Musings on Motherhood, Moo Shu and the Crock Pot

Becoming a mommy has become super-hip. Hot, young celebrities do it. They're falling all over themselves to have babies. Adopted celebrity babies are even hotter! Babies are chic accessories; like living dolls, you can dress them up and take them places they have no business being and papparazzi will fall at your feet. It's very glam.

Who are we kidding? Even if you can overlook the whole childbirth or adoption process, both mind-blowingly arduous in their own impossible way, without a staff of nannies and night nurses, it's hard to spot the glamour. And then kids! Don't get me started! Kids are decidedly less glamorous than babies. They develop independent interests and bizarre fashion senses and let's not even discuss their dining preferences. Playdates with wine for mommies (remember those!? Oh, those were the BEST!) and homemade pureed organics for babies give way to being berated over the contents of their lunchboxes while driving carpool, forced to listen to pop music that makes you feel a little dirty and afraid for the future while you try to manipulate the time/space continuum, mentally juggling the next five things on your to-do list to create a window big enough for a shower. Glamour has left the building.

Maybe I thought having a baby would be an adjunct to my life, as in "I am smart and successful. I am a writer and a good cook. I enjoy live music, wine, fine food, fashion, travel and books. And I have a baby." No. It goes like this: "I HAVE A BABY (or, BABIES, KIDS, WILD ANIMALS ROAMING MY HOUSE, etc.). I work myself to the bone, at home and/or otherwise. I used to do other stuff and I hope to again someday if only I could remember what it was." This, in my mind, is the world of the soccer mom. A world where your own needs have been subjugated by theirs to the point that you rise early every morning, to feed them and clothe them and ferry them about, leaving little time for yourself which is sort of alright because who has the energy? I always wanted to be a mom; I never wanted to be a soccer mom.

Nothing makes me feel more like a soccer mom than my crock pot. I don't care how trendy they've become, crock pots (slow cookers to some) are not very cool. They are not hip or sytlish, they are not edgy. I do not labor under the delusion that in the back of my favorite restaurant kitchen there sits a tidy row of crock pots chugging away. But, denying the greatness of a good crock pot recipe is akin to denying that I am, in fact, a soccer mom. Why fight it? I became a soccer mom so easily and effortlessly...I slipped right into it. My eldest girl tripped out of toddlerhood and into Kindergarten then - whoops! - right into soccer practice we all fell. Easy! Easy like a crock pot. And denying the excellent results of a good crock pot recipe would be just as silly as denying the excellent results of all the mommy-ing. Not easy, but good. Good kids. And happy. One good giggle from any of my three makes me happier than all of that stuff I can't remember was making me.

So, I'm going to stop whispering when I say "crock pot". For starts, I'm going to shout this one from the rooftops. My whole family likes Chinese food and this ridiculous crock-pot-tacular version made them all very happy. And by "all" I mean the 1-year old, the 3-year old, the 6-year old (especially that one) and the 35-year old (but he eats almost anything). The recipe is adapted from Southern Living but I've messed with it. Southern Living also suggested serving the chicken you're about to read about in tortillas as opposed to traditional Chinese pancakes but that's crazy so I ignored them and boosted the nutritional value way up by making these into lettuce wraps with lots of healthy things for garnish. Think vaguely-Asian tacos, if you will. If it's called a taco, my kids will eat it. It was very successful. Being a mom is all about the small victories. Maybe the glamour will come later.

This makes a big batch because why not? Cut it down if you like.


Moo Shu Chicken from the CROCK POT

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• 1 T. olive or canola oil
• salt & pepper
• 2 medium white or yellow onions, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
• 1/2 c. Hoisin Sauce (Chinese food aisle)
• 1 T. Honey
• 3 T. Soy Sauce
• 3 T. Rice wine vinegar
• 1 T. fresh ginger (I buy it minced in a jar...no need to struggle with the root for this recipe)

For serving:

• 1 head bibb or flat leaf lettuce, like romaine
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced into matchsticks
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 3 green or spring onions (scallions), sliced into 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• Fried Wonton Strips (found them in my grocery store near produce with other salad toppings)
• Siracha, if desired, for grown ups

Instructions:
Get your hands on a crock pot. Plug it in.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sear chicken thighs for about 2 minutes per side. While chicken sears, combine Hoisin sauce and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl and stir. Place chopped onions and garlic in the crock pot. Place seared chicken thighs on top. Pour sauce over the top and give it a stir. Place the lid on the crock pot and set it to medium high (6 hours). Ignore it.

After about 6 hours, shred the chicken with two forks right there in the crock pot. It should be falling apart. Serve shredded chicken "taco-style" as lettuce wraps with veggies, etc. to garnish as you wish.

That lady in the tub is right...this soup really IS going to be awesome

Once again, it's been a while since I've posted anything here on ye olde food blog, but don't worry...I've figured out why. A pattern has emerged. It would seem that whenever I have a baby, it takes me about a year to wrap my head around it and get back into the groove. Problem was, I failed to leave much more than a year between the second baby and the third pregnancy. Good times. Anyway, don't worry...no more babies are scheduled so I should be good to go here on The Butter Dish. I was thinking about you all the time, though, and I've saved up some good recipes for you. Plus, babies are awesome and I'm sorry if you've been hungry - and I totally appreciate the handful of you who have actually told me that you've missed the recipe posts - but the tiny babies really are worth all the trouble. Until they turn 3, at least. And sometimes, they bring unexpected rewards. Like soup.

Soup, you say? Babies don't bring soup! How so? Well, when you have babies, sometimes friends bring you food to save your husband and other children from starving while you struggle between feeding the baby, fits of sobbing and bouts of narcolepsy. But, if you're smart and lucky like I am, you've surrounded yourself with people who like food as much as you do and bring you really good food. When my sweet baby boy was born last fall, the friends did not disappoint. My Jen brought me awesome chicken burritos that her excellent husband, Greg, made for us; Courtney came all the way from Reston with her world-famous Shepherd's Pie because she is amazing; and then Erin showed up from right down the street with a batch of this life-affirming soup I'm about to tell you all about. It's soooo good. I loved it right away. I asked Erin for the recipe when I called to thank her, but it's pretty straightforward so I decided to take a crack at it before I even got my hands on the directions. I didn't get it quite right according to the recipe, but I really liked my result so I'm still using it and when I say "using", I really, really mean it because now that the weather is cool, it's all I can do not to make it every few days. Fortunately, no one is complaining.

It's a version of the traditional Tuscan soup known as Ribollita and, like a lot of amazing Tuscan food, it started out as a peasant dish meant to stretch a small amount of meat and make use of affordable and readily available staples like simple vegetables and day-old bread. It's hearty and wonderful and really good for you...not just healthy, but sort of soul-warming. Because I can never just do what a recipe says and I first attempted it without a recipe in front of me, my version skips the very traditional pancetta that gets things started in the Tuscan version in favor of the wicked umami saltiness of anchovy paste - which makes it even healthier, really - but mine is also bulked up by the addition of Italian turkey sausage, as was Erin's. So, I've skipped the pancetta and added sausage and tonight in Tuscany, somebody's Nonna winces like she's been kicked. Still, the soup's core ingredients of white beans, carrots, onions and leafy greens remain. Frankly, I think you can mess with this and make it your own and it would be very hard to screw up. Try it. I'd go through childbirth again for it, but, I'm a giver so you don't have to. Consider this your post-partum meal from your friend Kristin even if the hardest part of your day was mundane in comparison, because, honestly, I have three little kids now and the odds of me showing up on your doorstep with actual food anytime soon are pretty slim. Take what you can get.

Sorta Ribollita

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 2-3 celery hearts, chopped
• 1 lb. Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed
• 1 1/2 T anchovy paste
• 2 T good, concentrated tomato paste (from a tube, not a can. Try Amore brand)
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 c. good chicken stock
• 1 15 oz. can Canellini beans
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 2" Parmigiano Reggiano rind (if you have it. It's traditional, but in this recipe, the anchovy paste does a lot of the work here)
• 4 c. kale, coarsely chopped, heavy spines removed
• 5 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted or any crusty, chewy Italian bread, torn or sliced and toasted
• Grated Parmigiano (garnish)

Instructions:

In a large soup pot or dutch oven,heat the olive oil and sweat the onion, carrots & celery. Don't brown them. When onion is translucent, add the sausage and cook through, crumbling as you go. When turkey is close to done, add the garlic and continue to stir & crumble. Add the anchovy & tomato pastes and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Add chicken stock and next 4 ingredients. Stir, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Don't let it boil hard. Uncover soup and add chopped kale. Redule heat and stir. Cook uncovered for about 5 more minutes. While soup simmers, toast bread and rub with a garlic clove if desired. Remove bay leaves and cheese rind from soup. Place bread in bowls and ladle soup over bread. Serve immediately with grated parmigiano. Enjoy your suddenly improved quality of life...er...I mean, soup.

Momofuku Compost Cookies with Cheddar Bunnies and Matchbox cars?

The ingredients for Compost cookies reads like a list of my 3 year old son's favorite things: chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels and graham crackers. The only thing missing are Cheddar bunnies and match box cars. If you are feeling skeptical about these ingredients, don't be, these cookies are amazing. I can confirm that as I have thoroughly taste tasted them. Since last Friday I have made 3 batches.

Adapted from recipe on Cooking Channel


16 tablespoons (butter, softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup crumbled graham crackers
2 cups potato chips
1 cup mini pretzels
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon of ground coffee

Combine butter and sugars in in a stand mixer (with paddle attached), and mix until combined. Then add in vanilla and egg.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add in 3 batches to stand mixer combining at medium speed.

Now, the fun part. In any order, add chocolate chips, oats, potato chips, butterscotch chips, mini pretzels, pirates bootie, graham crackers and coffee.

Hopefully, you are a careful reader and noticed I that added an ingredient that's not like the others.  Reminds me of a Friends episode where Rachel gets the ingredients of English trifle confused with shepherd's pie, and added a layers ground meat.

Use an ice-cream scoop (1/3 cup) to portion the cookie dough.  Pat down a bit so the cookies are not so round, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or 24 hours. 

Cook in a preheated oven (375) on parchment lined cookie sheet for 15-18 minutes. Rotate mid-cook to ensure even cooking.

Let cool on a wire wrack.

Summer Camp, Munchkins and Monkey Bread

Many of you may not be familiar with "Monkey Bread." My first encounter was at summer camp when I was eight. Part of the camp's daily routine was a cooking class (explains a few things, doesn't it?). We made black and white cookies, pretzels, pizza and Monkey Bread. If you've never have had it, it's bit hard to explain. My best description is that it's a cake made of Munchkins, or donut holes, if you didn't grow up on Dunkin' Donuts. You make it in a Bundt pan, and serve whenever, although I think it's best-suited for brunch. At my camp we used a store-bought dough (Pillsbury biscuits), to make the sweet rounds of bread that fill the pan. It was delicious, but guess what's even more delicious? Making your own dough from scratch.

Of course, this recipe came from Cook's Illustrated, my bible. And of course it has many steps, but I wouldn't be sharing it with you if I didn't think it was worth it. I served it recently during a brunch with my good friends (and family) Katie and Eric. Weeks later we still can't stop talking about it when we get together.

Note: One essential piece of equipment here - a stand mixer

The dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus another 2 tablespoons butter melted
1 cup warm whole milk
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package rapid-rise yeast (or instant)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons salt

Put the oven rack in the second to lowest position, and turn oven on to 200 degrees. When oven hits 200 turn it off

In bowl of stand mixer mix flour and salt. In a large measuring cup combine the milk, water, butter and yeast. Turn mixer on medium speed and add the liquid. Once combined allow mixer to go for 6-7 minutes until dough is nice and shiny. Coat large bowl with non stick cooking spray and pour dough in, cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven for 60 minutes.

As the dough rises you'll need to prep the brown sugar coating.

Mix together 1 cup dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon. In another bowl melt 1 stick of unsalted butter.

Butter Bundt pan with the 2 tablespoons of softened butter.

When the dough comes out of warm oven, pour out onto floured surface. You will need to cut the dough into 64 pieces. It's really quite easy. Form the dough into a smooth round, and cut in half, then take each half and cut into quarters, then take each quarter and cut them into quarters. Once the dough is divided, roll it gently in your hands until it forms a smooth ball, then dunk in butter then roll in the sugar. Line the dough balls in the Bundt pan until you create a few even layers.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again for another 60 minutes in oven. Remove from oven, and heat oven up to 350 degrees. Place the bread in and cook for 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, not longer. Turn cake unto a flat serving dish. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Optional: While bread cools, whisk together 1 cup confectionery sugar with 2 tablespoons milk. Drizzle glaze over top. Not necessary, but totally delicious.

"Axis and Allies," Phil McConkey and Steak Sandwiches

Lots of families have memories of playing board games like "Shoots and Ladders" and "Candyland" and watching Disney movies like "The Swiss Family Robinson." Our house was a little different. We played "Axis and Allies" and "Conquest of the Empire" and watched "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Bridge Over the River Kwai." We rarely missed a Giants game, and when necessary we listened to the game on the car radio. On rainy Saturday afternoons we watched a taped version of SuperBowl XXI when the Giants defeated the Broncos, always stopping to watch Phil McConkey catch Mark Bavaro's tipped ball for a touchdown in a tense fourth quarter a few extra times. Post-game we would re-enact the play in the living room with my Dad as Phil Simms and my brothers and I taking turns playing Bavaro and McConkey.

My Dad ran a tight ship. Whining was a great way not to get what you wanted. He rarely raised his voice to us. He didn't need to. A quick glare from Dad, and we would cease and desist. My Dad's dark hair is a striking contrast to his green eyes, and are more fitting of an Irish or Scottish red-head. I never met my Grandmother, but she was Scottish and fair skinned and I am guessing the eye color came from her. His eyes are his "tell," and they communicated a lot. Each look had its own message, some merely commands (be quiet, eat your dinner, listen to your mother, time for bed, etc.) and others a bit more complicated. Growing up my brothers and I learned the meaning behind each one.

There was the look he gave at church that signaled to put our coats on before Communion. After Communion we'd bless ourselves on our way to the car, and be home for opening kick-off. My Dad would do a quick prayer as we drove home. Not sure if it was an epilogue to the Mass or prelude for a Giant win, probably both.

There was the look he gave when we were acting up in the car on our way out to my Aunt and Uncle's place in Long Island. We could see his glare in the rear view mirror telling us that he planned to let us all out on the Throgs Neck Bridge if we didn't quit it.

There was the look he gave me when I pitched my first Little League game. I struck out the entire lineup. I'd like to think it was my pure talent, but I'm guessing that the boys, upon seeing a girl pitcher, swung as hard as they could at whatever junk I was throwing. Nevertheless, I remember the way my Dad looked when I glanced at him from the pitcher's mound.

There was also the look he gave his dinner if the contents appeared unfamiliar. It was a curious look with one eyebrow slightly raised. I wouldn't say he is a picky eater but I you could say he is a suspicious eater. You won't be catching him eating Pad Thai or Crunchy Spider Rolls. My Dad likes steaks and roasts, rye bread, hot dogs and sauerkraut, string beans, Le Sueur peas, ripe beef steak tomatoes, split pea soup, ham and cheese, bacon and eggs, and Steak-umms.

I can be pretty sure he's not eating Steak-umms any more, but when my brothers and I were kids I remember him making Steak-umms for lunch on weekends. We loved them. We ate them on rye bread from Wall's Bake Shop (Hewlett, LI). The bread was awfully nice for slabs of greasy steak, but growing up we ate everything on this rye bread..

When I was older and living on my own, I ran across Steak-umms in the freezer section at my grocery store. I was so excited. I bought them and went home and promptly made them. I didn't have the Wall's rye bread, but I made do. I wish I could say they were awesome, like I remembered, but they fell short. They also made my studio apartment smell pretty bad for a few days.

In an effort to relive this childhood memory, I am going to reinvent the steak sandwich so that it has more in common with real steak than with Steak-umms.

There are three simple elements to my steak sandwich; steak, cheese sauce and sauted onions. Use any bread you please. I like using a baguette, but use whatever makes sense to you.

Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup of milk
1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
salt/pepper to taste

Melt butter in sauce pan, then add flour and wisk until smooth. Add milk and continue to whisk and then add cheese. If it's too thick for you, just add more milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sauted Onions
1 teaspoon of vegetable
1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Heat up large skillet with vegetable oil. Add onions and keep at medium to high. After a few minutes add salt and pepper. Let cook until golden brown and soft, and then remove from pan.

Steak
1 - 1 1/2 lbs of eye of round steak (place in freezer 30 minutes before dinner, then slice meat as thin as possible, almost shaving off pieces. Freezing the meat will make it easier to slice)
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
salt/pepper to taste

Use the same skillet you used for the onions. Add vegetable oil, and heat on medium high. Before adding meat sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. You will probably do this in two batches. The meat will only take a couple minutes on each side.

Once meat is done, arrange sandwich. I like to start with onions, then steak, then cheese sauce.

Delicious.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

When I was 6 or 7, I remember my mother taking my brothers and me to the Galleria in White Plains. J.C. Penney was our spot at the mall, and we would get new pairs of jeans and our pictures taken at Penney's photo studio. Pictures and shopping were followed by a visit to the food court. I loved the food court. My brothers always went for a slice of pizza at Sbarro, but my mom and I went to the vendor who served up fluffy baked potatoes smothered in broccoli and cheese. It was an absurd amount of food for a child but I ate the whole thing. My mom did too. My brothers looked on with a bit of disgust. I'm sure they thought we were out of minds to pass on a slice of pizza for a meal that involved broccoli. Not sure what happened to the potato vendor at the mall. Guess it disappeared along with Orange Julius. Sadly, Sbarro is still kicking around.

Broccoli and cheese are a wonderful pairing. Not sophisticated per se, but it's homey and feels uniquely American, in that we love to throw cheese on our food whether it's hamburgers, french fries or apple pie. And broccoli can be off-putting, but cooked right and smothered in cheese, well, it's outrageous.

I came to writing this post via a recipe I found in the latest edition of Cook's Illustrated. I'm not even sure if I'd ever had a truly great version of broccoli and cheese soup before, but this version is definitely special. It's very rich and just perfect for a cold winter night.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lbs of broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (buy about 3 lbs at grocery story, by the time you cut them down and remove their woody stems you'll be left with 2 lbs)
1 medium onion roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dry mustard
a pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups chicken stock (homemade is always best)
2 cups fresh spinach
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large soup pot melt butter, then add onions, broccoli, salt, dry mustard and cayenne. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Then add 1 cup of water, and the baking soda. Cook covered for 20 minutes on medium. Stir once at the 10 minute mark.

Add chicken stock plus 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then add spinach. Cook for a few more minutes then turn off stove. Puree the soup in small batches in your blender, adding some of each cheese to each batch before you puree. Pour pureed soup into large bowl. Let cool for at least an hour before refrigerating. If you you plan to serve right away, simply bring soup back up to a simmer in the same pot you've been using.

Sad News and Two Fabulous Soups

I have sad news to share with you all. You are not going to believe it. Make sure you are seated before you continue reading. Ready? Seated? Good. Here it goes. I made an Ina Garten recipe and it flopped. Moment of silence please.

Every Ina Garten recipe I've made resulted in tremendous success. She's always lists the right ingredients, measurements and cooking times. I should write her to tell her what happened. Anyone got her address in the Hamptons? Send along if you do. I promise not to visit her even though that would be awesome. I love her house. (It's featured on her FoodNetwork show.)

Now, you are probably wondering what Ina recipe to avoid. Steer clear of her lemon bars, unless you have a solution to getting them out of the 9 x 13 pan you bake them in. They refused to come out and it got messy. Chunks of lemon bar flew about the kitchen. The shortbread crust had a cement-like quality that fused with the baking dish making a tight, nearly water-proof seal. I almost had to toss the baking dish. Tragic.

So rather then sharing the lemon bar recipe as I had planned, I'm going to share two wonderful recipes for soup. Probably better for everyone's waistlines anyway. The recipes come from "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Dinner." It's a fabulous cookbook, and I've referenced it on my blog before. I highly recommend making your own stock if possible. It makes a big difference.

Curry Cauliflower Soup
(This is an an odd-ball soup, but if you like curry you will love this. It's creamy with no cream, and filling enough to serve for dinner)
1 large onion, small dice
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large head of cauliflower, broken down into chunks (1 inch pieces)
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (1 inch pieces)
4 cups of chicken stock

Garnish
a few lemon wedges
plain yogurt (whole or low fat)

In a soup pot drizzle olive oil (1 tablespoon), and heat on medium-high. Saute onions and garlic. After a few minutes, add curry powder and salt. Cook for another minute or two and then add cauliflower, potatoes and stock. Bring to boil, and then on medium heat proceed to cook for 20-30 minutes until potatoes and cauliflower are fork tender.

You can puree soup with blender or hand held emulsion blender. If you are doing it in your blender like I did, let soup cool a little and do it in small batches so that the blender doesn't explode soup everywhere.

Serve with a squirt of lemon and a dollop of yogurt.



French-Style Tomato Soup
(This is a fairly traditional, but the dry vermouth, fennel seeds and cinnamon make it different and special)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cups tomato paste
1/3 cup dry vermouth
3 medium onions, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine dried herbs and crush them with your finger tips to make them fragrant. In a soup pot drizzle olive oil (1 tablespoon), and heat up on medium-high. Saute onions and garlic. After a few minutes add salt, pepper and dried herb mixture. Cook for another moment or two and then add tomato paste. Stir with wooden spoon until ingredients are fully combined. Then add vermouth and the can of tomatoes. Let boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add broth, and bring back to boil. Lower to medium and let cook for 20 minutes. Stir in cinnamon, and it's ready to serve.

Delicious.

Lobster Risotto for My Spoiled New Year's Baby

Hello reader(s)! Belated Happy New Year to you! Like many of you, I'm sure, I'm working on tapering down from a holiday season full of delicious but excessive dining and imbibing - and I promise I'll post something healthy very soon - but let's go back for a moment and relive the holiday season at my house. Let's do it in verse form, shall we? Humor me.

'Twas the holiday season
And from start to end
I found myself cooking
For family and friends.

It started with cookies
Of all types and styles,
Then we hosted with stew
(Bourginon a la Child).

On Christmas Eve we fed many,
A buffet of crab, shrimp and lamb,
All the while smiling,
Cocktail in hand.

And on Christmas morning,
Oh, did we eat!
Smoked salmon & eggs,
Homemade sticky buns - sweet!

Then we had more guests,
My father's whole clan,
For more crab dip, shrimp cocktail
And a spiral cut ham.

And you'd think we'd be finished,
The New Year impending,
But I thought "Just one more dish!
Something worth remembering!"

So we invited some guests
Lit a fire to set the mood.
Then I made a quick list
And ran off to Whole Foods.

There, I purchased some rice,
Caviar and some lobster.
Once home, I commenced
Risotto fit for a mobster.

But our guests were sick or busy,
So it was just me & the hubby.
We put the kids to bed
And opened some bubbly.

Soon, dinner was ready,
Delicious, fragrant risotto.
Topped with more lobster meat
And salty sturgeon roe.

I presented it fireside
And thought "wow, this is nice"
Just as my husband said
"Meh. It's just rice."

Just rice?!! I'm incredulous!
It's perfection! Just right!
But he just shrugged his shoulders
And took his next bite.

The nerve, I thought!
He might as well have said Ick!
Can't he be complimentary
Instead of being a dick?

Now it should be said -
I knew before our aisle march -
That there is a disparity
In our respective love of starch.

Still, I was bummed.
I had thought it a treat.
And he did eat it up
But I still felt defeat.

He apolozied profusely;
He hadn't meant to be rude.
The flavor is amazing,
But it's not his favorite food.

In the end, I forgave him;
He'd not meant to offend.
It seems I've spoiled my baby
Through great food with no end.

The wind gone from my sails,
I suddenly felt tired.
And instead of ringing in the new year,
We fell asleep by the fire.

It's clear to me now -
As I guess it always was -
That when we feed people
We really serve part of us.

So diners, keep in mind,
Cooking comes from the soul!
Please consider your chef's efforts
As you gaze into your bowl.

And as for my husband?

He's a really good guy,

And the upside, of course,

Is he'll usually give me his fries.

Happy 2011! Make some lobster risotto, even if it's just for you! But find somebody to help you eat it...those resolutions won't keep themselves!

Lobster Risotto with Champagne, Tarragon & Caviar
Ingredients:
3 T. good olive oil
2 large-ish shallots, diced
1 small (or 1/2 medium) yellow onion, diced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 c. champagne (or prosecco or, in a pinch, good, dry white wine)
10 cups fish fumet (concentrated fish stock), seafood stock or lobster stock
About 12 - 16 oz. lobster meat (I bought four 3-4 oz. tails)
2 T. fresh chopped tarragon
1 T. fresh chopped chives
1/2 c. freshly grated parmigiano reggiano(or more), plus extra for garnishing
salt & pepper
about 2 T. Butter (optional)
about 2 T. caviar for garnish (optional)

* In my opinion, buying larger lobster tails doesn't pay. They tend to be more expensive and the meat ends up tougher because it is steamed in its shell - which takes longer for larger lobsters - and then essentially cooked again when added to the risotto. If you are making your own stock and therefore need whole lobsters, that's a good reason to go with bigger crustaceans. I was lucky enough to find fresh Fumet at Whole Foods, but I suspect it was there specially for the holiday.

Instructions:

Over a pot of seasoned water, steam the lobster tails until just cooked (4 to 5 minute for smaller tails). Remove from steamer and allow to cool before removing meat from shells. Set aside.

In a large skillet or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add shallot and onions and saute until translucent, stirring continuously, about 3 minutes. Add rice and saute until rice is coated with remaining oil and onions are incorporated, about a minute or two. Add champagne and stir continuously until moisture is absorbed. Begin adding stock or fumet, about 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and waiting until liquid is almost entirely absorbed before adding the next cup. You will continue this process for about the next 30 minutes until the rice achieves the correct consistency (moist but not runny; dense but not gluey, al dente). Remove from heat.

Roughly chop about 1/2 to 2/3 of the lobster meat, reserving the remaining 1/2 to 1/3 in tact to slice and serve atop the roisotto. Stir the chopped meat into the risotto. Then, stir in the parmigiano, tarragon & chives. If adding butter (I really never do), fold it quickly in at this point.

Plate servings of risotto in bowls. Garnish with additional cheese, sliced lobster meat and a dollop of caviar. This recipe makes 8 side dish portions or 4 generous main course servings. Enjoy it. If the people you serve it to don't enjoy it, kick them out of your home and eat their risotto for dessert. Never let the bastards get you down!

NOTE: Please, please, if you have leftover risotto ~ refrigerate it overnight. Form into 1 1/2" balls, roll in panko and fry in 1/2" of olive oil until it is golden brown. Enjoy these - arancini - as the wonderful treat that they are! I think they're supposed to be good luck or something. Of course, here at my house, I say good luck finding any leftovers.

Happy New Year, My Wakeful Toddler, and Orange Vanilla Panna Cotta

Happy New Year everyone! I had every intention of writing and posting this item Saturday during my son Simon's nap. Yesterday morning he woke up crying -- bad sign. By 11 a.m., he was rolling around on the living room floor rubbing his eyes and screeching. I took him upstairs for his nap, which I hoped would be a long slumber. He was out in minutes. I showered and organized the kitchen and living room, and then sat down to write. It was 11:52, and I heard a soft moan coming from Simon's room. I prayed that he might find his way back to sleep. I always hope that will happen and it never does.

Since Simon was born he's struggled with sleep. He's a year and half now, and he's pretty much mastered falling asleep on his own, but staying asleep, well, that's a different story. My husband and I are always amazed by how loudly he cries when he's tired. He screams at the very top of his lungs. At Thanksgiving, when we were visiting my husband's family in Los Angeles, he cried so hard the first night that he lost his voice. I'm sure when we eventually expand our family our next child will be good sleeper and be very quiet. That's how it works, right? (I don't actually want anyone out there to answer this question, so please keep your thoughts to yourself, thank you very much)

Now, back to the point of the post. I made Orange Vanilla Panna Cotta for dessert on New Year's Eve. I had made an Asian-themed dinner, and I thought this made for a refreshing, cool ending. I adapted this from another cookbook Morgan (my sister-in-law) gave me last year, "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper." It reminds me of a creamsicle, but better because you eat it with a spoon. The texture is similar to soft serve ice-cream. It's dreamy.

Orange Vanilla Panna Cotta

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of 1 orange
1 cup sour cream

Mix gelatin and water, and set set aside. On medium-high heat combine cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a near boil, and then remove from heat and add gelatin mixture. Let cool for a few minutes. In a large bowl combine sour cream with zest, and then gently pour cream mixture over top. Mix until smooth.

Pour 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup portions into ramekins or small bowls. Juice glasses or small mugs can work too. You will serve this in whatever you use. This panna cotta is super soft, and I wouldn't try to plate it. I think they would just turn into a puddle, not pretty and hard to eat.

We Climb the Short Rib Because It's There

Hello & Merry Christmas from not-so-snowy Baltimore. I know some of you reading this up north - and down south - are rather snowed in, but the Christmas blizzard of 2010 was a bit overstated 'round here and we didn't even get enough to play in. Boo! I know, I know...a lot of you have been severely inconvenienced by the holiday snow and I am sorry for you, but I was really looking forward to getting cozy and vegging out a bit now that the Christmas rush has slowed. Ugh! And what a rush it was! Helping Santa is a busy, busy job and we had a lot of fun with friends and family, but now that it is over, I was all about being snowed in, having the husb build a fire and making something warm and comforting, like this ragout you're about to hear all about. But now I'm told that we're expecting temps in the 50's in a few days. Freaking global warming!! Al Gore was right...it really does ruin everything.

So, I say screw it. I'm making short rib ragout anyway. Join me, won't you?

This recipe came about in my favorite way possible; it came to me when I encountered an ingredient so impressive and fresh that I had to purchase it and come up with something to do with it. Specifically, I was in my favorite Italian market (Ceriello's at Belvedere Market, neighbors), buying something completely unrelated when I came across the biggest, most impressive beef short ribs I have ever seen before in my life. They looked like they were from a Brontosaurus. I had to buy them. But as wonderful as short ribs are, I sometimes find a plate of braised short ribs to be overwhelming. At worst, they can be greasy and heavy. At best, they are rich and delicious and, well, heavy.

But there they were, just like the Mt. Everest of short ribs. And, you know, whenever you hear that someone has perished on the way up Mt. Everest, you think "Why? Why would someone climb Mt. Everest?" And the answer, of course, is, because it's there. They climb it because it's there. Food is a bit like that. Sometimes we must cook because the food calls us to it. I think this is actually the best reason to cook something. We should always be looking for ingredients that are perfect, whether it be tomatoes at their seasonal, bright red, juicy peak or fresh tuna taken immediately off of a fishing boat along the Atlantic coastline. It's a European ideal that cooks should enter a market without preconceived notions of what they might cook tonight but instead, let the products available to them that day dictate what's for dinner. Unfortunately, it's the furthest thing from how Americans eat. We'd probably all be a bit healthier and a lot more satiated if we could teach ourselves to eat ingredients at their peak and not because we think we should have everything we want exactly when we want it. We are a bunch of entitled so-and-sos, aren't we? We should really get over ourselves. OK, lecture complete. Moving on to deliciousness.

So, if I want to eat the short ribs because they are perfection, but I don't want a plate of short ribs, what do I do with them? I braise them, of course, and I make thick, satisfying, savory pasta sauce and serve it over pappardelle (wide, rustic pasta). Duh. This is an all-day sort of recipe that cooks low and slow for quite some time in a dutch oven (ooh lala. Bonjour Le Creuset. Joyeux Noel.) but it's worth it and it's not at all hard. No mountain climbing required. If you'd like, begin the recipe the day before you'd like to serve it to allow the flavors to marry overnight. This will also allow you to easily skim a lot of the fat resulting from the ribs out of the sauce. Please enjoy it, and please, please have a happy, healthy 2011!

Beef Short Rib Ragout over Pappardelle

Ingredients:

3 - 3.5 lbs. beef short ribs (bone-in)

4 oz. really good bacon, chopped into 1/4" dice (it helps to freeze bacon slightly before attempting to chop it)

2 - 3 T. olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a food processor)

1 large or 2 small carrots, finely chopped (ditto)

3 (or more, to your liking) cloves garlic, crushed

2.5 cups good red wine

2.5 cups beef or veal stock

1 T. tomato paste

2 bay leaves

2-3 stems each, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, tied in a bunch with cooking-safe string, to make bouquet garni

1 large can whole peeled tomatoes

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano cheese, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Fresh parsley

12 - 16 oz. pappardelle pasta, or other broad, flat pasta, or rigatoni

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat short ribs dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat about 1 - 2 T. olive oil in dutch oven on stove top. Sear short ribs on all 4 sides and remove from dutch oven. Set aside. Heat remaining oil and sautee bacon until well browned, but not burned. Remove bacon from the pan and set aside. Sautee carrots and onions in resulting fat until onion becomes translucent and carrots begin to soften. Return short ribs to rest on top of vegetables. Cover with wine & stock. Add tomatoe paste bay leaves, herbs and garlic, plus the reserved bacon. Open the can of whole tomaotes and coarsely crush tomatoes with your fingertips. Add tomatoes and juice to the dutch oven. Stir carefully. Cover and place in the oven for about 3 hours.

After 3 hours, remove dutch oven from your oven. Remove bay leaves and bouquet garni. If you're working a day ahead, at this point you would allow the whole thing to cool a bit before placing it in the fridge overnight. Then, the next day, remove the fat solids from the top of the sauce and proceed by removing the ribs and bringing the sauce back up to a simmer on the stove top. If you are working within one day, remove the ribs from the sauce and use a serving spoon or ladle to skim as much fat from the surface of the sauce as possible and proceed by bringing the sauce to a simmer on the stovetop. Remove the meat from the bones and separate fat from the meat. Discard fat and bones. While you are dealing with meat, bring the sauce to a simmer on the stove top and add the diced tomatoes and parmigiano, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom. Return the beef from the ribs to the pot and simmer sauce until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook pasta according to package. Turn sauce off and add ricotta cheese. Stir to incorporate. Drain pasta thoroughly and add it directly to the sauce, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately with grated cheese, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and a big, fat glass of red wine. Enjoy!

My Bake-Off Career (and Sugar Shuttles)

I would like to be on one of the Food Network recipe contest shows. Specifically, Ultimate Recipe Showdown, the one hosted by Guy Fieri. They typically have a mixed bag of contestants. There are talented home cooks with interesting techniques and recipes and there are truly awful recipes from some harebrained amateurs. I recently saw an episode where a contestant was pureeing sauteed chicken with hot sauce in a blender. For what purpose, I don't know. I had to click through and watch something less disturbing like "Jerseylicious."

The most disturbing display of amateur cooking I've ever seen was on one of Gordon Ramsey's show. One of the contestants thought it was good idea to cook a whole chicken inside a pumpkin. Ramsey gags as he pulls the pale wet chicken from the belly of the pumpkin. The pumpkin had birthed the chicken - twisted. Regardless, I want to be on a show as a serious contestant. As important days go in my life, it would rank pretty high. Not before the day I married my husband or the day my son was born, but I think being the winner on a show would come in a solid 3rd.

I've tried to win cooking contests before, and I have never won. I recently lost in a bake-off at my office. I even submitted two recipes in the hope that would increase my odds. I actually intended to submit three, thank God I didn't. That would have been humiliating.

I made crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies and the recipe below -- sugar shuttles. I made the oatmeal cookies a few years back for another bake-off. I got a 3rd-place finish, which was fairly disappointed considering the top prize went to a Duncan Hines cake. The sugar shuttles didn't win either in last week's bake-off, but I guarantee they're worth making (and eating). They're soft and buttery and different, and they come from the same book I've been using a lot lately, The Gourmet Cookie Book. This was Gourmet magazine's best recipe from 1951. Enjoy.

Sugar Shuttles

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 egg yolks, whites reserved
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, butter, egg yolks, salt and vanilla in a bowl with a spoon or with your hands. It’s easier with your hands. Once a dough is formed, let rest covered in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

While dough rests, beat the egg whites, and pour about ½ cup of sugar into another bowl.

Take dough out of refrigerator, and pinch off about 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon sized portions. Roll into log shape, about 1 ½ inches long. Dip in egg whites and roll in sugar.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until barely brown on the edges.

Makes 18-24 cookies

Maple Shortbread Squares

I found another gem in The Gourmet Cookie Book. The official name of the cookie is "Skibo Castle Ginger Crunch." It's British. It had one ingredient exclusive to the U.K. The recipe calls for Lyle's Golden Syrup. Not sure what that is, so I replaced it with maple syrup. I also replaced the ginger with cinnamon. I thought the cinnamon made better friends with the maple syrup then ginger.

Pre-heat oven to 350, and butter a 13 x 9 pan. Line with one sheet of parchment paper long enough so that about 2 inches hangs over each end of the pan.

Shortbread Base
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Mix dry ingredients, and then add butter. The best way to combine the butter with the dry ingredients is with your fingers. If you have a pastry cutter, use that to help with the process. It'll take about 5-8 minutes.

Once completed, pour mixture into your greased pan and with your hands press down and spread to cover the entire surface.

Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned.

While it bakes heat the ingredients below on medium-low heat in a saucepan for about 5 minutes.

Topping
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

It will become smooth and gooey. When the shortbread comes out of the oven, pour the topping over it. Let cool on counter for about an hour, and then put in the refrigerator over night. This will make it easier to cut.

The parchment paper hanging over the edges is the key to getting this out of the pan. You should be able to lift with ease, and cut into as many pieces as you want. I made this into 24 squares.

Super Soup, with apologies to Ro Zucc

Hello?? Where am I? What is this thing? A blog? What's a blog? Oh. That sounds neat. I'd like one of those. what? I have one? ME?!? Where?!? THIS ONE? Whaaaat? This is my blog? That's so weird. You must be mistaken. I don't have a --- wait! Do I? That does seem familiar. WAIT! I do! I do have a blog! Hello blog! It's been forever! What have you been up to? Nothing? And it's all my fault? Because I haven't posted anything? Hmm. I guess you do have a point there. Sorry about that. Oh, come on! Don't be angry! I'm sorry for ignoring you! I won't do it again! Can't we just move forward? We can? Thanks, blog. I've missed you too. I really am sorry. I promise to make up for it. Right now. With the best soup ever.

So, once upon a time, I was in college. I say "once upon a time" because I still go to the gym at said college and, judging by the appearance of the co-eds around me, they are very young which would make me sort of, um, vaguely, relatively, old-ish. Regardless, my beloved co-blogger Beth & I met there at Loyola College (now Loyola University Maryland. Another subject for another day. Don't get me started.) and I have many, many fond memories of my time there. From what I recall. Pieces are hazy. But I think it was great.

A really great thing about Loyola was the housing. Most of it was re-purposed apartment buildings that had been built for real people, then purchased by Loyola and used as student housing which meant that there were very few traditional dorms. It was pretty sweet. Other kids were totally jealous. We had kitchens. We had in-room bathrooms. We had living rooms. The trade-off? We had LOTS of roommates. At first, there were 5 of us in my room, and later 4. So, that's more than one roommate. By up to 400% more. I think. I wasn't a math major.

Regardless, as any of you who has maybe lived with one 19-year old girl can attest, 4 or 5 of us in one room was sometimes a lot. And I don't think I was super good at it. My intentions were good, but it was almost like my intuition regarding my own species was somehow sort of off, like the cow that gets confused and wanders away from the heard only to get caught in a barbed wire fence. It was sometimes wonderful, and sometimes a struggle but ya know what? When I look back on it, I remember a lot of good stuff, and I'm still friends with all of those girls that I ever lived with and that makes me happy. They all have good lives and GORGEOUS kids and they're happy, too. And we're all still in touch. Except this girl Brenda who lived with us briefly who had a really weird relationship with her brother and wore a lot of overalls. I don't know what happened to her. But for the rest of us, I wish we could see each other more.

My roommate Toni was my direct roommate our Freshman year. That meant we shared a bedroom in a larger apartment.There was a lot of really good stuff about living with Toni. She is very funny. She is neat as a pin, which just made me feel bad that she had to live with me. She has an excellent wardrobe and always let me borrow her sweaters. She would occasionally pluck my eyebrows for me. She believed that when things went bad, it was probably best to go to the mall. But Toni's family also owns the best pizza place in Wildwood, NJ - Sam's Pizza - and whenever she went home she brought back a BIG stack of pies for us. AWESOME. Although, being a seasonal business, Sam's would close for a big chunk of the school year. And you would think it would be sad. And it was. BUT! When there was no pizza, Toni used to bring back her mom's chicken soup. Ro's (her mom's name is Ro) Super Soup. Or was it 'Soup'er Soup? Dunno. Never asked her to spell it. Don't care. It was so delicious, so comfy. It was traditional chicken & rice soup, with carrots & onions and chicken (duh). And you wouldn't have thought it would be remarkable, but it was. It sooo was. It was SUPER thick with shredded chicken and rice and it literally warmed your soul. And we would heat it, and eat some, and then heat it again the next day (or later the same day), and eat some more. And it just kept getting thicker and better.

Now, I wasn't the culinarian that you see before you now back at Loyola. I was just starting to dabble. And I think it was probably years before I really started to think about Ro's soup and how to recreate it. But I'm having a soup moment right now, so I decided this was the year to figure it out. 'Cause I don't live with or near Toni anymore, or Ro for that matter, and my babies need this soup! So, I set off on the soup making, and I made my own stock from a whole cut-up chicken. And then I pulled all the meat so it was perfectly shredded like Ro's. And I chopped carrots and onions. And I simmered. And I added rice. And I seasoned. And I tasted. And it was not right. Thin, brothy, blah. And I simmered. And I seasoned. And I put it to bed for the night to let the flavors marry. And I did it all again the next day. And it still sucked. And then I got desperate and added some saffron that co-blogger Beth left at my house months ago which I swore I would never use because she left it acidentally and saffrom threads are EXPENSIVE. But Ro's soup was definitely a beautiful yellow shade and I had to. (So sorry Beth! I swear I will replace it!) But the soup was still just soup, not Souper.

And then fate intervened. My daughters, specifically, intervened. It was their dinnertime and they were fussy and cranky and difficult and I forgot about my soup. I left it simmering away. And we got through dinner, and I got the little one bathed (she is slippery like an eel, that one!) and then I realized my soup was boiling. Boiling! And probably ruined. Probably stuck to the bottom of the pot and burnt. Probably awful.

Or, perhaps, perfection. It was thick, hearty, yellow, soothing, comforting, delicious, better-than-it-should-be perfection. In a word, Souper. I'm going to share it with you because it is the sort of thing that might help us all towards happiness and world peace. But I'm gonna preface with apologies to Ro, 'cause I'm sure this isn't her way or the right way, but it filled the hole in my world left when I graduated and got circumstantially cut-off from the real deal. Now, if I can only get Sam's to deliver to Baltimore, we'll be all set.

Souper Soup

For Stock:

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken, cut into about 6 or 8 pieces

1 whole large - or two small - onions, skin on, quartered

2 carrots, cut into several large pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into several large pieces

2 bay leaves

12 - 20 whole peppercorns

1 T. Kosher salt

Enough water to cover completely, at least 10 cups

Instructions:

Place chicken, vegetables & seasoniongs in a large stockpot and add water to completely cover all ingredients. Cover stockpot and simmer for at least three hours. Remove from heat, cool slightly and remove chicken. Set chicken aside to cool (I retained my carrots, chopped them and added them to my soup later, too). Strain stock into another large pot, cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard remaining vegetables. The next day, remove chicken skin and bones and chop or shred further if necessary, and remove any fat from surface of stock. Continue with soup recipe as below.

For Soup:

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

2 medium or large onions, chopped, not too finely

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick coins

1o cups chicken stock (as above)

3 -4 cups chicken, shredded (from stock recipe as above)

2 cups uncooked rice (I used brown)

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 T. fresh thyme, stems carefully removed

1 - 2 tsp saffron threads

Salt and pepper, to taste

optional: 1 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil

Instructions:

Warm 2 T. of olive oil in a large stockpot. Add onions and carrots and sautee lightly until onions are just barely softened. Add chicken stock, chicken and rice, bay leaves & thyme. Stir. Simmer soup, covered, for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add saffron (and mushrooms, if desired...they weren't in Ro's soup as I recall), and season with salt and pepper, remembering that you can always add more, but you can't take it out. Turn up the heat just a bit to acheive a gentle boil and leave the pot uncovered, stirring regularly until the soup starts to reduce and thicken to your liking. When soup has reached the consistency you desire, serve it in big bowls with good crusty bread. Enjoy!

7 weeks, Cookies, Cookbooks and Lemon Thins

It's been seven weeks since my last post. Coincidentally, I started a new job seven weeks ago. I wonder if these two facts are related. (Sigh)

I have been cooking during this busy time, although I had not felt truly inspired until my wonderful sister-in-law Morgan sent me a gift. I received a cookie cookbook. I don't have a cookbook that is strictly devoted to cookies. I have lots of on baking, but not on cookies. Morgan sent me "The Gourmet Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe From Each Year, 1941-2009." It has fantastic pictures and great anecdotes about each cookie. This past Thursday I made Lemon Thins -- the best cookie of 1979. They are glorious, and simple to prepare and bake. Thin and light, they make you feel like you are not eating something wrong, though you clearly are because these lovelies are full of sugar and butter and eggs. Yum.

Lemon Thins

2 eggs (room temperature, leave eggs out on kitchen counter for 90 minutes prior to use)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup all purpose flour

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a little non-stick baking spray.

Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla with hand mixer for 5 minutes, no less. Then stir in lemon zest. In separate bowl beat butter with hand mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then fold butter and flour in increments into egg mixture. Once incorporated, drop 1 spoonful (about teaspoon) of batter on lined baking sheet. This cookie dough is more like cake batter.

Bake for 5-6 minutes. Once the edges are browned slightly, pull out. Let cool for a minute on baking sheet, then move to a cooking rack.

Makes 2 1/2 - 3 dozen cookies depending on how much batter you eat along the way.

I plan to bake cookies from this book the rest of December. If you are not a cookie lover, I apologize. I'll have a different theme in January when I start blaming my dryer for shrinking my clothes.

Halloween (Butternut Squash and Black Bean) Soup

Halloween is great. I love candy corn, kids in costumes, parades, carved pumpkins, hot apple cider and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." Halloween as a kid was almost as good as Christmas. It was magical. You got to dress up, eat sweets, and stay up late. I remember one year my brother Vince was a werewolf. He wore brown shoes, brown socks, brown corduroy pants, a brown and white checked button down shirt, brown wool sweater and a very scary werewolf mask. It had a head of curly brown hair, protruding snout and large blood fangs. He was the neat-est and fiercest werewolf and 2nd grader that ever was.

The only drawback to Halloween is the pressure to dress up. As a kid it was fine, but starting in high school it became a burden. I dreaded it in college and in my twenties. My ideas and execution were terrible. I have a long history of bad Halloween costumes. One particularly embarrassing year in college involved giant bunny ears and glitter. It was bad, and there are lots and lots of pictures. There was also the year that my husband and I dressed up as salt and pepper shakers. I thought getting a cab to the party was humiliating. The ride back was much worse. I don't frown on people who do get dressed up. In fact, I think it's great. I'm creative when it comes to food, but I totally bomb on artsy projects like Halloween costumes and dioramas. Hopefully, when it's time for me to help my son with school projects I will find some creative inspiration (or an assistant).

Now, the orange and black soup:

2 2-lb butternut squashes or 1 4-lb butternut squash
1 medium onion, small dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
32 oz low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 16 oz cans of black beans, rinsed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Split squash in half, scoop out seeds, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 1 hour. Flesh should be soft when you pierce with fork. Let cool, then scoop out flesh and mash with fork

In large soup pot, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and saute until soft. Add salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper. Add stock, and bring to medium simmer. Stir in smashed butternut squash. Let cook on medium for about 20 minutes until squash fully incorporates. Stir often. Add in black beans, and let cook for just a few more minutes.

Serve with warm bread.

Irish Bars, Michael Flatley and Guinness Beef Stew

This recipe is a tribute to my drinking days. I am not much of drinker anymore. I have two beers and I'm falling down drunk. Pathetic. In the old days (meaning my twenties), I could really throw them back. Some of my favorite bars included Murphy's, Mick O'Shea's, Mackey's, Nanny O'Brien's, Ireland's Four Fields (formerly know as the Four Courts), The Irish Times, The Dubliner, Biddy Mulligans and The Irish Chanel. I could go on, but I think I am only embarrassing myself. And if I wasn't at an Irish bar, I was drinking with my Irish Catholic friends. I recall in college trying to track down a poster of Michael Flatley for my friend Karen's 21st birthday. Sadly, we couldn't find one so we settled on getting her a pinata, a 30 pack of beer, and a video of "The Lord of the Dance." We all got drunk, cracked open the pinata, watched "Lord of the Dance," played a nice binge drinking game called "Power Hour," and then headed out to the bars. I'm exhausted just thinking about doing all that. Granted, I did spend most afternoons resting on the coach watching "Jerry Springer" and "Days of our Lives" in my dorm. College = money well-spent.

Since I don't drink much now, I get my kicks from cooking. I basically made up this recipe. I browsed lots of recipes for Guinness stew, and I took what seemed like the best parts of each of them. Adding the baker's chocolate came from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. I think this one ingredient takes this stew recipe from good to great. I've made beef stews before, but this is my favorite by far. I don't think I will ever not make this version. Guinness has wonderful texture and flavor. Obviously it's great to drink, but it's also awesome to cook with -- and no hangover. I'm going to have to research other ways to incorporate it in my food. Perhaps I'll pour it over my corn flakes tomorrow, or swirl it in my oatmeal. I'll keep you posted on my findings.


Guinness Beef Stew

1 1/2 - 2 lbs stewing beef
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, 1-inch pieces
5-6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 dried bay leaves
2 cups Guinness
1/2 cup water
1 ounce bittersweet baking chocolate
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped.

Pat the stew meat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper over meat. Dredge each piece in flour and shake off extra flour.

Heat up 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in dutch oven. Brown beef on all sides. It will take about 8-10 minutes. Remove meat from pan. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, salt, thyme and bay leaves. Let cook down and scrape the bottom of dutch oven with wooden spoon to get all the brown bits left from the stewing meat. As the tomatoes start to break down, add beer, water and baking chocolate. Bring to a boil, and then turn off stove. Place in a 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Before serving stir in two tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley.

My Husband's Birthday, Idiots, Hellman's Mayonnaise and Chocolate Cake

A few Friday nights ago, I made "Idiot Chocolate Cake" by chef and author David Lebovitz. Supposedly, only an idiot can screw up this recipe. There are many things that I'm not good at, but I know how to read and execute a recipe. This one required a springform pan. I didn't have one, so I picked one up. I also picked up ScharffenBerger chocolate as the recipe recommends and I even brought my eggs up to room temperature, a practice I've always been leery about. The cake is simple and it took only a few minutes to combine the chocolate, sugar, eggs and butter. I poured the batter into a buttered and cocoa powder-ed springform pan and placed it in a roasting dish. Following the recipe instructions to create a water bath, I poured hot water in the roasting dish to surround the cake. I set the timer for 75 minutes, and I placed it in my hot oven. The smell of it baking was glorious. I was so excited. The one-hour mark hit, and I took a peak at the cake. The top looked a little odd, full of bubbles and craters. I was momentarily concerned, but not alarmed. I waited another 15 minutes, and took the cake out. The top now really bothered me, and I stared at it for awhile. As I stared, the cake fell in on itself. Crap.

The recipe did have a warning regarding the springform pan, and recommend wrapping it in tinfoil if you suspect it's not waterproof. And I did in fact wrap the pan, but not tightly enough. Water had made its way into the cake, and ruined the whole thing. I was pissed. Thankfully, I was able to comfort myself by eating the only edible part of the cake, the top crust -- and it was tasty. David Lebovitz should have added a footnote for idiots. I mean, doesn't he know how many idiots are out there? Lots and lots. The idiot footnote should read as follows: "The springform pan you just bought is not waterproof. Wrap it tightly with layer upon layer of tinfoil or your cake will be a soggy mess."

I wanted a great chocolate cake for husband's birthday. This "Idiot Cake" was a test run. Thank God. But now what? He loves chocolate cake, and I really wanted to get this right. I would try Lebovitz's cake again, but my confidence was a bit shaken. This recipe shall be shelved for the time being. I needed to think. I often get inspiration when I think back to the food I ate many moons ago. As I kid I remember my mom making a chocolate cake that had mayonnaise in it. It was awesome -- moist and chocolate-y. The recipe was published in a Hellman's Mayonnaise cookbook. I have no idea how we came to have this book, maybe Hellman's sent it to us because of all the tuna salad and egg salad sandwiches we ate. I scoured the internet for the recipe. There were countless versions. The best of the bunch came from Cook's Illustrated (surprise, surprise).

This is so simple -- no frosting, no water bath, no springform pan, no room temperature eggs. This is idiot-proof for idiots.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
1 cup hot strong coffee
2/3 cups mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
confectionery sugar for dusting

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8" by 8" square pan.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Combine chocolate, coffee and cocoa. Whisk until smooth and let cool for a minute or two. Then whisk in mayonnaise, egg and vanilla. Then stir mayonnaise mixture into flour.

Once fully incorporated pour into buttered pain, and cook for 25 - 30 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 1 - 2 hours.

Turn cake out onto serving platter and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve with dollop of fresh whipped cream.

P.S. I've clearly relapsed on baking. I have not moved on to soups and stews as I said I would in my last post. Oh well, I guess I need a court-ordered stint in baking rehab.