A Man Called Ove Eats a Scandinavian Feast

My book club met last night, and we read a wonderful book entitled A Man Called Ove. I saw the movie when I was in Sweden last summer, and it was really good, but the book was even better! And of course, we had to have a full Swedish smorgasbord to accompany our lively discussion. Everything was as delicious as the charming and poignant novel.

Jaime cured her own salmon gravlax and served it with a mustard sauce, shaved fennel, and brown bread.

Back: Kathy made a Persian chicken and rice dish like a Ove's Iranian neighbor, Parvaneh, shared with him.

Front: Janice made a delicious potato gratin called Flødekartofler, which I think is actually Danish, but oh well. It was yummy!

Clockwise, from bottom left: Shann made Västerbottensost-Oliver, these little cheesy dough-wrapped olives.

Our lovely hostess, Katie, made the ubiquitous cucumber salad that is served with everything in Sweden.

Kathy made potato dumplings filled with bacon and onions called kroppkaka.

I tried to replicate one of the best things I tasted in Sweden, at a proper smorgasbord at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm: A Västerbotten Creme Topped with Strawberry-Rhubarb Preserves which I served with multigrain crispbread. (Västerbotten is a hard, salty cheese, kind of like Swedish Parmesan. A hunk of it was one of the few "souvenirs" that I brought home in my carry-on.)

Katie's cucumber salad.

Janice's gratin.

Kathy's Persian Chicken and Rice.

Kathy's dumplings and my Västerbotten spread.

Janice made another type of potato dish. I think it was also of Danish origin and is called Hasselback Kartofler.

My delicious Scandinavian dinner!

The Swedish stew (kalops) that I made and served with steamed new potatoes and dill.

Domenica made a chocolate kladdkaka (cloud cake) topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and--OF COURSE--a Swedish fish!

Christmas in Brazil

If there was ever a good excuse to get back to my long-neglected blog, it would be the annual Padula Christmas Cookie EXTRAVAGANZA! Because one of the Padula boys has a Brazilian girlfriend, this year's culinary theme was Christmas in Brazil, and it was DELICIOUS!

View #1 of the cookie exchange table. (My cookies aren't pictured, as they were on the porch chillin',)

View #2 of the cookie table.

The beautiful tablescape!

The appetizer was this Brazilian shepherd's pie type of affair with reconstituted carne seca (dried beef) and veggies underneath and mashed yucca root on top called Escondidinho de Carne Seca. Yucca is a staple in Brazilian cuisine.

These were yummy little chicken-filled croquettes called Coxinhas.

Apparently, the Christmas turkey (Ceia de Natal) is traditionally served with peaches. YUMMY!

The turkey was served with rice and black beans and Brazilian hot sauce, and a fruity bread stuffing.

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this dried fruit-studded bread stuffing, but it was SO GOOD! I'm not sure what it's called in Portuguese, though.

This is called Farofa, and it's toasted cassava flour. It's sprinkled on everything in South America, like Parmesan cheese.

For my money, this dessert was the star of the show! It's called a Torta de Bombom Sonho de Valsa, or Bonbon Pie. AMAZING! Here's the recipe:
http://www.cynthiapresser.com/recipe-blog/desserts/358-bonbon-pie-torta-de-bombom-sonho-de-valsa

The other dessert (which I did not have room for, but looked incredible) was a Passion Fruit Cheesecake. (Passion fruit, or maracuja, is another Brazilian culinary motif.)

I made three different (rather homely, but very tasty) cookies for the exchange this year, inspired by a holiday baking show I saw on the Food Network recently. The first was a soft maple bacon cookie that was supposed to be a whoopie pie, but I ended up just frosting the individual cookies so that I'd have more to share.

Maple Pecan Cookies (or Whoopie Pies) with Bacon Cream Cheese Frosting
(Source: Adapted from Poet in the Pantry)
 
Filling/Frosting:
6 strips thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cookies/Cakes:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons bacon fat, reserved from frying bacon for the filling
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 cup dark maple syrup
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Filling:
Fry bacon until crisp and reserve and cool the fat.
Crumble (or cut with kitchen shears) bacon and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar for three minutes. Add the vanilla, syrup, and salt. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in the crumbled bacon. Transfer to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator.

Cookies/Cakes:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Get out two rimmed nonstick cookie sheets and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Beat together the butter, bacon fat, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Add the buttermilk, mixing until smooth.

In a liquid measuring cup, add the cream, baking soda, and white vinegar, stirring to combine. Turn the stand mixer on low and mix in half of the dry ingredients. Add the cream/baking soda vinegar mix, mixing until combined. Mix in the last of the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, and beat until well incorporated. Stir in the toasted nuts.

Portion out the batter with a small cookie scoop and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and the tops are springy. Transfer to wire cooling racks immediately. Cool completely.

Assembly
Remove filling from the fridge at least 20 minutes before starting assembly. Stir before starting assembly. Using a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip, or simply a butter knife, apply filling on the flat side of one cookie/cake. Press the flat side of another cookie/cake and press gently together.

Wrap each whoopie pie in a small piece of plastic wrap store and in an air-tight container. Best eaten the same day. For longer storage, keep in the refrigerator.

*You can also just frost the top of each individual cookie (as I did here) instead of making whoopie pies.

The second cookie I made was a sour cream cookie infused with Earl Grey tea and frosted with a honeyed lemony icing. YUM!

Earl Grey Tea Cakes with Honey-Lemon Frosting

(Adapted from a sour cream chocolate chip cookie recipe that my friend, Kallie, gave me--unsure of the original source)
Cookies:
1 cup sour cream
2 bags Earl Grey tea
2 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour

Mix the sour cream and the tea from the two bags and set aside.

 Cream butter and eggs together. Add sugar and mix in. Add baking soda, baking powder and flour. Add vanilla and sour cream and tea mixture. Bake at 350° until lightly browned (10-12 minutes). Cool completely before frosting.

Honeyed Lemon Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 pound (about 2 cups) confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 to 1/4 cup heavy cream
zest of one lemon, finely grated
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in half of the sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla and honey. Beat in the remaining sugar. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest, whisk on high for 6 minutes.

The third cookie that I made--and my personal favorite--was a Rosemary Browned Butter Shortbread. Now, I am ALWAYS down with some nutty browned butter, but savory rosemary was an unusual guest at this sweet cookie party. It may sound strange, but applied with restraint, the rosemary takes this shortbread to a whole other level of deliciousness! I was loathe to give (most of it) away.

Rosemary-Walnut Browned Butter Shortbread

(Source: The Kitchn)
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped small (none larger than pea-sized)--or combine walnuts and almonds
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioner sugar (or another 1/4 cup granulated, if you don't have confectioner's)

Melt the butter in a medium sauce-pan or skillet over medium heat. Swirl occasionally and cook until all foaming has subsided, the butter is dark tan colored with little black specks, and smells fantastically nutty. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and let it cool to room temperature. (The butter should be solid but still smooshy.)

Mix the walnuts, rosemary, and all the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer). While beating on medium-speed, add the cooled brown butter in several additions until it's completely incorporated and the dough looks grainy. The dough should hold together when you press some in your fist - if not, add a few teaspoons of cold water until it does.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface and shape it into two thick logs about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter (or smaller if you want smaller cookies). The dough will be pretty crumbly, but that's ok. Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until hard (30 minutes, or up to three days).

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take out and unwrap one of the logs. Slice it into 1/4 inch round cookies using a sharp knife and transfer to the cookie sheet. Place cookies about a half inch apart - they won't spread much during baking. If any of the cookies crumble, just press the dough back together with your fingers and a bit of water.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges and very fragrant. Allow to cool five minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Prepare and bake the other half of the cookie dough as above. Cookies keep in a sealed container for about two weeks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lee Ann! (2016 Instant Pot Edition)

My dear friend and office mate Lee Ann's birthday was this past Sunday, so I decided to host a little celebratory luncheon at work yesterday. I made a delicious beef, barley and mushroom soup in the Instant Pot, and a Waldorf chicken salad, with chicken also prepared in the magic pot. Then our mutual friend, Vicky, brought the fixin's for an ice cream sundae bar (as Lee Ann is not a big fan of cake).  Everything was very well-received, especially by the birthday gal. YAY!

For the soup, I loosely followed a recipe from the IP web site that calls for sour cream at the end. It makes it taste like stroganoff soup (second pic), and that's yummy, but next time, I think I'd just use the sour cream as an optional garnish. I kinda like the deeper, beefier/mushroomy flavor without it (first pic).

Beef, Barley and Mushroom Soup

(Source: Adapted from Sharon W. on the IP web site)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into small cubes

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

8 cups beef broth, divided

1 package Campbell's Slow Cooker Sauce, Tavern Pot Roast flavor

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon double-concentrated tomato paste

2 bay leaves

small bundle of fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine

pinch of cayenne
8 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, washed and sliced

1 cup (uncooked) pearled barley

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Toss the beef cubes with Cajun seasoning and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and brown the meat. Strain the meat out and add to the IP. In the leftover oil, saute the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Deglaze the pan with two cups of beef broth, scraping up all the brown bits. Pour into the IP. Add everything else, except the sour cream and parsley, and cook for 25 minutes on the Meat setting. Let release naturally. Stir in the sour cream and parsley, then taste to correct seasoning before serving. 

For the Waldorf Chicken Salad:

I cooked the boneless, skinless breasts in the IP on the trivet over a cup and a half of chicken broth for 20 minutes on high, because they were really big. So, after you cook the chicken (4 boneless/skinless breasts sprinkled with seasoned salt), cool and cut into chunks. Add half of a finely minced onion (or a few scallions, if you prefer). Make a dressing of about a cup of mayo, the juice of a lemon, a teaspoon each of ground celery, celery seeds, and sugar (or honey), and a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Combine with the chicken mixture, then chill the salad for a few hours or overnight. Before serving, add two seeded and diced Granny Smith apples. In a dry skillet, toast a cup of chopped walnuts. Cool, then add those to the salad as well. Season with salt to taste.

P.S. I don't care for celery, but if you like it, chop up a couple of stalks and throw that in, too.

 

You need a few bites of sunshine!

I can't complain too much about the North Country winter this year. I mean, heck, it was darn near 70 degrees on Christmas Eve, and the lowest temps we've had so far have been in the single digits (this is often 20-30 below time of year). Still, it's cold and dark, and spring is still months away for us. But fortunately, it's citrus season in the supermarkets, and who couldn't use a little tropical-flavored goodness? Since two of my friends had birthdays this week, I decided to bake some sunny, lemony cupcakes to take to share at karaoke last night. And they turned out just DELICIOUS, if I do say so myself!

Ok, ok, I started with a box mix as a time-saving short cut, but there are lots of things that you can do to make a box mix taste more like homemade. You can swap out milk, buttermilk, or sour cream for the water. (For a chocolate cake, swap out coffee or dark beer or red wine. For white or yellow cake, swap out lemon-lime or grapefruit soda or lemonade or ginger ale.) You can--and should--swap melted butter for the vegetable oil for better texture and flavor. You can add one extra egg for a slightly denser texture. Fresh lemon zest in a white or yellow cake is always a fine idea, as is adding a teaspoon of vanilla to any flavor of cake mix. You can also add other spices, extracts, nuts, berries, chocolate chips, or whatever is hanging around in your pantry or freezer that looks like it would be tasty in your cake. But the most CRUCIAL step in making a boxed mix cake taste special and like you made it all from scratch--hear me now, my people--is to make a luscious, homemade frosting to go on top!

For this particular batch, I used a lemon cake mix (otherwise, I might have used a yellow cake mix and added the zest and juice of a lemon), I swapped out whole milk for the water, melted butter for the vegetable oil, added a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt. Then for the frosting, I made this creamy, dreamy stuff:

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 stick (6T) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
zest of a lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

In a stand mixer, blend the cream cheese and butter with the paddle until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix until very smooth, then blend in the lemon zest and vanilla. Use to frost 24 completely cooled cupcakes.

2016 is already COOKIN'!

As Suzie Diamond says in The Fabulous Baker Boys about New Year's resolutions, "I figure all that stuff's a bunch of crap, anyway. You do what you do, right?" But one resolution I know I can keep is to cook lots of tasty food in new year, and I'm already cooking up a storm for 2016! I made Monte Cristo Sliders and Sour Cream Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting for a New Year's Eve party last night. And then for lunch today, I whipped up a hearty and comforting (and easy!) Beefy Tomato Soup. Shout-out to my wonderful friend, Karen, for sharing the recipe. All in all, what a delicious start to the new year!

Here are the pics and recipes:

My friends at the New Year's Eve party that I attended were all over these tasty little sammies, and I took home two empty pans! WOOT! They also loved the banana cake, even some of them who claimed (like myself) not to like bananas. I especially loved the frosting, and I will use it n the future of other kinds of cakes.

And the soup I made for lunch today is also going into a regular rotation around here! It's simple and yummy, and perfect for a busy work week dinner with leftovers to take for lunch the next day.

Baked Monte Cristo Party Sliders
(Source: Creme de la Crumb)

12 King's Hawaiian rolls, sliced in half horizontally
12 slices deli ham
12 slices deli turkey
6 slices swiss cheese, cut in half
1/2 cup butter (8 tablespoons), melted
1 egg
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
raspberry preserves (I used homemade black raspberry-peach jam)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease or spray a 9x13 inch baking pan. (I used disposable aluminum pans covered with foil to take to the party.)

Slice rolls in half horizontally. Place bottom halves (side by side, touching) in your prepared baking pan. Distribute ham over the bottom half of the rolls. Next layer the turkey, then the swiss cheese. Top with the top halves of the rolls.

In a bowl, whisk together melted butter, egg, and dijon mustard. Pour mixture over rolls. Cover loosely with foil (tent the foil so that it does not touch the tops of the rolls) and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer.

Using a mesh strainer, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve the sliders with raspberry preserves.

To Die For Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
(Source: adapted from Cooking Classy)

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (from about 3 large)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Frosting
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (or use baking spray) then set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and butter, then mix in sour cream and eggs (occasionally scrape down bowl throughout mixing process). Stir in mashed banana and vanilla extract. Add the flour, salt and baking soda then mix well. Mix in nuts, if using.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish, spread into an even layer and bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 33 - 38 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

For the frosting:
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste. Slowly add in heavy cream and mix until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake. Store cake in refrigerator in an airtight container. Let rest at room temperature a bit before serving.

Beefy Tomato Soup
(Source: adapted from Mantitlement)

1 lb. ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 (23.5) oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup (1/2 8 oz. package) cream cheese
11/2 cups  elbow macaroni or short-tubed pasta
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil, divided (or 2T dried)
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for three to four minutes until the onion gets soft. Add the ground beef, breaking up with a spoon and cook until no longer pink, then add the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the beef and stir to combine. Next pour in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pot as you stir, then add the jar of pasta sauce.

Bring the soup to a simmer and let cook for ten minutes. Stir in the cream cheese, using a whisk to incorporate it well, then add half of the fresh basil. Pour in the pasta, stir and let cook for another ten minutes with the lid on. (If the soup is too thick for your liking, thin with additional chicken stock.)

Spoon into bowls and garnish with the leftover basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Pipes frozen again? Might as well have a drink!

We have been experiencing some brutal wind chill factors lately (down to about 25 below!), so I have been staying up all night, stoking the fire, checking on the heaters, and monitoring the pipes. I made the mistake of taking a three-hour nap on the couch at 6:30 this morning, and when I awoke, the hot water in the kitchen had frozen just as the cold water had done two days before, despite my vigilence. Not to panic, I employed a brilliant but very complicated system of pipe thawing that even professional plumbers can't fully appreciate. Observe my Pots and Pans and a Hair Dryer Methodology (patent pending).

Suffice to day, Old Man Winter has me frustrated and completely exhausted. Other than ripping up the kitchen floor to get to the currently inaccessible pipes that keep freezing up on is, the most immediate solution simply must involve a cocktail. I hardly ever drink, but when I am driven to it by the torments of home ownership and vicious weather, my poison is a an icy, tart, citrusy margarita. And I declare the official margarita of this bleak midwinter and frozen plumbing: The Blood Orange and Ginger Winter Margarita.

The recipe comes from Honest Cooking, and it is simply delicious. Now that interesting citrus is plentiful, you can easily find fresh blood oranges for this drink. I would also recommend that you use a high-quality, microbrewed ginger beer for this. I love Maine Root's Spicy Ginger Brew, which has a real kick to it, and just might defrost your wintry disposition.

Blood Orange and Ginger Winter Margarita

(Source: Honest Cooking)

 

For garnishing all drinks:
1/4 cup blood orange juice
zest from one blood orange
1/4 cup granulated sugar
slices of blood orange for garnish, optional

For each individual drink:
ice
2 ounces blood orange juice
1.5 ounces tequila
juice from 1 wedge of lime (I use half a lime)
3 ounces strong ginger beer

Place 1/4 cup blood orange juice into a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine blood orange zest and sugar. Dip the rim of a glass into juice first and then into the sugar mixture to coat the rim evenly. Fill the glass with ice.

In a cocktail shaker, combine one cup of ice with two ounces blood orange juice, one and a half ounces tequila, and the lime juice. Shake vigorously. Pour into the prepared glass and top off the glass with ginger beer. Stir and enjoy!

CLCA Days 29-30: Nothing But a Salad to Report

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure" (or lack thereof), Day 29
All she ate all day was a fruit and veggie frozen pop because she wasn't feeling well. Boo hiss.

CLCA, Day 30
Late in the afternoon, I managed to compel her to eat this lovely spinach salad with grilled chicken, local strawberries, red spring onions, blue cheese, bacon, spiced walnuts, and blush wine vinaigrette. Oh, and of course, a fruit and veggie frozen pop. *sigh*

CLCA Day 24 with a Healthier Tart Cherry Crisp

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 24
Breakfast: Triple Berry Smoothie with Chia Seeds and Almond Milk
Lunch: Scotch Eggs
Dinner: Meatloaf Sandwich on a Whole Wheat Tortilla, Corn on the Cob
Dessert: Gluten-Free/Low Sugar Tart Cherry Almond Crisp--pictured

Cyd has been suffering from a lack of pie ever since we got back from Maine (and Wild Blueberry Land's blueberry crumb pie of blessed memory). So I wanted to make her something similar and equally satisfying, but with fewer carbs (some whole grains and no bottom crust), a lot less sugar (mostly stevia), and gluten-free to boot. She LOVED this, and I think you will, too!

Gluten-Free/Reduced Sugar Tart Cherry Almond Crisp
(Source: adapted from Wicked Good Kitchen)
Filling:
6 cups fresh pitted tart cherries (reserve the juice)
1 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/4 cup tapioca flour/starch or arrowroot powder (or corn starch if you don't mind the gluten)
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

Topping:
2/3 cup gluten-free baking mix (preferably, whole grain)
1/3 cup granulated (or brown) sugar
1/3 cup Stevia in the Raw
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cubed
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill Five-Grain Rolled Cereal)
1/2 cup sliced blanched (or unblanched) almonds

In a large saucepan, combine the cherries and their juice, Stevia, tapioca starch or arrowroot powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until completely thickened, 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool somewhat (warm is okay, but not hot--or refrigerate the filling to make your crisp another day).

In a large bowl, combine the baking mix, sweeteners, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the pieces of butter with a pastry cutter (or just use your fingertips). Then stir in the oats and almonds.

Spray six one-cup ramekins or three individual pie plates (6 1/2-inch diameter) with nonstick cooking spray. Top ramekins with a generous 1/4 cup of the prepared topping or 1/2 cup (plus) of topping if using larger pie dishes.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes for three larger crisps (not sure about smaller ramekins--I'd start checking at 20 minutes, so 20-30 minutes total?).

Recreating My Wegman's Faves at Home

While I was at the PBGV National last month, one of our best dog trainers and competitors celebrated one of her dogs earning a MACH 3 (a very advanced agility title). They had a specially-decorated cake--for us humans, not the dogs. Initially, I declined a piece, because I'm not really a cake person. But her husband (who bought the cake) insisted I try it, that it was amazing....blah, blah, blah. It looked like a regular old grocery store cake to me. Boy, was I wrong! It was DELICIOUS! It had a dark chocolate bottom layer, fresh raspberries in the middle, a lovely, moist vanilla cake layer, and then a fairly thin coating of this creamy, whipped frosting (not nauseatingly thick and grainy like most commercial frostings). I asked the hubby where he got this wonderful cake, and I should have known, it was Wegman's, the world's best grocery store.

When I stopped at Wegman's on the way home to New York, I was tempted to buy a lemon raspberry cake that they were selling, but I was afraid that it wouldn't survive the long drive home in a hot car. I did buy  many other wonderful things, though. I especially love Wegman's salad and deli bars with all the prepared dishes. My favorite is their gigante bean salad. I bought a container of that to eat right away, but I also bought a big bag of dried gigante beans to try to replicate the salad at home.

And today was the perfect opportunity, as my friend, June, had a little end-of-the-school-year barbecue and potluck at her house. It turned out to be quite the gourmet event, too! A new couple, Ray and Ben, made a splash with a lovely Israeli couscous salad with fresh veggies and mint. My friends, The Cones, made a yummy pimento cheese spread, and a stunning shrimp cocktail platter. (Jarrod told me that his secret was cooking the shrimp with pickling spice. Yum!) And my friend, Patti, brought a comforting bundt cake that was a recipe of her mom's.

As for my contributions to the affair, I went with the Wegman's theme, and I brought both a gigante bean salad that I could easily live on and a cake that was in the style and flavor of the one that we enjoyed so much at the dog agility trial. It had both a vanilla layer and a chocolate layer with fresh raspberries as well as raspberry coulis in the middle, and a soft, whipped vanilla bean frosting. It was humble-looking (like all my cakes are--decorating is NOT in my wheelhouse), but it held together as it was sliced (that was my main worry), and I think the taste and texture were excellent. It was certainly an experiment worth repeating. Next time, I might try an oil-based vanilla cake to make it less dense, especially when refrigerated.

Gigante Bean Salad

(Source: adapted from Tamara Duker's blog)

Cook half a pound of gigante beans (soak overnight, then boil until tender). Roast one small red pepper and one small green pepper over open flame (your gas burner will do just fine). Peel their skins off and slice peppers into super-thin strips. (I used red and yellow roasted peppers from a jar.) Mix cooked beans with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (I used chives), 1/2 cup (or more, to taste) of roasted pepper strips, one or two minced garlic cloves, and salt to taste. I added a teaspoon of paprika. Let salad marinate in fridge for several hours so flavors can blend. Serve at room temperature.

White on White Buttermilk Cake

(Source: BakeSpace)

Note: I made half of this recipe in one cake pan.

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

To make the cake: Place one baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350-f degrees. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour (or spray with flour added).

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about two minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about one minute. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add about half of the buttermilk and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping the bowl down and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick and glossy.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean and tops are flat and browned. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one me be done at a different time.

Set the cake pans on racks to cool for ten minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely before frosting. At this point the cakes can be tightly wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and frozen up to three weeks.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake (aka Hershey's Black Magic Cake)

(Source: Ina Garten, via Food Network)

Note: I made half of this recipe and baked it in one pan.

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

In between the layers, I spread on a couple of tablespoons of raspberry coulis that I had in the freezer and a generous cup of fresh raspberries. Then I frosted the whole cake with a sour cream vanilla bean icing.

Sour Cream Vanilla Bean Frosting

(Source: adapted from All Recipes)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice and salt. Stir in confectioners' sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Annoying Half Snow Day

Note to my college administration: Snow days are fun, but not when you get out of bed, get ready for work, clean off your car, risk your life driving to work, teach one measly 50-minute class, and THEN classes are cancelled, the minute before you are about to do a special lunchtime presentation to the faculty that now has to be rescheduled. BAH!

However, it was nice to be home for the afternoon, and as I had to luxury to do so, I cooked up a...ummm...storm! I made a lovely green salad with dried cranberries, roasted pecans, green onions, creamy dollops of goat cheese, and a homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, then a semi-homemade chicken pot pie for our entree, and for dessert, croissant bread pudding, but instead of making the traditional hard sauce, I drizzled each piece with Fat Toad Farms' Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce. YUM!

The strawberry-balsamic dressing was based on something similar that my friend June made recently, though she mushed up a few fresh strawberries in hers (I used jam), and she didn't use mustard. For my version, I started with two heaping tablespoons of strawberry preserves, two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, two teaspoons of Dijon mustard, one clove of minced garlic, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and then I whisked in olive oil in a thin stream, probably a scant half cup. My roommate thought it made the best salad she's ever had!

Apart from preparing this fantastic meal, I had one other snow day project: to try and clone Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic Seasoning, which I LOVE, but it's frightfully expensive at nine bucks for a small container! As it turns out, it's pretty easy to make a passable copycat for much, much less. Now, keep in mind that when I make a dip, I like to use half Garlic Garlic and half Onion Onion. So if you want this to be more like straight GG, then decrease the minced onion by three-quarters. If you make a quarter of the recipe that follows, it will refill your empty TS container. As it is, this will almost fill a pint-sized container. #yourewelcome

Garlic Garlic Copycat Seasoning

8 tablespoons dried minced garlic (I had dried garlic slices, so I busted them up into small pieces by hand with a pastry cutter--you can use a food processor, but careful not to pulverize, as you want little bits)
4 tablespoons dried minced onion (or cut this back to one tablespoon if you prefer)
4 teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons dried chives
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Low-carbing it on my last night of freedom...

Well, folks. Winter Break has been fun and relaxing, but my freedom is over, and it's back to the grind tomorrow. I have an 8am meeting in the morning, and the weather threatens to dip to almost 20 below. The only thing that can help me face such a fearsome Friday is a delicious, seasonal margarita--and keep 'em coming!

'Tis the season of lovely citrus in the grocery stores, and I recently bought a box of clementines, mainly because my roommate likes to take a couple to work in her lunch bag. But there are a LOT of those sweet little suckers in that small box! So I decided to incorporate them into my favorite adult beverage, the margarita, because I always like at least a little bit of orange juice in the mix anyway. The resulting drink was delicious, but it also got me to thinking about blood orange margaritas, and minneola margaritas...oh, the list may be endless! It's a little taste of sunshine and summertime in the bleak midwinter.

Clementine Margaritas (on the Rocks)

1 cup clementine juice (about 8 clementines, juiced)
1/2 cup margarita mix
juice of half a lime
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup Triple Sec
good pinch of salt
agave syrup, if needed, to taste
ice

This makes two cocktails (in 16 oz. glasses).

For dinner, I prepared something that my friend (who recently completed a Whole 30 regimen) was babbling about on Facebook--Paleo Lettuce Cups. She said that her kids usually can tell when she's "paleo-fied" a recipe and made legal substitutions, but they loved these lettuce wraps and couldn't tell they were Paleo. I completely concur--they were SO GOOD! But I sort of un-paleofied them by swapping out ponzu soy sauce for the coconut aminos, by using non-sanctioned brands of fish sauce and sriracha, by using toasted sesame oil, and also by adding a little Hoisin sauce. So if you are following those strict dietary guidelines, be advised of these adaptations. Whether you stay "kosher" to the Paleo program or not, this is good stuff, something the whole family can enjoy together, even if the rest of them aren't watching their carb intake.

"Paleo" Lettuce Cups

(Source: adapted from NomNom Paleo)

1 lb. lean ground meat
1 lb. thinly sliced mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas, chopped)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lard (I used toasted sesame oil)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger (I added this)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons coconut aminos (I used ponzu soy sauce)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (I added this)

1 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 cups broccoli slaw
1/2 cup shredded carrots (I used 2 cups total of broccoli, cabbage, and carrot slaw)
2 scallions, thinly sliced (I used 4 scallions)
handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground meat with the mushrooms and onion in the lard or sesame oil. When almost all of the pink is gone from the meat, add in the minced garlic and ginger. Keep cooking until the meat has browned through. Add in the fish sauce, vinegar, coconut aminos or soy sauce, hoisin (if using), sriracha, and black pepper, and stir to combine.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the slaw vegetables, scallions, and cilantro. Serve in iceberg lettuce "cups."

Note: Another non-Paleo addition that's really good here is to toss in a handful of peanuts for some extra texture and crunch. NOM NOM!

A Cheesecake Epiphany

I trust that you all had a MERRY CHRISTMAS? Ours was nice and quiet, and I prepared a somewhat Italian-themed feast which consisted of an aged prime rib roast that we acquired at this great little Italian market that we discovered in Albany called Cardona's. I marinated the roast beast in a ton of garlic, cracked black pepper, fresh rosemary, olive oil, and balsamic--and cooked it in my fabulous new All-Clad roasting pan that my roomie got me for Christmas! SQUEE!

For our side dishes, we had pumpkin ravioli (acquired at Trader Joe's in Albany) in browned butter with crispy sage leaves, grated Grana Padano, and pine nuts; steamed green peas in a lemony vinaigrette; and homemade chocolate cream pie for dessert. Then after dinner, I cleaned out the back fridge (full of old, frozen leftovers) to make room for the new leftovers (ha!), and even managed to haul the trash out over the ice floes AND gather the mail from across the treacherous turnpike without falling on my ample posterior. It was truly a Christmas MIRACLE!

The next day, I spent an hour trying to dig Cyd's car out of the ice and snow, but no dice. Then yesterday, it took us an additional 45 minutes and the strategic application of ice melt, kitty litter, and pots and pots of hot water, but we FINALLY managed to get her freed from the ice floe that is our driveway and parking spots! YAY! Another Christmas miracle! So the poor thing was able to go see her beloved Patriots play in Foxboro, MA at Gillette Stadium, which was my birthday and Christmas gift to her. I got a text from her this afternoon after the game had started. It said, "It's awesome. In freezing rain but awesome." LOL! The poor thing. Living the dream. The wet, cold dream.

Of course, with my roomie gone, that left me rattling around the house alone, which rarely ever happens. It was fine, because I had an article for the local food magazine overdue, and I got that done at long last. Then my dear friends Janice and Domenica took pity on me being on my own and invited me over to dinner tonight. Somehow I made it there alive despite sliding all over the icy roads, and we had a lovely meal and lively conversation.>

But the highlight of the evening was THIS: Goat cheese cheesecake with a toasted walnut and graham cracker crust and this crazy (but crazy delicious) red grape, walnut, red wine, and rosemary compote on top. It may sound a little weird, but it might be the best cheesecake I've ever had...and I've had a LOT of great cheesecakes! I strongly encourage you to give it a try. I know I'm going to make one to share with Cyd when she gets home.

Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Red Grape Compote
(Source: Cuisine at Home Magazine)

For the Crust:
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted

For the Filling:
1 pound goat cheese at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
3 eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Red Grape Compote
rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 350.Toast walnuts in a 350 oven until golden and aromatic, 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool. Process walnuts, cracker crumbs, and sugar in a food processor until fine, then transfer to a bowl and stir in butter. Press crumbs onto the bottom and 1" up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Patch any holes that could cause the filling to leak. Bake crust until golden, about ten minutes; cool while preparing the filling.

Reduce oven temperature to 250. Beat both cheeses, sugar, and sour cream together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer on low speed) until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in cream and vanilla. Pour filling into cooled crust, smooth the top, and bake at 250 for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. The center will not be fully set. Remove cake from oven and let stand at room temperature until completely cool; cover and chill overnight.

To serve, remove sides form the pan, then slice. Before making each cut, dip a thin-bladed knife into a glass of hot water and wipe dry with a towel. To remove a slice from the cake, turn the knife sideways and lift the piece out, or use a narrow-bladed spatula. A small offset spatula works well. Garnish with Red Grape Compote and a sprig of rosemary.

Red Grape Compote 

3/4 cup dry red wine 
1/3 cup sugar 
2 teaspoons cornstarch 
2 cups red grapes, halved 
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped 
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 
freshly ground pepper 

Simmer wine, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking until thick, two to three minutes. Pour syrup over remaining ingredients, toss to coat. 

NOTES : Suggested wine is Cabernet Sauvignon. Don't overcook the wine syrup or else it will thicken too far and make the grape topping sticky and gloppy.