TFF -- A "Sponge Worthy" Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

From the Urban Dictionary:

"A phrase coined by Elaine on the TV show "Seinfeld." Refers to Elaine's favorite kind of birth control that was ultimately taken off the market. Elaine bought all the remaining stock she could get her hands on and then hoarded her stash of sponges. She defined her dates as being "sponge-worthy" or not.

Jerry- I heard you went out with Bob last night. Was he sponge-worthy?
Elaine- VERY sponge-worthy!

Or alternate response from Elaine-I don't waste my sponges on just anybody. He has to be sponge worthy, Jerry!"


Remember this Seinfeld episode? Well, I feel the same way about my homemade Pesto Sauce that Elaine felt about her sponges. There's consequences if you use it and there's consequences if you don't. So using my homemade Pesto Sauce is a serious decision. I only have so much Pesto in my freezer and when it's gone, it's gone!

Is the dish good enough for my pesto sauce? Down the road when my pesto supply has been depleted will I say to myself "shouldn't have done it"? What if next month I find a fabulous pasta recipe and I don't have enough pesto? These are just some thoughts I had when I was considering making Tyler's Mozzarella Grilled Cheese. The sandwich sounded very interesting, and if I ate a grilled cheese every day for the rest of my life I'd be happy, but I just wasn't sure if it was "sponge worthy".

Mozzarella Grilled Cheese
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

4 slices thick-cut sourdough bread
1 ball (1 pound) fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 plum tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1 cup fresh basil pesto, recipe follows
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Basil pesto:
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

To make pesto:

Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined but still rough-textured.

If you have a panini press, turn it on to warm up; otherwise, set a cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Assemble sandwich by smearing insides of bread slices with pesto. Arrange a layer of sliced tomato and season with a few turns of fresh pepper. Layer the mozzarella slices over the top and then place another piece of bread on top to make the sandwich. Drizzle olive oil over skillet's surface and place sandwiches on the hot skillet or panini press. If using a skillet, place another heavy skillet over the top to form a "press". Turn after 2 to 3 minutes and replace weight. The sandwich is ready when golden brown and mozzarella has melted around the edges.

Please stop by and check out the rest of Tyler's Fans at Tyler Florence Fridays!


Tasting Notes: Mr. Tastebuds was not happy when I told him we were having Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for dinner. But then I told him I was making potato chips and he'll eat anything as long as I make him some homemade potato chips. Well, he loved this sandwich and specifically said I should make it again!

Grilling the sandwich in EVOO was wonderful and made a fabulously crisp crust! But I'm still on the fence if it was sponge worthy or not. However I do think Tyler's Mozzarella Grilled Cheese would have been delicious served sometime in July when my basil is in full glory and made with a warm-from-the-sun homegrown tomato! YUM! Now that would be a very sponge worthy sandwich!


All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Pintadeaux au Chou

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we made Pintadeaux au Chou or Guinea Hen with Cabbage. I was just not sure if I would like this recipe or not but I knew my husband would love it. I'm not a fan of multiple meat stew like recipes but I trudged forward and was very pleasantly surprised. I really, really liked this recipe. The polish sausage stewed along with the cabbage and hens was just delicious!!!

This is not a difficult dish to make. I thought it would take me 2 hours but in reality it took me 1 1/2 hours which is not bad. Due to the fact that we have to cut back on expenses I substituted Cornish Game Hens for the Guinea Hens but that was the only change I made.

Prepare the bacon by cutting each strip into 1/4" strips. Put the small strips into a small sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again. In a small frying pan melt 1 TBL of butter. Add the drained small pieces of bacon and fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Prepare the Hens by washing in cold water and stuffing with 1 garlic clove, 1 bay leave and 1 sprig of Thyme and salt and pepper. Then rub the exterior with softened butter and season with salt and pepper. Truss the hens and pop them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 425 degrees.

Blanch the cabbage, then rinse in cold water and set aside. Over medium heat melt butter and add oil to a large casserole (I used a large frying pan). Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 c. water. Add the cooled cabbage and Bouquet Garni and salt and pepper. Slice the sausage on a diagonal and add it to the casserole. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for about 1 hour.

Add the drained bacon to the casserole. Cut the polish sausage on a diagonal and add the slices to the casserole.

When the hens are out of the oven, carefully put them into the casserole, nestling them in with the cabbage, carrots and sausage. Deglaze the roasting pan by adding 1 1/2 c. water and add to the casserole. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.






Pintadeaux au Chou
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu

1 medium head green cabbage
2 TBL vegetable oil
4 TBL butter
1 large onion, sliced
3/4 lb carrots, sliced
1 Bouquet Garni
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 lb bacon, sliced

2 Guinea hens, 2 lbs each
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
2 bay leaves
2 TBL softened butter
3/4 lb Polish Sausage






For our Whisk Wednesdays Post Tail we are all posting our favorite plates. I decided to post my bread plates. Well, I do usually serve bread on these plates but they also work well as small platters too. The plates range from 6-9" by 12-16".

The 2 dishes on the far left, were supposed to be a gift. I could not decide between the 2 and just bought both. I then bought something else for the gift! ;)

It is very difficult for me to pass up any unique shaped serving dish! And it looks like I like polka dots!










All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Ol' Fashioned Fudge Brownies

This is my sister's recipe and it's been our family's Brownie Recipe for as long as I can remember. I must confess, and this is difficult from a chocolate addict, but I don't care for Brownies. And as unAmerican as it might be I don't like Chocolate Chip Cookies either!

Fudge Brownies was submitted by my sister and published in "Family Treasured Recipes" a fundraising cookbook organized by the Schnee Elementary School PTA. Schnee was the school I attended while living in Cuyahoga Falls, OH in the '60s. We lived in Cuyahoga Falls for 3 years and I remember having a crush on Brad Lutz the entire time I lived there. On moving day, Brad sort of hung out around our house all day long. :) While I was growing up, my Dad was transferred here and there and everywhere and we averaged about 2 years in any given place. I was sad to leave our home and friends in Cuyahoga Falls but at the same time I was excited to move back to Michigan.

I made the Brownies for my husband on Valentine's Day. And Mr. Tastebud's ate every single one and he was very happy! I decided to up the ante a bit and added a TBL of Nocello, an Italian Walnut Liqueur. Although I only had a few bites of brownie, I do think they were much better with the Nocello! It added a deep buttery walnut flavor and intensified the chocolate.

Nocello has quite an interesting history best described by Internet Wines.

"Nocello, from the Emeligia-Romagna region of Italy, reigns as the pride of Modena, Italy. It was first produced by Monasteries in the Middle Ages as a medicinal curative, but was soon recognized as a sacred treat. According to local superstition, the green walnuts must be picked on Midsummer's Day. The time of picking is essential because of the delicate and ever-changing flavor of the nut. The walnuts must be picked and shelled delicately, then they are soaked in brown oak casks of alcohol in their shells for two years. Distillation follows the aging process, secret ingredients are added, and then the Nocello is ready. When done properly, this long and delicate process creates a velvety chocolate-colored liqueur with hints of sweetness and a slightly bitter finish. It is also known as a digestive aid."





Fudge Brownies
Recipe adapted from my sister, Sherry

2 sq baking chocolate
1/3 c. butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Optional:
1 TBL Nocello
Nuts for topping

Melt chocolate and butter together. Beat in sugar, eggs, vanilla, nuts and Nocello. Add flour, baking powder and salt sifted together to above mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes in a 8x8" greased pan. Do not over bake brownies.





My Brownies laced with Nocello are my entry in Fiesta Italiana hosted by Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook







After our last little blizzard, the sky was such a gorgeous blue I could not resist snapping a few pictures of our property and sharing them.












All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Chocolate Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Bubble Frosting

Remember Seafoam Frosting?

Seafoam Frosting was popular when I was growing up and I loved it. The frosting was rich and creamy and had the most gorgeous satin sheen! And it melted on your tongue just like Cotton Candy. Of course my Mom would frost my favorite Chocolate Devil's Food Cake with it, so it was double the pleasure for me.

Instead of calling my Mom for her recipe, I just googled and found several Seafoam Frosting recipes. All were very similar with just slight variations so I picked one and got on with it. The Seafoam Frosting turned out gorgeous with a perfect satin sheen, but it tasted horrible. I do not like super sweet frostings like Buttercream and if you can believe it the Seafoam Frosting was sweeter! I loved the consistency though, it was thick like marshmallow and was very easy to work with but the taste was...yucky!

So rather then trash the frosting, I threw in 8 oz. of cold cream cheese and 1/2 stick of cold butter. I probably should have waited for the cream cheese and butter to come to room temp, but I wanted to frost my cupcakes asap. So I plowed through with my hand mixer. Well the frosting turned out fabulously delicious! And it kept the gorgeous satin sheen which is what I wanted. I love this frosting and although it involves a few extra steps I will make it again!

I know that my Mom's Seafoam Frosting does not stand up very long and will separate similar to a meringue. I frosted 30 cupcakes on Friday. Now it's late Sunday and the remaining 10 cupcakes are just fine and the frosting still has it's gorgeous satin sheen!!!

I used my favorite Chocolate Cupcake recipe and topped the Brown Bubble Frosting with chopped peanuts. They are delicious cupcakes! And I am entering them in Well Seasoned Cook's, My Legume Love Affair - Eighth Helping event.


And yes, I called my Mom and told her what happened and she is now looking for her Seafoam Frosting recipe. ;))








Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 c. cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 TBL 12-year Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c. hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tin with baking cups.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

NOTE: This batter is very thin and I honestly did not think it would bake well but the cupcakes were fluffy, very deep chocolate and wonderfully delicious. It is a large recipe and makes about 30 regular sized cupcakes. The batter rises quite a bit so DO NOT fill the baking cups more then 1/2 full. I used my 2-cup glass liquid measure to pour the batter into the baking cups...yep the batter is very thin!



Brown Sugar Bubble Frosting
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

1 1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c cold water
2 egg whites
2 tsp light corn syrup
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz cream cheese, cold
1/4 c. butter, cold

In the top of a double boiler combine brown sugar, cold water, egg whites, corn syrup and salt. Beat 30 seconds on low speed. Place over boiling water, upper pan should not touch water. (I used a large stainless steel bowl over a sauce pan) While beating constantly on high speed, cook about 7 minutes or till frosting forms stiff peaks. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Beat 2 to 3 minutes or until of spreading consistency. Wait a few minutes for the frosting to come to home temperature and add the cold cream cheese and butter. Beat on high until smooth and creamy.







Shari, our fearless leader of Whisk Wednesdays was kind enough to give me the Lemonade Award - "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade." I think this is so fitting for my Brown Bubble Frosting! Thanks so much!







The rules of the award are:
1. Put the logo on your blog/post.
2. Nominate 10 blogs which show great gratitude and/or attitude.
3. Link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let your nominees know that they have received the award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post from the person who gave you this award.

In honor of the Academy Awards, the envelope goes to............

1. Cuisine Kathleen
2. Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
3. Chasing Some Blue Sky
4. My Life is Yummy
5. Dining for Two
6. Dogs eat the Crumbs
7. Something Sweet By Karen
8. All Things Edible
9. Cinnamon, Spice and Everything Nice
10. Can't Believe we Ate



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Pistachio Cranberry Cookies

Here are more of my Christmas cookies that I made post Christmas. Oh well, I had some other issues going on and December was just not a baking month for me. I dearly love true shortbread cookies but wanted to dress them up a bit. And what could be better then a shortbread cookie dressed with crushed pistachios and dried orange-flavored cranberries.

These cookies are just delicious!




Shortbread Cookies
Recipe adapted from Ann's Mom

1 lb. butter, soft
1/2 lb margarine, soft
6 1/2 c. flour
2 c. powdered sugar

Cream butter and margarine and add powdered sugar.

Gradually, add flour 1 cup at a time.

This is a true shortbread cookie so no vanilla is needed. It is also very SHORT and cracks easily.

Either roll out dough and cut cookies. Or roll into a log, refrigerate and with a very sharp knife, slice the cookies.

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

3 sticks of butter, softened
3 1/4 c. flour
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. chopped dried cranberries
1/2 c. chopped pistachios

Cream the butter and powdered sugar. Add the chopped cranberries. Gradually add flour. Roll dough into about a 2" diameter log. On a piece of plastic wrap sprinkle the chopped pistachios. Roll the cookie log over the chopped nuts, gently pressing down so the nuts embed into the dough evenly. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. With a sharp knife, slice into 1/2" slices.

Place cookie slices on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until slightly brown on the bottom.

NOTE: These cookies do not rise. So the diameter of your log will be the diameter of the cookie.


All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Tyler Florence Fridays -- Texas Cole Slaw

I really not sure why I chose the Texas Cole Slaw recipe this week. I filed it in my TODO file and had planned on making it when the weather warmed a bit. Well we had a mini blizzard earlier this week and we're now under a Winter Storm Watch so warmer weather is not on the horizon any time soon! But this week I've been planning our vegetable garden so summer was on my mind.


The recipe calls for Savoy cabbage, which I just love. But this week the Savoy cabbage was so small, it's just not the season for Savoy yet. My market had Broccoli Slaw on sale 3 bags @ $.99 and I've wanted to try this slaw for a while now and hey I'm not passing up a $.34 salad! I did go lightly with the Cayenne pepper and I skipped the sugar and cumin...cumin and I just do not get along at all. But other then these 4 changes, I made the recipe as written. But one thing I would do next time is zest the entire orange and add it to the dressing. The extra zing and color would go very nicely.

Tyler's Texas Slaw was YUMMY! The toasted pecans and Granny Smith Apples were perfect with the chili orange dressing. We ate all of it...there was not one shred left. I served the Texas Slaw with my Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Almond Bread Crumbs. It was a delicious summer dinner even though it was 5 degrees outside!




Texas Cole Slaw
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

1 head Napa or Savoy cabbage, shredded
4 carrots, shredded
2 Granny Smith apples, sliced thin
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves only, for garnish

Orange-chili dressing:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon hot water
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 orange, juiced
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl add the cabbage, carrots, apples, onions, and pecans. Mix well and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the mustard and water. Whisk in the olive oil; add the sugar, cayenne, cumin, orange juice, and creme fraiche and blend well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well to coat. Mound onto a platter and garnish with mint leaves.



Make sure to check out the other Tyler Fans at Tyler Florence Fridays.


All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Blanquette de Lotte aux Petits Legumes

This week for Whisk Wednesdays our recipe was Blanquette de Lotte aux Petits Legumes or Monkfish in White-Wine Cream Sauce with Vegetables. Well, living in IL and trying to find fresh Monkfish is a problem. I've only seen Monkfish in the markets a few times, unfortunately I could find no Monkfish for this week's recipe. My first thought was to use Scallops which I have in my freezer but opted to use fresh Red Snapper.

I really did not care for this recipe as the sauce was bit heavy for Snapper but it would probably be fine with Monkfish. But I do what I can and this week, my fish substitute just did not work out for us. And I forgot to buy turnips and to top things off my sauce thickened so quickly, I neglected to add the cream! Oh well, 1 recipe dud in 6 months is really not all that bad! ;)

And a big shout out to my dear friend Maryanne...Here are the fish plates you sent me! And I do use them more then you see them pictured on my blog! I like using them because the plate shape compliments food so nicely.




Blanquette de Lotte aux Petits Legumes
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu at Home

Vegetable Garnish:
6 oz carrots
6 oz turnips
6 oz green beans
Salt
6 oz shelled peas
24 pearl onions
4 TBL unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
6 oz button or quartered large mushrooms, trimmed, rinsed and dried

Fish:
2 1/2 lbs monkfish fillets
6 TBL unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped fine
5 TBL flour
1 c. dry white wine
1 bouquet garni
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 egg yolks
1 c. heavy cream
Chervil or parsley leaves for garnish





Whiskers' Tail


For our post tail Kayte suggested that all the Whiskers post pictures of their cookbook and recipe stands. I was particularly interested because presently I am on the hunt for a cookbook stand.



If I have a printed recipe from my recipe program, I prop the page up in my vintage iron fruit bowl, anchoring it with some of the fruit. This week's fruit of choice is pears.





Sometimes I put a printed recipe in these cute photo holders that I bought last year on closeout at TJMaxx. They actually hold about 20 pages of recipes before becoming top heavy. These are working out very well.



If the recipe is from a cookbook, I just lay the book open on my island. But this makes the book very vulnerable to spills and spatters. If the binding is tight and the book will not lay flat, I weight the pages down with...yep you guessed it, fruit. Bananas work incredibly well as page weights. Fruit is a multi-use tool in my kitchen!





All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

The Vanilla Conspiracy

I am so tired of flavoring everything with vanilla. Looking back over the years, I've used jugs of the stuff. I've tried the popular and exotic varieties Mexican, Madagascar and Tahitian. And I even tried the natural route with scraping vanilla beans, grinding vanilla beans and even making my own vanilla. Frankly I can't tell the difference any more. It's all just plain vanilla to me.

Lately I'm finding some recipes calling for 2 tsp upwards to 1 TBL vanilla. And it does not stop with just baking, there's vanilla body cream, vanilla lotion, vanilla flavored lip gloss and vanilla scented candles! I guess if we do not ingest enough vanilla, we can now absorb it through our skin too? But when I discovered Vanilla Salt, it all began to make sense.

Is OVEC (Organization of Vanilla Exporting Countries) controlling this substance, increasing the varieties and potency until we are all addicted and dependent? Is Area 51 really a hydroponic vanilla farm? Could vanilla be the intricate thread that weaves a One World Government? Is the Catholic Church involved? The Masons? Maybe Martha? What's the significance of the mysterious "V" on the one dollar bill?

Well, I'm not going to be fooled any longer and I'm standing up and just saying NO to vanilla! It's time to start the weaning process and try something new! And I'm pretty sure you have some wonderful possibilities within arm's reach in your own kitchen.





Fruit Juice -- Some fruit juices (for citrus fruit see below), apple, pomegranate, cranberry, prune, cherry, pineapple, peach etc, must be reduced due to the amount of water in the juice. In a small sauce pan add 1 c. of fruit juice. Over low heat simmer until juice is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Juice reduces quickly and due to the natural sugar content can burn so do not leave unattended and keep the burner LOW. Cool before adding to any recipe. For most recipes I add at least 1 TBL reduced juice and sometimes end up using all the reduction! A reduced fruit juice does not keep long so only make as much as you can use at any given time.

Citrus -- I use fresh Orange, Lemon and Limes and juice them. I use 1 TBL citrus in most recipes. I also add zest to the recipe to increase the flavor. And by zest I mean I zest the entire fruit and use all of it.


Cider -- A true cider is unfiltered, cloudy and should be much thicker then juice. So it's already somewhat concentrated but you still need to reduce for use in a recipe. Use the same reduction recipe as for Fruit. Reduced apple cider will add an explosion of flavor and is wonderful in donuts, pancakes and frostings, and very good in Carrot Cake!

Waters -- Rose, Orange or Kewra waters are fabulous. I use them often in frostings. I start with 1 tsp Rose, Orange or Kewra Water and add more if need be. Although the flavor is somewhat subdued, it adds the most heavenly aroma. Essence stands up better in baking but the concentrate varies per brand so I would start with a 2-3 drops and adjust for taste.

On a side note, I have a shaker of Rosewater on my table when we having "finger" food such as corn on the cob, french fries, tacos or ribs. It nice to sprinkle a bit of rosewater on your hands to refresh after dinner and your guests will forever remember your table.

Syrups -- Of course the first syrup that comes to mind is Maple Syrup which is so good and my Dad's favorite! But if using some commercial syrup brands read the labels carefully. The titles sound so intriguing but pomegranate syrup does not really taste like pomegranate and it's best to reduce the juice and make your own. But some of the varieties do sound intriguing, Toasted Marshmallow for instance. If a syrup passes my taste test, I begin by adding 1 tsp at a time, until I'm happy with the overall taste. Watch at Tuesday Mornings, Homegoods and TJMax and you can pick up bottles of flavored syrup for $3-5.


Vinegar -- I use balsamic vinegar in place of vanilla in any chocolate baked good and LOVE IT! If your willing to give it a try, I use 1 TBL Balsamic Vinegar per recipe. If I'm in a real feisty mood I will use 1-2 TBL!



Liqueurs -- Oh these are the most fun and the varieties seem endless. Lately the markets seem on overload with new liqueurs or maybe I've just finally noticed! I rarely ever shopped in a liquor store before, but now I look at it as a treasure hunt. I love to find the 1 lone, dust-covered bottle of some obscure liqueur pushed way in the back and beyond reach. It's like finding gold! In most recipes I've used 1 TBL Liqueur, but taste it and if you think it needs more add 1 tsp at a time.



Last year my husband gave me a bottle of Nocello Walnut Liqueur for Christmas. I sat the bottle in my kitchen, savoring the perfect day to open it. Finally, when that day came, the smell was intoxicating and the taste is beyond description...sort of like buttery walnuts but not quite. I save the Nocello for very special occasions, like my V-day brownies!






Dark Rum -- YUMMY and one of my favorites. If the recipe calls for vanilla try using 1 TBL Dark Rum and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. It is de-licious! Dark Rum is especially good in flans and puddings and in browned-butter frosting...to die for!



Infused Liquor -- I've been looking for Gran Centenario Rosangel, a hibiscus-infused Tequila. Doesn't it sound wonderful! So far no luck in my area but maybe next Christmas I'll put it on my list! Even if this does not work out for a recipe, how refreshing does a Hibiscus Margarita sound! I want one now!








Next on my list is corn syrup...it's in everything!




Fight Back Friday is hosted by Food Renegade. Please visit and see what the other Renegades are up to!



All Rights Reserved 2008-9 © Big Black Dog

Tyler Florence Fridays -- Wild Mushroom with Roasted Fennel and Chestnut Soup

The Wild Mushroom with Roasted Fennel and Chestnut Soup was my choice this week for Tyler Florence Fridays because I was craving mushroom soup, mushrooms were on sale and I decided to give fresh fennel another chance.

This mushroom soup was, by far, the best mushroom soup I've ever tasted. Although I make mushroom soup several times a year, Tyler's recipe with the roasted fennel and chestnuts and the addition of Thyme was outstanding! And I'm entering my soup in the Souper Soup Challenge hosted by Running with Tweezers.

Three lbs of mushrooms was just too big of a recipe for us, so I cut down the recipe. I used 1 lb white mushrooms and 1 lb Baby 'bellas, 8 c. chicken stock and 1 large fennel bulb. I could not not find the whole chestnuts and substituted a small can of Watered Chestnuts and roasted them in the oven with a drizzle of EVOO for about 5-6 minutes, just long enough to caramelize a little. The rest of the ingredients I used as listed.



Wild Mushroom with Roasted Fennel and Chestnut Soup
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

6 small fennel bulbs, stalks removed, halved lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ bunch fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped from the stem
1 pound white button mushrooms, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped
1 pound oyster mushrooms, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped
1 pound chanterelle mushrooms, thoroughly washed and coarsely chopped
1 pound cooked chestnuts
3 quarts chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
Fresh chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish and drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle on a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until completely tender - the roasted fennel is the base of the soup, so it's important the flesh is soft enough to be cut with a spoon. When the fennel is cool, cut into 1" slices and separate. Reserve until ready to serve.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. (I used 1 TBL butter and 2 TBL EVOO)

Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 4 minutes until translucent.

Toss the thyme into the pan, along with the mushrooms and roasted fennel, season with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid.

Add the chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes until they have some nice color on them.

Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to save as a garnish.

Pour stock into the pot and bring to a boil. (Use real stock, not "broth")
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and purée the soup until completely smooth, using a stick mixer or a regular blender. (If you use a blender, purée in batches. The blender should never be more than one-third full -- and hold the top of the blender down with a hand towel.)

Pour the puréed soup back into a pot. Stir in the cream to make the soup even richer, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

To serve: Ladle the soup into soup bowls; garnish each serving with a bit of the reserved mushrooms and chestnuts, add a roasted fennel half, and sprinkle with chopped chives.


All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

Shrimp in Garlic Cream and Green Onions

Over the past few months I've been experimenting with my Shrimp Linguine recipe and I think I've nailed it! My new recipe, Shrimp in Garlic Cream and Green Onions, is so good.....every time I make it, it just gets better and better. And you can make this in about as long as it takes the pasta to boil! Definitely a recipe for my "Call-It-Dinner" category!



Shrimp in Garlic Cream and Green Onions
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

1 lb fettuccine
3 TBL EVOO
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp anchovy paste
3-4 green onions, sliced into 1/8" coins including the tops
6-10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 c. cream
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, finely grated **See Note
1/2 c. parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Option: 1/4 c. dry white wine

In a large kettle, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to pkg directions. I add about 1 TBL EVOO to my pasta water too but that's me!

As soon as you put the pasta water on to boil, heat 3 TBL EVOO in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Gently saute the whole garlic cloves until each clove is just golden brown and easily pieced with a fork. Remove garlic cloves and on a cutting board mash cloves with a fork and mix with anchovy paste. Turn burner off.

As soon your pasta water begins to boil and you've added the pasta, reheat the sauce pan of oil. Return mashed garlic/anchovy paste to the warm EVOO and simmer for a minute. Add basil and green onions, gently stir, making sure the mashed garlic is distributed and simmer for about 1-2 minutes. Add cream, Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Add shrimp and simmer for less then a minute. Toss shrimp and sauce with drained pasta and serve.

NOTE: I like my pasta sauces thin but if you'd like a thicker sauce just add more Parmesan cheese.




I am entering my Shrimp in Garlic Cream and Green Onions in Presto Pasta Nights 100! Congratulations on your 100th event!




All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

Whisk Wednesday -- Snapper with fennel en Papillote

This week for Whisk Wednesdays we made Snapper with fennel en Papillote or Snapper with Fennel baked in Parchment! Baking fish in parchment is very popular in Florida and it's on just about every restaurant menu. I love fish in parchment, it's like getting a little present on your plate.

Living in the Midwest, once again, I was limited to my fish varieties and substituted Sole for the Snapper. Last week I had a huge choice of fish, but this week Sole was the only white-fleshed fish I could find. The Sole fillets were gorgeous and we do love Sole, although I do think the recipe would have been better with Snapper or Grouper.

It was fun making the pipillote which were ridiculously easy and an added bonus is there's little clean up afterwards!



Snapper with fennel en Papillote
Recipe adapted from Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques

2-3/4 lb snapper fillets
2 large bulbs of fennel
4 TBL unsalted butter
16 fresh basil leaves
4 TBL dry white wine

Preparing the fish was so easy. Just cut a heart shape out of parchment, making sure it's big enough to comfortably hold your fish, plus about 1" for crimping. Brush the parchment with melted butter up to about 1" from the edge.

Prepare the fennel by rinsing in cold water. Discard the thick stalks, reserving the leaves and bulbs. With a sharp knife, cut the bulb in half and cut off the root end and discard. Cut the fennel into 1/4" slices. Saute in butter for about 25 minutes or until tender.

Put a layer of fennel on one side of parchment in the shape of your fillet. Rinse off your fillet with cold water and pat dry. Place the fillet on top of the fennel and season with salt and pepper. Arrange 4 fresh basil leaves on top of the fillet. Sprinkle fillet with about a TBL of white wine. Top with the reserved fennel leaves.

Crimp the edges of the parchment. Bake at 425 degrees for 5-8 minutes.


All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

My new favorite Pasta

I had to get my Christmas shopping done early this year and while shopping for some unique foods for my husband's stocking, I stumbled upon a wonderful pasta called Lumaconi. I had just made some stuffed shells the previous week and I remembered all too well how difficult those stinkers are to stuff! And the large shell pasta never seemed to hold enough stuffing to satisfy me.




Lumaca means snail and the pasta is shaped like a snail shell. There's 2 large holes for stuffing, one on each end, so you could easily do a layered stuffing too. After par-boiling the pasta just until barely pliable, it was so easy to stuff. I had no problems with tearing the pasta or self curling like the common large shell pasta. Generally, I use a vintage iced teaspoon for stuffing, the bowl is more slender then a regular teaspoon and it seems to work better and it's always nice working with sterling silver!



The Lumaconi is a large pasta so if you're serving it as a side, I would think that a limit of 3 per person. If you serving it as a main course, not more then 7-8 per person would be plenty.

Stuffed Lumaconi
Recipe developed by Big-Black-Dog

Sauce:
One recipe of my basic Linguine Sauce

Stuffing:
1/2 lb Spinach, cleaned
2 c. ricotta cheese
1/2-3/4 c. parmesan, finely grated
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 TBL dried basil
1/3 c. parmesan, finely grated to sprinkle on top

For the stuffing just mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Make the basic linguine sauce as per my directions. Simmer for 20-25 minutes.

While the sauce in simmering, in a large bowl combine all the ingredients for the stuffing.

Fill a large pot with water, add some salt and about a TBL of EVOO. Bring to a boil. Turn burner to medium high and add Lumaconi Pasta. Cook Lumaconi until it is just barely pliable and immediately drain.

When the Lumaconi is cool enough to touch you can start adding the ricotta stuffing mix. Generally, I use a vintage teaspoon to stuff my pasta or an infant spoon works very well too.

Pour the red sauce into a baking dish so there's about 3/4" of sauce in the bottom. As you stuff the pasta, place each one, hole side up, in the baking dish nestling each one in the sauce. When the dish is full, ladle the rest of the red sauce over the pasta, sprinkle the reminder of the grated parmesan. Bake at 350 degree oven until bubbly hot.




I am entering my Stuffed Lumaconi in the Original Recipe Roundup hosted by Culinary.





All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog

A Very belated Thank you(s)!

As most of you know, we started a huge construction project June 22, 2006. By HUGE I mean every single room in our home was gutted, plus we added a 2-story addition w/extra deep basement and even tore off the entire roof to change the pitch. And not only the interior was completely renovated, we also tore off all the exterior brick, stone and siding. Added an old-fashioned wrap-around porch, new doors and windows including 3 bays, 5 gables, new exterior room and miscellaneous trim and do-dads! WHEW...just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

During the last 6 months of our project and knowing I could not face another winter under construction, I buckled down on all my subcontractor's to "get the job done" so we could move back into our home! Consequently beginning in August my blog bogged down to 1-2 posts a month. Thankfully we officially finished the house in the middle of Nov 2008. I am still busy opening boxes and hanging pictures but I am back to blogging and I did miss it so much!!

I received some awards during my boggy period and feel guilty that my friends offered me awards and I never publicly thanked them. So sorry........





First a BBF (Blogging Friends Forever) from Teresa who taught me just a "little" bit about chocolate. Please visit Teresa's blogs Mexican American Border Cooking and Mexican Chocolate Lore and More.





Next is a Brilliante Weblog Award from sweet Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. Natashya not only maintains an excellent blog of her own but co-founded Tyler Florence Fridays, a wonderful free-wheeling weekly event complete with a Friday Blog Roll.


Thank you both so much and again my apologies for being so tardy!!


I am passing on the BBF Award to 3 of my blogging buddies.

Lucy of Sweets, Savories, Etc.. Lucy is my very good friend and cooking buddy. What would I do without you!

Kayte of Grandmas Kitchen Table. What a sweetie and we share a love of history and sports too!

Katie of KatieCakes. Katie lives in England and bakes...oh the cupcakes..oh the bundt cakes..oh the cookies! A girl after my own heart or sweet tooth!


The Brilliante Weblog Award goes to:

Lisa of My Own Sweet Thyme. Don't miss Lisa's blog! Her photography and fabulous memory-filled posts are so heartwarming. I love reading Lisa's blog.

Melissa of From Laptop to Stovetop. Melissa is a sister Whisker and is so enthusiastic, she definitely gets me up for our Weekly Whisk Wednesdays lesson!

Maggie of Dog Hill Kitchen. Maggie is now a fellow-constructionite and since my memories are all too fresh, I can totally sympathize with her. But her new kitchen looks great so far!

Tyler Florence Fridays -- Fish and Chips

When I found Tyler's recipe for Fish and Chips, I knew it was going to be my first recipe for Tyler Florence Fridays! And it did not hurt when I found some gorgeous Cod on sale either! I love Cod and it's such an over looked and unappreciated fish. The fish is such a gorgeous white and so flaky and you can do just about anything with Cod and it's always good...poach, saute, deep fry, bake, sauce, it does not matter Cod can handle just about anything and it always shines through.

Needless to say Tyler's Fish and Chips was delicious and I loved every bite. Mr. Tastebuds said "I did not think I liked Cod, but this was pretty good. Can I have another piece?" I guess I forgot that he did not like Cod, but he sure likes it now!

Using seltzer water and rice flour gave the breading the most amazing crispy texture and after frying the breading had a nice crunch and not oily at all. I can't wait to try it with shrimp and I've been thinking about making frog legs lately too. WOW...the batter is the best! Also I did not fry the chips per the recipe but made Oven Fries instead.



Fish and Chips
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Vegetable oil, for deep frying
3 large russet potatoes
2 cups rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning **See Note
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 (12-ounce) can soda water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 (8-ounce) cod or haddock fillets, cut in 1/2 on an angle
1/2 cup rice flour, for dredging
Malt vinegar, for serving

Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees F. Alternatively, use a deep heavy skillet.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chips (that is, fries) about the size of your index finger. Put the potatoes in a fryer basket and lower into the oil. Fry the chips for 2 to 3 minutes; they should not be crisp or fully cooked at this point. Remove the chips to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.

Crank the oil temperature up to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Combine soda water and egg and pour into the flour mixture. Whisk to a smooth batter. Spread the rice flour on a plate. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off.

Put the chips in the bottom of the fryer basket and carefully submerge in the hot oil. Carefully lower the battered fish into the bubbling oil on top of the chips. Fry the fish and chips for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy and brown. Remove the basket and drain the fish and chips on paper towels; season lightly with salt. Serve wrapped in a newspaper cone with malt vinegar and/or tartar sauce.

NOTE: This recipe makes quite a bit of batter for the fish. Next time I will cut the batter recipe in half and I'm sure I will still have more then enough!

**NOTE: 2 tsp of salt is plenty.





All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog