tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74663355390324166992024-03-14T06:12:28.435-04:00Life's too short not to eat dessert firstLife is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-79553549551343780312011-09-06T09:38:00.000-04:002011-09-06T09:38:43.410-04:00Tropical Crumble (TwD 8/16/2011)Despite the fact that this crumble contained bananas - the most repugnant fruit on the planet, I found it was rather tasty. It is a much better use for a banana than banana bread.<br />
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It was quite easy to put together and baked up in no time. My only issue was with the streusel topping. Imagine my surprise at that, considering that I absolutely adore streusel toppings. I found this one to be a bit too heavy on the butter, though. It really did not make that much of a topping. I felt the butter melted into the filling and did not make a crunchy topping - and that is what I feel streusel should do. In fact, I only used one-half of the streusel on this dish. I saved the other half and mixed it with some oats, flour and additional pecans to make a topping for a blueberry-peach crisp I made last week. Sorry - forgot to take photos of that. It was delicious.<br />
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As easy as this is, I cannot imagine myself ever making this again. I despise bananas and I am not overly impressed with the mango. In fact, I am going over to the despising side of mangoes simply because I find them so annoying to cut up. I don't have a mango cutter and I am not going to invest in one just for the few mango recipes that Dorie uses. So, I'm always trying to slice right up against the seed and I either don't cut deeply enough or I cut too deeply. <br />
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I was glad to find, however, that there is a method to making bananas more palateable.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUvtqunTiwA/TmYiKcPp-aI/AAAAAAAAAgY/8sGczjEVFmg/s1600/Tropical+Crumble+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lUvtqunTiwA/TmYiKcPp-aI/AAAAAAAAAgY/8sGczjEVFmg/s200/Tropical+Crumble+003.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div>Sorry about the lousy photo - it was night and I was tired - plus I am not a good food photographer. Maybe one day . . .Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-63087047473097940842011-07-22T11:09:00.000-04:002011-07-22T11:09:55.727-04:00TwD: Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake (6/7/2011)Wow, time really does fly, doesn't it? No matter if you are having fun or not - before you know it a month or more has gone by and you haven't posted a notice. <br />
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As per usual, I have been baking (for the most part) along with the group, I just haven't been posting my results.<br />
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I made this cake several weeks ago and took it into work with me. It was highly popular, moist, tender and chock-full of berries, in fact, I think the next time I make it, I may cut back a tad on the berries. It was so popular my only photo is of an empty pan! <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYkqa5rJdXk/TimQXge_dRI/AAAAAAAAAgM/CKKaS5rLsWs/s1600/Blueberry+Plain+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yYkqa5rJdXk/TimQXge_dRI/AAAAAAAAAgM/CKKaS5rLsWs/s200/Blueberry+Plain+Cake.jpg" t$="true" width="200px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just the crumbs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In case you have never seen a Magic Line pan, I wanted you to see it. I have two now - an eight inch square and a nine inch square. These pans are fabulous. They release really well, they are perfectly square and brownies or cakes baked in them just come out as evenly baked as anyone could want. I got mine at Sur La Table and plan to get a couple more of both sizes so that I can do square layer cakes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This recipe was selected for us by Cindy of <a href="http://cgharris.blogspot.com/">Everyday Insanity</a>. The recipe is posted on her superlative site . . . but you know I expected you to have purchased the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_47?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=baking+from+my+home+to+yours+by+dorie+greenspan&sprefix=baking+from+my+home+to+yours+by+dorie+greenspan">Book</a> long before now!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-72028543073812875022011-05-30T21:16:00.000-04:002011-05-30T21:16:29.160-04:00FFwD: Bacon, Egg and Asparagus salad (5/20/2011)I have been hoarding the last of my Agriberry asparagus to make this salad. I finally remembered to buy eggs at the Farmer's Market this week. Last night I made half this salad for dinner. As I love dressing I made the entire amount of that. I used about half of it last night and the rest on my luncheon salad today. Normally, vinegrettes are not my favorites but this one was really good. I was not able to find sherry vinegar so I subbed in cider vinegar and it was quite tasty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VN2oHuAuTVg/TeRAUq490dI/AAAAAAAAAfw/U9aNlpt6dlw/s1600/Bacon%252C+Egg+and+Asparagus+Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VN2oHuAuTVg/TeRAUq490dI/AAAAAAAAAfw/U9aNlpt6dlw/s200/Bacon%252C+Egg+and+Asparagus+Salad.jpg" t8="true" width="200px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm fresh eggs, thick sliced bacon, yum!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Either Dorrie likes her asparagus cooked more than I do or her thicker spears were/are a lot thicker than mine, but I found four minutes to be far too long to cook the asparagus. I don't generally boil asparagus, I usually steam it for about two minutes but I went ahead and boiled it for four minutes. I definitely thought it was overcooked. Other than that, I was delighted with this salad. I am not a soft-boiled egg kind of gal, so I faced that idea with a bit of a queasy stomach, but I trust Dorrie and persevered. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I thought my eggs were so pretty. How bright and colorful are these yolks? They are almost orange! If it has an influence (and to the best of my knowledge, it does not) these eggs were brown shelled.</div> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The salad greens I used came from the BJs superstore. They were sold in a large tub (isn't everything?) and marked artisan lettuce (I believe). At any rate, the tub contained some six heads of different "exotic" lettuces which were/are quite lovely. It contained a head of frisse, two heads of something with reddish leaves and three heads of some other green lettuces. I am (obviously) not a lettuce officianado so I do not know the other particulars. If the list of lettuces contained was printed on the packaging, I never noticed it. However, I am quite enjoying this selection and do highly recommend it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I used thick sliced bacon - I think it is Oscar Meyer - just some grocery store brand, but it worked out quite well, also. </div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-42403550941618023762011-05-30T18:57:00.000-04:002011-05-30T18:57:28.973-04:00FFwD: Cardamom Rice Pilaf (05/27/2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mk9SuivY_Gk/TeQgNKRatqI/AAAAAAAAAfs/gcD1PRekNUE/s1600/Cardamom+Rice+Pilaf+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mk9SuivY_Gk/TeQgNKRatqI/AAAAAAAAAfs/gcD1PRekNUE/s320/Cardamom+Rice+Pilaf+002.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div>When are they going to invent the ability to send odors across the internet? You would swoon to smell this fragrant rice dish. It was divine. I served it with tender asparagus spears and baked fish fillets. Yummy. I don't remember how many servings Dorrie told us to expect, but I got two. I had half the rice for dinner and the other half for lunch the next day. Did I tell you I love cardamom? Yep, it is my fave. It even makes rice, which is generally a chore to consume, quite the pleasure. I make have to try cardamom mashed potatoes - it doesn't sound very appealing - but really - two great items? It must be killer - I will let you know.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-60429271562890687862011-05-30T18:52:00.000-04:002011-05-30T18:52:35.367-04:00FFwD: Spinach and Bacon Quiche (05/13/2011)You know what the problem with doing the recipes ahead of time is? You forget to post them on time. I must work on my timing. It is abysmal. I am somewhat ahead of the recipes for June, also. Anyone care to take bets on when these little devils will be posted?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3fM6IJ9LY4/TeQfD3LNT3I/AAAAAAAAAfk/WdzFSYMIGMk/s1600/Spinach+and+Bacon+Quiche+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l3fM6IJ9LY4/TeQfD3LNT3I/AAAAAAAAAfk/WdzFSYMIGMk/s320/Spinach+and+Bacon+Quiche+001.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinach Bacon Quiche - Golden Brown Goodness</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Spinach and bacon quiche. I enjoyed you immensely when I parook of you, lo these many weeks ago. I recall you were ridiculously easy to toss together. I had only one minor issue - well, okay two. As is ususal for me, my crust refused to my instructions not to slither down into the pan. What do I have to do to get a crust that remains firmly upright in my tart pan? I know, I know Dorrie the crust goddess implores me not to pull on my crust as this pulling will show up later as shrinkage. I try, really, I try to gently lay the crust into the pan, to ease the excess crust around the pan and to allow ample time for cooling in the fridge or the freezer. I thought I had done all of these things, but shrinkage I had. I also had a mighty tasty shell for my quiche so all is not lost in my land of tart shell assemblage. I shall continue to endeavor to create both a beautiful and tasty shell in the future. But, until both of these qualities merge for me, I am grateful that I at least have the later down pat.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ObSpiu43RQE/TeQfIDVyStI/AAAAAAAAAfo/xvS-teEH-pM/s1600/Spinach+and+Bacon+Quiche+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ObSpiu43RQE/TeQfIDVyStI/AAAAAAAAAfo/xvS-teEH-pM/s320/Spinach+and+Bacon+Quiche+003.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A thin slice of deliciousness</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I prefer my quiches to be of the plumper filling variety. I did find that my cravings were not satisfied after eating a serving of this quiche. I would very much recommend accompanying this quiche with a salad or you will be back looking for more fairly soon after eating your fair share. With all of the bacon and spinach - you can see there was little room for the egg!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-59938845329896030042011-05-28T17:06:00.001-04:002011-05-28T18:33:38.874-04:00TWD: Oatmeal nutmeg Scones (5/24/2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">These may be my favorite scones that we have made so far. I thought they were incredibly delicate in flavor and texture. I made mini-scones, stealing the idea from one of the other bakers. I<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5t2GoCDZ43U/TeF2ETZc9pI/AAAAAAAAAfg/upBWokCq2J4/s1600/Oatmeal+Nutmeg+Scones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5t2GoCDZ43U/TeF2ETZc9pI/AAAAAAAAAfg/upBWokCq2J4/s200/Oatmeal+Nutmeg+Scones.jpg" t8="true" width="150px" /></a>'ve had my mini-scone pan for a number of years, but I don't use it very often. I love the idea of mini-scones, but I hate cleaning the individual little indentations of the pan. It might not be such a pan if the pan weren't so heavy, but it is and they are, so mini-scones don't hit my play plan all that often. I have got to stop being such a lazy slob because mini-scones are absolutely adorable.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I checked my stash of dried fruit and all I had were a variety of raisins, none of which struck my fancy and some dried pineapple, dried paypaya and dried banana chips - I found the thought of any of those repugnant with nutmeg, so I elected to stick with the recipe as written. I was very glad I did. The oatmeal sort of stuck up on me and would give a bit of substance to the bite just as I was thinking, oh these are almost too light. Nope here came oatmeal to say, wait a minute there missy - too light? I think not, here is a bit of down to earth flavor for your little teeth to mull over. They were not too light - not too heavy - just right. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you are so foolish that you do not own this book, you can find the recipe on Patricia's lovely site: <a href="http://lifewithawhisk.blogspot.com/">Life with a whisk</a>.</div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-54094438880650526352011-05-28T12:54:00.000-04:002011-05-28T12:54:52.271-04:00Basic marbled Loaf (5/3/2011)I elected to bake the coffee/cardamom variation of this week's selection. Cardamom is fast becoming my very favorite spice. I don't know what my very favorite spice used to be, but now it is far and away cardamom. Lemon is still my favorite flavor profile, followed very closely by mint and then chocolate - but cardamom is such a delightful spice - it works so well in both the sweet and savory world, how can it be beat? And, when paired with coffee? As Tony the Tiger would say . . . it's terrifficcccc - I have no idea how many rr's ff's or cc's Tony would have inserted so I have randomly sprinkled my word, terrific, with so many that I had to use a dictionary to remember how to properly spell it when I wanted to use it correctly!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l5ILNYNzU8g/TeEntMfzjWI/AAAAAAAAAfY/HzbjcfTYOrQ/s1600/Basic+Marbled+Loaf+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l5ILNYNzU8g/TeEntMfzjWI/AAAAAAAAAfY/HzbjcfTYOrQ/s320/Basic+Marbled+Loaf+002.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div>As per usual, I got carried away when it came to the marbling, so I ended up with something more asking to blobbing it. My bad. The taste of the cardamom was wonderful, but it really overwhelmed the coffee flavoring. The scent of the coffee was there, but the flavor of the coffee was essentially non-existent. I'll up that ante when I try this cake again.<br />
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Carol from <a href="http://thebakemore.blogspot.com/">The Bake More</a> was our hostess and she posted the recipe on that blog, but you purchased the book, right?Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-50978303785198381842011-05-28T10:18:00.001-04:002011-05-28T12:55:30.548-04:00TWD: Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits (5/17/2011)I fully expected not to enjoy these biscuits. I really don't care for the flavor of maple, but either Dorrie has finally made a convert of me or the maple syrup I last purchased was not of superior flavor or the flavor just wasn't pronounced in these little gems. Either way, I quite liked these. I already knew that I love the bite that cornmeal imparts to things like biscuits and biscotti so that was a done deal the maple surprise was an added bonus.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-54R-FtmBL_Q/TeEDK18Ai2I/AAAAAAAAAfU/aHGjLpaC4Wo/s1600/Maple+Cornmeal+Drop+Biscuits+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-54R-FtmBL_Q/TeEDK18Ai2I/AAAAAAAAAfU/aHGjLpaC4Wo/s320/Maple+Cornmeal+Drop+Biscuits+002.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div>Additionally, I am quite the lazy cook, so I liked not needing to take the time to roll, cut and shape this dough. A quick scoop and plop onto the baking sheet and my biscuits were ready for their appearance in the oven. They looked quite nice - very uniform - I love scoop baking. I have several sizes for (hopefully) any and all occasions. I used my medium scoop on these, I believe. I got twelve as I recall.<br />
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This recipe was chosen for us by Lindsey of <a href="http://www.marthaiaint.blogspot.com/">A little something . . . sweet</a> and she posted the recipe there, check it out.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-56781535517102501292011-04-22T17:24:00.001-04:002011-05-03T12:11:48.199-04:00FFwD: Mustard BatonsWell, I definitely cannot twirl these batons - at least not as a majorette's baton is twirled - I could perhaps twirl these as Groucho would once twirl his cigar - but it isn't about the twirling - it is about the eating. And, as Alton would say, these are Good Eats.<br />
<div style="border: medium none;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAFFKxnY_m0/TbHxjmQZrgI/AAAAAAAAAfE/9dN7BBa5a5s/s1600/Mustard+Batons+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TAFFKxnY_m0/TbHxjmQZrgI/AAAAAAAAAfE/9dN7BBa5a5s/s320/Mustard+Batons+005.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;">Supremely easy to make, they can be frozen until needed, and apparently you can fill them with items far more exotic than mere mustard!</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">I am a plebeian, though, so mine were filled with mustard, as the instructions indicated. I used a grainy Dijon in half my batons and a regular Dijon in the other half. I baked a few of each for sampling. I quite enjoyed them both, but the ones with the grainy mustard are far superior. They have a much more pronounced taste - I also believe I did not use enough mustard. I squirted it on or spread it on, instead of measuring out the proper amount and I think I could have upped the baton's contents by at least another third, if not entirely by half.</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cbUGwvGg_mc/TbHxmUf7DhI/AAAAAAAAAfI/QmNcNxSE8-k/s1600/Mustard+Batons+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cbUGwvGg_mc/TbHxmUf7DhI/AAAAAAAAAfI/QmNcNxSE8-k/s320/Mustard+Batons+002.jpg" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batons masquerading as NE Doggie Rolls</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I love the idea of spreading them with other things, a tampenade, as Dorie suggests or a pesto as someone else suggested. And, then filling them with non-savory items is also a possibility. They are a great finger food. <br />
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All we need to do is add our imagination to the possible contents and we have a gold mine. I have squirrelled the remainders in the freezer, just waiting for someone to visit so I can wow them with my batons!<br />
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And check out this stirling example of my non-existant photography skills - I managed to make mustard batons look like New England Doggie Rolls - which - in case you did not know - are so much better than the average hot dog bun that it is not even remotely funny!Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-83723257820142498412011-04-21T15:02:00.000-04:002011-04-21T15:02:40.713-04:00FFwD: Quinoa, fruit and nut saladI did not really expect to enjoy this dish very much. I generally find I am not overly fond of dishes like cous-cous and I equated the quinoa with that.<br />
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I made a half-batch of the quinoa, nuts and fruit. I accidentally made a full-batch of the dressing. This is fine with me, I do love lemon juice. <br />
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I did not serve the quinoa atop salad greens, I just consumed it as a side dish. I thought, hmm, okay, nothing special, but not bad. I found the freshness of the lemon juice to be quite nice. I had not given the dish much time to meld, though. So, I covered it and left it on the counter at room temperature overnight.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy92vsLzbPY/TbB-6reIl3I/AAAAAAAAAfA/v8Ms4JCRaA0/s1600/Quinoa%252C+fruit+and+nut+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy92vsLzbPY/TbB-6reIl3I/AAAAAAAAAfA/v8Ms4JCRaA0/s320/Quinoa%252C+fruit+and+nut+salad.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>This morning, I took out a container of vanilla yogurt (I rarely do plain) and plopped a whole serving of that atop a large bowl of the quinoa. I must say, this stuff makes a wonderful breakfast. I had used raisins and craisins as my fruits and pine nuts and toasted walnuts as my nuts. Excellent choices, though I believe golden raisins would be a better choice than the dark ones I grabbed initially. I still have a bit left and shall have it for breakfast, with yogurt, tomorrow. <br />
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It is difficult to eat a healthy breakfast like this while one is busy patting themselves on the back for being so virtuous, but I managed. Truth be told, my shoulder is a tad sore from all that backpatting! Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-16443012103513373212011-04-19T19:47:00.000-04:002011-04-19T19:47:48.675-04:00FFwD: Garlicky crumb-coated broccoli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQsHTaildwc/Ta4e9g-sbdI/AAAAAAAAAe8/JqRugJkKCKI/s1600/Garlicky+Crumb-Coated+Broccoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQsHTaildwc/Ta4e9g-sbdI/AAAAAAAAAe8/JqRugJkKCKI/s320/Garlicky+Crumb-Coated+Broccoli.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>I love the diversity of recipes in this cookbook. One week it is something extraordinarily challenging and the next week, it is something as simple as steaming broccoli. And, it makes no difference if the recipe is complicated or simple - the food is excellent.<br />
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Apparently I did not trim my stalks into small enough sections because it did take an extended time period for my broccoli to tenderize. I could have used a touch more butter or a skosh fewer breadcrumbs, but in general, I thought this combination was interesting and tasty.<br />
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I am probably the most boring vegetable cooker on the planet, so anytime someone points me towards an easy way to add flavor to my veggies, I am grateful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I paired this with the recipe for April 29 and will post those photos on that date. Be forewarned - broccoli and bifstek are a great combination!Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-3697625699119258472011-04-19T19:41:00.001-04:002011-04-19T19:48:24.942-04:00TwD: Strawberry Rhubarb Double CrispI do love me some crisp. When other people are talking about making cobblers, I always think, blah, make a crisp. And, this one was quite nice. I found the taste of the crystallized ginger quite noticeable, though my other tasters did not seem to notice it at all. I thought it added a very interesting punch to the flavors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pe4zv8C0grY/Ta4dNLJDAzI/AAAAAAAAAe0/awmnUkkz7A0/s1600/Strawberry+Rhubarb+Double+Crisp+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pe4zv8C0grY/Ta4dNLJDAzI/AAAAAAAAAe0/awmnUkkz7A0/s320/Strawberry+Rhubarb+Double+Crisp+004.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I had purchased some frozen rhubarb a while back and used that in this dish. I thawed the sliced rhubarb, drained it, patted it dry and then sliced their slices into thinner slices for my use. The recipe calls for about a pound of rhubarb and my frozen fruit contained just 10 ounces. However, it nicely spread across the top of my crisp.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I am especially fond of crisps which use oatmeal in their topping as I am of the opinion that oatmeal is healthy and therefore I can eat twice as much of this crisp as I could one just covered with a sugary crisp coating.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was quite disappointed in my strawberries, though. I knew it was early for the berries, but I hoped these would actually have some flavor and be red throughout. No such luck. They looked like strawberries, they even smelled like strawberries, but they were impostors. I hulled them and sliced them and found myself looking at white hearts with a red rim. The only juice produced for the filling came from the liquefied sugar. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">However, this week, I am going to pick up some fruit from the Farmer's Market and give this crisp another try. With any luck, I will be able to get fresh rhubarb - if not - I will happily use the frozen again. But, my berries will be lush with flavor. I am sure a crisp that I thought was mighty fine is going to be reclassified as outstanding. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Sarah made this choice for us and has posted the recipe with some very tasty looking photos, <a href="http://www.sarahe5484.blogspot.com/">here</a>.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-23825503648212247162011-03-25T17:10:00.000-04:002011-03-25T17:10:19.251-04:00FFwD: Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce<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://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oO72SuC8AM4/TY0DII1rzNI/AAAAAAAAAes/2QvqUcQ1_YA/s1600/Scallops+with+Orange+Caramel+Sauce+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oO72SuC8AM4/TY0DII1rzNI/AAAAAAAAAes/2QvqUcQ1_YA/s320/Scallops+with+Orange+Caramel+Sauce+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallops with just a drizzle of Caramel-Orange Sauce</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I could have changed anything about this dish - it would have been the price I paid for these scallops. $19.95/pound! I only made one pounds' worth. They were excellent scallops and they divided nicely among three people. Okay, if I could have changed two things - the second one would have been the amount of sauce I had. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was not expecting to be delighted with the sauce. I thought it sounded unique, perhaps quirky - no - I am unimaginative, it sounded weird to me. But, Dorie suggested it, so I was definitely intrigued by its possibilities. I loved this sauce. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While making the sauce I had the sugar caramelized nicely. Then I added the orange juice - scared myself half to death because my sugar seized instantly into one rather unappealing blob. I kept the faith, though, and just kept on stirring. As the juice heated the blob disintegrated. Then the magic of reduction occurred and voila - orange caramel sauce! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I then served it as Dorie suggested with the herbed glazed carrots. And, boy were they a hit? My guest liked them so much she asked for them again the next day. SCORE! </div><br />
This group just keeps getting better and better.<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://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XeLjYUagmTE/TY0DKmgqK4I/AAAAAAAAAew/g6vCHso_cU0/s1600/Scallops+with+Orange+Caramel+Sauce+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XeLjYUagmTE/TY0DKmgqK4I/AAAAAAAAAew/g6vCHso_cU0/s320/Scallops+with+Orange+Caramel+Sauce+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scallops, Basmati Rice, Spiced Glazed Carrots - YUM!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-84716991332262424632011-03-24T19:36:00.001-04:002011-03-24T19:37:03.313-04:00TwD: Corniest Corn Muffins (3/8/2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d4o54ffLFpI/TYvUUwZsjNI/AAAAAAAAAeo/jy3hBEh7m3E/s1600/Corniest+Corn+Muffins+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-d4o54ffLFpI/TYvUUwZsjNI/AAAAAAAAAeo/jy3hBEh7m3E/s320/Corniest+Corn+Muffins+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I inadvertently used the last bit of my corn on the Monday before we were to make this recipe. Who knows how many trips to the grocery store later, but corn finally made its way back home with me! I used frozen white shoepeg, so you can barely see the kernels in the photo. However, they made a huge difference in the moistness of these muffins. <br />
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I can tell you, my mother would have hated them. She had this New Englander's thing about sweetened corn bread (or muffins). She would always say it was wrong, johnny cake is apparently, supposed to be completely unsullied by the introduction of sugar. I swear, I think it must have been like eating grainy sawdust, give me a little sprinkling of sugar any time! <br />
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And, feel free to add the corn kernels, as well, because they are such a pleasant surprise. Jill of <a href="http://jillbuker.blogspot.com/">My Next Life</a> made this very wise selection and has the recipe posted there. I, would, of course, buy the book to have my very own copy, but you do what you think is best.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-25740850712676343892011-03-24T19:28:00.000-04:002011-03-24T19:28:29.422-04:00TwD: Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins (03/15/2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Fgc0vyAAeFg/TYvPpxSdQHI/AAAAAAAAAek/uMnrlLUn6UY/s1600/Citrus+Current+Muffins+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Fgc0vyAAeFg/TYvPpxSdQHI/AAAAAAAAAek/uMnrlLUn6UY/s320/Citrus+Current+Muffins+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These muffins really clinched it for me. The currant is delightful. I don't ever remember using them before I joined this group, but now I find them indescribably delicious! I don't remember them being commonplace in the market, but perhaps I just wasn't looking. I used the last of my King Arthur's Flour currants in this batch and picked up some new ones at the Fresh Market. What a surprise I got when preparing to make the Beggar's Linguine, the Kroger carries currants as well. (P.S. They also carry dried figs - who knew?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Citrus is my all time favorite flavor with lemon leading that pack. The freshness that flavor gives to these muffins is great. I will add these to my, must have on a brunch table pile of goodies. Thanks for this great selection, Lauryn, her site <a href="http://bellabaker.blogspot.com/">Bella Baker</a> has the recipe, as does the book, page 7. Check-out her work for Hamilton Jeweler's Diamond Noir celebration. Her table was elegant, the food she prepared exquisite, I am sure it tasted even better than it looked.</div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-91211721932561404872011-03-22T22:49:00.002-04:002011-03-24T19:02:57.453-04:00TwD: Honey Nut Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-13N2uGwhiUw/TYnnzfEoYtI/AAAAAAAAAeg/V9lJj6a4mpM/s1600/Honey+Nut+Brownie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-13N2uGwhiUw/TYnnzfEoYtI/AAAAAAAAAeg/V9lJj6a4mpM/s320/Honey+Nut+Brownie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I expected these brownies to have a rich dark chocolate flavor, but I found they were a bit bland instead. I quite enjoyed the flavor of the toasted nuts but the body of the cookie was a bit disappointing. In fact, if I had to come up with a one word description for them it would be B-O-R-I-N-G.<br />
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I ran out of honey at about the 3/4 cup mark so I completed that ingredient by using Lyle's Golden Syrup. I noticed that the syrup was a few shades darker than the honey but other than that, I think it was a good substitute.<br />
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It took these brownies at least one hour to finish baking. In fact, when I took them out at about the 65 minute mark they were still testing as unfinished. I could tell that the edges were getting quite well done, though, so I finally removed them anyway. They look almost as if they were made in layers. I think this is because the top portion was slightly underdone. I suppose I could have tried putting foil over the edges of the pan, but it just seemed like too much effort. <br />
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I don't think I'll give these a go another time, but I will definitely remember to toast my nuts before using them.<br />
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You can find the recipe in the book, of course, or at <a href="http://www.mysuzyhomemaker.com/">Suzy Homemaker's</a> website. She chose this week's recipe.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-26837017338289511312011-03-11T22:03:00.000-05:002011-03-11T22:03:53.666-05:00FFwD: Beggar's LinguineOnce again Dorie amazes me. I saw the contents of this dish and my first thought was - and she liked this just by hearing about it? How often I am reminded of my completely unsophisticated and unschooled palette. I thought this dish sounded pretty awful up front. Truth be told, I don't know if I have ever eaten a fig that wasn't pureed into the filling of a Newton. (P.S. Fig Newtons are the bananas of the cookie world for me - I don't eat them often, but when I do I pat myself on the back for my healthy choice. Unlike bananas they don't leave one with fuzzy teeth!)<br />
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I was too lazy to cut this recipe down into proportions for one so I have a few meals left in the leftover department. I am sure Dorie is correct that these will not be as good as the dish is immediately after cooking - but when you live alone you eat a lot of left-overs that aren't as good as the original. Thankfully some dishes do improve with age.<br />
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I was delighted with portions of this recipe. I have tried a brown butter sauce before but was never happy with it. This one was pretty close - the smell was absolutely divine. I had been dithering over whether or not it was the color of hazelnuts - it surely smelled nothing like hazelnuts. So, I kept the sauce simmering away for a few extra minutes. I was so glad I did, suddenly, it came together, the fragrance was terrific and the color was decidedly dark. <br />
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In general though, I am on the fence for this one. As usual my coarse chopping looked more like a fine powder, so that needs work. The flavors worked together so much better than I anticipated. But, I found that the tiny little fig seeds were highly intrusive and gave my dish a fairly grainy feel. I did not care for that - while simultaneously being surprised that I liked the sweetness of the figs against the buttery sauce. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KVfvSqh1NuA/TXriQHbdiQI/AAAAAAAAAdo/gUs0LCsKDto/s1600/Beggars+Linguine+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KVfvSqh1NuA/TXriQHbdiQI/AAAAAAAAAdo/gUs0LCsKDto/s320/Beggars+Linguine+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I definitely think I would prefer to serve this as a side dish and not as my main dish. I am going to try it again when I have some willing victims to feed. I used the zest of an entire orange and would not have minded even more. I love how the zest brightens a dish. These little things really do make a huge difference.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-78308819824760535142011-03-06T10:33:00.001-05:002011-03-24T19:30:50.469-04:00FFwD: Savory Cheese and Chive Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wpLn3MsP_7E/TXOoLTyzzgI/AAAAAAAAAdk/Zq7kvUbCAXc/s1600/Cheesey+Chive+Bread+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wpLn3MsP_7E/TXOoLTyzzgI/AAAAAAAAAdk/Zq7kvUbCAXc/s320/Cheesey+Chive+Bread+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Another excellent selection from the new book. This quick bread has a bit of an Irish soda bread flavor. It comes together in mere minutes and has a really nice flavor both immediately after baking and a day or so later.<br />
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I used two kinds of cheddar cheese for this one. I used an extremely sharp white as the grated cheese and a yellow cheddar for the chunks. A few chopped chives and voila - festive bread. <br />
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I actually found that I prefer the center pieces of this bread to the heel of the loaf. Usually I am like a dog with a bone over the heel, so this did surprise me. I found the heel to be a bit crumbly. Still tasty, but the texture was strange to me.<br />
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I am eager to try this bread with a new variety of cheeses and some different spices.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-49821049823780978032011-02-22T17:29:00.001-05:002011-02-22T17:30:07.370-05:00TwD: Toasted Almond Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6gNBPS6x0hY/TWQ40Q9VAQI/AAAAAAAAAdg/hsRZmSxfR00/s1600/Toasted+Almond+Scones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6gNBPS6x0hY/TWQ40Q9VAQI/AAAAAAAAAdg/hsRZmSxfR00/s320/Toasted+Almond+Scones.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I drove down from Delaware yesterday and stopped at Starbucks. I got a scone along with my latte. Big mistake, I am sure it was made sometime this year, but I am not sure it was made within the week. Talk about dry and tasteless. I swear that company is single-handidly going to ruin the reputation of scones everywhere! <br />
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Fortunately, Mike of <a href="http://goodlivingoutwest.blogspot.com/">Living out West,</a> chose Toasted Almond Scones for our weekly baking adventure. These scones taste the way scones are supposed to taste. They have just a touch of sweetness, the toasted almonds are added in three forms, almonds we toast and grind, almonds we toast and chop and almonds which toast themselves on top of the scones while the scones are baking. In addition, we added just a hint of almond extract to the liquid ingredients. Delightful.<br />
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Of course since I can't seem to do anything right the first time anymore, I did burn the living daylights out of my first cup of almonds. Honestly, do they have to go from albinos to crispy critters in the blink of eye? I say no, but my eye was probably blinking for more like three minutes than three seconds, so I have only myself to blame.<br />
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Luckily I had more almonds in the freezer so I was quickly able to rectify this error. Other than that, I had no problems with this recipe at all. I love that in a recipe. <br />
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For those folks who find they overwork their dough trying to incorporate the butter, I do have a suggestion. Keep your butter in the freezer, then when you are making pastry, grate the necessary amount into your flour mixture. It is then super easy to mix into the dry ingredients, it is predisposed to make small chunks and the clumps that stick together make the larger pieces that make pastry so light and flaky. This is especially helpful for unsalted butter since it keeps for such a short time in the refrigerator.<br />
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Check Mike's blog for the recipe, some great photos and some serious dedication - five rounds of scones!Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-89950896207858898712011-02-15T19:39:00.001-05:002011-02-15T19:39:42.082-05:00TwD: Cardamom Crumb Cake (12/21/10)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2pA5JBXdtY/TVschvFe1mI/AAAAAAAAAdU/lXpjWCsyBx8/s1600/Cardamom+Crumb+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x2pA5JBXdtY/TVschvFe1mI/AAAAAAAAAdU/lXpjWCsyBx8/s320/Cardamom+Crumb+Cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was late making the cardamom crumb cake. I caught up with the little devil a few weeks ago. I was pre-destined to like this. I love coffeecake type desserts, I love struesel toppings and I think cardamom was invented by the gods and then delivered to earth.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And, all of the above is still true, however, I did find the flavor of this cake to be a tad more subtle than this (hammer wielding) spice nut prefers. I think perhaps my cardamom had some age on it, so I have it on my Penzey's list and will pick some up next time I am there.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I will then redo the cake and see if is as wonderful as I expect it to be.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>The recipe was chosen by Jill and is posted on her blog, appropriately named: <a href="http://jillbert.wordpress.com/">Jill's Blog</a>.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-25215259802269635702011-02-15T19:30:00.001-05:002011-02-15T19:42:13.624-05:00TwD: Chocolate Oatmeal Drops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZuBFHx_cDQ/TVsdMRvcwLI/AAAAAAAAAdY/QsSJgxt06-4/s1600/Chocolate+Oatmeal+Drops+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZuBFHx_cDQ/TVsdMRvcwLI/AAAAAAAAAdY/QsSJgxt06-4/s320/Chocolate+Oatmeal+Drops+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Hooray, cookies! I do so love a handheld treat. I made a half batch of these little gems. I am also quite enamored of a recipe that splits in half ultra-easily.<br />
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I got a yield of about 30 cookies from a half batch. I used my small scoop to form the cookies. I probably should have given them a gentle nudge after putting them on the cookies sheets. One or two were a bit bulbous in the center. They are the chewier version of all I made.<br />
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These are quite chocolately, a flavor profile, I heartily endorse. However, I found the appearance of the albino oat flakes to be a bit off-putting. On the other hand, I always claim anything with oats in it is healthy, so I do approve of these cookies being a braggards about their healthy content. These are so chocolately, in fact, that I actually drank that milk (in the photo) when I ate those cookies. I believe that would be second class of milk in the last four or five years!<br />
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Caroline and Claire of <a href="http://bakewithus.wordpress.com/">Bake with Us</a> selected this week's recipe and it can be found on their blog.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-55928054862360795432011-02-15T19:13:00.001-05:002011-02-15T19:44:40.494-05:00Chocolate Almond Tuiles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSLqW2kBgao/TVsdtZPzV-I/AAAAAAAAAdc/pD7gzm5CL2E/s1600/Chocolate+Almond+Tuiles+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSLqW2kBgao/TVsdtZPzV-I/AAAAAAAAAdc/pD7gzm5CL2E/s320/Chocolate+Almond+Tuiles+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My brother gave me a copy of Presidential Cookies (by Bev Young) for Christmas. I have been quite eager to make something, but being alone and baking weekly with Dorie, I rarely have a need for extra sweets. However, last week, I palmed off my bread pudding on my meeting mates and it left me with a few homeless egg whites.<br />
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So, I started leafing through my cookie cookbooks. Immediately, I considered making something with a meringue base, but all the recipes I saw called for two egg whites, except one. It called for four (which was how many I had on hand) but it yielded a massive amount of cookies. Since it involved leaving the trays in the oven for a couple of hours, I figured it wouldn't be the best choice. Seriously, how is that supposed to work? You can only fit so many trays into the oven at one time. Are the other shapes just supposed to sit on the counter and wait their turn?<br />
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In flipping through Presidential Cookies, I saw a recipe for John F. Kennedy's favorite: Chocolate Almond Tuiles. Now, I missed making tuiles with Dorie a few weeks ago. I can't remember why, but I am sure it was a very good excuse!<br />
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So, I thought, perfect, I shall dip into JFK's history and whip these bad boys up. First, let me say, I am underwhelmed with the instructions Ms. Young provides. She says to chill the batter for one hour. I did this, then she says to spread it onto parchment paper. I managed this, but it was difficult. I was unsure of how thick to make the tuiles and was guessing at how much batter to spread. In addition, the batter did not want to spread, it wanted to stick to the parchment and lay in a lump. I persevered and managed to form some fairly round shapes. I then baked them and as suggested, lay them over a rolling pin to form the curved tile appearance. What a pan in the hiney that was, I should have lay them down so that the part from the cookie sheet was forming the curve. Sometimes I did, sometimes I put the top part on the rolling pin. I realized afterwards that one way meant the ugly bottom was the eye catching part of the cookie - duh.<br />
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And, let me quote the directions for forming the cookies:<br />
1 -Make a circle template by cutting a circle in a thin piece of cardboard or plastic (about 3.5 inch diameter).<br />
2 -Several other steps are inserted and then - <br />
3 - Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the template on it.<br />
4 - Using a small spatula, spread a small amount of batter evenly over the template. Carefully lift the template off.<br />
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Am I dumber than the average bear or is this confusing to you, also? I can assure you, if you spread the batter onto the template there will be no removal of said template from the batter. I finally decided that what I would do would be to draw circles on the back of my parchment paper and then spread the batter within those circles. That worked pretty well. Maybe Bev meant I should place the template under the parchment, but that is just too annoying for words. My circle idea was much closer to genius than her stupid template.<br />
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The tuiles tasted okay the first day (I made them Sunday) but I actually prefer them a couple of days later. The first day I found them to be extremely cakey or crispy - depending on their thickness. Now, two days later they are pleasantly chewy. <br />
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I remain convinced however, that JFK was so happy with these tuiles because he did not have to form the little bas**rds!<br />
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I forgot to mention, the almond flavor in these tuiles comes from almond extract. It will be interesting to substitue a little ground almond for some of the flour to enhance that flavor and alter the cookie's texture, slightly.Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-83550567738237617382011-02-08T20:50:00.000-05:002011-02-08T20:50:11.940-05:00TwD: Bourbon Bread PuddingI should change the name of this dish - I did not make Bourbon Bread Pudding. I had no bourbon and I wasn't about to go out and buy a bottle just to get one tablespoon. Instead, I made Grand Marnier Bread Pudding and it was a smash hit at my meeting.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is the only photo I have: </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TVHx9RgVLqI/AAAAAAAAAdI/J5nZhTDVPfQ/s1600/Bourbon+Bread+Pudding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TVHx9RgVLqI/AAAAAAAAAdI/J5nZhTDVPfQ/s320/Bourbon+Bread+Pudding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I even tried a bit of the pudding myself. It was okay - mind you I am not particularly fond of bread pudding so okay is a fairly high bread pudding ranking from me!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I used orange extract instead of almond extract to enhance the flavor of the Grand Marnier. I really did not taste the liquor particularly, but it did give the pudding an absolutely fabulous scent. When I checked it in the oven and when I pulled it out of the oven, it smelled excellent.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I used Challah for my bread base. I wanted to use raisin bread but the store only had some incredibly dense form of that and I felt it would not be suitable for this dish.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I found this pudding extremely easy to pull together and like this method much more than some of the other versions we have made.</div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-58989622864258701542011-02-04T17:46:00.000-05:002011-02-04T17:46:05.933-05:00FFwD: Basque Potato TortillaI was quite looking forward to this one. I love potatoes, I have days when all I eat are potatoes, fried potatoes with cheese for breakfast, boiled potatoes with butter for lunch and a baked potato for dinner. That is my idea of comfort food. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUx-KEcXkTI/AAAAAAAAAdE/UBoQlQh_Y78/s1600/Basque+Potato+Tortilla+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUx-KEcXkTI/AAAAAAAAAdE/UBoQlQh_Y78/s320/Basque+Potato+Tortilla+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was not, however, enthralled with the way this turned out. Surprisingly (to me) I really did not have issues with flipping out the tortilla. I used my Le Cruset cast iron frying pan. I use it all the time for oven pancakesand they come out of the pan just fine (but they have lots of incentive, i.e. shortening). I fully expected the eggs to cling tenaciously to the pan and refuse to yield, but other than a slight rim around the top, it came out quite easily. Well, as easily as anything can when one can barely lift the pan to flip it over! I swear, Dorie must have some well developed forearms, because I could not hold the receiving platter and flip the pan simultaneously. I ended up being grateful for the slight hitch around the top. It gave me the time I needed to invert the frying pan over the receiving platter. I used two hands on the frying pan and had the platter waiting eagerly on the counter. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I fried up some crispy bacon to go with the tortilla and set down to enjoy the fruits of my labor. And, then I decided several things had gone wrong. Number one, I subbed a bit of cayenne pepper and smoked paprika for the traditional basque spice. Number one-A, I did not sub enough of those two spices. I barely even noticed they were in the dish. Number two-my potatoes were not done as well as I thought they were. I contemplated cooking them in a non-stick pan and then switching to the oven-proof pan later, but I decided to use the same pan. Next time, I will do the potatoes in a non-stick pan and truly get them golden (all-over). Number three, this dish needs cheese. Come on, eggs, potatoes, what comes next? Cheese. Number four, I prefer this dish closer to hot than to room temperature. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Maybe this is because the temp in my house hovers at around sixty degrees and at room temperature this tasted slightly chilled or maybe it is just because that is what I am accustomed to eating. Either way, I have reheated some of the left-overs and liked them better than the original slice. Reheating served me well, I was able to get my potatoes farther along in the cooking and I tried the dish in a hot state. Next time I reheat a bit it will have some cheese tossed onto the top.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUx-Ca6_RgI/AAAAAAAAAc8/MquQKfLwPxY/s1600/Basque+Potato+Tortilla+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUx-Ca6_RgI/AAAAAAAAAc8/MquQKfLwPxY/s320/Basque+Potato+Tortilla+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">And the next time I make this, from start to finish, I will definitely up the ante on the spices. This dish wasn't a hit right off the bat for me, but I definitely think it has potential.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466335539032416699.post-39539364260229231732011-02-01T19:16:00.000-05:002011-02-01T19:16:47.685-05:00TwD: Nutty, Chocolatly, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake<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="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUihqMJSq8I/AAAAAAAAAc0/e4KvobIrB5I/s1600/Swirly+Bundt+Cake+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUihqMJSq8I/AAAAAAAAAc0/e4KvobIrB5I/s320/Swirly+Bundt+Cake+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add a dusting of confectioner's sugar</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After carefully reviewing the P's & Q's for this recipe I reserved a bit of batter when filling the pan. I think the amount of swirl we made for this cake was a bit extreme. However, I was able to cover my filling with batter thanks to the tips.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUihkVrBLEI/AAAAAAAAAcw/oh33dYh0SNM/s1600/Swirly+Bundt+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" s5="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hMXQbDZBpRo/TUihkVrBLEI/AAAAAAAAAcw/oh33dYh0SNM/s200/Swirly+Bundt+004.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swirly Bundt Slice</td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Once baked, the swirl was very pronounced, but it did not look as though it were done in multiple layers. This was one of my better slices for showing the distribution of swirl. I will use a bit less swirl the next time so that the division between the layers of swirl will be more obvious. Having said that, I quite enjoyed the flavors and taste of this swirl.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Actually, I quite enjoyed this entire cake. I had a slice while it was still warm from the oven. Oh, my - fantastic. However, I did not think the texture of the cake was anything like a pound cake. Mine was very light and fluffy. It got a bit dryer as time advanced, but it was never as dense as pound cake. I really, really liked this warm. It was good at room temp and good the next few days as well. But, when eaten warm the chocolate in the swirl is still very close to liquid and that is just a real treat.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mixing the orange zest into the sugar is so smart. It really enhances the taste of citrus. I had never used that tip before baking with Dorie, but I will always do it from here on out. Divine. Jennifer has posted this recipe at her site, <a href="http://juju73.wordpress.com/">Cooking for Comfort</a>.</div>Life is too short . . .http://www.blogger.com/profile/11168020571717449181noreply@blogger.com1