Bon Appetite Maple Spice Cake

Don't you want to make this cake.

I got the issue of Bon Appetit with this recipe in it before Thanksgiving.  I have been wanting to make this cake since then.  I finally got the opportunity when I was asked to bring dessert to an Oscar party I was invisted to at my friends Ingrid and Sheri.  It was a hit!!!!  This is one of the most delicious rich cakes I have ever had.  It a great combination of salty and sweet.

Here is the Bon Appetit web link for the recipe.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/10/maple_gingerbread_layer_cake_with_salted_maple_caramel_sauce

It took hours to make.  It was totally worth it, though.

Enjoy!

Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes is easy to prepare and delicious!!!  I like to use a new potato. (Not an old potato, LOL)  Peel the potatoes and slice very thin.  Use a mandolin it you have one.  There are some very inexpensive ones out there that work quite well.  You will need about 6 larger new potatoes for this dish.  Slice the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and add about 2-3 tablespoons of chunked unsalted butter and enough whole milk to make a juicy mixture.  Generously Salt and pepper this mixture. Pour the mixture into a buttered ceramic baking dish.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour.  You want the potatoes to by bubbling and lightly brown on the top.  How easy was that.  It's a great side dish with roasted meats.  Enjoy!!!!

BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza

My Mom said this was my best pizza.  It was really good.  I was inspired by watching Giada on the Food Network.  She cooks her pizzas at 400 degrees for about 15-30 minutes.  I use a pizza stone.  I preheat the pizza stone in the oven.  This pizza cooked for 30 minutes.  It takes a while to cook because the topping is pretty thick.

Here is the blog link to for the pulled pork topping.

http://scottscookingrecommendations.blogspot.com/2011/03/pulled-bbq-pork.html

The pulled pork can be made in advance.  I bought the dough ready to roll out and bake.  Roll the dough out on a floured surface.  Once the oven is ready take out the pizza stone and sprinkle it with corn meal.  This adds a nice crunch to the crust.  Roll the dough on a rolling pin and unroll on the pizza stone.  thickly spread the pulled pork evenly over the dough.  Sprinkle with mild white cheese and then chopped parsley.  Put back in the oven and cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Let the pizza sit for 5 minutes to let it cool a little bit before cutting.  Enjoy with a nice salad and wine or your choice, of course.

Let me know what you think.

Chocolate Pound Cake

First of all before I get started.  Is anyone other that Sean reading this blog.  He is the only one that has commented on it.  Thank you Sean!  An occasional comment would be nice.  With that said, this is a wonderful recipe I got from the Bon Appetit Dessert's Cookbook.  It's got recipes for just about any dessert you want to make.  This is the Dark Chocolate Pound Cake.  Looks good, huh?  It's not too hard to make just make sure you don't over bake it.  It turns dry in a heartbeat.  As soon as the toothpick comes out clean take it out of the oven.  You don 't want a dry pound cake.

 Here is the link for the recipe.  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/10/deep_chocolate_pound_cake

This is the finished product.  It's really good when it is still warm with vanilla ice cream.  Yum!!!

Enjoy!

Kalamati Olive Bread

Sorry it's been a few days since I've posted.  I haven't been around or cooking.  Tonight I made an amazing bread.  You know how I love bread!!!  It's a simple bread to make and delicious to eat.  If you love olives you will love this bread.  It's made with chopped kalamati olives drizzled with olive oil to add crispness to the crusty.

 Ingredients:
3 Cups of Bread Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp of Dry Active Yeast
12 oz of chopped Kalamati Olives
1 1/2 Cups of Cold Water

 Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until the dough is uniform and sticky.  Cover and set aside for 12 to 16 hours.  Turn the dough out on a floured surface and fold dough over twice and form the dough into a loaf shape on a floured cloth.  Cover and let rise for 2 hours.  At the 1 1/2 hour point put the 3.5 quart oval enameled cast iron pot on the oven to preheat to 475 degrees.  I used a Le Creuset 3.5 quart oval pot so the loaf comes out oval and not round for this bread.  After the pot has been in the oven for 1/2 hour remove and gentle place the dough in the pot.  Be very careful it is super hot.  Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil and cover.  Put back in the oven on the bottom 1/3 rack and cook for 30 minutes with the lid on.  Uncover after 30 minutes and continue cooking for 20 more minutes.  Remove from the oven and turn out the bread onto a cooling rack.  Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into the loaf.  Enjoy!!!!!

Pan Seared Salmon with fresh Dill

This is truly one of the easiest things that I make for dinner.  If you love salmon you will love this.  It's so easy.  Buy a Salmon filet with the skin on.  Heat a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot but not smoking.  gently lay the fillet with the skin side down in the skillet.  Spinkle with salt, pepper and fresh dill.  Cover and cook until the salmon flakes apart.  10 to 15 minutes.  It okay it the skin gets crisp and almost burnt.  The skin will protect and insulate the salmon meat.  The salmon meat will easily separate from the skin after cooking so there is no need to remove the skin before cooking.  That is it.  Serve and enjoy!!!  The salmon will be juicy and moist and delicious.

Cajun Dirty Rice

This is a great thing to do with leftover rice.  It's an easy side dish.  It's kind of like a cajun risotto.  Here is what you need.

Ingredients:


3 Cups of Cooked Rice
1 Medium Onion Chopped
1 of each Green, Yellow and Red Bell Peppers Chopped
( The Black Pepper and Cyan should be added depending on the level of heat you want. 1/4 tsp of each for mild, 1/2 tsp of each for medium and 1 tsp of each for hot. )
1 tsp of Salt
1 Heaping Tbls of Bacon Grease ( This always adds great flavor. )
2 Cups of Chicken Stock

Heat up the bacon grease in a heavy pot over medium heat.  Cook the onions and peppers until they are soft.  Add everything else and simmer until the liquid is almost gone.  It's ready to enjoy.

Herbed Pork Top Loin Roast with Cream Sauce

You will need a 2 lbs pork top loin roast.  With a long carving knife cut into the roast along the long side and cut in about 1 inch from the bottom.  Cut and unroll as you cut until the roast is a 1 inch flat slab of meat.  Sprinkle with dried rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano.  Roll back up and tie every inch with twine.  Heat 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in a staub 2.5 quart pot.  Salt and pepper and brown on both sides over medium high heat and then cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours.  Remove and let set while you make the suace.

You can make a delicious gravy with the drippings in the pot.  Add enough water to have about 1 cup of liquid.  In a jar, mix together 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 rounded tablespoons of flour.  Turn the heat up to medium high on the Staub pot and when the content starts to boil whisk in the cream and flour mixture.  Whisk constantly to eliminate lumps until the mixture starts to boil.  It will be nice and thick by then.  Turn the heat off.  

Remove the twine and cut across at the tie marks.  Serve and spoon the sauce over the pork.  The meat will be moist and fall apart.  Yum!!!

Cheese Bread

This turned out deliciously.  It's not a heavy cheese flavor or even strings of cheese but the cheese is there and it adds richness and flavor to this bread.

You can see the subtle glistening of the cheese when you slice into the loaf.  The bread is very rich and doesn't need butter but I love bread with butter.  When you butter this bread it truly is decadent.

Here are the ingredients you need for this bread.  

3 Cups of Bread Flour

1 tsp of Salt

1/2 tsp of Ground Pepper

2 1/2 Shredded Cheese.  I used Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina and Provolone.

3/4 tsp of Dry Active Yeast

1 1/3 Cup of Cold Water

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and cover.  Let it stand covered for 12 to 18 hours.  Turn out onto a floured service and fold the four corners of the dough into the center and turn over onto a floured cloth.  Form into a round and cover with the ends of the cloth and allow to rise for 2 hours.  At the 1 1/2 mark put your Staub 5.5 quart pot in the lower third of the oven and heat to 475 degrees.  After the pot has been in the oven for 30 mins turn the dough into the pot folded side up.  Be super careful to make sure not to touch the pot.  It is super hot!  Cover and return to the oven for 30 minuntes.  Uncover ofter 30 minuntes and cook uncovered for 15 minutes more until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and turn out onto a cooling rack.  Let the bread rest for 10 to 15 if you can before slicing into it.  Make sure you have a really shape artisan bread knife so you slice into the bread and not crush it.  If you don't own one you need to buy one if you are going to be making bread regularly.

Enjoy!!!!

Fried Catfish and Onion Rings

This meal was one of the messiest meals I have made.  I guess that's why I don't make it sll the time.  It was delicious, though!  Nothing like fresh catfish and onion rings from scratch.  It's not that it's that hard just messy.  You need a couple pounds of fresh catfish patted dry and a medium onion cut into thin slices and separated into rings.

Batter:
1 Cup of milk
2 Tsp of Lemon Juice

Combine and let sit for 5 minutes before mixing with the other ingredients

3/4 Cup of Flour
1 tsp of Salt
1/2 tsp of Cyan Pepper
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper

Whisk it together in a large bowl

Add the Milk mixer to the flour along with:

1 Large Egg
2 Tsp of Soda Water
2 Tsp of Lemon Zest

Whisk together and let sit for 20 minutes.  While the batter is sitting heat the oil to 360 degrees.  Dust the catfish with flour.  Dip in the batter and "gently" place the fish in the oil.  Cook about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.  If you like you can place the fish in a 250 degree oven while you cook the onion rings.  The onion rings cook very quickly.  I like to line a basket with paper napkins to absorb the excess oil.  Server the fish with a little tartar sauce.

Enjoy!!!!  Sorry about the mess!!!

Avgolemono Soup (Chicken Lemon Soup)

Patti, this one is for you!!!!

If you have not had this greek soup you are missing out.  It's tasty and easy to make.  It's a great soup make with chicken, rice, lemon and egg.  Here is all you need to make this.

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts Roasted for 2 hours in your Staub pot
32 oz container of chicken broth
1 Cup each of Chopped Onions, Carrots and Celery
4 Tsp of Olive Oil
1 tsp dried Tarragon
1 Tsp fresh Parsley
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
3/4 Cup of Rice
4 Cups Water
3/4 Cups fresh Lemon Juice (If must be fresh for the flavor)
3 to 5 Large Eggs (I like to use 5.  I like it eggy and thick!)

While your chicken is cooking add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, tarragon, parsley and bay leaves.  Cook until vegetables are soft. Add the chicken stock and rice.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the chicken is done.  Whisk together the lemon juice and the eggs and set aside.  Shred the chicken breast with a fork in the juices from the pot.  Add the chicken and water to the stockpot.  Turn the heat up to high.  Slowly ladle the liquid from the stockpot into the lemon egg mixture while whisking.  Then stir the mixture back into the stockpot and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and serve.  Enjoy!!!!

Revol

I have to tell you about my all time favorite bakeware.  It's from France!!!  It's made by a very old company in by the name of Revol.  Revol is what you as a cook will love.  It's very pure porcelain.  Porcelain is great for many reasons.  It's fired at a very high temperature.  What does that mean to you?  It means that it is hypoallergenic because it is non porous.  No food particles are going to leach into the cracks or pores of the porcelain and because of this it is really easy to clean.  Because it is non porous it is naturally non stick. It's is very durable.  It will last!!!!!  This stuff is made for restaurant.  Anyone that has ever worked in a restaurant knows how tough restaurants are on anything!  You can freeze this and then put it on a hot oven and it will not crack or craze.  Not to mention how insanely beautiful it is.  It's expensive.  It's worth every penny and if you love to cook you will love Revol!!!  I love it and collect it!  Here is the link to Revol's website.  http://www.revol-porcelaine.fr/index.php?id=3126  Check it out.  Sur La Table has the best selection in the United States and some great deals to get you introduced to it.

Oh, did I mention that the 11th generation owner, Olivier, has made the company green.  Solar panels to generate electricity, all packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and all the water used in the production is filtered before sending it back into the environment.  I know!  Too good to be true but it is.

Pot Sticker Oh My!

I want to tell you about something easy to make after the complexity of last nights dish.  I'm exhausted!!!!!  Pot stickers or chinese dumplings are very easy and delicious to make.  Especially if you go to the local asian market and buy the wonton wraps already made in the refrigerator section.  This is all you need to make them.

Ingredients:


1/2 lbs of ground pork
1/2 lbs of fresh peeled and deveined shrimp or "shrimps" as a chef I once knew called them. (Monica, you know who I mean!)
2 tsp of corn starch
2 tsp of soy sauce
1 chopped green onion
A small chuck of cabbage.

You will need a food processor.  Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until all the ingredients are well integrated.  That's it!

Place a teaspoon in the middle of the wonton wrap.  Moisten the edges with a little water.  I use a small silicon brush.  If you don't own one you need to have one.  I use mine all the time.  They are great and easy to clean not like the old bristle ones.

fold it  in a diagonal and press.  You can buy a wonton press at the asian market.  It's plastic and very inexpensive.  Usually under $5.  If you don't have one just press with your fingers so the dough is sealed around the filling.

You can put them in a soup broth and cook for about 20 minutes or saute in a skillet till brown on each side.  If you saute in a skillet mix together a little soy sauce, vinegar, chinese mustard and some red pepper flakes to taste as a dipping sauce.

As you can see from the picture I chose to have them in wonton soup.  Yum!!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Bring on the Chicken Pot Pie

I wish I could say this is easy to make but it takes a little bit of time.  Well, at least the first time you make it from scratch.  It's was worth it, though.  This recipe makes about 4 individual chicken pot pies.

Pie Filling Ingredients:

1 lbs of Roasted Chicken cut into small chunks

1 Cup of each Pearl Onions, Celery, Carrots and Potatoes

32 Ounce container of Chicken Broth

6 Tbs of Unsalted Butter

6 Tbs of Flour

1 1/2 Tbs of chopped Parsley

1/2 tsp of Dried Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

I like to make sure I have all my ingredients measured out and in prep bowl so when I start working everything is ready and at my finger tips.

The first thing you are going to want to do so start the dough.  It has to cool and set for a while.  Here is what you'll need.

Dough Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup of Flour

1/2 Cup (1 Stick) 

1/4 tsp of Salt

3 to 4 Tbs of Cold Water

In a large bowl whisk together the salt and flour.  Cut in the butter until it looks like oatmeal.  Sprinkle with 3 Tbs of the water and toss with a fork until the dough holds together when squeezed in your hand. Add water a teaspoon at a time if you need more water.  Form into a ball and flatten into a 6 inch disc.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Then remove and let rest for 15 minutes before you roll it out.  This allows the dough to fully hydrate and keeps it from cracking.

While the dough is cooling cook the filling.

Melt the butter over medium low heat and add the celery and onions in a saucier.  Cook them until they are soft and remove from the butter. 

 While the celery and onions are cooking.  Cook the Carrots and Potatoes in salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes and remove and set aside.  Remove the saucier from the heat and add the flour and whisk until well integrated.  Put back on low heat and whisk for about 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth.  Remove from the heat once more and whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth.  Whisk well to eliminate the lumps.  Put back on medium heat and whisk in the remaining broth bring to a boil.   The mixture should be thickening.  Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients to this mixture.  

This needs to cool before you put on the dough top.  You can put bowl in a larger bowl with ice and let the filling cool while you are rolling the dough out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Flour a surface and cover the dough with flour.  Roll out the dough until you have enough dough to cover 4 individual pies.

Fill the pots with the filling and cover with the dough.  You can decorate the pies with the leftover dough.  I made some little chickens.  Make sure the dough is sealed around the edges.  Cut vents in the dough.  

Place the pies on a cookie sheet and place in the oven and cook for 40 to 45 minutes.  The Crust should be lightly browned when done.  Let the pies cool for 10 to 15 minutes before you serve.  Enjoy!!!!

Cold Mac & Cheese

It's really good cold, too.  I just got home from work and was a little hungry and thought I would try it cold.  It's delicious!!!!

I think I am going to make Chicken Pot pies tomorrow night so stay tuned!!!!!

Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is one of those dishes that everyone loves!  Well, there is one person that I know that won't eat it.  I KNOW!  Those of you that know me know who this is.  The rest of you will love this recipe for Mac & Cheese.  I love that there are so few ingredients.  Here they are.

Ingredients:

1 Cup "whole" milk (I know for some of you that is a dirty word)

8 Ounces of Pasta (I love bowtie pasta)

1 Cup of Evaporated Milk

2 Tbs of Unsalted Butter

3 Tbs of Flour

1/4 tsp of Paprika

1/4 tsp of Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

6 oz of Gruyere

You know how I love my Staub.  I use the .25 quart size enameled cast iron cocottes for this.  Then you have individual servings for your guest.  This recipe makes 4 servings.

Yes, it's as delicious as it looks.  I couldn't wait for dinner.  I had to start eating it once it was cool enough.  OMG!

First things first.  Cook the pasta in boiling water and strain.  I like to salt the water so the pasta in infused with a light salt flavor otherwise I find that you can't seem to get enough salt on the pasta after the fact.

Bring to a boil the evaporated milk and whole milk and set aside.

Melt the butter over low heat and whisk the flour into the butter and whisk over the low heat for 5 minutes.  The flour will evenly blend with the butter and form a smooth sauce.  Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk mixture until smooth.  Return to medium heat.  Add the paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens.  About 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the pasta and 3/4 of the cheese.  Mix well until the pasta is covered completely.

Divid up into buttered cocottes and cover with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly brown on the top.

You will not be disappointed in this Mac & Cheese!!!!!!