tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15966340524052760052024-03-13T03:15:51.844-07:00Constant CriticJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-11689347707840471182011-08-07T17:09:00.000-07:002011-08-07T17:15:07.907-07:00I pity da foo!Great summer treat! I just made a blackberry fool. Super easy and delish. I made what will be about 2 servings worth, and wasn't really measuring anything. So here's a rough guide:<br /><br />Using a fine mesh sieve, puree the following:<br />8 plump blackberries<br />1/3 of a chipotle pepper (the type in the can with adobo)<br /><br />To the puree add a squeeze of lime juice and about 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.<br /><br />In a separate bowl combine 1 cup of heavy cream with 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1.5 tablespoons powdered sugar. Beat on high until soft peaks form. <br /><br />Fold the blackberry mixture into the whipped cream. Scoop into bowls and serve with a handful of fresh blackberries for garnish.<br /><br />SO light. So refreshing. Dee. Licious.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-62912007435251813442011-05-24T16:02:00.001-07:002011-05-24T16:13:02.495-07:00Restaurant Review - Hotel HersheyHad fabulous brunch at the gorgeous Hotel Hershey on Sunday. I'll start from the start. The building is incredibly beautiful. And Sunday brunch is held in the circular dining room, which has beautiful frescos painted on the ceiling, and pretty great views of the ponds and fountains behind the hotel. Very elegant. <br /><br />Which, to maintain that elegant air, you'll be expected to get fancified. Jackets required. No jeans, no flip flops, otherwise you'll get no brunch. Pretty straight forward. <br /><br />I thought the food was very good. And, actually, one of the most memorable things was the coffee. It was medium bodied and nutty. I'd be willing to say it was better than Dunkin Donuts, and I love their coffee! This brunch had a nice mix of different foods. Lots of seafood, numerous meat dishes. I thought the dessert could have been a little better done. In part because a lot of the desserts were just too big! I wanted to try a little bit of everything, but I ended up with a giant piece of cheesecake. Chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, mind you. Yes, please cry for me now.<br /><br />This was a very good brunch, and worth the money. It wasn't as amazing as the brunch at Rittenhouse, but that brunch was twice the price. So, if you're in Hershey for a weekend, hit up the Hotel Hershey for a classy time.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-48286827733068955842011-05-24T15:36:00.000-07:002011-05-24T15:51:55.794-07:00Restaurant Review - Eastern StandardWent to Boston a few weeks ago, and I've been meaning to post about this restaurant since then. So so SO fantastic! Chris picked the restaurant, and it was the perfect low key high brow local. Nice ambiance, crowded as all get up, but a place you could feel comfortable being dressed business casual or classy casual. I wouldn't wear flip flops or anything, but a jacket wasn't required either. <br /><br />I decided to force a little adventure Chris, so we started with the marrow (tip of my hat to Mr. Peifer here, who a few years ago forced my first marrow adventure upon me). OMG. Amazing. It was served with toasted baguette slices, which there could have been more of, minced garlic, herbs, and rock salt. It was like my tongue had been raptured. Although, to be fair, I wouldn't have described it like that at the time, because I didn't realize the rapture was coming then. I learned that a week later. But it was a really wonderful starter. Marrow is kind of gross to look at, but tastes great. Its buttery and fatty and just a wonderful treat. And you get to scoop it out of the bone with a cool little spoon! <br /><br />For entrees we split the rib-eye, which was served with a bleu cheese sauce over potatoes and lightly sauteed spinach, and the lobster gnocchi with meyer lemon brown butter sauce. Do I really need to go into the details? Both of these dishes were hands down delicious. I don't usually order rib-eye, but this one was excellent. And the gnocchi! OH the gnocchi! It was soft and squishy, but was apparently pan seared so that at least one side of every perfect little dumpling was crispy. It gave it such a unique twist. Loved it. Lovelovelove.<br /><br />Dessert was surprisingly unremarkable. We had profiteroles (they are sort of like mini brioche (which are sort of like mini round croissants (which are...just kidding!))) that were toasted, filled with ice cream, and drowning in caramel and chocolate syrup. Good, but seemed pale in comparison to the rest of the fabulous meal.<br /><br />Must take a moment here to tip my glass to the great bartenders at Eastern Standard. The cocktails were fabulous. Whiskey Smash will surely be a hit. I also had a fruity froufrou girly drink that involved pineapple and ginger. It was great. But very girly. The cocktail list will overwhelm you, so plan to have (at least?) two! <br /><br />If you happen to be in Boston, go to Eastern Standard. I promise you won't regret it. Thanks taking me, Chris!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-59781660115800719282011-03-20T07:22:00.000-07:002011-03-20T07:38:15.887-07:00Best Pancakes Ever?I received a recipe via email last Sunday. It was entitled "The Best Pancake Recipe." I thought it sounded promising, and looked easy. I could BAKE the pancake!<br /><br />Turns out, the thing that came out of my oven was not at all a pancake in the traditional sense. Given the composition (lots of sugar, not much flour, lots of eggs) I should have recognized it for what it would end up being: a custard. Yes, a slightly more meaty custard than something like creme brulee. But certainly a custard. I do think this would have been lovely as a light dessert. It really isn't a breakfast item. So, I'm kind of disappointed. <br /><br />Pros: This was super easy. And it looks really pretty once its done.<br />Cons: None, if you wanted a dessert. <br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />1 large or 2 small ripe pears (I used anjou) <br />1/2 cup sugar (set 1.5 tablespoons aside in a small dish)<br />1/4 cup flour<br />3 eggs<br />2 tsps vanilla<br />1 tablespoon butter, melted<br />Pinch of salt<br />1/2 tsp cinnamon<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9" cake round with vegetable oil. <br />2. Peel, core, and slice the pear into thin wedges. Layer on the bottom of the pan.<br />3. In a food processor, combine the large portion of the sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla, butter, and the pinch of salt. Process until combined, about 30 seconds.<br />4. Pour the liquid mix over the pears. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is springy.<br />5. Remove from oven. Turn the broiler on. Combine the remaining sugar and the cinnamon in a small dish, then sprinkle the mixture over the top of the pancake. But in the broiler. Broil in 1 minute increments until the top is a beautiful golden brown color. <br /><br />Word to the wise: be careful with the broiler. My broiler has two settings, so I put it on low. It was taking forever, and I was getting impatient. So I put it on high AND left it for two minutes without checking. Mistake. Big mistake. Definitely ended up with a little bit too brown top. Oh well.<br /><br />Another word to the wise: Let this set for a bit before trying to plate it. The custard needs to cool and settle. You can always plate it and reheat it a bit. But if you try to cut it and put it on a plate just a few minutes after it comes out of the oven it will crumble into a pile of mush.<br /><br />Definitely a dessert. Not a breakfast dish.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-68628349520375874732011-03-13T17:52:00.000-07:002011-03-13T18:14:02.202-07:00Stuffed French Toast!So, this may sound strange, but I had never made french toast until I tried this recipe. Its not like I haven't done elaborate breakfast dishes before. But, for whatever reason, I've just never been inspired to make french toast. And I don't know why I decided to make french toast on this occassion, either! But I spent a week trying to decide what I wanted to do, and I ended up with a delicious decision. I was going to make french toast stuffed with pecan mascarpone filling. I had some mascarpone that was fast approaching (or passing!) its best by date. And I'm really into pecans right now. Its a phase. <br /><br />This recipe may sound like it might be kind of complicated and fancy-shmancy-pantsy. But it was much easier than I had expected.<br /><br /><strong>Anyways, here's what you'll need to make this recipe:</strong> (Serves 4)<br />Day old bread. I went with challah, but I think brioche would have been a nice choice as well.<br />6 eggs<br />1/2 cup heavy cream<br />1/2 an orange, juiced<br />1.5 tsps orange zest<br />1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg<br />1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />3 tbsp sugar<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1 container (8oz) mascarpone<br />1 cup pecans, chopped (plus a handful for garnish, if you decide to go that way)<br />2 tablespoons butter<br /><br /><br />Whisk together the eggs, cream, orange juice, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, sugar, and salt in a bowl. I actually used a pyrex dish for this. <br /><br />Combine the mascarpone and chopped pecans. Spread the mixture on the pieces of bread. Make a sandwich with two pieces of bread, and then let them sit in the cream mixture for about 1.5 minutes on each side. Heat a nonstick skillet on medium heat, and melt half of the butter. Once the butter is melted, cook two of the sandwiches at a time until golden brown on both sides. This may take about 5 minutes per side. Once the first sandwiches are done, set them on a plate, melt the second half of the butter, and cook the rest of the french toast. <br /><br />I put homemade whipped cream on my french toast and garnished with some pecans and segements of orange. And, of course, maple syrup. Delicious! <br /><br />Don't get intimidated. This is actually pretty easy, and as long as you've had a cup of coffee before starting, I'm confident you can make delicious french toast at home.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-18980385669334796592011-03-13T17:39:00.001-07:002011-03-13T17:52:05.152-07:00Herb Roasted ShrimpThis is a great little recipe. Requires almost no effort, very little time, and turns out looking elegant and tasting delicious. My kind of recipe! <br /><br />What you'll need:<br />6 tablespoons olive oil<br />6-10 sprigs thyme<br />3 large sprigs of rosemary, halved<br />1 tsp fresh ground pepper<br />1.5 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 400. Combine the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and pepper in a 13x9 pan. Bake the oil in the oven until the herbs are aromatic, which should take about 12 minutes. Remove the oil from the oven, and add the shrimp to the mixture. Toss the shrimps with tongs until they are coated with oil. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are just a bit pink. <br /><br />Remove the pan from the oven and immediately mix in the salt and the vinegar. Toss the shrimps again, and then let them stand for about 5 minutes.<br /><br />And that's it! I served this over some quinoa that I made in a rice cooker. I tossed the quinoa with a little salt and champagne vinegar to give it the same notes, and used some of the excess oil as a sauce. On the side I served sauteed spinach with roasted tomatoes and garlic. Everything was very simple, really tasty, healthy/wholesome, and safe for my guest (she is lactose intolerant and allergic to gluten). As Charlie Sheen would say: Winning.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-42044932998989137222011-02-27T18:10:00.000-08:002011-02-27T18:21:57.324-08:00Quick CurryI'm slowly learning how to use my slow cooker. This recipe was awesome, and I could even do this one during the week because it was so easy to put together, and takes about 7 to 8 hours in the slow cooker. Perfect timing! <br /><br /><strong>What you need:</strong><br />4 cloves garlic, chopped<br />2 tablespoons curry powder<br />1 teaspoon cumin<br />1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (I cheated and bought a jar)<br />1/3 cup tomato paste<br />1 medium onion, chopped (I used red onion, because my friend said they are healthier)<br />2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs<br />1/2 cup plain whole milk greek yogurt<br />Salt and Pepper<br />Scallions, thinly sliced (for garnish)<br /><br />Whisk together the garlic, curry powder, cumin, ginger, tomato paste and 3/4 cup water in the slow cooker. Stir in the chopped onion. Place the chicken on top of the mixture. Cover the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and a 1/4 of a teaspoon black pepper. <br /><br />Cover and cook on the low setting on the slow cooker for 7 to 8 hours. I turned the chicken midway through, but that probably wasn't required. Just before serving, stir in the greek yogurt, and an additional half teaspoon salt. <br /><br />And that is it. Really. Super easy. Super delicious. Serve over long grain rice and garnish with scallions.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-84634970672079131822011-02-13T07:20:00.000-08:002011-02-13T08:55:28.989-08:00Easy and Elegant Dinner Party DessertGod I love aliteration, don't you? But enough about my great title. Let's talk about the dessert!<br /><br />The hands down best dinner party desserts are the ones you can make a day in advance. That way you don't need to use your oven for your dessert while you're also trying to use it to make your dinner. And it won't screw up your timeline, or require any effort while you're having post dinner conversation with your guests. <br /><br />I've found that, generally, custards and cremes and things of that nature are pretty great dinner party desserts. Not only can they be made in advance, they actually demand that you make them in advance so that they have enough time to set. <br /><br />The type of dessert I'm talking about here is the kind offered in fancy shmancy restaurants. So you're thinking, "uh oh! must be complicated!" right? Wrong! Panna cotta is surprisingly simple. And, as it turns out, so is pot de creme! <br /><br />This recipe will help you put together adorable and delicious Bailey's Pot de Creme. Not your normal chocolate pot de creme, which means you won't compete with fancy restaurants where your dinner guests may have experienced pot de creme. Great plan, right? And the active time on this is only about 30 minutes. The dessert must be made with at least 4 hours of fridge time, but can be made with 24 hours of fridge time. So easy. So delicious. Giant win for you! <br /><br />Ingredients: (This is to serve 8. I cut it in half)<br />1.5 cups of heavy cream<br />1/4 cup Bailey's liquer<br />1 cup whole milk<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />8 egg yolks<br />Pinch of Salt<br /><br />1. Mix together the heavy cream and the whole milk in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and let stand.<br /><br />2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt. <br /><br />3. Whisk in the warm cream/milk mixture.<br /><br />4. Mix in the Bailey's.<br /><br />5. Strain the mixture into a 4 cup measuring cup.<br /><br />6. Pour into pots de creme or small ramekins.<br /><br />7. Place ramekins in a deep baking dish. Fill baking dish with hot water, up to a 1/2 inch below the rim of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish with foil. I recommend doing all of this on the stove top over your oven, because moving the baking dish is kind of scary!<br /><br />8. Place the hot water bath in the oven. Bake at 325 for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, until the center of the pot de creme is just set. <br /><br />9. Let the dishes cool on a wire rack. Once cool, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.<br /><br />And its that easy! How could this dessert not be delicious? It's almost entirely fat, sugar, and alcohol!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-13995129160203273032011-01-08T16:32:00.000-08:002011-01-08T16:41:30.101-08:00Thanksgiving Dinner in Harrisburg - A Review**This is a guest entry, written by Aaron Paul and Kristin Russell-Paul, two of my lovely dinner guests. I didn't change anything, or unduly influence them with bribes!**<br /><br />Menu<br /><br />Cheddar Cayenne Coins and Pepper Dip<br />Veggies and Ranch Dip<br />Arugula, gorgonzola, pears and candied walnut salad<br />Roasted Brussels Sprouts<br />Roast Duck and Confit<br />Cranberry Stuffing<br />Brown Butter Cake<br /><br />For Thanksgiving this year, our lovely friend and host Jessica invited three of us to her new domain in Harrisburg for dinner. She promised a classy dinner with drunken shenanigans to follow, and who could turn down such an invitation? So we all travelled in on Thanksgiving morning, by train or car, in order to see what our always-talented chef was going to serve up.<br /><br />The two of us arrived to find preparations well under way, and the kitchen smelling delightful. While the dogs played, the people snacked. First up on the menu were hors d’oeuvres of Cheddar-Cayenne Coins and fresh veggies with two delightful dips. The Cheddar-Cayenne Coins were a huge, huge, huge hit. Like Madonna in the 80s. Jess said she had not made up all of them, because she assumed that 10 per person would be plenty. This was an inaccurate assessment, because our merry group devoured them with as much enthusiasm as 12 year old girls at a Jonas brother concert. These were totally perfect, just a hint of Cayenne and a deliciously creamy cheddar flavor overall. They were also quite pretty, and had a good size and consistency for dipping. It was basically love at first bite, and the poor little things stood no chance. The flavors held up well against both the lighter-bodied red that Jess and Dean had already started in on before we arrived, and the heavier Cab Sauv that we moved on to shortly thereafter.<br /><br />The sit down portion of the meal began with an arugula, gorgonzola pear, candied walnut, and pancetta salad. The ambitious combination of tart and sweet flavors in this dish resulted in a fantastic blend that allowed the dish to be simultaneously light and heavy. The arugula and pear combination gave the meal a green beginning while the gorgonzola and pork piqued one’s appetite for the impressive flavors to follow. What was amazing about the dish was its ability to remain well balanced while exclusively using big-flavored ingredients.<br /><br />After finishing our salads the ducks were ready and were served alongside roasted Brussels sprouts and a cranberry stuffing. Probably due to the popularization of freeze dried foods in the 1950s and 60s, Brussels sprouts have earned an undeservedly bad reputation. These were fresh and roasted in olive oil and fresh herbs. A simple combination but one that made you feel like you were doing your arteries a favor while still being hearty enough to fend off the coming cold weather. The difference between fresh and frozen brussels is like the difference between Oscar Meyer cold-cut roast beef and a grass-fed, beef tenderloin cut from your local butcher the morning before you grill it. They’re virtually unrecognizable apart from the incredible fact that they’re from the same species.<br />The stuffing of cranberries and bread crumbs was a playful complement to the roast duck and, when enjoyed in conjunction with the confit, continued the evening’s successful juxtaposition between tart and sweet flavors. For anyone considering substituting duck for turkey on your favorite November holiday keep it mind two things: first, it’s worth it; second, it’s more work and more greasy than the iconic bird. We split two birds between the four of us and, instead of harvesting them for their meat, simply cut them down the middle with a pair of kitchen shears and allocated a half to everyone. While possible to conduct in a civilized manner, it really pays to use your hands so as to get at all of the delicious morsels of meat that these birds have to offer. <br /><br />For dessert, Jess did her best to send us firmly into a sugar induced coma for the evening in the most delicious of possible ways. She made a brown-butter, pumpkin spice layer cake that also involved candied pecans, crystallized ginger and totally delicious, cream cheese frosting. We had been looking forward to the cake since she first described it and posted a picture on Facebook, and it was more delicious than it looked. Ample slices were served with a drizzle of pumpkin fudge sauce and we might have gotten instant diabetes, but it would have been worth it. The cake itself was nicely spiced and moistened, with a good crumb. There was a really lovely ratio of cake to frosting and toppings. The combination of flavors really worked well together, and made for a holiday appropriate alternative to the standard pumpkin pie. Jess described this as the Thanksgiving cake of Gloriousness, and we’d say that’s a fair assessment. One of us is not usually a fan of cream cheese frostings, but the frosting on this one was very smooth, with a good balance of flavor. The butter and two types of sugar cut the flavor of the cream cheese so that it wasn’t overwhelming or unpleasant, but rather quite yummy. <br /><br />Overall, this was a delightful dinner, and Jess a very gracious host as always. The menu did an excellent job of putting a slight twist on the Thanksgiving standards, and we are very grateful to have been able to share the evening with our friends.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-29171820839353743222011-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:002011-03-03T19:20:32.826-08:00Bricco - Italian, Harrisburg StyleI hit Bricco for dinner the other night. Apparently they have a partnership with the local culinary school. And, honestly, you could sort of tell. Lots of good ideas that were not executed so well. With almost every dish there were good things, and, unfortunately, there were not so good things. Except the dessert. It was adorable! The restaurant itself was really nice. Great layout, lots of space, nice bar and awesome chef's table. The prices were reasonable, and the portion sizes were very large. <br /><br />Here's what I had:<br />Caponata<br />Salted roasted beets with goat cheese and pistachios<br />Pappardelle with duck and pancetta<br />Risotto with beef short ribs and mushrooms<br />Adorable mascarpone cheesecake square<br /><br />And...here are my thoughts on the food:<br />The caponata was very sweet. Not what I was expecting, but good on the crostini it was served with. <br /><br />The salted roasted beets were a miss. The combination of beets+goat cheese+pistachios just didn't work. The beets were, as beets are prone to be, very sweet. But the goat cheese didn't really do anything to off set that. And the pistachios were added on whole (at the most slightly chopped), which meant that you would occasionally get a pistachio, but it wasn't evenly distributed. So. eh. This dish didn't really work for me.<br /><br />The pappardelle was rather interesting. I was really excited about this dish, but as it turns out, I just don't think pappardelle was the right pasta for the sauce. The sauce was hearty, and a penne would have probably been a better pair. Pappardelle are wide noodles. The sauce was also a little too salty. I think the chef underestimated the salt factor of the pancetta. But, man, this was close to being a delicious sauce. And they were generous with the duck and pancetta. So, if this dish was made by a culinary school student, then they're getting close!<br /><br />I'm starting to wonder if I've gotten sensitive to salt. Because I had a soup at another local restaurant a few weeks ago, and sent it back based on the fact that it was way too salty (in fairness my friend sent hers back, too). I just said the last dish was salty, and, finally, I thought that the major failing of this dish was that it was a bit too salty. But, as far as risottos go, this was otherwise very good. The texture was creamy, the dish was hearty, and the short ribs were cooked perfectly. So, aside from the fact that I thought they'd gone just a touch heavy on the salt, this was a good effort. <br /><br />Finally, just a little note on the dessert. They had two dessert menus. One for full size desserts, and another that featured what I'd describe as tapas-style desserts. And those little desserts were the perfect size and price, not to mention the fact that the one I ordered was delicious! <br /><br />So, while I wouldn't say this restaurant is the best Italian I've ever had (I'm lookin' at you, Perbacco) I'll certainly go back and try other things.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-72476386994894613902011-01-08T15:40:00.000-08:002011-01-09T17:14:47.491-08:00Short Ribs - Without my Secret IngredientSo, since I've been making short ribs, I have always had one secret (and secretly awesome!) ingredient: the magic braising liquid. It was a lovely gift from one of my favorite friend-cooks, Lee. He gave me the braising liquid he had perfected over the course of six braises. And, man, you could not go wrong with it! <br /><br />Well, when I moved to Harrisburg, I sadly had to leave it. That's actually how it came to me. Lee was moving, and it just doesn't travel well. So, now after being in Harrisburg for a few months, I'm taking a stab at my first braise without the magic ingredient.<br /><br />Here's what I used: <br />3 boneless short ribs (another thing I've never used before, usually I do bone-in) <br />1 cup of chopped carrots<br />1 cup of diced onions<br />1.5 tsps paprika<br />1 tablespoon minced garlic<br />1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme<br />2 cups beef stock (low sodium)<br />1.5 cups red wine (separated)<br />1 cup water<br />Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper<br />Oil for browning<br /><br />What to do:<br />Salt and pepper the short ribs. Heat the oil, and when its hot, brown the short ribs on all sides (about 3 minutes per side) in a heavy bottom pan. I used a cast iron skillet. Set the short ribs on a plate. Pour out some of the oil, add about a tablespoon of fresh oil, and toss in the carrots and onions. Add about 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are a little soft, scrapping up some of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic, paprika, and thyme. Cook for another minute. Add 1/2 cup of the red wine to the skillet, and make sure all of the bits are scraped off the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid reduce a little, about 2 minutes. <br /><br />Preheat a slow cooker on the low setting. Once the wine is reduced, put the short ribs on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the reduction to the slow cooker, then add the beef stock, red wine, and water. Mix thoroughly. Put the lid on the slow cooker, and set the timer for 5 hours. Once every hour, turn the short ribs. At 4 hours in, I taste teseted, and decided to cut all of the large chunks in half. I think this ended up being a good decision. <br /><br />After 5 hours, I took the meat out. I took 2 cups of the braising liquid, strained out the veggies, and then put the liquid on the stove top. I added some salt, a pat of butter, and then reduced it by about 50%. I served the short ribs (to myself!) with plain couscous, roasted asparagus, and the strained vegetables, all topped with the reduction. Delish! <br /><br />Even without my secret ingredient, the braise still turned out delicious. Thanks, Lee, for introducing me to short ribs!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-26444463505751193202011-01-01T18:20:00.001-08:002011-01-01T18:49:56.757-08:00Candied Bacon!I was reading an article about New Year's Eve party hosting, and it suggested putting out candied bacon. Candied bacon?! How had I never thought of this? I love bacon. I love candy. Why hadn't this amazing idea come to me? <br /><br />Now, sometimes you put together two awesome things and get something awful. Example: riding a scooter = awesome, playing in the rain = awesome, scooting in the rain? Distinctly not awesome. But I was willing to give this candied bacon thing a try.<br /><br />The recipe the article offered looked like this:<br /><br />8 strips of bacon<br />4 tbsp light brown sugar<br />Pinch of cayenne<br /><br />I decided to try a few different varieties. I made one strip of bacon following their recipe. Then I did a strip using granulated sugar instead of brown sugar. And a third strip of bacon where I substitute maple syrup for the brown sugar. <br /><br />The maple syrup was definitely the easiest of the three to prepare for the oven. Granulated sugar came in second, and the brown sugar came in a distant (and kind of annoying) third. I could dredge both sides of the bacon with the syrup and the sugar. Not so much for the brown sugar. With the brown sugar I had to sprinkle the sugar mixture onto the bacon once it was in the pan.<br /><br />Speaking of the pan, I crumpled some aluminum foil to line the baking sheet, so that the bacon didn't sit in its own fat while baking. Popped into the oven for 15 minutes at 325, and then cranked up the heat to 375 for 5 minutes. <br /><br />How did the flavors compare? Brown sugar was the clear and easy winner. It had the best "candied" effect, giving the bacon a little extra crunch. It also had much more depth of flavor when compared with the granulated sugar. The maple syrup had good flavor, but I really liked the extra crunch from the brown sugar. Another perk of the brown sugar was that it gave the strip of bacon a more rich color than the granulated sugar. <br /><br />So, brown sugar is a bit more difficult to work with, but that's definitely the way I'll go when I make this dish to bring to a party!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-75530442712825967382010-12-27T12:41:00.001-08:002011-01-01T17:18:55.086-08:00Christmas Dessert - A Holiday ParfaitParfait sounds kind of lame, I know. But this was a great and easy to assemble dessert that looked really pretty. I will admit, however, that I thought it was out of balance. I was really worried it would be too sweet, and instead it ended up being a bit too tart. I needed one more layer of sweetness somewhere. <br /><br />Here's what I did. I made a homemade cranberry sauce, but went light on the sugar. Here's the cranberry sauce recipe:<br /><br />1 bag cranberries <br />1/2 cup sugar<br />Zest and juice of 2 oranges<br />1/4 ruby port<br />1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp cardamon<br /><br />I used three 8 oz containers of mascarpone, and whipped in about 2 oz of grand marnier and 1/3 cup sugar. I also shredded a small block of bittersweet chocolate, but I think semi sweet or milk chocolate would work better. I'd recommend shredding enough to have a half cup. Crush nila wafers (about six per parfait, this amount of mascarpone will easily make six large servings) in a plastic bag. Segment one to two blood oranges per parfait, and then chop them roughly. <br /><br />Using pretty serving glasses (I used large shrimp cocktail glasses), layer in the following order: thin layer of cranberry sauce, nila wafers, shaved chocolate, mascarpone, oranges, mascarpone, chocolate, nila wafers, thin layer of cranberry to cover the top. <br /><br />For that classy finishing flair, top with a little shaved white chocolate. Serve chilled.<br /><br />This is very simple, very elegant, and I think with a few adjustments will be a super hit, rather than just a very good dessert.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-80815060036929856452010-12-19T18:47:00.000-08:002010-12-19T18:55:16.979-08:00Restaurant Review: ChalitChalit is one of three places in Harrisburg that does Thai. I was having a serious spicy (as in flavorful, not hothot) craving, because I got really sick on Tuesday, and therefore had spent two days on a stomach imposed oatmeal only diet. My taste buds were pretty sure they were being tortured. <br /><br />While this is my first experience with Chalit, I doubt it will be my last, so I'm just going to list the items I ordered and review.<br /><br />Golden Triangle: Appetizer. Deep fried triangles sent from Heaven. They are stuffed with a combination of shrimp, scallops, and some other stuff. I honestly couldn't distinguish what all was in each wonderful crunchy triangle, but they were great. The dipping sauce, some type of aioli, left a bit to be desired though. Still, will do this again. And again. And....<br /><br />Pad Thai: I was not wowed by this, but it was still a solid effort. I honestly think pad thai is better when its that kind of greasy-oily-totally bad for you pad thai. This was all sorts of wholesome and healthy. I also got veggie pad thai, which had a good selection of veggies but, eh. So wholesome. I asked for just a bit of spice, and I would have said that it was just sigh of medium spicy. But, really, the spicy scale is always hard to guage. My "HOLY CRAP FIRE TONGUE HOT OW!" is Dean's "Meh. This is almost spicy." I probably won't go back for the pad thai again.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-69663606156532879492010-12-05T17:58:00.000-08:002010-12-05T18:21:51.447-08:00Best. Brunch. Ever.My mom took me to La Croix at the Rittenhouse in Philadelphia. I was super excited. This place had been named by Philadelphia Magazine as the best brunch in Philly. Man oh man. They weren't lying. SO GOOD! <br /><br />This...http://www.lacroixrestaurant.com/menu_and_wine_cellar/documents/BrunchNov-Dec2010.pdf. This is the beautiful, delicious, amazing, incredible spread we got to devour. We ate for two hours. TWO HOURS! My mom was so full by the end that she felt sick. <br /><br />I'm just going to give the "oh wow!" super highlights, because almost everything was fantastic. First prize went to the gnocchi with sunchoke and kale, which was unbelievably good. The dish was creamy and savory, and the gnocchi had the perfect consistency. A surprisingly delish dish was the coddled egg, which was maple glazed and topped with fried onions. The texture looked creepy and squishy, but it actually wasn't weird when you ate it, and was surprisingly sweet with a little salty from the onions. The best of the numerous perfectly sized starters was the foie gras mousse with grapefruit. It was the perfect little bite. Savory and smokey from the foie gras, with a tart finish at the end. And my favorite dessert, by far, was the goat cheese panna cotta with sour cherry compote and mini vanilla wafers. The dessert had just enough sweet, but wasn't overpowering. And paired with the crunchy wafer and the tart cherries, it just really came together perfectly. And it, too, came in the perfect size. <br /><br />I haven't even done justice to this fabulous brunch. Everything was wonderful. The presentation of the food and the layout were pretty spectacular. They served all the hot dishes in the kitchen, so you got to see the work space and the kitchen staff! The service was excellent, attentive, and kept our coffee cups full and hot! And the ambiance of this restaurant was extremely upscale. They gave us a wonderful table for two, which allowed us to look out on the Rittenhouse Square and people watch. <br /><br />One little warning. This place may give you major sticker shock. Brunch for two, with cocktails, ran us $150 before tip. But I promise it will be the most mind blowing brunch you've ever had.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-90722367933919862732010-11-28T13:07:00.000-08:002010-11-28T13:53:40.957-08:00Thanksgiving Cake of Gloriousness<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HtiOSHGd3G8/TPLNccHM-cI/AAAAAAAAAIE/IwU1bm43_ek/s1600/Cake.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HtiOSHGd3G8/TPLNccHM-cI/AAAAAAAAAIE/IwU1bm43_ek/s320/Cake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544719979712936386" /></a><br /><br />Technically this is a Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake. But doesn't my name sound so much more...glorious?!<br /><br />This is a complicated looking recipe, but it really wasn't that hard. I'm going to break it down into pieces. <br /><br />To start, prepare two 9" round pans. Butter them, put a round of parchment at the bottom of each one, butter the parchment, and then flour the cake pans. Pre-heat the oven to 350. <br /><br /><strong>The Cake:</strong><br />3/4 cup unsalted butter<br />2 cups all purpose flour<br />1.5 tsp baking soda<br />1.5 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1 tsp ground ginger<br />3/4 tsp table salt<br />1/4 tsp ground cloves<br />1.5 cups of plain pumpkin puree<br />1.5 cups granulated sugar<br />2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />1/3 cup buttermilk<br /><br />Melt the butter in a heavy duty sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. <br /><br />In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and buttermilk until very well blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. <br /><br />Bake the cakes until a tester comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping the cakes out onto a rack. Allow them to cool completely.<br /><br /><strong>The Topping:</strong><br />1.5 tbs unsalted butter<br />2/3 cups pecans<br />1/2 cup raw, unsalted, hulled pepitas (I actually didn't use these because I couldn't find them, so if you can't find them, just use more pecans)<br />2 tbs packed light brown sugar<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />2 tbs chopped crystallized ginger<br /><br />Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and cook until the pecans brown, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and salt, and stir until the sugar melts and the nuts are glazed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger pieces, and remove from heat. Allow to cool in the nonstick skillet. <br /><br /><strong> The Frosting: </strong><br />1/2 cup unsalted butter<br />8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature<br />1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar<br />1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar<br /><br />Melt the butter in a heavy duty sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and put in the freezer to chill until the butter is just firm. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the butter from bowl, leaving the browned solids at the bottom. <br /><br />Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and the brown sugar has dissolved, 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar and continue beating until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.<br /><br /><strong>Assemble the Cake: </strong><br />Put one layer of the cake on a cake stand. Cover with 1/2 cup of the frosting. Sprinkle 1/2 cup (or about 1/2 of the topping) over the frosting, and then top with the second layer of the cake. Use the remaining frosting to frost the remaining cake. Add the rest of the nut mixture on top of the cake.<br /><br /><br />I know I know. There's a lot going on in this recipe. But it turns out really really delicious. And pretty!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-43832557008671422662010-11-21T17:35:00.000-08:002010-11-21T18:16:32.843-08:00The Long Awaited Review: Andre's at the Monte CarloSo, this is more than a month after I had my wonderful seven course tasting menu dinner at Andre's. Luckily I took extensive notes on the meal, and the restaurant kindly provided me with a copy of the tasting menu, and the wines they paired for me! Wonderful touch, and certainly a sign of the high caliber of this restaurant. <br /><br />First, I want to mention the gorgeous decor, in my favorite color pairing! Chocolate and turquoise. The dining area was intimate, modern, chic, and extremely comfortable. Absolutely gorgeous. And on my trip to the bathroom I stopped in to check out the swanky cigar bar and private dining area. Pretty sweet. I'd definitely try to find my way there some other time. <br /><br />So, I'm going to organize this post by course, since there was a lot of delicious food! <br /><br />Amuse Bouche: Brown butter Dover sole mousse. This was delicate, extremely rich and buttery, but I could still taste a little bit of fishy. Fish mousse weirds me out (and reminds me of a horrible cod liver mousse my mom and I had in Paris!)<br /><br />Round 1: King Crab Mignon,with smoked grabanzo, winter melon, and umbrian olive oil. Paired with a 2009 Whitehall Lane, Sauv Blanc, Napa Valley. The garbanzo and winter melon were very strange on their own. Rather salty. But when you put it all together, it really came together, and tasted pretty delicious. The wine was a great pair, because it had a very fruity nose with a crisp taste. It gave a nice sweet balance to the salty starter. <br /><br />Round 2: Diver scallop, caviar, lotus root, with a coconut and yellow curry sauce. Paired with 2008 Chamisal, Chardonnay, Unoaked, Central Coast. This was my first foray into caviar. And, in all likelihood, my last. Blech. Just not my thing. The salty factor was fine, but I just couldn't deal with the fishy flavor. Sigh. But the rest of this dish was awesome. The curry was spicy, full of flavor, and incredibly delicious with the perfectly prepared scallop. The caviar was served on the lotus crisp, which was very beautifully plated. The Chardonnay was sharper than I'd expected, and helped to smooth the spicy scallops. A very nice pairing.<br /><br />Round 3: Seared foie gras with roasted apples and five-spice angalise sauce. No wine pairing on this one. And no wine pairing was needed. This was AMAZING! It tasted like a buttery apple pie, with just a hint of woody smokey flavor. I took tiny tiny bites to savor this amazing dish, and was so sad when it was gone! <br /><br />Intermetzo: pear sorbet with sparkling water and mint oil. This was lovely with mild flavors. There was a hint of mint and sparkle! <br /><br />Round 4: Berkshire pork belly, with jeweled yam, tonka bean, puff pastry and a truffle jus. Paired with a 2003 Chanteclair Merlot, France. This was a pretty incredible dish. The sides were paired so beautifully with the pork. They were smooth, rich, and could almost have been a dessert. The tonka beans, which I'd never had before, tasted like butter. The merlot was a great pair for this very rich plate, because the merlot really cut through the fat. I loved everything about this plate.<br /><br />Whew. I'm getting full. And then...<br /><br />Round 5: Marcho Farms veal duo with maitaki mushroom, root spinach and cardamon jus. Paired with a 2003 Chateau Grand Bert, Saint Emilion, France. The duo was a veal steak and sweet breads. And this was a giant portion! The veal steak could have been served on its own, and I was already getting full. The steak was incredibly tender, peppery, and had a very delicate flavor to it. The sweet breads had only subtle flavoring, so it really allowed the flavor of the meat to speak for itself. The spinach and mushrooms were very salty, but tasted amazing in combination with the meat. Particularly the steak, because it wasn't salted but did have wonderful pepper flavor. The Bordeaux was full bodied, definitely the biggest wine of the night.<br /><br />Round 6: Morbier with candied pistachios, and cassis and green peppercorn jam. I was so full at this point. The pistachios were really sticky. As in stick in your teeth sticky. Eating the cheese by itself was extremely strong. But in combination this was very good. <br /><br />Round 7: Whew! We made it. And this. This dish was amazing. Chocolate marqius with milk chocolate and raspberry. Paired with a 2006 Sauternes, Charmes de Rieussec. Dessert wines. Meh. I just don't love them. Too sweet. My least favorite pairing. Paired with one of the best chocolate desserts I have ever had. This chocolate was delicious, decadent, and had a perfect smooth and creamy texture. And the raspberries and raspberry sauce really set it off. My grandmother, who doesn't like chocolate, ate her entire dessert. She loved it. And that is really saying something. <br /><br />Overall, this was a fantastic experience. The service was impeccable. The chef came out to check on our experience. They always had at least two servers to take the silver dome lids off the plates. Yes. That's right. Silver dome lids. So French! And yet...this restaurant put an amazing new spin on classic French cuisine. <br /><br />I guess I should mention the price. The seven course meal was $125. The wine pairing (which I did the 5 course wine pairing, not the 7), was an additional $65. And, you know what? It was 100% worth it. The five course meal skipped the cheese plate, which wouldn't have bothered me. But it also skipped the Foie Gras. And missing that would have been a mistake. So good. So so so good. <br /><br />So, if you're in Vegas. Go big. And go to Andre's.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-68686004155266949462010-11-21T16:46:00.001-08:002010-11-21T17:00:40.507-08:00Thanksgiving - Part 1 - So It Begins!We're T minus 5 days to Tday. I've tried to pick a menu this year that allows me to gradually make things over the next few days. Today's item: Cheddar-Cayenne Coins (or Crackers for, you know, normal people). <br /><br />Got this recipe from Fine Cooking's 2009 holiday magazine. Seemed like a good appetizer to put out with veggies and dip. This came together very easily, and since you can make the dough up to a month in advance, and actually bake the crackers a week in advance, it allows for a leisurely build up.<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour<br />3 oz sharp cheddar<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp cayenne<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled<br />1 large egg yolk<br />2 tbs water<br />Kosher salt for sprinkling<br /><br />Directions:<br />Combine the flour, cheese, salt, and cayenne in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Combine the egg yolk and water in a separate bowl, then pour over the mixture. Pulse until the dough begins to form small moist crumbs. <br /><br />Pile the dough on an unfloured work surface and push and smear it with the heels of your hands. Fold each side over onto the middle, rotate 45 degrees, and smear again. Shape into a 14 inch log (about 1 1/4 inch diameter), wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. <br /><br />Pre-heat the oven to 375, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Cut the log into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange them 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet (these crackers really don't expand). Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt immediately after removing from the oven. Let the crackers cool. Serve immediately, or wrap in plastic and store in an airtight container (or freeze them if you need them to last a few days).<br /><br />Really easy to do. Total amount of time was, maybe, 30 minutes of activity. And they taste delicious! <br /><br />Get ready Thanksgiving, here I come!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-38729699686723450952010-10-23T20:04:00.000-07:002010-10-23T20:55:50.416-07:00Restaurant Review: CraftSteak, Las VegasCraftSteak is Tom Colicchio's steakhouse in the MGM. It's got serious company/competition, because MGM has a collection of restaurants laid out by the best of the best: Emeril, Wolfgang, Robucheon. CraftSteak has a gorgeous interior. Rough leather seats, spacious layout. The service was impeccable. Our waiter was extremely knowledgable, gave me a number of great recommendations, and didn't try to get me to buy the most expensive thing on the menu.<br /><br />Which...I considered buying the most expensive thing on the menu. CraftSteak features some of the highest quality steak that you can get in an American restaurant. As the waiter informed me, the Japanese rate beef on a 12 point scale. American beef usually rates a 3 on this scale. CraftSteak offers Grade 7 and Grade 10 beef, in a number of cuts. The most expensive of these is a $150 Grade 10 filet mignon. Which I deeply considered ordering. You only live once, right? <br /><br />Well, the waiter talked me down. So I went with a Grade 7 skirt steak. I also ordered the quail to start, and Brussels sprouts on the side. Starting with the quail, I thought the quail was good. But nothing amazing. I was a little disappointed, because I love quail, and had such high expectations for CraftSteak. And the quail had good flavor, but I didn't feel like they had added anything to it. <br /><br />Here's my fantastic tip of the day, and you'll do well to remember this. My grandparents were with me, and for their 61st Anniversary, I bought them the dinner and a show package at MGM, which included a 3 course meal at CraftSteak for 2 and 2 tickets to KA. The value on this package is unbelievable. My grandparents' meal started with a bed of fresh greens with a light dressing, a full plate of prosciutto with a bit of fig preserve on the side, and a plate of roasted red peppers. With the starters they also served drop rolls in an adorable little cast iron pan. These rolls were so good! They had been brushed over the tops with salted butter, so they had great flavor. And they were served warm, and stayed that way courtesy of the cast iron tray. A lovely and delicious touch. <br /><br />I took this little detour to describe the dinner-show package, because CraftSteak served the entrees family style. Which was a wonderful touch, because it allowed us all to share the fantastic variety that the show package provided. My grandparents' meal included baked chicken, hanger steak, a couple of scallops, pureed potatoes, and marinated mushrooms. It was....SO MUCH FOOD! Everything was delicious, but it really was way too much food. I ended up taking it on the plane with me the next day! <br /><br />In a brief run down, the chicken was wonderful. I never get chicken, because its usually boring, but this was simple, moist, and incredibly flavorful. The scallop was well prepared. The hanger steak was great, with a little char on the outside. And the Grade 7? It was very lightly seasoned, so that it was really about the flavor of the meat. It was perfectly prepared. A great steak. <br /><br />Oh, and the sides? Awwwwesome. I love Brussels sprouts, and these were pretty fab. They were all small in size, and were roasted until they had a nice crisp outside. The mushrooms were great with the steak. And I loved the potatoes, and was sad that we ended up sending so much of them back, because there was just no more room! <br /><br />Finally. And this has been a long post to get to the finally. Dessert. They served us a personal size new york style cheesecake with a blueberry compote. The compote was big on the blueberries and scant on the sauce, which I prefer. That dessert was pretty good, although nothing I haven't had before. But the other dessert....MONKEY BREAD! What a great treat! They served us an individual sized bundt of monkey bread, with a side of vanilla bean ice cream, drizzled with caramel. I want that bundt pan! But I could also go for this dessert again, because it was warm, gooey, and delicious. Loved it. And, because this restaurant rocks my socks, they wrote "Happy Anniversary" on the plate! I didn't even tell the reservationist that I was doing this for my grandparents anniversary, just mentioned in passing that I had forgotten to call because their anniversary was the day before I made reservations. How thoughtful! And delicious! <br /><br />So, CraftSteak definitely gets my seal of approval. Great service, great food, lovely ambiance. Everything you want in a fancy steakhouse! <br /><br />Enjoy!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-24450830646973801992010-10-23T19:21:00.000-07:002010-10-23T19:34:51.569-07:00Roasting: Quick and Easy Way to Make SteakI've been experimenting with meals that are easy to make for my post work life. This one is great. Easy, delicious, filling, and it takes less than an hour total. <br /><br />Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.<br /><br />Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds (toasted and ground), 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1 large clove of garlic, mashed into a paste. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Rub the mixture all over the steak, and set it aside at room temperature. <br /><br />For a large single serving, I used 4 medium size carrots and a 1/2 lb skirt steak. Rinse the carrots and cut them lengthwise, then chop them. Toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp sugar. Spread them on a baking sheet, and roast them for 15 to 20 minutes. <br /><br />Pull out the baking sheet, stir the carrots, push them over to one side of the baking sheet, and put the steak on the baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a meat thermometer read 130 to 135. Stir the carrots at least once during the roast time.<br /><br />Remove from the oven, and cover the steak with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thin before serving.<br /><br />I also made some couscous (from a box) while the steak was roasting. So everything comes together at the same time. <br /><br />Great flavor, really easy. Awwwwwesome! <br /><br />Tom Colicchio's got NOTHIN on me. Well....maybe not. But I'm working on it!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-42432942963048438592010-10-03T18:18:00.001-07:002010-10-03T18:28:55.044-07:00Pear Cranberry Crostada FailYou win some, you lose some. And this was...a draw? <br /><br />I'm going to have to make this again, so I'll post the recipe at that time. But for some reason I really struggled with this one. I was rushing, and didn't really want to be in the kitchen. I couldn't get the crust to roll out, and got frustrated with it. It was too thick on one end, not thick enough at the other, which became a pretty big problem when I tried to fold up the pie around the filling.<br /><br />During the baking process, my crust sprung a little leak. Bummer. The filling pretty much stayed in the shell, but, well, this thing was ugly. Franken-stada. See for yourself...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HtiOSHGd3G8/TKktw_j86AI/AAAAAAAAAH8/H5tTWqlruW4/s1600/Crostada+001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HtiOSHGd3G8/TKktw_j86AI/AAAAAAAAAH8/H5tTWqlruW4/s320/Crostada+001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523996737665820674" /></a><br /><br />It still tasted delicious. And, thankfully, this recipe made twice as much of the dough and almond cream as it took to make the crostada. So all I need to do is buy a few more pears, and try it all over again. Woot?Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-25305489442386884582010-10-03T08:15:00.001-07:002010-10-03T08:24:11.330-07:00NUT BUTTER WHOA!I love peanut butter. And now I can love all sorts of other nut butter, because I discovered that it was beyond easy to make. I got this recipe from Fine Cooking, and I cut it in half, but I'll give you the full recipe because I can tell that the half recipe is going to last me less than a week! <br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />2 cups raw pecans, toasted almonds, or toasted and skinned hazelnuts<br />1/4 tsp fine sea salt<br />1 1/2 to 4 tbs canola, vegetable, or other neutral-flavored oil<br />1 tsp honey (I didn't cut this in half for mine, so I might double this next time for a full recipe)<br /><br /><strong>Directions:</strong><br />1. In a food processor pulse the nuts until roughly chopped.<br />2. Add the salt and begin to puree.<br />3. Add only as much oil as needed to make the nuts break down. I added the oil in teaspoons, usually 2 at a time, and I did it 3 times for a half recipe.<br />4. Add the honey and pulse to mix.<br />5. Transfer to a jar. It stores 6 to 9 months in the fridge, or 2 months in a "cool dry place," as if it will last that long!<br /><br />I didn't puree mine until it was completely smooth, so it was a little bit chunky, but another way to make truly chunky nut butter is to coarsely chop 1/4 cup of the original 2 cups of nuts, and then mix that into the smooth nut butter by hand.<br /><br />So easy. So delicious. My life has been altered!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-89418058241483548422010-10-02T13:33:00.000-07:002010-10-02T13:40:36.174-07:00Brussels Sprouts! My favorite!Man, I really love them. And if you'll remember, in August I had some truly awesome ones at Perbacco, a fantastic Italian place in San Francisco.<br /><br />So, last night I attempted to recreate them. Last time I tried recreating something, it didn't turn out so well. But I had a pretty good beat on these.<br /><br />So what did I do? I rinsed, trimmed, and halved some fresh brussels sprouts. I melted some butter, and tossed the sprouts in with the butter. Then I mixed together honey and Dijon mustard in about equal amounts (I didn't make very many brussels sprouts, so I used maybe 1 tsp of each) and mixed it in with the brussels sprouts. Seasoned with salt and pepper, and roasted for 20 minutes at 450. I mixed the brussels sprouts a few times, so that they browned evenly. <br /><br />Totally delicious. Giant win!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-26045581347732411402010-09-26T13:49:00.000-07:002010-10-23T20:01:35.694-07:00Review: Taste of ColoradoI had the great pleasure of hitting up Taste of Colorado with three fantastic friends who were willing to try, and share, 12 hours of tasty treats! I jotted down comments while we made our rounds. I'm leaving out many of the unremarkable items.<br /><br />1. Lora's Donuts: I had the old fashioned, and it was tasty, but nothing special. I definitely prefer the Cville farmer's market donuts better.<br /><br />2. Dave's Famous BBQ: This was one of the things I was really looking forward to. Chocolate covered bacon! But, apparently I was looking forward to it too much. The bacon was thin cut, and the chocolate overpowered the bacon flavor. But at Dave's we also tried the pulled pork, which was really delicious. The devil's spit sauce was nicely spicey. Not impossibly hot, and with a delicious flavor. <br /><br />3. Mustard's Last Stand: these were chicago style hot dogs. The toppings were great, and I'll definitely do chicago style again, but the dog itself was unremarkable. <br /><br />4. Divine Donuts: These were lovely! They were like mini funnel cakes, which made them wonderful, because a full funnel cake is always too much. But a few little funnel cake rings? Perfection!<br /><br />5. Rosa Linda's Mexican Cafe: I tried the cactus burrito. And, ya know, I really enjoyed this. It had the texture of red bell pepper. I think that it had been pickled, but that made the flavor interesting. I would definitely do this again.<br /><br />6. Bayou Bob's: Fried alligator is dissapointing EVERY time I have it. Never having it again. Done with it. This stuff was awful. Blech. <br /><br />7. Cookie Indulgence: Deep fried cookie dough. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. What do I need to say about this? Heart attack in a little container. Delicious, wonderful, ooey-gooey heart attack.<br /><br />8. Randolph's: Golden beet gazpacho was delicious, refreshing, and had a very pretty golden yellow color. <br /><br />9. Assignments Restaurant: We tried the white gazpacho and it was...disgusting. The flavors were fine, but the texture was really grainy, and it wasn't refreshing like a gazpacho usually is. It was bean and cream based, which just really didn't work out for me. <br /><br />10. The Cork House Wine Restaurant: The lamb meatball was just great. It was moist, delicious, and a little gamey in a great way. It had so much more flavor than your normal run of the mill meatball. It was served with tomato sauce, and some feta. Tasty! <br /><br />11. Grand Lux Cafe: OMG BEIGNETS! I've had these before, and they are always out of this world delicious. If you ever have the opportunity, these are a must have. They always come with delicious dipping sauces, and are served hot and fresh. Probably my favorite thing we had all day. <br /><br />12. Xing Tea: This is a Colorado based tea company that makes canned iced tea. This tea was great. Not too sweet, like most canned teas (think Lipton's). And all natural. Very nice. <br /><br />13. Hard Rock Cafe: The twisted mac n' cheese was a giant dissapointment. It had zero flavor, and was not made with flavorful or good quality cheeses. The only little bright note was a little bit of heat from the crushed red peppers they used. I'll remember that for the next time I make mac n' cheese, which will be endlessly better than this junk. <br /><br />14. Tocabe: The frybread was just awful. We had a couple of bite each and threw it away. Flavorless. Just bread with cinnamon on it. Not even cinnamon sugar. Blech. <br /><br />15. Saltwater Cowboy: This was our dinner. And a WONDERFUL dinner it was! We had an elk brat and a wild boar brat. These were delicious. The boar brat was nicely spicey, and the elk brat tasted like the hot dog of your dreams. It had big, bold flavor all the way through. I wonder if I can have these shipped to me, because this would take tailgating to the next level....?<br /><br />16. Gigi's Cupcakes: The final item of what was a truly delicious day. Cupcakes! They had cupcakes in this perfect mini size. They were each four bites of delicious fattiness. The buttercream frosting was wonderful. My favorite combination the chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. What a perfect ending to this epic eating day!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1596634052405276005.post-13768421766683755522010-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:002010-09-26T13:45:34.515-07:00Banana PuddingI had some bananas that were beyond the point where I was willing to eat them on their own. Usually I make banana bread when that happens. But I'm bored with that. So I decided to find something new to make. <br /><br />I started out thinking banana cream pie, because then I could make pie dough again. Turns out you need 9 bananas to do that. I had 4. So instead I ended up doing banana pudding. <br /><br />The pudding was amazingly easy to make. Who knew?! I mixed together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and 1/4 tsp salt in a sauce pan. Then I whisked in 4 egg yolks, keeping the whites for later. Once the egg yolks were thoroughly mixed in, I whisked in 1 cup of skim milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. I put the sauce pan over medium heat and whisked constantly until the mixture thickened (about 10 minutes). Took it off the heat, whisked in 1/2 tsp vanilla, and continued whisking until the mixture cooled down a little. <br /><br />Before I started with the pudding I sliced the bananas and put them in a tupperware with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, occassionally turning it over to make sure the lemon juice was evenly distributed. Using an oven proof glass bowl, I layered pudding, crumbled vanilla wafers, and bananas, and then repeated that, finishing with a layer of pudding on the top. <br /><br />The final touch before popping this combo in the oven was making a meringue. I've never made meringue, but it was soooo easy! Just put four egg whites in my stand mixer bowl, added a pinch of cream of tartar, and then turned the mixer on to medium/high. While the mixer was going, but before the whites had started to peak, I added 2 tablespoons of sugar. Once the whites came to hard peaks, I stopped the mixer and spooned the meringue over the pudding. <br /><br />Baked the pudding at 400 degrees for a little less than 10 minutes. And out came this...<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HtiOSHGd3G8/TJ-wmoUNEeI/AAAAAAAAAH0/vNfk1StC5aQ/s1600/Banana+Pudding+004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HtiOSHGd3G8/TJ-wmoUNEeI/AAAAAAAAAH0/vNfk1StC5aQ/s320/Banana+Pudding+004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521325845883195874" /></a><br /><br />Pretty, easy, and delicious! You could probably make all sorts of combos using this as the foundation.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14670624175654618954noreply@blogger.com0