My Own Italian Rum Birthday Cake

Yesterday was my birthday! I spent the morning at the doctors- a convenient way to justify a birthday sick day- then lunch with a former coworker and then the evening baking and being lazy. It was delightful!

The baking I was doing was for a birthday cake for me. Now, before you scold me or my husband for making my own celebratory pastry, have no fear- I wanted to do it! It is rare I can justify making an extravagant dessert that is both involved and fattening. So it was truly a joy to try my hand at a new dish.

I chose to make an Italian Rum Cake. My grandmother regularly would buy an Italian rum cake for my mother's birthday from La Cascia Bakery in Massachusetts. Their cake was always rich and fancy and as a kid I mostly wanted to eat the buttercream roses.


This was a 2-day process. Yesterday I made the sponge cake and the pasticciera custard. I let the rum soak in last night while the custard cooled in the fridge. Today was assembly and the frosting. In the criticism department, I didn't cook my custard long enough, so it was a little runny, and my buttercream frosting was a little soft since I used more butter than shortening. In the complement department, oooooh-weeee, it's good! So many great flavors all tied in together and it really did look quite fancy.

Happy 30th birthday to me!


Italian Rum Cake
Based from RecipeZaar.com
Sponge Cake

• 5 Egg Yolks
  
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 1 1/2 C. White Sugar, divided
  
• 5 Egg Whites
  
• 1 1/4 C. Flour, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1 C. of sugar until a light lemony color.
   
3. In a stand mixer (or another bowl using a hand mixer), whip the egg whites until soft peaks start to form.
   
4. Blend in the remaining sugar to the egg whites and whip again until stiff.
   
5. Gently fold about 1/2 cup of the egg white mixture into the egg yolks. Layer the remaining egg whites on top of the yolks. Sift the flour on top of everything else.
   
6. Fold in the flour until the batter is smooth and no veins of flour remain. During the mixing process you want to keep the eggs light and fluffy- this is what keeps the sponge cake airy.
   
7. Pour into 9" round cake pan. I greased and floured mine and it was a bear to remove, so I can't offer much in the way of advice in that regard!
   
8. Bake for 15-30 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
   
9. Remove from oven and cool completely on a baking rack.

Pasticciera Cream (vanilla and chocolate)

• 3 Tbsp. Sugar
  
• 3 Tbsp. Flour
  
• 3 Egg Yolks
  
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 2 C. Milk
  
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2 Heaping Tbsp. Cocoa Powder

1. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth.
   
2. In a small saucepan, scald the milk. I think this means to take the milk until almost boiling... that's what I did right or not!
   
3. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. When all combined, transfer back into the saucepan and cook over low-medium heat.
   
4. At this point, you need to cook the custard over the right heat so that it stays nice and hot and steamy, but not boiling. You will want to cook it until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. Your custard will need to be fairly stiff, but it won't cook down all the way- it will do its final thickening while cooling. This is where I didn't cook my vanilla enough. I went for about 15-20 minutes and probably should have done 30.
   
5. When you are satisfied with the consistency, melt the butter into the mix and then remove half of the vanilla to a bowl. It will be about 1 1/2 - 2 C. worth. Cover this portion with plastic wrap right up against the surface (to prevent a skin from forming) and let cool on counter.
   
6. Back in the pot, whisk in the chocolate. When smooth, pour into a another medium bowl and cover with wrap and cool.
   
7. When the bowls are not too hot, finish cooling the custards in the fridge. They will need at least 3-4 hours, but I recommend just going overnight.

Assembly

• Cooled Cake
  
• 1/4 C. Dark Rum
  
• Vanilla Custard
  
• Chocolate Custard
  
• Light Buttercream or Whipped Cream Frosting (I used this reduced 4 servings with more cream and 2/3 butter, 1/3 shortening.)
  
• Toasted Sliced Almonds
  
• Strawberries or Cherries (optional)

1. Using a long, serrated blade, slice the sponge cake into 3 layers. (That's 2 cuts for those like me who have to think hard about simple math!)
   
2. On the cut sides of cake, brush on the rum, allowing it to soak in.
   
3. On the bottom layer, spread the chocolate custard evenly.
   
4. Place the middle layer on top of the chocolate custard.
   
5. On the middle layer, spread the vanilla custard evenly. If desired, layer on any berries if desired. I like the sliced strawberries from the frozen section in the grocery stores.
   
6. Put on the top layer of the cake.
   
7. Frost the edges of the cake. Press the toasted almond slices into the sides. I kind of lightly threw them on with a cupped hand because my custard was oozing out and I couldn't roll the edges on wax paper with almonds.
   
8. Frost the top of the cake. If you have extra frosting and are feeling ambitious, pipe on a border. This helped my rounded edges gain some height.
   
9. I then made a Nutella glaze (Nutella, cream, hot water) to drizzle on top with a few strawberries for punch. More almonds or pretty flowers would also be lovely.
   
10. Let sit for a little bit to let the rum soak in and the flavors meld. Be sure to keep refrigerated when not serving or else the frosting and custard will run.

A Meal for an Old Zinfandel

In keeping with the Napa theme, I have to tell you about this absolutely fabulous meal we had that resolved specifically around a very special wine we picked up out on the "left coast."

We had the pleasure of sampling a number of wines by Jessup Cellars in Yountville, CA. (They are right down the street from the famous French Laundry.) After getting a small tasting at our hotel in Napa, we visited the winery with the intention of doing a "vertical" tasting- or so I think it is called. This is where you try the same varietals, in our case Zinfandel, from the same winery but from different years. It was fascinating! All of the wines were great- we tried (this was at the end of May, so forgive my spotty memory) an '04,'03, and a '99.

We ended up splurging on the 1999 Jessup Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel as it was so rich, and woody, and just plain wonderful. (We also got a fantastic zinfandel port which has yet to be opened and a light, fresh rose.) Our zin was something to be savored and to be the centerpiece of a meal- not just something to suck back with burritos as an afterthought. Doing some research on wine pairings, I decided to serve a rich entrée of grilled steak with an indulgent blue cheese sauce along sides rice pilaf and salad.

Oh my heavens, we thought our mouths were going to just melt off our faces it was so dang good. The wine opened up with the rich flavors to reveal it's complex headiness and we loved every sip. Sincere thanks to Patrick and Christina at Jessup for helping us with our tastings and purchase- not only were they knowledgeable, we enjoyed every minute of chatting with them!


Grilled Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce
Adapted from Epicurious.com

• 1 lb. Good Quality Beef Fillet (Sorry- I never buy beef and forget what the cut was. All I remember is it was about 1.5" thick and it was plenty for 2 of us.)
  
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
  
• Olive Oil
  
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 C. Sliced Mushrooms
  
• 1/2 C. Beef Broth
  
• 1/4 C. Brandy or Port
  
• Heavy Dash Dried Rosemary
  
• 1/2 - 1 C. Crumbled Blue Cheese (actual amount depends on your tastes- you can start with less and adjust it to add more)
  
• Extra Blue Cheese for garnish

1. Heat your grill to medium heat.
   
2. Season the fillets with ample salt and pepper rubbed into the meat. Drizzle with a little olive oil and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
   
3. When grill is good and hot, cook the steak to desired doneness. Hubby took care of this part as steak is not my specialty. Due to the thickness, it probably took about 20 minutes to get it to medium/ medium-rare.
   
4. While the meat cooks, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
   
5. Add in the onion and garlic, sautéing until it they are just soft, about 3-4 minutes.
   
6. Add in the mushrooms and continue to cook until they are soft and begin to loose their moisture, about 4 minutes.
   
7. Pour in the broth, booze, and rosemary. Increase heat to high to bring mixture to a boil. It should reduce by about half.
   
8. Stir in the blue cheese, adding in increments if desired, and stir until the cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
   
9. When steak is cooked, let it rest for 5-10 minutes and then serve with sauce drizzled on top and a sprinkle of extra blue cheese. Enjoy with a full bodied red wine for a divine dinner!

Reliving Napa: Part II- Roasted Duck with Ginger Blueberry Chutney

I recently posted a delicious creamy polenta dish that was from a fantastic dinner hubby and I had on our San Francisco vacation in May. We had gone to Restaurant Pearl in Napa, CA and I truly thought it was the best meal of the trip. Did I mention it wasn't the most expensive either? God I love that- good, uncomplicated food that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and had a friendly, down home feel.

The polenta was definitely the less daunting of the 2 dishes we had. The dinner I had ordered, Fragrant Roast Duck with Pear and Ginger Chutney, had 2 things that were new to me- duck and a chutney. I looked up chutneys- they seemed simple enough with some cooked fruit and spices. One intimidating item down!

I then set out to locate some duck. After seeing no duck at my regular grocery store, I figured the local Whole Foods would have the duck breasts that I needed since they have a fantastic meat selection. Wrong! I get there only to find the two options available are these breast slices that were like ham-steaks or a whole duck. The slices weren't going to be enough and were already cooked- no good. That left the whole duck. Figuring it couldn’t be that much different than a chicken, that's what I got.

Did you know that ducks are fatty little buggers? I mean, seriously! The roasting took far longer than I anticipated and I literally sucked off about 2 cups of fat from the roasting pan while it cooked away- and it was far from dry when served! Luckily I had purchased the whole duck as my silly husband informed me last minute that my father-in-law was joining us. There was plenty for all! And my father-in-law enjoyed snacking on the various loose organs that I pulled out of the cavity and he then sautéed up!

The end result was delicious. The duck was rich and moist, and the chutney- that I substituted blueberries for the original cranberries- was tangy, sweet, and spicy. Served with roasted potatoes, the dinner was a gourmet hit!


Roasted Duck

• 1 Whole Duck, organs removed, rinsed, and patted dry
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 2-4 Cloves of Garlic, partially crushed
  
• 1/4 - 1/2 C. Blueberry-Pear Chutney (see recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
   
2. Place the duck in a large roasting pan, preferably up off the bottom in a roasting rack. You will want to line your roasting pan well with foil as duck is VERY fatty and will dribble an excessive amount of oil while cooking. I’m sure there is a side that you should face up (the breasts?) but I seriously can never figure out which way is up, so I'm not going to try to tell you how to do it!
   
3. Gently pierce the skin all over. This will help drain the fat.
   
4. Insert the garlic cloves into the cavity. Drizzle the chutney over the skin and pour 2-3 Tbsp. into the cavity as well. Use your hand to rub the chutney around the skin evenly.
   
5. Roast uncovered in the oven until the internal temperature of the thigh is 180 degrees. This can take up to 2 hours for a 4-5 lbs. bird. (The juices are not supposed to be pink when it is cooked, however we cooked our 4 pounder for about 1.5-2 hours and I swear the juices were still almost red. We ate it anyway and seemed to have no problems.)
   
6. You will want to take a look every 30-45 minutes to see about removing the pools of melted fat. Having a good heat resistant baster and a warm glass bowl/ measurer handy make this an easy task. If your skin is starts to get too brown towards the end of cooking, cover it loosely with foil.
   
7. When the bird is cooked, remove it from the oven to rest. If you haven't already covered it with foil, now is a good time to do so to keep it warm. Let the meat rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
   
8. Serve with a drizzle of chutney over it, or in a pool on the side for dipping.

Blueberry, Pear, and Gingered Chutney
Loosely adapted from Epicurious.com

• 1/4 C. Cider Vinegar
  
• 2/3 C. Onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
  
• 1 tsp. Ground Mustard
  
• 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
  
• 2 tsp. Lemon Juice
  
• 1/4 C. Raisins
  
• 1 C. Blueberries, frozen or fresh
  
• 2 Bosc Pears, peeled, cored, and diced
  
• 1/4 C. Brown Sugar
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar over medium heat.
   
2. Add in the onion and spices. The mixture should boil and cook the onions until they are soft and the liquid has reduced some.
   
3. Stir in the lemon juice, berries, raisins, pear, and sugar while increasing the heat to medium-high. Boil the chutney while stirring often. The berries and pear will start to break down into a smoother (though not entirely smooth) consistency.
   
4. Continue to boil until it thickens up. Taste for heat and sweetness. Add black pepper, cayenne, or red pepper flakes for more heat. If it becomes too thick, either water or vinegar can be added.
   
5. Keep warm either on low heat or with a lid. Serve warm with poultry or even pork.

Eat to the Beat II: Purple Rain

Eat to the Beat is back!



You remember, right? The event that challenges food bloggers to make a recipe inspired by a song? I'm psyched it is back, but I had kind of hoped we'd have some constraints this time. However it is another open free for all, so I went with an idea I came up with after last round. Something 80's inspired...

I'm more of a 90's alternative or pop or jazz or classical or techno girl- 80's are not my style. Last round I went with the alternative angle with Hell cupcakes. They were fun to make and I loved that I had to challenge myself and got to be really creative.

So like I said, this time I went to the 80's for inspiration, specifically, Prince. I'm not a big fan of 80's music, and Prince is right up there in things I generally dislike. But thinking about his song "When Doves Cry" I found an idea.

Chorus:
How can you just leave me standing?
Alone in a world that's so cold?
Maybe I'm just too demanding;
Maybe I'm just like my father- too bold.

Maybe you're just like my mother,
She's never satisfied.
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry.

The idea of doves with a bold flavor, or maybe salty like tears,- sounded good. I looked through a cookbook I have called Perfect Chicken Dishes and found something perfect! It called for Cornish hens- doves? It called for a unique stuffing- bold? And it had port and grapes- purple! Perfect!

My submission for Elly's Eat to the Beat Summer '08 is below! I hope I made that weird little rocker man proud!


When Doves Cry Cornish Hens with Port Sauce & Grapes
Modified from Perfect Chicken Dishes

• 2 Cornish Hens
  
• 1/2 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
  
• 1/2+ C. Port
  
• 1 C. Purple Grapes
  
• 1-2 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 2/3 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
  
• 2 Tbsp. Water
  
• 1/4 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 1 C. Couscous
  
• Toasted Almond Slices
  
• Chili Powder

1. Prepare the Cornish hens to be roasted in a slow cooker; remove innards, rinse and pat dry the skin, and rub in the salt and pepper on the skin and in the cavity.
   
2. Place Cornish hens in the crockpot with the 1/2 cup of broth. Cook on low heat for about 6-7 hours until tender and cooked through.
   
3. 30 minutes before the chicken is ready to come out, heat the port on medium heat to a low simmer in a small pot. (That's a lot of size adjectives, huh?!) Simmer it down to a little more than half.
   
4. Place the grapes in the pot and stir them around to coat with the port reduction and to soften a little. After 2-3 minutes, remove the grapes with a slotted spoon and set aside.
   
5. Add the butter to the sauce and melt. Slowly add in the chicken broth, stirring continually. You will want the heat to remain on medium and the mixture to keep simmering. Boil until it is reduced by about half.
   
6. Mix together the cornstarch and water in a tiny bowl until smooth. While the sauce boils, slowly drizzle in the cornstarch mixture and stir. This will thicken the sauce up.
   
7. Turn the heat down to low and blend in the cream until the mixture is smooth and rich!
   
8. As you are finishing the sauce, boil 1 cup of water for the couscous. The couscous gets added to the boiling water, is covered and removed from the heat. It is cooked after about 5 minutes. You can then add the chili powder and almonds. Truthfully, my side dish was the weakest part of the meal, and you should make whatever you think is appropriate!
   
9. Serve the hens on a pool of sauce, with the grapes and couscous (or whatever) on the side. I also added some steamed broccoli to finish off the plate.

Keep on rockin' on in the kitchen all! And Eat to the Beat!

Succulent Mussels with Green Salad

There's a specialty food store near me called Browne Trading Company. It is a wonderful place for foodies- they have a wide selection of wines, fancy cheeses, chocolates, giant pints of heavy cream, gourmet sauces, and fresh fish. I mean really fresh- when I need sushi grade, they're my go-to source. (You can buy some of the products online too!)

I was there last week to get the chocolate for the disaster candies and picked up some fresh salmon as well as a bag of freshly harvested mussels. They lived in the fridge uncovered for a couple of days and then we enjoyed them last Friday. WOW- these were amazing mussels; fresh, flavorful, and huge! Adam thought these were hands down the meatiest mussels he'd ever eaten.
I used a recipe that I made once before and it was just as delicious as the first time. The meal felt very French to me- mussels cooked in wine and garlic, a simple green salad with goat cheese, and a loaf of fresh bread for soaking up the yummy broth. If you like mussels, you'll love this recipe!


French Inspired Mussels
From AllRecipes.com

• 3/4 Lbs.+ Fresh Mussels
  
• 3 Giant Cloves of Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 3 Stalks Green Onion, chopped
  
• 3 Roma/ Plum Tomatoes, chopped
  
• 1 C. White Wine
  
• 1 C. Plain Parsley, chopped
  
• 1 Loaf of French Bread, for dipping!

1. Soak the live mussels in cool water for 10-15 minutes to wash off grit. Pull off the beards and give the shells a rub down to make sure they are clean.
   
2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic until just tender.
   
3. Add in the onions and tomatoes and continue to saute until the tomatoes are soft and start to reduce some.
   
4. Pour in the white wine, stir, and heat to boiling. Let the mixture boil for 5-10 minutes until the liquid reduces by a third/ half. Add in the parsley.
   
5. Gently place the clean mussels into the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. The mussels will be done when the shells open. If there are mussels that don't open, don't eat them- throw them out.
   
6. Serve in a bowl with broth and a few slices of bread for sopping.

Simple Green Salad

• Mixed Herbs and Greens
  
• Cucumber, sliced
  
• Herbed Soft Goat Cheese
  
• Dijon Mustard Dressing

1. Toss the greens and cucumber together, or arrange on plate together.
   
2. Crumble/ mush pieces of goat cheese on top.
   
3. Drizzle with a hint of Dijon dressing on top. Yum!

Fast and Fancy Salad

The star of dinner last Thursday was supposed to a cut of fresh, sushi grade salmon. Honest, it was! But this salad stole the show. Let me backtrack a little here...

So I spent last week fighting my next Homegrown Gourmet entry, which as you'll see in another upcoming post, did not go so well. I needed to get more high quality chocolate for the recipe as I had used up what I started with. I decided to stop in Browne Trading Company, a local gourmet food shop (maybe even a shoppe, it's so fancy) walking distance from my office to pick up the chocolate. Since I had no plans for dinner, I figured while I was there I'd get some fixin's for dinner that night too.

I got a beautiful fillet of salmon, as well as some mussels. Knowing I had strawberries and greens in the fridge, I picked up some blue cheese for a nice salad to accompany the fish.

Well, wouldn't you know, the way I cooked the fish was just ok, the brown rice I threw in there too was just an ordinary side, and the sweet strawberries, tangy balsamic, crunchy walnuts and shallots, and creamy cheese blew everything away. There were many a "Mmmmmm" coming from the couch as hubby and I chowed the healthiest part of dinner off our plates first! I wish the whole dinner was just this salad it was so good!


Upperclass Strawberry and Blue Cheese Salad

• 1 Shallot, sliced into thin pieces
  
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 4-5 Strawberries, sliced
  
• 1/4 C. Walnuts, toasted
  
• 2 Tbsp. Blue Cheese, crumbled
  
• 2 C. Iceberg Lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Strawberry Infused Balsamic Viniagrette

1. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook over low heat to caramelize, about 15 minutes. My oil was too hot so I mostly fried my shallot ribbons. This was still tasty, but not what I had in mind. If you fry yours by accident too, drain on a papertowel.
   
2. When cooked, remove shallots and set aside to cool. Turn off stovetop.
   
3. Toss together all of the salad ingredients, except the dressing. You may also choose to arrange on a plate to prevent the berries from getting smooshed.
   
4. Drizzle just a little viniagrette over the salad once plated.

Seared Sea Scallops

Mmmmm-mmmm! We love seafood, just about any of it! We'll take it sauteed, fried, steamed, slathered in butter, lightly herb seasoned or raw in sushi. One of Adam's favorites is sea scallops. I don't get them very often though as they are getting more and more expensive.

They can be a little tricky to prepare as if you cook them too long you end up with rubber door stoppers rather than delicate fish flesh. And since I dont' cook with them often, I struggle with ways to prepare them that are tasty, interesting, and not threatening to be overcooked!

I found this great recipe on AllRecipes.com last year while out searching for something I could prepare with scallops. It is so freaking good- and beautiful to serve too! I modified it a little, served it with bread to dip in my sauce and a nice fresh salad. Yummy.


Seared Sea Scallops with White Wine Sauce
Modified from AllRecipe.com

• 1/2 tsp. Oregano
  
• 1/2 tsp. Thyme
  
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
  
• 2 Tbsp. Flour
  
• 2 tsp. Grated Parmesan
  
• 12-18 Fresh Sea Scallops
  
• 2-3 Tsbp. Olive Oil
  
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
  
• 1/2 C. Dry White Wine
  
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
  
• Lemon Juice

1. In a large ziplock bag, comgine the dry ingredients and shake to mix. Add in the scallops and shake to lightly coat them.
   
2. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and lemon juice over medium-high heat.
   
3. Place as many scallops as you can in a single layer into the hot pan. Cook the bottoms of the scallops until nicely browned and then manually flip to brown the top. Each side should only take about 3-4 minutes and the centers should be cooked through when completed both sides- slice a big one open to check.
   
4. When browned, move to a bowl to keep warm and cook any remaining scallops in the same manner. I covered my bowl with foil to keep the shellfish warm and moist.
   
5. After removing all cooked scallops, make a sauce to by adding wine, butter, and additional lemon juice to your taste. Stir over med-high heat to simmer and reduce, adding all the browned bits into the mix.

Valentine's Petit Fours

My husband and I are not big Valentine's Day celebrators. There is no way we'll regularly go out to eat on the big day o' love- it's too expensive, too crowded, and not tasty enough. Plus I like to cook, and our schedules are hectic, so we just do our own thing. It's now the 18th and we have yet to have our "fancy" dinner of homemade pasta- it's just too much effort.

I got him a lovely card, and he got me an equally lovely card and the requested heart box of chocolates. It was delightful! Otherwise, it was just another day in our neighborhood. The previous evening however, my handbell choir rehearsal had been cancelled and I suddenly had time on my hands... why not try something new just in time to share with folks for Valentines!

And so I set about to trying my hands at petit fours, those delightful mini cakes with lots of layers and pretty decorations. I used my Betty Crocker cookbook to help me with the sponge cake, however I wish I had used the Paula Deen recipe I had used recently with the jelly roll. Paula's was moister than Betty's. I then used whatever I had around the house to fill and decorate, and made a mediocre looking, very tasty ganache to coat eat cake.

They were easier than I thought, though it still took me hours to complete the whole thing, especially since I had to interupt the works to make hubby dinner. Like I said, the cake could have been moister, and the ganache could have been thicker/ shinier, but all in all they were a success. And they're just so darn CUTE! I ended up with all chocolate (the ones with the mint leaves), peanut butter (the ones with the white chocolate swirls), and raspberry jams (the marachino cherry ones!)


Petit Fours


Sponge Cake
From Betty Crocker's Cookbook

• 3 Eggs
  
• 1 C. Sugar
  
• 1/3 C. Water
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 3/4 C. All-Purpose Flour
  
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
  
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
  
• Fillings- Chocolate, Jams, Peanut Butter, Pudding, Fruit, Curd, etc
  
• Flavored Syrups (optional)- Kahlua, Simply Syrup, Grenadine, Flavored Liquers, etc
  
• Chocolate Ganache for coating (see below)
  
• Garnishes- Candied fruit, Chocolate shavings, Melted white chocolate, Mint leaves, etc

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a medium sized jelly roll/ high sided cookie sheet pan.
   
2. Whip eggs in a mixer bowl until thick and lemon colored. Add in sugar, vanilla, and water and mix on medium until smooth.
   
3. Slowly add in flour, baking powder, and salt and blend until batter it is just moist and consistent.
   
4. Pour onto the greased sheet and spread to the corners.
   
5. Bake in hot oven for 12-15 minutes until it is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
   
6. When cake comes out of the oven, let it sit for just a minute or two. Then carefully remove the sheet of a cake to a cooling rack. When cool to the touch, transfer to a cutting board. Cut off hard edges and discard (or eat!)
   
7. Now the hard part... You have to decide if there are sections of your sheet cake that are thick enough to slice in half or more. The fancy part about petit fours are the many thin layer acheived by slicing and stacking cake. I had about a third that was too thin to slice, so I set it aside. I then cut the rest in half using a serrated knife, and a gentle but firm hand. I was even able to cut portions of this sliced section in half again- which made for pretty cakes.
   
8. Once you have your layers ready to go, decide how many type of cakes you are going to make (I made 3) and allocate your sheets into layers. For example, I lined up my sheets to decide which sections lined up best for neat little towers. Then I cut those "towers" into 3 sections that I then filled.
   
9. If using a syrup to moisten the sponge cake, use a pastry brush to coat the bottom layer with the liquid. Don't be afraid to be generous- everyone likes a moist, flavorful cake. I used Kahlua on the chocolate and PB ones, and Grenadine on the jam ones.
   
10. Spread on the first layer of filling. (I used chocolate on them all.) Press the middle/ next cake layer on top.
    
11. Repeat the liquid & filling then cake pressing until you have complete towers. I used all chocolate & Kahlua on one type; chocolate, PB, and a little Kahlua on another; and chocolate, black raspberry jam, red raspberry jam, and grenadine on the last.
    
12. Once your layers are assembled, use a sharp and serrated knife to cut each individual cake. They should be no more than 2" x 2" wide, regardless of height.
    
13. Each cake then needs to be coated with chocolate. I started by pouring the ganache on top, but it was going poorly. I decided to use my fingers and just dunk the entire cake into the bowl of ganache, turning to coat all sides including the bottom. I then placed them on a cooling rack with foil underneath to catch the drips.
    
14. Decorate are you see fit, using as much creativity as you'd like, and then let sit to set for at least a half hour. Enjoy with a glass of milk or with good company!
    

Ganache Frosting

• 1 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 1 C. Chocolate Chips
  
• Any flavorings you may want- vanilla, almond, Kahlua, etc

1. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil.
   
2. Place chocolate chips in a heat resistent bowl. When cream boils, pour it over the chocolate.
   
3. Let the hot cream sit for a moment to melt the chips, then gently whisk until the mixture is smooth. If you desire to add any flavorings, gently mix is in after the chocolate is whisked.
   
4. Let chocolate cool a little, but do not let it harden. Use to dip or pour on cakes.

Giada's Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette

I don't watch cooking shows. I find them boring. But for some reason I caught a Giada show a couple of years ago and one of the recipes really caught my eye, even though I spent most of the time making fun of her massive teeth and obnoxious way of saying everything with a stupid sounding Italian style. "Ree-COE-tah" "Mahr-skeh-POE-nay" I found the recipe online, made it, and loved it! It's now in my recipe box as a special treat to pull out.

I've made it without the radicchio and beans, but I prefer it with them- it adds a nice depth to the recipe. Do be careful though- I've burnt the greens before and they are not tasty that way. I've also added way too much broth- also not a good idea! I find that if you prep all the ingredients before starting to cook anything, you'll have a lot better success.


Giada's Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette
From the Food Network

• 2 Shallots, thinly sliced
  
• 1 Radicchio, chopped into strips
  
• 1 (15-ounce) Can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 1/3 C. Fish Broth (I use clam juice.)
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 3-4 Whitefish Fillets, such as tilapia
  
• Flour for coating
  
• Lemon Vinaigrette, see below

1. In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Saute the shallots until tender.
   
2. Add in the radicchio and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes.
   
3. Add the beans and broth, and cook until the beans are heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
   
4. At the same time, heat another large skillet with about 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium/ medium-high heat.
   
5. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Pour some flour into a shallow bowl and gently dip the fillets, coating either side. Shake any excess off.
   
6. Fry the fillets in a single layer until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Cook in multiple batches if necessary.
   
7. Spoon the finished radicchio mixture over the center of the plates. Top with the fillets. Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 C. Fresh Lemon Juice
  
• 1/4 C. Italian Parsley
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic
  
• 2 tsp. Lemon Zest
  
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
  
• 1/4 C. Olive Oil

1. Blend everything in a food processor until smooth.

Seafood Paella

To continue our Spanish feast for New Years Eve, we tried our hand at seafood paella. Wow, what a feast- we were SO stuffed! We spared no expense either- we had lots of meats and I bought the ever expensive saffron. It was a perfect team effort- lots of chopping and stirring and timing decisions to be made. Tons of fun!



Seafood Paella

• 2 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  
• 1 Spanish Churizo Sausage, cut into slices
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Green Pepper, chopped
  
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  
• 2 C. Arborio (Risotto) Rice
  
• 4 C. Chicken Broth
  
• 1/2 C. White Wine
  
• 1/2 tsp. Saffron Threads
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• Salt & Pepper
  
• 1/2 C. Frozen Peas
  
• Shrimp, Clams, Scallops (large and/ or small), Tilapia (or other white fish- about 1/2 Lbs.)

1. In a large stock pot, saute the onions, peppers and garlic in a generous amount (3Tbsp or so) of olive oil until nice and aromatic.
   
2. Add in chicken and chorizo. Saute until almost cooked through.
   
3. Pour in the rice and stir to coat with oil. Pour in broth and white wine, bringing to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, add in the saffron, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
   
4. Stir the rice occasionally to make it creamy.
   
5. As it the rice starts to get soft, add in the seafood. First add in the tilapia, then the shrimp and clams, and finally the scallops. You don't want to cook any of the seafood too long or it will get tough.
   
6. When the rice is tender, remove the bay leaf and any unopened clams. Stir in the peas. As soon as the peas are warmed through, serve hot.

Butternut Squash Risotto & Apple Scented Pork Chops

Mmmmmm, risotto and baked pork chops make for such a nice warm and hearty meal. Risotto is one of my favorite things to make. Everyone talks about how labor intensive it is, and how difficult... I don't get it. Sure, you can't walk away from it like a crockpot or baked dish in the oven, but I do all my cooking actively standing in the kitchen for at least 30 minutes most nights. So risotto ain't no thing to me! And hubby loves it too, which is an added bonus!

Pork, on the other hand, hubby does not like. He's not totally against it, but it is low on his favorites list and complains about it whenever I make it. So I only make it about 6 times a year. That's about the same amount we eat beef steaks. (We eat lots and lots of chicken and fish and pasta!) But I am off topic... I was in the mood for pork, so I declared we were having it. I thought a nice sweet dish would go well with the risotto.

Goodness it was good...


Butternut Squash Risotto

• 2 Tbsp. Butter or Olive Oil
  
• 1 or 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Tbsp. Onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 C. Arborio (Risotto) Rice
  
• 1 C. White Wine
  
• 3+ C. Chicken Broth, warmed
  
• 1 C. Butternut Squash, cooked and cubed
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic and onion and saute until delicious smelling!
   
2. Stir in rice and coat with oil/ butter and let heat up, about 1 minute.
   
3. Pour in white wine and stir, continuing over medium heat. The wine should start to bubble and soak into the rice. If you do not want to use wine, you may just use the equivalent amount of chicken broth.
   
4. Add in 1/2 C. (or so) of chicken broth and stir. The broth should simmer and slowly soak into the rice. Stir every couple of minutes to make sure the rice is not burning and sticking on the bottom and to make sure there is enough liquid. Once most of the liquid is absorbed, add in another 1/2 C. and repeat the process.
   
5. With around 1 C. of broth remaining, stir in the squash. As the rice finishes cooking, the squash should cook further, getting softer and breaking into tiny pieces with the rice. You will get a lovely orange color and the rice will almost be coated with the squash.
   
6. Continue adding in the broth until the rice is thoroughly cooked through. If you need more broth to get a tender, al dente texture, add more in.
   
7. Just before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese until melted.

Apple Scented Pork Chops
From Allrecipes.com

• 2 Medium Pork Chops
  
• 1 Apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
  
• 1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
  
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  
• 2 Tbsp. Apple Jack Brandy
  
• 1 Tbsp Butter, cut into smaller pieces
  
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops. Brown both sides in a hot pan on the stove top.
   
2. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
   
3. In a glass baking dish lined with foil, place apples slices along bottom of pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.
   
4. Place browned chops on top of apple slices and pour Apple Jack on top of everything.
   
5. Bake uncovered in oven for about 45 minutes until pork reaches a temperature of 160 internally. Serve warm with cooked apple slices.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Mmmmm... Cheesecake....

So my blog readers, I am still playing catch up and I'm afraid to say I'm losing! I am so far behind that I continue to work on getting Thanksgiving recipes up here on Christmas Eve. All my lovely holiday treats are stuck in the queue behind pumpkin and apple recipes from weeks prior! Today is the day though- they shall be liberated... starting with this treat I was proud to put on the table.

You must have a creamy pumpkin dessert on Thanksgiving. It's a law I think. I've been feeling ambitious and wanted to leave the traditional pumpkin pie for at least one year. And since I hosted T-day for the 4th year in a row, I had the luxury of making whatever I wanted!

There are lots of pumpkin cheesecake recipes out there and I'm not the world's best baker, so it's hard to choose between them all. I settled on a recipe I saw on AllRecipes.com, and made a few modifications along the way based on my "research" also know as looking at 20 similar recipes.

Once again I ended up with a crack in the top (dang it!) and hubby didn't particularly like the gingersnap crust, but everyone else loved it. We ate it for breakfast the Friday afterwards it was so tasty!


Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
Source: AllRecipes.com

• 1 1/2 C. Ginger Snap Crumbs
  
• 1/3 C. Butter, melted
  
• 2 8 oz. Packages Cream Cheese, softened
  
• 1/2 C. White Sugar
  
• 1/4 C. Brown Sugar
  
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 3 Eggs
  
• 1 C. Pumpkin Puree
  
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
  
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
  
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger

1. Prepare the crust for the springform pan by combining the ginger snap crumbs and melted butter together and pressing to bottom. I mixed them together in a sauce pan and then only pressed them on the bottom of the springform, though I had enough to go up the sides if I had chosen.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
   
3. Put the cream cheese in a stand mixer and whip on medium speed until light and fluffy.
   
4. Mix in the white sugar and vanilla and cream until smooth.
   
5. Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
   
6. Set 1 C. of the plain cheesecake batter aside for marbling.
   
7. In remaining batter, add in brown sugar, pumpkin, and spices. Blend well until very smooth and lovely.
   
8. In the springform pan, pour in about half of the plain batter. Gently pour in some of the pumpkin batter into a second layer on top of the plain. Continue layering plain and pumpkin until you have run out. I believe I got 2 layers of each.
   
9. With a butter knife, gently swirl the 2 batters together by holding the knife vertical and at a very slight angle, like a canoe paddle, and moving around the batter. Do not swirl too much or you will lose the 2 colors!
   
10. Bake for about 55 minutes until the center has just barely set up. I baked my cheesecake in a water bath, though I still ended up with a crack in the middle. (A water bath means you wrap your springform pan in foil to prevent leaks and then place the cheesecake in the middle of a cookie sheet with water in the oven. This helps prevent the outside from getting too dry while the middle sets up.)
    
11. When baked, let the cheesecake sit in the oven with the heat off so it can slowly cool down. Cooling too quickly increases the chance of cracking. When cooled, chill overnight or at least for a few hours before serving.

Spinach & Goat Cheese Tartlets

Tartlets! Something new for me that I've been eager to try!

Sometimes there are things you want to try your hand at, but you just don't have a good excuse to make it. For me, one of those was tartlets- that little appetizer that can be sweet or savory- and really just doesn't make sense when cooking for me and the hubby.

But now a Halloween party, that's a great reason to make tartlets! They are tasty, unique, and are a great compact finger food. And I'm surprised how easy they were. I suppose it would have been harder if I made my own crust, but I just didn't have that kind of time. This whole recipe came together in about 50 minutes, with 30 of those being baking time.

I think these will come back for Thanksgiving with all the parents and vegetarian brother!


Spinach & Goat Cheese Tartlets
(Makes 24 small tartlets)

• 1 1/2 C. Fresh Spinach, chopped
  
• 1 Stalk Green Onion, chopped
  
• 2 Eggs
  
• 1/3 C. Heavy Cream
  
• 4 oz. Soft Goat Cheese
  
• Black Pepper
  
• 2 9" Prepared Dough for Pie Crusts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. In a small pan, cook the spinach and onion until the spinach is partially wilted. Set aside to cool in a medium bowl.
   
3. Unroll pie crust and use a circular object to cut circles about 1/2" larger than the tartlet pan cups. (My pans had about 2 1/2" diameters, so I used a 3" wide glass.) Press the object into the dough, take the dough circle, and press it into the tartlet pan, keeping any excess on the top.
   
4. In a small dish, beat the 2 eggs. Add in the cream and whisk again until smooth.
   
5. Pour egg mixture in with spinach and stir. Crumble in the goat cheese and stir briskly to "melt" cheese into the batter. Stir in a couple of dashes of black pepper.
   
6. Pour the spinach mix into each tartlet shell, filling about 2/3 the way up.
   
7. Bake for about 30 minutes. Filling will bubble up slightly and set. Remove when shell crust is browned. Cool and serve warm.

Chocolate Rum Cheesecake

I've been on a kick the last few months to try to make new things. Challenges have included mole sauces, fresh bread, crepes, new veggies, etc. Today I passed another mark- I've made a cheesecake!

It didn't come out perfect- there are some serious cracks in the top, but the taste is a-ok by me. Even better, it's great to hubby and he LOVES cheesecake! I went for this chocolate rum version I saw on Michelle's blog since I don't care for the plain flavor. Mmmmm-mmmmmm! So tasty! I hope the coworkers like it since they're going to be expected to eat most of this. I just can't keep this in the house!


Chocolate Rum Cheesecake
From Williams-Sonoma
Crust

• 1 1/4 C. Graham Cracker Crumbs
  
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
  
• 4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1. Melt the butter with low heat on stovetop or in microwave.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar, stirring to blend.
   
3. Pour in butter and mix thoroughly.
   
4. In a springform pan, spread the crumbs along the bottom and up the sides, pressing down to form the crust.
   
5. Refrigerate until ready to bake with cheesecake.

Filling

• 4 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate
  
• 1/6 C. White Rum (half 1/3 C.)
  
• 1 Lb. Full Fat Cream Cheese, room temperature
  
• 3/4 C. Superfine Sugar
  
• 1/4 C. Greek Strained Yogurt
  
• 1/4 C. Sour Cream
  
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
  
• 4 Large Eggs

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
   
2. In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and rum over low heat. Stir often to melt the chocolate and create a smooth chocolate sauce. Set aside off the heat.
   
3. In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.
   
4. Add in sugar and beat again to cream batter.
   
5. Beat in the yogurt, sour cream, and vanilla, all the while trying to get a smooth consistency. Be sure to scrape the bowl walls often.
   
6. Add in eggs, one at a time, again beating to maintain smooth texture.
   
7. Using a set of steamer pans, bring some water to a simmer and set up the steamer pan. Put the mixing bowl on the steamer pan and stir batter until it thickens slightly and lumps disappear. Again, scrape the sides of the bowl often.
   
8. Remove 1 1/4 c. of the plain batter and set aside. Whisk in the chocolate sauce into the remaining mixing bowl batter. Again, warm the batter and stir to thicken.
   
9. Pour chocolate batter into chilled graham cracker crust. On top of chocolate, pour the retained plain batter. Using a fork, gently swirl the two batters together to make a pretty pattern.
   
10. Carefully place springform pan onto a cookie sheet (to manage any spillage that may occur) and then place in hot oven in a center rack. Bake for about 40-50 minutes until sides are set and center is just a little jiggly. (Watch carefully- this is when mine cracked... I was 5 minutes too long.)
    
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. When cooled, place in fridge to chill, preferably overnight.

Potato & Broccoli Soup in Bread Bowls

Hooray for a new veggie! Ok, I do not particularly like vegetables, at least most of them. I've made leaps and bounds in the last few years and have added a lot of new things to my "accepted" list of things I'll eat.

Yesterday (and today too) I am venturing into dangerous territory- that tree like green thing called broccoli. I figured in a yummy fall soup, surrounded by potato and cheese, and served in a homemade bread bowl, broccoli couldn't do me much harm. I was right! In fact, next time I'd add more green to it as I'd like to *gasp* enjoy the flavor more.

I know, stranger than fiction.

Thanks to Michelle from Sugar & Spice where I originally saw this soup recipe!


Potato & Broccoli Soup
Modified from Cooking Light

• 1/4 C. Flour
  
• 3 1/2 C. (or 2 cans) Chicken Broth
  
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
  
• 2 Potatoes, peeled and cubed
  
• 1 Broccoli "Tree", chopped
  
• 1 C. Milk
  
• 1/4 C. Half & Half
  
• 1 1/2 C. Sharp Cheddar, shredded (use fresh from a block of cheese for best melting results)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and about 1/2 C. broth. This will be used later to thicken the soup.
   
2. In a large stockpot, saute the onion in a small amount of olive oil or butter until soft.
   
3. Add in remaining broth, potatoes, and broccoli. Bring to a nice simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes until potatoes are tender. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes.
   
4. Pour in flour mixture and stir in. Continue to stir over medium-high heat until soup thickens.
   
5. Pour in milk and half & half, stirring to mix. Cook over medium heat to warm through.
   
6. Finally, just before serving, add in cheese and stir until melted. Serve hot.

Bread Bowls
From AllRecipes.com

• 1 Packet Active Yeast
  
• 1 1/4 C. Warm Water
  
• 3 1/2 C. Flour
  
• 1 tsp. Salt
  
• 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  
• 1 Egg White
  
• 1 Tbsp. Water
  
• Cornmeal

1. In a warmed mixing bowl, pour in warm water. Add in yeast and stir. Allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes.
   
2. To bowl, add in about 2 1/2 C. flour, salt, and oil. Mix with dough hook until dough starts to come together.
   
3. Continue to add in flour in small amounts until the dough has become a solid, non-sticky ball. You should use most, if not all, of the flour.
   
4. Knead with dough hook on a low speed for about 3 minutes. When finished, remove dough and place it in a medium bowl that has been greased. Rotate the ball so the top is greased, then cover and let rise in a draft free location for about an hour. The dough will rise to more than double it's original size.
   
5. After dough has risen, punch it down. On a cookie sheet, sprinkle the cornmeal evenly. Shape the dough into 4 balls, about 4" in diameter each. Place dough balls onto cookie sheet with some distance between them. Allow to rise a second time in a draft free location for about 30-45 minutes.
   
6. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the egg white and Tablespoon water. Brush dough balls with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes in the heated oven.
   
7. Remove the bowls after 15 minutes and apply the egg wash again. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown.
   
8. Remove from oven and move to a cooling rack. When they are able to be handled, cut an opening in the top of the loaf, about a 3" circle. Carefully remove the plug, keeping as much bread as possible attached. Using either a spoon or knife, carefully remove insides, leaving a 1/2" between the outside crust and soft interior wall. Don't poke holes- your soup will leak!
   
9. Ladle in hot soup and serve with the plug on the side or on top of the soup to keep it warm.

Butternut Bisque

It's fall which means it's time for soups and squash! I'm not really a big soup person, but I need to get in more veggies in creative ways as I don't really like them just plain. By putting those pretty yellow-orange squashes into a pureed cooked form, we were sure to eat it right up! This came out delicious and made a TON of bisque. I mean, 3 large bowls worth that night and two full medium tupperwares. Serve this with a nice garlic or herbed bread for a warm, comfortable meal on a chilled evening.


Butternut Bisque
Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
  
• 1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
  
• 1 Large Garlic Clove, finely chopped
  
• 2 Full Size Carrots, sliced
  
• 1 Large Butternut Squash
  
• 2 1/2 C. Veggie and/ or Chicken Stock
  
• 1/2 C. Apple Cider
  
• Salt (1/2 tsp), Pepper (dash), Nutmeg (1/4 tsp), and Thyme (1 tsp) to taste
  
• 1/3 C. Half & Half

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a large, heavy knife, slice the squash in half lengthwise. Place the squash in an oven and microwave proof dish with about 1/2 C. water in the bottom, cut side down. Pierce the skin on each half in a few places.
   
2. Microwave squash for 3-4 minutes to soften. Then place the squash in the oven for another 15-25 minutes to continue to roast and soften the flesh. Remove from oven, cool slightly, peel and cube.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a large sauce or stock pot, heat up the oil and butter over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until aromatic.
   
4. Add in the remaining ingredients except the Half & Half into the pot. The squash can go in after it comes out of the oven, as it will be mostly cooked through.
   
5. Bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally.
   
6. In a blender, pour in soup, or as much as you can. (I had to put half in the blender and the other half in a holding bowl.) Puree soup until smooth and then transfer back into the pot. If splitting the batch, pour the finished soup back into the sauce pot while blending the second half.
   
7. Put the pot on low heat to keep soup warm. Pour in Half & Half and blend in. Taste and modify spices as desired. Serve warm with chives and a swirl of cream for garnish.

Platinum Chef 5- Fish Rice Cakes with Cool Sauce

It's Platinum Chef time baby! This challenge was a tough one. I really like coming up with a 1 dish solution for the ingredients, but this had such a weird set of raw materials, "challenge" was a great way to describe it! Avocado, rice, & basil are a-ok; I know what to do with those. But black beans AND grapes... complicated.

I focused on rice. I made a fish and rice cake that I paired with an avocado sauce. I'm not sure where you might find this in the world, and it needs some tweaking, but I'm pleased with this base. The basil didn't really add much flavor, and the raisins and black beans were a subtle but nice addition to the fish. It did need something extra though- hubby thought tang (orange zest?) and I thought spice (cayenne?). The sauce was perfect though- no changes there! I am going to add some lemon and mint to it and use it for a Greek style sauce tomorrow... But that's another day.


Fish Rice Cakes with Cool Sauce
Fish Cakes

• 1 1/4 C. Sushi Rice (Risotto might also work)
  
• 1 3/4 C. Water
  
• 1 Haddock Fillet (2 might be better)
  
• Chili Powder
  
• 1/2 C. Black Beans, drained & divided
  
• 1/2 C. Raisins, divided
  
• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Basil
  
• 1 Tbsp. Chives (I actually used 4 stems.)
  
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  
• Chili Powder, Dried Basil

1. Cook rice according to directions. Let sit and cool while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
   
2. In a medium saucepan, heat some water with chili powder to boiling. Add in fish and cook until flaky.
   
3. In a food processor, add in fish, basil, chives, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, half of the raisins, half of the black beans, and a couple of spoonfuls of cooked rice. Blend on Chop or Mix mode to just chop the mixture. The rice will turn pasty.
   
4. Roughly chop the remaining beans and raisins.
   
5. In a large bowl, mix together contents of the processor, rice, chopped raisins & beans, and any additional spices desired. I added in additional chili powder and dried basil.
   
6. Form mixture into 3-4" patties that are about 1/2" thick. In a large skillet, heat a little olive or vegetable oil and fry the cakes. Brown on each side, about 3-5 minutes each. Serve warm!

Cool Sauce

• 1 C. Sour Cream
  
• 1 Avocado
  
• 1/2 Cucumber, seeded
  
• 1 Clove of Garlic

1. Chop the avocado, cucumber, and garlic into large chunks.
   
2. In a food processor, puree all ingredients until a smooth consistency is achieved.
   
3. Let sit for a few minutes so flavors can blend.

Lightly Citrus Cream Puffs

Mmmmm-mmmmmm! You know those gourmet light cream puffs that you can get at the grocery store or are served at fancy-schmancy events? The ones with the airy pastries and the pineapple or lemon custard filling?

I love those things. And they seemed like they were too difficult for just little ol' me, a cook not baker, to make. Well, it's not true! They are so easy and delicious and fun to make! I know because we made them tonight. It was part of an evening with my little brother where we chose cooking as the main event for Saturday night. I used 2 recipes I found online and they were fantastic. I wish I had cooked the shells just another 5 minutes to make them a little crisper/ drier, but the filling was great and not too sweet. They look oh so pretty too! These might be my next "bake to impress" item!


Lightly Citrus Cream Puffs
Pastry Shell
From allrecipes.com

• 1 C. Water
  
• 1/2 C. Butter
  
• 1 C. Flour
  
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
  
• 4 Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
   
2. In a medium saucepan, heat water and butter to rolling boil.
   
3. When water is boiling, add in flour and salt and immediately stir. When a ball forms, remove from heat and transfer to either a Kitchen Aid or to a large mixing bowl.
   
4. While mixing on a medium speed, add one egg at a time, mixing rapidly into batter after each.
   
5. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each puff. (They will expand quite a bit.) Bake for 20-25 minutes until both golden brown on the outside and dry on the inside.
   
6. Once cooked and cooled, use a serrated knife to split shells for filling. After filled and closed, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Filling
Modified from epicurious.com

• 1 C. Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  
• 1/2 C. Marscapone Cheese
  
• 1 C. Powdered Sugar
  
• 1/4 C. Heavy Cream
  
• Finely Grated Zest of 1/2 Lemon and 1/2 Orange

1. In a heavy bowl or Kitchen Aid, combine all ingredients and mix first on a low speed, and then high speed for a total of about 1 minute. Mixing on high speed will bring the cream to a semi-solid state and give the filling some additional thickness.

Sesame Herb Crusted Tuna with Citrus Glaze

I took out the salmon from the freezer tonight only to find that was actually tuna- a very nice cut that I had forgotten all about! My salmon recipe I had in mind of course wouldn't work, but I thought this would be a fun opportunity to try my hand at crusting something.

Fresh tuna would have been better, but this was still pretty damn tasty! Next time I would make more of the mayonnaise spice mixture to coat both sides of the fish. The citrus sauce was really good- again, I would double it! The recipes below are the original portions.


Sesame Herb Crusted Tuna with Citrus Glaze
Tuna

• 1 Lb. Fresh Tuna, cut into single serving fillets
  
• 2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
  
• 1-3 tsp. Dried Spices - Rosemary, Thyme, Salt, Black Pepper, Oregano, Ginger, Red Pepper Flakes
  
• 1/4 c. Sesame Seeds, black and/ or white
  
• Olive Oil, for frying

1. Mix mayo and spices in a small bowl until well blended. Spread the mayo mixture onto one broad side of each fillet.
   
2. Press the herbed side of the fillet into the sesame seeds, coating the side.
   
3. In a large skillet, heat around 3 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat.
   
4. Place sesame side down into the skillet, frying until the fish is well cooked. Flip the fillets and cook on the opposite side until cooked to desired doneness. If your fish is sushi grade, you can leave the tuna raw in the middle. If you are unsure or do not like raw fish, cook until it is cooked through entirely.

Citrus Glaze

• 1/3 C. Orange Juice
  
• 1 Tbsp. Lime Juice
  
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
  
• 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  
• Splash of White Wine
  
• 1/2 tsp. Ginger
  
• 1/2 C. Water

1. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except water over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
   
2. As sauce reduces, add in water to bring to desired quantity. You will not want to add so much water that the flavor is diluted, but 1/2 cup of water will increase the amount of sauce to enough to spread over multiple fillets of fish.

Raspberry Bavarian Creme in Chocolate Cookie Bowls

A few years back in our very small apartment we hosted our first “dinner party.” It was for a set of parents- I can’t remember if it was mine or Adam’s, not that it matters. Although I was a pretty good cook then, I didn’t have much of a repertoire at that point. So I turned to my favorite place, my Betty Crocker cookbook. And there was something both easy and impressive, Raspberry Bavarian Crème. But I didn’t just want to serve some pudding stuff in a bowl and garnish it, so I went to my second favorite place for inspiration- the Internet! There I found a recipe that I modified to create an edible chocolate cookie dish to serve my new treat in. Hope someone out there can whip up these gourmet looking meal for guests, or just for a nice night in with a loved one!


Raspberry Bavarian Crème
(From Betty Crocker’s Cookbook)

• 2 Small (Single Serve) Raspberry Yogurt containers (low-fat is just fine)
  
• 1 Package Instant Vanilla (or French Vanilla) Pudding
  
• 1 C. Heavy Cream
  
• Red Food Dye (optional)
  
• Fresh or Thawed Frozen Raspberries
  
• Piroline Cookies for Garnish

1. In a large bowl, mix the 2 containers of yogurt and the dry pudding with a hand mixer on low for 30 seconds.
   
2. Pour in the heavy cream and mix on medium until soft peaks form. If you feel like the mixture is too yellow due to the dye in the pudding mix, feel free to add some red food dye to make it a better pink color.
   
3. Stir in the raspberries, reserving a few for garnish if desired. Serve a scoop with fresh raspberry garnish and some cookies stuck in for style. Or wow ‘em with the chocolate cookie bowls I have below!

Chocolate Cookie Bowls

• 2 Egg Whites
  
• 1/2 C. White Sugar
  
• 1/8 C. Flour
  
• 1/8 C. Powdered Unsweetened Cocoa
  
• 1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• 2-3 Tbsp. Butter, Melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. In a small to medium bowl, whip the egg whites with a hand mixture until you get firm peaks.
   
3. Gently fold in the white sugar until you get a consistent texture.
   
4. Gently fold in the flour and cocoa, thickening the batter. Note about the 1/8 cups… The original recipe is not for chocolate and it only called for 1/3 cup of flour. So, I modified it to keep around half the flour and then threw in the cocoa to keep the batter the right consistency. It seems to work, so I’ve kept it!
   
5. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla, being sure to be gentle.
   
6. On a cookie sheet- either greased or covered with parchment paper- pour 3 or 4 very thin and wide circles of batter. The size can definitely be irregular and it should be around 6-8” wide. Be sure to keep it thin.
   
7. Bake for 10 minutes. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, use a spatula to remove the warm and soft circles and place them on an inverted glass or bowl. If they are not baked long enough, the batter will goop down and ruin your bowls. If they bake too long, they won’t be pliable enough.
   
8. Allow to cool on the inverted item and then use to serve puddings, fruit, ice cream, or anything else like that!

This was very tasty on a summer night like tonight- fresh berries and chocolate!