31 Mar
Coconut Butter Thins
Posted by Michelle as Cookies | 23 Comments
I have to admit – when I saw that these Coconut Butter Thins were the next Tuesdays With Dorie selection, I was pretty apathetic. I wasn’t overly excited about them, but I wasn’t disappointed either. Well, I want to thank Jayne of The Barefoot Kitchen Witch for such a fabulous pick! These cookies completely exceeded every expectation I had for them. It didn’t take me very long to realize that I was going to absolutely adore the cookies – as soon as the dough was mixed up I had to practice some serious restraint. I came thisclose to not baking the cookies and just eating the raw dough instead. While I still don’t think that would be a bad idea at all, I’m glad my good sense dominated because these are definitely one of the best and most unique cookies I have had in a very long time.
27 Mar
Lasagne Verdi al Forno
Posted by Michelle as Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 9 Comments
New month. New Daring Bakers challenge. Or was it? I have become quite accustomed to opening the new DB challenge in anticipation of chocolate, sugar, and everything else that accompanies sweet decadence. As a result, I was quite shocked to see that the challenge for March was lasagna. Hmmm. Don’t get me wrong, as an Italian, I love any kind of pasta you can throw at me, including lasagna, but it’s not really what I’ve come to expect from my Daring Bakers challenges. This seemed more in line with a challenge you might find coming out of the new Daring Cooks group. Ah well. Even though I was disappointed with the lack of sweet confections, I forged ahead and tackled the challenge.
The lasagna is comprised of spinach lasagna noodles layered with white bechamel sauce, a meaty red sauce, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. While I have made homemade pasta before, this was my first time making spinach pasta, as well as a bechamel sauce, and I thought both turned out really well.
24 Mar
Blueberry Crumb Cake
Posted by Michelle as Coffee Cakes | 23 Comments
Yes, you are reading correctly – I am back in the TWD saddle! After being the second member of the group back in January of ‘08 I decided last summer to take a break from the weekly baking to focus on some other baking goals I had. But, I have to admit – I have missed Dorie. I am finally ready to tackle the weekly baking again and am looking forward to trying to catch up on all that I have missed (wow, that will be quite the endeavor!). Although the group closed membership late last year, they opened it up for one day last week on St. Patrick’s Day and I jumped at the opportunity to join again. And what a great week to get started again – Blueberry Crumb Cake!
18 Mar
Irish Soda Bread ~ Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Posted by Michelle as Quick Breads | 13 Comments
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Although I am one-quarter Irish, I am embarrassed to admit that I really am not educated on the food and traditions of the Irish culture. As a result, I thought for St. Patrick’s Day I would bake up something traditionally Irish and take a little time to learn about the background of the dish. I chose Irish Soda Bread since I have seen so many variations of it online over the years and I put it on My 100 list of things to make. Not only had I never made this bread before, but I had never tasted it either. I dove in with no real expectations and about an hour later became officially addicted to this bread. As in, devoured a large portion of the loaf. I had to practice some serious restraint and was happy to share it with some family!
13 Mar
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Posted by Michelle as Coffee Cakes | 30 Comments
If you’re looking for an out-of-this-world, above and beyond coffee cake, you’ve come to the right post. This is no Entenmann’s, for sure. I watched Ina Garten make this cake on an episode of Barefoot Contessa well over a year ago. I looked up the recipe online, saved it, and there it sat ever since. I have been dying to make it but the streusel looked so wonderful that I didn’t want to make it and have to omit the cinnamon and walnuts due to my allergies. Now that my food allergies have gone their merry way, I couldn’t wait to bust out my tube pan and whip up this cake. Speaking of tube pans, this was my first time using one, and now I might be addicted. Incidentally, this was also my first time making a coffee cake. I’ve certainly eaten my fair share, but making one was high on my list of things I want to try. I’d still love to try a yeasted coffee cake and see what the significant differences are. If anyone has made one and loved it, please share your recipe!
12 Mar
Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Cabernet Sauce
Posted by Michelle as Meat | 5 Comments
Braising is a cooking method I’ve been wanting to try ever since I treated myself to a Le Creuset dutch oven last year. What is braising, you ask? Allow me to provide a quick tutorial:
Braising is a combination cooking method using both moist and dry heat; typically the food is first seared at a high temperature and then finished in a covered pot with some liquid. Braising relies on heat, time, and moisture to successfully break down tough connective tissue and collagens in meat. A classic braised dish is Coq au Vin (which, incidentally, is on my big list of things to make). The basic steps to braising include: searing the meat at a high temperature, deglazing the pan with an acidic liquid such as wine and often combining it with stock, additional vegetables and/or seasonings are added to the pot and it is covered and left to a slow simmer or put in an oven at a low temperature to finish cooking.
The result? Fork-tender meat that melts in your mouth.
08 Mar
Baked Oatmeal
Posted by Michelle as Breakfast Foods | 14 Comments
Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Everyone also knows that breakfast can be the most boring meal of the day. It becomes all too easy to fall into a rut of grabbing toast while you run out the door, the same old bowl of cereal, or a calorie-laden Starbucks pastry. Okay so that last one might not be boring, but it’s certainly not healthy! This baked oatmeal is a wonderful alternative to traditional breakfast foods – it’s warm, hearty, filling, and full of good-for-you stuff that will make you feel like you started the day right. Looking for an added bonus? You can bake this up and have enough left to be reheated for breakfast every day of the work week. That’s right, 5 days of breakfast ready and waiting for you – no wondering what you’re going to eat or what you’ll have time to make when you wake up in the morning.
04 Mar
Cucidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
Posted by Michelle as Cookies | 30 Comments
Cucidati is a traditional Italian cookie, originating in Sicily, that is filled with a mixture of figs and other fruits, nuts, and seasonings. Some recipes vary but the “standard” typically includes figs, dates, raisins, and walnuts and is bound together with honey and orange marmalade. I am actually surprised that my grandma never made these since they are such a popular Italian cookie, but when I asked my mom about it, she said my grandma hates figs, so I guess I have my answer!
It was during a conversation with my Chief Culinary Consultant that I learned about cucidati. I was talking about the walnut pillow cookies that my grandma always made and he said that his grandma made something similar, but with raisins and figs. I stored it away in my memory bank, with intentions to try them at a later date. A few days later I was searching online for walnut pillow recipes because I was unsure if we would be able to find my grandma’s (we did!) and stumbled upon recipes for cucidati. I immediately saved them and decided I would make the cookies sooner rather than later.
02 Mar
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Posted by Michelle as Puddings and Custard Desserts | 17 Comments
I have a rather brief history with bread pudding, having tried it for the first time only this past New Year’s Eve. But oh, I was in love. Perhaps it was the chocolate, the Grand Marnier, the freshly whipped cream, the raspberry coulis, or the combination of all those flavors in bite after sweet bite, but I was hooked. First things first, if you are anywhere near the Pittsburgh area and have never dined at Dish Osteria and Bar, located in the South Side a few blocks off of East Carson Street, you absolutely have to go there. They serve authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on Sicilian specialties, and the food is to die for.
When I originally made my Top 100 list of dishes I wanted to conquer in the kitchen, bread pudding made the list due to my inexperience in both eating and making it. While I would still like to tackle a “traditional” bread pudding (give me your best recipe!) I couldn’t resist this when I saw it. Bananas foster is an incredible dessert, and to have those flavors baked into a bread pudding seemed too sinful not to try.
