Weekend Dog Blogging

Flurry in all his glory.

Thanks to Cate at Sweetnicks for hosting.

RRC Submission: Marsala Gelee, a.k.a. Retro Jello Shots

I find the 50s fascinating. Not having lived through them, however, my knowledge of the era comes largely through the hazy glow of TV reruns. I love all of it: the dreams of space, the modernization of food, the clothing that was “just so” – it’s surreal.

The 50s emulate that wholesome everything-is-fine-and-dandy ideal, but of course it wasn’t. And the flip side of the happy facade – the neat-as-a-pin housewife who nipped at the sherry too often, the red-and-white-striped-shirt-wearing-tyke who tortured the family hamster, the man in the grey flannel suit – fascinates me even more.

This is why I picked Peggy Knickerbocker’s recipe for Wine Jello. To be honest, I don’t know if it was published in the 50s, but Knickerbocker vividly recalls her mother, Nancy, making it at that time:

My mother kept our icebox stocked with exotic foods by 1950's standards -- jars of capers, a crock of confit, and more often than not, a peculiar bowl of wobbly amber-colored Jello. The Jello was indented with little spoon marks from my mother's constant nibbling. Made with sweet wine, it delivered a gloved punch that soothed her nerves. When she paid bills in the afternoon or tended to other household chores that seemed stressful to her, she felt perfectly deserving of a fortifying bite of that wine-laced Jello […] recipes of hers [were] always cooked with some sort of liquor. While making Welsh Rarebit, bourbon balls, or coq au vin, she'd gleefully proclaim "a little for the pot and a little for me."

I don’t know about you but to me, boozy gelatin embodies the 1950s’ seeming innocence. Everyone sits down to enjoy a modern, respectable dessert … and winds up drunk.


Marsala Gelee (Wine Jello)

2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup sugar plus additional for sweetening cream
1-2/3 cups Marsala or sherry
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream beaten to soft peaks with a little sugar, optional

In a large heatproof bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the boiling water and sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in the Marsala and lemon juice and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. Spoon into dessert bowls, top each serving with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, and serve. Serves 6.

Note: If you want to calm the kick in this dessert, heat the Marsala for a few minutes first; the flavor will remain but the alcohol will be tempered. Be sure to make this at least 5 hours ahead, as it needs to jell.

Grade: Please. What do you think?

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

For the Weekend Cookbook Challenge, I turned to a simple dish from the homegrown (and published) Fall Favorites Cookbook 2005. Sure, I’ve done a lot of tomato-basil recipes lately, but the weather is warmer and I can’t get enough of them. They’re fresh and summery.

This is a simple meal, great for a hot day when you don’t feel like cooking, and, best of all, delicious. It keeps well for outdoor parties -- no refrigeration needed. Serve with good, crusty bread, and a light, crisp wine.

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

1 lb. ripe tomatoes, chopped (cherry or grape tomatoes work as nicely as regular tomatoes)
1 sweet Italian pepper, seeds removed and cut into thin slices
A handful of basil leaves, chopped
½ cup (or more) extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
8 oz. farfalle pasta
Parmesan, to taste

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, pepper, basil, oil, salt and pepper, tossing to coat. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least two hours.

Cook pasta until al dente, drain well, and toss with vegetables. Sprinkle with mozzarella, tossing to coat. Serve pasta warm or at room temperature with parmesan. Serves 4.

Grade: A-

Blatant Reminder: Retro Recipe Challenge Deadline In 29 Hours

Last call -- get your entries in! For Retro Recipe Challenge #1, recreate a recipe first published between 1920 and 1975. When possible, cite your source, the year it was published (or created), and take photos! Post the results on your blog and send me the link by June 9 (tomorrow) at 11:59pm EST.

Full details here, with follow up posts here and here.

Almost As Good As Tom Selleck Cake. but not really

Photo courtesy of Betty Crocker.

I'm pretty much in love with anything kitschy (as if that weren't blatantly obvious). But sometimes irony crosses over into true infatuation, and that's how I explain my tremendous crush on Tom Selleck, star of Magnum P.I., Quigly Down Under, and most recently, Jesse Stone: Death In Paradise (which he co-wrote).

I can't look at his picture without tittering like a schoolgirl. I can't even look at a Detroit Tiger's cap without smiling. I consider it camping to stay at a hotel that doesn't leave a mint on the pillow, yet the mere sound of his voice has me interested in RVing.

I'm getting a little excited just writing this.

Anyway, all this lead to my discovery of a Almost as Good as Tom Selleck cake, a variant of those "better than sex" cakes. The recipe can also be found on the back of the Betty Crocker German chocolate cake mix box, but she has delicately titled it "Better-than-Almost-Anything Cake." On her website, she has distanced herself even further from the juxtaposition of sex and chocolate with the accurate-yet-unimaginative label "Toffee-Topped Rich Chocolate Cake."

I think Betty could use a date with the Brawny Man -- shake things up a little.

But back to the cake: it's fine, in a boxed-cake-mix-topped-with-jarred-caramel-and-non-dairy-whipped-topping sort of way. The sweetened condensed milk and caramel moistens the cake to the point of crumbly disintergration, but adds something to the bland chocolate flavor. I made it for a church-related picnic, and that's just the kind of recipe it is: pedestrian, unoriginal, and highly caloric.

The name is the best part of this recipe. But it's nowhere as fabulous as Tom Selleck.

Then again, nothing is.

Almost As Good As Tom Selleck (But Not Really) Cake

1 box German chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients specified on the box)
1 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (16-17oz) butterscotch or caramel topping (recommended Mrs. Richardsons Butterscotch caramel )
1 8oz container Cool Whip
1 6oz package toffee bits

Bake cake in a 13x9-inch pan according to package directions. Cool 15 minutes then poke top of cake with the handle of a wooden spoon every ½ inch. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over cake let stand until milk has been absorbed.

Drizzle butterscotch topping over cake, then run a knife around the sides of the cake to losen from the pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until well chilled.

Spread Cool Whip over top of cake and sprinkle with toffee bits. Store covered in the refrigerator. Serves 15.

Grade: B-

Tags: cooking, baking, cake, dessert, dessert, Tom Selleck, better than sex cake

Simple Tomato Basil Salad

Sometimes, you just don’t have the time -- or inclination -- to create something extravagant. Fortunately, this time of year is perfect for understated cooking. The fresh produce speaks for itself.

Two notes: make this salad shortly before serving (perhaps 20 minutes) and don’t refrigerate the tomatoes; doing so saps their flavor.

Simple Tomato Basil Salad

5 to 6 ripe tomatoes, chopped
10 large basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade
¼ red onion, diced
Balsamic vinaigrette (homemade or Newman’s Own)
Salt and Pepper

Combine the tomatoes, basil, and onions in a medium bowl, mixing to combine. Toss with just enough vinaigrette to flavor – but not overwhelm – the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper; garnish with whole basil leaves. Serves 4-6.

Grade: A

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Taking a page from Very Good Things, I made a batch of peanut butter cup brownies.

Although I love Alicat/Paula Dean's idea of Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes, I was too lazy to actually fill up individual cupcake tins.

Which, when you think about it, is seriously lazy.

Instead, I lined a 13x9-inch pan with aluminum foil, sprayed the bottom with a bit of oil, and placed 75-percent of the batter in the pan. (The batter came from a store-bought brownie mix.) Then I topped the batter with 39 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and the remaining brownie batter, and baked it according to the package directions.

These were made for a reception following a choral concert and were snapped up pretty quickly, although they would have been better if I had used a better brownie mix. Still, peanut butter and chocolate are a damn fine combo.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
1 (18 1/2 ounce) package chewy fudge brownie mix, plus the ingrediants specified on the package
39 Reese’s Peanut Butter cups

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil, letting the edges overhang the sides and spray the bottom lined pan with cooking oil.

Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the package for cake-like brownies. Pour 75-percent of the brownie mix into the pan, then top with peanut butter cups (see photo below for illustration). Add remaining batter, attempting to cover the peanut butter cups.

Bake according to package directions, until a toothpick inserted in the middle (but not in a peanut butter cup) comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then using foil, lift brownies out of the pan. Cut with pizza wheel or bread knife. Store in an airtight container. Yields 24 brownies.

Grade: B (higher with a tastier brownie mix)

Pollan's Take on Organic Food at Wal-Mart

Yesterday's New York Times published an article by Michael Pollan (The Ominivore's Dilemma) on Wal-Mart's plan to carry organic foods (as designated by the USDA) at only 10 percent more than the regular price.

Pollan intelligently and eloquently explores the global costs and benefits of this move. He's my current person-to-look-up-to-and-admire; I can't say enough wonderful things about his work. Pollan's take has really aided my re-examination of my place in the food chain, and how food choices affect the environment.

If you haven't already, please read his article Mass Natural. (If you're not registered at NYT.com, Bug me not suggests "hahaguy" as the username and "secret" as the password.)

Closin’ Cookies

On Friday evening, Shane & I officially put our house up for sale. A few hours later, we had two separate parties asking to see the house the next day. Saturday morning, Shane ran around like a chicken with its head cut off cleaning the house, taking stuff to storage, etc., etc., where I was given the “job” of baking. He felt people would be more likely to buy the house if it smelled like pie and cookies, and who was I to disabuse him of that?

The real reason behind the baking was to prepare for Kian’s 11th birthday. We were celebrating with friends on Sunday and needed to get ready. As Kian isn’t into cake, I baked two cherry pies. (Nor is he into gourmet cherry pies either: these were Pillsbury crust babies with Comstock pie filling. I know: classy.)

For those who don’t like cherry pie (me) I made chocolate chip cookies. The Wednesday Chef reminded me that the NYT’s Amanda Hesser had published three types of chocolate chip cookie recipes earlier this year. So, like the Wednesday Chef, I made Hesser’s Flat and Chewy chocolate chip cookies.

They are awesome. Buttery, with a bit of saltiness (don’t let that scare you off – it’s a good thing) provides the perfect counterpoint to the brown sugar and chocolate chips. I made them with and without walnuts. In response to their deliciousness, the Toll House people have committed hari kari.


All the baking was done a few hours before the prospective buyers arrived. I displayed the pies in my kitchen and the cookies under a domed cake plate in the center of my dining room table. There were plenty of cookies (I probably got 40 out of the recipe) so I piled some extras on a plate with the note “Please Enjoy” and left the house in the care of our lovely realtors.

There has been A LOT of interest in our house. I like to think the cookies are responsible.

Flat-and-Chewy Chocolate-Chip Cookies
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. kosher salt (I used 2 tsps. Regular salt)
8 oz butter, softened
1 ½ c. packed light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 c. chopped bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli’s 60-percent cocoa chocolate chips)
2 c. chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325-degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. (I stirred, but didn't sift, these together.)

In a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter and sugars until fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and blend until a dough forms. Fold in the chocolate and walnuts. Chill the dough.

Roll 2 1/2 -tablespoon lumps of dough into balls, then place on the baking sheet and flatten to 1/2 -inch-thick disks spaced 2 inches apart. (Place a square of parchment paper a bit larger than the dough on top of each ball, then press down on the paper with a drinking glass. It makes fast work of flattening the cookie.) Chill the dough between batches.

Bake until the edges are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 30 to 35 cookies. (As I used less cookie dough per cookie -- I think I have a small cookie dough scoop -- the recipe yielded more cookies. Each cookie baked up to about 4 inches across.)

UPDATE: I made another batch this evening, this time with toasted chopped pecans. They're really good.

Grade: A+

Another, Less Gentle, Reminder: The Retro Recipe Challenge's Deadline Looms

It’s getting down to the wire, folks! We’re at DEFCON ... uh ... something that indicates that the deadline for the Retro Recipe Challenge is a week away. Because it is. June 9 at 11:59pm EST.

The challenge for round one (Yes, the very first; you can be a culinary pioneer) is to make any kind of dish (delicious or disgusting) from a recipe first published between 1920 and 1975, post it on your blog and send me the link. I'll host the round up. Click here for full details and ideas. (Wheee! It's fun!)

For those of you leaning towards the grotesque (as I am) here’s a little inspiration: Luncheon Loaf Dot Com, “dedicated to the lost art of luncheony loafiness.” Mmm, mmm good. (Plus, you can buy a t-shirt emblazoned with a picture of Tomato Aspic!) I can barely contain myself.


Tags: cooking, baking, recipes, Retro Recipe Challenge, carnival

Fondues and Don'ts

Fon-don't-know-where-the-crab-went.

Last week, when Shane and the kids were away, I decided to make a fondue using some leftover crabmeat. I threw everything together, popped it in the oven and 25 minutes later, it was done. I sat down with some slices of French bread and a glass of Spanish red wine. I dipped, I tasted.

Very, very good. The type of good that makes your tastebuds sing. I inhaled it happily, wondering all the while why I couldn't taste the crab.

Then I realised: the crab remained its container, unopened, in the fridge. Oops.

I'm always impressed with a recipe that works even when I leave out a key ingredient. I can only imagine this would be even better with crabmeat.

Crabmeat (or not) Fondue (Courtsey of Food Network)

4 oz. crabmeat (evidentally optional)
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 c. grated Asiago cheese
1/2 clove garlic, minced
Paprika
1/3 of a French baguette

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix crabmeat, mayonnaise, onion, Asiago, garlic, and paprika together. Put mixture into an ovenproof baking dish. Cover and bake until mixture is heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove cover, and bake until golden brown, an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with torn pieces of baguette. Serves 1.

Grade: A+


PS: Happy Birthday Andrea!

Pastries from Shatila Bakery & Cafe

When Shane came back from his trip to Detroit, he brought home a box of pastries from the Shatila Bakery and Cafe. Now, I'll be honest, the type of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean desserts they make --"tissue-thin pastry swabbed with rich, pure butter, enfolds crunchy fresh nuts and a sweet sugar syrup" -- really aren't my thing.

Having said that, even I can tell that these are really good. Light, flakey, crunchy with plenty of butter, the Shatila folks are not skimping on quality.

The sweet that hooked me is the ballourie (or as I like to call it, the hairy-looking white thing). It's a "lightly baked shredded filo and chopped pistachio [pastry] kissed by a hint rosewater." But it's not kissed by rosewater; it's having an adulterous relationship with it. A bite into the ballourie awards you with crunch and rosewater flavor. Yum! It's fabulous. Who knew? (Ok, maybe you did. But I didn't.)

Take a look (and place an order) on their website: Shatila Bakery and Cafe.

Baked Blueberry Shortcake

Last fall, Carolyn and I compiled and edited a charity cookbook. We asked parish members to submit their favorite recipes, had the Sunday School kids draw illustrations, pulled it all together in Publisher, printed and assembled it in-house, and sold it for $3 a pop.

When we started, we weren’t really sure if A) anyone would contribute recipes or B) anyone would buy the cookbook. Naturally, we were wrong on both counts. We sold out, earning $270 for Happy Tails.

This recipe is adapted from the Peek-a-Boo Cake recipe in our Fall Favorites Cookbook. (The fruit filling -- cherry, blueberry, or raspberry -- peeks through the top of the cake, hence the “peek-a-boo.”)

The cake is mildly sweet with a good vanilla essence (it should, doubled the amount of vanilla). It's not as dry as a shortcake nor rich as a poundcake but somewhere in between. It complements the fruit very well.

It's that fruit that makes this cake taste so seasonal. I’m not usually a canned pie-filling fan but I was pretty impressed with Comstock’s More Fruit Blueberry; it was suprisingly fresh tasting. The amount of fruit was a bit sparse in spots given the size of the cake so next time, I’ll increase the amount to 31 oz. (1 ½ cans).

One thing that concerned me with the original recipe was the lack of leavening: no baking powder or soda in sight. (Was that an editing error? Maybe.) Carolyn floated a theory regarding the eggs: with so many in the batter, you don't need leavening. I'm not sure about that but she was the science major, not me, so perhaps I should defer.

Still, I threw in a teaspoon of baking powder and a ¼ teaspoon of salt. Fortunately, everything seemed to come out all right.

Maybe it’s the blueberries – which I love — but this speaks of late afternoon summer picnics to me. It’s good warm or cool, with or without a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Baked Blueberry Shortcake
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter, softened
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla*
3 c. flour
1 ½ cans blueberry, raspberry, or cherry* pie filling (recommended: Comstock/Wilderness)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine. Add vanilla. Gradually add flour and blend well.

Spread 75-percent of the batter into the pan. (Note: batter will be very thick, almost like a cookie dough.) Top with pie filling, then dot with remaining batter. Bake for approximately 50 minutes, until golden brown.

*If using cherry, substitute 1 tsp. almond extract for vanilla extract.

Grade: A-

Marinated Flank Steak

In the Northern Hemisphere, summer is upon us. Get your ass outside, build a big fire, and grill some meat.

This is The Martha's recipe. She offers so many good things to eat, like this marinated flank steak. (Your marshmallows, Martha, I could do without.)

I completely forgot to make the sauce, seasoning the final result with salt and pepper (and, depending on the bite I was taking, a little basil garlic butter). Delicious.

Marinated Flank Steak

6 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 quart apple juice
¼ cup whiskey or scotch (optional)
2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard (I used a whole-grain Dijon)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for grates
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco
2 flank steaks (about 1 ½ pounds each), pricked all over with a fork

In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, whisk together garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, apple juice, whiskey (if using), mustard, oil, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Add steaks, and turn to coat; marinate at room temperature, turning occasionally, for an hour, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to a day.

Lift steaks from marinade onto a platter; set aside. Make sauce: Place marinade in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Place steaks on grill. Cook, turning once, until well browned and cooked to desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium-rare (130 to 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer steaks to a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Serve with sauce.
Serves 8.

Grade: A

Slew of Memorial Day Picnic Sides

As a courtesy to you, I went through the hardship of trying out these recipes -- Basil-Garlic Butter, Grilled Corn, and Doctored Baked Beans -- yesterday so you might use them today. I know; such sacrifice and hardship is hard to believe.

In all seriousness, I hope you’re Memorial Day is a warm and sunny one, spent in the company of great friends and beloved family. And lots of fabulous food.

Basil Garlic Butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh, chopped basil
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a Ziplock bag. Knead until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, scoop out butter and place in a ramekin, smoothing the top. Garnish with basil leaves. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap before placing in the refrigerator.

Serve with corn on the cob (see below), spread on dinner rolls, or place a pat on a nicely grilled steak.

Grade: A+

˜˜˜˜˜

Grilled Corn on the Cob
4 ears of corn

Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak in large pot of cold water for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium. Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with basil garlic butter.

Grade: A+

˜˜˜˜˜

There's a reason baked beans are served in that little earthenware pot.

That's the only way they photograph well.

Doctored Bush’s Baked Beans
1 16oz. can Bush’s Baked Beans, Country Style (I don't think these are vegetarian...)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. whole grain Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until brown sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Serve hot.

Grade: A+

Tags: side dish, cooking, grilling, grilled corn on the cob, doctored baked beans, herb butter, recipe

Homemade Marshmallows

Remember Martha’s old show, Martha Stewart Living? One day, she showed the audience how to make marshmallows.

That’s the same day I went, “OK. She’s officially lost her mind.”

Marshmallows never seemed like anything but a vehicle for other flavors to me. Dip them in chocolate: delicious. Mix them with butter and Rice Krispies: tasty. Shape them into little chicks and cover them with neon colored sugar ... well, if not great, then at least visually appealing.

But to make them from scratch seemed asinine. What, and put the Jet Puffed people out of business?

But now, years later, I find that marshmallows are no longer the understudy; they’re the star. Gourmet versions are popping up all over the place and, let’s face it, those damn snowflake ones Martha floats in her hot cocoa are attractive.

So here I am, making marshmallows.

It’s not a hard recipe, just time consuming. Like fudge, you have to cook the sugar over low heat until the crystals dissolve, washing down the sides of the pan with a damp pastry brush from time to time. That took a loooong time, but perhaps that’s because I cooked it over very low heat.

Once dissolved, the heat gets cranked up and you wait for the temp to hit 245-degrees F. Again, time consuming but not hard.

From there, the syrup is poured into the gelatin. Once that happens, a scent, not unlike wet dog, is released. (Hot wet dog. Like when your dog goes in the lake on a really humid day and, on the drive home, that damp musky smell stinks up the whole car.) Fortunately, after 15 minutes of whisking at high speed, the smell dissipates and you’re left with something akin to Marshmallow Fluff. I’m guessing that if you took that mixture and put it into an airtight container, it would remain soft. (I would have set a bit aside to experiment with that idea, but the thought occurred after I was finished.)

The cream poured fairly easily into a (disposable aluminum) pan with the help of a rubber spatula. I didn’t press it down with my hands; the spatula (sprayed with cooking spray) did a fine job smoothing out the top. Then, I sprinkled the top with powdered sugar and waited.

The next day they were ready to cut and eat. I found the cut sides to be a bit sticky, so I threw several in a paper bag with some powdered sugar and shook them. The sugar adhered to the sticky sides.

And the taste? Eh. They’re still marshmallows. They're fresher and less artificial-tasting than those you buy at the store, but in the end, nothing really special. They are good covered in chocolate -- melt in your mouth tender -- but most marshmallows taste good in chocolate anyway.

From a culinary perspective, I don't I see the point in making them from scratch. But as a science experiment, it is kind of neat.


Homemade Marshmallows

2 1/2 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let stand 30 minutes.

Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat, and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.

Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244-degrees F. (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.

With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

Generously dust an 8-by-12-inch glass baking pan with confectioners’ sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar; wet your hands, and pat it to smooth. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out. Turn out onto a board; cut marshmallows with a dry hot knife into 1 1/2-inch squares, and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Makes about 40



Grade: C (not really bad but what’s the point?)

This marshmallow was redeemed by chocolate.

Gentle Reminder: Retro Recipe Challenge

Just a reminder: the deadline for the first Retro Recipe Challenge is only two weeks away!

Here are the details for our first challenge: make any kind of recipe first published between 1920 and 1975. The point here is to find an old recipe and have fun creating it. When possible, cite your source, the year it was published, and take photos! (Here’s an example.)

Post your results on your blog and then submit your link to LauraRebeccasKitchen@gmail.com . All submissions need to be in by June 9 at 11:59pm EST.

I hope you'll join in -- I can't wait to see what you've cooked* up!


*I almost wrote "coked" up there. Maybe we can do that for a 1980s recipe retrospective.


Tags: cooking, baking, recipes, Retro Recipe Challenge, carnival

Save the Internet: "Bipartisan Victory in the House"

Good news From SavetheInternet.com:

Bipartisan Victory in the House

The broad, nonpartisan movement for Internet freedom notched a major victory today, when a bipartisan majority of the House Judiciary Committee passed the “Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006″ — a bill that offers meaningful protections for Network Neutrality, “the First Amendment of the Internet.”

Read the rest here.

Garlic, Pepper, and Onion French Bread Pizza

Garnished with a bit of green onion.

I’m currently addicted to two things: LOST* and Wegman’s Veggie French Bread Pizza. I don’t have a Hawaiian production unit but I do have a kitchen, so I recreated the latter.

The recognizable parts of the Wegman’s pizza are bread, mozzarella, red onions, peppers, cheddar, and margarine. With the exception of the last two ingredients, that’s what I used.

The result has a very fresh taste, so it doesn’t taste exactly like the Wegman’s frozen version. But it's good. And it’s very good to eat while watching a 2 hour season finale.

(Dharma Initiative) Garlic, Pepper, and Onion French Bread Pizza

6-inch loaf/piece of French bread, cut in half horizontally
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Garlic salt
Pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp. finely chopped bell pepper
¾ c. Mozzarella, grated
Olive oil
2 tsp. Romano cheese, grated


Preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place bread on it, cut side up.

Place butter and garlic in a small sauce pan; melt butter over low heat, allowing the garlic’s flavor to infuse the butter. Using a pastry brush, brush bread with melted butter and garlic. Season with pepper and garlic salt to taste.

Top each piece with a ¼ c. of mozzarella; then sprinkle with pepper and onion. Top with remaining mozzarella. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.


Grade: A-

*Did anyone see the statue last night and think: “YOU DAMN DIRTY APE!”


Tags: cooking, dinner, French Bread Pizza, Italian Cooking, garlic, recipe

Save the Internet PSA

FYI, everybody:

Dear SavetheInternet Blogger,

Tim Karr of Free Press and the SavetheInternet Coalition here. A critical vote is going down in Congress right now and we need you and your readers to get phones ringing off the hook on Capitol Hill.

The House Judiciary Committee is beginning to "mark up" a good Net Neutrality bill at around 11am (EST) this morning. Then they're going to vote on whether to bring it to the full floor. Many in the Committee are being pressured by AT&T, Verizon and other major telcos to vote down the net neutrality provisions in this bipartisan bill.

Below are the members who need to hear from you and your readers to support this important bill. Urge them to support the Sensenbrenner-Conyers "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006" (HR 5417) in the Judiciary Committee -- and to support it without amendment. (Saying without amendment is key as the telcos want to re-write it in a way that guts Internet freedom).

Here are the members who need to hear from you and your readers right now:

Marty Meehan (D-Mass. 5th)
Phone: (202) 225-3411
Fax: (202)
226-0771
http://www.house.gov/writerep
martin.meehan@mail.house.gov

Howard Berman (D-Calif. 28th)
Phone: 202-225-4695
Fax: 202-225-3196
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

William Delahunt (D-Mass. 10th)
Phone: (202) 225-3111
Fax: (202) 225-5658
William.Delahunt@mail.house.gov

Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas 18th)
Phone: (202) 225-3816
Fax: (202) 225-3317
http://www.jacksonlee.house.gov/feedback.cfm?campaign=jacksonlee&type=Let%27s%20Talk

Bobby Scott (D-Va. 3rd)
Phone: (202) 225-8351
Fax: (202) 225-8354
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Chris Van Hollen (D-Md. 8th)
Phone: (202) 225-5341
Fax: (202) 225-0375
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 35th)
Phone: (202) 225-2201
Fax: (202) 225-7854
http://www.house.gov/waters/IMA/issue.htm

Mel Watt (D-N.C. 12th)
Tel. (202) 225-1510
Fax (202) 225-1512
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y. 9th)
Phone: (202) 225-6616
Fax: (202) 226-7253
weiner@mail.house.gov

Robert Wexler (D-Fla. 19th)
phone: (202) 225-3001
fax: (202) 225-5974
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Howard Coble (R-NC 6th)
phone: (202) 225-3065
fax: (202) 225-8611
howard.coble@mail.house.gov

Elton Gallegly (R-CA 24th)
phone: (202) 225-5811
fax: (202) 225-1100
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Bob Goodlatte (R-VA 6th)
phone: (202) 225-5431
fax: (202) 225-9681
http://www.house.gov/goodlatte/emailbob.htm

Steve Chabot (R-OH 5th)
phone: (202) 225-2216
fax: (202) 225-3012
http://www.house.gov/chabot/email.html

Dan Lungren (R-CA 3rd)
phone: (202) 225-5716
fax: (202) 226-1298
http://www.house.gov/lungren/feedback.shtml

William Jenkins (R-TN 1st)
phone: (202) 225-6356
fax: (202) 225-5714
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

John Hostettler (R-IN 8th)
phone: (202) 225-4636
fax: (202) 225-3284
john.hostettler@mail.house.gov

Mark Green (R-WI 8th)
phone: (202) 225-5665
fax: (202) 225-5729
mark.green@mail.house.gov

Ric Keller (R-FL 8th)
phone: (202) 225-2176
fax: (202) 225-0999
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Your help on this is critical. Please call now.

Thank you,
Tim Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
SavetheInternet.com

P.S. - For updates throughout the day, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.SavetheInternet.com.
Also, you & your readers can watch the hearings live at http://judiciary.house.gov/ (scroll down below the calendar to live webcast link).