Grandma's Kitchen Table

Thirty Minute Thursdays: Fettuccine al Gorgonzola (Fettuccine with Gorgonzola)

      This week for Thirty Minute Thursdays, cooking our way through Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta book with Glennis and whoever else wants to join us, I made Fettuccine al Gorgonzola (Fettuccine with Gorgonzola), on page 50. 

      Some of these pastas look a lot alike, but they taste completely different from one another.  The Gorgonzola cheese with this pasta packs a great flavor punch:  blue cheese, cream, and butter...sinful, absolutely and delightfully sinful.  The great thing about it is that you can't eat very much of it as it is so rich in flavor and texture, so if you are being mindful of calories/cholesterol, etc. that's a plus.  One can have an just a very small portion and be perfectly satisfied.       

      Ingredients:  Gorgonzola cheese, whole milk, cream, butter, salt, fettuccine, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  The whole thing comes together very quickly in the time it takes to boil the pasta.  I would definitely make this one again.  The recipe says it serves four, but you could easily do 8-10 with this as a side dish, seriously.

      If you like the looks and sounds of it, buy the book as I am a believer in encouraging people to support the authors who put together these fabulous books by buying a copy, so you won't find the recipes posted from this book here.  (Buy it, the recipes are easy, the ingredients are easy to locate, it's not pricey, and there are photos of almost all the recipes.)

Tuesdays with Dorie: Pecan Powder Puffs

Thanks to Tianne, from Buttercream Barbie, for her pick of Pecan Powder Puffs, found on page 156 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      We always called these cookies Mexican Wedding Cakes and Mark's family always called them Pecan Crescents because his mother used to shape in them in a half-moons.  Whatever name you call them, these are always a favorite around here and Dorie's recipe is excellent.  They are light and crunchy and melt on your tongue.  The powdered sugar adds a little extra sweetness and fancies them up a bit.  Definitely a repeat.

        Next week:  Jessica from Domestic Deep Thought of the Day has chosen Coffee Ice Cream Tart, found on pages 358-359. TWD blogroll found here.

Bake! Golden Almond Bars

      The eleventh recipe that I made from Bake!  by Nick Malgieri was Golden Almond Bars, found on pages 194-195.  When I first sat down and looked through this book, this was one of the recipes that caught my eye as nut bars are always a favorite around here.  (I know, don't ask, they don't like nuts IN things but they do like nuts ON things, and btw, I am getting them to eat nuts IN things little by little.)  The Golden Almond Bars just looked so pretty in the photo. 

      I was really happy when Abby chose them for one of our bake alongs and then it took me weeks to find slivered almonds to use in the recipe.  Finally, ingredients, recipe, time, and desire all came together and the bars were made and baked! 

      Ingredient list:  flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, and eggs for the Sweet Pastry Dough crust base (page 14); butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, corn syrup, salt, cream, and slivered almonds for the topping. 

      The crust comes together easily in the food processor, the other ingredients take only a couple of minutes on the stovetop, it's all assembled in less than five minutes (plus the time it takes to make the pastry dough crust which is very easy and not long at all) and popped into the oven for 25 minutes, cooled, and cut into bars.   Could not be easier.

      They were a big hit here.  Definitely a repeat.  It was Abby's turn to pick the recipe, so here's her link and a couple of others who posted:  Phyl's link and Andrea's link.

      Get the book and Bake! with us, we will even let you choose recipes in rotation with us, yes, we will!

BBA: New York Deli Rye

      The thirty-first Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge (from the book by the same name authored by Peter Reinhart) is New York Deli Rye, and is found on pages 236-238.   

      Using the barm from the previous bread recipe, I made the second recipe in the sourdough section in 2 loaf pans so that we could use the bread easily for sandwiches and Rubens, my favorite use of rye bread.  This was wonderful bread for Rubens because it has onions in the dough which added a little extra fun and flavor to the sandwiches.  

      The ingredients:  barm, white rye flour, water, onions, vegetable oil, bread flour, brown sugar, salt, instant yeast, caraway seeds, and buttermilk or milk. 

      The process for making this one was easier than the Basic Sourdough Bread and I always love when I can throw something in a pan for forming as I am not that great at the free formed loaves which always manage to look lopsided.
      This is an easy bread to make so I'm thinking it's going to see a lot of play on Ruben sandwich days.  Delicious.  Really really good.  

      You can visit the main group and marvel the breads.  I'm getting there...Slow and Steady.  Our next challenge:  100% Sourdough Rye Bread, found on pages 239-241.

BBA: Basic Sourdough Bread

      The thirtieth Bread Baker's Apprentice challenge (from the book by the same name authored by Peter Reinhart) is Basic Sourdough Bread, and is found on pages 233-235.   

      The bread dough takes a seed culture which we made, taking the better part of a week but was not viable, so I tossed it all out and started over again.  At the end of the next week, it was still slow, earning the name Slo Mo, but it was good enough to make the first of the sourdough breads. 

      Ingredient list for seed culture:  rye, bread flour, water.  After the seed culture is made, the barm step is next, ingredients for that are bread flour, water, seed culture.  Finally we get to the Basic Sourdough Bread recipe and the ingredients for that are barm, bread flour, water, bread flour, salt, and water. 

      The process for making the bread is pretty much the same as any bread, the main difference being the sour taste from the starter.  Since you don't use all of the barm, it stays behind in the refrigerator to be fed and used for other loaves of sourdough bread.  The longer it lives, the deeper the sourdough flavor, and I could taste the difference already between the first loaves I made and the additional ones at the end of the week.
      The dough recipe made two 1-1/2 pound loaves.  Matt ate most all of it...one one day and the other another day.  I think I had one slice and Mark had a couple, but Matt really loved this bread.  So much so, that I made another two loaves at the end of the week as Margaret was baking them and I decided to just join in since I knew Matt would love to see more of this bread.  Delicious.  Really really good.  

      You can visit the main group and marvel the breads.  I'm getting there...Slow and Steady.  Our next challenge:  New York Deli Rye, found on pages 236-238.

French Fridays with Dorie: Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce

      The seventeenth recipe I made for French Fridays with Dorie, from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table cookbook, was Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce, found on pages 317-318.  I am actually posting this recipe in a fairly timely manner as it was this past week's recipe for Friday's post. 

      Oh my were these delicious, the sauce is just lovely with the scallops as the caramel and orange together are perfect with the sweetness of the scallops.  It's all very simple and goes together quickly, no reason not to make this recipe often. 

      I made double the sauce so that I could try it with chicken this week as well.  I already know it's going to be great.  Definitely a hit, definitely a repeat, definitely a reason to buy the book so you can enjoy Dorie's recipes any time you want!

      Ingredient list:  scallops, butter, olive oil, sugar, white wine, and freshly squeezed orange juice.  

     

      If you would like to learn more about this group, you can click here. Enrollment is open, feel free to follow along officially or unofficially. The group posts weekly on Fridays.

Bake! The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie

      The tenth recipe that I made from Bake!  by Nick Malgieri was The Original Chocolate Chip Cookie, found on page 207.  Based on the original Ruth Wakefield chocolate chip cookie recipe, with some additions for changing it up as you like and instructions how to make your cookies crisp or chewy, thick or thin, this recipe was a big hit. 

      I made them just as originally written (even included the nuts) and they were exactly what the guys love, a big chocolatey, wrinkly, crisp cookie that is ooey gooey in the middle.  They were absolutely delighted with them. And, yes, I know they don't look like beauties, but trust me, this is exactly what the guys love in looks and taste in their chocolate chip cookies.

      Ingredient list:  flour, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, walnuts, and chocolate chips.
      While these are indeed the Tollhouse Cookies, it is rather convenient and nice to have the recipe included for a quick grab as I am loving this book and finding that I can easily find something in it to make time and again. They were a big hit here.  Definitely a repeat. 

      It was Andrea's turn to pick the recipe, so here's her link and a couple of others who posted:   Phyl's link and Abby's link.

      Get the book and Bake! with us, we will even let you choose recipes in rotation with us, yes, we will!

Thirty Minute Thursdays: Farfalle ai Piselli e Lattuga (Farfalle with Peas and Lettuce)

      This week for Thirty Minute Thursdays, cooking our way through Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta book with Glennis and whoever else wants to join us, I made Farfalle ai Piselli e Lattuga (Farfalle with Peas and Lettuce), on page 137.  This makes a nice side dish full of flavor and it's also a pretty addition to a plate.  

      Ingredients:  onion, butter, pancetta, lettuce, peas, salt, pepper, farfalle (bowtie or butterfly pasta). 

      It comes together quickly and while I tried to get all the ingredients to show in the photo, I don't see much of the lettuce, but it is definitely there and it was a tasty addition.  This will be a repeat and something fun to take to a potluck as it can sit out and is wonderful at room temperature (I know this because mine had to sit for a bit before I actually got to sit down and eat it). 

      If you like the looks and sounds of it, buy the book as I am a believer in encouraging people to support the authors who put together these fabulous books by buying a copy, so you won't find the recipes posted from this book here.  (Buy it, the recipes are easy, the ingredients are easy to locate, it's not pricey, and there are photos of almost all the recipes.)

CEiMB: Blueberry Coffee Cake

      The recipe chosen this week for CEiMB, using Ellie Krieger's So Easy book, was Blueberry Coffee Cake chosen by Bri of Yoshimi vs. Motherhood.  You can find the recipe here. 

      I tune in to all of Bri's entries as she has just become that sort of friend, always love to hear what is going on over there and what she is whipping up in her kitchen.  She makes things for her groups and then she also ventures out and makes things that just take her fancy.  Although this sounds like a weird reason to like someone's blog, I like the fact that Bri has certain things foods she or her family just do not like so she often substitutes so I learn a lot from all her experiments/research on what does and what doesn't work when one is substituting.  Each week I learn something new, what a deal!
      This little blueberry cake was delicious and so very easy to make.  I did need to bake it for about 15 minutes longer than the recipe stated, but that could be due to the differences in ovens. 

      We all loved it and Mark took it in with his lunch for a couple of days as well.  The fresh blueberries baked up nicely in this, I served it warm out of the oven and they just melted into each bite.  Definitely a repeat. 

      Next week's assignment is Creamed Spinach, chosen by Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen, on page 175 of Ellie's book So Easy.  You can find the CEiMB blogroll here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Honey Nut Brownies

      Thanks to Suzy, from Suzy Homemaker, for her pick of Honey Nut Brownies, found on page 102 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Don't ask...I have no idea what happened to these, if they are supposed to look like this or what they are supposed to taste like (not a chocolate fan, not taste testing) but I will say this:  the guys ate them.  They said that they tasted more like cake than brownie (could be the baker's error actually, not sure), that they were happy I left out the nuts, that they could definitely taste the honey and that flavor was interesting and nice, and that they were happy to eat them. 

       All that said, it looks like I did something wrong as they don't really look like a brownie to me and what's going on with the layered look?  Definitely something I need to make again to see if I get the same results.   That's the great thing about baking for guys, they don't really care what it looks like as long as it tastes good...and apparently these tasted good.

        Next week:  Tianne from Buttercream Barbie has chosen Pecan Powder Puffs, found on page 156. TWD blogroll found here.

French Fridays with Dorie: Salted Butter Break-ups

      The sixteenth recipe I made for French Fridays with Dorie, from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table cookbook, was Salted Butter Break-ups, found on pages 400.  I am actually posting this recipe in a fairly timely manner as it was this week's recipe for Friday's post. 

      Before I even knew we were making these, Phyl and Di were Twitter-baking them and raving about them, so I figured it was a "must."  When I did not yet have them completed mid-week, Phyl sent me an email emphasizing that if I didn't have time to make any of the recipes in the next little while, that I should definitely NOT skip this one as it was wonderfully good.  Okay, okay...enough said, I figured I could not skip this week, if for no other reason, than to see if he knew what he was talking about.  He did.  I don't know why I even doubted as he's usually fairly attuned to good things in the kitchen.  (I say "usually" because Phyl's latest venture is learning to cook what we are all affectionately calling "road kill" and he is calling "exotic meats."  I could be changing my mind in the near future.)

      Ingredient list:  flour, sugar, sel gris or kosher salt, unsalted butter, cold water, and egg yolk. 

      Doesn't sound like anything unusual, but I dare you to make these and then try to describe to someone what exactly they are...a cracker, a cookie, something else altogether?  Let me know what you come up with when you do it.  Whatever they are, they are delicious and worthy of repeating every now and again.  Actually, I would venture to say that they are a bit addicting.  Super easy to make, too.  

      If you would like to learn more about this group, you can click here. Enrollment is open, feel free to follow along officially or unofficially. The group posts weekly on Fridays.

French Fridays with Dorie: Spiced Butter-Glazed Carrots

      The fifteenth recipe I made for French Fridays with Dorie, from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table cookbook, was  Spiced Butter-Glazed Carrots, found on pages 335. 

      I know, I am in no way posting the recipes for this group in order or on time, I'm just sort of doing my own thing, sometimes I am timely, and sometimes I am not, thank you for your patience while I try to get caught up in this group. 

      These carrots are a simple side dish that elevates the lowly carrot (so often just simply steamed or glazed around here) to new and interesting heights.  An enjoyable experience deserving of repetition.  I especially love the onions and garlic with the carrots.

      Ingredient list:  carrots, chicken broth, butter, onion, ginger, garlic, cardamon seeds, salt, and pepper.  Simple enough, and there was nary a carrot left at the end of the meal...praise enough.

      If you would like to learn more about this group, you can click here. Enrollment is open, feel free to follow along officially or unofficially. The group posts weekly on Fridays.

Thirty Minute Thursdays: Linguine alle Zucchine e Cipolle (Linguine with Zucchini and Onions)

      This week for Thirty Minute Thursdays, cooking our way through Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta book with Glennis and whoever else wants to join us, I made Linguine alle Zucchine e Cipolle (Linguine with Zucchini and Onions), on page 80. 

      This is absolutely delicious, with just a few ingredients in this recipe I was very surprised at the wonderfully rich flavor.   Ingredients:  onion, butter, zucchini, salt, pepper, linguine, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

      It comes together quickly, is a great side dish, and is definitely going into regular play around here during zucchini season. 

      If you like the looks and sounds of it, buy the book as I am a believer in encouraging people to support the authors who put together these fabulous books by buying a copy, so you won't find the recipes posted from this book here.  (Buy it, the recipes are easy, the ingredients are easy to locate, it's not pricey, and there are photos of almost all the recipes.)

Tuesdays with Dorie: Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins

      Thanks to Lauryn, from Bella Baker, for her pick of Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins, found on page 7 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Thanks, Lauryn, these muffins were so very very good!  What's not to love about orange, lemon, currants, butter, eggs, sugar, etc.?  The citrus flavors really came through and they smell delicious while baking and while eating them.
      These are going in the regular rotation around here and I am making them exactly as Dorie wrote the recipe, it's wonderful just as it is.  Yes, they are that good.   

        Next week:  Suzy from Suzy Homemaker has chosen Honey Nut Brownies, found on page 102. TWD blogroll found here.

French Friday's with Dorie: Beggar's Linguine

      The fourteenth recipe I made for French Fridays with Dorie, from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table cookbook, was Beggar's Linguine, found on pages 370-371. 

      This is so good!  Who knew these ingredients cooked together and tossed with pasta would make something taste so wonderful that I may actually have a dream about it...oh, yeah, make this one for sure!

     

      Ingredient list:  linguine, butter, pistachios, almonds, dried Mission figs, golden raisins, salt and pepper, freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, orange zest, and minced chives. 

     

      Easy directions, takes a minimal amount of time, and it's delicious!  I know, I said that about the Savory Cheese and Chives Bread, but ditto for here as well.  So very good!  I have never tasted anything like this one before...it's amazing/unique/my new favorite from this book.

     

      If you would like to learn more about this group, you can click here. Enrollment is open, feel free to follow along officially or unofficially. The group posts weekly on Fridays.

French Fridays with Dorie: Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

      The thirteenth recipe I made for French Fridays with Dorie, from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table cookbook, was Savory Cheese and Chive Bread, found on pages 34-36. 

      Yesterday Tracey and I were tweeting and decided to just dive into a recipe from this book so Tracey could get her feet wet and finally make something from it and I could finally get another post up for FFwD as I tend to be a bit behind in this group, not sure why as I love the book and recipes, so I am just going to blame it on finding enough time to get it all done. 

      We settled on this recipe as it was easy, we both had the ingredients on hand, the photo of it in the book is gorgeous, and from all reports, everyone who already made this recipe just loved it.  We dove in, baked together while tweeting, and in no time we had a loaf of Savory Cheese and Chive Bread cooling and ready for snacking or dinner.  Oh, my is this good bread!

      Ingredient list:  flour, baking powder, salt, white pepper, eggs, whole milk, extra-virgin olive oil, grated cheese (I used Cheddar), cheese chunks (I used Emmenthal), chives, and toasted walnuts.   Easy directions, takes a minimal amount of time, and it's delicious!  If you need an incentive to just get going in making recipes from this book, this one would be it.

      If you would like to learn more about this group, you can click here. Enrollment is open, feel free to follow along officially or unofficially. The group posts weekly on Fridays.

Thirty Minute Thursdays: Linguine al Limone (Linguine with Lemon)

      This week for Thirty Minute Thursdays, cooking our way through Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta book with Glennis and whoever else wants to join us, I made Linguine al Limone (Linguine with Lemon), on page 45. 

      This is absolutely delicious.  Those of you who know me, know that I have an unending love affair with the lemon...lemon anything has my immediate attention.  I'm surprised it has taken me two months to get to this recipe as that's how long I have had this book. 

      I didn't mess around with half a batch, hoping that maybe there would be leftovers for breakfast.  Silly me, it was such a hit that all leftovers were boxed up for lunches that aren't mine.  The recipe is, however, easy enough to make with very little fuss and ingredients found pretty much always in my kitchen.  

      Ingredients:  lemon, butter, cream, salt, pepper, pasta, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.  (I didn't say it was calorie-friendly, just very good and worth the splurge every now and again in small doses.)  Oh, and I tossed a few chives on the top just to give it a little something for the photo.  I am thinking this would be absolutely delightful with shrimp in it...or chicken...or maybe pork even...throw some steamed broccoli in there and you would have a complete meal with a delightful lemony flavor!  Oh, yeah, this is a repeat certainly. 

      If you like the looks and sounds of it, buy the book as I am a believer in encouraging people to support the authors who put together these fabulous books by buying a copy, so you won't find the recipes posted from this book here.  (Buy it, the recipes are easy, the ingredients are easy to locate, it's not pricey, and there are photos of almost all the recipes.)

CEiMB: Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

      The recipe chosen this week for CEiMB, using Ellie Krieger's So Easy book, was Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash chosen by me.  You can find the recipe on page 176 or here. 

      When I learned it was my turn to choose a recipe for the group I figured I would chose one that still fell into the "winter" category as we are still having cold weather here, something that would appreciate a good soup or stew for instance.  As of late I have been expanding my cooking repertoire to include Indian food with the help/guidance of Leslie and Margaret, so when I saw the ingredients for this stew, I knew this would be a great choice along those lines as well. 

      The spicing in this stew is wonderful.  Here's what you need:  stew beef, olive oil, onion, ginger, garlic, butternut squash, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef broth, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, whole-wheat couscous, almonds, and parsley (optional). Once you have these you can click on the above link to find the full recipe and directions. 
      We all loved this stew.  I made it according to the directions with the same ingredients, and the only variation that I incorporated was that I stuck it all in my crockpot on high for four hours.  It was perfectly done and the flavors had combined wonderfully well.  I also liked the tenderness of the beef from cooking it at that temperature for that long.  This will definitely be making an appearance regularly in the stew rotation here.

      Next week's assignment is Ellie's Savory Chinese Chicken Salad, chosen by Danica of Danica's Daily, on page 110 of Ellie's book The Food You Crave.  You can find the CEiMB blogroll here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Corniest Corn Muffins

      Thanks to Jill, from My Next Life, for her pick of Corniest Corn Muffins, found on page 4 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe on Jill's blog. 

      Hands down these are the very best corn muffins I have ever had in my entire life.  I followed the recipe exactly for 6 of the 12 and in the first 6 of the 12 I left out the corn as some people in this household are a bit picky about corn kernels inside corn muffins. Go figure.  (And, for once, the picky one was not me.)  Make them, you won't be disappointed.    

      Next week:  Lauryn from Bella Baker has chosen Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins, found on page 7. TWD blogroll found here.

CEiMB: Banana Splits with Pineapple-Brown Sugar Topping

      The recipe chosen this week for CEiMB, using Ellie Krieger's So Easy book, was Banana Splits with Pineapple-Brown Sugar Topping chosen by Shandy of Pastry Heaven.  You can find the recipe on page 227 or here. 

      Mark loves dessert, no matter what we have for dinner, he always likes a little something sweet to finish off the meal.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy, or a lot of it, just a little something to end the day.  These little banana splits of Ellie's were perfect.  They were easy to make with ingredients we have on hand always, and definitely fit the "little bit sweet" to end tonight's meal.  We all enjoyed them and they will definitely be a repeat.  Thanks, Shandy, another Ellie hit!

      Next week's assignment is Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash, chosen by me, on page 176 of Ellie's book So Easy.  You can find the CEiMB blogroll here.

Twitter Chef Avatar Fun: Emeril Lagasse's Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya

      We are having a bit of avatar fun over at Twitter, my baking/cooking pals and I, just to shake things up a bit and confuse everyone each month as to who is who and all.  Nancy came up with the great idea of each of us picking a different chef for each month, all of us making anything we each selected to make from that chef's recipes, taking a photo of our efforts, and using that photo as our avatar for that month. 

      March's avatar chef is Emeril Lagasse, chosen by Margaret.  The recipe I chose is from Emeril's Real and Rustic Cookbook and is Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya. You can also find the recipe on Emeril's site:  click here.  It's simple, easy, no fancy ingredients that are hard to locate, and was a big hit here with everyone.  Bam!

My Kitchen, My World: Italy

      The world cuisine chosen for February's My Kitchen, My World was from the country of Italy.  At the beginning of the month, I promised myself I would not let time get away from me (I do this every single month and it always does) and really embrace this country's cuisine, hoping that I would get something posted early.  Hmmm...the month got away from me and today I am posting late, but wanted to share a recipe that I found for an antipasti course offering. 

      Antipasti recipes are always fun to make, serve, and eat.  Usually they are something a little special, something a little different, something you can serve at room temperature so it needs to be something that can stand up to sitting out for a bit while people graze, something that you would not want to eat an entire plate of, and yet something to whet your appetite while you anticipate the main offerings of the meal.  This recipe does all of the above.  The taste is spicy and sweet and has a "yum factor" that will leave you wanting to "pop just maybe one more" into your mouth before moving on.  Simple, easy, economical, and delicious, definitely something you will want to make again. 

Insalata di Cipolle in Agrodolce
(Sweet-and-Sour Onion Salad)
Serves 6

l pound baby onions, peeled
1/4 cup good Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
1 Bay Leaf
2 Parsley Sprigs
1/2 cup Raisins

1-1/4 cups of water

Salt & Pepper

       Put everything in a pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer without a lid on the pan for 45 minutes (until almost all of the liquid has evaporated).   Remove the bay leaf and parsley, check seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Pots de Creme

      Thanks to Christine, from Black Cat Cooking, for her pick of Chocolate Pots de Creme, found on pages 390-391 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Heretofore, with all the desserts that I have made from this book, Mark's absolute number one favorite has been the Chocolate Pudding (page 383).  Now he has two top favorites, so thanks for picking this recipe Christine, the guys thought these were really wonderful. 

      The recipe is very simple, requires just a few ingredients, and is relatively fuss-free.  For instance, if you make some, they get eaten really quickly before you get your photo, you still have time to make some again that same day.  Definitely a repeat.  My husband and sons are big pudding fans...testimony from Mark:  "Who cares what's for dinner, we have homemade chocolate pudding for dessert!"  Go figure.

        Next week:  Jill from My Next Life has chosen Corniest Corn Muffins, found on page 4. TWD blogroll found here.