Soft food? May 29, 2008

I had the unfortunate pleasure of going to the dentist today.  I don’t know about you, but I HATE the dentist.  Their drills and their pick thingy, they all scare me.  So, now the entire left side of my face is numb and hanging funny and the doctor told me that I can’t eat solid food until later today.  So, that leaves me with the dilemma of what to eat for lunch that isn’t solid. 

Remember a week or so ago when I was talking about making berry cobbler?  Well, I had a good idea that day.  After I cooked the berries, the liquid that they gave off, the wonderful berry juice, I saved it.  It tasted awesome and I figured I could find something to use it for.  Enter today…and my solid food dilemma.  I’m thinking that I’m going to use some of that juice to make a smoothie….sounds good to my hurting teeth.  I’ll throw in some yogurt and maybe some strawberries, too.  The good part about smoothies is that you can put pretty much anything in them.  I throw mine into my food processor (or blender) and go through the cabinets to see what I have.  Some of my favorite combos are peanut butter, banana and honey…and chocolate and strawberry.  There really isn’t a measuring system, just throw some stuff in, taste it, and see what else you need.  Yogurt, orange juice, and milk are just a few of the liquids that you can add, too. 

So, hopefully your teeth are feeling better than mine today, but it’s still a good day to make yourself something soft…..maybe only to have sympathy for me!!  Again, like I say all the time, use your imagination….throw some stuff in a blender and see what happens!!

Frostings galore May 27, 2008

Who doesn’t love frosting, right?  I know some people that can eat it by the spoonful or even sit down with a tub of it and eat it like its cake or something.  Weird.  I like frosting as much as the next girl, but only certain kinds.  Until recently I had this abnormal aversion to german chocolate frosting.  It just didn’t do anything for me.  Weird texture, weird taste…didn’t make me sad when I missed it.  That is until I tried the homemade version.  First of all, I didn’t even know there was a homemade version.  Let me tell you something, the difference in the homemade and the jar is unbelievable. 

It’s actually really easy to make german chocolate frosting from scratch.  Here’s an easy recipe:

1C evaporated milk……1C sugar…..3 egg yolks slightly beaten…….1 stick butter…..1 tsp. vanilla……1 1/3C coconut……1C chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds, your pick.

Combine the milk, sugar, egg yolks and butter in a medium saucepan.  Cook over med. heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, around 12 minutes or so.  You want the mixture to thicken up like a custard.  Remove from heat and add the coconut, pecans and vanilla.    The longer you cook the mixture, the thicker it will get.  Keep that in mind.  Also, beware that you may want to sit down with the entire saucepan and eat it all in one sitting. 

As for other frostings, again, you’re only limited by your imagination.  There’s the standard cream cheese icing, which you can jazz up 1,000 different ways.  Add some cinnamon, some vanilla pudding mix, some orange or lemon zest, some bourbon or rum…..and that’s just cream cheese icing.   Remember with icing its also about the texture.  Do you need to pour it or spread it?  Both require different amounts of liquid and have different consistencies.  And hey, if you mess up and make it too runny, just say that you wanted it to be a poured frosting.  That always works for me!!

 

 

 

The hard stuff May 25, 2008

Ok, I know that creme brulee has this crazy reputation for being an over-the-top dessert that no one can conquer except the most astute pastry chef.  Well, as always, I am here to prove you wrong.  In its basic form, it is only a custard with a carmelized sugar topping.  Of course there are a million different ways that the flavors can be changed and added to, but in its purest form, it’s a beautiful vanilla custard.  Really, how hard can custard be to make?  Surprisingly, not that hard.  It takes a little patience and a lot of stirring, but just like anything else, it’s very doable.  Not to mention the fact that there are some really good mixes out there where you just add the cream.  Very sneaky!!  The most important thing is not to get intimidated by a recipe when you read the title or look at the ingredient list.  Just take it one step at a time….don’t freak out…and remember that ususally there’s a way to fix it. 

Say for instance you were reading a recipe for creme brulee and saw that it said to use a kitchen torch to carmelize the topping.  I’m sure you were freaking out thinking “I don’t have a kitchen torch.”  Well, not many people do.  And I’m here to tell you that your broiler on your oven can do the exact same job. 

The hard stuff isn’t always hard, just intimidating.  But break it down, take your time, and if you come up against an obstacle, try to find another way to tackle it.  Very seldom have I come across something that I couldn’t find another way around. 

A good mess-up May 21, 2008

Whenever it gets busy at work and all my baking is done, sometimes I get drafted into the kitchen.  I don’t mind it, really, but I definitely don’t feel as confident back there as I do in my area.  I was assigned the task of making Italian Beef for 50 people.  That’s a lot of beef.  I thought I knew what I was doing….I’ve seen them do it 100 times so I told them not to worry about giving me a recipe. 

Here’s what I did….I took the meat, several huge hunks of it, and seared it.  That means that I got a big pan really hot and added a little bit of oil to it.  Then I rubbed all sides of the meat with a large amount of salt to give it a crust and then cooked each side in the screaming hot pan for a few minutes.  Not trying to get it done in the middle, just searing the outside.  Then, after the meat had cooled, I cut slits in it, all over, and stuffed a little pad of butter and some minced garlic in each of the slits.  I then put the meat in the crockpot and added some cut up carrots, celery and onions to the mix and some beef stock and worchestershire sauce. 

I’m not sure exactly what I thought I was doing….because that definitely wasn’t the recipe that we normally use for Italian beef, but let me tell you something, it was killer!  The flavors all melded together and it was quite possibly the best Italian beef I’ve ever had.  They started asking me what I had done and how I ended up making it like that, and I honestly had no idea what to tell them.  I don’t have the faintest idea where that came from, but dang, it was good. 

So, the moral of the story is that even a mess up can rock sometimes!  And don’t worry, all my mess-ups aren’t good….sometimes I have some that really stink! 

Too much sugar? May 19, 2008

I know, I know, is there really such a thing as too much sugar?  The answer may surprise you.  A week ago when we were on vacation, we stopped at this little mom and pop food stand with the cutest little old people running it and they were selling all kinds of jams, honey and jellies.  I bought a few that I knew we wouldn’t have around here and was so excited.  I got home and opened my jar of black raspberry jam and much to my disappointment I didn’t taste anything but sugar.  The beautiful flavor of the fruit had been totally drowned out.   Seriously, it just tasted like a big jar full of sugar.  Sad times. 

So, when it came to using berries at work today, I wanted to be sure that I didn’t make the same mistake.  I had to make a mixed berry cobbler and when I started making the filling, I decided to put just a little bit of sugar on the fruit and give it some time to macerate and break down so that the fruit could give off some of its own sugars.  By the time I put the fruit on the stove to make the filling, the only other thing I added was some lemon juice to make the flavors POP and some cornstarch to thicken it.  I’m telling you, it was stellar!  Fruit is in its peak season….it doesn’t come any sweeter and riper than it does right now, so don’t over sugar it.  Let it be.  Don’t make the mistake that the cute little old lady at the jelly stand made.  Too much sugar is a bad thing. 

You can make anything awesome! May 16, 2008

Sometimes we all need a little help in the kitchen.  Even me.  For instance, today at work I was supposed to make 3,000 pieces of dessert for tomorrow night.  I know, impossible, right?  So, I decided to take a little help from the store and find a way to jazz it up and make it my own.  I had some store bought shortbread cookie dough.  Shortbread’s alright, but definitely not special.  So, I decided to sprinkle some sugar on top before baking it and let that carmelize in the oven and turn all golden and crunchy on top.  Then, for some of them, I drizzled some white and dark chocolate over them.  Then for some others, I drizzled them with raspberry sauce.  The point I’m trying to make is that even if you don’t have time to bake something from scratch, you still have time to make it fabulous!  There are a million little touches you can add to a pre-fab cookie to make it great!  For store bought choc. chip cookie dough, add a few pecans and a drizzle of caramel on top and you now have turtle choc. chip cookies. 

Remember, you are only limited by your imagination.  And just think, by adding a little something, people will definitely think that you spent all day slaving in the kitchen.  You don’t need to do that…..that’s my job!

Savory chocolate? May 15, 2008

I’m beginning to think that my mom ingested only chocolate while she was carrying me.  I feel like it’s in my veins, it’s a part of me.  I don’t go through a day, not even one day, without some form of chocolate.  I know, I have a problem….believe me, I know.  The thing is, chocolate is so versatile.  You can do pretty much anything with it. 

As far as desserts go, obviously you know that chocolate makes its way into everything from cheesecake to ice cream.  But have you ever thought of chocolate in savory food?  Here’s one you probably haven’t tried…how about adding a little dark chocolate to your chili.  I know, it sounds weird, but I promise you, it tastes great.  It doesn’t so much change the flavor as it does change the smoothness of the chili.  I grate some dark chocolate over my chili at the last minute and stir it in just before serving.  Your guests will never know there’s chocolate in there and you will take the compliments from  your incredibly smooth chili.  Give it a try and remember not to limit chocolate to only dessert.  It can hold its own on the dinner table, too. 

 

Vacation food May 9, 2008

Doesn’t food always taste better on vacation?  I think so.  Even McDonalds suddenly tastes awesome as if you haven’t eaten it with your kids every week for the last 3 years.  I’m writing this from a computer in our hotel while we’re on vacation.  Trust me, this has been an interesting one as far as food goes and I’ll have plenty to write about as soon as I get back, but for now, I’m enjoying just being with my family and loving food, even McDonalds. 

Make ahead desserts May 5, 2008

I was at work today and had the task of making some stuff ahead, since I was leaving on vacation.  They wanted me to do as much as I could today so they weren’t in a bind when I was gone.  There are some desserts that hold really well when made ahead.  Some, obviously don’t, but in the interest of never having enough time, I thought I’d share with you a few things you can make ahead and have ready the next time you’re in a crunch. 

Have you ever heard of phyllo dough?  Well, it’s a paper-thin dough that you can buy packaged in the freezer section that’s really good for making desserts.  They also make phyllo cups that are little mini tart shells and are perfect for a last-minute dessert dash. You can buy a package of them and keep them in your freezer and pull out a few anytime you like.  I like to fill them with lemon or lime curd or even vanilla custard.  Curd is actually really easy to make and lasts forever in the fridge (about a week and a half).  Let me know if you want the recipe.  As far as vanilla custard goes, I know that most people won’t take the time to make homemade custard and that’s ok, it’s kinda hard.  However, I’ve figured out that if you take some regular vanilla pudding and spice it up a little you can fool a lot of people.  I take one package of vanilla pudding, 1 3/4C half and half ( to make it thicker), 2 tsp. vanilla and 2 tsp. rum.  Mix that together and tell me it doesn’t taste like real custard!!  You can always up the vanilla or the rum to taste.  Spoon some of that in a tart and add a berry on top and you’ve got an awesome looking tart that everyone will think you spent hours on. 

Making stunning desserts doesn’t have to be hard, it just requires a little creativity and a little tinkering around and you’ll have something great!

 

What to make for dinner? May 2, 2008

Do you ever have the “Oh crap, what am I gonna make for dinner?”  dilemma?  Well, I am having that one today.  I thought that working around food all the time would inspire me, and it does on occasion, but what it really does is make me tired!!  By the time I come home, the last thing I want to do is cook some more.  So, I’ve created ways to keep that from happening….little tricks that I do so that when I have an “Oh crap” moment, I don’t freak out.

Trick #1  I always keep some sort of marinade in a container in the fridge.  That way, when I come home, I can throw some chicken or pork in it and let it sit for an hour while I do some other stuff and then all I have to do is cook it.  It tastes like its been marinating all day and fools the family into thinking I spent a lot of time.  I don’t really have a set marinade I use…I look in my fridge and see what I have and mix it all in a bowl.  Here are a few good things to try….soy sauce, minced garlic, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, lemon zest….pretty much any combination of those ends up tasting awesome!

Trick #2  When I do have a day off, I work ahead for the days I don’t have off.  My husband, for those of you that know him, is a total dessert freak!  The man HAS to have something sweet.  So, on my days off, I’ll make a batch of cookie dough, bake some off and then put the rest in the freezer for nights I don’t have much time.  Then I just pull out what I want and bake a little at a time.  Works wonders!

Those are just a couple of quick tips to try and make your life easier.  Give ‘em a whirl and see what happens!