creme brulee

here's the creme brulee with the sugar on top of it before torching
here is the sugar being heated
the finished product!

my dear friend emma came to visit last night. it's a treat when emma comes over because she lives in new york city and we don't get to see each other very often. we did a lot of eating out while she was here, but andy made sure to make at least one homemade delight for her. since we received our new creme brulee torch, it only seemed appropriate that we share andy's rendition of creme brulee with emma. andy took the traditional recipe and tweaked it a bit. we were out of vanilla due to all of our holiday baking, so in lieu of vanilla, he used honey. he also added a dash of pumpkin pie spice to the cream to give it a little bit of an earthy, spicy aftertaste. let me tell you, it.was.amazing! here's the recipe:

ingredients:

one cup cream

2 tbs sugar

2 egg yolks

tbs honey (or vanilla extract)

tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)

1. preheat oven to 350

2. boil a few cups of water

3. heat cream on medium with the sugar and pumpkin pie spice until it bubbles slightly. in a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and the honey together until smooth. slowly whisk in the cream until combined. pour the mixture into ramekins.

4. fill a baking dish with the boiling water and place the ramekins in the baking dish. bake in the over for 25 minutes. Refrigerate for a few hours.

5. pour sugar on the top of the ramekins and torch!

a quick and easy dinner

christmas is over and we’re back home and very exhausted! every year we get kitchen items as gifts. this year was different. i specifically told both sets of parents, as well as andy, that NO KITCHEN gifts were allowed. it’s not that i don’t want more toys for the kitchen, it’s that we have simply run out of space. we literally have to close cabinets with our hips, place things precariously on top of each other, and basically make sure that there are always dishes in the dishwasher otherwise we’d really be in trouble. our families stuck to my plea (for the most part). in christmases past we’ve received beautiful staub and le creuset pots that seem too shiny and colorful to ever get dirty. we’ve gotten copper-wear, all-clad pans, and shun knives. We have every kitchen-aid utensil you can think of and when andy builds me a house with an enormous kitchen, i’ll ask for more of these things again someday. this year, we received one kitchen item: a strikingly sleek crème brulee blow torch (thanks, mom!). i also got a cookbook solely dedicated to pies (recipes to come. Again, thanks, mom!). oh yeah, we also got a pasta-maker. ugh, i guess no one really listened to my request.

i had all intentions of making crème brulee today, however our lazy day-after-christmas didn’t quite go as planned. our precious baby (dog) millie had to take an unexpected visit to the vet today and we didn’t get home until late. neither of us felt like making homemade pasta or crème brulee, so andy made french onion soup, courtesy of his dad, chris. chris loves to cook and he sent andy home with all of the fixings and the recipe for this delightful soup. it’s a great way to end a long day. andy also made a few of my favorite snacks: white bean dip and sautéed mushrooms. these recipes are super easy and quick!

french onion soup:

1. sautee two chopped onions with 1 tbs of butter and one tbs of olive oil. cook until caramelized (andy added about one tbs of honey with this mixture)

2. bake bread (we used a french loaf) and leave it out until the slices get hard (we obviously didn't do this part)

3. add 1 can of onion soup broth to the caramelized onions, three cans of water, and 4 bouillon cubes. let simmer for about 30 min.

4. broil with bread topped with shredded swiss and mozzarella in croc for about 3 minutes or until brown. Let sit for two minutes. (WE USED OUR TORCH INSTEAD OF THE BROILER! YIPPIE!)

white bean dip:

1. drain one can of cannellini beans

2. add beans and one clove of chopped garlic, salt, and pepper to a food processor. process on high while slowly adding oil (we used homemade porcini oil, but any olive oil will work). process until smooth.

sauteed mushrooms:

1. chop baby-bella mushrooms and salt and pepper them

2. add to a hot, oiled frying pan

3. half way through cooking, add 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar. put a lid on the pan and cook the mushrooms the rest of the way.

4. to finish, take the lid off of the pan and let the moisture evaporate. serve hot

the soup is super easy and there’s actually very little cooking involved. the dip is so yummy and it will keep for at least a week. now all I have to do is get through the night with my dog who is wearing a cone around her head and is running into everything, including the christmas tree. good food, andy, and millie…i wouldn’t want to spend the day-after-christmas any other way.

here is millie with and sans cone for your viewing pleasure...

we don't cry over spilled milk in this house

the tres leches (sweetened condensed, evaporated, and heavy cream)
half of the cakes!

today I made four tres leches cakes for alicia’s wedding tomorrow. the recipe, courtesy of marcela valladolid from the food network, called for one cake, so we had to quadruple the recipe. good thing andy was in the kitchen with me while I was attempting to multiply every ingredient by four. he was the one who pointed out that there was no way that my mixer would hold the batter of four cakes, and he was so right. luckily, the only thing we had done was separate (16) eggs. nothing had been combined yet, so we were still in the clear. so, instead of quadrupling everything, we doubled the recipe and made two cakes twice. needless to say, it was a long day in the kitchen, but it was well worth it. i would do anything for my dear friends jake and alicia and baking four cakes is the least I can do for their wedding day.

here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
• Nonstick cooking spray, for the cake pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the cake pan
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 3 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and flour a 10-inch cake pan with 2-inch high sides and then line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
Mix the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until frothy. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the whole milk in 2 additions.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cake slightly, about 10 minutes, then invert onto a platter with 1-inch high sides.

Pierce the top of the cake all over with a thick skewer. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, 1 cup heavy cream and orange liqueur in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the cake while warm. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours or overnight.

Combine the remaining 1 cup heavy cream and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream onto top of the cake and sprinkle with the ground cinnamon.

two celebrations!

i'm a pretty lucky lady. tonight i got to celebrate christmas with andy. we always open presents before christmas so we don't have to lug each other's gifts home to our parents' houses (i say that like it would be really difficult, i think the real reason we do it is because we're impatient and want to tear into those gifts that have been staring us down for almost a whole month). anyway, i got some some really fabulous gifts but i also gave some (if i may say so myself). one of andy's gift is an almost 2,000 page book entitled the professional chef. it's published by the culinary institute of america and it is intense! the pictures are beautiful and it's chock-full of recipes as well as anything you'd want to know about food. from shellfish to corn to cuts of beef to how to sharpen a knife...this book has it all. i know andy will put it to good use and i'm excited to share all of the fabulous dishes that come from this gem!

my second celebration actually won't come until friday. my best friend, alicia, is marrying her best friend, jake. alicia and jake live only a few blocks away from me and, next to andy, they comprise my fredericksburg family. i could go on for hours about why alicia is my best friend, but i'll spare everyone the sappy details. in short, alicia is loyal, honest, funny, and so loving. i truly don't know what i would do without her in my life, and i thank the universe for allowing us to cross paths in college because it's led to the best friendship i've ever had.
....sooo, long (sentimental) story short, andy and i will be making the cakes for her wedding tomorrow. two double layer tres leches cakes! andy is also making dinner for alicia and me. short ribs and ox tails in gravy over roasted potatoes. deeeelicious! check in tomorrow to see how it all turns out. and, much more importantly than the cakes and meats, CONGRATULATION to jake and alicia!

grilled kielbasa risotto made with homemade pork broth

The day before:
(if you're making homemade pork stock)

Yesterday, Andy bought pork bones from the local butcher to make a pork stock. He roasted the bones in a pot in the oven at 450 for one hour. After an hour, he put onions, carrots, salt and pepper on top of the bones and put them back in the oven for thirty more minutes. While the bones were roasting, he made a sachet of herbs (oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and pickling spice). He then took the bones out of the oven and deglazed the pot with red wine. Next, he filled the pot to the top with water. Finally, he added the sachet to the pot and put it on the stove on high. The water is brought to a boil and once boiling is reduced to a simmer. Let the pot simmer for 2 1/2-3 hours. Refrigerate over night. In the morning scrape the fat off before using.
The day of:

-preheat oven to 350

Bring stock to a simmer in small saucepan.
Put the desired amount of risotto (we used about a half of a cup for the two of us- it really expands while it cooks) into a pan on medium-high heat.
Cook it for a few minutes (andy says you do this to “break” the jacket of the risotto so that when you add the stock it will absorb it better…who knew!?).

Meanwhile, poke holes in the kielbasa casing (so that when the meat cooks it doesn’t burst).
Put it in a frying pan on medium heat. Brown it on all sides.
Once it’s browned stick it in the oven until cooked (165 degrees for those of you who get nervous about that sort of thing)

Add about a quarter of a cup of wine to the risotto until absorbed.
Add about a cup of the warm broth to the risotto and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this two more times (or more) until the risotto is cooked through. Of course, you can use store bought broth for those of you who are like me and don’t make your own stock.
To finish it off add a quarter of a cup of parmesan cheese, a tablespoon of butter, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cut up the kielbasa and serve it on top. YUM!

tonight for dinner we're having grilled kielbasa over risotto. before i can add the recipe i have to share these sweet bird salt and pepper shakers that my dear friends emily and stefan rohal got me for christmas. i have to add that they also got us about a years worth of food from omaha steaks so be sure to stay tuned for all of the yummy dishes andy makes with all of the great food from the rohal family. emily has been my great friend for five years now. we teach together and she is wonderful. she always gets the most thoughtful gifts and these really take the cake! thanks, stefan, em, and sweet baby kaitlyn

a holiday twist on the kiss cookie

today i baked 6 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange at work. i saw this recipe on the hershey website and loved how festive the cookies looked. here's the ingredients and the recipe:

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies.

2 Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

the cookies turned out super cute and they were incredibly easy to make. i doubled the recipe and wound up with about 75 cookies (minus the few i ate...oops!). my whole house smells like peppermint and the cookies look and taste great. Stay tuned for more holiday recipes!