Attifoodtag:,2008:/22008-09-20T22:11:42ZRob cooks stuff. You watch.Movable Type 3.33Coffee Talk at BlogWorldExpotag:www.attifood.com,2008://2.1272008-09-20T18:37:23Z2008-09-20T22:11:42ZIt must be pure as an angel. Strong as love. Black as the devil And hot as hell. - Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord I'm at BlogWorldExpo 2008, in the cool, stylish, exciting, entertaining, tragically seedy, and love-or-hate-it city of Las...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com
It must be pure as an angel.
Strong as love.
Black as the devil
And hot as hell.
- Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord
I'm at BlogWorldExpo 2008, in the cool, stylish, exciting, entertaining, tragically seedy, and love-or-hate-it city of Las Vegas. I've much to blog about which I eventually will including a tour of Belgium beers at the Burger Bar with Cliff Lusso from Global Beer, a fantastic lunch at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, and an excellent dinner at Todd English's Olives.
But it was coffee on my mind this morning after a late night of exploring the LV Strip. Of course SBUX was my ultimate supplier-- I spotted a Peet's at Mandalay Bay, but it's a little too far. The drip delivered in it's two tablespoons per six ounces, and I got my fix.
And therein lies the question: two Tbl of coffee to six ounces of water? Really? Have you ever tried that at home? I have, proper grind density and all, and do you know what? Strength: Pure biodiesel. So what's up with that recommended recipe, Starbucks? We find that at home, around 1.5 Tbl (or a well-rounded Tbl) per six ounces produces a perfectly strong brew for us, though everyone complains, er, remarks, that our coffee is on the strong side. I feel that anything less produces a taste that's over-extracted and burned.
So how does your mileage vary?]]>
Ceviche Crab Stacktag:www.attifood.com,2008://2.1202008-03-16T20:09:42Z2008-07-22T18:07:41Z Last weekend I prepared a surf-and-turf dinner for eight with a twist. No steamed lobsters and New York strips this time around, instead a spicy, tangy journey across Central America. First, petit filet mignons with a Mexican-inspired red wine...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com
Last weekend I prepared a surf-and-turf dinner for eight with a twist. No steamed lobsters and New York strips this time around, instead a spicy, tangy journey across Central America. First, petit filet mignons with a Mexican-inspired red wine and port reduction infused with the spice and flavor of smoked jalapenos, thyme, mushrooms, and onion. For the starch, I went with fried yucca. The surf came in a stack of rice, a mixture of mango, avocado, lime juice, and jalapeno, and a top-layer mixture of swordfish ceviche and jumbo lump crab meat. Plated, it all came together like this:
(click to crabstackusize)
Building the stack was the biggest challenge of the day, fortunately a make-ahead item for this menu, as it's served cold. Making the stacks requires a ring mold, or even a short (and, of course, clean!) section of pvc pipe from your local hardware store. I used an adjustable, plunger-style measuring cup to build the stacks, which allowed me to really give them a good squeeze that held them in one piece and keep a uniform size.
I made this for eight, so recipe-wise, I've tried to reduce it for four.
The rice:
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2" cube of crystalized ginger (optional)
Cook the rice using your preferred method. Let it cool, then refrigerate, as it's easier to work with cold at assembly time.
The mango mixture middle:
1 1/2 mangoes, diced in 1/4" chunks
1 avocado, diced
1/2 medium-sized red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
zest of 1/2 lime
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
Gently combine all ingredients until evenly mixed. Refrigerate. Onwards!
The crab and and swordfish ceviche:
1 lb fresh swordfish, diced in 1/4" chunks
1 lb fresh jumbo lump crabmeat
juice of 1/2 lime
zest of 1/2 lime
1/2 to 1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
Combine the lime juice, zest, and hot sauce with the swordfish. Place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes to let the acidic lime juice go to work on the swordfish. Remove from the fridge and combine with the crab meat.
And now, we stack.
(click to crabstackusize)
The first layer, the base, is the rice. Next comes the mango mixture, followed by the seafood. I did everything upside-down in the mixing cup, turned it over, gave it a good press, and then slowly lifted the mixing cup up, while pressing the rest of the plunger out. (Maybe that needs a video or something) Any how...
Measuring it out it's about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of rice for the base, 1/3 cup of mango mixture, and 1/3 cup of the seafood.
Top it with three thin slices of cucumber and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Garnish with a spring of fresh cilantro. Consume.]]>
Mussels with Smoked Salmon and Cream Saucetag:www.attifood.com,2008://2.1192008-03-03T17:08:18Z2008-03-27T14:29:47Z Meh. I saw this recipe in a cook book at my mom's house and it seemed like it would be good. It was so-so. I'll be sticking with this one in the future. The recipe, in case you're looking...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com
Meh.
I saw this recipe in a cook book at my mom's house and it seemed like it would be good. It was so-so. I'll be sticking with this one in the future.
The recipe, in case you're looking for something different:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 clove chopped garlic
4 lbs mussels
3 oz (1/3 cup) smoked salmon
In a 5qt pot, combine first 3
Bring to a Simmer
Add mussels and salmon and cook over medium heat, uncovered 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally.]]>
Rosemary Grilled Chicken Thighstag:www.attifood.com,2008://2.1182008-03-01T17:50:01Z2008-03-27T14:28:22Z Add this to your “Things-to-keep-on-hand-for-fast-and-excellent-meals” list: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This is one item that I try to keep bulk packs of in the freezer. Typically I buy a 16-pack and divide it in half for freezer storage. It’s...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com
Add this to your “Things-to-keep-on-hand-for-fast-and-excellent-meals” list: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This is one item that I try to keep bulk packs of in the freezer. Typically I buy a 16-pack and divide it in half for freezer storage. It’s easy to prepare, forgiving to overcook, has a decent amount of fat-giving flavor (just be sure to trim some off to prevent grill flare-ups), and even the free-range, organic variety is easy on the wallet. A sixteen pack typically gets me two dinners and two lunches of leftovers.
And, oh, is it versatile! Fine Cooking featured a few different recipes this past summer for grilling them and I’ve yet to be disappointed. A couple of weeks ago I tried the Rosemary Grilled recipe and it rocked.
It’s a simple rub featuring minced, fresh rosemary, brown sugar, kosher salt, and some crushed red pepper flakes for some bite. My herb garden from the summer is still kicking out rosemary despite being iced-over a few times, so I snagged a fresh sprig. I also added some chopped green onion that I happened to have on hand. Good move.
On the side is an orange marmalade, rice wine vinegar, and rosemary dipping sauce. Typically not an orange marmalade kind of guy, its sweet and sour accompaniment convinced me otherwise. It’s simple to prepare—one cup of marmalade, ¼ rice wine vinegar, and a teaspoon of minced rosemary all warmed together on the stove.
The chicken itself is easy—combine the rub, toss it with the chicken and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil and then it’s onto a medium-high grill for about five minutes per side. Done.
I served it with a side of simple jasmine rice. One little cool twist on the rice was dropping in a cube of crystallized ginger to cook with the rice. It added a light hint of ginger flavor to the rice—just enough to make you to say, “what is that?” (in a good way, really.) and proved a nice pairing to the Asian-inspired chicken.
So stock up on the thighs. And make this first. Then, follow it up next weekend with the Grilled Tandoori-Style Chicken Thighs. That was pure, curried bliss.]]>
Algorithm: Making a 6 Month Menu Plantag:www.attifood.com,2008://2.1162008-01-22T18:38:59Z2008-03-16T20:53:59Z On a daily basis I hear from my children, “I’m bored.” I respond with, “Good! Boredom is healthy.” Then to confirm my beliefs that boredom is healthy and can lead to many wonderful creations I found this quote. “The...robinhttp://www.attifood.com
On a daily basis I hear from my children, “I’m bored.” I respond with, “Good! Boredom is healthy.” Then to confirm my beliefs that boredom is healthy and can lead to many wonderful creations I found this quote. “The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” -Ellen Parr
My mind constantly wanders and if there were an award for daydreaming it would be mine year after year. My mother usually refers to me as “my daughter the dreamer.” Dreams are good and dreams are free. Right?
So one day while daydreaming I came up with an algorithm (a finite list of well-defined instructions for accomplishing some task) for planning my dinner menu for 6 months at a time. Maybe I have too much time on my hands or I just want more time on my hands. But here is what I came up with…
Decide how many days of the week you will cook. (I chose 5 plus one
leftover night and one night to eat out.)
Assign each day of the week with a “Food Plan”. Ex. Sunday/Chicken, Monday/Crock Pot, Tuesday/Italian,
Wednesday/Salad, Thursday/Leftovers, Friday/Eat Out,
Saturday/Sandwich
Take each “Food Plan” and write as many recipes or ways to serve this
item that you know. Ex. Chicken– Buffalo wings, parmesan, chicken salad, chicken cordon
bleu, fried, cacciatore...
Crock Pot– drip beef sandwiches, French dip, Coke roast, 40 clove
chicken...
Italian– Lasagna, spaghetti, stromboli, ravioli…
Salad- Cobb, chef, Caesar
Eat Out– Thai, seafood, pizza...
Sandwiches– hotdog, hamburger, BLT, Sloppy Joe’s, subs...
Make a grid with 8 columns and 27 rows. See below but continue labeling
all the way to Week 26.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Fill in each day with the items from its assigned “Food Plan” rotating*
those items until all 26 weeks are filled.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Week 1
Buf Wings
Drip Beef
Lasagna
Cobb
Leftovers
Out-Thai
Hotdog
Week 2
Ch Parm
Fr. Dip
Spag.
Chef
“
Out– SF
Hamb.
Week 3
Ch Salad
Coke Roast
Stromboli
Caesar
“
Out –Pizza
BLT
*Note: You will need to decide how often you want to eat each item. The more items you have in each “Food Plan” list the less you will eat that item in the rotation. You may want to eat BLT’s only once every six weeks but a hamburger every three weeks so fill in accordingly.
Now that you have 26 weeks worth of dinner menus, you may want to alter the list according to seasons. It may be wise to create one for October-March and one for April–September. Or use the same menu twice just changing the side dishes according to what is in season. I have benefited in many ways from this algorithm. It has saved me time, money, and countless afternoons wondering what to make for dinner. I can also cook ahead by purchasing chicken in bulk and make 3-4 weeks worth of my chicken dishes on the list and freeze them. This list is never written in stone as plans can change. But I find there are more unchanged plans than changed plans so it is good to be ready. Back to dream land...]]>
Peaches and Cream Cheese Coffee Caketag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1122007-08-23T01:55:08Z2007-11-01T15:54:08Z After searching the net for a copy cat recipe of this lavish coffee cake, discovered at the café "Peaches" in North Conway, NH, a thought occurred to me, a memory actually. I had eaten this before, in fact I...robinhttp://www.attifood.com
After searching the net for a copy cat recipe of this lavish coffee cake, discovered at the café "Peaches" in North Conway, NH, a thought occurred to me, a memory actually. I had eaten this before, in fact I have even made this cake in my previous life (BC, "Before Children...") My roommate in college gave me this recipe after she successfully served it to her three starving roomies. I did tweak the recipe a bit so that it lined up more with what I sampled at "Peaches". The result was perfect. I accomplished a coup d'etat of their famous, guarded recipe. Or maybe I am not so clever and the recipe has been lurking in housewives’ recipe boxes for generations as it had mine for the last eighteen years. Que sera sera!
The recipe…
Grease the bottom of a 9" square baking pan
3/4 cup flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 1/4 oz box vanilla non instant pudding
3 T. butter
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/8 t. anise extract
Combine in a large mixing bowl and beat for two minutes at medium speed and pour into prepared pan. Drain a can of peach halves (reserve the juice), you will need 5 halves sliced very thinly and placed evenly over the batter. In the same mixing bowl (no need to mess another), mix one 8 ounce brick of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of the reserved juice, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Pour this over the peaches with in one inch of the edge of the pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon and a little sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is still soft but a little bubbly. Eat warm and store in fridge and reheat as needed.]]>
Eating My Way Back to You Babetag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1112007-08-18T18:39:09Z2008-03-24T03:33:10ZLast week we journeyed to New England. My birthplace. It was wonderful to see family and friends, relax and explore, and of course EAT! I like to visit my favorite spots (Kelly’s Roast Beef at Revere Beach and the Boston...robinhttp://www.attifood.com
Kelly’s Roast Beef at Revere Beach and the Boston Chipyard in Faneuil Hall) but I added some new ones on this trip. The first place was serendipitous. We were traveling north on Rt. 16 toward North Conway, NH and saw the parking lot of The Pizza Barn packed. We knew it had to be good and we were mighty hungry. What a pleasant surprise that Italian style pizza served in a barn could be so good. The crust was perfect and the pepperoni piled high, five and six slices high to be exact– no lie! The atmosphere was just that of a barn, lofty, open beamed, and filled with picnic tables and benches.
The next was an adorable café in North Conway, appropriately named, Peaches. Although is was raining we chose to sit outside in the tented courtyard. This called for a round of hot chocolate. We were told that the Peaches and Cream coffeecake was to die for and died we did. I picked at it and prodded it until I think I figured out how it was made. There was a familiar, secret flavor in there that I just couldn’t put my tongue on… is it anise? Basil?...Ach! I will post a recipe when I have it perfected so stay tuned. Dan and I savored the Eggs Benedicts which were perfect. The kids gobbled down kiddy-sized French Toast and Pancakes. The crowds never ceased as I spied other patrons plates and envied their choices as well.
One highlight of the trip was heading into Eastie (Boston that is) and eating at the famous Santarpio’s Pizza. (Please do not pronounce the “R” as you will sound stupid! SAN-TAH-PEEYOS!) The skewered lamb appetizer served with cherry peppers and bread was simplicity and excellency on a plate. Their pizza, again a perfect crust and just the right amount of cheese to sauce ratio, was classic. The place was a hole in the wall and the old Italian gold-chain-laced waiter was probably an original, but my Auntie shared her memories of the place as she and my mom grew up just around the corner on Bremen Street. The room in which we sat used to be the bread bakery that sold piping hot bread right from their ovens for 25¢ a huge loaf. Auntie said the bread has not changed and I had to agree it was heaven with its crusty exterior and feathery light interior.
With the smoky scent of Santarpio’s on my fingers, a few extra pounds on me bum, and some great new memories, we headed on south for home. ]]>
Summer Surfingtag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1102007-08-07T17:19:21Z2008-03-27T14:28:40Z I really enjoy cooking when I am asked to bring something to a party. Oh what to bring, what to bring? The challenge is presented, I comb through recipes, scour my "What to Bring to the Next Party" files,...robinhttp://www.attifood.com
I really enjoy cooking when I am asked to bring something to a party. Oh what to bring, what to bring? The challenge is presented, I comb through recipes, scour my "What to Bring to the Next Party" files, and finally just surf the net for cutting edge, trendy-gourmet, yummy miracles. This past weekend we attended my hubby's office barbeque and I volunteered to bring the dessert because just one week prior I had found "The Real Crepe Cake" #2306 from www.tastespotting.com. Who made this delightful cake? Is there a recipe somewhere? I had to know more, so I clicked the picture and happily found the recipe and its story on this site www.creampuffsinvenice.ca. I was giddy, elated, I could go on and on... Well to make a long story longer, the cake made a huge show, each guest gathered 'round while I brûléed, sliced and served its towering creaminess to their quaking, drooling selves. The heavens opened, the angels sang, and the cake was declared a master piece by all. Doth one exaggerate? Who me?
]]>
Summer Producetag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1082007-08-05T23:46:23Z2008-04-07T04:13:18ZFinally! I said we were on the map when Starbucks showed up in our local strip. I said we were really on the map when Clyde's opened up it's flagship restaurant just a few blocks down from our house. Oh,...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com
I'm also excited about the produce that I've managed to get going in my own garden this year. First, there's an herb garden of thyme, sage, basil, and rosemary. So far I've only used the basil and rosemary as I haven't been cooking as much this summer as thought I would. I will have to remedy that.
Of course, what's a garden without tomatoes. I'm trying out some giant, heirloom beefsteaks. The plant started out a little slow, but midway through the summer it exploded in size and in blooms. It's finally loaded up with fruit and I'm having visions of tomato, mozzarella, and basil salads in my future.
The biggest surprise was my single jalapeño plant. I've harvested quite a few peppers from that plant and it seems I haven't made a dent. There's enough there to try a little experimentation. I think I'm going to try putting a bunch in the smoker and make some of my own chipotle sauce. I'll document how that goes-- it's going to be spicy!
]]>
How To: Start Your Own Gourmet Clubtag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1072007-08-01T13:55:37Z2008-04-07T04:13:05Z Ah, Gourmet Club! Amazing themed nights with food and drink to the extreme. This particular picture is of delicious pizza toppings including, sautéed onions and peppers, barbequed chicken, sliced meatballs, and ham and pineapple, just to name a few....robinhttp://www.attifood.com
Ah, Gourmet Club! Amazing themed nights with food and drink to the extreme. This particular picture is of delicious pizza toppings including, sautéed onions and peppers, barbequed chicken, sliced meatballs, and ham and pineapple, just to name a few. My husband Dan and I hosted the "Food Court Night." We dressed like various mall employees (Rindy and James in black and white stripes for Foot Locker, Eddie and Sabrina in Olive Garden aprons, and Amy and Jerry looking quite "Gap-ish" ) and ate food such as make your own California Pizza Kitchen Pizza, Joe's Crab Shack cocktails, and Olive Garden Salad. All recipes found at www.copykat.com. We have been doing this for four years and have done various themes such as: Sock Hop, a Hawaiian Luau, a Murder Mystery, Red Neck Night, Kentucky Derby, Low Country Crab Boil, and the list goes on. Here is how to start your own.
1. Get with a fellow foodie and choose who and how many people you want in your club. Eight is a good number. Always best to choose other food enthusiasts with adventurous palates.
2. Decide when and how many times a year you plan to meet, with each host rotating through the dates. Commit to these dates and plan ahead with your babysitters if needed.
3. Two weeks prior to the event the host will send out the "Top Secret" file. This file contains the revealed theme, what each quest is to cook including recipes, and expected attire. Keeping it all secret lends to great anticipation among the gourmands.
4. Create a scrapbook or binder to include recipes, tips, thank you notes, wine lists, and pictures from each event.
5. At each place setting supply a "question", this gets the conversation going and always adds to laughs and memories. Ex. If you could do anything successfully, what would you do? Who would play you in a movie? What was your first job? Describe your first kiss?
6. Be sure to have each quest bring storage containers to share the leftovers-- if any!
]]>
Solution: Leftover Egg Whitestag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1062007-07-30T04:07:30Z2008-03-24T03:32:53Z This frosting was the best solution to using up eggs whites I had leftover from making ice cream. I am very excited about my new KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment. I think the thing I enjoy the most about it...robinhttp://www.attifood.com
This frosting was the best solution to using up eggs whites I had leftover from making ice cream. I am very excited about my new KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment. I think the thing I enjoy the most about it is that I can store it in my freezer and not take up any valuable space in my pantry and its ever expanding kitchen gadgetry. I made the Vanilla Ice Cream #2 recipe from “The Ultimate Ice Cream Book.” This was the most luscious vanilla ice cream I have ever made. How can you go wrong with a recipe that calls for 7 egg yolks? Then those whites! I couldn’t just throw them away and I can’t stand white omelets, so...
Italian Meringue Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup egg whites, from about 3-4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 pound sweet cream butter, cut into 20 pieces
4-8 ounce bittersweet or dark chocolate, melted
In a double boiler over simmering water beat egg whites and sugar on medium speed using a hand mixer. Beat until an instant thermometer reaches 160ºF. Remove from heat and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, then lower speed to medium and beat until almost room temperature. Add butter one piece at a time while beating on medium speed to incorporate. Then add melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Prior to use, bring frosting to room temperature. Once the item (cake, cupcakes, husband) is frosted it will have to be stored in a cool place.
A good thing to adorn with this abrosia of all frostings is on a decadent chocolate cake (doctored up cake mix) with layers of ganache (Alton Brown’s recipe).
]]>
An Ingredient for Every Pot - Brie Tartstag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1052007-07-25T02:08:29Z2008-03-27T14:29:30ZI am beginning to practice what I preach and finding my sermons to be quite practical. We freely give advice and sometimes even get paid for it but why do we not use it ourselves? You know the scenario, doctor...robinhttp://www.attifood.comBrie Tarts
1 (15 count) mini frozen Phyllo cups (tenants of my freezer)
Brie cheese– cut into 15 cubes the size of a regular dice (refrigerator regular attendee)
2 1/2 T. apricot preserves-or any other jam or preserves (hangs out on my refrigerator door)
15 pecan halves (freezer drawer monger)
Preheat oven to 400°. Remove Phyllo cups from their package and place on a cookie sheet. Place one cube of Brie in each cup and top with 1/2 t. preserves then a pecan half. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and preserves bubble. Remove to a pretty serving device and enjoy warm or at room temperature. ]]>
Now With Twice the Attifoodtag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1042007-07-25T01:41:52Z2007-07-25T02:05:08ZIntroducing... Robin! Who? My sister Robin (yes, our parents named us Rob and Robin, and no we're not twins, and yes, we know it's a little corny, so deal) is who. She's a fellow foodie-- my "hey, I just made...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com
Introducing... Robin!
Who?
My sister Robin (yes, our parents named us Rob and Robin, and no we're not twins, and yes, we know it's a little corny, so deal) is who. She's a fellow foodie-- my "hey, I just made this" and "hey, do you have a recipe/recommendation for that" resource. AND she's ready to share her side of the story on the Attifood blog. Yes, I know, cool.
So onward to her first post, which will follow shortly...
Fish Tacostag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.1032007-07-17T03:02:52Z2007-07-26T02:07:32ZA favorite, summer foodie event for me is sitting out on the deck, consuming mass quantities of Fresh-Mex and cooling off with a Margarita or another choice cold beverage. Fish tacos, with fresh, grilled mahi-mahi, pico de gallo, and crème...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com]]>
Friday Night Musselstag:www.attifood.com,2007://2.912007-04-29T21:42:24Z2008-04-19T23:51:51ZMussels are a weekly tradition at our house. Simple, fast to cook, delicious, and social to eat. Grab some crusty bread and a bottle of white wine and chat at it. Although I think I used a little too much...Robhttp://www.houseofklause.com]]>
Last weekend I prepared a surf-and-turf dinner for eight with a twist. No steamed lobsters and New York strips this time around, instead a spicy, tangy journey across Central America. First, petit filet mignons with a Mexican-inspired red wine and port reduction infused with the spice and flavor of smoked jalapenos, thyme, mushrooms, and onion. For the starch, I went with fried yucca. The surf came in a stack of rice, a mixture of mango, avocado, lime juice, and jalapeno, and a top-layer mixture of swordfish ceviche and jumbo lump crab meat. Plated, it all came together like this:
Meh.
I saw this recipe in a cook book at my mom's house and it seemed like it would be good. It was so-so. I'll be sticking with this one in the future.
The recipe, in case you're looking for something different:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 clove chopped garlic
4 lbs mussels
3 oz (1/3 cup) smoked salmon
In a 5qt pot, combine first 3
Bring to a Simmer
Add mussels and salmon and cook over medium heat, uncovered 5-6 minutes. Stir occasionally.]]>
Add this to your “Things-to-keep-on-hand-for-fast-and-excellent-meals” list: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This is one item that I try to keep bulk packs of in the freezer. Typically I buy a 16-pack and divide it in half for freezer storage. It’s easy to prepare, forgiving to overcook, has a decent amount of fat-giving flavor (just be sure to trim some off to prevent grill flare-ups), and even the free-range, organic variety is easy on the wallet. A sixteen pack typically gets me two dinners and two lunches of leftovers.
And, oh, is it versatile! Fine Cooking featured a few different recipes this past summer for grilling them and I’ve yet to be disappointed. A couple of weeks ago I tried the Rosemary Grilled recipe and it rocked.
After searching the net for a copy cat recipe of this lavish coffee cake, discovered at the café "Peaches" in North Conway, NH, a thought occurred to me, a memory actually. I had eaten this before, in fact I have even made this cake in my previous life (BC, "Before Children...") My roommate in college gave me this recipe after she successfully served it to her three starving roomies. I did tweak the recipe a bit so that it lined up more with what I sampled at "Peaches". The result was perfect. I accomplished a coup d'etat of their famous, guarded recipe. Or maybe I am not so clever and the recipe has been lurking in housewives’ recipe boxes for generations as it had mine for the last eighteen years. Que sera sera!
The recipe…
Grease the bottom of a 9" square baking pan
3/4 cup flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 1/4 oz box vanilla non instant pudding
3 T. butter
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/8 t. anise extract
Combine in a large mixing bowl and beat for two minutes at medium speed and pour into prepared pan. Drain a can of peach halves (reserve the juice), you will need 5 halves sliced very thinly and placed evenly over the batter. In the same mixing bowl (no need to mess another), mix one 8 ounce brick of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of the reserved juice, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Pour this over the peaches with in one inch of the edge of the pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon and a little sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is still soft but a little bubbly. Eat warm and store in fridge and reheat as needed.]]>
This frosting was the best solution to using up eggs whites I had leftover from making ice cream. I am very excited about my new KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment. I think the thing I enjoy the most about it is that I can store it in my freezer and not take up any valuable space in my pantry and its ever expanding kitchen gadgetry. I made the Vanilla Ice Cream #2 recipe from “The Ultimate Ice Cream Book
.” This was the most luscious vanilla ice cream I have ever made. How can you go wrong with a recipe that calls for 7 egg yolks? Then those whites! I couldn’t just throw them away and I can’t stand white omelets, so...
Italian Meringue Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup egg whites, from about 3-4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 pound sweet cream butter, cut into 20 pieces
4-8 ounce bittersweet or dark chocolate, melted
In a double boiler over simmering water beat egg whites and sugar on medium speed using a hand mixer. Beat until an instant thermometer reaches 160ºF. Remove from heat and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, then lower speed to medium and beat until almost room temperature. Add butter one piece at a time while beating on medium speed to incorporate. Then add melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. Prior to use, bring frosting to room temperature. Once the item (cake, cupcakes, husband) is frosted it will have to be stored in a cool place.
A good thing to adorn with this abrosia of all frostings is on a decadent chocolate cake (doctored up cake mix) with layers of ganache (Alton Brown’s recipe).
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