Grandma's Kitchen Table

MSC Club: Banana-Pecan Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Icing

It's time for another cupcake adventure this month from the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book.  This week was a bonus recipe, optional, and it sounded good to the crew here, so I opted to participate.  The selection was chosen by Betty, the originator of the MSC Club, and was Banana-Pecan Cupcakes, found on pages 40-41 of the book, with the accompanying icing, Caramel Buttercream, found on page 307. 

I only made a third of the recipe, which made 12 standard size cupcakes (the recipes are very generous with amounts) and the division was easy to do by dividing by 3.  Cupcakes went together in a flash, even left the pecans in the recipe as I am no longer buying the plea, "We don't like nuts IN things so much" from the guys.  We shall see how this works out.

 

I had one.  They were delicious, although, if I am truthful, I am not crazy about that buttercream recipe...too much butter taste for me.  Guys loved it, however, and thought it was just right.  I might play around with it a bit in the future as I love making caramel and it was a great flavor in the frosting for this particular cupcake, surely I can add more caramel and less butter somehow.   

We do not post these recipes, so if you want to make these cupcakes, you need to buy the book or put it on your Christmas list.  This cupcake recipe was very good, and it is something different to do with over-ripe bananas other than banana bread.

Whisk Wednesdays: Rack of Lamb

    I did not make this recipe for rack of lamb this week as we really had no need for a rack of lamb type meal and I could not see just making it, lamb being very expensive and all, so I will save this for another time when perhaps I do have need for a rack of lamb dinner.  You might want to check on Shari's site to see how she fared with it this week, click here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart

Thanks to Carla of Chocolate Moosey

 for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick this week of Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart, found on pages 355-357 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click on Carla's site for the recipe.

The guys just love chocolate weeks here at TWD, and I just love to see the guys happy.  They were really really happy this week. 

Dorie's Sweet Tart Dough, a caramel layer (yes, I made the caramel myself), honey roasted peanuts mixed into that caramel (I Know They Always Say They Don't Like Nuts IN Things, but when I asked if I should leave them out, there was a resounding "No, we like them in things like this," so in they stayed and proves my theory that I will never understand men), and to top it all off, chocolate ganache. 

 

This was a full-size tart.  It was completely gone in two days.  They all loved it, rated it Top 5 (yes, I know, they have about 20 Top 5 recipes, so all I can say is:  buy the book and make the recipes, it's all that good).  

 

Top photo shows the butter not quite melted into the ganache, what can I say, I was in a hurry, and messing around with chocolate is never my favorite thing, you will do better than I on that; middle photo shows the slice Matt ate with all that caramel and peanut goodness hiding underneath the ganache; and the last photo is Matt quickly devouring that piece of tart as I kept saying, "Slow down, I need a photo...." as you can see, I had to shoot fast as the tart disappeared quicker than I could fire off the camera.  He was on his way out the door to a bonfire...didn't want to miss the tart.   

 

Next week:  Garrett of Flavor of Vanilla picked Split Level Pudding, pages 384-385. 

 

TWD blogroll found here.

Cooking Italy: Braised Finocchio

Not sure this one is going to get done this week...I am the only one who likes Fennel, so might just save this for another time.

Nancy's Notions: Grilled Peach Salad with Bresaola

A few weeks ago

Nancy found a recipe on Jamie Oliver's site that she was excited about making, called Grilled Peach Salad with Bresaola and gave it a try.  It is now her new favorite salad of the season and since she was raving about, I decided to have a go also.  It's now my new favorite salad of the season. 

 

Easy, tasty, and good for you, it's a winner.  Hope to have another go at it before all the great peaches are out of season.  Click here for the recipe on JO's site.  A wonderful find.  Thanks, Nancy!  

One Last Stand

Saturday the weather was warm, the sky was sunny and beautiful, and Matt had one last stand at swimming lessons all afternoon for all the children he taught over the summer here in our pool.  The last classes were Rachel, Rebecca, and Marie, so they all stood together for one final summer swimming photo of the season.  Bill comes to close the pool on Monday. 

Part of the entertainment always is finding Louise slithering about in the ground cover, mulch, plantings, etc. down by the pool.  She was cooperative enough to stick out her little red tongue at me as I snapped her photo.  You wouldn't think with all the activity down there, and lots of noisy children jumping around, Louise would be anywhere in sight, but she is a rather social creature and the little swimmers all love to be the one who spots her first. 

 At the end of the day, Chip and I had a little discussion about the mess he is leaving with all the tomato skins he discards as he eats his way through the last of the tomato crop on the deck.  It wasn't much of a discussion as he headed out once he spotted me opening the door onto the deck.  I wasn't really going to scold him as I like having him around, the mess is incidental.

Life in the slow lane...I love it more as time goes on.

Friday's Favorites Fare

READING:  Henry Clay:  Statesman for the Union by Robert V. Remini...going for all three: Clay, Calhoun, and Webster this fall, someone has to do it, and since you didn't want to, I guess it will be me. Finished Calhoun already but this one on Clay is huge. 

LISTENING TO:  Ravel

COOKING THROUGH:  Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking), this week's assignment is Pets de Nonnes (Choux Pastry Fritters with Apricot Sauce) on pages 130-131; Baking:  From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan), this week's recipe is Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart on pages 355-357; The Bread Baker's Apprentice (Peter Reinhart), this week's recipe is Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread on page 154-156; The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Marcella Hazan), this week's recipe is Braised Finocchio with Butter and Parmiagiano Reggiano on pages 503-504; Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Julia Child), something from the menu Le Central is serving in honor of Julia Child; The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger, this week's recipe is New York Breakfast, page 25.  You can cook/bake along, too!

FAV NEW FIND:  A faster route through Noblesville during rush hour every day.

FAV THING TODAY:  Chip, the little ground squirrel, is back for his annual fall feasting with my tomato plants on the deck...he loves to hop up on the railing and help himself to tomatoes.  It is such fun to see him from the kitchen window as he goes about his little routine of selecting the tiny cherry tomato, hauling it up to his favorite spot and ripping into it.  He eats several at a time several times a day.    

GOING TO:  Get the yard ready for winter.  Pool is going to be closed on Monday, flower beds need to be cleared and fall flowers trimmed, etc. Deciding which herbs to try to winter-over.  More fall cleaning.  Just a nice weekend around the house with not too much going on and plenty of time to watch college football.

PRAYING FOR:  My friend Cathy's sister who is undergoing serious medical problems after giving birth to her son this past month, please join me.

MTAofFC: Gratin de Pommes de Terre et Saucisson

Helene at

La Cuisine Helene put forth her desire to cook a bit in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I and Vol. II, and invited those so inclined to cook along with her each week, selecting a recipe of their own choosing, and posting on Fridays whenever we so desired.

 

This week I picked Gratin de Pommes de Terre et Saucisson (Gratin of Potatoes, Onions, and Sausages), on pages 154-155 in Vol. I.  This recipe was chosen for Mark as he loves potatoes, onions, and Kielbasa.  If you mix them all up together with some heavy cream, cheese, and eggs, well, life is good.

 

A polish sausage with a French preparation.  It's Octoberfest season, Julia specifically called for Kielbasa for this recipe, and it just seemed like this was the time to make it for him.  (Be warned:  No matter how much steamed broccoli you heap on the plate, there is no way it can offset the other ingredients, so this is not one for the regular recipe lineup rotation if you are at all concerned about fat and cholesterol.  I figure once a year might be okay.)

 

The prep was easy, pre-boil the potatoes, slice, layer half in bottom of casserole, top with caramelized onions, top with sliced kielbasa, top with other round of potatoes and onions, pour over the egg/cream/salt/pepper mixture, top with grated Swiss cheese, bake for 40 minutes at 375.

 

It was all delicious, he raved and raved about it...one very happy guy.

CEiMB: Sweet & Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

  The recipe chosen this week for CEiMB, using Ellie Krieger's cookbook, The Food You Crave:  Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, was selected by Leslie from Lethally Delicious and is Sweet & Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, found on pages 94-95. 

   I love grilled cheese sandwiches.  I think I survived on grilled cheese sandwiches as a child, seriously, as I was a bit of a picky eater, okay, more than a bit.   I might still be.  For instance, you will note that this grilled cheese sandwich is not squished with a pan to make it flat like the recipe directs, and you might also note that there are no crusts on the bread because I don't like crusts, ever.  Okay, a tad picky about things. 

  However, despite my pickiness about incidentals, the recipe is wonderful.  I used homemade bread (we don't use anything else around here anymore actually ever since I learned how to bake bread myself), and Ellie specifies thinly sliced white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced pepper jack cheese, caramelized diced red onions, and tomato between the slices of bread, grilled to perfection. 

  Happy, happy, happy...this is one great sandwich.  Thanks, Leslie! 

  Next week:  New York Breakfast, found on page 25.

Whisk Wednesdays

It's been quite a week already and since I worked all day today and will tomorrow as well, I am thinking Whisking is not getting done this week...and it didn't get done last week either.  Hmmm...I need to get better organized on the weekends to do Whisk recipes (the original plan was such) so that I can post on Wednesdays which has always been a busy day for me.  Yep, so need to do that.  Maybe this weekend.  May. Be.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cottage Cheese Pufflets

Thanks to Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick this week of Cottage Cheese Pufflets, found on pages 148-149 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.

  Cottage Cheese Pufflets are little squares of pastry dough (with the addition of cottage cheese in the mixture) filled with a little dab of a jam of your choice, folded over to make a triangle, baked for 16 minutes in my oven, cooled on a wire rack, and dusted with powdered sugar to spiff them up a bit. 

 

For the jams I did a selection of strawberry, apricot, and Jalapeno (pictured at the top of this post).  The Jalapeno were really good with the slightly cheesy flavor in the crust. 

 

The cottage cheese pufflets were little bites of goodness, but awfully fussy to make.  I am not one to fuss with little tiny bits of dough and jam because I know that the guys around here are not all that appreciative of little bitty things. 

One of these little bitty pufflets  gets lost in their large hands and in the case of teenagers, they can pop several in their mouths with no true appreciation of all the work that went into them.

 

These are "Invite Your Friends to Tea" cookies, not "I Live in a Household of Men" cookies. 

 

The recipe was fine and tasty, but they won't be a staple around here as their favorite use for dough and fruit is pie!  Now there's where the appreciation comes in nicely. 

 

Next week:  Carla of Chocolate Moosey picked Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart, pages 355-357. 

 

TWD blogroll found here.

Cooking Italy: Pork Braised in Milk Bolognese Style

This week's assignment for Cooking Italy was Pork Loin Braised in Milk Bolognese Style, found on pages 417-418 of the cookbook we are using:  Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

 

The recipe gives directions for using a pork loin or a pork Boston Butt (the preferred cut), so I used the Boston Butt.  While the loin is probably less fatty, a good deal of the fat cooks off the meat as it simmers for 3-4 hours in milk which makes it incredibly tender.  At this point, the meat is juicy and able to be "pulled" if you wish, or served in a piece to be pulled as you eat it with your knife and fork.

 

After the meat has simmered, ALL the fat is drained off, and in the pan are milk solids, bits of the pork, and the seasonings.  2 Tablespoons of water are added and stirred into a creamy reduction until the water evaporates.

 

It is impossible to make this photo look wonderful as I have no knack with photographing meat, but wonderful, it was.  The meat has incredible tenderness and flavor cooked this way and the little sauce served on it is very wonderful as well.  We served it with steamed broccoli, homemade rolls, and the guys ate some of a new batch of the NYT chocolate chip cookies I made for dessert.  The dinner was a big hit.

 

I will use the rest of the meat to make pulled pork sandwiches later in the week, a favorite of Matt's.

 

Next week's recipe is Braised Finocchio with Butter and Parmiagiano Reggiano, found on page 503-504. 

BBA Challenge: Cornbread

The tenth Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge (from the book by the same name authored by Peter Reinhart) is Cornbread, and is found on pages 150-153.  (Oh, and in case you are wondering, Typepad went to a New Improved Typepad and I can't figure out size, spacing, paragraphing, etc., so until I do...you are subjected to what you see.  Any help?)

  

We all enjoy cornbread around here, and to be quite honest, the only way I ever serve it is to accompany chili.  Last week I asked for some alternate suggestions and Holly and Jessica came up with serving it with Chicken Corn Chowder, so that's what I did.  It was wonderful with Chicken Corn Chowder.

 

The recipe for the cornbread has bacon in it, so figured it would be a hit with the guys.   I had decided to make only half a recipe as a full one sounded way too large for one meal and the guys don't really like leftover cornbread so much.  The photo shows it made in an 8" cake pan.

 

The only downside for me was that I am not a fan of using bacon grease in cooking.  I know, I know, Iowa chick that I am and all, I did grow up with people doing that, and I never cared for it then either.  It's too strong of a taste for me.  In this recipe, PR has us greasing the pan with bacon 1 T. bacon grease (for my half size recipe, 2 T for a whole) and that just made it too greasy of a taste for me, so I was not that thrilled with that part of it.  Next time I won't do that part.

   

Overall, a big hit here...highly recommend giving it a try with or without the Chicken Corn Chowder.

 

Nancy, Cathy, Audrey, Jessica, Melissa, Sarah, Di, Leslie, Margaret and I are baking and posting every other week to better fit into our schedules.  If you would like to see their Cornbread, click on their names and visit their sites in the next few days, or you can visit the main group and marvel how they are so far ahead of us.  We'll get there...Slow and Steady. 

 

    Our next challenge:  Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread, found on pages 154-156.  It will be posted here in two weeks.

 

Nancy's Notions: New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometime earlier in the week Nancy saw that Sarah had baked The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and declared that it was time, after a year of wanting to bake them herself, that she take the plunge and bake them NOW.  Not one to bake alone if she can find some willing co-conspirators usually, she queried on Twitter if anyone else wanted to bake along, so a little group of us baked the NYT CCCs together.  A full recipe makes only 18 cookies...18 very very very large cookies.  5-6 inches in diameter large.  500 calories each.  I decided I would make a couple of this size for the boys and the rest would be more reasonably portioned as no one around here can afford to be eating 5" 500 calorie cookies with the exception of Matt, who swims 5 hours a day.  And, of course, other swimmers who come by and are always willing to eat anything I make.   This is why all my baking pals are envious of me...not for my baking skills, but for my ability to be able to fob off food at a moment's notice.  You all know how I feel about chocolate, so can't attest to these cookies other than to say they disappeared quickly and every single bite was accompanied with a "these are really really good, Mrs. G."  The recipe is easy enough to find, just google it, make them, and you can form your own opinions.

Jonathan, Matt, Kiernan, Mike, and Jack after the CSC Hayride and cookout tonight.  Several more swimmers (like maybe 25 more) dropped by and all the cookies were gone in no time...definitely need to make these again.

Friday's Favorites Fare

READING:  John C. Calhoun by Irving H. Bartlett...going for all three: Clay, Calhoun, and Webster this fall, someone has to do it, and since you didn't want to, I guess it will be me.  

LISTENING TO:  Strauss' opera Ariadne auf Naxos (Opens the season here first week in October)

COOKING THROUGH:  Le Cordon Bleu at Home (Le Cordon Bleu School of Cooking), this week's assignment is Pets de Nonnes (Choux Pastry Fritters with Apricot Sauce) on pages 130-131; Baking:  From My Home to Yours (Dorie Greenspan), this week's recipe is Cottage Cheese Pufflets on pages 148-149; The Bread Baker's Apprentice (Peter Reinhart), this week's recipe is Cornbread on page 150-153; The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Marcella Hazan), this week's recipe is Pork Loin Braised in Milk Bolognese Style on page 417; Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Julia Child), something from the menu Le Central is serving in honor of Julia Child; The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger, this week's recipe is Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, page 95.  You can cook/bake along, too!

FAV NEW FIND:  Top Chef TV show, now if I can just remember when it's on so I can watch it regularly.

FAV THING TODAY:  Having a new stack of library books!   

GOING TO:  Football game, choir retreat, swimming, fall cleaning, baking, whatever else comes up.

PRAYING FOR:  All the college freshman living away from home for the first time, that they may have a successful and safe year, please join me. 

Still Standing

  Lauren is in a few of Matt's classes this year, so last night was a bit of studying for a history test after swim practice.  JJ is off at college at OSU now, so Lauren has one less brother to contend with at her house.  Oh, and Matt's foot?  Not broken, just a contusion.  He can swim and will be back running by Tuesday.  (Sigh of relief since Mike is a boot from a foot injury and will miss six weeks of swimming, we got lucky.)  So, all in all, he's still standing, no broken bones.

MTAofFC: Duxelles

Helene at La Cuisine Helene put forth her desire to cook a bit in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I and Vol. II, and invited those so inclined to cook along with her each week, selecting a recipe of their own choosing, and posting on Fridays whenever we so desired.

This week I picked Duxelles (Minced Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter, on pages 515-516 in Vol. I).  The Duxelle mixture is a mushroom flavoring for stuffings, sauces, etc. and can be kept up to several weeks once made, or even frozen (I put that part in for you, Nancy, as I know how you love things that can be frozen).  Because it is reduced down by mincing the mushrooms finely before the stint in the saute pan with the shallots, salt & pepper, and if you choose, Madeira and brown stock, the flavor is intense and delicious.

 The idea behind it all is that mushrooms have great flavor, but contain a lot of water, which can make a sauce or stuffing watery if they are not cooked down beforehand.  The Duxelles are cooked almost dry so that the flavor is intense and not watery at all.

  A few weeks ago, when I made the small Cornish hen recipe for Whisk Wednesdays from Julia's recipe in MTAofFC, it called for chicken livers on a toasted crouton to be placed underneath the baked chicken when plating.  I did not go that route as we don't like chicken liver, but it dawned on me, too late for the meal and post, that an alternative would be to use a Duxelle mixture on the toasted crouton in place of the chicken liver pate.

  With that inspiration in mind, I did such, and although the photo doesn't do it justice, you can sorta kinda maybe see how it would all work.  It was delicious! 

CEiMB: Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza

  The recipe chosen this week for CEiMB, using Ellie Krieger's cookbook, The Food You Crave:  Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, was selected by Joanne from Apple Crumbles and is Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza, found on page 174. 

  Black beans have never been one of my favorites, so I was a bit skeptical about doing this recipe.  Cabbage and tomatoes baked on the top of a black bean dip on top of a whole wheat tortilla...hmmm...wasn't sure about the sound of any of it.  I figured I would make it for lunch and then report to the guys as it didn't sound like anything they would like either. 

  Oh, was I wrong!  This black bean dip is very very good.  It's black beans, onions, garlic, hot pepper, cumin, salt & pepper, cilantro, and a little water, all whirled about in the food processor and then spread over the 6" tortilla, topped with shredded cabbage, topped with tomatoes, and baked in the oven for ten minutes.  That's it.  130 calories total.  Huge amount of "pizza" for 130 calories.  

  It's a keeper...and a quick, tasty, and easy lunch for me when I am home alone.  Am I going to let the guys in on this?  Eventually.   

  Thanks, Joanne for choosing this recipe as I would never have tried it in a million years on my own. 

  Next week:  Sweet & Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, found on page 95, hosted by Leslie at Lethally Delicious.

Whisk Wednesdays

   Will try to post tomorrow as we are on our way to the immediate care facility as Matt hurt his foot in practice...need x-rays, etc.  So, no Whisk dinner here this evening...he is shoveling down some pizza and then we are off.  Keep your fingers crossed for no broken bones!

Tuesdays with Dorie AND Martha Stewart Cupcake Posts: 2 for 1!

Today is a double post as not only is it our regular Tuesdays with Dorie posting day, but it is also the 15th of the month, which means it is the day we post our entries for the Martha Stewart Cupcake Club, so without further adieu, I give you:  The Double Post.

MSC: Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes

   It's time for another cupcake adventure this month from the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. 

   This month's pick went to a good internet blogging Twitter buddy, Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures, who chose the Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes, found on page 44.  Not only did Tracey chose the cupcakes, but we baked them together via Twitter yesterday morning, each in our own kitchen chatting back and forth with important things like, "Did you peel the zucchini first?  Are you making a half batch or a full batch?"  (Answers:  "No, don't peel the zucchini first." "Half batch, 12 cupcakes.") 

  The recipe was simple, easy, quick, smelled wonderful baking in the oven, was a perfect vehicle for the cream cheese frosting, and was enjoyed by everyone here, including Alex who is not really into appreciating "greenery in food." 

  I left out the walnuts as we aren't big fans of them in baked goods, but other than that, did the recipe as written with great results.  Nice, moist, wonderful flavor, like a spice cake...highly recommend making these.   Tracey was debating on whether to try to make hers "creative" in some way, so I am eager to see her post and see what she came up with.  Since I don't have a creative bone in my body, my salute to being creative was coming up with cupcake wrappers in the appropriate fall theme with leaves of yellow, orange, green, and brown.  That's as creative as I get, Tracey!  Everyone who knows me well will be amazed that I even came up with that little touch. 

   Next month's pick is from Kim at What the Whisk, another favorite blogger, who chose Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes, found on page 236. 

    And, if you can't wait for another month, and want to make something in the meantime, we have a bonus recipe for September 30th:  Banana-Pecan Cupcakes, found on page 41.  I might, I just might. 

    Blogroll and Schedule found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Flaky Apple Turnovers

Thanks to Julie of Someone's in the Kitchen for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick this week of Flaky Apple Turnovers, found on pages 316-317 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. 

 

Julie and I comment back and forth each week on each other's blogs, so it is nice to get to bake something that she would choose.  I was surprised, however, that she chose a non-chocolate recipe!  Thank you, Jules, you picked a great recipe, we all loved it! 

  My family loves apple desserts, apple pie probably being the number one favorite of both Mark and Matt, so I was eager to give the turnovers a go and see how well received those would be. 

  The answer:  Very Well Received!  (This week it is Mark on the deck with his "homework" enjoying a TWD treat.)

  The recipe is easy enough, no more difficult than an apple pie, but a little fussier in that you need to get out the dough cutters, fill each one separately, seal, etc., but all in all it was rather relaxing and enjoyable.  

The apple cinnamon filling was wonderful with the dough (which has sour cream in it).  Definitely a hit.  Definitely a repeat.  Definitely one of the Top 5 recipes so far.  Buy the book and make this one for sure! 

  Next week:  Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes picked Cottage Cheese Pufflets, pages 148-149;  TWD blogroll found here.

Cooking Italy: Bolognese Meat Sauce

   This week's assignment for Cooking Italy was Bolognese Meat Sauce, found on pages 203-205 of the cookbook we are using:  Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.  We could also make the Tagliatelle pasta from scratch if we wished on page 136. 

   I did not have time/effort/inclination to get the pasta made as I do not have a pasta maker and I am a little unsure about my efforts of being able to make it, roll it, cut it, semi-dry it, etc., so we opted for fresh fettuccine that we purchased at the market since they did not have tagliatelle when we shopped.  Someday I will try to make it from scratch, this just wasn't that day. 

  The sauce took about five hours to make.  Of course, you weren't standing over it that long, but you would need to be able to babysit the sauce rather than just leave it. 

  First you saute onion, celery, carrot in a little olive oil and butter, adding in ground chuck and browning that, followed by the milk, simmering until that disappears into the meat mixture, then wine, simmering that until it disappears into the meat mixture, then the tomatoes and juice, simmering that for three hours. 

OMW is this good, really really good. All those layers of flavor combine for something very special.  It is served over fresh pasta with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano   

    Was it worth the five hours?  YES!  I will definitely make this again as it was a big hit with everyone around here. 

If you would like to see Angela's lovely rendition (she has such a way with food styling) and the recipe, you can go to Spinach Tiger where you will also find a connect to the Cooking Italy group, the schedule, and the upcoming menu recipes. 

  Next week's recipes is Pork Loin Braised in Milk, Bolognese Style, found on page 417. 

CEiMB: Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

  The recipe chosen this week for CEiMB, using Ellie Krieger's cookbook, The Food You Crave:  Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, was selected by Pamela from Cookies with Boys and is Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, found on the web here. 

  Absolutely delicious, especially the tangy sauce.  The ingredient list for the sauce is rather lengthy, but each ingredient brought something to the party...I wouldn't change a thing. 

  I made Anadama buns to go with it for the guys as they love those with their molasses flavoring and I knew it would be a good combination with the pulled chicken, so they had those.  I opted for a whole wheat tortilla as I had some left from last week's chicken salad entry, and it was really good in that also.  Note:  One whole one of these pulled pork wraps is way too much...I ate half and then wrapped the other half and warmed it up the next day for lunch.  It was very filling. 

  Everyone loved this recipe, so it will be a repeat and next time when I need something quick when everyone is on the run, I will put it in the crockpot on low for a few hours so it will be ready for those nights when everyone "scoops and scrams."

  Next week:  Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza, hosted by Apple Crumbles, found on page 174.

Whisk Wednesdays: Spiced Shrimp Balls

The recipe scheduled for this week at Whisk Wednesdays is from Class 29, Menu 6:  Spiced Shrimp Balls, and can be found on page 246 in Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook Home Collection should you wish to try this tasty recipe.  

This recipe could not be easier:  toss the raw shrimp into the food processor, give it a whirl to a coarse chop, add some fresh chopped garlic and ginger, salt, pepper, a little sugar, cornstarch, cilantro, and soft-peak egg white.  After forming them into little balls, they get rolled in sesame seeds, and parked in the refrigerator to firm up for 20 minutes before being deep fried for 4-5 minutes. 

 I don't fry food, like ever.  We aren't big on fried food and my excuse for never frying is that it gives them food they can score on the streets and appreciate there without it smelling up my kitchen.  But, I did do this in the spirit of being a good Whisk Wednesday member (albeit late).  My sesame seeds, for the most part, fell off, so there are fewer of those, but the balls all held together in the fry basket without falling apart, so I was happy.  

    Alex thinks all shrimp should be accompanied by a red cocktail sauce, it made his spicy shrimp balls even spicier.  Everyone enjoyed them, including me.  I could make these again occasionally and the guys would rejoice without a doubt.   

    Next week is Grenadins de Veau au Coulis de Celeri-Rave (Veal with Celery Root Cream Sauce), found on pages 330-331.  

    If you would like to see how the other Whisk Wednesday members fared in this class, click here, and then on the Whisk Wednesdays connect to individual bloggers, and as always, Shari has the ingredients posted on her site at the click.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Souffle

   Thanks to Susan of She's Becoming DoughMesstic for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick this week of Chocolate Souffle, found on page 406 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. 

  Yep, it was Susan's turn to pick this week.  Susan of the "made and decorated Matt's birthday cookies" fame.  Yep, that same Susan.  I was so not going to do this week's recipe, but it was Susan's pick, and we have become internet friends baking and cooking along together each week and chatting on Twitter, etc., so I didn't want to let her down.  That and Tracey talked me into just getting it done, and Nancy said it was easy, so I did it. 

  It was very easy.  I had made souffles before but only savory ones, not sweet ones.  I started the whole process about 8:15 Monday evening, halving the recipe and making 6 little individual souffles in small ramekins. 

  The guys had them all eaten by 9:15 Monday evening.  One hour, start to finish.  Gone with raving compliments for Dorie's recipe. 

  The photo does not really do the souffle justice as they rose nicely, however, by the time I located the camera, sprinkled on the powdered sugar, and got it into a semi-acceptable posing position, it had deflated noticeably.  Apparently that did not affect the taste, according to the guys.  Matt is shown blowing on his second bite as the first one burned his mouth a little, eager as he was to taste it! 

   Click on Susan's link above for the recipe and you can make them, too:  chocolate, sugar, eggs, milk...you probably have all the ingredients and can start right now!  Rave reviews, really.   

    Next week:  Flaky Apple Turnovers, pages 316-317;  TWD blogroll found here.

Cooking Italy: Layered Crespelle with Tomato, Proscuitto, and Cheese

  This week's assignment for Cooking Italy was Layered Crespelle with Tomato, Proscuitto, and Cheese, found on pages 270-272 of the cookbook we are using:  Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. 

  What fun!  Crespelle are Italian crepes (the recipe is on pages 267-268).  After making the Crespelle, and the tomato sauce, the rest is just a matter of assembly by layering in a 8-9 inch cake pan the 8 Crespelle one at a time with each getting a smear of sauce, a sprinkling of proscuitto, a little freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and a bit of diced fresh mozzarella.  Much like layering a lasagna.  

  It is then baked in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, allowed to sit a few minutes, turned out of the pan by sliding it out right side up, and served on a platter to be sliced in wedges.       I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with a wonderful dish, a big hit around here with everyone, especially the guys who just raved about it, asking for it again "soon."  Alex asked if I would get up and make it for breakfast tomorrow before school.   Request respectfully denied, but I will make it again for them all in the near future.  (I made half a recipe in a 6 inch cake pan as we were also having grilled chicken and corn on the cob, so it was more of a side dish than a main dish tonight.   After the meal, it was completely gone!)  

  If you would like to see Angela's lovely rendition (she has such a way with food styling) and the recipe, you can go to Spinach Tiger where you will also find a connect to the Cooking Italy group, the schedule, and the upcoming menu recipes.  

  Next week's recipes are Bolognese Meat Sauce, found on page 203-205, and Tagliatelle, found on page 136. 

BBA Challenge: Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

   The ninth Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge (from the book by the same name authored by Peter Reinhart) is Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread, and is found on pages 147-149.  

   This is the best Cinnamon Raisin Bread recipe I have ever tasted.  Ever.  (Oh, yeah, I left out the walnuts as we aren't big on nuts baked IN things around here.)  The guys thought it was the best, too.  It is wonderful just eaten out of hand, but it is also particularly tasty toasted warm in the morning:  the choice of toppings:  Mark, butter; Matt, butter; Alex, butter and cinnamon sugar; myself, a little bit of cream cheese.  I am thinking a little smear of peanut butter would work nicely as well. 

  The recipe was easy, the dough absolutely lovely to work with, the smell of cinnamon, sugar, yeast, etc. intoxicating, and while it made two loaves, I hid the second in the freezer before they knew there were two so that it would last longer.

      Tomorrow will finish it all off, then I need to decide:  do I dare make it again so soon?  Definitely a treat.  Definitely a keeper.  Buy the book and make this one even if you don't make anything else!

   Nancy, Cathy, Audrey, Jessica, Melissa, Sarah, Di, Leslie, Margaret and I are baking and posting every other week to better fit into our schedules.  If you would like to see their Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread, click on their names and visit their sites in the next few days, or you can visit the main group and marvel how they are so far ahead of us.  We'll get there...Slow and Steady. 

    Our next challenge:  Cornbread, found on pages 150-153.  It will be posted here in two weeks.

Long Standing Friendships

   Matt's 17th birthday came and went with a smattering of celebrating here and there due to various swimming meets, swim commitments, travel swim gigs, etc., going on at the time, so finally on the 22nd of August we managed to get this group of guys (minus Alex who had to miss for the first time), Adam, Jacob, Matt, and Colin, together for a bit of celebrating by going to an Indians baseball game, etc. 

  These friends have been celebrating birthdays together since they first met in scouts in the first grade.  Matt had to drop out of scouts many years ago due to swimming commitments and scouting ones conflicting far too often, and Alex finally called it a day with scouting last year, but the friendships continue and the memories they built in those years of scouting activities, camping, and such have led to the memories they make now with their teen social years. 

  Their voices have all changed...they all shave...they all drive...they all are juniors and they all don't see that we parents still see them sitting around the birthday tables when their feet didn't even touch the floor and wonder where all this time went all so quickly. 

  Susan, these next two shots are for you!  Susan makes and custom decorates the most wonderful sugar cookies for all occasions.  She made Matt's centered around swimming, 17th birthday theme, baseball, etc. and they were a big hit with the guys who love cookies and brownies. 

  The next photo was taken after the baseball game with them sitting down at the kitchen table to desserts of cookies and brownies, and trying, with their 17 year old large size hands, to untie the little ribbons Susan had carefully tied to each little package of cookies. 

  It was hysterical to watch these guys try to get those little ribbons untied, unknotted, and the cookies unsheathed.  Susan, you would have enjoyed it and the giggles from the guys trying to see who could get theirs out first, or at all! 

  And, because Alex was not able to be there this year, here's a photo my friend Jan found the other day while scrapbooking some scout memories for Johnny, of Alex at scout camp in 2005 when he was twelve years old.  Alex, always the littlest guy through the years, is the one at the first table facing the camera.  Talk about changes...he's grown a bit since then, changed eyeglass styles, and has a different haircut, but when I look at this photo, I still see him like this as if it were yesterday.  You were missed, Alex.   

CEiMB: Waldorf Chicken Wraps

The recipe chosen this week for

CEiMB, using Ellie Krieger's cookbook, The Food You Crave:  Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life, was selected by Johnstone's Vin Blanc and is Waldorf Chicken Wraps, found on the web here.  

  We make chicken salad quite a bit around here as it is one of Matt's favorites...he eats two at a sitting.  We also like Waldorf Salad quite a bit around here and it is one of Mark's favorites.  I was eager to try this week's recipe because it combined the two recipes, and also for it's "slimmed down" version, using Greek yogurt in place of much of the mayonnaise. 

  The recipe goes together quickly, with all the usual suspects: chicken, mayo, lemon juice, S&P, some new additions like Greek yogurt, apples, grapes, walnuts, thyme, and then it all gets snuggled inside a romaine lettuce leaf and enveloped in a whole wheat wrap.  It can be made ahead and ready for assembly into the wraps with very little time and effort on a busy week night. 

  Best of all:  it tastes great!  Definitely a keeper, definitely a repeat, sooner rather than later.  I'm pretty sure it's my new chicken salad go-to recipe.

   Next week:  Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, recipe found on the web here. 

Whisk Wednesdays: Biscuit de Savoie (Sponge Cake)

  I am certain the LCBatH recipe is probably the best sponge cake in the world.  That said, however, I am desserted-out as far as making so many desserts.  My idea of dessert is usually to have two bites and pass it over for someone else to finish as I am not a lover of desserts generally.  I will make this cake at some point, but this week's schedule had had four desserts in my blog-alongs and I decided to forego making all but the TWD one this week.  You can check out Shari's version and the blogroll by clicking here. 

  Shari, by the way, has been accepted at the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Ottawa, Canada, so she will be busy pursuing her dream starting this week!  Congratulations and Best Wishes, Shari, we are so happy you have this opportunity. 

Stand By....

  Busy, busy, busy...will catch the blog up this weekend.  In the meantime, go out and do something special for someone for no apparent reason whatsoever!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

  Thanks to Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick this week of Espresso Cheesecake Brownies, found on pages 104-105 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. 

  I am officially desserted-out.  Sweets are not my biggest temptation ever, so when I saw this week that four of my cook alongs were desserts, I thought, "Nope, not doing all those."  Since TWD was my first blog along, I will try to remain faithful, besides this week was chocolate, so I wouldn't actually eat any of it. 

  I procrastinated until today (Tuesday) and found that there were quite a few steps and quite a bit of waiting around time, so posting later in the day, sorry about that for those of you who came along checking to see if I could actually pull this one off. 

  Chocolate Brownie is the bottom layer, topped with an espresso cheesecake layer, topped by a sour cream and sugar layer, and just because it looked a little bare, I threw some mini chocolate chips on the top as the guys appreciate things like that...extra chocolate is always a hit with them. 

  There is supposed to be a brownie swirl in the cheesecake layer, but my brownie dots sunk to the bottom and the swirl didn't take, so no swirly bit in that layer here.  I've decided I am not particularly talented when it comes to the swirly bits.  

  Since I did not taste, you are subject to the opinions of guys who will pretty much eat anything not nailed down, especially when it comes to chocolate, and that proclamation is:  "These are really terrific!  Chocolate, Cheesecake, Coffee, Sour Cream...these are really really good!"  (Of course, while working on homework (Matt), anything with chocolate in it is probably a hit, right?)  Definitely a repeat. 

  Next week:  Chocolate Souffle, pages 406;  TWD blogroll found here.