tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17626432859876626632024-03-21T18:14:56.866-05:00I Didn't Get Fat Accidentally...It's a Personal ChoiceAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-2537300757911904032014-04-29T17:37:00.001-05:002014-04-29T17:37:15.548-05:00The Great Black and White Cookie Hunt of 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Husband and I just celebrating six magical years of marriage this past Saturday. We didn't save the top of our wedding cake for our first year (first, it kind of grosses me out to have old frozen cake, second, the cake was so good, there wasn't any left over!). So instead to celebrate, we got a Black and White cookie; they were the favors we had at our wedding. We were fortunate while we lived in Chicago, we had found this adorable grocery shop in our neighborhood, Olivia's Market, that got Black and White cookies shipped in from New York every day. For our first five years, I didn't think a single thing about our tradition. Every April 26th, I went to Olivia's and picked up a cookie for us.<br />
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Now that we live in Pittsburgh, Olivia's Market isn't right down the block. So a few weeks before our anniversary, I started hunting for Black and White cookies. I called our friends here, asking if they knew great bakeries, I drove all over the city (I went to a northern suburb and a southern suburb in one day...we ate a lot of baked goods that day), I called every bakery in and around the Pittsburgh area, and either they didn't have them, they weren't good, or they weren't real Black and White cookies (one place had a chocolate chip cookie with black and white frosting!).<br />
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I thought about shipping them in from New York, however The Husband suggested that I try to make them myself. Initially I balked at it, I mean, I didn't want to mess with our tradition, what if they weren't good?! But after some thought (and a few more phone calls) I decided to try it. And I must say, for a first time, they turned out pretty good.<br />
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I must say though, it was a good thing that The Husband was working when I made the icing, our kitchen looked like a bomb exploded. The amount of powdered sugar that got every where from making the icing, but that's because I'm a mess-maker when I cook.<br />
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Some tips: If you have one, use a silicon pad on your baking sheets, it will help get the cookies up faster. It will also help you spread them out. When you put the batter on the sheet, you don't want to just heap it, or the cookie will bake really high. If you spread the dough out a little, they'll bake flatter.<br />
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When you ice the cookies, be sure to put them on a cooling rack, or something that will allow the excess frosting to drip. As these cookies have a cake base, you should eat them quickly, or store them in an airtight container. I'm on day 5 right now, and they still taste delicious.<br />
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Ingredients<br />
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For the cookies:<br />
1 3/4 Cups Granulated Sugar<br />1 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature<br />4 Large Eggs, room temperature<br />1 1/2 cups milk<br />1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract<br />1/4 TSP Lemon Extract<br />2 1/2 Cups Cake Flour<br />2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour<br />1/2 TSP Baking Powder<br />1/2 TSP Salt<div>
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For the icing<br />5 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar<br />1/3 to 1/2 Cup Water<br />3 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate<br />1 TSP Light Corn Syrup<br />1 to 2 TBS Unsweetened cocoa</div>
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. </div>
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Combine sugar and butter and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then milk, vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix until smooth. Scrape down bowl.<br /><br />Slowly start to add the dry ingredients. I alternated a 1/2 of flour at a time, followed by the baking powder and the salt. Mix until everything is incorporated. The dough will resemble a thicker cake batter and NOT cookie batter. <div>
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Use a soup spoon, and place a heaping spoon of dough onto the silicon (or parchment paper). Remember to smooth out the batter, so that when it bakes, it doesn't rise like little mountains. </div>
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Bake for 18 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookies are golden. Make sure to cool completely </div>
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Once the cookies are cooled, begin making the icing. Boil a cup of water.</div>
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In a heat proof bowl, put 4 Cups of Confectioners' Sugar and add 1/3 cup of water. When you're making the icing, you don't want to put too much water in to start, if it gets to thin, it will be difficult to thicken up. Add the water slowly and mix. You want the icing to be a thicker consistency, but something that you can still spread. </div>
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Spread the white icing on one half of the FLAT side of the cookie. This icing will drip a little, so be sure to put something below your cooling rack (I used the silicon pads again), or just be prepared to clean up the delicious mess.</div>
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Depending on how much icing you added to your cookies, you may need to add a little more of the Confectioners' Sugar and water.</div>
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Add a little more water to the pot you just boiled, and place the icing bowl on top. It will work as a makeshift double boiler for making the chocolate. Heat the icing, but be sure to keep stirring as you heat it. Add the Corn Syrup and the Unsweetened Chocolate (save the cocoa powder for a little). Once the chocolate has melted, look at the color, if it's more brown than black, add 1 TBS of the Cocoa and mix. If it still needs to be a little darker, add more.</div>
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Ice the other half of the cookies, this icing will be much thicker than the white side, so it shouldn't run.</div>
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Let them stand for 20 minutes (so the icing can set) and then enjoy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50mJIKCGKX2cRVjRB6n2Z8kiJ3S1Cl4UOYWZHAopuWBCDqm_67ogbFV-nTxiUnBW4h7ethcyR0eeMCNh1TtjqQbF4eUM0pZ9MNDEVw2MvRghWJbTYPYtYdCpbLDxIYvapQXkF6ROJJsOg/s1600/20140426_120440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50mJIKCGKX2cRVjRB6n2Z8kiJ3S1Cl4UOYWZHAopuWBCDqm_67ogbFV-nTxiUnBW4h7ethcyR0eeMCNh1TtjqQbF4eUM0pZ9MNDEVw2MvRghWJbTYPYtYdCpbLDxIYvapQXkF6ROJJsOg/s1600/20140426_120440.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-71974454664698845612014-03-20T14:18:00.001-05:002014-03-20T14:27:01.970-05:00The Peanut Butter Crazy Train<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I apologize for not posting as much. Since the new year, I've been on a eating healthy kick, and while eating healthy is really good for you, it doesn't exactly give you the exciting recipes to post about. I mean, would you rather read about foie gras or vegetable soup? Don't get me wrong, I love a good vegetable soup, but it's not nearly as crazy as making my own <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2013/03/yeah-i-made-cadbury-creme-eggs.html">Cadbury- Creme Eggs</a>.<br />
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With that being said, we have company in town this weekend. BOTH of our extra bedrooms are being used (HOLY COW!), and so I went a little crazy. Not only did I go out and buy new sheets (not that we didn't already have plenty of lovely sheets), but I also decided that I needed to make something for our guests.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGVe-GRGVbVwovBFtZouvRA527F7uMeJnhchX-81IDz4d0RYpANjmHVDp2VrhT9hZLBWNLOMe125QtscGaobu5Oh080Q8wc1ClnbCONwoiPGjMCIcUOR1FRFz90Ft4FTK6vWirnINk4bV/s1600/photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGVe-GRGVbVwovBFtZouvRA527F7uMeJnhchX-81IDz4d0RYpANjmHVDp2VrhT9hZLBWNLOMe125QtscGaobu5Oh080Q8wc1ClnbCONwoiPGjMCIcUOR1FRFz90Ft4FTK6vWirnINk4bV/s1600/photo+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
So I started with the Cadbury Eggs; I thought they would be a nice treat, something to pop on the go. But after I made them, there were only 12. Not that 12 isn't enough, but when I get on my crazy-train, I can't stop. So I figured if I was already tempering chocolate, I may as well keep going. And so I decided to make homemade peanut butter cups.<br />
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I must say, for a first attempt, I think they turned out really well. Moreover, they are so much easier than the Cadbury Eggs. Something that you could do in an hour or so and have something delicious and fun to show afterwards.<br />
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A few things I did, I used mini baking cups, they're the size of a small Reeses. I put the cups in take out containers, they're small enough that I can put 12 cups in there, and then pop them in the freezer. You can use a double boiler to melt the chocolate, or a fill a small pot with water and use a rounded bottom glass bowl.<br />
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Ingredients<br />
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20oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Go with Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger<br />
1 Cup of Natural Creamy Peanut Butter<br />
4 TBS Unsalted Butter, softened<br />
1/2 Cup Confectioner's Sugar<br />
Maldon Flake Salt<br />
Mini Baking Cups<br />
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Melt half of the chocolate. Once it starts to melt, remove it from the heat and stir it until it's smooth and shiny.<br />
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Using a small spoon, place a thin layer of chocolate at the bottom of each of your cups. I kept going until I didn't have any more chocolate left, which was about 30 cups. A note, after each layer, generally tap the tray on the table to level out the chocolate or peanut butter layer, so that they cool flat.<br />
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Place the cups in the freezer and begin working on the peanut butter filling.<br />
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In a bowl, combine peanut butter and butter and whip until the butter is fully combined. The slowly add the Confectioner's Sugar. Make sure that all of the sugar is incorporated.<br />
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Once the chocolate is frozen, take a small spoon and spoon in the peanut butter mixture onto the chocolate. You will have leftover peanut butter. I saved it for The Husband to put on his sandwich. Again, tap down to smooth out the layer.<br />
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Pop the cups in the freezer again. As they freeze, temper the last half of the chocolate.<br />
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As you spoon the chocolate onto the peanut butter, sprinkle some of the flake salt onto the top. Be sure to do so before it cools. And remember, tap again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqKGM4Hj_-orIpN3CUicUM-KQLDpnEaZ1LtatnqW6MUcCxTv64ymbKBnGyvi9l9fXp7LThEIVi1qefP0qHOLYX56Yh6ZFtsjNzVuiEjSvxIBsI595Ybk6NfbDBBw04CWQIuQfUb8Wb3OI/s1600/photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqKGM4Hj_-orIpN3CUicUM-KQLDpnEaZ1LtatnqW6MUcCxTv64ymbKBnGyvi9l9fXp7LThEIVi1qefP0qHOLYX56Yh6ZFtsjNzVuiEjSvxIBsI595Ybk6NfbDBBw04CWQIuQfUb8Wb3OI/s1600/photo+1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the delicious layers</td></tr>
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When all of cups are covered in chocolate, pop them back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.<br />
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From here, you can take them out and leave them at room temperature so that they're creamy, or do what I did, and leave them in the freezer. They're crisp and creamy and salty and sweet.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-44043430199778415102014-02-14T11:15:00.001-06:002014-02-14T11:16:55.696-06:00Two Tacos and a Mexican Coke! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMGqFNU204pG1Pa2KZeaDCqMqi0I2jwLTQA37hWMwetTWCi8r9ekFfCYXfReVt4_LyDfQyP8Mz6mRbuH80WZMeAge64M3jue5jLo0DY5u4QZxc64y3D63BNWWGAvoFmtvqdFriPdEEh-P/s1600/1044547_10100396614882404_1690860012_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMGqFNU204pG1Pa2KZeaDCqMqi0I2jwLTQA37hWMwetTWCi8r9ekFfCYXfReVt4_LyDfQyP8Mz6mRbuH80WZMeAge64M3jue5jLo0DY5u4QZxc64y3D63BNWWGAvoFmtvqdFriPdEEh-P/s1600/1044547_10100396614882404_1690860012_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy ordering tacos from our mudroom. She's obsessed with them</td></tr>
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As you have seen from my many recipes, I have a love of all Mexican Foods. Back in June (a lifetime ago!) The Husband and I had some friends over as a Good-Bye Dinner. I decided I was going to make tacos. As we have a few vegetarian friends, and I can't just make one dish, I decided as our final time hosting a meal in Chicago, I was going to go all out. Guacamole, Cojita cheese, Crema, Picked Cilantro, Warmed Corn Tortillas ect. The dinner was a total hit, and I've gone back to those recipes more than a few times here in Pittsburgh.<br />
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And of course, each time I do something more elaborate. Most recently I made two different salsas (Verde and a Roasted Tomato), pickled my own red onions and made "Big Star Sauce" which is essentially Crema mixed with Sriracha. Yes, it is as delicious as it sounds, and so easy, I don't even need to give you a recipe. </div>
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So I know you're chomping at the bit. What types of Tacos did I make? Why Papas (Potato) and a Coconut-Lime Pork. They require prep time for sure. But you can do pretty much all of it the night before. And I promise you, they're totally worth it. Even if you don't get as crazy as I do, which is most people, you'll be insanely happy with the results.</div>
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And of course, even if you're not going all out, head to your local bodega and grab a Mexican Coke. It tastes so good with your tacos!</div>
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<u>Papas</u></div>
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Ingredients: </div>
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4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced<br />
1/4 Cup Olive Oil<br />
2 Onions, halved and cut in 1/4-inch slices lengthwise<br />
2 Red Peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and julienned<br />
4 Poblano Peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and julienned<br />
1 Cup heavy cream<br />
3/4 Cup grated Mexican manchego or Monterey Jack cheese<br />
2/3 Cup grated Cotija cheese<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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This can be done the night before: Heat the oven to 400 degrees, roast the peppers until the skin blisters. Turn off the oven, leave the peppers in there to cool. Once cooled, peal the skin off. Cut and store for the evening. To cook the potatoes, fill a sauce pan with salted water and bring boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes, don't overcook, or they will crumble later. Drain, pat dry, and spread in a single layer on a tray to cool.<br />
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When you are ready to service, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions with salt and pepper until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in red bell peppers and poblanos. Pour in heavy cream, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until cream begins to thicken. Add grated cheeses and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just heated through. Remove from heat.</div>
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The mixture is going to look kind of like mac and cheese. It's going to taste about 1000% better</div>
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<u>Coconut-Lime Pork Tacos</u></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
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1 LB Ground Pork<br />
1 Onion, Chopped<br />
1 Garlic Clove, sliced thinly<br />
1 1/2 TSP Ground Cumin<br />
1 1/2 TSP Chili Powder<br />
1 TSP Oregano<br />
1 TSP Spanish Smoked Paprika<br />
Cayenne pepper, to taste<br />
2/3 Cups coconut milk, stirred<br />
2 TBS freshly squeezed lime juice,<br />
1 15 ounce can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed</div>
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Cayenne to taste<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
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In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and a large pinch of salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until they've softened, about five minutes. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pan, and add the cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne. Let sizzle in the pan until they’re toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. It's going to smell amazing, you'll know when they're done. Combine the spice with the garlic and onion until everything is evenly coated.</div>
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Add the pork to the pan and cook over medium high heat, being sure to break up all of the chunks of meat. Cook until is just barely cooked through and then remove any excess fat from the pan.</div>
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Finally, add the coconut milk and simmer for around five minutes. The mixture will thicken and turn a lighter color. Stir in the black beans and the lime juice and cook until the beans are warmed. Add salt and pepper to taste.</div>
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You want the pork to sit in the coconut-lime mixture for as long a possible, so serve in a bowl with a slotted spoon.</div>
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Warm some corn tortillas and enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-38067736450667081892014-01-13T16:21:00.001-06:002014-01-13T16:21:58.279-06:00So Much Delicious Chocolate <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3vtpa3FFsP9_yQ-aZfn1Or7BVnZb0Bw09a0Hek2oiEGB8rwU-zYfTcTO2RhwYUiUVrN7sh1ubk-rRJwRvjSD9ze1NicjV_0LdhXz9c9RkUO_W4EJf-TzQOLorFxhl9ezvbhGhbU31FBT/s1600/20131127_151227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3vtpa3FFsP9_yQ-aZfn1Or7BVnZb0Bw09a0Hek2oiEGB8rwU-zYfTcTO2RhwYUiUVrN7sh1ubk-rRJwRvjSD9ze1NicjV_0LdhXz9c9RkUO_W4EJf-TzQOLorFxhl9ezvbhGhbU31FBT/s320/20131127_151227.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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I should start this post with a disclaimer: All of the items I am speaking about in my post today were given to me by Hotel Chocolat.<br />
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I have a good friend from Business School, I've written about her before, she is the genius behind my <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/11/mac-attack.html">Buffalo Mac</a> posting. The Ex-Pat lives in Scotland and does Marketing for a fancy company, who works with Fancy Companies. One of those Fancy Companies just so happens to be <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.com/us/">Hotel Chocolat</a>. A bit back, she asked me if I would be interested in testing some of their products and then writing about them. Of course, being a lover of Fancy Companies AND Chocolate, I couldn't resist.<br />
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And so, right before Thanksgiving, I received a lovely package in the mail with the goodies I posted in the picture above. It took me a little time to figure out what to do with them, some The Husband and I just ate as is, others I created recipes around. <br />
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We started out with the <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.com/us/shop/collections/prices/chocolate-offers/chili-penguins">Chili Penguins</a>, as someone who loves both chocolate and spice, I thought the spice would be a perfect way to warm us up on a cold night, while still fulfilling a dark chocolate craving (70% dark!). The issue at times with spices inside chocolate is that the chocolate can get a little gritty. These penguins were smooth all the way through and they lived up to their product description "we've warmed them up with a smidge of chili for a gentle tingling warmth that grows. Just don't eat too many at once!" They are not for those with a spice sensitive palate. While the chocolate was really delicious, I thought the chili was a bit overpowering and took away from how fantastic the chocolate really is. However, with that being said, if you are a lover of Mexican Hot Chocolate, this is something up your ally for sure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm7s0_fvxKb5lUcI1jNkMstA75lwb5TNXoKmuLk2sMimcofOTJlykLFyVA0xWVrnku0ade0UODPBAb5CoIgJyXM_ZDmIvbsyPvCqbNYPyLVZJcuHn-LIW6An4V3TtfyH8v9C1qwYLesI5/s1600/20140113_155117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTm7s0_fvxKb5lUcI1jNkMstA75lwb5TNXoKmuLk2sMimcofOTJlykLFyVA0xWVrnku0ade0UODPBAb5CoIgJyXM_ZDmIvbsyPvCqbNYPyLVZJcuHn-LIW6An4V3TtfyH8v9C1qwYLesI5/s320/20140113_155117.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br /><br />From there, we moved onto the Santa Slab. It is literally what it sounds like, a slab of chocolate. Sadly, it's no longer on their website since it was a seasonal item, however they do have at least 30 or so more <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.com/us/shop/collections/products/luxury-chocolate">slabs</a> in a variety of flavors. The Santa Slab was a mix of Milk Chocolate, Salted Caramel and White Chocolate Garnishes. This.Was.AMAZING. The Husband and I tried to savoir it as long as possible. I think we kept it around for two or three days after opening it. Hotel Chocolat has make an art of creating melt in your mouth, creamy chocolate. And the Salted Caramel was a perfect addition. It took every bit of self control to not go online and order more of them. As a matter of fact, as I'm writing this post, I've already noted three of the larger slabs I'd like to purchase...damn it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHVpf8MEe4xVoocVdBnB99Aer496a5ZbH5FJFQdXcxBmMqQnVckVs9EfPGG4DdS7sFruG9D6RarUswXUK6Ic4EuZ5BQz2Gv3VJ7UePmuBwvjb4WAInVAeN_VdIaHW-ROkOmkejQ8nnLJA/s1600/20131203_210750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHVpf8MEe4xVoocVdBnB99Aer496a5ZbH5FJFQdXcxBmMqQnVckVs9EfPGG4DdS7sFruG9D6RarUswXUK6Ic4EuZ5BQz2Gv3VJ7UePmuBwvjb4WAInVAeN_VdIaHW-ROkOmkejQ8nnLJA/s320/20131203_210750.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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From there we used the <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.com/us/shop/collections/products/cooking-chocolate/cocoa-balsamic-vinegar">Cocoa Balsamic Vinegar</a>. Initially, I was a little wary, balsamic typically goes one of two ways, either it's too acidic or overly sweet, I was wondering what would happen with the addition of cocoa nib, I thought it would lean towards to sweet. But it turned out really great. Honestly, it tastes like a really lovely, well aged balsamic. The cocoa nibs come out while you pour, they've been broken down a fair amount by the vinegar, so they're very soft and add a nice texture to whatever you're putting it on. In order to taste is alone, The Husband and I each took a teaspoon full, and it was really great just like that. I wouldn't recommend running around drinking straight balsamic vinegar, but if you had to, this is the one. Obviously it goes wonderfully on salads. I put a little on our Christmas Eve Burrata, Heirloom Tomato and Basil Crostini's, and it added a great pop of flavor.</div>
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The final item in my box, was the <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.com/us/shop/collections/products/cooking-chocolate/caramel-chocolate-spread">Salted Caramel and Pecan Spread</a>. It's very nutty, the pecan is really at the forefront of this spread, and I wanted to try something that would bring that flavor out, without having it overpower the dish. The spread is very thick, it's almost like butter in texture. White I was trying to figure out what to do,The Husband couldn't wait and ended up putting it on a few sugar cookies and munched away. He treated it like Nutella. Which gave me my idea!</div>
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I decided to make a Salted Caramel and Pecan Brioche Bread Pudding for Christmas. I took my base from one of our favorite San Francisco Restaurants, <a href="http://blog.junbelen.com/2010/06/25/how-to-make-the-best-brioche-bread-pudding-tartine-recipe/">Bar Tartine</a> and from there, I played around a little.</div>
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After drying out the brioche, I covered every single piece of brioche (top and bottom) with the spread. It turned out pretty fantastically, if I do say so myself. You could taste both the Salted Caramel and the Pecan, without having either be too overpowering, and because I covered the bread with the spread while it was still warm, before I put the custard in, it really got deep into the brioche. </div>
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We had so much bread pudding left over, I froze it. The Husband took it out last night (three weeks after Christmas) popped it into the microwave and ate it. It tasted just as good as the day it was made.</div>
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What I can say about the Hotel Chocolat items we received; while some of them were 100% up our ally, everything we had was really delicious in it's own right. And the items that were up our ally, were fantastic. I'm not typically a buyer of Chocolate (other than for baking, and they have <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.com/us/shop/collections/products/cooking-chocolate/milk-chocolate-chips">Milk Chocolate Drops</a> that I'm going to try in my cookies), but there is no doubt that I will return and buy more items from their site for baking or just gifts in general. If you are a chocolate lover, <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.com/us/">this</a> is where you should get everything from now on. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTaRyc5gdymxH-aYmv7I8XClYHQA08lKbO55XAHG4pBPMgbAeVLSJ1Sdw4cUx9ojhzD79lt9CWP7O9EAE9CeybPDylrA50kVrXWyNM-VIvzZ5B57NPBHPWJZjf1iZYnMQsh8jEgZTnZyd/s1600/20131224_174507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTaRyc5gdymxH-aYmv7I8XClYHQA08lKbO55XAHG4pBPMgbAeVLSJ1Sdw4cUx9ojhzD79lt9CWP7O9EAE9CeybPDylrA50kVrXWyNM-VIvzZ5B57NPBHPWJZjf1iZYnMQsh8jEgZTnZyd/s320/20131224_174507.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6 brioche slices, cut 1-inch thick (I cut a loaf into 6 slices, it was a little more than 1 inch each)<br />8 large eggs<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />4 cups whole milk<br />1-1/2 tsp vanilla<br />1/2 tsp salt</span><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel and Pecan Spread</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Grease an 8x8 or 9x5 or a 12x7 glass or ceramic pan. You want to bread to fit snugly in the pan. It can be double layered, or single layered. Just as long as it fits well, but still allows for some room for the custard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cut your Brioche into 6 or so slices, keep the crust on. Some recipes will tell you to remove, I never have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Place the bread into the oven for 10 minutes, or until crisp, but NOT browned. You want to dry the bread out so it will take in the custard better, but you don't want it all toasty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While your bread is drying, in a bowl beat the eggs, then add the sugar. Blend until completely smooth. Once the egg sugar mixture is completely incorporated, add the milk, vanilla and salt. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Tartine recipe calls for putting the custard through a </span>sieve, I didn't do that.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once the bread is toasted, figure out how it will best fit in your pan. This may mean you have to cut your pieces into smaller pieces. I ended up cutting each of mine in half. I also decided to use a single layer of Brioche, where the Tartine Recipe used a double layer. Again, it's your choice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you have your bread </span>configured, take your Hotel Chocolat Salted Caramel and Pecan Spread, and cover each piece, liberally with the spread. Don't skimp out, the more spread you put on, the more flavor you're going to get.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your hands may get a little messy, because the spread will start to melt a little. That's okay! When you're finished covering all of the pieces, I highly recommend licking your fingers before washing them off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once every piece is covered, slowly pour the custard mix evenly onto the bread and fill to the top of the pan. You may have some leftover mix. Wait a few minutes, the bread will take some time to soak it all in, and then top the pan off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you've totally saturated your bread with the custard, cover the pan with foil and pop it into the oven for an hour. The Bread Pudding is going to rise, really high (see the picture above!). When you take it out of the oven, remove the foil so that the condensation doesn't go back into the bread pudding. It will probably fall a little and not look nearly as puffy. That is okay! I assure you, it's going to taste, AH-MAZE-ING.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When you serve, you can serve along side some home made whipped cream, and a </span>dollop of the Salted Caramel and Pecan Spread.</div>
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If you have a ton of leftovers, put them in an airtight container and freeze until you're ready to serve again. Just pop the container into the microwave for 2 minutes and it's like it's fresh out of the oven!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-90363375764048348962014-01-03T16:58:00.000-06:002014-01-03T16:58:35.982-06:00A Little More Thomas Keller in the Kitchen <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few weeks ago The Husband sent me a link for Buzzfeed's <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/roast-chicken-rules">Roast Chicken</a> Tournament. They started with eight Roast Chicken recipes, and as with all Tourneys, there can only be one winner. In this case, it was Thomas Keller. To make it easy for everyone, they gif'ed snip-it's of him <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLt6G85zC4">trussing</a> the chicken.<br />
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I'm always looking for new recipes, and this one looked delicious and amazingly simple. The key, is a roasting pan and rack. Oddly enough, for all of the kitchen gadgets I do have, a roasting pan/rack was never one of them. We've never had enough people for Thanksgiving over to warrant more than a few Cornish Game Hens, and none of my other recipes made it abundantly clear that I needed one. But if I wanted crispy, delicious chicken, I was going to have to get one.<br />
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I went to Target and picked up a lovely Farberware one for $15. And some twine for trussing. Since that was new to me too.<br />
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The recipe is INANELY easy. It's only three ingredients! The hardest part is remembering to take the chicken out early so it gets to room temperature. If it's not at room temp when it goes into the oven, it's going to get condensation and make the chicken less juicy. And less crispy on the outside.<br />
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The Husband and I loved it. It was so delicious, and by far the best roasted chicken I've ever made. We pulled off the remaining meat and made an awesome chicken salad for lunch the next day and I took the bones and made a stock for <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGyJq8JWw5g">Sean Brock's Mom's</a> Chicken and Dumplings (recipe forthcoming). Which was the best stock I've ever made.<br />
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So the moral of this whole post is, this chicken is so good, you can enjoy it fresh out of the oven, cold, and even the dregs are fantastic. <br />
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I put my stock recipe below.<br />
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Ingredients for Roast Chicken:<br />
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1 Whole Chicken<br />
Salt<br />
Pepper<br />
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Remember to let the chicken come to room temperature before putting it in the oven. Take it out a few hours before.<br />
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Do NOT wash your chicken. Washing the chicken get germs everywhere and only makes the chicken wet. It's really a useless activity. Besides, if you're cooking your chicken properly, all germs are going to be killed in the process.<br />
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When you're ready to cook it, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. And take a paper towel and make sure that your chicken is dry, on the outside and the inside. If the chicken is dry before it goes into the oven, there will be less condensation, which means less moisture is lost in the roasting process. Also, it really does help make the skin crispy.<br />
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Once it's dry, coat your chicken inside and outside <u>generously</u> with Salt and Pepper.<br />
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Now comes the trussing fun. If you'd like to see someone do it step by step, watch the Buzzfeed Gif's <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/roast-chicken-rules">here</a>. It sounds complicated, it really isn't. I did it in one try. It doesn't have to be perfect, the key is just make sure that the wings and the legs are tight against the bird. Trust me, it doesn't matter if the trussing looks like a hot mess, as long as it's tight.<br />
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For the rest of you. Cut 24 inches of twine and lay your chicken, breast side up, on a cutting board with the neck facing you (legs away from you). Tuck the wings under the birds armpits.<br />
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Put the center of the twine under the tail, cross the ends and then loop back under the legs. It's going to look kind of like a figure 8 with a line below it. You want to pull the string together, so the legs are tight.<br />
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When the legs are tight, flip the chicken over and bring the twine up on the sides of the bird, making sure that the tucked wings are tight against the body.<br />
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Pull the twine tight, so that everything is snug and close and tie two knots at the neck.<br />
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Throw a little more salt and pepper on the outside of your bird, You want to feel the graininess of the seasoning when you rub your hands over it.<br />
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Put the chicken breast side up (this is important) in your rack. And put it in the oven 50-60 minutes. Don't touch it. Don't flip it, don't baste it, just leave it alone. Go have a drink, watch some TV, work out. Ignore the bird in your oven.<br />
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When a thermometer reads 165, it's done. Take it out and let it sit for 15 minutes before removing the twine and cutting into it.<br />
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Ingredients for Chicken Stock:<br />
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Leftover chicken carcass, bones, cartilage, skin, fat, whatever you have, toss it in there.<br />
1 Onion, Chopped<br />
2 Sprigs of Rosemary<br />
5 Sprigs of Thyme<br />
1 Sprig of Sage<br />
2 TSP Salt<br />
Water<br />
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Put all ingredients in a stock pot. Add water until the chicken is covered. Put on medium-low heat and cook until liquid reduces and turns a lovely light yellow. About 1.5 to 2 hours.<br />
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Strain everything from the stock, place in container and put in freezer or refrigerator until needed.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-29298009477371670582013-12-19T09:28:00.000-06:002013-12-19T09:29:45.074-06:00A Spicy Broccolini Fettuccine, eh! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been trying to make less pasta recently; I realized that we have a whole lot of it. It's such an easy fall back, and really it's comfort food. I say that, with the follow up of, but I found this great new recipe and The Husband and I both love it.<br />
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I was on the hunt for some new soup recipes and I came across a Food and Wine recipe for a Spicy Broccoli Rabe pasta. Of course I went to the store and could not for the life of me find any broccoli rabe. So I did what I do best, and improvised. I picked up some broccolini and made adjustments. My final dish wasn't really much like the original recipe, other than a few basic ingredients. But it turned out really spectacularly. To the point where The Husband requested it again, soon. It's really easy and just involves a lot of chopping more than anything else. </div>
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And you can make it as spicy or as mild as you'd like. The key ingredient, Harissa! I went to the store and picked up a good jar of pre-made stuff (if you're getting it pre-made, make sure it's good). It just made my life a lot easier, you can be awesome and make it yourself. </div>
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This takes probably 30 minutes total but it tastes like you've spend forever. And the house smells really good.</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced</div>
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1 Jalapeno, seeded and cut thin</div>
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2 large bunches of Broccolini </div>
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1LB Fettuccine </div>
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3 TBS Olive Oil</div>
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2 TBS Harissa (I went spicy, you can go mild)</div>
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2 Cups Fresh Parmiganio Reggiano, Grated</div>
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1/2 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Chopped</div>
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1/4 Cup Fresh Mint Leaves, Finely Chopped</div>
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1 Cup Reserved Pasta Water</div>
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put a pot of water on to boil the pasta in.</div>
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While you're waiting, chop the garlic, mint and parsley. The mint and parsley can be kept together, but keep the garlic separate.</div>
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On a lined sheet, place the broccolini and pour 2 TBS of the olive oil on top to coat. Add some salt. Place the broccolini in the oven and bake until tender, around 15 minutes.</div>
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In the mean time, add the pasta to the boiling water. Once this is done, place the remaining olive oil along with the garlic, harissa and jalapeno into a large saute pan and cook on medium heat. You want the garlic and jalapeno to soften. This should take around 5 minutes, make sure to stir.</div>
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When the broccolini is finished, place it in the sautee pan and coat with the harissa mixture.</div>
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Before dumping out the pasta, save one cup of the pasta water. Strain the pasta and add into the saute pan with the harissa and broccolini. If your saute pan isn't big enough, you can place everything into the pasta pot. </div>
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Add the pasta water, the parsley and mint and mix thoroughly. Then slowly begin to add the cheese in. Mix until fully incorporated.</div>
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The pasta is going to be a little spicy, a little fresh and a little cheesy.</div>
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Serve with cheese on top.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-73620296265486958152013-12-17T15:36:00.001-06:002013-12-17T15:36:55.920-06:00Sugar High<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Husband and I are staying in PGH for Christmas. He has to work in the Cardio-Thorasic ICU and our families have too many moving parts to be able to get out to us. So, since we weren't celebrating with family and we were in a totally new place, I decided that I was going to make this the most Christmasy-Christmas yet.<br />
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Living in a one bedroom loft in Chicago, we didn't have space for a Christmas Tree. However, now that we live in a house, we do. So while The Husband was working one of his many, many, many long days, I went out and picked us a tree. Our car isn't the most reliable, so he requested no farms out in the country since he worried that the combination of the tree of top of the car and the mountains in this weather wouldn't be the safest for me. Begrudgingly, I agreed. And as it turns out, I got lucky and while I went to a place in the city, it did snow a fair amount while I was picking the tree. So that made up for the lack of farms and hot chocolate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBDcLFPPEI_whC7h1oo0UMKscK929smHV4AR0ndbImthlWEbbPst6gi-6X8Is8UqPvQ5UiCkVVrmSR0PVmBclYuYftr-HwDpPjCIemTgRFoBI1jup0wa0yemS6a7w3baTiXUbQOpfsQaX/s1600/tree+and+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivBDcLFPPEI_whC7h1oo0UMKscK929smHV4AR0ndbImthlWEbbPst6gi-6X8Is8UqPvQ5UiCkVVrmSR0PVmBclYuYftr-HwDpPjCIemTgRFoBI1jup0wa0yemS6a7w3baTiXUbQOpfsQaX/s320/tree+and+car.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We decorated the tree, we put stocking up over the fireplace. I put a wreath in front of our house (another first). And while the decorations and lights and delicious smell of a live tree is intoxicating, I decided it wasn't enough. we needed Christmas cookies. Growing up, The Mom wasn't really a baker until I got into high school, and then she made pastry chef level things like dacquoise avec chocolate ganache and tiramisu with home-made lady fingers. The Big-G (my grandma) had always been a big baker. Every holiday season she would spend days baking Chocolate Chip cookies, Oatmeal cookies and Peanut Butter cookies and then put them in this HUGE white bowl and decorate the bowl with Christmas Candy. It was magical.<br />
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She is really the one who got me into cooking and baking. Even now when I speak with her she asks me what I'm making and then tells me "AL! You're making like a mad chemist!" And it's really true. I got my whole, "I don't follow recipes and make everything by the seat of my pants" from her.<br />
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The one thing that we never did was make Sugar Cookies. So, I decided this year that it was time to make some and try my hand at possibly decorating them. I can tell you that at this moment, they have not been decorated. BUT honestly, they taste really good and I worry that putting frosting on them, may ruin the delicate flavor. I should add that I'm not the biggest lover of frosting on cookies.<br />
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I am going to try frosting them over the next few evenings and I will let you know how it goes. But in the mean time, I thought I'd share the recipe. The cookies are lovely, they're not overly buttery (also not a fan of butter) and they're just the right level of chewy. I'm also not a fan of cookies that have a snap to them. I feel like they should melt in your mouth, not cause you to see a dentist. The Husband seems to enjoy them as they are. And they smell fantastic.<br />
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There are two keys to this recipe. First, letting the dough cool. We have a mudroom that doesn't have heat, I covered the bowl and placed the dough out there for a few hours. Normal people would probably put it in the refrigerator. I never said I was normal. <br />
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The second key is the dusting. The dough is going to be sticky when you roll it out. Instead of using flour, keep dusting your work surface with sugar. I went through two additional cups of sugar while making these, but it makes the world of difference.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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1 Stick of Unsalted Sweet Cream Butter, Softened<br />
2 Cups White Sugar (and 2 more for dusting)<br />
4 Eggs<br />
1 TSP Vanilla<br />
5 Cups Flour<br />
2 TSP Baking Powder<br />
1 TSP Salt<br />
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In a mixer (or large bowl) cream butter and sugar until it's smooth. Slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy, about 3 minutes.<br />
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Slowly stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Cool dough for at least one hour or overnight.<br />
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When you're ready to bake, put the oven to 400 degrees.<br />
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Roll out the dough on a smooth, clean, flat surface. I used a Silpat mat, it's thin and made of silicon, so things have a harder time sticking to it. Remember to cover your work surface in sugar. As you roll out the dough, keep checking to see if it's sticking to your surface, if it starts to, add more sugar.<br />
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Roll your dough out to about 1/4 to 1/2 in thick, depending on how thick you like your cookies. And cut the shapes. Roll the scraps in sugar and start the process over again.<br />
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Place your cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. On a personal note, I always bake cookies on a pizza stone, I like how evenly it bakes the cookies. Also, they help season the stone. Place in the oven <br />
and bake for 9 minutes.<br />
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Remove and place on cooling rack. When you get around to it, ice!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEy2Z4sWEaFcfUbvFe3Fq9oQeGo49i0DHXbkhkuZMEU5BK7p1rRN-Lbs0N_os_jTIuayqPQChG9pIIeaqtho6Lq2H_DJC1FpVq3dRL2vinmK9sAEixoZkH4BZo8SY1bkSyUxLDN1r459B/s1600/20131217_162635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEy2Z4sWEaFcfUbvFe3Fq9oQeGo49i0DHXbkhkuZMEU5BK7p1rRN-Lbs0N_os_jTIuayqPQChG9pIIeaqtho6Lq2H_DJC1FpVq3dRL2vinmK9sAEixoZkH4BZo8SY1bkSyUxLDN1r459B/s320/20131217_162635.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They may not be iced, but they smell and taste heavenly</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-64837476676600988642013-12-02T15:02:00.003-06:002013-12-02T15:03:10.548-06:00Naughty and Nice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am terrible. I realized that it's been nearly two months since my last post. It's not for lack of food stuffs, we had a fantastic trip to Chicago, another trip to New Orleans and I've been baking and cooking up a storm. I have about 5 posts started, but haven't been able to find time to finish them.<br />
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However, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would post a recipe that I just made for an Apple Cake covered in Salted Caramel. I made it for Thanksgiving and our guests couldn't get enough. You can add raisins, walnuts, dried cranberries, you can top with with caramel sauce or powdered sugar or leave it plain. We served it alongside Tiahetian Vanilla Bean gelato, and covered it with some additional Salted Caramel because, why not?!<br />
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And as a side note, this cake is kosher. I found the cake recipe on <a href="http://food52.com/blog/4999-teddie-s-apple-cake?from_related=1&related_src_type=post">Food 52</a> and made a few modifications.<br />
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<b>Apple Cake Ingredients:</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">3 cups Flour, I used Cake Flour, you can use all-</span><span style="line-height: 20px;">purpose</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2 cups Sugar</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 Eggs</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 TSP Salt</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 TSP Cinnamon</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 TSP Baking Soda</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 TSP Vanilla</span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 Apples (I used Granny Smith, you can use anything on the tarter side) peeled, cored, quartered and cut into thick pieces</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Salted Caramel Ingredients:</b></span></span><br />
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1 cup Sugar<br />6 TBS Butter, cut up into 6 pieces<br />1/2 Cup Heavy Cream<br />1 TSP Kosher Salt (it has a thicker grain than regular idolized salt)</span><br />
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Make the Salted Caramel first, since it needs to cool off before you use it. Also, be careful as you're making the caramel, it's really hot and can splatter while you're making it. My right hand learned that the hard way.<br />
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Heat the sugar in a medium sauce pan, over medium heat. You will need to stir it constantly with a rubber spatula. It's going to take about three or four minutes of stirring, but the sugar will begin to form clumps and will eventually melt and turn into a thick brown colored liquid. Keep stirring and be sure not to burn yourself.<br />
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When the sugar is melted, add the butter. But be careful, as the mixture can start to sputter. Stir until the butter is completely melted. The mixture will start to look like caramel.<br />
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Then, slowly, drizzle in the cream. Make sure that you keep stirring.<br />
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Once all of the cream is added, let the mixture boil for one minute and then remove from the heat. Add the salt and let it cool before using.<br />
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To make the Apple Cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can use any type of cake pan, I used a bundt cake, you can use an angel food cake or even a regular cake pan. I liked the bundt cake pan because the caramel sauce pours nicely over it and it looked pretty on my footed cake platter.<br />
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In a mixing bowl, with the paddle attachment, beat the oil and sugar together for around five minutes.<br />
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Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is creamy.<br />
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In a separate bowl, combine flower, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Slowly stir the mixture into the batter. When fully incorporated, add the vanilla and the apples.<br />
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Turn the mixer on a low setting and combine. Don't worry about the apples getting broken up, it's part of the process!<br />
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Transfer the batter into the cake pan and bake for 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.<br />
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Remove from the oven and let it cool before removing the cake from the pan. This is really hard for me, I'm notorious for trying to take the cake out too soon. But trust me, it's worth the wait.<br />
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When the cake is cooled and you're ready to glaze, place the cake on a cooling rake and put wax paper below the rack.<br />
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Drizzle the salted caramel over the apple cake. When the caramel has stopped dripping (about five minutes after you finished pouring it over the cake). Remove and place on whatever serving platter you're using.<br />
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Serve with ice cream and drizzle that leftover caramel!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-35894685123275353482013-10-16T17:07:00.001-05:002013-10-16T17:11:47.319-05:00Check Out These Mussels!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5Jro5oKQGfT7dbx1eGLTalpw_ANX4U1XA-Ls3L2_tFEopYxDR15gczRervRPGVTMC9ulJ7JYlMO9k5InnRTYKWuuZDdH2njDsWXNnL-o5PaD3mMWTEqoJ2nhA6-O1LCBevi0ZxeU4sPG/s1600/mussels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5Jro5oKQGfT7dbx1eGLTalpw_ANX4U1XA-Ls3L2_tFEopYxDR15gczRervRPGVTMC9ulJ7JYlMO9k5InnRTYKWuuZDdH2njDsWXNnL-o5PaD3mMWTEqoJ2nhA6-O1LCBevi0ZxeU4sPG/s320/mussels.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My First Attempt!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, growing up, I dislike seafood. As a matter of fact, I hated it. It drove The Parents insane. They couldn't understand it. Which says something, since each of my siblings and I have issues with what many people would consider "normal" foods. I LOATHE ham, as in the stuff you eat on Christmas, with the spiral and the cherries and the pineapple...not the expensive stuff like prosciutto, which drives The Husband insane (obviously) and smoked turkey. I hate smoked turkey so much that if I get a sandwich and it's on there, I'll pull off all of the turkey and eat the bread and the toppings. It's disgusting to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My middle sister, The Lawyer, hates tomatoes and sausage. My youngest sister, The Dental Student hates beans and sausage and had a phase growing up where she put yellow mustard on everything. And I mean everything (corn, green beans, salads) and my brother The Beer Geek had a phase where no one was allowed to touch his food. If it happened, he would pitch a fit and wouldn't eat it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So it has to say something when The Parents were flabbergasted at my hatred of seafood. What makes matters even more interesting (and understandably confusing) was that at the ripe old age of 11, I realized I LOVED raw clams and oysters. I thought, and still do, that they were the closest thing to ambrosia we humans had and would slurp them up like a champ. However, if you cooked them, I'd refuse to eat them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Parent's love seafood. Over Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, we'd go to a friends lake house with a bushel of crabs and just eat that for 3 straight days. On Christmas Eve, we had the traditional Italian dinner of Seven Fish. The Parents would get lobster and make Shrimp Cocktails and Shrimp Fra Diablo. We ate salmon and swordfish and shark (I did enjoy the shark and the swordfish as well...another conundrum). If The Parents were serving fish, I would make my own dinners or eat everything but the fish, I was that adamant about not eating it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So when I came back for Thanksgiving my freshman year of college and told The Parent's, I'd like some shrimp, they fell over. I had refused it for so long, they didn't know what to do. And thus began my love affair with seafood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, for some reason, I held out on mussels. I'm not totally sure why, in retrospect, it makes no sense...but as The Husband can attest, many of the things I do don't always make the most sense. But once I decided to give them a try, the damn was broken. If The Husband and I were out for dinner and there was mussels on the menu, there was a very good chance that I'd order them. The yummy broths, the crunchy bread, the delightful little morsels of shellfish, it was a win-win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So this past August I decided I was going to try my hand at mussels, and it went well! And then I was a friends house and she and her husband made them, and they were delicious, so so good. So the second time I made them, I took some of the ingredients they used, took some ingredients I like, and boom! You have the delicious and REALLY simple recipe below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I cut and toasted a baguette in the oven (since you should be dipping something in that divine sauce). The friends who's recipe I combined with one I found in <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mussels-with-white-beans-and-chorizo?xid=DAILY072513MusselsWithWhite">Food and Wine</a> and a <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/337640/mussels-in-white-wine-and-garlic">Martha Stewart </a> recipe, made home-made Pomme Frites. They're more adventurous than I am. And honestly, I'd probably burn large parts of myself with the oil. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For the sausage, the first time I used A</span>ndouille<span style="font-family: inherit;"> the second time Chorizo. It just depends on the flavor you're looking for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 TBS Olive Oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 Shallots finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 Cloves of Garlic finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1lb Fresh Chorizo, removed from the casing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">15 Cherry Tomatoes cut in half</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 15 oz Can of Cannellini Beans, drained</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2lb Mussels, debearded</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 12oz bottle of lighter beer, I used Bells Oberon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Are you ready, cause this is really, really challenging.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">In a large, deep skillet, combine the olive oil with the garlic, shallots and chorizo and cook over medium-high heat, breaking the Chorizo up. Take the San Marzano Tomatoes and crush them, I </span>crush them with my hands, you can cut chop them up if you'd like, toss the all but 1/4 cup of the juice.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the Chorizo is cooked, add the San Marzano Tomatoes, the juice, cherry tomatoes and crushed red pepper, season with salt and black pepper and cook until Tomatoes are warmed, about 3-5 minutes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Add the Cannellini beans, Mussels and Beer, cover and cook over high heat until the mussel shells open, about 3 minutes; discard any mussels that don’t open.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Transfer to a bowl and serve</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-35750613525911207942013-10-07T17:31:00.002-05:002013-10-08T09:08:46.757-05:00A Cure For our Wednesday Evening.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Guys, I have been TERRIBLE. And I'm so sorry. The month of September was a bit of a mad house. I was gone 15 of the 30 days for either work of personal travel. And when I was home, I was working like a maniac. BUT I have tons of great recipes that I've been working on and food that I've been eating.<br />
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The Husband had his first of two vacations this past week and we made it a point to go play in our new city. And boy, did we play.<br />
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On Wednesday evening we went to Cure, a restaurant in our new neighborhood that has been getting rave reviews since it opened in 2011. The Chef/Owner Justin Severino was in a New York Times piece about reviving the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/08/dining/replanting-the-rust-belt.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">Rust Belt</a>, Bon Appetit nominated him for one of the 50 Best New Restaurant in 2012 and he won the Pittsburgh Magazine's 2013 Star Chef award. And from eating at his restaurant, he deserves it.<br />
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The restaurant is small, it only seats about 44 or so people at a time on the floor, with an additional four seats up by the kitchen. The menu changes regularly, depending on what meats and vegetables they are able to locally source and the charcuterie is no joke. Everything but the bread is made in house and everything was awesome.<br />
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Over the summer it went from a BYO to a full service bar. The cocktails were really well mixed, I stayed on the more refreshing side of things, having two different gin based drinks with lemon. The Husband stuck with brown drinks and was happy. I must say, the Bartender was lovely! He was enthusiastic about explaining what we ordered and gave some great direction. We were really impressed.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We started the evening with their small charcuterie platter that came with <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">pate campagnola, a rustic and coursely chopped pate, a lardo that was buttery and to die for, a lovely finocchiona (fennel salumi) and, a pepper salumi that was salty and had a little kick. The plate also had some fresh made giardineria, some house pickles and house made mustard that was so fantastic that we kept eating it when there was nothing left to put it on. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20px;">From there we moved onto the </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Porchetta Tonnato with Pickled Green Apples, Fennel Pollen and 30 year Balsamic. Porchetta is</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> a fatty </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">boneless</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> pork roast that is salted and covered in garlic, rosemary, fennel and other wild herbs. I know, it sounds delightful and mixed with the tart Pickled Apples and the sweet balsamic, it was perfect.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">We also had a </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">spinach</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> gnocchi with ragu of pistachio, scallions and a huge piece of smoked </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">mozzarella</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> in the center of the plate. The gnocchi was light and fluffy and the sauce it was covered in was amazing and the smoked </span></span><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">mozzarella</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"> was perfect. It was a light smoke, so you got some of the flavors, but it didn't overpower the dish at all, it really enhanced the sauce, The Husband and I were licking the plate clean as we were eating it.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;">From there we had our entrees, The Husband had the </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Charcrout. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Charcrout originates from the Alsace region of France, and it's a comfort food made from sauerkraut, sausage and potatoes. At Cure, the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Charcrout was a HUGE bowl filled <span style="font-family: inherit;">with </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">pork belly confit, apple braised pork cheek, smoked sausage, sauerkraut, sapetzle, maple- coffee mustard, gruyere, rye. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">The rye was actually toasted and made into rye breadcrumbs, which was placed on the side of the bowl and acted like bread for the meat. The pork belly was done perfectly, it was tender and very flavorful, the house made sausage was flavorfull. All and all, the dish was really well put together and tasted wonderful.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">However, I won for best dish of the night. Hands down, and The Husband will agree. I ordered the Meyer Ranch Hanger Steak, which was a deconstructed Steak Au Poivre. The dish came out, and it had different </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">sauces</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> throughout, our waitress told us that the idea was to mix and match the sauces, but that when eaten together, it tasted like an Au Poivre. The dish came out with </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">caramelized</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> cipollini onions, fresh goat cheese, a basil sauce, a </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">Bearnaise</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">, and another pureed sauce (that sadly I can't recall) but was really perfect</span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">. The</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> hanger steak, which was covered in peppercorn, was </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">fantastic</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> it had the texture of a Strip Steak. It was amazing. The Husband kept taking bites of mine.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">As we were extremely full from our dinner, we skipped dessert.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Overall, we had a fantastic time. My one complaint, the noise level. As I said before, the </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">restaurant</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> is on the smaller side and they play the music pretty loud in there. Between that and the number of people in the restaurant, The Husband and I had a hard time hearing one another. Which says something, since we both are pretty loud. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">But if the one thing I can complain about is that the restaurant was too loud, then so be it. We're planning on going back soon, they do month Hog Butchering Dinners, so I not only learn how to break down a pig, but I get to drink while learning and then eat it after? Count us in!</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19.1875px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-36632988995629158262013-08-21T16:24:00.000-05:002013-08-21T16:26:18.229-05:00Spicy and Smokey Mac<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So as you can tell from previous posts (<a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/11/mac-attack.html">Mac Attack!</a>) , The Husband has a thing for Mac and Cheese. And as this past week has been rather challenging for him, he took his Internal Medicine Boards (he has spent all of his free time since starting Fellowship studying) and is on call for the fourth weekend in a row. So, when I came across <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/06/andouille-jalapeno-habanero-recipe.html">this</a> recipe I thought "Self, you should do it for The Husband!".<br />
<br />
It also helped that there was some Habanero up in here; and we all know how much I love me some spice. When I told The Husband about it, he was a little worried at first, but I assured him that it would all work out well and that he would not have a five alarm fire in his mouth.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
For those of you who have no spice tolerance, this is not the recipe for you. However, for those of you who delve into "Medium" salsa's and don't sweat, this is a perfect recipe. The habaneros are seeded and cooked alongside jalapenos and onions until they're really soft and sweet. The creaminess of the cheeses really do a great job of balancing the spice and of course the smokey andouille is a perfect protein addition.<br />
<br />
I changed some things, removed some things but in general, the recipe doesn't take all that long to make. You can put it in ramekins and serve individually, or do what I did and put it in a large pan; that makes it a lot easier to put in to-go containers. The Husband ate it for lunch the next two days and was a happy happy man. I'd like to say it made up for the crappy board exams, but let's be honest, nothing can make up for that. It did, however, totally make his night.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
1 Medium Onion, minced<br />
1 Jalapeños, minced<br />
1 Habanero, seeded and minced<br />
2 Cloves Garlic, minced<br />
1 LB Pasta Cooked (I prefer the bigger pasta's like Cellini or Campanelle)<br />
4 Andouille Sausage links, grilled and finely chopped<br />
8 OZ Cold-pack Cheddar Pub Cheese (this was in the deli section of my grocery store)<br />
2 Cup Shredded Sharp cheddar<br />
1 Cup Milk<br />
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs<br />
<br />
<div>
Preheat your over to 400. Try to time it so that your pasta is finished around the time your pepper/onion mixture is done. The hot pasta will make stirring the cheeses in a lot easier. And remember when you're cutting the peppers, try not to touch them. If you have gloves, use those, if not then please avoid the inside of the habanero. Your eyes will thank me for it later.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a saute pan with olive oil, add onions, jalapenos and habanero and cook until very soft. This should take 15 minutes. You will be able to tell because the mixture will become very fragrant and the onions will become very sweet. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional five minutes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When the onion/pepper mixture is done, remove it from the pot and add it to the cut sausage; mix thoroughly. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While your pasta is still hot, add milk and the Cold-Packed Cheddar and stir until the Cheddar is melted. Then add one Cup of Shredded Cheddar and stir until melted. When the pasta is totally covered, add the sausage/onion/pepper mixture and stir until totally incorporated. Taste, it *may* need a little salt. I didn't end up using any, but depending on your cheese and your sausage, you may need it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In your pan, add the mac and cheese, take the breadcrumbs and remaining cup of cheddar and spread over the top of the pan.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is crispy and the cheese is bubbling.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Serve and enjoy!!</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-11582482531225220302013-08-05T12:45:00.002-05:002013-08-05T12:45:47.752-05:00Hotspacho!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last summer there was this hilarious iPhone commercial with Samuel
L. Jackson. He was having a lady friend over that evening for dinner and was
making a list of things he needed to do for his date night. One line item was to have Siri set a reminder
to put the gazpacho in the refrigerator, unless she liked Hotspacho. I found
this hilarious, I’m fairly confident I must have walked around for months
telling The Husband we didn't want Hotspacho! See the commercial <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaYGNGWl9lg">here</a>, maybe you’ll find
it as amusing as I did…maybe not.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m also the person who goes into a fit of giggles when I
hear this joke “Two peanuts were walking through a park; one was assaulted!”
Seriously, I’m laughing as I write this. For those of you who are disappointed, I never
said I had a highbrow sense of humor, just a taste for delicious food and drink.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, I recently posted about making my kitchen into a
Turkish Sauna as I made <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2013/07/ours-for-taking.html">Cheddar
and Mushroom Polenta</a> and a friend of mine and professor from undergrad,
reminded me that it is summer and I should maybe cook appropriately…and not
sweat to death in my kitchen. She suggested gazpacho, or cold cucumber soup or
something that wouldn't force me to shower before dining; this is why she has a
Ph.D and I don’t.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've never made gazpacho; I have no idea why actually, since
I love soup and I love tomatoes. So I
decided not to sweat it out in the kitchen and do something totally different. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When The Husband came home from work and saw me sitting on
the sofa, reading a book, he didn't think anything about. But by the time 7:15
rolled around and I hadn't moved yet, he was totally confused. What was happening?
Were we eating out and he didn't know?
Did he need to change? WHAT WAS GOING ON?!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I laughed and told him I had finished dinner right before he
walked in the door and it was chilling. And of course he got the “What the hell
are you talking about?” look on his face. I told him we were having gazpacho,
and it was sitting in the freezer chilling, “ because no one wanted hotspacho!”
(and I totally doubled over in laughter). His face fell. “Gaspacho?
Reeaaaalllly?” I didn't reply, I just
tucked back into my book for another 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the moment of truth came. The bowl came out; the husband
looked down mournfully and took a spoonful. One Mississippi, two Mississippi,
three Mississippi…. “WOW! This isn't what I thought it was going to be. This is…really…GOOD!”
And I did my little internal happy dance because I won. And, let’s be honest,
everyone likes winning (even when they say they don’t really care, they’re
liars). I didn't get up and do a full on jig, because that would have been
obnoxious and un-lady like; I did however wear a smug look on my face….we can’t
all be perfect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I used my Cuisinart to make this, you can use a blender. I
also like my gazpacho to have a little texture, so I didn't puree it into
tomato soup.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 LBS Vine
Ripe Tomato’s<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 Large
Cucumber, peeled and seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ Small Red
Onion, chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 Jalapeno
(depending on how spicy you want, you can seed it…I had a hot pepper, so I took
out half of the seeds)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 Large
Garlic Clove<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
¼ Cup Olive
Oil<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 Lime,
juiced<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fill a large pot with water and set to boil<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take a knife and make an X on the bottom of the tomatoes. Once the water is boiling, drop the tomatoes
into the boiling water for a minute. The
skins should begin to pull away from the X, when they do; they’re ready to be
removed. Take them out and allow cooling
until you are able to touch them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peel the tomatoes and throw away the skins. Then begin to
seed them, when you do this, make sure to keep all of the seeds and pulp in a separate
bowl and try to catch all of the juices that will spill out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you’re finished seeding the tomatoes, place them in the
Cuisinart (do NOT start it yet!). Go back to the seeds and pulp, and press them
through a mesh strainer or sieve. You want to get out as much juice as
possible, without having the pulp or seeds. You should get about a cup or so. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Place juice, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove,
olive oil, lime juice, and ½ TSP of sea salt into the Cuisinart, on top of the tomatoes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now comes the fun---Hit the switch and let it blend! I put
mine on pulse, checking every 10 seconds to see how blended the soup was. Again,
I wanted to incorporate everything, without leaving HUGE chunks of cucumber or
onion, but still getting some texture. Add salt or pepper if needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once this is finished, I took the soup, put it in a Le Creuset
round Dutch Oven and put it in the freezer for an hour and a half. After 45
minutes I stirred it around and covered it again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you’re ready, place it in a bowl and I served mine
alongside some tortilla chips. But you can just enjoy it as the spicy, cold
tomato soup that it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-35419552047490394512013-07-23T10:19:00.000-05:002013-08-05T11:18:59.891-05:00One of My Many Addictions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
As many of you may have seen from my wildly excited Facebook
postings, I recently won an Ice Cream recipe contest. I’ve only won one other competition in my
life and that was for paper I wrote in college on the history of 19<sup>th</sup>
century English Church bands (entitled “Wake Up and Hear the Music” I was so
cleaver, even back then). So with this excitement, a few people had requested that I post a
recipe I had alluded to in my <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2011/11/cinniminions.html">Cinnamon
Ice Cream post</a> about making a Deconstructed S’more. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve mentioned that I’ve made this in passing and people
always look at me a little strange. It’s a mixture of “That sounds DELICIOUS”
and “How the heck did you <i>think</i> of that?” So, I’ll tell you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This had nothing
to do with camping, or nights by the fire roasting marshmallows; this was purely
a practical decision. I’m pretty good a most cooking and baking
related things, however I am actually a
really terrible S’mores maker. I never
get the chocolate soft enough; I always break the damn cracker, ALWAYS. The
only thing I can do right is toast the heck out of the marshmallow. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which leads to my next point, stay with me now, I only like
marshmallows when they’re all soft and mushy (i.e roasted). I’m pretty sure I could go the whole rest of
my life without having to eat a room temperature marshmallow and be okay. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With this being said, I have a very large, very soft, very
mushy spot in my heart for Fluff. Yeah, the whipped marshmallow stuff you get
in plastic jars for $1 at the grocery store. I love the stuff. I refuse to buy it at the store, because it’s
kind of like the Pringles Commercials from back in the day “Once you pop, you
can’t stop,” and I have to pick up another jar the next time I’m there, and
another the time after that. It’s not a
joke, “Hi, my name is Alex and I’m a Fluff-a-holic.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, I’m addicted to Fluff, I always break the cracker and I
can’t melt the chocolate. After watching
many an episode of Top Chef, I decided that there was a way for me to have this
treat without having to totally mess it up- Deconstruction!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I went online and started searching recipes for Deconstructed
S’mores. And I came across a video that Chef Christina Lee of Recette in New
York had made of her <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4oIQuZGl_s">Deconstructed
S'mores</a> . It’s like they knew I was coming!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The video doesn’t give much by the way of instructions; it
shows you a general way to make the ganache. But it gave me the idea for what I
was looking for, AND it used fluff. So I
went on my way and began working on a Graham Cracker Ice Cream and tackling her
Spicy Ganache. I should tell you, in
her recipe she has a higher ration of cayenne to cream. I followed it the first
time I made the s’mores and some of our guests with softer spice palates were
in pain. I made some adjustments the second time around and it was the perfect
combination of sweet with a little spicy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had a lot of fun researching and making this, and of course
even more fun eating it (along with the left over fluff….)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Spicy Ganache<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12 oz of good Milk Chocolate (I always go with Ghiradelli)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1/3 TSP Cayenne
Pepper<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 Cup Cream<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Graham Cracker Ice
Cream<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 Cups Milk<br />
2 Cups Cream<br />
8 Honey Graham Crackers, crushed(this should be one sleeve)<br />
¾ Cup Sugar<br />
4 Egg Yolks<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jar of Fluff, try to avoid knock offs, they’re grainy, original Fluff is much creamier. (don't laugh, I've done a lot of evidence-based research in order to tell you that, years of fluff tastings...the horror...the horror..). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The night before you’re going to serve, make the Ice Cream.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a sauce pan, heat the milk and the cream until it’s just
about to boil. I recommend standing over it and stirring constantly, otherwise
you may risk burning the milk.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the milk is scalded, add the crushed graham crackers
and stir until they are dissolved. This should be a minute or two. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and the yolks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pour the milk mixture SLOWLY over the egg mixture and
constantly stir, you don’t want to have milky scrambled eggs! Once both of the mixtures are fully incorporated,
then add them back into the sauce pan and cook on low heat while constantly
stirring. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You want the mixture to become thick enough that if you
placed a spoon in it and lifted it, the back of the spoon would be completely
coated with the mixture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You have two choices now; to strain or not to strain. If you
crumbed your graham crackers small enough and you stirred the mixture really
well and have no egg lumps, you can put the mixture in a bowl in your refrigerator
and wait until it cools. OR, if you’d
prefer (or have lumps) you can strain the mixture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both times I’ve made this, I’ve never strained, but I also
crushed and stirred until my forearms were tight; either way, whatever you do,
get the mixture into the refrigerator and let it cool. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As with all other ice cream recipes I’ve made (I’m pulling
this directly from the bottom of my Cinnamon Ice Cream Recipe):<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze
according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you are using a Kitchen Aide Ice
Cream Maker attachment, I recommend keeping it in the freezer for at least 3
days before you make the ice cream. You want the bowl to be absolutely
freezing. The recommended 15 hours just isn’t enough. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Also, I should warn. All of the manufacturer’s directions
say that the ice cream will actually turn INTO ice cream while you’re mixing
it. I have never found that to be the case. It will thicken up, and will look
like the consistency of melting ice cream but you will need to put it in an air
tight container in the freezer for at <b>least</b> 10 hours before
serving.</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you’re about to serve dessert and you need to get that ganache completed. It’s really quick and really easy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Scald the cream in a saucepan on medium high heat, exactly
what you did to start the ice cream mixture. Add the cayenne pepper and mix
until it’s dissolved. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a separate bowl, add the 12 oz of chocolate chips and
then immediately pour scalded milk onto the chocolate and stir until it becomes
glossy. This should take around 2 or 3
minutes. Let the chocolate mixture cool down and thicken. You can place it in
the refrigerator to speed up the process; it should take around 20 to 30 minutes.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can choose the plate this however you would like it. My
one final recommendation, when you add the Fluff, torch it. You really really
REALLY want to get that burnt marshmallow smell and taste in the dish. I mean,
that IS what makes it a S’more, otherwise it’s just spicy chocolate and graham
cracker ice cream, where’s the fun in that?<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-72472848687385383842013-07-22T14:19:00.001-05:002013-07-22T14:19:48.452-05:00Ours For The Taking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Three days into our stay here in PGH, The Husband and I went
to the grocery store. First, I must say how amazed I am at some of the produce
we get here. We purchased zucchini, squash and cucumbers that were the size
(both length AND width) of The Husband's forearms for nothing--ninety-nine
cents! Beautiful tomatoes and peppers for a song. They have a whole mushroom
section, literally bins of Wild Mushrooms for the taking. I forgot that Pennsylvania has the Mushroom capital of the country within it's boarders; lucky for us. And so, on our first
trip to the store, we took.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We ended up purchasing a beautiful <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/03/schroomin.html">Hen of
the Woods</a> to do something with. A week later, I found myself
back in the grocery store, standing in front of this mushroom wall and
thinking, I need more. So I grabbed a bunch of Oysters, some Chanterelles, another
Hen of the Woods, some Trumpet Mushrooms and a few other wild varieties.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I had all of these great mushrooms, I needed to do
something delicious with them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I ended up doing is more of a fall
dish, it would be amazing on a crisp October night. However, I wasn't waiting
until fall, I had my mushrooms now. So I figured I'd suffer through all of the
cooking heat in my nonair-conditioned kitchen and I must say, it was worth the
sweat. And I should tell you, there was a whole lot of sweat with this one.
Three burners going, lots of grating, but it smelled heavenly. Totally worth
the 90 degree heat in there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For those of you who also lack central air, if you can wait
until the temperature dips, I would. If you're dedicated to the cause like I
am, just be prepared to shower before you eat.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ingredients</div>
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1 1/2 Cup Polenta (don’t use the instant kind)<br />
1 Bunch Rainbow Chard, tough stems removed but keep the leaves as close to
whole as you can<br />
2 Fresh Rosemary Sprig, the biggest ones you can get<br />
1 TBS Olive Oil<br />
4 TBS Unsalted Butter<br />
2 Large Shallots, minced<br />
1 Cup White Cheddar Cheese, Shredded (if you like it cheesy, have 1 ½ cups
on hand)<br />
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 Box of Baby Kale<o:p></o:p></div>
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1LB Wild Mushrooms<o:p></o:p></div>
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Clean the mushrooms by soaking them in a bath of 4 cups water, 1 TSP
salt for 10 minutes. Strain out the water, and then repeat once more. When your
mushrooms are cleaned, if they are too large, break them up into smaller
pieces. I’d recommend using your hands, rather than a knife.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bring two pots of water to a boil. Fill one large pot of
water half way up and boil. The, for the second, use a large saucepan and fill
it with bring 8 cups water and a dash of salt; bring this to a boil as well. In
the saucepan with the 8 cups of water, add the polenta in a slow, steady
stream, stirring constantly; you don’t want to get it clumpy. Reduce the heat
to low and cook, stirring often, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of
the pan, 40-45 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the large pot, add the rosemary spring and let it boil
for a minute, until the room is fragrant, then add the chard; folding them to
fit. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chard ribs are easily pierced
with a fork, about 15 minutes. Then quickly add the Baby Kale in and turn off
the heat. Let it sit for a few moments until the Baby Kale is wilted and
stirred into the pot. Drain well and make sure you remove the two rosemary
springs (although you won’t be able to remove the rosemary leaves, which is okay).
Chop coarsely and squeeze dry. Set aside.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil
and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook until
the mushrooms are tender, 8-10 minutes. Let them sit in the pan until the next
step. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When the polenta is ready, stir in the remaining 3
tablespoons butter, ¾ Cup of the cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper
and cook until the butter and cheese have melted around five minutes. If you
don’t think it’s cheesy enough (I like it on the cheesier side, add up to
another ½ cup of cheese. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the mushroom pan, add the chard/kale mix and mushrooms
and cook, stirring, until hot and well coated with the juices. Season with salt
and pepper to taste.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Spoon the polenta into a bowl, top with the chard and
mushrooms and those juices (don't forget them), and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-29386207789817443082013-07-05T13:30:00.002-05:002013-07-05T13:34:47.653-05:00From The Horse's Mouth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are some restaurants that people are shell-shocked that The Husband and I haven't been to. Some places we get a loud "Are you SERIOUS?" Au Cheval is one of those places.<br />
<br />
The Husband and I had tried two other times to have dinner at Au Cheval, both times we were told the wait would be over two hours. We knew the food was good, we knew we wanted to go, but we were too hungry to wait.<br />
<br />
For our last week in Chicago, we were fortunate enough to have dinner with two friends who didn't mind a possible wait and were happy to join us in our Farewell Tour. We went at 630 on a Sunday and were able to get a table for four without an issue. Thank goodness, although I was ready to wait this time around.<br />
<br />
And we were fortunate enough to go with a couple who were more than willing to dive deep into the menu. And we went really really deep (don't laugh!).<br />
<br />
We tried to order the 32oz Porterhouse with Foie Gras and Roasted Apples, our friend had been before and said it was amazing. Unfortunately, we were told they only have two or so of the Porterhouses a night and both had already been ordered. We've got something else to go back for next time, not that it would take us much to go back after this dinner).<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
We started with the Foie Gras Terrine with strawberry Jam. It came out in a thick slice, akin to Pate, with four large slices of toasted brioche. The foie was salty and buttery and creamy and combined with the jam was heavenly.<br />
<br />
We had an order of the Roasted Marrow with the Beef Cheek Marmalade. The Marmalade was awesome, it had loads of caramelized onions,so it was a little sweet and paired really well with the marrow. For those of you who haven't had marrow, I know it sounds gross, but it is really fantastic. When it's roasted, it becomes soft and a little sweet. It's a little nutty and honestly tastes like amazing butter.<br />
<br />
I realize it sounds strange that The Husband and I eat these things, and had you told me 10 years ago that I would enjoy things like marrow and sweetbread and heart, I'd laugh in your face. Initially you just can't' think about it, if you think about it, then you get grossed out. And after a while, you don't even care, you just think to yourself "Oh man, I would LOVE some bone marrow!"<br />
<br />
Back towards the more "normal" side of food, we got an order of the General Jane's Honey Fried Chicken. It is the best Chicken wings in the whole city, seriously. For years I sang the praises of High Dive/Rocking Horse and their Spicy Barbecue Wings (they're fried, dipped in sauce, grilled and then dipped again) but General Jane's Chicken takes the cake. Crispy, delicious sauce that's a little sweet and spicy. I could have eaten them all night.<br />
<br />
We moved onto our next set of dishes. We had friends sing the praises of The Fried Bologna sandwich. And The Husband and I can say, without a doubt, this sandwich is life changing. Seriously, I am not a bologna eater and for some reason I expected a thick piece of hot bologna between two slices of Wonder Bread. I mean, I know it's a totally incorrect thought, but I think of bologna sandwiches and go back to elementary school.<br />
<br />
First, it's a house-made mortadella, second, it's on a brioche bun. Imagine a huge sandwich, piled high with thinly sliced warm meat, covered in warm cheese and mornay sauce. Oh this sauce. I could sing the praises of this sauce (it was also on the Crispy Fries along side a fried egg). The sandwich was fantastic. Seriously, go, now, stop reading and just leave.<br />
<br />
If you're still reading, we went on and had their Crispy Fries. Double fried, salty, covered with a fried egg and the mornay sauce. With a side of garlic aolli and the mornay sauce.<br />
<br />
We also got two of the Au Cheval Burgers. One with just Cheddar, the other with Bacon, a Fried Egg and Cheddar. Both burgers came with two thin patties, each covered in cheddar cheese and topped with a sauce of a little dill and thinly sliced pickles. It's awesome, the burgers are cooked perfectly, while they are thin, they are juicy and have great taste. The Bacon on the Bacon, Egg and Cheese was a super thick-cut slice of Bacon. The Husband and I frequent Kuma's Corner and we both thought that this burger was better than anything that we had at Kuma's. And Kuma's had our favorite burgers in the city for years and years.<br />
<br />
After our amazingly low fat dinner (ha!) we tried to walk down the block to Little Goat and grab a drink on their roof. However because it had rained earlier in the evening, they shut the roof down (bummer.). So we ended the lovely evening sitting outside of Haymarket, having a few beers and enjoying the Chicago Summer. It was worth the wait.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-84650973942932054092013-07-05T12:46:00.002-05:002013-07-05T12:49:51.341-05:00Okay, We Get The Point!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After much fan fair, a fantastic going-away party, more than a few tears, a night to forever remember at The Aviary, and what can only be described as the worst move in history, The Husband and I have made it safely to Pittsburgh.<br />
<br />
How was this the worst move you ask? Here are some bullet points:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Black mold in our storage unit covering nearly everything, we had to clean, repack and throw away a ton of stuff</li>
<li>Moving company called to confirm the truck the day before and only had a 14 foot, we reserved a 17 foot (that we were worried would be tight). After being on the phone with the company for over an hour and being told they had nothing, we then started scrambling trying to find another truck (we found a 16 foot one for ONLY double the price)</li>
<li>Our movers came and got stuck between two floors in our freight elevator along with all of our boxes</li>
<li>The building management company never sent the elevator repairman (by the way, it's been a week and they've still not called me back. For all they know, our movers are still stuck)</li>
<li>Our movers then shimmied out of our elevator and we had to help move all of our boxes out from a 3 foot gap and up a flight of stairs</li>
<li>It torrentially down-poured for an hour as they were loading all of our stuff into the truck</li>
<li>They were worried they couldn't get everything into the truck, so I began triaging our things and planning times to make trips back to get our stuff (the movers were amazing and got everything in)</li>
<li>We weren't able to leave Chicago until 9pm, where we then hit traffic</li>
<li>We hit three rain storms during our 3 hour drive</li>
<li>I drove the moving truck and was sideswiped by a flatbed semi</li>
</ul>
<div>
So our last week in Chicago was a little rough, especially the final 18 hours. It was so bad and we were running so behind at the end that we considered spending Friday night in Chicago and leaving really really early Saturday, but The Husband felt like if we stayed any longer, some other bad thing was going to happen. Neither he, nor I, am superstitious, but I agreed. Chicago was telling us to get the heck out. Even so, there were also some amazing highlights; our dinner at Au Cheval and our night at Aviary will be two separate posts.</div>
<br />
<br />
We've had a few people ask us where we were on our Farewell Tour. We did a good portion of it, but weren't able to hit everything. Especially since we had some issues along the way.<br />
<br />
The bonus, I'm back for sure in September and The Husband and I are back in November, so we're going to do it up upon our triumphant return.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Encased Meat and Duck Fat Fries at Hot Doug's: CHECK!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Old Grand Pappy Vertical Flight at Aviary: CHECK!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Au Cheval: CHECK! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">A</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"> Hen Fruit and Frites at Watershed: (It's off the menu, but they made it for me anyway!) CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Fat Rice: UMMM CHECK and we may need to go one more time.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Grace (another time, my friends)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Alinea (another time again....)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">El Ideas (adding this to the "November" List)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3 Happiness Dim Sum</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Big Star: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">PQM sandwich: CHECK</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Bari's Italian Hoagies:CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">BadHappy for Poutine and Shakes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Wasabi: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Pint at Revolution's Tap Room: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Doughnut Vault </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Bernard's Bar- Blood of Dillinger</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Hoosier Mama's Pie</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Big Jones</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Xoco: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Falafal Sandwich from Sultan's Market: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Telegraph</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Longman and Eagle</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Cumin</span><br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-27561298324551411072013-06-18T10:36:00.000-05:002013-06-18T10:38:01.444-05:00Our Messy, Messy Break-up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I apologize for not posting this last month; I actually have a ton to share and of course, not much time to share it in.We leave Chicago in nine days, NINE DAYS! So between work and packing and getting one last hang out with friends, my postings have fallen short.<br />
<br />
However, I can promise you such things as Next's Vegan menu, a Whiskey Flight at Aviary (happening next week), the time we nearly had all of Hot Doug's menu, our dinner at Fat Rice and more will be on the way!<br />
<br />
In the mean time, here's the updated list on where we've hit and what we have left on our Farewell Tour:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Encased Meat and Duck Fat Fries at Hot Doug's: CHECK!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Old Grand Pappy Vertical Flight at Aviary</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Au Cheval</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">A</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;"> Hen Fruit and Frites at Watershed: (It's off the menu, but they made it for me anyway!) CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Fat Rice: UMMM CHECK and we may need to go one more time.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Grace (another time, my friends)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Alinea (another time again....)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">El Ideas (adding this to the "November" List)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3 Happiness Dim Sum</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Big Star: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">PQM sandwich</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Bari's Italian Hoagies</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">BadHappy for Poutine and Shakes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Wasabi: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Pint at Revolution's Tap Room: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Doughnut Vault </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Bernard's Bar- Blood of Dillinger</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Hoosier Mama's Pie</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Big Jones</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: blue;">Xoco: CHECK</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Falafal Sandwich from Sultan's Market</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Telegraph</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Longman and Eagle</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Cumin</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-56772228060426526882013-05-22T13:39:00.001-05:002013-05-22T13:41:05.107-05:00Meyer Lemony Snicket! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Growing up on the East Coast, I was privy to some really wonderful foods, however because of our climate and because it was the 80's and 90's, the local/organic food craze hadn't yet started. Back in the late 90's Vine Ripe Tomatoes were still new in the grocery stores and Heirloom Tomatoes weren't in the state (or at least any of the grocery stores); even the Farmers Market didn't have "fancy" stuff like that.<br />
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<div>
When I started dating The Husband, he told me about living out in The Bay Area, and how his family had several Meyer Lemon trees in their yard. I had never ever heard of a Meyer Lemon! He tried to explain it, but back in 2003, there were no Meyer Lemons to be found in North Carolina. It wasn't until we went to San Francisco for our Honeymoon in 2008 and spent a morning wandering through the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building that I was finally able to see and taste a Meyer Lemon. </div>
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They were DELIGHTFUL! For those of you who haven't ever had one, they are sweeter than regular lemons, the rind is thinner and they are much more fragrant. We had them in a jam, we had them candied, we had them in a house, we had them with a mouse, we had those lemons here and there, we ate Meyer Lemons everywhere. All joking aside, The Husband had the look of "See, I told you these were amazing" and I couldn't disagree.<br />
<br />
Of course coming back, all I wanted was to fine Meyer Lemons so I could make tangy/sweet dishes and desserts. It took a few more years and a trip to the <a href="http://dillpickle.coop/">Dill Pickle Co-op</a> before I was able to find them here in Chicago (of course, now I see them all over Whole Foods).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Husband loves Meyer Lemon, and as it's now the season, I decided to purchase a few on my last trip to the Dill Pickle, and make him a little something. I came across this <a href="http://theviewfromthegreatisland.blogspot.com/2012/01/meyer-lemon-and-dark-chocolate.">recipe</a> while searching for interesting things to do with Meyer Lemon. The tart of the lemon is balanced with the chocolate and it's a great snack. I brought some to my office, everyone thought I had spent forever on them (which I did not) and the shortbread was gone within minutes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I didn't make the glaze. Sadly I was running around my kitchen like a crazy person (as usual) and knocked over my extra lemon juice. I tried to save it, but it wasn't salvageable. I can tell you, the bars are really great without it, but I think it would add a nice lemony sweetness to the dish. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ingredients:</div>
1 Cup or 2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into chunks<br />
1/2 Cup Sugar<br />
2 Cups Flour<br />
3 Tbsp of Meyer Lemon Juice<br />
<div>
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon <br />
1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (I use Ghiradelli)</div>
<div>
<br />
For the glaze<br />
1 Cup Confectioner's Sugar<br />
Lemon Juice to thin (1 1/2 lemons)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 325.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I lined an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper (you can use foil), this way you can pull the shortbread out of the pan without having it stick to the bottom and mess up your cutting.</div>
<div>
<br />
Put the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl (or use your stand mixer) and drop in the butter.</div>
<div>
<br />
Mix the flour, sugar and butter until the mixture has a coarse crumb texture. When this happens, add the lemon juice and zest and mix until the dough just comes together. It will seem a little crumbly, that's okay.</div>
<div>
<br />
I stirred the Chocolate chips with my hands, Make sure not to overwork, it's okay if they don't get into every nook and cranny of the mixture.</div>
<div>
<br />
Press the dough into your pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until slightly puffed and slightly golden (not brown!) The edges will look a little more cooked than the center and the top will be just firm when lightly touched.</div>
<div>
<br />
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan (and removing the lining).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you decide to go for the glaze, mix together the confectioner's sugar with enough lemon juice to thin it to a glaze consistency. You don't want it to be clumpy but you don't want it to be too thing, you want all of the sugar to be dissolved Drizzle or spread over the cooled shortbread. </div>
<div>
<br />
When the glaze has firmed up, slice into squares.</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-47062785040522321042013-05-13T12:56:00.003-05:002013-05-13T13:08:14.053-05:00The End of the Affair....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So for those of you who aren't aware, The Husband and I are leaving Chicago. After four years of medical school, five years of residency, The Husband will be starting a two (possibly three year) Critical Care Fellowship at The University of Pittsburgh. This is a HUGE deal, as UPMC is one of the best (if not THE best) Critical Care programs in the country. I'm so insanely proud of him and all of the hard work he's done, and I'm really excited to start this next phase of our lives. But of course, I am going to miss Chicago so much.<br />
<br />
The Husband and I have lived in this amazing city for nine years. We became adults (or as close to adults as we possibly can be) here, we discovered our love of food and drink and we made amazing friends here.<br />
<br />
As we have just signed a lease for a new home and are looking into moving companies, the realization that we are leaving Chicago has hit hard. And as July 1st is approaching much, much sooner than any of us anticipated, we must begin to tie up lose ends and start packing.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
With all of this being said however, this also leaves us with the ability to begin our great Farewell Tour. While I realize that we may not be able to hit all of the places on our list (because of time and of course, money...moving is not cheap), we've got a list of some things we'd like to do one more time and some places we'd like to go for the first time, before we're officially only visitors in our home. And of course, some of these places will simply require another trip back. Aw Shucks!<br />
<br />
Please feel free to add anything to our already huge list....<br />
<br />
Encased Meat and Duck Fat Fries at Hot Doug's<br />
Old Grand Pappy Vertical Flight at Aviary<br />
Au Cheval<br />
A Hen Fruit and Frites at Watershed<br />
Fat Rice<br />
Grace (another time, my friends)<br />
Alinea (another time again....)<br />
El Ideas<br />
3 Happiness Dim Sum<br />
Big Star<br />
PQM sandwich (the lunch we had yesterday clearly didn't count...)<br />
Bari's Italian Hoagies<br />
BadHappy for Poutine and Shakes<br />
Wasabi<br />
Pint at Revolution's Tap Room<br />
Doughnut Vault (I will get there early enough!)<br />
Bernard's Bar- Blood of Dillinger<br />
Hoosier Mama's Pie<br />
Big Jones<br />
Xoco<br />
Falafal Sandwich from Sultan's Market<br />
Telegraph<br />
Longman and Eagle<br />
Cumin<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-8832117941056503882013-04-10T13:38:00.000-05:002013-04-10T13:40:27.470-05:00The Hunt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As season ticket holders for Next in the 2012 year, back in
December we were offered the ability to “re-up” our tickets for the 2013 dining
year (I know, I know, how pretentious does THAT sound). Obviously, I couldn't say no. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And so, The Husband and I have been waiting since December
for our table at The Hunt. I can tell you without a doubt that it was most
definitely worth the three months of waiting. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Normally before we go into our dinners at Next, we end up
making a reservation at The Office, either before or after dinner. We decided
for the sake of being “fiscally responsible” that wasn't a smart idea this
time. Readers be warned, we did not follow through with our attempts at “fiscal
responsibility,” but you’ll have to continue reading to see where we ended up
(and what we had!).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our reservation was at 8:30 on a bitter cold Wednesday night
(yes, I had the choice to pick Friday or Saturday evening, but went with
Wednesday because our next Next menu falls on The Husband’s 32<sup>nd</sup>
birthday. You can’t argue with that!). We walked into the restaurant and were
enveloped by a comforting aroma or rosemary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13jogscY-OWjrkcIBdFVqBQb2tRLUAeE4Xaov6oXQ38TK36mCaF5kWX5LGeWPvZltHqbd84nu5yC9x5-HsjYMr6EeSgMQl-EYh6pJtu5b754yWA_jLkpO455i3KvuQjTVJaLhW0powD0T/s1600/IMG_0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13jogscY-OWjrkcIBdFVqBQb2tRLUAeE4Xaov6oXQ38TK36mCaF5kWX5LGeWPvZltHqbd84nu5yC9x5-HsjYMr6EeSgMQl-EYh6pJtu5b754yWA_jLkpO455i3KvuQjTVJaLhW0powD0T/s320/IMG_0654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>We sat down to a table with a runner made of deer fur and
after reading about the inspiration behind this menu, a silver utensil that
looked like a toothpick with a handle was placed in front of us (I later
learned it was a Walnut pick). Soon two
small wooden bowls were placed down and a waiter came around with a glass box
that looked similar to a tiny terrarium and a teapot filled with a dark liquid.
As he approached, I realized THIS was where the amazing rosemary smell was
coming from. I was already swooning.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our waiter informed us that Chef Beran took The Hunt to not
only mean game, but also decided that it should include foraging. And so our
first course was a foraged mushroom course. The teapot was filled with a wild
mushroom consume that was fragrant and so absolutely fantastic that The Husband
and I tried to savor every sip. Honestly, I need this recipe.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIVzDoi2tBxN-34BjVYt6fHJ69q70k6qSq6Q3aLTG8zom7dihLJJ3PZ_lq-eXRjdAiG0ulHM97u-RYXw0r1WJIDTiLt6EECb24FYGvBbFMGCkDBxGX2r6dmCHXFkUkc6yFOODfeR-OmAp/s1600/IMG_0655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIVzDoi2tBxN-34BjVYt6fHJ69q70k6qSq6Q3aLTG8zom7dihLJJ3PZ_lq-eXRjdAiG0ulHM97u-RYXw0r1WJIDTiLt6EECb24FYGvBbFMGCkDBxGX2r6dmCHXFkUkc6yFOODfeR-OmAp/s320/IMG_0655.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom Consomme </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Inside the tiny glass box was a bed of fragrant rosemary and
thyme, roasted garlic cloves and two large pieces of Maitake (or Hen of the
Woods) mushrooms. I love Hen of the Woods, so this was a bit of heaven for me.
The toothpick like utensil was to be used to pick up the mushroom and eat it. I
also ate a bulb of the garlic. The Husband did not. Apparently he was worried
about his breath, I obviously was not. We were told to drink the broth and eat
the mushrooms separately, as the chef has created two different flavor profiles
for them.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jyxWDzf4ydFNyMRqCKtmIe-MvBiysp-HBmQJOlB872h69sUcsYZ_Q4STN3os7PX5kFkF5MYVH2bYRvp8B0l7wG5GPwGhjYEB2nqJ6uAORvcFX4gOXgii-l1dvNgRXxSrBKBc1-cvfG25/s1600/IMG_0656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jyxWDzf4ydFNyMRqCKtmIe-MvBiysp-HBmQJOlB872h69sUcsYZ_Q4STN3os7PX5kFkF5MYVH2bYRvp8B0l7wG5GPwGhjYEB2nqJ6uAORvcFX4gOXgii-l1dvNgRXxSrBKBc1-cvfG25/s320/IMG_0656.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hen of the Woods</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course two was the fruits of the sea. A jar of Walleye
Rillettes! YES, you can apparently make anything into a rillettes and YES, it
will be delicious. This fish was rendered in bacon fat and was simply
fantastic. It was served alongside some house-made pumpernickel toast and a
piece of smoked lake trout. I’m not the biggest fan of smoked fish, but I found
this to be tender, not overly smoky and it fell apart once our forks hit it. If
only all smoked fish tasted like this.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvz5qb46VOjzsdbp2uJUgsYsL378RCgiRFvAkZRGGm4TossVd0fYoUiqvJffOFuhO4vDbbuJ97H3gB4HtPqroSw7SEunIEXO4oAaVfTbTmK6YStF0fxIR4qrfjJTxbYLxonnQAcZr712Rp/s1600/IMG_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvz5qb46VOjzsdbp2uJUgsYsL378RCgiRFvAkZRGGm4TossVd0fYoUiqvJffOFuhO4vDbbuJ97H3gB4HtPqroSw7SEunIEXO4oAaVfTbTmK6YStF0fxIR4qrfjJTxbYLxonnQAcZr712Rp/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rillettes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Course three brought the first onslaught of meat; cured and
delicious. The dish was called a Charcu-Tree (they make jokes!) A beautiful log of Birch came to our table,
with five small shellacked wooden plates. We were told, from left to right, a
Rabbit Pate, Spicy Elk Jerky, Wild Boar Salami, Antelope Heart Tartar and
finally Boudin Noir (blood sausage). While every single bite was divine, The
Husband loved the Jerky and the Tartar the most and I loved the Boar and the
Tartar the most. The Boudin Noir was awesome, I know a lot of people get a
little wiggly when it comes to blood sausage, but this was really delicious and didn't have any iron taste that most people would imagine it would have.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurpMPCpAPmAdZNiSi58AF3btxfiE0GkuIGRb5iqUwD2KTHTiL4q-T5FdRuCjGhKay3_SVreYDToefHAwylBSfwAVCk1vPgBq9JejhxRe3Ayi4lDBuCj6GfbNHhyMTyIxSwucvS7nauErZ/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurpMPCpAPmAdZNiSi58AF3btxfiE0GkuIGRb5iqUwD2KTHTiL4q-T5FdRuCjGhKay3_SVreYDToefHAwylBSfwAVCk1vPgBq9JejhxRe3Ayi4lDBuCj6GfbNHhyMTyIxSwucvS7nauErZ/s320/IMG_0659.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charcu-Tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uFaFL36NvObMwMTlIsNZupSqYfDa6TGt5n5L7Pbn31gFuaSXJCWG7n11xL-nm3n9L9P4NQAJVPUdFee8-jk0uzYZNENKEnly2q_UixlJndj7-UAe3CPXgoVYF6Kb0uA8qcCOSiJ97jXz/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uFaFL36NvObMwMTlIsNZupSqYfDa6TGt5n5L7Pbn31gFuaSXJCWG7n11xL-nm3n9L9P4NQAJVPUdFee8-jk0uzYZNENKEnly2q_UixlJndj7-UAe3CPXgoVYF6Kb0uA8qcCOSiJ97jXz/s320/IMG_0660.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rabbit Pate and Elk Jerky</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XEbDjtA0hr3DBipWBbhmYhVfO74ZJI_zJFa47pvf7UpgGGig9RqahkpLOqU0dd45rErIE08bisZqxCdILQsvOR-gfLXlfnfUYRW3RZB7bK0G_90V99tITEM3rBFp2ui0NUS947t4tZqD/s1600/IMG_0661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XEbDjtA0hr3DBipWBbhmYhVfO74ZJI_zJFa47pvf7UpgGGig9RqahkpLOqU0dd45rErIE08bisZqxCdILQsvOR-gfLXlfnfUYRW3RZB7bK0G_90V99tITEM3rBFp2ui0NUS947t4tZqD/s320/IMG_0661.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boar, Heart Tartar and Boudin Noir</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next dish brought us back to foraging. Course four was a
carrot that was cellar aged in sawdust for three months. I know, it sounds
strange, but the saw dust draws out the moisture of the carrot and essentially
mummifies it. This brings out the sweetness of the carrot to a whole new level.
It was cooked and served alongside crispy onions that seemed to me like a
shoestring french-fry and a sweet onion had a baby, and covered with a carrot
sauce.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD17fXlptRyt5g5ekW9Xv75CgQeLFs9nC_XT1r1Otmf9UjK__iVzove-XJOR7m6QMHx6DZ6A8HrPjKbyrCgUq1UXisqqqnhEJgrBXazkf1S4f0Zzrf-WdAzEfAcaOUmldH1zEVtUCd4j4N/s1600/IMG_0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD17fXlptRyt5g5ekW9Xv75CgQeLFs9nC_XT1r1Otmf9UjK__iVzove-XJOR7m6QMHx6DZ6A8HrPjKbyrCgUq1UXisqqqnhEJgrBXazkf1S4f0Zzrf-WdAzEfAcaOUmldH1zEVtUCd4j4N/s320/IMG_0662.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For our fifth course, the Chef did an amazingly delightful
play on Bacon and Eggs. A scrambled Duck egg (all breakfast eggs should
henceforth come from the duck) that is wrapped inside a caramelized Radicchio
leaf served next to a hash of Duck
tongue (they’re so tiny!) and apple drizzled with some apple cider
vinegar. The eggs were salty, the
radicchio leaf was sweet, the hash was salty and sweet and a little tart. This
dish was spectacular.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8k00ZH-jsqQ9l4leXa-kTsRXJuPNRn8T9y9XLcvPyV81jR7NJdHVySnBoymIpN6visAWSeCuAy69Y9RQvUXBmBWbqUEenuVXikRTI8NYkPR0jBcMIX2miKxouBfNbdKBh9VEgDyCmEkV/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8k00ZH-jsqQ9l4leXa-kTsRXJuPNRn8T9y9XLcvPyV81jR7NJdHVySnBoymIpN6visAWSeCuAy69Y9RQvUXBmBWbqUEenuVXikRTI8NYkPR0jBcMIX2miKxouBfNbdKBh9VEgDyCmEkV/s320/IMG_0663.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once this course was cleared, the Candelabra came out and we
were told the upscale part of our hunting experience would begin. The plates
they presented were the gold trimmed plates from the Paris menu, and each of
the subsequent courses had a bit of an “Old Lodge” feel to them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first course was a beautiful piece of Sturgeon that had
been poached. It was soft, flaky and mouthwateringly fantastic, that was placed
over roasted sunchokes. This was rimmed in a Beurre Blanc and Caviar sauce that
they made for us tableside. Let us
briefly sit in silence and ponder the level of decadence that was placed before
us…..thinking….thinking…..thinking….HOLY MOLE!
Yes, we did everything but lick the plate clean. When our waiter made the Beurre Blanc Caviar
sauce in front of us, The Husband asked if he secretly walked to the back and
licked whatever was remaining. He informed us that as much as he wanted to,
there wasn’t ever time for him to stow away; which is a damn shame.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsLFsqeIUReaqVmbKaYndcYzPCDqPWgSbcceh4Q7DOe2nkpkDInVyztno13zG6cFrTjwKKYLXf18KaVDtZh2QjF9iaQtYFceeqTW0x8pN2c_7Qdn33AMzG0xDmCTKoRWlw1_pLZls969L/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsLFsqeIUReaqVmbKaYndcYzPCDqPWgSbcceh4Q7DOe2nkpkDInVyztno13zG6cFrTjwKKYLXf18KaVDtZh2QjF9iaQtYFceeqTW0x8pN2c_7Qdn33AMzG0xDmCTKoRWlw1_pLZls969L/s320/IMG_0664.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How romantic...and decadent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we finished our Caviar and Sturgeon, The Husband began to
have little palpitations as the wax from the candles began to drip down on the
Deer table liner. He began to worry about how they would get the wax out, if we
should move the Candelabra or maybe flag a waiter down. In looking at the
tables around us, it did appear that our candles were burning faster than
others, but I attributed that to all of the heavy breathing we were doing from
our dishes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our next “Fancy” course came out, it was a phenomenal
Woodcock Terrine, stuffed with Liver, Heart and Truffle (yey!) and garnished
with huckleberries, a dusting of Chocolate and some more Truffle. It was
tender, salty and perfect. Our neighbors were a course or two behind us, and
were rather upset that there’s was “Cold”, the waiter had to inform them that
it was supposed to be a cold dish. They were displeased by this; however The
Husband and I rather enjoyed it.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZZY3jsCLrbSM7-EN7Kbnx07AtoiLIe9se8nUeWRvPp1p7jTQz7IUWdAyC4o2kNT0raDbDRNJMgt3H0OXnhkZrq1KLQi9-17LTfo0BDUuW0_D0-EsW2NU_HnPdK7X1CgfKL4tCOTxh2Us/s1600/IMG_0665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZZY3jsCLrbSM7-EN7Kbnx07AtoiLIe9se8nUeWRvPp1p7jTQz7IUWdAyC4o2kNT0raDbDRNJMgt3H0OXnhkZrq1KLQi9-17LTfo0BDUuW0_D0-EsW2NU_HnPdK7X1CgfKL4tCOTxh2Us/s320/IMG_0665.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The final “Fancy” course came out, and it was a Trio of
Squab. Chef Beran had brought out the Duck Press again and used it to create a
delicious Squab Three-Ways dish. First, the Breast was elegantly placed on a
Confited leg, which was next to a half of Squab head (brains enacted) that was
stuffed with breadcrumbs.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6xsInz_z0qBTTLxrO6tZjd6EHn6qMyAQ5nBD7Ua8zVlULjpvQCRWRKci1saWk0kYitQ_bLoZXkJnEH5QV6fRsEPoas2unfw12bio5ohfg29tXKulJ3XZtUF4DlUTTzkTrUh0hxOkNrpM/s1600/IMG_0666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv6xsInz_z0qBTTLxrO6tZjd6EHn6qMyAQ5nBD7Ua8zVlULjpvQCRWRKci1saWk0kYitQ_bLoZXkJnEH5QV6fRsEPoas2unfw12bio5ohfg29tXKulJ3XZtUF4DlUTTzkTrUh0hxOkNrpM/s320/IMG_0666.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This whole thing was covered in a Blood-Based Sauce
(I told you, he pulled out the Duck Press). We were told to pick up the beak,
suck out the breadcrumb/brain mixture and then eat the remainder of the plate.
This part of the dish was absolutely fantastic. The breast was cooked to perfection,
the confited leg was amazing (I mean, it’s confit!) and the teeny tiny brain
really tasted like delicious breadcrumbs. Honestly, you couldn’t taste
anything. Again, our neighbors got
wacked out of shape by it and refused to eat it and made a big enough thing to
turn to us and ask what we did with it. The answer we gave them “We sucked it
out” was not what they were hoping for.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second part of this dish was the remainder of the squab,
all of the roasted bones. We were told to pick them up with our hands and gnaw
on them. There was some meat, but honestly, this was the one part of the whole
meal I could have done without. It just didn’t totally float my boat. Also, I
must have gnawed too vigorously and got a little bone out. I bit down and heard
a loud an uncomfortable crunching sound. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz0nTGNV1tQAHjW3zogoLMPl1BpemBgevqWrC2pCU3QsW7PaDCH4xnq54z4b6UOq5_yoeECqVteu2huqUXqmYJZEh7BDpCQxeWiSkfSI23sR4dSiMifoCVDnLrYRlc5FFD6ucVJHKjQoO/s1600/IMG_0667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz0nTGNV1tQAHjW3zogoLMPl1BpemBgevqWrC2pCU3QsW7PaDCH4xnq54z4b6UOq5_yoeECqVteu2huqUXqmYJZEh7BDpCQxeWiSkfSI23sR4dSiMifoCVDnLrYRlc5FFD6ucVJHKjQoO/s320/IMG_0667.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rest of the Squab</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, the third part of this dish was A-Maze-Ing. Steal cut oats cooked in the Blood Sauce,
chopped up with some offal (organ meat) and mixed with Foie Gras. For all that
is good in this world, allow this to be my breakfast for the rest of my
life. Again, heavenly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjNXNQPLdKz6cKaIPwuA_CgEd1L2DSRWiNSG6zHZZQcloCX_QunsXVEiXEbFshTZfrY-WvySM5YPsEZ2ocinxg9N3SkHqmhxq22O5TzGDnpBoQPBHIF3CulmhjMrqR2RmqbvJKDNoUGcQ/s1600/IMG_0668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgjNXNQPLdKz6cKaIPwuA_CgEd1L2DSRWiNSG6zHZZQcloCX_QunsXVEiXEbFshTZfrY-WvySM5YPsEZ2ocinxg9N3SkHqmhxq22O5TzGDnpBoQPBHIF3CulmhjMrqR2RmqbvJKDNoUGcQ/s320/IMG_0668.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best.Oats.EVER</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Candelabra was whisked away and a Birch Bark plate
(totally machine washable, apparently Birch lasts for a long time and can get
thrown in the dishwasher really easily) was placed in front of us. It’s called Fallen Leaves & Kidney, and
the presentation alone was breathtaking. Seaweed, parsnip, pumpkin and purple
cauliflower filled the bark bowl and was drizzled with a kidney mustard. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmoOrljG5Rgc97GM9LqJMofEBD3LMOtyhXBXYktCjFfcMHc6ez4Qfry_OxRUp0deMSO4px_84nU6F0k3dSLCR_agLgOEDxYpNnd57DZxIUUf6l-_ZNbrTQNxtsWyuGKHWP9iSegEUPRGW/s1600/IMG_0671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmoOrljG5Rgc97GM9LqJMofEBD3LMOtyhXBXYktCjFfcMHc6ez4Qfry_OxRUp0deMSO4px_84nU6F0k3dSLCR_agLgOEDxYpNnd57DZxIUUf6l-_ZNbrTQNxtsWyuGKHWP9iSegEUPRGW/s320/IMG_0671.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our final meat course was rather fun, we dinned Caveman
Style. A HUGE black rock that was hotter than hades was placed in front of us
(inside the box, obiously). We were each given to very thin slices of Buffalo
Strip and told to place the meat on the rock for 15 seconds (we realized that
we wanted ours more rare and should have only cooked the thin meat for 7
seconds…oh well it was still delicious and fun). The plate was garnished with onion, leak and
a béarnaise sauce. You dragged the meat through the sauce and enjoyed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5RgqGdK_YaSBKPiudr-Z9GFlBcaG0vTzeLR5J_AXOutTZDwNuO-p6rIBkPA1KRjzSPEEjaFYIe7683SHjXwSq6e3kMjScDS685AlWmfzijTHvvIk3Mp7B6oXc1H6FKSb13P228l6uil7/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5RgqGdK_YaSBKPiudr-Z9GFlBcaG0vTzeLR5J_AXOutTZDwNuO-p6rIBkPA1KRjzSPEEjaFYIe7683SHjXwSq6e3kMjScDS685AlWmfzijTHvvIk3Mp7B6oXc1H6FKSb13P228l6uil7/s320/IMG_0672.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoRw3W-LW2H8IsE5iLRAzGHdAfeSvlxiTMEHls9c_0qHwWc8pRg4FHRRx8puXZWd_SVBMTH8H0sYnfkU1E7JnjVKVxwJHOLsXMVOnIfAizv-ee70X-vZ3DSalrAywjAJqEp6_qMSRLcFY/s1600/IMG_0673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoRw3W-LW2H8IsE5iLRAzGHdAfeSvlxiTMEHls9c_0qHwWc8pRg4FHRRx8puXZWd_SVBMTH8H0sYnfkU1E7JnjVKVxwJHOLsXMVOnIfAizv-ee70X-vZ3DSalrAywjAJqEp6_qMSRLcFY/s320/IMG_0673.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuobe8hk0xZv_Wfxd3Md40rfU76Q5BnzMGFqyDs8JeaTQrVR72ynJfT7EAfb5uhx78qZgIlptu_D9V3Q-eXZ4Jo7OltffEYu-d1J7vWm_m2eQyzmFKp8PVGFBfJsYu3W7ApAv98KdzcJ7/s1600/IMG_0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuobe8hk0xZv_Wfxd3Md40rfU76Q5BnzMGFqyDs8JeaTQrVR72ynJfT7EAfb5uhx78qZgIlptu_D9V3Q-eXZ4Jo7OltffEYu-d1J7vWm_m2eQyzmFKp8PVGFBfJsYu3W7ApAv98KdzcJ7/s320/IMG_0674.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vzQF4CX1xG58rXJG6wYnBo-Hw0fB3uZvO0ESS03LzIp5WAgRTD6ROOmH_wSAqIk0do-TteUWpHWuLRBg6nwwSIIWuZbE1D44r9T3DPXGsy6AyupVyVtxHgASrQdJhi27dnRC0dRapnu5/s1600/IMG_0675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vzQF4CX1xG58rXJG6wYnBo-Hw0fB3uZvO0ESS03LzIp5WAgRTD6ROOmH_wSAqIk0do-TteUWpHWuLRBg6nwwSIIWuZbE1D44r9T3DPXGsy6AyupVyVtxHgASrQdJhi27dnRC0dRapnu5/s320/IMG_0675.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Husband cooking his meat, Caveman Style</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The fun didn’t stop after the meat officially did. Our first
dessert course was insane. A cross section of a bone was placed in front of us,
filled with a marrow-based crème brulee. It was rich and buttery, like marrow
generally is, but delightfully sweet and all together a delicious crème brulee. I should also give a shout out to our favoriest dessert wine ever. Along with this delicious dessert, they placed a bottle of Hungarian Dessert Wine, Royal Tokaji, on our table. The Husband and I informed the waitstaff that we couldn't guarantee we wouldn't finish the bottle if they left it....we did some damage.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPSuvG3Z13GoK-lUKg6U3Z0vHwjVSjZeIZ1Yrkk389UPp9awzy1JNcoeaoaDOYR5wKkUOfPUezOAVx50GpbfWrhqkTztVd-HFCzHqjlKAVAr3rnO5FZ3X-5vNs5WUDKHrq4SasoFrjPRe/s1600/IMG_0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPSuvG3Z13GoK-lUKg6U3Z0vHwjVSjZeIZ1Yrkk389UPp9awzy1JNcoeaoaDOYR5wKkUOfPUezOAVx50GpbfWrhqkTztVd-HFCzHqjlKAVAr3rnO5FZ3X-5vNs5WUDKHrq4SasoFrjPRe/s320/IMG_0676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bone Marrow Brulee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pAsfvyizt4B8bx5a7eQvhI1V1Oshl9MT_uGWbTL4Z609ANWEowcO2Mvap5yycuLl_agp_Mbk5R4QbCxlx7jGezvprz3RDXFZsCd0uXQjT73dKXV0uzSfl-fw2aj7Lr7CZcy4EnUtic41/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pAsfvyizt4B8bx5a7eQvhI1V1Oshl9MT_uGWbTL4Z609ANWEowcO2Mvap5yycuLl_agp_Mbk5R4QbCxlx7jGezvprz3RDXFZsCd0uXQjT73dKXV0uzSfl-fw2aj7Lr7CZcy4EnUtic41/s320/IMG_0677.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">The second to last dessert was my favorite of the three. Not
that I don’t enjoy marrow, you can see from what I just said, the marrow brulee
was wonderful. But this, this was just spectacular. </span><span style="text-align: left;">A small cast-iron pot was placed in front of
us. It was filled with Maris Otter Barley pudding, in the center of the table
small bowls of tart cherries, candied nuts, brown sugar, toffee, and a mixture
of mint and basil leaves.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">We were told
to mix and match at our will. </span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Oh this
was heavenly. The closest thing I could compare it to would be a rice pudding,
but that would be like saying gold plating is the same as 24 carat gold. It was
creamy and sweet (but not too sweet). My favorite combination was the mint and
basil mixture (obviously) along with a touch of brown sugar and candied nuts.
We had a great time mixing and matching flavor combinations and sharing</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">with
one another.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_L7NCDXfS3vfBnuTzW1hrcTtArEaJBhR1QN2ls6umMX5EQJ4e3msW4QmKU8PaK8k60I0kOxwZLK0YX-xRmNXow4CJQvm4aSi0TP81CaZBJJLJ-ucnU9wOvoJmvJarS81emHou1_b3u12/s1600/IMG_0678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_L7NCDXfS3vfBnuTzW1hrcTtArEaJBhR1QN2ls6umMX5EQJ4e3msW4QmKU8PaK8k60I0kOxwZLK0YX-xRmNXow4CJQvm4aSi0TP81CaZBJJLJ-ucnU9wOvoJmvJarS81emHou1_b3u12/s320/IMG_0678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maris Otter Pudding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyQkeEJNOyfRj4Odzk8G6437Iayx7gNbcAovEJ_SWdX2Kowo4hJr_8A7CVIZQw2w05Qtg4v0UPPjXHU47oM3bJV86Q95W-YqjldCrsSVs7dkfBwGVnC5tBAvEX3K4iwPX79ddtRmIfj8V/s1600/IMG_0679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyQkeEJNOyfRj4Odzk8G6437Iayx7gNbcAovEJ_SWdX2Kowo4hJr_8A7CVIZQw2w05Qtg4v0UPPjXHU47oM3bJV86Q95W-YqjldCrsSVs7dkfBwGVnC5tBAvEX3K4iwPX79ddtRmIfj8V/s320/IMG_0679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fixings!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The final dessert (sadly I didn’t get a picture of this) was
inspired by maple syrup farmer in Quebec. Sugar on Snow is a traditional
dessert in many areas of the country that make maple syrup. The towns used to
have Sugar on Snow parties to celebrate, heating the syrup and putting it on
snow creates a sweet and chewy dessert treat.
So our final dessert was a trough of ice. We were given a stick (like
from a tree) and the waiter poured two long lines of piping hot maple syrup on
the “snow.” We were directed to place our sticks firmly on one side of the
syrup line and then roll. A maple syrup lollipop was created and we popped the
sweet syrup taffy candy into our mouths. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were asked if we wanted any coffee, as it was 12:30 and
we were hoping to pop next door to Aviary for a special drink, I opted for a cup
and The Husband asked if we could get a table next door. As I finished my cup, we were informed that
our table was ready and were then escorted across the hall.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We sat down and our favorite waiter and waitress were
working that evening. It’s not on the menu, but at the time The Aviary has a
special beer that it had brewed with Mikkeller called The Forager. You had to
ask to have the beer, and even then, you may or may not have been told they had
it. The Husband batted his long
eyelashes and they brought him a bottle.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
The Forager is a stout brewed with deliciously decadent <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/black-truffle-beer-9712172">black
truffle</a> (they’re $800 for a pound). The flavor was earthy and wonderful.
The bottles are small and expensive, but if you’re a stout fan, or a black
truffle fan (who isn’t?!) then you should most definitely get a bottle. They’ve now released the beer as part of
their series, so you don’t have to cross your fingers and hope they say “YES!”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Per usual, we closed the place down. And, as always, I had an amazing evening dining and drinking with The Husband.</div>
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The next Next menu is Vegan. After seeing what they've done
with the “Foraging” dishes during The Hunt, I’m incredibly excited to see what
is to come.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihud4CESWBU0D9f-T6dp-s74FuCrti_XGb3fwymSj583mANNrE-KkUzyEXhJ2JPSwokML2wSMcLWHZYOtds2tLiFqP-pJHgGqZE8jp9AYLzsS5fFTdn29lUdXM172Ku0i47a3P9QZH5-Zy/s1600/IMG_0682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihud4CESWBU0D9f-T6dp-s74FuCrti_XGb3fwymSj583mANNrE-KkUzyEXhJ2JPSwokML2wSMcLWHZYOtds2tLiFqP-pJHgGqZE8jp9AYLzsS5fFTdn29lUdXM172Ku0i47a3P9QZH5-Zy/s320/IMG_0682.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPId2gzMUh1jztFjPyvPLgVv95_PS5NAMwQeUkYbK2v2ThYUBqRQAbvKLFY6gZ7L4_U5FppSSTuebzrfBWcHrk6qdvHc05u891cg4R7T8WcK8PMCpH53IUJ-sAh256EIi_Du-X1nAleSGU/s1600/IMG_0683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPId2gzMUh1jztFjPyvPLgVv95_PS5NAMwQeUkYbK2v2ThYUBqRQAbvKLFY6gZ7L4_U5FppSSTuebzrfBWcHrk6qdvHc05u891cg4R7T8WcK8PMCpH53IUJ-sAh256EIi_Du-X1nAleSGU/s320/IMG_0683.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Menu </td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-25058101229518154432013-03-31T13:43:00.002-05:002013-03-31T13:43:45.417-05:00Yeah, I Made Cadbury Creme Eggs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yAXuLmARURcQkaI8Gv-c2mOtEOSVd848xYxgwspOeTX-301M78udG0jCjfwrSSGiK8T5D1y4aaX5RakArkWorVrNNgIXjyuy5oc2Re2c-mM_gyIksyQaXNkE6cXEsyATUuTToTxPZ_wx/s1600/Cadbury+Eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yAXuLmARURcQkaI8Gv-c2mOtEOSVd848xYxgwspOeTX-301M78udG0jCjfwrSSGiK8T5D1y4aaX5RakArkWorVrNNgIXjyuy5oc2Re2c-mM_gyIksyQaXNkE6cXEsyATUuTToTxPZ_wx/s320/Cadbury+Eggs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Husband has always loved Cadbury Creme Eggs; along with Reese's mini-eggs, they are his springtime candy favorites. However, since Cadbury was acquired by Hershey, the Creme Egg recipe hasn't been the same.<br />
<br />
Per The Husband, the insides are grittier than they used to be. Instead of a smooth creamy "egg" center, he claims he can feel the sugar. And it appears that he is not alone in this, Facebook pages have popped up, articles have been written, people are very very emotionally attached to the Cadbury Eggs. Take a few seconds and Google "Cadbury Creme Egg Change Complaints" and you'll see page after page of people writing about this particular subject.<br />
<br />
So when I came across a recipe on the Food52 Blog for DIY Cadbury Creme Eggs, I thought I'd try it. I changed the chocolate mixture, but otherwise kept it pretty close to the original. The most challenging thing for me was to find Golden Syrup. I could have ordered it on Amazon, but I work in The Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago and we have a gourmet cooking shop in the building. So during a much needed break from work on Friday, I wandered down the way to The Chopping Block and inquired about Golden Syrup.<br />
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After Googling it and finally looking it up in some large dictionary of "What is this ingredient" (that I need to have...) we were able to find that the Golden Syrup I was looking for was also Steen's "Southern Made"; it cost me $2 and was worth the 10 minutes of trying to explain what it was I was looking for. <br />
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Making the insides was pretty easy. Honestly, the most difficult part of this whole process was keeping the "inside" cold enough to mold. The warmer it got, the stickier it got and the harder it was to do anything with it other than want to wash it from your hands. And because of that, it was the most time consuming part.<br />
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The other important thing I should tell you, the mixture is going to be really sweet. When I tasted it after making it, I wasn't sure how it was going to work out. Trust me though, once it's dipped in the chocolate, it really tastes fantastic (although if you dip pretty much anything in good chocolate, it's going to taste fantastic).....<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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½ Cup Golden Syrup<br />6 TBS Butter, softened<br />½ TSP Salt<br />1 Vanilla Bean, remove the seeds and use those (toss the pod)<br />1 TSP Vanilla<br />3 Cup Powdered Sugar<br />½ TSP Yellow Food Coloring<br />1/2 Cup of Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (go with Ghiradelli) <div>
1/2 Cup of Semisweet Chocolate (go with Ghiradelli)</div>
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Toothpicks!</div>
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You should use a mixer, either a stand (use the paddle attachment if you've got a stand) or a hand-held one for this, it helps get the creaminess quicker. If you don't have one, just be prepared to beat the living hell out of this stuff. </div>
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Beat the butter until it's creamy, around 2 minutes. Then add the golden syrup, salt, vanilla seeds, and vanilla extract and mix on medium-low and mix well.</div>
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Once everything is mixed, turn the mixer on low (trust me, you don't want powdered sugar all over the place) and slowly add the powdered sugar to the mix. It's going to go from very liquid to a more solid, fondant-like texture. Incorporate all of the sugar and make sure none remains on the sides of the mixing bowl. </div>
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Take 1/4 of the sugar mixture, and place it in a smaller bowl. Add the food coloring and mix until it's totally combined.</div>
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Place both of the sugar mixtures in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are totally chilled and cool and slightly hard to the touch.</div>
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Remove the yellow mixture first, and place wax paper on a plate. With a 1/2 TSP, scoop out the mixture, and quickly roll into a ball. Again, if the mixture starts getting warm, it stops doing what you want. So roll quickly and place on wax paper. If it gets too sticky, then just throw it back in the freezer for a bit. You should get around 10-12 yolks</div>
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Once all of the yolks are rolled, put them in the freezer and pull out the whites.</div>
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You will use a 1/2 TBS for this one. Scoop and roll. Toss them back in the freezer for another 10 minutes and then pull out. Quickly take each ball, and place your thumb into it, making a niche for the yolk to go into. You should get around 10-12 whites.</div>
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I left these in the freezer for a good hour before I moved onto the next step (but that was because I was making dinner). </div>
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Again, being quick, drop the yolk into the white and quickly roll the sides up to cover the yolk. This doesn't have to be perfect since it's all getting covered in chocolate, but get it as covered as possible and roll the whole thing into an egg like shape. </div>
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When you're finished, pop them back in the freezer. I left mine overnight and then made the chocolate in the morning, you can start the next step once the egg is no longer tacky when you touch it.</div>
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The final stage in this process is tempering the chocolate. If you know how to temper chocolate, drop down two paragraphs, if not, read on. It's not too hard, it just involves a whole lot of stirring.</div>
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If you have a double boiler, you can use that. I don't, so I use a small sauce pan, fill it with water and wait for it to boil. Once it's boiling, I use a glass (it MUST be glass) bowl with a curved bottom. I put 1/4 cup or bittersweet and semisweet chocolate into this bowl and place it over the boiling pot. </div>
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Be careful, because the bowl can get hot. You will stir the chocolate until it starts to melt. As soon as it begins to melt, take it off the boiling pot, place it on a counter inside a nest of dish towels and begin to add the remaining chocolate. Don't dump it all in, but add 1/4 cup at a time, and stir like a maniac. The chocolate will melt and become really shiny. This is what you want.</div>
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Take you eggs out of the freezer, place a toothpick at the base of every egg. Dip the eggs into the chocolate, making sure to cover as much of the egg as you can. Place the chocolate covered egg on a wax lined sheet. Once every egg is covered, place them in the refrigerator for five minutes. </div>
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The chocolate should be cooled, hard and shiny at this point. Slowly pull the toothpicks out from each egg and cover the hole with the remaining chocolate. </div>
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Put back in the refrigerator and keep there until you're ready to serve.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-24187357502480925082013-03-25T15:02:00.004-05:002013-03-25T16:23:08.263-05:00Lie to Me: Chocolate Shortbread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I love baking. I think it's a lot of fun. However (and I know this will shock most of you....ha) I somehow manage to pick rather complicated recipes whenever I bake (or cook). I can't just buy a frozen crust, I have to make my own, I can't just use a box mix, I have to make a triple layer <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/04/devils-food-cake-peanut-butter-cup.html">Devils Food Cookie Dough Peanut Cutter Cup Cake</a>. I some how manage to make a One-Pot Meal into a Three-Pot Meal and have the four dirty spoons and spatulas to boot.</div>
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So it's always hard for me to be able to temper myself, especially when I'm having people over for dinner. I have a tendency to do three too much. It always turns out well, but I end up getting all harried right before everyone shows up.</div>
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On these occasions I do have a few quick dessert fall-backs one of which is a super delicious Chocolate Shortbread Recipe. Everyone thinks I spent AGES on it, but it's super fast and incredibly delicious. And honestly, I know I should lie and say "Yes, it took hours" but I don't....maybe next time.</div>
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This recipe can be made in advance and people always love it.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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2 Cups of Flour<br />
1/2 Cup Sugar + extra for sprinkling<br />
1/2 TSP Baking Soda<br />
1 TSP Baking Powder<br />
1/2 TSP Salt<br />
1 Cup of Milk Chocolate Chips (I generally go with Ghiradelli and use a little less than half of the bag...I like it chocolaty chippy)<br />
2 1x1 Squares of Semi Sweet Chocolate (I use Bakers)<br />
1 2/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream</div>
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<br />
Large Cookie Cutter. Avoid something with lots of tight edges (like stars) the dough gets stuck in there easily. I use a flower, you can use the mouth of a pint glass and make circles</div>
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<br />
Strawberry's<br />
Whipped Cream!</div>
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Preheat Oven to 325</div>
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Shave the semi sweet chocolate (don't use cocoa powder, trust me, freshly shaved chocolate really makes the cookie). You can either use a grater or zester or if you have a Cuisinart, you can use that too (it will save you time!). You want it to be a thin shave though, so don't use the large holed side of the cheese grater, use the smaller side. This is going to take a bit, maybe 10 minutes or so.</div>
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In a bowl, add flour, sugar, shaved semi sweet chocolate, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir it together. Add the chocolate chips and mix. Just a heads up, the dough is going to look really light. Once you add the cream, it will get much much darker.<br />
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From here, I recommend mixing this by hand, but if you use a mixer make sure not to over mix. </div>
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Add the heavy cream and mix until it forms a tacky dough. This should be around a minute at most of hand mixing. </div>
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Roll the dough into a ball and place on a clean, flat, well floured surface.</div>
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Roll the dough ball in the flour. The color will change from a dark chocolate to a dusty brown.</div>
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If you choose to refrigerate overnight, you can take this dough ball and place it in an airtight container.</div>
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If you are going to make immediately, add more flower to the surface and roll the dough. Be careful to keep flouring, this dough can get really sticky and it will be a pain in the butt to get off the surface, it will stick to your rolling pin and will make the whole process longer. </div>
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Honestly, when it comes to rolling this dough, there's never enough flour.</div>
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Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thick and start cutting out your shapes. Take the scraps, roll them in a ball and repeat the process until you don't have any dough left. My flowers were a little bigger than the size of my palm and I was able to get 8 total cookies from my dough. </div>
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If you have a pizza stone, you can place the cookies on that, if you have baking sheets, line then with parchment and place the cookies on that. Before popping the dough in the oven, take a tablespoon (or two or if you're like me a handful) of sugar and sprinkle generously on top of each of the cookies.</div>
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Bake for 20 minutes. They should puff up and be a little firm to the touch.</div>
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If you're not serving immediately, let them cool and throw them into a zip lock bag in your refrigerator. Pull them out right before you serve.</div>
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If you are serving immediately, cut strawberries and add some fresh whipped cream and serve on top of the stars along with some additional shaved semi-sweet chocolate!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-36275474585465254352013-03-13T10:53:00.001-05:002013-03-13T10:56:46.473-05:00Put Andouille On It!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As it is Wintertime, I do enjoy a good soup. I have a tendency to fall back on favorites, <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/01/on-cold-winters-night.html">Tomato Soup and Open Face Veggie Sandwiches</a>, <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2011/10/oooooh-spicy-meatball.html">Italian Wedding Soup</a> ,some deliciously comforting <a href="http://foodisapersonalchoice.blogspot.com/2012/01/garden-in-your-bowl.html">Ribollita</a>, or just a hardy bowl of The Big G’s Lentil Soup, however The Husband does get tired of this list. And well he should, most people don’t have the same love of soup and sandwiches that I do. Honestly, I would probably eat either a bowl of good soup or a great sandwich for every meal if I could. I’ve always been like that.<br />
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So I try to change it up once in a while, so The Husband doesn’t grow that weary of my obsession. When I came across this recipe in the Food52 blog, I thought it was something we both could enjoy. I changed a few things, simply because I didn’t have some of them when I made this, or because I thought that three tablespoons of ketchup is just really unappealing. <br />
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In the end, both The Husband and I were happy. As a matter of fact, The Husband was eating this and turned and said “You can make this any time you want…ever.” I fear he may have said that too soon. It will be added to the soup rotation. Although Winter is ending and with it goes hardy soup season….But I’m fairly confident that it will be made at least one more time this season and for sure the winter of 2013-2014 will see a few bowls of this one. <br />
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Ingredients: <br />
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1 1/2 cup lentils <br />
2 Bay Leaves <br />
2 TBS olive oil, divided <br />
1 LB Andouille Sausage (uncooked and whole) <br />
1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped <br />
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced <br />
3 Celery Stalks, Chopped <br />
1 TBS Marjoram <br />
2 Cups of Chopped Baby Carrots <br />
4 Cups Low sodium Chicken Stock <br />
1 TBS organic ketchup <br />
1 Small Bag of Baby Spinach <br />
¼ cup chopped parsley <br />
Salt and pepper, to taste <br />
Red wine vinegar, to taste <br />
Crusty French Bread <br />
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The morning of, pour lentils into a bowl and fill with water; let them soak for the day. I generally do this before I leave for work. <br />
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When you’re ready to cook, in a large pot (I use my round <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-round-dutch-oven/">Dutch Oven</a>), heat the olive oil, bay leaves and sausage. Cook the sausages until they are almost totally cooked through, there should be a tiny bit of pink in the center if you cut into one. This should be around 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the sausage slices with a slotted spoon and set them aside, making sure to keep all of that delicious fat inside.<br />
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Cook the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot with the sausage fat. Cook until they are softened, around 15 minutes or so, make sure you keep stirring so that the vegetables don’t brown. Strain the lentils from the bowl and make sure there are no stones. Add the chicken stock, lentils, marjoram and stir well, continuing to cook. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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Once you’ve added the lentil, cut the sausages up into ½ inch pieces and add them, along with the Ketchup and stir.<br />
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Let the soup cook on medium low heat for forty minutes (so that the soup is simmering). Making sure you stir occasionally. If the lentils start to suck up all of the liquid, add some more broth, or a little water. <br />
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Cook until the carrots are tender. Taste the soup, if it needs more salt or pepper, add now.<br />
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Add the spinach and the parsley.<br />
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When serving, you can put a dash of red wine vinegar on the soup. It adds a really nice tartness to the soup. <br />
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Serve with some warmed, crusty French bread and enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-47390383804090147972013-03-12T17:25:00.003-05:002013-03-12T17:26:54.277-05:00Cheddar Biscuits and Waygu Beef <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Growing up, I never had a casserole, I never had a potpie, I'm pretty sure I also never had Jell-o salad or any of those super "American" foods that you see at All American barbecues. I'm sure there's a laundry list of typical foods that most families grow up eating in some variation that my family didn't have. Honestly, I don't feel like I've missed anything and I've never really had the desire to eat them. Again, maybe it's because I just didn't ever have them growing up, but I lack any form of nostalgia for them. A nostalgic dinner to me is The Dad's gravy (meatballs and sausage in a red sauce served over ravioli) or The Mom's comforting shredded beef (beef round that's flambéed and then slow cooked in beef broth and served on kaiser rolls with provolone cheese).<br />
<br />
On the other hand, The Husband grew up with more of these traditional foods. So when I come across a recipe that seems like it would be in his wheelhouse (but also goes with things I enjoy) I try to make them. This potpie recipe stood out because it doesn't use the typical cream or milk that many other recipes call for. I decided to use Waygu beef instead of the typical ground chuck because I thought it would add a nice flavor and also it fancies up the dish a little.<br />
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It isn't as gooey inside as most potpies, but the root vegetables really add an amazing flavor and the biscuits are quick and easy to make. They're so easy in fact, that I made them on their own a few days later. I just dropped them into a round cake pan and cooked them for 40 minutes.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<br />
1 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cubed<br />
1/4 cup canola oil<br />
1 Large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped<br />
1 Small Bag of Baby Carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />
3 Large Parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />
Salt and freshly ground pepper<br />
1 LB Waygu Beef<br />
1 1/2 TSP chopped thyme<br />
1 1/2 TSP chopped rosemary<br />
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour<br />
3 Cups of 2% Milk<br />
1 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth<br />
One 10-ounce package frozen peas<br />
2 Cups of good Sharp Cheddar Shredded or grated. You want to avoid pre-shredded cheese here, it's not going to be as good. Take the few minutes and shred your own cheese, trust me on this one.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 450°, make sure one rack is at the lower third of the oven and one is at the top third. Make sure that you put foil at the bottom of your oven to catch the drips. This will bubble over and make a mess of the bottom of your oven!<br />
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In a large pot, melt 2 TBS of the butter in the oil. Add the onion, carrots and parsnips; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, this can take up to 15 minutes Add the beef, thyme and rosemary and cook over moderately high heat. This goes without saying, but make sure you break the meat up, you don't want a block of meat in the middle of your vegetables. Stir in 1/4 cup of the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the milk and the stock and simmer until thickened, this should be around 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, it's going to come about 3/4 of the way up, maybe a little more.</div>
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In a Cuisinart put the remaining 2 cups of flour and the remaining butter, mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheddar, hit pulse until the cheddar is incorporated and finally add in the remaining 1 cup of milk until a smooth dough forms. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and arrange roughly 18 mounds of the biscuit dough on the filling of your baking dish.</div>
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Bake the pie on the top rack of the oven for 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the biscuits are cooked through. It's going to be really hot, so make sure you let the potpies rest for 10 minutes before serving. And enjoy!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMwFMCL9lzQnTJb283VY_Xl3JYPiT9ZEOpbhBQn5QCpkTdw2AVsv3OS9jnKYUriLG2yr52FIb_y_Wq5Q-dgERDc_5ABHUsRrAhnLTyr-jYA9WGA4MGuANyUrX1evYetS9vumbUcT9G-sn/s1600/IMAG1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMwFMCL9lzQnTJb283VY_Xl3JYPiT9ZEOpbhBQn5QCpkTdw2AVsv3OS9jnKYUriLG2yr52FIb_y_Wq5Q-dgERDc_5ABHUsRrAhnLTyr-jYA9WGA4MGuANyUrX1evYetS9vumbUcT9G-sn/s320/IMAG1075.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's delicious cold too!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1762643285987662663.post-84301070098489750782013-03-03T20:19:00.001-06:002013-03-04T10:10:44.310-06:00The Three Milks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When it comes to picking a dessert when we are out at a restaurant, The Husband is a good man. His palate leans towards fruit desserts, one of his favorites is Key Lime Pie. I, on the other hand, am a hard core chocolate lover. If the dessert is called Death By Chocolate, I will take that challenge and be happy if the outcome is what the dessert is called. More often than not, The Husband will forgo his fruit dessert in order to share some chocolaty deliciousness with me. Whenever we come to this dessert conundrum and The Husband selects the chocolate, I'm reminded of why I love him so much. <br />
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I came across this recipe for Tres Leches and thought that it would be a good way to split our difference. Part of why Th Husband enjoys fruit desserts is because they're light, part of why I enjoy chocolate desserts is the sweetness (and obviously the chocolate....). I wanted to try something a little different that played to some of the things that we enjoy. Also, it has strawberries, so The Husband gets his fruit too.</div>
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This dessert is great. You make it, throw it in the refrigerator and eat it the next day or the day after, or the day after. The longer it soaks, the better for you. </div>
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Ingredients: </div>
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1 1/2 Cup Flour<br />
2 TSP Baking Powder<br />
1/2 TSP Salt<br />
3 Eggs at Room Temp<br />
1 Cup Sugar<br />
2 TSP Vanilla Extract<br />
1/2 Cup Whole Milk, at room temperature<br />
1 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream<br />
One 12-ounce can evaporated milk<br />
1 Cinnamon Stick<br />
One 14-ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk<br />
1/2 TSP Ground Cinnamon<br />
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Topping:<br />
1 pint strawberries, thinly sliced<br />
1/4 Cup Sugar<br />
Sweetened whipped cream and thinly sliced mint leaves, for serving</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350.<br />
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Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.</div>
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Whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. If you use a mixer, use the paddle attachment, if you're going it by hand (more power to you!), beat the eggs with the sugar and 1 TSP of the vanilla at a medium high speed for around 10 minutes or so. The egg mixture should get light and fluffy. Slowly add half of the flour mixture until it's just mixed it (don't over mix). Slowly then add the whole milk and then mix in the rest of the flour. </div>
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Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch. </div>
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Transfer the baking dish to a rack and let the cake cool/</div>
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While it's cooling, take a medium sauce pan and whisk the cream in with the evaporated milk and cinnamon Bring it to a boil, and make sure you keep whisking it, or else the milk will scorch Once it's boiling, reduce the heat the low, let it simmer for 3 minutes and then take it off the heat. Cover the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes.</div>
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In a separate heatproof bowl, combine the condensed milk with the remainder of the vanilla and the ground cinnamon. Remove the cinnamon stick from the heated cream mixture and combine it with the condensed milk mixture. Let cool for 20 minutes.</div>
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Using a fork, poke holes all over the cooled cake. This is going to help get the milk mixture deep into the cake, so have fun and poke a whole lot of holes in there. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the entire cake. The mixture is going to come really close covering the entire top of the cake, but may not get the center of it initially That's okay. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but I would tell you at least overnight.</div>
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Right before you serve the cake, toss the strawberries with the sugar. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.</div>
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When you serve the cake, add the strawberrys, mint and whipped cream and enjoy!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15655340897637604732noreply@blogger.com1