Cake Decorating 101

Marie asked me to decorate a cake for Nick's and Gino's graduation gala today.  I have to admit that I am really hesitant to decorate cakes because it's been so long since I actually did them.  Years.  And Years.

But...  since we didn't have to do anything else, I said okay.

I got myself nice and organized, and even went to Bon Appetit for an icing recipe.  I just wing it when making icings - I make those regularly - but I wanted this to be a bit special.  I found one that was cream cheese, butter, melted chocolate...  looked nice and rich.  Onward, I went.

I was organized.  I had all my ingredients right where I needed them.

Everything was perfectly creamed, I added the chocolate, then the powdered sugar and vanilla - exactly as the recipe stated and...

WTF?!?  A greasy, slimy, disgusting bowl of not what I was expecting! I threw it all away and just made an icing from memory.  I was bummed.

It's a big cake with nice, thick layers, so I decided to split them and coat the split layers with raspberry jam.  I heated the jam, strained out all the seeds, and just lightly brushed it on.  Accent flavor.

Second batch of icing was perfect.  Naturally.

Ta-Da! All put together...

And then, the part I was dreading - the actual decorating part...

Ya know... the Food Channel is not going to be busting down the door any time soon, but it will work for today.

I really, really need to practice more, but I know I'm not going to any time soon.

Oh well.  I bet it's gonna taste really good - and that's the important part!

by Tim Dineen

Noodles and Red Sauce

There's a raging debate over whether spaghetti sauce should be called "sauce" or "gravy".  When I was a kid, we had spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli, and lasagne noodles.  Spaghetti, ravioli, and lasagne got spaghetti sauce on them ("pasta" hadn't been invented, yet) and macaroni was for salad.

I move east and all of a sudden "GRAVY" is supposed to be the proper word to use for that lovely red sauce.  That, and there are now a bazillion types of "pasta" on the market.  Balderdash, says I.

But regardless of the name, Victor made some pretty good stuff for dinner tonight.  Homemade meatballs, pork chops, and hot Italian sausage simmered in a velvety red sauce.  Er, gravy.  Uh... whatever.

There's no recipe to post.  Making sauce is just one of those things you do.

And I suppose I could have cleaned that plate just a bit better before snapping the photo - but I was hungry.

by Tim Dineen

Jerk Chicken

Tonight's dinner is brought to you by last night's dessert!  Bananas and rum got me thinking about jerk - and I knew I had a recipe for a jerk sauce in an old Bon Appetit somewhere...

It turned into a bit of a production/comedy of errors, but the final result was pretty yummy.

It's damp and a bit chilly outside, so I decided I'd do the chicken in the oven indoors.

I made the sauce and was marinating the chicken...  I kept looking at it knowing I really should be grilling it.  It was getting late, so I finally said hell with it and went out to start the fire.  I didn't want to wait for the chimney to get the coals going, so I used the last of the {{{shudder}}} charcoal lighter fluid.  POOF!  Up it went in flames and inside I went to start the rice.

Back outside 10 minutes later and the charcoal is barely - and I do mean barely - even beginning to think about getting hot.  With no more starter fluid, I drizzle a bit of olive oil on the coals to try and get them going.  I created some lovely smoke, but not a lot of flame.  Beep.  Beep.  Beep.  Rice is done.  I haven't even started the chicken.

Out came a skillet and on went the broiler.  I browned the chicken breasts on both sides, then put them under the broiler for maybe 10 minutes.

Done.

The rice was 1 cup of rice with about a quarter-cup of coconut, a pat of butter, and a pinch of salt.

The greens were escarole with lemon, garlic, salt and pepper.

And the jerk...

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Bon Appétit | May 2006

• 3 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup malt vinegar
• 10 green onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 Scotch bonnet chiles or habanero chiles with seeds, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons ground allspice
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 3- to 3 1/2-pound chickens, halved lengthwise, rinsed, patted dry
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Boil rum and 2 tablespoons water in small saucepan for 3 minutes.

Transfer rum mixture to blender; add vinegar and next 12 ingredients and blend until almost smooth. Transfer 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning to small bowl; mix in ketchup and soy sauce to make sauce. (Jerk seasoning and sauce can be made 1 day ahead; cover separately and refrigerate.)

Arrange chicken in large roasting pan or baking dish. Pour lime juice over; turn to coat. Spoon jerk seasoning over chicken and rub in. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, turning occasionally. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 350°F or prepare barbecue (medium heat). Remove chicken from jerk seasoning marinade; sprinkle with salt and pepper. If roasting chicken in oven, arrange chicken, skin side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with fork, about 50 minutes. If grilling chicken, place chicken, skin side down, on grill rack, cover, and grill until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, about 50 minutes.

Cut each chicken half into pieces and serve with sauce.

Naturally, I didn't really follow the recipe all that closely... I used a quarter-cup of rum, no water, and didn't boil.  I used boonie peppers from Guam (thank you, Jay!) instead of the habaneros, spring onions instead of green onions, boneless breasts, and I broiled, not grilled or baked.  Oh.  And I didn't marinate for 4 hours, either.

It came out damn good!

And the cupcakes were the perfect dessert!

by Tim Dineen

Banana Cupcakes

It's Trevor's fault.  He mentioned Banana Cupcakes and I just had to make them, too.  It's what friends do.

Fortunately, Trevor made them a few days back and decreed the chocolate ganache he topped them with was a bit much for the rather delicate cake.  I probably would have topped them with chocolate, myself - chocolate and banana is a natural flavor combination.

Instead...  I went for rum!  (Meyer's Rum, to be precise.  I bought it before the Jaimaca boycott was announced and won't buy any more - but I'm also not dumping it down the drain!)  But I digress...

The cupcake proved to be everything I hoped for - and more!  A really light, delicate texture and great flavor.  Perfect.  I was actually a bit mystified by how they would come out, because I have baked forever and almost always, one starts a recipe by creaming the butter with the sugar, adding the eggs, and then alternating the flour  and the liquids.  This is totally different.  And it totally worked!

Banana Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes
(Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes)

• 2 1/4 cups of cake flour
• 1 1/3 cups of sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of mashed ripe bananas
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1.    Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and have your cupcake liners ready.
2.    Mix the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt for about 1 minute.
3.    Add the mashed bananas and butter. Beat until well blended on medium for about 3 minutes.
4.    In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla together. Slowly add this mixture to the batter.
5.    Scoop the batter into your cupcake liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6.    Cool and garnish with caramel, chocolate ganache, whipped cream, or sliced bananas.

Notes: chocolate too heavy for light banana cake.  Try cream cheese or just a light powdered sugar glaze which would make these into a nice breakfast bread.

I followed exactly.  Did I mention perfect?!?

Rum Icing

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 8oz container mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese - I had mascarpone in the house.)
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Meyer's Rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and nmascarpone together.  Add heavy cream, then rum and vanilla.  Add powdered sugar a cup at a time until icing reaches desired consistency.

This is definitely a keeper!

by Tim Dineen

Chili Dogs

I sent Victor a text this morning asking if he wanted hot dogs, jerk chicken, or something with a pork tenderloin for dinner tonight.  I hadn't taken anything out of the freezer.  I had picked up the hot dogs at Wegman's on Monday and they were in the bin.  Everything else was frozen.  He immediately shot back CHILI DOGS WITH CHEESE!  I took that as a yes for dogs.

Sadly, I didn't have time to actually make chili and we no longer carry the only jarred pre-made chili I have ever deemed edible, so I picked up a can of the least-offensive chili and heavily doctored it when I got home.  It did the job.

I shredded some extra sharp cheddar, chopped some spring onions, oven-baked some potato slices, and called it dinner!

Speaking of hot dogs...  It's no big secret that I'm a big hot dog fan.  I like old-fashioned, skin-on hot dogs.  I actually prefer beef and pork dogs, but will go with the all-beef if that's all there is.  I love 'em grilled, all nice and black, and a good dog with a good mustard and Happy Hal's Jalapeno Relish is gastronomic heaven.  I see NO reason at all for turkey dogs, and hate the consistency of most "packaged" hot dogs.  I want bite, not mush.

I just found out there's a hot dog place right in Wayne - a mile or two from our house!  It's called Johnnie's Dog House.  I haven't been there, yet, but I do plan to get there soon!

by Tim Dineen

Here We Go Again

No, I can't leave well enough alone!

It's been over 9 months since I last changed the look of the blog.  9 months.  That's a long time to look at the same pictures and same colors every day.

So...  Here is the latest and greatest.

I still have a bit of tweaking to do, but I think I'll enjoy this one - for a while, anyway... :)

by Tim Dineen

Stovetop Cooking

Surprise!  I didn't grill tonight!

I wanted to make the Israeli Haimishe Farfel because I still really didn't know what it was, but thought it would go better with a saucy dish rather than a grilled dish.  Yeah for me.  I was right.

The farfel is like big dried breadcrumbs.  Think Stovetop Stuffing  or something along those lines.  But it's just the crumbs - no seasoning of any sort.  I followed the basic package instructions (because I still wasn't sure what it was) using the leftover grilled spring onions from Sunday, and fresh parsley and herbs from the garden.  Now that I know what to expect, I'll season it a bit more next time around.

The chicken was a variation on a Bon Appetit recipe from about 15 years ago, I think.

Chicken Breasts with Leeks and Mushrooms

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 whole boneless chicken breast with skin (about 3/4 pound), halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• the white part of 2 medium leeks, sliced, washed well, and patted dry
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 8 Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon drained bottled capers, chopped
• fresh lemon juice to taste

In a shallow bowl stir together the flour, the paprika, and salt and pepper to taste and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. In a heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it sauté the chicken, turning it once, until it is golden brown. Reduce the heat to moderately low and stir in the leeks, the mushrooms, the wine, the broth, and the thyme. Cook the mixture, covered partially, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, and transfer the chicken to a platter. To the skillet add the olives, the capers, and the lemon juice and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Serve the chicken topped with the leek mixture.

I used boneless, skinless breasts, used green pimento-stuffed olives, and green peppercorns, 'cuz I didn't have any capers. (There very well may be some in the cabinet, somewhere, but right now they are so packed.....) I also took the chicken out of the pan and sauteed the leeks and mushrooms, added the liquids, put the chicken back in, then followed the rest of the recipe...

The farfel was actually pretty good once I started mixing the leeks and mushrooms with it.  The chicken itself was great.  I like the flavor a simple flour coating gives to sauteed chicken.  And asparagus is always good.

The last of the ice cream brownie cake for dessert tonight.

I may have to make Trevor's grandmother's banana cupcakes tomorrow night...

by Tim Dineen

Repurposed Odds and Ends

I also picked up a couple of 65-cent rolls at the aforementioned shopping trip. Perfect for tonight's dinner.

Cold pork, beef, and chicken sandwiches with root beer BBQ sauce and caramelized onions, potato salad, and cold baked beans.

They were just what the leftover doctor ordered.

And there's brownie ice cream cake in the freezer.

Leftovers are good!

by Tim Dineen

No-Budget Shopping

Having a house-guest for less than 24 hours meant I had to have ten times the normal amount of groceries in the house - even though on any given day I could feed a small emerging country.  I'm neurotic - what can I say?

So... when it came to doing my normal Monday grocery shopping, we really didn't need much.  A new bottle of worcestershire sauce, another jar of molasses (both necessary ingredients for baked beans) and a box of cereal for Victor.  So, says I, I will take a trek out to Wegman's.  We don't need much and it's always fun to wander the store.

I spent exactly $232.00 in we don't need much.

Now, it is true that I didn't need black onion seeds, but they were only $1.19.  Gooseberry jam.  I LOVE gooseberry jam.  It was only $2.49.  Okay...  I was extravagant with the Lingonberry Sauce at $5.99, but it is a pretty good-sized jar.  And I really didn't need the 2-pack of solar lights for $19.99, but Victor has been doing so much work out back I thought they would be a fun enhancement.  Ka-ching.

Now...  I bought a total of four jams to go with the four or five that were already in the cabinet and then saw a box of fruit pectin for only $2.39 for when I make my own jams and jellies.  I mean, only 9 jars isn't going to last forever.  I just never know when I'm going to need to make my own.  I was a Boy Scout.  Be Prepared.

I did need the rose flower water and the orange flower water (both $2.99)  and the four fresh pastas that I put in the freezer (so they're - technically - not fresh anymore) were anywhere from $1.49 to $3.19.  A deal.  The pierogis at $4.99 were an impulse buy.

Ever heard of Israeli Haimishe Farfel?  Me either.  But I bought two packages because they were only $1.69.  I just went online to see what it was and the cheapest I found it was "on sale" for $2.69!  I got a great deal!  And it looks like it will be a great side dish.  I'll keep ya posted.

The three 4-packs of soda were an extravagance, perhaps, but they're all made with real sugar - not high fructose corn syrup - and Victor does like a soda now and again.  And did I really need a Tuscan AND a Sicilian olive oil?  Well... yes, I did. It's that Boy Scout thing, again.

Worcestershire sauce - $1.39.  Molasses - $2.19.  The two things I needed.  The rest of it?!?  All things that I will use.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon... No buyers remorse allowed in our house.

And I really don't think I'll need to go shopping next week.

Really.

by Tim Dineen