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Archives for Dec 2007

New Year's Day Brunch

Colorful confetti, champagne flutes, and party horns will soon be floating all around but for some a quiet evening with good food and company is the best way to ring in the New Year. If you are choosing to opt-out of the hang-over delights from over zealous partying then you may want to take advantage of some the great eats that the afternoon brunch has to offer.

New York Magazine has a list of places where you can go to for yummy brunch eats that will not disappoint as your first meal of the New Year. If you haven’t had your fill of champagne the evening before, Paradou offers a brunch special with unlimited champagne for $20.06 and entrees including French ham omlettes with mushrooms and spicy Moroccan lamb sausages.Yumm!

Will a stop to your favorite brunch eatery be in your New Year's day plan? How will you eat-in the New Year?

Posted Dec 28, 2007 by SuDoughName | 1 Comment | Share It

Filed under: brunch

Post-Holiday Ham Casserole

Greetings, Foodies!

I hope everyone had a happy holiday? Make sure you stop in and share all of your photos from your holiday feast and let us know what was on your table.

I just finished up the leftovers from the holiday ham that I shared with my family this holiday and my mom and I cooked up what we are calling our Post-Holiday Ham Casserole with our leftovers. I was a little skeptical at first since we improved the recipe but my mom is fantastic and the casserole turned out to be so yummy!

What did you make with your leftovers? 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups whole kernel corn
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
  
• 2 cups thinly sliced or diced cooked ham
• 1 can of cream of celery soup
• 1 teaspoon mustard (I like the spicy kind!)
  
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 cup bread or cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

In a large bowl combine corn, green bell pepper, egg, chopped onion, and ham. Stir in cream of celery soup, mustard, and parsley. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle casserole with bread/cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

 

Bake casserole at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Serves 5.

Posted Dec 28, 2007 by sarahisafoodie | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: casserole

Mixing it up with Marmalade?

One of the latest trends to sweep the bars and lounges in my neighborhood (and probably yours too!) is the inclusion of jams and marmalades in mixed drinks. While that might seem a little odd, I feel like mixologists are constantly upping the anty as to what they include inside and outside (as garnishs) on their concoctions.

In August, the San Francisco Chronicle ran an article highlighting the marmalade/jam trend. They called out a Marmalade Whiskey Sour at Bourbon & Branch (one of my favorite San Fran speakeasys!).  Bourbon & Branch serves up drinks old-school style--like a true speakeasy--with tons of interesting ingredients and skilled bartenders.

The New York Times recently ran an article about this marmalade phenomenon and being stuck inside with this awful weather, rather than checking out their recommendations, I started exploring what I could do in my own kitchen and kicked that off with the recipe they list in their article the Stanton Social's (in like every episode of Sex and the City, ok...maybe not every) Social Tea.

The Social Tea:

• 2 ounces citirus Vodka (they recommend Stoli)
  
• ¾ ounce double-strength brewed green tea.
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade.
• ½ ounce honey syrup.
• ½ ounce Triple Sec.
• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Twist of lemon peel for garnish.

Add the ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into a snifter over ice. Garnish with the lemon peel.

I found this drink to be a little TOO sweet for my taste, but that is likely in the error of my attempting mixology. 

Next up I tried the Marmalade Sour  created by mixologist Jamie Boudreau who has a plethora of fabulous cocktails on his SpiritsandCocktails site. The man is clearly an artist.

The Marmalade Sour:

• 3 oz cachaca
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 2 dashes Fee’s orange bitters
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons of low-sugar orange/citrus/grapefruit marmalade

Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass

I'm not typically a fan of egg white in cocktails (Pisco Sours make me sick!) but this cocktail was light and refreshing WITHOUT being too sugary, which I absolutely love. My attempt at this drink is pictured above.

Have you ever had a great marmalade or jam-infused drink? I'd love to hear about your favorite interesting cocktails!

 

Posted Dec 19, 2007 by sarahisafoodie | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: cocktails

The Perfect Chocolate Cake

My mom gave me this recipe several years ago and I must say whenever I am feeling down in the dumps or want to give myself a little treat, I pull it out of my recipe box, hit up my local bodega, and go to town.

 

The holidays are festive and fabulous, but can also be somewhat depressing and lonely, which is where food comes in as the perfect anecdote.

 

What do you give yourself when you want a little yummy treat? Do you cure any anxiety or blues with chocolate? 

My Mom's Perfect Chocolate Cake:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup
• 7 Hershey (milk chocolate) bars (about 11 ounces) or 2 big ones, melted and cooled

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one large tube pan. Measure buttermilk and set aside. In medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda with whisk. Set aside.

2. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric hand mixer. Add syrup and melted chocolate and mix completely. Blend in buttermilk. Gradually add flour mixture until well combined. Pour into prepared pans.

3. Bake tube pan for 45 minutes to an hour or until done (if you do a rectangular pan, it should take about 10 minutes less). Cover it with foil immediately upon taking it out of the oven. This has a steaming effect and keeps the cake more moist. Keep covered until cake is cool.

4. Dust with your favorite icing or eat it with a scoop of vanilla.

Dig in! Yumm! 

 

  

Posted Dec 18, 2007 by sarahisafoodie | Add a comment | Share It

Staying Warm w/ Hot Toddy

The holiday season is known to be interrupted at times by the typical cold ailments: sore throat, fever, running nose. 'Tis the season for wonderful celebration...and at times, super sick sniffling.

One of my favorite itchy throat remedies is the Hot Toddy. To me, there is nothing more soothing to a stressed out larynx than to go to my neighborhood bar (or sit on my couch) and order up a Hot Toddy.

Best of all, this drink is so easy to make and with ingredients you likely already have.

HOT TODDY:

• 1 1/2 ounces Whiskey
• 1 ounce Honey
• 1/3 ounce Lemon Juice
• 3 ounces Water (Hot)
• Cinnamon stick for a garnish and little spicy kick
  

Some people mix it a combination of different ways (heat the honey/water in the Microwave first is a common one) but I prefer to do it the old fashioned way, heating the water on the stove and then stirring in the honey and lemon juice while it heats up. Allow it to cool slightly and then add in a shot (or two!) of whiskey.

This is a great drink for not only when you are sick but also when you just want a shot of warmth post-dinner before you head home in the warmth.

Yumm! 

 

 

Posted Dec 13, 2007 by sarahisafoodie | 2 Comments | Share It

Building the Perfect Gingerbread House

If you’re like me, then you love the holiday season and can’t wait to start baking, cooking, and (naturally) sampling! And what better way than with ginger bread? The chewy, spicy treat has been around for centuries, and now is associated with the winter holidays. In England, unmarried women actually used to eat ginger bread “husbands” for luck in finding a mate.

One of my favorite traditions is baking those over-the-top ginger bread houses. Ginger bread houses seem to daunt even the most skilled bakers, but they’re well worth the work (and nothing’s more fun to decorate). First, you need to find a great recipe to make a sumptious gingerbread house. Check out this recipeto get started.

To make something artistic and not just tasty, here are some tips on making the perfect ginger bread house from About.com:

-Maximum thickness for dough should be 3/8-inch. For houses larger than 6 inches square, use 1/4-inch thickness and for smaller houses, use 1/8-inch. Weight-bearing walls should be just slightly thicker

-Cut the basic structure templates for your house from posterboard and test first by taping the pieces together. If it will stand as made out of posterboard, then most likely it will be structurally safe for your gingerbread house

-You can use dough scraps to roll out added decorative cut-outs to be applied with icing glue. These cutouts can be impressed with designs before baking.

-Don't limit yourself to a plain box house. You can make virtually any shape, from igloo to Victorian to farmhouse. Or, use a loaf mold in the shape of a house to eliminate the construction steps.

Posted Dec 7, 2007 by themagster | 2 Comments | Share It

Filed under: holidays recipes

Ho-Ho-Holiday Yeast Breads

Holidays is the perfect time to bake up some delicious breads to eat or to give (or both!) I have a whole list of favorites that I wanted to share.

Yeast breads are great for holiday gift giving because they are relatively easy to bake, have a wonderful presentation, can be typically used as a dessert, breakfast, or dinner bread, and although they tend to dry out pretty quickly can be frozen for a couple of months and will maintain.

Yeast breads have a worldly rich history, some of my favorites include: 

• Panettone Hailing from Milan, Italy, this traditionally large loaf of bread is baked in a round, tall-sided pan. It can be served as a breakfast bread or a dessert.
• Stollen From Germany this bread is made from a very rich but not too super sweet dough that is laced with candied fruits and nuts and typically has a soft ribbon of marzipan down the center. The finished loaf is brushed with clarified butter and rolled in sugar. Yumm! As legend has it, the shape of the loaf with its indentation was initially meant to represent the swaddled baby Jesus. 
• Scandinavian Breads Fragrant cardamom or saffron-scented breads that typically are made into braids or rolls. Some of the Norwegian breads are filled with yummy custards, creams, and other fillings. I think these are perfect for post-holiday party breakfasts.

Of all of these worldly favorites though, my ultimate favorite is a recipe that I inherited from my grandmother for her overnight caramel pecan rolls.

What are your favorites? Any recipes handed down through the generations? 

 

Grandma's Caramel Pecan Rolls: 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups milk
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 egg
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cup pecans halved
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it boils, then remove from the heat. Let cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy.
2. In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, milk, sugar, oil, baking powder, salt, egg and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.
   
3. Lightly oil the interior of a bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp, clean cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
4. Heat brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter until melted. Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup. Divide mixture between two baking pans (best if they are 9x 13 inches). Sprinkle 1/2 cup pecans in each pan.
5. When dough has doubled in size, flatten it down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a large rectangle and spread with butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
   
6. Starting with the long side, roll up the rectangle into a log, and slice into 1 inch wide rolls. Place the rolls slightly apart in pans. Wrap pans with aluminum foil and refrigerate a minimum of 12 hours but no longer than 48.
   
7. Get some rest and relaxation in!
8. Remove rolls from refrigerator and let stand in a warm place for approximately 30 minutes while you are preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
9. Bake uncovered in preheated oven until golden 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately flip over pan on heatproof serving plate. Wait for a cuople of minutes before removing pan, so that caramel drizzles over rolls.

Yumm!

Posted Dec 4, 2007 by sarahisafoodie | 2 Comments | Share It