, making sure it does not go right to the edges (a border of ½ an inch should be fine).

Roll the cakes up again, this time without the towel. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge till needed, seam side down.

Vanilla Ice Cream
Preparation time: 5 minutes + freezing

Ingredients
2 and ½ C / 625 ml / 20 fl oz of whipping cream
1 vanilla bean, minced or 1 tsp/ 5 ml/ .15 fl oz vanilla extract
½ C / 115grams/ 4 oz of granulated sugar

Directions:
Grind together the sugar and vanilla in a food processor. In a mixing bowl, add the cream and vanilla –sugar mixture and whisk lightly till everything is mixed together. If you are using the vanilla extract, grind the sugar on its own and then and the sugar along with the vanilla extract to the cream.

Pour into a freezer friendly container and freeze till firm around the edges. Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

Hot Fudge Sauce
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:
1 C / 230 grams / 8 oz of caster sugar
3 TBS. / 24 grams /1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBS. /15 grams / 1 oz of corn flour/cornstarch
1 ½ C / 355 ml /12 fl oz of water
1 TBS. /14 grams/ 1 oz butter
1 tsp/ 5 ml / .15 fl oz vanilla extract

Directions:
In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, corn flour and water.

Place the pan over heat, and stir constantly, till it begins to thicken and is smooth (for about 2 minutes).

Remove from heat and mix in the butter and vanilla. Keep aside to cool.

Chocolate Ice Cream
Preparation time: 5 minutes + freezing

Ingredients:
2 C / 500 ml whipping cream
1 C / 230 grams / 8 oz caster sugar
3 TBS. / 24 grams / 1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
Grind together the sugar and the cocoa powder in a food processor.

In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and whisk lightly.

Place the pan over heat and keep stirring till it begins to bubble around the edges.

Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to a freezer friendly container till firm around the edges. If you are using an ice cream maker, churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instruction, after the mixture has cooled completely.

Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake Assembly:
Cut the Swiss rolls into 20 equal slices (approximately 2 cms each).
Cover the bottom and sides of the bowl in which you are going to set the dessert with cling film/plastic wrap.

Arrange two slices at the bottom of the pan, with their seam sides facing each other. Arrange the Swiss roll slices up the bowl, with the seam sides facing away from the bottom, to cover the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till the slices are firm (at least 30 minutes).

Soften the vanilla ice cream. Take the bowl out of the freezer, remove the cling film cover and add the ice cream on top of the cake slices. Spread it out to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till firm (at least 1 hour).

Add the fudge sauce over the vanilla ice cream, cover and freeze till firm. (at least an hour).

Soften the chocolate ice cream and spread it over the fudge sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4-5 hours till completely set.

Remove the plastic cover, and place the serving plate on top of the bowl. Turn it upside down and remove the bowl and the plastic lining. If the bowl does not come away easily, wipe the outsides of the bowl with a kitchen towel dampened with hot water. The bowl will come away easily.

Keep the cake out of the freezer for at least 10 minutes before slicing, depending on how hot your region is. Slice with a sharp knife, dipped in hot water.

Ice Creams I Used (From Foodnetwork.com):

Butter Pecan
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 (13-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (3 3/4-ounce) package instant French vanilla pudding mix
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups whole milk

Directions
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Cook the pecans over low heat until they are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Place on a paper towel to drain and cool. In an 8-cup measuring cup with a spout, combine the remaining ingredients. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers' instructions. Add the pecans 10 minutes into the freezing.

Pistachio Ice Cream
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
3 cups heavy cream
12 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions
Finely grind 1 cup of the pistachios and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor, being careful not to turn the mixture into butter. Bring the milk and cream to a boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat.

Combine the egg yolks and remaining 1/2-cup sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Gradually whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream into the hot cream in the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 6 minutes.

Remove from the heat and strain into a large bowl. Add pistachio mixture and almond extract. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Remove from the refrigerator and pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. After the ice cream is made, transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: Nut Butters (July 2010)

2010-07-14T10:00:00.001-04:00

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

According to Margie and Natashya, “Nutrition research suggests that nuts are good for your health. Nut butters, or pureed nuts, make it easy to use nuts in cooking. Although peanut butter is a staple in North America, most popular as the star ingredient in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and beloved in peanut butter cookies and other sweets, it's seldom used in preparing savory dishes. Nut butters -- including not only peanut butter but almond, cashew, and walnut butters -- are common ingredients in many Asian and African countries, used in a wide array of savory dishes. Nut butters add complex & interesting flavors to dishes, provide body & thickness to sauces, and can be used to replace the dairy fats or other oils in recipes.”

The challenge this month was made a bit more interesting by requiring that we use our nut butters in a savory recipe. Margie and Natashya gave us a few recommendations and I chose to use the one for Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms.

The recipe is supposed to take 30 minutes start to finish and seemed to include ingredients that were normal and easy to deal with. The nut butter came together very easy. The food processor did all the work! The rest of the dish also seemed to come together fairly easy, though I have trouble cooking meat of any kind on the stovetop without setting off the fire alarms, turning on fans and opening doors (Did my mom teach me this method?! Love you mom!).

I doubled the cream/sauce recipe because I like my dishes to be saucy. Cooking with mushrooms can be tricky for me as well. I am not sure I have quite mastered it yet….but, after eating this dish I think I have discovered that I am not a big fan of dishes where mushrooms are the star. I do ok if they are a background flavor or ingredient, but I found myself picking around them in this dish to get to the “good stuff” … the chicken, noodles and pecans! The dish overall was very good, but I did not end up eating the leftovers because of the mushrooms...live, cook and learn!

If you want to see the other options and recipes for other nut butters, visit The Daring Kitchen’s post for this challenge. They even have a downloadable, printable PDF file there.

Recipe:
Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe notes: Substitute your favorite pasta or rice in place of the egg noodles. Use fresh rosemary or parsley in place of thyme if you prefer.

Ingredients:
Pecan Cream:
3/4 cup (180 ml) coarsely chopped pecans*, toasted
1 cup (240 ml) water
¾ teaspoon (3 ml) salt, more as needed
½ pound (225 g) egg noodles or pasta
4 (6-ounce / 170 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
Salt & pepper to taste

Sauce:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) deglazing liquid (water, broth, wine; optional)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped shallots
½ pound (225 g) mushrooms, sliced
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves
Chopped pecans, (optional garnish)

Directions:
1. Prepare pecan cream. Grind pecans in a food processor for about a minute or so until smooth, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Add water and 3/4 teaspoon (3 ml) salt; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Set aside pecan cream. (*If starting with prepared pecan butter, blend ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons (90 ml) pecan butter with the water and salt until smooth.)

2. Cook noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Drain, rinse, and keep warm.

3. If desired, pound chicken to ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness to promote even cooking. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken; sauté 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, adding more oil if needed for second batch. Set aside cooked chicken on a clean plate, cover to keep warm.

4. Add deglazing liquid to pan if using and stir up any browned bits. If needed, add another teaspoon (5 ml) of oil (or more) to pan for sautéing the shallots and mushrooms. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and starting to brown. Add fresh thyme to the pan. Stir in pecan cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 minutes till reduced slightly.

5. Slice chicken into thin strips. Divide the noodles among serving plates. Add a scoop of the mushroom pecan sauce on top of noodles. Lay sliced chicken on top. Garnish with fresh thyme and/or a pinch of chopped pecans if desired.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

A Bit of Shaking and a Bit of Baking in California

2010-06-15T10:00:00.005-04:00

Ahhh, vacation! I recently went home to California to visit with my family and some friends. It was a much needed trip for my mental sanity! The main reason for going was for the 8th grade graduation of my middle niece, Carolyn. While there, I also enjoyed a night out with my girls from high school and celebrated the 9th birthday of my youngest niece, Samantha! Of course, I also had to be sure that my oldest niece, Jessica, had not grown too much taller than I am (not much success in this regard!).

While on vacation I tend to find lots of time to bake and cook with my mom. I absolutely adore cooking for and with my family. This trip I had planned to make lasagna from the Daring Bakers recipe I had made awhile back, only not making the pasta from scratch. Carolyn requested a “plain” cheesecake with strawberries for her party. Of course, I turned to the recipe from the Daring Bakers that I had successfully accomplished a few times. I had also offered to make a dessert for the get-together with my high school girlfriends. And of course, I had to make a little something for Samantha’s birthday.

The trip started off with my parents and all three of my nieces picking me up at the airport in San Francisco. The girls were ADORABLE with their chauffer signs for me…they lined up with their “Auntie Christina Ride” homemade signs. Can I tell you how much I adore those girls?! They each hold an extra special spot in this proud Auntie’s heart for sure.

We spent the day in San Francisco since we were there and it was still morning (well, Pacific time!) when I arrived. We went to lunch at the Delancey Street Restaurant. Good food, but even better was the service. If you are not familiar with the concept behind the restaurant, I suggest you go wander through their website (once you are done here of course!). The basic premise is that “Delancey Street Restaurant is a key training school of the Delancey Street Foundation, the country's largest self-help residential organization for people who have hit bottom to completely rebuild their lives.” Pretty cool, right?! Our server, Derek, was an absolute delight and the girls were still talking about his playful, fun service days later. He even gave Carolyn a candle to blow out on the dessert we shared and encouraged her to keep doing well in school. I would highly recommend anyone in the San Francisco area to go to this restaurant and support a great cause while getting a really good, decently priced meal.

After lunch, we wandered over to Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. All of these places are classic San Francisco to me. It was a usually warm, sunny day in San Francisco so these tourist areas were jam-packed with people. We had a great time just being together and enjoying the sights and sounds of San Francisco though. We decided to take the long way home so that we could go over the Golden Gate Bridge. What a beautiful bridge! Here are a few photos of our day:

Day Two was a day at home just hanging out and relaxing with my nieces. We watched a lot of Disney Channel! HA! It is such a joy to see how they have grown and continue to grow into young ladies. They are still very much “kids,” but I can also see how they are growing up as well. So proud of them and who they are becoming. I also had to ensure that they knew they would never grow too old (or too tall in Jessica’s case!) for their Auntie to love them. I simply adore being their Auntie. It was fun to just relax and let them be.

Day Three was Memorial Day. My mom and I decided to take my Grandma to the cemetery to place flowers on several family member graves, including my Grandpa’s. This was not an easy undertaking, but worth every second. I had not been to the graves of my Grandpa and Great-Grandparents in a really long time. It really brought home how long they have been gone and how much I still wish they were a part of my life. I have such fond memories of my Grandpa in particular. Sometimes I wonder how life would be different if he were still here to kiss my Grandma and me after he had freshly shaved with his bristle brush and “real” razor. I am sure he would have adored my nieces as much as I do, but they would definitely be a little rambunctious for his tastes…much like my sister and I probably were when we were young. It was a good day for remembering and also appreciating what we have now. It was good to spend time with Grandma doing something I know meant a lot to her as well.

Day Four mom and I went to Sacramento to tour a culinary school. Ahh…the dream! Of course, the expense of doing this as well as the fact that I would not be able to pay my mortgage makes it difficult to pursue. It was certainly fun to see and think about doing this though…who knows, maybe someday it will happen. Mom and I went to Old Sacramento for lunch. We ate at Rio City Café which is located right on the Sacramento River. The baja fish tacos were divine!! OMGoodness, so good! Yummm! After lunch we decided that we needed to purchase a few “turtles,” one of mom’s favorite candies. It was a good day with mom. It is always good to have mom/daughter time.

Day Five I spent with my friend Jane. Jane always encourages me and helps me think through things that are going on in my life. She knows my history, my heart and my struggles. She is one of the few people on this earth that knows me probably better than I even know myself at times. She is also one of my fiercest prayer warriors. Who knows what my life would be like without her prayer covering! She is also one of the most fun people to be around and oh boy, what a fun day we had! We had lunch with her sweet husband John, visited with her beautiful daughters, Anna and Audrey, and her fun-loving grandchildren. Once it was just us two we decided to have pizza for dinner, bake a cake and dye our hair! She decided to go back to her natural color and I decided to get a little crazy and go dark red! Oh the crazy things I do when Jane is around! I love it! Jane also shared a wonderfully easy and delicious recipe with me for the cake. It is a semi-homemade type recipe and is adaptable to pretty much any flavor you would want. I’m going to call it “Jane’s Easy Cake Recipe” because I don’t believe she shared the name of it with me. (Recipe below.) She made it a lemon flavor, and mmmmmm…it was good….. I left that night with a bit of sadness…I do love time spent with Jane.

Day Six was the big graduation day! I started the day though by spending some time with a friend from days gone by, Donna. We met at Starbucks and caught up on life. I am hoping that the next time I am home I get to spend more time with her and her family…I did promise to cook for her I believe!

After my morning with Donna, I hurried over to start the graduation fun! My parents and I took the girls to their favorite place to eat…Beijing Restaurant. They have a wonderful salad, huge potstickers and some seriously yummy food overall. The portions are such that it is best to do family style, and you will still go home with a take-out bag. After lunch we went back to get Carolyn ready for her graduation. I was honored to be asked to curl her hair for the big event. She looked so beautiful and grown up in her dress and graduation gown.

The graduation ceremony was excellent and after all the many photos were taken and diplomas awarded, Carolyn went off to party with her classmates. The rest of the family went to Chicago Uno’s for a light dinner. It was a good day…cannot believe that I have two nieces in high school now…are they growing up too fast or is it just me?!

Day Seven was spent spoiling my nieces! I took them to see the movie “Letters from Juliet,” we bowled two games at the local bowling alley and then capped off the day with dinner and ice cream at Weinerschnitzel! The movie was pretty cute, bowling is always a blast and how can you go wrong with fast food hot dogs from der Weinerschnitzel and ice cream from Tasty Freeze. It was great to have a day that was focused solely on what the girls wanted to do and just have fun. (One funny side story…when the lights first went out for the movie “Sex In The City 2” actually started…you have not seen an Auntie move so fast to protect her nieces delicate eyes…alerted the movie theater staff and they stopped the movie before anything got out of hand…the girls thought that was quite funny since my sister had very clearly said they could not see that movie…rightfully so!)

Day Eight was spent in the kitchen with mom! As mentioned earlier (in this now getting long) post, cheesecake was on the menu for Carolyn’s graduation party. The party was the next day, but cheesecakes have to chill overnight so I got started. I used the tried and true recipe from the Daring Bakers and it came out beautiful. The best part was using the real vanilla bean so that you could see all the flecks in the finished product.

I also had to make a dessert for my get together with my high school girlfriends. I had decided earlier in the week to make a Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Tart to highlight the scrumptious fresh fruit that I had been enjoying all week (Recipe below). I also decided to take some fresh chocolate-dipped strawberries to add a touch of chocolate to the evening. The tart was easy to make over all, I had made it once before, but I quickly discovered that blueberries were harder to find than anticipated. I waited until that morning to purchase the fruit, wanting it to be at its’ peak freshness. I drove around town for about an hour and four stores later before I found them…ugh!

Feeling a bit frustrated, I started with the crust. The tart pan I had purchased earlier in the week (that’s right…had to purchase the pan too), was bigger than the recipe called for, but I didn’t think much of it until the first crust came out completely burnt. Starting over, I doubled the crust recipe…good choice, but the end product was a bit more than necessary. Next time, I will either have the right size pan or use one and a half the amount of crust the recipe calls for.

The evening overall was full of fun and laughter. It was so great to get with the girls from high school and catch up on life with them. I am amazed at how we have continued to stay connected. It has been longer than most of us care to admit since we spent our days hanging out in the band room, yet get us together and we are instantly transported to those days. The food brought by the other gals was so good and we were blessed to have Erika host at her beautiful home. That evening around the kitchen table with margaritas and yearbooks was a great reminder of just how far we have all come. We have all chosen different paths on our journey, but we are all happy and healthy…and we certainly have better hair!

Day Nine was the big graduation party for Carolyn. Lasagna from scratch was on the menu along with the usual sides. I spent the morning preparing the ragu sauce for the lasagna (sans veal…sadly it was not to be found in my hometown that week) using the Daring Bakers recipe from the past. There were a few hiccups in the day (cheesecake mishap which was thankfully easily fixed…party starting earlier than we remembered saying it would…three hours earlier!), but overall it was a great party to celebrate Carolyn’s accomplishment. The weather could not have been better for the day. Carolyn opened her gifts after we ate dinner and then we all enjoyed our sliver of cheesecake with strawberries. We took a few family photos and generally had a great time together.

Day Ten was my last day with the family, but it was also the day we decided to celebrate Samantha’s birthday! I decided to make cupcakes from the recipe Jane had given me because Samantha wanted vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting…she is a simple girl afterall. I used cheesecake flavored pudding because we had it in the house. They came out really well and were so moist! We took Samantha her cupcakes, helped her blow out her candles, watched her open her presents and then took her to lunch. We decided to go to one of their favorite Mexican restaurants. The “taco truck tacos” are soooo good at this place and surprisingly filling.

After lunch we played a bit of Guitar Hero (I am terrible…ugh!) and then said our goodbyes. It was time for me to head over to San Francisco again to get ready to fly back to DC. Hugs and kisses to all my girls and then my parents and I were off to the hotel. They checked me in and made sure I was settled before heading home. Tears are a mainstay at this point for mom and me, but it is ok…it just proves how much we still love and miss each other when we are apart.

I was fortunate to have one of my high school girls staying just down the street for her work that night. We had a fabulous dinner at the Elephant Café and just talked about life. It was a good way to bridge from being with family to being back on my own.

Day Eleven was spent on the plane…a thankfully uneventful flight. It was good to return to my cat, Marvin, who missed me terribly.

Sorry this post was so long…hope someone actually read all of this….maybe leave a comment if you did! HA! But if not, it was fun to get it all down so that I can look back and remember it for myself. Enjoy the recipes!

The Recipes:
Daring Bakers Lasagna
Daring Bakers Cheesecake

Jane’s Easy Cake Recipe
1 box white cake mix (use reduced sugar, if possible)
1 small box of instant pudding (sugar-free, if possible)
3 eggs
1 cup club soda
½ cup oil (vegetable)
½ cup nuts (optional)

Mix everything together and bake according to directions on the cake mix box.

Note: Jane used lemon pudding and added some lemon juice to hers…I used cheesecake pudding in the cupcakes for Samantha. I believe the “original” recipe called for pistachio pudding and pistachio nuts.

Fresh Strawberry and Blueberry Tart
Courtesy of Food Network

Directions
Almond Crust, recipe follows
Vanilla Pastry Cream, recipe follows

Ingredients
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup apricot jam
2 tablespoons brandy, or Kirsch
1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
Fresh mint sprigs, garnish

Bake the pie crust according to the recipe and let cool completely on a wire rack. Spoon pastry cream into the crust, smoothing top.

In a small saucepan, combine the vanilla, jam and brandy. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the jam. Remove from the heat, strain and let cool.

Arrange the sliced strawberries in overlapping concentric circles around the top of the cream. Alternate with a row of blueberries. With a pastry brush, brush the tops with the jam glaze. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

To serve, lift the tart from the side of the pan and place on a serving dish or cake stand. Cut into wedges, and garnish each serving with a fresh mint sprig.

Almond Pastry Crust:
¼ cup slivered, blanched almonds, lightly toasted and cooled
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
¼ teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons ice water (as needed)

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse to finely grind the almonds. Add the flour, sugar and salt, and process to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the machine running, add the egg yolk and extract through the feed tube and process until combined. Add the ice water and process just until a dough forms. Remove from the machine. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing the dough first along the sides and then evenly across the bottom. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the dough with parchment paper and pie weights or beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before filling. Yield: 1 (9-inch) crust.

Vanilla and Orange Pastry Cream:
2 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in ½ lengthwise and seeds scraped out
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch, measured, then sifted

In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean pods and seeds, orange zest and juice. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly until smooth. Add the egg yolk mixture to the pan of hot milk and whisk to combine. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a heavy wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and strain into a clean container, scraping the bottom of the strainer with a spoon. Discard the vanilla bean or rinse and reserve for another use. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours, before using. Yield: about 2 1/4 cups.

Enjoy With Love,
(Auntie) Christina

Daring Bakers: Piece Montée or Croquembouche (May 2010)

2010-05-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Ahh...the traditional French wedding cake. Different and delicious. This month's challenge came as a relief in some ways. Since I'd just finished my classes at Cookology where we had made creme puffs, I knew I could ace that part of the challenge. *phew*

So, it was with a bit of an "I've got this one" attitude that I entered the kitchen. Honestly, it wasn't until I realized that the cream had to chill over night that I ran into my first problem. (I really do need to get better at reading the ENTIRE recipe before I start.) But, that was easily remedied...I'd just have to wait.

The pate choux recipe that was given worked like a charm for me. I used some of the tips I'd heard at the baking bootcamp classes and passed them along to my fellow Daring Bakers. The two that seemed to be most relevant were: 1) Dump all of the eggs in at once, not one at a time. I don't know why this works, but it does. Keep in mind that you must stir by hand with a wooden spoon and your arm will feel like it wants to fall off before you're done...this is normal. Smile! 2) As soon as the puffs come out of the oven, poke a hole in the top with a really sharp paring knife. This allows the steam to escape and helps the dough to not get soggy, thereby falling.

My puffs puffed beautifully, they stayed beautifully puffed. The creme came out super yummy. I was well on my way to Piece Montee success! It was once I started to fill the puffs that I realized, I shouldn't have halved the creme recipe as suggested. Sure, we were given two recipes (one for vanilla, which I made, and one for chocolate, which I thought I'd make but didn't), but I only made one. I didn't have a lot of finished creme puffs. But I pressed on thinking, "Ahh, no worries, it just won't be as tall!" This turned out to be true...and a bit sad.

The other area where I ran into trouble, I mean challenges which make me a better baker, were the stacking and glazing. Oh sure...chocolate was my choice, but only because making caramel still terrifies me. I know, I know... practice, practice, practice...but I wasn't in the mood to severely burn myself or ruin the few finished creme puffs I had. I don't think my chocolate glaze was much of a success though (as you'll see in the photos below).

Individually, the puffs looked and tasted wonderful. The filing was creamy and had just the right sweetness. The chocolate added a touch of glamour and the puff itself was airy and light. Ahh....if only the challenge had been to make creme puffs alone....

But, alas, the challenge was to stack these balls of deliciousness into a cone shape and drizzle beautifully. So, I started to stack, using chocolate as my glue. I think it went ok, it worked, it retained its shape and didn't fall over or crumble to the floor. That's success right?! Right?! :::Sigh:::

Once stacked, I turned to the glazing/drizzling part. I had a feeling now that this part of the challenge, which initially sounded like an afterthought, was going to be the most difficult. I was right. My chocolate should have been mixed into a ganache, but I didn't realize that until it was too late. SO, I got this:

Trust me, it tasted great....but I certainly won't be offering to make for a special occastion like a French wedding anytime soon....

This was a good reminder that sometimes, it's the simplest steps that trip us up. Onward....I will conquer caramel....someday....

The Recipe:

Piece Montée or Croquembouche

Preparation time:
You will want to use your puff pastry batter and chocolate glaze or caramel as soon as it has been prepared and as close to serving time as possible. This is not a dessert that stores well and it may be a bit temperamental in humid areas as the glaze needs to harden to hold the choux together. The crème patissiere can be made a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.

You will need approximately 10 minutes to prepare the puff pastry, 10 minutes to pipe and about 30 minutes to bake each batch. The crème patissiere should take about 10 minutes to cook and then will need to be cooled for at least 6 hours or overnight. The glazes take about 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

For the Vanilla Crème Patissiere (Half Batch)
1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.

Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.

Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.

Continue whisking (this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.

Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.

For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):
Bring ¼ cup (about 50 cl.) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces (about 80 g.) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.

For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe)
Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.

Pate a Choux (Yield: About 28)
¾ cup (175 ml.) water
6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter
¼ Tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For Egg Wash:
1 egg and pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Preparing batter:
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.

Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.

Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.

As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.

It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.

Piping:
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.

Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top. Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).

Baking:
Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.

Can be stored in a airtight box overnight.

Filling:
When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.

Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 ounces/200 g. finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)

Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.

Hard Caramel Glaze:
1 cup (225 g.) sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.

Assembly of your Piece Montée:
You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.

Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up.
When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate. Have fun and enjoy! Bon appétit!

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada (May 2010)

2010-05-14T10:00:00.039-04:00

Our hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.

Ahhh, stacked enchilada....My mom used to make us a version of this dish often growing up. Sure, mom's was a bit more simple and easy to assemble, but she was serving to kids! I have fond memories of mom's stacked enchiladas so I was eager to try this recipe and see if it could come close to the version mom used to make.

First, a word of caution about this recipe...one learned from expereince. Buy your chiles and tomatillos as close to the time you'll use them as possible. They go south (ie. bad!) pretty fast. I had to re-purchase both TWICE! UGH...not fun, and certainly added to the expense of this rather inexpensive meal.

Roasting the chiles was fairly easy. Since I do not have a gas oven nor a barbeque of any sorts (remember, I use the George Foreman Grill!), I chose to roast them under the broiler. After I got the peppers covered in oil I popped them in the oven. They popped and sputtered and charred up nicely. I turned them a few times and made sure they were soft. I had the bowl with plastic wrap ready so that they could (essentially) steam away while they cooled. They were all done at different times, so it was a bit laborious because I had to keep checking on them (not a put it in and walk-away type activity).

Once the chiles were roasting, I decided to start the tomatillos. I boiled mine for about 10-12 minutes until they split and looked soft. Again, they weren't all done at the same time so I just stirred and dunked as needed until they were all done. I transferred them directly to the food processor when they were done and then gave them a quick whirl.

The chiles cooled enough that I could work with them by the time the tomatillos were done. I made quick work of taking off the skin and removing the seeds. Instead of mincing them like suggested, I just popped them into the same food processor and gave them a whirl....minced...super fine! HA!

The sauce never really did thicken up for me...but I figured it was probably something I had done wrong and just kept going...hoping it would still taste good and possibly thicken once in the oven.

I moved on to the chicken. I used my grill pan and seasoned the chicken with McCormick's Grill Mates Mesquite Seasoning. I shred it once it had rested for a bit and then got on with the tortillas and stacking process.

My mom used to pour a bit of oil into a small pan and basically dunk the tortillas in the hot oil, flip and then remove to paper towels. I used the same process since it seemed odd to have to keep adding oil to the pan.

Once I had the tortillas done, I started stacking on a cookie sheet. This step seemed unnecessary to me at first. All the ingredients were cooked, why bother baking?! But, in the spirit of the challenge, I went with it. I could have used a bit more of the sauce on the bottom of the pan (my finished product stuck a bit). I also LOVE cheese, so could have used more of that too. I got them all assembled and popped it into the oven.

When it came out, I must say that it looked really good. I was excited to try it and dig into what would now be lunch. After taking the glamour shots (below), I dug in. They were good! I could have used a bit more heat (spice), but I know that it's a personal preference and I didn't add any hot sauce during the process (worried it would turn out TOO spicy). Would I make this again...I may, but I must admit...mom's was still tastier for me, and much easier. I'll post both recipes, you decide.

Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada

The Recipe: Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada
Ingredients
1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles (about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles) 24 ounces 678 grams - roast, peel, remove seeds, chop coarsely. Other green chiles (NOT bell peppers) could probably be substituted but be conscious of heat and size!)
7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium)212 grams - peel, remove stems
4 cups Chicken broth (32 ounces/920 grams)
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons yellow onion, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ tsp Kosher salt (add more to taste)
¼ tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste)
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)
Hot sauce, your favorite, optional
2 Boneless chicken breasts (you can also use bone-in chicken breasts or thighs)
3 tablespoons Olive oil or other neutral vegetable oil (use more as needed)
Kosher salt and pepper
12 Small Corn tortillas (5-6 inch/13-15 cm). (you can also use wheat tortillas or other wraps)
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack, 170 grams (other cheeses (cheddar, pepper jack, Mexican cheeses) can be used. Just be sure they melt well and complement the filling)
Cilantro for garnish, chopped and sprinkled optional

Directions:

Roasting Fresh Chiles
1. Coat each chile with a little vegetable oil. If you are doing only a couple chiles, using the gas stove works. For larger batches (as in this recipe), grilling or broiling is faster.

2. Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.

3. As they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until they are cool.

4. Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out (it rarely does for me). Open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.

5. DO NOT RINSE!

Green Chile Sauce
1. Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft.

2. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.

3. Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.

6. Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

Stacked Green Chile and Grilled Chicken Enchiladas
1. Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Grill the chicken until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes a side for boneless chicken breasts.

3. Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.

4. In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.

5. Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).

6. Drain on paper towels.

7. Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.

8. In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks of tortillas, ladle a thin layer of sauce.

9. Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup (4 ounces/112 grams) of sauce over the tortillas.

10. Divide half the chicken among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.

11. Stack another four tortillas, top with the rest of the chicken, more sauce and another third of the cheese.

12. Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.

13. Bake until the sauce has thickened and the cheese melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

14. To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual gratin dishes.

Mom's Stacked Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
1 lb hamburger meat
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can red enchilada sauce
Corn tortillas
Vegetable oil (or similar, neutral flavored oil)
Refried beans

Toppings:
Cheese, shredded (Mom normally used mild cheddar)
Lettuce, shredded
Tomatoes, chopped
Onions, chopped finely
Sour Cream
Other toppings of your choice such as jalepenos or hot sauce.

Directions:
Brown the hamburger meat, drain. Add taco seasoning mix (dry) and mix well.
Heat the enchilada sauce in a shallow skillet. Heat the refried beans in a bowl/pan.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.
Working quickly, Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan of oil and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most). Immediately transfer to the enchildada sauce, coat with sauce. Once coated, place on the plate you will serve the enchilada on. Smear the base tortilla with a dollop of refried beans and sprinkle with a spoonful of meat. Repeat with an additonal tortilla in the sauce, place on top of bean and meat layer. Top with another layer of beans, meat and once final top tortilla coated in sauce. On top of the stack, add whatever toppings you prefer. Cheese will melt best if added first, then the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, etc. Enjoy!

Note: Mom would make them one at a time letting each person help with the layers and adding their own toppings to their liking. You can make as many or as few layers of bean/meat as you want.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Cookology Baking Bootcamp #4: Classic Breads

2010-04-29T22:30:00.001-04:00

Tonight, Cookology's Chef Brad taught us how to make Classic Italian White Loaf with Onion and Cinnamon, Honey and Pecan Swirls.

The Classic Italian White Loaf with Onion is a yeast-based bread. How did we manage to get a yeast-based bread to rise so quickly you ask?! Well, Chef Brad taught us a neat trick of how to do it over a double boiler (essentially) and then again on the sheet pan it will bake on over the pot of warm water. It worked like a charm. The downside is you lose a bit of the bread (to the bottom which starts to bake), but the loaf was done in a matter of minutes versus hours!

The mixing and kneading was done again, all by hand. This time it seemed to really make a difference. I could see how someone using a mixer could actually over mix these breads and come up with tough bricks. The bread is best enjoyed while still warm...and it's so wonderful on its own that it doesn't even need butter!

The Cinnamon, Honey and Pecan Swirls were so easy to make I couldn't believe it! They're not yeast based and were baked in cupcake tins! The dough was light and airy, the cinnamon fillling sticky and sweet. I adore pecans so, of course, I loaded mine up. The icing was a simple powdered sugar/heavy cream based icing with the touch of honey. So sweet and gooey...just like a cinnamon roll should be.

This Baking Bootcamp was a ton of fun. I would highly recommend Cookology to those that enjoy learning about food and getting their hands dirty in the kitchen. I didn't learn a ton of new techniques from this class, but I still had a great time and picked up some really great tips and recipes.

Onion White Loaf

Flour – 1lb. 5 oz.
Salt - .4 oz
Water - 12 oz
Yeast - .75 oz.
Sugar - 2.75 oz
Butter - 2.75 0z
1/2 onion chopped

Mix water and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.

Add sugar to water and stir until combined. Mix flour, salt, melted butter and water mixture together. Knead for 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.

Punch down and shape into shape desired. Allow to rise for one hour and bake at 350 for approx. 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Quick Cinnamon Biscuits/Rolls
Adapted from The Moosewood Collectives Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
Yield: 9 biscuits

Cinnamon Sugar Filling
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Biscuit Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Icing
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar
4 to 6 teaspoons milk or heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. For the Filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. For the Dough: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups cream, and stir until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. With your hands, fold the dough over a few times in the bowl, until the dough is smooth.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands, and pat the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle, about 9 X 13 inches. Brush the surface of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of cream. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar topping.

5. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Slice into 9 equal rounds. Place the rounds, cut side down, into an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish or a pie plate. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned.

6. For the Icing: While the biscuits bake, mix together the confectioners sugar and milk or cream until smooth. When you remove the biscuits from the oven, immediately drizzle them with icing. Serve warm.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Cookology Baking Bootcamp #3: Understanding Cakes

2010-04-22T22:30:00.002-04:00

Cookology's Chef Brad put us to work tonight making Genoise Chocolate and Orange Cake with Citrus Spiced Chocolate Ganache and Lemon Lavender Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting.

The Genoise Chocolate and Orange Cake with Citrus Spiced Chocolate Ganache sounded divine. It even smelled great and we enjoyed some really wonderful chocolate while making it. For me though, the final product wasn't what I expected and honestly, didn't enjoy all that much. The ganache was great, the wine that they shared (a wonderful Riesling) were to die for...the cake though, for me it was a bit dry. I think I remember Chef Brad saying that this was by design and that it was a more European-acquired taste. Still looked pretty.

The Lemon Lavender Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting were much more up my alley. I think it was so much fun that in all of these classes we never used an electric mixer or Kitchen Aid type machine. Everything was done by hand, spatula or wisk....everything. Cream that butter and sugar together with your fingers! Messy, but fun and you really gain an appreciation for the texture of various ingredients.

Chef Brad made the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting ahead of time so that it would have time to set and be ready for our cupcakes. It is sooooo good. So light yet has that cream cheesey taste that everyone loves. The cakes themselves were pretty much like you expect in a cupcake with a moist, light crumb. The lavender and lemon are perfect together and so refreshing. I will DEFINITELY be making these again. In fact, I took the leftover frosting from class so I could get a headstart. :-)

Recipes
Chocolate Genoise
3 tablespoons hot melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup cake flour
1/3 cup unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
4 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated white sugar

Note: When warming the eggs and sugar, whisk constantly to ensure the eggs do not overheat and curdle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray a 9-inch round cake pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine the melted unsalted butter with the vanilla. Keep this mixture warm. If needed, re-warm for a few second just before using.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a large, heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, heat the eggs and sugar until lukewarm to the touch (this will take approximately 5 minutes depending on the temperature of the eggs and the simmering water). Remove from heat and transfer egg mixture to your electric mixer. Beat on high speed until the egg mixture has cooled, tripled in volume, and looks like softly whipped cream. This will take approximately 5 minutes and the batter is beaten sufficiently when the batter falls back into the bowl in a ribbon-like pattern.

Then sift about one-third of the flour mixture over the whipped eggs and fold using a large rubber spatula or whisk. Fold in half the remaining flour, and then fold in the rest. Do not over mix or you will deflate the batter. Then take about 1 cup of the batter and fold it into the hot butter mixture with a small spatula. (This will lighten the butter mixture and make it easier to incorporate into the egg batter without deflating it.) When completely combined, use a spatula to fold the butter mixture into the rest of the egg batter. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Bake until the cake shrinks slightly from the edges of the pan and the top springs back when lightly pressed (about 20-25 minutes). Cool on a metal rack. When the cake has cooled completely, run a small knife or spatula around the edges to release the cake. The genoise will keep well-wrapped two days in the refrigerator or else three months frozen.

Chocolate Ganache
1 part chocolate
1 part cream
1 teaspoon of flavoring

Bring cream and flavor to boil. Pour over chocolate and stir to combine.

Lemon Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar (can use 1 ¼ cup for less sweet taste or ¾ cup Splenda)
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening (very soft but not melted, Crisco is best)
¾ cup milk (or half and half)
1 tablespoon vanilla (or 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract)
2 large eggs
Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour with sugar, baking powder and salt until combined.

Add in the shortening, milk, vanilla, lemon zest and eggs. Beat on medium speed scraping the bowl constantly until just blended (the batter will be thick, you may add a few more tablespoons of milk/cream if you desire).

Pour into paper-lined regular sized muffin tins, filling under ¾ full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cupcakes test done. Immediately remove from pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup butter (no substitutions), softened
½ cup cream cheese
8 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.

For Chocolate: Substitute ½ cup baking cocoa for ½ cup of the confectioners’ sugar.
For Peanut Butter: Substitute peanut butter for the butter.
For Lemon- or Orange-flavored: Substitute lemon or orange juice for milk and add 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange zest.
For Almond- or Peppermint-flavored: Substitute almond or peppermint extract for the vanilla.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: Brunswick Stew (April 2010)

2010-04-14T10:00:00.016-04:00

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

Well, folks, I missed the March challenge, which was Risotto and I know that I'm posting April extremely late. BUT, I did do the April challenge in time, I've just not had time to write and post...it's Spring afterall! I've been having too much fun at Baking Bootcamp and out with friends!

The April challenge also seemed a little off season for those of us in the US...this really would be much better to make in the fall. But, I realize that the Daring Cooks are an international group and this probably came just in time for those "down under" the equator.

Here's what our host, Wolf, had to say about Bruswick Stew:
"Brunswick Stew has a long, and oft debated history. Brunswick, Georgia claimed that the first Brunswick Stew was created there in 1898. There is, at the Golden Isles Welcome Center on Interstate 95, a bronzed stew pot with a plaque proclaiming this fact.

However, Brunswick, Virginia claims that the first Brunswick Stew was created there by a camp cook named Jimmy Matthews in 1828, for a hunting expedition led by Dr. Creed Haskings, a member of the Virginia State Legislature for a number of years. He was said to have used squirrel in the original Brunswick Stew created for the group when they returned. The hunters were at first skeptical of the thick, hearty concoction, but upon tasting it, were convinced and asked for more.

Every year, there is an Annual Brunswick Stew Cookoff that pits ‘Stewmasters’ from both Virgina and Georgia against their counterparts, and takes place every October in Georgia.

In the early 20th Cent, the rivalry of the two Brunswicks helped make this dish as popular as it is today, and it quickly became a pan-Southern classic. Some recipe call for the original addition of squirrel, but most allow for chicken, turkey, ham, or pork, even beef on occasion. Rabbit is also used. The vegetables can vary widely from variation to variation, however, the Brunswick Stewmasters recipe says *exactly* what is used in competion stews, and states that “Adding any additional ingredient(s) will disqualify the stew from being an original Brunswick Stew.”

However, most agree that, Brunswick stew is not done properly “until the paddle stands up in the middle.”"

The stew was not difficult to make. Very easy in fact once you assembled all of the ingredients. Nothing too wild (I used pork instead of rabbit afterall!). I must admit that it smelled divine while simmering away. The results were much like a thick and hearty chicken noodle soup, without the noodles. I didn't eat much of this stew, it was just too hearty for my tastes....maybe I'll try it again next fall or winter.

The Recipe: Brunswick Stew
From “The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-Be Southerners” by Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Serves about 12

Ingredients:
1/4 lb / 113.88 grams / 4 oz slab bacon, rough diced
2 Serrano, Thai or other dried red chiles, stems trimmed, sliced, seeded, flattened
1lb / 455.52 grams / 16oz rabbit, quartered, skinned (I used pork)
1 4-5lb / 1822.08- 2277.6 grams / 64-80oz chicken, quartered, skinned, and most of the fat removed
1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / ½ oz sea salt for seasoning, plus extra to taste
2-3 quarts / 8-12 cups / 64.607-96.9oz Chicken Broth
2 Bay leaves
2 large celery stalks
2lbs / 911.04 grams / 32oz Yukon Gold potatoes, or other waxy type potatoes, peeled, rough diced
1 ½ cups / 344.88 grams / 12.114oz carrots (about 5 small carrots), chopped
3 ½ / 804.72 grams / 28.266oz cups onion (about 4 medium onions) chopped
2 cups / 459.84 grams / 16.152oz fresh corn kernels, cut from the cob (about 4 ears)
3 cups / 689.76 grams / 24.228oz butterbeans, preferably fresh (1 ¼ lbs) or defrosted frozen
1 35oz can / 996.45 grams / 4 cups whole, peeled tomatoes, drained
¼ cup / 57.48 grams / 2.019 oz red wine vinegar
Juice of 2 lemons
Tabasco sauce to taste

Directions:
1. In the largest stockpot you have, which is hopefully larger than the 5 qt ones I have, preferably a 10-12 qt or even a Dutch Oven if you’re lucky enough to have one, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until it just starts to crisp. Transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. Reserve most of the bacon fat in your pan, and with the pan on the burner, add in the chiles. Toast the chiles until they just start to smell good, or make your nose tingle, about a minute tops. Remove to bowl with the bacon.

2. Season liberally both sides of the rabbit and chicken pieces with sea salt and pepper. Place the rabbit pieces in the pot and sear off all sides possible. You just want to brown them, not cook them completely. Remove to bowl with bacon and chiles, add more bacon fat if needed, or olive oil, or other oil of your choice, then add in chicken pieces, again, browning all sides nicely. Remember not to crowd your pieces, especially if you have a narrow bottomed pot. Put the chicken in the bowl with the bacon, chiles and rabbit. Set it aside.

3. Add 2 cups of your chicken broth or stock, if you prefer, to the pan and basically deglaze the4 pan, making sure to get all the goodness cooked onto the bottom. The stock will become a nice rich dark color and start smelling good. Bring it up to a boil and let it boil away until reduced by at least half. Add your remaining stock, the bay leaves, celery, potatoes, chicken, rabbit, bacon, chiles and any liquid that may have gathered at the bottom of the bowl they were resting in. Bring the pot back up to a low boil/high simmer, over medium/high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover, remember to stir every 15 minutes, give or take, to thoroughly meld the flavors. Simmer, on low, for approximately 1 ½ hours. Supposedly, the stock may become a yellow tinge with pieces of chicken or rabbit floating up, the celery will be very limp, as will the chiles. Taste the stock, according to the recipe, it “should taste like the best chicken soup you’ve ever had”.

4. With a pair of tongs, remove the chicken and rabbit pieces to a colander over the bowl you used earlier. Be careful, as by this time, the meats will be very tender and may start falling apart. Remove the bay leaf, celery, chiles, bacon and discard.5 After you’ve allowed the meat to cool enough to handle, carefully remove all the meat from the bones, shredding it as you go. Return the meat to the pot, throwing away the bones. Add in your carrots, and stir gently, allowing it to come back to a slow simmer. Simmer gently, uncovered, for at least 25 minutes, or until the carrots have started to soften.

5. Add in your onion, butterbeans, corn and tomatoes. As you add the tomatoes, crush them up, be careful not to pull a me, and squirt juice straight up into the air, requiring cleaning of the entire stove. Simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring every so often until the stew has reduced slightly, and onions, corn and butterbeans are tender. Remove from heat and add in vinegar, lemon juice, stir to blend in well. Season to taste with sea salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce if desired.

6. You can either serve immediately or refrigerate for 24 hours, which makes the flavors meld more and makes the overall stew even better. Serve hot, either on its own, or with a side of corn bread, over steamed white rice, with any braised greens as a side.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Cookology Baking Bootcamp #2: Pies and Tartlets

2010-04-13T22:08:00.001-04:00

Wow! This week's class was so yummy! Cookology's Chef Brad showed us how to make Classic French Silk Chocolate Pie with Whipped Cinnamon Cream Topping and Mixed Berry and Rum Tartlets! Both were soooo good!

Again, we paired up with partners and shared the tasks of mixing and measuring. We started with the graham cracker crusts for our chocolate pies. Fairly basic recipe/technique for a graham crust. The main part of this pie is the custard....it didn't use cornstarch to thicken it! Instead, it used flour! We had to be careful to boil it only to a certain point so that the custard wouldn't burn...I was in charge of whisking while it was on the heat but made sure that my partner and Chef Brad were both close-by with watchful eyes. I certainly didn't want to be the reason our chocolate pies turned to burnt chocolate pies!

After successfully pouring the custard into the crusts the pies went into the freezer to set...while the class enjoyed the absolutely wonderful leftover warm custard....we were going to run out of tasting spoons quickly if something wasn't done! The pots were whisked away to be emptied and cleaned...we had another recipe to work through!

The tartlets started by us making the mixed berry mix. Interestingly enough we used frozen berries. Since I have friends in the food industry that have shared the secret of frozen fruits and veggies (they are picked and frozen at peak freshness!), I wasn't too worried about using the frozen nuggets. We let the berries marry with the sugar, cornstarch and the delicious smelling Port while we moved on to the dough.

Most people are scared of dough. Personally, I have had some success and some failures...usually it's all about the fact that I cook it too long and it burns! The recipe was fairly straight forward and we used the best utensils made to cut in the butter....our hands! The hardest part of the tartlets for me was crimping them. I'm always too delicate with my crimping and then things explode....so I went back over my crimps, which of course made them a bit messy. Since Chef Brad was in charge of the actual baking, they came out beautiful!

To pass the time while the tarts were baking, Chef Brad showed us how to make a cinnamon whipped cream. He'd already made a whipped cream and then just added the cinnamon and folded. Folding always gets me...I was glad he was doing that part. We got to taste it before we put it on our now set Classic French Silk Chocolate Pies. MMMMM...so good! So good in fact that my partner and I munched our way through the leftover raw pie dough, berry mixure and some of the cream. It was dinner...I'm sure my blood sugars didn't approve but my taste buds won that battle!

We learned a lot about good vanilla (and Chef Brad even shared how to make it!), good Port and of course, how to make these wonderful desserts. The pie was too die for smooth and creamy while the tartlets were flaky and full of slighly tart/slightly sweet fresh berries. Both are something that I would very easily make again and share with friends and family.

Below are the glamor shots of the final products.

Classic French Silk Chocolate Pie Before Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Classic French Silk Chocolate Pie After Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Mixed Berry Tartlets

Next week: Understanding Cakes! (I'm told we won't work in partners....my coworkers may get to feast on the goodies afterall!)

Recipes:
Mixed Berry Tartlets

Pie Dough
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 -8 tablespoons of ice-water

Berry Filling:
Berries
Sugar
Cornstarch
Lemon Juice

Egg Wash

In a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of ice-water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (If necessary, add up to 4 tablespoons more of water, 1 tablespoon at a time). To help ensure flaky crust, do not over process. Transfer half of the dough (still crumbly) onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form into a square ¾ inch thick; wrap tightly in plastic. Repeat with other half. Refrigerate until firm; at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days).

Prepare the berry filling by tossing together berries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. (Amounts depend on freshness/juiciness of berries).

Preheat the oven to 425. On a lightly floured surface, roll first disk out to an 8 x 12 rectangle. Cut into six 4-inch squares. Spoon berry mixture into the center of each square. Brush 2 opposite sides of each square with egg wash and fold into triangles. Crimp edges to seal. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat with second dough. Brush tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired, and make ½ inch incision to create a steam vent in the middle of each triangle. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 20-25 minutes, rotating sheet pan halfway through.

Chocolate Pie Filling
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
Dash of salt
2 cups milk, divided in half
2 tablespoons vanilla
Put dry ingredients into quart jar. Shake well. Add 1 cup mild, shake well again. Add vanilla and 1 cup milk, shake well. Pour into pot and cook about 7 minutes, stirring continually while cooking. Pour into baked pie shell (or graham cracker crust). Top with meringue; or cool and top with Cool Whip.

Stabilized Whipped Cream
¼ cup cold water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Chill mixing bowl and beaters for at least 15 minutes before using. Place water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and allow to soften for 5 minutes.
Dissolve gelatin by microwaving for 3 minutes, stirring after every minutes. Remove from microwave and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes; gelatin must be liquid but not warm when added to cream.
Remove bowl and beaters from refrigerator and pour in cream, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat together just until beater marks begin to show distinctly. Add gelatin mixture to cream, pouring in a steady stream while beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.
Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Cookology's Baking Bootcamp #1: Pate Choux

2010-04-08T22:00:00.003-04:00

There is a local hands-on cooking school that offers classes to the public. Cookology is located at the Dulles Town Center mall and ever since it opened I have wanted to take a class there. I just so happened to mention to the Easter Bunny that there was a baking bootcamp series coming up in the month of April, and the Easter Bunny decided to help me register! I was sooooo excited!

The instructor for the baking bootcamp is quite accomplished. Here is Brad Spates' bio according to the Cookology website:

"Brad studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and the James Rumsey School of Culinary Arts. He learned his baking skills under some of the best pastry chef's in the world such as Master Chef Judeth Stains, CIA Award Winning Chef Steve Brown, and Steve Weiss, who was part of the 2000 National Gold Winning Pastry Arts Team and the Executive Pastry Chef of the Trump Taj Mahal and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He has travelled and studied pastries worldwide, including an in-depth study of French, Italian, and classical American Pastry. Bread specializes in unique forms of design, while using classical techniques that are practiced by very few modern chef's, such as pastillage, formed marzipan, pulled and blown sugar, and casting chocolates. He has a passion for baking and creating, and can't wait to share his talents with the students at Cookology!"

Impressive right!? I knew our first class was going to be about Pate Choux (pronouced like pat a shoe), which I had tried to make YEARS ago and had mild success. They promised a sweet and savory version.

The class started and we were put into pairs. I teamed up with a gal named Karen who seemed sweet and approached things in a similar fashion as I did (good match! *phew!*). I unintentionally stood next to Brad...which turned out to be good for my tendancy to get distracted...he kept my attention for sure!

The instruction was paced well, we were able to ask all the questions we wanted and had a great time. The recipes will follow later (he sends them out about a week after the class), but I can tell you that the end results were WONDERFUL! Yumm!! Just look at these photos:

My Savory Chees Puffs

My Sweet Cream Filled Eclairs

Inside of the Yummy Eclairs (Held by Brad)

I certainly am looking forward to next week's class on pies and tartlets!

**Editted to add recipes:
Pate' choux

Ingredients
1 cup water
3/4 stick butter (6 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon sugar plus 1/8 teaspoon salt (for sweet)
1 teaspoon salt (for savory)
5 3/4 ounces flour
1 cup eggs, about 4 large eggs and 2 whites

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Boil water, butter, and salt or sugar. Add flour and remove from heat. Work mixture together and return to heat. Continue working the mixture until all flour is incorporated and dough forms a ball. Transfer mixture into bowl of a standing mixer and let cool for 3 or 4 minutes. With mixer on stir or lowest speed add eggs, 1 at a time, making sure the first egg is completely incorporated before continuing. Once all eggs have been added and the mixture is smooth put dough into piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe immediately into golfball-size shapes, 2 inches apart onto parchment lined sheet pans. Cook for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees F and bake for 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Once they are removed from the oven pierce with a paring knife immediately to release steam. Fill with pastry cream, whip cream, or pastry cream.

Pastry cream
Ingredients
2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don' t curdle or scorch on the bottom.

When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

Cheese Mixture (to use instead of Cream Mixure)
Bleu cheese
Brie cheese
Parmesean Cheese
Cream cheese
Mascarpone
Heavy cream

Mix all ingredients in equal proportions.
(Note: We used Bleu Cheese, Parmesean Cheese and Ricotta Cheese along with the cream for our "testers.")
Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Daring Bakers: Orange Tian (March 2010)

2010-03-27T10:00:00.003-04:00

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

This recipe looked difficult with all of its parts and steps, but honestly, once you get into it and take each step as it comes it's actually not that difficult. Here's what our host Jennifer had to say:

"This is a scrumptious dessert that I made for the first time a few months ago at the Alain Ducasse Cooking School in Paris, France. The dessert is made of different layers: a pate sablee with orange marmalade, a flavored whipped cream topped with fresh orange segments and served with a caramel and orange sauce. You build the dessert upside down and then unmold the dessert so that the bottom layer (the orange segments) becomes the top layer. I really enjoy making this dessert, it’s wonderfully citrusy, elegant and fun to put together."

The hardest part of this whole dessert for me was the caramel step. Mine never really did set up properly and I didn't bother to try again. I made mine in a springform pan and then unmolded the morning I took it in. It was in the freezer for days versus minutes and was still fine. It is best served when it's thawed but still slightly cold....so the 10 minutes is probably right...I just can't plan like that! :-)

The dessert was a big hit at the office. It is light and airy, citrusy and the pate sablee is divine! I would make it again for someone that wanted a dessert that wasn't traditional cake or pie. I may skip some of the more labor intensive steps like making my own marmalade next time.

The Recipe: Orange Tian
Preparation time:

- Pate Sablee: 20 minutes to make, 30 minutes to rest, 15 minutes to roll out, 20 minutes to bake
- Marmalade: 20 minutes to make, 30 minutes to blanch
- Orange segments: 20 minutes, overnight to sit
- Caramel: 15 minutes, overnight to sit
- Whipped Cream: 15 minutes
- Assembling: 20 minutes
- Freezer to Set: 10 minutes

For the Pate Sablee:
2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature
Granulated sugar 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon; 2.8 oz; 80 grams
Vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
Unsalted butter ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams ice cold, cubed
Salt 1/3 teaspoon; 2 grams
All-purpose flour 1.5 cup + 2 tablespoons; 7 oz; 200 grams
Baking powder 1 teaspoon ; 4 grams

Directions:
Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle.

Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Marmalade:
Freshly pressed orange juice ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams
1 large orange used to make orange slices
Cold water to cook the orange slices
Pectin 5 grams
Granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices. Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar. If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

For the Orange Segments:
For this step you will need 8 oranges.
Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.
YouTube link on how to segment an orange.

For the Caramel:
Granulated sugar 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
Orange juice 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons; 14 oz; 400 grams

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.

Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

[Tip: Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!]

For the Whipped Cream:
Heavy whipping cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
3 tablespoons of hot water
1 tsp Gelatine
1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
Oange Marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon

In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.

[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

Assembling the Dessert:
Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer.

Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Enjoy With Love,
Christina

Darking Bakers: Tiramisu (February 2010)

2010-02-27T10:00:00.004-05:00

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Here's a bit about Tiramisu from our challenge hosts:
"This divine Italian dessert translates to mean ‘pick me up’, supposedly referring to the ‘kick’ provided by the strong coffee, sugar and alcohol in it!

On the other hand, a slight mistake in spelling it as "Tiramuso" could end up meaning that you were "pulling a sulky face"! Classic tiramisu is made of alternate layers of espresso soaked ladyfinger biscuits and a cream made from mascarpone cheese and zabaglione (an egg custard).

The perfect Tiramisu is a balance of flavors of a sweet zabaglione, strong coffee, marsala wine, creamy mascarpone cheese and the dusting of unsweetened cocoa.

So when, where and how was tiramisu born?

Tiramisu is said to have its origins in Treviso (Italy), and there are quite a few stories about how it came to be created.

One story traces the tiramisu as far back as the Renaissance claiming that it was first made in honour of the visit of Grand Duke Cosimo di Medici to Tuscany. Yet another one points to the tiramisu being an adaptation of the "Zuppa Inglese" referring to the sponge cake and cream layered English Trifle.

However, experts in this area generally agree that the tiramisu as we know it today, was born in the ‘70s.

Some believe that the Tiramisu was created in the Le Beccherie (a restaurant in Treviso). Others suggest that Tiramisu was first made in 1971 by an Italian baker named Carminantonio Iannaccone in a small bakery in Treviso, Italy."

What a challenge this was! I was excited to try my hand at this dessert, though I typically do not enjoy it while out and about at restaurants. I find that the texture (fairly mushy) is not my favorite, the coffee flavor is not something I enjoy and if I'm going to have dessert there are usually a plethora of other items on the menu I would rather have.

That said, I have always wanted to know how it was made so that I could possibly change it up to make it into something that I would enjoy. You see, in my quest to become an Italian Nonna (grandma), this would need to be a staple in my recipe box. Also, since I had just taken a pastry class from an Italian chef, I was feeling inspired when I started to tackle this challenge.

(Instead of showing you the step by step of the recipe, I thought I would share my thoughts...let me know what you prefer!).

The recipe was very well written and easy to follow once you have all the ingredients. I will say that my sink is FULL of dishes though. It seemed that each thing used a bowl along with a this or that. I'm not complaining, I love a sink full of dishes as long as the result is worth it.

I did not make the mascarpone cheese from scratch. I could not find the proper kind of cream. The other Bakers in our private forum said to shy away from using ultra-pasteurized cream, which is all I could find. I suppose I could have made the 45 minute trek out to "the country" to a place that sells direct from a dairy, but honestly I did not have the time or mental energy to do that this time. Sorry to the hosts, but I passed on this part (hoping it would not fully disqualify me as a participant).

The ladyfingers were probably the most challenging for me due the folding and egg whites. I know I need to practice with those more in order to become more competent and confident. They seemed to turn out really well though. The part that I thought was fairly simple was the custards. BUT, it seems that like any good challenge those parts that you think will be simple turn out to be a challenge and vice versa.

My custards didn't seem to want to set. As you will see in the glamour shot, the top layer is a bit goopy (is that a word!?). I am going to consult with my new Italian chef friend to see if he can diagnose what went wrong.

I am also not sure I soaked the ladyfingers long enough in the sweetened espresso. As most of you that ready my ramblings here know, I am not a coffee girl... ick.... so I think I thought that if I barely dunked the ladyfingers that the flavor would be reduced. Of course, this could be true, but at the same time it changed the dish a bit. The ladyfingers were still fairly "solid" when I cut into the dessert.

The one thing that did surprise me was how absolutely easy (and delicious!) the whipped cream was! I know I had seen fresh whipped cream made on tv before, heard all about how easy it was, but never really believed it was *that* easy....but it is! I literally dumped the ingredients in the trusty Kitchen Aid, attached the whisk, turn it on and *poof* a few minutes later I had really delicious whipped cream! Try this if nothing else!

Taste...OK, I have to admit. At the time I am posting this I've not actually tasted the whole thing. I've tasted the goopy cream, which was really good. I tried a ladyfinger and thought that while good, it would likely not be very good on its own (which is likely why they are normally incorporated into other desserts). I am hoping to convince myself to try a small piece later just so I can report back. In the meantime, I am also gathering feedback from my co-workers as I brought in the dish to share. Check back for an update!

UPDATE: So I finally got an opportunity to taste my creation. I must say it was good, but the coffee flavor was too much for me to make it through a whole serving. Feedback from the people at work was that it was really good. One person did say that the ladyfingers were a bit dry, but not so bad that they did not finish the portion they took. SO...my recommendation is that if you enjoy tiramisu, give this a go....if you are like me and are not/were not too fond of it before, you likely will not like this version either. Piacere! (Italian for Enjoy!)

The not-so-glamorous glamor shot

PS: Happy Anniversary to me! This blog has now been up
and cooking for one year!

Thanks to everyone who reads it...if you have any suggestions,

recommendations or requests, please let me know!

The Recipe: Tiramisu

The recipes for this challenge are presented in the following order:

A. Tiramisu (includes zabaglione and vanilla pastry cream)

B. Mascarpone Cheese

C. Ladyfinger/ Savoiardi Biscuits

PREPARATION TIME:

Tiramisu is made up of several components which can be made separately and ahead of time and put together the day before serving. Making tiramisu from scratch requires about 2 to 3 days (including refrigeration) from when you start making the mascarpone to the time the tiramisu is served.

The zabaglione and pastry cream also need 4 hours to an overnight for chilling, as does the main dessert. The flavours mature after an overnight rest, and the dessert can be kept refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Once assembled, the tiramisu can be frozen till you need to serve it, in case you are not serving it immediately.

TIRAMISU

(Recipe source: Carminantonio's Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007 )

This recipe makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the zabaglione:

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar/50gms

1/4 cup/60ml Marsala wine (or port or coffee)

1/4 teaspoon/ 1.25ml vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the vanilla pastry cream:

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1 tablespoon/8gms all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup/175ml whole milk

For the whipped cream:

1 cup/235ml chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)

1/4 cup/55gms sugar

1/2 teaspoon/ 2.5ml vanilla extract

To assemble the tiramisu:

2 cups/470ml brewed espresso, warmed

1 teaspoon/5ml rum extract (optional)

1/2 cup/110gms sugar

1/3 cup/75gms mascarpone cheese

36 savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits (you may use less)

2 tablespoons/30gms unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

For the zabaglione:

Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.

In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.

Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the pastry cream:
Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.

Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.

Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To assemble the tiramisu:

Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8" by 8" should do) or one of your choice.

Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.

Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.

Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

MASCARPONE CHEESE
(Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese

Ingredients:
474ml (approx. 500ml)/ 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method:
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.

It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.

Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)
This recipe makes approximately 24 big ladyfingers or 45 small (2 1/2" to 3" long) ladyfingers.

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated

6 tablespoons /75gms granulated sugar
3/4 cup/95gms cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons /50gms confectioner's sugar

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.

Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5" long and 3/4" wide strips leaving about 1" space in between the strips.

Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.

Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.

Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.

Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.

Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

NOTES/ TIPS FROM DARING BAKER HOSTS:

If you cannot find Marsala, port wine is considered a good substitute.
If you would rather not use alcohol in your tiramisu due to diet restrictions or because you want to serve it to children, you may replace the Marsala with an equal amount of espresso or coffee.
Many people, especially those who are not excessively fond of coffee, might find brewed espresso very strong. In this case, please feel free to dilute the espresso or coffee to the desired strength.
It is generally suggested that cream with 25% fat is best for making mascarpone, but 36% works just as well.
It is acceptable to use lime juice in the marscapone cheese.
The mascarpone recipe below is for approximately 340gms of mascarpone. The tiramisu recipe requires only 1/3 cup/75gms so you may scale down the recipe to requirement or put the extra mascarpone cheese to other equally good use. (100gms cream will yield approximately 75gms mascarpone)
While using the double boiler to make the mascarpone as well as the zabaglione, always ensure that the bottom of the bowl on top doesn't touch the bottom of the lower one. It is important to use a stainless steel bowl to pour your cream into, while making the mascarpone.
Ladyfinger batter is very fragile so fold in the flour and yolks very carefully into the meringue so that the whites don't lose their volume.
It might be a good idea to decide the size of the dish in which you intend to set the dessert, and make the fingers to a size which would fit that dish. This makes it easier when assembling the tiramisu later. Do remember that ladyfingers/ savioardi puff up a little while baking.
Ladyfinger biscuits may be stored up to a week in an airtight container.
Placing the bowl (in which cream is to be whipped) and the beaters of the hand held electric mixer in the fridge for about 1/2 to 1 hour before hand makes the cream whip up very well.
Do not dip the ladyfinger/ savoiardi into the coffee solution for more than ONE second, or they might become very fragile & disintegrate. Extra soaking is likely to spoil the end product, making it soggy.
If you would like to de-mould your tiramisu from your dish (cutting can be easier and neater this way, you can line your dish with plastic wrap (leaving a little extra on the sides of the dish) and then start assembling your tiramisu. Once the tiramisu sets in the refrigerator, you can use the overhang to pull the tiramisu out of the dish.

Enjoy with Love,

Christina

Daring Cooks: Mezze (February 2010)

2010-02-15T22:58:00.000-05:00

The 2010 February Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

From Michele: “The challenge is to prepare a Mezze (pronounced “mez”) Table including, but not limited to, homemade Pita bread and Hummus. If you’re not familiar with mezze, it’s more of a style of eating than a specific recipe or recipes. Mezze is a bunch of small dishes served all at once—sort of like the Middle Eastern version of Spanish Tapas. It can be served as appetizers before a meal, or as the meal itself.

A simple mezze meal could be something like pita bread, hummus, olives, roasted almonds, and some feta cheese. If you want to be more elaborate you can add salads, other dips, cooked beans, roasted meat or fish, a variety of flatbreads, and on and on. The presentation is important as you want your mezze table to be just as appealing to the eye as it is to the stomach. I know that eating this way isn’t second nature to most people, but it can be a fun way to share a meal with those close to you.”

I was excited about this challenge because I have eaten mezze style before at Lebanese restaurants. The smaller portions and variety can be a fun way to try new things. I decided that beyond the required pita bread and hummus for the challenge I would add my absolute favorite olives (more on these later) and tabouli.

I had made hummus before so I knew this was going to be the easy part! The ingredients are typically on hand with the exception of tahini. Tahini is a sesame paste and can be replaced with peanut butter but I chose to purchase some at the store to make a more authentic hummus.

I whirled the (canned and drained) chickpeas in the food processor then added the other ingredients. It smelled so good.

Once I was done with the hummus I decided to make the tabouli. Instead of doing it from scratch, since I wasn’t sure I would like it and the ingredients could be a bit pricey, I bought a box mix. The instructions were very easy…pretty much just add water, olive oil and fresh tomatoes, then chill. Easy…done.

I moved on to the pita bread. As you may have read before, breads or yeasts and I have a love hate relationship. I love to attempt, but hate that I always am afraid they won’t turn out. So with some fear I got started. At the first “rest” I was still was not feeling very confident.

After I started to add more flour, I think I gave up stirring a bit too soon. As I was kneading I had to keep adding flour so that it wouldn’t stick to the counter. This didn’t seem to make too big of a difference other than I was COVERED in flour and bread dough! A messy process for sure!

Once it was in the bowl for the “rest and rise” phase, I was feeling a bit better (the smell of a yeast dough rising is amazing), but still worried it wouldn’t rise. But, it did! It was still very sticky once I went to divide and conquer the dough for the individual breads. I didn’t get any pictures of this process because again my hands were covered in flour and dough. They rolled out much like the dumplings I had made before…very springy dough.

The first batch went into the oven and I think that the oven was not hot enough yet. They turned out alright, but did not puff or balloon up as expected. I waited to put the next batch in until I knew the oven was at the required temperature and they puffed up beautifully!

All in all this challenge, though messy, was not that difficult for me but I was still glad to do it. Making your own pita bread could come in quite handy on weeks like we had last week when the snow storms create panic and the bread and eggs are gone from the grocery store. Most people that would attempt to make their own breads would likely have all the ingredients on hand or could easy purchase them during a snow panic. The hummus is high in protein and fairly good for you…it is easy to share with others as well. Just make sure that if you are sharing with a loved one you both eat it if you plan on kissing….it does pack a decent garlic punch!

Now, more about the olives in the glamour shot below. These olives are the best I have ever had. They simply have a flavor that others do not compete with. They are Mama Leone’s Double Stuffed Rockets. They are a green olive stuffed with jalapeño and garlic. They have a great balance of heat. I do not find them to be too hot unless you eat several quickly…but the cure for that is a swig of milk. If you would like to try these olives, they can be purchased online from Leonard Mountain. The folks that run this company are top-notch and wonderful people. I have no trouble endorsing them or their products (for free! unasked even!). Their other olives and breads are great too. Give them a try.

The Recipes:
Pita Bread – Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook

2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)

Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.

2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).

4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.

5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.

Hummus – Recipe adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.

1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
A big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) OR use peanut butter or any other nut butter—feel free to experiment) (1.5 ounces/45 grams)
Additional flavorings (optional) I would use about 1/3 cup or a few ounces to start, and add more to taste

Directions:
1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.

2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Daring Bakers: Nanaimo Bars with Gluten-Free Graham Wafers (January 2010)

2010-01-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

Ahh the Olympics! I love the Olympics! They are just around the corner and the Daring Bakers are honoring the host country, Canada, with this month's challenge. Our host is from Canada and she chose a traditional Canadian dessert bar.

Lauren says, "Nanaimo Bars are a classic Canadian dessert created in none other than Nanaimo, British Colombia. In case you were wondering, it’s pronounced Nah-nye-Moh. These bars have 3 layers: a base containing graham crackers, cocoa, coconut and nuts, a middle custard layer, and a topping of chocolate. They are extremely rich and available almost everywhere across the country."

Lauren also has Celiac Disease so she challenged us to make our Nanaimo Bars gluten-free! I know very little about Celiac or the gluten-free lifestyle, so this was a great introduction into that for me.

The first part of the challenge was to make our own gluten-free graham crackers. I had a hard time finding the special flours needed so I just purchased gluten-free all-purpose baking mix and hoped for the best. The dough came together fairly easy. The only issue was that it was SO STICKY! Even after rolling it out a bit with a lot of (gluten-free) "flour" on the counter, I had trouble moving it to plastic wrap. I would suggest that you dump it right out onto the plastic wrap....save a step and a mess!

I chilled my dough overnight, but I was surprised at how soft it was even after that. I rolled it out onto parchment paper because other Daring Bakers had said that it was difficult to transfer to the baking sheet. I'm glad I did this because I can see how it would have been a challenge because the dough softened so quickly, turning a bit sticky again.

One re-chilled, the dough was off to the oven. I must say, it smelled wonderful! The honey and vanilla really shine through while baking. They didn't quite turn out as solid as I'd thought they would, but since I was just going to whirl them into crumbs for the bars, I didn't mind. Honestly, the taste of the graham crakers alone was a little to be desired...but they were decent. I may try them again with "wheat flour" to see if that helps with both the consistency and the flavor.

Once the graham crackers cooled, I started to make the bars. The ingredients were easy to find and what you would normally find in desserts. I found that a bit surprising because of the challenge to be gluten-free. I suppose I never really thought about what did or did not have gluten in it.

Since I don't have a traditional double-boiler, I use the old fashioned pot with a bowl on top method. It works great except you have to be careful for the steam escaping. The bottom layer had me worried. It involves adding an egg to the warm chocolate. I added a bit of the chocolate to the egg and then added that to the rest of the mixture. It worked out great although it did have me worried at one point...it does not look glamourous at first....but keep going, it comes together!

The custard layer is my favorite! It is pulled together much like a frosting or icing would be. This is made a ton easier by remembering to have room temperature butter. I used vanilla pudding, because I could not find the custard powder that was suggested.

For the final layer, I used my microwave. I find it easier when you just have the chocolate and butter to zap it instead of doing it on the stovetop. I'm sure our great-grandmothers would have loved to have this choice! The trick with using the microwave for this is to set it for less time than you would think it would take and then slowly add if necessary. I find that for 4 ounces of chocolate with 2 tablespoons of butter my microwave takes about 30-40 seconds....then stir, stir, stir! Of course, this receipe requires that the chocolate then cool down a bit before pouring it onto the custard layer. Don't skip this step! Mine was fairly cool and still tried to mix a bit along the edges. Another tip: Use an off-set spatula for this step. It made it a lot easier!

I then chilled the whole thing overnight. The top layer becomes hard again. It's really solid and a bit difficult to cut. I must say though that the end result is beautiful! Very layered and precise in those layers. After taking the glamour shot I took the pan to work and shared with my co-workers. They raved! I thought that they were really good, though the bottom layer was an interesting texture for me. I swapped out the coconut and put oatmeal in its place...but I can see where coconut would be very good in these (if you like coconut, which I don't).

All-in-all, this is a quick easy dessert that was a big hit! I'd make it again, especially since the ingredients are common enough (the wheat version at least!) that I'd likely have most of it on hand. Thanks to Lauren for a fun challenge, educating us on Celiac and introducing us to a truly Canadian dessert. While watching the Olympics this year I will enjoy knowing that I know a bit more about the host country and their foods.....but I must say....

GO TEAM USA!!!

The Recipe:
Preparation time:

Graham Wafers: 30 to 45 minutes total active prep, 2 ½ hours to overnight and 45 minutes inactive prep.
Nanaimo Bars: 30 minutes.

Equipment required:

Food Processor
Bowls
Parchment paper or silpats
Cookie sheets
Double boiler or pot and heatproof bowl
8 by 8 inch square pan
Hand mixer or stand
Saucepan

For Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

* Note: I used 2 1/2 cups Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Mix instead of the above flours. You could also use the same amount of regular all-purpose flour, though it would no longer be gluten-free.

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.

7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.

8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars
For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

*Note: I used oatmeal instead of coconut.

For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: Pork Satay (January 2010)

2010-01-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day.

Cuppy reminds us that, "satay (or sate) is very often served as “street fare” all over the world, and you dip your cool little meat skewer into any variety of dipping sauces. In the US, I’m proud to say, we created the coolest and tastiest satay on the planet – the all-American corn dog. Hooray for the USA!"

Personally I have enjoyed satay in the past, if for no other reason than it normally comes with peanut sauce....and I love peanut sauces! The main focus of this challenge was to properly marinate the meat.

So, you start by making the marinade. I, of course, had a food processor so I used the cheater method. Once all the ingredients were in the bowl....whirl!!!...it was done.

The next step was to cut the meat. I decided to use pork since that was the traditional meat used for Satay, and I don't mind eating it. I hardly ever remember to use pork in my everyday cooking, so it was a nice change of pace. The hardest part about prepping the meat was (besides my aversion to touching raw meat) figuring out how to cut it so that I could thread it onto skewers and get the presentation. Once I figured it out though, it was easy. Just remember to continually wash those hands and use a separate cutting board for your meats! No cross-contamination here!

Pour in the marinade, squeeze out the air and pop into the refrigerator. I always put my marinating meats onto a paper towel and plate, just in case the bag it is in leaks...nothing worse than meat marinade all over the bottom of the refrigerator!

The next day, I got busy making the peanut sauce, pepper dip and cooking the satay. Both the peanut sauce and pepper dip were easy to make. I would have preferred a bit more heat, but I don't think I used the right kind of peppers in mine (as they were too hard to find!). Next time I will play with it a bit and add either some crushed red pepper flakes or that super spicy schiracha sauce they use in Vietnamese restaurants (I also used it in the Chicken Pho recipe). I used chunky peanut butter...I like the texture of a peanut in the sauce.

The pork was threaded onto skewers. Though this is an optional step, I say go for it if you're going to serve to anyone other than yourself. It makes for a great presenation and is quite traditional. These would make for a great appetizer at a party.

As I've mentioned, the county I live in does not all condo owners to have grills. SO, I use my George Foreman grill for my grilling. It works...I actually love that I don't have to worry about flipping the meat and it cuts the cooking time in half because you're cooking both sides at one time. Of course, the downside is that you don't get that true grill flavor....oh well...maybe someday I'll have it all. :-)

The satay turned out great! The yellow color from the turmeric was fun and the sauces were really good. I made some white rice to serve with them, just to make it more of a meal. I loved the peanut sauce (not sure I've met one I didn't like though), and the pepper dip was really good as well. Here are their glamour shots:

Thanks to Cuppy for a great recipe and a launching point for marinating!

The Recipe:
Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce

Satay Marinade
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 T ginger root, chopped (optional) (2 cm cubed)
2 T lemon juice (1 oz or 30 mls)
1 T soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp ground coriander (5 mls)
1 tsp ground cumin (5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (2-2.5 mls)
2 T vegetable oil (or peanut or olive oil) (30 mls)
1 pound of pork (loin or shoulder cuts) (16 oz or 450g)

Feeling the need to make it more Thai? Try adding a dragon chili, an extra tablespoon of ginger root, and 1 tablespoon (0.5 oz or 15 mls) of fish sauce. (I keep some premature (still green) dragon chili peppers in the freezer for just such an occasion.)

Directions:
1a. Cheater alert: If you have a food processor or blender, dump in everything except the pork and blend until smooth. Lacking a food processor, I prefer to chop my onions, garlic and ginger really fine then mix it all together in a medium to large bowl.

2a. Cut pork into 1 inch strips.

3a. Cover pork with marinade. You can place the pork into a bowl, cover/seal and chill, or place the whole lot of it into a ziplock bag, seal and chill.

Chill Chart
Pork               Beef/Lamb     Chicken          Vegetables        Tofu (no oil)
4-8 hrs           6-8 hrs           1-4 hours        20 min – 2 hrs   20 min – 4 hrs
Up to 24 hrs   Up to 24 hrs   Up to 12 hrs   Up to 4 hrs        Up to 12 hrs

Faster (cheaper!) marinade:
2 T vegetable oil (or peanut or olive oil) (1 oz or 30 mls)
2 T lemon juice (1 oz or 30 mls)
1 T soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp ginger powder (5 mls)
1 tsp garlic powder (5 mls)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (5 mls)

Directions:
1b. Mix well.

2b. Cut pork into 1 inch thick strips (2-2.5 cm thick), any length.

3b. Cover pork with marinade. You can place the pork into a bowl, cover/seal and chill, or place the whole lot of it into a ziplock bag, seal and chill.

Cooking Directions (continued):
4. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak your skewers in warm water for at least 20 minutes before preparing skewers.

5. Gently and slowly slide meat strips onto skewers. Discard leftover marinade.*

6. Broil or grill at 290°C/550° F (or pan fry on medium-high) for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to char. Flip and cook another 8-10 minutes.

* If you’re grilling or broiling, you could definitely brush once with extra marinade when you flip the skewers.

Peanut Sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk (6 oz or 180 mls)
4 Tbsp peanut butter (2 oz or 60 mls)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp brown sugar (5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (2.5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground coriander (2.5 mls)
1-2 dried red chilies, chopped (keep the seeds for heat)

1. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add soy sauce and lemon, mix well.

2. Over low heat, combine coconut milk, peanut butter and your soy-lemon-seasoning mix. Mix well, stir often.

3. All you’re doing is melting the peanut butter, so make your peanut sauce after you’ve made everything else in your meal, or make ahead of time and reheat.

Pepper Dip (optional)
4 Tbsp soy sauce (2 oz or 60 mls)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp brown sugar (5 mls)
1-2 dried red chilies, chopped (keep the seeds for heat)
1 finely chopped green onion (scallion)
Mix well. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Tamarind Dip (optional)
4 Tbsp tamarind paste (helpful link below) (2 oz or 60 mls)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 finely chopped green onion (scallion)
1 tsp brown or white sugar, or to taste (about 5 mls)
Mix well. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

2010-01-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

Cupcakes are fun! They're all the yummy goodness of cake, but in your own personal, "I don't have to share" size. I have a friend who had a birthday this past week and we're all getting ready to celebrate so I thought I'd make some cupcakes to take to the party. After asking the guest of honor their flavor choice, I hunted down this recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes on a new favorite website, Joy of Baking. It doesn't have any "eye of newt" ingredients, so it's fairly easy to make (some may struggle to find the dutch processed cocoa, but I found mine at Whole Foods and I know in my hometown in CA they sell it at Raley's).

As with every new recipe I normally follow the recipe as is the first time. The batter came together a lot like cookie dough actually. It wasn't until I added the cocoa mixture that I thought it was actually going to work.

The first batch I made I think I only used 1/2 cup water in with the cocoa so it was still pretty thick (oops!). The second batch I made sure to use the full cup, I think it turned out a bit better (so follow the recipe!).

I filled the cups up probably a little more than recommended because I like when my cupcake has a top and you can't really see the cup from the top of the cake. Into the oven they went!

Once out of the oven, since I'd not tried this recipe before, I decided to taste one...just in case! I liked both versions with these notes: The first batch is more dense, a tad dry but still really good, not quite as sweet. They also remind me of the chocolate muffins you get at Costco. The second batch (as the recipe is written) is true cupcake form. Shiny, fluffy, sweet (but not overly so) and chocolate-forward in the flavor. Both are really good. I preferred the one with the recipe as written, but I also love sweets. I think that those that don't like overly sweet things would love the first batch. (First batch on left, Second batch on right in photo below.)

Of course, what is a cupcake without frosting!? I whipped out my handy, dandy, trusty buttercream recipe and tinted it a bright pink...the theme is princess afterall! I got this recipe from a Wilton cake decorating class I took a few years ago. The trick is to use gel colorings...not the liquid stuff unless you want a thin frosting (which isn't great for piping and having it hold up). I decided to distinguish the two batches by the sparkling edible glitter on one, and the decorations.

Aren't they cute!? Here is the guest of honor's special cupcake!

Happy Birthday CP! Thanks for being such a great friend!

The Recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Original Cupcake recipe can be found here.
Original Buttercream recipe can be found here.

Chocolate Cupcakes
1/2 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup (240 ml) boiling hot water (The first batch I only used 1/2 cup)
1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.

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

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.

Buttercream Frosting
I'm giving you the one I actually used...the one on the Wilton site if slightly different.
1 cup solid white vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 teaspoon flavoring (I used Wilton Clear Butter..you can use vanilla, just remember it'll make it off-white in color)
2 tablespoons water (More if you want a thinner frosting...adapt as necessary...I ended up adding a bit more because it's dry here right now.)
1 lb. pure cane confectioners' sugar (approx. 4 cups)
1 tablespoon Wilton Meringue Powder (You can find this easily at Michael's craft stores)

Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

This is the point where you add in your coloring. I used Wilton gel in pink. Just add it using a toothpick and then whip away again for a minute or so until the color is fully incorporated. I normally have to scrape down the bowl a few times before it's right.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Brownie Pudding

2009-12-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

Last spring one of my bestest friends in the whole world, Lola, called me and asked if I would want to join her and some of her family and their friends on a Carnival Cruise to the Mexican Riviera in September. After about a nano-second of thought, I agreed that it would be way too much fun! I was in! I prepped all summer by being stressed out, making payments toward the trip, filling out travel documents for our good US of A and yet finding time to get my base tan (no sunburns allowed for me!) and plan excursions for Lola and I.

Once I was on my way to LA for boarding the ship, I had my vacation face on and let the cares of the world melt away....melt....ahh.....(can you see that stress level falling?!). I met the group....what a wonderfully, spectacular, (enter every great adjective here) and over-the-top-fun group they were/are! We got off to a great start right away and the fun didn't end....well, really ever!

As those of you who have cruised before will know, the food on any cruise is normally wonderful...this cruise was no exception. We dined on way many luscious entrees at lunch and dinner (lobster, steak, silky soups, escargot, you name it!), marvelous snacks at any time you had a thought to grab one (can you say 24 hour pizza bar?! It’s great after dancing the night away until 2-3am) and countless scrumptious desserts (the almost 24-hour ice cream station is dangerous...serve yourself!!), and were all looking for our stretchy clothes after day 2 on board.

One of the desserts deserves special mention. Most of our crew sampled it the first night at dinner. It was a warm chocolate melting cake with vanilla bean ice cream. You just gained 5 pounds reading that… ha! We fell in love….some harder than others (yes, Mike H…I’m talking about you). Sure they had other desserts each night, but this was a “classic” that was offered every night….and every night it made it to our table for at least one person. It was engrained into our cruising memories and hearts instantly. So ooey, gooey and warm. Rich and chocolatey but not overpoweringly so. Bliss in a ramekin…really…

The mission was clear….find the recipe for this sinful dessert and recreate. One of our group members was savvy. He asked a crew member on a special tour for the recipe…score!!! He gave it to me…we were on our way! Woot!

Sadly our time on the cruise ended (Oh, the memories! Oh the tans! Oh, the hangovers…shhh.). We excitedly planned for a reunion around Christmas time….I promised to try to recreate the succulent warm chocolate melting cake (yep, another 5 pounds).

As December approached I thought I might want to try to figure out if this recreation was possible. I scoured my home looking for the recipe we’d absconded with from the crew….yikes! I’ve lost it!! NOOOOO! Much sadness ensued. But, not all hope was lost. You see…I’d looked at the recipe pretty good when we first got it so I realized it was similar to others I’d tried before. I set off to try to find what I thought could be a close replacement. I went to my go-to-gal Ina…yep, Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. In her book, Back to Basics she has a recipe for Brownie Pudding. It looked close….and promised ooey-gooeyness. I thought I’d give it a try.

It was easy enough to assemble. Baking was a breeze. The true test was going to be the tasting. I drove it 2 hours to the reunion…hoping it would past the test.

The reunion was in full swing when I got there…the group hadn’t changed a bit, though we were missing a few people (missed you Lola and Ashley!). Dinner was ready and served shortly after I got there (OMGoodness….so good….great job gang!). Then it was time for dessert…the long awaited dig into our brownie pudding. It oozed….it looked gooey….and…it was….actually really close to the cruise dessert. No, it wasn’t perfect….ice cream would have helped, but it was really good. SO chocolatety…. a success, even though not a slam-dunk recreation. The group ate most of it (remember, it’s pretty rich, a little goes a long way).

So…no glamour shot (too much fun and digging in for all that), but I’d say give this a try…you may only gain 3 pounds…I'll leave you with a glamour shot of Mexico instead.

The Recipe: Brownie Pudding
Courtesy of Ina Garten’s Back to Basics
You can also find it on foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina

Daring Cooks: Salmon en Croute or Beef Wellington (December 2009)

2009-12-14T10:00:00.008-05:00

The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.

This month's recipe had me excited! Of course, not being one for seafood as a first choice I decided to go with the alternative recipe of Beef Wellington....I'd always wanted to try Beef Wellington! I'd heard such wonderful things about it and the early photos I saw made it look so beautiful. A wonderful challenge for entertaining during the holidays.

A warning before I get too far...I attempted this recipe on a worknight...a Monday...I didn't get started until about 8:00p...mistake...I'm a slow chopper....it finished at midnight. Ugh...were the results worth it...read on...

The recipe itself was fairly straightforward. The part that had me most worried were the crepes. After prepping the ingredients, letting it rest as instructed and such, I took a stab. The first one was a disaster...way too thick. But, once I got the hang of it, I don't think I did so bad. Should have made extra batter to play with though....I think I ended up being a bit short on my crepes.

The meat itself was beautiful. I must say, this recipe was not inexpensive, but considering how many people it would feed, it's reasonable. One word of caution...when searing the meat, don't shake the pan so much that oil gets on the burner....flames are scary. :-(

Laying everything out went well....though I'm thinking I could have either diced my mushrooms smaller or let them cook longer. They weren't exactly a "paste" as it says in the recipe.

Wrapping the chilled meat roll in the pastry was easy...It was late otherwise I was going to try to make it pretty with cut outs of dough. So, I went with slits hoping they'd be ok. I used a meat thermometer in my meat while cooking because I'm not one for rare meat. I like mine medium well. I cooked the wellington until it was just medium, knowing that any leftovers (who am I kidding....the entire thing was bound to be "leftovers" at midnight) would need some additional cooking/heating.

I must say...it came out looking pretty good....with very little juice seeping out from it...or was that butter from the pastry?!

The verdict....SO OMGOODNESS YUMMY! If it hadn't been midnight I'd have made a meal of it. Rather I ate a few bites and called a night. The meat was moist and so melt in your mouth tender (must use this cut of meat again!). The pastry was flaky and the mushroom/crepe layer was scrumptious. Try this recipe...use it to entertain with...it's beautiful, overall easy (though does take some time...plan ahead....the last step could be done while guests are snacking...only bakes for about 20-30 minutes). Here is the glamour shot...pretty nice ehh?!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Recipe:
Salmon en croute
Ingredients:
Mascarpone or creamcheese 5.2 ounces/150 gr
Watercress, rocket (arugula) and spinach – 0.6 cup/4.2 ounces/120 gr
Shortcrust pastry – 17.6 ounces, 500 gr. Use a butterversion such as Jus-rol which is frozen or dorset pastry. or… make your own!
Salmon fillet (skinless)- 17.6 ounce/500 gr
Egg – 1 medium sized

Directions:
1.Heat the oven to 200°C/390 F. Put the mascarpone or cream cheese in a food processor with the watercress, spinach and rocket and whizz the lot until you have a creamy green puree. Season well.

2. Roll the pastry out so you can wrap the salmon in it completely (approx. 2-3 mm thick) and lay it on a buttered or oiled baking sheet (it will hang over the edges). Put the salmon in the middle. If it has a thinner tail end, tuck it under. Spoon half of the watercress mixture onto the salmon. Now fold the pastry over into a neat parcel (the join will be at the top, so trim the edge neatly), making sure you don’t have any thick lumps of pastry as these won’t cook through properly. Trim off any excess as you need to. Make 3 neat cuts in the pastry to allow steam to escape and make some decorations with the off-cuts to disguise the join if you like. Brush with the egg glaze.

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. To test wether the salmon is cooked, push a sharp knife through one of the cuts into the flesh, wait for 3 seconds then test it against the inside of your wrist; if it is hot, the salmon is cooked. Serve with the rest of the watercress puree as a sauce.

Shortcrust pastry
While this is not mandatory to do, I highly recommend making your own shortcrust pastry as it is very simple to do! As mentioned in the notes; please make sure to not add too much water as that is the key to having a successful shortcrust pastry. Watch this video to check the correct consistency of the dough Making shortcrust pastry

Ingredients:
450 gr (15.8 ounces or 3.2 cups ) of plain all purpose flour
200 gr ( 7 ounce) cold butter
pinch of salt

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you have a food processor you can use that as shown in the above video.

Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp of water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

For best results make sure the butter is very cold.

Instructions for Beef Wellington (serves 4)
Button mushrooms – 17.6 ounces/500gr (stalks removed and finely chopped)
Olive oil – 2-3 tbsp
Thyme – 1 sprig
Beef fillet, center cut piece – 21.16 ounce/600 gr
English mustard – 1 tbsp
Puff pastry (all butter pastry pack) – 17.6 ounce/500 gr
Parma ham (prosciutto) – 3 slices
Egg yolk – 1 pcs, beaten

For the herb crepes:
Plain (all purpose) flour – 0.3 cup/1.76 ounce/50 gr
Milk – 0.5 cup/125 ml
Mixed herbs – 1 tbsp (chopped, use herbs such as cervil, chives and tarragon)
Butter – 0.5 tbsp

Instructions:
1. To make the crepes, whizz the flour, egg and milk with a pinch of salt in a blender or processor until smooth. Pour into a jug and stir in the herbs and some seasoning. Leave to rest.

2. Fry the mushrooms in a little oil until they give up all their moisture and it has evaporated, leaving you with a thick paste. Add the thyme leaves and some seasoning and keep cooking for a few minutes. Cool.

3. Stir the melted butter into the crepe batter, heat a 15 cm crepe pan and oil it lightly. Pour in enough batter to make a thin layer on the base of the pan, cook until the top surface sets and then turn over and cook briefly. Remove and repeat with the rest of the batter. This will make a couple more than you need so choose the thinnest ones for the recipe.

4. Sear the beef all over in a little oil in a very hot pan. Brush with the mustard, season and allow to cool.

5. Lay a large sheet of cling-film on a kitchen surface and put two crepes down on it, overlapping a little. Lay over the parmaham (prosciutto). Spread the mushroom mixture over the ham and put the beef in the centre. Roll the cling-film up, taking the crepe with it, to wrap the beef completely into a nice neat log. Chill for 1 hour.

6. Heat the oven to 200°C/390F. Roll out the pastry, remove the clingfilm and wrap the beef in the pastry like a parcel, with the ends tucked under. Trim to keep it nice and neat. Brush with egg, score with shallow lines across the top and chill for 20 minutes.

7. Cook for 20 minutes. The best way to test if the meat is done to your liking is to neatly and carefully stick a skewer into the beef, count to three and then test it against your inner wrist. If it is cold, the beef will be raw, if it is warm then the beef will be rare and if it’s hot, it’ll be cooked through. Leave to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Enjoy with Love,
Christina