Cait's Plate

Meal Planning - week two

2009-09-22T19:37:00.000-04:00

So, I ended up planning meals again for the week and went to the grocery store last night and farmer's market today. I got all kinds of goodies - like a beautiful whole chicken and bosc pears and some HUGE sweet yellow onions. I also got some heirloom tomatoes and an avocado for sandwiches along with this oatmeal bread that I really love.

So... This week I've planned 4 meals again - mostly based around a roasted chicken. I'm thinking about maybe doing some homemade pizza on Saturday night if I'm around.

Tuesday (tonight) - Roasted salmon with a maple glaze served over garlicy grains and rice along with broccoli with olive oil and lemon zest.

Wednesday - Roasted chicken with fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme) and roasted bosc pears and shallots served with a spinach/arugula/radicchio, apple, and goat cheese salad and a honey balsamic vinaigrette.

Thursday - Open-faced roasted chicken, apple, and provolone sandwiches on oatmeal bread along with spinach, heirloom tomato, and cucumber salad with apricot/honey white wine vinaigrette.

Friday - Roasted chicken, fresh strawberry, goat cheese, and spinach salad with honey and shallot balsamic vinaigrette.

Yup, I really love making salad dressings from scratch. I mostly end up making a vinaigrette of some sort, but usually go with a balsamic vinaigrette that I love. When I was at the store I almost got a blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar for dressings and noticed an apple balsamic as well... Maybe next time. They both sounded really good.

Here's to good food.
- Cait

Meal Planning - week one

2009-09-22T19:22:00.003-04:00

I've been busy actually doing things - so I haven't been updating this blog at all. Oops! Last week I started actually doing some meal planning... I wrote down what I wanted to make in a little pocket calendar and it went over pretty well... Sometimes my meals are planned, but it's usually a last minute - oh I need to run to the store to get _______ to make whatever it is for dinner. I guess I got a little inspired and decided to plan meals for most of the week. I only planned until Wednesday figuring there would be leftovers.

So...

Sunday night - Shrimp and corn chowder served with corn bread along with a spinach/arugula/radicchio salad with apple, goat cheese, and a balsamic fig vinaigrette.

Monday night - Meatloaf served with baked macaroni and cheese and sauteed green beans.

Tuesday night - Pear, sharp cheddar, and ham panini on fresh baked country bread along with a baby romaine and roasted beet salad with a balsamic honey vinaigrette.

Wednesday night - Old school chicken cacciatore served over creamy polenta.

So far, there isn't anything left over - the shrimp and corn chowder went over super well and the pot was scraped clean!

I used leftover meatloaf in amazing sandwiches - which my boyfriend loved and said how they were actually moist. I used fresh country bread sliced semi-thick which was toasted and rubbed with a garlic clove along with meatloaf slices, a pile of caramelized onions, topped with provolone cheese and placed under the broiler until the cheese was nice and gooey. I threw on some sliced heirloom tomato after the cheese was melted and topped it off with another slice of garlic rubbed country bread.

It was a good food week!

Here's to delicious food.
- Cait

Strawberry Festival - Peddler's Village - May 2 and 3, 2009

2009-04-27T23:39:00.007-04:00

Peddler's Village hosts many different festivals throughout the year. I used to go to them when I was younger and always loved going to their Apple Festival. They had all kinds of apple goodies, my favorite being a warm apple dumpling served with vanilla pudding. Every strawberry season they celebrate the lushes fruit with a festival of it's very own. Yum.

Strawberry Festival 2009
Saturday May 2ed
Sunday May 3ed
10am - 6pm both days

Strawberry Festival plays host to delicious strawberry treats like pastries, strawberry shortcake, strawberry fritters, and strawberry jam but it's also a showcase for juried artisans. There's going to be live entertainment, pie-eating contests, and artisans demonstrating their trade. There will be great strawberry goodies to bring home too.

Peddler's Village is a great food and shopping destination. There are all kinds of little shops selling everything from kitchen goods (pots, pans, knives), a shop selling lamps, a wonderful toy store, hobby shops, and places with one of a kind artisan jewelry, woodworking, glass, and ceramics. There's also a nice coffee shop, a store with some beautiful cut flowers and flowering plants, and Giggleberry Fair (with a carousel, games, and obstacle course). It's a great place for the whole family on a normal weekend, but it's even better when there's a festival going on.

Peddler's Village is located at...
Routes 202 & 263
Lahaska, Bucks County, PA
215.794.4000

The festival is going to be a great thing to check out and a nice way to spend a Saturday or Sunday. If you're traveling from out of the area, there's an inn right in the village - Golden Plough Inn. The inn has 71 rooms and is in a great building.

Below is a YouTube video of highlights from the festival...

Here's to berries and full bellies.
- Cait

Went to Shad Fest Today

2009-04-26T00:01:00.004-04:00

This is gonna be a quick post because I'm tired from being out in the sun all day today. By tired, I mean I keep falling asleep!

Okay! I went to Shad Festival for the first time today. I've gotta say, it's worth the drive. I walked around, got a gourmet dog cupcake for my dog, went on a steamboat ride, and ate. There were big blowup slides, and this bouncing flipping thing, and another blow up ride for kids to play on. There were bands playing and people drinking. There were activities for kids like sand art and fishing games... Tomorrow is gonna be the rubber duck race. I'm not sure how they release the ducks in the river, but that could be fun to watch. There are cash prizes for the winning ducks and the money raised from buying the ducks go to children's education.

The location is dog friendly. Tons of people were walking around with their dogs, which all the little kids around loved. There's even a "get your picture taken with a wolf" tent.

There were some things going on over at the River Horse Brewery in Lambertville. I'm pretty sure that's where most of the bands were playing and of course there was drinking going on. My boyfriend and I were gonna check it out, but there was a long line to get drink tickets and we had his son along. What 2 year old wants to wait in line so the grown-ups can check out so locally brewed beer? There were people with strollers and kids at the River Horse so if your kid is napping or in the mood to hold still for a bit - don't let it hold you back.

We ate grilled london broil sandwiches, fries, my boyfriend had a pulled pork sandwich, and I had a sandwich from No. 9 Restaurant. I gotta say, my favorite was the braised beef and horseradish creme. I'm pretty sure it was made with the braised shortribs, or prehaps they braised some other cut. The beef was just and tender as their braised shortribs though (my favorite dish I've had there). They also had an oyster poboy sandwich (which I would have also liked to try), some kind of seafood chowder (lots of people were getting it), and of course Shad. There was a blackened Shad sandwich (saw other places serving that up too) and a Shad po boy sandwich. The only problem was that they ran out of the Shad by the time we got around to eating. Hopefully they'll get more for tomorrow! We also enjoyed lemonade and Wild Bill's soda, both of which were great treats on a hot day. The soda was EXTRA cold (my favorite flavors? root beer and birch beer).

There were also hot dogs, burgers, mexican food served up by a local mexican restaurant, flavored nuts, taco salad, fried oreos, japanse food, and a few other things - all served on the street! If you live in the area - it's worth going just for grabbing lunch or dinner. If you don't live in the area, it's still worth going to enjoy the food and the rest of the activities. If you're looking for gifts for upcoming birthdays or Mother's day, Father's day, or maybe a graduation there are artists and crafters selling their goodies.

Oh, and if you wear out Lambertville, you can walk across the bridge into New Hope to explore there too!

Seriously, GO!

Here's to the Delaware River and the towns that sprang up along side it (and full bellies too).
- Cait

P.S. I took a bunch of pictures, so I'll be blogging some later.

Reminder - Shad Fest

2009-04-23T18:33:00.008-04:00

Shad Festival banner. Roe is a delicacy, The Hamilton Grill is going to be doing a shad roe cooking demonstration.

Well, I said I'd post again before the weekend festival as another reminder...

April 25th and 26th
12:30-5:30 both days
RAIN OR SHINE!
Lambertville, New Jersey

These are the banners and Welcome to Jersey sign right after you cross the New Hope / Lambertville bridge. It's the main street through Lambertville.

To view my previous posts on the festival...
Shad Festival - Lambertville, New Jersey - April 25th and 26th
Shad Festival 2009, Lambertville, New Jersey

Fishermen fishing for Shad under the New Hope / Lambertville bridge.

To check out information about the festival on the Lambertville.org site.
Entertainment Schedule
Art and Crafts
Chamber Member Businesses
General Information

New weekend weather report, as of tonight!
DON'T FORGET THE SUNBLOCK!!!

Here's to festivals with food and full bellies.
- Cait

Magazine Wednesday - Martha Stewart Living - Sauteed Peas and Scallions

2009-04-22T15:00:00.003-04:00

Peas are great. This past early fall I had amazing split pea soup at a restaurant in New Hope. Peas are simple to cook, especially if you use thawed frozen peas. Fresh peas are going to be popping up in markets before you know it. I think fresh peas would be well worth the time and effort shelling them. I can't wait to be able to pick some up at one of the farm stores by my house. Maybe I could even find a place to pick my own!

This recipe for sauteed peas from Martha Stewart Living is simple and could be done with pretty much any vegetable you could thing of. It would be great with fresh green beans, sweet corn, even asparagus or summer squash. I think the scallions just add something a little special to something as simple as a sauteed vegetable.

Photo from Martha Stewart Living

Sauteed Peas and Scallions
via Martha Stewart Living, April 2005
prep time: 5 mins. total time: 10 mins

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
3 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced diagonally
course salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add peas and scallions. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

I love how this recipe takes something as simple as a vegetable sauteed in butter and adds something a little unexpected in the scallions. I'd even try this with a mix of fresh vegetables, like peas, corn, and red bell peppers. To really heighten the the flavor you could grill sweet corn on the cob before sauteing in butter with the scallions.

Here's to spring showers and full bellies.
- Cait

Shad Festival 2009, Lambertville, New Jersey

2009-04-20T22:17:00.009-04:00

So, Shad Festival 2009 weekend is coming up FAST! It's actually this weekend!!! Shad Festival will be taking place April 25th and April 26th from 12:30 - 5:30 PM both days. It's rain or shine but I looked up the local weather forecast for Lambertville, New Jersey anyway (I included a screenshot).

Above is a photograph that I took from the New Hope side of the Delaware River. The bridge connects the "sister" towns. You'll likely be walking or driving over the bridge at some point during Shad Fest if you go. It's a great place to stop and take photographs of the river. You'll probably even get to photograph fishermen fishing for The Shad! That's what the men are fishing for in the lower right-hand corner of my photograph of the bridge.

One of the first things you'll see is the "Welcome to New Jersey" sign once you cross the bridge. Right now a bunch of Shad Festival banners and flags are hung by this sign. I'm sure you'll notice it!

Here's some information about the festival so you know what to expect once you get there (pulled from the lambertville.org site).

In The Food Court: everything from taco salads to fried Calamari! There will also be the tried and true favorites: Hot dogs, hamburgers and fries and fresh lemonade for the traditionalists! And Shad of course!Also featured: beer tasting and wine tasting.

Shad Roe Cooking Demonstration: at the famous Hamilton's Grill on Saturday and Sunday - samples for everyone!

Entertainment: Rock out to the best of local talent, with entertainment throughout the weekend: Check back soon for the schedule for your favorite type of music, there's everything from jazz, and R&B to funky pop rock.

Family fun: Check out the North Union Street Parking lot for the Kid's Bazaar, where you'll find everything haloes to wear, airbrush temporary tattoos, sand art, and kids will also have the opportunity to print their own T Shirt designs and make their own candles. Face painting too! And this year down in Lambertville Station's parking lot -- kids will go crazy for the rides because they're back!

Shad Festival Poster Auction on Sunday at 3 pm at the First Presbyterian Church on N. Union St. Over 130 original works of art will be on display throughout festival weekend. Register to bid at 2 pm on Sunday, and at 3 pm, the auction begins. Proceeds will go to local students pursuing a collegiate career in the arts. There will be both a silent and live auction of posters. All live auction posters MUST BE original works of art. Minimum starting bid at the live auction is $50. Minimum starting bid at the silent auction is $20. All entries are eligible to receive poster prizes!

The Lambertville.org website actually updated their Shad Festival page to include information about the festivals parking situation. It gets really crowded in the Lambertville/New Hope area on normal nice weekend days, let alone during a festival.

"Sections of Lambertville's main streets will be closed for the festival, so do not try to drive all the way into town. Follow the parking signs to our lots and park the entire day for a fee. Shuttle buses will transport you to the festival from the lots located on Route 179. There are other lots located at the Diamond Silver Complex on N. Main St. (Rte. 29) and Arnett Ave. Proceeds from parking support our many civic and volunteer organizations. Throughout Lambertville metered parking with be in effect and violations carry a minimum fine of $25. Cars parked illegally along Route 29 or in "no parking" zones are subject to a minimum fine of $45. Please park in our lots!"

The weather for Shad Festival Weekend is going to be nice!!! The high for both days is in the low 80s and there's only the slightest chance of rain as of today. I'm excited that the weather is going to be nice because yesterday and today have been wet and rainy thus far. Remember to bring sunblock! Even though it's early in the season, the sun is stronger than you expect it to be. I got burned Saturday afternoon and I was only outside for a few hours.

I have some more photographs that I've taken of the Shad Festival signs and fishermen fishing for Shad, so I'll make another post later in the week to remind you all again!

Here's to digital cameras and full bellies!
- Cait

*All photographs in this posting were taken by me, including the screenshot of the weather.com page.

Spotting Dinner - Pasta with English Pea Pesto

2009-04-20T18:30:00.003-04:00

I saw an episode of Giada at Home the other day where she made pesto using spinach and arugula instead of basil... When I was checking out TasteSpotting and came across dianalynn's posting of pasta with pesto made from peas, I was inspired. What a great take on pesto, especially with fresh peas becoming available.

Photo from southernfood

Pasta with English Pea Pesto
via southernfood

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti or linguine
8 ounces diced ham
2 teaspoons olive oil or butter
1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed or lightly cooked
3/4 cup packed torn basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup walnuts, optional
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Cook spaghetti or linguine following package directions. Drain and rinse with hot water.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, brown the ham in a few teaspoons of olive oil or butter.

Meanwhile, for pesto, combine in a food processor the peas, basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and walnuts, if using. Run the food processor, adding olive oil a little at a time. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.

Toss the ham and pesto with the hot pasta. Serve with more Parmesan cheese.
Serves 6.

To really "bulk" out the pasta, I'd serve this with a simple grilled chicken breast (or grilled chicken tenders). I've always prefered chicken tenders to a whole chicken breast.

Here's to fresh produce and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Lunch - Crab Melt on Wholewheat English Muffins

2009-04-20T12:30:00.007-04:00

For as long as I can remember my mother's choice sandwich was a tuna melt. A summer or two ago I remember her bringing home half a tuna melt sandwich from The Summer Kitchen in Newtown, Pennsylvania that looked so good every time I go to that restaurant I see if it's on the menu. We'd also make tuna melts at home for a quick lunch of dinner. I like it better than the average tuna salad sandwich (although I did make a tuna salad with grilled ahi tuna - AMAZING)... When I was on TasteSpottin g looking for something for lunch and found cafenilson's crab melt - I was sold! I'll probably be trying this recipe out for my mom for Mother's Day - I know she'll love it!

Photo from cafenilson

Crab Melt on Wholewheat English Muffins
via cafenilson

Ingredients:

1 cup crab meat (you can use the real thing or the imitation crab, either way it still tastes good)
2 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1/2 cup heavy cream, fat -free half and half or milk (I use whatever I have in my refrigerator)
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded and divided into two or 4 portions depending on size of muffins used (see below)
paprika
salt and pepper to taste
4 halves english muffins or 2 large ones

Directions:

Melt butter in a medium hot sauce pan. Add flour to make a roux. Add cream (or milk) and cook until thick. Add more or less cream to make a thick enough white sauce. Add crab meat pieces, stir carefully and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
Place muffin halves in a baking sheet. Divide the crab mixture in half (or four if using regular sized english muffins.)
Add crab mixture on top of muffin, enough to cover. Add the cheese on top. Cheese need not cover the muffin as it will melt and spread so watch out how much you put. Sprinkle with paprika on top.
Broil in the oven until cheese melts and top is crusty golden brown, usually 10 - 15 minutes.
Remove and serve with salad of choice.

The serving suggestion from cafenilson is that you serve the crab melts with a salad and I agree. This would be great with almost any kind of salad that you could think of. I came across a cucumber salad in Barefoot Contessa "Back to Basics" which would be a nice along side this. But a simple red onion and heirloom tomato salad would be equally as nice. Ina's tabbouleh salad (minus the pitas) would be a great choice too!

Here's to Alaska and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Breakfast - Mushroom, Asparagus, Gruyere and Egg Casserole

2009-04-20T09:30:00.003-04:00

I love eggs for breakfast and I always love finding something different to do with them. When I was looking for a few breakfast dish on TasteSpotting I found inn cuisine's egg casserole. One thing I really loved about the dish is that it uses asparagus. Spring is the time to enjoy fresh asparagus, and this is a great way to use up asparagus you may have left over from dinner. I never cook a whole bundle of asparagus since I'm usually only cooking for one or two.

Photo from InnCuisine

Mushroom, Asparagus, Gruyere & Egg Casserole

via InnCuisine

8 large eggs
1 bunch fresh asparagus (approximately 1 pound), rinsed, trimmed and cut into 1 & 1/2-inch pieces
3-4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) sliced mushrooms
3 ounces grated Gruyere, divided
1 medium shallot, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 controlled splash of dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

to prepare

Gently steam asparagus pieces for approximately 3 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for baking. Spray your favorite casserole dish (approximately 9&1/2″ x 9&1/2″ x 1&1/2″ in size) with non-stick cooking spray.

to make the casserole

In a large bowl, break eggs and whisk gently. Add 2 ounces grated Gruyere (reserve remaining for garnish), minced shallot and garlic, splash of dry white wine, Herbes de Provence, salt and freshly ground black pepper; whisk until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Stir in steamed asparagus and sliced mushrooms. Pour egg mixture into prepared casserole dish and place on center rack of preheated, 350 degree F oven; bake for approximately 30-35 minutes (depending on size and depth of your casserole dish and accuracy of your oven). Casserole is done when eggs are set in the middle, i.e. eggs no longer jiggle when casserole dish is moved back and forth.

When eggs are set, remove casserole dish from oven and and sprinkle with remaining ounce of grated Gruyere. Cut into 4 large wedges (or 6-8 smaller ones) and serve warm.

Pair with warm, crusty bread and a mixed green sald or fruit. Optional—top bread and salad with a slight drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of grated Gruyere if desired. Enjoy!

Serves 4

The great thing about recipes like this is that you can use any kind of vegetables, cheese, or even add meats. Instead of mushroom, asparagus and gruyere you could use cheddar, ham, and red bell pepper. Try mixing this recipe up with your favorite ingredients.

Here's to spring vegetables and full bellies.
- Cait

Birthday Nightcap

2009-04-17T23:29:00.003-04:00

Okay, not really a nightcap as in a drink - but a little ending to my birthday day. I hope you all enjoyed my birthday edition food picks from TasteSpotting - and yes, I did end up with lobster today, but it was for dinner.

I had a really nice day starting with my boyfriend taking me to lunch in New Hope, Pennsylvania. We ate outside practically on the river. It was so nice and sunny and warm out today. We were joined by ducks and got to watch fishermen fishing for Shad. We walked across the New Hope/Lambertville bridge and stopped at Lilly's for a slice of Coconut Dream cake to take home with us and I took some photographs.

Later I went out to dinner with my mom and then we did some errand type shopping (buying shampoo). But hey, I love beauty products and since it takes a lot of hard work to keep my red locks red - I love finding specialty shampoos and conditioners. Our night ended with birthday cake eatting, sharing cake with my dog - Ginger (my cat - Princess - got some icing), then I opened cards and gifts.

I had one of the best birthdays today than I've had in a really long time. Since I'm super tired from good food, great people, fun times, shopping, and drinks - I'm going to bed early tonight. I will be posting more about my birthday tomorrow or Sunday. I'll be needing to share food details and photographs. I'll also be making another post about Shad Festival, because it's coming up next weekend.

Heres to feather pillows and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Birthday Cake - Coconut Cake

2009-04-17T18:45:00.003-04:00

Who has a birthday without cake? This is a special edition to the daily "Spotting" series of posts in honor of my birthday today.

I love coconut cake. It's probably something I would have turned my nose up at as a child, but for the last few years it's been my "thing". Sometimes I'd even try to think up reasons to have dinner at Lilly's on the Canal in Lambertville, New Jersey just so I could order a slice of their Coconut Dream cake with raspberry syrup to either eat there or take home. Yes, if I eat there and I'm not having dessert I at least get a slice of that cake to take home with me. I found Tartelette's coconut cake with cream cheese buttercream on TasteSpotting and thought it looked amazing.

Photo from tartelette

Coconut Cake:
via tartelette
Seves 8-10
Printable Recipe

For the cake:
6 large eggs, separated
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut liqueur such as Malibu for soaking in the layers

Separate the egg whites from the yolks in 2 different (well cleaned) bowls.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl or over a piece of parchment paper that you can easily pick up when the time comes to add the flour to the batter in progress.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream 1 cup of the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
In a small bowl, or a measuring bowl with a spout (easier to pour), combine the buttermilk and the coconut milk. Set aside.
Turn the mixer to low speed and alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the butter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
If you have only one KA bowl, pour this mixture into a large mixing bowl while you whip the egg whites.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until you get nice stiff peaks. Stop before the meringue becomes dry.
Gently fold the egg whites into the flour/butter mixture.
Pour the cake batter into 2 separate 9X9 square inch pans and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes at 350F or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool, in their pans, for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a greased cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Buttercream:
3 sticks butter at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 egg whites
1 cup sugar divided
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. coconut extract
1 cup coconut flakes

In the bowl of stand mixer, whip 5 egg whites until they have soft peaks. Slowly add 1/4 cup of sugar until you get a glossy meringue. In the meantime, combine 1/4 cup water with 3/4 cup sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan and bring the syrup to 250F. Slowly add the sugar syrup to the egg whites. If you use hand beaters, this is even easier and there is less hot syrup splatter on the side of your bowl and in the whisk attachment of the stand mixer. Continue to whip until the meringue is completely cooled. Slowly add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The mass might curdle but no panic, continue to whip until it all comes together. Add the cream cheese, the same way, a little at a time until everything is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
Slice each cake square into 2 pieces horizontally. Brush the bottom layer with some coconut liqueur, spread 1/3 cup of the buttercream over and add another layer of cake and repeat the soaking and layering. Finish by frosting the entire surface of the cake and sprinkle coconut flakes all over.....and eat!

Maybe if I give this recipe to my mom - she'll take to baking coconut cakes for me...

Here's to really big nuts and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Dinner Birthday Edition - Filet Oscar

2009-04-17T17:30:00.003-04:00

On special occasions, like birthdays or when I had some artwork in a school gallery show my family and I go out to a nice dinner. My sister and I usually order filet mignon in some form - usually wrapped with bacon. When I found foodiebride's Filet Oscar on TasteSpotting, I thought that would be perfect. I love crab meat, I love asparagus, and who doesn't like bearnaise sauce?

Photo from jasonandshawnda

Filet Oscar Style

via jasonandshawnda

2 Alaskan King Crab legs
Tips from 1 lb asparagus, blanched
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
4 beef tenderloin steaks
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon
3 eggs yolks
1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Steam the crab legs: Preheat oven to 375. Place the king crab legs in a loose-fitting foil pouch. Before sealing tightly, add a small amount of water. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Using a fork or a crab-leg-meat-getter-outer, remove the meat from the crab legs and place in a medium bowl along with the blanched asparagus tips. Gently break up any overly-large pieces with your hands.

Cook the steaks: In a large, oven-safe saute pan, melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Pat the steaks dry and season both sides liberally with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Place the steaks in the pan and sear 3-4 minutes. Flip, sear for 3 minutes more and place the pan into the oven. Cook to an internal temperature of 135 (medium rare), remove from oven and tent with foil while you finish the sauce.

Make the Béarnaise sauce: Boil wine, vinegar, shallots, and fresh tarragon in a small heavy saucepan until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve set into a medium bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.

Whisk the yolks into the vinegar mixture, and then set bowl over a double boiler and cook until hot, whisking constantly until yolks have thickened slightly. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, adding each piece before previous one has melted completely. Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste). Keep warm, if necessary, by leaving it on the double-boiler but make sure to turn off the heat.

Assemble: Add about 1/3 cup of the sauce to the bowl of crab and asparagus. Lightly toss to coat. Plate the steaks and top with a generous portion of the crab-asparagus mixture. Top with additional Béarnaise sauce and serve.

Serves 4
Béarnaise Sauce: Slightly adapted from Gourmet

Originally uploaded by Confections of a Foodie Bride.

The great thing about this recipe, even though it's elegant, there aren't many needed ingredients. So, it makes the dish completely "do-able". I'd love this served with a small serving of whipped mashed potatoes and perhaps some simply cooked carrots.

Here's to Alaska and full bellies.

- Cait

Spotting Lunch Birthday Edition - Lobster Roll and Lobster Bisque

2009-04-17T12:15:00.002-04:00

I love lobster... I never actually get to eat it though. I think today being my birthday is the perfect excuse to enjoy a lobster filled lunch. While on TasteSpotting I found timelessgourmet's traditional New England lobster roll and thought it would be a great alternative to a salad or everyday type sandwich. I also found peabody's lobster bisque garnished with chives. What's more special than a lobster packed birthday lunch?

Photo from timeinthekitchen

New England Lobster Rolls
via timeinthekitchen

New England Lobster Roll recipe one:

Meat from half of one small (1 1/4 pond) Maine lobster, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 stalk peeled celery, minced
A few grates of freshly ground black pepper
New England style hot dog bun, toasted

Mix the first three ingredients together and add to the bun.

New England Style Lobster Roll recipe two:

Meat from half of one small (1 1/4 pond) Maine lobster, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Mix these two ingredients together, and serve with:

1 wedge fresh lemon
2 tablespoons melted butter

Squirt some lemon on top, and use the melted butter as a dipping sauce!

Photo from northwestnoshings

Lobster Bisque

via northwestnoshings

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tsp tomato paste
8 ounces unsalted butter
1-1/2 lbs Maine lobster
32 ounces water
2 cups heavy cream
2 bay leaves
½ cup dry sherry
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Steam lobster in water until done, about 8 minutes. Save stock. Remove lobster meat from shell; set aside. Break up lobster shells, then place them back into the water; simmer over low heat until reduced by half.
Heat half the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and celery and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add bay leaf, tomato paste and sherry and simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by half.
Add cream and lobster stock and simmer over low heat (Do not boil.) for 30 to 40 minutes or until soup begins to thicken.
Season with salt and pepper. Remove lobster shells and bay leaves. Chop up lobster meat and add to bisque. Stir in remaining butter.
Serve hot with a little crème fraiche and fresh chives.

I think I'd wash all that lobster down with a simple green salad and my favorite white wine. I think I'd fall into a food coma after this lunch, but hey - it's my birthday!

Here's to Maine and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Breakfast Birthday Edition - Eggs Benedict

2009-04-17T07:05:00.000-04:00

So, it's April 17th... which happens to be my birthday! Today isn't just any other day of the week for me. I decided that I'm going to be picking out meals that are more on the extravagant side in honor of today. It took awhile of poking around on TasteSpotting to come across something I found suitable for today's post. I settled on eggs benedict because it's something I rarely ever have. There are a bunch of different versions of this dish on TasteSpotting but I chose doesnttaztelikechicken's.

Photo from doesnttaztelikechicken

Eggs Benedict
via doesnttaztelikechicken

To make the hollandaise sauce, you will need:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1/4 cup of melted butter

Fill a quart pan with water up to 1/3 of its height. The glass bowl will sit on the quart pan later so make sure the water just comes below, and not touching, the bottom of the glass bowl. Bring water to a simmer.

Put the egg yolks and lemon juice into the glass bowl. Whisk the yolks until it increases in volume, about 3 minutes.

Place the glass bowl on the quart pan. Continue to whisk quickly and slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Whisk until the sauce is thicken, about 5 minutes. Add in salt to taste. Remove the bowl from the quart pan and keep it in a warm area.

To make the eggs benedict for 2 people, you will need:
- 2 eggs
- 1 English muffin , sliced in half.
- 4 pieces of English bacon

Bring water in a quart pan and bring to a boil. When water is boiling, bring the heat down to a simmer. Put a sieve in the water and carefully crack an egg into the sieve. Let the eggs cook for 4 minutes and this will give you a runny yolk. Repeat with the second egg.

Pan fried the bacon in a non stick pan until they are slight brown on both sides.

Toast the muffin in a toaster until they are slightly brown.

To assemble:

Place half of a muffin on a plate. Place 2 pieces of ham on top and then carefully slide the poached egg from the sieve onto the ham. If you find the hollandaise sauce too thick, mix a few drops of warm water into the sauce. Spoon a good amount of the sauce onto the egg. Sprinkle with parsley and a few dash of cayenne pepper.

Eggs benedict is one of my favorite things to order if I'm going out to Sunday brunch. My family and I usually go to The Waterwheel in Doylestown if we're going to brunch, but that only happens once or twice a year. Besides the eggs, I usually end up getting a freshly made waffle with berries. All the food is great there and it would be nice to have a bit of that brunch experience on my birthday.

Here's to favorite brunch spots and full bellies.

- Cait

Spotting Dinner - Braised Chicken with Scallion Purée

2009-04-16T19:48:00.004-04:00

It's a bit later than I've been posting the "Spotting Dinner" post, but I had a busy day today. I checked e-mails, messed with Google Analytics, checked out Etsy, had some sort of sneezing fit in the shower (oh my, was that terrible!), did my hair, checked out my birthday gift from Patty, stopped at Starbucks, went out to Newtown to visit two teachers of mine - Cris Martino (jewelry) and Caren Friedman (printmaking), talked to some previous classmates, traded fixed earrings for a print, went to Doylestown to try and find special shampoo or colour glaze to keep my red hair SUPER red.... and if I came home to Terry B's braised chicken that I found on TasteSpotting I would have been in heaven!

Photo from blue-kitchen

Braised Chicken with Scallion Purée

via blue-kitchen

Adapted from The Cook and the Gardener

For Terry’s doctored broth:
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
4 black peppercorns

For the chicken and scallion purée:
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 pieces of chicken—4 drumsticks, 4 thighs
salt, freshly ground black pepper
24 scallions, trimmed [leaving as much green as possible], sliced into 1/4-inch pieces, divided
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 medium to large potatoes [about 1 pound], peeled and cut into large chunks
3 cups Spring Stock or Terry’s doctored broth [or homemade stock or water]
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Make the broth. Combine broth and 1 cup of wine in a medium stock pot and bring to a boil. While it’s heating, “bruise” the rosemary sprig by rolling a rolling pin or the side of a glass over it to release its flavorful oils. Add to pot. Lightly bash the garlic clove with the side of a knife, remove the skin and add garlic clove to pot, along with the bay leaf and peppercorns. When broth comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly, then strain into a bowl and discard solids. You should have about 3 cups of wonderfully fragrant broth.

Cook the chicken. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large lidded skillet over medium high flame [I used a 5-quart sauté pan]. Add oil to pan, then add chicken, skin side down and sauté until it is very brown, but not burned, about 10 minutes. Swirl the pan occasionally to make sure oil is in contact with all chicken to avoid scorching. Toward the end of the 10 minutes, reduce heat to medium. Turn chicken and scatter two-thirds of the sliced scallions over and around it [this is why you reduced the heat a moment ago, to not burn the scallions]. Brown second side of chicken for about 5 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate. Spread scallions around pan and cook for another minute or so. Add 1/3 cup of wine and stir, scraping up browned bits. Reduce wine by half. Return chicken to pan, along with any juices. Add potatoes and enough broth to come about two-thirds up the side of the chicken [if you don't have enough broth, add water]. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, braising chicken for about 45 to 55 minutes, until potatoes are completely cooked.

Make the scallion purée. Heat oven to 175ºF. When chicken is done, transfer it to a plate and place in oven to keep warm. Strain the braising juices and reserve. Transfer potatoes and scallions to food processor and pulse a few times until potatoes are just crushed [as Hesser says, "pulsing any longer will turn the mixture into a starchy goo"]. Remove blade from processor and stir in cream with a spatula. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover processor with dish towel to keep purée warm.

Transfer juices to sauce pan and reduce over high heat to a concentrated, highly flavored jus, about 1 cup of liquid. Lower heat to medium, add remaining sliced scallions and simmer until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

To serve, spread purée on serving dish and top with chicken. Spoon some of the jus with scallions over chicken. Serve, passing the remaining jus and scallions separately. You can also plate individual servings.

I love scallions... I've never used them as a main part of a dish before - but I'll use them to add an onion flavor to salads or top off an omelet or add to scrambled eggs... Of course scallions are good with sour cream on tacos or the like. I usually don't use them often enough to use a whole bunch before they start to go "funny". So this recipe is an awesome surprise with its use of scallion as a main ingredient.

Here's to scallions and full bellies.

- Cait

P.S. Keep on the lookout for an upcoming post about scallions vs. green onions!

Spotting Lunch - Caribbean Steak Wraps

2009-04-16T12:15:00.001-04:00

When I was checking out TasteSpotting for a lunch idea I came across cheesypoof's wrap. It's got prefect island flavors which would surely brighten up my mood. It's been raining here so much, you'd think I was in Seattle! Not to mention that I watched a Bobby Flay's Throwdown tonight that involved Miami kind of flavors. It got me into some kind of warm weather food mood.

Photo from deestroyer

Caribbean Steak Wraps
via deestroyer

3 T. olive oil
3 t. jerk seasoning (purchased, or make it as follows)
1 t. salt plus more to taste
1 lb. thin steak (flank or carne asada cut)
2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans
1/4 cup water
1 ripe mango
1 ripe avocado
1 T. lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
pepper
1 T. rum
4 large flour tortillas

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler.
Combine 1 T. of the oil with 2 t. of the jerk seasoning and 1 t. salt in a small bowl. Rub this mixture into both sides of the meat and place the meat on a baking sheet. Broil until medium rare, about 5 minutes per side for flank steak (less for carne asada cut). Let it rest until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 T. oil in skillet. Add the garlic and remaining teaspoon of jerk seasoning and saute for a few minutes. Add the beans and and water and simmer gently for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the avocado and mango and place in serving bowl. Drizzle with lime juice and add chopped cilantro. Toss with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the rum to the beans, and increase the heat to cook off the alcohol for a couple minutes. Season the beans with salt and pepper.
Slice the steak into thin strips. Serve fajita style with each component laid out, or roll everything into a burrito for your lucky guests. I also added a dollop of sour cream because I thought it was lacking in sauciness.

Easy Jerk Seasoning
1 T. brown sugar
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. ground ginger

After reading what's in the easy jerk seasoning, I thought it was funny. I often make spice combinations that use these kind of ingredients - so I'm sure the mixture will taste great! I absolutely cannot wait to try this recipe out. Now all I need is a few people to make this for.

Here's to Miami and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Breakfast - Orange Vanilla Bundt Cake

2009-04-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I crave something sweet for breakfast... In my house, if there's leftover cake from a birthday or occasion of some sort - it often becomes a morning treat. I don't know how that habit started, but my whole family does it and we've done it for as long as I can remember. When I found uptowngirl's bundt cake on TasteSpotting, I thought that would be perfect. Why? Because it has orange in it! Yeah, I know... Cake that is flavored with orange doesn't count as a serving of fruit, but it would be amazing WITH fruit. Orange is a wonderful flavor to go along with something like fresh strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. So yes, orange cake with a cup of coffee or strong black tea and fresh fruit would make a nice sweet breakfast.

Photo from erinsfoodfiles

Orange Bundt Cake
via erinsfoodfiles
from Taste of Home

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk

GLAZE:
2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons orange juice (I used freshly squeezed)

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy; beat in the eggs, orange peel and extracts. Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

Pour into a greased and floured 12-cup fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool. For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and juice until smooth. Spoon over cake. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Bake up this cake and brew yourself some french press coffee or a espresso. Enjoying this outside in the morning on a sunny day would definatly be a great days beginning.

Here's to Florida and full bellies.
- Cait

Magazine Wednesday - Martha Stewart Living - Haricots Verts with Pecans and Lemon

2009-04-15T20:00:00.001-04:00

I have a ton of food magazines, but Martha Stewart Living is one of my favorite magazines to find food inspirations and recipes. One thing I really love about Martha Stewart Living is the pull out recipe cards. It has been years since I started collecting them and I'm still going strong. Every time I get a new Martha Stewart Living magazine I read through the whole thing once, then remove the recipe cards and put them in a safe place.

I love green beans. They are one of my favorite vegetables and probably the green vegetable I serve most in my kitchen. They are simple and delicious and I'll often eat a bunch of them before I even get them to the table. Green beans are kind of like really great french fries to me. I usually cook them very simply - blanching them for a few minutes to get the "raw" taste out, a tiny bit of butter, salt, fresh cracked pepper, sometimes fresh garlic or garlic powder.

One year I used the recipe for haricots verts that I found in Martha Stewart Living and thought it was just great. It really dresses up your average green bean into something worthy of a dinner party. Plus, it's insanely pretty!

Photo from Martha Stewart Living

Haricots Verts with Pecans and Lemon
via Martha Stewart Living, October 2004
prep time: 10 mins. total time: 20 mins
serves 4

coarse salt
1 pound haricots verts or this green beans, trimmed
½ cup pecans
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 425°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and haricots verts. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Transfer to a serving dish.

Meanwhile, spread pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop nuts when they are cool enough to handle.

Whisk vinegar, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl; season with pepper. Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream; whisk until emulsified. Just before serving, gentaly toss beans with vinaigrette and chopp nuts; sprinkle with zest. Serve warm.

The vinaigrette could easily be used on other vegetables - like asparagus - and be equally as great.

Here's to Martha and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Dinner - Carnitas Soft Tacos

2009-04-15T17:40:00.007-04:00

When it comes to tacos, I love soft ones. I think they hold their stuffings much better than hard taco shells. I don't eat tacos very often, but sometimes I get a bit of a craving for them. With all the upcoming wonderful seasonal vegetables expected to show up in markets in the next few months, tacos would be a delightful treat. When I was poking around on TasteSpotting I found cookingontheside's soft tacos and knew I'd be trying this recipe out.

Photo from cookingontheside

Carnitas Soft Tacos
via cookingontheside
Adapted from the National Pork Board’s Arizona Carnitas with Green Chiles recipe on a pork shoulder package

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, cut into thin slivers
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles, undrained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Flour or corn tortillas

Recommended Toppings:

Shredded Cheddar cheese
Chopped tomato
Chopped cilantro
Guacamole
Sour cream

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350° F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in ovenproof heavy large covered pot over high heat. Add half of the pork cubes; sprinkle with half of the salt and half of the black pepper. Cook pork until starting to brown, stirring often. Remove pork. Repeat with remaining pork cubes, salt and black pepper, adding more oil if necessary. Drain drippings from pot.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pot over medium heat. Cook onion in hot oil until tender. Stir in undrained chiles and garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Return pork to pot. Add chicken broth. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve pork in tortillas topped with toppings.

You could definitely add some fresh hot peppers like jalapenos or habanaros depending how spicy you like things and of course salsa.

Here's to peppers and full bellies.

- Cait

Spotting Lunch - Red Lentil Soup

2009-04-15T12:15:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I crave a good bowl of soup. Something rather new to me (my parents weren't too adventurous with foods when I was growing up) are lentils. I had lentil soups several times thus far and greatly enjoy it. When I was looking up some soup on TasteSpotting and found rhyleysgranny's soup, I was rather excited. I saw a dish with lentils cooked on Barefoot Contessa the other day, and finding another recipe for using them is going to inspire me to try cooking with lentils.

Photo from tea and wheaten bread

Red Lentil Soup
via tea and wheaten bread

Ingredients

250 gms/8 oz smoked streaky bacon
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 medium potato chopped
2 or 3 carrots chopped
2 red/orange/yellow pepper chopped (The more wrinkly they are the sweeter they are)
225g/8oz red lentils
1 teaspoon of paprika
A good pinch of cayenne pepper
A 400g/14oz can of tomatoes
900mls/1 1/2 pints approx. chicken stock (Keep some more to the side in case you find the soup too thick)
Black pepper
A little oil

Add any veggies around that need using up.

Method

Cut up the bacon and fry gently in the oil.
Add onion and spices and cook slowly until soft.
Add the carrots potatoes peppers and tomatoes then the lentils.
Give it all a good stir.
Add the stock and simmer until the lentils are nice and soft.

Using a stick blender, purée the soup.
Add more stock if you find it too thick.

It freezes well too if you are like me and incapable of making a small pot of soup.

I love how simple this recipe is - a great thing for trying a new major ingredient! One of my favorite ingredients is crème fraîche, which would be perfect to top the soup off. I'd have a simple salad and some bread with this bowl of soup to make a nice lunch.

Here's to new ingredients and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Breakfast - Scones with Honey and Dried Fruit

2009-04-15T09:30:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I'm not in the mood for a full blown breakfast. That feeling really kicks in after something like a holiday weekend filled with all kinds of food goodies. I often enjoy a muffin or scone and a cup of tea or coffee instead of a whole meal, so when I saw carina's scone with honey and raisins on TasteSpotting I thought it would be the perfect addition to a morning checking e-mails or editing photographs. Not only did the scone itself look amazingly yummy, but carina's photography is breathtakingly beautiful. The only downside is that carina's website "carina-forum" isn't in english. The recipe is kind of "funny" looking because of the google translation, but it looks simple enough to mess around with to figure out.

Photo from Carina-Forum

Scones with Honey and Dried Fruit
via Carina-Forum

400 ml wheat flour
2 st.l. honey
50 g cold butter
2 st.l. orange liqueur
200 ml natural yogurt
70 g dried fruit
50 g chopped walnuts
1 ch.l. baking powder
1 ch.l. baking soda
dried peel of half an orange
1 egg
pinch of salt

preheat oven to 200 degrees C (392 degrees F)

cut dried fruit into pieces and put into orange liqueur

toast nuts in frying pan until golden

mix flour with baking powder and baking soda

cut butter into flour mixture

add orange peel, lightly beaten egg, yogurt, salt, honey and knead dough

add fruit and nuts last

sprinkle work surface with flour and roll dough to 3cm thickness

use circle cutter to cut scones

line baking pan with parchment powder, and put scones in a single layer

bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown

slice and serve with butter or jam

* carina's notes - The amount of flour depends on the thickness of the yogurt you use. It's better to use very thick yogurt.

I'm not super sure about the tempature. I'd probably choose to round it up to 395 degrees F and make sure to keep an eye on the scones. I'm going to have to experiment with this recipe... It was disappointing to find out the website wasn't in english, but I couldn't use that as an excuse to not post about the scones.

Here's to google translations and full bellies.
- Cait

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T16:43:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday was Easter, so my sister was visiting from college. I had posts planned for the weekend but didn't get around to them because of the holiday. My sister went back to school today, so the rest of the week will be running smoothly. I did get a dessert post up on Saturday - Delicious Desserts - Chocolate Overdose Cake. I didn't post as much as I wanted, but I did cook a ton. So as a treat I'm going to edit my food photographs tonight and make a lovely post about what I made for Easter. We had brunch and dinner, both were great.

Here's to holidays and full bellies.
- Cait

Delicious Desserts - Chocolate Overdose Cake

2009-04-11T19:00:00.001-04:00

Since I've been posting meals all week long without adding desserts, I thought a dessert post would be the perfect treat for the end of the week. When Annie posted a recipe for chocolate cake and I came across it in my reading list on my dashboard, I fell in love. I'm not usually a huge chocolate fan, but when I do want chocolate - I want a ton of it. This cake has all kinds of chocolaty heaven in it - brownie, mousse, actual cake, and ganache. This would make an amazing surprise for any chocolate lover you may know...

Photo from Annie's Eats

Chocolate Overdose Cake

via Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
For the brownie base:
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/8 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the chocolate mousse filling:
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces
1 7/8 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar

For the chocolate cake:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 cup hot water
7/8 cup sugar, divided
7/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, soft

For the ganache:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
18 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces

Directions:
To make the brownie base, line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper and spray the sides with nonstick cooking spray. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, salt and baking powder. Stir with a fork to mix. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until completely homogenous.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Set aside, prepare the cake batter, and bake the two layers at the same time.

To make the cake, line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pan. Combine the chocolate, cocoa and hot water in a medium heatproof bowl; set the bowl over a saucepan containing 1-inch of simmering water and stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. (Note: at this point, my mixture was pretty thick and I thought I had ruined it, but mixing in the sugar was like magic and it made it smooth and liquidy again.) Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Pour into prepared pan; smooth batter to edges of pan with an offset spatula.

Bake the brownie and cake layers at the same time: the brownie for 25-30 minutes and the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownie to cool completely in the pan. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once the brownie layer has cooled, run a knife around the edges to separate it from the pan. Remove the sides of the springform but leave the brownie layer on the springform base. Form a ring of parchment paper around the brownie layer and extending up the sides of the springform pan - reclose the springform so that the parchment is fitted tightly to the sides.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer or fridge. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed.

Place heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together.

Spread the mousse over the top of the brownie base evenly. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the cooled cake round over the mousse, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Chill 1 cup of ganache for 1 hour. Allow the remaining ganache to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes).

Remove the springform ring and parchment collar from the assembled cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter, removing the springform base and parchment round. Use a spatula to smooth the room temperature ganache over the cake top and sides, covering evenly.

Place the chilled ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a shell tip and pipe a shell border around the base of the cake. Pipe 12-16 rosettes around the top of the cake to indicate servings. Serve chilled and store leftovers in the fridge. Cut the cake with a hot, dry knife.

I'm actually thinking about making this cake but in a bunch of mini single serving versions. So kind of like fancy cupcakes - but better. Now, I just need a reason to try it out. Would anyone like to come over for chocolate cake and super cold milk?

Here's to cocoa beans and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Dinner - Coffee Braised Bison Shortribs

2009-04-10T17:30:00.002-04:00

I love shortribs. I've only ever had them at one restaurant - No. 9 Restaurant in Lambertville, New Jersey. Their shortribs are AMAZING. That's what I order every time I eat there. I did have equally amazing braised lamb shanks with polenta and vegetables there in the winter last year, but the shortribs weren't on the menu that night. Why do I get the same exact dish every time I go to that restaurant? Because it's probably one of the best tasting things I've ever put into my mouth! So when I was looking for dinner inspiration and searched for "shortribs" on TasteSpotting and foodwoolf's coffee braised bison shortribs came up - I was sold. I love shortribs, I love coffee, and bison is oh so yummy.

Photo from foodwoolf

Coffee Marinated Bison Short Ribs
via foodwoolf
Adapted from the February 2008 Bon Appetit issue

This is a start-the-day-before dish, that requires 6-8 hours of marinating. I suggest doing this before you go to bed or do it first thing you wake up the day you're going to make the short ribs.

Marinade:

* 4 cups water
* 3 cups chilled strong brewed coffee
* 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
* 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
* 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
* 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 2 cups ice cubes
* 4 pounds bison (often labeled buffalo) short ribs, cut between ribs to separate

Short Ribs:

* 1/4 cup chopped bacon (about 1 1/2 ounces)
* 2 cups chopped onions
* 1/2 cup chopped shallots
* 6 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 tbsp Siracha chili sauce
* 1 cup strong brewed coffee
* 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Preparation

For marinade:
Stir 4 cups water, coffee, 1/2 cup coarse salt, and sugar in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add syrup and next 3 ingredients; stir until ice melts. Add ribs. Place plate atop ribs to keep submerged. Cover and chill 4 to 6 hours. Drain ribs; discard marinade. DO AHEAD: Drained ribs can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

For short ribs:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Sauté bacon in heavy large wide ovenproof pot over medium heat until beginning to brown. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate. Increase heat to medium-high. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer to large plate.

Add onions, shallots, garlic, and Siracha to pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Add coffee and broth; stir, scraping up browned bits. Add chili sauce and all remaining ingredients; bring to boil. Add bacon and ribs, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm in 325°F oven until heated through, about 20 minutes, before continuing.

Transfer ribs to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Spoon fat from surface of sauce. Boil sauce until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over ribs.

The recipe seems a bit complicated since there are different steps to it... It's well worth the effort though. I was once told that the shortribs at No. 9 Restaurant are watched over for 24 hours... As for the bison - bison is quickly becoming available at major grocery stores these days. You might be able to find it at a specialty butcher in your area... and if you can't you could substitue traditional beef shortribs for the bison ribs.

This dish served with your favorite mashed potato recipe and seasonal vegetables would be a great surprise for a special family dinner.

- Here's to bison and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Lunch - Pasta Salad Niçoise

2009-04-10T12:15:00.002-04:00

When the weather is warm, I love pasta salads. I probably associate warmer weather with pasta salads because my dad would always make them in the warmer weather for dinner. My dad never made a pasta salad quite like the one I found on TasteSpotting posted by Gastronomer (Sorry Dad).

Photo from gastronomersguide

Pasta Salad Niçoise
via gastronomersguide

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces cavatappi
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 6-ounce cans solid white tuna in olive oil, drained
1 red bell pepper, trimmed and cut into 1-inch slivers
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Make garlic oil by heating 2 tablespoons oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Let cool.

To a pot of rapidly boiling, liberally salted water, add green beans. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and rinse with cold water. Drain.

Cook pasta in the same pot until al dente, a few minutes short of package directions. Drain.

In a large bowl make vinaigrette by combining garlic oil, 4 tablespoons oil, mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, salt, and pepper; whisk well. Add pasta, beans, bell pepper, tuna, olives, and capers. Toss gently to coat all ingredients with vinaigrette.

Yield: 6 servings.

To make this pasta salad even more special, you could get a nice fresh tuna steak at your local seafood counter and grill it. I love grilled tuna with just a bit of salt, pepper, maybe some lemon zest, and olive oil. Tuna is nice with any of your favorite herbs though.

Here's to fishes and full bellies.

- Cait

Spotting Breakfast- My Valentines's Monte Cristo Panini

2009-04-10T09:00:00.004-04:00

I never really had a Monte Cristo before... Rachel Ray did her take on them during an episode of 30 Minute Meals and I've seen the sandwich on menus, but I never got around to eating one. When I was looking for a breakfast idea on TasteSpotting I found PaniniKathy's Valentine's Monte Cristo Panini and thought it was a great take on the idea of the sandwich.

Photo from paninihappy

My Valentine’s Monte Cristo Panini
via paninihappy

Adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

Dijon mustard
4 slices country bread (I used Bread & Cie’s country levain)
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
Ham, thinly sliced
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Confectioner’s sugar
Raspberry preserves

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the panini grill to medium heat (350 degrees).

Spread mustard on the bread. Layer 2 of the bread slices with Swiss cheese, ham, and cheese again. Place remaining bread slices on top.

In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Dip each sandwich in the egg mixture, turning to coat well.

Carefully place the sandwich onto the panini grill. Close the lid and grill for 4-5 minutes until the bread is lightly browned and the cheese is melted.

Dust the top with confectioner’s sugar and, if desired, spoon a little raspberry preserves in the shape of a heart in the center. Another idea is to stencil in a little heart motif with the confectioner’s sugar. Happy Valentine’s Day - enjoy!

I know it's past Valentine's Day, but the concept of the panini is perfect for any day of the year. If you want to really get into this sandwich with a knife and fork I'd heat the raspeberry preseves in the microwave or on the stove until they are of a "syrup" consistancy and pour it over the Monte Cristo. If raspberry isn't your thing, you could use pretty much any kind of preserves instead - or just go with maple syrup (the real stuff).

- Here's to breakfast and full bellies.
- Cait

Farm Shop - Tanner Brothers

2009-04-09T20:17:00.002-04:00

Photo by Caitlin M. Shurilla

So, Tuesday late afternoon I went to Tanner Brothers. It's a farm store that sells local produce (when in season) and all their dairy products are produced and packaged a mile up the road from the shop. Their specialty - ICE CREAM! There probably isn't anything much better than eating ice cream that is made from cows that are standing all of ten-feet away from you. Yup, the cows are behind the store, and on nice days in the spring and summer they'll be walking around and hanging out. When I was little my parents would take me to get ice cream and see the cows, which apparently lots of other parents continue to do. They've got at least two dozen ice cream flavors from traditional vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry to things like Amy's Wedding Cake and Graham Slam (made with graham crackers). My favorites? Mocha Chip and Butter Pecan. I treated myself to a scoop of butter pecan ice cream after I picked out my produce.

Photo by Caitlin M. Shurilla

What's great about shopping for produce at Tanner Brothers vs. the grocery store (Wegmans usually) is the price. I love red bell peppers, buying them for a dollar+ less a pound is a nice surprise. I brought home two bags of produce - including a hydroponically grown head of green butterhead lettuce which was grown 15 minutes from my house. I thought finding that was fun... I'm going to use it for a burger and some sandwiches. It's completely beautiful.

Tanner Bros. Market
Mon-Fri: 8:30am-7:00pm
Sat-Sun: 8:30am-7:00pm

1070 Hatboro Road
(Corner of Almshouse Rd. and Hatboro Rd.)
Ivyland, PA 18974

Here's to cows and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Dinner - Cornish Game Hen with Pomegranate Glaze

2009-04-09T18:00:00.003-04:00

Cornish game hens are delicious. I don't make them very often but when I have - I loved them. Depending on their size you could get away with serving a half hen per person, but when I've made them they were pretty tiny... I found FotoCuisine's cornish game hen with pomegranate glaze while TasteSpotting and I'll have to try the recipe. Not only are the hens themselves wonderful, but add pomegranate glaze (I love pomegranates) and you've got more than just a "winning" combination.

Photo from FotoCuisine

Cornish Game Hens with Pomegrante Glaze
via FotoCuisine

Ingredients:
2 rock cornish game hens (approximately 20 oz each)
1/2 cup POM 100% pomegranate juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 scallions, chopped
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Heat small saucepan over medium high, then add vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add garlic and ginger and sauté briefly until fragrant, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add scallions and stir until softened. Add 1/2 cup POM 100% pomegranate juice and reduce heat to low. Add honey and stir until incorporated into glaze. Keep glaze warm.

Preheat oven to 350. Tie hens and dry-roast for 15 minutes. Baste skin of hens with glaze and bake for 15 more minutes. Repeat every 15 minutes until 1 hour total cooking time. Internal temperature near the thigh should be 160 degrees. Serve with rice and chopped scallions for garnish.

You could serve the hens with practically anything and have a wonderful meal... They are served with rice on the website, but I love roasted red potatoes - so I'd possibly go with those depending on my mood. Roasted sweet potatoes would also work well.

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.
- Cait

Shad Festival - Lambertville, New Jersey - April 25th and 26th

2009-04-09T15:00:00.000-04:00

Lambertville, New Jersey is one of my favorite local towns. I haven't spent much time there exploring the shops, but two of my favorite restaurants are located there, Lilly's on the Canal and No.9 Restaurant. Yes, it's disappointing that No.9 Restaurant doesn't have their own website - but the food is completely amazing and the tiny cozy dining room is great. Every year Lambertville hosts Shad Festival in honor of the fish. The Festival highlights the local art's community, there's also live music, activities, and of course FOOD!

There will be all kinds of food there from hot dogs and burgers to fried calamari and of course Shad. There will also be beer and wine tasting and cooking demonstrations.

From the Lambertville website...
"Welcome to the 28th annual Shad Festival, being held on Sat. & Sun. April 25 & 26, 12:30 - 5:30 both days, rain or shine!. Each year the festival highlights our region's arts community, the City of Lambertville, the Delaware River, and of course, our favorite fish, the Shad! The Shad Festival has evolved from a local art show into a nationally recognized award-winning event. Shad Fest features the area's finest artists and crafters, great food and family entertainment, but the two-day extravaganza also serves as a venue for local non-profit organizations to raise necessary operating funds."

I haven't been to this festival before, but I know a lot of people who have gone and they've loved it. I'm hoping to get there this year!

Entertainment Schedule
Art and Crafts
Chamber Member Businesses
General Information

If I get to the festival, I'll be posting a ton of pictures... If you happen to get there - please contact me. I'd love to hear what you thought about it. Oh, and I've never eaten shad, if you have - could you leave a comment letting everyone know what you think of it and how it tastes?

Here's to the Shad and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Lunch - Pancetta, Fontina and Caramelized Shallot Panini

2009-04-09T12:15:00.002-04:00

I got a panini press for Christmas a few years ago. It's one of my most favorite small kitchen appliances. Instead of making grilled cheese sandwiches or the like in a buttered skillet I've been making them in the press. It's super quick since the panini press cooks the sandwich from both sides - always resulting in a crispy brown sandwich. I found PaniniKathy's delicious looking pancetta, fontina and caramelized shallot panini on TasteSpotting and decided that would be "lunch" today.

Photo from paninihappy

Pancetta, Fontina & Caramelized Shallots Panini

via paninihappy

INGREDIENTS:

Shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
Olive oil
Pancetta, thinly sliced
French baguette, halved lengthwise
Fresh sage, coarsely chopped
Fontina cheese, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).

Toss shallots with olive oil to coat and place cut-side down onto the panini grill. Close the lid and grill for 6-7 minutes until caramelized. Leave the residual shallot-infused oil on the grates - it will add great flavor once you grill the sandwich. Alternatively, you could roast the shallots on a rimmed baking sheet in an oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the slices of pancetta - either in a toaster oven broiler pan at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes or in a skillet over medium-high heat until the fat renders and the pancetta is crispy.

Place 3-4 shallot halves on the bottom baguette (fan out the layers to cover the bread). Sprinkle sage on top of the shallots. Add pancetta and Fontina and close the sandwich. Grill for 5-6 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The great thing about a sandwich like this is that you can easily change up the ingredients depending on what you have in the fridge. You could use red onion instead of shallot or applewood smoked bacon instead of pancetta... I'd try this recipe just the way it is though. It'll be wonderful. If you happen to be really hungry you could serve this with a salad or your favorite soup.

Here's to panini presses and full bellies.

- Cait

Spotting Breakfast - Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll

2009-04-09T09:15:00.001-04:00

I love omelets... I usually make myself an egg white omelet for breakfast close to every morning. Making an omelet for a group of people can be annoying though. Everyone ends up finished eating before you've even sat down to start eating your omelet. When I saw realmomkitchen's ham and cheese omelet roll on TasteSpotting I knew I had to share it.

Photo from realmomkitchen

Ham and Cheese Omelet Roll (6 serving version)
via realmomkitchen

2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 plus 1/8 cup milk
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup finely chopped fully cooked ham
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Line the bottom and sides of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and slowly add milk until smooth. Add flour and salt; mix until combined. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Add cream cheese mixture; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until eggs are puffed and set. Remove from the oven and use parchment paper to remove egg from the pan. Immediately spread with mustard and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle with ham, onions and 1/2 cup cheese. Roll up from a short side, peeling parchment paper away while rolling. Sprinkle top of roll with the remaining cheese; place roll in pan and bake 3-4 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Yield: 6 servings.

There's also a recipe variation that serves 12 which can be found here.

On a side note - I found the realmomkitchen blog to have a cute design and a nice layout.

You could easily put any type of filling into the omelet instead of ham and cheese... Lightly sauteed cherry tomatoes and spring asparagus with fontina or cheddar would be a great use of spring vegetables. My favorite kind of omelet would have to be made with my special mushrooms and cheddar.

Here's to chickens and warm bellies.
- Cait

Magazine Wednesday - Martha Stewart Living - Roasted Red Potatoes

2009-04-08T20:00:00.002-04:00

Photo from Martha Stewart Living, October 2004

Roasted Red Potatoes
Martha Stewart Living, October 2004
Prep Time: 5mins Total Time: 35mins

If you prefer, use fresh thyme instead of the rosemary. Any leftover potatoes can be mashed the enxt day (the crisp pieces add unexpected cruch), or tossed with mayonnaise or dressing to make potato salad.

1½ pounds baby red ptoatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
course salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425°.
Toss potatoes, oil, and rosemary on a rimmed baking sheet.
Roast, stirring once halfway through cooking, until potatoes are golden brown and crisp outside and tender inside, about 30 minutes.

See, told you it was simple... I use all kinds of herbs for this recipe besides just rosemary... It really depends what I'm in the mood for and the herbs I'm using in other parts of the meal. The potatoes are great with Herbes de Provence instead of rosemary... I almost always add garlic to these (dried or fresh) - to taste.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have and do..

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Dinner - Fig, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza

2009-04-08T17:30:00.001-04:00

I've been in such a pizza mood lately. I even bought some ingredients to make pizza for myself this week. When I found eggsonsunday's Fig, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza on TasteSpotting, I knew I'd have to show it off. It's a beautiful pizza. It would be perfect for even a dinner party (done in small versions for something elegant).

Photo from Eggs on Sunday

Fig, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

via Eggs on Sunday

Ingredients
1 lb pizza dough (I most often use the recipe listed here, using 2 cups AP flour + 1 cup semolina flour)
fig spread (recipe below)
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
about 2 ounces prosciutto
two generous handfuls of arugula, gently tossed with a little olive oil and coarse sea salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 525 or 550 degrees F with a baking stone inside. Place your pizza crust on a lightly floured pizza peel (or the back of a lightly floured aluminum sheet pan). Spread some fig spread on your pizza crust, enough to coat it but not too thick. Dot with crumbled goat cheese, then slide the pizza onto the baking stone. Bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is melted, about 5-8 minutes. Take the pizza out and top with folds of prosciutto and a mound of dressed arugula.

Fig Spread

This spread is just sweet enough — more like a savory & sweet fig puree than a cloyingly sweet jam.

Ingredients
4 ounces dried black Mission figs, chopped
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine or ruby port
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized. Add the chopped dried figs, the balsamic vinegar and the red wine, scraping up any brown bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine is almost evaporated, add the water and sugar. Simmer to reduce until the water is mostly evaporated and the figs are soft. Pour the mixture into a food processor and puree to the thickness you desire (I like mine fairly smooth.) Remove and cool; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1 cup.

It's great that eggsonsunday includes a pizza dough recipe link in the pizza recipe. Yum. I made homemade pizza once - It was well worth the wait (waiting for the dough to rise). This pizza would be delicious with creamy fontina cheese instead of goat cheese (if you don't like goat cheese). If you're trying goat cheese for the first time (worth trying!) I'd go with a soft and creamy cheive. It's the kind of cheese I like to use for a bunch of different things.

Here's to pizza stones and warm bellies.

-Cait

Spotting Lunch - Mussels with Saffron Broth and Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola

2009-04-08T12:00:00.001-04:00

These mussels caught my eye the other day, so I had to post them today... I love different kinds of seafood, mussels are great. I've never made them for myself before, but this recipe is something I'm going to have to try. I thought this dish would be great along with a salad. I knew the spinach salad was it when I saw it. What a wonderful lunch these two recipes would make. I found both dishes on TasteSpotting... the mussels were posted by sippitysup and the salad was posted by beloit08.

Photo from sippitysup

Mussels in Saffron and Mustard Broth
via sippitysup

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1/2 cup chopped shallots

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon thyme, leaves only

salt and pepper

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

2 cups dry white wine

2 big pinches saffron threads

4 lbs mussels

1/4 cup minced parsley

freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter bubbles, but before it gets brown add shallots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low.

2. Cook this mixture until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. At this point add 2 cups of a dry white wine. Bring the heat back up and let the liquid come to a boil.

4. Once it boils, bring the temperature back down to low, and reduce it for a few minutes.

5. Once a little viscosity is built in, add the saffron to the pot. Then remove the pot from the heat and cover it with a lid. You want to keep all that saffron essence inside your pot. You can also do this hours in advance, letting the broth wait at room temperature and re-heat it at serving time.

6. When you are ready to serve whisk 1/3 cup of Dijon mustard into the prepared broth. Bring this to a simmer (not a boil).

7. Add the clean and de-bearded mussels to the pan. Turn the heat up a bit, cover the pot and cook about 2 minutes, quickly remove the pan from the heat. The mussels should have opened up and look spectacular! Toss in a few tablespoons of chopped parsley and give it a good grind of black pepper.

8. Serve immediately…

Don't those mussels sound good?

Now onto the salad...

Photo from G.Turner

Spinach salad with Gorgonzola and balsamic walnut vinaigrette

By G.Turner

(serves 2, 4 if served as a side salad)
Enough spinach to fill a good-sized bowl (you know how much you want to eat)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
4 tbl crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
4 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl balsamic vinegar
kosher salt

Tear the spinach leaves and pile them in separate bowls. Divide the crumbled cheese and sprinkle liberally over the spinach. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When it develops a slight sheen, carefully add the walnuts. Cook them until they begin to release a rich, nutty aroma (probably about 2 minutes), and the color begins to deepen. Add the balsamic vinegar and let it sizzle and reduce, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with a couple good pinches of salt, then pour the walnuts, oil and vinegar over the spinach and cheese. Serve warm.

If you happen to drink in the afternoon... Serving this lunch with a glass of white wine would be amazing. You could go with red if you prefer, but the weather is getting warmer and I prefer cool drinks... I'd suggest serving with some freshly baked baguette. Is there a great local bread bakery in your area?

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.

-Cait

Spotting Breakfast - Sunday Morning Waffles

2009-04-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

Lately I've been in the mood for "sweet" breakfast foods. I love pancakes and homemade waffles. They are a real "treat" for me, probably because I don't eat them very often and usually have egg white omelets. I got a waffle iron for Christmas two years ago, and it has been a "blessing". Homemade waffles are AMAZING, so when I came across aggieskitchen's Sunday Morning Waffles I knew that would be "breakfast".

Photo from aggieskitchen

Sunday Morning Waffles
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (or regular sugar)
3 TB baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups lowfat buttermilk (can substitute lowfat milk)
3 eggs
1/3 cup applesauce
2 TB flax meal
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. Add buttermilk, eggs, applesauce and flax meal to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Pour approximately 1/3 cup of the batter per waffle into the waffle maker and cook according to waffle maker directions.

Serve with a small bit of butter, maple syrup and fruit.

If you want to give homemade waffles a "go", try this recipe. It's simple to prepare and you probably already have most of the ingredients. If you don't, the recipe even tells you what you can substitute... For a flavored maple syrup - add a few teaspoons (to taste) of your favorite jam or preserves (not jelly) to the syrup and heat either on the stove or in the microwave.

Here's to the upcoming berry season and full bellies.
- Cait

New Hope's Second Saturday

2009-04-07T20:30:00.001-04:00

It's that time again... April 11th is approaching - every second Saturday of the month New Hope has it's "Second Saturday" celebration.

From ilovenewhope.com
"New Hope celebrates the arts every Second Saturday of each month. From 5 - 9 pm art galleries, restaurants, and boutiques remain open late during the festive celebration. Musicians playing in the streets will put anyone in the mood to take our gallery walk in good weather conditions. During cooler months art galleries are still celebrating, inside their individual shops, with open receptions featuring some of the most talented artists from Bucks County to Istanbul Turkey. Come join us for this festive event. "

One of my favorite restaurants - Havana - is located in New Hope. There's a large outdoor bar, which has heat lamps turned on when it's cool outside. They usually have live music and some other activities going on. Checking out the art galleries and hitting up one of the restaurants (all of which are great) is worthwhile. It would definitely make for a Saturday night that's more interesting that dinner and a movie.

Here's a link to the Second Saturday map...

To visit the Second Saturday website go HERE.

For a list of restaurants and prices to expect at them go HERE.

Here's to interesting Saturday nights and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Dinner - Pasta Like a Rock Star

2009-04-07T17:50:00.000-04:00

Spring produce is exciting after the cold winter months in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The freshness is welcome and long awaited and bountiful. A vegetable I most look forward to and reminds me of spring is asparagus. When I was TasteSpotting for dinner ideas I came across a pasta dish posted by thepinkpeppercorn. It utilizes there of my favorite ingredients - pasta, mushrooms, and of course asparagus!

Photo from thepinkpeppercorn

Pasta Like a Rock Star
via thepinkpeppercorn
Adapted from InStyle Magazine, creator unknown
(4-6 servings)

1-450 g package penne
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp dry marsala (or madeira)
1 bunch asparagus, cut to 3/4 inch pieces
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs - flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, chives
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
drizzle of white truffle oil (optional)

1. Bring to a boil a small pot, with 1 inch of boiling water. Add the asparagus for thirty seconds, only to blanch it briefly. Remove into a strainer, and briefly rinse with cold water just until cool. Set aside.
2. Cook the penne according to package directions, but more al dente than suggested (there is ample liquid in the sauce for it to absorb) Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
3. Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it is bubbling, add the mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes. Lower the heat, and add the shallots and garlic; cook 4-5 minutes until the shallots soften.
4. Add the wine, and cook until evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the pan is almost dry. Add the marsala, and salt.
5. Add the cooked penne, asparagus, reserved pasta water, chopped herbs, and parmigiano to the saucepan. Continue to cook until heated through, being careful not to overcook the pasta, but trying to have most of the liquid absorbed by it, 3-4 minutes (depending upon personal taste). Check for seasoning. Drizzle with white truffle oil, but truffle salt is nice too. Serve.

What wonderful spring flavors... If you wanted to, you could easily "beef" up this dish by adding grilled chicken breast to it. That would be perfect served outside with some cool white wine. Don't forget candles for your outdoor table. Oh what a lovely "date" night that would make. A crisp spring salad and perhaps a bowl of lemon sorbet with fresh berries would round off the meal nicely.

Here's to spring nights and full bellies.
- Cait

Spotting Lunch - Grilled Lamb Pitas

2009-04-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

I love lamb... I don't eat it often at all (maybe once or twice a year) so it's a real treat for me. I enjoy it roasted, braised, grilled, seared... For me, it's best cooked rare - medium rare. When I was checking out TasteSpotting for a lunch inspiration I came across healthydelicious's marinated grilled lamb pita with yogurt sauce. It would make for such a perfect lunch that I actually want to make it this week.

Photo from Healthy. Delicious

Mediterranian Lamb in a Pita
via Healthy. Delicious

1 lb lamb leg slice (can substitute boneless chicken breast)
3 T olive oil
juice from 1 lemon, divided
oregano, marjoram and thyme
1 small container fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, shredded
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp dill
sea salt (optional) and cracked pepper
2 c romaine hearts, torn
12 kalamata olives, chopped
4 tsp crumbled feta
red onion, sliced
4 pita breads

Mix together oil, 1/2 the lemon juice, oregano, marjoram, and thyme. Let lamb marinate in the mixture for a half hour.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: wrap cucumber in a paper towel and squeeze out excess water. Combine cucumber, yogurt, remaining lemon juice, garlic, dill and cracked black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Grill lamb to your desired level of done-ness (I suggest medium-rare). Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin strips. Rub each pita with a little sea salt (optional) and throw on the grill for a few seconds to warm. Top each pita with yogurt sauce, romaine, lamb, feta, olives, and onion.

This recipe is simple and looks delicious... It would be perfect on a warm spring or summer day and could be a great substitute for the traditional grilled summer burger. If your lemon is extra firm - roll it on the counter or stick it in the microwave for a few seconds to help release the juices.

Here's to spending warm spring afternoons outdoors and full bellies.

- Cait

Spotting Breakfast - Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

2009-04-07T09:15:00.002-04:00

The second edition to my "Spotting Breakfast" posts from TasteSpotting.

I came across foodisluv's banana sour cream pancakes and was "wowed." Whenever I think of banana pancakes I think of Jack Johnson and Curious George. I've only ever had banana pancakes once in my life before... I don't remember those pancakes at all, but I think these would be memorable. The sour cream would be a nice balance to the sweetness of the banana and maple syrup. Check out the foodisluv blog!

Photo from foodisluv

banana sour cream pancakes
via foodisluv
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten
*her recipe says it makes 12 pancakes but i only got 10
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (i used 1 teaspoon table salt)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest (i made w/o since i didn't have any lemons)
unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
maple syrup

in a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. in another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, mixing only until combined.

melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. use a 1/4 cup measure to drop the pancake batter into the pan. distribute diced bananas on each pancake.

cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles appear on the top and the underside is nicely browned. flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two, until browned.

wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. pancakes will stay warm in a preheated 200 degree oven for 15 to 20 miutes.

serve with butter, sliced bananas and maple syrup.

If you're planning on making pancakes, do yourself a favor and buy REAL maple syrup. Most commercially packaged maple syrup is actually flavored corn syrup... This recipe would be a great way to use up bananas that are about to go bad - as an alternative to making banana bread!

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.

- Cait

A Memory - Matt's Red Rooster Grill

2009-04-06T20:30:00.000-04:00

My birthday is coming up - April, 17th. My dad takes me out to dinner every year, and lately it's been to rather nice restaurants. Last year he took me to a place called Matt's Red Rooster Grill. The food was amazing and the building is great... It made for a great birthday dinner.

From the restaurant's website...
"One of the most exciting culinary properties to hit Flemington, NJ Domiciled in a venerable Victorian building and lovingly restored.
Matt's Red Rooster Grill Restaurant is comprised of two floors that are tastefully adorned.
The first floor contains a bustling open kitchen with grill, and the second floor has a more serene setting."

I remember what I had for dinner that night, even though it's nearly a year later. The meal started with wine my dad brought along - I don't remember what it was, but I enjoyed it. My meal started with a trio of soups - creamy tomato, chicken tortilla, and a surprisingly delicious green lentil soup. Then I had a grilled duck breast cooked medium rare accompanied by peppery arugula and a honey balsamic dressing. My entree was lamb (I'm pretty sure it was a Colorado Rack of Lamb) and I chose a black truffle butter to go with it. Oh my was it great. I love lamb, and it's such a treat for me since I don't eat it very often - maybe only once or twice a year. The meal was topped with such a wonderful surprising treat... I shared fried banana cheesecake with my family. The waiter even put a birthday candle in it for me.

I hope I get to go back to Matt's Red Rooster Grill this year...

If you'd like to check it out (which you should if you're anywhere near Flemington, New Jersey) here's the information you need.

Matt's Red Rooster Grill
http://www.mattsredroostergrill.com/
22 Bloomfield Avenue,
Flemington, NJ 08822
908-788-7050
OPEN-
Tuesday-Friday: 5:30pm-close
Saturday: 5:00pm-close
Sunday: 5:00pm-8pm

Here's to spending birthdays in great places with great people.

- Cait

Spotting Dinner - Seared Scallops with Grilled Onion

2009-04-06T18:00:00.003-04:00

So far I've taken you on a lovely little bit of food heaven today... A filling egg and bacon breakfast tart, a warming bean and ham stew... I went TasteSpotting again to find something for dinner. I love sea scallops and when I found brooklynfarmhouse's seared scallops with grilled sweet onion I knew that would have to be it! The recipe is for two servings of three scallops each, so for a dinner sized portion you'd probably want to double the recipe itself. The scallops served with a nice salad and some fresh baked bread or rolls would make for a nice rounded meal.

Photo from Brooklyn Farmhouse

Seared Scallops with Grilled Sweet Onion, Red Pepper Coulis, and Arugula Flowers
via Brooklyn Farmhouse

Ingredients:

For the red pepper coulis:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, chopped roughly into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt
Cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of your knife
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)
Lemon juice (optional)

For the grilled sweet onion:

1 large sweet white onion (such as Vidalia, Maui, or other sweet variety), sliced into 3/4-inch thick rounds
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the seared scallops:

1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
6 medium sea scallops, adductor muscles removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the garnish:

1/4 cup microgreens
Handful of arugula flowers or other small, edible flower

Special Equipment: Food processor, grill pan

Procedure:

For the red pepper coulis:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. Add the bell pepper, a generous pinch of salt, and a tiny pinch of cayenne. Sweat the pepper (cook without browning) for 3-4 minutes, or until the pepper is slightly soft. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. (Turn down the heat if the pepper or garlic starts to even remotely brown.)
Add the water and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and cook until the pepper pieces are soft and most of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Carefully add the contents of the pot to the food processor and process until smooth. Add the heavy cream and pulse to evenly distribute.
Taste and season with additional salt and a few drops of lemon juice, if necessary.
For a very smooth coulis, force the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids.
Keep the red pepper coulis warm.

For the grilled sweet onion:

Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
Heat your grill pan (or grill, if you should be so lucky) over high heat.
Season the onion slices generously with salt and pepper. Oil them lightly with the olive oil.
Grill the onions over high heat until grill marks form and the onions have softened, 5-6 minutes per side. Taking care to keep all of the rings intact (you want a solid bed for your scallops), transfer the onion slices to a small baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

For the seared scallops:

Generously season the scallops with salt and freshly ground pepper.
In a medium, heavy saute pan, heat the oil over high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
Add the scallops. Sear (without moving) on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes per side (this will depend on how large your scallops are). Flip the scallops and cook on the second side for another minute.
Remove from heat to a warm plate. Tent with foil to keep warm.

To serve:

Place a warm grilled onion slice on a small plate. Spoon the red pepper coulis around the onion slice (or transfer the coulis to a squeeze bottle and decoratively squeeze the coulis around the onion slice).
Top the onion slice with 3 seared scallops. Top the scallops with a handful of microgreens. Scatter arugula flowers on top of the microgreens.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Serves 2.

I'm going to have to make this recipe... It's beautiful and seems like it would taste amazing. Or perhaps since my birthday is coming up, someone could perhaps give cooking this for me a try.

Here's to making someone happy and making sure they have a full belly.

- Cait

Spotting Lunch - Cannellini Bean and Ham Stew

2009-04-06T12:00:00.005-04:00

After a filling "breakfast" I thought I'd like to find a lunch idea that would be filling, but not overly so. I thought of soup of some sort would be a great idea and after looking on TasteSpotting for a bit I came across a bean and ham stew. With Easter coming up it would be a perfect way to use up leftover Easter ham! Depending on the serving size, it would easily be a wonderful lunch OR dinner. The stew was posted on TasteSpot ting by recessionipes.

Photo from recessionipes

Quick Cannellini Bean & Ham Stew

via recessionipes.com

Adapted from Gourmet, January 2007
Makes 6 servings
Total Price: NY $17.50
Price Per Serving: NY $2.91

Ingredients

4 large garlic cloves, chopped (NY $0.48 for 1 bulb)
1 large onion, chopped (NY $0.86)
2.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (staple)
1 14.5oz. can stewed tomatoes, coarsely cut* (NY $1.59)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (NY $1.29)
2 19 oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (NY $2.98)
1 1/2-lb piece baked ham (sliced 3/4 inch thick), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (NY $5.51)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (staple)
10 oz spinach (roughly torn) (NY $2.50)
1 demi baguette, sliced (NY $2.29)
Grated Parmesan cheese (staple)

Directions

In a large pot, sauté the chopped garlic and onion in 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high heat until the onions turn golden (approx. 3-5 minutes).

Add the can of cut stewed tomatoes and juice to pot and stir.

When the juice starts to simmer, add the beans, ham and black pepper.

Add the chicken broth, stir and bring to a boil.

When the broth starts to boil, reduce the heat until it settles at a simmer.

When the soup is simmering, pile the spinach on top of the pot to steam the spinach. As the spinach starts to wilt, stir it into the soup and turn off the heat.

Serve immediately, garnished with toasts.

While stew is simmering, preheat broiler or set your toaster over to broil.

To Prepare Toasts:
Put bread on a baking sheet or toaster over tray covered with foil, and lightly brush each side with 1/2 tablespoon oil total. Broil until light gold, approx 1 minute.

Flip toast, sprinkle with parmesan cheese to taste, and broil again for approx 1 minute longer.

With all the April showers we've been having in Bucks County, this stew would be a little bit of sunshine...

Here's to strong umbrellas and full bellies.

- Cait

Spotting Breakfast - Bacon and Egg Breakfast Tart

2009-04-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

After poking around on TasteSpotting.com I found a wonderful breakfast tart... I actually saw the recipe before in an old Williams-Sonoma catalog (I believe) and wanted to make it, but never did. Well, I'm newly inspired! The photograph was posted by YUMSUGAR, and I'm happy I found it. I'm going to be making this sometime soon, maybe even this upcoming weekend. You can find the post by YUMSUGAR - here.

I'm including the recipe...

Photo from YUMSUGAR

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Tart
From Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water
3 oz. crème fraîche
2 oz. shredded Gruyère cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
3 eggs
10 fresh chives, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch lengths

Directions

Thaw the puff pastry dough according to the package instructions.
Preheat an oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
On lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife, score a border 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry. Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the crème fraîche mixture on the pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top, slightly overlapping the slices. Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the tart to a platter, garnish with the chives and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

You could easily take this recipe idea and add other ingredients you truely enjoy... Tomatoes, spinach, asiago cheese and eggs could make a sort of florentine version. Or perhaps some garlic chicken sausage instead of bacon. Hmmm...

Here's to starting the day with a full belly.

- Cait

Plate Planning

2009-04-04T16:17:00.007-04:00

My friend Patty likes to blog... and it turns out that she wrote a little bit about me. Her blog is called Colored Sprinkles and the bit about me can be found in her newest post. Patty lives in New York... In Oyster Bay to be exact and works in Soho. So, if you're in the Long Island area, her blog is worth a read. She writes about things she's up to, so you can learn about some different things to do and places to go.

I started working on a list of things I want to post about like "sherbet vs. sorbet', possibly "breakfast, lunch, and dinner" posts utilizing TasteSpotting (a great cooking inspiration), along with posts about what I'm cooking/have cooked, restaurants, and a bunch of other things. It's going to take hours to edit all of the food photographs I have and I want to go out on a nice day to take some pictures of the towns I love eating in around here. I also want to get some of the local farms and farm shops and farmers markets. There's a big farmers market that happens in Doylestown every week, and one in New Hope. I'm not sure if they are still going on now since the weather isn't great and spring is just rolling in - or if they are year round rain or shine kind of things. I need to do some research about that.

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.

- Cait

Annie's Oreo Cupcakes

2009-04-03T18:05:00.012-04:00

I was checking out new posts on TasteSpotting.com and fell in love with these darling Oreo Cupcakes. The post was made by a woman named Tracy who apparently keeps a food blog, Tracy's Culinary Adventures.

Photo from Tracy's Culinary Adventures

It turns out that she didn't make the recipe but found it from yet another food blogger named Annie. Annie's blog is called Annie's Eats and she includes recipes along with her photographs... Her food photographs are really great and, the food itself looks awesome. If you also love these cupcakes - here's the recipe!

Oreo Cupcakes
from Annie's Eats

Cupcakes
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Whipped Cream Frosting
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons Oreo cookie crumbs

Garnish
24 Oreo cookie halves

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the brown sugar and continue beating until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, being careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter between the prepared cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until the whipped cream holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in the cookie crumbs with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag and pipe frosting decoratively on top of the cupcakes. Garnish with Oreo cookie halves.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Now all I need to do is find an occasion where chocolate cupcakes would be appreciated... Any ideas? Twenty-four cupcakes is a lot of cupcakes to make just because, especially if you're the only person that can eat chocolate in your house... Hmmm.

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.

- Cait

Taste Spotting

2009-04-02T21:21:00.007-04:00

Okay, I wasn't planning on posting again so soon - but a friend of mine pointed me in the direction of a rather fun website. It's called TasteSpotting.com - It's a collection of photographs having to do with food. Anyone can post to it, all you have to do is register and follow their submission guidelines.

Here's a screenshot of the page I got when I went to the site...

There's a category page so you can check out pictures depending on what you're looking for - like drinks, restaurants, or people with food items, etc.

Here's a screenshot of the category page...

I found the website interesting and the photographs are pretty great. Go and check it out! Maybe you even have photographs that you could add to it...

Here's to busy shutters and full memory cards.

- Cait

Tea Drinker

2009-04-02T17:31:00.006-04:00

I love drinking tea... I like to enjoy it hot and I also like to enjoy it super cold and poured over ice. It's even good when mixed with lemonade - an Arnold Palmer (half iced tea and half lemonade). I like my tea strong whether it's hot or cold. I usually go for a strong black tea, sometimes a mint tea, and in the summer a tea with peach and ginger or mango can be refreshing.

The tea I've currently been drinking often is Tazo's "Awake" tea. I love the design of the wrapper the tea bag comes in. I like the tea steaming hot and sweetened with some clover honey.

What's your favorite tea?

Besides the actual tea, I love tea cups, mugs, and tea pots. There are a bunch of really amazing ceramic artists on Etsy that make all of those items. One artist in particular, Natalya Sots, makes some of the greatest tea pots I've ever seen. They are colorful, playful, and just plain fun. Any of her pieces would be a lively addition and conversation piece to any occasion where tea and/or coffee is served - but imagine an Alice in Wonderland mad-hatter themed "tea party" of sorts. What fun would that be outside in a garden or on a patio on a nice spring day?

Above is a photograph of Natalya Sots's
"Teapot with red polkadots"
(which I'd be insanely happy to own...)

Here's to hot cups and warmed souls.

- Cait

Grab a Knife and Fork

2009-04-02T05:12:00.004-04:00

Pull up a chair and enjoy my plate...

I've been working on the idea of a food blog for awhile now... The thought sprang into my mind one night, I'm not sure what exactly brought it on - but I knew it would be a fun idea. I love to cook and share the things that I make with others. I also love the restaurants around Bucks County and I'm always up for trying a new one. There's also an abundance of fresh produce from local farmers markets, farm stands, farm co-ops, and pick your own in the area.

I plan on posting daily (or close to daily) about the meals I've made (perhaps even just made that day), about some of my favorite cooking shows on Food Network, cookbooks I love and use often, cookbooks I'm looking forward to getting, kitchen tools/gadgets, restaurants I've recently visited, and any food adventures that happen to pop up (like apple picking, the Strawberry Festival in Peddlers Village, berry picking, etc). I've been wanting to plan days to post things like cookbook and restaurant reviews - but I haven't really settled on which day I'd like to do that...

I was going to start this blogging journey on a Sunday or Monday - but after messing with Photoshop CS4 and creating a header for the blog I had to post something. I was pretty happy with the result and excited to start sharing. I have a lot of pictures to edit and organize and I need to try and find links to some of my favorite restaurants. I also might head out with my camera and photograph some of the restaurant locations because some of the places are in amazing spaces.

Here's to warm ovens and full bellies.

- Cait