Cake crisis August 28, 2008

Hey.  I know it’s been a while.  I’m in a funk, that’s the best way to describe it.  So, I haven’t been exactly brimming with culinary anecdotes to share.  I’m working on it.  I do have a dilemma that I need some advice on, however.

My birthday is coming up on Sunday and my husband asked me what kind of cake I wanted.  I don’t want him to go buy a cake, when I can make a perfectly good one.  But do I really want to make my own birthday cake?  Should I make him do it?  I thought about picking out a recipe that was easy enough that he could do it, but then I figured I’d just hover over him and end up doing it anyway.  Should I just suck it up and let him buy me a cake?  Or should I make my own?  Is it weird that I’m even concerned about this? 

Maybe it’s not a huge crisis, but it’s what plaguing me at the moment.  My “so-called” funk has put a damper on my culinary escapades lately.  I think it’s stemming from my daughter starting kindergarten.  That was hard.  Ok, enough blabbing for now.  Let me know what you’d do.

Spices part 1 August 20, 2008

This may have to be a several-part thing since there are a million different spices.  My hope is that you’ll be able to use this as a reference whenever you’re not sure of what spice to use or how much. 

allspice – blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  Used in baked goods, and stews.  Substitute – ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. 

Anise seeds – licoricelike flavor.  Used in cabbage dishes, meats and fruit desserts.   Substitute – fennel seeds or a few drops of anise extract.

Cardamon, ground – spicy and sweet with peppery and ginger tones.  Used in curried dishes, beans and baked goods.  Substitute – ground ginger.

Chili powder – hot, spicy, peppery.  Used in soups, stews, marinades, meat dishes.  Substitute – dash hot sauce plus equal measures of ground oregano and cumin.

Cinnamon – in ground or stick form.  Strong, spicy and sweet flavor.  Most commonly used in baked goods, meats, breads, hot coffee, tea, and chocolate.  Substitute – ground nutmeg or allspice but only 1/4 the amount. 

Cloves – ground and whole form.  Strong, pungent almost spicy flavor.  Used in beans, barbecue, chili, fruit desserts and cakes.  Substitute – ground allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Cumin – one of my favorites.  Adds great smoky flavor without heat.  Used in indian and mexican cooking, chili and stews.  Substitute – chili powder.

Curry powder – this is one of those “love it or hate it” spices.  Fragrant, mild to hot blend of up to 20 spices.  Used in meats, stews, root veggies, indian cooking.  Substitute – equal parts cumin, coriander, red and black pepper, ginger and tumeric.

Fennel – mild licorice flavor.  Also a “love it or hate it:” spice. Used in meats, sausages, poultry, breads, cakes, coleslaw.  Substitute – anise or caraway seeds. 

Ginger – whole or ground.  Sweet, hot flavor.  Used in stir-fries, marinades, meats and baked goods.  Substitute – ground allspice, cinnamon, mace or nutmeg.

Mustard – dry or seeds. Seeds are spicy and hot.  Dry gets hot when mixed with water.  Seeds are used in pickling, relishes and boiled veggies.  Dry is used in salad dressings, egg and cheese dishes and chili.  I love this one….great in baked beans and barbecue.  Substitute – none except to use prepared mustard.  1 tbsp. for 1 tsp. dry.

Nutmeg – slightly sweet and spicy.  Used a lot in fall cooking, baked goods, white sauces, and custards.  Substitute – ground cinnamon, ginger or mace.

Paprika – One of my favorites, too.  Comes in spanish which is sweet and slightly bitter or Hungarian which can be labeled sweet or hot.  Also comes in smoked.  I love the smoked and sweet versions.  Great in veggies, beef, chicken, salads.  Substitute – cayenne can be used, but not as much because it’s hotter.

Pepper – Comes in black, white, pink, green, you name it.  Black is more pungent than white.  Good in pretty much any savory food or spiced dessert.  Substitute – white pepper may be used instead of black, but it’s milder.  I have to use white because my husband is a baby when it comes to hot stuff.

Red pepper – Hot, smoky and spicy.  Use in moderation.  Used in beans, meat, egg and cheese dishes, stews and sauces.  Substitute – couple drops of hot sauce.

Ok, that’s all I’ll bore you with for now.  As you probably know, there are a million different combinations of all these spices.  Use your imagination, or you can buy them in blends.  We’ll figure that out next time!

Turtle tastiness August 15, 2008

I’ll get back to the spices soon, but I got derailed today.  I’m going to visit my parents this weekend and I always bake something to take with me….kinda like a “nice to see you” gift.  I tried to call them to see what they wanted me to make, but I couldn’t get them, so I had to get creative.  I know that my parents love anything turtle….you know, the combination of caramel, pecans and chocolate.  So, I went to my pantry and started pulling stuff out.

Here’s what I came up with.  A turtle cake….I’ve seen versions of this elsewhere, but I didn’t have a  recipe handy so I had to make one up. 

One box of chocolate cake mix, one bag of caramels, 1/2 C evap. milk, 3/4C butter, chocolate chips and pecans.  Ok, mix the cake mix according to directions.  Grease a 9×13 pan and pour half of the batter into the pan.  In an oven set to 350, bake for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a med. saucepan, melt the caramels, evap milk and butter until smooth.  When cake comes out of the oven (and it will not be done and that’s ok), pour caramel mixture over cake.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans.  Pour the rest of the batter over the top and smooth out to sides.  Pop back into the oven for 20-30 minutes until done in the center.  Cool for 2 hours or until completely cool through.

You can totally ice this cake if you want, but I’m warning you already it’s super rich.  I think the most I’d do would be to dust it with some powdered sugar.  Write this one down and put it in your easy file and pull it out when you need something good!  I don’t know about you, but I usually have most of those ingredients in my pantry, so this is an easy one to make in a pinch.

I hope you enjoy and I know my parents will.  Next time, back to the spices!!

The sneaky chef August 12, 2008

I have this really weird habit that I’m going to tell you about.  You have to promise not to laugh (at least not to my face).  I  think it’s totally fun to hide things in peoples food.  I don’t mean bad things, I mean veggies or something.  My husband has grown accustomed to this and always asks me after he tries something new….”Ok, so what’s in it?”  I can’t explain it.  I get this thrill from making something people already know and putting something else in to see if they can figure it out.  It’s this sort of odd game I play with myself. 

Let’s take for instance last night.  We had a potluck dinner with my inlaws and some other people from our church and it was my job to bring the stuff for homemade ice cream.  Well, knowing my mother-in-law she would want me to make their family recipe that has been around for years.  So, I did….kind of.  I decided that I was gonna replace the regular milk with vanilla soymilk.  Not a huge change, but if you knew how much they talked about this recipe and how they act like they know it backwards and forwards, I thought it was great.  I made the rest of the recipe just like it said, except for some extra vanilla and I presented it to everyone and waited….no one said a thing except for how good it was.  I was cracking up inside of course but decided I wouldn’t break it to them in front of everyone.  I told them later and they didn’t believe me.  I soymilked them!!   See, I have a sick sense of humor because I found it hilarious. 

I often take out the oil from a recipe and swap applesauce or use skim instead of whole milk.  Most of the time I do this to make the recipe healthier, but sometimes I do it just to see if I can.  Kinda like the “whole hiding veggies in the kids food thing”….if you can get away with it, great!  I just thought I’d share my funny story with you from last night…..the family recipe will never be the same and I love it!!  I think my new name should be the sneaky chef….yeah, that fits.

Herb dictionary August 10, 2008

I was talking to my mother-in-law today and I realized that a lot of people are misinformed as far as herbs go and what flavors they have and what they actually do.  So, I decided to make this a 2-part series.  Today I’ll talk about fresh herbs and next time I’ll talk about dried spices so that you can have a better understanding of what their flavors are and what to use them for.

Fresh Herbs:

Basil – Most commonly found in Italian cooking, this herb brings a minty, clovelike flavor to sauces, salads, pesto, etc.  Substitution: oregano or thyme

Bay leaves – Also known as the laurel leaf found in the form of whole, dried leaves.  Brings a woodsy, aromatic note to dish.  Used in slow-cooking, stews, soups.  Always discard before serving and never crumble. 

Chevril – Flavor similar to parsley with a hint of tarragon.  For use in soups, veggies or salads.  Looses flavor when boiled.  Substitution: parsley and tarragon mixture.  Not commonly used.

Chives – Mild onion flavor.  Snip them and use when needed into egg dishes, salads, potatoes.  Substitution: thinly sliced green onions, but use less because the’re more strongly flavored than chives.

Cilantro – Also known as fresh coriander.  Brings an aromatic flavor to Asian, Indian and Mexican dishes.  Season to taste because a little goes a long way, and some people hate cilantro.  Substitution: fresh parsley.

Dill – Delicate yet distinctive taste.  Good for use in peas, fish, seafood and vegetables.  Substitution:  fennel leaves or tarragon.

Marjoram – Similar to oregano but sweeter and milder.  Can be used to season almost any vegetable or meat.  Substitution: oregano, but use less.

Mint – Many varieties.  Peppermint is sharp and pungent, while spearmint is milder and refreshing.  Both make edible garnishes for dessert.  Try in salads, marinades and dressings.  Substitution: basil, marjoram and rosemary.

Oregano – Popular Italian seasoning, offers robust flavor.  Try in soups, sauces and salads.  Substitution:  marjoram, basil or thyme.

Parsley – Two varieties – flat leaf and curly – flat leaf has a milder flavor than the curly.  Brings a fresh taste to almost any dish. 

Rosemary – Needlelike herb has a bold flavor that is piney and perfumey.  Great for lamb, pork, and fish dishes.  Substitution:  thyme, tarragon or savory.

Sage – Subtly bitter mintlike herb often used in poultry, sausage products and stuffing.  Compliments most veggies.  Substitution:  savory, marjoram and rosemary.

Savory – Thyme and mint tones provide a nice compliment to soups, meat and fish.  Winter savory is stronger than summer savory.  Substitution: thyme or sage.

Tarragon – Typically used in French cuisine.  Aromatic, licoricelike flavor used in poultry, fish, grilled meats.  Substitution:  crushed fennel seeds or crushed anise seeds.

Thyme – my favorite herb.  I put thyme in everything!  A little minty, a little lemony.  Good for chicken, veggies, meats and sauces.  Substitution:  basil, marjoram, oregano and savory.

So there you have it…your fresh herb dictionary.  I hope it helps you understand a little more what they’re used for and what you can use if you don’t have them.  Although you can technically substitute dried herbs for fresh, it’s definitely not the same taste.  Use the fresh if you’ve got it!!

Deceptive dining August 7, 2008

I don’t know how much you keep up on the world of food culture….maybe that’s why you come to this site.  You know that I’m the geek that keeps up with that stuff.  True enough.  There’s a new trend emerging lately that kinda has me cracking up.  The basic premise is sneaking veggies into your kids foods without them knowing it.  There are several cookbooks on the subject and of course, as always, my curiosity got the best of me.  I checked out the one entitled “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld.  It starts with pureeing vegetables and adding them into pretty much everything you can think of.  I decided to try something relatively simple before diving in headfirst. 

I decided on the brownies.  How bad can brownies be, right?  These particular brownies included carrot puree and unswt. applesauce.  No oil, only egg whites….could this even be edible?  Surprise surprise…..I actually really like them.  The texture is very dense and moist and the chocolate flavor needs to be a little stronger (note to self for next time I make them), but other than that, I like them.  I also like the fact that they have less than half the calories of a regular brownie.  The cookbook is chock full of recipes from muffins to chicken nuggets to soup, all that have hidden veggies.  It’s a great idea, if you have the time and patience to try it.

I think I’ll pick a few recipes out that I’ll actually use and then chalk the rest of it up to craziness.  Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great idea to get our kids eating veggies, and if this works for you, do it, but me, I’ll figure out some other way.  As far as other crazy food trends go, rest assured, I’m just dumb enough to try them!!

This is secret stuff, people. August 5, 2008

Before I start my story of the day, I have a funny one to share with you.  My daughter Gwyn was just sitting on my lap while I was on the computer.  A picture of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came up and she looked at me and said, ” Mommy, that’s you and that’s Daddy.”  So funny!!  I started cracking up at the mere thought of the ridiculousness and she asked me why I was laughing.  I told her because it wasn’t daddy and I and she said, “It’s ok mommy, you’re beautiful.”  I just love kids.

Ok, enough of that for now.  I’m gonna throw something out there and see if I’m the only one that’s crazy.  Are you protective of your recipes?  Do you share them with people or do you keep them all to yourself?  Someone asked me the other day for my red velvet cake recipe that I had made for her.  I stopped, got this weird look on my face and didn’t know what to say.  I didn’t wanna be a jerk and say “no way!” but I also didn’t wanna hand over my grandma’s 50-something year old recipe.  Is that weird? 

Granted, for me, my recipes are my job.  I have some that have been unaltered for years and then I have some that I have tweaked and changed and have become my secret.  I’d say out of my 5,000 or so recipes, there are only about 100-200 that I’m unwilling to share.  They’re my signature classics…..they’re mine….I’m known for them and if I give the recipe to everyone, it becomes everyone elses.  This has become a hot button before, trust me.  There have been many times that people have gotten upset with me because I didn’t fork over my recipe.  Maybe for me it’s different than most people.  My recipes are like my friends….I’ve gotten to know them over time.  I know how they act, I know what they’re capable of and I know how to fix them when something goes wrong.  They’re personal to me. 

Ok, now is the time when everyone tells me how selfish I am….go ahead, I can take it.  If, by chance, that you happen to ask me for a recipe from the 99% that I’m willing to share, then I’ll gladly hand it over.  But, if you get daring and try to get one of my classics out of me, watch out!!  Many lesser people have fallen!

This is a stick-up! August 4, 2008

Ok, I’m totally being cheeky, but have you ever realized how much fun it is to eat food off of a stick?  I’m serious on this one.  There is something so fun and hands-on about eating a shish kabob.  The cool part is that you can put virtually anything on them, grill ‘em up, and everyone’s happy.  I can even get my kids to eat veggies this way (and if you know my kids, you know they don’t like veggies).  I decided that for dinner last night we were having shish kabobs.  I cut up some chicken and pork, threw them in a bag with some marinade (for the pork I used italian dressing and for the chicken I used honey mustard dressing) and let them sit in the fridge for an hour or so.  If you have more time to let them sit, the better, but an hour is good.  Then comes the fun part, go to your fridge, find any veggies that you can ( if you don’t have any veggies in your fridge, that’s an entirely different blog post)!  and throw ‘em on a stick.  I brushed some of the italian dressing on my veggies to give them some more flavor and some olive oil and salt and pepper. 

I know I say this all the time, but they were crazy good.  I used zucchini, carrots and potatoes.  I don’t even like zucchini that much, but grill it up and I can eat anything!! 

So, tonight for dinner, go to your cabinet, see if you have any of those fun stick thingies and throw some stuff on ‘em.  You’ll have fun, your kids will have fun and you’ll probably really enjoy it!!

Gone too long August 1, 2008

Hey there.  Sorry I’ve been gone so long.  We just had our last vacation hoorah for the summer and I just didn’t want life to resume as normal.  My oldest daughter starts kindergarten soon and I’ve been savoring every moment home with her that I can get.  It freaks me out that she’s old enough to be in school and makes me realize how quickly time flies.  So, I’ve been loving every minute of being on vacation and hanging out with my girls.  Sorry I’m such a slacker!  I’ll do better, I promise!