Chicken Picadillo

First al fresco dining opportunity of the season!

I love cinnamon. It's warm, rich and spicy; I'm absolutely obsessed with it when baked in sweets. Cinnamon and sugar is a natural, but the depth it adds to chocolate (or chocolate and dark coffee; mmm...) or mixed in with the fruity notes from cardamom -- I just love it all.

But I rarely cook with it; that is, I don't often add it to savory dishes. But it's delicious here in Chicken Picadillo. The peppery spice from the salsa pairs beautifully with the cinnamon. The raisins in the dish hint at cinnamon's sweet uses but those notes don't overwhelm the other flavors but play off them nicely.

I paired this with rice and beans (sauteed some garlic and onions in a pan, added two cans of black beans and mixed it in with a cup or two of cooked rice) but you can use it with tortillas for a twist on tacos.

Chicken Picadillo (adapted)

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or 1 pound ground chicken)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup bottled salsa
1/3 cup raisins (regular or golden)

If using chicken thighs, place in a food processor and pulse until ground.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring frequently. Stir in salsa and raisins, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until thoroughly heated (about 5 minutes).

Serves 4.

Salmon with Agrodolce sauce

This is a very impressive, delicious dish -- if you like salmon, that is -- that takes very little effort. I was especially in love with the look and texture of the crust; it's a gorgeous deep-gold color and lends the fish an appealing crunch. I served this along with piselli con asparagi e basilico .

Note: be sure to finish the sauce with a pat of butter, or risk an overly acidic sauce.


Salmon with Agrodolce sauce (adapted)

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 inch thick) with skin
2 medium red or sweet yellow onions (about 1 pound total), cut into wedges
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place salmon skin side up into the hot pan and cook until undersides form a golden crust, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn fish over and cook until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a separate skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté onions until golden brown and crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until sauce is syrupy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter.

Spoon onions with sauce onto plates and top with salmon, skin side down.

Serves 4.

Piselli con Asparagi e Basilico (asparagus, peas, and basil)

It might actually be Spring.

I'm not totally committed to that idea yet, because I live in Upstate New York and we had several inches of snow on the ground about two weeks ago, but I am hopeful. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it's supposed to get up to 68-degrees tomorrow.

My hope is further pushed along by fresh asparagus, tender peas, and hand torn basil. So simple, so green, so delicious.

Piselli con Asparagi e Basilico (asparagus, peas, and basil -- adapted)

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 pound shelled fresh peas (2 1/2 cups; 1 3/4 pound in pods) or 1 (10-ounce) package thawed frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Handful of torn basil leaves (about 3/4 cup)

In a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, cook onions in butter, stirring frequently until just tender, about 4 minutes.

Stir in asparagus, peas, sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then seal skillet with foil. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender but still slightly al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in basil and sea salt to taste.

New York Style Crumb Cake

When I was very little, I would ride with my parents from Long Island to NYC; my parents would go to work, and I would stay at my grandma's house until they returned. We'd usually stop at a coffee truck pulled over on the side of the road and grab breakfast: for me, a carton of chocolate milk and a slab of crumb cake. I would ignore the cake's base (more of a sweet bread than a cake anyway) in favor of the sugary crumbs.

It's something I hadn't thought about in years until watching Cooks Illustrated's podcast on New York Style crumb cake -- and then I had to make it.

The result is a moist, dense (but not heavy) cake base topped by heaps -- and I mean heaps -- of brown sugar crumbs. This recipe does not skimp on the crumb topping; even after you slice the cake into pieces and chunks of topping fall onto the platter, your piece of cake still has a generous crumb cover.

The one thing I would change is the amount of cinnamon used in the crumb. Although the cinnamon flavor intensified the next day (and the day after that) I still would have liked a greater cinnamon punch. Next time, I'd probably add three tablespoons to the crumbs, taste them, and adjust accordingly.

Overall, however, a nice tribute to the NY Style Crumb Cake.




New York-Style Crumb Cake (adapted)

Crumb Topping
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or way more -- 3 Tbsp. -- to taste)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted and still warm
3 1/2 cups cake flour

Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
Confectioners' sugar for dusting


For the crumb topping, mix together sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

For the cake, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat to 325-degrees F. Line a 13x9 pan with a parchment paper sling (spray the pan with cooking spray, lay in a sheet of parchment, pushing it into corners and up sides, allowing excess to overhang edges of dish.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.

Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Form crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with outer edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Spaghetti Harvest

Happy April Fool's Day.



More info on the Spaghetti tree.
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PS: I know this is another Google joke, but wouldn't it be great if it were real?

Daring Bakers & Dorrie's Perfect Party Cake

I was thrilled when March's DB challenged was announced: Dorrie Greenspan's perfect party cake. Our host, Morven of Food Art and Random Thoughts, said we could play around, adapting the recipe's flavor as we liked; we just needed to stick to a layer cake format.

Who doesn't love cake?

As spring is here, and I am dreaming of warmer weather (specifically, the trip to Florida we'll be taking in May) I decided to make an orange layer cake. The orange flavor was outstanding, but I would probably make two alterations to the recipe overall going forward:

1) The original recipe calls for spreading jam between the cake layers next to the buttercream. I omitted this and, although the cake's crumb was delicate, I thought it was a tad dry. (Note: Dorrie writes that "the original recipe was given to [her] by [her] great dear friend Nick Malgieri" and I've never made a Malgieri cake that wasn't on the dry side. So take from that what you will.] Next time, I'd either add the jam or spread the cake layers with a simple syrup to increase moisture.

2) This will sound ridiculous, however: the buttercream was too buttery for me. Three sticks of butter in one batch of frosting is above my butter tolerance threshold. I'd use a different frosting recipe.


If you'd like to see more variations on Dorrie's Perfect Party Cake please visit the Daring Bakers Blogroll. Big thanks to Morven for hosting!

Perfect Party Cake

For the Cake
2 ½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure orange extract

Getting Ready
Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and orange zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.

Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).


For the Buttercream
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh orange juice (from 1 navel orange)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


To Make the Buttercream
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the orange juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake
Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with about one quarter of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer . Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.

Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Serving
The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing
The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Spicy Honey-Maple Glazed Chicken

There's not much of a narrative here, but suffice it to say (one hopes...) that this chicken is well-seasoned with a bit of a spicy kick, nicely complemented by a gentle sweetness. Plus, the chicken is incredibly moist and can be on the table in under 15 minutes.

Spicy Honey-Maple Glazed Chicken (adapted)

Ingredients
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar


Preheat broiler. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil coated with cooking spray.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, add chicken to bowl and toss to coat. Place chicken on the prepared pan and broil for 5 minutes. Flip, and broil for another 5 minutes.

Combine honey, maple syrup and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven; brush half of honey-maple mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken from oven and flip. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 additional minute or until chicken is done.

Serves 4 (2 thighs per person)

Which Big Companies Own "Little" Organic Brands

I picked up the current issue of Good magazine this weekend and was interested to find this chart explaining what big companies are behind organic brands. (Kind of like wolves in responsibly-raised sheep's clothing.)

The issue as a whole is dedicated to food and eating ; it's a wonderful read.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

I know it's not brain surgery but since I don't hard boil eggs very often, I have to relearn the method a couple of times a year.

Underboiling results in a runny middle (or, erm, "soft" boiled egg), while overboiling turns the yolks a greyish green. Using the method below, you'll get a nicely cooked hard boiled egg, perfect for dying, turning into devilled eggs or simply eating with a dusting of salt and pepper.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (method source)

12 large eggs, room temperature

Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.

Transfer eggs to a colander using a slotted spoon and place under cool running water to stop the cooking. Eggs can be peeled and served immediately. Remaining eggs, with shells on, may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Something To Chew On: The Pinky Show Explores GMOs

Welcome to the blog's 400th post!


A former student sent me a link to The Pinky Show, an "original super lo-tech hand-drawn educational TV show. The Pinky Show focuses on information and ideas that have, for various reasons, been misrepresented, distorted, suppressed, ignored, or otherwise excluded from mainstream discussion. The creator and main character of the show, a cat named Pinky, presents and analyzes the material in an informal, easy-to-understand way, with helpful illustrations that she draws herself."


It's pretty terrific; I love the idea of using of simple animation to explore complex problems. We've been watching and discussing the programs all weekend, from an analysis of "illegal" immigration to do-it-yourself ribbon stickers to using elephants as weapons.


The episode that I've been thinking about the most, however, is What's Wrong With GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)? While this episode is a straight interview between Pinky and Jeffery Smith of the Institute for Responsible Technology, it's one that discusses little-explored issues behind, and the potential effects on animals resulting from, GMOs.


This quote come from the Institute for Responsible Technology, but it's a point Smith makes in the interview:

Many consumers in the US mistakenly believe that the FDA approves GM foods through rigorous, in-depth, long-term studies. In reality, the agency has absolutely no safety testing requirements. Pathetic research from companies like Monsanto who voluntarily perform on their own crops is meticulously designed to avoid finding problems. The reason for the FDA’s industry-friendly policy on GMOs is that the White House (under the first George Bush) ordered the agency to promote biotechnology and the person in charge of developing the policy was Monsanto’s former attorney, and later their vice president. That policy claimed that the agency was not aware of any information showing that GM crops were different “in any meaningful or uniform way,” and therefore didn’t need testing. But 44,000 FDA internal documents made public from a lawsuit show that this was a complete lie. The overwhelming consensus among the FDA’s own scientists was that GM foods were quite different and could lead to unpredictable and hard-to-detect allergens, toxins, new diseases and nutritional problems. They had urged superiors to require long-term studies, but were ignored.

If you haven't given much thought to GMOs, haven't thought about it lately, or have received all your info on GMOs from the mainstream media, please listen to the Pinky Show interview as soon as you can.

UPDATE: I was just thumbing through the pages of the April 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living and came across a reader's letter asking how s/he can tell if produce has been genetically engineered. The response, abridged:

There is some uncertainty regarding the safety of genetically altered crops. Although foods can be engineered to improve nutritional content and increase pest resistance, doing so raises environmental and health issues. In Europe, all GMOs are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Some are banned as a result, and those that are approved are labeled accordingly. In the United States, where it is not mandatory to identify genetically modified ingredients, GMOs are prevalent in packaged products -- especially those containing soy, corn, and wheat.

Genetically altered fruits and vegetables are rare so you probably won't find them at your market. To avoid them entirely, buy foods labeled "organic," which can not be bioengineered. Or simply check your produce. According to the Produce Marketing Association, price lookup codes (PLU) -- the number on stickers that are affixed to individual fruits and vegetables -- can be used to identify the origin of produce. The standard PLU code is four digits, though some stickers feature a fifth digit that precedes the others. An 8 indicates that the fruit was genetically engineered; a 9 means the food is organic.

Singapore Mei Fun with Shrimp

Before Shane and I got engaged and I moved Upstate, I used to eat Chinese take-out at least twice a month, sometimes more. It was cheap, it was flavorful, it was everywhere.

But Shane isn't a big fan of Chinese food, and I haven't found any Chinese restaurants I really like, so now I eat Chinese food maybe three or four times a year.

So I was thrilled to walk into Wegmans a few weeks ago and see them pushing their recipe for Singapore Noodles with Shrimp. Make no mistake -- this is definately a marketing tactic, with the goal of you spending your money in their store, on their products.

But I hadn't had Singapore Mei Fun in ages, and the mere thought of it transported me to 2000, when I would buy a quart of it for $4.00 from a tiny, dingy restaurant around the corner from my first real job at the corner of Broadway and Houston. The place was always packed at lunchtime, with people from all walks of life: executives, construction workers, hungry students, shop girls and guys, all looking for something fast, tasty and cheap.

The memory pushed me up and down the aisles, pulling ingrediants off the shelves, and then drove me home and into the kitchen. Things came together fairly quickly (though it made me wish I had a bigger wok) and result was suprisingly tasty, with a strong curry flavor, and shockingly healthy.

The only changes I made to the recipe below were to increase the curry (which I love) by 2 teaspoons -- I might add more the next time; and skip the egg to streamline the entire process. The recipe also says it serves 4, but I think you'll get more like 6.

Singapore Mei Fun with Shrimp (adapted)

1 pkg (8.8 oz) Mei Fun (rice vermicelli)
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsps Hot Madras Curry Powder
1/4 cup Oyster Sauce 1/4 cup Thai Culinary Stock or chicken stock
1 egg
1 lb. frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp (41-50 ct)
1 Tbsp +2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 large onion, peeled, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
12 oz. Cleaned & Cut Asian Slaw (a mix of Napa cabbage, carrots & celery)
1 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Follow directions for preparing mei fun; drain well and set aside.

Combine curry powder, oyster sauce, and stock in small bowl; set aside.

Blanch shrimp 30 to 60 seconds in large pot of boiling salted water. Add slaw and green onion; blanch 5 seconds. Drain well; set aside.

Drizzle 2 tsp oil around sides of the largest wok you have; tilt pan to distribute evenly. Heat oil in pan on high until oil faintly smokes. (If oil smokes too much, pan is too hot.) Add egg; cook, scrambling it, just until set. Set aside. Wipe out pan with paper towel.

Drizzle remaining Tbsp oil around sides of pan; tilt pan to distribute evenly. Heat oil in pan on high until oil faintly smokes. Add onion slices; cook, stirring, about 2 min.

Add noodles and curry powder/stock mixture to pan. Stir fry about 1 min. Add shrimp, vegetables, and egg. Stir fry 1 min.

Nutrition Info, based on 4 servings: Each serving (2 cups) contains 330 calories, 43 g carbohydrate, (3 g fiber), 21 g protein, 7 g fat, (1 g saturated fat), 200 mg cholesterol, 280 mg omega-3 fats, and 910 mg sodium.

Tate's Bake Shop Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies with their friend, Carmelized Pineapple Upside-down Cake.

I'm posting this before heading off to the gym, the first day of a renewed effort to lose the last 15 -- scratch that, 13.4 pounds -- to reach my goal weight. I'm kicking up my exercise regimen in the hopes that it speeds up the process so I'll be there before summer (though I'm conflicted about this & here's why) while maintaining my need to eat sweets.


Yes, it's a need, not a desire. I crave sweets everyday, usually multiple times, and it's a pull I can't ignore. Sometimes a stick of gum or a cup of tea will sate things, but often I need something more substantial.


Like a chocolate chip cookie. Studded with giant bits of dark chocolate, this crunchy little cookie is buttery with a salty hit; my favorite kind of chocolate chip cookie. Add a glass of milk, and I'm in heaven.



Tate's Bake Shop Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies (source)


2 cups all-purpose pour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the water and vanilla. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Add the eggs and mix them lightly. Stir in the flour mixture until just blended. Fold in the chocolate chips.


Drop the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets using two tablespoons . Bake for 12 to 17 minutes or until the edges and centers are golden brown. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.


Yield: 4 1/2 dozen three-inch cookies.

KJ's Honeycomb Candy for Taste & Create

From left to right: honeycomb clusters, plain honeycomb candy, chocolate-covered honeycomb candy.

Taste & Create is a wonderful event where food bloggers are paired up and asked to choose a recipe from their partner's blog, cook/bake it up, and post the results.

The only problem occurs if one partner totally drops the ball, doesn't see the event email because the spam filter ate it, and doesn't realized what's happened until after the round-up. (Can you guess whom I'm refering to here?)

My partner was KJ of A Cracking Good Egg and, when I realized what had happened, I began rifling through her posts like my life depended on it. Before I continue, let me apologize: KJ, I am so sorry I am late with this post. You and your lovely blog do not deserve it! I'm also sorry that I'm late submitting to Taste & Create - so, so sorry!

After taking a good long look at A Cracking Good Egg, I realized making a choice would be difficult; KJ has so many delicious recipes! But in the end, my sweet tooth won out and went with her recipe for honeycomb candy. It looks a lot like a regional Rochester favorite, sponge candy, and I'd never made so I thought I'd give it a go.

Who knew something so simple could yeild such complex flavors and textures? The carmelized sugar gets a sharp tang (it's hard for me to describe) from the addition of baking soda, so the final flavor it a bit like a toasted marsmallow with a bite. The texture, of course, is NOTHING like a marshmallow, again thanks to the baking soda.

Once you add the baking soda (mixed with a bit of water) to the melted sugar, the whole thing puffs up and turns a deep yellow. You have to work fast and pour the mixture out onto a parchment-line baking sheet before it cools. (Don't spread it with a spoon either or you'll burst all those lovely bubbles.)

When it cools, you get a crunchy, bubbly confection. I covered mine in semi-sweet chocolate which was very nice, though I think I would have preferred a milk chocolate to off set a bit of the candy's bite.

So please head over to A Cracking Good Egg to get the recipe for honeycomb candy and take a look at all of KJ's wonderful recipes. And again, my apologies for being late!

All-in-the-Pan Chewy Chocolate cake with Chocolate Butter icing

Another day, another cake but from the same cookbook: In the Sweet Kitchen by Reagan Daley .

Last week, we were invited to a "Thanksgiving dinner in February" at Carolyn's house. She provided the turkey (21 lbs!), mashed potatoes, mashed turnips, stuffing and gravy and all I needed to bring was dessert.

Given that there was a mixed crowd of people -- all ages, all tastes -- I chose a traditional chocolate cake that could feed a crowd. As the name suggestes, the cake is mixed and baked in the same pan (though you do use an extra bowl...) making it quite simple to pull together. You don't have to frost it with the icing, but you'd be missing out.

The cake is very moist, though it could have a deeper flavor. Although Daley says not to "add anything silly to this cake, like liquers or other flavorings" adding some espresso powder would give it a nice punch.

The frosting is simply delicious. Imagine the flavor of fudge in a frosting. Yum!

All-in-the-Pan Chewy Chocolate cake with Chocolate Butter icing
Cake


3 cups AP flour
2 c. sugar
½ c. natural unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups cool water

½ c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 to 6 Tbsp milk or water
3 TBSP natural unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350- degrees F. Sift flour into an ungreased, unfloured 13x9 baking pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add this mixture to the flour in the pan and stir well with a fort of small whisk to blend the ingredients.

With the back of a teaspoon, make three indentations or wells in the dry mixture: one large, one medium-sized, and one small. In the large well, our the vegetable oil. In the medium well, add the vinegar. In the small well, add the vanilla extract, and then pour the water over everything. With a for, stir the mixture until well blended, making sure you reach into the corners and sides to catch any dry pockets. Do not beat this batter, but just mix enough until most of the lumps are smoothed out, and there are no little patches of overly thick or thin batter. A few lumps are fine.

Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean & the top feels springy when lightly touched. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool the cake completely before frosting.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar until butter is well distributed. The mixture will be very dry and powdery. Stir in 2 Tbsp. of milk or water, then sift the cocoa powder over the mixture and cream to blend. Mix in the vanilla then add the rest of the sugar. Add as much of the remaining liquid as needed to make a thick and creamy frosting.

Carmelized Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

To be honest, I was initially disappointed with this cake. The day I made it -- Valentines' Day, a Thursday -- the topping struck me as too bitter, despite all the caramel encapsulating the pineapple. But by Saturday, the bitterness had given way to a gentle tartness, pairing well with the dense and lovely vanilla-flavored cake. I was snitched away pieces every time I had the chance.

Carmelized Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (from In the Sweet Kitchen)

Topping:

1 large, sweet ripe pineapple
1/3 c. unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

Cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 large eggs
4 or 5 large egg yolks (use 5 if the yolks seem small)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp Brandy
2 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup butter, melted & cooled

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a 10-inch springform cake pan and line the bottom, and 2 inches up the sides, with a sheet of foil. Press the foil into the pan, smoothing out creases as best as possible. Grease the foil and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the paper and sprinkle the bottom with a little sugar, carefully tapping out the excess while keeping a finger on the linings to hold them in place.

Cut the rind from the pineapple and cut away all the tough little eyes. Cut the fruit lengthwise into four pieces, setting aside one quarter for another use. Slice each of the remaining three quarters lengthwise into three pieces, then slice each of these into 1/3- to ½- inch slices. Place these into a bowl and set them within close reach of the stove.

Melt the 1/3 cup of butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter is liquid, add the 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of sugar and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves and begins to color. At first, the mixture will be grainy and foamy , then after a few minutes, the oil will separate from the caramel and rise to the top. Keep stirring slowly, the mixture should look thick and creamy. Watch carefully, continuing to stir, for the caramel to turn a dark amber color.

As soon as the caramel is this color, place all the pineapple slices in the pot, being careful not to get burned by the splatter. Allow the fruit and caramel to sputter for about 30 seconds, then use the wooden spoon to move the fruit around and become covered by the caramel. The syrup will likely have seized a bit but the lumps will eventually melt back down. . When the contents have settled into a steady boil, keep stirring slowly for about 6 yo 8 minutes until the pineapple is golden with glassy edges. Remove the pot from the stove and set beside the prepared pan.

Using tongs to grab hold of the pineapple, arrange slices decoratively in the pan. Use a slotted spoon to remove any little bits of pineapple still in the caramel, and return the pot to the head. Continue boiling, stirring slowly, until the mixture is very thick and syrupy, being careful not to burn the caramel. You may need to tilt the pan back and forth gently to gauge the consistency – it should be similar to that of thick honey. When ready, pour the caramel over the pineapple slices, and set the pan aside.

Into a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a larger bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and egg yolks to break them up. Whisk in the 1 ½ cups sugar, then blend in the brandy and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in two or three additions, stirring with a whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Gently stir in the cooled melted butter; the batter will be a bit runny. Pour the batter over the pineapple slices in the pan, being careful not to disturb the fruit.

Place the cake pan on a baking sheet and set in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes. A golden crust should have formed on the top of the cake and the edges should be beginning to pull from the sides of the pan. To test for doneness, poke a wooden skewer into the cake, making the hole a bit larger than the skewer – it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 7 or 8 minutes, then run a thin-bladed knife around the cake and carefully release the sides of the pan.

Invert the cake onto a serving platter and remove the bottom of the pan; peel away the foil and parchment taking care not to disturb the hot cake. Cool completely before serving or covering and storing.

This can be stored for several days at room temperature if it’s well covered.

Baked Spaghetti Romanoff

I am so sick of winter.

I'm tired of the snow. I'm tired of being cold. I'm tired of it getting dark before dinner time.

And just when I thought that we were out of the woods ("Hey! There are buds on those trees!"), we get hit with a snow storm.

The only thing to do is have a casserole for dinner -- a hot, creamy, cheesy casserole -- and eat it curled up on the couch with a warm blanket and a glass of something that warms you from the inside out.

Note: with the exception of the cheddar cheese I topped things with, this is a lightened- up recipe from the Courier-Journal. For a richer flavor, use full fat products!

Baked Spaghetti Romanoff

3 cups cooked, protein-enriched spaghetti, hot
1 cup 99 percent-fat-free cottage cheese
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons chopped onions (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons shredded, grated extra-sharp Romano cheese
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F and lightly oil a casserole dish.

Combine hot spaghetti in a casserole with remaining ingredients except bread crumbs and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle casserole with cheddar and bake for another 5 minutes or until melted.
Serves 6.

Honey-Roasted Lamb with Fresh Arugula

Here I am, finally posting about our Valentines Day dinner. We (well, me) decided to stay in as we've had bad luck with restaurants lately, with our spending a lot of money on less-than-spectacular dishes. So, I figured that we could save some money by cooking at home, and still have a great meal.

I spotted this recipe on Epicurious.com, and adapted it slightly based on user comments. The result was fantastic: the lamb was tender and flavorful, with a hint of sweetness from the honey glaze. And the arugula -- I'm still thinking about it. The peppery bite from the greens is off-set by the honey garlic vinaigrette and pairs with the lamb beautifully.

One change I might make in the future is lightly searing the lamb before roasting it in the oven. I think the chops could have used a bit more color, and searing should take care of that. Of course, this would likely change the roasting time, so if you do this, make sure to keep an eye on the meat.

(And how did we celebrate Valentines' Day? While the lamb roasted, we exchanged gifts. I gave Shane a French coffee press, and Shane gave me a bouquet of flowers and chocolates -- as requested. Then we had our lamb, complemented with roasted potatoes and capped off by pineapple-upside down cake.

After dinner, we retired to the living room to enjoy glasses of red wine. And promptly fell asleep. Shane & Laura: last of the red-hot lovers.)


Honey-Roasted Lamb with Fresh Arugula

2 tablespoons honey, divided
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 and 1/2-pound rack of lamb, trimmed

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

6 cups arugula (about 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F. Combine honey, 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, and garlic in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until just warm, then remove from heat. Pour 2/3 of honey mixture into small bowl. Place lamb on rack set in roasting pan; brush with half of honey mixture from bowl. Roast lamb 12 minutes; brush with remaining honey mixture from bowl.

Continue to roast lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125-degrees F for medium-rare, about 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to cutting board.

Meanwhile, add vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil to honey mixture in saucepan. Stir over low heat until just warm. Discard thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper.

Cut lamb between ribs into chops. Divide arugula among plates. Top each serving with lamb chops. Drizzle warm dressing over and serve warm.

Something Exciting ...

If you're lucky enough, you have an Edible publication covering the area in which you live. And now I'M pretty lucky, because Edible Finger Lakes will launching in April, celebrat[ing] the abundance of local foods in the Finger Lakes region of New York State."

But then, I'm biased because I'm writing an article for their debut issue. I am actually putting all that writing and editorial experience to work for a topic I love. I'm writing about food, and getting paid for it!

I have to keep specifics on the "down low" (hee-hee) until the magazine premieres, but I'm covering a great story and interviewing very committed and enthusiastic people, so the article should be great. (I say "should" because I'm superstitious enough to think that something will horribly go wrong if I make a bolder statement. Lame, I know.)

Thanks to Garrett of Vanilla Garlic for his advice!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Photo courtesy of CooksIllustrated.com

I really love chicken tikka masala, mainly because my favorite Indian restaurant, Thali of Inda, makes it so well. (But all of their food is amazing -- mmmm.)

Admittedly, this version from Cook's Illustrated is not as divine as Thali's. But it's still delicious, and I'm thrilled to have found a recipe that I can recreate at home.

I've noticed that some of CI's recipes are a bit bland for my tastes, and I can't help but wonder if it's due to their by committee adjusting of recipes. Too many cooks spoil the broth, I think, or in this case, render it boring.

As such, the amount of garam masala they recommended was not enough, so I nearly doubled the proportions. Of course, the garam masala itself was terrific; I'm fortunate to have a top notch spice company right here in town -- the Canandaigua Spice Co. -- where I could pick some up, hand-blended.

I tried to reduce the fat a bit by using less oil, substituting whole plain yogurt for fat free Greek yogurt, and swapping the cream for buttermilk. Yes, not using cream did change the consistency of the sauce; it was less, well, creamy -- but still very good. By all means, use the full fat versions of everything if you like.

The recipe calls for serving the tikka masala over basamati rice but we used brown rice to get some more whole grains into our diet.

Almost ready to serve...

Chicken Tikka Masala (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

Chicken Tikka
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt or at fat free plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Masala Sauce
2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced fine
2 medium garlic cloves , minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano or jalepeno chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons garam masala
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup low-fat butter milk OR heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (Optional for cilantro haters like me)


For the chicken, combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

For the sauce, heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Cover chicken with yogurt mixture thickly and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro if using, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Happy Valentines Day

Moist, chewy brownies can be made – and eaten – without throwing one’s healthy diet under an oncoming bus.

I made the recipe two ways – first using dutch processed cocoa, and then with traditional baking cocoa. The traditional cocoa yielded a reddish brownie with a detectable coffee flavor, while the dutch-processed turned out a nearly black brownie with a more complex depth of flavor (the coffee was much harder to taste).

All-in-all, I prefer the version using the dutch-processed cocoa. Not only did it have a richer flavor, but the DP brownie is visually stunning, telegraphing, “I am the chocolate brownie of your dreams.” Unfortunately, the chocolate hit you expect to get with them isn’t there. The flavor simply isn’t as intense as the color of the brownie suggests. I’d like to increase the amount of bittersweet chocolate and fold miniature chocolate chips into the batter in the hopes of kicking up the chocolate decadence quotient.


Bittersweet Brownies
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon instant espresso granules or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa or dutch processed cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing it to overhang on two sides, and spray with cooking spray

Combine 1/4 cup boiling water and espresso in a medium bowl. Add chocolate chips, stirring until chocolate melts; cool slightly. Stir in butter, vanilla, egg, and egg white.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.


Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 brownie)

CALORIES 171 (31% from fat); FAT 5.8g (sat 3.4g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 2.5g; CHOLESTEROL 25mg; CALCIUM 26mg; SODIUM 107mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.3g