tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50722406703288335172024-03-16T20:36:48.951-04:00Silver SageSilver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-45852903204183933122013-03-14T07:06:00.000-04:002013-03-16T05:53:16.038-04:00A Real Irish Dessert<span style="font-size: small;">Someti<span style="font-size: small;">mes I feel like I'm fighting a losing <span style="font-size: small;">ba<span style="font-size: small;">ttle. Every year, when friends - both local an<span style="font-size: small;">d onl<span style="font-size: small;">ine - start talking ab<span style="font-size: small;">out <span style="font-size: small;">all their green food for St<span style="font-size: small;">. Patrick<span style="font-size: small;">'s Day<span style="font-size: small;">, I start jumping up <span style="font-size: small;">and down and shouting<span style="font-size: small;">, "<b><i>That's </i></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Not Irish!!!!!</i></b>"<span style="font-size: small;"> My Irish Grandmother nev<span style="font-size: small;">er made a green pie, green cake or g<span style="font-size: small;">reen mousse for dessert. My half German mother may have slipped green je<span style="font-size: small;">llo onto the table, but that's another story.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">B<span style="font-size: small;">ailey's Irish Cream, often used in "authentic" I<span style="font-size: small;">rish desserts, wasn't even invented until the 1970's. Creme de M<span style="font-size: small;">enthe is a French liqu<span style="font-size: small;">eur. And limes and other citrus grow much better in tropical climes than they do <span style="font-size: small;">on the Isle of <span style="font-size: small;">Erin</span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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What are traditional are more basic, earthy, homey treats. Bread Pudding, Seed Cake, Apple Cake. Oh yes, Apple Cake! But of course, I wanted to gussie it up and modernize it a bit. I found a fabulous recipe in <a href="http://www.recipelink.com/cgi/dbase/msgbrd/getamazon.pl?index=2&kw=The%20Irish%20Spirit%20by%20Margaret%20M.%20Johnson" target="_blank">The Irish Spirit by Margaret M. Johnson</a>. The cake was perfect, but the sauce was more caramel than toffee, and I was really looking for a deep toffee flavor.<br />
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Many of the old timers from the food message boards have seen the standard by which all other toffee recipes are measured. Marilyn's Toffee is is the ultimate candy, but I wanted a sauce. So I referred to <a href="http://cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=118" target="_blank">Cookaholics</a> for Marilyn's candy recipe, then added cream to turn it into a sauce. This is the dessert you have to make on St. Patraig's Day. This is really Eire on a plate.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Recipe after the jump...</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a name='more'></a> </span></h4>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Irish Apple Cake</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">The perfect traditional ending to your St. Patrick's Day dinner!</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">Roasted Apples</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">8 Granny Smith apples</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 lemons, juiced</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2/3 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4 Tbsp unsalted butter</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">Cake </span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">½ cup slivered almonds</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1½ cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">pinch salt</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">½ cup unsalted butter, softened to 68°</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">½ cup sour cream or creme fraiche</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">¼ cup apple cider</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: small;">Topping</span></u><br />
¼ cup sliced almonds<br />
½ cup butter<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
1 Tbsp water<br />
½ cup heavy cream<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">Roasted Apples</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">1. Preheat oven to 375°.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. Butter a large baking dish.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3. Peel & core the apples, and cut each into 12 wedges.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4. Place in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkled with the lemon juice and sugar, and dot with butter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">5. Bake, turning frequently, 15 or 20 minutes, or until apples are tender when pierced with a knife.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">6. Remove from the oven, drain off the juices, and set aside to cool.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">Cake</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">1. Butter a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Sprinkle with the almonds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, soda & salt.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3. In a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until smooth.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">5. With a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, the vanilla, creme fraiche & cider.</span><br />
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<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">Assembly</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">1. Arrange half of the apples nicely in the bottom of the prepared pan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2. Roughly chop the remaining apples and stir into the batter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">3. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 70 to 80 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out clean.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">4. Cool on a wir<span style="font-size: small;">e</span> rack for 10 minutes before releasing the sides and inverting the cake onto a plate.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">5. Top with part of the toffee sauce, and pass the rest on the side.</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">Toffee Sauce</span></h3>
1. Crush almonds slightly into small pieces, and set aside.<br />
2. Melt butter in tall saucepan over moderate heat.<br />
3. Slowly stir in sugar.<br />
4. Add water.<br />
5. When sugar is completely dissolved, add the almond pieces and insert a candy thermometer.<br />
6. Continue to cook until deep golden and the temperature reached 310° - hard crack stage.<br />
7. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the cream. This will boil up, so it's best to do it over the sink.<br />
8. Set aside to cool a bit.<br />
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<br />Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-11805196422015343642011-08-10T12:32:00.000-04:002013-03-15T19:02:41.333-04:00A Long Lost Favorite<h2>
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The 1980's were a different era. Big hair. Shoulder pads. Dress for Success. Business people were still having cocktails at lunch and cigarette smokers were not yet relegated to the alley for a fix. It was a time of conspicuous consumption, and most upscale food trends were decidedly French.<br />
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One of those upscale restaurants lived in the lobby of my office building. Well, not my building - but you know what I mean. Rising star Ed Janos was the Executive Chef, and Helen Baumgartner was the Pastry Chef. I ate there at least 3 times a week, usually for lunch but sometimes for dinner. After work, we'd wander in for drinks - champagne was my usual choice - it was, after all, the 80's. Sometimes on a slow weeknight, I'd just ask Ed to 'make me something to eat', and he'd create some wonderful off-menu dishes. The Money Tree is long gone. I don't know where Helen is today, but Ed and his wife are doing well in Denver at their new place, <a href="http://cooksfreshmarket.com/">Cook's Fresh Market</a>.<br />
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I had many wonderful meals at The Money Tree, but three things stand forefront in my memory after all these years, and I have finally come up with acceptable representations of all three. This is the last of the three, and this one took a long time to find. Helen made a very simple, yet elegant almond cake topped with nuts and caramel. On the menu it was called Bundernuss Torte. Now I have searched high and low for years for a recipe for bundernuss, but I keep finding that bundernuss is a tart, not a cake. It's usually a nut crust, filled with almond paste, and topped with nuts and caramel. But it definitely looks like a little pie or tart. Nothing I could find remotely resembles a rich almond cake. At least, not until SousChef's sister moved.<br />
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The kids were all grown, her husband had recently died, and she downsized from that big old house in the country to a smaller place closer to the grandkids. She found a shelf full of old cookbooks at the bottom of her pantry, and none of her kids wanted 'those old things'. So I inherited the treasure. It's taken a while to browse through all of them, but I discovered something that turned the entire haul into a jewel. In a 30 year old copy of Ford Times Favorite Recipes was Helen Baumgartner's Almond Cake. It was a compilation of recipes from restaurants in all the towns in which Ford had plants and offices. It showed a picture of the restaurant, a short story about the chef, and a featured recipe. And there was The Money Tree - and the cake! I just had to try it.<br />
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I had to adjust the recipe some. You could tell she was working in large quantities, (the recipe was for several cakes) and the instructions were a little loose, (bake til done!) so I've made some adjustments here. But the flavor was exactly what I remembered. <br />
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<i>Recipe after the jump</i>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Bundernuss Torte </b></u></span><br />
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<i>This is an interpretation of a classic bundernuss tart, replacing the almond paste with an almond pound cake baked right in the walnut crust.</i><br />
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<u><b>Nut Pastry</b></u><br />
6 ounces flour<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1/4 pound cold butter<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
1 1/4 cup finely ground walnuts<br />
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<i>First, this makes too much. But I really didn't want to make it too difficult by telling you to use 2/3 of an egg yolk. I used the whole batch, and had to do some trimming, as you'll see later. So use about 2/3 of it OR make a double batch and make 3 crusts out of it.</i><br />
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Pulse flour and sugar in the food processor until combined. Cut the butter into chunks and add to processor. Pulse until mixture is crumbly.<br />
Dump the mixture out onto the counter. Make a well in the center and put in the egg yolk. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top. Use a pastry scraper to blend them all together. Finish kneading by hand.<br />
Form 2/3 of the dough into a disc; wrap in plastic; and chill for 30 minutes. Save the rest for another time.<br />
Meanwhile, line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with a circle of parchment. <br />
Roll the chilled dough between 2 sheets of plastic or waxed paper to about 11 inches.<br />
Gently lay the soft dough in the bottom of the prepared pan, allowing it to come about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. <i>Don't come any higher or you'll have the 'crown' that shows in my pics, and that's not a good thing.</i><br />
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<i></i><br />
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<u><b>Almond Pound Cake</b></u><br />
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1/4 pound almond paste<br />
1/4 pound sugar<br />
1/4 pound butter (partially softened to 65F)<br />
2 1/2 eggs (Sorry. Just break one into a dish, mix it up with a fork, and measure out about half.)<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
3 ounces sifted cake flour<br />
8 ounces whole mixed nuts <br />
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Beat the almond paste and the sugar in a mixer until well combined and smooth.<br />
Add butter and cream until smooth and fluffy.<br />
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.<br />
Add vanilla.<br />
Stir in flour by hand, until well blended.<br />
Spoon the batter into the pastry shell and level the top.<br />
Bake at 350F about 35-45 minutes, until top is lightly golden and springs back when touched lightly.<br />
Cool for about 10 minutes, then remove sides from pan. <br />
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This is what you don't want - but I don't have another picture. The excess crust that was too high in the pan gets overcooked and crunchy. It also made the cake crack at the edges as it cooled. I had to do some surgery and cut off the top. It worked, but I won't make that mistake again.<br />
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Spread the nuts all over the top of the cake. Personally, I love these Emerald Mixed Nuts - they're perfect for this. Use about 3/4 of the can and snack on the rest. (Oh - and I don't have any connection to them).<br />
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<b><u>Glaze</u></b><br />
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3/4 cup sugar<br />
2 tlbs light corn syrup<br />
6 tlbs butter, cut in chunks<br />
1/3 cup heavy cream<br />
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While the sugars are cooking, scald the cream. You can do this in the microwave.<br />
Place corn syrup and sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Use a wet pastry brush to keep any sugar crystals off the sides of the pan. A lid also helps, by condensing the steam and letting it wash back down the sides. Try not to stir after the melting begins - swirl the pan if necessary. Continue cooking and swirling until the caramel is golden.<br />
Stir in the butter, then add the cream and blend well.<br />
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To finish, pour about half the glaze over the nuts, trying to cover them completely. THe excess will drip over the sides.<br />
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Serve the cake slightly warm, and drizzle more warm glaze over each slice. It's best with some softly whipped cream.<br />
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<br />Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-24977117873314308282011-08-06T21:36:00.006-04:002011-08-09T08:12:56.426-04:00More Lessons Form New OrleansWhen I was growing up, Italian food meant very few things. Pizza at Rinaldo's. Mom's skillet spaghetti. Lasagne and ravioli from Chef Boy-Ar-Dee. That was about it. We didn't know anything about real marinara, bolognese, or red gravy. The only Italian cheese I ever had was the powdered sawdust in the green can. Mozzarella, Ricotta, Marscarpone, Romano, Provolone and the wide variety of exquisite cheese were a whole 'nother world. Northern Italian? Southern Italian? Scicilian? You mean there was a difference? <br />
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As an adult, as I began my journey through different worlds of food, I learned a bit about Northern Italian food. It was similar to French with its wine and cream based sauces. It was within my comfort zone and I learned to love it. It was a far cry from my mother's spaghetti. But I never learned to embrace Southern style Italian, which still seemed to me just noodles and tomato sauce with cheese in various forms. Sure, I made the occasional lasagne or spaghetti, but I never went any further.<br />
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On my trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I had the opportunity to work with Roseann, a REAL Italian cook, in her restaurant kitchen, <b><a href="http://www.redgravycafe.com/" style="color: #cc0000;">Red Gravy</a></b>. What an enlightenment! Two dishes in particular were so fabulous that I've tried to reproduce them at home. The first was the wonderful <a href="http://silversagethyme.blogspot.com/2011/03/learning-from-friend.html#more">Ragu of Short Ribs</a> that I posted about in March. The other - ohhh, the other - is a crunchy/creamy dish called Arancini. Often called 'rice balls', the name just doesn't do them justice. They are a ball of risotto, stuffed with cheese and other things of your choice, breaded, and deep fried. Whoa! When your fork (or your teeth) breaks through that crust and the filling oozes out, it's food porn on a plate.<br />
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Roseann makes food for her restaurant in quantities that I could never use (Thank goodness - if she only sold small quantities, she'd go broke!). So, I worked with leftovers. I had some risotto from 2 days ago, and braised beef from yesterday. When my tomatoes finished coming in last month, I made many jars of tomato sauce. Everything I needed! The result? Almost as good as hers. <br />
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Maybe I'll have to take another trip to New Orleans to see what else I can learn!<br />
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<a name='more'></a> <u><b>Arancini Stuffed with Meat, Cheese & Peas</b></u><br />
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This is more of a technique than a recipe. I don't have exact measurements, but I have a photo tutorial. I had 280 grams (10 ounces) of leftover risotto. Alright - stop laughing! Yes, I weighed the rice. I just wanted to make sure I divided it up evenly. It's not really so silly. Well, maybe it is. So don't weigh yours. Just divide it up into evenly sized balls. Mine were probably about 1/4 cup of rice, but they can be bigger or smaller. Chop up a bit of cheese, and mix it with other stuff. I used some peas. Toasted chopped walnuts or pinenuts would be good. I used provolone because I thought it would stand up better to the flavor of the saffron risotto. But mozzarella or fontina would work well. Just make sure it's a soft melting cheese.<br />
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Pick up a mound of rice, and flatten it a bit in your hand. Then use your thumb to make a pocket in it.<br />
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Now start putting things in the pocket. Be careful. You're just putting a teaspoon or two of total ingredients in there. Too much, and your ball won't seal up. I put a forkful of leftover beef ragu, some chopped up provolone, and a few frozen peas.<br />
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Next, start to carefully shape that rice around the filling to form a ball. Make sure that you leave no holes or gaps.<br />
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Now get your breading all set up. Line up three small bowls - one with some flour, salt & pepper - one with a beaten egg and a teaspoon of water - one with dry bread crumbs. Let your balls anticipate their dip.<br />
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Roll each ball first in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to fry.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB-yOIzzZdt-DrYojov-iH-t6QlrJUc3yQC5Cp-ex0z8KDbVsoHtuD3B50_75AO60THwrZrkl-QFhLv9AGl3cXKj7Tsfl1rGpAKmAWyrnf1nJyWvohoJ3Zb2W41mTDmVN8RSvcRJ30sw/s1600/arancini+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB-yOIzzZdt-DrYojov-iH-t6QlrJUc3yQC5Cp-ex0z8KDbVsoHtuD3B50_75AO60THwrZrkl-QFhLv9AGl3cXKj7Tsfl1rGpAKmAWyrnf1nJyWvohoJ3Zb2W41mTDmVN8RSvcRJ30sw/s320/arancini+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXyHMRcyYTvDkSWu6ZV3z1JzLruZvXTGyBsSb8MUnCfm9RUxrjE9bZn6vwEeXPHNp82-pI5mF-wrO7B9vUJcMabLoOi4SRtitC0HGjU98t4v02ucyJjkTErkJIq6tYmRDHAlQJwmhWHg/s1600/arancini+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXyHMRcyYTvDkSWu6ZV3z1JzLruZvXTGyBsSb8MUnCfm9RUxrjE9bZn6vwEeXPHNp82-pI5mF-wrO7B9vUJcMabLoOi4SRtitC0HGjU98t4v02ucyJjkTErkJIq6tYmRDHAlQJwmhWHg/s320/arancini+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Put enough oil in a deep pan to completely cover the balls. Heat it to 360-370F. Drop the rice balls into the hot oil and cook until deep golden brown, turning occasionally so they don't burn on the bottom. Remember, all the ingredients are already cooked, so you're just making an outside crust and melting the cheese inside. You don't have to worry about timing too much. Drain on paper towels.<br />
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Plating is optional. If you make these small, they can be appetizers or finger foods. If you make them larger, they're supper. We had them for supper. I laid a spoonful of homemade tomato sauce on a plate, and set 2 balls on the sauce. Then I added another spoonful of hot, leftover ragu to each. Sprinkle some basil chiffonade and fresh grated parmesan or romano over it. Add a side salad, and you have a meal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeYlrogEue1xlhUhRPHOejSljcGYK86lSS_ivaRZ-9PGXoDOX9TyrLR3ZfiaG13xn-Bw9kbpDfTdS1r06frAlOUYV8vxLLHOT6H8ms9DgtDI-nQueZok3ytoncy0SlRaiqRnroIvPOtU/s1600/arancini+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeYlrogEue1xlhUhRPHOejSljcGYK86lSS_ivaRZ-9PGXoDOX9TyrLR3ZfiaG13xn-Bw9kbpDfTdS1r06frAlOUYV8vxLLHOT6H8ms9DgtDI-nQueZok3ytoncy0SlRaiqRnroIvPOtU/s320/arancini+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurIbYoRQA69gKzsxsFZHw-Vjd6TzucK641lPpDfuq5zYCXmp7PsQZjbRzzftl1r_hJpoYvOby-_ZAoLMTLqtHp7atQRVOuXlDWGktAD6LKho4QW5WNsBn59qfg4AjNTXWUs1aOR2-VNA/s1600/arancini+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurIbYoRQA69gKzsxsFZHw-Vjd6TzucK641lPpDfuq5zYCXmp7PsQZjbRzzftl1r_hJpoYvOby-_ZAoLMTLqtHp7atQRVOuXlDWGktAD6LKho4QW5WNsBn59qfg4AjNTXWUs1aOR2-VNA/s320/arancini+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-45843400219293062002011-08-02T17:43:00.002-04:002011-08-06T15:49:09.454-04:00Lunch at Hudson's in DetroitI grew up in Detroit. Over the years, I moved away and came back......moved away and came back.....moved away and came back. Finally, before I turned 40 I left for good. That was more than a few years ago. Although my grandmother told me that a lady never tells her age, I'll give you a little hint. My hair in my avitar is now white - not blond. <br />
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My grandmother was from Ireland, born in the late 1890's, and true to her word, she'd never give you her real age. Probably because of her age & upbringing, she never learned to drive. But she sure got around on the city buses, and as soon as I was old enough to take a bus trip alone, we became good shopping buddies. I'd get on the bus near home and head downtown, manage to make the transfer, and get off at the corner of Woodward and State St. There would be Grandma, waiting for me right in front of Woolworth's. We'd spend the day at Crowley's, Himelhoch's, and of course, Hudson's.<br />
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Lunch at Hudson's was an obligatory stop on any downtown shopping trip. It was a department store dining room with white tablecloths. Ladies (or young girls wanting to be ladies) still wore white gloves to lunch. One of the signature luncheon plates was their special Maurice Salad. It was a julienne of lettuce, ham, turkey & Swiss in a creamy dressing that you couldn't buy. It was all topped with exactly 2 green olives, and accompanied by the muffin of the day or a hard roll. It was unique. It was delicious. It was worth the 25 mile bus ride.<br />
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Over the years I tried to duplicate it. I checked every Junior League cookbook looking for the recipe. Although they all claimed authenticity, none came even close. Eventually I found something with promise, and played with it. It turned out that mashing up a hard boiled egg into the dressing was the key. Don't just chop it - mash it up! <br />
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Hudson's isn't Hudson's anymore; it's now part of the Macy's empire. I don't know if they still serve the Maurice salad. Heck, I don't know if they even have a dining room anymore! But I do know that I can finally relive the memories of dressing up to go downtown with Grandma. And it's as good as I remember.<br />
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<i>Recipe after the jump - click on 'Read More'.</i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>J.L. Hudson's Maurice Salad</b></u></span><br />
<br />
<u>Dressing</u><br />
3/4 cup mayonnaise<br />
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar<br />
1 1/2 tsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed<br />
1 1/2 tsp onion juice<br />
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard<br />
1 tbsp minced parsley<br />
1 hard cooked egg<br />
dash of dry mustard<br />
<br />
Mash the heck out of the egg, and whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Taste for salt.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDtJIzFKKlgBc2ci5MInJHKm3K3rcwAMIJ7cZAbpYUtiQsATRa81X9WJBNKe9z_sTgSUCeHy7SucFMil-XZCoXjR4higAY5qUIRKyW8PZEn3Ta-jUIRNJ_-z5oDDJqAirNTokk18SQ7A/s1600/maurice+salad+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDtJIzFKKlgBc2ci5MInJHKm3K3rcwAMIJ7cZAbpYUtiQsATRa81X9WJBNKe9z_sTgSUCeHy7SucFMil-XZCoXjR4higAY5qUIRKyW8PZEn3Ta-jUIRNJ_-z5oDDJqAirNTokk18SQ7A/s320/maurice+salad+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<u>Salad</u><br />
6 ounces ham - not a smoked ham or a country ham - just plain boiled ham<br />
6 ounces turkey breast - ditto on the smoked<br />
6 ounces Swiss cheese - buy a chunk - thin slices don't work well here<br />
1/3 cup sweet gherkins<br />
1/2 head of a large head of iceberg lettuce - yes it's gotta be iceberg<br />
8 pimento stuffed green olives<br />
<br />
Julienne the ham, turkey and cheese into 1/8 to 1/4 inch sticks. You want some substance here.<br />
Slice the lettuce into 1/4 inch strips.<br />
Cut the little pickles into the thinnest little julienne strips you can without cutting off the end of your finger.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTNNG9DBGkI4R3rXO_-2VEeEo87P2cH3cy8_x7I9edTIy8BdasBWDiejRdskP_gndoNTVbIOxFOzVMUwa7ATvBf9d9dEc_X2Cz7fzSVYvfwHr8q6I1moZXGrLYXOnsT_sRpa_g7IRogw/s1600/maurice+salad+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTNNG9DBGkI4R3rXO_-2VEeEo87P2cH3cy8_x7I9edTIy8BdasBWDiejRdskP_gndoNTVbIOxFOzVMUwa7ATvBf9d9dEc_X2Cz7fzSVYvfwHr8q6I1moZXGrLYXOnsT_sRpa_g7IRogw/s320/maurice+salad+%25284%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Toss the dressing with the salad.<br />
<br />
For authenticity, lay a large leaf of fresh lettuce on each of 4 plates and divide the salad among them. Place exactly 2 olives on each plate.Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-12283731349632077912011-08-02T13:30:00.005-04:002011-08-06T15:49:28.196-04:00Living Up to a MemoryWhen we were kids growing up, we had a breadman (and a milkman, but that's another story). Three times a week, the truck with the big windmill painted on the sides would pull up and out would come the Awrey Bakery delivery man with his big tray hanging from straps on his shoulders. With a large family, he always had 2 or 3 loaves of bread to leave with us. But he also brought up an assortment of cakes, pies, and cookies to hawk. Sometimes, Dad would let us choose a treat. That was my first introduction to carrot cake. It was pale orange-gold with white frosting in a small 8 inch square foil pan. It would get cut into 6 very even pieces and everyone got just one. There was to be no fighting over the cake and with 5 children plus Dad, there were certainly no leftovers. That one piece was heaven, or so I thought.<br />
<br />
In retrospect, it wasn't a particularly good carrot cake. It had no texture, no visible carrots, no nuts, no raisins, and a overly sweet white frosting. It was the idea that it was a special treat that made it taste so good. Funny thing, I don't think I ever understood that carrot cake was really made from carrots, and that cake did nothing to educate me.<br />
<br />
Some years later, I was determined to reproduce that sweet treat, so I started with a cookbook. It was a real surprise to find out that carrot cake should be packed with sweetness from real carrots and fruits, and contrasted with the bitter bite of fresh nuts. The sour tang of cream cheese on top elevated it to a new level. At the time, my brother and I lived together. He may not remember all the trial and error that we tasted in getting to the ultimate, but eventually I arrived at a cake that we both declared perfect!<br />
<br />
Fast forward 20 or 30 years. I was visiting my brother's family in Indiana, and we all went out to dinner. When the orders were taken for dessert, the conversation came 'round to the carrot cake option. John expressed that it was his favorite cake, and his wife interjected that she never had and never would bake him a carrot cake. Apparently, he had told her many times over the years that I made the all-time best carrot cake. The wise woman he married knew that she could never compete with or live up to a memory. It really didn't matter whether my cake was good or not, nor if hers was. It was all about the memory. <br />
<br />
Over the years, I've made a lot of carrot cake. I've improved the frosting, taken it from a simple square snack cake to an elegant layer cake, gussied up the presentation. But the recipe itself hasn't changed. I'm still making the same cake that I worked out in the 1970's. You just don't mess with a good thing.<br />
<br />
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<i>Recipe after the jump - click on 'Read More'.</i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>My Best Carrot Cake</b></u></span><br />
<br />
<i>This recipe makes 1 layer - either a 9 inch square or a 10 inch round. You double or triple the batch depending on how many layers you are making. If you use 8 inch pans, 2 batches will make 3 layers. </i><i>You don't even need an electric mixer for this cake.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Dry Ingredients </u><br />
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup chopped walnuts<br />
1/2 cup raisins<br />
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots <br />
<br />
<u>Wet Ingredients</u><br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup light brown sugar<br />
2/3 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350F.<br />
Line the pans with parchment paper, then grease and flour them.<br />
<br />
Combine all of the dry ingredients in one large bowl. Tossing the fruit and nuts in the flour mixture will help them stay suspended in the wet batter during baking.<br />
<br />
Whisk together all the wet ingredients in another bowl.<br />
<br />
Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture, and stir to mix completely.<br />
<br />
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>My Best Cream Cheese Frosting</b></u></span><br />
<br />
This has a much higher ratio of cheese to butter & sugar than most recipes. I like that the frosting is REALLY cheesy!<br />
<br />
Since there is a low proportion of sugar, the firmness of the butter and cheese are critical. Temperature is very important for the spreading consistency of this recipe. "Room temperature" varies greatly, depending on where you live, what season it is, and where you set your a/c or furnace. My house is a constant 81F in the summer. 'Room temp' at my house is nearly melted butter - not good for frosting a cake. "Soft" is subjective - your idea of soft butter is not the same as mine. <br />
<br />
Remember, this is baking. Baking needs to be much more precise than cooking. So even thought it sounds a bit fussy, it only takes about 3 seconds to take the temp of your butter.<br />
<br />
Second important tip - overbeating is the worst thing you can do to a frosting this high in fat content. Do not use a whisk - use a paddle attachment. And beat things until just smooth and combined - no longer, or you'll have a gluey mess.<br />
<br />
Finally, remember, this is me, SilverSage. You all know my recipes are going to be a bit fussy, so just do it right! Anyhow, I let you off easy on the carrot cake. <br />
<br />
<i>This makes enough to frost and fill a 3 layer 8 inch cake or a 2 layer 10 inch cake. If you're making something different, adjust accordingly.</i><br />
<br />
24 ounces cream cheese, <b>cold</b><br />
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened to cool room temp (68F)<br />
1 1/2 tsp vanilla<br />
1/2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed<br />
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1-2 cups chopped walnuts, depending on the size of the cake <br />
<br />
Cut the cheese into large chunks (about 8 per package) and let it sit on the counter for just a minute while assembling the other ingredients. Do not let it soften to room temperature. If you get delayed, put it back in the fridge and chill it before continuing.<br />
<br />
Beat the butter, cheese, lemon, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl with a paddle attachment, until well combined and smooth. <br />
<br />
Carefully beat in the sugar until smooth. Do not overbeat!<br />
<br />
If necessary, chill until firm enough to spread.<br />
<br />
Fill and frost the cake, then press chopped walnuts into the sides. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtehRMoZhT_i10NOdcs9Hh5JS4uFI12pV4j4xVqeGh3seyTTCgrXmpK152C4rUC1FVYcZZVfzShsoUydrPX0odp3xlbEiVjRXgQYNRC3jkTKiE-612UlTFpAZ1whJEBLRqds3vM-UeZs/s1600/cream+cheese+frosting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdtehRMoZhT_i10NOdcs9Hh5JS4uFI12pV4j4xVqeGh3seyTTCgrXmpK152C4rUC1FVYcZZVfzShsoUydrPX0odp3xlbEiVjRXgQYNRC3jkTKiE-612UlTFpAZ1whJEBLRqds3vM-UeZs/s320/cream+cheese+frosting.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-26428550630087469432011-08-01T14:29:00.004-04:002011-08-06T15:49:45.985-04:00Mom's Chip & Date Cake and the bridge partyThere's a story to this (actually 2 stories), so bear with me a minute.<br />
<br />
My mother was a bridge master. The card game. It's sorta like being in the pros. And she had a group that came regularly to the house to play just for practice when they weren't in tournaments. Well, she had baked a cake, and left it out to cool while she went to get ready. I was all of 6 or 8 years old. And I wanted just one warm chocolate chip from the cooling cake. ............and one more............. and just one more.............<br />
<br />
I'll bet you can guess the ending. Mom came out, and I had picked off every single chocolate chip from the top of the cake! Yup. I don't actually remember getting punished, but I'm sure I did.<br />
<br />
Now Mom wasn't much a a fancy cook. She was actually the Queen of Convenience Foods. (She was a bridge master, after all. Oh - and a cop, but that's a different story). Most stuff came from a mix or a box, except for the occasional recipe from the red checkered cookbook or a magazine clipping. We're talking about 1960 or so. "Foodies" were unheard of.<br />
<br />
Fast forward 50 years. I'm flipping through a recently acquired cookbook, Death By Chocolate, by Marcel Desaulniers. The book won the James Beard Award for Best Dessert Cookbook a few years back. In there is a recipe called "Mom's Chocolate Chip and Date Cake". He tells a long story about this being the recipe of the mother of a friend of his. And other than he throws in 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder, it's the same cake! So now MY mom's chip and date cake is in his book as HIS mom's chip and date cake! <br />
<br />
Now my mom has been gone since 1968, so I can't ask her where she got it, but I'm quite sure that if he really researched it, he'd find that his special cake was from Redbook or Better Homes & Gardens back in the 1950's.<br />
<br />
The moral: We all have a great award winning cookbook in us. We just have to cull through our mothers' old clippings!<br />
<br />
<br />
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<i>Recipe after the jump - click on 'Read More'.</i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's my <u><b>Mom's Chip & Date Cake:</b></u></span></div><br />
<br />
2 cups chopped dates<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/4 cup boiling water</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> 1 1/2 cup flour</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 Tlbs cornstarch</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 Tlbs baking powder</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 tsp salt</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">2/3 cup shortening</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> 1 cup sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 eggs</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups chocolate chips</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup walnuts</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350F. Grease & flour a 9x13 inch pan.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bring the water to a boil.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chop the dates, then sprinkle them with the baking soda. Pour the boiling water over them and set them aside to soften.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt & cornstarch. Set aside. </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Cream the shortening & sugar until fluffy.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Beat in the eggs one at a time.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stir in the date mixture.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pout the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chips and nuts over the top.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick come out clean.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q8qYrpnV-m8JmfOMZnitw3enpDsRBGMx9zVsKL8e_8e8jdOE_efnBtm6b5rOkt_-ozDWnKnRtGUIehCPxfve3lLoWH80t4jVvgdYl2XFR6j3fZPurCzVOBvjsEFjGVIQck6zOXPenXA/s1600/date+cake+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Q8qYrpnV-m8JmfOMZnitw3enpDsRBGMx9zVsKL8e_8e8jdOE_efnBtm6b5rOkt_-ozDWnKnRtGUIehCPxfve3lLoWH80t4jVvgdYl2XFR6j3fZPurCzVOBvjsEFjGVIQck6zOXPenXA/s320/date+cake+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-88647659309169104052011-01-26T16:16:00.004-05:002011-08-02T09:11:14.065-04:00Sometimes you need to make orangeadeI had the rest of the oranges from the tree in the back yard, and was looking for something real special. Well, as all too often happens, good ideas go bad, and you have to make orangeade out of oranges!<br />
<br />
I turned to Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for an orange cake. The recipe sounded wonderful, with lots of fresh orange juice, fresh zest, and Cointreau. Typical of JC, the eggs are the only leavening in this cake. I don't have the 9-inch pans that it called for. So instead of baking one 9-inch cake and splitting it, I baked it in 2 8-inch layers. That worked, but I had to watch the baking time - instead of 30-35 minutes, it was done in 20. <br />
<br />
When I flipped them out of the pan, I tasted the crumb, and damn, it seemed tough. I was NOT happy. So I wrapped the cooled layers in plastic, and let them sit on the counter for 2 days while I stewed about it. <br />
<br />
SousChef finally nagged me about finishing the cake or throwing it out. So I unwrapped, and found that the surface was now sticky, probably from the sugar content and the 2-day steam bath. (It was 80 degrees here yesterday). So I got out a pastry brush, and gently removed the entire surface layer of the cakes. Now I was worried about drying. So I diluted a tablespoon of Grand Marnier with a tablespoon of water, and brushed it on the surfaces of the cakes. <br />
<br />
What to do now? I found a recipe for an orange-butter filling that sounded like an orange version of lemon curd. I cooked it (used a thermometer), beat it, cooled it in an ice bath, did everything but sing to it. Tried chilling it in the fridge. Soup. This is not a filling, it's thick orange soup. I've got a ton of good ingredients here that I really don't want to throw out - oranges, butter, eggs, sugar, more Cointreau. <br />
<br />
I decided to try using the syrup as the base for a buttercream. I beat up a couple sticks of butter till soft & smooth, then started beating in about 2 cups of the orange stuff. It worked! It was the most delicious orange buttercream! <br />
<br />
Now to put this thing together. I don't usually make just a cake & frosting. I like different flavor & texture elements in my desserts. Since I was working with all one flavor, orange, I was hoping for the textural interest between the sponge, the curd, and the buttercream. Now that wasn't going to happen. <br />
<br />
So I thought "CHOCOLATE!" <b><i>Orange and dark chocolate!</i></b> We're making a ganache! I heated 1/4 cup of cream and poured it over 2 ounces of dark chocolate. <i>Did you hear what I said?</i> 4 tablespoons of cream to 2 ounces of chocolate! That's not ganache - that's chocolate sauce! I even cooled that one in the fridge before I realized what I had done. I tried to fix it. Melted 2 more ounces of chocolate with a tablespoon of orange booze (by this time, I don't know if I used the Cointreau or the Grand Marnier - I think I had more than a few sips). I stirred the chocolate soup into the newly melted chocolate and VOILA! Ganache! But twice as much as I needed to coat the inside layer. No matter, I'll save it.<br />
<br />
So I coated one genoise layer with chocolate, then a generous layer of buttercream. The next layer went on top, and I started frosting the whole thing. Well, it look pretty plain. But I still have more ganache. Hmmmmm...<br />
<br />
Pulled out a decorating tip and built up a retaining wall around the top of the cake and added one to the bottom for balance. Then I poured the rest of the ganache all over the top of the cake. It looked lovely with that chocolate lake on top of the cake.<br />
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This morning, we cut the cake for breakfast. (Yeah, well. OK, we did. It was that or Grape Nuts). It wasn't tough. It wasn't dry. It was wonderfully orange and chocolate and delicious. It's a keeper.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM9Q17tNqOZpTynwHX4OeiciVQd6rvYqQA4qMfhiepC_4RrGEv_US20g2xMEHxuezN1TGJIayCiVAT3zkhwB9q4CdL-Atl2mDnx_0jIp1_4gPf5kxR18MDf9ErtGLquIqGViaMrgtEw8/s1600/orange+cake+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM9Q17tNqOZpTynwHX4OeiciVQd6rvYqQA4qMfhiepC_4RrGEv_US20g2xMEHxuezN1TGJIayCiVAT3zkhwB9q4CdL-Atl2mDnx_0jIp1_4gPf5kxR18MDf9ErtGLquIqGViaMrgtEw8/s320/orange+cake+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Rb2VdOzV2WtEgxmxnD1CfYHFfoOxDaKoR2PTR6BE4LNnEhgzscNB0fkD3VoBY_tAo2LDk6tXDzY9ZE2sBVdiT078Qq9qNsyeKBcwBIp_Y6r_LIwKr3NhxVEp423y7pf-rGVEKw7_NoQ/s1600/orange+cake+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Rb2VdOzV2WtEgxmxnD1CfYHFfoOxDaKoR2PTR6BE4LNnEhgzscNB0fkD3VoBY_tAo2LDk6tXDzY9ZE2sBVdiT078Qq9qNsyeKBcwBIp_Y6r_LIwKr3NhxVEp423y7pf-rGVEKw7_NoQ/s320/orange+cake+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-11548272647062997202010-12-29T21:19:00.001-05:002011-08-02T09:07:17.259-04:00So Much for Starting a Blog!Two years ago, I had every intention of writing here a couple of times a week or more. Apparently, my intentions exceeded my motivation. This shouldn't come as a surprise. Countless times in my life I started keeping a diary, a journal, a log. Each time I wrote in it for a few days and then got distracted. I was never good at recording events or rites of passage. Photographs pile up in boxes, never to be identified or catalogued.<br />
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Likewise, I have clipped and saved recipes in boxes, drawers & folders. I scribble ingredients on slips of paper, never to find them again. More than 10 years ago (back in the days of DOS) I bought a recipe program for my old Compaq. It took years to get about 100 recipes entered, but the software was so outdated that I couldn't do anything with it. So I thought I'd use this blog to compile decades of favorites.<br />
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Well.......................here we are 2 years later. I have one recipe posted. I don't know how far I'll get this time, but I'm going to give it another try. Silver Sagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11905175106834753323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5072240670328833517.post-11884003702819051132008-11-15T12:21:00.017-05:002011-01-31T12:08:46.582-05:00Apple-Sausage Stuffed Squash with Pecans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGAQcfQstz66MrIH9UZgfmJ1bVd3bsRVxH5ZL-BCZdIf1VTNL95mW6cw8pEFjqIBD2LI0bBCfPdjNPRAzfvxNYo_VE1uDbVcPDzK2f676OBFq0GpptM39SMTV_CvIM_BqEDwYlqNNo9I/s1600-h/to+be+sorted+118.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268954397003525442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxGAQcfQstz66MrIH9UZgfmJ1bVd3bsRVxH5ZL-BCZdIf1VTNL95mW6cw8pEFjqIBD2LI0bBCfPdjNPRAzfvxNYo_VE1uDbVcPDzK2f676OBFq0GpptM39SMTV_CvIM_BqEDwYlqNNo9I/s200/to+be+sorted+118.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="color: #003333; font-weight: bold;">It's time for a change. </span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #003333;">Last week the leaves in the Carolina Piedmont were crimson and gold. T</span><span style="color: #003333;">h</span><span style="color: #003333;">is</span><span style="color: #003333;"> weekend the rains are washing them all to the ground. Soon the skeletons against the sky will define the season.<br />
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<span style="color: #003333;">I've really enjoyed the fall here; the fire burning in the hearth, the brilliant colors, the crispness in the air. But I don't look forward to the bleak chill of winter. But since I have to be here a little while longer, it's time to think about some of my favorite comfort foods, things that haven't been a normal part of my repitoire for the last 20 years or so, since I left Michigan.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #003333;">Squash, apples and pecans are all in season. Mixing them with sausage and some warm spices makes a terrific hearty meal for a chilly night. </span><br />
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<div style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Apple-Sausage Stuffe</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">d Squash with Pecans</span></div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="color: black;">2 small <span style="font-weight: bold;">butternut squash</span></div><div style="color: black;">1/2 pound <span style="font-weight: bold;">sausage meat</span></div><div style="color: black;">1 cup coarsely chopped <span style="font-weight: bold;">onion</span></div><div style="color: black;">1 large <span style="font-weight: bold;">tart apple</span>, cored and cubed</div><div style="color: black;">1/4 cup <span style="font-weight: bold;">pecans</span>, coarsely chopped</div><div style="color: black;">2 tablespoons <span style="font-weight: bold;">but</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ter</span></div><div style="color: black;">1/2 tablespoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">dark brown sugar</span></div><div style="color: black;">1 teaspoon <span style="font-weight: bold;">sage</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">salt & pepper</span></div><div style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> vegetable oil </span>or<span style="font-weight: bold;"> spray</span></div><div style="color: black;"><br />
Preheat oven to 375.</div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;">Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Spray or brush the cut side with vegetable oil. Place in covered baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes until very tender. Set aside to cool slightly. When cool, scoop the pulp out of the shell, being careful not to tear the squash shell. Cut the squash into chunks and set aside. </div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;">Brown the sausage in a skillet. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain all but a tablespoon or 2 or the fat. Add the onions, and saute till tender and lightly golden. Add the apple and cook for a couple minutes until tender-crisp. Stir in everything else, including the squash and sausage, and season with salt & pepper to taste. </div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;">Pile the filling back into the squash shells and dot with butter. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, until lightly brown and crusty on top.</div><div style="color: black;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black;">Serves 4.</div><br />
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