Game Day Grub

As anyone who knows me or who has read this blog for awhile understands, I absolutely hate sports! But my roommate has become a passionate NFL fan, and we have come to an amicable truce which involves her getting to watch her game(s) on Sunday while I amuse myself with tasty experiments in the kitchen. Today, while she rooted for/fretted over the Patriots and then the Giants (aren't you impressed that I know that much? tee hee), I got it in my head to make Cincinnati-style, five-way chili. To make it easier on myself while I juggled three ongoing games of "Words with Friends," I started the chili on the stovetop, but then let it simmer away all day in the crock pot. Man, was it delicious! And even though the weather was in the 20's today, and I could finally turn off the kitchen tap that had been trickling for two days, the chili was very warm and comforting on a winter's day.  This one's a keeper, folks.

Cincinnati-Style Five-Way Chili
(Source: adapted from 
http://americanfood.about.com/od/classicchowdersandstews/r/cinnchili.htm)

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
2 cups crushed tomatoes (I used one can of diced, spicy red pepper flavor)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 whole bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground celery
1 teaspoon salt

2 cans drained beans (I used chili beans and dark red kidneys), optional

cooked spaghetti, optional
shredded cheese, optional
chopped onions, optional

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the diced onions. Once the meat is nearly brown and the onions are tender, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Add the meat mixture and everything else (excepts the optional toppings, of course) to the crock pot, and cook on low for eight hours or high for four. About 30 minutes before you serve, fish out the bay leaf and add the two cans of beans, if using.

To serve, pile some spaghetti on the plate, top with the chili, then shredded cheese and onions.

The Cincinnati "Skyline" Chili Ordering Code

1-way: just the chili
2-way: chili served over spaghetti
3-way: chili, spaghetti, and grated cheddar cheese
4-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, and onions
5-way: chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions, and beans
All "ways" is served with oyster crackers.

Umami Cafe Revisited

On my never-ending quest to find and prepare the ultimate macaroni and cheese recipe, I thought I might backtrack a bit and make the official Umami Cafe truffled mac and cheese from Chef John Pratt, instead of my knock-off version. Now, for those who want a very thick and gooey pasta, this might not be the one for you. But I LOVE it! It's so very flavorful, and the texture is lighter--not on calories, mind you--but because it doesn't have any binders or thickeners like flour or eggs. It's simply reduced cream, shallots and garlic sauteed with white wine, and cheese. As you might infer, there are a lot of separate steps to this recipe, so it's a little involved. Not that any of it is hard to do, but it might be best saved for a weekend project.

Umami Cafe's Truffled Macaroni and Cheese
(Source: adapted from John Pratt, Umami Cafe)

1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 cups heavy cream
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 4!)
1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio--I used Chardonnay)
2 oz. black truffle butter (I only used a generous teaspoon)
1 tablespoon black truffle oil (I omitted this)
1 1/2 cups Fontina cheese, shredded (or 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup smoked Gouda)
salt and pepper, to taste

panko crumbs or in a pinch, bread crumbs (I used one cup crumbs plus 4 tablespoons melted butter which I browned in a saute pan until the crumbs just started to color)

Cook pasta in salted (don’t be shy with the salt) boiling water until tender but not mushy. Drain and empty out on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Reserve.

Reduce cream in non-reactive sauce pan. Bring heavy cream to just boiling, reduce heat to low setting and simmer for 30 minutes or reduced to half. Reserve.

In non-reactive sauce pan, sauté shallots and garlic in a tablespoon or two of butter until soft but not browned. Add white wine and simmer until wine is almost gone. Add reduced cream and bring just to simmer, then add grated cheese and whisk to incorporate. Add truffle butter and oil (if using), then salt and pepper to taste.

Combine pasta and sauce. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the buttered panko crumbs. Place casserole in a 350 degree oven to bake until crumbs are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Garnish with a few drops truffle oil and minced chives.

Bean Salad for the Budget-Conscious

I oftentimes find myself ogling little overpriced containers of interesting deli salads at the grocery store, but before I pay five dollars for a cup of marinated edamame, I usually convince myself to put it down, walk away, and make something cheaper and better myself. Here is the salad I made at home, though I used lima beans instead of edamame because the store I was shopping at didn't carry them. Oh well. This was just as good--so colorful and flavorful!

Baby Lima Bean, Corn, and Black Bean Salad 

1 (14 oz?) bag frozen baby lima beans, cooked (acc. to package instructions), rinsed/cooled, drained
1 can seasoned black beans, drained
1 cup corn relish (preferably, homemade!)
1/2 large sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
2 small tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground celery
1/4 (up to 1/3) cup Italian dressing of your choice
1 teaspoon habanero hot sauce, or to taste
squeeze of lime juice
pinch salt (to taste)
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

Combine all ingredients and chill for a couple/few hours (better yet, overnight) before serving.

South of the Border Pork and Beans for the Icy North

I had been considering making a Cuban black bean soup in the crock pot with some of my dwindling supply of precious Rancho Gordo beans. But then I was shopping at Sam's Club on Sunday, and I found this interesting product (under the brand name High Plains Farms), a hickory-seasoned, marinated pork shoulder that you can roast in its own plastic bag in the oven. So I surmised that maybe these two things could be deliciously combined.

Now, I did not cook the roast in its bag, because I wanted the meat to flavor the beans. And since beans take SO much longer to cook than the roast, I started the beans on low overnight, added the pork the next day, and cooked it slowly until dinner time. Then I shredded the pork (which was tender, juicy, and very flavorful, by the way--shout out to High Plains Farms!), and fashioned some FABULOUS Cuban black bean and pork tostadas. MUY BUENO!

Crock Pot Cuban-Style Black Beans and Pork

1 lb. dry black beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
a few hot chilies (to taste), de-veined, seeded, and chopped
(I used one long hot and one Fresno, and the heat level was about "medium")
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground celery
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
1 tablespoon beef soup base
1 quart water
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used a roasted garlic & onion variety)
3-4 lb. seasoned pork roast* (or marinate in a homemade mojo)

Soak the dried black beans covered with cold water for 7-8 hours, then drain. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute the onion and peppers until tender. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two.

Add the soaked beans, sauteed veggies, vinegar, spices, soup bases, and water to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (If there is too much liquid at this point, scoop some out before proceeding.)

Add the (drained) can of diced tomatoes to the beans, and then tuck in the pork roast. Cook for another 6-8 hours on low until the pork is tender enough to be shredded.

Serve tostada-style with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole and/or sour cream, and salsa or hot sauce. A squeeze of fresh lime and some chopped cilantro would not be unwelcome either.

*As I stated above, I used a pre-marinated pork roast that I found at Sam's Club the other day. But of course, you can marinate a plain pork shoulder overnight in the mojo of your choice if you prefer.

Annnnnnnnd...back to the DEEP FREEZE!

This picture of the foot of my bed leads me to believe that the Mayan calendar may be right after all. Usually, one of the dogs pictured is trying to, um, molest this poor kitty, and the other dog loves to chase and attempt to kill the good-natured feline. But I suppose these cold winters make for strange bedfellows!  As for their human (cue the sarcasm), oh, how I love having to stay up all night, stoking the fire and keeping the kitchen tap a-tricklin'...winter fun in the North Country!

When the weather is this brutal, and you don't have a pile of furry friends to snuggle with, your only hope for survival is SOUP.  Last night, when it was zero degrees with a wind chill of 13 below, my roomie and I found ourselves in desperate need of a midnight snack. Cyd wanted grilled cheese, so I obliged her, and I also whipped up a quick semi-homemade cream of tomato soup for dunking. It was SO good and super-easy!

Semi-Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

1 can Campbell's Tomato Bisque
1 can diced tomatoes (with spicy red pepper*)
1/2 cup half-n-half
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon drief thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
*If you use regular or Italian tomatoes, you might want a few shakes of hot sauce or a squirt of sriracha.

Heat, mix with stick blender if you like it smoother (as I do), and devour.

This afternoon, while the thermometer was registering a balmy two degrees ABOVE, I ventured out to the grocery store for supplies, figuring that the cold might keep the crowds at bay (wrong--we're a tough lot in these parts). When I got home, I spent some time in the kitchen, working on one of my culinary experiments while my roomie watched her NFL playoffs (blech). Here's what I came up with: a rich, flavorful, creamy and meaty-tasting VEGAN mushroom soup! If you made some health-related resolutions for New Year's, this one's for you. And even if you didn't, this one might fool even the most passionate carnivore among you. What I can promise is that it will definitely warm your cockles (whatever those are...do girls even have them?) when it's -9 with a wind chill of sixteen below, as it is right now as I'm writing this blog post. BRRRRR!!!

Mushroom Ginger Miso Soup

In a five-quart stock pot, saute until tender in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil:
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large red pepper, seeds and veins removed, coarsely chopped (or use 1/2 large sweet pepper plus a couple/few hot peppers if you like it spicy as I do)
1 lb. white or brown mushrooms, sliced

Add 2 quarts vegetable stock and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Blend with stick blender until smooth. (You could strain it at this point if you want it very smooth, but I like the texture and the fiber, so I didn't.)

In another pan, saute slowly until tender in a generous tablespoon of olive oil:
8 oz. "exotic" mushrooms (oyster, chanterelle, shiitake, what have you--up to a pound, if you can afford them)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons freshly-grated ginger

Deglaze the saute pan with the juice of one lemon (lime juice might be even better!). Add this mixture to the blended soup along with two teaspoons Thai fish sauce (optional, if you don't care if it's vegan or not), two tablespoons of miso*, and--if you didn't use any hot peppers in the initial saute--perhaps a squirt of sriracha hot sauce, to taste. Check the seasoning, and garnish with cilantro leaves and sliced scallions before serving.

*If you prefer to keep the priobiotic goodness of the miso intact (heat kills the good bacteria), you could just add a teaspoon or two to each bowl before serving. I pulled the finished soup off the heat, let it cool off a bit, then added the miso to the whole batch. But then I killed the good yeasty-beasties upon reheating, so maybe leaving the miso out until right before serving would have been a better plan. But I can tell you this: the soup is even better on day two or three, whether the miso is still alive or not!

Easter Preview...in January!

I'm either loathe to leave the holidays behind, or I'm already thinking ahead to Easter...or perhaps it's just because they had a good sale on leftover hams after Christmas. Whatever the reason, I made a delicious small, half ham in the crock pot today, and in another stunning double crock pot maneuver, a yummy hash brown casserole on the side.

There's not much of a recipe for the ham. I just put a shallow layer of brown sugar on the bottom of the crock pot, then the ham (cut side down), then a can of crushed pineapple, and another good sprinkling of brown sugar on the top of the ham. Then you cook on low for 7-8 hours (though I did mine on high for four hours today because I got a late start). Easy peasy!

Crock Pot Hash Brown Casserole

32 oz. bag frozen hash browns, thawed
1/2 onion, minced (or go crazy and use the whole onion if you like)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheese (I used smoked Gouda and extra-sharp cheddar)
1 can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
few shakes of hot sauce

Mix everything together. Add to a sprayed crock pot. Cook on high for two hours, then turn it down to low for another two.

Thanksgiving/Christmas Turkey Re-Gifted

I ran across this awesome-sounding recipe before Thanksgiving on Huffington Post for re-gifting your leftover holiday turkey, but we ended up eating all of our leftovers for sandwiches and to make my very favorite turkey and wild rice soup, so I never got around to trying it. But at the grocery store the other day, I noticed that they were selling deli-roasted turkey breasts (like they do whole chickens), and two of them had been discounted for quick sale at $3.50 apiece. So I snapped two of them up, froze one, and used the other to make THIS fabulous dish: Turkey Puffs with Cranberry-Pinot Sauce. I believe the ingredient that takes it over the top is the chive and onion cream cheese. SO YUMMY! Don't wait for a major turkey holiday to try this one.

Turkey Puffs with Cranberry-Pinot Sauce
(Source: Taste of Home)

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
8 oz. mushrooms (I used a gourmet mix of oyster, shiitake, and baby bella), chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
8 ounces thinly sliced cooked turkey (I used about 1/2 cup for each of 4 puffs=2 cups)
1/2 cup spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
1 egg, beaten

SAUCE:
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine or additional chicken broth (I used Pinot Noir--the original recipe called for Cabernet)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup jellied cranberry sauce (I used my homemade "Cranberry Strumpet" with whole cranberries)

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onions and the mushrooms until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid is evaporated. Cool completely.
3. On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry. Roll each sheet into a 12-in. x 10-in. rectangle; cut each into 2 pieces. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. Spoon mushroom mixture onto each pastry; top with turkey and cream cheese.
4. Lightly brush pastry edges with water. Bring long sides over filling, pinching seams and ends to seal. Turn pastries seam side down. Cut small slits into pastry. Brush tops with egg. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the broth, wine and vinegar. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in cranberry sauce until melted. Serve with pastries.

The Flitting Anglican Priest Cake

I was messing around on Facebook as I so often do, and there was a picture of something called a "preacher cake" on the sidebar. I was curious, and so I clicked on it. In the comments under the recipe, some people hazard some guesses as to the unusual name. My favorite was, "This cake is so sinfully good, you'll have to see the preacher after you eat it!" Ha ha. But the most probably origin of the name is that it's so quick and easy to make, that you can have it in the oven by the time the preacher comes in for a visit.

As I perused the recipe--with lots of pineapple in it--it reminded me of a hummingbird cake, but without any banana. Also, oddly, the recipe didn't call for any kind of fat, and some reviewers remarked that it was rather dense, even chewy. A further internet searched yielded a few preacher cake recipes that were identical, but did include up to a cup(!) of butter.  I had two overripe bananas eyeballin' me on the counter, so I decided to morph the preacher cake and the hummingbird cake, prompting my clever friend, Jay, to entitle my creation, "The Flitting Anglican Priest Cake." LOL!

With cakes like this one (think carrot cake and such), I like the texture that vegetable oil gives, so I thought I'd swap that for butter. And although a cream cheese frosting would be expected here, I thought it might be interesting to use the buttermilk glaze from my favorite tea cake recipe, which would give it a buttery and tangy finish.

So this may be some sort of Franken-Cake, but I think it turned out very moist and very flavorful (better on day two, in fact), plus, it was so fast and easy to make! Next time, I might try it in a bundt pan, or it would make two nice loaves--one to keep and one to share, perhaps with your favorite man or woman of the cloth. :-)





The Flitting Anglican Priest Cake

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained (I like to puree this)
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted, cooled, and chopped (walnuts are fine, too)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, oil, vanilla, bananas, and pineapple. Add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly mixed.

Sift the dry ingredients together, if you can be bothered. If the priest is already flitting up the driveway, just throw the dry stuff into the batter and mix until just combined. Add the toasted nuts and blend one more time.

Pour into in a 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish (or a large bundt pan, or two loaf pans) that has been sprayed with flour-added cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes. Check for doneness with a skewer.

For the glaze:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a small saucepan, combine the buttermilk, sugar, butter and baking soda. Bring to a full boil (watch out—it will foam up!), and then turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Using a bamboo skewer, poke the warm cake all over with small holes. Spoon all of the glaze evenly over the cake (I prefer to use a pastry brush for a more even application), then let it cool completely on a wire rack. You may also choose to gild the lily (like those fancy ecumenical vestments!) with your favorite cream cheese frosting instead of the buttermilk glaze if you prefer.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Yield: 12 large pieces

FLAMING Bhutan!

There is a cute little store in our tiny 'Burgh that sells Tibetan accessories, and last spring, I heard that they had opened a restaurant next to the gift shop. I don't know what took me so long to get down there to eat, but now that I have, I'm kicking myself for not going sooner and frequently! Longtime readers of this blog know that I rarely have anything complimentary to report about the food in this town--to say that there is a dearth of good eats in this area is quite the understatement. But Himalaya Restaurant is a jewel hidden in plain sight...right in downtown Plattsburgh!

The decor is colorful and enchanting, and the ambiance is serene. But it's all about the FOOD! It's actually three restaurants in one, featuring Tibetan, Bhutamese, and Nepali cuisines. They make everything from scratch, and you can really taste it! I had lunch there with three friends the other day, and everything we had was simply SCRUMPTIOUS!





This is what my friend, June, and I both had for lunch, a soup eaten before the Tibetan New Year/Losar celebration called Bhanktuk or Guthuk. It has little handmade dumplings not unlike German spaetzle or Italian gnocchi.










This is called Emma Dasi or Ema Datsi (Bhutanese): Sauteed peppers garnished with tomatoes, onions and fresh cheese. It tasted somewhere between a mild curry and the best cream of tomato soup you've ever had!









These are Momo (Tibetan dumplings--coarsely chopped meat, onions, and cilantro encased in flour dough and steamed) served with a spicy cabbage salad.











I think this is called Shapta (Tibetan): Sliced pieces of meat (chicken pictured here) sauteed with green peppers, onions, tomato, ginger and garlic, served with Drobuk, which is bread made from a steamed flour dough.








I loved everything I tasted, but I especially enjoyed the Ema Datsi. I was thinking about ordering that the next time I went to Himalaya (perhaps as soon as this weekend when my roommate can go with me!).  But the problem is, I don't really care for green peppers, and the dish was replete with them. Moreover, in my reading about this national dish of Bhutan, I learned that it is usually made with hot peppers and is quite fiery in nature, though the one served at the restaurant was very mild (a nod to our wimpy North Country palate, no doubt). So I started to conceive a vision of how I might make my own version at home using various chilies, such as Cubanelle (1), long hot (3), Fresno (4), and jalapeno (1).

I think I came up with something that is very delicious, but also about blew my head off! So the recipe admittedly needs tweaking. It needs a better balance of sweet to hot peppers (I used all hot peppers this time), and it also need something more...tomatoey. Himalaya's Ema Datsi is redder in color and has a more pronounced tomato flavor. Perhaps a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste? I'll play around with it in future iterations. Meanwhile, this is damn good stuff, and if you don't have access to Bhutanese cuisine in your town, then you should try making some yourself.

Edit: Before I put away the leftovers, I reheated the curry and added a tablespoon of double-concentrated tomato paste and some more chicken stock to thin it to a desirable consistency. That was what it needed! So next time, I think I'll add a small can of tomato paste and up to one additional cup of chicken (or vegetable) stock.

Ema Datsi (Bhutanese Curry with Chilies and Cheese)
(Source: adapted from a recipe on food.com)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 cups (1/2 to 3/4 lb.) peppers, seeded and chopped (I suggest half sweet, half hot)
1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable)
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, coarsely chopped (I used about 10 Campari tomatoes)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 pound Haloumi cheese*, cut into small cubes
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream or yogurt, optional
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the peppers and onions for about five minutes or until they just start to color. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and garlic and bring back to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are melting into the liquid and the garlic has softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil and fry the cubes of cheese until golden brown on both sides. Turn off the heat, and set aside. When the curry is done simmering, stir in the cheese cubes, the cream or yogurt, and the cilantro leaves. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for another 10 minutes.

Serve with Bhutanese red rice (if you can find it) or brown basmati is also delicious with this spicy curry.

*The traditional cheese used in this dish is called churpi, and it is made from yak's milk and then dried until hard. It's very long-lasting, and its main quality is that it is non-melting. Since churpi is apparently an acquired taste (and not available outside of Bhutan, methinks), the recipe for ema datsi requires a domestic substitution.

You could try a dry farmer's cheese or a feta--or even make your own paneer. But I like haloumi, famous for its ability to be grilled without melting. Instead of stewing the cheese, I decided to fry the chunks, and then add them to the curry at the end. The browning gave them a savory/meaty/umami flavor that was delicious in this dish. I highly recommend Haloumi as your substitute cheese.

My Crock Pot is Already Hoppin' in the New Year!

Check out the Hoppin' John I made in my crock pot for our New Year's Day dinner yesterday. (The picture to the left is what it looked like when it was a little over half way done cooking, before I fished out the ham hocks and added the greens and andouille. See other photo below.)

It was DELISH, and I hope it will bring health, wealth, and happiness in 2012 as tradition predicts. :-)

HAPPY NEW YEAR, y'all!

Crock Pot Hoppin' John

1 lb. dried blackeyed peas (I used Rancho Gordo Snow Caps here)
2 tablespoons olive oil (up to 1/4 cup)
2 medium onions, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
pinch of cayenne, to taste
4 cups chicken broth (up to 6 cups--enough to cover)
1 (10.5-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
2 smoked ham hocks
1/2 pound collard greens or kale, chopped
1 pound andouille or smoked sausage, sliced

Served over steamed rice (white or brown, as you prefer).

You should start by soaking the beans overnight, but if you don't have time, bring them to hard boil for ten minutes, turn off the heat, cover, and let soak in the water for an hour, then drain, and continue with the recipe.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, celery, green pepper, and carrots over medium heat until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne, and cook for another minute or two.

Add the soaked or parcooked beans to the crock pot along with the sauteed veggies, chicken broth, Rotel tomatoes, and ham hocks. Cook on low for 8-12 hours or until beans are tender. Fish out the ham hocks and cool until you can handle them. Pull off any bits of ham, shred, and add back to the pot. Chop the greens and add them and the smoked sausage pieces to the pot. Cook on high for another 30 minutes before serving over steamed or dirty rice.

New Year's Eve and the Return of the Levain Cookies

Instead of hanging at home in my p.j.'s and watching an Indiana Jones movie marathon or some such, I actually had New Year's Eve plans this year! Nothing fancy, just a board game night with friends, which is about my speed. I asked my friend, June, what I should bring, and she said to bring whatever I liked. And what I like is the Levain Copycat Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies of blessed memory. I have been meaning to bring that recipe back out, dust it off, and tweak it a bit, and this seemed the perfect opportunity.

My first change was increase the proportion of brown to white sugar to get more of a caramel flavor. Second, I thought I might try reducing the amount of flour and adding a tablespoon of corn starch for a more tender cookie. Also, I added a little extra leavening, and lastly, more chocolate chips for my chocoholic friends.  The other adaptations had to do with how I handled the dough.

I made the dough the night before, scooped the cookies, then wrapped the trays in plastic wrap and chilled them overnight to ripen the dough, fully saturate the dry ingredients, and mature the flavors. And before baking, I actually froze the unbaked cookies for a couple of hours to help achieve slightly underbaked middles, which is Levain's hallmark.

I took the trays to the party and baked them over there so that guests could enjoy the cookies warm from the oven, another Levain signature characteristic. Everyone went ga-ga for them, and the hostess wouldn't even let me take the second tray of (unbaked) cookies home--she confiscated them before I could get out the door! They were just that good. So without further ado, I will let the ball drop on the world's best chocolate chip cookies.

Levain-Style Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 2.0

2 sticks cold butter, cubed
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups bread flour (you heard me--bread flour!)
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (I only put this many chocolate chips in when I'm making them for others--I personally prefer just 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, cooled, and broken into large pieces (toasting the nuts first makes all the difference--trust me on this)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated.

2. Add flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips/chunks and nuts.

3. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients. Using a regular cookie scoop, portion out onto parchment or Silpat. (This will make approximately 4 oz. cookies. Levain's are 6 ounces.) You want tall, shaggy haystacks--do not flatten!

4. This step is not strictly necessary, but I like to cover the trays with plastic and refrigerate overnight to develop flavor. Better yet, freeze them until they are very cold and firm (but not completely frozen) before baking.

5. Bake in the preheated oven 13-18 minutes (depending on how gooey you like the interior and whether the dough was chilled/frozen ahead of time) until very lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on tray for 10 minutes, then completely on a wire rack. Store what you don’t immediately eat in an airtight container.

*These are best eaten warm out of the oven. If they last until the next day, freshen them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

Yield: 20 cookies (using a muffin scoop)

Albondigas!

It was exciting to think that maybe, just maybe, winter was going to give us a pass this year, as we've had such uncharacteristically mild weather up until now. But we're starting to see some single digit temps and tonight, there's a predicted wind chill factor of seventeen BELOW by 1am! So what's a gal to do but haul in a ton of wood, stoke the fire until it's raging, do a load of laundry and wash all of the dishes (while there's still hot water) then leave the kitchen tap on a trickle, and lastly, get a pot full of albondigas soup a-crockin. BRING IT, Old Man Winter!

This is a hearty, zesty soup that's pretty easy to make, because it calls for frozen meatballs. But if you have the time or inclination, feel free to make your own from scratch. Authentic Mexican albondigas use rice as a filler and have a touch of dried mint in the mix. So this shortcut version is less than authentic, but yummy and filling on these icy winter nights.

Crock Pot Albondigas Soup

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1/2 bulb fennel, diced

2 very large (or 3 medium) carrots, sliced into coins or large dice

1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic (or 8!), minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 small can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon beef or vegetable soup base (I like Better Than Bouillon)

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn
16-18 (1 oz.) frozen Italian meatballs (or 24 5/8 ouncers)
1 cup frozen peas (if you stir them in at the end, they will retain their color)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, celery, fennel, carrots, and poblano pepper until tender. Add the minced garlic and seasonings and cook another minute or two. Place veggies in at least a 5 quart slow cooker, then stir in the tomatoes and tomato sauce, soup base, chicken broth, corn, and meatballs. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.

Stir in frozen peas 20 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with a bit of shredded parmesan cheese.

 

 

Or...better yet, why not put the parmesan in some savory biscotti for dunking in the soup! I came across this recipe from King Arthur Flour, and I thought these parmesan and cracked black pepper biscotti would be a perfect accompaniment to the albondigas soup. The recipe makes a lot (almost three dozen!), and they store well in an airtight container. In fact, these would be perfect for holiday entertaining, perhaps on your New Year's Eve party snack trays?

Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper Biscotti
(Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour)

6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons Vermont cheese powder, optional, for flavor (I just used a little extra parmesan plus 1 teaspoon paprika for color)
1 cup, firmly packed, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups diced pecans or walnuts, toasted
additional grated parmesan for topping the biscotti, optional

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.
2) Combine the butter, sugar, cheese powder, parmesan, black pepper, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
3) Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
4) Stir in the flour, and the nuts (if you're using them).
5) Transfer the sticky dough to the prepared baking sheet, dividing it in half as you do so and plopping the halves so that they're about 2" from each short edge of the pan. You want to leave plenty of space between them.
6) Using your wet fingers and/or a wet spatula, shape each piece of dough into a log about 9 1/2" long, and 7/8" thick. If you've used nuts, the log will be about 3" wide; with no nuts in the dough, it'll be about 2 1/2" wide. Do your best to smooth the tops and square off the corners. If desired, sprinkle the tops of the logs with additional grated parmesan.
7) Bake the logs for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're beginning to brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and carefully lift them off the pan; if you've used parchment, simply lift the parchment off the pan and set it, biscotti and all, on a work surface.
8) Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
9) Using a sharp serrated or chef's knife, carefully cut the biscotti into 1/2"-wide slices. It helps to start cutting not at the top, but at an outer edge; this seems to lessen any crumbling. For long biscotti, cut on the diagonal; for shorter biscotti, cut crosswise.
10) Set the biscotti, on their edges, back on the baking sheet; no greasing or parchment is necessary. Space them fairly close to one another, so you can get them all onto the same pan.
11) Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 50 to 70 minutes, or until they feel dry and are just beginning to brown. If you pinch the center of a biscotti, it may feel just slightly soft; that's OK, as it'll continue to firm as it cools.
12) Remove the biscotti from the oven, and let them cool right on the pan. If you're not sure if you've baked them enough, turn off the oven, crack the door open several inches, and let the biscotti continue to dry out right in the cooling oven. When biscotti are completely cool, store them airtight at room temperature; they'll stay fresh for several weeks.

Yield: about 32 biscotti

Christmas Eve Supper: Dry Pork and Cheesy Potatoes

I wanted this post to be about the amazing crock pot pork loin and au gratin potatoes that I prepared for our Christmas Eve dinner, but I'm afraid I can only make good on half of that goal. I should have followed my own, time-tested advice, and never try to make any other kind of pork roast than shoulder. Loin these days is just too lean, with barely any fat at all to make it juicy--even cooking low and slow in that moist environment until it falls apart. My friend, Jay, says that my only hope is to BRINE a pork loin roast, and my other friend, Chris, has given me the same advice about pork chops, which I did find to be true. But that's another post for another time.

Suffice it to say, though the meat was dry this time, the cooking liquid was very tasty, and I would certainly make that again. I used a small jar of apricot jam, a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, and a squirt of sriracha (hot sauce); I also added a sliced onion and several cloves of garlic to the crock. Despite my efforts, the entree was a big, (not enough) fat failure!

The potatoes were good, though. And they were pretty easy, if you have a mandoline or food processor with a slicing blade. This recipe goes on the "make again" list.

Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes

2-3 lbs. potatoes (about 6-8 medium), peeled or not, as you prefer
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 small onion, thinly sliced, optional
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
2 cups shredded cheese

Thinly slice potatoes and toss with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Put sliced potatoes in greased crock pot. Layer with onion slices and cheese. Mix flour and milk together with soup, then pour over potatoes.
Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

My Favorite Christmas Tradition: Cookie Swap at the Padulas!

My friends, Janice and Domenica, host a wonderful annual Christmas cookie exchange, but we didn't do it last year...can't remember why, something about the timing and other obligations getting in the way. That happens sometimes, but I was thrilled when the party was revived this year. In fact, so many people RSVP'ed, that we had to exchange half dozens, instead of full dozens, this year. And of course, Janice made a fabulous Middle Eastern luncheon for us, and as is her way, Domenica made some festive desserts, including the fabulous showpiece--a minty cheesecake with a decadent ganache on top decorated all around with candy canes.

Domenica also hand-formed little marzipan figures (a winter hat, a Christmas stocking, or in my case, a candy cane) on top of each cupcake that served as our place setting. So cute! Those Padulas--SO fun and creative!

As for my cookie offering this year, I used my homemade mincemeat to make some very flavorful cookies that I called "Fruitcake Cookies," so that people would be less scared of trying them. The cookies themselves were lovely and cakey, but I wasn't crazy about the caramel icing. It had good flavor, but despite boiling it for about seven minutes, it remained grainy, kind of like a praline.

Truthfully, the cookies don't even need the icing, but they look rather plain without it. Of course, if I hadn't run out of pecans, they would have looked nicer with a pecan half on top. Oh well. They may not have been the prettiest cookie at the party, but I think they were the tastiest! They are also pretty easy, and I got 70 cookies out of one recipe, using a regular cookie scoop. So I definitely recommend adding this cookie to your holiday repertoire.

Mincemeat (or "Fruitcake") Cookies
(Source: adapted from AllRecipes)

Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
*I added 1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4 cups prepared mincemeat pie filling
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans


Frosting:
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, cubed
1 cup confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon rum extract (I omitted this because my homemade mincemeat was PLENTY boozy!)

70 pecan halves

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs. Add mincemeat; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 14-16 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

2. For the frosting, combine the brown sugar and butter in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 6-8 minutes, stirring twice, or until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add the confectioners' sugar, cream and extract; beat until smooth. Frost the cookies; top each with a pecan half.

Bolognese...with a little help from our old friend, the crock pot.

So...I had this idea to make Bolognese sauce in the crock pot. It's not a quick, dump-and-run kind of recipe, but it's delicious. Using the crock pot helps to develop that slow-cooked flavor without having to tend to the sauce all day. However, you might want to assemble the pot the day before you plan to cook it, as it's a bit involved. But your patience will be rewarded!

The length of the recipe might freak you out a little, but it's really not hard. I have amalgamated two recipes, stealing mostly from Once Upon a Chef, with a little help from Anne Burrell. I think this turned out GREAT! Give it a try...

Fettuccine Bolognese
(Source: adapted from the blog, Once Upon a Chef and the Food Network show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef)

3 ounces pancetta, chopped (or bacon will work)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
3/4 teaspoon salt (plus more for pasta water)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups beef stock
28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1 cup whole milk
1 pound fresh fettuccine (available in refrigerator section at most supermarkets)*

Optional for serving:
grated parmesan
handful chopped fresh basil or parsley

‎1. Render the pancetta or bacon pieces in a large skillet until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Place onions, carrots and celery in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse until almost a paste. Add olive oil and veggies to the skillet with the pancetta or bacon fat. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the veggies are very soft and just starting to color. Add the minced garlic for the last minute or two of cooking. Transfer veggie mix to the crock pot.

3. Add ground beef, sausage, salt and pepper to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink, 5-10 minutes. Add red wine and cook until liquid is almost dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour this mixture into the crock pot.

4. To the crock pot, add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, basil, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Add the pancetta or bacon back in, and stir everything together. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 with the lid cracked open.

5. Skim off any excess fat that has accumlated during cooking. Add milk to sauce. Cover with lid slightly ajar and cook on high for another hour until the milk is fully absorbed. Turn to low to keep warm while you prepare the pasta. Serve with freshly-grated Parmesan and/or chopped fresh parsley.

DIPPY MADNESS at the end of the term!

I know I sing the same song at the end of every semester, but WHOA--this one has been a killah! So I did not feel motivated to make elaborate Christmas treats for my co-workers this year. Of course, it should be noted that I have been treating them nearly every week of the term with crock pots of homemade soup, but I wanted to make a little something special for my nearest and dearest colleagues. Continuing the semester-long crock pot theme, I followed the Crockin' Girls' lead, as I so often do, and made chocolate nut clusters in the slow cooker.

Their recipe is for peanut clusters, but I wanted to take it up a notch, so I used fancy mixed nuts (no peanuts at all), and right before I scooped them out, I also added a bag of frozen caramel bits. YUM! I should note that I changed their chocolate dip a bit, too. The resulting candy was delicious, but very sweet. Next time, I might omit the white chips or the milk chocolate and double the bittersweet. It's easy enough to play around with this recipe and make it your own.

The crock pot nut clusters were so much yummy fun, that I did a second batch of white chocolate to do Oreos and even some little Ritz Bitz peanut butter sandwiches (they end up tasting a lot like a Butterfinger!). I found some cute little Santa treat bags at Big Lots, and in each one, I put four nut clusters, two Oreos, and four Ritz Bitz. I like to think the candy will sustain my co-workers through this hellish finals week!


Crock Pot Nut Clusters

two 24 oz. cans fancy mixed nuts (no peanuts)
one 1 1/2 lb. pkg. almond bark, cut into large squares as marked
one 12 oz. pkg. Ghirardelli white chips
two 4 oz. bars Ghirardelli white chocolate, broken into squares
one 12 oz. pkg. Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips
one 12 oz. pkg. Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips
one 11 oz. pkg. Kraft caramel bits, frozen

Place the nuts on the bottom of the crock pot, then all of the chocolates. Cover and cook on low for three hours (I placed two paper towels under the lid to absorb any condensation). Stir, turn off heat, and let sit for 20 minutes. Stir in frozen caramel bits and scoop out onto waxed paper, parchment, or Silpat immediately (I used a small cookie scoop). Chill under the candies are completely set (I put mine out in the garage!).

Crock Pot White Chocolate Dip

one 1 1/2 lb. pkg. almond bark, cut into large squares as marked
two 12 oz. pkgs Hershey's white chips
one 12 oz. pkg. Ghirardelli white chips
two 4 oz. bars Ghirardelli white chocolate

Oreos and Ritz Bitz peanut butter sandwiches

I melted everything except the cookies and the crackers in the crock pot on low for about two hours (once again, with paper towels under the lid to catch condensation), stirring every so often. Keep an eye--and a nose--on it, as it will scorch easily! Dip anything that strikes your fancy (pretzels would be yummy, too), shake on some colorful, holiday-appropriate sprinkles, then let set up on baking sheets lined with waxed paper or parchment in a cool environment.

Crockin' through the bitter end of Fall 2011...

Well, here we are at long last; finals week is upon us. And is often the case in the fall, most of my finals are backloaded at the end of the week, and I actually had the day off today. I know I'm going to be sorry come Thursday, but it was nice to have a three-day weekend, and a little time to take a breath before the deluge.

Though I was at home all day, I had a Christmas project underway (more about that later), so I broke out my second, back-up crock pot and made a recipe that I saw a long time ago on the Crockin' Girls Facebook page called Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken for dinner. I tweaked the recipe a little (changes noted below), and it turned out great! The main change I made was to pop the chicken pieces under the broiler for a few minutes after they were done cooking in the crock pot, just to crisp up and color the skin. Then I served the chicken with steamed rice and herbed French-style green beans. YUM!

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken 

1 large chicken, cut into serving pieces (I used a package of 8 or 9 thighs)
1 cup packed brown sugar (I cut this to 1/2 cup, and it was still quite sweet!)
2/3 cup vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
1/4 cup Sprite or 7-Up soda (I used Sierra Mist Natural)
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I upped this to 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon pepper
*I added one thinly-sliced onion, a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, and a squirt of sriracha hot sauce.

1. Place chicken in crock pot.
2. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.(When the chicken was cooked through and tender, I broiled the pieces for about five minutes to crisp up the skin.)
4. Serve over rice or noodles.
5. You can thicken the juices after cooking with a little cornstarch. (I used 1/4 cup of flour whisked into a slurry with some of the cooking liquid, then added back to the pot and cooked on high for another half hour or so.)

Here are the chicken pieces right out of the crock pot.

And here they are after a few minutes under the broiler.

Busy week/weekend!

This has been HELL WEEK! Besides it being "term paper week" at school (which is usually rougher than finals week, in my opinion), the Christmas choir concerts that I perform in each year were scheduled a week later than usual, creating a perfect storm of stress and little sleep. On top of all that, it was my roommate Cyd's birthday on Thursday, and my friend June also hosted a belated Thanksgiving (Thanksmas? Christgiving?) yesterday because her daughter and son-in-law couldn't come home in November. So add two baking projects to my never-ending list of things to accomplish this week! AAARRRGGGHHH! But I survived, and judging by my desserts, I'd say I thrived!

Ok, I cheated a little for Cyd's German chocolate birthday cake, but it turned out SO YUMMY that I would definitely take the same shortcuts again. Two things made my life easier: 1) I used a boxed mix for the cake (Duncan Hines' German chocolate cake, which was very good), and 2) I settled for a 9x13 cake rather than the more troublesome layer cake. Cyd is all about flavor and doesn't care much for fancy presentation anyway. I used the excellent King Arthur recipe for the little heart-shaped German chocolate cakes that I made for Valentine's Day a few years ago, but just made the bittersweet ganache icing and the pecan and coconut topping. SUPER-DELISH, and I don't even like coconut!

For June's party, I also volunteered to make a dessert. Around proper Thanksgiving time, I received an email newsletter from Panera, and they included a scrumptious-sounding recipe for a sweet potato cheesecake. Since I have yet to unearth one of my springform pans (yes, yes, there are still lots of unpacked boxes from the move two years ago--don't judge me!), I decided to make mini-cheesecakes in muffin tins. They turned out SO CUTE, and I topped them with some of the luscious and spicy habanero goat's milk cajeta from the Beekman 1802 Boys, and garnished the plates with a little leftover toasted coconut. YUM! Happy Thanksmas, everyone!

Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Toffee Nut Crust
(Source: Panera Bread)
Yield: 16 servings

Crust:
2 Panera Bread Toffee Nut Cookies
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter

Cheesecake:
1 large (12-ounce) sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese spread, softened  (I used regular, full fat cream cheese!)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon flour
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
*I added a teaspoon of vanilla because it seemed wrong not to!

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. In food processor, pulverize cookies to fine crumbs (you should have 1 1/2 cups). Add brown sugar and cinnamon, and pulse briefly to mix. Turn machine on and, with machine running, drizzle melted butter through a feeding tube just until crumbs are evenly coated (mixture will not form a ball but remain crumbly).

Turn mixture out into a 9-inch springform pan. Using your fingers, evenly distribute crumbs over the bottom and up the sides of pan, gently pressing into an even thickness. Wrap foil around the outside of the bottom of the pan to help prevent any leaks from cheesecake. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a rack. (I divided the crust mixture and pressed some into 16 muffin tins lined with cupcake papers--though in hindsight, I should have made a little extra and gone for 24 as I had a lot of filling leftover. The little muffin crusts needed less than eight minutes to bake--start checking at about six minutes.)

For the cheesecake:
Lower oven temperature to 250ºF. Put sweet potato in a microwavable container, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until very soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Measure out 1 1/4 cups packed.

In a clean food processor, combine the cream cheese, ricotta, flour, and pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg). Puree, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth (mixture will be fairly thick). Scrape mixture into a large bowl. In the processor (no need to clean it this time), combine 1 1/4 cups sweet potatoes, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Puree, scraping sides as necessary, until well blended. Add to bowl and whisk until completely smooth.

Pour into prepared crust(s) and set on a rimmed baking sheet, and then set on the center oven rack. Pour boiling water into baking sheet to about 1/2-inch up sides of cake pan. Bake until almost set (center will be slightly loose when jiggled), about 90 minutes*. Remove pan from water bath and cool completely in pan on a rack. When completely cool, cover with foil and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

*I did not use a water bath, just baked the mini-cheesecakes in muffin tins. And DANG IT, I forget how long I baked them...maybe 75 minutes? Start checking at an hour just to be safe. Cool the muffin tins on wire racks, then chill overnight in the fridge. Carefully remove the cupcake papers, top with cajeta or your favorite caramel sauce, and garnish with whipped cream and/or toasted coconut.