Cakes & Cooking

I made this cake for a coworkers baby shower. It is supposed to be a baby blanket (if you can’t tell, that’s bad). But I was asked at the last minute and didn’t have a lot of time – so the edges are a bit sloppy and rounded. Each decorater is their own worst critic, though.

January 23rd, 2007 | Category: cakes |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

There is no snack (or dinner) quicker than a pan of black bean dip. This is what I cook when I just don’t feel like cooking! It takes 5 minutes from start to finish, and then probably another 10-12 in the oven. What it lacks in glamour it makes up in protein and stick-to-your-stomachness.

1 29oz can of black beans
1 cup salsa or picante
1 cup frozen corn
5 oz. shredded cheddar
1 japapeno, diced

Drain the beans. Pulse with the picante in a food processor until it makes a chunky paste. Spread in a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle on top the frozen corn, diced jalapeno, and the shredded cheddar. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, finishing with 1 minute under the broiler to burn the cheese if needed.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips, bagged tortilla chips, and veggies for dipping. Celery sticks and cherry tomatoes work particularly well.

January 12th, 2007 | Category: casual |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

A simple classic and easy-peasy cookie to make when short on time.

Cream together:

1/2 cup margerine, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Beat in:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Stir in:

1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teasp NaCl
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of flour

Drop onto a cookie sheet, press down with tines of a fork. If the fork sticks, try putting it in flour or sugar before pressing each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

January 3rd, 2007 | Category: cookies |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

We had a big party for my friend Dana and I provided cakes. 8 inch 2 layer cakes, 3 of them, in vanilla/almond, chocolate/chocolate, and carrot/cream cheese flavors respectively.

December 29th, 2006 | Category: cakes |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

A regular beef stew is one of the easiest dishes in the world to make. I am a master cutter, chopper, and prepper, so it’s one of my favorite things to do. I love to have neat piles of veggies and the stew lasts for days!

1 top or bottom round roast (or chuck will do in a pinch), approx 4 lbs. Fat trimmed and meat cut in 1 inch cubes
vegetable oil and flour for searing
1 bunch of celery, cut in 1/2 inch discs
8-10 redskin potatoes, washed, peeled, cut
10 large carrots, cut in 1/2 inch discs
3 onions, diced
2 cups red wine
salt, pepper, seasonings of choice, beef bullion

Cut the meat and toss in batches to coat with flour. Heat a deep skillet with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat. In small batches, sear the beef cubes in the oil and then drain on paper towels – ideally searing all six sides, but it’s not mandatory. At this point the beef can be refrigerated overnight, or you can start the stew immediately.

After all the veggies are cut, assemble your stew in the slow cooker. Add a small amount of water and a beef bullion cube to the very bottom, and some pepper. Put the meat in next. Pour a small amount of red wine over the beef and season (I use coarse salt, cracked pepper, dried parsley, and garlic). Add 1/2 of the chopped onions on top of the meat. Add the chopped potatoes next, and pour more wine and seasoning. Add the carrots, celery, and onions last, and pour red wine again over the whole shebang. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, stirring occasionally towards the 7th hour or so.

If the stew is done but not quite thick enough for your tastes, continue to cook on low and remove the top from the slow cooker to allow liquid to evaporate. Stew, naturally, is great reheated. These quantities fit snugly in my 7 quart slow cooker. For a smaller cooker, quantities may need to be adjusted.

December 20th, 2006 | Category: beef |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

Angel Food Cake can be finicky, but always rewarding. A fresh angel food cake tastes nothing like those that you can buy in stores, this is one good where mass bakery production can simply not even come close. I serve them with chocolate sauce, and occasionally with a rim of fresh berries, when they’re on hand.

November 12th, 2006 | Category: baking |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

These pumpkin cookies are great, even for those who aren’t normally pumpkin friendly. They have a light, cake-like texture that stays soft for quite a while. The touch of brown sugar icing is wonderful and keeps the spices from being too bold. They are a fall cookie but I make them all year round!

Pumpkin Cookies
Cream together: 3/4 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add: 2 cups pumpkin
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
2 eggs
3 cups of flour

Drop from full tablespoon (and these cookies are better big) onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350. Ice when cool.

Icing
Boil together: 4 tbsp margerine
4 tbsp milk
10 tbsp brown sugar

Boil, let cool. When cool add: 1 tsp vanilla and 1 lb powdered sugar.

November 2nd, 2006 | Category: cookies |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

My husband and I are both big fans of honey mustard, and we’ve been hooked on a singular brand for quite a while now. Since moving to Boston, I stock up on this honey mustard whenever I’m in New York, and my mother will often send five or six bottles in a package for me. So we’ve been into this honey mustard for quite some time. Sadly, the KC Masterpiece Dip ‘n Top Honey Dijon has now been discontinued. This was a big blow for us and we didn’t know what to do. So last weekend we did a honey mustard tasting of all the prevalent brands on the market. We used corn flake chicken as our dipping piece, because it’s his favorite.

The winner for now is the Ken’s Steakhouse. It is at least creamy enough. But in our opinion, they are all sad substitutes for the real thing.

To make cornflake chicken (I think this may be loosely based on a Cooks Country recipe?): crush 3 cups of cornflakes in the food processor until coarse crumbs form. Wash and dry chicken breasts or tenders. Pound if desired. Dip them once in beaten egg, once in peppered flour, and then dredge in cornflakes, or shake in a plastic bag. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or so.

October 29th, 2006 | Category: poultry |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment

Boy, this one is decadent soup – an attack on the blood sugar and on the arteries all in one. But for an occasional (read: annual) treat, I have found this particular recipe to be unsurpassed.

Potato and Cheese Soup

6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, quartered
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 cup sour cream
3 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon chili pepper or to taste

Crumbled bacon (optional, but I would never pass it up)

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add potatoes, carrots, onion, and chicken broth. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat.

While vegetables are cooking, make cream sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter; add flour, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese and dill weed. Stir until cheese is melted. Set aside.

In a food processor or blender, in small batches, puree potato mixture with some of the milk. Pour blended potato mixture back into the soup pot. Add the cheese sauce, sour cream, remaining milk, salt, pepper, and chili pepper. Stir until thoroughly blended. Return to medium heat and heat until warm. Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls.

Makes 6 servings.

October 11th, 2006 | Category: comfort food, soup |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Leave a comment