Cheese Soufflé, a short story

Peggy stood at the stove looking  at a lumpy gooey pale yellow puddle in her cassarole dish. She blew her bangs out of her face and sighed. 

"I''m never going to get this right". She picked up the dish and and scraped the contents down the garbage disposal.
Another attempt down the tubes. She looked at her recipe again. No one understood. No one would ever understand he obsession to make the ultimate cheese soufflé.  

She had a signed photo of Martha Stewart hanging over the stove and "The Art of French Cooking" prominently displayed on the counter. Her friends thought she was a fanatic. They couldn't figure out why she idolized celebrity chefs. 

She wanted something different for this party. Something other than hot dogs and cheese whiz with crackers. 

She looked at her ingredients again...Egg whites, flour, gruyere, butter, Parmesan.... where did it all go wrong...

Butterscotch pie

4 tbls butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla
.... And a mound of whipped cream


 in saucepan, Melt butter until a light brown.  Add brown sugar and flour, Mix untill well blended. In a small bowl blend milk,  egg yolks and vanilla. Add milk beaten eggs and vanilla. Add egg mixture a little at a time so The eggs dont currdle  Continue cooking until thick and bubbly. Pour into a pre-baked pie shell and cool. When ready to serve top with whipped cream.

Banana Cake

Well it's pot luck time again. At work we seem to do this about once a month. 

I discovered the jalapeño cream corn. For this one I made a banana cake.   

3 mashed bananas

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

 1 1 1/2 baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 cup butter milk

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Frosting

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients.

In a second bowl melt the butter in the microwave for 1 minute. 

Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs to the melted butter. 

Add the dry ingredients to the butter egg mixture. Add the bananas and chocolate chips. 

Mix well. 

Pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. 

Frost with your favorite frosting. 

Hot Dog Days.

There is nothing like grilling hot dogs. The sizzle, the smell. The fun that usually goes with a cook out. It says Summer Time!

I have some ideas for some different toppings. Try a taco dog, or a burrito dog, or maybe a pizza dog. Hot dog Nachos or that old childhood favorite hot dogs and spaghetti. Then there are chili dogs and Chicago dogs. How about a Hawain Dog? (add pineapple and sweet and sour sauce.)

Peanut Butter Cookies

So it’s a busy Sunday in the kitchen.  The morning started off with biscuits, and sausage gravy. Then I made a sour dough starter. It is now happily bubbling away. I can’t wait to use it next weekend.

I've got butter softening to make peanut butter cookies. They will be dipped in chocolate.

The family reunion is coming up in a month. Mom said “You’re the cook” plan us a menu for the week.  I have some ideas. I've been thinking dishes like, steak brushed with rosemary infused olive oil, grilled chicken with a white barbecue, pasta with fresh spinach and beans with a lemon sauce, and of course beans and corn bread, fried chicken and grilled corn with Parmesan cheese. Maybe a chocolate pie

And I have recipes to start organizing for the cookbook.

--Thanks to the cousins for providing some goodies.  I've been working on that. And so yeah, A very busy Sunday.

For the peanut butter cookies:

Preheat the oven to 375

½ cup butter softened

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 ¼ flour

For the dip: 8 oz Hershey Crunch bars melted.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar and peanut butter with an electric mixer. Add the egg soda and baking powder. Slowly add the flour.

Chill for ½ hour.

Scoop out teaspoon full roll in a ball and flatten onto a greased cookie sheet. Take a fork and press into each cookie, turn the fork at a 90 degree angle and press again to get a tick tack toe pattern on the cookie.

Bake for 7 to 9 minutes Cook on a rack.

Next melt the chocolate candy until smooth. Take each cookie and dip part way into the chocolate.

Let dry in a rack.

When the chocolate sets up… enjoy with a nice tall cold glass of milk. 

Cherry Limeade Pie

Sunday dinner for two? Looking  For a special meal for two? OK, how about steak with a mushroom sauce, rice pilaf, and asparagus with lemon. Followed by a slice of cherry-limeade pie. 

Sounds good, yes? 

Start with pie. Since this has to chill a few hours before serving. 

You need one graham cracker crust

1/2 cup lime juice

4 eggs

18 oz sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup cherry juice 

4 tbl water

15 maraschino cherries. 

For the filling:

Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place in a separate bowl. Put 3 yolks in one bowl and the 4th yolk in its own bowl. Set the whites aside. 

Beat the 3 yolks with a wire whisk. Slowly add 3 tbls of water and 14 oz of the milk. Blend until smooth.  

Pour into pie shell. 

Beat the other yolk, water, cherry juice and remainder of milk. Blend until smooth. Pour over lime mixture. 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

For the meringue:  

While the pie bakes place the egg whites in a mixing bowl. Start with the mixer on low and start beating the whites, when they start to foam add cream of tarter and slowly turn the mixer up to medium. Add the auger 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue mixing until stiff glossy peaks form. 

When the pie comes out of the oven torn up  temp to 350, spread the meringue    on the pie. Make sure none of the filling is showing. Bake 15 minutes to set the meringue.  

Refrigerate pie for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Before cutting, sprinkle the maraschino cherries on top. 

Mocha Java Chocolate Cake

1 cup cocoa powder (unsifted)

2 cups fresh brewed coffee  

1/8 tsp coffee extract

2 3/4 cups flour, all-purpose (sifted)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter (or margarine, softened)

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1) To make the cake: In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour with soda, salt, and baking powder. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease three 9 by 1-1/2 inch layer cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Grease paper and lightly flour pans. Set aside. In large bowl of electric mixer at high speed beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally, until light, about 5 minutes. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat. Divide evenly into pans; smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula; remove from pans; cool on racks.

To make the coffee mousse filling:

Yield: 8 servings of coffee mousse


Ingredients:


2 cups evaporated milk
2/3 cup strong coffee
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 egg yolks
1 envelope unflavored gelatin, softened in 3 tablespoons cold water
1 ½ cups heavy cream
Preparation:


In a medium saucepan, combine the evaporated milk and coffee; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it just starts steaming. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and brown sugar.


Add ½ cup of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Add the warm egg-milk blend back into the hot milk in the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 165 degrees on a digital candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the softened gelatin. Chill the coffee custard thoroughly.


Beat the 1 1/2 cups of cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Thoroughly stir ½ cup of the whipped cream into the chilled custard, and then gently fold in the remaining cream. The coffee mousse is ready when the custard is thoroughly incorporated into the whipped cream, and no marbling shows. Serve the mousse chilled.


This coffe mousse recipe makes 8 servings.

Lemon Chicken Pizza with Spinach

Cute. This happens to be one of those things to reproduce at home. This cute little bite of culinary bliss came from Old Chicago. 

It is a thin crust topped with a lemon garlic sauce, grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and a lemon vinaigrette. The cheese tasted like an Asiago Parmesan blend. 

The drinks were a sparking effervescent mix of pomegranate and ginger ale.  

The only set back--The pizza was not warm enough. 

But I will be attempting to make this succulent wonder at home soon. Wish me luck. 

Chili

Broccoli Chicken and Rice

Chicken Broccoli and Rice. This is one version. I got this recipe from a friend. She doesn't use the paprika or celery, and she serves the brocolli on the side. There is probably a few other changes, but.. 

  

1/2 lbs chicken, cubed

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 cup broccoli florets

1/2 Tbl onion powder

1/2 tbl garlic powder
1 tbl paprika
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 cup light sour cream
2 bullion cubes
1/4 hot water
3 cups cooked rice
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil



Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet. Add cubed chicken, selery, brocolli and salt and pepper. Saute for 10 mins.

  Mircowave 1/4 cup of water for 1 minute. add the bulion cubes and let disolve. Add the broth to the chicken.   Stir in the sour cream and and soup. Mix well and contunue simmering for another 10 minutes.   Serve over hot rice.    

 

 

 

Beef Stew

My favorite comfort food, beef stew.

1 1/2 chuck roast cut in small pieces
6 red potatoes, diced
8 oz frozen peas
1/4 large onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 rib celery chopped
1 large carrot chopped
3 diced tomatoes, or 1 can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup flour
Salt
Pepper
Steak seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Steak sauce
beef bullion

Dice the carrot, onion, garlic and potatoes, and set aside. Add flour salt, pepper and pieces of meat to a plastic bag.  Seal it and shake well. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then empty the contents in to a colander.
Sift off the excess flour, and add the meat to a hot oiled deep skillet. Brown the meat on medium low. Take care not to burn the flour.
Meanwhile. to a small stock pot, add water bullion, and the all the veggies except the peas.
Bring to a simmer and add the meat. Let it continue to simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender.

adjust the seasoning with Worcestershire and steak sauce, and turn down to low. Continue cooking for 1 hour. Add the peas. cook for additonal

My favorite way to serve is with warm bread and a glass of cold cold milk. Enjoy

Steak Italiano

Lidia oh Lidia. Have you met Lidia?

Here in Kansas City is one of her restaurants. It's on my list to visit one of these days. 

At this particular restaurant they feature a steak and potato dish.  

This is my version of that recipe. I call mine "Steak Italiano". 

This is really good. The steak tender, the fries crisp, and just hint of sweetness from the veggies. This is good eating KC style. The boy sat up and said " more please"

1- 10 oz strip steak

1/4 small onion

 1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 yellow bell pepper

2 cloves garlic

4 oz can sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup marinara sauce

3 tbl olive oil

Frozen steak fries

Seasoning salt

Salt and pepper

For the fries, preheat  oven according  to package directions. Put a single layers of fries on a greased cookie sheet. Cook to package directions.

In a large skillet heat oil. Add the steak. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 7  minutes on medium heat. Season the other side also. 

Meanwhile slice the peppers, onion,  into small strips. Mince the garlic.

After desired doneness, remove the steak from the pan. 

Add the veggies to the pan. Stir fry until tender. Add the marinara sauce. Cook on low heat another 5 minutes. 

Remove fries from the oven, sprinkle with seasoning salt. 

Slice the steak into strips. Serve steak, add veggie mixture on top of sliced steak. Add the fries on the side.
 

 

Broccoli and Pork Salad

Seems like every one has a broccoli salad. Well here's mine. It is a Broccoli Pork Salad.

Seasoned Pork cooked and cut into strips

2 bunches of broccoli 

2 Roma tomatoes chopped 

1/2 cup celery

1/2 cup craisins or grapes

Bell pepper cut in small strips

3 tbl chopped onion

1/4 shredded mozzarella 

1/2 chopped nuts

Favorite dressing

Chop broccoli into small florets. Place in a large bowl with the strips of pork. 

 Add chopped tomato, onion, celery and peppers. Toss well. 

Sprinkle on the cheese and nuts. 

Top with a favorite dressing.