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Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

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Yield: 4 Servings

Martha Stewart

December 2016: I tried this recipe for a slightly simpler mousse. It came out quite nice and may be a little thicker than the first one. Because bittersweet chocolate is high in pure chocolate (at least 35 percent cocoa solids), it’s best used when a deep chocolate flavor is called for. It’s also a great eating chocolate. Semisweet chocolate, which has more sugar and fewer cocoa solids than bittersweet, can often be substituted in recipes without significantly affecting the flavor or texture.

  • 4large egg yolks
  • 4TBS sugar
  • 2cups heavy cream
  • 8oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
  • 1tsp vanilla extract


In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, 2 TBS sugar, and ¾ cup heavy cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until mixture coats back of spoon, 3 to 4 minutes (do not boil and do not go over 180°F). Remove from heat; whisk in melted chocolate and vanilla. Strain into a bowl; chill until cool.

With an electric mixer, beat remaining 1¼ cups heavy cream with remaining 2 TBS sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir ⅓ of whipped cream into cooled custard mixture, then gently fold in the rest with a rubber spatula.

Spoon into serving dishes; chill, covered, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Linzer Torte

Linzer Torte

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Yield: 8 servings

Recipe from Jacques Pepin

Circa 1988: I got this recipe at a cooking class I took with Jacques Pepin at “That Kitchen Place” in Amherst, NH. I’ve made it a few times and love the way it tastes.

Dough:

  • 1¾cups flour
  • 1cup ground almonds
  • ¼cup granulated sugar
  • 2sticks (8 oz) sweet butter, softened
  • 3egg yolks
  • ¼tsp powdered cinnamon
  • ½tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ¼tsp mace powder

Filling:

  • 1½lb fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries
  • -or-
  • 112 oz jar quality raspberry preserves
  • 1TBS raspberry brandy
  • powdered sugar


For the dough:
Combine the flour and ground almonds on a work table and make a well. In the center, place the butter, cut in pieces, and the remaining ingredients. Start mixing with your fingertips. Gather the ingredients together. With the palm of your hand, smear the dough away from you, a piece at a time, in the technique called “fraser.” Gather the dough and repeat once more.

The dough will be very soft. Use a dough scraper to place it on a piece of waxed paper.

Set a 10-to-12-inch flan ring on a cookie sheet. Place about ¾ of the dough in the bottom of the ring and spread it out, using a piece of parchment or waxed paper to help spread. It should be about ¼-inch thick all over the bottom.

Roll some dough into strips and press inside to form the edges. Use the waxed paper again to thin the sides to about ¼ inch thick. Trim the excess dough.

If using fresh or frozen berries, puree and strain the berries. Place in a saucepan and cook down to thicken and intensify the taste to approximately ½ cup of puree. If using raspberry preserves, strain the preserves. Combine the puree or preserves with the raspberry brandy and spread the mixture on the bottom of the dough.

Roll leftover dough into thin cylinders. Flatten the cylinders into strips and arrange on top of the jam lattice-fashion–about four strips in each direction.

Fold the edges of the torte in toward the middle of the torte, on top of the jam and strips. Flatten gently with your fingertips. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 35 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Let rest at least 10 minutes, then remove the ring. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and clean the crumbs of dough from around the bottom edge.

Slide the Linzer torte onto a serving platter. Be careful as it is delicate and brittle. Serve in wedges at room temperature.

Hermit Bars

Hermit Bars

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Yield: about 30 1-inch bars
Source lost

2012: I remembered my mom making these and dug around and found a recipe. Sorry, but I lost the source. They’re good though…

For the story on the origin of Hermit Cookies see Bon Appetit’s hermit-cookie-reclusive-recipe. Not the same recipe as appears here as it doesn’t contain molasses.

  • 2cups plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour
  • 2tsp baking soda
  • 2tsp ground ginger
  • 1¾tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1¾tsp ground cloves
  • ¼tsp salt
  • ½cup (1 stick) plus 1 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1cup loosely packed light-brown sugar
  • 1large egg, room temperature
  • ¼cup un-sulfured molasses
  • ¾cup raisins


Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat, set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl once. Add molasses; beat until combined, and scrape down sides of bowl. Add the flour mixture and raisins; beat on low until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. The dough will still be very sticky. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator to chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Remove dough from refrigerator, and turn out onto a clean work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a 12-inch log about 1½ inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheet, at least 3 inches apart.

Place in oven on the center rack.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes (High Altitude: 12 to 15 minutes) or until the edges are just barely crisp.

The logs will flatten out and lengthen as they bake and get slightly puffy in the center. Set baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice logs into 1- to 2-inch-wide bars. Hermit bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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Kentucky Butter Cake

Kentucky Butter Cake

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Yield: 8 to 12 slices

Recipe from Pillsbury Kitchens’ Family Cookbook

Must be a family favorite. I’ve made this over 50 times. Carefully wrapped in cling film, then placed back in the pan and wrapped again, they have made numerous FedEx trips to college.

Cake

  • 3cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2cups white sugar
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • ½tsp baking soda
  • 1cup buttermilk or water if using buttermilk powder
  • 1cup softened butter
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 4eggs

Butter Sauce

  • 1cup white sugar
  • ½cup butter
  • 3TBS water
  • 2tsp vanilla extract


HIGH ALTITUDE – Above 3,500 feet: Decrease sugar in cake to 1¾ cups increase buttermilk to 1 cup plus 2 TBS. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes.

Note: I have made this with store bought buttermilk, regular milk with 1 TBS of white vinegar added, and Saco buttermilk powder. I prefer the Saco, but all choices work. For Saco, add 1/4 cup Saco buttermilk powder to dry ingredients and 1 cup water to wet ingredients.

Preheat oven to 325°F. (High Altitude 350°F)

Mix:

Generously grease (with shortening or butter, NOT cooking spray) and lightly flour a 10 inch fluted Bundt pan. Don’t skimp on this or the cake will stick to even the best non-stick pan!

In a stand mixer bowl, mix the dry ingredients on low speed for a few seconds to blend.

Add in the wet ingredients. Beat on slow until mixed then beat for 3 minutes at medium speed. Taste the batter! I found out that I had skipped the sugar one time by tasting before it was too late.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 – 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

To Make Butter Sauce:

In a saucepan combine the remaining sugar, butter, and water; heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp vanilla.

While cake is still hot and in the pan, prick deeply at one-inch intervals with a long-tined fork. Slowly pour ¾ cup sauce over cake so that it drains into holes. Cool upright in pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Brush with remaining sauce to glaze. Let cool completely before covering.

You may let stand overnight, as this cake is even better with age. To send it to a college student or other cake-deprived individual, wrap the glazed and cooled cake with plastic wrap, return it to the Bundt pan, and wrap with more plastic wrap to keep the cake from falling out of the pan. Cushion all around with packing foam in a sturdy mailing box.

Blueberry Cornmeal Loaf Cake

Blueberry Cornmeal Loaf Cake

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Yield: 8 to 10 Servings
Adapted from Karyl Bannister

Circa 2000:  I just love this recipe. I first found it in Eating Well magazine out of Vermont. I later found that this dense lemony loaf with a slightly crunchy texture comes from Karyl Bannister, author of Maine’s Cook & Tell newsletter. It is also in Richard Sax’s book Classic Home Desserts and the CKBK web site.

I’ve made this many times. It is great plain with butter or toasted with a schmear of cream cheese.

  • ⅔-1cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
  • 1½cup all-purpose white flour (HA: 1¼ cup plus 2 TBS)
  • ⅓cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
  • 1½tsp baking powder
  • ½tsp salt
  • ½cup plus 1 TBS, plain nonfat yogurt (HA: ⅔ cup)
  • 1TBS fresh lemon juice
  • ¾cup, sugar (HA: ⅔ cup)
  • 4TBS, vegetable oil plus more for preparing pan
  • 1tsp grated lemon zest
  • 1large egg plus 1 egg white
  • ¼tsp ground cinnamon
  • sanding sugar


HIGH ALTITUDE – Above 3,500 feet: Decrease sugar to ⅔ cup, increase yogurt to ⅔ cup. Bake at 375°F for 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in center of oven. Lightly oil an 8×4-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Toss blueberries with 1 TBS flour and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together remaining flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

In another small bowl, combine yogurt and lemon juice.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together ⅔ cup sugar, oil and lemon zest. Beat in whole egg, then egg white, beating well after each addition.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and the yogurt mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tsp sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter.

Bake for 25 minutes. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and continue to bake until cake is golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 35 minutes longer.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Cover again with the foil and turn out onto rack. The foil will keep the sugar topping from being all over the counter. Cool completely.

For best flavor, wrap the cake in the pan and store overnight before cutting. Remove from pan and slice to desire thickness.

Spread slices with a little cream cheese for a nice addition.

Beef with Broccoli

Beef with Broccoli

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Yield: 2 Servings
adapted from Sue & Gambo

This is a simple recipe, but you need to remember one key rule – Don’t overcook the beef or the broccoli! The Oyster Sauce is a traditional flavoring and is skipped in many recipes.
I’ve made this with a variety of steak cuts. Flank and sirloin have good flavor but are rather tough. If you want it better than takeout, use strip or tenderloin.

Beef:

  • 8oz of sliced beef

Tenderize: (optional)

  • ¼tsp baking soda
  • 3TBS water

Marinade:

  • 1egg white
  • 1pinch white pepper
  • ¼tsp salt
  • 1-2½TBS of corn starch
  • 1TBS of oil

Broccoli:

  • 1lb broccoli
  • boiling water

Slurry:

  • 1TBS of corn starch
  • 2TBS of water

Premix sauce:

  • 1cup of chicken or beef broth
  • 2TBS of oyster sauce (optional)
  • ½tsp sugar
  • 1pinch white pepper
  • 1tsp sesame seed oil (optional)
  • 1tsp of dark soy sauce

Stir-fry:

  • 1TBS of oil
  • 1tsp minced garlic


Beef:

Note: Tenderize the beef with a Jaccard before slicing. (optional)

Slice the beef with the blade tilted 45 degrees to get a thin cut through the grain.

Tenderize: (optional)

Mix 1/4 tsp baking soda and 3 TBS water in a small bowl. Add beef, mix well and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Marinate:

In a bowl, add the beef, egg white, white pepper, salt, Mix well. Add 1 to 2 TBS of corn starch and mix well. Add 1 TBS of oil and mix again. Set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.

Premix sauce:
In a small bowl add 1 cup of broth, oyster sauce, sugar, pinch of white pepper, sesame seed oil (optional), dark soy sauce. Mix well and set aside.

Make slurry:

Whisk 1 TBS of cornstarch and 2 TBS of water in a bowl. Set aside.

Boiling the broccoli

In a 6 qt pot add 1/2 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover and steam for 2 to 3 minutes. After your broccoli is done boiling strain and cool with cold water.

Cooking the beef

In a wok add 2 TBS oil, the beef and cook on high heat until the beef is brown. Set the beef aside.

Stir-fry
Add 1 TBS of oil, minced garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add beef, broccoli and stir-fry for 30 to 60 seconds. Add the premix sauce and bring to a boil. To thicken the sauce, slowly add slurry to your stir-fry until it’s the desired thickness.

Chow Mein

Chow Mein

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New England Style

Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from Tom Lin and David Rosengarten

13-Jun-15: It took quite a search to come up with this recipe. This is chow mein the way I remember it from New England. Colorado and Southern California don’t often offer it this way. Here it almost always has soft noodles cooked into it.  Mein, meaning noodle, is probably a good indication of this being more traditional.  My better version uses hard noodles, a cracker like, stick chow mein noodle from the supermarket.  I think these are the same noodle, but deep fried.  You’re more likely to get strips of fried wonton skins if you order Chow Mein in SoCal restaurants.  Soy sauce is also not included, which makes this a white sauce.

Mise, Mise, Mise, get your mise together! This means me! This happens so fast, that you must get everything prepped and measured before cooking starts.

Chicken & Marinade

  • ½lb boneless, skinless chicken meat, cut into pieces about ½″ wide
  • 1pinch salt
  • 2pinches white pepper
  • 2tsp sesame seed oil
  • 1egg white
  • 2TBS corn starch
  • 1TBS cooking oil

Vegetables

  • 1-2TBS cooking oil
  • 1tsp minced garlic
  • 1tsp minced shallot
  • 1tsp Shaoxing cooking wine
  • 2cups celery thinly sliced on the diagonal (about ⅛″ thick)
  • 2cups thinly sliced onions (about ⅛″ thick)
  • 1tsp sugar
  • 2firmly packed cups shredded Napa cabbage (about ½ of cabbage) (pieces about ½″ wide)
  • 1½cups fresh mung bean sprouts

Sauce

  • ¾tsp salt
  • black pepper
  • 1tsp sesame oil
  • 1cup chicken stock

Slurry

  • 1TBS (approximate) cornstarch
  • 2TBS water

Serve

  • 1cup chow mein noodles (crispy room-temperature ones) or fried wonton skin strips


Marinate chicken:
In a bowl, add the chicken, a pinch of salt, a pinch of white pepper, 1 tsp sesame oil, egg white and mix to coat. Add cornstarch and mix. Add 1 TBS of cooking oil and mix.

Slurry:
Mix 1 TBS corn starch with 2 TBS water and set aside.

Stir Fry:
Place a very large wok over high heat, and let it sit for a minute. Add 1 to 2 TBS cooking oil, spilling it around the sides of the wok. Heat until it’s smoking,

Add, garlic and shallot, stir fry 30 seconds.

Toss in the celery and the onions. Sprinkle ½ tsp of the sugar and Shaoxing cooking wine over them and stir well. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then push the celery-onion mixture to the side of the wok, leaving the center empty.

If the wok is dry, add a little more cooking oil. Add the chicken to the center of the wok and stir-fry until the chicken browns slightly and loses its pink color (about 2-3 minutes). Toss with celery and onions, bringing the mass into the center of the wok.

Add the Napa cabbage and bean sprouts to the wok, tossing with the other ingredients already in the wok. Add the remaining ½ tsp of sugar and toss again. Turn heat down to medium-high, and let mixture cook for 5 minutes; the vegetables should start losing their distinctness and merge together.

Add the stock and sesame oil and toss. When the stock is boiling, add most of the slurry to the wok, stirring immediately. If you’d like the chow mein to be a little thicker, add more slurry. Remove chow mein from heat. Serve

Baked Stuffed Green Peppers

Baked Stuffed Green Peppers

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Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Source Lost

Circa 2007:  I’ve lost track of where I found this recipe. It’s probably based on an Emeril Lagasse recipe.  Don’t discard the tops of the peppers when you remove them.  Instead, cut out the stem and mince the tops to add to the stuffing.

Much better than Costco version!

  • 4-6green bell peppers, tops cut away and seeds removed.
  • ½cup finely chopped green bell pepper tops
  • 2TBS vegetable oil
  • 1cup finely chopped yellow onions
  • ½lb ground beef
  • ½lb ground pork or mild sausage
  • 1TBS minced garlic
  • ¼cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • ¾tsp salt
  • ½tsp ground black pepper
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2cups cooked long or medium-grain white rice
  • 8oz tomato sauce
  • water

Optional

  • bread crumbs, regular or panko


Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Check to make sure your seeded peppers stand up good.  If not, trim a very thin slice off of the bottom to give them some stability.  Try not to cut through the bottom leaving a hole.

In a large pot of boiling water, parboil the peppers until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Peppers can also be steamed upside down for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels.

In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, pork, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the meat is browned, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon to break up the lumps, about 6 minutes. Add the rice and tomato sauce and stir well. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8-inch deep. Stuff the bell peppers with the rice mixture and place in the baking dish.

Optional: Top with breadcrumbs and/or cheese.

Bake until the peppers are very tender and the filling is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken, Sausage, Peppers, and Potatoes

Chicken, Sausage, Peppers, and Potatoes

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Yield: 6 Servings
Adapted from FoodWishes
  • 4large Italian sausage links (Hot is best, but a mix of hot and mild, if needed)
  • 1TBS olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 6-8bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2large handfuls, seeded and cut sweet peppers
  • 1sliced small red onion
  • ½sliced yellow onion
  • 4large Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
  • 2generous tsp dried Italian Seasoning or Herbs de Provence
  • fresh Italian parsley to garnish, optional

Par-cook sausage:
In a large skillet, partially cook the sausage in a TBS of oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes per side. When you flip to the second side, poke the sausage with a knife to release oil and juices.

Remove from heat and cool til able to handle. Cut sausage into 1-2 inch chunks. I use a mix of hot and mild, and cut the hot diagonally and the mild straight.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Trim up the chicken and make two deep slashes through the skin, down to the bone.

Put peppers in large mixing bowl, add the sliced onion and the quartered potatoes. Add chicken, sausages and all juices and fat. Season with salt, pepper and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and mix everything well.

Pour into a large roasting pan and arrange to space thighs with the skin side up. Get potatoes exposed to the heat. Drizzle with more olive oil and season with salt.

Cook in the center rack of the oven for 1 hour. Check for doneness, the thighs should be at least 185°F.

Dad’s French Toast

Dad’s French Toast

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Yield: 2 Servings
Scott Nowell

This combination started many a weekend morning.

  • 4slices bread
  • 2eggs
  • 2TBS milk
  • ½tsp sugar
  • pinch cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • extra sugar
  • 1TBS butter

Heat large frying pan over medium high heat.

Beat eggs in flat bowl. Add milk, ½ tsp sugar, cinnamon, salt and beat some more.

Add butter to pan. Spread around as it melts.

Dip slice of bread in mixture, turn to coat well on both sides. When butter stops sizzling, add coated bread to pan. Dip additional slices to fill pan.

Cook on first side until nicely browned. 3-6 minutes. Turn toast over. Sprinkle with sugar. When second side is brown, turn and sprinkle this side with sugar. Cook for 1 minute, turn and cook for additional minute. This caramelizes the sugar.

Remove to warm plate, butter and syrup to suit. If making a doubled (or more) batch for a bunch of people, I prefer to put a little butter on each piece as it comes off the stove. Stack on warm plate and serve with sausages.

Baked Sausages

  • 1lb Breakfast sausage links (fresh, not that frozen junk)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment. Separate sausage links and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Turn sausages over. Bake for additional 8-10 minutes.

Bacon (Baked)

  • 1lb bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment and place bacon strips side by side. Some overlap is ok, there is a fair amount of shrinkage.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes to desired crispness.

Remove from oven and set pan on a safe surface and place a small heatproof dish under one side to tilt the pan. This will help the fat drain to the other edge.

If serving right away, remove to paper towel lined plate and blot fat from top of slices.

To freeze, cool completely and store in freezer bag with parchment or wax paper between layers.