Friday, January 8, 2010

Happy Christmas!

We had a Victorian feast at the K-D household this Christmas! As usual, we had an abundance of food and leftovers.
1st course

Fresh Blue Point Oysters
Lobster Bisque
2nd course
Roasted Goose with Chestnut Sage Stuffing
Winter Vegetable Ragout
Potatoes a la Maitre d'Hotel
3rd course
Assorted Cheeses and Breads
Mixed Nuts
4th course
Buch de Noel

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Guinness Cake


Here is a recipe to start off our St. Patrick's Day preparations:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs - beaten
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 pinch salt
2/3 cup raisins - soaked in Guinness
1 1/3 cup golden raisins - soaked in Guinness
1/4 cup dried cherries - soaked in Guinness
8+ fluid ounces of Guinness - you need a little more to soak the dried fruit.

- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a deep 8 inch cake pan
- Cream the butter and the sugar until the sugar dissolves; beat in the eggs.
- Mix in the flour, salt, apple pie spice and the soaked dried fruit.Stir in the Guinness.
- Pour batter into the pan and bake for approximately 2 hours until firm in the center.

Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie

- From Cook's Illustrated Nov & Dec 2008 issue -

Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
5 large eggs (3 entire eggs plus 2 yolks)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

- Whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl.

- Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

- Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl, using back of ladle or spoon to press solids through strainer (This is a very important step -- do not skip it. It does take time).

- Rewhisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven (400 degrees) and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set, 20 to 30 minutes longer (instant thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees). Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Barack Rolled

So this isn't really a recipe, but edible Obama deserves a link. Stay patriotic, y'all!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

And right back at ya!

I saw one of those photos today on this site

Funny how quickly people come to recognize my love of delicious things wrapped in other delicious things . . . 


This one's for Tiernan and Chris

So I saw this link and was kinda shocked. Guess I shouldn't be. People are always trying to extend metaphor past its logical extremes. Anyway...

http://nycfoodguy.com/2008/11/27/nyc-food-guy-says-happy-thanksgiving-eat-turbaconducken/

Friday, January 30, 2009

Two Trail Mixes/One Tea Recipe in support of energy and vitality for all ages

1 Cup dried unsweetened cherries (like the ones from our tree)
1 Cup almonds soaked and salted (I believe that is soaked in water with 1/4 TBS salt for approx. 7 hours, then cookie sheet
them and put in oven at 150*/170* for 12 to 24 hours)
1 Cup Brazil nuts cut in half
1 Cup 70+ percent dark chocolate chips
1/2 Cup Goji Berries
1 Cup dried pears cut small
1/2 Cup golden raisins

or,


1 1/2 Cups raw cashews lightly roasted
1 Cup raw or crispy macadamian nuts (they can be made crispy by treating as almonds above)
1/2 Cup dried papaya cut small
1 Cup dried mango cut small
1 Cup dried pineapple cubed
1 Cup dried coconut flakes


Soothing Sensations Tea

2 Tablespoons dried orange peel
2 Tablespoons rosehips
1 Cup dried lemon balm (also known as Melissa)
Honey to sweeten

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Place herbs in the bottom of a glass quart jar and pour the boiling water over them. Let sit 1 -2 hours. Strain. May be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat or serve at room temperature, add sweetener if you like.