Nachos with Beer-Braised Carnitas

This is a great way of preparing shredded pork to fufill your wildest Mexican food dreams. Real Mexican food takes patience. It takes soul. It takes love. And it takes meat. Tacos and Nachos are incredible when made with beer-braised carnitas. "Braised"...even the word sounds delicious! Enveloping your kitchen in spicy aromas, this recipe ruins you for ever again using those little spice packets in the supermarket. Make it a day ahead for Taco parties or in Nachos for an outstanding appetizer at a SuperBowl party...Originally found and altered from a Bon Appetit.com February 2013 recipe. Yield: 6 cups meat--ennough for two or three huge cookie sheets of Nachos.


Ingredients for Beer-Braised Carnitas:

1 7 oz. can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce (I used Embasa brand)
4 lbs. pork tenderloin or skinless boneless pork shoulder cut into 2" pieces ( I use half of a HUGE 9 lb plus Costco pork tenderloins for this--saving the remainder for other dishes)
4 naked garlic cloves, smashed
12 oz. beer (such as Modelo Especial or Budweiser)
4 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and chopped
4 t kosher salt
2 C water

Directions:

Note: You can make these 3 days ahead or freeze them for later. In fact, it is BETTER made the day before you need them.  Simply reheat them adding 1/2 C water in a covered pot. Add more water as needed.

Directions:

Remove 2 chilis from the can. Stem chilies (if they aren't already), halve lengthwise and discard seeds. Chop them up. In a large pot bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is fork-tender, 60-80 minutes. Uncover pork; simmer until liquid evaporates and pork begins to brown--20-25 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of the pot until pork is shredded and browned, 10-15 minutes. Add 1 C water to pork; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, for about 1 minute. Use to fill tacos, enchiladas or as a meat addition for nachos.


Ingredients for Nachos

2 bags (9 oz.) thick, authentic, tortilla chips--salted (if you don't live in the Southwest find the best chips you can)
Beer-Braised Carnitas--sprinkle all over the chips randomly. About 4 cups.
chopped green onions--about 1 1/2 C
shredded sharp cheddar and
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 pts sour cream (optional)
Sliced olives (optional)
Guacamole (optional)
Salsa (NOT optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 large-rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray or oil. Divide ingredients evenly between the two sheets, layering ingredients by literally sprinkling them on in the order they are listed above. Bake, one sheet at a time until sheet is melted, 20-25 minutes. Plate as is or with dollops of sour cream and sliced olives on top. Serve with a bowl of salsa and quacamole on the side,

Crispy Won-Ton Appetizers

Ever had fried won-ton skins at a Chinese restaurant? These days, you don't get any meat in them. But back in the day, there was a little splotch of spicy pork in the middle of each wonton. You would dip those crunchy little guys in red sweet and sour sauce....mmmm yumm. The problem is-- through the years, the restaurant won-ton meat splotch got smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely! No matter, make your own instead using this recipe my mom found long ago on the won-ton skin package. This is a WOW appetizer when served at parties.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. 3/4 ground pork
8 water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 C finely chopped green onion
1 T soy sauce
1 t salt
1 t cornstarch
1/2 t grated fresh ginger or 3/4 t ground ginger
2 pkg. won-ton skins, cut into 2-inch squares

Mix ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Wrap a splotch of mixture in won-ton skins as directed on package. You CAN put them together like they do in the restaurants by cutting 12 2-inch squares and laying them all out on a cutting board. Brush with a tiny amount of water around the sides of each square. If you use too much water, it will be a soggy wonton. So, don't.  Place a splotch (about the size of a small gumball) of meat mixture in the middle. Press down a bit so it's no longer round.  Put the same size square of won--ton skin exactly on top of each water-brushed square. Press all the way around the square so each square adheres to the other, except where the meat splotch is. Deep fry no more than 4 at a time in a medium-sized pot of vegetable oil (you can try coconut oil--but I haven't yet) until golden brown. Repeat until you run out of won-ton skins. Serve warm with ready-made sweet and sour sauce (such as Kikkoman).

Chrissie's Hot Crabby Dip

Chrissie was one of my first bosses...and she was a great cook! She was raised the old-fashioned way like I was. That meant she was taught how to entertain from the time she was a child. As children we had to go around and serve hot appetizers to our parents' guests when they came for dinner. Looking adorable if possible. This was hard when your hair had huge tangles in the back, like mine always did. I did my best to comb over the tangles and smiled a lot.
I don't usually like messy dips at parties--but this is a really good one. Serve with water crackers or those amazing little brioche toasts they have at Trader Joe's. Very elegant and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 large cream cheese block
1 or 2 T mayonnaise
1 T chopped onion
1 T chopped parsley
1 T horseradish
6 oz. crabmeat (canned is OK, fresh is always better)
2 T sliced almonds

Mix ingredients together and transfer to an oven-proof bowl or mini-casserole. Heat in a 350-degree oven until bubbly. Serve in the middle of a platter surrounded by crackers.

Coconut Rum Black Bottom Pie

My mom used to occasionally make black-bottom pie for her parties. A cool vanilla cream pie with a thin layer of rum-laced chocolate on the bottom and whupped cream on the top, it was irresistible. If I ever would want to be stuck on a deserted island with one food--that would be it. And yes, I would bring my portable refrigerator and plug it in the sand.

 In this recipe, the mild chocolate that makes for the 'black bottom' balances especially well with coconut-flavored cream on top instead of vanilla.  However, if you don't like coconut, just substitute vanilla instead of coconut flavoring...

Directions #1: Make or buy a 9" or !0" pie crust and bake it. Next, make the chocolate-rum bottom layer of your pie.

Quick Chocolate Rum Cream Filling:

Ingredients:

6 oz semi-sweet gold bagged Guittard chocolate chips. Semi-sweet NOT bittersweet.
2 T sugar
1 T rum or 1 t rum extract (I get the little "airplane-sized" bottles at the liquor store)
1 egg
3/4 C milk--heated to just boiling

Directions:

Place chocolate into blender. Pour hot milk into blender and blend until chocolate melts. Then add other ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour 3/4 of the mixture into the cooled pie crust.  Reserve the rest in ramekins or bowls to enjoy later with whipped cream as a snack. Refrigerate all until firm--at least 2 hours or overnight. Next, make your coconut cream filling, put it in your pie shell on top of the chocolate layer and top it with whipped cream.

Coconut Cream Pie Filling:

1 1/3 C sugar
1 C flour
1 t salt
4 C whole milk
6 egg yolks (slightly beaten in a small mixing bowl)
4 T butter
1 t vanilla
1 t coconut extract
1/4 C flaked, sweetened coconut, packed in measuring cup.

Topping:
1 C heavy cream
1 T powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla 

Chocolate shavings from a chocolate bar or toast some leftover coconut.

Directions:

In the top of a double boiler combine sugar flour and salt. Add 2 C milk and cook over (not in) boiling water 10 minutes or until mixture thickens (I would do the whole 10 minutes even if you think it's already thick). Remove from heat and pour 1 C of the mixture into the eggs and mix vigorously. When smooth, return eggs to the rest of the hot mixture and cook until thickened to the point that it coats a spoon and no longer falls off the spoon in a steady stream. Remove from heat, add butter and extracts, mixing thoroughly with a spoon. Finally, sprinkle coconut on top and fold it into the cream. Cool slightly before adding to crust.

Whip cream until it forms soft peaks, add sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. At this point you can either spoon your whupped cream on top of the pie or pipe it on. Sprinkle on chocolate shavings or toasted coconut.

Note: This is a fantastic, show-off dessert. Hang the calories. Go for a long jog afterwards.
  

Stuff I Have In My Freezer...

Common Sense dictates that we are resourceful with what we have. Waste is out, saving money is always in. So I use my freezer a lot! No...I don't have a huge freezer in my garage. But I do use my regular-sized refrigerator freezer it for a lot more than ice. Here are some examples...

1. Frozen ice trays of Meyer lemon juice (because it goes our of season so fast).
2. Freeze egg whites individually in ice trays or mini-containers for future smoothies or meringues. One white per container. Take out the "egg-white cube"and refrigerate in a cup to defrost overnight. Use the same way you would use non-frozen whites.
3. Meat from Costco--divided individually in plastic freezer bags in family meal-sized or individual portions.
4. Put chicken breasts from Costco in individually plastic- wrapped servings in freezer bags.
5. Frozen Shrimp (I rarely pay for fresh--good quality frozen is fine and dandy)
6. Large quantities of salted and unsalted butter from a BBS.
7. Casseroles--in meal-sized servings (I use plastic containers or individual casseroles for this)
8. Nuts--they keep forever when frozen--just use the bags they came in and seal the top securely
9. Dried fruit (who really uses dried fruit that often?--freeze the leftovers after Christmas is over)
10. Breads of all kinds (especially French bread)--I cut it up and put it in bags so I don't have to defrost a whole loaf for a dinner for two. Freeze gluten free and French breads right away after you get them home from the store--they go stale very quickly.
11. Sauces: Pesto sauce...Marinara...Chocolate sauce...Make 'em fresh and freeze 'em.
12. Bundt Cakes...coffee cakes and unfrosted cake layers--this is a great way to prepare desserts way ahead! Wrap them very very well in plastic then in foil! If you have a small family--wrap individual servings in plastic and place in a freezer bag before freezing.
13. Turkey (buy a frozen one for an extra low price at Christmas or Thanksgiving and eat it in February)
14. Vegetable and fruit pies--preferably uncooked. Wrap in plastic then foil.
15. Apples --if you buy a huge tray at Costco--and can't eat them all--peel and slice apples first, then load in freezer bags for when you have time to make apple pie or applesauce!
16. Soups--oh gosh this is the best use of a freezer of all! To avoid using an ice-pick and stabbing yourself..do freeze soup in meal-sized portions in plastic freezer containers.
17. Berries... these freeze well in plastic freezer bags--but don't look as good as fresh when defrosted. Use them for pies or cobblers...fruit sauces or smoothies. Not for salads or strawberry shortcake.
18.  Pasta--a friend of mine always has Spaghetti Bolognese always at the ready in her freezer. Lasagna and Ravioli works well too! Freeze any pasta with a good thick red sauce. My friend uses plastic freezer bags--I use freezer containers because I like to stack 'em.
19. Grated Parmesan cheese--not the best thing for the cheese--but it does work if you have too much to use.
20. Salmon--or whatever else Uncle Si catches for you. Prepare and freeze individual portions in plastic wrap AND foil.
21. Cookie or Pie dough--fabulous! Drop cookie dough is frozen best in balls. Pie dough should be in a large"round scone" type disc ready to roll out when thawed. Wrap well in plastic and foil against "freezer taste". 
22. Bacon bits or cooked bacon. Whenever I make bacon I make the whole package. If we don't eat it I freeze it to add to scrambled eggs or braised vegetables later. I also save the "Hormel" or "Kirkland" already prepared real bacon bits in the freezer instead of the fridge. It just makes sense.
23. Chicken or Turkey stock--whenever I buy a rotiserie chicken I use the carcass to make stock. Freeze it for later use in soups and sauces or what -have- you. I use 2-C sized freezer containers. 
24. Crepes--yes French Pancakes. They freeze well for a week or so. I have a great hi-protein recipe for-a them in my blog. See "Trader Vic's Crepes" on "Being Erma.blogspot.com. Stack them with parchment or waxed paper in between each crepe. Put in a freezer-proof bag or container. To thaw-- unstack and leave them on the counter for 20 minutes.  Heat them up in the microwave for 30 seconds and fill with jam or other fillings. Nom-nom! 
25. Ice--we have an over-achiever ice-maker. It is "The Little Ice-Maker That Could". I don't know why, but it always makes so much ice that it makes it impossible for anyone but my hubby to pull the ice-drawer out. So when we have large parties--we just keep bagging ice for a few days instead of buying it.

Caramel Latte Cupcakes--Oooh!....

I'm a frosting person. Yep...that's why I go to weddings--for the frosting.  It can't be too sweet, and it should perfectly balance with the cake. Most of the time I go for light and airy cakes and frostings. I don't know why--maybe it's a throwback to a childhood miserably spent without Twinkies?  I make a lot of cakes that are light--like Twinkies but with better ingredients. Here's one with an incredible caramel latte filling that I just love!

This incredible filling is balanced by plain butter cupcakes. But in order to make the whole thing light and airy...I used whipped cream frosting to balance it all out. It worked!! Decoration? --an easy little squiggle of caramel on the top.  Almost as good as kissing my husband! 

Butter Cake:

Ingredients:

16 T unsalted butter...softened
3 C cake flour...sifted
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 C milk
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 C sugar
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 24 cupcake liners in cupcake pans. Set aside. Whisk together in a bowl: flour. baking powder and set aside. Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl fitted with a paddle or with a hand mixer...cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs...one at a time...beating well after each addition. On low speed... add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high and beat until batter is smooth...about 5 seconds. Divide batter among cupcake pans. Bake about 15 minutes until center springs back when touched with a finger. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in pans then invert onto wire racks to cool thoroughly before filling and frosting.

Caramel-Latte Filling or Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C unsalted butter... soft but still cool and cut in cubes
1/4 t salt
4 oz. cream cheese.... soft but cool and cut in cubes
3 C powdered sugar
3/4 C caramel sauce (use leftover sauce for caramel squiggle decoration)
1 T warm water mixed with 1/2 t instant espresso (such as Medaglio D'Oro or Starbucks VIA)
Optional Topping: crunched-up toffee (Heath Bar has this out in bags in the chocolate chip section of your grocery)

Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand-mixer and beat butter and salt until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Reduce the speed and add the powdered sugar a little at a time. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the caramel sauce and then the warm water mixed in a tablespoon with powdered espresso.

Whipped Cream Frosting: Whip 1 pint whipping cream in a chilled (preferably metal or ceramic) bowl with chilled beaters until frothy. Gradually add 1/2 C powdered sugar...then vanilla. Beat until stiff enough to pipe on top of cupcakes (at the last moment stiff peaks form).

Assembly:  Bake the cupcakes. While cakes are baking make the Caramel Espresso Filling... whip the Whipped Cream Frosting and put in the refrigerator until cupcakes are cool. Core cupcakes with a paring knife...carving a cone-shape into the cupcake with the large end at the top --about 1-inch wide. This is so there is enough room for the filling to be piped inside each little cake. Whip the heavy cream and pipe a swirl on top.  Drizzle leftover caramel sauce over the cupcakes by swinging a fork dipped in sauce over the tops of the cakes lined up on a baking tray or clear counter space covered with parchment or paper towels. Alternative: use Heath Bars, crushed and sprinkled on top.

Huckleberry Buckle with Lemon Sauce

Catagory: Desserts
Difficulty: Easy

I remember picking huckleberries in the early morning light near my grandmother's vacation cabin. It was in Northern California redwood country--where the air is as soft as the branch-strewn loam under your feet.  Behind the cabin were bushes plump with huckleberries, growing all silver and blue in the morning sun.  A tiny berry, they are perfect for childish fingers to gather. My sister and I would fill empty coffee cans with them, enjoying the occasional tangy handful until  juice ran in purple streaks down our faces. Then we would run to the cabin (bringing what we hadn't eaten), and beg our mother to make a rare dessert called "Huckleberry Buckle".

A "Buckle" is kind of like a "Crisp" as well as being first cousin to a "Cobbler". They're similar; all being some kind of yummy, sticky cake baked with fruit , spices and sugar. The "buckle" refers to how the top of this struesel-clad cake looks like after it bakes. Bumpy and uneven...  buckled, like an old wood floor.

This is my great-grandmother, Sarah Robinson's, recipe.  Her family came over the Oregon trail in covered wagons. But you don't need a covered wagon to make Huckleberry Buckle. You just need huckleberries or ollaliberries or blackberries or mixed berries. Serve it warm from the oven...with whupped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

Buckle:
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
2 t baking powder 
1 C flour
4 1/2 t baking powder
1/3 C milk
1 pint huckleberries (or other slightly sour berries)
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C butter
1/3 C flour
1 t cinnamon

Lemon Sauce:
1/2 C sugar
1 C hot water
1 T cornstarch
pinch salt
1 egg yolk (separated from white)
3 T lemon juice
2 T butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8"X 8" pan. Cream shortening, and sugar then add 1 egg and combine. Sift 1 C flour and 2 t baking powder together and add to the creamed sugar mixture with 1/3 C milk. Put in pan. Sprinkle 1 pt. (2 cups) berries over the top. Crumble together and put over this: 1/2 C sugar, 1/4 C butter, 1/3 C flour, 1 t. cinnamon. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

For Sauce: In a saucepan combine 1/2 C sugar, 1 C hot water, 1 T constarch and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, for 15 minutes. Put over boiling water in the top of a double boiler. Add 1 egg yolk, 3 T lemon juice and 2 T butter. Stir well till thick and serve over the top of large helpings of warm Buckle. Total comfort food heaven!

Addictive Carrot-Feta Salad

This is so good it should be registered as an addictive substance. My daughter brought something similar to this to our last Mother's Day Barbeque. It's her new "go-to" pot-luck salad. It can be yours, too, if you have a good food processor with a grating attachment! The taste is very unusual because of the cumin and the Harissa. Harissa is sort of a chili paste mixed with garlic, coriander, salt and cumin. It's extremely inexpensive--but make your own by finding a recipe online if you don't have a specialty store nearby. Very Middle Eastern, very pretty, very YUM!  Adapted from "Smitten Kitchen.com" which acknowledges Cuisine Magazine.

Ingredients:

1-pound carrots, peeled, trimmed and coarsely grated ( I used a pack of peeled baby carrots)
1/2 C sliced black olives (drained)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 crushed clove of garlic
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon Harissa (very hot--don't use heaping spoonfuls!)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 T lemon juice
1/4 C flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 C fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 C fresh coriander, finely chopped
2/3 C crumbled feta

Directions:

Sauté garlic, cumin, paprika, harissa and sugar in the oil until fragrant, about one to two minutes in a small pan. Remove from heat. Throw in lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Add to carrots and sliced olives. Add the herbs and toss with a fork.  Put in refrigerator for at least an hour to meld the flavors and add the feta just before eating. Please serve the same day as you make it. It's fabulous but does not age well!

Butter Cake with Perfect Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting...For My Lauren

Category: Desserts
Difficulty: 

I created this cake for my very grown-up daughter Lauren. She is a fabulous cook!  But when she has her birthday, she always wants the same cake: Butter Cake (the Duncan Hines mix) with canned Fudge Frosting. This is because that's what I made her every year when she was a little girl. This year, I am going to try to lure her away from prepared mixes and plastic tubs with a from-scratch version. I recently found the most delicious butter cake recipe EVER in Saveur magazine. It's so moist and buttery... I paired it with a Perfect Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting. All for you Lauren! Love you! Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Butter Cake:
16 T unsalted butter
3 C cake flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 C milk
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 C sugar
4 eggs (at room temperature--or warmed while still in shells in a bowl of hot tap water for 5 minutes)

Perfect Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese
1 C sifted good cocoa (I like Droste)
1 stick salted butter (softened)
1 1/2 t vanilla
6 C sifted powdered sugar
Add one or two t milk if needed

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and vanilla in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high and beat until batter is smooth, about 5 seconds. Divide batter in prepared pans and smooth top with a spatula or knife. Bake cakes until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans, then remove.

For Frosting: Mix first three ingredients in a medium-sized bowl on medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually add 6 C sifted powdered sugar 2 C at a time--beating on high speed the last few minutes. Be sure and let the frosting "rest" for a couple of hours either in the refrigerator or on the cake or cupcakes before you serve them. For some reason this makes any bitter aftertaste of the cocoa go away. I don't know why. Ask Alton Brown when you see him.

Seattle Grilled Salmon

If you ever go to Seattle, visit Pike's Place Fish Market. It's FUN! The guys there yell a lot of crazy things and throw huge fish around like they're baseballs. There's something they have called " Salmon Candy" which sounds awful but is really a sweet smoked salmon. Since Seattle is so far away--I found an alternative that's really good and reminds me of Pike's Place. It's not as sweet at "Salmon Candy" but it has a wonderful combination of smoked paprika and honey that make for a similar taste. My hubby gave it a big thumbs up!

Ingredients:

1 T thyme (fresh)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1 T dk. brown sugar or Palm sugar
1 T honey
5 t smoked paprika
sea salt to taste
pepper to taste

3 salmon fillets

Combine all these together in a small bowl with a fork. Really mash it. Then, slather it on top of your salmon fillets after they have been patted dry.  Grill on the side without glaze. Put a piece of foil on the grill and flip salmon over on the glazed side to finish cooking. Take the skin off the salmon when it is light and flakey, yet still moist. Transfer it to a plate with lots of oven-roasted potatoes and enjoy!

Lemon Curd Layer Cake

My neighbor Emilie called me and asked me to come up to her house to have a slice of this. We are walking buddies. I thought I was in shape, but it's a long, VERY steep driveway and I arrived panting at her doorstep. She was there, at the door, with a couple of slices of this cake. "It's the last of it," she said " and I wanted to make sure you tasted it". She handed the plate to me as if it were pure gold. It was! It is now one of my very favorite cakes and I am going to make it for my next birthday. The recipe originally came from the March 1999 issue of Bon Appetite magazine. Yield: Serves at least 8

Ingredients:

For Lemon Curd:
2 1/3 C sugar
2 t cornstarch
1 C fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces

For Whipped Cream Frosting:
3/4 C powdered sugar
2 C chilled whipping cream

For Cake:
1 1/2 C cake flour
1 1/2 C sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C orange juice1 1/2 t grated lemon peel
8 large egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar

Thin lemon slices, halved and patted dry

Directions:

Lemon Curd:
Combine 2 1/3 C sugar and 2 t cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in fresh lemon juice. Whisk in eggs and yolks; add butter. Whisk over medium heat until curd thickens and boils, about 12 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 5 hours. Note: Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

Whipped Cream Frosting:
Sifted powdered sugar into a large bowl. Add 1 1/4 C lemon curd until just blended. In medium bowl, beat cream until firm peaks form. Fold cream into curd mixture in 3 parts. Chill until firm--at least 4 hours.

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and put parchment on the bottoms of 3 9-inch pans. Whisk 1 1/2 C cake flour, 1/2 C sugar, 2 1/2 t baking powder, and 3/4 t salt in large bowl. Add 4 yolks, 1/4 C vegetable oil, orange juice, lemon peel and 3/4 C Lemon Curd to bowl (do not stir).  Combine whites, and 1/4 t cream of tartar in another large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1 C sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Using same beaters, beat yolk mixture until smooth. Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter among the 3 pans. Bake until testers inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Place cakes in pans on racks until completely cool.

Assembly:

Spoon 1 C frosting into pastry bag fitted with plain round tip; refrigerate bag. Place 1 cake layer on cake platter. Spread top of cake layer with 1/3 C curd then 1 C whipped cream frosting. Top with second cake layer, spread with 1/3 C curd and I C frosting. Top with third cake layer. Frost the top and sides of cake--reserving 1 C of whipped cream frosting. Spread a "puddle" of lemon curd in the middle of the top of the cake--leaving at least a 3/4-inch border around the top of the cake. Pipe reserved frosting around the top edge of the cake. Place lemon slices at intervals in the piped edge. 


 

Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes with Raspberry Chambord Filling

 When I started making these cupcakes--a rich combination of a fluffy chocolate cake, glorious French chocolate mousse and spiked raspberry preserves; I knew they would be a challenge. The cakes themselves came out fine. Unfortunately, while I was filling the pastry bag, I forgot to put my finger over the tip and therefore managed to decorate my lap with a large quantity of raspberry/Chambord. HA! Zen baking: Be the Cupcake!

Cupcakes:
1 3/4 C flour
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
2 C sugar
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2/4 t salt
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs--at room temperature*
1 C strong, piping hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper cupcake liners in a muffin pan and set aside. In a large bowl...sift together dry ingredients. Then mix together with a fork or a large whisk. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. While mixing on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix to combine...but do not over mix! Slowly add hot coffee, mixing until just combined.  The batter should be thin--break up any lumps with a fork.  Pour the batter into each cupcake liner from a measuring cup. Wipe off cup after each pour.  Bake for 14-15 minutes, without opening the oven. After 14 minutes, lightly touch the top of a cupcake's center. If it makes an impression, leave them in there for a couple of minutes (every oven heats differently). Once done, cool for 10 minutes in pan then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling. While they cool, make the Chocolate Mousse.

Ingredients:

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, in chips or chopped (a good chocolate is best-- I like Dagoba or Guittard. But if saving money, use Nestle's or Baker's chocolate, not Hershey's)
3 T unsalted butter
3 egg whites
3 egg yolks
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/4 C
1/2 C heavy cream (very cold)
1/2 t vanilla
2 additional T sugar

Warm 3 eggs (in shells) in a hot tap water in a bowl if they are not room temperature. Keep them in there at least 5 minutes. Place the chocolate and butter in the top of a double-boiler or a heat-proof bowl on top of a pot of barely simmering water. Stir with a wooden spoon till smooth. Remove from stove and cool slightly--chocolate should still be liquid. Separate eggs, reserving whites in a medium bowl and whisk the yolks into the chocolate mixture one at a time. 

Beat egg whites in medium bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Gradually whisk in 1/4 C sugar and continue beating until stiff peak form. Beat the cream in a chilled bowl until it begins to thicken and foam. Add remaining 2 T sugar and the vanilla. Continue to whip cream until it holds soft peaks.
Gradually fold in the egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. When the egg whites have almost disappeared, delicately fold in the whipped cream until the mixture, stopping the minute it is no longer two-tone. Don't rush this--slow and steady wins the race! Refrigerate until ready to frost cupcakes.

Raspberry Filling:
Use 1 C (or more) raspberry preserves for this. If you want to make it really fancy mix together 1 C raspberry preserves with 6 t Kirsch or Chambord liqueur. Take an apple corer or a sharp paring knife and gently cut a hole in the center of each cupcake. Using a small knife and a teaspoon or a piping bag with a large tip...push a small amount of the preserves into the cupcake. Be careful to put the piping tip deep inside of the cupcake BEFORE you put the raspberry mixture into the piping bag. Do it one teaspoon at a time--otherwise it will get all over your counter and you!

Assembly:
After filling cupcakes, frost with a pastry bag and a large pastry bag tip. Or just use a dinner knife. I use a swirl pattern--you can do what you want. Place a fresh raspberry in the middle of the top for fun---and if you have extra chocolate--grate some on top. I would refrigerate these a few hours or overnight before serving! I was amazed at the difference this made.


 

Fresh Fruit Tart...

In the summer of 1993, someone brought a fresh fruit tart with a cookie crust and a cream cheese filling to a party.  A near riot of joy broke out. The tart came from "The Farm" bakery/cafe in Aptos, California. Still wildly popular...it kind of reminds me of a fruit pizza!

Yield: a 12" tart -- Serves 8-10

Note: If you make the crust and the filling one day and fill it with fruit the next, the crust will stay crisp, and the flavors will meld. If you make it and eat it all the same day --that works too. It's showy and as easy, as well... pie!

Ingredients:

Crust: 
1/4 C sugar
1 1/3 C flour
10 T already melted butter

1/2 t almond extract (or vanilla)

If you don't want to make crust you can always use Pillsbury Sugar Cookie refrigerated dough-- this homemade version, however, is more like shortbread and is less sweet.

Filling:
1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese--softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar (if you like things super-sweet use 1/2 C)
1 t vanilla extract

Fresh Fruit Topping:  
Use 3 C or more of any combination of those listed below:

Strawberries (cut in half or quarters--looks pretty as a "star" in the center of the tart)

Peaches or nectarines (sliced thinly)
Blueberries
Blackberries
Olallieberries  
Raspberries
Seedless grapes (slice in half and lay sliced part down for easy eating)
Red pears (sliced thinly)
Kiwi (sliced thinly--you can overlap these when you lay them on the crust--artsy)
Star Fruit (sliced thinly--best used on top of another fruit like blueberries or in the middle of the tart)
Exception to fresh: canned mandarin oranges--super easy--no slicing!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add melted butter and almond extract and stir until dough forms. Press dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removeable bottom, pressing dough up the sides and until the dough is smooth and flat in the middle. Prick the dough on the flat part of the pan with a fork 3 or 4 times. Bake until golden 20-25 minutes. Remove and cool.

Mix filling ingredients together in a small bowl with a mixer and spread thickly on cooled crust. Place washed fruit on a paper towel and pat dry with a second towel. Next, arrange fruit on cream cheese filling in concentric circles starting with the middle and working outward. Make fruit glaze...

Fruit Glaze:
1/2 C fruit juice (apple, peach, pineapple)
1/4 C sugar
1 T cornstarch (mix with a T of water before adding)
OR or melt some apricot preserves in a small sauce pan to use for glaze

Directions:

Combine fruit glaze ingredients in a saucepan and heat to a simmer. Simmer until thick and remove from heat. Cool slightly before brushing on to fruit. You can also melt (gold-colored) apple jelly if you'd rather not go to the trouble of making your own glaze.

Wonderful Sticky Buns

Went to a farm today for a ladies' brunch. There were about 15 women there. The farmhouse was a lovely Victorian-style home surrounded by well-kempt chickens and donkeys and sunflowers planted in rows. The air was fresh and cool.  The chickens reminded me of women in groups. They are very chatty. And whenever a new person comes to their pen, they waddle over to that person in rapt expectation of being fed.  Our hostess, Carrie, was one of many people who fed us chicks this morning. She made these terrific Sticky Buns that tasted like cinnamon love and caramelized joy. We indulged...happily cackling to ourselves and each other.

Ingredients:

1 C brown sugar
1 C unsalted butter plus 3 T butter
1 C chopped pecans
1 Bridgeford Bread dough log--partially thawed
1/2 C white sugar
6 t cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 200 degrees and turn off. Put Bridgeford Bread dough log in a greased bread pan, cover loosely and let rise 45 minutes in the oven. Meanwhile in an 9X9-inch (preferably Pyrex) pan, sprinkle 1 C brown sugar. Drizzle 1 C melted unsalted butter on top of sugar. Sprinkle 1 C chopped pecans overall. Set aside. Take bread dough out of oven and set on a clean surface sprinkled with 2 T flour.  Roll out the thawed Bridgeford Bread dough into something close to a rectangle. Spread evenly on top of rectangle: 3 T melted butter, 1/2 C white sugar, then 6 t cinnamon. Roll dough up like a jelly roll and pinch the ends. Cut into about 12 (pinwheel) slices about 1"to 1 1/2" thick. Pinch the end of each pinwheel so that the filling doesn't get out while they bake. Place pinwheels on top of sugar/butter/cinnamon mixture in Pyrex pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight or until the dough has doubled in volume. Bake at 330 degrees for about 30 minutes until done. Loosen edges and invert onto serving plate.
Eat with coffee or tea and cackle!







 

Quinoa Salad

I am writing this in 2013 when 4 food items are in vogue: quinoa (a brown rice-like grain), fava beans, faro, and edamame. If you don't know what they are please look them up on the internet.  I LOVE quinoa! However, there are some people who don't like it.  I call it "Quinoaphobia". It usually hits those that haven't tried it. They stare at the grain and gasp "What IS that?". Then they run away. You can see them tearing down the street ...hair streaming behind them yelling "Nooooooo
Quinooooaaaawww!" 

So, the question is: are you adventurous enough to eat quinoa?

 When it's a salad it's very wet. Serve it in a pretty bowl lined with lettuce-leaves or as individual servings in lettuce-leaf cups. Use it as vegetarian lunch--low fat and relatively inexpensive. Yield: Feeds about 5 as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1 C quinoa (dry)
2 C water
2 C sliced grape tomatoes
1 chopped--peeled cucumber
1/2 C sliced kalamata olives
3/4 C crumbled Feta cheese
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 lemon--juiced
1 t oregano (if you don't like oregano--use basil)
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Combine quinoa and water in a saucepan. Boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes--until all water is absorbed. Combine vegies, add quinoa and tomatoes and herbs. Mix well. Add olive oil, lemon, and sprinkle feta on top. Toss and chill overnight or at least 4 hours before serving.

Tabbouleh...

My mother used to run. When I was around 12, she started running up and down the roads of Portola Valley. For fun and for health. Soon the whole nation was running! To this day I am convinced mom started it. Just like Al Gore invented the internet.

Eventually the whole family started to run. My sister, her husband Tad, my husband Alan, mom and I started running in races like "Bay to Breakers" and "Wharf to Wharf".  After running the race (badly) the Shelby family and our family would have gourmet food and lots of wine and beer. It was fun! So fun that I think the only reason Alan ran was to be able to go to the picnic afterwards! Here's one of the utterly delicious recipes...it's inexpensive and keeps beautifully!

This is originally from the Oakland- East Bay Junior League Cookbook called "California Fresh". Pine nuts are very pricey...and not necessary...but you can put them in if you wish! Yield: serves 8-10

Ingredients:

 Dressing:
1/2 /C olive oil
6 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 /c loosely packed chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 C loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
3 chopped green onion white parts ( including about an inch of each green portion)
1/2 t minced garlic
3/4 t cumin
3/4 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper

Salad:
1 C bulgur wheat (such as Kasha)
1/2 C boiling water
1/2 C pine nuts (optional)
2 medium tomatoes seeded and finely chopped, or 8 oz. "grape tomatoes" sliced in half

Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. Set aside. Add boiling water to bulger and stir to moisten evenly. Immediately stir in dressing, optional nuts, and tomatoes. Set aside for at least 8 hours or refrigerate overnight to allow "vulgar bulger" to soften and absorb dressing. To serve...line a serving bowl with romaine lettuce and fill with tabbouleh. OR-- serve it in a large "sand-pile" mountain on a platter. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. You can always opt to cut a few extra tomatoes into "flowers" and put them in the midst of randomly placed bunches of fresh mint leaves around the edge as well.  Just don't let the stems of the mint show!

Note: Keeps well several days in the refrigerator

California Organic Salad...

California is the home of fresh organic vegetables and fruits. This salad is one fresh example of California's riches. Part of its appeal is that it's so darn pretty! The other secret was that its ingredients just taste so good...

Ingredients:

mixed organic lettuces (at least 15 oz.)
4 avocados
8 small vine-ripened tomatoes cut in quarters
2 washed and sliced English cucumbers
Feta cheese (6 oz. --crumbled)
red bell peppers (sliced very thin)

Directions:

Wash lettuces if they aren't pre-washed in a salad spinner, then wrap them in a few paper towels and/or a plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator to crisp for at least 45 minutes.  Remove lettuce and put in a large bowl. Arrange on top the tomato quarters...the sliced cucumbers ...the red bell peppers...the avocadoes and sprinkle with crumbled Feta. Toss right before serving on individual plates or putting on the buffet table. Have dressing available in small bowls with spoons. 

Dressing: Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil (just whisk together equal parts with a pinch of salt and drizzle over the salad after it's on the plate).

Greco Casserole-- Great for Potlucks!

The mainstay of most working mom's freezers is the all-mighty casserole. OK pizza is a mainstay too. This very traditional potluck casserole has been popular since the 1960's. My mom used to make it and us kidlets loved it! It's also called "More" casserole in some cookbooks due to the fact that everyone who tastes it always want more! 

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef (you can try ground turkey, but it won't taste as good)
1/3 C chopped onion
3/4 C chopped green pepper
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 can corn
one can stewed tomatoes (or peel 3 fresh and quarter them)
1 t sugar
2 t salt
2 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic salt
pepper to taste
8 oz. egg noodles or shell pasta
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (medium sharp)

Directions:

Cook beef and green pepper in skillet until beef is brown and crumbly. Drain off oil. Mix rest of ingredients in a bowl and add them to skillet and simmer. Bring all to a boil and add noodles. Cook with top off until noodles are done. Put in a greased casserole. Cover with shredded cheddar and keep oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve hot and cheesy!

Anzac Cookies...

Napa is a wonderland of great restaurants and cute shops. We stumbled on a great section of the historic part of town that included "Sweetie Pie's Bakery".  Oh my. This bakery had amazing platter-sized cookies...voluptuous cupcakes...lavish layer cakes and luscious pies.  However, I picked out this humble cookie because I love oatmeal. "What's an ANZAC?" I queried.  Biting into it--I was not disappointed. An ANZAC is a very chewy and deliciously sweet oatmeal cookie. Looking it up on the Internet, I found they're named ANZAC because that's the abbreviation for the combined Australian and New Zealand (military) Corps. Apparently women used to send these cookies to their sweetheart soldiers who fought in the war. I found several recipes on "Down Under" online. This was the best. Yield: 12 huge cookies (5" in diameter)

Ingredients:

1 C oats (Quick Oats are best)
1 C coconut (sugar-free or see note below)
1 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar (don't pack)
4 oz. butter (one stick)

1 t soda powder

2 T boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Melt 1 stick butter in saucepan...add 2 T corn syrup. Dissolve soda in water...add to butter mixture. Don't worry if it froths a bit. It should. Measure in 1/3 C measure scoops onto a parchment lined pan. Make into a ball then squash with the heel of your hand. Bake 10-12 minutes until just light brown.

Note: If you can't find any sugar-free shredded coconut in your town...you can always make your own. Simply put your sugar-y "Angel Flake" into a colander the night before you make the cookies...run cold water through it for a few minutes to wash off the sugar and oil ...and let it dry on paper towels for the next day's baking. I actually like using this method better than buying sugar-free coconut at the health-food store.  Sugar-free coconut tends to be too dry and crunchy.

Carol Lawless's Curried Chicken Salad...

Category: Main Dish
Difficulty: Medium (lots of chopping--really easy if you use a Rotisserie Chicken)
Sorta Healthy-- has lots of vegetables!

This was one of two salads served at my daughter's fabulous wedding shower put on by the very hospitable Carol Lawless in 2011. As we entered her garden, we were treated to a view of 3 tables set up outside with a green arched canopy overall. Glorious roses bloomed pink and red near the table. Our hostesses' porcelain gleamed on white tablecloths with green linen napkins. The weather was perfect, and the food was a divine gift from heaven.

Most of the time chicken salad is rather sodden. Gloppy. It's delish...but it hits your stomach like a ton of bricks. This recipe is different. The chopped cabbage lightens the whole thing up! Do try it for your next outdoor party. It's a winner.

Ingredients:

Salad:
4 baked skinless/boneless chopped chicken breasts--seasoned with garlic salt before baking OR use the meat from 2 Rotisserie Chickens.
1 head Napa cabbage, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/2 C raisins (can use both dark and golden if you like)
1/2 C roasted/salted sunflower seeds
1 bag Croutons (your choice of flavor--I use garlic/butter flavor)

Dressing:
1 C Best Foods or Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
2 T honey
Garlic Salt
Lemon Pepper
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
a few drops green Habanera sauce
2 Tablespoons Curry powder (yes...LOTS)
1 T milk

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl in the order shown. Layer salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with dressing ONLY when ready to sit down and eat--to keep the salad crisp.

Ginger-Peanut Chicken-Salad Wraps

It is now Indian Summer in Santa Cruz County. Often our hottest time of year. It was so hot for my daughter's wedding in October last year that my polyester zipper almost melted! We couldn't get it open!  No problem--we sewed me into the dress after breaking the zipper. Finally evening came with cool breezes and tall glasses of iced lemon water. Perhaps it's a hot evening for you tonight? How about something refreshing.... like salad? This tastes like Chinese Chicken Salad in a tortilla. It's got so many vegetables--it's a one dish meal! Common Sense Tip: use a cooked rotisserie chicken from Costco or another store instead of making your own. From "Cooking Light" magazine, I don't know what year. Yield: 8 wraps. 280 calories each...

Note: You can substitute a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (Costco?) instead of cooking your own. That makes it really easy!

Ingredients:

1 t olive oil
24 oz. cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken or saute 4 chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt until done)
1 C chopped seeded peeled cucumber
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T minced peeled ginger
3 T minced peeled fresh ginger
3 T fresh lime juice
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 t ground pepper
1 crushed garlic clove
1/4 C creamy peanut butter
2 T water
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
8 (8-inch) GF tortillas or large iceberg lettuce leaves
4 C chopped romaine lettuce

Directions:

Shred cooked or packaged sliced chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss chicken...cucumber...and bell pepper together in a large bowl; set aside. Place the sugar and the next 6 ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Add peanut butter and water, process till smooth. Scrape sides. Add to bowl with chicken mixture; stir well. Add cilantro and toss. Warm tortillas according to package directions...or just use cold. Spoon 1/2 C chicken mixture into each tortilla and top each with 1/2 C lettuce; roll up like a burrito. If you elect to use lettuce leaves instead of tortillas--carefully roll the lettuce leaf around the chicken mix like a burrito without the extra lettuce topper. Serve with tall glasses of something cold!

Lamb Chops with Cilantro-Mint Sauce

This recipe is so quick and good! It's got that lip-smacking tang that makes you want more and more. Common Sense Tips: Lamb is expensive...so be sure and buy the chops at your local Big Box Store in spring when they're almost reasonable. Also, you won't need more fresh ginger root than a piece the size of your thumb even if you double the recipe. DO double the sauce recipe and freeze some for later! You will want some for another night. My daughter found this--it's by Wolfgang Puck. Yield: 8 chops (serves 4)

Ingredients:

 2 t minced fresh ginger
1/4 C packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 C packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 T honey
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1/2 C canola or other mild vegetable oil
8 rib lamb chops--up to 3/4-inch thick--or regular lamb chops
Fresh mint and cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade combine all of the marinade ingredients and process until completely blended and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.  Place the lamb chops in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour in 1/4 C of the marinade. Turn the lamb in the bag to coat it evenly. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours--turning once or twice. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as a sauce. Grill chops. Place lamb chops on serving plates and crisscross the ends if you used rib chops. Spoon the remaining refrigerated sauce over the top and garnish with mint or cilantro leaves. Scrumptious!

Wedding Mac N' Cheese...

Recently, I helped out at Lindsay Stover's wedding and had the best Macaroni and Cheese I have ever tasted. Pam, the caterer, served a variation of Wolfgang Puck's CUT steakhouse version. She was nice enough to give it to me.

Well, I have to tell 'ya this recipe was a flop the first time I made it. Why? I just didn't have the right cheese combination. I had used a pricey Irish cheddar that was just ...too mild. I needed a fierce cheddar. My daughter (bless her) suggested Cracker Barrel Aged Cheddar in the black packaging.  Hurray! I did add half cup of shredded mozzarella at the end to create a little gooier instead of silky texture.  Yield: 4- 5 servings of Mac N' Cheese. Double or quadruple this recipe to feed more people! Freezes well!

Ingredients:

8 oz. elbow macaroni (you can also use small-size penne or cavatappi)
3 T unsalted butter--plus more for greasing the baking dish
3 T all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free blend if you use GF pasta)
1 small bay leaf
1/2 medium white onion (sliced)
3 1/2 C whole milk
1 t sea salt or table salt (add more to adjust to taste after you add the cheese)
1 t. black pepper (I used 1/2 t)
1 oz. Parmesan
10 oz. shredded Cracker Barrel Aged Cheddar (black label)
3 oz. shredded Gruyere 
Optional:  1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (add at the last minute)
1 C Panko breadcrumbs (smashed Saltine cracker crumbs work in a pinch)
Optional: Truffle oil

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot cook elbow or penne macaroni following directions on the package until al dente. While pasta is cooking use a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat to melt the 3 T butter. Stir in the flour until blended --about 1 minute. Add the bay leaf and sliced onion. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Simmer whisking occasionally until the mixture starts to thicken for about 7 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and onion at this point--or you will be SORRY. Bay leaf has a very strong taste! Simmer and whisk for another 7 minutes until mixture is as thick. Sauce should be creamy...not grainy. If it's grainy, throw it all out and do it again!  Whisk it more often on the second try.  Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 C of the aged Cheddar, Gruyere and Parmesan until melted. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. At this point the pasta is probably done. Drain the water by putting it in a colander run cool water through it and set aside.

Put the drained macaroni back into the pot you boiled it in... fold the cheese sauce into it then adds the 1/2 C mozzarella if you decide you want to use it.  It's not good for the mozzarella to completely melt into the sauce like the other cheeses at this point. But if it does...it's OK. Transfer to a 9X12" or 1 qt. greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with Panko or brioche breadcrumbs and remaining cheddar cheese. Drizzle (optional) truffle oil over the top. Bake until the crumbs are golden, and the cheese is bubbly--about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew

I thought I was done blogging...but then I tried this recipe. It was just too darn good not to include in my collection. Adapted from a 2013 Bon Apetit issue it will knock your winter socks off your cold little feet. Double the recipe and freeze some! It can be made with Chorizo if you like a spicy sausage--but personally I prefer a really good Italian. Common Sense Tip: get a good chicken Italian sausage at your local specialty food store (like WholeFoods).  Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 lb. fresh chicken Italian or Chorizo sausage links
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. dried thyme
2 15 oz. cans white kidney beans
2 C low-sodium chicken broth
Salt (kosher or sea-salt is best) and pepper to taste
5 oz. baby spinach (about 10 cups)
Smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook whole. Cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel on a plate to drain. Note: you can use blobs of sausage that is not in links. It's often less expensive.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 T oil in the same skillet. Add onion garlic and thyme. Cook until onion is softened 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook. Crush a few of the beans as you go to help thicken the sauce as you stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted.  Slice sausage and fold it into stew. Add water to thin if needed. Divide stew among bowls and sprinkle with a bit of smoked paprika if desired.