Spork or Foon?

How to Get Perfect Scrambled Eggs

  
I love eggs. Love, love, love. I typically eat egg whites for breakfast every morning. I am always trying to find ways to get the perfect scrambled egg.  A while back, I read in a magazine (Saveur, I believe) that diners will sometimes use blenders to blend eggs in order to really aerate them, resulting in a light and fluffy egg.  

I often use this trick and always get fantastic results.  I have read much on this subject (I know, I need a life), and I find Saveur's tips and tricks extremely helpful. The trick is to keep the stove on medium-low to low heat and let the eggs cook slowly in order to ensure the perfect texture. I love the addition of the soft, sweet onion flavor of chives and to finish out my eggs, I will add up to a tablespoon of cream cheese towards the end of cooking to heighten the creamy texture (and you cannot taste the cream cheese at all) of the egg without it being runny.  If you'd like, you can use heavy cream or milk instead. 

I did this tutorial with whole eggs, but it works beautifully with egg whites as well, which is what I always use. 

PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. 

Mix 3 eggs in a blender until the eggs have increased in volume. 

 Pour eggs pan and let set until they just stick in the bottom of the pan, about 20-30 seconds. 

Break up the eggs into curds with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

 
 Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are almost set but still runny (3-4 minutes) and remove from heat.

 
Add cream cheese (or milk or cream) and stir until melted and incorporated into the eggs and eggs have finished cooking, about 1 minute.

Add chives and season with salt and pepper. 

 
 Serve immediately. 

 
 

PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS

1 tablespoon butter
3 eggs
2 teaspoons chives
2 teaspoons cream cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat in a nonstick skillet.

Add eggs to blender and blend until eggs are pale and increased in volume, 30 seconds.

Add eggs to skillet. Let eggs sit until just set, about 30 seconds. 

Cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are almost set but still runny (3-4 minutes) and remove from heat.

Add cream cheese (or milk or cream) and stir until melted and incorporated into the eggs and eggs have finished cooking, about 1 minute.

Add chives and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

 

Lamb and Eggplant Shepherd's Pie

  

I am always drawn to dishes that are a bit different. "Out of the norm" some may say. "Weird." say others. 

Jack and I are actually both similar in that department.  If we are at a restaurant with dishes like sweetbreads, veal cheek, or stuffed pig's feet, you can be sure we'll order it. Once, I ordered bone marrow at a restaurant and a fellow dining guest asked, "Why would you order that?"

"Hello!" I exclaimed, as if that was the dumbest question in the world. "Because it's delicious!"  And then I shoved a piece of bread covered with the fatty, brain matter-resembling marrow in her face.  

Needless to say, she was not pleased.  

Now, this dish is not that far out there, but it is different, so when I saw it on the cover of Bon Appetit last year, I always wanted to make it.  And this past week, I finally did. 

Let me tell you this. This takes all day to make.  All. Day. Each ingredient is separately sauteed in the same pan almost as if each ingredient is a building block of flavor in the walls of the pan. First, eggplant is tossed in salt and left to sit for an hour to draw out all of them moisture, then sauteed until tender. Next, lamb shank is tossed in a bit of flour and sauteed in the same pan (sans the eggplant). The lamb is then set aside and onions are sauteed until tender.  Afterwards, the pan is deglazed with white wine before the diced tomatoes, garlic, beef broth and oregano are added.  The lamb is then added back into the pan and slowly cooked for an hour.  Next, the eggplant is added back into the pan and the flavors are allowed to marry and the broth thickened for another 45 minutes.

Like I said. All. Day.

The mixture is then put into a baking dish (the recipe calls for a 9x13" dish, but I used an 8x8" dish) and topped with delicious mashed potatoes (and I will forever use this for my mashed potato recipe. Love.) and baked for an additional 45 minutes. 

The resulting dish is a wonderful marriage of of sweet, tender eggplant, deliciously moist lamb, a deliciously fresh tomato broth and creamy mashed potatoes.  This dish is GOOD.  Really, really good. And I don't think anyone would be scared of these ingredients.  If you have all day, please, please make this. 

It's always good to get out of our comfort zones. With or without stuffed pig's feet.

Lamb and eggplant shepherd's pie - adapted from bon appetit

FILLING

• 1 1-1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
• Coarse kosher salt
• 7 tablespoons (or more) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds well-trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• All purpose flour
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 3 cups beef broth (preferably organic)
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

TOPPING

• 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp  whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated sheep's milk cheese (5 to 6 ounces)

PREPARATION

FILLING

• Scatter eggplant on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; let stand 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Rinse eggplant and pat very dry.

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.

• Sprinkle lamb generously with coarse salt and pepper, then dust with flour to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add half of lamb. Sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil and remaining lamb.

• Add 1 additional tablespoon oil to same pot, if needed. Add onions. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until very tender, about 10 minutes (bottom of pot will be very dark). Add wine to pot. Increase heat and boil until wine evaporates, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, garlic, and oregano and bring to boil. Add lamb with any accumulated juices. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and continue to simmer until lamb is very tender and gravy thickens slightly, about 45 minutes. Stir in eggplant. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. (I used an 8x8" baking dish)

TOPPING

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes.

• Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add milk and bring to simmer.

• Drain potatoes. Return to pot. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates. Add milk mixture and mash potatoes until just smooth. Stir in cheese. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Drop potatoes over filling by heaping tablespoonfuls, covering completely.

• Bake pie until filling is heated through and topping is golden, about 45 minutes.

 

TWD: Cocoa-Nana Brownies

 
 

It's the first time in a very long time where I've played around with one of Dorie's recipes, which must mean I'm feeling back to my old self again after a crazy few months.  

I woke up this morning (hi, I'm Slacker, nice to meet you) and the first thing I thought was: Cocoa-Nana Brownies.  

Ah, the mind of a food blogger. 

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of brownies.  My father is a huge fan of boxed-mix brownies, and the smell of those chemical-laden brownies wafting through the air always slightly wanted to make me vomit. But I truly believed the only way to make brownies was to pour a mystery mix into a bowl, add eggs or oil or something, mix and bake.  And try to hold dinner down. 

Years later, when I finally learned that I need not be a slave to Duncan Hines, I tried to make my father "cakey" brownies from scratch.  Even though brownies are not my favorite treat, I was extremely pleased with how these brownies turned out.  I proudly presented one to my dad.

He took a bite and silently chewed.

"Well?"  I asked in anticipation. "How are they?"

He nodded.  

"What does that mean?" I asked, getting impatient. "Do you like them?"

He looked at me with the eyes of a five-year old kid.  "I like box brownies." he said, innocently.

I threw up my hands in frustration. "You're gross!  That makes me want to puke!"

Now who is the five-year old kid?

But I do believe that I would win over that box-mix fan with these Cocoa-nana brownies. I combined Dorie's Cocoa-Nana bread recipe with King Arthur Flour's brownie recipe. The result is an incredibly light, sky-high cake brownie studded with chocolate chunks that is incredibly moist with a slight tang from the buttermilk, a far-away, deep caramel flavor from the brown sugar and a hint of banana and topped with a smooth chocolate ganache. These brownies definitely don't make me want to puke. 

Yummy.

Check out Steph of Obsessed with Baking's website for the recipe for her extremely popular choice (the actual Cocoa-Nana Bread) and check out the rest of TWD for some more Cocoa-Nana Bread! No puking! 

Cocoa-Nana Brownies adapted from Dorie Greenspan: Baking from My Home to Yours and King Arthur Flour

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups Dutch Process cocoa

1 tablespoon vanilla

5 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour

2 medium, very ripe banans
1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly great a 9 x 13 pan. Set aside. 

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add in cocoa. Beat in vanilla, then beat in eggs, one by one. Beat in baking powder and salt (making sure baking powder is dissolved), then add in buttermilk. When smooth, lower speed to low and add flour and stir just until blended. Add chocolate chips if using.

Pour into pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Let cool. Frost brownies when cool.

Chocolate Ganache 

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter

Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the butter and cream over medium heat, stirring constantly. When mixture is almost boiling, pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 30 seconds. Then, stir until smooth.

Pour ganache over cooled brownies and spread evenly.

Allow ganache to firm before cutting brownies. Brownies may be placed in refrigerator to expedite this.

Meatloaf Sandwich: Baby Arugula and Russian Dressing on Whole Grain Bread

 

In my previous food experiences, if there was anything that was less appealing than meatloaf, it was leftover meatloaf.  And few things were less appealing than meatloaf except for, say, broccoli covered in Velveeta cheese.  

I shudder at the memories. 

However, since I have finally found a phenomenal meatloaf recipe that has forever changed my opinion of meatloaf, I wasn't afraid to change it up a little with the leftovers.  I had seen several recipes for meatloaf sandwiches recently.  I never imagined eating meatloaf in a sandwich before, but then again, I could never imagine eating meatloaf willingly, so the sandwich thing wasn't far off.

This sandwich, which tops the leftover meatloaf with Russian dressing (or, actually the shortcut Russian dressing:  4:1 ratio of mayonnaise and ketchup) and arugula.  The meat, which was still deliciously moist and even more flavorful the next day really  worked well when paired with the creamy dressing and peppery and fresh arugula. 

As I sit here and write this, I wonder where that picky little child in me went.  Me, a meatloaf lover?

Oh, how I've changed. 

Meatloaf Sandwich adapted from Epicurious

• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon ketchup
• 2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
• 2 slices

meatloaf, about 1/2-inch thick

1/4 cup baby arugula leaves

Stir together the mayo and ketchup in a small bowl. Spread on one side of each slice of bread. Lay the meat loaf over one slice and top with the arugula leaves. Cover with the remaining slice of bread, mayo-side down. 
 

The World's Fluffiest Pancake Recipe

 
Pancakes are probably my second favorite breakfast food that I never eat, right up there behind French Toast. I love them.  I love their soft, doughy middles covered in sweet syrup.  But I only eat them once in a blue moon, due to the amount of calories and carbs behind all of their delicious goodness.  

When I do allow myself a pancake or two, I always make this recipe which was in Saveur Magazine's breakfast issue a few years back. This recipe promised to be light and fluffy pancakes and employs two unusual ingredients:  yogurt and seltzer water. I had to try it.

The result is a pancake that is so high and light, it is almost like a chiffon cake.  But be careful.  If you work with a heavy hand, these will be dense and hard to cook through.  And we don't want that, now, do we? Not when you're about to eat all of those delicious, fluffy, syrupy calories.

Syrupy calories... mmmm.....

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

Combine 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.

  

Combine 1 cup yogurt with 2 teaspoons baking powder.

 

Let rest for 10 minutes until it looks like this:
 

Combine dry ingredients with yogurt mixture.
 

Add 2 lightly beaten eggs and 1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda.

Let rest for ten minutes.

 

Spoon two 1/4-cup portions batter into a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Press a handful of blueberries into the batter and then flip! 
 

Mmm... pancakes.
 

Mmmm... fluffy pancakes...
 

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes adapted from Saveur Magazine

2 cups flour
2 tsp. sugar
1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
1 cup yogurt
2 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 cup seltzer water or club soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more to taste
3 cups fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar
Maple syrup

Place a sieve over a large bowl and sift together the flour, sugar, and salt. In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt and baking soda; let sit for 10 minutes. Add the yogurt mixture, seltzer, and eggs to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp. butter in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in 6 batches, spoon 2 portions of batter (about 1⁄4 cup each) into skillet, gently spreading out each portion of batter with the bottom of a spoon or a measuring cup to make disks about 4 1⁄2" in diameter. Cook pancakes until bubbles begin to form around edges, about 2 minutes. Top each pancake with 1⁄4 cup blueberries, press down on them gently with a spoon, flip each pancake with a spatula, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, for "silver dollar" pancakes, spoon 1 heaping tbsp. batter into the skillet for each pancake and top with 1 tbsp. blueberries.) Transfer pancakes to a paper towel–lined baking sheet and cover with a towel to keep warm. Wipe out skillet and repeat process with remaining butter, batter, and blueberries to make 12 pancakes in all. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with butter and maple syrup.

 

The Best Meatloaf Ever. Even for Meatloaf Haters.

   
 
I hate meatloaf. Hate upon hate upon hate. When I think of meatloaf, I think of the dry, strange meatloaf from my youth (sorry, Mom).  Meatloaf is Public Enemy #2 in my kitchen, right there behind cilantro.

The sad thing is, Jack loves it.  We were out at a popular sandwich place in NY a few weeks back, and Jack was deciding between a chicken cutlet sandwich or a meatloaf sandwich. 

"Which should I get," he asked me, while staring up at the board. "Meatloaf or Chicken Cutlet?"

"MEATLOAF?!" I exclaimed. "That's disgusting. Chicken cutlet." The Italian in me would never let Jack pass up a chicken cutlet sandwich. Especially because I was getting a salad and I wanted a bite.

Jack looked at me incredulously. "I love meatloaf," he defended.  But as a good boyfriend, he got the chicken cutlet. 

Fast forward to a few weeks later.  I was in my kitchen, trying to decide what to make for dinner. I wanted to make something simple and delicious, and I was stumped.  I opened up some of my favorite recipe sites for some inspiration.  There, on the first page, was a large picture of meatloaf.  I clicked right past it, not even giving it a moments thought.  Then, I stopped myself from clicking any further. 

Let me try the meatloaf, I thought to myself. It'll make Jack's night.

The meatloaf is a delicious combination of pork, veal, and beef flavored by a sauteed mix of celery, carrots and onions, robust garlic, (or as we in the food world like to say, a mirepoix) Worcestershire sauce (I love saying that word), cider vinegar, spicy cloves, plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and parsley. Prunes and bacon are also listed in the recipe, but I left them out.  The last time I made Jack something with prunes in it he almost spit it out, and I forgot the bacon. 

I served it alongside mashed potatoes, but I did something along the way that made them go beyond mashed and turned them ultra-creamy and dense.  I almost threw out the mixture, but it was actually delicious. I have no idea what I did. I boiled the potatoes for an hour, peeled them, put them in my food processor (I like to do that to get very creamy mashed potatoes) and processed with some milk and salt. I must have processed way too long, but I loved the outcome. 

When it was time to serve dinner, Jack still had no idea what I was making. When I put down the plate above on the table, he almost jumped for joy. When he tasted it, he did jump for joy. Then I tasted the smallest piece, wondering if this was any good.

Not only was it good, it was delicious.  It was out of this world. And not, I wish I could throw this meatloaf into outer space out of this world. It was out of this world good. 

Maybe I'm a meatloaf convert? 

Maybe only with this meatloaf. 

The Best Meatloaf Ever adapted from Epicurious

• 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread)
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 pounds ground mix beef chuck, pork, and veal
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to bread-crumb mixture.

Finely chop bacon and prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.

Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatloaf registers 155°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

TWD: Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

 
 Wow. Let's talk about these bars for a minute, shall we (yes, I do understand that is the whole point of a food blog. To talk about what you've cooked.)?

These are a get-these-out-of-my-house-NOW type of dessert.  A simple oatmeal cookie layer studded with salted peanuts is topped with a combination of semi-sweet chocolate, condensed milk and butter, then finished off with more crumbled oatmeal cookies.

Raise your hand if you just gained 5 pounds reading that.

You may have gained weight from the description, the amount of fat or calories in this recipe, or the actual weight of these bars.  Because they are heavy. I was doing bicep curls with these as I tasted them and was sore the next day. 

In addition to that, these bars are very hard to cut through after chilling in the fridge.  I needed to put all of my upper arm strength (which on a scale of 1-10 ranks 0) into slicing up these goodies. If I had answered the OSI after making these, my super-hero power that I wished I had would have been: "The ability to cut through the Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars."

But in all honesty, I loved these.  I served them during the UNBELIEVABLY BORING NFL playoff games this past weekend and they were a huge hit.  I loved how the chewy bottom cookie layer gave way to the sweet, smooth chocolate layer that had a wonderful, soft texture (a result of the condensed milk?) and the crunchy top cookie layer. I left out the raisins (No chocolate and raisins for me.  No, no, no. NO.).

We need to thank Lillian of Confectiona's Realm for the fantastic pick this week. Check out her site for the recipe and check out the rest of the TWD bars! 

 
 

Donate to Haiti and a Haitian Sweet Potato Cake

 
 

We all know the effects of the earthquake that recently rocked Haiti. Hundreds of thousands of people are feared dead.  We've seen the heartbreaking, devastating photos of people trapped under rocks, former buildings reduced to piles of rubble, and lost souls wandering the streets completely stunned, with dried tears streaking the ashes on their faces.  Families have been displaced or torn to pieces. Some are still trapped alive in the rubble of the buildings.

The aftermath of this earthquake will no doubt be devastating for this impoverished nation. The CIA World Factbook shows states that Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the population living below the poverty line. The average salary stated to be $450 US per annum. Many wonder how the country of Haiti will recover from this calamitous event. 

Despite their troubles, Haitians are a proud people, full of life and spirit.  The country has a rich history, with African, French and Spanish cultures all playing a part in influencing Haitian culture, food and music. This post is an homage to their people. 

I wanted to try out this recipe to get a taste for the Haitian food culture.  This is a phenomenally delicious (really, I can't get over how good it is) and healthy recipe which is simply prepared. There are no crazy ingredients or techniques. Just a simple combination of sweet potatoes and bananas mixed with brown sugar, sweet evaporated and coconut milks and plenty of rich, deep spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix in a bowl and bake. Done. 

This is a simple dish that sings with flavor, much like the culture itself.  You will find the recipe below. Also, for anyone interested in donating, I have attached several links to various organizations assisting in the aid to Haiti. 

Please realize that any small donation will help.  Sometimes with all that we go through, and God knows that we all have gone through a lot in the past 18 months, it is important to remember how lucky we are. In times like this, we all must put our lives into perspective.  An extra $5 or $10 added to our cell phone bill is a small amount to contribute knowing that if we all donate, it will have an overwhelming effect.

Here are a few ways to help:

I just found this over at Blog Away Hunger.  If you are a blogger and want to donate your January ad revenue to help Haiti, visit http://blogawayhunger.com/help-haiti/ .  You can also visit Friends of the World Food Program to make a more direct donation. 

Text the word “ Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 
On behalf of the Yéle Foundation, the leading contributor to rebuilding Haiti founded by Wyclef Jean 

Text the word “ Haiti” to 85944 to donate $5 
On behalf of the Rescue Union Mission and MedCorp International

Text the word “ Haiti” to 25383 to donate $5 
On behalf of the Internal Rescue Committee

Text the word “ Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 
On behalf of the Red Cross in the U.S.

Text the word “ Haiti” to 45678 (In Canada Only) 
On behalf of the Salvation Army in Canada 

Check out the Google Crisis Response page, where you can donate directly to UNICEF or CARE, or visit the links for Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, UNICEF (1-800-4UNICEF), Direct Relief, Yele Haiti, Partners in Health, Red Cross, World Food Program, Mercy Corps (1-888-256-1900), Save the Children,Lambi Fund, Doctors Without Borders, The International Rescue Committee, Care, William J. Clinton Foundation, Meds & Food For Kids, Feed the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Mayor's Fund for NYC.

Haitian Sweet Potato Cake 

2 pounds sweet potato, peeled

1 large ripe banana, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cloves, crushed

Rind of 1 lemon, grated

1½ cups light coconut milk

3 teaspoons butter

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Grate sweet potatoes into mixing bowl. Mash banana into sweet potatoes. Add all the ingredients (except 1 tablespoon brown sugar), mixing in one ingredient at a time until each ingredient is fully blended into the mix.

Spread evenly into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over the top of the pudding.
 Bake for 1½ hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Serve warm or cold and keep leftovers refrigerated.

Brussels Sprouts and Smoky Onions Cheddar on Toast

 
 

OK. I know that title may not sound that appealing to most of you. I know many of us would not equate "brussels sprouts" with "delicious".

But it is time to make a change, my friends.  Brussels sprouts, when prepared well, can be sublime. And I love, love, love using recipes that only use the leaves of the brussels sprouts (less room for error).

These brussels sprouts are mixed with diced, smokey onions that have been sauteed with smoky paprika. 

Let me also stress how important it is to use a good paprika. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I once used a paprika I bought at...  ... ...  CVS.  For months. It was a dollar.

I was in a bind!  I needed paprika and I couldn't find a grocery store!  

Wow. I'm embarrassed.

Well. Needless to say, that paprika did not have much flavor.  I replaced it with a much better, much more expensive jar of paprika and my life has never been the same.

Back to my description. Where was I?  Ah, yes.  These brussels sprouts are mixed with diced, smokey onions that have been sauteed with smoky paprika. The slightly tender leaves still hold a little bit of their crispness and provide a pleasing texture. The mixture is then put atop a crisp toast that is covered in melted, sharp cheddar cheese. The result taste is complex and surprising and phenomenally good.  Jack and I couldn't get enough of these. I will definitely make this again and again...with real paprika.  

Never again will I buy my spices from CVS Pharmacy! 

Brussels Sprouts with Smoky Onions on Cheddar Toast adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

1 pound brussels sprouts, thinly sliced lengthwise

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika

4 slices of multi-grain bread, toasted

4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350F. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook brussels sprout leaves until they are just tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the paprika, cover and cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is just tender, about 10 minutes; add a little water if it dries out.

Add the brussels sprouts to the skillet and cook until tender throughout, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the toasts on a baking sheet, top with cheddar. Bake for 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted; mound the brussels sprouts and onions on top and serve. 

Dulce De Leche Cake with Caramel Buttercream

 
 

The other day, I posted a dangerous tres leches cake with dulce de leche.  Well, it must be dulce de leche week over at Spork or Foon? headquarters, because I now present to you, dear readers, a dulce de leche cake! HOLLA!

A friend was celebrating her birthday by having a dinner party at home with her friends (her boyfriend is a former chef) asked if I could help her boyfriend cook for her birthday and also make a cake.  She suggested a dulce de leche cake.  I smiled and said, "Sure!", all the while thinking in my head, "What is a dulce de leche cake?"  

At first, I thought it was a tres leches cake. Then she sent me a link with a photo and described the cake as a vanilla cake with dulce de leche filling in between the layers. She also suggested a confectioners' sugar frosting, which she says is common in Panama (where she is from). 

My mind was racing.  I spent days searching different dulce de leche recipes.  But finally I decided to make like Frank Sinatra and do it my way. 

Sorry.  Bad pop culture reference.

I wanted the best white cake recipe, so I went to my trusty companion, Cooks Illustrated (sorry, Google, you've been bumped this time).  But I wanted to make sure it was the best.  Luckily, I found this white cake comparison that pitted Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake vs. CI's Fluffy White Cake from The Way the Cookie Crumbles. I liked the height of CI's white cake, so decided to go for it. 

And the results were awesome. The cake was light, moist, and fluffy, and baked up with the smoothest top with very little "doming".

Chris Kimball, founder of Cooks Illustrated, you and your bowtie have done me right again. 

   

Doesn't he look proud of me?

I filled the cake with a deliciously sweet dulce de leche and wanted to do something a bit different for the icing.  I wanted a caramel buttercream. The first caramel buttercream recipe I found was a Paula Deen recipe.   I made it and thought, I should have known this would be SWEEEEEEET. I mean, SWEET. This from the woman who has taken a drink of melted butter.

A. drink. of. MELTED. BUTTER. 

Although the buttercream was sweet, it was delicious, so off I went with it. 

I was very happy with the final look of my cake, but Jack had to go and burst my bubble when I inserted the chocolate pieces.

"It looks like a stegosaurus."

Who asked you?!

When the cake was presented at the party, everyone oohed and aaahed and people loved it.  Most people didn't finish their slices, though, because dinner was a 3-hour, 4 course dinner.

Dessert always gets the shaft in that situation. 

I also think it was the buttercream.  As the night progressed, I actually wished I used a lighter frosting, like a whipped cream frosting on the cake to keep it lighter.  

Next time, I'll get you cake. And there will be a next time. 

Dulce de Leche Cake 

Combine milk, eggs, and extract in a 2-quart measuring cup. (I forgot to take a picture of this).

Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer on low speed. Add butter and mix until mixture contains coarse crumbs.

 

Add all but 1/2 cup milk into flour mixture.

 

And beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes (I actually used a timer on this... CI means business when they give you times and I didn't want Chris Kimball coming down to my kitchen and scolding me.

 

Add remaining milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Scrape sides of bowl and beat for another 20 seconds. 

 

 

Divide cake mixture evenly between cake pans and bake at 350 F for 23-25 minutes. 

 

How perfect does this cake look?

 

For the frosting: Melt 1/2 stick butter and add 1 cup packed dark brown sugar and 1/3 cup heavy cream. 

 

Cook until the sugar is dissolved.

Transfer to a heat proof bowl and slowly add up to 3 cups of powdered sugar stopping when your frosting has reached it's desired consistency. NOTE - this frosting dries very quickly.  Once you spread it on the cake, you must work quickly to smooth it out!  If the frosting dries, add a little milk or heavy cream to smoothen it out again. 

 

Choose your most level cake layer and place it bottom side up on a plate or turntable.

 

Place dulce de leche in a pastry bag with a large coupler tip and line the outside border of the cake with dulce de leche (for the dulce de leche filling, I lined this a little too close to the outside and it overflowed and streaked into my icing a bit... which I ended up liking the look of so it all worked out in the end).

 

Add more dulce de leche and fill in between the lines.

 

Repeat with remaining layers (I made a 3 layer cake).

Frost and decorate your cake (and don't listen to your boyfriend's quips about the cake looking like a stegosaurus.)

Dulce de Leche Cake with Caramel Buttercream

• Cake recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated (I also made a 3-layer cake, but this recipe is for a 2-layer cake.  To add the 3rd layer, increase ingredients by 1/2)
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus more for dusting the pans 
  1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 
  6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature 
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (12 1/4 ounces) 
  4 teaspoons baking powder 
  1 teaspoon table salt 
  12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
• Caramel Frosting
• Dulce De Leche (storebought or homemade)
• 
  
• Set oven rack in middle position. (If oven is too small to cook both layers on a single rack, set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions.) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and invert pans and rap sharply to remove excess flour. 
• 
  
• Pour milk, egg whites, and extract into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended. 
• Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining. 
• 
  
• Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer. 
• 
  
• Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart. (If oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.) Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. 
• 
  
• Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Layer cakes with dulce de leche, frost with caramel buttercream and decorate as you wish!