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Monthly Archives: November 2016
Here are the photographic results of a dessert experiment I made recently. I have to say the experiment was close, but no cigar. The crust I used was a blend of graham cracker and ginger snap (that part works!), but the cheesecake batter was lacking what I wanted to achieve. So I will try, try again until I get it right! Save Save…
As I mentioned in a previous post, Autumn is a perfect time to spend some time making soup for dinner. To me, there is something relaxing about cooking and preparing a soup is probably the most relaxing culinary endeavor for me (except maybe baking…). This soup is a sweet and savory meal highlighted by warm spices (ginger and cloves), brown sugar, and thyme packaged in a velvety cream. To give the soup some ‘tooth’, I add crispy linguiça sausage bits and the renderings to provide a salty aspect. Enjoy this soup on a chilly fall evening with a some warm rustic bread and I think you will agree it is a winner worth the effort. Save Print Creamy Acorn Soup Prep time: 20…
This morning I made popovers. To be honest, I had forgotten about these delectable, crispy, airy with a slight custard inside cousin to a Yorkshire pudding until I read a post about them while drinking my coffee. They are simple to make and versatile as you can ‘dress’ them with any jelly or jam (like the fig jam I made recently!), leftover cranberry sauce (like this orange cranberry sauce), butter, or honey for a tasty, simple, sweet breakfast. Heck, you can make these to go with a nice soup! I will admit the best results are achieved in a popover pan, but a muffin pan will work in a pinch. The straight sides of the popover pan and open structure help the popover ‘pop’…
Have you ever wanted mashed potatoes, but thought… how can you easily make it for just yourself? With the traditional cooking method you peel, quarter, boil, drain, mash/whip, add ingredients (butter, cream, herbs, etc) and serve. Doing that for one potato would give you half a serving by the time you deal with amounts of potato lost to the cooking and preparation process. Making 2 potatoes may be a solution, but then it can become a portion control issue. Well, I want to let you in on my latest experiment – sous vide mashed potatoes for one. I think this experiment will make it possible for any single diner to enjoy mashed potatoes (without having a lot of waste or extras or having to rely on…
Fall is synonymous with pumpkin. Pumpkin spice lattes. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin soup. Stuffed roasted pumpkin. Pumpkin is the quintessential fall gourd. So I need to apologize for not having made more dishes with pumpkin. Today let me try and make it up to you with this treat. This recipe creates beautifully browned, richly flavored, light and airy waffles to make your breakfast special. And I can’t think of a better way to begin a chilly late fall morning, can you? Save Print Pumpkin Waffles Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: 3 Ingredients ¾ cup all purpose flour 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp ginger pinch of salt…
Late November… and typically most nights are dark and stormy (especially last night!). The weather last night inspired me to share this typical summer drink with you as the Friday cocktail recipe. Surprisingly, since it is chock full of warmth inducing ginger, it is a great late fall cocktail as well. So let it be blustery and wet outside, we’ll enjoy our dark and stormy in the comfort of our abode! Save Print Dark and Stormy Serves: 1 Ingredients 2 parts dark rum (I prefer Blackwell or Seale’s) juice from ½ lime 6 oz ginger beer (I prefer Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew) Instructions Fill a tall glass ½ full of ice cubes. Add the rum. Squeeze the ½ lime into the…
Here is another popular recipe at my place. Guests that enjoy this dish regularly ask for the recipe – so now I am sharing it with you! This recipe makes a healthy portion of arroz con pollo goodness, but don’t panic. It has plenty of vegetables to round out the dish nicely. Like every arroz con pollo dish you have ever had in a restaurant, this one is simply my take on it and I believe it works well. Give it a try and then you can let me know how it worked for you! Save Print Arroz Con Pollo Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients ½ lb chicken breast or tenders…
Today was a day for experimenting in the kitchen. I decided to make Pho from scratch using the sous vide cooking method. Sounds wild, huh? Well this experiment was fun, challenging, slightly anxiety inducing, and utterly delicious! I won’t post the recipe yet as it needs a bit of refinement, but let’s just say I am already looking forward to my next sous vide pho effort. Here are some photos to whet your appetite for that next effort too! Save…
Breakfast… Breakfast on a weekend… Breakfast on Sunday morning during football season… Well, for me it has to be tasty and substantial… and a bit special. This French toast recipe meets all those requirements in my mind. And, it is easy to make. So let’s heat up the griddle and make our taste buds and belly happy! Save Print Double Dipped French Toast Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 4 – 5 slices of French bread, approximately ¾ inch thick ¾ cup egg substitute (or 3 large eggs) ¼ cup heavy cream ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp coconut oil Instructions Preheat…
Tonight, I was thinking I would love to have a nice slice of spice cake for dessert. Trouble is… I did not have a spice cake. Or a spice cake mix. Or the gumption to make a spice cake from scratch for just one piece. Then I remembered a recipe a dear friend gave me years ago – the 3-2-1 cake and I still had some 3-2-1 cake mix in my pantry! The key to a 3-2-1 cake is to combine 1 angel food cake mix with 1 standard cake mix in a large zip top bag, combining well. Then you simply place 3 tablespoons of cake mix in a microwave safe coffee mug, add 2 tablespoons of cold water and…