What a Difference A Week Makes

Our foundation was poured about a week ago (last Monday) and what a difference a week makes. Today we got shingles! (construction material, not neurological disease).

We still cruise the neighborhood to check out the other houses, too. There is another model just like ours, but exactly reversed. I can't look at it too much, since I try to envision everything backwards. Another house on the other street has the coolest dark chocolate trim color. We love it! Ours will be a shade or two lighter, but still dark-ish. In 6 or 7 years or so, we'll probably bump that up to a super dark color. We only had like 6 choices of trim color in varying depths of color, and the darkest one was a bit too warm/reddish for our brick. So this way, in a few years, we'll pick a super dark cool color to emphasize our slamtastic bricks (we hope).

I've been taking pictures of the inside, sketching them, and painting them different ways to see what the heck I'm going to do with the walls (thanks Beth for letting me live vicariously through y'all's house colors). It gives me something to brood over around 3-6am. Every night. @#$$^&! I'm just not sure I want our super dark steely blue color in too many places, but it is our favorite choice so far. Some of those walls are darn high, and it might be best left to some professional to break his neck falling from that height. We have a large open room and two walls of it are logical to paint our cool dark color, but the third wall is hard to define. Too many angles probably means I should leave it boring white. I'll let Mom decide when she comes.

Here are a few inside pix that are solidly in the "before" category. The first one is a view out back at sunset. This wall is 14 feet high.

This one is our skeletal kitchen, facing the back, just to the left of the picture above. There are two little tiny windows that we don't know why they included in the plan. They truly seem like shotgun defense windows, but should look directly at our neighbors fence eventually. Maybe for light? Actually, they would make fantastic drive-thru windows, one for payment and orders, the other for food pick up...

Farewell, My Cupcakes

Today two of my longest-lasting students had their last lesson with KK. And it wasn't even a lesson. These two girls were among my very first Texas students, starting right after I moved here. What longevity! I couldn't have asked for nicer, cooler girls!

So in honor of their upcoming graduation, today was CupCake Day. Shannon asked for tons of icing, Mallory had no preference. So I thumbed through Cooking for Mr. Latte for a chocolate cake recipe I had been wanting to try.

Personal note: Sean and I sampled the leftovers for quality control purposes last night. He did not like the icing; too tangy. I loved it's consistency and it was really easy, but I also prefer a more chocolatey flavor. The cake, however, I liked and will do again. The recipe calls for the batter to bake in a 9-inch tube pan, which I will acquire soon with my Williams-Sonoma gift card (thanks!), but I used half the batter in cupcake tins, and half in a loaf pan. Cupcakes bake for around 20 minutes, the loaf continued for another 13-15 minutes.

Chocolate Dump-It Cake (an inelegant title, at best)

2 cups sugar
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 lb unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 cups A-P flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t sea salt
1 cup milk
1 t cider vinegar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature

Set out the sour cream to warm up. Put the sugar, unsweetened chocolate, butter and 1 cup of water in a sauce pan. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until all of the ingredients are melted and blended. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any batter run-off.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, powder and salt. In 1 cup glass measuring cup, combine the milk, vanilla and vinegar. Grease and flour a 9 inch tube pan (or line muffin tins with cupcake liners).

When the chocolate has cooled (15-20 minutes), whisk in the milk mixture and eggs. In several additions, whisk in the dry ingredients. Dump the batter (hence, the title?) in the tube pan and bake on middle rack until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack.

Frosting: Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler until smooth, then cool to room temperature. When the chocolate is the same temperature as the chocolate, whisk small amounts of the sour cream into the chocolate. If the temperatures are different, the mixture will sass you and get grainy or lumpy. Test a sample first.

Frost the cake when completely cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Sticks and Stones

Finally, at long last, we have the sproutlings of a house! They laid the foundation on Monday late in the day, and yesterday by 6pm had the framing started.

(This post has nothing to do with food or wine, except that this building will be where we have food and wine in the future.)

The last picture is a cow having dinner in the field behind our house. "Now, that is the blackest calf I ever did see." (quote from my grandfather) Except that I think it might be a bull. And full grown. Think Granddaddy will ever come see us in Texas?

No Cook Cooking

So, it is supposed to be near 100 degrees today. And it got close enough yesterday to make it Salad Night at our house. I haven't made tabbouleh in quite some time, and I forget how much I like it.

When we have salad night, we usually have two or three different ones. This tabbouleh was adapted from a recipe I found somewhere (probably epicurious.com); mostly, we just leave out onions since onions have a way of getting to us long after we've gotten to them. I'll include the onion part in the recipe.

The absolute best part of this recipe is the fact that no heat must be applied! You don't even boil the bulghur! We had a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, which was as sweet a wine as I can enjoy; it was a nice match, very pineapple-y and brioche-ey.

Basil Tabbouleh

3/4 cups fine bulghur (or more, I used 1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup minced red onion
1 t salt
1/2 t ground allspice
1 cup finely chopped basil
1 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup minced fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (need I keep typing "fresh"?)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely diced seeded fresh cucumber
1 cup finely diced seeded tomato

This recipe asks you to rinse the bulghur in several changes of water. I did not do this, and many other recipes don't ask for it. Do it if does something for you. I rinsed it once.

Place the bulghur in a medium/large bowl and add enough cold water to cover it by one inch. Let soak for at least an hour.

While the bulghur is soaking, in another large bowl (what I like to call the final bowl) add the onion, salt and allspice and let it stand for 30 minutes. Drain the bulghur, pressing hard to extract as much water as humanly possible. Add the bulghur to the onion mixture, keep throwing in the rest of the ingredients, like the herbs you have painstakingly minced (consider a food processor if you are doubling this recipe), lemon juice, oil, cucumber and tomato. Salt and pepper to taste.

This salad is probably best the second day. I'll let you know tonight. I am quite confident it is better at room temperature.

Citrus Tea Rubbed Chicken

Ming Tsai has never steered us wrong. His cookbook Simply Ming was a gift from Watoosa and Ickenham one Christmas, and everything we have tried from it is great.

Our first Ming Thing was this Citrus Herbal Tea Rub, and we've come back to it many times. Ming also recommends wine pairings with his recipes; this recipe called for a Sauvignon Blanc and has become one of our favorite wine varietals ever. Ever. The chicken recipe with the rub and the herbal quality of the Sauvignon Blanc are one of the perfect matches in the world.

Warning: this recipe makes a lot. Most of Ming's recipes are huge master sauces that can be used many ways. This one is used for chicken (see picture) and also halibut, but I'm only including the chicken version. The rub recipe is first. I usually halve it, and then have some leftover for a second round. Don't dump it all on the chicken or you'll have contaminated the unused part.

Citrus Herbal Tea Rub
(makes about 4 cups- lasts 3 weeks, refrigerated)

1 cup green tea leaves
1/2 c dried peppermint, spearmint or mint
1 c lemongrass powder or flakes (good luck finding it- try specialty stores)
2 T sea salt or kosher salt
2 T turbinado sugar or raw sugar
1/2 c dried orange zest, crushed
1/2 c dried lime zest
1/4 dried lemon zest
1/4 c ground ginger

Combine all in a small bowl or zip-lok bag; sometimes the ground spices really stir up a dust cloud. Use or store.
NB: Lime zest is hard to find dried. You can make any of these zests by zesting the fruit and spreading the zest on a baking sheet, bake at 200 degrees for about 2 hours. Store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator.

Seared Tea-Rubbed Chicken with Celery
(serves 4)

1 c Citrus Herbal Tea Rub
4 boneless chicken breasts (with skin, according to Ming, without for me)
3 T grapeseed or canola oil
2 shallots, minced
1 head of celery, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick (about 4 c)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 c chicken broth, low-sodium
S&P
1 T unsalted butter

Spread the rub on a large plate and dredge the chicken in it on both sides. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, add 2 T of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Saute the breasts, turning once, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Set the breasts aside and keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 T oil and sweat the shallots for 1 minute. Add the celery and saute until just heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest and broth and season with salt and pepper. Cook until reduced by one quarter, about 6-8 minutes. Whisk in butter.

Slice breasts into 1/4 inch thick slices and serve over celery with the pan sauce.

Relish This

I'm going to be back-dating several posts in this blog so I don't look so pathetic. Just remember, folks, I post more in the summer when I become human again! And, a big shout-out to Mallory and Mallory's mom Margie, just real cool people. I hope they like fish!

We tried some relish combinations from Cooks Illustrated for salmon a few MONTHS ago, and I'm just now getting them up here. The one in the picture is the Spicy Cucumber Relish, which we liked greatly. I'm going to list all 4 so you can try them all out. They're supposed to go on top of salmon, but, Beth, if you need to use another fish, I'm sure the ocean won't mind too much. Remember, salmon is good for the 3rd trimester! (or is it?)

Spicy Cucumber Relish
(makes about 2 cups)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 small shallot, minced (about 1 T)
1 serrano chile, seeds and ribs removed, minced (about 1 T)
2 T chopped fresh mint leaves
1-2 T juice from 1 lime
table salt

Combine cukes, shallot, chile, mint and lime juice and 1/4 t salt in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Adjust with additional lime juice and salt. Spoon on top of cooked fish. (I added this last line, as it was missing from the recipe.)

Grapefruit and Basil Relish
(makes about 1 cup)

2 red grapefruit, rind and pith removed and segments cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 small shallot, minced (about 1 T)
2 T chopped fresh basil leaves
2 t juice from 1 lemon (pity those lemons that only have 1 t)
2 t extra-virgin olive oil
S&P

Place grapefruit in a fine mesh strainer and drain for 15 minutes over a medium bowl. Pour off all but 1 T of the juice from the bowl; whisk in shallot, basil, lemon juice and oil. Toss with the grapefruit and season with salt and pepper. And spoon on top of cooked fish.

Tangerine and Ginger Relish
(makes about 1 1/4 cups)

4 tangerines, rind and pith removed and segments cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 scallion, sliced thin
1 1/2 t grated fresh ginger
2 t juice from 1 lemon
2 t extra virgin olive oil
S&P

Place tangerines in a fine mesh strainer set over medium bowl and drain for 15 minutes. Pour off all but 1 T juice from the bowl and whisk in scallion, ginger, lemon juice and oil. Stir in tangerines and season with salt and pepper. And, of course, spoon on top of cooked fish.

Fresh Tomato Relish (got to get tomatoes in here somewhere!)
(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

3/4 lbs ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 small shallot, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed (about 1/2 t)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t red wine vinegar
2 T chopped fresh basil
S&P

Combine. And spoon on top of cooked fish.

Mac N Cheese, Match Made in Heaven

I will first apologize for this picture. Nothing will ever look as good as Mac N Cheese tastes, but this is the best I could do.

Just make it and eat it, and thank the good Lord that it can be lightened up so one can consume mass quantities of it.

The first round I made with a reduced-fat Irish white cheddar, which Sean liked a lot. It was a bit strong for me, so the next round I used a blend of Monterrey jack and mild cheddar that was not reduced fat at all. I couldn't tell a big difference between the two versions, other than the tang of the cheese.

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, with breadcrumbs added for Americana.

Mac N Cheese (Light)

1/2 lb macaroni
1 (12 oz) can reduced fat evaporated milk
3/4 c 2%milk
1/4 t dry mustard
1/8 t garlic powder OR celery salt (loved the celery salt!)
pinch cayenne
2 t. cornstarch (oops, this might be T rather than t)
8 oz 50% reduced fat light cheddar, grated (only Cabot brand tastes decent)

Cook pasta in salted water until completely tender, stir often. Drain and leave in colander.

In the now empty pan, add the evaporated milk, 1/2 c 2% milk, mustard, garlic or celery salt, cayenne and 1/2 t salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 c milk then mix in the simmering sauce. Continue to simmer, whisking constantly until slightly thick, about 2 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheddar then stir in the pasta. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken, then serve. OR...

Add about 2 T melted butter (real butter) to some bread crumbs (probably about 3/4 c). Transfer the mac to an oven proof dish (if not already in one), and sprinkle the crumbs on top and broil in the oven until brown.

Of course, I add freshly cracked pepper to everything, and this is no exception. I add it at the end, along with any addition celery salt I choose.

What Could Be Better Than S'mores?

More s'mores, that's what. I started my s'mores addiction a few years ago after Mom had a cookout with hotdogs and s'mores. The hotdogs were fine, but did not develop into a regular habit. The s'mores, however, did. And boy is it strong.

I have s'mores pretty much every night. But not with Hershey's. I finely chop dark, 72% or greater chocolate and pile it on a graham cracker. Top it with half a marshmallow (only JetPuffed are worth the time), and microwave it for 30 seconds. It'll make you cry, or slap yourself.

I recently read an email from America's Test Kitchen that contained a recipe for 15-minute Rocky Road Fudge and thought to myself, "Hmmmm, couldn't I make that into S'mores Fudge?" And I answered myself the other night: yes, yes I can.

I would have provided a picture, but my camera batteries are "exhausted." No picture is really necessary, as everyone knows what fudge looks like, and no one can look at this fudge for any length of time without eating it.

15-Minute Rocky Road or S'mores Fudge

16 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t table salt
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 T vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 c chopped salted peanuts (or chopped graham crackers for the S'mores version)
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Line an 8 inch square baking dish with foil, allowing plenty to overhang on each side. Spray foil with cooking spray or rub with butter.

Toss chopped chocolate bits, baking soda and salt in a medium heatproof (glass or metal) bowl until evenly distributed. Stir in condensed milk and vanilla. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is mostly melted (about 2-5 minutes).

Remove from heat and continue to stir until fully melted and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips and either graham bits or peanuts. Transfer fudge to prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove fudge from pan using foil and cut into squares.