Heart of Darkness

I know I said you'd never see chocolate on my blog but I wasn't foreseeing my desire to treat my husband. He loves chocolate and he never gets to eat anything chocolaty that is homemade. I feel a bit sorry for him, the same way I feel sorry for myself for not being able to cook shellfish as often as I'd like (he doesn't like it). I guess it's just a matter of compromise.

I had been wanting to make this recipe ever since I first saw it. It sounded like something a chocolate lover would definitely like. I have been feeling very tired lately and hadn't had the energy to make it. I was feeling better today and I felt I owed my him one for Christmas so I decided to go ahead and make it. You see, our Christmas presents to each other were very unbalanced which is not the norm for us. I got a Kitchenaid 12 cup food processor with the wide mouth. I had been lusting after it for a while and he finally told me to go ahead and order it. I had it before Christmas but that was OK.



On the other hand, I gave him a simple remote control car. It was what he asked for but at the time, I didn't know he would ask me not to get him anything else. I felt a bit bad because of the huge price difference between the two items but left it at that. I guess I was feeling a bit guilty so I thought maybe some brownies would smooth things over.

This recipe came from a beautiful book called Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. These brownies are truly sticky, chewy, messy and gooey. According to the author, she bakes them in cupcake pans to avoid having to cut them into neat little squares.



Heart of Darkness Brownies

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I didn't have any so I used bittersweet)
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup very coarsely chopped raw almonds or pecans, toasted (I used walnuts and didn't toast)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
5 full size (2.07 oz each) Snickers candy bars, cut into small chunks
3 cups mini marshmallows

For the caramel drizzle:
6 oz (about 25) unwrapped caramel candies
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Spray two standard 12-cup muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and stir in the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Sift the flour and salt into the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the cooled chopped nuts, chocolate chips and chunks of candy bar.

Fill each cupcake cup halfway with the batter. Bake until the surface of the brownies has a glossy, crackled surface, about 20 minutes. Remove the brownies from the oven and top each one with 1/4 cup of the mini marshmallows. Return the brownies to the oven and cook just until the marshmallows start to melt and puff up a bit, but not browned too much, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool just enough to handle, then remove from the cupcake cups, running a knife around the edge of each brownie to loosen it from the cup. Let cool completely on the wire rack.

While the brownies are cooling, make the caramel drizzle. Combine the caramels, cream, vanilla and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If the caramels are not completely melted, continue heating in 30 second increments, stirring until smooth.

Drizzle the brownies with melted caramel and let cool completely for the caramel to harden. Do not chill. Serve immediately, or store up to 3 days in a covered container.

Makes 24 brownies




I know she says to cool the brownies in the pan until just cool enough to handle but that didn't work for me. When I tried to remove the brownies from the pan, they fell apart and them more so when I put them on the wire rack. After ruining 2 brownies, I just let them cool completely in the pan and then carefully removed them onto a piece of parchment paper. Also, the caramel will not harden completely, it will remain slightly gooey.

The expert says they are delicious. As a matter of fact, when I asked him if they were good, he replied "Hell yeah!" OK, so maybe they weren't so much a guilt-trip offering as a thank you for the great present. That sounds better. He loved them....my work here is done.

Angel for Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody!

We are not doing much today. As a matter of fact, we have spent the entire day sitting on the couch in front of the TV. We have watched everything from the Rachel Ray True Hollywood Story, to a show about aliens from World of the Worlds on the History Channel, to several episodes of Kimora Life In The Fab Lane. Maybe a little sad but hey, I wasn't feeling very well.

That is not to say we didn't have a proper Christmas meal! It was just didn't happen today. Cubans celebrate Christmas Eve and that is when we usually have our big meal and celebrations. We got invited to my mom's for dinner which consisted of the traditional fare; Roast pork, rice, beans, yucca with sofrito and cabbage and tomato salad. It was all really good.

I didn't wanna show up empty handed so I decided to make an Angel Food Cake with some whites I had in the freezer. I once made one from a box and my mom thought was great but I hated it. Since then, I have been trying to prove to her that homemade was better but my previous attempt failed so I had to eat the cake at home....the sacrifice!



I love, love, love Angel Food Cake and Matt doesn't really like it much so every time I make one, I pretty much eat it all. That is not really bad considering how low in calories (and thus Weight Watchers points) it is. Since it's virtually all egg whites it is one of the healthiest cakes out there and it is also very simple to make. What more could you ask for??? However, if you don't have a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer at the very least, whipping 12 egg whites to stiff peaks can be pretty painful!

I have tried other recipes but always come back to this one. It is the one that has worked the best for me and it came from a Weight Watchers book and I have only mildly altered it.



Angel Food Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup + 2 tbsp sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
12 egg whites at room temperature
1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F; arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Sift 3/4 cup of the sugar, the cake flour and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low speed, beat the egg whites until small bubbles appear and the surface is frothy, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with the cream of tartar; with the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar in a slow, steady stream, beating until all the sugar is incorporated. With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla; beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.

3. Sift one third of the flour mixture over the egg whites; with a rubber spatula, quickly fold into the egg whites, being careful to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture, making sure all the flour is blended into the egg whites. Scrape the batter into a 9 or 10 inch tube pan; with the spatula, smooth the surface. Bake in the lower third of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Immediately invert the pan onto its legs and cool completely. If your pan does not have legs, invert onto the neck of a wine bottle. Once fully cooled, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen up. Invert onto a serving platter.

Serves 12
Per serving: 175 calories, 0 grams total fat, 0 grams saturated fat

If you really don't like the eggy taste, just let the cake sit for a few hours before eating. The longer the cake sits, the less eggy taste it will have. The beauty of Angel Food Cake is that it can be served with virtually anything. My preference is macerated strawberries and blackberries, which I sometimes add Chambord to. You can have it with curds, you can ice it, frost it, whatever. However, the cake is equally great all by itself and that is how I have it more often than not, I just cut chunks off and eat them with my hands.



Just one last thing before I finish, in case you don't know, DO NOT bake your Angel Food Cake in a non stick tube pan, it will not rise. The cake needs to cling onto the pan and sort of climb up. I have tried using non stick and trust me, it does not work!

Merry Christmas!

A Yule Log Against All Odds

It's time for a Daring Baker's post! When I joined the Daring Bakers, I knew the challenges wouldn't be a walk in the park, after all, they were challenges but I didn't have any real trouble with them until this month and quite frankly, I was getting used to them being fairly easy! Not so this month though. When I first saw the challenge and the recipes, I was bummed because it called for coffee buttercream and I don't like coffee. I figured I'd make it anyway because I had to but I'd just not eat it. As it turned out, that should have been the least of my worries.

I decided I would fill the log with the same buttercream used for the frosting so I needed to have that ready before the cake was baked. I got to work on the buttercream one day and followed all the steps on the recipe but it was a disaster. The buttercream was runny, almost like a warm milk shake. Not pretty. I put it in the fridge hoping it would firm up and be ready to use but it just didn't firm up right. To make matters worse, I used food coloring to avoid having to use coffee or cocoa in it but somehow I managed to make it dark purple instead of brown. I ended up trashing it.



I had to wait a couple more days till I got more butter to try again. The next time I did, it worked fine. I think the first time I just didn't whip the egg whites long enough and it just melted the butter. I also added the butter all at the same time which didn't really help. This time around I did use the coffee as called for in the recipe but the buttercream was cream, not brown so I added cocoa until it was brown.

Once the buttercream was successfully done, I made the sponge. Again, I followed the recipe exactly. My cake took less time to bake than the recipe said it should and it was still over baked. I know my oven was at the right temperature because I keep a thermometer in there. Only after putting the cake in the oven did I realize that I had run out of parchment paper, which would have made rolling the log easier. It probably wouldn't have mattered though because when I tried to roll it, it cracked everywhere.



I didn't think I was going to be able to salvage it but I went ahead and let it rest anyway before carving and icing, which I did the next day. Much to my surprise, I was able to cover all the cracks up. I doweled the stumps just for stability but it also made the icing part easier. The meringue mushrooms were just pushed into the buttercream and they stayed there.

It was definitely a challenge and the worst part is, I didn't get to eat any of it because I just don't like coffee or chocolate! The things I do to be a Daring Baker!



This challenge was hosted by Ivonne of Cream Puffs In Venice and Lisa of La Mia Cucina. You can go to Ivonne's site to see the recipe.

Slow-Cooked Beefy Goodness

After taking my husband to work this morning, I pulled out a Ziplock bag containing stewing steak chunks from the freezer. I didn't know for sure what I was gonna make for dinner but I knew it would be a stew of some sort. I then surveyed the contents of my fridge's vegetable drawers and found celery which needed to be thrown away, OK carrots and OK parsnips, both of which needed to be used or trashed ASAP. I knew I had potatoes and shallots in the pantry. Great, perfectly good components for a stew!

I trawled through one of my cookbooks looking for a stew recipe to sort of go by but didn't find much that used those ingredients. .So I sort of winged it, only taking a recipe's timing into consideration since it was a somewhat similar list of ingredients. I had time to cook and I like my stews to be slow cooked so come 4ish PM, I got to chopping.

Right before the second hour, I left the stew on the heat and drove all of 3 minutes to pick my husband up from work and came straight back, to a home smelling of delicious stew. Nothing quite like that!



Beef Stew

1 lbs stewing beef cut into large chunks (I used top round)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 large parsnip
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
600 ml water
2 large potatoes, cut into large chunks
1 large sprig of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium dutch oven or flameproof casserole and brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate

Add the carrots, parsnip and onion to the pan and cook until the onions are browned. Return the meat to the pan and add the water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the potatoes to the pan with the thyme and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for a further 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender. Fish out the thyme before serving.

Serves 2

It takes a bit of time but it is mostly inactive time so it isn't a taxing dish. Cooking it for 2 hours will render the carrots, parsnip and shallots into a chunky mush, which is great for thickening, and nice, tender but not mushy potatoes. It may not look like what you get a restaurant but it sure tasted good and we will definitely be having it again.......just like this.

Apples For.......Pork!

As with my love affair with cooked or baked apples, it is no secret that apples and pork go great together. I have seen apple stuffed pork loins, pork chops topped with apple sauce, etc. Even the baby back ribs at Chili's come with wonderfully cinnamony apples. They are really good as a matter of fact and I don't recall ever having a different side dish at Chili's. So yes, they are indeed a match made in culinary heaven and one I could not resist.

I had planned on making Nigella's Mustard Pork Chops from Nigella Express (do you see a trend here???) but I had no idea what to serve with it. I could have served mashed potatoes, sure, but that combination isn't really daring. Besides, I had had sauteed apples on my brain all day and nothing else would do. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to make them as I had never attempted it before so I hit the books and did a bit of research.

After reading a couple recipes, I came up a simple way to make them that isn't at all complicated or time consuming. They were slightly sweet, buttery and soft without being mush. Simply put, they were delicious. Not to be outdone, the pork chops were very, very good too. They were wonderfully crisp outside, which is probably thanks to my cast iron skillet, and the sauce was subtle but went very well with the apples. It was a harmonious dinner that we will definitely be having again.

Mustard Pork Chops

2 pork chops, approximately 450g total
2 teaspoons garlic oil
125ml cider (that is hard cider for Americans)
1 tablespoon (15ml) grainy mustard
75ml double (heavy) cream

1. Cut the fat or rind off the chops, and then bash them briefly but brutally with a rolling pin between, two pieces of clingfilm (plastic wrap) to make them thinner.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and cook the chops over a moderately high heat for about 5 minutes a side. Remove them to a warmed plate.

3. Pour the cider into the pan, still over the heat, to deglaze the pan. Let it bubble away for a minute or so, then add the mustard and stir in the cream.

4. Let the sauce continue cooking for a few minutes before pouring over each plated pork chop.

Serves 2

Just one picture. Some times you just can't wait to eat!

All I had was bone in chops so that's what I used. She calls for garlic oil in a lot of her recipes, at least on this book, and I don't have any so what i do is add one clove of garlic, crushed, to the oil and fry it up a bit just so the oil absorbs a bit of the taste. Make sure your cider is at room temperature (just like the chops) so it won't be such a big shock when going into the hot pan. Whenever I have used cold liquids for something like this, I have ended up with nothing in the pan, but that is just me.

There was an article one a UK newspaper a few months ago about Nigella Lawson in her new (then) show, saying how she's gone a bit cuckoo and whatnot. The woman may be losing her marbles but I have not made a single recipe of hers that didn't turn out well. The burned bacon in the last one was entirely my fault!

Sauteed Apples

2 eating apples like Pink Lady or Golden Delicious
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, preferably unsalted
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/2 inch wedges. Put the butter and sugar in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or until they are golden and tender but not burned or mush. Serve immediately.

Serves 2

As you can see, it is a very easy meal and very quick to make. It took me 30 minutes from the moment I started the prep to the time we put the first bite into our mouths. It was a 30 Minute Meal! Move over Rachel Ray!

Just Out Of Curiosity..........

For a while now, I have been casually stumbling upon recipes, articles, whatnots about apple pie with a cheddar cheese crust. I was intrigued but quickly forgot. Every time. A few day ago, while going over my stash of old cooking magazines, I came across an issue of Cooking Light from 2002 that had a recipe for apple pie with cheddar cheese crust. I decided right then and there I was going to try this thing and see what all the fuzz was about. I doggie eared the page and put the magazine on the stack of "must make recipe from" magazines and went on browsing through the other ones.

I bought some apples yesterday for pie and then I realized I had some cheddar at home from the day I made the cheddar risotto. Perfect, I thought. I woke up this morning determined to make the pie. However, I thought I'd get started on this month's Daring Bakers challenge first. That was a bit of a disaster so I went ahead and made the pie as a sort of consolation prize.

My first thought was....hhmm.....that's very little butter in the crust.....then I realized it was Cooking Light magazine. After mixing the dough, I have to admit I was a bit concerned because it was so dry and crumbly. I was a bit worried I wasn't going to be able to roll it out but in the end, it worked out.



I had heard about rolling pastry, specially short pastry, between two sheets of plastic wrap but I had never actually done it. This recipe called for doing just that because you probably wouldn't be able to roll the dough any other way. Well, I loved it. It was just so easy to roll and better yet, it was so easy to transfer the dough to the plate and then to the top of the pie. I think I will be rolling like this from now on. Now I just need to get a wider roll of plastic wrap.

Cheddar Crusted Apple Pie

Crust:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup (3 oz) extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup ice water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (half a stick / 2 oz) cut into small pieces

Filling
10 cups very thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 3/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
dash of salt
cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and cheese in a small bowl; toss well. Place mixture in freezer for 10 minutes.

Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup ice water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Combine 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese mixture. Add slurry; toss with a fork. Sprinkle surface with up to 1 tablespoon ice water, tossing with a fork until moist and crumbly (do not form a ball). Mixture will seem slightly dry.

Divide dough in half. Gently press each half into a 4-inch circle on 2 sheets of overlapping heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll each dough half, still covered, into a 12-inch circle. Chill 30 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

To prepare filling, combine apple and lemon juice in a large bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and next 5 ingredients (brown sugar through dash of salt) in a small bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over apples; toss well to coat.

To assemble pie, remove top sheets of plastic wrap from 1 dough circle; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray, letting dough extend over edge of plate. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Spoon filling into crust. Brush edges of crust lightly with water. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap from remaining dough circle; place, plastic wrap side up, on apple mixture. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 3 (1-inch) slits in top of pastry using a sharp knife.

Combine egg white and 1 tablespoon water; brush over top and edges of pie. Place pie on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Serves 10



I did not use extra sharp cheddar because I already had sharp and I didn't want to buy more. For the filling, I used a combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples. I used a smaller pie plate, 9 inches I believe, because I didn't have a 10 inch one. I did pile up the apples which made for a slightly higher pie than a 10 inch pan would have probably made.

It is no secret that I have a thing for apples in their cooked state, specially if they are accompanied by some sort of crust, preferably flaky. I have never met an apple pie I did not like and this one was not an exception. It was good, however, it wasn't the best I've ever had. It tasted good and the cheese complimented the apples. The main flaw with it, not being flaky enough aside, was that the filling was very watery. I think it needed more thickening but the problem could have been that I used that combination of apples. Maybe it was the fact that I cut it while it was still fairly warm. Who knows.

So, I'm glad I made it and I'm glad I tried, however, I don't think I will be making it again for one simple reason....it is "light" and thus the flavor is compromised a bit. Besides, if you are going to have dessert like this, and lets face it, it's still not diet friendly, you might as well go all out and have a good, full fat pie that really hits the spot. I would choose this pie over this cheddar one any day. However, it may just be I haven't found the right recipe for it, after all, so many New Englanders can't be wrong!

I'd like to thank my dad for the beautiful plates. They really pleased the francophile in me.

Another "Express" Meal

People say that bacon makes everything better and I have to sort of agree. Maybe not EVERYTHING but certainly most things. Nigella agrees with me, thankfully. In her book Nigella Express she has a recipe for Chicken Schnitzel with Bacon and White Wine and in her description of the recipe she says "A chicken schnitzel or escalope, plain grilled, is certainly fast fare, but it wouldn't make you skip to the dinner table. Bacon comes to the rescue here; nothing fancy, just sweet, salty ribbons from Oscar Meyer which I always keep in the fridge for such an eventuality." I don't always keep bacon in the fridge.....OK, who am I kidding?....I do most of the time. So, when I saw this recipe I couldn't pass it up. It is very quick and, with bacon involved, promised to be tasty. It didn't disappoint.



Chicken Schnitzel with Bacon and White Wine

1 teaspoon garlic oil (I didn't have any so I used olive oil..NOT EXTRA VIRGIN!)
4 rashers streaky bacon (normal bacon for Americans)
4 chicken escalopes, 125g each
100 ml white wine

1. Put the oil in a frying pan and add the bacon.

2. Fry till the bacon is crisp and the pan is full of bacony juices. Remove the bacon to a piece of foil, wrap it and set it aside for a moment.

3. Fry the chicken about 2 minutes a side, until there is no pinkness when you cut into a piece. Make sure the pan's hot so that the escalopes catch a little, turning beautifully bronze.

4. Remove the chicken to a serving plate and quickly crumble the bacon you've set aside into the pan, then pour in the wine, letting everything bubble up, and, finally, pour over the chicken pieces.

Serves 4

I did not have chicken escalopes, which are nothing more than thinly cut chicken breast. Instead, I took two chicken breast halves, placed them between two lengths of cling wrap and pounded them with a small, heavy saucepan until fairly thin. They still required a bit more than 2 minutes per side though.

The bacon was a tragedy. I managed to burn it so my husband had to quickly microwave some so we could crumble it. I think the burning wasn't so much my fault as it was the fact that I has using a brand spanking new cast iron skillet (just got it today) and there probably is a bit of a learning curve.

Another new gadget I put to use was a splash guard. I used to get all burned by the flying fat and hot water and while I knew these things existed, I never bothered to buy one. A few days ago we were watching an episode of Good Eats and Alton was using one and highly recommended it. My gadget addicted husband quickly pointed one out to me the next time we were in a store. We got a set of two and they were pretty cheap. These things work like a charm. Just put them on top of the skillet or frying pan and kiss burned hand and arms away. Thank you Alton Brown. Come think of it, I have been saying that a lot lately. MUST STOP WATCHING GOOD EATS.......

To go with the chicken, I made a risotto from the same book. It turned out to be the most difficult part of dinner not only because it had more ingredients and takes longer to make but because of all the stirring. However, it was fairly simple. Juggling the stirring the risotto and making the chicken was like a circus act though. I bet it would have been entertaining to watch!





Cheddar Cheese Risotto

1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter
1 tablespoon (15ml) oil
2 baby leeks or spring onions, finely sliced
300 g risotto rise
125 ml white wine
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 litre hot vegetable stock
125 g Cheddar, chopped
2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh chives

1. Melt the butter and oil in a medium sized pan and cook the sliced baby leeks until they have softened.

2. Add the risotto rise and keep stirring for a minute or so, then turn up the heat and add the wine and mustard, stirring until the wine is absorbed.

3. Start ladling in the hot stock, letting each ladleful become absorbed as you stir, before adding the next one.

4. Stir and ladle until the rice is al dente, about 18 minutes, then add the cheese, stirring it into the rice until it melts.

5. Take the pan strain off the heat, still stirring as you do so, and spoon the risotto into warmed dishes, sprinkling with some of the chopped chives.

Serves 2 as a main course; 4 as a starter



I didn't have enough vegetable stock (broth actually) so I made up the difference with some chicken broth. To keep the stock hot as I cooked the rice, I put it in a saucepan over medium heat and then low heat.

Everything worked together really well, even after the small bacon disaster. I guess I will just have to keep using that cast iron skillet until I get the hang of it!

If I Had Known Then What I Know Now....... (Or Would I???)

As I let on yesterday, today was the day I served my dad and his family the Cottage Pie. When I set out to find a recipe that was English, cottage pie was what immediately came to mind. I went though the boxes and found a book I knew would have such a recipe by a chef I knew would yield tasty results. Who else if not Gary Rhodes and his New British Classics? Indeed, not one else. I was very surprised at the lack of cottage pie recipes, or shepherd's pie for that matter, in all of the British cookbooks I own.

Trusting Gary, I went ahead and bought the ingredients. I sort of read the recipe so I knew I could prepare the pie last night, put it in the fridge, and then just pop it in the oven today to warm up and serve. Easy peasy I thought. Well, I have a nasty habit of not FULLY reading recipes and I didn't realize what I was in for. Sure, I could prepare it last night but I didn't realize it would take hours of prep and cooking!



The meat and veg part of the pie needed about 2 hours in total from browning the meat and softening the veg to the slow cooking of all of the mixed. To make matters worse, I had a potato disaster. I bought russets for the mash and cut them really small. Once the potatoes were soft, they had reduced to about half the original weight and the water had thickened quite a bit. Potato soup anyone? At that point, I was at the end of my rope so my husband took over and boiled the rest of the potatoes in the bag so we'd have enough. This was about midnight and I had been cooking since about 8:30 pm or so. The meat had to cool before we could put the potatoes on top and then the whole thing had to cool before we could cover it up and put it in the oven.

It was a lot of trouble but the end result was, as expected, superb. Everyone loved it and had seconds. It was really great. I never made a Gary Rhodes recipe I didn't like and while they are pretty complicated most of the time (Gary Rhodes Keeping it Simple recipes aside), they sure are good! I don't want to toot my own horn but this was the best cottage pie I have ever had. Of course, all the cottage pies I've had before came in a microwavable tray ;)

For those of you who don't know what cottage pie is, think shepherd's pie with beef instead of lamb. As a matter of fact, the recipe is called Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie, you decide which meat to use. I don't like lamb so cottage pie is perfect for me.



Cottage Pie

Serves 4-6
675 g (1 1/2 lbs) minced (ground) beef
25 g (1 oz) beef drippings or 2 tablespoons cooking oil
butter
3 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) dice
4 celery sticks, cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) dice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 dessertspoon tomato puree
1 dessertspoon tomato ketchup
2 -3 glasses of red wine
25 g (1 oz) plain (all purpose) flour
200 ml (7 fl oz) veal or beef jus or chicken stock (I used beef broth)
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
900 g (2 lbs) mashed potatoes, made with very little butter and cream or milk

Season the mince beef with salt and pepper. This should now be fried in the drippings or oil in a very hot pan to seal the meat and colour it, rather than stew and boil. For the best results (and it's probably quicker), fry in batches. As soon as one lot is fried and coloured, pour off from the pan and drain in a colander.

In a separate saucepan, melt a knob of butter. Add the vegetables and season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Then add the chopped herbs.

Allow to cook for 5 - 6 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the fried beef and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, and stir into the mix. Now it's time to add the red wine. For a really rich finish, it is best to use all three glasses, but adding only half a glass at a time, reducing by three quarters and repeating the same process until all has been added. This method prevents the sauteed flavour of the beef becoming boiled away in too much wine. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 2 -3 minutes.

Pour in the jus or stock and bring to a soft simmer. This will now take, for a good rich cottage pie, 1 - 1 1/2 hours to cook. During the cooking time, the sauce may become too thick; if so, add a little water to loosen it. However, it is important to remember that mashed potatoes will be spread on top so don't let the sauce become too thin.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, the mashed potato can be made.

Once the cottage pie's mince is ready, spoon into a suitable ovenproof serving dish. The mashed potatoes can now be spooned or piped on top, brushed with a little butter and finished in a very hot oven or under the grill (broiler) to become golden. Another method is to allow the mince to become cold in the dish before covering with the potato. This can now be refrigerated until needed and then re-heated in a hot oven (200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6) for 35 - 40 minutes.

Another popular finish is a sprinkling of grated cheese, melted and glazed on top.


The dessertspoon measurement was new for me so I literally took a dessertspoon and used that to measure. This isn't baking so measurements do not have to be exact. In the book, Gary has a recipe for ketchup as well as stock and mashed potatoes, which he uses in this recipe. There was no way I was going to make all that too so I used good ole Heinz ketchup and Swanson's Beef Broth. I was doing one and a half the recipe and adjusted all the ingredients as such, except the cinnamon which I used twice the called for amount. I thought it was going to be a disaster but it worked great.

The pie truly was delicious and got compliments from everybody and they weren't just being polite, they meant it! I served the pie with peas and they complimented each other very well.

I figured after such a heavy lunch, people wouldn't want a heavy dessert. OK, that's my excuse but the real reason I chose ice cream as the dessert is because I got an ice cream machine on Friday. Yup, another cool appliance and I can tell you already, after just one use, I can see myself falling in love with it. I had been wanting one for ages and I had a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond so I seized the moment.

There was a debate on what the first flavor should be. We came up with all sorts of flavors, even imitations of flavors we already like, like Chunky Monkey but without the chocolate chunks. Before you yell "the horror!", remember I don't like chocolate. Come think of it, that fact probably sounds much more horrific to you chocolate lovers. When all was said and done, we settled on vanilla. No, we are not "vanilla" and we certainly do not support the vanilla as an analogy for boring thing. We love vanilla and we love expensive vanilla and it really makes all the difference.

I have only one ice cream book and I bought it in London. It is a book called Ices Italia by Linda Tubby. As a matter of fact, it is not an ice cream book at all, it is a gelati and other frozen Italian concoctions. In case you didn't know, there IS a difference between gelato and ice cream. The recipe I made is called Gelato Di Crema and it is supposed to be made with no flavorings because it is supposed to taste of cream. However, I did use vanilla and made it vanilla gelato instead.



This too was great and and everyone loved it. I had mine plain and everyone else had theirs with chocolate syrup. I cannot wait to start churning up other lovely ice creams and gelati!



Gelato di Vaniglia (Vanilla Gelato)

Serves 8

Basic mix makes about 1.2 L / 2 pints / 5 cups before churning

300 ml / 10 fl oz / 1 1/4 cups double (heavy) cream
700 ml / 24 fl oz / 3 cups full cream (whole) milk
8 large egg yolks (or 9 if you are in the US)
200 g / 7 oz / 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
3 tbsp skimmed milk powder
3 tbsp good quality vanilla extract

Put the cream and milk in a saucepan and gently heat until bubbles start to appear around the side of the pan.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and skimmed milk powder together in a heatproof bowl until pale in colour. Pour in the hot milk mixture and stir well.

Wash out the saucepan and pour the mixture back in. Cook over a medium heat with a head diffuser mat under the pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 8 - 10 minutes until it reaches 75°C / 167°F on a thermometer. Do not boil or let the mixture get any hotter otherwise it will curdle. The custard will thicken a little as it cools. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the mixture to a wide bowl and leave to cool. Chill in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavor mature.

Churn using an ice cream machine following the manufacturer's instructions until frozen (you may need to churn in two batches). Transfer to a freezer proof container, cover and freeze for 2 1/2 hours before serving. If it is frozen for longer and becomes too hard, remove the lid and transfer to the refrigerator to soften about 45 minutes before serving.



This is the the recipe verbatim, I have made some changes to it. One of them was the addition of the vanilla and the other was the chilling time. The original recipe calls for a 30 minute chill, however, it is best to let the mixture chill over night to let the flavor mature. This is what premium ice cream manufactures do. It does enhance the flavor (I tried the mixture before and after). I have Alton Brown to thank for this little bit of knowledge.



American eggs, surprisingly, are smaller than UK eggs. One UK large egg weighs 63 to 73 grams and one large US egg weighs about 57 grams. I used one more yolk than what the recipe called for but looking back, I should have used at least 2 more yolks than called for. Live and learn.



As for the thermometer, it truly is a necessity as things like custards are very delicate and boiled custard is disgusting. Candy thermometers are cheap these days and easy to come by. I use it not just for candy (heck, I don't think I've ever actually made candy!) but for lots of other stuff. I don't know how I got on before I had one.



After all was said and done, the meal was a pretty successful one. I will admit that if I had realized how much time was involved in the cottage pie I would have probably not made it but I'm glad I did. As for the gelato, well, let it be the first of many!

I may have had my gelato plain at lunch but I did enjoy a float later on!

Fast Food à la Nigella

Yesterday, while looking through the boxes of books trying to find a recipe for the Cottage Pie I'm serving my dad for lunch tomorrow, I found Nigella's Nigella Express. I was excited because the couple of recipes I've made from that book have been very quick, as the name implies, and very tasty.

We were out all day today running errands so it was refreshing to start dinner only about 15 minutes before we actually wanted to eat. It was also a blessing that it only took 15 minutes because since we had dinner, I have been preparing the darned Cottage Pie, but that's another post.

The recipe is really simple and really tasty, surprisingly so and the ingredient list is very short (unlike the cottage pie!)



Flash Fried Steak with White Bean mash

60 ml olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
most of 1 clove of garlic, crushed (I used a full clove for half the recipe)
1 sprig fresh rosemary, optional
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 410g cans white beans (I used cannellini)
4 thin cut sirloin or entrecote steaks, about 150g each
salt and pepper to taste

1. First, get on with the beans: put the 60 ml of olive oil in a saucepan, and mix in the garlic. Add the whole rosemary sprig, if using, and the lemon zest and warm through. Remove the rosemary, but do not throw away.

2. Drain the beans and rinse under a tap to get rid of the gloop and then add to the pan and warm through, stirring and squishing with a wide, flat spoon so that the beans go into a nobbly mush. Season to taste; some beans come saltier than others.

3. Meanwhile, heat a teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan and cook the steaks on high for a minute and a half a side. Remove to warmed plates, sprinkling some salt, to taste, over them as you do so.

4. Squeeze the lemon juice into the hot pan and let it bubble up with the meaty oil, then pour over the steaks. Serve immediately with the bean mash adorned with the reserved rosemary sprig.

Serves 4

So easy! I am not sure what she wants us to do with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil but I am assuming you put in the pan with the lemon juice. I forgot to use it so I guess it doesn't really matter. I have the UK version of the book (the original) so I have given the measurements in metric. Most liquid measuring cups are labeled in milliliters as well so that shouldn't be a problem. As for the weight, well, invest in a digital scale :D

The Joy of Cookies

I have been wanting to make white chocolate macadamia nut cookies forever but had never gotten around to it. I have a few recipes for them marked on my many cookbooks so I set out to find them. That would be no easy task because all the books are still in boxes. I was looking for a specific book but I came across the Joy of Cooking and decided to have a look in there to see if it had any. Alas, it did. I didn't wanna look through any more boxes so I settled for that one.



Making the cookies was very easy, thanks to my lovely Kitchenaid. I remember when I had to cream butter and sugar by hand before I even had a hand mixer and that wasn't fun! The recipe was for giant cookies but also gave instructions for smaller ones. I used a different size entirely because I wanted to use one of my new toys, a No.40 (1 1/2 tablespoons) cookie/ice cream scoop. I baked those for 15 minutes but they could have done with a bit less I think.



The cookies were awesome straight out of the oven (then again, almost everything is!) but have now become crispy. Maybe it was because I cooked them a couple of minutes too long or maybe because they were meant to be crispy. They are still great though and if you like crispy cookies these are the ones for you. I prefer chewy cookies and so will be microwaving these before eating them!



White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Monsters

14 five-inch cookies or 24 two and a half inch cookies

For regular sized cookies, drop by heaping measuring teaspoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart and bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven t 350°F. Grease or line 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk together:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat in a large bowl until light and fluffy:
1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups packed dark brown sugar (I didn't have dark so I used light)

Beat in one at a time:
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir in the dry ingredients. Stir in:
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts (about 4 ounces)
1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate (about 4 ounces)

Using a 1/3 cup measure, drop the dough about 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Let stand briefly. Then remove to a rack to cool.

photo courtesy of my husband

I only made half the recipe and using my 1 1/2 tablespoons scoops, I got about 18 cookies. So, if you make the full recipe and use the teaspoon measurement alternative the recipe recommends, you'll probably have a lot more than 24 cookies!



To measure the flour, the Joy of Cooking recommends you shake the bag first to incorporate some air into it, then spoon the flour into the measuring cup lightly without pressing down, until it overflows. Then, level it off with the straight side of a knife (I used my bench scrapper). This is how I measured for this recipe. Whenever you are making something from an unfamiliar book, you should always find out how it recommends you measure the flour because not every cookbook author measures it the same way. Some do it by scooping the flour from the bag with the measuring cup then leveling, others spoon it in but then press it down, etc. All the different ways of measure will give you different amounts of flour, which is why I so love it when they give weight measurements. The wrong amount of flour can ruin your recipe so be careful.



I think I am now on a quest to find a good, chewy white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe. I can't wait till Alton Brown's I'm Just Here For More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking gets here!

The Magic Room

Now that I have been living in this house for just over a week, I felt it was about time I posted pictures of my new kitchen. Well, it isn't MY kitchen as I rent but you know what I mean.

When we were looking for places to rent, a nice kitchen was one of our 2 must haves. This kitchen blew all the other ones out of the water. I think it was the granite counter tops but I can't be sure. Maybe the fact that it was an eat in kitchen with a great eating counter had something to do with it. Maybe it was the pantry (the fact that it actually has one!). Who knows. The thing is, I was impressed, specially coming from my tiny UK kitchen (pictures posted previously). I would have wanted stainless steel appliances but hey, I'll make do with what I have.

It still needs some work in the decorating department, along with the rest of the house, but we just moved in and we are broke so that will have to wait. Here it is:

You Had Me At "Glazed Doughnuts"

Yesterday while at BJs, I bought a book I had been meaning to buy ever since I heard of it a couple of months ago. The book has very few pictures and I wouldn't normally buy a book like that except that this one came very well recommended and it has even won a James Beard Foundation Cookbook of The Year award. I won't milk it anymore; Ladies and gentlemen, the book is......drum roll......"The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All Purpose Baking Cookbook" It's a long name for a thick book packed with what look to be excellent recipes. As a matter of fact, I have not finished looking through the book and I already felt compelled to make one of the recipes.

When I came across a recipe for yeast-raised glazed doughnuts, I knew I had to make them ASAP. I wasted no time and around 7pm last night, I started working on it. I decided to take the books recommendation and start them the day before so all I had to do today was roll, cut, fry and eat. Boy, I'm glad I did! There is nothing quite like the amazing taste of just-out-of-the-oil doughnuts that have been just glazed or just rolled in sugar. My husband was helping me with the glazing and rolling and I can't tell you how many we ate before they even made it to the cooling rack! It was some good bonding time with excellent team work.



The recipe was all for glazed doughnuts but my husband thought it would be yummy to roll them in sugar as they came out of the oven. We tried it on one and decided they were great so we did half and half. They were really, really good. I took some to my mom's house and they agreed!



Yeast-Raised Glazed Doughnuts

16 round doughnuts plus doughnut holes

The dough needs a number of hours to grow to its full potential, so be sure to plan ahead. You can complete this recipe through the first rise the day before, refrigerate the dough overnight, then roll, cut, and cook them the next morning for a very special treat.

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (I found this to be one 1/4 oz envelope)
3 cups (12 3/4 oz) unbleached all purpose flour
1 large egg
1 cup (8 oz) milk
2 tablespoons (1 oz) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups (2 lbs) vegetable oil or shortening (2 1/2 lbs), for frying

Glaze
1/4 cup (2 oz) milk
2 cups (8 oz) confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, butter and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture, mixing until well combined. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes by hand or mixer until you have a smooth, soft dough. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, turn it over to grease the top, and let it rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in bulk.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a round cutter. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise again for about 1 hour, until doubled again.

Place oil or shortening in a heavy pan or deep skillet and heat to 350°F. Place the doughnuts in the oil, two or three at a time, and fry until golden brown. Turn over and cook the second side. This should be no more than a minute on each side. Overcooking will make the doughnuts tough. Drain on paper towels.

To make the glaze, stir the milk into the confectioners' sugar until it is smooth, then add the vanilla.

When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle (but still warm), dip the tops of the doughnuts into the glaze, then place on a rack or place to the glaze drip down.



The most difficult part about the whole processes was getting the oil to the right temperature. I guess this is where an electric skillet with a thermostat would come in handy. As I said above, I proofed the dough only once, overnight. I did not proof again after cutting them; they went straight into the hot oil. The first time I rolled the dough, it was easy but it became increasingly more difficult with every rolling process.



I have lots of cookie cutters so we decided to make other shapes as well as round ones. We made a heart, a dragonfly, stars, etc. Just because it's about Christmas time, I made a snow flake and a Christmas tree. They were all so cute!



I made some bite-sized doughnuts because I was going to enter them to a Blog Party event. They were so cute but a challenge to photograph. In pictures, with nothing to give it scale, they look just like any other doughnut, my ever helpful husband decided to give me a hand....literally. Gotta love the man!



I have to say that one of my favorite things about this book is the fact that they don't just give you cup measurements but weight measurements as well. I really wish that America would realize how much better weight is! I say that every time, I know but it is the true.



In the process of making these tasty treats, I managed to put my Kitchenaid's burnished spiral hook out of commission. "How???" you ask, well, easy, by not reading instructions. After I was done with the hook, I put it in the dishwasher with the rest of the stuff. When I pulled it out, I noticed it was dull and dark. I picked it up and showed it to my husband, who picked it up as well then noticed the hook left a black residue on his hands and mine. I washed it off but it did not look like the beater or the whisk so I read the manual. Turns out they are NOT dishwasher safe. I have now ordered another hook and and will be throwing that one away as its top coat is gone and it's probably not safe to use in food anymore. Or something. Let this be your warning......DO NOT PUT BURNISHED UTENSILS IN THE DISHWASHER!!!!!

When Family Happens

One problem, or perhaps blessing (you decide), with living close to your family is that sometimes, they just invite themselves over for dinner. Perhaps it's just a Cuban thing but today at around 3:30PM I was informed they'd be coming over around 7 or 8pm so I should make enough dinner for them (4-5 people without counting the two of us). Huh??? Crap. This would be the first time, ever, that my family would be having dinner at my house and even though I wanted to make something simple and fairly quick to make, I wanted it to be tasty and different from what they normally eat.

I finally settled on a soup recipe that looked good and it was easy to make. The fact that it was a one pot meal was great as well. I also needed place mats and a light for the dining room (did I mention we just moved it and had our stuff delivered only yesterday????). So, ingredient list in hand, I went shopping for what would become "Pasta and Peas in Broth" I came home a couple hours later, at around 6 and got to it. I was expecting them at 8pm so there was really no rush.

The recipe was very easy and straightforward. The most difficult part was the chopping of the ingredients and finding the prosciutto. I didn't find any pancetta so I used the bacon instead. The soup tasted much better than I was expecting it and it was quite chunky with very little liquid. The low liquid thing may have been a result of my upscaling the recipe. Either way, we all liked it and my family really liked it, my mom even wanted the recipe. To go with the soup, I bought and baked some frozen garlic bread. Mission accomplished.



Pasta and Peas in Broth

Serves 4-6

25g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter
50g/2 oz pancetta or rindless smoked streaky (fatty) bacon, roughly chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
400g/14 0z/3 1/2 cups frozen peas
5ml/1 tsp tomato puree (paste)
5 - 10 ml/1-2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 L/1 3/4 pints/ 4 cups chicken stock
300g/11 oz dried pasta (like bowtie)
about 50g/2 oz prosciutto, cut into cubes or thin slices
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese to serve

1. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the pancetta or bacon, with the chopped onion and chopped celery. Cook together over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

2. Add the frozen peas to the pan and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and finely chopped parsley, then add the chicken stock, with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

3. Taste the soup for seasoning. Drop the paste into the pan, then stir and bring to the boil. Simmer until the paste is just tender, then stir in the prosciutto. Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese handed around separately.



This recipe is adapted from one found in a book called "One Pot, Slow Pot and Clay Pot Cooking"

To finish, I whipped up a mango mousse that I served over store-bought dessert shells. That was a hit too.



Mango Mousse

1 cup water
1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored gelatin
1 cup mango marmalade (from the Hispanic section of the supermarket)
1/3 cup sugar 1 cup whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks 8 dessert shells
blackberries for garnishing

Pour the water in a large microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it stand for 10 minutes until it softens. Place it in the microwave and heat for about 1 minute or until the gelatin has dissolved. If you don't have a microwave, warm and dissolve the gelatin in the water over simmering water.

Mix the sugar and mango marmalade into the water mixture and mix well. Place in the refrigerator, stirring often, until it starts to set. Fold the mixture into the whipped cream and place back in the fridge for about half an hour.

Place the dessert shells on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon the mousse over the dessert shells. Place them in the fridge until serving time. Just before serving, place a blackberry on top of each shell.

This is quite a sweet mousse so you may want to decrease the sugar amount. It's easy and delicious. What more could you ask for???