I am obsessed with this cake. It is on the cover of The Best of America’s Test Kitchen, which is on newsstands now. However, Christopher Kimball’s America’s Test Kitchen Blog also has the recipe. Hurrah!
This cake looks like the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert. Foodie Stuff tried the recipe too, and it looks like it comes out beautifully:
Yum.
The other night, I spent a couple of hours chopping and stirring and ended up with a pot of Boeuf Bourguignon, the famous French beef stew where you braise stewing meat in a red wine sauce. We had the stew with a glass or two of red wine, and it was very satisfying and delicious. I told my husband that I wanted to start cooking more French food since it is always so wonderful and yummy. (And when it comes to something like Beef Bourguignon, you don’t mind eating the leftovers.)
Apparently NPR heard me, because they have a story called “A French Culinary Love Affair” covering several French recipes, including Beef Bourguignon (pictured above). I used a Julia Child recipe, but this one looks like it would get the job done as well. NPR also features recipes for Frisee And Escarole Salad With Lardons, Potato Gratin, and Tarte Tatin.
Beef Bourguignon
Ingredients:
Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof pan.
Season beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add beef to pot in one layer and brown on all sides. Transfer to a bowl. Add cognac to pan and deglaze pan over medium-high heat, scraping up bits. Allow to reduce by half. Pour cognac over beef and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coarsely chop 2 carrots. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in same pan. Add chopped carrots, onion and garlic. Saute 3 minutes over medium heat. Add beef, wine, stock, tomato paste and thyme. Beef should be covered by the wine and stock. If not, add more stock to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 2 minutes. Cover pan and place in oven. Bake until meat is tender, 2 to 3 hours.
About 30 minutes before beef is done, cut remaining carrots in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Steam or blanch carrots until crisp tender; drain. Saute mushrooms and pearl onions in a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil until they turn light golden brown.
When beef is tender, remove from oven. Strain liquid from stew into a saucepan. Boil liquid until sauce is reduced by half and has a sauce consistency, skimming fat from surface. Add sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce back over beef. Add carrots, mushrooms and onions to stock. Simmer 15 minutes.
Now, what French dish should I tackle next?
Like the above Corned Beef Pizza, I like trying unusual toppings on my homemade pizzas. One of the best pizzas I have ever made was one with barbecue ribs. It had rib meat, a combination of mozzarella and smoked cheddar, and a mixed marinara and barbecue sauce. It was awesome.
We have also tried pulled pork, arugula, squash, chorizo, chicken, falafel, and lots of other toppings. All have been good. The trick is to think of the whole pizza as complimenting the flavor of the topping. So with the ribs pizza, I didn’t just dump meat on top, I also incorporated cheese and sauce that mirrored the flavor of the ribs. This gives the pizza an overall harmony, and harmony = delicious.
Now, I’m not claiming that chicken or ribs are all that mind-blowing when it comes to unusual pizza toppings, but I’m interested in expanding into new areas. Here are some toppings I’m curious about:
Egg Pizza
I have tried egg on a pizza before and found it unnecessary. However Michael Ruhlman’s egg pizza makes me want to give it a second chance. For one thing, he paired the egg with asparagus and bacon, which sounds darn good. Also the egg I had was practically raw, and he cooks his in the oven for a few minutes, which would make a lot of difference in texture. It gives a whole new meaning to breakfast for dinner.
Chard Pizza
I am going to be growing chard this year, so will probably try it on pizza. In particular, I like the looks of In Praise of Leftovers’ broccoli, chard and chévre pizza, pictured above. Wow.
Pear Pizza
Pear sounds like one of those ingredients that could either be awful or genius as a pizza topping. This recipe from the Rustic Kitchen gives me hope that it is the latter. It is pear pizza with red onions and walnut pesto, which sounds kind of awesome.
Corn Pizza
Here’s a picture from the Biggest Menu of “pizza with fresh corn, balsamic marinated roasted red onions, mozzarella, smoked mozzarella topped with fresh chives.” I’m sold. I know that’s good.
Potato Pizza
The LA Times has a recipe for potato pizza. Sounds like the trick is to slice the potatoes very thin to get them to cook. They put the potatoes with an white sauce, but I’m not a fan of white sauce on pizza, so would probably tweak the flavorings to go with marinara instead.
Really, this can go on and on. There’s no end to the deliciousness of pizza, especially when you make your own, so I’ll stop there.
What unusual pizza toppings have worked for you?
Speaking of Sunset: Look at that. Is that not mouth watering? It is a Grilled Pastrami, Swiss, and Sweet Onion Marmalade on Rye from Sunset’s Sandwiches 26 ways.
I’ve never thought of using a recipe for a sandwich, but if it makes the sandwich come out like that, I’m listening. Here is the recipe:
Grilled Pastrami, Swiss, and Sweet Onion Marmalade on Rye
Ingredients
Onion Marmalade
Sandwiches
Directions:
1. Make marmalade: Melt butter with oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper, stirring well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and browned, about 20 minutes. Add vinegar and wine. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and onions are soft and sticky, about 10 minutes. Let marmalade cool slightly.
2. Make sandwiches: Evenly spread one side of each bread slice with 1/2 tbsp. butter. Spread unbuttered side of 2 slices with 1 1/2 tbsp. marmalade each, then top with pastrami and cheese. Spread mustard on unbuttered side of remaining 2 bread slices and place each, buttered side up, on pastrami- and cheese-topped slices.
3. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes total.
Make ahead: Marmalade keeps up to 2 weeks, covered and chilled.
Check out the link for 25 other sandwich recipes.
For Christmas, my mom made chocolate dipped pretzels. She dipped long pretzel sticks in white or dark chocolate and then added sprinkles and other candy toppings. Then she put them in a canister and gave them as gifts. They are among the prettiest treats I received this Christmas, plus they also taste good.
Turns out, chocolate-dipped pretzels are one of those bang-for-your-buck treats. They looks impressive for minimal work. (And my mom told me how to make them, so it’s not tacky that I’m dissecting her gift on here.) Here’s how you do it:
Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
Ingredients
Directions
Put the chocolate in a bowl that is deep enough for you to dip most of a pretzel in. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler, stirring often.
In the mean time, lay your toppings out on individual plates for easy access.
Pick up the pretzel. Holding it by one end, dip about two-thirds of the pretzel in the chocolate. Hold it above the bowl so that excess drips off.
Immediately sprinkle the chocolate with the toppings. As you do this, turn the pretzel so that it is evenly coated. Then place it in a bowl or a pie pan in such a way that the uncoated part is touching the edges.
Repeat. Try not to let the chocolate-covered pretzels touch each other. When you are done, you can refrigerate the pretzels for 20 minutes so that they will set. Store in the appropriate container.
Voila!
(Image via wikipedia)
A friend gave me some chestnuts to roast. I plan to try them on Christmas, along with making the traditional English dinner. I took a look on how to roast chestnuts in the oven, and it looks easy. Here it is in 4 easy steps:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. With a knife, cut a small “x” in each nut for the steam to escape.
3. Put the nuts on a baking sheet, “x” sides up.
4. Roast 15-20 minutes until the nuts are tender and easy to peel.
That’s it!
You can also do the same thing over an open fire. The only difference is that instead of a baking sheet, you put them in a pan with a long handle, like a frying pan. Then you hold them over the fire. Make sure not to put the pan in the fire–suspend it above in some way. Roast for 15-20 minutes and enjoy.
I’m definitely trying this.
(Image courtesy Gourmet)
For Christmas this year, I’m making a goose. I have never made a goose before, or even eaten a goose for that matter, but I’m not a stranger to making strange meat for a major holiday, so I’m not scared.
Since I’m doing the goose, I decided to have an traditional English Christmas theme this year. You know, weird puddings and crab apples and brandy butter and God bless us everyone and and next thing you know, we’re spending the evening in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” That’s the plan, anyway.
Obviously I’m not English and I’m no expert as to what makes up a classic British Christmas dinner. But I did a little research and came up with a partial menu of dishes that I’m probably making. I still need one or two more sides, but here’s the rundown so far:
* Spice Roast Goose with Dried-Fruit Pan Sauce–Pictured above.
* Roasted Potatoes
* Yorkshire Pudding–This is a kind of roll made out of pan drippings. Usually it’s made with roast beef drippings and served with the same, but whatever.
* Brussels Sprouts–I will probably cook them in a cream sauce since that’s my dad’s favorite.
* English Trifle–This is an impossible-to-mess-up dessert–layers of whip cream, lady fingers, and fruit. I got a trifle bowl for my birthday that I’m itching to use.
* Flaming Plum Pudding–I admit I’m confused by this dessert, which isn’t a pudding and contains no plums. It has dried fruit and looks like this:
But! You pour alcohol on it and light the pan on fire, which sounds fun.
* A Nonalcoholic version of Wassail punch–Pretty much hot apple cider.
That’s all I have so far. As I mentioned, I still need another side and some little touches that will cement the theme, but it’s a good start.
What am I missing?
How do you feel about this bacon in dessert trend that has been going on for the last few years? My take is: it’s often unnecessary, sometimes it’s gross, and once in awhile it’s good.
One of the worst things I’ve ever tasted was bacon gum, which didn’t even have real bacon in it, but bacon flavoring. It burned my mouth with a false bacony smokiness that stayed there even after I brushed my teeth. Likewise, the bacon chocolate I had–which cost $6 a bar!–had a lot of sea salt on top of the bacon. I was overwhelmed with saltiness.
On the other hand, I really want to try bacon ice cream and bacon vodka.
Anyway, NPR has a list of bacon desserts. The one that looked the most appealing to me was the Peanut Butter-Maple Bacon Fudge, pictured above. Recipe:
Peanut Butter-Maple Bacon Fudge
Ingredients:
Directions:
Coat an 8-inch-square pan with cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely. Reserve 2 of the chopped slices for garnish.
Combine all ingredients except bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until chips and butter are melted, and mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in bacon.
Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved chopped bacon on top and lightly press with your fingertips. Cover with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
Slice into 7 equal rows to create 49 squares. It’s a good idea to use a ruler to ensure equal-sized pieces. Serve at about room temperature.
Hmmm sounds good. On the other hand, it could be overkill in flavor. Peanut butter, maple, chocolate, and bacon? I just don’t know…
What do you think? Bacon in desserts–good or bad?
(This is actually from my post on how to make vegetable broth, but hey, broth is broth)
After Thanksgiving and the turkey sandwiches and Alton Brown turkey hash, there’s still one more thing to be done with the turkey–make some broth with it.
Turkey broth is a great thing to have in your freezer. You can use it in any recipe that calls for chicken broth and in lots of meals that need a little extra flavor. It makes wonderful soups, risottos, pastas, sauces, and so on.
The other thing about turkey broth is that, as with vegetable broth, it can be made from the waste you create while cooking Thanksgiving dinner. That means that the ends of onions, celery, parsley, carrots, and any other herbs you would normally throw away–plus the turkey carcass itself, of course–can be salvaged and put to use making a nutritious broth. With the exception of a few pennies spent on salt and fresh herb or two, turkey broth is essentially free to make, which makes it uber frugal.
How to Make Turkey Broth:
Ingredients:
Any of the following:
1 bay leaf
1/8-1/4 c salt
2 Tbs black pepper
Directions:
As you make Thanksgiving dinner, save the ends of vegetables. You will be surprised with how much you come up with. I stick them in a freezer bag and freeze it until I’m ready to make the broth.
After you have eaten all the turkey, use the carcass to make broth. I scrape the excess stuffing from the center of the carcass, since it is no use to the broth. Then I get the biggest soup pot I own. I break the bones so that the carcass will fit and put it in the pot. Then I get out the frozen ends of vegetables and dump them in the pot as well.* Finally, I add the bay leaf, pepper, and about 1/8 c of salt.
I take the pot to the sink and fill it with water until it is covering the turkey bones. Then I put it on the stove on high and let it come to a boil. Next I lower the heat to about medium and let the broth simmer for about an hour or two. Periodically, I’ll come by with a slotted spoon and skim the pot of any white stuff or remaining stuffing. This keeps the broth from getting cloudy.
After that, I taste the broth. I look at the color–is it golden brown? Does it need more salt? Does it taste like broth is supposed to taste? If all looks well, the broth is done. Refrigerate overnight and then divvy into freezer-safe containers
* Usually, the vegetables I cut up making dinner is enough for broth. If not, I would add another onion or celery stalk to the mix.
Cost of Dish: Turkey carcass: free; Vegetable ends: free; Water: free; Salt and pepper: so cheap, hardly worth mentioning; Bay leaf: free for me because I get them from a friend’s bay tree.
Total Cost: Free! (Well, close enough.)
Talk about making something from nothing.
My menu for Thanksgiving (which is *next week!*) is: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetable side, rolls or French bread, and sparkling cranberry soda, with pumpkin pie and homemade ice cream for dessert.
The only one thing I’m undecided about is the vegetable side. I’m skipping the yams–too much starch alongside the potatoes–and the green bean casserole was never a tradition in my family. Instead, I want a vegetable side that will bring something different to the table.
Here are the vegetable sides I am considering:
Little Balsamic-glazed Onions by Sunset. I have made a French version of this dish with beef stock before, but this looks lighter and less greasy–not to mention delicious. It’s kind of labor intensive, though.
Asparagus, Peas, and Radishes with Fresh Tarragon by Martha Stewart. My husband loves peas, so there’s a good chance the vegetable side will contain some of them. This recipe looks good, except I’m not sure about the radishes.
Wine Poached Beets by Better Homes & Garden. I love cooking with beets and this dish would look gorgeous on the table. I’m not sure about wine and beets going together, however.
Arugula, Fennel, and Preserved Lemon Salad, also by Sunset. A simple salad offers a nice contrast to all the rich food, but it’s a little boring.
And finally, Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon by Food & Wine Magazine. Really, how can you go wrong with this?