Calling all lovebirds…a special meal for Valentine’s Day

02/04/2017 by Laura Leave a Comment

I previously mentioned we are trying to create a little excitement at dinner time this year. One way we are doing this is to randomly grab a cookbook, open it and make whatever is on that page! I have to say, this “experiment” is working out very well! While I did not make all three recipes below on the same day, I do think they would make an inspired meal for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, or any other “show the love” day for that matter.

This post is a little different, as I am going to just “refer” you to the recipes. I am endorsing all of them as truly inspired and delicious, and I hope you will give them a try. I have provided you links to the books and the specific recipes. The photos are from the dishes I prepared for Dave and I. I am privileged to own a copy of all the books referenced.

The Chocolate Orange Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting, is absolutely delicious. It is from Vivian Howard’s new cookbook, Deep Run Roots and was also featured on her PBS series A Chef’s Life. The book is heavy on southern, seasonal produce. I cannot wait to cook from it this summer, when the fresh ingredients are readily available at the farmers market. I made only 2 changes to the recipe. I used two 9″ layer pans, rather than 3 8″ layer pans. I also frosted the entire cake, sides and top. It all worked out perfectly.

My next “open the book and cook” recipe is from Top Chef Master, Floyd Cardoz. His new book Flavorwalla is filled with recipes inspired by what he cooks at home, what he grew up with and a few from the menus of his restaurants. The Grilled Shrimp with Fennel and Radish Salad, is something that he served at Tabla. It makes a wonderful first course, or a light meal. It gave me the chance to use my mandolin! It’s a must for slicing the fennel and radishes perfectly thin.

I seem to be going backwards with the courses. But hey, you can certainly start with chocolate cake if you want to….with a little ‘bubbly, and come back later for the rest of the meal!

The main course is also from Flavorwalla! This one was not a random recipe, but one I chose due to a craving for fresh, seared scallops. It’s quite an unusual take on traditional pan seared scallops, with the Cider Glaze over the top and the Cumin Scented Cauliflower Puree underneath. It all works! It’s an amazingly flavorful dish. Here is the link for Cider-Glazed Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree. I especially love the addition of cumin, ginger and shallot to the cauliflower puree. It adds a wonderful depth of flavor and you will not miss the cream or butter at all!

So there ya go….Valentine’s or any other special occasion meal, all laid out for you. All you have to do is shop and cook, pour the bubbly and light the candles.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful evening!

Laura

A few production photos….just for fun!

“Baking Chez Moi” a book signing and baking event with Dorie Greenspan

11/05/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

I was one of the 60 lucky folks to attend the outstanding Hot Stove Society event with Dorie Greenspan. Dorie included a stop at Hot Stove Society on her book tour for her 11th book, Baking Chez Moi, Recipes from my Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere”. First things first…. Hot Stove Society is a year-round cooking school operated by Tom Douglas restaurants. It is located across the street from Tom’s first restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, on the second level of Hotel Andra. It is a beautiful space for hands on cooking classes, as well as lectures and demonstrations, like the event with Dorie. It is a warm and intimate environment. I had the chance to say hello to Dorie before she began speaking. I introduced myself and told her I was a blogger. When I informed her of the name of my blog, she said “well what are you doing here?”. I assured her I loved to bake and was actually a quite accomplished baker and I appreciated her recipes very much. I also spoke with her husband Michael and asked him how he and Dorie managed to stay so thin and fit, in spite of all the amazing goodies Dorie creates. He informed me they subscribe to a strict “taste and release” policy! I wonder if their doorman is as svelte? Chef Tom Douglas and Dorie pictured below.

Dorie’s newest book is a peek into what people in Paris actually bake at home as well as traditional recipes from her favorite Parisian shops. Dorie told many delightful stories about the effort it took to gather the recipes from friends and friends of friends, as well as their reaction to seeing the recipes in the book. She talked about the history of the Tarte Tropezienne; a delicious cake like creation made from brioche style dough, baked in a large round then split and filled with pastry cream lightened with whipped cream. You can find some version of this creation in every pastry shop in St. Tropez, along with a picture of Brigot Bardot who named the cake La Tarte Tropezienne. Dorie informed us the new trend in Parisian cream puffs includes different flavored fillings and a crackle top due to the addition of a butter cookie on top, a delicious twist. Un Dimanche A Paris, or Sunday in Paris Chocolate Cake is from one of Dorie’s favorite pastry shops. The cake called for peanut butter, which is a rarely used ingredient in Paris and took Dorie days to find before she could actually make the cake. We were treated to these three desserts, prepared by the students from the South Seattle Community College Culinary School Pastry Program, and demonstrated by the director of the program, Chef Christopher Harris under Dorie’s watchful eye.

Yes, my serving of Tarte Tropezienne is missing from the photographs. I totally lost my mind and ate it without taking a picture first. What was I thinking? It was delicious!

The event ended with Dorie graciously signing our books. In my case, it was a total of three of her books. She is so kind, friendly, witty, and charming and spent a good amount of time talking with each one of us. I cannot wait to bake and share with you, from Baking Chez Moi.

Have a great evening,

Laura

IFBC, Seattle, WA September 19-21, 2014 – My First Food Bloggers Conference!

10/01/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

It’s taking a lot of time to “digest” my wonderful experience at the International Food Bloggers Conference. My mind is still racing with ideas and my “to do” list continues to grow. That list includes everything from improvements to my website, recipes I cannot wait to create, new friends to email and numerous thank you notes to write to the very generous sponsors. As an IFBC rookie, I made a few mistakes and I will definitely do some things differently next year! First off, I chose not to lug my DSLR camera around and I missed a lot of great photo ops*. Second, I did not pace myself and split up the style of seminars I attended. I definitely will balance out the creative and tech seminars a little better next year! I learned so much about SEO, Branding, and Google+, I thought my head was going to blow up. Thank goodness the presenters notes were all shared, as cramming in so much “new information” was a lot for someone who did not leave the hospital texting the other babies they met in the nursery. Next year, you ask? Yup, I have already registered and you should too. Just click here!

*There are great photos of all the food and fun on Instagram #IFBC.

For many of us, the conference began with a field trip to the new Sur La Table test kitchen located in the Seattle Design Center. This event was sponsored by Sur la Table and Kitchenaid, and was an opportunity to see what was new in all things cooking! The first 50 of us to sign up for this event, jumped into the buses and our weekend of foodvolity began! We received a very warm welcome from the CEO of Sur La Table, Jack Schwefel. The success of the culinary program is clearly due to his passion and commitment to food and cooking. His wife is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate! Nikki Lockett from Kitchenaid introduced us to a few of the newest appliances in the Kitchenaid Proline. When she announced that we would all be going home with the new Kichenaid Food Processor Attachment for our stand mixers – THE CROWD WENT WILD! Culinary Directors Sephi Coyle and Culinary Program Contnet Manager Kristina Miscallef, moved us forward by preparing three recipes demonstrating Kitchenaid appliances and recipes from the fall cooking class line up: Homemade Pasta Dough, with Kale, Walnut and Lemon Pesto, and Warm Cranberry Crumble Tarts. After learning about the fabulous holiday items Sur la Table would be offering, we enjoyed a meal of the Pasta with Pesto and the Cranberry Tarts. Back in our seats for a brief moment, 10 lucky winners of the Kitchenaid Proline Electric Tea Kettle were announced! WOW! Last but not least, we also all received a Sur La Table reusable shopping bag stuffed to the brim with goodies from Sur la Table, Aquasana, Berarad, California Olive Ranch, Chilewich, Kerrygold, King Arthur Flour, Le Cruset, LeKue and TCHO Chocolates. I’d have to say, the first four hours of IFBC were pretty darn amazing.

Back at the Westin, it was time to prepare for Friday nights opening reception, sponsored by Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crips, Bristol Bay Sustainable Alaska Salmon, and Accolade Wines. The food was delicious. Lesley had all of her lovely crisps there for us to sample with a wide array of amazing dips. Bristol Bay was serving salmon 4 different ways and Accolade Wines were pouring many varieties of Geyser Peak wines. Lesley’s Cranberry Hazelnut Crisp have been a long time favourite of mine. I used to bring them home from Canada before I could buy them in the States! Theo Chocolate and Cupcake Royale provided sweets to finish off the night and Rainier Fruit Company sent us all home with a big, juicy Yakima Valley peach.

Did I mention the Friday night Gift Suite? Oh my goodness!!! More samples and goodies and coupons and gifts from the fabulous manufacturers, vendors, and service providers! I have previously mentioned some of these products here at More Savory Less Sweet as I work with many of these folks in my “day job”. It was great to see them in the fun and relaxed environment at IFBC!

All of the samples and gifts were generous and amazing but one vendor really surprised us bloggers! Aneto had aprons embroidered with the name of our blogs for each and every one of us. (I believe that is about 400!) They came all the way from Spain to share their all natural Valencian Paella cooking base with us. I cannot wait to make paella this weekend. Thank you Aneto!

Noosa was one of the Grand Sponsors, and I did not need an introduction! I eat Noosa yogurt almost everyday, either for breakfast or in the afternoon to prevent the late afternoon “hangrys”! We got to try the new Pumpkin flavor. Since it is a seasonal flavor, I will be stock piling it for the next few months! To add extra protein, fiber and omega 3’s to my yogurt, I have been adding in Nature’s Path Qi’a. The cereal is great on it’s own but also as a great ad in to salads, cookie dough, smoothies, and yogurt!

That gives you a peek into the first days activities and a few of the sponsors. There’s so much more! Please come back to find out about additional seminars, Keynote speakers and Saturday evenings Gourmet Fair! I’ll also be sharing recipes created with many of the samples we were given by the sponsors.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Chicken Enchiladas Verde and the Fentons 50th Performance Celebration

07/23/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

Two of my favorite Mexican dishes are enchiladas verde or the saucier version, enchiladas suiza. Inspired by my nephews favorite green sauce from a taco wagon in Kennewick, I decided to create a version of green sauce as close to their favorite as possible. With tomatillos, jalapenos and Anaheim chilis ripe in the garden, it was time to attempt the infamous green sauce! Of course, final confirmation on how close to their favorite this is, will need to come from them!

Laura’s Green Sauce

8-10 fresh, firm tomatillos, husk and stems removed, and rinsed (it will not taste the same if using canned tomatillos)

2 jalapeno peppers

3-4 Anaheim chilies or poblano peppers

5-6 cloves of garlic

one sweet onion, like Walla Walla

olive oil, to coat the pan

salt for seasoning

white balsamic vinegar – about 2 tablespoons (I received a sample of O Brand, and I love it!)

6-8 sprigs of fresh cilantro

Place all the tomatillos, jalapeno, Anaheim chili or poblano pepper, garlic and onion in an oiled roasting pan. Season with salt. Roast in a 350′ oven about 25 minutes. Let the chilies cool and remove the tough, outer skin, seeds and membranes. Slice the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and membrane.

Place all the roasted vegetables in the blender and blend until smooth. Add the cilantro and two tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar. Add additional salt if needed, and blend again. To make it hotter, add additional roasted jalapenos. If you need to cool it down, add additional roasted tomatillos. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can force it through a sieve or colander. I used the sauce as it was for the enchiladas.

to prepare the Chicken Enchiladas

Meat from one whole cooked chicken, bones and skin removed – you can use a rotisserie chicken or a fresh, poached chicken

1 chopped sweet onion, like Walla Walla

2 cups shredded cheese, like Monterey Jack

1 – 1 1/2 cups of THE Green Sauce

1 cup of sour cream

12-16 tortillas, we used flour – if using corn, soften them in a little oil in a warm skillet before assembling the enchiladas

Place the chicken, onion, cheese, green sauce and sour cream in a bowl. Mix the ingredients together.

Place 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture on the tortilla a roll up tightly.

Place enchiladas in an oiled baking dish, seam side down. Continue in this manner until the filling is used up. Pour additional sauce over the enchiladas. Add additional grated cheese. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 350′, remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with a little sour cream and a garnish of cilantro.

I was hoping this weeks post would solely be about our fabulous garden party and barbeque in honor of the Fenton’s 50th performance last Sunday! We worked all last week prettying up the yard, scrubbing the patio furniture and freshening up the garden. We made potato salad, black bean and corn salad, watermelon and blueberry salad. Hamburgers and hot dogs were readied to grill. The Fentons performed from 2-3pm at The Bite of Seattle. About 4pm, as I finished putting the flowers on the tables outside, and after 20 hot and dry days, the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down! Needless to say – the party moved inside and the camera was put away! I did want to share the cupcakes I made with you. The edible logo stickers are from Edible Tasty Prints. I used the design from the bands newest t-shirt, unbeknownst to Dave! Aren’t they adorable?

By the way, Monday was absolutely perfect for an outdoor party!

Be sure and visit the Fentons website and order yourself a copy of their new CD “Little Window“. My favorite new song is “Stir the Love” written by my sweetheart, Dave Keller.

Sunday Seafood Risotto and Caesar Salad

06/09/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Sunday was our 18th wedding anniversary! I wanted to make something new, different and a little bit special. Staying in and cooking was entirely my choice. I had 18 gorgeous roses sitting on the table, and with new blog friendly dishes, napkins, and placemats – it was almost like going out! I knew Caesar salad would be on the menu as there were 8 giant heads of romaine calling me from garden. As we spent the day running errands, I was thinking about what I’d like to go with that salad! I’m not sure if it came to me at Home Depot, Target or Pier 1 … but Seafood Risotto popped in my head! Not risotto with seafood mixed in, but grilled and placed on top! Yes – that was it. I made a mental shopping list and we made two more stops to gather the ingredients.

Caesar Salad – Laura’s Way!

2 generous servings

2 Romaine lettuce hearts, – about 5 leaves each

Rinse the lettuce well with cold water. Wrap in kitchen towel to remove all moisture and chill thoroughly prior to serving. Chill your salad plates.

2-3 cloves minced garlic, or one head finely chopped green spring garlic

3-4 anchovy filets, minced, and 3-4 anchovy filets for garnish

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup Cardini’s Caesar salad dressing

Stir the minced garlic, minced anchovy, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, and salad dressing all together and set aside until ready to use.

I have made Caesar salad the traditional way for many years. Once I discovered Cardini’s Caesar dressing, I stopped. I think it is one of the best bottled dressings ever made. However, I like to customize it to our taste with the addition of garlic and anchovy every now and again. Give it a try and let me know what you think! (I am not being compensated in any way by Cardini’s.)

Parmesan and Garlic Crouton

1-2 baguette slices per serving

drizzle each slice of bread with a little olive oil

rub the bread with fresh garlic cloves

top with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a few herbs, of your choice

Broil until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted, just before serving.

When ready to serve, place the lettuce on a chilled plate. Top with the dressing and additional anchovies, if desired, and freshly shaved parmesan cheese. Add the crouton and sliced lemon, and plenty of freshly cracked pepper.

Laura’s Seafood Risotto

1 1/2 quarts seafood stock

1 cup of dry, white wine

1 cup chopped fresh leek, white part only

2 Tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon (reserve 1/2 teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons chopped green spring garlic – or, 2 cloves fresh minced garlic if green spring garlic is not available (reserve 1/2 teaspoon)

grated zest of one lemon – use a microplane grater (reserve 1/4 teaspoon)

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, additional for garnish

4 Tablespoons of butter, divided

2 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Assorted seafood to be grilled and placed on risotto for serving. We used scallops and prawns. (Placing the scallops on skewers makes it easier to grill them. If using bamboo skewers, be sure and soak them in water for 30 minutes or more, before using.)

Make a basting butter for the seafood with 2 tablespoons melted butter and the reserved garlic, tarragon and lemon zest. Set aside until ready to grill the scallops and prawns.

To prepare the risotto:

Place the stock in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Reduce the heat to low.

Place the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in another saucepan. Warm over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the butter and oil. Add in the minced garlic, tarragon and lemon zest.

Add the white wine. Continue to stir over medium heat until the liquid has been absorbed. Begin adding the hot stock, a couple ladles at a time. Stir thoroughly and add more stock, after liquid is fully absorbed. This process will take about 30 minutes or so. Continue until all the liquid has been used. The mixture should be soft and creamy and the rice should be al dente. Stir in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter and the 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Keep warm over very low heat while you grill the scallops and prawns

Baste the seafood skewers with the melted herb butter you prepared. Grill the seafood on a hot grill for about 4 minutes per side.

When ready to serve, place a generous portion of risotto on a plate. Top with the grilled shellfish. Garnish with freshly shaved parmesan cheese, fresh chopped parsley and freshly cracked pepper. If it is your anniversary, or even if it’s not, serve with a bubbly glass of blanc de noirs champagne!

Laura’s 8 Layer Lasagna Bolognese

01/03/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Christmas and New Year’s have come and gone but there is one more holiday dinner that tops our list. Hopefully this will become a tradition, as this is the second year of the “post-rehersal” band family dinner. I am very excited to host the Fentons and their families this year. Need to know more about the Fentons? Follow this link: http://www.fentonstwang.com/

The Menu

Laura’s Lasagna Bolognese
Grilled Vegetable Platter
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew – our Vegan option (post to follow)
Tossed Green Salad
Sourdough Bread (previously posted)
Southern Pecan Coconut Cream Cake (posted 01/03/14)

The Lasagna

Depending on how big of a pan of lasagna you are making, you may need to double the sauce recipe. The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to assemble the lasagna. I received a new lasagna pan that is HUGE, so I tripled the sauce recipe. http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/91156-chefs-lasagna-pan.aspx

Bolognese Sauce (adapted from 25 Favorite Classics, Food and Wine Magazine, September 2003)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 celery rib, finely diced

1 pound coarsely ground beef chuck

1 pound coarsely ground pork

1/4 pound mortadella, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

Two 28-ounce can Italian whole tomatoes, chopped, with their juices

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the butter in the oil. Add the garlic, pancetta, carrot, onion and celery and cook over moderately low heat until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and pork and cook over moderate heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the mortadella and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, the stock, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley and basil and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick. I like to simmer this sauce at least 4 hours.

Reduce heat to very low, stir the cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley and 1 tablespoon of basil into the meat sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Béchamel Sauce (adapted from Cuisine at Home, February 2004)

I doubled this due to the large size of the lasagna I am making.

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup finely diced yellow onion

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

pinch if nutmeg

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups of whole milk

10 ounces Boursin or Aluette cheese

8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg, beaten

Saute the onion for the béchamel sauce in melted butter over medium heat. Add cayenne and nutmeg and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour to make a light rue. Cook about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the Boursin in small pieces and whisk until smooth. Set aside 2 cups of the sauce to top the lasagna. Cool remaining sauce for 10 minutes. Whisk in the spinach and the beaten egg. Set aside.

For the lasagna

Prepared lasagna noodles or pasta sheets, enough to create 4-5 layers of pasta in your pan

1-2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese – or more – depending on the size of your pan and recipe

1 pound Grated Parmesan cheese – or more – depending on the size of your pan and recipe

Spray your lasagna dish with non-stick spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of béchamel sauce. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the noodles. Spread a layer of meat sauce over the béchamel sauce. Top with a generous layer of mozzarella and then sprinkle with parmesan.

Layer another layer of pasta. Cover with a thin layer of béchamel. Cover the béchamel with a layer of meat sauce, then mozzarella, then parmesan. Repeat two more times., finishing with a layer of noodles.

Spread the last noodles layer with the reserved béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly at 375′ for approximately 45-60 minutes. Let the lasagna “rest” for a least 20 minutes before serving.

The Fentons – L to R: Norman, Snake, Blackie, Howard, Mrs. Chaz Fenton, and Chaz

Sometimes, a couple of pictures tell the whole story!

Southern Pecan Coconut Cream Cake

01/03/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Everything came together at once to inspire this cake! The recipe showed up on my iPad edition of Saveur magazine a couple of weeks ago. I bookmarked it as it looked so good and had such great reviews! http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/pecan-cream-cake Then… I received a beautiful antique cake pedestal stand for Christmas, in my favorite depression glass pattern: Heisey Orchid. The next “sign” was receiving a one pound bag of pecans in our first Besh Box*. All this coincided with needing a dessert for the Fentons family holiday dinner. My only change to the recipe was using two 10″ cake pans, rather than three 8″ pans.

FOR THE CAKE:

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
2 cups flour, plus more for pans
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
1¼ cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans

FOR THE FROSTING:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted

Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 8″ (or two 10″) cake pans; set aside.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy, 2–3 minutes.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low-speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high, and beat until batter is smooth, 5–10 seconds.

Whip egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites, coconut, and pecans into batter.

Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, 20–22 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand lined with 4 strips of waxed paper, and spread with ⅓ cup frosting. (The waxed paper protects your plate and will be removed when finished.)

Top with remaining layer. Cover top and sides with remaining frosting and sprinkle top with pecans; chill cake 1 hour until frosting is firm.

*What’s a Besh Box you ask? One of our favorite chefs. John Besh, has created monthly subscription boxes filled with some of his favorite kitchen tools, special ingredients, recipes, music suggestions and cocktail suggestions. Dave and I subscribed for the year. We look forward to sharing our creations from our monthly Besh Box, with you on this blog. Check it out here: http://beshbox.com/about/

Finnish Cardamom Bread – Nissua – Pulla

12/26/2013 by Laura 4 Comments

I first posted this recipe last March when I started my blog. I am reposting it with better pictures and step by step instructions. I make this every year for my Dad at Christmas. The recipe was handed down to me by my Mom. I do not know the origin. It does take about 5 hours, start to finish due to multiple risings. I typically double the recipe, to make 4 loaves. This year I used King Arthur Bread Flour, and the results were better than ever! The only problem with this post is you can not smell the bread baking!

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in the bottom of the mixing bowl (warm the mixing bowl and bread hook in hot water first)

1 cup half and half (my recipe calls for evaporated milk, which I don’t care for)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom (make sure it is fresh)

2 eggs, slightly beaten in a separate bowl before adding to mixer

2 cups of flour (You will need 4 cups total)

Add the above ingredients to the mixing bowl. Using the bread hook attachment, stir the ingredients together on 1 or 2 until combined.

1/2 cup melted butter

Add the melted butter and continue to stir until mixture is smooth and glossy.

Add the remaining two cups flour. Continue mixing until dough is smooth, pulls away from sides of bowl, and forms a ball.

Cover and let rest 15 minutes.

Turn the mixer back on and “knead” the dough about 8 more minutes. (You can also turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead by hand, if you wish.)

Place dough in a buttered bowl. Cover and let raise one hour.

Punch down, flip, and let dough rise again until doubled. About 1 more hour.

Using your food scale, divide dough in half. (In half again if making a double batch – 4 loaves.) Divide each half into thirds. Roll into even stands. Braid the 3 strands together to form the loaves. Repeat for the other loaves.

Place on slightly greased parchment paper on a baking sheet. Cover and let raise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375′. Before baking, brush each loaf with an egg wash and sprinkle with sparkly sugar of your choice. Bake about 10 minutes, rotate pans, bake another 10 minutes.

Merry Christmas Dad!

Laura’s Famous Fried Chicken and Country Gravy

11/21/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I was very lucky to grow up in a big family of farm-house cooks. My maternal Grandpa had 9 brothers and sisters. They were all born and raised in and around Washington wheat country, in Whitman County. Many of them had farms, leased farms, worked on farms; wheat, cattle, hogs, chickens. My Grandma and my Mom, and all the other women folk in the county, spent hundreds of hours making enormous Sunday style suppers; everyday, during wheat harvest. No dishwasher, limited refrigeration, and a wood fired stove…can you even imagine?

By the time the 9 brothers and sisters married and had kids, and their kids had kids; we totaled over 100. About half of the original 9 brothers and sisters and their spouses, moved off the farms. They did not, however, give up “farm style” cooking. Fresh cream, fresh butter, vegetable, chickens, pork and beef were bought from their previous neighbors or raised on their own farm! These great cooks and farm raised food led to some pretty spectacular grub, at our family reunions! Cakes, pies, salads (long before we worried about potato salad sitting out too long), home-made bread, rolls, cookies and FRIED CHICKEN! I remember the chicken, and I am lucky enough to have watched my Grandma and Mom make it 100’s of times. My recipe is my own, and I don’t shake it in a brown paper bag, mostly because I don’t have any! While this was a frequent Sunday supper as a kid, it is now a one or two time a year treat!

For the Fried Chicken

1 fresh chicken, preferably organic, cut into 8 pieces (cut each breast half in 2 pieces)

1 quart of buttermilk

3 Tablespoons of Mrs. Dash

1 Teaspoon Garlic Pepper

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning

1 dash Paprika

Place the chicken pieces in a large glass bowl. Add enough buttermilk to cover all the chicken. (You may not need the whole quart.) Add the seasonings. Toss the chicken to distribute evenly. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate overnight.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk. Place in a colander in the sink and let the extra buttermilk drip off. Meanwhile, add a cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper to a sturdy plastic bag. (You made need to add flour, salt and pepper a couple more times.)

Pour about 2 inches of peanut oil into a large heavy pan – like a Dutch oven. Heat over medium high heat. Place chicken in bag of flour, 2 pieces at a time, and shake to coat evenly. Place chicken in hot oil and fry on all sides until evenly brown. Remove chicken from oil and place on a baking pan with a rack. Repeat until all chicken has been fried. (DO NOT discard the flour, you will need it for the gravy.) If you intend to serve with mashed potatoes, you may want to start those now.

Place the chicken in a 325′ oven for about 20 minutes, or until a thermometer reads a minimum of 165′, in the thickest piece. Start the gravy!

For the Country Gravy

flour from coating chicken

fat from frying chicken

8 ounces chicken stock

1 quart of milk

salt and pepper

Drain all but about 1/4 cup of oil from the pan the chicken has been frying in. (Make sure you retain all the little brown bits!) Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat.

Sprinkle in about 1/2 cup of the seasoned flour you were dredging the chicken in.

Stir with a whisk until flour and oil are incorporated, and a roux is formed. Once the roux is slightly browned, add in the chicken stock. The mixture will be very thick. Lower the heat and continue to mix thoroughly.

When the stock is fully incorporated, turn heat to low and whisk in about 75% of the milk. Continue to stir. Taste for seasoning. Add additional stock or milk if gravy is too thick. Keep warm until ready to serve.

When ready to plate, place chicken, your favorite mashed potatoes, and vegetable on plate. Spoon gravy over potatoes. Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley. Savor every bite…and do not tell your cardiologist about this meal!

Honolulu Adventures….2 Days in Waikiki

11/03/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

We had an early flight out of Honolulu, so we decided to stay in Waikiki for a couple of days, to be closer to the airport and to visit some of the sights in town.

Day 1

We drove in from Ko Olina and got settled at the Courtyard Waikiki. We decided to walk along the beach and visit some of the famous hotels. We ended up having lunch at the Moana Surfrider Beach Bar. Their Banyon tree is famous. Our table was at the edge of the beach! We both had fish tacos, as we wanted something light. We agreed, the fish tacos we had at Cholo’s on the North Shore were by far the best.

We meandered through the shops on Kalakaua Drive. Dave was quite impressed there was an ABC store on EVERY block! What a contrast to the “perfection” of Ko Olina!

We cooked most of our meals while at the condo in Ko Olina. That justified a couple of splurges while in Honolulu. The first on my list was dinner at Alan Wong’s. Alan Wong is the father of regional Hawaiian cuisine. He is committed to local ingredients and showcasing them at their finest. His restaurant is not on the beach, does not have a view, and is situated on the third floor of an out-of-the-way office building. However, it is packed every night, as it has been for over 15 years. Dave kept asking me to describe the food. It is very hard to do. I can tell you, I do not remember the last time Dave was so thrilled with a piece of fish, as he was at this meal! I did not take pictures as I did not want to bother other diners. I was able to pull a few photos from Alan Wong’s website. (We bought the cookbook so we could make the snapper!) Service and food were impeccable!

Here is a link to the menu: http://www.alanwongs.com/honolulu/dinner-menu-ks

Chopped Ahi Sashimi & Avocado Salsa Stack
Stacked on Crispy Won Ton, Spicy Aioli and Wasabi Soy

Salad “Bigoli”
Romaine Lettuce, Anchovy Dressing, Kalua Pig, Garlic Crouton, Peterson Farm Sunny Side-Up Egg

Ma’o Farms Sassy Salad Greens
AW House Dressing

Ginger Crusted Onaga, Long-Tail Red Snapper
Miso Sesame Vinaigrette, Organic Hamakua Mushroom & Corn

Steamed Shellfish Bowl
Lobster, Shrimp, Mussels and Clams, Bouillabaisse Style Broth, Chili Pepper Aioli

Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert. Maybe next time!

Day 2

We got up, had some coffee and headed to lolani Palce, which is now a fully restored museum. We had an amazing docent, Phyllis, who answered all our questions and provided a fabulous tour. Dave had a great conversation with her as he had just finished reading Julia Flynn Siler’s “Lost Kingdom”. A book chronicling “Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar King’s, and America’s First Imperial Adventure”. Dave has Queen Lili’uokalani’s autobiography reserved at the library, and will be reading it soon.

lolani Palace is the only true royal palace in the United States and the last official residence of the kings and queens who ruled Hawaii. King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani completed the palace in 1882. The design of the palace was influenced by King Kalakaua’s world travels and was the first to be equipped with telephones, electric lights and indoor plumbing; 4 years before the White House. It served as the royal residence until the dethronement of Queen Lili’uokalani in 1893.

The Queen surrendered to the provisional government to prevent the bloodshed of her people and set the stage for Hawaii to became a territory of the U.S. The palace cost $340,000 to construct in 1882 and over $7 million to restore in the late 1960’s through the early 1970’s.

The palace throne room.

The palace dining room.

A section of the quilt Queen Lili’uokalani worked on while held imprisoned in the palace. She also composed many of Hawaii’s best known songs, including Aloha ‘Oe..

We finished up our tour and headed toward Chinatown, just a few blocks away. We went directly to Little Village Noodle House for lunch. We had some of the best Chinese food we have had in a very long time! Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures at the beginning! If you go, I recommend the orange walnut shrimp, the house fried rice and the mu shu appetizer. Before you go, check out their website for a coupon! http://www.littlevillagehawaii.com/

We meandered through Chinatown for a couple of hours. It was neither the best, nor the worst Chinatown. We were among the few tourists, as most people were residents doing their shopping. Tired and ready for a cold beer, we jumped on the bus and headed back to our hotel.

Oh my gosh, where did the time go? We got back to the hotel and took a time out; packing, reading and resting. We made reservations at d.k. Steak House. It had good reviews, was near the beach and we could eat outside with a view of the ocean…. meeting all the requirements of our last dinner in Hawaii.

We walked to the restaurant down Kalakaua Drive. We were just in time to catch (another) fabulous sunset on Waikiki, with about 5000 of our closest friends!

Dinner was great….not the best ever, but good. Not too much to say about steak, Caesar salad and mashed potato! The view was fantastic and the band playing classic 1950’s Hawaiiana style music really added to the evening. The Yuzu Shiso martini was amazing! What a great ending to a wonderful vacation.

        Aloha `oe, aloha `oe
        E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
        One fond embrace,
        A ho`i a`e au
        Until we meet again