Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Pot Pie

Chicken Parmesan Pot Pie - recipe from Fabio Viviani
People Magazine, Feb 2, 2015 issue, p.82
5 stars

I'm sometimes wary of recipes in non-food magazines but decided to try this chicken pot pie recipe -- with an Italian twist that was in this week's issue of People Magazine.  Really great recipe (winter comfort food), and we would definitely make it again!

Tips:

• Cook the vegetables less so that they remain their texture.  (Remove vegetables from the pan temporarily while cooking the chicken in the pan; then add the vegetables back.)
• Cook the potatoes just a tad less
• Add red pepper
• Cut the amount of flour down by at least 1/3 so the overall texture is less "thick"
• Add thyme
• As you can see -- we baked this in a large casserole dish vs. in individual ramekins

Recipe: S'mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue

S'mores Bars with Marshmallow Meringue
Food and Wine Magazine, April 2015, p. 72
5 stars

This was so good that I forgot to take a photo of it!
Of all the s'mores desserts I've made, this is one that I'd make again -- the recipe is a keeper!  It has a great balance of graham cracker crust (much thicker crust than most recipes), cakey/brownie middle and lovely marshmallowy fluff of meringue.  And best thing about it is that it's not super sweet.

Here is a photo from the magazine so you can see how it ended up looking:

I'll update this post with a photo the next time I make this *craveable* dessert!

Recipe: Carrot-Walnut Loaf Cake

Carrot-Walnut Loaf Cake
Bon Appetit, May 2015, p. 20
5 stars

This recipe is from the r.s.v.p. section of Bon Appetit -- a reader requested the recipe from Breads Bakery in NY (I'm so glad he did!).  We had all the ingredients in the house, so I made this randomly one afternoon.  It's one of my favorite desserts I've made recently ~ I kind of feel healthy eating it since there are carrots in it.  Haha.

The sprinkle of brown sugar on top before baking is a nice touch.

Ingredients:  flour, carrots, golden raisins, walnuts, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, light brown sugar, baking powder, vegetable oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• This made a loaf (8.5" x 4.5" pan) and 6 cupcakes
• Use more cinnamon next time
• Top with cream cheese frosting! Now it's really a cake.

Recipe: Coconut Rice Salad

Coconut Rice Salad
Food and Wine Magazine, March 2015, p. 60
3.5 stars

I wouldn't necessarily call this a 'salad.'  The recipe was ok -- we had to really "up" the flavor on it.  I'd make this again but increase the heat/add more spices.

Ingredients:  unsweetened coconut milk, jasmine rice, sugar, salt, chicken, Kirby cucumbers, scallions, canola oil

Tips:

• Used basmati rice instead of Jasmine rice
• Added Thai red curry paste to the chicken, but the chicken still needed more flavor even with that
• Added sriracha on top to add some heat
• Used extra-virgin olive oil instead of canola oil
• Cut the cucumbers at a diagonal or chop them vs. half moons next time

Drink Recipe: Celery Tonic / Celery Martini

Celery Tonic (Celery Martini)
Bon Appetit, Sept 2014, p.54
5 stars

I'm always one to try new (and sometimes odd) food and drinks, and I love it when we have everything in the house to make random recipes that I come across.

This recipe is very celery-y as you can imagine but really interesting, refreshing and one of my favorite drinks to make.

Recipe:

• Muddle 1 chopped celery stalk with 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1 oz fresh lemon juice in a cocktail shaker, 1 minute.
• Add 2 oz. gin, fill shaker with ice, and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds.
• Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with a lemon twist.

As you can see from my photo, I made it into a beautiful cool green martini. . .

Recipe: Spaghetti with Fresh Zucchini Pesto

Spaghetti with Fresh Zucchini Pesto

Food and Wine Magazine, Sept 2015, p. 60

4 stars

This was a pretty good and healthy (vegetarian!) dish.  We modified this recipe and added basil and used walnuts instead of almonds.  It's an interesting take on pesto by using zucchini.  

Add a simple garden salad with Parmesan crisps and a glass of white wine. . .  bon appetit!

Ingredients:  zucchini, spaghetti, Pecorino romano, garlic, blanched almonds, lemon zest, mint, red pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Recipe: Celery, Fennel and Apple Salad with Pecorino and Walnuts

Celery, Fennel and Apple Salad with Pecorino and Walnuts
Food and Wine Magazine, Dec 2014, p. 86
4 stars

We had extra fennel from another dish, and I was trying to figure out what to do with it. . .  found this recipe which was oh so easy and fresh -- a crisp/crunchy fresh and flavorful salad.  And only 10 ingredients!

Ingredients:  celery, fennel bulbs, Honeycrisp apples, basil, walnuts, Pecorino cheese shavings, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Kosher salt, pepper

Recipe: Pork-and-Ricotta Meatballs in Parmesan Broth

Pork-and-Ricotta Meatballs in Parmesan Broth
Food and Wine Magazine, March 2015, p. 101
4 stars

Hearty and quick weekday meal that is so flavorful and will make your house smell wonderful.

Ingredients:  ground pork, frozen peas, baby spinach, egg noodles, chicken broth, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Spinach wilts down to almost nothing, so we used almost 3/4 lb spinach (much more than what the recipe calls for)
• You probably will have leftovers, so definitely keep the egg noodles separate so that they don't get soggy -- don't cook the egg noodles in the soup

Recipe: Peach, Blueberry and Ginger Pie

A BA Kichen Primer: Fruit Pies
Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2015, p.33-38
5 stars

Pie Crust Recipe
Filling Recipe

I've made a Blueberry Ginger Pie and now a Peach, Blueberry and Ginger Pie using the pie crust and filling recipe in the June issue of Bon Appetit.  It beats all fruit pies I've ever tasted.

Tips:

• Crust recipes, in general, never seem to make enough dough for the bottom and top.  It's so odd.  When they do, the crust just seems too thin.  For the pie pictured above, I decided to make a crumble for the top.
• I don't think the pie crust needs as much butter as it calls for (1 cup + 2 tbsp).  I may test cutting it down just a tad next time.
• Make sure to set the pie plate on a sheet pan lined with foil.  The pie will bubble over with its yummy goodness.
• Serve the pie with homemade ice cream -- bourbon vanilla bean ice cream went great with the peach, blueberry and ginger pie.

Recipe: Ham-and-Cheese Puff Pastry Tart

Ham-and-Cheese Puff Pastry Tart

Food and Wine Magazine, Apr 2015, p. 126

5 stars

This is the ultimate ham and cheese (non-)sandwich that would be lovely to serve at a tea or as hors d'oeuvres at a dinner party.  We had this for dinner with a nice salad and glass of Chardonnay.

Basically,  you create a bechamel sauce that is layered in with the ham and Comte cheese in the puff pastry.

Ingredients (11):  thinly sliced baked ham, shredded Comte cheese, puff pastry, egg, flour, shallot, milk, butter, whole grain mustard, nutmeg, salt, pepper

Tip:

• Add a little more mustard and consider Dijon mustard

Recipe: Smoked Almond S'mores with Whiskey Marshmallows

Smoked Almond S'mores with Whiskey Marshmallows
Saveur, May 2015, p. 22
4 stars

S'mores from scratch.  It takes a lot of work, and I'm not sure if it's all completely worth it.

The graham shortbreads were good, not amazing.  They were soft and were a little crumbly -- perhaps, I didn't bake them long enough?

The chocolate squares were good.

The marshmallow recipe was good as well.

It just took a LONG time to make everything since there are 3 components.

I'll make these again and will report back on what to do differently and how to make these better.  (And I'll remember to take a photo next time!)

Recipe: Key Lime Pie

I forgot to take a photo of the pie by itself;
here it is cropped out of another photo.

Key Lime Pie (Andrew Zimmern's recipe)
People Magazine
5 stars

I saw this recipe in People Magazine recently and thought I'd give it a try -- I'd never made key lime pie before.  It was super easy!!!!  If you like key lime pie, make this;  you'll never need to order it from a restaurant again.

Ingredients:  graham cracker crumbs, light brown sugar, butter, egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, Kosher salt, whipping cream, key lime or lime slices for garnish

Tips:

• I'd make more graham cracker crust than what is called for.  I didn't have enough crust, and as you can see the filling filled up the pie plate to the top.

Recipe: Pan-Fried Shrimp with Lemony Pea Pesto

Pan-Fried Shrimp with Lemony Pea Pesto
Food and Wine Magazine, Apr 2015, p. 122
4 stars

A pesto made with peas!  This was surprisingly delicious (I was a bit skeptical on how this would turn out).  We used the small frozen peas from Trader Joe's which made for a pesto that had a bit of sweetness to it.  This is an easy weeknight meal that you can whip up in 30 min.

Pesto ingredients:  pine nuts, peas, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, Kosher salt, pepper

Other ingredients:  shrimp, baby arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, salt pepper

Tips:

• Added red pepper when cooking the shrimp
• Topped the arugula with cheese

Recipe: Spiced Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

  

Spiced Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust  (Marcus Samuelsson recipe)
Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2014, p. 84
4 stars

This is a pie that I need to make again in the fall.  It was good; however, I think it needs more cheddar in the crust for the cheese flavor to come through.  Also, I don't think it takes 50 min + 15 to 20 min to bake.  I pulled the pie out of the oven early, and the crust still seemed to be overbaked.

I'll update this post once I make this recipe again.

Crust ingredients:  all-purpose flour, sharp cheddar cheese, butter, kosher salt, ice water

Filling ingredients:  tart apples, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cardamom, salt, ground cloves, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter

Recipe: Ensalada de Calabacin

Ensalada de Calabacin (Frida Kahlo's Zucchini Salad)
Saveur, Oct 2014
5 stars

This is a great side dish -- very flavorful and oh so easy.  It's only 8 ingredients!  Apparently, this was a favorite of artist Frida Kahlo's.

Ingredients:  zucchini, avocado, queso anejo, cilantro, sugar, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Don't cut the zucchini too thin because when you saute them, they'll get too soft/mushy
• Instead of queso anejo, we used cotija

Recipe: Fregola with Green Peas, Mint and Ricotta

Fregola with Green Peas, Mint and Ricotta
Bon Appetit, April 2015
5 stars

We had this for dinner last night, and it was absolutely delicious.  The recipe sounded simple yet interesting, and it did not disappoint.

Just 11 ingredients:  fregola, bacon, onion, peas, ricotta, mint, chicken broth, dry white wine, olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

Fregola is a type of pasta from Sardinia.

We added:

• A clove of garlic
• Red pepper for a little heat
• Lentils to make it even healthier (cut the fregola to 80%)

Recipe: Soba Salad with Marinated Cucumber and Ponzu

Soba Salad with Marinated Cucumber and Ponzu

Saveur, May 2015, p.70

4 stars

This recipe comes from Chris Shepherd of Underbelly in Houston.  It's a great Asian vegetarian noodle dish that has lots of great flavor and texture.

Ingredients:  buckwheat soba noodles, English cucumber, red bell pepper, red Thai chile, red onion cilantro, mirin, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, granulated sugar, sesame oil, lemon juice, Kosher salt, black pepper, bonito flakes, mint, Thai basil leaves

Tips:

• Instead of bonito flakes, we used togarashi 
• This would go great with either the Grilled Flank Steak with Coca-Cola Pickled Onions or the Char Siu Chicken recipes that are on the same page in the magazine (that we have yet to make!)

Recipe: Tofu Yum-Yum Rice Bowl

Tofu Yum-Yum Rice Bowl
Bon Appetit Magazine, Apr 2015, p.16
5 stars

My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish.  Talk about great flavor and texture: it consists of rice, various herbs, amazingly seasoned tofu, egg, kimchi, peanuts and sesame seeds.  A hearty and tasty vegetarian dish from World Street Kitchen in Minneapolis.

I'm thinking that the tofu marinade can definitely be used for chicken.  We saved the extra marinade and freezed it for another time.

Tofu marinade ingredients:  tofu (of course), garlic, soy sauce, hot chili paste like sambal oelek, cilantro, ginger

Ingredients:  rice, eggs, kimchi, cilantro, basil, scallions, peanuts, sesame seeds, cornstarch, vegetable oil, salt

Tips/changes we made:

• Not necessary to marinate the tofu for as long as required
• Didn't fry the tofu and so didn't use cornstarch -- sauteed the tofu instead
• Soft-boiled the eggs instead of poaching them
• Went light on the garlic and soy sauce

Recipe: Fruit Salad with Fennel, Watercress and Smoked Salt

Fruit Salad with Fennel, Watercress and Smoked Salt
Bon Appetit, June 2015, p. 87
4 stars

A lovely, refreshing summer salad.  (And I like that this salad isn't predominantly lettuce leaves.)  We'll definitely make this again before the end of summer.

Vinaigrette ingredients:  olive oil, lemon juice, smoked or flaky sea salt

Salad ingredients:  honeydew melon, plum, cherries, grapefruit, fennel bulb, frisee, watercress, unseasoned rice vinegar, smoked or flaky sea salt, black pepper

Tips

• Used mixed greens instead of frisee
• Left out the cherries

Recipe: Pappardelle with Cauliflower and Mustard Brown Butter

Pappardelle with Cauliflower and Mustard Brown Butter
Saveur Magazine, [not sure which issue since I tore out the page - Jan?] 2015
5 stars

Love, love, love!  This vegetarian dish is a new favorite.  If you're vegetarian and our friends, we'll probably serve this to you when we have you over for dinner.  It's really a "winter" dish, but, hey, whatever.  Extremely flavorful and so simple to make (especially if you don't make the pasta from scratch).

Ingredient list:  cauliflower, pappardelle pasta, bread crumbs, red chile flakes, whole grain mustard, garlic, parsley, butter, olive oil, Kosher salt, black pepper

• Made the pasta from scratch which always elevates the dish!
• Made half the amount of brown butter sauce it calls for because 10 tbsp seemed too much to me
• Left out the capers (we're not huge fans)

Recipe: Grilled Chipotle Corn

Grilled Chipotle Corn - a Rachael Ray recipe

People Magazine, July 13, 2015, p.73

5 stars

I was reading People Magazine and came across this recipe.  We just so happened to have corn, cream, chipotle in adobo, cotija cheese, scallion, cilantro and dried oregano -- all in the house.  I love it when I find a recipe that uses ingredients we already have!

This was delicious - flavorful and oh so easy.  We'll definitely be making this again;  it'd be a nice side dish with enchiladas or fajitas or tacos.

Tips:

• Use more chipotle in adobo than what it calls for if you want it extra spicy.
• The recipe made more cream/sauce than we needed.  3/4 cup of cream is probably more than enough.
• Triple the amount of cilantro and double the amount of scallion.

Recipe: Warm Tofu with Soy-Ginger Sauce

Warm Tofu with Soy-Ginger Sauce
Food and Wine Magazine, April 2015, p. 63
5 stars

When we make spring rolls or gyoza (dumplings) or have sushi for dinner, I often think we need a side dish other than edamame.  So, when I saw this recipe, I had to try it.  This recipe is a keeper!

It calls for just 8 ingredients:  tofu, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, salt, scallions, sesame seeds, togarashi

Tips:

• I think soft tofu (instead of firm) would work better.  Once I try it, I'll update this blog post.
• Even though the soy sauce is salty, this did need a little bit of salt.  Try it without salt first and add to taste.
• Used regular sesame oil (not toasted).
• Found togarashi in the bulk section of our grocery store.  It's a Japanese spice mixture made of 7 ingredients.  Apparently, the 7 ingredients varies by brand/maker.

Recipe: Pork Ragu Over Creamy Polenta

Pork Ragu Over Creamy Polenta
Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2015, p. 76
5 stars

This is what I call a "weekend recipe" since it takes about 4 hours to make (with 2.5-3 hrs simmer time).  If you take a look at this recipe, it actually is quite easy; you just need to be around the house to keep an eye on it and stir periodically.

This dish has really great flavor -- I'd make it for guests especially since you can let it cook on its own (instead of hovering over the stove during a dinner party while guests arrive).

Pork ingredients:  boneless pork shoulder, onion, garlic, tomato paste, full-bodied red wine, can of whole peeled tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, kosher salt, pepper, vegetable oil

Polenta ingredients:  coarse (not quick-cooking) polenta, Parmesan, butter, Kosher salt, pepper, fresh parsley, olive oil

Tips:

• As the recipe notes, this is a thick ragu.  To make a little more sauce, I'd add a small can of tomato sauce or an additional can of diced tomatoes.
• I didn't think the olive oil drizzled on top was necessary.

Recipe: Sugar Snap Peas and Oyster Mushrooms in Sherried Cream

Sugar Snap Peas and Oyster Mushrooms in Sherried Cream
Food and Wine Magazine, April 2015, p. 131
4 stars

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, but it was quite tasty.  A nice side dish to serve with steak and mashed potatoes.

It's a different vegetable side dish that has the earthiness of the mushrooms, "bright" flavor of the lemon juice and zest, slight hint of sherry, and some creaminess -- plus crispiness of the snow peas.

Ingredients:  oyster mushrooms, shallot, sugar snap peas, dry sherry, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, canola oil, salt

Tips:

• The grocery store didn't have oyster mushrooms, so we used baby bellas.  They also didn't have fresh snow peas, so I used frozen.
• Use a tad less sherry
• 1/2 a cup of heavy cream is a LOT -- use about 1/4 cup
• Add the snow peas near the end so that they remain crisp 

Recipe: Double-Chocolate Souffles

Double-Chocolate Souffles
Food and Wine Magazine, April 2015, p. 128
5 stars

Let me just say that these are AMAZING!!!!!  And so easy to make -- just 7 ingredients that we usually have around the house so I can whip these up any time!

Ingredients:  unsalted butter, sugar, bittersweet chocolate, kosher salt, milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs

Tips:

• Needed about 19 min bake time (vs. 15).
• To make them even more chocolatey, I added chocolate chips on top when serving.

Recipe: Twice-Baked Potatoes

Twice-baked potatoes along with ribs, broccoli cheddar gratin
and popovers w/gruyere = a perfect meal

Twice-baked Potatoes
Bon Appetit, March 2015
4.5 stars

Why have we never made twice-baked potatoes before?  I've had them . .  but we usually default to making regular mash which I love.  After seeing this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine (and knowing we were going to make ribs AND that we had tarragon and sour cream in the fridge) -- I added this to our weekly recipe selection.

Yum.

Ingredients:  potatoes, vegetable oil, sour cream, butter, chives, tarragon, salt and pepper

Just 8 ingredients including salt and pepper!

Adding this to our side dish rotation!

Recipe: Oven Risotto with Kale Pesto

Oven Risotto with Kale Pesto
Bon Appetit, February 2015, p.46
4 stars

Low-maintenance risotto!  I was a little skeptical about this recipe, but it turned out great!  Good flavor, easy and healthy. It's good if you like kale.  (I like kale.)

It only takes 11 ingredients (not including water, salt and pepper) . . .

• Pesto ingredients:  garlic, toasted walnuts, parsley, chives, kale, oil, water, salt, pepper
• Other ingredients:  onion, arborio rice, white wine, kale, butter, Parmesan, walnuts, olive oil

Recipe: Three-Cheese Gougeres

Three-Cheese Gougeres
Saveur, Issue #172, p. 66
4 stars

These gougeres were very nice -- would be a great hors d'ouevers for a party!

This recipe calls for just 8 ingredients which includes 3 different cheeses:  whole milk, unsalted butter, flour, 5 eggs, kosher salt, Comte cheese, Emmentaler cheese, Gruyere cheese

For a dinner side dish, I would actually make the Popovers with Gruyere recipe instead which are full-size popovers/muffins, not mini ones like this recipe, and are actually even simpler to make.  The popovers recipe also doesn't require butter or the mix of cheeses and requires fewer eggs.

Recipe: Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Souffles

Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Souffles
Saveur, Issue #172, p. 32
5 stars

What to do with extra cauliflower in the fridge?  Make souffles, of course!

This was actually one of the easiest souffle recipes I've made so far in my cooking experience.  I'll have to test the recipe using other ingredients (a different vegetable and cheese).

It's a short ingredient list:  cauliflower florets, plain goat cheese, eggs, nutmeg, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper.

In this recipe, the cauliflower is boiled, drained and then pureed.

I just loved this recipe and can't wait to make it again.

Recipe: Dirt Bombs

Dirt Bombs
Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2014, p. 20
4 stars

This recipe was in the 'r.s.v.p.' section of Bon Appetit where readers request their favorite restaurant recipes.  This one is from Bantam Bread Bakery in Bantam, CT and is described as a 'cinnamon-sugar doughnut in muffin form.'

I had to try making these.

I read the reviews, and they were mixed so I wasn't sure how these were going to turn out.  They turned out great; people at work asked for the recipe!  What I really like about it is the density of the cake -- it's like a cake doughnut.

Tips:

• One change I made to the recipe based on the reviews I read:  Add at least a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter.
• Dipping the tops of the muffins in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar didn't work well for me.  Instead, I brushed the tops with the butter and then sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar.
• They're best when served warm so reheat them and serve with coffee -- yum.

Recipe: Quinoa Balls with Cauliflower and Cheese

Quinoa Balls with Cauliflower and Cheese
Food and Wine Magazine, February 2015, p. 100
4.5 stars

Strange sounding, recipe, I know.  But really nice flavor and easy to make!  The photo above isn't the best -- I forgot to take a photo when I originally made them, so this is what they look like reheated.

I would make these as an hors d'oeuvres for people who aren't picky and enjoy trying new things ~ and people who like quinoa and hummus, for example.  It's not the typical appetizer.  One note is that your place will smell like scallion and garlic when these bake, but the smell of those ingredients is stronger than the taste of them.

Here is the ingredient list:  quinoa, cauliflower, halloumi cheese*, scallions, chickpea flour, garlic, egg, sea salt, pepper, nutmeg, baking soda, lemon juice.

*Halloumi cheese can be found at specialty grocery or cheese shops.

Recipe: Christina Tosi's Caramel Apple & Pretzel Pie

Caramel Apple & Pretzel Pie
People Magazine, Jan 26, 2015, p. 106
4 stars

I saw this recipe from Christina Tosi (chef and founder of Milk Bar) in People Magazine.  I was shocked that the recipe calls for a can of apple pie filling, but I suppose she was trying to simplify this recipe for the masses.  For an easy homemade dessert to take to a cookout, I'd make this again.  I'd consider using caramel instead of butterscotch (or maybe both!) for the topping.

Ingredients:

• Crust:  pretzel crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, dark brown sugar, kosher salt, heavy cream
• Filling:  butter, white chocolate chips, heavy cream, vanilla extract, egg yolk, flour, kosher salt, canned apple pie filling
• Topping:  butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips

Recipe: Marcus Samuelsson's Black-Bottom Peanut Pie

Crust with the chocolate filling

Mixing the peanut part of the filling

Black-Bottom Peanut Pie (Marcus Samuelsson recipe)

Food and Wine Magazine, Nov 2014, p. 82

5 stars

This is 'Samuelsson's ode to his favorite candy bar, Snickers.' And it tastes just like a Snickers bar!

Super easy recipe.  Make it for the Snickers-lover in your life.

Ingredients:

• Crust:  butter, sugar, vanilla wafer cookies, vanilla beans
• Filling:  bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream, sugar, light corn syrup, butter, molasses, kosher salt, eggs, unsalted roasted peanuts

I used a 9 inch pie plate (instead of a 10 inch plate) and was able to make another portion in a standard loaf pan (extras for us!).

Recipe: Beef Bourguignonne Pot Pie

Beef Bourguignonne Pot Pie
Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2015, p. 70
5 stars

Really delicious!  Not a hard recipe but takes a long time to make from start to finish.

Few notes/tips:

• Allot about 4 hours to make this dish
• Use 1/4 cup of flour instead of 1/2 cup
• It's not a pretty dish once you cut into it (all brown on the inside!) so while it's delicious, I might not serve this at a dinner party
• Make sure to remove the bay leaf and star anise -- this is not mentioned in the recipe
• I'd add another carrot or two next time

Recipe: S'mores Cupcakes (or S'mores Dessert)

 

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow

MarthaStewart.com

5 stars

Marshmallow Frosting

Chow.com or MarthaStewart.com

5 stars

Made these for the first time -- GREAT recipe!  Found it online on marthastewart.com;  it's courtesy of Jennifer Shea, owner of Trophy Cupcakes.

Notes/Tips:

• The cake itself isn't super sweet which is good because all of the other ingredients add the sweetness.  (So, I wouldn't actually use the cake recipe for cake alone.)
• Next time, I may add a little less butter to the graham cracker crust.
• Adding the boiling water to the batter does make the batter very watery, but that's ok!
• For some of the cupcakes, I added some sea salt and a pinch of chipotle chile powder -- was delicious and gave an added dimension like the Spicy, Smoky S'mores Bars that I make.
• Don't overfill the cupcakes liners.  They will rise and then go over the rim and be hard to remove from the muffin tin (esp. since the cake is so moist/sticky).
• For the marshmallow fluff, make it the DAY-OF serving.  It will become really soft (soft peaks) and not be very stiff.  You cannot re-whip the the frosting.
• Beware of the paper cupcake liners catching fire when torching/toasting the marshmallow.
• As you can see above, I made a dessert (instead of cupcakes) using the recipe as well.

The Best Chocolates I've Ever Had: Kate Weiser

Need a gift for a chocolate lover or a hostess gift -- or a gift for yours truly?  Note that I'm not being paid to say this . . .  Kate Weiser's chocolates are the best and most beautiful chocolates I've ever had.

I was a Vosges Chocolate fan and really like Christopher Elbow's chocolates as well, but forget them;  Kate Weiser's beats them all by a LONG SHOT.  The flavors are incredible (fresh ingredients!), and they're so beautiful and artistic.  The packaging is gorgeous as well.  It is truly artisan chocolate to the highest degree.

In some of the pieces, she cracks a corner so you can see an ingredient like basil in her Strawberry Basil chocolate, peeking from underneath the chocolate shell.

I can't wait to see what other flavors she comes up with.

Her current flavors include:

• Strawberry Basil
• Fresh Mint Leaf
• Raspberry
• Passion Fruit
• Yuzu
• Key Lime Pie
• Cherry Cordial
• Sweet Potato
• Mango Habanero
• Lavender Apricot
• Truffle Honey
• Hazelnut Latte
• Banana Dulcey
• Caramelized Pineapple
• Buttery Popcorn
• Peanut Brittle
• Ninja Turtle
• Toasted Coconut
• Red Wine & Berries
• Orange Butterscotch

I recently tried her Champagne and Cognac ones as well -- they are amazing.  The liquid slowly melts and then bursts in your mouth.  Time to stop by her shop and get some more.

Recipe: Braised Zabuton with Coffee Beans

(I almost didn't include a photo since I didn't
take time to nicely plate up the food.)

Braised Zabuton with Coffee Beans
Saveur, Issue #171 (Feb 2015), p. 22
4 stars

Nice dish with lots of flavor.  It was good, but not "oh my gosh amazing;" thus, the 4 stars.  The pickled shallots were a nice touch.


Tips/What We Did:

• Used chuck roast instead of zabuton or boneless chuck flap
• Used half the amount of beef but all vegetables and 1/2 of most of the other ingredients
• Instead of coffee beans, used 1 tbsp of coffee rub that we had
• Didn't need to reduce the sauce
• Didn't strain the sauce -- but did remove the bay leaves and star anise
• Served it over rice

As you can see, I didn't exactly follow the recipe, but it was close enough to produce a nice meal.

Recipe: Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp

Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp
Bon Appetit, p. 50, Dec 2014
5 stars

This dish reminded me of my childhood -- going to the authentic Chinese restaurants in Chinatown and ordering the shrimp that was so flavorful but wishing that they didn't have shells (I didn't like having to suck the flavor out of the shells and peel the shrimp at the table).

This recipe calls for shell-on shrimp, but we unshelled (de-shelled?) them.

Ingredients include:  shrimp, Sichuan peppercorns (ground), cilantro, Fresno chile, cornstarch, vegetable oil, Kosher salt, pepper

This is a FAST recipe to make and again, has so much flavor.

Tips:

• We used a jalapeno since we couldn't find a Fresno chile.
• Even though this was a spicy dish because of the Sichuan peppercorns, it needed another red spice like paprika or chile powder to give it another dimension.
• Serve this with garlicky green beans and steamed rice.
• Beware of the heat.  The spice from cooking the shrimp got into the air that I started sneezing!

Recipe: Creamy White Lasagna with Toppings

Creamy White Lasagna with Toppings
Food and Wine Magazine, Dec 2014, p. 148
5 stars

Blog contributor and husband "the grandcruman" made this for me last month, and it was freakin' amazing.  I would have paid $22 for a serving of it in a restaurant.

Here are a few tips from him:

• Allow a LOT of time to make this -- a few hours.
• Add red pepper to give it a kick.
• Use about 2 1/4 quart of whole milk instead of 2 quarts.  (The bechamel was too thick and hard to spread.)
• For the roasted wild mushroom topping, make sure to buy and use all 2 lbs of mushrooms so you have enough.

Recipe: Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese

Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese
Bon Appetit, p. 114, Dec 2014
5 stars

Made this in a pinch when we were trying to figure out what to make for dinner.  A great quick side!

Ingredients include:  potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, goat cheese, Kosher salt, pepper

Recipe: Roasted Sunchokes with Brown Butter-Cider Vinaigrette

Roasted Sunchokes with Brown Butter-Cider Vinaigrette
Food and Wine Magazine, p. 128, Dec 2014
5 stars

I think sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) are my favorite vegetable.  I love their texture and flavor -- like a potato but crunchy and like an artichoke.  It's just such an interesting vegetable!

This was an amazing side dish/salad;  I could eat this every week.  Can't wait to make this again.

Ingredients for this dish include:  sunchokes, fresh spinach, EVOO, thyme, garlic, apple cider vinegar, minced shallots, red pepper, honey, butter, chives, Kosher salt, pepper

Recipe: Best-Ever Potato Latkes

Best-Ever Potato Latkes
Food and Wine Magazine, p. 180, Dec 2014
5 Stars

True to the recipe's name, these were the best ever potato latkes we've ever made.  The latkes formed and stayed together nicely in the pan and had great flavor.  Instead of matzo meal, we used panko.