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Apr 8

8 Comments

Double Crust Lemon Pie (Super Good Two Crust Lemon Pie)

I love vintage recipes and although my Mother does not know how old this is for sure, she guesses that it was from the 1950’s or earlier, this was my Grandmothers recipe, she said her quest was to find the perfect double crust lemon pie, she tried many different recipes and then found this one in the newspaper, (Mom still has the original it’s so faded you cannot see the date). It’s tart and sweet and lemony. Oddly, my Mom never made it for our family and until today I had never tasted this delicious pie. I am so glad she decided to share it, I love lemon  pie, this is different and very nice. The actual name of the recipe is “Super Good Two Crust Lemon Pie”. Serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche whipped cream.

Makes one 9 inch double crust pie

Double pie crust (homemade or pre-made) see my recipe below.

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 rounded tbs flour- not level

3 large eggs at room temperature

2 tbs melted butter

1/3 cup lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons (1 heaping tbs)

3 tbs water

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Whisk sugar and flour in small mixing bowl and set aside. In another bowl beat eggs until they are thick and creamy and light in color, add the sugar flour mixture and stir until smooth, add the butter, lemon juice and water and mix well to combine.

Line pie pan with bottom crust, pour lemon filling in and roll out the top crust, lay on top crimp or flute the edges to seal, make  a few vents I just cut a few x’s .  Refrigerate the pie for 15-30 minutes so that the pie crust is chilled before putting in the oven. I like to brush the top of the pie with egg wash or cream and sprinkle with sugar, this is optional of course.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, the crust will be golden brown. Let cool completely before serving. Serve with whipped cream of your choice I added elderflower liquor.

Juilia Childs Pastry Dough

Makes enough dough for a double crust 9 inch pie

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cake flour

1 tsp salt

6 oz cold unsalted butter cut into tbs size pieces

4 tbs shortening or leaf lard cold

1/2 cup ice cold water

You can make this either by hand or in the food processor. To make by hand, put flours, salt, butter, lard or shortening into mixing bowl, use pastry cutter to combine until it resembles pea size crumbs. Add water mix with fork, gather with your hands, divide dough into a 2 discs and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In Food Processor, add the flours, salt, butter and shortening or lard into the bowl of the processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles pea size crumbs. Add the water and pulse a few times until it becomes a cohesive dough.  Divide dough into two discs and wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Apr 5

6 Comments

Featured Recipes: Finger-Lickin Finger Lakes Chicken and Some Hard Lemonade

Finger Lakes Chicken photo by wssmom

This is probably one of the most delicious recipes for grilled chicken that I have ever tasted. I made this several times and you know the food is really really good when everyone at the table goes completely silent, not a word, only sometimes you can hear a low mutter almost inaudible, “this is so good”, well thats what happens when I serve this chicken. This is a recipe from one of my good friends on food52, Virginia also known as wssmom (her cooks name on food52), is a fantastically creative cook, take at look at her 72 recipes on food52, her recipe, A Bowl of Red was runnerup in the chili contest as was her New Years Day Fresh Ham in the Best Holiday Roast contest. She manages to make each recipe approachable and absolutely delicious.

I have also included one of her many amazing recipes for drinks. She is an inspired mixologist, this is one of many delicious drinks that she has created. Bobby Flay Inspired Hard Lemonade incorporates the best of summers flavors (lemons and strawberries and packs a punch with some silver rum. Try it you will love it! It’s really pretty too. If you are not in the mood for lemonade, try her Peartini and I will personally attest to the greatness of this drink, she brought it to the Food52 cookbook party. One more, I can’t help it I love her recipes, Kicked up Egg Cream how can you go wrong with a delicious chocolate egg cream with some chocolate liquor.

Serves 4

Fresh Herb Aioli:

1 large organic egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup grapeseed oil

1 minced clove garlic

pinch sea salt

1 cup champagne vinegar (yes, one cup)

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary sprigs

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

some more salt

In a suitable bowl, preferably one that won’t spin around, whisk together the egg yolk, lemon juice and garlic. Add the oil a few drops at a time (or have someone do that for you), whisking until it emulsifies. Continue to dribble in the oil, whisking away, until all is incorporated.

Put half the aioli in another bowl, saving the remainder for another use. Whisk in the vinegar, add the herbs and add a tad more salt than you think neccessary, about a teaspoon in my case.

Finger Lakes Chicken:

2 whole organic chicken breasts, split so you have four nice-sized pieces

Freshly ground pepper

Fresh herb aioli

Liberally sprinkle the chicken breasts with freshly ground pepper, put them in a ziplock bag with the aoili, smush so they are covered, and let marinate for at least three hours, or preferably overnight.

Grill, bone side down and covered, over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, then turn and crank up the grill to high to finish, so that the skin gets nice and crispy.

Chill and bring along to your picnic, and serve along with some lovely dry riesling.

Bobby Flay Inspired Hard Lemonade (Inspired by Bobby’s recipe for minted lemonade)

Serves 6

1 1/2 cups sugar

Juice from 10-12 lemons, about 1 1/2 cups

1 pint strawberries

silver rum

3 cups seltzer, chilled

1/2 bunch mint sprigs

Prepare a simple syrup by mixing the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water in a small pan; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve, and let cool.

Stem the strawberries and puree with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the lemon juice. Put through a sieve to remove seeds and errant bits.

In a large, attractive pitcher, combine 3/4 cup simple syrup with the strawberry-lemon puree and the remainder of the lemon juice. Sample and if desired, add more simple syrup to taste.

Add the mint to the pitcher along with the rum (one ounce per serving) and chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Add the cold seltzer and serve over ice. Kick back and enjoy the fourth race!

Apr 3

12 Comments

Tiramisu With a Twist…Frozen and Deconstructed

Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts, this dessert has all the flavors in a different form, how can you resist the creamy, chocolatey, coffee goodness. I took this wonderful dessert and played with it creating a mascarpone gelato flavored with marsala wine, then made chocolate espresso madeleines, a recipe I adapted from the great Gale Gand,I made the recipe as written except that I added the powdered espresso,  cut them in half filled with the gelato and served with a chocolate, espresso kahlua sauce.  You can make the gelato the day before so it has time to freeze, the madeleines take only a short time to make. I feel its best to put these together when you will be serving. You can bag and freeze the madeleines that you do not use and play with the proportions for the chocolate espresso kahlua sauce making as much as you need.

Gelato:

Makes 1 quart

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

5 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs marsala wine

1 cup mascarpone at room temperature

Heat the cream and milk to scalding, beat egg yolks and sugar until they are thick and creamy and a beautiful light yellow color, slowly add half of the hot milk/cream whisking constantly (You are tempering the eggs) pour  back into the pan with the rest of the hot milk and whisk together. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until it reads 175 on the thermometer or until its thick and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour into a container and at this point you can do one of two things, refrigerate covered with plastic wrap that is resting directly on the custard or you can place in an ice bath to cool.

Once it is cooled add the vanilla and marsala, stir to combine. Whisk in the mascarpone until its smooth and there are no lumps.

Pour into ice cream maker following manufacturers instructions. When its the consistency of soft serve ice cream put in a container with a tight fitting lid and freeze until it’s scoopable.

Chocolate Espresso Madeleines:

Makes 2 dozen

  • 1/2 cup, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, for buttering madeleine molds
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tsp espresso powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush madeleine pans well with 4 tablespoons softened butter; refrigerate 5 minutes.
  2. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Continue to cook until butter turns golden brown, being careful not to let the butter burn. Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl; set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip eggs with granulated and brown sugars until light and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and stir on low speed until combined. Add vanilla and reserved browned butter; mix just until blended.
  4. Insert a 1/2-inch plain tip into a pastry bag and fill with batter. Pipe mounds of batter into prepared pans until each mold is full, mounding batter in the center of the molds but not filling to the edge. Alternatively, you can use a teaspoon to fill the molds with batter. Bake until madeleines are firm and a little mound is puffed up in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Madeleines are best eaten the same day they are baked.

Chocolate Kahlua Espresso Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbs kahlua liquor

2 tsp espresso powder

5 oz dark chocolate cut into small pieces

Heat cream and sugar until the sugar is melted. Remove from heat and stir in the espresso powder, kahlua  and chocolate let sit for a minute or two and stir to combine. Spoon some of the chocolate sauce on a plate, lay the madeleine filled with gelato on top.

Mar 29

12 Comments

Featured Recipes: Olive Oil Poached Fish/Shellfish and Lobster Diavolo

This week I am featuring two recipes, both seafood dishes and I am honored to have permission to bring them to you. The recipes are from Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs the founders of Food52. I discovered food52 a little over a year ago and it has been life changing for me. Amanda and Merrill brought their brilliant plan to start a website celebrating home cooks (like myself) to life a little over two years ago,  and it’s now one of the most popular food related websites available on the internet. They have already published one cookbook,  with a second coming out in October of this year as well as an IPad holiday App. Check out Amanda’s recipes and Merrill’s recipes on Food52.

Poaching fish or shellfish in olive oil is simple, and delicious. Add your favorite herbs and aromatics to the oil. The fish or shellfish are tender and and flavorful. I poached some shrimp and lobster tails. I didn’t use whole live lobsters (phobia) instead,  I decided to poach lobster tails in olive oil a la Amanda for Merrills Lobster Diavolo. This is a variation of the famous Lobster Fra Diavolo.  The dish is finished with fresh mint (my mint went bad and I was only able to salvage a few leaves so I mixed it with parsley to garnish the dish),  which in  my opinion makes this such a stand out recipe, adding a fresh twist to a classic. I used canned tomatoes instead of the fresh since seasonal fresh tomatoes are not available yet. I poached half of the shrimp in the oven and the other half on the stovetop with the lobster. I set the oven to 200 degrees and it took about 20 minutes. Both methods turned out fantastic. I invited a friend over for dinner and he gave both dishes two thumbs up!

Stovetop poaching

Olive Oil Poached Fish – By Amanda Hesser

To Poach Any Kind of Fish

Lay the fillets in a shallow, oven-proof casserole dish or skillet, just large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Cover the fish with a 1/8-inch thick layer of olive oil (a good brand, but not your best), season with a flakey sea salt and any other herb or spice you like, then send it into a 275-degree oven, basting it often, until it’s cooked through. For a 1-inch thick fish fillet, it takes about 30 minutes.

To Poach Shellfish

I like to cook them on the stovetop. Place them in a single layer in a saucepan and pour in enough oil to just cover them. My default aromatics are thyme and lightly smashed garlic cloves (see photo above). Then set the pan over low heat, letting it warm enough so that tiny bubbles begin emerging on the sides of the pan, but none of the shellfish are bouncing around. Baste often and you’ll see the shellfish slowly turn opaque and constrict. When they’re cooked properly, they’ll be bouncy and light and not at all tough.

Lobster Diavolo

Lobster Diavolo- by Merrill Stubbs

Serves 2

2 pounds Roma tomatoes (or 28 ounces canned tomatoes with their juices)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing

2 fat cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt

2 1 1/2-pound live lobsters

1/2 pound spaghetti

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Core the tomatoes and cut a shallow “x” through the skin of the non-core end of each tomato with a sharp knife. Working in batches, gently lower the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, until the skin begins to peel away from the cuts you made. Remove the tomatoes from the water with a slotted spoon and set aside until they are cool enough to touch.

Peel and then roughly chop the tomatoes and set aside. Pour the olive oil in a shallow, heavy saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant and softened, but not browned. Add the chili flakes (start with half if you’re not sure about the heat – you can add more later) and cook for another minute or two.

Add the tomatoes and any juices, along with a few generous pinches of salt and stir through. Raise the heat to medium and let the tomatoes come to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours, until the tomatoes have completely broken down, adding water as needed to keep the sauce from drying out. When the sauce is ready, taste for salt and add more necessary. Cover and set aside.

Bring an inch of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the lobsters to the pot and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lobster’s antennae can be easily pulled off. Remove the lobsters from the pot and set aside for a few minutes to cool a little

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until still quite al dente. Reserving about half a cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta in a large colander and set it aside while you finish up with the lobster.

To remove the lobster meat, twist both claws off the body at the shoulder joint. Use a lobster cracker or the back of a chef’s knife to crack the shell and remove the claw meat. Use a pick or a small fork to pry the meat from the knuckles, twisting at the joints to separate one knuckle from the next. Twist the lobster body from the tail and discard. Twist off the fans at the tail, and then gently insert your finger into the opening, pushing the tail meat out the other end (it should come out in one beautiful piece). Clean off any roe, fat and green goo, and remove the vein if you like by peeling back the strip of meat on the top of the tail.

Keep the lobster meat in a warm place while you finish up the pasta: Turn the heat to medium underneath the pan with the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and some of the pasta water, using tongs to toss the pasta in the sauce. Add a splash or two of olive oil if you like. When the pasta is well-coated in the sauce and warm, arrange it among two shallow, warm bowls. Slice the lobster tails into ½-inch medallions and arrange these, along with the claw and knuckle meat, on top of the spaghetti. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle generously with mint. Serve immediately.

Olive oil poached shrimp and Lobster Diavolo

Mar 28

39 Comments

White Cake With Whipped Cream Icing and Blackberry Lemon Cream Filling

I have found a great recipe for yellow and chocolate cake but still continued my search for a white cake recipe, a cake that is moist and tender. I decided to try tweaking my yellow cake recipe to make it white and it worked beautifully. The cake is exactly what I was looking for. I spread a thin layer of blackberry lemon cream on the bottom layer and made a whipped cream icing using some of the Blackberry cream mixed in which acted as a stabilizer. It’s delicious, the icing is not too sweet and has a subtle blackberry lemon flavor. Added plus, it’s a beautiful shade of lavender.
Cake:
  • 4 large egg whites at room temperature (1/2 cup egg whites)
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar divided
  • 2 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 3 teaspoons  baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon  salt
  • 1/3 cup  + 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 cup whole milk at room temperature + 1 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray with cooking spray 2 9 inch round baking pans, place parchment round in each, spray or butter again and coat with flour. Set aside.

In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment beat egg whites until frothy, add  1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbs at a time beating after each addition. Continue beating until egg whites are thick and glossy. They should be stiff enough that when the beater or whisk is lifted they stay on the beater and don’t drop off.

In large mixing bowl sift flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the vegetable oil, milk,cream,and vanilla, beat with hand mixer on medium high speed for 2 minutes. Gently fold in the egg whites.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Frosts a 9 inch layer cake

1 pint cold heavy cream

1/4 cup  + 2 tbs confectioners sugar

1/3 cup blackberry lemon cream

Get the mixing bowl and beaters cold by putting into the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and either using a stand or hand held mixer add the heavy cream and confectioners sugar and whip until its thick, add the blackberry lemon cream and continue whipping until it is the desired consistency.

Spread a thin layer of the blackberry lemon cream on the cake layer and then spread some of the whipped cream on top of that. Place top layer on and frost the rest of the cake.

Mar 27

18 Comments

Blackberry,Lemon Cream

Blackberry Lemon Cream

I have been wanting to make the recipe for Tartine Bakery’s Lemon Cream since I saw on Food52 a few weeks ago. It is truly a genius recipe, really this is lemon curd, and the method of preparation is what is genius, after cooking the lemon, sugar and eggs you use either a countertop blender or immersion blender and add cold butter and whip it to a creamy, thick, billowy treat. Genius, most definitely.

I decided to play with the basic recipe and put a twist on it by using blackberries and lemons. I had the last of my frozen blackberries from last summers farmers market begging to be used  so I threw caution to the wind and made my variation. I didn’t know how it would turn out and I usually don’t change a recipe without having made it first. It turned out so well and I think its because the basic recipe is just so good. First I will give you the original and then how I tweaked it to add the blackberries.

Original Recipe for Tartine Bakery’s Lemon Cream

Makes about 2 1/2 cups (625 ml)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (5 oz/155 ml) lemon juice (Meyer or regular)

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup (6 oz/170 g) sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup (8 oz/225 g) unsalted butter

Pour water to a depth of about 2 inches into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer.

Combine the lemon juice, whole eggs, yolk, sugar, and salt in a stainless steel bowl that will rest securely in the rim of a saucepan over, not touching, the water. (Never let the egg yolks and sugar sit together for more than a moment without stirring; the sugar will cook the yolks and turn them granular.) Place the bowl over the saucepan and continue to whisk until the mixture becomes very thick and registers 180° F on a thermometer. This will take 10 to 12 minutes. If you don’t have or trust your thermometer, don’t worry. It should thicken to the point that your whisk leaves a trail through the curd.

Remove the bowl from over the water and let cool to 140° F, stirring from time to time to release the heat.

Meanwhile, cut butter into 1-tablespoon (15-ml) pieces. When the cream is ready, leave it in the bowl if using an immersion blender, or pour it into a countertop blender. With the blender running, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, blending after each addition until incorporated before adding the next piece. The cream will be pale yellow and opaque and quite thick.

You can use the cream immediately, or pour it into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To use after refrigeration, if necessary, gently heat in a stainless steel bowl set over simmering water until it has softened, whisking constantly.

Blackberry Lemon Cream

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

3  large egg yolks

1 whole large egg

Juice of one lemon

Zest of half a lemon

8 oz  unsalted butter (slightly cool not cold)

Put blackberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a saucepan, cook until sugar melts and berries are very soft. Remove from heat and pour into a strainer and press to get all the juices, really press it well to get it all. Amazingly this made exactly 1/2 cup + 2 tbs which is the amount called for in the original recipe. Let cool until its just warm.

Add some water to a saucepan and place on medium heat, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat so the water simmers,  pour the blackberry lemon juice in a mixing bowl that will rest on top of the saucepan, add the eggs and whisk to combine place the bowl on top of the simmering water and stir constantly, you want to cook it until it reaches a temperature of 180, it will get noticeably thick and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let sit until the temperature goes down to 140.

While you are waiting for it to cool down cut the butter into 1 tbs size pieces. Pour the mixture in the blender and with the blender running add the butter a piece at a time blending well with each addition. It will become very thick and creamy. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Mar 23

8 Comments

Maple, Ginger Glazed Rib Eye Steak With Maple Caramelized Onions

Maple ginger glazed Rib Eye

I love the touch of sweetness that maple syrup brings to this steak, I gave it a slightly Asian flavor by adding soy sauce and freshly grated ginger to the maple syrup. The steak has a short marinade then is pan seared and finished in the oven. I caramelized some onions with the rest of the marinade and topped the steak with them. There is enough marinade for 2 steaks with a little left over to glaze the steak before putting in the oven and to add to the onions. I used rib eye steaks because thats what I had you can use whatever cut you prefer. The onions are optional but I recommend you give them a try, they are delicious with the steak.

Makes 2 steaks

2 steaks pastured,grass fed (I used rib eye almost 2 inches thick)

1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated

1 tablespoon melted butter

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced

1  tbs butter

2 tablespoons marinade made for steaks

Take steaks out of the refrigerator, lightly salt (just a little) and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees. Grate the ginger, place in small mixing bowl, add the maple syrup, melted butter and soy sauce and whisk to combine.Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and spoon about half of the marinade on the steak and let sit for 15 minutes. Heat oven proof skillet lightly coated with olive oil. When the skillet is good and hot, scrape some of the marinade off of the steak, add pepper and place the steaks in the skillet let them sear about 3-4 minutes, spoon a little more marinade on top of steaks and place it in the oven for 7-8 minutes for a medium rare steak. Remove from oven place on cutting board and tent with foil and let sit for 10 minutes. The steak should feel firm but not dry when you poke with your finger. There will be a slight give. You can use a meat thermometer if you are more comfortable doing that for a medium rare steak it should register 135-140 when you remove from the oven, and the final temperature would be 140-145 after it rests.

To make the onions, melt a tbs of butter in a skillet, add the sliced onions and spoon about 2 tbs of the marinade on them and let them caramelize on med heat. It will take about 20 minutes. You can serve the steak whole or slice it, your choice. Top with the caramelized onions and serve.

Mar 22

20 Comments

Featured Recipe: Chocolate Stout Cake With Cream Cheese/Mascarpone Frosting

Chocolate Stout Cake with Cream Cheese/Mascarpone Frosting

An amazing cook, Liz aka mrslarkin on food52 posted this recipe a while ago.  I had made a mental note to try it, but forgot until the other day when I saw her tweet a picture of the cake she made for her daughters birthday. It looked so good I just had to make it, she added red gel color to make it a red velvet cake and frosted with cream cheese icing. I asked her if I could feature the cake here and she graciously gave me permission.  I think what really makes this cake special is the addition of Guinness Stout, strong coffee, sour cream and butter. It’s so moist,  tender and flavorful with a wonderful crumb and it’s not overwhelmingly sweet either, honestly, its one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had. I’ve talked about the cake now let me tell you about Liz, she is a tremendously talented cook and baker, she is the Pound Ridge Scone Lady, you can find her selling her delicious scones and baked goods every week at the farmers market. She is a contest winner on Food52 whose recipe for Lemon Posset was published in the first Food52 cookbook. You will also find her recipe for Butternut Sage Scones which will be in the second Food52 cookbook due out this October. When you just have to have a cookie, why not make her addictive and delicious Chubby Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.  You can view all 134 of Liz’s recipes on Food52. Be prepared you will want to make all of them, and be sure to look her up if you are ever in Pound Ridge New York at the farmers market and sample her delicious baked goods.

Makes: A 9 inch layer cake or 24 cupcakes

The Cake:

1/2 cup  Guinness Stout

1/2 cup espresso, or strong black coffee

3/4 cups  cocoa powder

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar (press out any lumps)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (press out any lumps)

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set oven rack to middle. Butter two 9 inch round baking pans, line with parchment, then butter again and dust with flour or unsweetened cocoa powder.

Warm the stout and coffee. I do this in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then add butter and stir until melted. Add cocoa powder and vanilla, and stir till combined.

In large bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking soda and salt.

n mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together the eggs and sour cream. Pour in chocolate mixture and mix slowly. Gradually add flour mixture and gently mix until it is all combined. Pour batter into baking pans dividing evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Check with a cake tester to be sure – it should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pan(s) and set on cooling rack to cool completely.

Liz made a cream cheese frosting for the cake, I used the recipe I always use.

Cream Cheese,Mascarpone Frosting:

6 oz cream cheese at room temperature

6 oz mascarpone at room temperature

6 oz butter at room temperature

Enough confectioners sugar to make it spreadable you can make it to suit your taste. I find it usually takes about 4-5 cups

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream the cream cheese, mascarpone and butter until smooth, add the confectioners sugar a cup at a time until you reach the desired sweetness and consistency, add the vanilla and beat just to combine.

Frost the completely cooled cake and enjoy!

Mar 17

7 Comments

Happy St. Paddy’s Day – Corned Beef,Colcannon and Irish Brown Soda Bread

In honor of St. Patrick and the beautiful country of Ireland on today’s menu is Irish fare. Corned Beef, Colcannon and Irish Brown Soda Bread.  I made the corned beef as I do every year, bring to a boil on the stove top with onion and spices and then braise in the oven for about 4 hours, next year I am going to make Suzanne Goins genius recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage that is on Food52. The Colcannon is a recipe from Whole Foods, you can’t get more simple or delicious in my opinion, boil the potatoes, saute some onion and cabbage and mash it all together I made two very minor changes I caramelized the onions before adding the cabbage and instead of milk I added melted butter and creme fraiche.  Here is, Whole Foods Colcannon recipe  The Brown Bread is from food52, its a recipe Merrill Stubbs posted, it’s a family recipe her Mother always made and is absolutely delicious, Irish Brown Bread slathered with Irish butter.  I am looking forward to having Creative  Culinary’s authentic Irish Coffee Recipe

Irish Coffee,Brown Bread with Butter and Caramelized Pear Jam

Mar 15

5 Comments

Featured Recipe-Roasted Asparagus Sandwich With Pickled Onion,Bacon and Hard Cooked Egg Dressing

This amazing recipe is from Jenny aka gingerroot her cooks name on food52, she is a very talented cook, art educator, foodscaper and Mom to two gorgeous children and she is lucky enough to live in Hawaii, her recipes are stunning, expertly seasoned, paired and prepared. This sandwich is so delicious, I made it for the first time on Sunday and each ingredient fits with the other like a glove. I used flat bread rather than a baguette, no matter what kind of bread you use the ingredients speak for themselves. I think this would be an excellent sandwich to pack for lunch. Jenny will have several recipes published in the food52 cookbook coming out in October of this year, you might want to try her Late Night Coffee Brined Chicken, or her Roasted Carrot Harissa And Creme Fraiche Crostini, there are so many great recipes,  and like me you will want to make them all, you can view her 112 recipes on Food52. Don’t overlook her fabulous drinks either, my new winter staple is her Dirty Chai Toddy and I plan on trying it on ice this summer, its just that good!

Serves 1

1 6 inch baguette

4 asparagus spears, washed woody ends broken off

2 slices thick bacon

3-4 sprigs Italian parsley

olive oil for drizzling

sea salt

For the hard cooked egg spread

1 hard cooked egg (see note about cooking egg)2

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp capers,drained, finely chopped

Squeeze of a small meyer lemon wedge (about 1 1/2 tsp)

freshly ground black pepper

For the pickled onions/leeks

1 cup negi onion or baby leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

6 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon  kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dill seed

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns

1 small hot dried chile, such as chile de Arbol, trimmed, seeds removed

PICKLE THE ONIONS AT LEAST 1 DAY AHEAD: Place thinly sliced negi or baby leeks in a heatproof container with a tight-fitting lid. Using a mortar and pestle, lightly crush seeds, peppercorns and chile. Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Add crushed spice mixture. Bring to a boil, cook for two minutes. Pour hot mixture over onions. Cover and refrigerate at least one day, up to two days. Note: This makes enough onions for at least two sandwiches.

WHEN READY TO ASSEMBLE SANDWICH: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Place asparagus on foil; drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Roast for 10 minutes, shaking pan once halfway. Asparagus are finished when they are fragrant, slightly wrinkled, but still juicy. Set pan aside to cool.

Meanwhile, toast baguette in a dry pan over medium low heat or in a toaster


Make hard-cooked dressing by slicing egg in half and removing yolk. Grate yolk into a small bowl. Finely chop cooked white and add to bowl. Add olive oil, chopped capers, lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Mixture should have an egg salad consistency. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.Place bacon in a cool, dry skillet and cook over medium heat until golden crisp and fat is rendered. Remove from pan and allow pieces to drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Lay toasted baguette halves on a plate. Spread hard cooked egg dressing on one half. Top with parsley sprigs, breaking to fit bread if necessary. On the other piece of baguette, break bacon slices to fit bread. Add a generous quarter cup of drained pickled onions. Top with roasted asparagus. Carefully put sandwich together, pressing down slightly. Cut in half and enjoy immediately.

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