Archive for December, 2009

Baked Eggs

Published December 31, 2009 Breakfast , Recipes 2 Comments
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A great start-Baked Eggs

The holidays are nearing the end along with 2009. For the first time I feel like the year couldn’t end soon enough. I’m not sure why I think 2010 holds more hope then the previous year. 2009 had some pretty hard sad times, but it had more times of great joy and laughter. My family is healthy and for the most part happy, we have a roof that no longer leaks, and I’ve been given much more time to pursue my photography. I began this blog with the 25 days of cookies. I ended up doing 15. Busy holiday times derailed my goal, but I am happy that I accomplished making and photographing the one’s I completed! My goal for this blog for 2010 is to cook and photograph as much as possible. My New Year’s Resolution: to breathe.

I hope you have enjoyed the ride so far. I end the year with a recipe for eggs. Seems fitting, the little egg that can become a glorious Pavlova covered in passion fruit and berries, or a failed , deflated souffle. It is what you make of it, just like this fresh new year ahead of us! Make it a great one, Happy New Year!

Eggs, the most perfect of foods. Great protein, high in vitamins and minerals and one medium size egg is only 78 calories (not counting the butter and other goodies we tend to add to them). Eggs are versatile, they can begin your day as a sunny side up and finish your night as a  spicy chorizo frittata. Having had a  bad rap over the years, if you remember anything in excess is unhealthy, your all set.

For me eggs are a sentimental meal. My mother would make me a soft cooked egg whenever I was under the weather. The yolk was always slightly runny, and she would cut toast into “fingers” for dipping it. Mom would place the egg in a pretty little “egg cup”, and I would sit there in my bed with a little tray on my lap, feeling like a little queen. This was the only time we were allowed to “mop” up our plate, a term my father would use (yell) whenever we were caught soaking up the last morsel of any meal with our bread.

This recipe for baked eggs is very easy, and much less messy then frying. You will need small bowls or ramekins that are oven safe. The recipe is an adaptation from Michel Roux’s cookbook “Eggs”, one of my favorite single food cookbooks.

Preheat oven 325′F

ingredients:

eggs (depending on the number your feeding)

small amount of butter

small sprinkle of salt

small sprinkle of pepper

1 T. cream (for each egg)

Brush or rub the inside of each ramekin with a small amount of butter. Leave the top 1/2 inch of the bowl, below the rim butter-less. Season the dish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Carefully crack the egg into a small dish and tip it gently into the ramekin. Repeat with each egg in individual ramekins.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of cream onto each egg white being careful not to get it on the yolk. Place the ramekins in a baking pan with sides, and carefully pour boiling water around the ramekins, about halfway up the outside the bowls. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on how you like your eggs cooked. The egg white should be set, but the yolk should remain runny. Meanwhile toast your bread and butter it. Cut bread into “toast fingers”. Enjoy!

Dinosaur Bar B Que

Published December 28, 2009 Restaurant Reviews , Syracuse Leave a Comment
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Dinosaur BBQ

 

Have you ever craved barbeque ribs, dreamed of smokey, mouth-watering, succulent handfuls of juicy meat? Wandering around Syracuse, New York last spring we caught a whiff of that memory jerking, summertime smoke in the air, someones barbecuing aroma. We followed our noses and discovered a place called Dinosaur Bar B Que, in the heart of downtown Syracuse. Our daughter was revisiting Syracuse University, having not made up her mind on a college yet. Knowing how much she loves to eat (and the fact that she was turned down from her first choice,  NYU) I think this place is what sold her on the city. 

We took a cab from our hotel to the inner part of Syracuse. All cities have their little idiosyncrasies, as we wandered around without any real destination in  mind we quickly realized an odd characteristic of this particular one. We were the only ones walking the streets. Having grown up and worked for a short while in Detroit, I started worrying that if this city was anything like Detroit there may be a good reason for the abandoned streets. 

Turns out Syracuse only appears to be sleeping. The city is on its’ way to an exciting comeback. Definitely the culinary stream is flowing . 

Only an  occasional Harley whizzed by us,  headed in the direction of the aroma. We finally found the restaurant, sitting on a nondescript corner, surrounded by motorcycles. Wooden picnic tables sat outside the restaurant, and a steady line of people snaked their way towards what appeared to be the front door. The wait was an hour, but if the crowd was any indication, the meal would be well worth it. We grabbed ourselves some drinks from the bar and found an unoccupied table along the street. Most of the people waiting were dressed in their finest biker garb, lounging on the tables drinking cold beer or walking around admiring each others motorcycles. 

Turns out the Dinosaur was started by three bikers with a common obsession, motorcycles and barbecued ribs. They opened the restaurant in 1988 as a take out, then a full-fledged sitdown eatery in 1990. They now have restaurants in Rochester and NYC. The atmosphere is rough and loud. Blues music blasts from the speakers, rickety wooden tables and chairs placed in ever free spot and some of the best ribs I have ever had. Their motto, ” if you leave here hungry it’s your own fault”. 

They marinade the meat for 24 hours, then slowly pit smoke it. There is a whole line of their sauces that are available on their website http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com . Wango Tango Habanero Hot Sauce is one of my favorites, though Sensuous Slathering Sauce and the Garlic Honey Sauce are to die for. If you enjoy Blues, they have live music every  day, check out the event schedule on their website. 

Don’t miss this spot for a genuine finger licking, chin slobbering good meal. Syracuse has many hidden gems that we have found since then. Stay tuned for our trip to L’Adour, described as the only french restaurant in the city, as well as Gentile’s an eclectic italian eatery. 

Soooo many choices!

Address:

246 W. Willow Street

Syracuse, NY. 13202

315-476-4937

Peanut Butter Squares

Published December 21, 2009 Cookies , Recipes Leave a Comment
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Peanut Butter and Chocolate Heaven

If you like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups then you’ll go crazy for these.  They are so sweet they’ll make your teeth tingle. The trick is to make sure to really grease the pan and leave the bars in the fridge for at least 2 hours so not only the chocolate sets but also the bottom layer of peanut butter.  This version comes from Nigella Lawson’s book “How To Be A Domestic Goddess”.

Peanut Butter Squares

for the base:

1/4 c. dark brown sugar

1 1/3 c confectioner’s sugar

1/4 c. unsalted butter

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

for the topping:

7 ou. milk chocolate

4 ou. bittersweet chocolate

1 T. unsalted butter

1 9 inch square pan, greased

Stir all ingredients for the base together until smooth. Press the mixture into the pan and make the surface as even as possible

Make the topping. Melt the chocolates and butter together in a heavy pan over another pan of barely simmering water. Spread on base. Put pan in fridge to set. Cut into small pieces, believe me it is deadly in large doses as can be seen in this next photo!

Peanut Butter Square Fog

Skat (alias Reindeer Poop)

Published December 20, 2009 Cookies , Desserts , Recipes Leave a Comment
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Skat (alias Reindeer Poop)

Skat (alias Reindeer Poop)

Here is another great cookie to make with the kids. You melt the chocolate and let them stir in the rest and drop on the cookie sheets. I use a combination of chocolates, usually bittersweet and milk chocolate. I also like to use the colored mini marshmallows because they look like christmas. Any type of nut will work,  I really like cashews.

4 ou. high quality bittersweet chocolate (like Ghirardelli’s)

4 ou. high quality milk chocolate (like Ghirardelli’s)

1/2 c. cashews (or any nut of your choice)

1/2 c. miniature marshmallows

Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper or greased foil. Melt chocolate in a heavy saucepan over another pan of barely simmering water. Once the chocolate is completely melted, stir in marshmallows and nuts. Drop by teaspoon fulls onto lined cookie sheets. Let set in a cool place (not the refridgerator or the chocolate will become dull looking).

Eat!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Published December 20, 2009 Cookies , Desserts , Recipes 2 Comments
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PB&J Thief

These cookies are some of my family’s favorite. They are great all year long, but the festive red of the strawberry jam fits right in with the holiday season. There are probably a zillion different variations for this recipe but this one to me is the simplest and all the flavors come together in a perfectly crumbly, peanut buttery combination. The dough is really easy to work with, making it a great cookie to have the kids help with. Best yet, I used the strawberry jam I made this summer!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

1/2 c. soft unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs

 1 t. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350′F

Cream together butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter, beating well to combine. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. The dough will be sticky and soft. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Make an indentation with your thumb before baking

Roll 1 -2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on cookie sheet (1-1 1/2 inches). Use your palm and flatten slightly. Make a thumbprint impression in the middle of the ball, deep enough that it leaves quite an indentation. If you don’t press down deep enough the indentation will cook away and disappear. Bake 10-12 minutes. The cookies will still be quite soft, and will harden slightly as they cool. Immediately spoon Strawberry jam into the indentation made by your thumb earlier.

My little cookie monster

Day 12- Yummy Bars

Published December 18, 2009 Recipes Leave a Comment

 

Yummy Bars

My hubby and I moved to the east coast only days after we were married. We had bought a house up near the Canadian border in New Hampshire. He had taken a job as a veterinarian, and I as a reporter for the local newspaper. We only lasted for about 1 year, life was rough and so lonely coming from MSU’s college town of 48,000 students, a real culture shock. Our marriage was really strained up there, and one day I read in the New York Times an article about a small bed and breakfast off the coast of Maine on Isle au Haut (pronounced i-la-HO). The island is 6 miles long, 2 miles wide, and half of it belongs to the Acadia National Park. The name is french and means “high island”.  At the time (19 years ago) the only way to stay on the island was at The Keeper’s House, a small inn with a working lighthouse, or rustic camping in the park. Another complicating factor was the only way out to the island was on the mailboat, and that schedule was very limited. Our visit was truly magical, and we have returned to the island just about every year since then, either camping or renting a house. On that first visit, Judy and Jeff Burke, the innkeepers had a lame horse that they asked my hubby to look at. On our last day she presented us with a basket full of island goodies and her cookbook “A Kitchen with a View”. These cookies come from that book and live up to their name.

Yummy Bars

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla divided

1 c. flour

1/4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt divided

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c. finely chopped walnuts

1 c. chocolate bits

Cream butter , sugar, and 1/2 t. vanilla until light and fluffy. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and 1/4 t. salt. Blend into creamed mixture. Spread into greased 9×13 inch pan. Bake at 350′F for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes.

Combine brown sugar, eggs, 1 t. vanilla and 3/4 t. salt. Beat until thick. Stir in nuts and chocolate bits. Spoon over baked layer. Bake for 25 minutes at 350′F.

If you find yourself on the island, don’t miss Black Dinah Chocolatiers. Amazing, unique assortment of some of the finest chocolates you have ever tasted. Check them out at www.blackdinahchocolatiers.com

Day 11- Ambrosia Macaroons

Published December 17, 2009 Recipes Leave a Comment

Day 11 – Ambrosia Macaroons

When I taste these macaroons I can’t help but think about tropical, warm breezes. For me the Christmas season means the beginning of weeks and weeks and weeks (you got the idea) of bitter cold, snowy weather. Our seasons in Vermont are short and oh so nice, that is except winter that last forever. The hint of orange and the dripping of bittersweet chocolate add the finishing touches to a wonderful holiday cookie. This recipe comes from Bon Appetit December 2008.

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

1/8 t. salt

2 t. finely grated orange peel

3 large eggs

24 ou. sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 c. firmly packed)

6 ou. bittersweet chocolate, melted

Position rack in middle of oven, preheat to 325′F. Line 3 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Using an electric mixture, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and salt, beat until blended. Beat in orange peel, then eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in coconut. Drop batter onto sheets by tablespoons, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart.

 Bake macaroons, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown on bottom and browned in spots, 25 minutes to 30 minutes. Cool completely on sheets. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over macaroons. Chill on sheets until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

Day 10 – Baklava

Published December 15, 2009 Cookies , Desserts , Recipes Leave a Comment
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Baklava with ground Pistachio's

Day 10 – Baklava

Growing up my best friend lived next door. Her family was Greek, and every Christmas holiday her mother would make baklava as well as other unforgettable treats. Haven’t talked to her in years, ironically the last time I tried to call she isgnored my message, probably because my father had just left her his fortune (that’s a different story, for a different time!).  I have recreated these little marvels with the addition of pistachios to the nut mixture. The bright green color adds  a nice change.

Baklava

1/2 c. honey

1/4 c. orange juice

juice of 1/2 large lemon

1 T. Triple Sec liqueur

1 c. finely chopped walnuts

1/4 c. pistachios finely chopped plus some to sprinkle on top

1/4 c. almonds finely chopped

2 T. brown sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground cloves

1/2 t.  allspice

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

20 sheets phyllo pastry (filo)

Preheat oven to 350′F

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, orange juice, lemon juice, and Triple Sec. Simmer about 20 minutes until mixture has the consistency of a sticky glaze, set aside. In a bowl, combine walnuts, almonds, pistachios, brown sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and allspice.

On a large greased baking sheet, , spread one sheet of phyllo pastry. Brush it well with butter, making sure to cover all edges. Sprinkle nut mixture over one half, fold in half over the filling, take a second sheet of phyllo and repeat the process, and place it on top of the first bundle. Repeat until you have used all the sheets, stacking to make a thick pile of pastry.

With a sharp knife, cut diagonal slits into the top of the pastry to make a diamond pattern.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, recut the diagonal slits into the top of the pastry. Warm the honey mixture and pour evenly over the warm pastry. Cool and then serve.

Day 9 – Pecan Lace Cookies with Orange Buttercream

Published December 11, 2009 Cookies , Recipes 1 Comment
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Pecan Lace Cookies with Orange Buttercream

 If you love pecans you’re going to love these cookies.  A close cross between a candy and cookie, these  bake up crispy and buttery. The buttercream filling is lightly flavored with orange, a true compliment to the nuts. They won’t last long, I tried to photograph them after they were assembled and the crowd of mouths dripping with saliva became very distracting. This recipe came from Bon Appetit, December 2004.

Cookies

1/4 c. unsalted butter, room temperature (1/2 stick)

1/3 c. sugar

2 T. light corn syrup

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. coarsely ground pecans (about 4 ou.)

1 t. vanilla extract

position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350′F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir butter, sugar, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in flour. Add nuts and vanilla, stir to combine.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until bubbling and lightly browned, about 11 minutes. Cool on sheets for 10 minutes then transfer to rack and cool completely.

Filling

1 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 T. orange juice

3/4 t. grated orange peel

Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread 1 teaspoon filling onto the bottom of one cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down, press lightly to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store between sheets of wax paper in airtight container at room temperature. You may want to double the recipe, it only makes 18 medium cookies.

Day 8 – Gingersnap Cookies

Published December 10, 2009 Cookies , Recipes Leave a Comment
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Gingersnap Trees

These are a nice change from the regular Christmas crowd. Very gingery, just the right hint of other spices. It drives me crazy when I try and roll and cutout Christmas cookies and the dough sticks, or breaks, way soft, way hard, etc. This dough really was  a pleasure to work with. Enjoy! (this version was published in Fine Cooking this December.)

Gingersnap Cookies

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, more for rolling

2 t. ground ginger

1 1/2 t. baking powder

3/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. grated nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cloves

3/4 c. dark brown sugar

6 T. unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. unsulfured molasses

1 large egg at room temperature

1 t. pure vanilla extract

For decorations

2 c. plus 2 T. confectioners’ sugar

2 1/2 T. meringue powder

1/4 c. cold water

assorted sprinkles

In a large bowl whisk together flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. In a mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined.

Divide the dough in half, shape into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Position rack in center of oven and heat oven to 375′F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured piece of parchment until it is about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut out cookies with cookie cutters and transfer to cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies begin to darken around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on the sheet for about 15 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack and cool completely before decorating.

Whisk confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 1/4 cup of cold water together until blended. Continue whisking (or use electric mixer, much easier) until icing holds thick, soft peaks, about 3 to 4 minutes. Decorate!

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