Bawlmerese for Enjoy Your Meal
This weekend has me convinced that I left my cooking mojo somewhere along the stretch of Interstate 95 between Maryland and Florida. Because it sure as hell is not with me in my kitchen. Why would I say such a thing? Because I managed to break not one, but two recipes in less than three hours. Here’s how I did it: Continue reading “How To Break A Recipe”
That would be Breakfast For Dinner y’all. Although I have been known to invoke its other meaning as well. My love of breakfast for dinner is hampered by my breakfast for breakfast rut. How can I possibly tell The Mistah that I’m sick of eggs in the morning and then go through nearly half a dozen for dinner? Does it make a difference that using eggs for French Toast is completely different than frying, poaching, or scrambling them? I’m not sure how well I can sell that argument but I don’t know that I’ll have to based on The Mistah’s reaction after he sampled this BFD. Continue reading “BFD”
Butter. Rosemary. Butter. Sea Salt. Butter. How could that be anything but delicious?
Ree’s Buttered Rolls
The Pioneer Woman
BAH Note: It took me a while but I finally found Rhodes frozen, uncooked rolls at Harris Teeter. If you’re like me and forget that these need to sit at room temperature to rise for a few hours, follow one of the quick rise methods on the bag and you’ll be fine.
Spray a 9 inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the frozen rolls in the pan, leaving room for them to rise. Cover the pan with a tea towel and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
Once the rolls have risen, heat the oven to 350 degrees and brush rolls with one third of the melted butter. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary over the rolls. Brush another third of the butter on the rolls and sprinkle them with sea salt.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush remaining butter over the hot rolls.
The following originally appeared on 12/22/07 at Exit 51.
New Year Soundtrack
I’ll share mine if you’ll share yours….and if my guests and I can’t find something to tap our feet to in any of this then shame on us.
Wouldn’t Be So Bad – Alison Krauss & Union Station
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Barenaked Ladies
Life Goes to a Party – Benny Goodman
But Not for Me – Benny Goodman
Mr. Heat Miser – Big Bad Voodoo DaddyI’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm – Billie Holiday
California Stars – Billy Bragg & Wilco
Hawaiian Christmas Song – Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
The Nutcracker Suite – The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives
Minnie the Moocher – C.C. Productions
Take the ‘A’ Train – Cab Calloway
Grace Is Gone – Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Live At Radio City
Someday We’ll Be Together – Diana Ross & The Supremes
White Christmas – The Drifters
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt & Henri René
Santa Claus is Back in Town – Elvis Presley
Some Enchanted Evening – Frank Sinatra
The Christmas Waltz – Frank Sinatra
I’ll Be Seeing You – Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra
Christmas Cookies – George Strait
Joy – George Winston
In the Mood – Glenn Miller
Song For a Winter Night – Gordon Lightfoot
Christmas Dreaming – Harry Connick Jr.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Johnny Cash
Tell Me ‘Bout It – Joss Stone
O Holy Night – The Judds
Christmas Island -Leon Redbone
Baby It’s Cold Outside – Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel
Sentimental Journey – Les Brown & His Orchestra
I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm, Jing-A-Ling – Les Brown
Roll On – The Little Willies
Cool Yule – Louis Armstrong & The Commanders
Changes – Mocean Worker featuring Herb Alpert
Brown Liquor – Mocean Worker featuring Marcus Miller
I Got You – Mocean Worker featuring Morley
Shake Ya Boogie – Mocean Worker featuring Steven Bernstein
How Long Has This Been Going On? – Peggy Lee
Somebody Else Is Taking My Place – Peggy Lee & Benny Goodman
History Repeating – Propellerheads & Shirley Bassey
What’d I Say, Pts. 1 & 2 – Ray Charles
My Ever Changing Moods – The Style Council
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – U2
St. Louis Blues (Take 1) – Various Artists
Stompin’ at the Savoy – Various Artists
Stardust – Various Artists & Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett
Feel free to add any of these to your party playlist with my best regards. And on that note, I will wish you all a happy holiday and a wonderful new year. See you in ‘08!
I’m particular about how I like my vinaigrette. I prefer it to be more vinegar and less oil. Whenever I watch Ina or Giada or Anne whip up a quick vinaigrette, I cringe a little at the ratio of oil to vinegar. Actually, I cringe a lot. Because when I follow their recipes, I end up with an oily, bland mess. So I’ve decided that when it comes to vinaigrette, we will agree to disagree. I will use as much vinegar as I like to get a strong, flavorful dressing, and I won’t ask them to eat any of it. Which is too bad for them because my Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette makes for some seriously well dressed salad.
Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Adapted from Rachel Ray
Place peppers, vinegar, and honey in the work bowl of a food processor. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube. Process until the dressing is smooth. Add salt and taste for seasoning. Add additional balsamic vinegar and honey to taste.
Tracy at Amuse Bouche for Two introduced The Mistah and I to these Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies. I think you ought to make their acquaintance as well. The Mistah said, “I’ve had peanut butter cookies before and these are GOOD. Rich, but not too rich. That’s it. I’m a man of few words.” Yeah, especially when he’s got a cookie in his mouth. Thirty minutes, a short list of ingredients, and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Heat oven to 350 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment.
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until completely combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop, place six, 1 tablespoon portions of dough, spaced approximately 2 inches apart, on a prepared pan. Use a fork to press each portion of dough down into a round.
Bake for approximately 12 minutes until the cookies puff slightly, the bottom and edges are set but the center is still soft to the touch. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
I haven’t yet retaken the Cook Wise Raised Waffle Quiz. Truth is, I may never retake it. Because as much as I would like to tame that yeasty beasty, there are plenty of other recipes out there to fill my plate with waffle love. One of the first waffle recipes I ever tried had the audacity to call itself the Waffle of Insane Greatness. Humble much?
The recipe came with the following disclaimer in the fine print, “this recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representations as to the results.” Hey Food Network, if you post a recipe on your website it’s pretty safe to assume that a majority of people will figure that you have tested the recipe and that you are endorsing the results. Since when do recipes come with fine print, disclaimers, and limits of liability? It’s not an insurance policy or lease agreement, it’s a waffle. The question is, is it truly a Waffle of Insane Greatness?
You’ll have to judge for yourself. The fact that I currently have a double batch of these in the freezer should in no way influence your decision. BAH Fine Print: Who am I kidding? Of course I think you should try these waffles. I have tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and I do make representations as to the results. I represent that if you don’t think these are insanely good waffles, you should send them to my house. The Mistah and I will gladly accept them.
Waffle of Insane Greatness
Adapted from Aretha Frankensteins
BAH Note: The recipe posted at Food Network specifically said not to use any nonstick cooking spray on your waffle iron. With 1/3 of a cup of vegetable oil, you don’t have to worry about these waffles sticking.
Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the oil, milk or buttermilk, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, mix well, and let sit for 30 minutes.
Preheat your waffle. Cook the waffles according to your machine’s instructions and enjoy.
Dara Bunjon is the woman behind the Baltimore Dining Examiner and Dara Does It. She’s got her finger on the pulse of the food industry from PR to food styling to cooking instructions. This post originally appeared on the BDE. Many thanks to Dara for sharing…although I still don’t know what I would say to get the last brownie.
What Would You Say Or Do To Get The Last Brownie?
I don’t know why but my post have been a bit, not earth shattering thought provoking of late with Sandwiches cut diagonal or across – point and counter point, If you could choose just one cookbook and today’s question, What would you say or do to get the last brownie? I’m not sure what has sparked my introspective meanderings but alas they are here.
To answer the question proffered, I go back to the scene in the movie Notting Hill and think a group of friends around the table, and then I think about the friends. Recently I have been dining a lot with media folks so these are who I first pictured in my scenario and think no, they are very cognizant of their weight and would split the brownie equally or just manage one bite each.
Time to picture another group of friends and these friends are ones who are indulgent when it comes to food. I would have to be clever, manipulative and sharp – traits not high on my skill level but let’s give it a go. I will blame it on my dear mother, may she rest in peace, who would bribe me as a child with $10 if I could gain 10 pounds in a year. That this brownie will bring me to the 10 pound mark for the year and with my ten spot I would make them my delicious five spice brownies for the next gathering. Option 2: As a child being vertically challenged I always had difficulty reaching the counter top to get the cookies and brownies and my arms weren’t long enough to reach them on the table – I was deprived as a child. Hell, I’m just not that clever. Why don’t you have a go at it! ( Related Story: Memories from my yout )
Five Spice Brownies
BAH Note: These are some powerful brownies. I made them to thank our neighbors who had come to our rescue with candles and dry ice during a power outage. Of course, having to test them for quality control, the first batch never made it out of the house. So a second box of Ghiradelli brownie mix was picked up at the store and transformed with a bit of orange zest and five spice powder. It just so happened to be a snowy Saturday when batch number two finally made it next door. And would you believe that when The Mistah and I went outside to shovel, the neighbors had already cleared the sidewalk in front of our house. Now, I can’t guarantee that these brownies will have the same power with your neighbors, but it can’t hurt to try. As Dara said when I related my neighborly story to her, “Simple is good at times.” I couldn’t agree more.
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and follow the box directions.
The following originally appeared on 12/16/07 at Exit 51
You Don’t Say
My 85 year old grandmother caught me off guard this morning. As I was dropping the ladies off at church she said, “My week goes better when I get my God on.”
You go grandma!
Pies, y’all. Wannabe Whoppie Pies. But that’s not what I started out to make. Nope, not in the least. I set out to make a Retro Recipe for Vanilla Wafers. I’ll admit that maybe my attention was spread a little too thin. I had orange chicken going in the kitchen, was stumbling my way through a sewing project in the dining room, and really wasn’t paying attention to Vanilla Wafers. I creamed the butter with half of the sugar called for and didn’t realize it until all the eggs and half the flour and milk had already been added. I then spent a good five minutes trying to figure out which would be a worse way to break the recipe – by having not enough sugar or by adding more sugar too late in the process. I decided to gamble and see what would happen if I added the rest of the sugar along with the flour. To say that what I pulled out of the oven was not what I was expecting would be an understatement. Continue reading “Wannabe Making Whoopie”
Bon Appetit Hon by Wendi Mosteiko is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Bon Appetit Hon 