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Jahresarchive: 2012

Scallops On Smoked Sweet Corn Puree With Stout Balsamic Glaze & My Year According To Instagram

2012, according to Instagram

2012 instagram2

1. Drinks with Greg of Sippity Sup after the Herbavoiracious Book Release Party

2. Sharing a beer sampler with Jessica of How Sweet It Is during a break from BlogHer Food Conference in Seattle

3. Road trip to Big Bear with my gorgeous friend Linda, of Salty Seattle

4. The road trip with Linda was for the wedding or Matty, and Andrew of Eating Rules, amazing ceremony.

5. Chillin' on the field of Dodger Stadium with Andre Ethier. No biggie.

6. A much needed vacation to Santa Barbara with my amazing little family.

7. My first cooking segment! On CBS news in Los Angeles

8. Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! I won the  Foster Farms regional cook-off in San Diego.

9. Trip to San Francisco and Napa valley for the Foster Farms National Cook off Finals. I didn’t win, but I did get an amazing weekend trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley, the opportunity to cook at the CIA, and some cash out of the deal. Not bad.

10. I signed my first book deal! with Adams Media.

11. How amazing is my husband? Seriously.

12. Feast of the Seven Fishes at the home of Greg of Sippity Sup. With Joy The Baker, Kristin of The Cuisnerd, and The AMAZING Table Set Guys, Nathan, Andy & Greg.

13. Joy and I had a couple of drinks. And then picked up sharp knives. She made a salad, and I mostly just giggled.

14. Christmas Eve at The Dresden a long running tradition. Although most people just know it as "That Place They Filmed The Movie Swingers" It’s a Los Angeles  landmark.

15. I rearrange my entire living room to take pictures. Of food. During my lunch break.

16. I gave my daughter a trampoline for Christmas and she doesn’t want to get out of it. Ever

 

Scallops smoked sweet corn puree stout balsamic glaze

I had such an incredible year, truly a year that was blessed by the blogging community and those who have supported me, the online friendships that turned to lasting ones and the connections we feel through food.

One of the my favorite events this year was The Feast of the Seven Fishes, a small dinner party and Fancy Schmancy Pot Luck thrown by Greg and Alaska SeaFood (see numbers 12 &13 above). A truly incredible night, hoisted up by the stellar seafood, an epic example of how essential it is to buy the good stuff when cooking a meal from the sea. Alaska Seafood is focused on providing the world with incredible, sustainable, wild seafood and were they gracious enough to provide each of the seven cooks who participated with the best Alaska has to offer.

feast seven fishes

(Photo: Andy Windak)

The results were outstanding. Some of the most incredible food I’d had all year.

Check out this amazing video of the evening put together by Andy.

Here is the progression of the Feast of The Seven Fishes dinner:

Hors d’oeuvre: Kritisn, Grilled Blue Star Oysters

Amuse Bouche: Nathan, Rye Crisp with Maple Cream, Rye Beer-Marinated Salmon Roe, Green Chile Sugar and Fennel Top

Frist Course: Me! Seared Sea Scallops with Smoked Sweet Corn Puree & Stout Balsamic Glaze (recipe below)

Soup Course: Brian, Seared Ponzu Halibut with Forbidden Rice

Third Course: Andy, Uni Capellini with Scallop, Bonito and Nori Crumble, Rye Toast with Pine Nut Porcini Butter

Fourth Course: Joy made this Crab, Apple & Pomegranate Salad

Dessert: Greg Caffè e Frittelle Dolci

 

Seared Scallops Smoked Sweet Corn Puree And Stout Balsamic Reduction

There are two ways to buy scallops, "wet" and "dry." A wet scallop with be soaked in a phosphate solution to preserve it. This makes it taste soapy and gives it a bit of a rubbery texture, but the vast majority of scallops sold in US markets are wet. Dry scallops are more expensive, harder to come by and infinitely tastier.

If you can’t find dry scallops, the best way to treat a wet scallops is a quick brine.

Here is my quick brine recipe that works wonders to get those phosphates out of your tasty seafood.

If you can find some dry Alaskan scallops, I highly recommend that you grab them.

Also, I used this smoker. It’s less than $50 and stores in your cabinet, perfect for me and my occasional smoking needs.

Scallops On Smoked Sweet Corn Puree With Stout Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

  • 5 ears of corn, shucked
  • 1 stick butter, divided in half
  • 1 leek, chopped, white and very light green parts only
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup stout beer
  • 2/3 cup balsamic
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 2oz pancetta
  • 12 scallops
  • Maldon salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Yield: 6 appetizer portions

Instructions

  1. Brine scallops if necessary.
  2. Smoke one ear of corn for 8 minutes over alder-wood chips according to smokers manufactures specifications. (in lieu of this add 1/4 tsp smoked paprika or replace the salt with smoked salt).
  3. Cut the kernels off all ears of corn, including the smoked ear of corn. Set aside.
  4. In a large pot, melt 1/2 stick butter. Sautee leeks until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and corn kernels, cook until softened, about 8 minutes. In a food processor or blender, puree until very smooth, abut 5-8 minutes.
  5. Pass through a chinois or strainer.
  6. In a medium sauce pan, add the stout, balsamic and honey. Boil until reduced to a thick syrupy consistency, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
  7. Dry the scallops well by placing between two stacks to paper towels.
  8. In a pan over medium high heat, melt the remaining 1/2 stick butter.
  9. Season the scallops on top and bottom with salt and pepper.
  10. Sear on both sides until cooked thorough, about 3 minutes per side.
  11. Cook the pancetta until crsipy.
  12. Plate the corn puree, top with two scallops per plate, drizzle with balsamic glaze, then top with crispy pancetta.

 

Stout Hot Chocolate with Stout Whipped Cream

Stout-Hot-Chocolate_2

I was interviewed by a baking magazine a few weeks ago, because apparently I am the foremost expert on cooking with beer. This was the second interview I’ve done on the subject for a print magazine. One question always gets asked, so I figure some of you might have this same question:

"Does the alcohol cook off? Is it safe for kids?"

The short answer is: yes. The long answer, it depends.

Stout Hot Chocolate 4

Let me explain. No matter how much you cook beer, or any alcohol for that matter, some trace amounts remain. So trace, that their effects will never be felt, nor will the alcohol enter your blood stream. The USDA deems the consumption of cooked alcohol safe for all ages as well as pregnant women, you can see evidence of this when you are able to order steak in a red wine sauce or a rum raisin cake without being carded.

In order for the beer to be cooked enough to remove the alcohol it must be cooked at 170 (or above) for at least 10 minutes. This isn’t much. Everything that is baked will meet these requirements. Pan fried items generally will also meet the requirements, and although beer battered items aren’t cooked for ten minutes, the heat is so high and the amount of alcohol so small (about 1tbs per serving) the amount of alcohol actually left behind is minimal.

Because of this, I see no health concerns with the consumption of cooked beer. The only concerns that I do have are moral. I cook often, and have a diverse group of friends, among them are people who have moral conflicts with alcohol, such as Mormons and people in recovery. I would strongly suggest that if you are cooking for others, let people who may be morally opposed to consuming alcohol know what they are about to be served. Someone in AA might be triggered by the taste of beer, and some religions condemn the consumption of alcohol in all forms, even trace amounts.

Wow, not that thats out of the way, I have a Stout Hot Chocolate for you. And with your newly acquired beer cooking knowledge you have full control over how boozy you make it.

Head over to Rachel Cooks for the recipe.

Stout Hot Chocolate 5

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Avocado Soup & Five Foodie New Years Resolutions

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup

Five New Year Food Resolutions to Make

 

Let’s stop vowing to cut things out of our lives at then beginning of each year, and start promising ourselves we’ll add some great things in.

Can’t we all just agree that those “I’m going to lose weight/stop eating sugar/give up carbs/cut out coffee” resolutions are just going to leave us feeling hungry, guilty and eventually shameful when they go enormously ignored about the second week in January?

Maybe you have a bigger capacity for restraint than I do, or a higher guilt threshold, but I gave up those types of personal promises years ago. Although I do still love a good resolution and tend to make them year round.

How about we agree to ADD things to our lives instead of taking away? There is something about making a decision to add something great to our world that just reminds us what an amazing life we have ahead of us. And adding greatness has a way of pushing out some of those not as great things.

Let’s give it a try.

Here are my favorite food resolutions, all about adding more amazingness, not about taking things away.

 

1.Start a food tradition: Maybe a once a month Sunday Supper with your family, or a quarterly Food Friends Pot Luck, or even just New Recipe Wednesday where you try a new dish. Food traditions are memories that you’ll be glad you made.

2. Read more food lit. Chefs have written most of the best books I’ve read over the past year. There is something about knowing the back story of food, and those who have created it, that give you a deeper connection to the food world.  Plus, food people tend to read food books, it’s an instant conversation starter when you meet a food writer or a chef. My recommendations: Yes Chef, Marcus Samuelson;  Blood, Bones & Butter, Gabrielle Hamilton; Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table,  Ruth Reichl, Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain.

3. Join a CSA or other Organic Produce Delivery Program. Before my recent move, I got a box of organic produce delivered to my doorstep every Wednesday from Love Delivery. Mostly local, in season and very fresh fruits and vegetables. This also gets you to eat more good stuff, because it’s there. And you hate to waste it.  Supporting local farmers and eating healthier, it’s a total win. There are several in most cities and states, consult Google for ones in your area.

4. Try New Foods. This is for the picky eaters. Pick one new food a month and cook it, and eat it. Or, order that one thing on the menu that you would never normally eat. After a year you’ll have 12 foods that you never otherwise would have tried. And I’m going to bet you a batch of cookies that you will be surprised at how much you like at least one of those new foods.

5. Master A Recipe or Technique. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to make a soufflé, or homemade pasta. What better resolution to make than the acquisition of culinary knowledge you can someday pass down to future generations? Just go into assuming that the first time may not be a huge success, and by that I mean don’t plan an entire dinner party around skills you haven’t acquired just to end up in tears when your husband has to have pizza delivered. It will probably go fine, and you will probably post the results on Facebook (yay!), but take it slow and know that to master a technique takes a lot of practice, each time you try it you’ll learn something new.

 

One of my resolutions is to explore vegan cooking more, even though I have no plans to give up meat or dairy. There really isn’t any arguing with the fact that produce is the best thing you can put in your body. The more I focus on the beautiful flavors of fruits and vegetables, without using meat and dairy as a crutch, the better my cooking becomes over all.

Here is a vegan soup, inspired by this Bon Appetite recipe. Without garnishes, it’s about 170 calories a serving.

Here is a How To Roast Red Peppers post by Kitchen Treaty. If you are going to use them right away, you can skip the oil and the jar.

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup2

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Avocado Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 large red potato, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cups chopped broccoli florets
  • ½ to 2 cups water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • pinch chili powder
  • 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 1 lage avocado, diced
  • 1 red pepper, roasted, cut into strips

Instructions

  1. In a stock pot or Dutch oven heat the oil. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Add the vegetable stock and potatoes, cooking until the potatoes are almost soft, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until the broccoli and potatoes are both tender, about 5-8 minutes. Using an emersion blender, puree until smooth. Add water, if desired, to thin to desired consistency. Add spices and lemon juice.
  2. Garnish with avocados and red peppers prior to serving.

If you want to know how I made the garnishes "float" on top of the soup for the picture, check this out.

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup3

Ham And Beer Cheese Sandwiches

Your Holiday Ham leftovers don’t stand a chance.

Smothered in delicious beer cheese and served on a leftover dinner roll.


Ham and Beer Cheese Sandwich3

And don’t be afraid if your previous beer cheese ventures haven’t gone so well. This one is foolproof, I promise. I’ve cracked the beer cheese code. Mostly for selfish reasons. Regardless of the reason behind the failure, I hate when my recipes don’t work for you. And beer cheese, since the dawn of time, has always been difficult. Except this one. It also takes about 5 minutes, and it will work.

Ham and Beer Cheese Sandwich

1 batch Foolproof Beer Cheese

2 tbs melted butter

8 Kaiser rolls (or leftover dinner rolls)

about 2 lbs ham, sliced

1 cup arugula

2 large tomatoes, sliced (or, sliced cherry tomatoes)

Split buns or rolls, brush with melted butter. Toast lightly under a broiler or in a toaster oven.

Add ham, top with generous amounts of beer cheese sauce, and then with arugula and tomatoes.

Ham and Beer Cheese Sandwich3

Caramel Apple Galette with Champagne Whipped Cream

 

Caramel Apple Galette With Champagne Whipped Cream2p

I made three Galettes in the past week. This one, one I’m working for the cookbook I’m writing and a small caramelized onion and cheddar one that got devoured.

These are like a secret weapon, in a way. The crust (which you absolutely MUST be made from scratch) is one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever made. It’s soft and buttery and flakey and takes about 8 minutes to throw together.

Caramel Apple Galette With Champagne Whipped Cream7

Eight minutes and you have yourself the best homemade crust you have ever tasted. It does need at least an hour to chill, but the best part is that you can make it days ahead of time and it’s all ready to go when you need it. You can even double the recipe and freeze the extra in a ziplock freezer bag for up to a month.

It’s rustic and it’s imperfections just make it that much more charming.

It has that perfect balance of foodie without fussy and casually elegant. Perfect.

Caramel Apple Galette With Champagne Whipped Cream6

And with Champagne Whipped cream (for real!!) it’s perfect for New Years.

Oh, and I found out last year how to pronounce Galette. I really wanted to say Guh-Lay, because it sounded more elegant to me. I was wrong, I’ll put my linguist aspirations on hold. It’s pronounced Gal-Let. Either way, it’s delicious.

Caramel Apple Galette With Champagne Whipped Cream3

Caramel apple Galette with Champagne Whipped Cream

Ingredients

For The Crust:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) of butter
  • 1/3 cup ice cold water

For The Filling:

  • 4 large honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 5 cups)
  • 3 tbs lemon juice
  • 1 tbs Vietnamese cinnamon
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 tsp bourbon vanilla
  • 1 tbs melted butter

For The Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup champagne

Instructions

  1. In a food processor add 1 1/3 cup flour, salt, sugar and butter, process until well combined. Add the remaining flour and process again until combined. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the water until just combined (don’t add the water while the dough is in the food processor or your dough will be brittle and cracker-like). The dough should be soft. Form dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Can be made three days ahead of time.
  2. Preheat oven to 375.
  3. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice, pinch of salt and cinnamon, toss to coat. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  4. In a pot add both kinds of sugar and water, stir until combined and all sugar has been moistened. Turn burner to high, allow to boil until sauce has turned amber. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Drain apples and add to caramel sauce, toss to coat. (if your sauce seizes when you add the apples, return to heat and allow to cook until the sauce has softened) Allow Apples to marinate in caramel while you prepare the crust, about 10 minutes.
  5. Once dough has chilled, place on a well floured flat surface. Dust the top with flour. Roll into a 16 inch rustic circle. Transfer dough to a sheet or parchment paper. Using tongs, remove apples from pot (reserve sauce) and add to the center of the dough, leaving a 3-4 inch boarder empty. Fold the empty dough up over the filling leaving a hole in the center of the Galette. Using the parchment paper, transfer the Galette and the parchment to a baking sheet. Brush crust with melted butter.
  6. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. While the Galette is baking, finish the caramel sauce. Return reserved caramel sauce to the stove and allow to boil until it has reached 230. Turn off heat, and while stirring continuously, add the butter and the vanilla. Drizzle sauce over galette.
  8. To make the whipped cream, add the cream and powdered sugar to a stand mixer and beat on high until peaks form, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and slowly add champagne. Briefly return speed to high to return peaks to whipped cream. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use, top Galette just prior to serving.

Caramel Apple Galette With Champagne Whipped Cream4

Brown Ale And Cheddar Grits With Pancetta And Crispy Sage

I like homebrewers. Mostly because they give me beer, but also because there is this fascination with flavors and a "What Would This Taste Like?!" attitude that is at the core of every food bloggers culinary soul. I feel like they get me. They have an understanding of why I write down crazy ideas, unexplored flavor combinations that may be doomed to fail, just to see if it can be done.

I’m not a homebrewer, its actually a little intimidating to me. Someday, when my life is a little less hectic, I want to take the Mash Tun Plunge. But for now, I’ll setting for drinking the concoctions of others. I did learn recently that the more recent rise in popularity of brown ales has been credited to the massive increase in homebrewing and the popularity of the style with the homebrewer. I’d never though of it, but it seems to be true. Most of the brown ale I’ve had in the past few months has come from someones closet. I do love a great brown ale, to drink with as well as to add to my cheese grits. I guess saving the Brown Ale from extinction is another reason I can love the homebrewer.

Brown Ale And Cheddar Grits

 

Brown Ale And Cheddar Grits With Pancetta And Crispy Sage

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups whole milk
  • ¾ cups brown ale
  • 1 cup regular corn grits not instant
  • 1 cup smoked cheddar
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • pinch cayenne
  • 3 tbs butter diced
  • 3 oz diced pancetta
  • 5 Sage leaves chopped (about 2 tbs)

Instructions
 

  • Add the milk and beer to a large pot, bring to a gently simmer, slowly whisk in the grits. Allow to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Slowly whisk in the cheese, milk, salt, pepper, onion powder and butter, stir until completely combined.
  • In a separate pan add the pancetta and cook until browned and most of the fat has been rendered, do not burn. Add the sage and cook for about 30 seconds or until crispy. Drain.
  • Serve grits topped with pancetta and sage.

Brown Ale And Cheddar Grits4

How To: Make Goat Cheese & A Food Photo Tip

 

Let’s skip right to the photography tip, shall we? I’m pretty excited about it.

See this dish of homemade goat cheese, it’s a little less than full:

Homemade Goat Cheese

The best "filler" for a partially filled bowl is a potato. For several reasons.

First, they’re cheap and you probably already have them.

Homemade Goat Cheese3

Second, they can be cut any shape you need. And re-cut if necessary. They also lift out of the bowl cleanly (unlike a paper towel I’ve seen recommended).

Third, they don’t float if you need to use them in a bowl of soup.

Homemade Goat Cheese4

Just place your potato at the bottom of the bowl, fill and you are ready to shoot.

Homemade Goat Cheese5

See, it looks full. You’d never guess it was chocked full of Idaho’s finest.

Homemade Goat Cheese6

This is also a GREAT way to make sure that the soup garnishes "float" on top of the soup bowl. I tried an upside down ramekin for the below shot, but it kept floating, and it was too tall, and since I (obviously) wasn’t able to cut it to shape, I had to overfill the bowl.

Which I later spilled when I went to move it from photo land, to eating land.

Butternut Bisque pomegranate Goat Cheese

 But the idea was good. And the next time I went to shoot some soup, I decided to use a potato cut to shape, and fancied myself a genius. Look how the good stuff just "magically" floats on top. Patiently waiting for it’s photo to be taken.

Chicken-Enchilada-Soup4P

 

So. You might not have a complete obsession with photographing food. You might just be here for the recipe. I guess we can talk about that, It turns out making your own goat cheese is really easy, and really good.

SO easy, in fact, that you should try it, it’s almost fail safe.

If you’ve made ricotta (you totally should), you pretty much have already made the cow version of goat cheese, the process is the same.

Homemade Goat Cheese7

Hey, look how full that bowl is.

How To: Make Goat Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 qt goat milk (do not use ultra-pasteurized, it won’t work)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 lemon, juiced, about 3 tbs
  • Yield: About 1 cup

Instructions

  1. In a pot over medium high heat, add the goat milk and salt. Bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally, and allow to cook until temperature reaches 180, about 8 minutes. Turn off heat, add lemon juice and stir once to redistribute lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes or until curds form.
  2. Line a colander with two layers of cheese cloth. Pour goat milk into the collandar. Allow to drain for 15 to 30 minutes. The longer your cheese drains, the firmer it will be.

 

Foolproof Beer Cheese Sauce

To be honest, this post is one hundred percent selfish.

Since the shooting Friday, I haven’t been able to stop watching the news or reading every bit of online news about the recent tragedy. Therefore, the tears are pretty much a mainstay in my life.

 Foolproof-Beer-Cheese-SauceP

And in my emotionally fragile state, I can’t handle a beer cheese failure and we could all use even a small win.

Let’s be honest, beer cheese can be a bitch. It’s a pretty standard fondue, but it has about a 50% fail rate (*this is a completely made up statistic based solely on conjecture & observation) and I didn’t want to deal with a mess if the Beer Cheese Gods were otherwise occupied.

 Foolproof Beer Cheese Sauce2

Look back on my blender epiphany that brought us the Roast Garlic and Parmesan Beer Cheese Dip and the epic win that it is, I wanted to see if it also extended it’s foolproof graces to beer cheese sauce.

Foolproof Beer Cheese Sauce4

It does. Blend the crap out of it and it won’t have a choice but to work. This takes the guesswork, and the fear of failure, out of making a lovely little cheese sauce for all to enjoy.

 Foolproof Beer Cheese Sauce3

And don’t forget the cornstarch, it’s not yummy, I wouldn’t ask you to add it if it wasn’t important. Also, pre-shredded cheese has additives that hinder it’s ability to re-melt, so don’t use it.

 

Foolproof Beer Cheese Sauce

Servings 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons Butter softened (or melted)
  • 2 tablespoons Flour
  • 1 tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1 cup beer wheat beer, blonde ale, pale ale, pilsner
  • 1 cup shredded Gouda do not use pre shredded
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar do not use pre shredded
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Process on high until very well blended, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Transfer contents to a saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk rapidly and continuously until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • If small bits of cheese solids remain, blend until smooth with a hand blender.
  • Serve warm.

 

 

Pomegranate And Bourbon Braise Oxtails with Smokey Cheddar Grits & What Sandy Hook Elementary Taught Me

 

As a mom, this tragedy has left a deep wound on my soul. I see my own baby in the faces of all of the victims. Not an hour has gone by in the past few days that I haven’t had those lost lives on my mind.

Playing blocks with my daughter brought me to tears at how lucky I was to get to share such a tiny moment, when so many moms weren’t able to do that. My two year old asking for a kiss, playing in the sand with her dad, asking about the Christmas presents wrapped up for her under the tree, all made me feel like the luckiest mom in the world: my baby is safe, healthy, happy, alive!

In the midst of such horror, I have learned so much from those amazing souls, I wanted to share with you what I’ve learned over the past few days:

  1. Wear your fancy dress on an ordinary day. Six-year-oldCharlotte Bacon was very excited about her new Christmas dress and boots, and kept asking to wear them. On Friday, the day she died, her mother gave in, letting her wear her special dress and boots to school. In honor of Charlotte, use your fancy plates, and those expensive candles you don’t want to burn, put on your shoes that you think are too pretty to wear, because everyday that you are alive and with the ones you love is a special occasion.
  2. Carry your crayons with you. That’s what Emilie, age 6, always did, says her father, Robbie Parker. She drew the world as she saw it: beautiful. In the midst of such a horrific tragedy we need to remember the good in the world, take out our crayons and draw the world as a child sees it. Take time to appreciate the beauty around us, take photos with your phone, stop to enjoy the little things, see beauty in small things, let yourself be wowed by it.
  3. Loving people means putting them first in every way. No one will ever embody this more than Victoria Soto. She is the teacher who hid her students in closets, staying in the open to make sure, beyond all doubt, that the shooter wouldn’t hurt her kids. She gave her life in exchange for the safety of her students, and my guess is that she would do it again without hesitation. I hope and pray that any of the teachers whom my daughter will have in her life are like Victoria, and someday may I be half as selfless as she was.
  4. Say I love you, a lot. In words, in actions, in notes, in everyway you can. After the tragic loss of Jessica, her parents came home to find a note she had left in a journal they hadn’t seen before, it just said, “I love you so much, mama.” I grew up hearing the story of the day my Dad died, and the fact that it was one of the few mornings my moms forgot to say “I love you,” before they headed their spate ways. I heard versions of this same story so many more times from the families of 9-11 victims, and the morning Jaycee Dugard was kidnaped, was a morning her mom was running late and forgot tell her daughter she loved her. We all have those crazy mornings, when we know there is a traffic jam in our future, when our kids flush our make-up down the toilet or spill juice on the couch, those mornings when we say thoughtless things like, “you are driving me crazy!” What happened in Sandy Hook reminds me to hold tight to patience, always say, “I love you,” before leaving my family. I can control so little in this world but I can have control over this tiny thing: I can always tell my daughter, “I love you,” before we part ways. I hope that even when I am 80-years-old, on my way home from dinner at my daughter house, I will think of little Jessica and never forget to say, “I love you.”
  5. Slow Down, Add Memories. Take a day off work, blow off an appointment, just slow down. Even if it would be a financial strain for you to take a half-day off work twice a month,  or even just a long lunch, to have a one-on-one date with one of your kids, you will not regret it. No one gets to the end of their life and thinks, “I should have spent less time with my kids.” Think of it as life insurance, giving your kids a few more memories that they wouldn’t otherwise have once one of you is no longer here.

Because of what happened Friday, I needed to take a long day, stay at home and cook Sunday Supper that took hours. For me, this is healing. The active time on this dish is small, but the long cooking time ensures that you will need to be home, hanging out with your family. And there is something about putting slow food on the table to makes me feel like I am loving my family in a special way.

Pomegranate And Bourbon Braise Oxtails with Smokey Cheddar Grits

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs oxtails, (4-6)
  • salt & pepper
  • 3 tbs flour (use masa for gluten free)
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 cup pomegranate juice
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 white onion, chopped
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup corn grits
  • ½ cup cream
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 cup smoked cheddar
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper

Yield: 4 servings

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle oxtails on all sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour, rubbing to coat. In a large pot or Dutch oven heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking.
  2. Sear the oxtails on all sides until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
  3. Add the pomegranate juice, bourbon, broth, carrots, celery and onions, reduce heat to maintain a gently simmer. Place lid at an angle to vent. Cook until very tender, about 3 ½ hours, turning oxtails about every 30 minutes.
  4. To make the grits, add the milk and broth to a large pot, bring to a gently simmer, slowly whisk in the grits. Allow to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream.
  5. About ¼ a cup at a time, slowly add the cheddar, whisking until melted between each addition. Add the smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve oxtails over grits.

 

A Moment of Silence, A Day of Remembrance

I am one of the many craft, cooking, lifestyle and DIY bloggers who had posts to share with you today, but the events of Friday's shooting in Connecticut have left us heartbroken. Like you, we cried as news reports poured in and wondered out loud about how something so cruel could hurt the most innocent and tender. We not only grieved for the lives lost and wounded, but for that part of the magic and wonder of this holiday season that was taken from us all.  We know that no words, no gifts, no acts of service will ever take away the pain, but we, as bloggers and parents collectively, want those affected by this to know how close to our hearts they are:   We love you. We pray for you. We're so heartbroken for your loss.  To honor the memory of lives cut short, we choose to step away from our blogs and computers today to celebrate the gift of life and those we love most: our children, families, good friends and community. We're holding our kids a little closer, reaching out to neighbors and giving thanks for the moments we have together.  Thank you for stopping by today. We hope you'll join us in remembering, praying, and gathering close. We wish you and your families a safe and blessed holiday.

Today is dedicated to these children, teachers and their families:

Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06
– Daniel Barden, 9/25/05
– Rachel Davino, 7/17/83
– Olivia Engel, 7/18/06
– Josephine Gay, 12/11/05
– Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06
– Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06
– Dawn Hochsprung, 06/28/65
– Madeleine F. Hsu, 7/10/06
– Catherine V. Hubbard, 6/08/06
– Chase Kowalski, 10/31/05
– Jesse Lewis, 6/30/06
– James Mattioli , 3/22/06
– Grace McDonnell, 12/04/05
– Anne Marie Murphy, 07/25/60
– Emilie Parker, 5/12/06
– Jack Pinto, 5/06/06
– Noah Pozner, 11/20/06
– Caroline Previdi, 9/07/06
– Jessica Rekos, 5/10/06
– Avielle Richman, 10/17/06
– Lauren Rousseau, 6/1982
– Mary Sherlach, 2/11/56
– Victoria Soto, 11/04/85
– Benjamin Wheeler, 9/12/06
– Allison N. Wyatt, 7/03/06

Ways to give financially:
Buy a fine art print from Jeremy Collins to help parents with funeral costs. {Click Here}
A fund for victims families has been set up at by The United Way. {Click Here}

Black and Tan Cookies: New York Deli Cookies Meet Beer Mixology

Black and Tan cookies. This is the hybrid of that great New York Deli cookies, the Black & White, and the Grandfather of Beer Mixology, the Black & Tan.

 

Although the Black & Tan, a mixture of stout and pale ale, most often brings to mind a Bass/Guinness marriage, it actually dates back to the 1880’s when British pub owners tried to find a way to make the winter stout stash last without pissing of their customers. The trend caught on, and stout drinkers started to order the lighter mix during the summer months.

The idea of the Black & Tan is really similar to the idea of the Black and White cookie, two contrasting flavors, joining together to enhance the other. Plus, beer and cookies are just great.

Speaking of, whoever is first to open a pub/gourmet-bakery hybrid with a "Cookies and Beer" theme might find me as their brand new stalker.

 

For the Cookies:

2 sticks butter

2 cups Sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp lemon extract

2 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup pale ale

4 1/2 cups Flour

pinch of Salt

1 tbs cornstarch

1 tbs baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

For the Frosting:

4 ½ cups confectioners sugar, divided

¼ cup stout

1 ounce unsweetened bakers chocolate, chopped

¼ cup pale ale

½ tsp vanilla

Makes about 2 dozen

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add the butter and sugar and beat on high until well combined. Reduce speed to medium, add the eggs, lemon extract and vanilla extract, one at a time, and beat well between each addition, scraping the bottom occasionally.

Reduce speed to medium, add the heavy cream and the beer, mix until incorporated.

Stop the mixer, sprinkle the flour, salt, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda on top of the butter mixer. Stir gently until just combined, scraping the bottom to insure the butter and flour are fully incorporated.

Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerated for 3 hours, and up to 36.

Scrape dough out of bowl onto a well floured surface. Pat into a rectangle, dust the top with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into an even ½ to ¾ inch thickness. Using a large round biscuit cutter, cut out 24 to 30 cookies, place on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment paper. Place baking sheets in the refrigerator while oven preheats, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325.

Bake cookies at 325 for 12 minutes or until cookies have puffed and no longer look wet. Do not brown cookies. Immediately slide the parchment off the baking sheet and onto a flat surface.

To make the frosting, put the stout and unsweetened chocolate in a pot over low/medium heat. Whisk until chocolate has melted. Add 2 cups confectioners sugar, whisk until combined. Add additional sugar to thicken, if needed. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

To make the white frosting, add  the remaining 2 ½ cups confectioners sugar to a bowl, add the pale ale and the vanilla, whisk to combine. Add additional sugar if needed to thicken.

Frost all cookies with white icing on just half of the cookies. Frost the other half of all of the cookies with the chocolate frosting.

Cinnamon Rolls With Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Pecan Sauce & A King Arthur Flour Giveaway!

I have loved King Arthur Flour long before I decided to force my way into the blog world.

I read the catalogues the way normal girls read Cosmo, curled up in bed with a glass of wine, pouring over each page. Not just for the products, but because it’s has always been obvious to me that this is a company that wants to help people learn to bake. Teach people how to make bread from scratch and the best cakes their kids have ever had.

This is important to a girl that managed to reach adulthood before ever eating homemade whipped cream or even seeing a plate of  macaroni and cheese that didn’t come out of a box. I had so much to learn, and still really appreciate the books, shows, and websites that helped answer my questions and feed my curiosity.

It was important to me to learn how to cook, not just how to put dinner on the table. I wanted to know how to bake yeast rolls from scratch, and I wanted to know what to do when things went wrong.

I found the Secret Ingredients section on King Arthur by accident and in the space of about 10 minutes my bread and chocolate cake recipes became exponentially better. I now knew the secret to rich chocolate cake and light, fluffy bread. It was like a gift.

I knew that chocolate cake recipes tended to call for coffee or espresso powder, but I just figured that the flavors went well together. It wasn’t until I read the King Arthur website that I learned espresso powder intensifies the flavors of chocolate without leaving any coffee flavors behind.  Espresso powder is now in every chocolate cake I bake.

And the dry milk powder has taken my dinner rolls and bread to new level. Whoever figured out that dry milk powder makes bread rise higher and with a more tender texture deserves a prize. It’s really a great tip, and one that I’ve used for years.

There is a huge flavor difference between the Vietnamese Cinnamon and the regular grocery store variety, it’s like Filet Mignon to Bologna. Vietnamese cinnamon is rich and smooth and bold, really worth trying is you want to cook with cinnamon, this on it’s own will bring your cinnamon roll recipe to a new level.

I have also become a loyalist to the All Purpose Baking Cocoa, which has a bit of a miss leading name. The name makes it sound so average and forgettable, and it far from that. Master or All Trades Cocoa is more accurate. It pulls double duty and fits brilliantly in recipes that call for Dutch Processed and recipes that call for regular unsweetened cocoa. Good quality cocoa is a must, it makes a huge difference over that grocery store stuff. If you are going to all the trouble to bake a chocolate cake from scratch, you really don’t want your efforts washed away with weak, bland cocoa powder. Get the good stuff, it makes a world of difference.

The good people at King Arthur have agreed to give away a basket of these fantastic ingredients, along with The Most Amazing Whisk Ever. It really is my new go-to, it gets the job done quickly, and nothing gets caught in it like with my traditional balloon whisk.

Here is what you’ll get:

Espresso Powder

Bakers Special Dry Milk Powder

The Most Amazing Dough Whisk Ever

All Purpose Baking Cocoa

Vietnamese Cinnamon

 

 

To Enter (open to USA addresses only):

Leave a comment telling me your favorite thing to bake during the holidays.

 

Bonus Entires:

1. Like Domestic Fits on Facebook, leave a comment stating you did so.

2. Like King Arthur Flour on Facebook, leave a comment stating you did so.

3. Follow Domestic Fits on Twitter, leave a comment stating you did so.

4. Follow King Arthur Flour on Twitter, leave a comment stating you did so.

 

Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered

and congrats to the winner, #62 Shannon McClear!

Screen shot

 

Contest Closes Monday, December 17th at Noon PST. Winner will be chosen at random.

 

Cinnamon Rolls With Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Pecan Sauce

Ingredients

For The Dough:

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 packets rapid rise yeast
  • 1/4 cup dry milk powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 stick butter, softened
  • 2 large egg yolk

For The Filling:

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 tbs Coca powder
  • 1/3 cup white Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Brown sugar
  • 1 tbs Cinnamon

Topping:

  • 2 cup sugar
  • 3 tbs bourbon, plus 1 tbs, divided
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 oz dark chocolate (60%) (about 1/3 cup chopped)
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 cup pecans chopped

Yield: 12 rolls

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add 1 cup of flour, sugar, dry milk and the yeast (make sure to use yeast that is rated for higher temperatures, regular dry active yeast will not work), mix until well combined.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, add the milk and butter, heat until it reaches between 120 and 130 degrees. Add milk to the mixer, and mix on medium, stopping occasionally to scrape the bowl. Add the yolks, one at a time, beating between additions. Add the remaining flour and beat on high until dough comes together and starts to gather around the blade, about 6 minutes.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, kneed the dough until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes.
  4. Add dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and allow to sit in a warm place until doubled in size. About 2 hours.
  5. In a bowl, add all of the filling ingredients, mix until well combined (you can also use a food processor).
  6. Once the dough has risen, punch down and then roll out on a floured surface into a large rectangle. Spread the filling mixture evenly across the rectangle. Although the filling is abundant, use it all.
  7. Tightly roll the dough into a log the long way. Using a very sharp knife, cut log into 12 equal slices, about 2 inches wide.
  8. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the rolls evenly in the pan. (if you want to make these the night before, refrigerate the rolls at this time, removing them the next morning for the final rise, which will take longer given that the rolls will be cold). Cover and allow to sit in a warm place until doubles in size, about 30-45 minutes.
  9. Bake at 350 until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  10. In a pot over high heat, add the sugar, water and 3 tbs bourbon, stir until all of the sugar has been moistened. Clip a candy thermometer onto the side and allow to boil, untouched until it reaches 220 degrees, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. While stirring continually, add the cream and stir until combined. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and combined, add the bourbon and the pecans, stir to combine.
  11. Top rolls with sauce prior to serving.

Chorizo Egg Breakfast Skillet

There is something about lingering over a long breakfast with those I love that just makes me feel like I did something right. Everyone eats dinner, most of us have a few minutes for lunch, but it’s when we take time to sit and spend "valuable, productive" hours of the day actually tasting our food, chatting with those people whose company often gets taken for granted, that the day really become special.

This may be a habit I picked up while traveling in those countries that wouldn’t think of letting a hotel guest check out without being fed, even if you only spent $5 on a bed in a shared room. I think maybe a hotel owner and his wife insisting that the 19 year old American who spoke no Italian MUST sit for a cup of espresso and a some bread before departing had a huge impact on me, especially given that I was broke and had paid less for the room than I would have paid for the breakfast in the States. Some how breakfast and hospitality have since been linked in my brain. I feed my guests. A lot.

This is a great Family style breakfast that takes very little skill to throw together. Tons of flavor, little effort.

 

Chorizo Egg Breakfast Skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 cup red potatoes peeled and diced small dice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 large shallot chopped
  • 1 bell pepper sliced julienne, stem and seeds removed
  • 6 oz chorizo sausage removed from casing
  • ½ cup pale ale beer I used Scrimshaw
  • 14 oz crushed stewed tomates in juices
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 large avocado sliced
  • ¼ cup cilantro

Instructions
 

  • preheat oven to 350.
  • In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, cook over medium high heat until potatoes are fork tender, remove potatoes from skillet.
  • Return skillet to heat, adding additional olive oil if the pan is dry and cook the shallots and red peppers until soft. Add the chorizo, stir and break up while cooking. Once the chorizo is mostly cooked, add the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Return potatoes to the pan.
  • Crack the eggs on the skillet, evenly spaced.
  • Cook in a 350 oven until the whites have set, about 10 minutes.
  • Top with cilantro, parmesan and avocado prior to serving.

Chicken Enchilada Soup & Foodies Things To Do in L.A.

As I throw this soup together with ingredients I picked up at my local Mexican food market, it occurs to me how few of you live just a few hours from the US/Mexico boarder. You might not have access to some of the best handmade Mexican sauces and chilies north of Tijuana. You might even only have access to these ingredients via the canned goods section of your grocery store.

This makes me appreciate my town so much. It’s a great food city. Of course, lots of famous chefs and food reality show contestants head for the Sunshine State and set up shop, but my favorite food in Los Angeles comes from the hands of immigrants, handed down through the generations,  made from scratch just the way it was by their great grandmother in her kitchen on another side of the world. We also have more produce than all the other states combined. California grows more than half the produce in the United States. So many things, like California Strawberries, are in season all year long. That’s amazing.

If you visit LA, please, skip Rodeo Drive, and Hollywood Blvd, that’s not really L.A., it’s just a caricature, a fun house mirror of a place that doesn’t really exist, full of lost tourists and overpriced mementos. Here is where you will find the real L.A., especially if you are a food lover:

1. Farmers Markets. This is a must. And no matter what time of year you visit, we’ll have one for you. All year long, any day of the week, you can find one. Everything from produce, to fancy salt, to home grown honey to the goat cheese guy who even brings along his goats.

2. Butchering Classes at Lindy & Grundy. This is the butcher that all of L.A. has a collective girl crush on. Two amazing women started this butcher shop and from time to time offer classes on how to expertly break down meat. Even if you can’t partake in a class, stop by and check out the incredible shop. Then go next door to The Fat Dog and have yourself a Croque Madame and a glass of craft beer.

3. Happy Hour At Bar Bouchon. I had an office in Beverly Hills and spent two years immersed in that little town. Although I never really came to love it, I did get to know the 90210 fairly well. My favorite happy hour was at Thomas Keller’s Bar Bouchon. You can sit on a little patio that opens to the Beverly Canon Gardens, opposite Scott Conants Scarpetta at the Montage. While we are on that subject, I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to a seven course tasting dinner at the Chefs table in the kitchen of the Scarpetta, twice, and it was incredible. Although I didn’t have to pick up the tab either time, that may have colored my opinion, but if you can swing it, the pasta is even better than you would expect from the Modern Master of Italian Cuisine. Given the vast price difference, I would have to give my final Beverly Hills recommendation to Bar Bouchons Happy Hour, if you are in town Monday though Thursday from 4-7pm. Bar Bouchon is great for people watching, the food is fabulous AND well priced. There are very few places in Beverly Hills that you can get such great food will out feeling like your bank account has been pillaged.

4. Surfas and Helms Bakery. These two food and baking Meccas of Los Angeles are located conviently close to each other and offer everything from professional grade products, to classes to one of the best hamburgers in all of Los Angeles. Food events, food shopping, food markets, restaurants, bars all make this little area a must for the food travelers. Check both websites for events and classes, Surfas often has free cooking demos that don’t make the website. You can call ahead to check.

5. Fast Food Worth the Hype and the Sodium: In-N-Out, especially if you haven’t had it, it’s a must. Check out the Secret Menu to order like a pro, although most of us just order the Double Double Animal Style. Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, and you have to eat the chicken and the waffles together, none of that side by side nonsense. Pink’s Hot Dogs, it’s an institution. In a land where even historic landmarks are torn down for ultra-modern mini lofts, Pinks has managed to keep it’s foot hold on the corner of Melrose and La Brea for 73 years. You would be hard pressed to find a Los Angeles resident, famous or commoner, who hasn’t eaten there. But beware, even at midnight on a Tuesday, there will be a line. Randy’s Doughnuts. Before Sprinkles, before Krispy Kreme, before the Macaron Madness, there was Randy and his little hand held treats inside a tiny shop with a gigantic doughnut shaped sign on the roof. It’s conveniently close to LAX, and worth a cab ride if you find yourself at the airport with nothing to do for a few hours.

6. Downtown After Dark. Unlike most cities, the Downtown we have in Los Angeles is a bit skeevy and unused. By day it’s mostly a financial district peppered with the house-challenged, and little to do. But in recent years the night life has taken off. Right now, it’s my favorite place for a night out. Coles is one of my favorite places to stop for a drink, along with it’s back bar, Varnish. It’s the oldest bar in Los Angeles, over 100 years old and even served as a speakeasy during prohibition. Although it had a slight remodel, it’s decor is authentic and true to it’s roots. The food is….OK, but the bartenders are complete pros. If you are looking for an expertly crafted cocktail and possibly the definitive Old Fashion, this is a place to go. These are people who know their stuff and are in love with art of the cocktail, don’t even think about ordering a Scooby Snack or a Jager Bomb, show some respect for the cocktail. Library Bar is almost always busy but the vibe is great, and the Pork Belly Skewers are the best pig bites in all of L.A. Make reservations at Baco Mercat and go with someone who wants to share food, family style. The Edison is worth the trip just to see the amazing space. Housed in a 100 year old building that once served as powder plant, and now has a Golden Age feel, and even a beautiful, but very tame, burlesque shows on the weekend.

7. Festivals and Food Events. These happen nearly every weekend. Read up before you come, LA Times Food, LA Magazine, Experience LAGrub Street and even Yelp Events Page are good places to start.

 

So there you are. My Cliffs notes on my little town. There is so much here that I love, even my small local markets that I wish I could take you too. If you do visit, think like a local, try your best to stay off the tourist-beaten path, that is where the best stuff happens.

 

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup mild enchilada sauce
  • 8 oz chicken, skinless (breast or thighs will work)
  • 1/4 cup Masa Harina
  • 1/2 tsp cummin
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • ¼ cup roasted mild green chilies, diced
  • 1/3 cup sliced black olives
  • 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • Hot sauce, to taste
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 avocado, diced

(Makes 4 Servings)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, add the broth and the enchilada sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and poach until cooked though. Remove the chicken from the pot, shred chicken using two forks.
  2. Add Masa Harina, cumin and the pepper to the broth, whisk until well combined.
  3. Add the chicken back into the pot with the chilies, olives, and beans. Allow to simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
  4. Add tomatoes, and then add the hot sauce to taste.
  5. Pour into bowls, garnish with cheddar, cilantro and avocado.

Note: Try to buy as few of these ingredients in cans as possible. Look for jars or even cartons, if you can. Too many ingredients from a can will give you an overwhelming metallic taste.

Chocolate Stout Crinkle Cookies

I think I want my next cookbook to be The Chocolate Stout Cookbook.

It really is my favorite beer to cook with. Not just for the Christmas Cookie of all Christmas Cookies, it’s also awesome for braising meat with.

And even in the dead of summer, in the middle of the Mojave Desert, I’d still drink me some dark beer. In fact, if I could stock my fridge with System of a Stout, I don’t think I’d ever leave my house.

If this is your first time to my little corner of the internet, and you are still a bit skeptical about adding beer to your food, I beg of you to try a chocolate dessert recipe with beer. I’d really like to take credit for cakes and cookies having a beautiful depth, a richness without being overly dense and a slight puff without being dry, but we owe it all to the stout.

Here are my notes about amending your favorite chocolate  dessert recipe with stout:

Replace about 1/2 the liquid with beer.

Up the fat content (an extra egg yolk, a tbs or two of oil) if you replace a liquid, like milk or cream, that has fat in it

Up the sugar a bit (about 1 tbs per 1/4 cup beer, more if you are using an extra bitter stout)

That’s about it. Hope your next chocolate cake will include a dark beer, even if it is from a box (especially if it’s from a box).

Chocolate Stout Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 12 ounces about 2 2/3 cups, chopped good quality dark chocolate (60% cocao)
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter cut into cubes
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Stout
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Makes 18 to 20

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and sugar, mix until well combined. Set aside
  • In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate, the butter and the oil. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Don't over heat or the chocolate will seize. Add the beer and stir.
  • Add the eggs to the chocolate and stir until well combined.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, some lumps are OK.
  • Cover and refrigerate until the dough as has set, about 3 hours and up to 36. Overnight refrigeration is recommended.
  • Preheat oven to 350. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl.
  • Using a cookie dough scoop, make balls just a bit smaller than golf balls, roll into shape with your hands. Place dough balls into powdered sugar, roll until well coated.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add cookie balls
  • Bake cookies at 350 for 8-11 minutes or until the edges have set but the center is still a bit soft. Don't over-bake or the cookies will be dry and crumbly.

 

Chilean Salmon with Avocado Cream Sauce

I’ve always wanted to go to Chile. Since I started traveling, I’ve had a deep love for Spanish speaking countries, I want to visit them all. Although, other than language, they seem to have little in common. Other than maybe a shared love of food and family.

I spent some time in Spain, missing my flight home for an extra day in Madrid.

I took my husband with my to Costa Rica, and I didn’t want to leave. I just kept begging to head further south, even telling him I’d allow as much Van Halen signing as he wanted once we hit Panama (PAAAAAna-ma-ah!). But he wanted his own bed and some clean clothes. Weirdo.

And Chile has been there, long and lean, just sitting there on my list. I want to go and visit this place, so gorgeous, and with it’s incredible food.

I was invited to a dinner party event put on by Foods From Chile a few weeks ago. It wasn’t a flight south along the Pacific, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be part of an event that took place in five cities across the US. The food was amazing. Salmon, Avocado Soup, Endive Salad, and Blueberry Crisp, cooked up by the lovely Chef Cheryl.

Maybe I’m not going to get on a plane and head south just yet, but I can eat some Chilean salmon, with some Chilean avocado cream sauce, and of course, the Chilean wine. And dream about the day I actually get my passport stamped in Santiago.

Chilean Salmon with Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients

For The Salmon

  • 4, 3oz salmon fillets
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 to 2 tsp salt
  • 1 to 2 tsp pepper
  • 3 tbs olive oil

For The Avocado Cream Sauce

  • 1 large avocado (about 2/3 cup)
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 1 tbs chopped shallots
  • 1/3 cup coconut water
  • pinch cayenne
  • pinch chili powder
  • pinch smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs chopped chives

Instructions

  1. Place salmon fillets on a plate, squeeze lemon juice over salmon and allow to sit for five to ten minutes. Sprinkle filets with salt and pepper just prior to cooking.
  2. In a good quality heavy sauce pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until hot but not smoking, swirling the olive oil to evenly distribute.
  3. Add the salmon and allow to cook until golden brown before carefully flipping, about 4 minutes. Cook on the other side until cooked through.
  4. In a food processor add the sauce ingredients and puree until smooth.
  5. Add salmon to plates, top with sauce.

 

 

Chipotle Stout and Chorizo Chili Topped with Pork Rinds

 

I’m so glad I can share this recipe with you. I’ve been working like a crazy person to develop and test recipes that I fall in love with but I can’t share them with you because I need to save them for the cookbook.

And, of course, I’m putting a tremendous amount of pressure on myself to make each recipe a home run.

Because once you buy the book, and actually pay for the recipes, I want them all to be amazing. This, my friend, is a huge amount of pressure on me and the limits of my culinary creativity.


But then I get these crazy ideas, like putting crushed Chicharrones on top of chili and I can’t even wait to share it. I have to post it as soon as possible, even pushing back a more "seasonally appropriate" post because I want to show you this.

And Chorizo, with its spice and fatty goodness, is perfect in chili. In fact, I pretty much raided the "C" section of my local Mexican food market (there isn’t a "C" section, by the way, but there should be) to bring you a dish with chipotle, chorizo, chicharrones, cilantro, cheddar and cumin.

 And then I ate three bowls before I could even share it with anyone.

If I was planning on tailgating anytime soon, I would make this in huge vats.

And if you are a "beans in your chili" kind of guy, go ahead and throw some in, I won’t mind.

Or add some sour cream, if that’s your thing.

Chipotle Stout and Chorizo Chili Topped with Pork Rinds

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • ½ white onion chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped, stem and seeds removed
  • 6 oz chorizo raw, removed from casing
  • 1 lb ground beef chuck 80/20 lean to fat
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup Chipotle Stout
  • 14 oz stewed diced tomatoes canned is fine
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo from can, minced plus more if desired
  • 1 tsp adobo sauce
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

Toppings:

  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped
  • 2 cups Chicharrones pork rinds, lightly crushed
  • Makes 4-6 servings

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until onion softens but isn’t browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chorizo and beef, cook until meat starts to brown. Add the garlic and stir.
  • Add the beer, diced tomatoes, one chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, smoked paprika, pepper, cumin and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, until thickened. Add additional chipotle peppers as desired to raise heat level.
  • Pour into bowls, top with cilantro, cheddar and Chicharrones.