January « 2010 « Gourmet and Comfort Food Blog by Two Hot Potatoes

2012

2011

2010

2009

Best Bacon Ever!

Sunday January 31st 2010

Sure, I know what you’re thinking -Bacon is already pretty awesome. How could I possibly make this delicious brunch favorite even better? This recipe comes to you from a food stylist and friend of mine in Chicago. Whenever Breana is in the kitchen whipping up her families famous bacon for the crew at breakfast, she’s liable to cause a stampede in the studio. Stomachs start growling, and nostrils begin to flare at the intoxicating aroma of thick delicious pork sizzling in to submission in this spicy sweet rub.

This is my take on my friends’ family favorite.

What you’ll need:

Some extra thick cut bacon (I’m using lightly salted and smoked bacon from Full Quiver Farms, courtesy of my organic co-op)

Brown Sugar

Red Pepper Flakes

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Lay your bacon out on a baking sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Coat both sides of each bacon strip with a generous rub of brown sugar. Sprinkle the top with just a pinch of cayenne pepper, and plenty of red pepper flakes.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes, until the bacon is crispy to your liking. (Some people like they’re bacon chewy, I prefer mine extra crisp- well, to each their own). This oven baking method has proved to be so much better than any bacon I’ve ever made on the stove top. Not only does it ensure that the flavor is sealed in my bacon and not left in my skillet, but the added bonus is that I don’t have grease popping me in the face every time I have to flip the bacon.

Enjoy with pancakes, biscuits, or what ever your favorite brunch pairing would be. Today we enjoyed our bacon with some cheesy cheddar eggs.

Bon Appetit!

Intro to Sign Language

Friday January 29th 2010

How many times have you been at a dinner where someone has used the wrong water glass or stolen your bread plate? Or you find yourself at a crowded table trying to figure out which glass or bread plate is actually yours?

If you’re advanced in your table etiquette, then you should know that the bread plate is to your left and the water and wine glasses are to your right. But if you’re not advanced or particularly sophisticated, and you grew up eating tuna casserole or beanie weenies on paper plates while watching Charles in Charge like I did, you’ll probably need this little trick.

Make an “okay” sign with both hands by touching the tip of each thumb to the tip of your forefinger (I usually do this under the table). Your left hand will form a lowercase b (for bread), and your right will form a lowercase d (for drinks). Or, if you’re not a hand sign kind of person, you can always just remember the acronym BMW: bread, meal, water/wine.

Parmesan & Pancetta Pasta

Thursday January 28th 2010

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes! Seriously, I can’t believe I’m about to share it with you all, but the best things in life are always better when they’re shared.

For me, it doesn’t get much better than fresh made pasta. With three simple ingredients that most people keep on hand you can easily transform a meal.

For the pasta:

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 tsp salt

Mound the flour in a volcano shape and make a well in the middle of the flour. Add the eggs and salt to the center. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you incorporate the eggs, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape. Once about half of the four is incorporated, get your hands dirty and begin working the dough with your hands.

Start kneading the dough with both hands, add more flour in 1/4-cup increments, if the dough is too sticky. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, remove the dough from your surface and scrape up any left over dry bits. Lightly flour the clean surface and continue kneading for about 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Remember to dust your surface with flour as necessary.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature.

There are countless varieties of pasta shapes which are easy to roll out and cut by hand. Here is an excellent link to learn techniques for a few different shapes.

Cut your pasta as you wish (I recommend a wide tagliatelle, or ribbon-like strips). Hang the pasta for about 15 minutes to dry so that it does not stick together. They make pasta drying racks for this, but as you can see the oven handles work just as well

To cook the pasta:

1 (4-inch) piece parmesan rind

8 cups Chicken stock

8 cups water (season with salt)

6 ounces pancetta

2 cups fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tbs butter

Bring the chicken stock and water to a boil, add the parmesan rind and let simmer for about half an hour. This is a great step to do ahead and let it simmer while you are cutting and drying your pasta.

Cook pancetta in a skillet until just crispy, and set aside.

Once your pasta is dry and ready to cook, bring the broth back up to a rolling boil and drop the pasta in. Don’t go anywhere- this past is made fresh so it cooks up quick! Only leave it in for about 2-3 minutes.

Remove pasta immediately and set in a large serving platter with a few spoon fulls of that lovely parmesan broth the pasta was cooked in. Toss with cooked pancetta, grated parmesan, and butter until all is incorporated evenly.

Garnish with a sprinkle more of shaved parmesan and fresh cracked pepper.

The best chocolate cake ever (when made correctly).

Wednesday January 27th 2010

Katie’s only request was “something chocolate.” Well, she definitely got something chocolate.

This cake holds the title for the most indulgent chocolate cake ever. Bake with caution.

Double Chocolate Layer Cake
Gourmet, March 1999

For cake layers:
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut (I used Ghiradelli, and it tasted just fine)
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee 3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting:
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut (I used Ghiradelli here as well. I did my grocery shopping at Target, and they’re not exactly known for their fine chocolate selection.)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment:
two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans (I actually used three 9-inch pans to make a triple-layered cake. In retrospect, not my best decision)

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes (only 50 minutes if you use 9-inch pans).

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

* It’s been brought to my attention that’s it’s National Chocolate Cake Day, and I can’t believe I didn’t get the day off of work for this revered holiday. Luckily I have this relevant blog post to honor chocolate cake on it’s special day.

Put a Cork in it

Monday January 25th 2010

It inevitably always happens. It’s Saturday night, 7 pm, and it’s too early for dinner (unless I plan waiting for two hours at any given Dallas restaurant) and too late for an afternoon nap. What’s a girl to do?

Well, my first choice was Scardello. There’s no better way to start off a Saturday evening than with an earthy, creamy cheese plate accompanied by a glass of champagne. Unfortunately, on this particular Saturday evening, I arrived at Scardello only to find a private party taking over my favorite cheese house. Disappointment ensued.

So where to next? Cork, of course.

Cork takes a multi-sensory, multidisciplinary approach to wine. It’s part wine store, part tasting room and part wine bar. Upon arrival at Cork, you purchase a wine tasting card (I refer to it as my wine ATM card). Once you’ve got your Cork card loaded (you can put any amount on your card – I usually start with $25), you’re set to taste wines.

Cork has six different computerized tasting stations with over 48 different wines where you have the option to swipe your card and 1) buy a taste 2) buy a glass or 3) buy a bottle. The computerized stations allow you to learn about the vineyard, grapes and flavor notes before you actually taste or buy, and the tasting prices range any where from a $1.00 for the inexpensive wines to up to $12.00 for the pricier bottles. It’s a great way to experience new wines without investing in an entire glass or bottle. Plus, it’s fun!

Patrons at Tasting Bar on the Right, Retail Store on the Left

Individual Tasting Stations

Cork is located in the West Village – 3636 McKinney Ave, Suite 170 Dallas, TX 75204. It’s sandwiched between Grimaldis and The Fish on Cityplace Drive.

Do you eat it?

Friday January 22nd 2010

We’ve all been there. You’ve dropped a beloved snack on the floor, and now you’re faced with a tough decision ~to eat, or not to eat.

This fun binary decision making chart can help you decide next time.

Happy Friday everyone!

Apple Pie Tart

Thursday January 21st 2010

I’ve always had a love/ hate relationship when it comes to baking sweets.

On the one hand ~I love baked treats.

On the other hand ~I just don’t have the patience for meticulous measurements, mixing dough, chilling it, warming this, waiting for that to cool, etc.

But last night for some reason the mood struck me. I had a bag full of pink lady apples that were pretty tart, and I’ve been needing to make good use of them before they went bad. So I combined a few recipes and ended up with this delightful creation ~ my Apple Pie Tart

Step One: Assemble the dough- I researched a lot of different recipes trying to find the simplest and quickest one to make with all the ingredients I had on hand. Turns out the only quick dough recipes I could find were all store bought. So I went with my go-to-girl’s recipe for her sweet tart shell. *Found on Smitten Kitchen. I followed this recipe but only baked it for 15 minutes which kept my crust from burning after I had to bake it again with the filling.

Once I mixed, chilled, rolled out, and chilled the dough again, I kicked myself when I remembered why I can’t stand these tedious processes in baking pastry dough. But I was fully committed at this point and plus, my favorite part was next~

Slicing and spicing up the apples!

You’ll want a crisp slightly tart apple to work with for this recipe. I used Pink Lady.

5-6 Large Crisp Apples

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup loose brown sugar (not tightly packed)

1 tbs cinnamon

A pinch of ginger and nutmeg

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

4 tbs butter diced in to cubes (set aside)

While your tart crust is chilling, peel the apples and slice thinly. Reserving the peels for the glaze later.

Toss the peeled and sliced apples with all ingredients (except butter) making sure to coat everything evenly.

Lay the apple slices in a pretty little ring inside the tart shell “armadillo style”. Dot with 4 tbs butter evenly laid between the apples. Then bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Rotating the tart about every 20 minutes.

While the tart is baking, take your left over apple peels and simmer in a pot with just enough water to cover them and about 1 cup of sugar. If you have any apple or peach brandy on hand, a shot or two of that would be an excellent addition to this syrup. Boil until it is all reduced down to a nice thick sweet syrup.

Once the apples in the tart are baked tender, set aside to cool for about 15 minutes. Then brush on your delicious apple glaze.

Indulgences from last week

Wednesday January 20th 2010

Cheeseburger from The Grape

2004 Opus One

Not a bad week.

Ate the best burger in Texas (as named by Texas Monthly), and shared a bottle of Opus One with my significant other.

It’s tough to beat.

Ode to Thomas Keller

Tuesday January 19th 2010

I adore all things Thomas Keller.

Last year, I indulged in the most heavenly four hour meal at French Laundry, wine pairings and all. It was an experience that probably won’t be replicated for awhile. Unless I get a second job.

On that same trip to Napa, I also had the pleasure of eating at Thomas Keller’s other Yountville joint, Ad Hoc. What a cool, fun concept. While I loved French Laundry, it didn’t feel like home. It felt like an out of body eating experience. Ad Hoc felt like home (possibly due to the fact that they have the same Ikea full length mirrors I do, but you get the point).

Anyway, one of my favorite Thomas Keller recipes that I’ve made over and over is his Simple Roasted Chicken. And the name says it all. I honestly don’t even have to put together a lengthy recipe for you because it’s so ridiculously simple.

Buy a chicken (3-4lb).

Clean and dry the chicken.

Truss the chicken.

Throw salt all over the chicken.

Seriously, that’s it. Sometimes I add thyme in addition to the salt, but it’s just as good with only the salt. Throw the chicken into the roasting pan and roast at 400 degrees for around 50 minutes.

Here’s the catch. The oven gets smoky. Really smoky. My smoke alarm went off three times when I roasted this chicken the other night. But it’s worth enduring the ear piercing smoke alarm to reap the benefits of this juicy chicken with it’s delicious, brown, salty skin.

Habanero Margarita

Sunday January 17th 2010

This feisty concoction is sure to fire up your weekend! Habanero infused tequila is what gives this classic a kick. If your taste buds can’t handle the heat then you could still follow this recipe for fresh margaritas that are sure to please.

Step 1: Infuse the tequila (Do this one week ahead)

1 bottle of 100% pure agave silver Tequila
4-5 habanero peppers

Cut off the tops of each pepper and remove the seeds.
Stuff them inside the bottle and let them hang out for about one week.
It’s that easy.

Step 2: Make your Margarita

2oz habenero tequila
3oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1oz fresh squeezed orange juice
2oz simple syurp

To rim the glass:
Equal parts salt & sugar mixed with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Using fresh squeezed lime and orange juice is essential to making a good margarita! Forget anything you’ve ever heard about sweet and sour mix- that stuff is crap! Only fresh limes and oranges should ever be used!

Pour all ingredients in to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously to mix and chill.

Run a lime wedge along the rim of your glass to wet, then roll the rim in the salt, sugar, cayenne mix.

Pour the margarita in the rimed glass, garnish with a lime wedge if you wish, and enjoy!

Links