Food cabinet

Cheese Cake

2010-02-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

From one of my favorite cookbooks, Bon Appetit's 1982 Favorite Restaurant Recipes, I have made my version of the Jockey Club, Washington, DC, cheese cake. I enjoy the unadorned version, without chocolate swirl or the sour cream topping. I enjoy the smooth rich taste of the cheese with just a hint of naval orange favor.

I am sorry for the one shot, the cake was enroute to my sister in law's, so I was only able to get the single shot.

Mise en Place:

_A large roasting pan, used for the water bath

_A 10" spring form pan with two sheets of Aluminum foil wrapped around pan

_Preheated oven to 350F Use a gauge, temperature is vital

_Food Processor

_Large stand mixer with a paddle blade

_A spatula

_Crust assembly:

1 pack of graham crackers

1/2 cup of sugar

6 Tlbs of butter, room temperature

In the food processor, crumble up the graham crackers into the bowl, add the sugar then pulse the processor till the crackers make a small crumb. Add the butter cut up in small slices to the bowl's mix and pulse several times more till there appears a fine crumb with out any butter clumps. Pour this into the spring form and using the backside of a large spoon I pack and smooth the crust's surface. Set this aside.

The Filling:

4- 8oz packs of cream cheese @ room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs @ room temperature

2 Tlbs of fresh orange juice

3/4 Tlbs sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

I go ahead and set the roasting pan with about an inch of water into the oven, then preheat the oven.

The paddle blade on the mixer, I add the cream cheese to the bowl and mix for several minutes and then add the sugar and mix for about 3-4 minutes more, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, so the mix will be uniformly smooth in texture.

With the mixer on medium speed I add each egg, one at a time, and scrape down between each addition, no lumps. Keep mixing till it is smooth, then add the orange juice, the sour cream and finally the vanilla. Let mix for a bit longer, then pour into the spring form, gently. Level out the top of the batter and place in the water bath in the oven.

Bake for 45 minutes, I will bump the sides to see if it shakes like jello, if it does, its done. If I'm unsure I will bake it for another five minutes, it will have a light browning to the top.

Cool on a rack , then refrigerate. I enjoy cutting up strawberries over the sliced pie. Other berries have been used with equal success.

I left out the chocolate swirl and the sour cream topping, if you would like that part of it, just drop me a line and I will get back to you asap.

Pizza Pizza

2010-02-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

My first experience with pizza was in the seventh or eighth grade when an Uncle in High School brought home a "pie from a new restaurant in Johnson City",the drive was 26 miles. Some years later and in college, my interest in making better pies was advanced with a job at a Shakeys Pizza. I learned a lot, the sauce was an easy matter, but the dough became problematic and I spent years working on a crust that was crisp,chewy and moist. How was I to get that crust here in Bakersville, NC? I can tell you that your kitchen is just about all the tool's you will need. The basis for making good pies rested in the dough and its ingredients. Bread flours or high gluten flours or all purpose, the choices become almost endless.

I'm looking for a finished crust that is light, chewy, Swiss cheese textured, with a slight crispness to the surface. Most of the pies I make at home are with bread flour (any brand), because of access, I can buy it in town. One other flour that is very helpful is to have on hand is rye flour. It adds strength and flavor to the crust. I didn't want a tossing dough, those flours (high gluten) are very hard to find here unless I get a setup with a distributor. Usually, they will not deal with a home cook or small buyers.

Some highlights that I use to consistently get the crust I want, (if you don't eat the outside crust, go buy yourself a red baron pizza and turn on a TV somewhere). Julia Child says that to get that chewy crisp crust you will need is to increase the amount of moisture in the dough, it should be sticky when it is mixed. From this ideal I create my dough:

2 cups of warm water (not hot)
1 Tlbs of sugar
1/2 Cup of Rye Flour (level )
3 1/2 cups of bread flour (level )
1 Tlbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 pack of yeast

Add the water to the mixer bowl, add the sugar, add the rye flour , add 1/2 cup of bread flour, using a spatula, I mix the water and flour,then add the yeast, ( I mix for a minute to let the yeast dissolve). I proof the dough (the little bubbles come to the surface) about five minutes. Put the dough hook on, turn on the mixer, then add 2 1/2 cups more of flour ( leaving 1/2 cup to adjust dough moisture), and lastly add the salt and olive oil. Let mix for 20-30 minutes, It should be smooth and have a bit of shine to the doughs surface and ride up on the dough hook a slight amount. The dough should be sticky to touch.

After mixing, I remove the bowl and use the spatula to push down the dough from the sides of the bowl and pour extra olive oil around the dough, I turn the dough over and over to coat it in the bowl. I cover and let rise till doubled, punch it down with the spatula and let it rise again, I don't worry about it again till time to eat.

This dough will make about three 10-12 inch pies so I take about a third of the dough and drop onto a well floured board and round it up and into itself, forming a ball. Picking it up I quickly by pushing dough into the center from the bottom as you are holding the dough, producing a smooth top surface. Then I put it down on the board, then using my finger tips I take the area just inside that outer part(rim) and start flattening it, you will have a little hump in the middle, which I punch down with fingers as I go around the pie, turning as I go. I flour the dough and turn it over, flattening it again with my palms and fingers till it is about 10-12 inch wide. I leave a bit of untouched dough on that outside part to hold in the sauce and ingredients and so I can chew on and admire it.

I dust a peel with cornmeal, lay the dough over onto it , add the sauce, cheese then every what ingredients you like. The meats and such will not get done if they are under the cheese. A little carmalization to the ingredients is desirable. Do not over load the pie.

For baking: I use a silicon carbide shelf rather than a cordite shelf,the clay shelf will crack in only a few uses. You can find these shelves(silicon Carbide) at a pottery supply house, or get to know a potter. You can also use just a heated baking sheet to slide the pie on, it will yield about the same results.

Heat the oven to 500-550F for about a half hour before you start the pies. A light to medium golden color to the bottom and edge of the pie is what you want, 7-10 minutes. Over baking the pie will make it dry and tasteless. I usually make at least two pies and with left over dough I make a flat bread while the stove is hot.
Intermission: Books that I have learned from: The Tassajara Bread Book (my copy is from 1970), by Edward Brown. Julia Child's The Way to Cook, Artisan Baking Across America by Maggie Glezer, FlatBreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid and the Culinary Institutes of America's Baking at Home.

My sauce:

Tomato Puree 1-10.75 ounce can put in a food processor (sorry, put the empty can in the trash, not the processor) Oops, just having a little fun.

1-2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 of a large onion diced
6-8 leaves of Basil chopped
1 tsp of salt or to taste

Process till all is pureed. This is a great way to add onions that children usually don't like. I start all of this early in the day. I use provolone cheese mostly. Pay the extra for a decent cheese, it is worth it. I enjoy good fresh mozzarella, if I can find it, sliced thin on the tomato sauce or on diced tomatoes (salted to taste) with basil leaves added as you bring the pie out of the oven.
Some combos I enjoy:
The sauce above with goat cheese, fresh basil, and sliced tomatoes.
I also have used just diced tomatoes, bacon bits, and fresh slices of mozzarella and basil leaves.
When I worked at Shakeys I made a pie with anchovies, canadian bacon, and pineapple that is soo good.
I hope you find some information here that will help you make a better pie.

Flourless Chocolate Cake for my Sweet

2010-02-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

The first time I tried this cake, I could not believe how it could melt in your mouth, so smooth like silk and a chocolaty cloud of flavor that just touches off every receptor in your brain. My wife had had a slice and she doesn't even like chocolate. So, she surprised me by requesting I make the cake for her, with just some strawberries on the side.
I have several recipes, but this one I enjoy making and eating. This is from a Bon Appetit article featuring Jason Aronen, Executive Chef at Wilde Roast Cafe, Minneapolis.

To make the cake:

1 cup of water in a small saucepan with 3/4 cup of sugar.

9 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, medium dice

I have taken a bit of liberty in the type of chocolate used:

12 oz bag of 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate

6 ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped or in chip form.

6 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Melt butter in a double boiler over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.

Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.

For the ganache:

8 oz. of 60% cocoa, bittersweet chocolate

1 cup of whipping cream

Bring whipping cream to simmer in double boiler over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream. I also garnished with several strawberries.

While the cake was baking, Maria had taken some brie cheese, good bread and cantaloupe. She buttered slices of bread, spread garlic on it, and layered with the Brie and toasted it. We had it with cantaloupe sections.

I hope your valentine enjoys chocolate also, its a good day, in spite of the snow.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

The easiest and quickest dough

2010-01-31T08:22:00.000-08:00

I have used a family recipe for pie dough for years and always found it tedious to work. A friend I had as a roommate in school recently told me about http://www.recipezaar.com/ . I had been browsing at the site and came across this recipe and thought I'd try it, and since that time, there will be no turning back.

Pie Crust
In a stand mixer bowl, with a paddle blade, combine and mix on low for 1 minute.
2 cups of AP Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

then add & mix till you have a nice small crumble texture to the mix.
7/8 cup of vegetable shortening.

In a separate bowl, beat well:
1 large egg

Then add and slightly combine:
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ice cold water

Pour the egg mix into the flour mix just till it starts to come together, it will still have loose crumbles in the bottom of the bowl.
I then pour the contents of the bowl onto a lightly floured board, divide the dough into 2 parts. Taking a piece of saran wrap, I lay on top of the dough so I can pick it up, gathering all the bits and compress gently into a ball, which I flatten slightly, then refrigerate at lest a couple of hours.
This is a very flaky dough that holds up well under custards.

The original recipe made 4 pie crust, so I cut it in half for my use. If you double this one back to the original, still only use 1 egg.

Italian Creme Cake

2010-01-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry about my absents, but my computer power supply went out on me and it took several days to get it back together. All this went on while a storm continued outside and the TV was about as worthless a product as there is to waste your time, so I cooked.

This cake is undoubtedly the most moist, tasty, and delightful cake I have ever put together. A good friend was serving it at her B&B and I was taken by its flavors and textures. I found out later that it is a very old recipe and used by many different chefs.

It is full of walnuts, coconut, and rich vanilla. If you have never had one, make this up it is so good.

Italian Creme Cake ( This will make a two layer cake).

Preheat oven to 350F

Take 2-9" pans, line the bottom with wax paper. I coat the bottom and sides with a mix of oil and flour and then lay down the precut wax paper in the bottom, then coat the paper with the oil/flour mix.

Find all the ingredients and bring them to room temperature.

Take one stick of butter, 1/2 cup of Crisco, and two cups sugar. Creme these together (high speed on my Hobart) about 2-3 minutes.

While the above is mixing, separate 6 large eggs, (place the egg whites in refrigerator) and if you have the time, in another bowl, sift 2 cups cake flour and one teaspoon baking soda.

Now, check the mixer and then add the eggs one at a time. Be sure to scrape down the walls a couple of times. This builds up the structure of the cake. Mix well.

Take 1 cup of buttermilk and the flour mix and alternate them in the batter(mix slowly). Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 cup of coconut flakes, and 1 cup of walnuts. I let the mixer mix this together, but you need to remove the bowl from the mixer and take a spatula and mix it thoroughly.

Take the egg whites and beat them to soft peaks, then you can fold them into the batter, gently and divide the batter between the two pans. Do not let them touch the walls or each other and bake them for 55 minutes.

The icing is a cream cheese icing. You can add broken pieces of walnuts to the icing to get more texture and flavor. I take 16 ounces of cream cheese, 1 1/2 pounds of powdered sugar, 3/4 stick of butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla in the mixer bowl with the paddles and creme till very smooth (without the nuts). I like to just add coconut to the top of the cake and immediately cut a slice and have a big tall glass of milk.

Chocolate Coconut Balls

2009-12-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to do some of these chocolate covered morsels for several months , but time and the lack of same prevented the indulgence. Since Christmas is a day or two behind us, so I have set my goal for straight forward chocolates.

The is a very common candy, that a lot of families serve at this time of the year. A coconut filled chocolate ball, somewhat like Almond Joys.

1 pound confectioners sugar

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 stick butter (softened)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/16 pound paraffin wax

8 oz chocolate chip (I used milk and semi sweet)

1/2 pound coconut flakes

Place powdered sugar in mixer bowl and make a pit in the middle of the sugar, then add the condensed milk, butter, and vanilla. Blend the mix just for a 30-40 second period.

Remove the bowl and paddle, then using a wooden utensil, make sure all the sugar is blended in, the bottom will have some that doesn't mix. Work in the coconut, mixing well and then put it in the freezer to stiffen up. Then bring the mix out and using a melon ball scoop to make the balls, place them on a sheet of wax paper or plate, then freeze them ( 3-4 hours). They need to be fairly hard or cold enough that they will not fall apart.

In another Stainless bowl add the chocolate chips (if you like dark chocolate use a 60% cocoa". I like milk and semi sweet, so I mixed them and the grated wax in the bowl. I use a sauce pan with about an inch of water in the bottom and place the bowl on top of it, making a double boiler. Using a spatula I mix the melted ingredients together till it is smooth as possible, then I turn the heat down to a medium heat.

Remove the frozen balls from the freezer and with a fork (I tried skewers, but they really left a very bad appearance to the finished piece). Just drop one at a time into the melted chocolate turn to coat, then with the fork lift out the ball and slide the bottom of the fork across the rim to remove excess chocolate and place the wet ball on parchment paper. Do not play with the piece till you have done several, like to add a swirl to the top or fix a non covered area. They keep getting uglier the more you do.

Let them chill and enjoy.

I'm considering using some corn syrup in lieu of some of the powdered sugar and increase the coconut. I think they are very very sweet as they are and the coconut is not as present as I would like.

Fudgy Brownies

2009-12-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

I came across this in cooks.com, it is a very easy and wonderfully moist brownie. I hope you will enjoy it as I. I changed a few steps to include steps that make the cookies the way that I was taught.

Chocolate chocolate chip Brownies
1 1/4 Cup AP Flour
1/4 Cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking powder
3 lg. eggs (room temp)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla ext.
1 cup chocolate chips or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F (please use a oven thermometer) accuracy is very important.
In the first bowl, sleeve the flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt.
In your stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter(high speed for 2-3 minutes). It should be a lighter color and fluffy. Then add the egg, one at a time scrap down sides, then mix a moment more.
Slow the mixer down to low and add the flour mix and only mix til incorporated. Then remove from mixer stand and with a spatula add in the chocolate or nuts or both.
Spread the batter in a 9 x 13 pan ( I use a ceramic baker, it doesn't brown the edges too much)
Bake for 50 minutes(do not open till fifty minutes are up. cool, then enjoy.

I have been doing my Christmas cookies to send to friends and my kids. I have made several other cookies. One of them I'll mention is the toffee packs by Health candies (you'll find them at Wally World (Wal-Mart). I have always swapped the names, Chevy Chase immortalized it for me. Anyway, the recipe is on the back of the package and it is wonderfullll.

Winter Harvest Soup

2009-11-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite soups is the Harvest Soup that I was served as a kid. When the vege pile in the refrigerator took over most of the storage, mom would clean it up by making this soup that would suffice for a good 2-3 days.
Today, I make it up in several different ways, (vegetarian or carnivore) and I can (store) most of it, so I can take it to the shop and have it for several meals. It is a favorite comfort food and warms your tootsies to the bone.
I start with a stew beef, cut up in bite size portions, a pound of meat (you can leave out the beef and it taste just as good). Saute beef in a large heavy bottomed pot with canola oil till the surface of the beef is caramelized, toss in a med to large diced onion with two cloves of garlic chopped, saute till soft. In another pot of water have small diced potatoes and carrots parboiled. Pour most of the water off leaving enough water to just come to the top of the veges, then add water and all to the beef and onions, stirring to mix the whole thing. Then, add 1/2 cup of barley, 1/2 cup of lentils, 1/2 cup of elbow macaroni, a bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of thyme, ( I sometimes add canned beans, do not use dried beans, because you will have to cook the soup to death to get them done.), then add 2 cups okra, a cup of corn or hominy, any squash, or any greens. Most important is to add a quarter section of cabbage (julienned very thin). Cook all of this slowly, just a simmer is best. Season with fresh cracked or ground pepper, salt, and a few red pepper flakes. The soup will absorb a lot of water so keep a pitcher close and add water as needed to keep a nice broth. Taste the lintels or macaroni for tenderness. The last step, when the lintels are tender is to add at least two quarts of tomatoes and simmer for about another 30 minutes or more. Then taste for seasoning. Serve with saltine crackers or a good homemade bread. If someone wads up a 1/2 bag of crackers and throws into the soup, throw them out the door and the ruined soup after them.
You can add or take away different item, but the cabbage and tomatoes are vital to the soup. I hope you will enjoy this soup.

Restaurant Nora

2009-10-29T06:21:00.000-07:00

I had to go to Asheville yesterday and usual I stop by the used bookstore, Mr K's at Riverridge. I usually get my reading, cookbooks,music, and videos there to last the month.
While going through the cookbook isle I came across "Cooking with Nora" by Nora Pouillon. She writes about her ideals and inspiration for the restaurant. I really enjoyed the read and I'm looking forward to trying some the recipes. She has created seasonal menu items that take available fresh produce for that season and has developed a simple vision of food that has complex textures and flavors that I find delightful .
Many of my cookbooks have come from this chain of stores, there is always a surprise as I browse through their selections. I didn't mean for this to become an ad for the store, but during this economy, I can save a lot of money for my reading habit.

Dinner with Mike

2009-10-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Went over to Mikes Henshaw's for dinner last night and to talk about restaurants. He fixed pork ribs with a honey mustard sauce, kale, brown rice, and lentil soup with carrots and rosemary. It was just an excellent meal and this morning my sugar was @ 85, a very good sugar for a diabetic. Thanks Mike.
I've been talking about Carrabelle, Florida as a location to go for the winter months and set up a restaurant or reset up a clay studio. Mike grew up down that way in southern Georgia and he had allot of information about the area. We shared war stories and I'm very impressed by the amount of traveling that Mike has done. I was also impressed with his wood block prints, he has a very good sense of folk art design and the work is well presented. His collection of folk art books was very interesting and I enjoyed looking through books he has collected.

slowing down

2009-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

You will notice that I am a potter by trade as seen on my profile and have practiced my art for almost forty years. It has always been a love affair for me to imagine my plated food on the work that I produce. It seems to close the gap that makes the circle of my life. My fondest wish now is to open myself a small cafe to share my love of both items with others who feel that life has become too fast and we should sit down for a longer time to drink, eat and talk about art, life, politics, and relationship. This could possible open the door to more understanding of others and take us away from the stereo types of TV land.

Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara

2009-09-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Maria and I wanted to have a little different dish, my interest in sauces was peaked when I came across some packaged sauce mixes. I wanted to taste the sauce in a dish without a whole lot of time preparing it. We did enjoy our version of the dish and I then went to Cooking Network website and found a Tyler Florence version of the sauce that I hope to try over the next week or two.
My version of the dish:
Wagner's Carbonara Sauce mix, 1 chicken breast fillet, cut into strips, bit size. 1 carrot, cut diagonally thin. 4 green onions, sliced across, include some green part. 4 ounces sliced mushrooms, and about a half cup of peas (I used frozen peas).
Start your fettuccine in boiling salted water.
Saute the chicken in olive oil until golden crust is present, then add the veges. when the noodles are done, place the done chicken and vegetable mix over the noodles. Using the same pan add the butter from the directions on package to the pan along with the milk and the sauce mix. I use a whisk to combine the ingredients and bring to thickness (slight boil). I pour this over the noodles, veges, and chicken, gently toss, plate and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan. Serve with a white dry wine, and a crusty multigrain bread.

The Louisville connection

2009-09-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start a blog around foods I find and enjoy and to also log ideals and trails of error in preparation exploration. I have always cooked for myself and my family, most of the time a joint effort sometimes not so much help. I've cooked (or the imitation of) a family style restaurant (hamburgers & fries), a pizza place (Shakeys Pizza), and a B&B (cooking my own menu).

Pretty much up till I was 45 years old, I thought I could cook, then there is my friend Clifford. He started cooking at the Galt House and suites in Louisville, Kentucky. To this day, I count his influence and guidance a very important part of my interest in learning to cook at home and in a commercial setting.

I consider Louisville amongst my best low keyed restaurant towns, Azelea's (presently closed) , Jack Fry's (my first country pate and Amanda Johnson & Erica Goins as pastry chef's will continually surprise you with their talent.), The Irish Rover (excellent fish and chips), The Blue Dog Bakery and Café, Wick's Pizza , and Uncle Tubby's Pizza (Jeffersonville, IN) are some of the places I enjoy every chance I get to go to Louisville.

I could easily talk about Louisville in its many forms, but I want to cover more things and as I get to those and hear from you about your versions of foods or insights about a place like Louisville. I will be occupied for a long time.