Muffkies, or Cookins

If you see my last entry, it was 78 yesterday. Today's high in Dallas is 33. Will someone please explain how I can cope with this nonsense?

I made a special breakfast food for Sunday to celebrate my birthday, and it turned out they were actually cookies.

There has been some controversy for quite awhile about muffins for breakfast, that they are really cake. People that like cake and want to eat it early in the day developed the muffin as an excuse. It is sort of like when Sauvignon Blanc swarmed the market and vintners started calling it Fume Blanc to give the market variety and appeal. Or like when real authors write bodice-ripping novels under surnames. Anyhoo...

I got this recipe from Gourmet a few years ago when I had a subscription. It was in a December issue, and I just forgot to notate that it was the COOKIE issue. They looked like muffins, so I did 'em.

They actually ARE cookies. But, if anything goes for breakfast, these will work. They were supposed to be mini muffins, but I don't have a mini muffin tin. I made regular sized muffkies, and they took about the same time in the oven. These are very tasty and unusual cookies, which should wow a cookie-exchange crowd.

Blueberry Lemon Crumbles
(makes 24 mini, or 12 regular cookins)

1 c sliced almonds with skins
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
2 t grated lemon zest
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 c) butter, softened
2 egg yolks
1 t vanilla
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/3 c dried blueberries
1/2 c blueberry preserves

Preheat oven to 375. Toast almonds in one layer in shallow baking pan, stirring once, until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Leave oven on.

Pulse flour, sugars, 1 t zest, cinnamon and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yolks and vanilla and process until large clumps form.

Transfer 1 1/3 c of this packed dough to a bowl and stir in almonds. Some will break. This is your topping. Gather remaining dough in a ball.

Generously butter the muffin pan and start pressing at least 1 T dough in each muffin cup, bottom and sides. Chill about 15 minutes until firm.

In small bowl, combine blueberries, preserves, the other 1 t zest, and lemon juice. Spoon this into each muffin cup. Crumble the topping evenly on top.

Bake until topping is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling. Cool completely in pan on rack. Loosen edges by gently twisting the muffkie in the cup, or use a sharp knife or spatula. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Busted!

Yes, we skipped church today. Confession is good for the soul, and I already feel much better.

It was my one day off, and we decided to celebrate my birthday today all day. I had already picked out the wine: an Italian Primitivo (Zinfandel) from Puglia called Layer Cake. We sort of expected a Zin-like experience, and we got more than we bargained for. This was a delicious wine. Very fruity, with a touch of spice, LOTS of chocolate, and just a little hint of smoke at the end when drunk with food. I originally picked it out because of the name, with the obvious birthday tie-in. Although we think lots of Italian reds are fabulous and probably better with pasta than this one, it was a delightful wine from start to finish.

I might note, it was 79 degrees today. That is wrong. Just wrong.

Arneis

We are always in the mood for a delicious Italian white wine. Except for breakfast, of course. Due to KK's work schedule, we haven't had much time for wine lately. But Saturday afternoon seemed ideal for a crisp white wine, and Chicken Bowl, of course. (I'm pretty sure we've already blogged about Chicken Bowl previously, but it is a perfect vehicle for trying new whites.)

Saturday was a mere 62 degrees in Dallas, but that made it perfect for a chilly white. Shaw had picked up this Arneis in Central Market for maybe $18, and we had heard of the varietal as a new, upcoming white.

I'll get Shaw to give more details, but suffice it to say this was really delicious. Not as sweet as a Gavi, although slightly sweet on the initial attack. There was a lovely balance of bitter citrus peel finish to class it up. I'd drink it again, especially if I find other labels of it for less.

O, Texasbaum

Here is our Christmas tree for 2008. Thanks to Beth for reminding me our identical cameras have a "night" setting. I have pretty much stuck to basic picture taking, only changing the dial for an occasional 2 minute movie. Boy, do I feel sheepish.

Still, nothing takes place of being there. Christmas trees and fireworks just don't photograph like their true selves.

(NB: no fireworks were used in our Christmas decorating this year.)

Dining Room's Final Curtain

Here is the final edition of our Dining Room pictures. I put some of that super funky garland (silver, this time) around the chandelier, but the main attraction to me is still the curtains.

We used last weekend as a deadline for putting up the curtain tiebacks. Thanks to some Shaw Ingenuitity, we found a way to make them look like I wanted, not like what I bought. I had no idea they were so short! Once we extended them, it looks just perfect.

Not to keep going on about our bordello dining room or anything. I just wanted to put the finished look up here for Mom to see. And I need to get a copy of this picture for Granny.

Mantel

I thought the mantel needed some "sprucin' " up. I have sort of coveted these little Alpine trees for a few years. I think they would look super cool outdoors at the front door. But we are not big into deckin' the outside of the house, as we are inside of it most of the time.

I got this picture from our wedding reception enlarged a month ago and it doesn't really work for the "hole in the wall" on the stair way, like I intended for it. But it works really cool on the mantel. I don't think it will stay there; probably it is headed to a bedroom wall. But anyway, when I got it enlarged through a company online, I never noticed the special feature in the back; Jerry is making bunny ears on Mary's head. The framers thought it might affect my decision to get it framed; NO WAY! It makes it more like my family. At least Jerry wasn't popping someone's bra. (Story for later.)

I ended up putting about a zillion white lights on our Christmas tree when we decorated last weekend, and actually ran out at the top. We got a 9 ft tree since we have no ceiling and KK likes trees. But KK didn't plan on THAT many lights. Plus she was laying them on really thick. God bless Home Depot, right around the corner. I ran out there and also found these funkadelic retro star lights. I had no destination for them, but they were too cool to pass up. So I ended up stringing them on the mantel. This picture was taken in daylight; take my word for it, they are much cooler in the dark. Same for the Christmas tree. They just photograph so poorly with flash. Someone tell me how to take that kind of shot with a digital camera.

Deckin' Some Stairs

We're supposed to have our Sunday School Christmas party at our crib this weekend. After all this hectic schedule, it was a good incentive to get some Christmas decorations up early. It is always a bittersweet time for me, as I LOVE the Christmas season, and enjoy decorating the place we live (which is now a house), but I work so many evenings and cannot enjoy my handiwork. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, Shaw has left them on when I get home, or turns them on before I get up.

Anyhoo, this year I found some super funky red garland at Hobby Lobby, so I'm going to blog that one first. I went and visited it in the store at least twice before purchasing, since I thought, "This is either really tacky, or super cool." I decided on the latter, and decked the stair rail with it, plus some green garland and red lights to show it off. Enjoy the picture, or come in person and see the real thing some season.

KK Goes Crafty

I got some crazy idea to continue my crafty pursuits and make a wreath. After crusing through the Martha Stewart website, I picked this really cool red bead wreath that I considered sort of modern and hip. I saw some reviews of this project; some people loved it, some thought it cost too much (they didn't research any options, I'm sure), and some thought it was too time-consuming. I should have listened to some of those people.

I decided to do this project during Thanksgiving week, since I was not working in the day and Shaw was supposed to be working. He ended up getting my cold that I wore the whole week before, and ALSO took vacation that week. This little project took a lot of time, more than expected, but was really sort of fun. I don't think it would be a project for people with little kids in the house, due to all those straight pins, but medium-aged kids should be ok. It was originally for an 8 inch wreath, but I think I bought a 12 inch. That made it take... er.. last, a lot longer.

You first stick all your pins in some styrofoam and paint the tops with red nail polish. Then wrap the wreath styrofoam with some sort of red material (I used blanket binding, nice and satiny). Then start pinning all those beads on; I used 12mm, 10mm, 8mm and 6 mm in different materials. Some are opaque, some translucent, some ruby colored, and some just plain red. You also have to dip the pins in glue to get the beads to stay on. I will not even begin to count up the hours it took, but my fingertips can attest to their use.

I do love my little wreath! In it's current home, it is hung with the remainder of the blanket binding over the rail on our half wall at the top of the stairs. I'd love it, but I think a spot light on it would be a bit much. Don't you?

Bread Pudding

Have I put in the Bread Pudding in here? I don't think so. I don't know where I got the recipe. My only contribution to it is halving it most of the time. When I make the full recipe, it sort of bombs.

The bread matters, so make it good. I grabbed a loaf from the freezer, and I think it was some sort of Country French or something. Crust is good, too. I also find success with a hearty 9-Grain bread. The recipe is listed in full amounts and noted for halving.

Bread Puddings with Whiskey Butter Sauce

3 large eggs (Half Version: 1 egg + 1 white)
1 1/2 c milk (HV: 3/4 c)
1 T vanilla (HV: "mostly" 1 T)
7 slices Texas Toast, cubed (HV: 7 regular slices of non-Texas bread)
6 oz melted butter (HV: 3 oz)
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (my addition!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream eggs and sugar together. Add milk, vanilla and spices and mix well. Add in bread cubes and mix, pressing until all is moist. Add melted butter and mix well.

Pour into a well-oiled 8x8 inch baking dish. (Half Version: I use the large muffin tin and it fills up all six cups.) Bake 45-60 minutes; mixture might rise like a souffle. When golden brown, remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.

Whiskey Sauce

Use equal parts sugar and whiskey. Heat over the stove until completely dissolved. Off heat, whisk in several tablespoons of butter until yummy. Save the rest for cereal.

Pecan Pie

On Thanksgiving, my first pecan pie in quite some time was a mixed success. It tasted great, and looked fantastic until it was cut. It didn't set up in the very center very well, but it ate just fine.

I used the recipe from Fannie Farmer's cookbook. I also tasted a rival's pie later that day, made with the recipe on the back of a Steen's bottle, with some alterations. It produced a nice mellow sweetness and set up beautifully. I think Steen's Cane Syrup is only available down south, though. Regional products!

I'd put the recipe on here, but most of you have your own. I will mention that I whipped the cream with white sugar, a touch of vanilla, and JACK DANIELS. I will make this a regular practice.

Curta... Draperies

We had a rendezvous of Hall women at our house last week. The mission: making KK's curtains for two rooms. I actually remember Lara lecturing me about not calling them curtains; "You call them 'draperies' now." Ironically, Lara was actually in Dallas on Friday while we were sewing; she was passing through the airport on her way somewhere important. Having four Hall women in one place when it is not a holiday would just be... well, surreal.

I absolutely LOVE my draperies! Now I'm trying to figure out how I can make more, since I finally know how to thread and use my sewing machine. Although it was the Grannie who orchestrated the whole thing.

I'm including some far away and close up of the print for the white and yellow ones, and the red draperies just give a cool glow in the daytime. I haven't figured out how I want to hold them back yet, but they are cool enough on their own.

PS: I forgot to mention my AWESOME husband and favorite, Shaw, who hung these bad boys like a pro! With three women as spectators, no less! We are learning how to handle a house, but he is far outshining me! And I'm thankful for him.

And the Oscar goes to...

Francis Ford Coppola, hands down. We have enjoyed his budget red wine, Rosso, for a few years now. Cruising through Goody Goody a few weeks ago, KK was scouting out some new zinfandels. Just a random selection (mostly for the bizarre labeling), I picked up this Director's Cut Zinfandel by Coppola for about $18. The label is a zoetrope (early animation/film style of image series), an homage to his filmmaking.

What an unexpected pleasure it was, even on the first taste. Not too spicy, just right. And lots of fruit. We had it with burgers and sweet potato fries in ginger-curry oil. I think it would be wonderful with Italian food, but it hardly pens it self in to just one ethnic group. It held up very well with beef, and the extra sharp cheddar on the burgers was a fantastic match.

It is a bit past our everyday wine budget, but for a weekend meal, it was spectacular. We will definitely pick up more of these. I believe Coppola also makes a Director's Cut Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet. I can't speak towards those specifically, but this Zinfandel tastes out of the park.

Abacus

This past Saturday night we finally made it to Abacus, a restaurant in downtown Dallas. Shaw had a gift card for it from his co-workers about a year ago and we've tried since then to find the right time to go. For wine dinners, we love to go around 2:00 on a holiday, so we can take as much time as we need for a bottle of wine, and skip dinner's hectic pace. However, when we tried the first time, we discovered they aren't open for lunch, ever. Style cramper. So more time went by and we chose last weekend to give it a try.

This restaurant's menu is prepared by some chef who used to be on Top Chef, but I'm not sure who since we don't have cable and I've only seen that show a handful of times when staying with family. We had heard some great reviews and also some caution; they have a bit of a rushing history between courses. We had checked their menu out months ago online and found it to be a bit adventurous for KK, but we knew their wine list was really good, and KK can find something almost anywhere. I'm just not a fan of quail eggs or buffalo when it costs that much!

At the end of the meal, I can safely say I will spend many attempts trying to recreate some of what we had that night. So yummy! We deliberated over a wine once we saw the menu up close and knew we were both aiming at fish. This viognier from Zaca Mesa was delightful. Really delicious. It started out a bit cold, but tasted pretty good even then; as it warmed up, it got even more enjoyable with plenty of honeysuckle and weight. Such a tasty wine! We looked it up on their website and it seems to be sold out; probably directed mainly at restaurant wine lists, so I'm not sure we can get it locally. We've been pleased with viognier lately, even though our preferences lie towards racy and crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Our first viognier (purchased in a restaurant) was the viognier-like Israeli wine at Amma; while not life-changing, it was very delicious with the food we had. This viognier was fantastic on it's own, and became even more delicious with the food.

And...the food! KK started with a deconstructed Caesar salad (not her usual choice EVER). The romaine hearts were split down the middle and topped with shaved parmiggiano, oven-dried tomato slices and an assertive but not too tangy caesar dressing. Looked cool, tasted even better. I'll be doing it for a family dinner in the future. Shaw chose tiger prawns with a chili-ginger dipping sauce, and just as we expected, it was nothing special. However, on the side was this little bowl of ginger risotto and small veggies which was OUTSTANDING. I think they serve the dish just for that risotto. I'll be working on that one soon. I think it would be spectacular with a glazed piece of fish. Wow. I tried to steal more than my little bite from Shaw's plate, but he is wise to me.

Main courses were both fish, and both delicious. Sean's was the most beautifully white and flaky portion of grilled swordfish. I've never seen it so white; and it was perfectly cooked. Underneath it was some sort of sauce, wilted spinach and other things. I didn't notice it too much as I was devouring mine. I got pan-seared halibut (a bit too seared and dry, but still tasty). Underneath was baby bok choy, slivers of red pepper and a carrot-ginger broth. I was not too ashamed to use the table's bread to sop up the sauce. It was so beautifully balanced and tasty, and I couldn't get it all with my fork, but the bread worked nicely!

Continuing on our splurge, we ordered a sampler of chocolate desserts. Four little piles of chocolate goodness appeared on a rectangular plate, and all of them were delicious. Memorable bites were the brule pudding (very dark and rich!), the five spice chocolate tart. One of them had a sprinkling of sea-salt on it, which made it burst with flavor. There is just something about crunchy salt and chocolate that is unexpectedly fantastic.

By the way, Starbucks has a new pretentious hot chocolate for this season: Salted Toffee Caramel Hot Chocolate. I never get Starbucks drinks, almost as a rule. I run in, get a pound of beans for Shaw, and run out. But this time, there were little samples on a tray in front of me. I couldn't turn it down. One of the most delicious warm beverages I have ever put past my lips. Just in case there is a Starbucks near you.... I'd suggest it.

Squash Season

I'm pushing fall season food real hard in hopes we will actually GET some fall before next summer hits. This recipe from Gourmet capitalizes on squash season, and is one of their more simple recipes. I find their simple ones are their best. I think this was supposed to be a side dish, but I served it over quinoa (miracle food!) and had it for dinner without meat. And, of course, a Sauvignon Blanc. Or did we try a Gru-Vee? There is a new Gewurztrauminer labeled Gru-Vee and it is more economically priced. Not too bad, but not overwhelming, either.

Peeling the squash takes a bit of elbow grease and time, but not too much. It puts a film on your hands that is hard to wash off. If you hold it with a towel, it saves your hands. However, there is a point when you cannot do that, but any bit helps.

Butternut Squash with Shallots and Sage

2 T olive oil
3 shallots, sliced thin or minced, your choice
1 (1 3/4 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced in 1/2 inch cubes (4 c approx)
1/2 c low sodium chicken broth or water
1 T brown sugar
1 T salt
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t finely chopped sage

Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Cook shallots and squash, stirring until shallots are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, brown sugar, sage, and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, pepper and salt to taste. Serve with meat, or over quinoa.

Priorat

I am going to get Shaw to write on this one, but I wanted to put a place holder in here. This was a new Spanish varietal for us. Most Priorats are way too expensive, even for a special wine, at least for us. This one was closer in our budget, around $12-15, and we found it at ?World Market? I think.

Priorat is a region just south of Barcelona, and according to the bottle, the vines grow on steep hillsides of shards of slate. This red is a blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Carinena. The vintner would like to suggest it has dark plums, sweet black cherries, with hints of rosemary, lavendar and mint. I would like to suggest blueberries and lots of "ooh, this is good!".

Anyhoo, we had this one with steak, simply grilled. And this was so yummy. Find and drink!

Dining Room Adolescence

We hung our shelves in the dining room a few weeks ago, and assembled the little bookshelf thing. After getting all the wine bottles up on it, we realized it looks a lot like a bar. I still love it! The picture on the left side between two candle sconces is the front of an Enoteca in Tuscany. This is phase two of three for the dining room. When my Grandmother finishes training for it, she's going to come out here and make my red silk drapes. THEN it will be finished.

Hash This

Number 19 in the Callaway recipe pages is Potato Casserole. I'm actually ashamed looking at it, since I called Mom and asked for it about a year ago and she played dumb. "I don't remember what you're talking about?" "Mom, remember my favorite side dish for Easter? I asked for it all the time?" "I'm sure you'll find something."

And it was here, all along. I actually made it for brunch when my brother was crashing with us while attending a local conference for brainiacs. He didn't remember it, either. (my own private world...)

I actually thought it was a bit too greasy when I made for Dr. Kwisco, so I tried to reduce some things. Like the cheddar. Cheddar can be a bit on the oily side, so I reduced it somewhat. And if I do it again for my own private Easter dinner, I'll probably saute the onion first.

I doubled this for a family dinner this past weekend and it worked fine. Just get a huge bowl to mix it, and thaw the potatoes first.

Potato Casserole

2 lb hashbrown potatoes (frozen, shredded are best, but I remember the southern-style diced ones from my imaginary past)
1/2 c margarine (as IF! Switch this to butter and live longer.)
1/2 chopped onion (sauted if desired)
16 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken (required casserole element- I would have subbed if I could have come up with something)
2 c grated cheddar cheese

Stir all together and put in a 9x13 pan. Top with 1/4 stick of butter melted and mixed with crushed cornflakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until golden on top and bubbly on bottom.

Brain Food, in the Best Way

"They" say blueberries are fantastic fuel for your brain. It boosts your memory skills and fights off alzheimers. I say, it is a great excuse for dessert.

This pie calls for fresh blueberries. Texas blueberries, although not the dance-in-your-mouth Maine berries, aren't too bad when in season. But their price tag is! It is past blueberry season, and I didn't want to pay $20 for a pound of apples for an apple pie (plus mine aren't always dependably pretty), so I decided on a blueberry pie with frozen berries.

Not too bad, even with the unpredictable frozen berries. I have no picture, but I can tell you, this is one beautiful pie. The toasty crumb topping, the deepest hyacinth/lavender color on the inside... When it is real blueberry season, it should be criminal not to make this pie. It's even good for breakfast. I got this recipe from a friend who requests it each year for his birthday. He rarely shares it with others, but I got a small piece and demanded the recipe.

Very few pies are good "slicers." This one is an exception. Except for this time. The frozen berries made the first night of it's life typically runny. But all other showings, it cut beautifully. I remember making it with fresh berries where this happened every time. Nothing wrong with messy pie, but beautifully shaped pie pieces can bring tears.

Make this one day.

Blueberry Pie

1 unbaked pie shell (buy it if you must, or rise above and make your own- you'll thank yourself)
1 c sour cream
2 T all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
1 egg- beaten
2 1/2 c fresh blueberries

Combine sour cream, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and egg until smooth. Fold in berries and pour into pie shell.

Combine the following: 1/2 c sugar, 1 c flour, 8 T butter (softened). Work with your hands or pastry blender until crumbly and sprinkle on top of pie filling. Then sprinkle on cinnamon sugar (or just add some to the crumbly stuff).

Bake 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Make sure it is done: pie will be dense, not liquid.

Chocolate-Glazed and Totally Edible

This is all we had left to photograph of this cake. I wasn't even going to put it on after the struggle it gave me whilst making it, but here it is, all over the internet.

First off, this recipe is from Gourmet, but I can't remember the month. I ripped it out of the magazine so I could throw it away, and the picture was on the cover. It looked gorgeous, so any photo I would have taken would have been shamefully inadequate. This one just gives your mouth an idea of what's ahead.

Second, this recipe calls for gelatin. I have never worked with gelatin before. And rarely does something mess up while I am making it that I have to start all over. Except for this one. And the other one from the same day. But never before that. I am going on record that this tasted way better than I expected, and I'd do it again but try to avoid working with gelatin. Not enough experience there to earn a merit badge. It's not like making Jell-O, you know.

You need some down-time with this one, like 4 refrigerating hours, or just make it the night before. You also need an 8 inch springform pan; I did it with a 9 inch and it was a bit thin, but tasted fine.

The worst part is processing the hazelnuts, and even that wasn't that bad. You need some extra, more than the 2 T it calls for. Toast them in a pan until their skins split (really split), then dump them on a towel and rub off the skins. Yes, the list of ingredients and directions takes up quite a lot of space, but, gelatin aside, it moved along really quickly.

Chocolate-Glazed Hazelnut Mousse Cake

For Shortbread Base:
2 T hazelnuts, toasted and skins rubbed off
3 T sugar
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 T unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1/8 t salt

For Mousse:
1 t unflavored gelatin (1/4 oz envelope) OR NOT
3 T cold water
1/2 c Nutella
1/2 c mascarpone (1/4 lb)
1 1/2 c chilled heavy cream
2 T unsweetened cocoa
3 T sugar

For Ganache:
1/4 c plus 1 T heavy cream
3 1/2 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

Make shortbread base: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350 F. Lock the springform pan sides to the base, and line with a round of parchment paper. Pulse hazelnuts and sugar in a food processor till finely chopped, then add flour, butter, cocoa and salt and pulse just until a dough forms.

Press dough evenly in springform pan with your fingers. Prick all over with a fork and bake until just dry to the touch, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan and carefully slide out the parchment paper from underneath., then reattach the sides of pan around the shortbread base.

Make Mousse (while shortbread is cooling): Sprinkle gelatin over the water in a small saucepan and let stand about 5 minutes until softened. Heat gelatin over low heat, stirring, just until gelatin is melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in Nutella until combined and remove from heat.

In another bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and Nutella mixture until combined. In a standing mixer, whip the cream, cocoa powder and sugar on low speed until combined, then on high speed until soft peaks form. Whisk a third of this cream into the mascarpone/Nutella mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining cream. Spoon on shortbread base in pan, gently smoothing top, then chill, covered, at least 3 hours.

Make Ganache: Bring cream to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan and remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and let stand one minute. Stir till combined and smooth. Cool, if necessary, to thicken, but make sure it is still pourable.

Run a warm knife around springform pan sides to loosen the cake, then remove sides and slide cake on a serving plate. Pour ganache over the top, letting it run down the sides.

Note: Cake can be made without glaze and kept chilled up to 2 days. Cake can be glazed 6 hours ahead and chilled, uncovered.

Zinful

Yesterday we had burgers for Indoor Date Night since KK was not working. So, of course with a free night, we often think of wine. My fall schedule seriously curbs my wine intake, but any night I'm not working, my thoughts lean towards what wine I'll have with what food.

Burgers mean different beverages to different people. Some people love them with a super fizzy Coke, or Coke-like product; others always grab a beer. Me, I find nothing better with burgers than a good zinfandel. Lots of peppery spice and ripe fruit! We found a sale at World Market on Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel for about $8. That was a great wine for what we needed. Weekday wines should not blow the old budget, and not be too wimpy that we have to think really hard what they are trying to do with themselves. This Bogle O.V.Z. was not the pepperiest wine, but for $8, I'd do it again.

Bulgarian Potatoes

I knew this would not photograph well, but nothing can stop me. We made this recipe from Gourmet from a series they did on flashback recipes. This one is from 1959, but I found it just as yummy today. Or, last weekend.

We had it with some baked Arctic Char, and a Pinot Grigio. I think it would be even yummier with a Sauvignon Blanc. This recipe is sort of like tangy scalloped potatoes.

Bulgarian Potatoes

2 c 4% cottage cheese (1 lb)
1 stick unsalted butter,melted and cooled slightly (I'd use less next time)
1 1/4 t salt
3/4 t black pepper
3 lb russet potatoes (6 medium, or 3 large)
2 large eggs
1 c plain whole-milk yogurt (8 oz)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375 degrees. Butter a 9x12 baking dish. Get out your food processor and mandoline slicer (if handy).

Puree cottage cheese in food processor until very smooth, about 1 minute, then add melted butter, 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper and blend until combined well. Peel potatoes and slice on a mandoline (or by hand, really carefully, and really thin, like 1/8 inch). Spread one third of the potatoes evenly in one layer in dish and top with one third cottage cheese mixture. Repeat two more times. You should be ending with the sauce, not the potatoes. Cover tightly with foil and bake until potatoes are tender, 60-75 minutes.

Whisk together eggs, yogurt, and remaining 1/4 salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over potatoes and bake, again, but uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until custard is set. You can even let the top brown a bit.

This can baked one day ahead, cooled completely, then chilled covered with foil. Reheat, covered, in a 375 degree oven until hot, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Paprikash

I saved several recipes from our old Cooks Illustrated magazines before we tossed them. Turns out, I saved this one to try when it got cooler. It didn't really get that much cooler, but Saturday we had the remnants of Hurricane Ike which turned out to be a whole day of dribbling, drooling rain. It felt like fall enough to try this.

Note: This requires a dutch oven, which we do not have. I used a Calphalon, oven safe pot and it worked just fine going in the oven. If you don't have an oven-safe pot to cook in, I think this could be done entirely on top of the stove.


Chicken Paprikash
(serves 4, can be made in advance without the sour cream)
(best with buttered egg noodles, but rice will do)

8 bone-in chicken thighs, about 3 lbs (I hate thighs, even my own, so I used skinless breast meat cut in chunks to look like thighs)
salt and ground black pepper
1 t vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved, sliced 1/4 inch strips
1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, halved, sliced 1/4 inch strips
3 1/2 T sweet paprika
1/4 t dried marjoram
1 T all-purpose flour
1/2 c dry white wine
1 can (14.5 oz) dived tomatoes, drained
1/3 c sour cream
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 300 degrees for later. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil on stovetop in a dutch oven or large oven-safe pot on medium high until shimmering but not smoking. Brown chicken (in batches if necessary) on both sides until medium brown, about 5 minutes per side for large chunks. Transfer to a plate.

If there is a lot of chicken fat in the pan, drain off most of it. Then cook the oven, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red and green peppers, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and peppers are soft, about 3 minutes. Add 3 T of the paprika, marjoram and flour; cook until fragrant, stirring constantly about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping bottom of the pan to get any stuck-on bits, then stir in tomatoes and 1 t of salt.

Add chicken pieces (submerge 'em) and any juices that have accumulated in the plate, put a lid on it, and toss the whole thing in the oven. Cook until chicken is completely cooked, about 30 minutes (or less if using just white meat). Remove pot from oven. (If making ahead, let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Warm it up slowly and proceed when ready.)

The recipe now says to remove the chicken and put on individual plates, then cream up the hot sauce, then spoon over the chicken. I say, come on, let's just make a simple stew. I shredded our chicken and kept it in the pot. But do as you wish.

Combine sour cream and remaining 1/2 T paprika in a small bowl. Add some of the hot sauce into sour cream and stir, then add to the pot. Serve over hot buttered noodles and sprinkle with parsley.

This is very yummy with a Viognier. It balances the sweet and smoky stew beautifully.

Thin Crust Pizza

Several of you know, first hand, our favorite local pizza source. Zuroma is the only place we order from for witnesses (guests), since it is pretty dependable. And they have this signature thin crust that is cracker-like so you can eat more of it and not get full.

Wait, that is a lie. Every time we order from them we get a large and pretty much split it between the two of us. I regret it afterwards everytime, but never while I'm eating it. They have several signature pizzas, and we've tried several of them, but our regular request is the veggie. It just tastes the best to us. Lots of olives! But it is the unique crust that keeps us coming back. We request our pizza raw so we can freeze it and bake it later right on the oven rack.

I've tried to replicate the crust many times, and searched the internet for recipes to try to get that thin style that does NOT taste like Pizza Inn. I finally put "cracker" in my search and got this pizza crust recipe.

I needed it fast and didn't wait the 24 hour rise required, but I've got to tell you: It was the yummiest pizza I have ever made. Now, you have to like the cracker thin style to agree with me. (Dad, I know your heart belongs to thick crust.) I'll do it again and start the night before letting it rise in the fridge like they ask. Several times during the process I thought it would bomb, but it rolled out very easy and very thin, and baked up like a champ.

Friday nights were made for pizza. And your loved ones deserve the best: a homemade pizza. (Except for Chris and Beth, who have amazing pizza delivery options.)

It is Finished.

I decided to spend today indoors working on the mural and finished it in about 6 hours. Not to underplay the masterpiece Shaw is working on in the kitchen (installation of under-cabinet lights), I am rather pleased with the results. Either way, everyone who comes in our house and sees it will either love it or hate it and lie. I don't care. No one else has a mural like mine.

And if we hate it in a year, I can always paint over it. I still think it is cheaper than putting furniture there.

Just In Case...

I might not ever finish this mural I'm painting in the entryway. Perhaps if I put the roughed out preliminary on the web, it might just guilt me into finishing it. My goal is to finish it by the time September ends.

Here it is with just the background colors and sketched out subject. It should have many more colors and much more texture when it is finished.

House Pictures, Part 2

Our sofa came in two pieces and we picked it up in a borrowed Suburban. Now that is a large vehicle. Too big for KK, but perfect for a move. We couldn't have done it without the 'Burb. The sofa was the last piece to arrive and we assembled it ourselves. I took this picture from an angle so that the sofa appears larger than actual size so as to intimidate predators, and to avoid showing how lonely it looks with no other furniture to keep it company. It is very comfortable, and perfect for gazing out the big windows and watching the squirrels fight for territory.


Our bedroom is the darkest room I have ever slept in. Except for a cave. This is taken with a flash so as to show some of the actual color. The walls are a grey/green/sage like color and the ceiling and window box are a deeper green. It all makes sense when you see the curtains up close, so you'll have to take my word for it. Our bed takes up most of the picture; I'll work on another angle to capture the room better, but it also lacks lamps and such to show itself off. Mom and I made the duvet cover which I love. I've got to invent something to cover up the box springs. And this bed covers two different zip codes; it is so large! I'm not sure if I like it since it feels like I'm in my own federation on my side, but it is comfy and I shouldn't complain. Shaw, the non-snorer of the two of us, loves it.



This room is really hard to see in pictures. Our little tiny powder room is painted "Bardast", the darkest grey blue on the paint strip. I know, it looks black, but wait till you see it live. Mom and I put two packets of granite crystals in the paint for just a touch of sparkle. It is really subtle, but showing a bit more now that the paint is drying and curing. I love the super dark blue against the white porcelain. That outlet is poorly placed, though, now that I see it. The ceiling is painted in this one too, and I thought about putting subtle constellations on it just for amusement. I've reconsidered. I've also told Sophie that this can be her bathroom, so perhaps I should consult her first anyway.

Latest House Pix

Again, more house stuff. We took pictures of the new paint, along with our cardboard decorating theme. Just imagine all those boxes are emptied, crushed and removed from sight.

The yellow study is the first room you see as you enter, and the least furnished (with the exception of the living room). We hope to put lots of black and white and maybe red things in it. Right now it is the study, perhaps we will move the computer upstairs and make it a real library. The archway is part of the entryway, and is painted in "Shark", a soft grey blue. We liked having two paints called "Shark" and "Flipper." Sort of like Godzilla vs. Bambi.

The entry has our favorite slate floor. You can see the yellow study and the dining room shooting off to the right. The shark color is a bit washed out from the flash, I guess.

The dining room is sort of bordello-red. Technically, Heartthrob from Sherwin-Williams, but HomeDepot custom mixed it for us. Red is supposed to stimulate conversation, and we love to have dinner guests. We heard red was tricky on walls, so we used the grey primer. I think it took more effort to cover up the primer than the walls. Dad worked tirelessly on this one, but when he was done, he was done, if you know what I mean. We found this dining set at Eurway and both really liked it. The wood is dark espresso with a frosted glass center square. The dining chairs are padded dark brown leather for long-lasting comfort. When we eat, we don't eat quick, so we wanted something for the long haul. We'll be trying this room out tomorrow. The long slubby silk red curtains are forthcoming. The fabric is here, but the seamstress is not; Granny is in training to prepare for the task, and we hope to knock those out before Christmas.



Sort of hard to see, but this is the living room. Our friend Chuck came out last Sunday and painted all the highest elevations in this room. Unlike the other rooms, we all voted NOT to paint the ceiling in this room. The part you see is 14 feet high, but if you turned around, the ceiling actually juts up to almost 22 feet. Not for the faint of heart. Chuck basically spent 8 hours on a ladder cutting in the cleanest of lines possible on this nastily textured wall. All our walls have that blown-on texture that is completely unavoidable in Texas (another charm). It was so extreme on some of the walls that we actually had to sponge on the paint. Let's just say it definitely created a learning curve we desperately didn't want. This room is painted entirely in "Flipper", the darker grey-blue. I love it. A lot.

Fishwich

Again, I have no picture, or real recipe, but we had the yummiest fish sandwiches the last two days. There was a special on white bass at Central Market, and we got enough for two nights of fishwiches. My favorite!!

Shaw sprinkled on the last of our Sunny Spain (lemon pepper) one night, and greek seasoning the next night. I made a shmear of light mayo and sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh tarragon, salt, pepper and greek seasoning. Spread that on some toasted herb bread, slap on the fish, and chow down. Super yum!!! First night we had it with Fennel Slaw, one of my favorites. If I haven't put it on here yet, it is thinly sliced fennel, some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I could eat a bucketful. And last night we had an asparagus salad (Chris would LOVE! haha); lightly steamed asparagus cut in bite sized pieces, tossed with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, canola oil and thin slices of red bell pepper. It looks like Christmas on a plate. No wine, since KK has been on muscle relaxers (a buzz in itself), but we would have done the new Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio with it. You cannot beat those for $6. Even Mom liked it. We have packed up the rest of our wine, so we're drying out till we move next week. Maybe...

House Update

OK, so my camera batteries just died and I forgot to take updated pictures last night, so no visuals today. Forgive.

We close on the house in 8 days, and by our calculations, there is about 12 days of work left to do. Sales guy says 4 days, builder guy says 8 days. We are going to let them sink or swim. Actually, we are much more optimistic after yesterday's chat that they will have most everything finished by the night before.

We still need blinds, carpet, remaining tile, replacement tiles in the kitchen where they ate tacos and oil stained them, staining the wood on the stairs and front door, swapping out the toilets to human sized ones, take down the bricks they put in an archway that wasn't our brick, brick the back by the windows they repositioned, sod, finish landscaping, reposition outdoor lights, retexture and plaster wall dings, repaint the walls, paint the trim for the first time, fix the broken window upstairs, replace the dented new a/c they installed yesterday, clean everything. That might be about it. Not much, right?

Yesterday we drove up to our house and discovered they installed the sprinkler system underground, plus landscaped the front of the house. We now have some sort of purplish ornamental grass, shrub roses, a crapemyrtle, two other trees which Dad will identify for us next week, plus some other shrubby type clumps. Just as we predicted, they will plant something to intentionally obscure our house number, which was bricked into the column in front. Our bricking crew was chastized, and then fired, so we feel a bit of justice there. We mentioned they hadn't put the house number up while they were bricking, and asked if it could be done high enough so that people could see it from the road. Our brickers were a short collection of guys, and I guess they felt 5 feet high was high enough. No one will see it.

For some reason, we have a bit of renewed confidence that everything will get done. We picked a closing date, and they have to meet it. It's not our fault if they were delayed; I would have volunteered to pitch in and brick the back if they would have let me. We have a walk-through on Saturday to nitpick all the little things that are whack and again Tuesday night before we close to see if they all got done. So, now that we have much more peace about the whole thing, we are getting really excited about moving in.

Poor Mom and Dad are going to be worked to the bone, and have the complimentary floor to sleep on for a couple of nights. I tell you what, I'm keeping my parents around; I know lots of folks whose parents would never do the things mine have done or agreed to do for us. And the few I know with parents like mine won't lend them for cheap. Mom and I really enjoyed working together on Chris and Beth's house, so I have high hopes that this work festival we're about to do will have some visit feel to it, as well. If we only had some pregnant relative to run back and forth to Home Depot and bring us lunch and cook us dinner. Alas, Beth cannot travel this week. Bummer.

Our sales guy said he has had several people mention how good our brick looks, and they would have chosen it if they had known how good it would look. I think it is all because of the trim.

So, this is all just too much information. We are less enamored with our home building company than ever, but our confidence in our builder is pretty good now. I wish I had known summer mortgage rates are higher, just like travel prices. Oh well.

Only a few bricks left to go.

Chocaholics, Unite

Finally, some food stuff in here! Last weekend, I made these dark chocolate cupcakes for Little Kathryn's birthday dinner. I didn't even frost them, just plopped them in a bowl and poured choclolate ganache over, and a scoop of ice cream. Super yum! This is from Cooks Illustrated.


Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
(makes 12)

8 T unsalted butter, cut in large pieces
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 c. (1.5 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 c unbleached flour
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t baking powder
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 c sugar
1 t table salt
1/2 c sour cream

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Line regular size muffin tins with cupcake papers or spray generously.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set over simmering water and heat till melted, whisking until smooth and combined. Set aside until cool to the touch. (Confession: I did this in the microwave, about one minute at half power and then smaller increments. And I'd do it again.)

Whisk flour, baking soda and powder in a small bowl. In a second medium bowl, whisk eggs, adding sugar, vanilla and salt. Add cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Sift the flour mixture over the chocolate batter in thirds until combined. If it starts to get a bit dry during the flour additions, add the sour cream in the middle. If not, add the sour cream at the end. Just make sure you add it.

Divide batter evenly among cups and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool for about 15 minutes then remove and cool completely on a rack.

But right before I left town for Little Kathryn's Cupcakes, I made these brownies for Sean to eat while I was gone. They are a perfect balance of cakey and fudgey and also accesorize well with ice cream.

Classic Brownies (also from Cooks)

1 c pecans or walnuts, chopped medium and toasted (OPTIONAL)
1 1/4 c cake flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 t baking powder
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter cut in 1 in. pieces
2 1/4 c sugar
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 325. If you would like to line the 9x13 pan with foil to help get the brownies out intact, this is the time. Fold some sheets of foil long enough to hang over the edge of the pan for grabbing. You will need two lengths, one about 14 inches, one about 12. I did this but think it was a waste, as I leave them in the pan until they are all eaten. SPRAY the foil or the bare pan, either way.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and powder; set aside.

Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler until smooth. OR, in a large bowl, melt in the microwave on high for 45 seconds, stir, and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir till smooth, and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at a time until combined, then vanilla. Add flour in three additions, folding with a spatula until completely smooth.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth into corners. Bake 30-35 minutes until a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool on wire rack about 2 hrs then remove from pan (if you want). Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Peek-A-Brick

Finally, a glimpse of brickage. Only one month late! I almost split personalities waiting for it, but they started putting it up on Saturday. This is a photo from today's progress. You can see on the side, about halfway up, where the more fully dried brick stops and the wetter brick begins. It should all dry a bit lighter once it has cured and been cleaned. We are vastly relieved that we like the brick after all this waiting!

Here's one more little snap of a close up with the trim. Pardon the flash.

We call it the Jetsons print. I wanted the whole couch in this with plain brown pillows, but kk got it backwards on the order.

Not Your Father's Granite

Although sealed for our protection, you can start to get the idea. You don't see the blue lightning flashes in these images, but they are there in person. The last image is so that KK can see how ultra white our ultra white shower grout is.

Ice. It's what's for dinner.

No joke, it feels like Death Valley. At least they don't put 100 on the weather forecast each day. Just seeing it makes it feel worse. But 99.9 degrees feels the same.

In all this heat, I haven't been cooking much. We have cold tomato sandwiches, or avocado sandwiches (yummy, and no cooking). And we usually go check out the house each night in the peak of the heat. Still no brick, but they are working inside. This week they laid the tile and bathroom countertops. We'll be back out there in about an hour, but these are the latest. The tile is laid, but no grout, so you see all the little plastic joint spacers. Those will be gone.

The entry way is the same slate tile as the kitchen above...

And when you come to visit, this is a shot of YOUR bathroom...

News?

Here is a list of all that has been done at the house this week:












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Step By Step...

Last night's inspection turned up installed cabinets and stair improvements. I am lovin' the cabs!