Tag: Exit 51

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Flashback Friday – Sugar And Spice

by Wendi5 Comments on Flashback Friday – Sugar And Spice

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 12/4/08 at Exit 51

Sugar and Spice

Sugar and spice…quick, what’s the first thing you think of?  Cinnamon sugar, perhaps?  There’s nothing wrong with cinnamon sugar but sometimes I think it’s more interesting to pair up flavors that don’t usually get to hang out together.  Like cayenne pepper and brown sugar.  And cumin.  And paprika.  And chipotle.

Sugar and Spice Collage

My favorite application of this combination is usually as a pork rub.  I pile it on good and thick and get a smoky sweet crust.  So when I was in search of a recipe to make for the holidays, I started with the flavors I wanted and worked my way backwards to find the medium.  I mean the pork is good and everything, but  I’m pretty sure a spice rubbed pork loin is not what someone wants to find when they open their gift box.

My selection criteria included quick, easy, and ships well.  A search on FoodNetwork.com got me to Emeril’s Spiced Nut recipe.  The first batch, I made exactly as the recipe directed.  And they were pretty bad.  I don’t know why, but the recipe called for butter…4 tablespoons of it.  Butter certainly has its place in my cooking but when I’m thinking candied anything, butter doesn’t come into play.  Instead of nuts evenly coated with a spicy sugar shell, they were greasy and the sugar was clumpy.  So I got to thinking, what if I cut out the butter entirely?  It couldn’t be any worse than the first batch that ended up in the trash.

I was pleased to find that eliminating the butter did the trick.  The nuts were smoky and spicy with a sweet candy shell.  Learn from my mistake and don’t add too much water to the pan.  If you do, the candy coating gets too sticky.

Now all I need to do is package them up and get them shipped out.  If you see a box in your mail with my return address, I can promise you that it’s not a spice rubbed pork loin.  But I think you’ll like this anyway.

Spiced Nuts

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

Notes:  Use more cayenne (up to 1 teaspoon) if you like things really spicy. I also added 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika and 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder.  Add 2 tablespoons of water at first and see how well your sugar melts.  If it’s still thick and clumped, add the third tablespoon.  Use your best nonstick frying pan and be sure to wash it out between batches.  Even a little bit of burned sugar will ruin an entire batch.  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 – 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Mix the spices, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.

In a large dry skillet, place the nuts and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Add the spices, sugar, water, and salt and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts, the sauce thickens, and the nuts are glazed, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet, separating them with a spatula. Let the nuts stand until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.

For another spin on the spiced nuts, check out this blog entry by Kim O’Donnel.

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – Nobody Bakes A Cake As Tasty

by Wendi1 Comment on Flashback Friday – Nobody Bakes A Cake As Tasty

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/28/08 at Exit 51.

Nobody Bakes A Cake As Tasty

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of pressure.  Expectations are high and people come to the table HUNGRY.  So when dishes don’t quite hit the mark, it can be disappointing.  I’ll give you an example.  Actually, I’ll give you three.

That Mushroom and Barley Pie that I snagged from Smitten Kitchen – everything about it said winner.  Simple flavors, minimal ingredients, and make ahead preparation; these are all good things in the kitchen.  When I pulled it from the oven, the puff pastry had risen to golden brown heights and the smell of mushrooms and bacon filled the kitchen.  At least it looked good.  The taste was not what I had hoped for.  The filling was dry and overwhelmed by the shiitake broth that I used to cook the barley.  Note to self, next time don’t use rehydrated dried shiitake in the mushroom mix.  Stick with fresh portobello or crimini and use beef stock for cooking the barley.  I think I’ll be much happier with those flavors.  And what about the flavor of the red onions that I painstakingly caramelized for the better part of an hour?  They completely disappeared.  Terribly disappointing.  Especially when the smell of buttery cooked onion lingers for days in the house.  Ahhh, what could have been.

And what about the stuffing, you ask.   It’s definitely got potential but I wouldn’t say it lived up to it yesterday.  I have very fond memories of stuffing…moist but not gummy, firm but not dense.  Mine wasn’t bad, but it’s got room for improvement.  I’m going to have to quiz The Grandma this weekend on how she got hers just right.  How do you  know when you’ve added enough liquid to make it moist but not soggy?  Clearly, I should have paid more attention to what went on in her kitchen.

Maybe most frustrating was the roasted butternut squash.  I say maybe most frustrating because I KNOW how to make this.  But I decided to get a little fancy and try Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics version.   This one incorporates maple syrup.  Yes, it should have occurred to me that maple syrup in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes may have a tendency to go beyond caramelized and straight to burnt.  Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like the wail of a smoke detector.  Fortunately, we were able to salvage most of the squash and the grated parmasean cheese added at the table gave it a nice touch of flavor.

But the saving grace of the day was dessert.  I won’t lie,  the Caramelized Apple Crumb Cake is not a quick recipe.  Don’t think you can leave this till last and just knock it out in a jiffy.  It’s going to take you some time.  Although you could probably make the cooked apples and topping a day or so in advance and then only have the batter and baking to do.  Even then, it’s a needy recipe.  Bake for 15 minutes, add apples and a portion of topping, bake 15 minutes more, reduce heat and add remaining topping, bake till done.  Not exactly an Easy Bake Oven recipe.  But I promise you this, it will be worth it.  And yes, it may just remind you ever so slightly of a TastyKake Coffee Cake.  But it will be way better than that.

Now if you will excuse me, there is some leftover stuffing that I need to take care of.

Caramelized Apple Crumb Cake

Juliet Mackay-Smith’s Recipe posted on Washington Post

  • 4 to 5 medium cooking apples, such as Honeycrisp, York, Ida Red or Granny Smith (about 2 pounds)
  • Juice of half a medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the topping

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

For the cake

  • 18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the baking dish
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup low-fat or whole buttermilk, at room temperature

Peel and core the apples and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Toss them in a large bowl with the lemon juice and orange juice concentrate until they are evenly coated, then add the cinnamon and sugar, tossing until well incorporated.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the apple mixture; increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the apples begin to caramelize yet are not too soft. Remove them from the heat and let them cool. (If the apples have released a lot of liquid, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl, then boil the pan juices to reduce them until they are thick and syrupy. Combine with the apples to cool.)

Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Use 2 forks, a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the dry mixture, forming a crumbly topping. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little butter.  Combine the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed and beat for 2 minutes, until well incorporated. Reduce the speed to add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a separate bowl or on a sheet of wax paper. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternate additions of the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overmix. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and spread the caramelized apple mixture in a single layer over the entire cake layer. Then sprinkle half of the topping over the apples. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

Remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the remaining topping evenly over the cake. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

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Flashback Friday – Gobble, Gobble

by Wendi1 Comment on Flashback Friday – Gobble, Gobble

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/21/08 at Exit 51

Gobble, Gobble

Want to know a secret?  I don’t like turkey.  Oh, I love me some crispy roasted turkey skin.  But the rest of the bird?  Not so much.

I’m not sure when all this started.  I used to enjoy the big Thanksgiving dinners that my grandmother made.  But then when I got the choice of what to make, I would never choose turkey.  So I’m always on the lookout for a non-turkey recipe that will absolutely rock the Thanksgiving table.  This year, I’m inspired by Deb over at Smitten Kitchen.

I’ve been looking for a main dish to become our Thanksgiving tradition, and I think with a few tweaks her Mushroom and Barley Pie may just be it.  Add some onion, applewood smoked bacon (mmmmm, bacon), wilted spinach, and a few more herbs and spices, and this could be a contender.

We’re big into the roasted veg these days so oven roasted butternut squash will definitely be on the table.  And I think I might, just maybe, try and see if I can’t make a decent stuffing.  Nothing will ever come close to my grandmother’s so I need to just get over that and find something that can become “my” stuffing.

So if you’re in the neighborhood next Thursday, stop by and see how everything turned out.  Just make sure you get your turkey fix taken care of before you do.  Because we are officially a gobble, gobble free zone!

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Flashback Friday – Barefoot Contessa In The House

by Wendi4 Comments on Flashback Friday – Barefoot Contessa In The House

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/20/08 at Exit 51.

Barefoot Contessa In The House

Less than 24 hours after my awesome acquisition of the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook, the good folks at the Washington Post had it in my hands. You guys rock!

97814000543501

I haven’t looked inside beyond the autographed title page yet.  I am afraid that once I start turning pages, I won’t be able to stop until I get to the end.  So for the time being, I’ll have to satisfy myself with Ina’s new Mustard Roasted Fish recipe posted in yesterday’s Food Section of The Post and today’s feature on her in the Post’s Home Section.

Confidential to SFC: I did this during lunch, I swear!

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Flashback Friday – Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

by Wendi7 Comments on Flashback Friday – Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/19/08 at Exit 51.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

That endearing phrase is something that SFC says, usually as he’s shaming me in some card game or other.  But today I’m the big winner.  How’s that you might ask?  Because I just won an autographed copy of Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.  No fooling.

The Free Ranger’s over at washingtonpost.com had a copy to give away during today’s Food chat.  So my Ina-centric post was this:

Barefoot Contessa: Where HAS Ina been? She didn’t have any new BC shows on Food Network for ages.

Thanks for posting her Mustard Roasted Fish recipe today. Will we be getting previews of any other items in her new book?

Bonnie Benwick: She was just here 2 weeks ago, signing books at Sur La Table in Arlington. She does a new cookbook every 2 years. She renovated her barn/now kitchen. Be sure to read the Home section tomorrow for more about Ina.

I can tell you that the Brownie Pudding in that book is really, really great, and that Jane Black did a version of the turkey roulade she liked as well. Beseech Joe for that AUTOGRAPHED copy we’re giving away today!

And at the end of the chat, THAT post was the one they chose to get her book.  How freaking awesome.  Guess I will be looking for ways to South Beach the Brownie Pudding recipe that Bonnie mentioned.

Good thing I’ve been clearing out the cookbook collection at home.  I wouldn’t have had any room for her otherwise…..as if.

Main Course

Flashback Friday – Some Assembly Required

by Wendi10 Comments on Flashback Friday – Some Assembly Required

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/19/08 at Exit 51.

Some Assembly Required

That phrase has gotten such a bad reputation thanks to our collective experiences putting together Barbie Dream Houses or Huffy Bikes or anything bought at IKEA.  I will admit that just seeing those words sends an icy chill through me…do I want it enough to figure out how it goes together?  Often, the answer is no.  But sometimes, not only is it worth it to say yes but the assembly is actually easy. I’ll give you an example.

I have a recipe for foolproof Shrimp Salad from Cook’s Illustrated.  From start to finish the whole thing takes maybe thirty minutes.  But I was feeling a bit lazy one day and didn’t even want to do that much cooking.  So instead of cooking the shrimp myself, I let the nice man at the Wegman’s seafood counter take care of that for me.  He didn’t seem to mind one bit.  And really, they know how to do shrimp.  I highly recommend using their court bouillon (plain) shrimp and their garlic/old bay shrimp.

All I had to do then was introduce Wegman’s shrimp to Cook’s Illustrated’s recipe.  It only took a few moments for everyone to be mixing and mingling in my big glass bowl.  They got along great and I was sad to see them go (onto other people’s plates that this).

Don’t think that you have to use fancy schmancy store cooked shrimp though.  Whether you cook your own or outsource it like I did, this is some assembly that you won’t mind.

Foolproof Shrimp Salad

From Cook’s Illustrated

CI Notes:  This recipe can also be prepared with large shrimp (26/30); the cooking time will be 1 to 2 minutes less. The shrimp can be cooked up to 24 hours in advance, but hold off on dressing the salad until ready to serve. The recipe can be easily doubled; cook the shrimp in a 7-quart Dutch oven and increase the cooking time to 12 to 14 minutes. Serve the salad on a bed of greens or on a buttered and grilled bun.

Serves 4

1 pound extra-large shrimp (21-25), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice plus 1 additional tablespoon, spent halves reserved
5 sprigs fresh parsley leaves plus 1 teaspoon minced parsley leaves
3 sprigs fresh tarragon leaves plus 1 teaspoon minced tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns plus ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
Table salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 small shallot , minced fine (about 2 tablespoons)
1 small stalk celery , minced (about 1/3 cup)

1. Combine shrimp, 1/4 cup lemon juice, reserved lemon halves, parsley sprigs, tarragon sprigs, whole peppercorns, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt with 2 cups cold water in medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook shrimp, stirring several times, until pink, firm to touch, and centers are no longer translucent, 8 to 10 minutes (water should be just bubbling around edge of pan and register 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer). Remove pan from heat, cover, and let shrimp sit in broth for 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, fill medium bowl with ice water. Drain shrimp into colander, discard lemon halves, herbs, and spices. Immediately transfer shrimp to ice water to stop cooking and chill thoroughly, about 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from ice water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Whisk together mayonnaise, shallot, celery, remaining tablespoon lemon juice, minced parsley, and minced tarragon in medium bowl. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise and then each half into thirds; add shrimp to mayonnaise mixture and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve.

Dessert, Sweets

Flashback Friday – Notes on a Recipe Cinnamon Scented Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake

by Wendi5 Comments on Flashback Friday – Notes on a Recipe Cinnamon Scented Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/13/08 at Exit 51.

Notes On A Recipe – Cinnamon Scented Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake

Rounding out the Fast Food @ Home recipes I tried last week was a baked chocolate mousse cake.  Since going on South Beach, I haven’t made dessert.  That chocolate covered candy crack I made for SFC’s birthday does not count.  Nothing counts on birthdays.

Cinnamon Chocolate Cake

So after months of no cakes or pies or cookies or any sort of homemade treats, I was ready to give baking another try.  I did modify the original recipe to substitute butter blend for the butter and Splenda for the sugar.  Funny thing about Splenda, it dissolves immediately in water.  Not at all like sugar.  Kinda freaky.

Splenda freakiness aside, this recipe is a breeze.  Mix “sugar” and water, boil, add “butter”, once melted add chocolate, stir well to combine and let cool.  Whisk eggs and spices.  Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture.  Do be sure not to overmix so as to avoid little air bubbles in your cake.  Bake in water bath.  C’mon, it does not get much easier than this.

Feel free to add other flavors too.  I love spicy chocolate so I added a bit (maybe 1/8th of a teaspoon) of chili powder to the batter.  Just enough to give it a little heat.  And since coffee really seems to bring out the flavor of chocolate, I threw in a teaspoon of espresso powder as well.  It only sounds scary.  I promise, it tastes good.

The recipe says to bake for 55 minutes to one hour.  I guess if I had a proper roasting pan to use for my water bath that might have been accurate.  But I don’t.  So I used the widest pot that I have.  I think it’s about 6 quarts, short but wide.  Let’s just say that if I had more than a half an inch of space between my 9″ cake pan and the sides of my pot, and if my water bath was greater than one cup of liquid, then maybe it would take almost an hour to cook.  But in my ghetto version of a bain-marie, that cake was done in 45 minutes.  No foolin.  That’s a good thing because all but about a tablespoon of my water had evaporated.  See how close I came to complete oven disaster?

Don’t be in a hurry to eat this cake once it comes out of the oven because it really does need to cool completely before you turn it out onto a plate.  Your patience will be rewarded with is a dense, intense chocolate treat.

Cinnamon-scented Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake

From “The Modern Baker,” by Nick Malgieri

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, plus more for buttering the pan
  • 14 ounces bittersweet (but not unsweetened) chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 7 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, 2 inches deep, and line the bottom with a disc of parchment or buttered wax paper cut to fit. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. At the boil, add the cut-up stick of butter and stir occasionally until the butter is completely melted.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Swirl the pan to submerge all the chocolate in the hot liquid. Let the mixture stand for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and cinnamon to break them up. Whisk in the chocolate mixture in a stream, taking care not to over-mix, or the batter will be riddled with bubbles and not bake to a smooth texture.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Place the cake pan in another larger pan, such as a small roasting pan, and place it on the oven rack. Pour in warm water to come halfway up the side of the cake pan.

Bake the cake until it is set, slightly firm and no longer liquid in the center, 55 to 60 minutes. Remove the large pan from the oven, being careful not to tilt it, which would cause hot water to slosh out of it. Place it on the work surface and use oven mitts and a wide spatula to remove the cake pan from the hot water. Cool the cake pan on a rack.

Unmold the cake onto a platter. If the cake has cooled for a long time, it might be necessary to heat the bottom of the pan to slightly loosen it. Cut the cake into wedges and serve it with some sweetened whipped cream.

The cake is best just cooled to room temperature and not refrigerated before it is served. If you must prepare it prior to the day you intend to serve it, refrigerate it, wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to a month. Bring it to room temperature for several hours before serving.

Main Course, South Beach Diet

Flashback Friday – Notes on a Recipe Jacques Pepin’s Scallops Grenobolise

by Wendi6 Comments on Flashback Friday – Notes on a Recipe Jacques Pepin’s Scallops Grenobolise

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/12/08 at Exit 51.

Notes On A Recipe – Jacques Pepin’s Scallops Grenobolise

Last week ended much the same way it began…by not having an important ingredient for something I had planned to make.  Even after I pledged that I would cross check my grocery list against my menu, I ended up not having any chocolate for the Cinnamon Scented Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake. But I was determined to give both of the Fast Food @ Home recipes a try, even if it meant another trip to the store.  I’d have to say that I’m pretty glad I did.  Because this was one fabulous meal. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Notes on a Recipe Jacques Pepin’s Scallops Grenobolise” →

Dessert, Main Course, Sweets

Flashback Friday – Fast Food @ Home

by Wendi8 Comments on Flashback Friday – Fast Food @ Home

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 11/5/08 at Exit 51

Fast Food @ Home

This week has not been my best in the kitchen.  All the hubbub and activity of late has me off my game.  My pantry and fridge are not adequately stocked for the meals I had planned.  Somehow I overlooked a fundamental part of meal planning – making sure I have the ingredients for what I intend to make.  I don’t mean things that I can fudge like an onion or spices.  That would be too easy.  I mean that if I figure on making hamburgers, it would be helpful to actually have ground beef. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Fast Food @ Home” →

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Flashback Friday – Home Again, Home Again

by Wendi4 Comments on Flashback Friday – Home Again, Home Again

Flashback Friday

The following originally appeared on 10/29/08 at Exit 51.

Home Again, Home Again

Jiggity jig.  New York was a whirlwind.  I managed to find all my destinations without getting lost.  It helped that I really didn’t venture too far from Times Square.  Like a homing pigeon, I could always find my way back to the red tkts steps.  So I gave myself a gold star for that. Continue reading “Flashback Friday – Home Again, Home Again” →