A Big Bowl of Sunshine

Don't you just love it when you throw a bunch of stuff together in a big pot and it turns out to be one of the most delicious things you've had in a long while?

That is exactly what happened with this soup.  I needed to make supper and wasn't really up for a trip to the store.  I rummaged around in the cabinets and fridge to see what I could assemble and that is how this came together.   I had a few bits of this, a piece of that, a couple of these, etc.

When I set everything out on the counter, it seemed like a good idea in theory, but we all know how sometimes these things tend to turn out... you know, good intentions & all. 

Luckily, this once actually turned out to be pretty awesome. Out of a bit of laziness frugality a great soup was born! This soup was devoured like it was going to be my last meal on Earth.  It is hearty and warming, exactly the kind of thing you want in front of you on a cold day.  Grab a loaf of crusty bread, tear off a chunk and tuck in.


Bowl of Sunshine Soup

1 lg sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 rutabaga, peeled & diced
1 lg sweet potato, peeled & diced
4 medium carrots, peeled & thinly sliced
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 cup Israeli cous cous
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp turmeric
purple basil for garnish
3 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large pot, sweat onion in olive oil over medium low heat.  Let it cook out slowly for about 15 - 20 minutes until it just begins to turn light golden brown.  Add garlic and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Add carrot and sweet potato, cook for a few minutes then add stock and turmeric.  When carrots have started to soften slightly, add rutabaga.   Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, then add chickpeas and cous cous.

Cook for an additional 6 - 8 minutes or until cous cous is soft and chewy.   Sprinkle with fresh herbs for garnish.

Blushing Valentine

I know it may seem a bit early to start thinking of Valentine's Day, but it's only a few short weeks away.   If you like to make a special treat on Valentine's Day, this is the cake.  
It is a towering 4 layers high and lovingly encased in the most delicate rose-scented buttercream.  It is outrageously good and worth every. single. calorie.  

This is also the type of cake that could easily become adorned with say a few candles for a little celebratory birthday party?   The colors could be swapped out for any, the flavor of the buttercream could be adapted to whatever you'd like it to be.  Using a vanilla base for both cake and buttercream allows you the flexibility to change colors and flavors to suit the occasion or intended recipient.

Typically, when we think of Valentine's Day desserts we usually think of chocolate.  I won't even pretend that I'm not one of them, but sometimes the "molten lava cake" or "ganache-covered devils's food" is well... a bit played out.

This cake is a show-stopper and you might not even miss the chocolate.

For the cake:

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

3 ½ cups sugar

4 cups King Arthur AP flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

12 egg whites-Pete & Gerry’s Heirloom Eggs, room temp

2 cups whole milk, room temp

4 tsp vanilla

Deep pink gel food coloring

Place racks in middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour 4 cake pans.  I used 6", but 8 inch will work as well (the cakes will not be as tall).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together for 5 minutes until light & fluffy.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
Combine egg whites, milk & vanilla together and set aside.

Add roughly 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar, followed by half of the milk mixture.  Scrape down bowl, and then add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the rest of the milk.  Scrape down again and add the last of the flour.

Divide batter into 4 equal portions.

      One portion will remain white.  In the remaining 3, mix in food coloring.  Add 3-4 drops to the first layer, 6-7 drops for the second and 9-10 drops for the last layer.  Mix thoroughly until color is uniform. 

      Pour into cake pans and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, rotating cakes halfway through baking time.  Cake is done when knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Wrap in parchment paper and plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours.  Using a long serrated knife, trim off the domed top of cake to make it even and flat.   Once all cakes have been trimmed, set aside.

For the Rosewater Buttercream

4 egg whites: Pete & Gerry’s Heirloom Eggs

1 cup sugar

3 sticks unsalted butter at room temp, cut into tablespoons

½ -1 tsp rosewater

      Set a bowl inside of a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Combine egg whites and sugar, whisking frequently until sugar has dissolved. 

 You can test this by carefully running your finger through a stream of egg white falling from whisk, then rub your thumb and finger together.  If you feel any grains of sugar, it is not ready.

      Once sugar is completely dissolved, transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

      Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff peaks and mixture is cooled, about 5-6 minutes.
  

      Turn mixer down to medium low speed and begin adding butter, a few tablespoons at a time, let butter incorporate before adding more.

      After all the butter has been added, add rosewater and beat for another 30 seconds.

      Set darkest layer of cake on cake plate and apply a layer of buttercream to top.  Following with remaining layers, ending with white layer on top. 

Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream to entire cake and chill for 30 minutes.

When crumb coat has hardened, apply buttercream and smooth with an off-set spatula.
Cut with a very sharp knife and serve!

 

 

 

 

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Dim Sum Good Eats

Unless you live under a rock, everyone is familiar with Chinese take-out.  Let me be the one to tell you that what you are eating isn't exactly Chinese food.  It's like going to Taco Bell and saying you had Mexican food...

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's move on shall we?

Dim Sum.  It's an experience like no other.  For me, it is complete and utter sensory overload and I adore every second of it.  The clinging of metal and ceramic as plates of food go whizzing by and the staccato of a language I don't understand.  The unfamiliar smells mingled with the scents of spices I know so well amidst the hurried movements of the women peddling an array of dishes from the kitchen.  It is an assault on the senses in the very best of ways.

As I take in my surroundings on this particular day, I come to the realization that I am the only non-Asian in the entire restaurant.  This is a sure sign that the food is authentic and it's going to be damn good!

When I go out to eat with friends, some of them tend to defer to me for choosing our menu for the evening given what I do...  this time it was the reverse.   I happily sat there listening to my friends tell the women what we would like from their carts and watched with glee as it was set down in the center of our table.   Of the 8 or so dishes we ordered, there were only a few that I had seen before...  The rest of them had familiar flavors or ingredients, but as a whole were new to me.   (insert squeal here!)

It can be a bit daunting to go to a restaurant and order food that is unfamiliar or in my case, not speak the language.  Luckily for me, I was accompanied by the Lee sisters who took care of that.  During dinner I brought this topic up and the girls were quick to respond that one would simply point at whatever you want to try.  

Being exposed to new things in life is something I thrive on and when it comes to food, it's tenfold. 
I will admit that on occasion when I go out, I tend to order my *favorite* thing from certain places, but when I go to a new place, I always try to order something I've never had.  
I think of trying new food this way: If I don't like it, I can always go home and make a sandwich... at least I tried.
This day was a win on all fronts!

The beginning of a new year offers us ample opportunities to try new things, be a little more adventurous and have new experiences.  I am making an effort to do just that and I hope this year brings you a culinary adventure or two along the way.

Banana Pancakes

This is the story of two sad bananas.  They were gorgeous when I brought them home.  Then they sat there as they watched the other bananas in their bunch get picked, only to be left behind.  Their skin went from bright, sunny yellow to brown and spotty.

Once bananas pass a certain stage in their ripeness, I won't eat them.  It's a texture thing, I don't like mushy food and these were about as "mushad" as one could possibly get. 

Normally I would freeze them for smoothies or wait until I had one or two more for banana bread.
But,  I felt the need to rescue them and do something with them other than relegating them to the dark, frozen tundra that is my freezer.

Pancakes are not usually what I crave for breakfast.  Generally I find them to be too filling, but these are not.  After eating more than my fair share I am happy to report that I did not have that "blegh" feeling after eating.  You know that feeling...  Rewind back to Thanksgiving.  Yeah, that one.

As usual when I am looking for a recipe I know I have, I can't find it.  Luckily I found a good jumping off point on allrecipes and then tweaked it to suit my tastes.

mashing bananas!

 

 

Banana Pancakes

 

1 cup AP flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup whole milk

2 tbsp melted butter, cooled

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

 

 

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.

 

In a medium bowl combine egg, milk, butter, vanilla and bananas.

 

Add dry ingredients to wet, mix until just combined and all flour is incorporated.

Batter will be lumpy, do not overmix. 

 

Ladle about a 1/3 cup batter into pan on medium heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Pour Some Sugar on Me!

It's Christmas cookie time again and that means the cookie exchange!  However, if you are buying jar after jar of colored sanding sugars to sprinkle on your creations it can get very costly rather quickly.

Working in this business has made me acutely aware of what things REALLY cost.   Walking through stores and seeing someone pay $4.50 for a tiny 3 ounce bottle of colored sanding sugar for example...   I know that they could make huge bags of it for $4.50.

I have a drawer full of them, I'm not immune to be sucked in by all the pretty colors... but no more!

It's not that I'm cheap;  I prefer to think of it as frugal, but what gets under my skin is paying an exorbitant amount of money for what I'm getting.
It's all about getting a decent value for your money. 
So, with that said:  We are going to make our own sanding sugars this year for a fraction of what we would pay at the grocery store.



DIY Sanding Sugars

clear sanding sugar, can be purchased here
gel food coloring  (I don't recommend liquid)
pinch of cornstarch (optional)
wax or parchment paper lined sheet pan

gel color in squeeze bottles

 

 

The easiest way to do this is in a zip-top quart or gallon bag.  You can smoosh (yes, that's the technical term) it around inside the bag with your hands and there is virtually no mess to clean up.

 

gel colors in little pots

 

I tend to make it in large batches, so I usually use a bowl and a whisk to get started and then mix with my hands.  Unless you are making a few pounds at a time, the zip-top bag would be the way to go...

For a normal batch of cookies or cupcakes, start with 1/2 - 3/4 cup of sugar.

Pour sugar into bag and add 1 drop at a time of gel food coloring.

Starting to look like sea glass!

Mix it around in the bag until color is consistent throughout.  If color isn't dark enough, add another drop and repeat until you reach desired shade.

IF you find your sugar is a bit clumpy or sticky from the food coloring, add a pinch of cornstarch and mix thoroughly.  I only do this when I have added quite a bit of color.   
The cornstarch helps to keep the sugar from clumping together, but it also makes it less shiny. 

Once you have reached your desired color, pour the sugar out onto your lined sheet pan and spread it out into a thin even layer so it can dry out a bit.   When sugar is no longer "tacky", store in airtight jars.   It will keep for months!

Gingerbread Cakes

Gingerbread and a cup of tea. 

This is what comes to mind when I think of my father's mother.  Sitting in her kitchen, eating a slice of gingerbread and having a cup of tea while she leaned against the sink with the sunlight shining in through the window on her smiling face.

The memories I have of her are few and far between.  She lived in Newfoundland and I lived in Ohio.  Spending time with her and getting to know her wasn't very easy given the 1600 mile separation.  I was about 16 years old when I asked her for this recipe, somehow even back then I related through food.

If you know nothing at all of Newfoundland,  this is one thing I experienced over and over:  
Visiting is practically an Olympic sport and they excel at it.  You are offered a cup of tea as soon as you cross the threshold and of course something to eat with the tea... whether it be toast, cookies, cake, etc.

At first I thought this was just something that my relatives did.  Then I quickly realized after nearly bursting out of my jeans, it was what everyone did.

The recipe below is slightly tweaked (although not much) from Nanny's original recipe. I had thought about adding a ganache or a creme anglaise to it, but decided to leave well enough alone.  

As you go "visiting" this holiday season, take a few of these with you to share as you make the rounds... 
Put the kettle on, stay for a cup of tea and make some memories.



Gingerbread Cakes

2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup strong tea
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a mini bundt pan (or muffin pan) and set aside.
In a small bowl, add baking soda to tea, stir and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt; set aside.

Using paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add egg and beat until incorporated.  Add molasses and tea mixture.

At this point, the batter will appear broken.  Don't panic, it will come together once flour mixture is added.

Scrape down bowl, add flour mixture and beat until combined.

Divide batter evenly, filling about 2/3 up.  Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until knife comes out clean, about 15 - 18 minutes.  Let cakes cool slightly in pan.  Remove cakes and place upside down to cool completely on wire rack.

Dust with powdered sugar.

 

Tom & Jerry

It has come to my attention recently that some of you only know this pair of names as a cartoon duo.

As soon as there is a chill in the air, I start craving this drink.  Think of it as a warm, boozy milkshake. Doesn't that sound amazing?! It's even better than you think...

I won't lie, it isn't one of those "Oh, I'll just pull a bottle down and shake" kind of drinks.  It takes a little planning and effort, but the end result is worth the 10 minutes of energy it requires.

This drink has such a loyal fan base that there are special "Tom & Jerry" punchbowl sets with matching mugs.  I kid you not...  Here's a pic to prove it:

In all its retro glory!

 

 

Everyone knows eggnog.  It's predictable and commonplace at holiday parties, but make a batch of this and people will stand up (although not for long...) and pay attention.  You may be inundated with recipe requests, so be prepared!  

 

I may not have been legal drinking age the first time I had one, which may have bolstered its appeal to me at the time, however in an effort to keep my parental units out of the clink, let's just say for arguments sake that I was 21. 
 

The point of this divulgence of info is not to horrify my lovely mother, although I can say with certainty that I have more than likely succeeded in spades, was to show my long standing loyalty to this holiday libation...  and with that said, I'm off to partake!


Tom & Jerry
-makes 4

3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup powdered sugar
pinch baking soda
1 cup + 1 tbsp Jamaican rum
2 oz. brandy
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg + extra for garnish

(because this recipe calls for raw egg, I recommend using the best quality eggs you can find)

Beat egg yolks until light in color. Add powdered sugar, baking soda, 1 tbsp rum, cinnamon and nutmeg to yolks and beat again to combine. If needed, add another tbsp of powdered sugar.  The batter needs to be thick.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and slightly frothy.  If you own an immersion (stick) blender, break it out.  Those egg whites will be fluffy in 30 seconds.
Fold whites into yolk mixture and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat milk over low heat until it begins to simmer.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Warm mugs (I usually pour in hot water from a kettle, then dump it out) and add 1 1/2 tbsps of batter to each mug, top with a few tbsps of hot milk.  While stirring constantly, add 2 ozs rum then top with more milk to 1/4" below rim of mug.  Stir to combine.  Top with brandy and sprinkle nutmeg for garnish.