Catching some culinary waves...

As a food blogger, I spend a lot of time perusing other blogs for inspiration. And it's always amusing to me when a recipe seems to catch on and spread like wildfire--the NYT no-knead bread, for one infamous example. Who among us didn't run out and buy a new pot for that one? (Well, I did.) Recently, I tried another recipe that's been burning up the blogs for at least five years (no one ever said I was quick on the uptake!), a ridiculously simple tomato sauce that people are just GA-GA over. I was inspired to try it after reading 545 mostly fawning reviews over at Smitten Kitchen. Now I hate to be in the very tiny minority of dissenting voices, but I'm just not sure what the fuss is all about. Yes, the sauce is very simple and easy to make, but it pretty much ends up tasting like, well, tomatoes. I found the texture luscious (because of the butter), but the flavor was a little flat. Maybe I'm just used to jazzier sauces, but it needed some spice, some kick, and most definitely, some GARLIC! However, in reading all 545 comments, I came across a poster who was bragging about her incredible homemade meatballs, so I popped by her site, and used her recipe as a guide to make some truly terrific meatballs of my own! And they were SO flavorful, that they went perfectly with the low-key tomato sauce. So on its own, I do not recommend the tomato sauce, but with some zesty meatballs thrown in, it becomes a must-make!

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions
(Source: Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking)

Serves 4 as a main course; makes enough sauce to lightly coat most of a pound of spaghetti (Gina's note: I doubled this recipe then made meatball sandwiches the next day with the leftovers!)

28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from a can (real San Marzanos, if you can find them)
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated parmesan cheese.

Mara's Meatballs
(Source: adapted from Kleio's Belly)
Makes about 48 meatballs

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (fresh herbs would be even better!)
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 cup bread or cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 eggs, beaten

In a very large skillet, saute onions in the olive oil until they are translucent. Add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another minute or two.

In a large bowl, gently mix the meats together by hand (don't overwork or your meatballs will be tough!). Add the cheese, bread or cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, eggs, and onion-garlic mixture. Mix again very gently until everything is combined.

Using a cookie scoop if you have one, fashion 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized meatballs, then fry them in the skillet over medium heat until browned all over and firm to the touch (or you can bake them in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes).

The other very popular recipe that I tried my hand at lately was from my old friend, King Arthur--their take on homemade Oreos. Along with the killer carrot cake cookies, I seem to be on a bit of a sandwich cookie bender. I usually abhor making such fussy things, preferring instead to purchase my Oreos or Vienna Fingers as the need arises. But the idea of homemade Oreos was intriguing and worth a try, and these turned out great! I took a bunch of them into work, and people raved about the "Oreos on steroids." LOL! I did make a few adjustments to the recipe, though. First of all, I used 1/2 cup black cocoa and 1/4 cup natural cocoa (Scharffenberger), and it was still a little too dark/bitter for my tastes. Next time, I will pull back on the black cocoa a wee bit and use half of each (3/8 + 3/8), or maybe even 1/2 cup regular cocoa to 1/4 cup black. Also, I added 1/4 teaspoon baker's ammonia (available through KAF) to the dough, and it made gave the cookies a great crispiness and snap, more like the store-bought ones. And after pressing a tray's worth of cookies, I chilled them for up to 30 minutes. Finally, I made the filling with half shortening and half butter. That was a very good decision! The texture was still slightly waxy like a real Oreo, but smoother and with better flavor. Very fun recipe!

Faux-Reos
(Source: King Arthur Flour)

Cookies
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional but good
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup black cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa (I recommend half and half)

Filling
about 6 standard-size candy canes or 3 ounces peppermint hard candies*, optional
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (or 1/4 cup shortening and 1/4 cup butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (omit if you're making the peppermint version)
2 teaspoons cold water*
*If you're adding the peppermint candy, increase the water to 2 tablespoons

1) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, or more if you have them.
2) To make the cookies: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, salt, and espresso powder. That's right; there's no leavening in this recipe, so don't worry that something's been left out.
3) Beat in the egg, water, and vanilla, then the flour and cocoa. The dough will be very stiff.
4) Roll the dough into balls about the size of a chestnut (about 2 level teaspoons). A teaspoon cookie scoop works fabulously here, as well as for the filling. If you don't have one, consider a purchase; you won't regret it. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets (I baked mine on Silpats), leaving about 1 1/2" to 2" between them.
5) Use the flat bottom of a glass, dipped in cocoa as necessary to prevent sticking, to flatten the cookies to about 1/8" to 3/16" thick. The end of a food processor's pusher tool works well here, too (this is what I used, and no extra cocoa). Take a ruler and measure the cookies' thickness; you want to get pretty close to this measurement, for the best-textured cookies.
6) Bake the cookies for 18 to 20 minutes. It's important to bake them just the right amount of time; too little, and they won't be crisp; too much, and they'll scorch. Watch them closely at the end of the baking time, and if you start to smell scorching chocolate before the time is up, take them out. When they're done, remove the cookies from the oven, and allow them to cool completely, on a rack or on the pan.
7) While the cookies are cooling, make the filling. If you're making the peppermint version, break the candy canes into pieces, and process them with the confectioners' sugar in a food processor till they're pretty finely ground.
8) Beat together the sugar, shortening, and vanilla. It'll seem very dry at first, but will eventually begin to clump together.
9) Add the water, beating till smooth and spreadable. The filing should be stiff, but not so stiff that you can't flatten it when you sandwich it between the cookies.
10) Place one level tablespoon filling in the center of one cookie; again, a teaspoon cookie scoop, slightly heaped, is perfect for this task. Place another cookie atop the filling, and squeeze to distribute the filling evenly. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container.

This is NOT a post about Indian food.

A few weekends ago, my friends and I decided to gather for a potluck and some board games on a cold winter's night...at least, it began as a potluck that evolved into a fabulous Indian meal when my friend, Vicky, declared that she would be bringing a chicken curry with rice and raita and naan bread. Following her lead, I decided to bring two Indian appetizers--a spicy lentil dip with pita chips and some potato-and-pea-filled samosas. Then, far too late on the day of the party, I came to the conclusion that the perfect thing to go with the samosas would be a homemade mango chutney that I spied on Simply Recipes.

That's where all my grand plans broke down. Oh, the golden chutney came out beautifully, but after all the cut and chop and cooking down, I had lost a lot of valuable time to tend to the other items. There was an awful lot of cutting and chopping and different stages of cooking for the samosa filling, too--so much so, that I ran out of time to form and bake the samosas themselves, even though I was going to use puff pastry as a shortcut. But the filling was delicious enough on its own, so I figured that we could just eat it as a side dish (which would, in point of fact, be aloo matar). However, that meant I went to all that trouble to make the gorgeous mango chutney, but now we'd have nothing to put it on! Furthermore, the spicy lentil dip turned out WAY too spicy (I went against my better judgment and added the whole 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne that the recipe called for!), and the texture was also too soft for a lentil dip, in my estimation. So I decided to soften it further and take the heat down by adding a pint of half and half and turning the dip into a soup! I garnished each bowl with crushed pita chips and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro, and it became a much improved dish.

Golden Mango Chutney
(Source: C&H Sugar website)

2 cups C&H Pure Cane Granulated Sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar
6 cups mangoes (4 to 5), peeled and cut in 3/4-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped (medium)
1/2 cup raisins, golden
1/4 cup ginger, crystallized and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. mustard seeds, whole
1/4 tsp. red chili pepper flakes (hot)

Combine sugar and vinegar in a pot; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, until syrupy and slightly thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally during cooking. Pour into clean, hot jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace; close jars. Process in a water bath 15 minutes.

Makes 6 (1/2-pint) jars

Despite how my preparations went awry, we ended up with an elegant and delicious Indian feast, but none of the above has anything to do with what I REALLY want to share with you--and that's what we had for DESSERT! My friend, June, hosted this affair, so we let her off easy with making a salad for dinner and some cookies for dessert. But these were no ordinary cookies, friends. These may be my new favorite thing in the world! By way of back story, I should tell you that June's son lives out west, in my homeland of Oregon. Every year for his birthday, when they are together, he requests that she make him a carrot cake. But as a full-on carrot cake doesn't travel well, so in the last few years, June has taken to making him carrot cake cookies instead. She has tried a few different recipes, but the one she made this year (from that now most sadly defunct Gourmet Magazine) was truly sublime! After making them for her son, June made a second batch for our party, and they were so good that I had to rush right home and make some more for myself!

Of course, I read all 172 comments on epicurious.com first and made a few adjustments to the original recipe. As per many reviewers' advice, I made them a little smaller, about one tablespoon of dough per cookie. I got 33, so that made 16 sandwich cookies, plus one "taster." Also, I omitted the raisins (yuck!) and replaced the amount with extra walnuts, upped the cinnamon in the batter to two teaspoons, and chilled the dough ahead of time to prevent too much spreading. (However, contrary to some posters' advice, I neither increased the flour nor squeeze-dried my carrots, and the texture of the cookies was PERFECTLY moist!) Oh, and they only needed ten minutes to bake (NOT 12- 14!), baking only one tray at a time on Silpat-lined sheets. Finally, I made my favorite cream cheese frosting instead of the (honeyed) one from the recipe: one 8 oz. package softened cream cheese, 4 tablespoons softened butter, one pound of powdered sugar (3 1/2 to 4 cups), 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a good pinch of salt. In sum, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to make a proper carrot cake when you can have these flavorful, cakey cookies with delightfully crispy edges! And SO much less work, too! Also, for anyone far away that loves carrot cake, these cookies freeze, pack, and travel well. An absolute MUST-make!

Inside-Out Carrot Cake Cookies
(Source: Gourmet, April 2004)
Yield: Makes about 13 cookies

1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or two!)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
1 scant cup walnuts (3 ounces), chopped (1 1/2 cups, if omitting the dreaded raisins)
1/2 cup raisins (2 1/2 ounces), optional

8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup honey

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 baking sheets (or line with Silpats or parchment).

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth. Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between.

Braise, my people, BRAISE!

I have absolutely wonderful and generous friends. I am fully aware of this fact, and I like to take the opportunity, whenever possible, to voice my gratitude for all of my blessings. One such blessing is my dear friend, Phil, who I met a thousand years ago when I was a new young professor, and he was, I believe, a junior at the college where I started teaching. We have been friends for nigh unto two decades now, and though he has a thousand great qualities, the best thing about Phillip is that he never fails to make me giggle. One of my greatest joys was seeing him marry his longtime partner, Rob, in a commitment ceremony in June of 2008, and I was very honored to give one of the toasts at their reception. They are such a neat couple, and they are so kind and thoughtful to others, plus, they have immaculate taste.

Recently, I was the very lucky recipient of a simply stunning housewarming gift from Phil and Rob, MY VERY FIRST PIECE OF GENUINE LE CREUSET! I have always admired the LC Dutch ovens, and I dreamed of owning one someday, but my boys have helped me jump-start my collection with a 3 1/2-quart buffet casserole/braiser that should prove to be extremely versatile. It's big enough to make pasta sauces and risotto and such, but small enough to double as a skillet. And with the lid on top, it is just perfect for braising.

A piece of heirloom-quality cookware like this deserves to be inaugurated with a truly amazing pot roast, which is surprisingly simple to make, requiring but a handful of ingredients and some patience to create something ridiculously sublime. The secret, of course, is cooking it low and slow for a good long while until the connective fibers melt away, and you're left with meat that yields to the gentle pull of a fork. The long cooking time also lets the flavors develop and concentrate as the roast and veggies cook down. Really, what could be better? 'Tis a truly soul-satisfying meal while our winter is still hanging in there!

Gina's Perfect Pot Roast

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 lb. boneless chuck roast
salt, pepper, and seasoning blend of choice (to taste)
one large onion, sliced into rings
6 or 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup vegetable stock (red wine is delicious, too)
1 or 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 pound of carrots, peeled and chunked
1 pound of fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large

In a heavy-bottomed braiser or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the chuck roast liberally with seasonings (I used salt and pepper and a steak rub, but Italian seasoning would be perfect if using red wine for the liquid), then brown on all sides in the oil.

When fully browned, remove the roast from the pan and set aside momentarily. Add the separated rings of onion and the smashed garlic cloves to the bottom of the pan, the set the roast on top of that. Pour in the vegetable (or beef) stock or red wine, shake in a couple of teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, and cover the pot tightly. (If your pan doesn't have a lid, use heavy duty aluminum foil.)

Place in a 275 degree oven for about three hours, then add the carrots and potatoes and continue cooking for about another half hour. Remove the lid or foil for the last fifteen minutes or so, or until the veggies brown up a bit, and the meat is falling apart (a total of 3 1/2 to 4 hours).

Special Note: Aren't these veggies GORGEOUS?! I was thrilled to discover that one of our local farms, Rehoboth Farmstead, was piloting a winter CSA-type program. Instead of getting an assortment of produce as determined weekly by the farmer, you can place an order online as frequently as you like, and then pick up your stuff at your convenience from a individual cooler on their front porch! For the past month, we have been enjoying fresh jumbo eggs, spinach, salad mix, Napa and Savoy cabbages, carrots, and lots of potatoes--these fingerlings, some small red salt potatoes, sweet potatoes, and the most amazing yellow-fleshed bakers that I've ever eaten! If you live in the greater Plattsburgh area, I recommend checking out this delicious service. It's just so wonderful to get some fresh organic veggies into your winter diet!

USA! USA! USA!

Ah...it's that time again. The Winter Olympics are upon us! I do so love to watch the Games, especially figure skating, but so many of the other events, too. In fact, I enjoy the Winter Olympics SO much more than the Summer Games, with the only exception being women's gymnastics. And these Olympics are particularly exciting because they have come back to North America, just across the border to our friends in the Great White North, specifically to the Pacific Northwest where I grew up (not Vancouver per se, but Washington and Oregon). The last time I visited Vancouver was circa 1999, and I long to return. I was there for a communication conference at that time, so I didn't have much opportunity to explore the majestic beauty of the region; I only saw downtown and all of those buildings that seemed to have been designed by Mike Brady. (Sidebar: Honolulu is like that, too--lots of swinging 60's structures that resemble radiators. Tee hee.)

I did, however, get to sample some of the tasty cuisine that Vancouver has to offer. It's a very diverse place ethnically, with lots of Asian influences. So in honor of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, and with fresh spring greens starting to become available, I have constructed an Asian-themed dish with a decidedly American flair (while the Chinese may have invented everything else, I think the lettuce wrap hails from modern Asian bistros in this country, perhaps to entice the lo-carb and gluten-free crowds to dine out?). In any case, these turned out mighty tasty, and were great to munch on while we watched the ice dancing finals last night. Though let me warn you, it made TWICE as much filling as necessary, so you might want to halve the recipe. But then again, the leftover noodles will be nice to take to work for lunches this week or to snack on while watching the last week of the Vancouver Games.


Gina's Olympic Lettuce Wraps

1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
12 oz. mushrooms, wiped and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground chicken
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 - 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 scallions, sliced thinly
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons stir fry sauce (your favorite kind--mine was from Trader Joe's)
2 teaspoons garlic-chili paste or sriracha (to taste)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 6.75 oz. package rice sticks, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, drained and cut into short lengths

1 head Boston/bibb lettuce, stem removed and leaves separated

Heat the oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms and onion and cook until onions are translucent and soft. Add the ground chicken, ginger and garlic and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the water chestnuts, scallions and carrots, and cook another minute or two. Stir in all of the sauces, oil, vinegar and seasonings and mix well. Heat another minute or two until bubbly. Mix in the noodles and once well-combined, taste to correct seasonings (also, mine seemed to want another tablespoon of vegetable oil at this point).

Serve a big pile of lettuce on one dinner plate, and a heaping mountain of the noodles on another, and let everyone make their own little lettuce wraps, each sprinkled with a little more soy sauce or tamari (and more hot sauce for the daring!).

Valentine's Day: The Chocoholic's Holiday

I hope everyone had a sweet Valentine's Day! Mine was lovely and lazy after a frustrating day yesterday. The roommate and I decided to take ourselves to Montreal, as is so often our way. We had grand plans of hitting the IKEA west of the city, followed by an Oscar-worthy movie, a wonderful dinner somewhere, and maybe even some Krispy Kremes for dessert. However, you know what they say about the best-laid plans...

I'm sad to report that the whole day was pretty much a BUST! We got a late start, and foolishly chose to go through the big (Champlain) border, where the long lines and slow pace of the border attendants made us even later. When finally got to IKEA, we had to park far, far away, and walk to the entrance in the terrible, arctic winds. I was already a little sick to my stomach for some reason, so an hour and a half among the overwhelming crowds and the screeching children only exacerbated my nausea. Plus, I only ended up with about ten bucks worth of pointless doo-dads that I had to wait in line for 25 minutes to pay for! And I didn't even get to have Swedish meatballs at the cafe located about halfway through the trek through the humungous store because my tummy was still out of sorts. But I did buy a big bag of the frozen meatballs, two packets of sauce mix, and lingonberry jam to make at home, along with a box of rosti (potato fritters). We had this Swedish feast for lunch today, and despite the fact that it was insta-food from a furniture manufacturer, it was darn good! I have also become addicted to these little cookies that they call Kex biscuits, which are like a wheatier version of McDonaldland cookies, one of my perennial favorites.

After our IKEA ordeal, we didn't feel like fighting our way back into the city to the AMC Forum where all the Oscar contenders were playing. So we decided instead to go to the suburban cineplex that was right near the IKEA to see Wolfman. Despite a stellar cast that included Emily Blunt (LOVE her!) and Sir Anthony Hopkins, the film was laughably awful, and our fellow moviegoers were incredibly rude and noisy. Our next bad decision was to have dinner at the overpriced, lackluster Chinese buffet in the same shopping center, replete with more insufferable crowds and screaming children. Lastly, we spent an hour driving around, trying to find a Krispy Kreme before giving up and beginning the (now longer since we moved) drive home. It seems our Montreal outing was foiled at every turn yesterday. Then again, the worst day in Montreal is often better than the best day in little old Plattsburgh. And it all became kind of comical at some point. Nevetheless, I decided to stay home, watch the Olympics, and bake cookies or something relaxing today in hopes of recuperating from the Montreal debacle!

My Valentine's Day started in the best possible way, with my awakening obscenely late, having acquired NINE full hours of sleep, which I so desperately needed before the work week starts anew! Cyd got up early and tended to the dogs and the wood stove, and even waited for the firewood delivery while I snoozed the day away. When I finally got my lazy butt up, I was greeted to the following Valentine's "basket" from my incredibly sweet and generous friend. It included a pretty card, not one but TWO volumes of the "Glee" soundtrack (I am obsessed with that show!), the blu-ray of Julie and Julia, a delicious new perfume called "In Bloom" from Reese Witherspoon (yes, Reese Witherspoon!), and one giant Reese's peanut butter heart--a Reese theme, if you will. I was just tickled to death with all my surprises. THANK YOU, Cyd! :-D

My plan for my Sunday was to make belated Valentine's cookies for my co-workers. I even bought some new cookie cutters and a rolling pin, but I just couldn't seem to find the drive. But I did manage to make an incredible dessert to accompany tonight's dinner (i.e. steak and caesar salad made with local, organic greens), something decadently chocolatey in honor of Valentine's Day. I spied the recipe for Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mint Cream on Smitten Kitchen, and it is truly fantastic, and not very difficult, either. Plus, the cakes are flourless, so they are great for the gluten-free crowd and/or for Jewish folks at Passover. And they are just delectable--ethereal little clouds with a deep chocolate resonance. And the minty cream on top? Oh man, I just want to BATHE in it! And I am not even a big fan of white chocolate, but it makes a silky, lustrous topping that marries perfectly with the mint flavor. Just be sure to buy REAL white chocolate with cocoa butter and not those vile "white chips" or vanilla bark. (Tip: Baker's now produces white chocolate baking squares.) Much of my kitchen is still in boxes (yes, still--don't judge me--which is also why I had to buy another rolling pin), and I couldn't find my peppermint extract. But I did unearth a bottle of Starbuck's peppermint syrup, so I added maybe a teaspoon and a half of that instead, and it made the cupcakes taste like a peppermint mocha! DELISH! Make these for your sweetie and/or your favorite chocoholic immediately!

Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mint Cream
(Source: Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 9 cupcakes (I got 11, so I made half again as much of the mint cream)

Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used some wonderfully dark Merckens chocolate chips that I found at our local co-op)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
heaping 1/4 teaspoon espresso or instant coffee powder
3 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Mint Cream:
2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
3 ounces heavy whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

Place the white chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute to melt the chocolate. Whisk well. Add the peppermint extract and whisk again. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the cream. Chill until very cold, about two hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9 standard-size (3-ounce) muffin cups with paper liners. Stir chocolate, butter and espresso powder together in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until mostly melted, then remove from the heat and whisk until it is fully melted and smooth. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer (a hand mixer, rather than a stand mixer, actually works best here because the volumes are so small) beat egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Briefly beat lukewarm chocolate mixture, then vanilla extract, into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and all of the salt, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared cups, filling each three-fourths of the way.

Bake cakes until tops are puffed and dry to the touch (some may crack, embrace it) and a tester inserted into the centers comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a cooling rack, where the cupcakes will almost immediately start to fall. It will be all the better to put your mint cream on them.

Beat mint white chocolate cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Remove cupcakes from pan, arrange on a platter. Fill each sunken top with a healthy dollop of white chocolate mint cream. Top with shaved dark chocolate, if you’re feeling fancy.

WHO DAT??

Everyone who knows me knows that I hate sports in general and loathe football in particular. However, as I have said many times, I do LOVE a Superbowl PARTY! I enjoy the commercials, the half-time show, the company, and of course, the good eats. The game? Meh. However, this year, I made a special exception and actually watched the game and rooted for New Orleans. Not only was it the Saints' first time at the big show, it did my heart good to see that team represent a city that has had to pull itself up out of some of the worst misery that this country has ever seen. And it was extra-fun to cheer them on from my friends' comfy den, as Tom and June are New Orleans natives. (I am still recovering for the ear-shattering shrieks that came out of June when the Saints got that last interception and touchdown, and it became clear that they would be the Superbowl winners. OUCH! Tee hee.)

In true Lousiana fashion, there was some delicious food at the party...and WAY too much of it! To bring the Cajun/Creole flair, June made jambalaya, and someone else brought red beans and rice and smoked sausage. Of course, no Superbowl party would be compelte without the ubiquitous hot wings, and various snack platters of veggies and dip, crackers and cheese, etc. Then for dessert, there were decadent World Peace cookies with white chocolate chips, some terribly cute sugar cookies cut and decorated to look like footballs (of course, these came from the clever and creative Padula Family!), and the piece de resistance, an authentic fleur-de-lis king cake that one of June's friends had sent from New Orleans!

As for my own contributions, I made a zippy Creole slaw from some of the veggies that I just bought from a winter CSA (more about that another time), and a GINORMOUS muffaletta sandwich on the most adorable marbled football loaf that I happened upon at Price Chopper! For those of you unfamiliar with the muffaletta (and you have my deepest sympathies if that's you!), it is the most delicious of all sandwiches, made on a big, round loaf of Italian bread. The traditional fillings are mortadella, capicola, and Genoa Salami, both mozzarella and provolone cheeses, all dressed with a generous amount of olive salad. Yes, yes, it's enough to make a cardiologist cry, but MAN, is it GOOD!

The definitive muffaletta, they say, is to be found at Central Grocery in the French Quarter, though the best one I've had to date is at the Camellia Cafe in Slidell. Still, to honor tradition, I was guided by a recipe that was reported to have come from "someone who used to work with someone" whose grandfather created the now famous Central Grocery muffaletta. That provenance doesn't sound too trustworthy, but I played around with the olive salad a bit, anyway, tweaking it to my liking. So this may not be 100% authentic, but it sure was yummy!

Super-Saints Muffaletta
(Source: adapted from Cookery N'Orleans Style)

olive salad (my version):

1 sweet onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 of a 16 oz. jar pepperoncini, drained and tops cut off each pepper
1 16 oz. jar green salad olives (stuffed with pimento), drained
2 16 oz. cans black olives, drained
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely shredded
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons white vinegar

In the bowl of a food processor, add the onion, garlic cloves, and pepperoncini. Pulse until it's still a very rough chop, then add the olives and pulse again until everything is finely chopped. Dump the mixture into another bowl and stir in the shredded carrots, the spices, sugar (if using), olive oil and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours before making the muffaletta.

For each large sandwich (to serve two hungry people), you will need:

a round loaf of Italian bread
1/4 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
1/4 pound capicola (hot ham), thinly sliced
1/4 pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced
1 cup olive salad

Split a muffuletta loaf or a loaf of Italian bread horizontally. Spread each half with equal parts of the olive salad. layer meats and cheeses evenly on bottom half and cover (carefully!) with top half of bread. Cut in quarters. Enjoy!

Creole Cole Slaw
(Source: adapted from Zatarain's)

6 cups coleslaw mix*
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
few dashes of tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

*I used mainly Napa cabbage with a few carrots, a couple of stalks of celery, one green pepper, and one jalapeno shredded into the mix, along with three or four sliced scallions.

I salted the shredded vegetables with a couple of good pinches of kosher salt, then let it drain in a colander for a few hours before dressing the salad and letting it all chill and absorb flavor overnight. Salting the coleslaw ahead of time is supposed to leech out a lot of the water that ultimately makes the dressing runny, but mine ended up runny anyway! So next time, I might try chilling the veggies and the dressing separately, then combining them just before serving the slaw.

GEAUX SAINTS! :-D

HAPPY BLOGDAY TO ME!

WOW! How time does fly! It has been four years since I started this little blog during a spate of cabin fever late in the winter of 2006. I remember, the propane monitor in the living room was on the fritz...or perhaps we couldn't afford to run it at a level that actually kept us warm. So myself, my roommate, three dogs, and four cats were all holed up in the back bedroom, the only room that was sufficiently warmed by a faithful old fuel oil furnace. Actually, during a couple of dreadful winters, we moved into that room by January and didn't fully emerge until March or April! And when we did, we still had to rely on a system of strategically-placed space heaters, layered clothing, and sleeping bags draped over us just to stay alive! That is just one of many reasons why I feel so blessed to own my own home now where there is a kerosene monitor (old, but still doing her job well) and a large wood stove that can really crank out the heat. Ok, ok...I must admit that I managed to freeze the kitchen pipes within the first three days of living here (oops), but for the first time in nine years, we are cozy and WARM! PTL!!

Right at the moment, we may have global warming to thank, as it is weirdly, unseasonably warm. Two days ago, we actually had a spring-like flood watch (though spring doesn't truly come to us until April)! Even my friend, June, who is from New Orleans and is always cold admits that "51 degrees is spooky in January" in the North Country. Indeed, it's quite odd to start spring semester and look out my classroom window to see Lake Champlain...unfrozen! But we all know that winter is not yet done with us, and there will be plenty more cold before it's all over. So to keep us toasty on the inside, I offer a couple of hearty soup recipes for your approval.

The first one was a collaborative effort between my roomie and myself. While she was living in frigid Minnesota for more than a year, Cyd claims to have mastered the art of ham and navy bean soup. So I told her she needed to make some for me, but of course, I couldn't help meddling, as is my way. But in this case, too many cooks did NOT spoil the broth, but made an even tastier version!


Cyd's (and Gina's) Bean and Bacon Soup

1 lb. dried navy beans
8 cups vegetable stock
2 ham hocks
1 lb. bacon (I used something I found called "jowl bacon"), cut up
2 medium onions, chopped
4 large stalks celery, diced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
4 large carrots, sliced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar, optional (to balance the acidity)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne

Place the beans, vegetable broth, and ham hocks in a stock pot. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. In the meantime, brown the bacon pieces, onion and celery in a skillet over medium heat. When the bacon is crisp and the onion and celery are soft and translucent, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two. Set aside.

When the beans have boiled for an hour, add the bacon, onion, celery and garlic mixture, the carrots, the canned tomatoes with their juice, the sugar (if using) and all of the herbs and spices. Continue to simmer until the beans are tender, probably about an hour. Remove ham hocks and bay leaves, then taste and correct seasoning before serving.

The second soup comes by way of my favorite Montreal bloggers at An Endless Banquet. I was drawn to this recipe because I'm not really fond of clams. This chowder calls for haddock or cod, and I used both, along with some bay scallops. (If I had had shrimp, I would have thrown half a pound of those in there, too!) Delicious stuff, and stick-to-your-ribs hearty! You might as well make a double batch, and then you'll have a homemade hot lunch all week long.

Seafood Chowder
(Source: adapted from An Endless Banquet)
Serves 4

1 lb. haddock or cod fillets (or both!)
1/2 pound bay scallops
1 bay leaf
1/4 lb. bacon ends, or bacon, or salt pork
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small leek, white part only, thoroughly rinsed, cleaned, and finely chopped
2-3 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon parsley, minced (I used 2 tablespoons dried)
2-3 sprigs thyme, leaves only, minced (I used about a teaspoon of dried)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used half-n-half)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning, optional

Bring three cups of lightly salted water to a boil (I used a box of seafood stock for additional flavor). Add the fish and scallops and the bay leaf, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 7-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish to a plate or cutting board, but keep the broth warm on a back burner.

Fry the bacon in a skillet it has rendered its fat and has begun to crisp. (I took my bacon all the way to crispy, then fished it out, cooled and crumbled it, and used it to garnish the chowder.) Add the onion and the leek and sauté until the onion begins to turn translucent and the leek has become tender. Add the onion/leek mixture and the chopped potatoes to the fish broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened slightly.

Meanwhile, gently flake the fish fillets. When the potatoes are ready, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, add the fish, the parsley, the thyme, and the milk (or half-n-half) to the broth, and let the chowder steep for 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. (Mine didn't have enough zip to suit me, so I added half a tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning, and that did the trick!)

Serve each bowl of chowder topped with crackers that have been broken into chunks, or with oyster crackers.

And I would completely remiss if I forgot to give a shout-out to my little buddy who shares the same birthday as my blog. This happy, tousled fellow is my PBGV, Grady. He is a champion show dog (in two countries!), but more importantly, he's just a sweet lug of a lapdog, and SIX years old today!

Best Christmas Present---Best Neighbor!

I recognize that it is nearly one month AFTER Christmas, but I have to tell you about a belated Christmas/housewarming surprise. I have shared many, many times about what a WONDERFUL next-door neighbor we had for nine years living in Sciota. In fact, it was the one thing that truly gave me pause about moving--what would I ever do without Ken? He is just a gem of a human being, however, he is next to impossible to buy presents for! He is a man of very simple means who also has no patience. So he doesn't need much, but if he wants something, he buys it for himself right away. It's very frustrating for me, as I want to be able to get him something that would give him some sense of how much I appreciate him! So mostly, I just bake him homemade treats and take him out to dinner and a movie once in awhile, which he seems to enjoy more than the lame presents I choose for him semi-annually.

A couple of weeks after Christmas and the big move, Cyd and I finally managed to get together with Ken to go see a movie ("It's Complicated"--LOVE Meryl and Alec!) and grab some dinner (Mangia's). When we were done eating, Ken said that he needed to pull around to load something into my car. What in the world, I thought? I asked if it was alive, and then told him that I had quite enough pets at present, thank you very much! He said, no, it wasn't alive, but it was HEAVY! When I got out to the parking lot and unlocked the back door, Ken began hauling a ginormous box out of his car and into mine. Friends, that saintly man had bought me this:


Is it not the most GORGEOUS thing you've ever seen? I have no idea what put it into his head to get me a new Kitchen Aid mixer, but I was over the moon! I bought my old one probably 15 years ago, a no-frills classic white refurb from a kitchen outlet outside of Boise. Don't get me wrong--that thing was a faithful workhorse, and besides having to replace a knob on it, gave me no trouble at all, even with heavy use. However, I always wanted to upgrade to a more powerful model--one where the bowl lifts up and down so that I could knead bread dough in it without having to hold the bowl in place and keep the speed low so that it wouldn't fly off the base! Plus, since the move into the new house, I haven't been able to locate the attachments to my old mixer, and I had been jonesin' to get back to some real baking! So it really was the PERFECT gift, but WAY too generous! I tried to protest, but Ken wouldn't hear of it. So I told him that he doesn't owe me a birthday or Christmas present for at least another three years after this! Ha!

I couldn't wait to get started using my new black beauty. The first thing I whipped up was a Toll House pie, always a crowd pleaser. I followed the recipe that everyone uses, except that I like to toast the nuts and add a teaspoon of vanilla.

Secondly, after seeing "It's Complicated" and the decadent double fudge cake that Meryl Streep's character made, Cyd, Ken and I were all craving some truly awesome chocolate cake. I did a Google search for double fudge cake, and found something on BakeSpace called a Double Chocolate Whammy Cake with Fudge Icing. That sounded like just the ticket, though I decided to make the recipe into 24 cupcakes so that I could easily transport Ken's share up to him in Sciota. (My timing was impeccable, too, as the poor fellow was having knee surgery and would be on crutches for awhile. So I took him a large pan of spicy chicken enchiladas and the cupcakes to keep him fed for a few days!)

Though the recipe begins with a boxed devil's food cake mix, it was very good. However, the frosting was a NIGHTMARE! The fact that it called for the use of a candy thermometer should have been my first clue. I was game to try, though. I am not afraid of candy making. But when I brought it up to the soft ball stage and then cooled it back down as directed, it became as hard as a rock! I had no choice but to melt it back down and smooth it out with some heavy cream (like a ganache). But then it didn't set up enough to suit me. So I decided to try and whip it in the mixer. It did fluff up, and made a surprisingly light and delicious topping for the cupcakes, but they had to be kept in the fridge to keep the frosting from melting. Next time, I would frost the cupcakes with something like Martha's recipe for "Mrs. Milman's Chocolate Frosting," which is basically just a thick ganache.

Double Chocolate Whammy Cake with Fudge Icing
(Source: BakeSpace)

1 package of any good Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup minus 1 tablespoon whole milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated
2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream (or Whole Milk)

Preheat oven to 350°. Trace around bottom edge of two 9 inch cake pans on sheets of parchment paper. Cut out circles, and place one in bottom of each pan.

Beat the Devil's Food cake mix together with the water, sour cream, oil, and eggs with a mixer for at least 2 minutes. Add the miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, and stir in by hand. Pour equal amounts of batter into the pans lined with parchment paper.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350° (or adjust for specific cake mix directions if needed). Let cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then loosen around edge of cakes, invert them onto buttered parchment paper and let them cool thoroughly.

Bring the milk to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, sugar and salt. Bring again to a boil and cook covered 2 to 3 minutes at a full boil. Uncover, reduce the heat and cook without stirring to soft-ball stage or about 234°F (112°C) by a candy thermometer.

Cool the icing to 110°F (43°C). (Placing the hot pan in a larger pan of cold or ice water for awhile will speed this process). Add 4 tablespoons of Butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat the icing until it begins to loose its sheen. Beat in up to 1 cup of sour cream until the fudge icing is spreadable.

Ice the top of the first cake layer and then put second cake layer on top. Ice the second layer's top and then the sides of the cake.

If you don't mind "death from chocolate", decorate the top with Semi Sweet Chocolate Curls. You might want to drink lots of milk or enjoy some ice cream to "cut through" the incredible richness of this Chocolate Double Whammy Cake.

Last but not least, I had to test the new mixer's bread-making abilities. And I was overjoyed to find that it worked like a dream! I made three loaves of Sherry Yard's sweet potato bread (one to eat right away, one to stick in the freezer, and one to take over to introduce myself to my new neighbors across the road--sorry, Ken!). I have already posted that recipe, but I will show you some new pictures just for shiggles.

Beautiful, huh? And all thanks to my amazing (former) neighbor, Ken! I will miss living next door to such wonderful friend!

P.S. I have come to the realization that my beloved roommate, Cyd, will read this at some point and may be hurt that I didn't publicly acknowledge HER fabulous Christmas gifts. Since I just bought a new 50-inch plasma t.v. as a housewarming gift to myself, she made it PERFECT with the addition of a new Blu-Ray player and some wonderful 3-D movies like Up! and Coraline. So THANKS to Cyd as well! I have terrific friends! :-)

First Christmas in the new house...such as it was.

MERRRRRRRRRY CHRISTMAS, everybody! Yeah, yeah, I know. I am weeks behind in that salutation. But I am still trying to catch up from the month that fell into the black hole! I don't even have too much to share recipe-wise, as the new kitchen was not unpacked (having just completed the move on 12/23). But I thought you might get a kick out of seeing the fabulous Christmas Eve dinner that we somehow managed to pull off--the first real meal prepared in the new house! Of course, it was served on paper plates, but it was still delicious! TA-DAH!

I don't know what your feelings are about the hallowed holiday protein alternatives, but many years ago, Cyd and I decided that our choice would be the roast beast. It always seems like we're just finishing up the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers by the time Christmas rolls around, as I always end up buying a huge bird, and there's just the two of us to eat it (maybe three, if I shared with neighbor Ken). And then ham says Easter to me, so that's right out. Thus, roast beef seems the best option.

Moreover, I had a great student this past semester who did her informative speech on English food (she was born there), and some of her Power Point images gave me a real hankering for a proper Yorkshire pudding! This time, I tried a recipe from my boyfriend, Tyler Florence (who I am pleased to see has NOT crossed over to the dark side and become disturbingly emaciated like my husband, Alton Brown!). It turned out puffy and golden and delicious--like Tyler himself, and just like the giant popover that it is. Tradition dictates that you eat the Yorkshire pudding with gravy, but I didn't make any this time (couldn't begin to locate a whisk). Besides, I like to tear off hunks and just eat it like bread with my meal. Another way to do it is to make individual puddings, which I probably would have done had I been able to find a muffin tin!

Yorkshire Pudding
(Source: Tyler Florence, via Food Network)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pan drippings from roast prime rib of beef

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour the drippings into a 9-inch pie pan, cast iron skillet, or square baking dish. Put the pan in oven and get the drippings smoking hot. Carefully take the pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Put the pan back in oven and cook until puffed and dry, 15 to 20 minutes.

In addition to the roast and the Yorkshire pudding, we had an amazing number of side dishes for people with very limited kitchen resources. First, I cooked some fresh green beans with bacon--simple, but always satisfying. Also, I roasted some sweet potato chunks with brown sugar and maple syrup. And then, not pictured on my plate above (because I hate them), were mashed rutabagas (which Cyd loves). Lastly, for dessert, I am covered with shame to admit that I BOUGHT something from the freezer section of the grocery store. Please don't judge me, as I couldn't even find the attachments to my mixer at that time! However, I must confess that the pie I bought was EXCELLENT! Mad props to Marie Callender for the thaw-and-serve Chocolate Satin Pie! It had an Oreo-type crust, a filling that's a hybrid between French silk and chocolate cream, and a Cool Whip-like topping with a few big chocolate shavings on top. For a cheater pie, it was darn good, and so help me, I'd buy one again in a pinch!













So that was our first Christmas feast in the new house. As for Christmas Day proper, we took the ferry over to Vermont to visit with my sweet cousin, Mandi, and her new bride, Ashley, and Ashley's lovely parents. As you may recall, they had their commitment ceremony at Epcot last June, but they came to Vermont to make it legal with a civil union. Of course, they also came for some snowy winter fun, and I thought it was precious that the young lovebirds invited Ashley's parents to join them on the trip.

In any case, we met for brunch at the Inn at Essex Junction, and it was just beautiful--both the venue and the buffet! Normally, there is a separate restaurant and a tavern, but they had it set up so that cold dishes were on the restaurant side, and hot dishes were in the tavern. I believe that the food is prepared by chefs-in-training at the New England Culinary Institute, so everything was tasty and tasteful. Here is a picture I snapped of some of the cold offerings, including dressed baby greens, a marinated bean salad, smoked salmon with capers and chopped egg and cornichons, an assortment of cold cuts and cheeses, a terrifically flaky croissant, and even two kinds of housemade charcuterie. Yum!

After we stuffed ourselves at the inn and had a nice visit with the cute couple and my cousin's in-laws, we decided to follow the time-honored tradition of the Christmas Day matinee...and it wasn't even my idea! (Ashley and her folks are my kind of people--frequent moviegoers, and teachers and dog lovers to boot!) We saw "Up in the Air," which was very good, though not what I expected. The trailers made it seem like a typical mainstream rom-com, but it was darker and quirkier. I liked it a lot, and it was the perfect jumpstart to my annual Winter Break Golden Globes Fest!

Though I know I'm ridiculously late in my well wishes, I hope you, too, had a joyful holiday celebrated in whatever manner you like best, surrounded with loving family and friends.

Moving messes with Christmas tradition...

Had I been in my right mind, I would have considered that my big move and the annual Padula Christmas Cookie Exchange would converge on December 21, and I would have baked and frozen this year's cookies ahead of time. But as you can imagine, I was more than a bit scatty during that period and failed to plan (and yes, planned to fail). As it happened, when the party was upon us, I had access to two kitchens, but neither were fully functioning. So initially, I concluded that I wouldn't attend the cookie exchange this year. But I really couldn't bear that thought, and my friend and hostess, Janice, wouldn't hear of it. She said I should come anyway, but my pride wouldn't allow me to attend...cookieless. Therefore, I confess that I cheated and decided to make some sort of no-bake cookie, hoping that my friends would forgive me under the circumstances. And when they tasted the simple, but simply DELECTABLE treats that I made, I feel confident that there would be no hard feelings.

Awhile back, I was perusing one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen, and busy new mom, Deb, made a quick and easy treat that put a new twist on an old favorite: Rice Krispie Treats with Browned Butter and Sea Salt. GENIUS! Why didn't someone think of this before? By simply browning the butter to a nutty, caramel color and swapping slightly tangy sea salt for regular salt...well, it makes ALL the difference in the world! Oh, they don't look any different, but the flavor is improved exponentially. And for those of us who love that sweet-salty combo, these treats are like CRACK! I made six batches in rapid succession, flash-chilling them in the open-air blast chiller that is my front porch, cut and individually wrapped them, then bagged them up in winter-themed Ziploc baggies. TA-DAH! Ready for the cookie party with limited cooking facilities! You have to try these...

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
(Source: Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning; the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well. (Gina's Note: Slightly dampen your hands,then just press with your fingertips.Works like a charm!)

Let cool then cut into squares.



Of course, I would be remiss if I did not pay homage to the delicious grub that we had at the luncheon. With hosts named Padula, you have to KNOW that we got some fantastic Italian fare! We started with a lovely green salad with dried fruits and nuts mixed in, then there were two kinds of stromboli--ham and pepperoni--and also chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta and marinara. SO YUMMY!

And naturally, Janice's daughter and co-hostess, Dominica, baked up a storm for the affair, and shared an entire platter of beautiful and DELICIOUS Christmas cookies with us for dessert, as befitting the occasion. They were all so good, but two of the cookies really stood out to me, both coming from the Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Cookie Book. And both were types of shortbread, which should come as no surprise to those who know me or my blog, as shortbreads are my very favorite kind of cookie. The first was a maraschino cherry shortbread cookie that was very tasty (even without a dip in white chocolate as directed in the original recipe) and SO pretty with the flecks of red throughout...perfect for holiday gift-giving! The other cookie was my absolute FAVORITE edible item of the entire event, Chocolate-Pistachio Trees. In fact, they were SO good, I am thinking about making the same recipe in heart shapes for my friends and co-workers at Valentine's Day (note to self). Actually, come to think of it, the cherry shortbread--with its red and pink hues--would also be perfect for valentines if made into heart shapes (second note to self). And if any local friends and/or co-workers are reading this, please do try to act surprised come February. ;-)

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread
(Source and Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 teaspoons shortening
White nonpareils and/or red edible glitter (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.
3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.
6. To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Chocolate-Pistachio Trees
(Source and Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens)

1 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, beaten
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup ground pistachio nuts

1. In a medium saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar; heat and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in vanilla. Cool mixture for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, flour, and cocoa powder until mixture is combined. Stir in the 3/4 cup pistachio nuts. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 30 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough, half at a time, to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a tree-shape cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven about 9 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer to a wire rack; cool.
4. In a heavy small saucepan, combine chocolate pieces and shortening; heat and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Dip one-third of each cookie into chocolate mixture; roll edges of cookie in ground pistachio nuts.

Makes about 48 cookies.

To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

2010: A Return to Blogging

HAPPY NEW YEAR (albeit a bit belated)!

Friends, I realize that I have hit a new low. I have been absent from this blog for over a month, and that is just disgraceful. To put it simply, December 2009 was the month that wasn't. You see, the movers came to take away most of the stuff from the old rental and haul it to the new house on Dec. 14, so the big push to be ready for that momentous day was nightmarish, to say the very least. I remember watching Paula Deen's "Chefography" show ages ago, and in it, she and her sons talked about a time in their life when they were all working around the clock at some cafeteria that Paula was managing. And it was such a difficult time that they still don't talk about it to this day. That's kind of how I feel about this move; it was physically and emotionally traumatizing.

Of course I am excited to be moving into the first house that I own, but I was in that rental house for nine and a half years--longer than I have ever lived anywhere--so there was an unbelievable amount of stuff to pack and purge. And with me working two jobs (the movers actually came the first day of finals week at Clinton!), it was practically impossible to accomplish much on the homefront right at the end of the semester, in the thick of all the madness. All honor and glory and praise MUST go to my AMAZING roommate, Cyd. There really are not enough words to describe the amount of work she did to get us ready for the move or how incredibly thankful I am for her Herculean efforts. So I will just say, from the bottom of my heart, GOD BLESS HER! And the other person that we could not have done it without is my (now former....sniff!) next-door neighbor, Ken, who spent the better part of December running up and down the stairs, hauling crap down from the overstuffed attic. BLESS HIM, TOO!

Though the movers transferred about 80% of our possessions on 12/14, it was somehow worse to finish the last of it, especially as we had to move the rest ourselves. (Appropriate shout-outs here to my sweet friends and co-workers who helped to subsidize the cost of the professional movers, and also to my faithful friends, Vicky and Tom, for the use of their pickup trucks to complete the move.) Then, of course, there was the neverending hauling of trash and finally, all the cleaning. But somehow, we managed to vacate the old place on December 23...Christmas Eve Eve! (December 2009 was also the Christmas that wasn't. Boo hiss.) It almost killed us, but we did it. Thank heavens I have most of January to try to recuperate and maybe start unpacking...but I'm making no promises on that account. I might just live out of boxes until the spring thaw! (By then, my back and my spirit may have healed somewhat.) But one thing I will definitely commit to is a return to food blogging. Granted, I can barely find anything in the new kitchen, but I have some catching up to do before I start sharing new cooking adventures anyway...

I will begin with a recipe that I had originally intended to make for holiday gifts for co-workers and friends (in addition to the cranberry salsa and apple chutney), but didn't manage to pull it off. It was a cranberry loaf with a spicy twist that I read about on Anna's Cookie Madness blog--and that she highly recommended--called Texas Cranberry Jalapeno Bread. I thought I might make mini-loaves for the people at work, but instead, I ended up making two large loaves to take to a couple of Christmas parties that I was invited to.

It sounds a little strange, I know, but I really liked the peppery kick to a traditional cranberry orange loaf. The only thing I didn't like about the recipe was the half teaspoon of cumin that it calls for. In my opinion, it really overpowered the other flavors. I was thinking that one might substitute cinnamon, but I really think I will admit the spice altogether the next time I make it, so that I can taste the cranberries, the orange, and the zing of both the black pepper and the pepper jelly. That was another great thing about this recipe--it allowed me to use up a half jar of homemade pepper jelly that I found while cleaning out the fridge. (Note: I followed a version of the recipe from Recipezaar that included four tablespoons of pepper jelly, while Anna's version called for two tablespoons of pepper jelly and two tablespoons of salsa, which I thought sounded a little odd and potentially overpowering as well.) In any case, I think that this bread is perfect for the holidays and also to warm you up during the chill of winter!

Texas Cranberry Jalapeno Bread
(Source: Recipezaar)

4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin (I will omit this next time!)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 bag cranberries, coarsely chopped
3 beaten eggs
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons jalapeno jelly (I used my homemade apricot pepper jelly)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients and the cranberries. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, juice, vanilla, jelly, and butter.

Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into dry and mix gently until ingredients are just combined.

Pour into 2 well-greased loaf pans. Bake 50-60 minutes. Cool in the pans for about ten minutes before turning out and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Makes 2 large loaves.