German Invasion

The funny thing about this blog is - to my continuous utter shock - most of the meals come out pretty well. The majority of them have come out less than perfect (it's my kitchen, not Le Cirque, after all), but - until yesterday - nothing had turned out to be a complete kitchen disaster.

Enter CAKE.


All my friends know that in the kitchen, I have not one, but TWO Achilles' Heels: 1) Salads (cold raw veggies on top of cold raw veggies? Ugh.), and 2) Baking.

I subscribe to the Baking/Cooking Theory of Dichotomous Opposites, which is, simply: there are two types of people in the world - people who cook, and people who bake.


I know some of you are thinking to yourself, "She probably thinks the Cooking people are superior." Which is true. Kidding. I have the utmost respect for people who have the skill and the patience to measure tiny, yet precise, quanities of white powders, and put their upper arm strength to the test as they move a wooden spoon in a circle for an extended period of time.


Despite what I know about myself, I decided to attempt a made-from-scratch German Chocolate Cake for my beloved Ross' 28th birthday. Understand that my choice in cake was not without reason: every year on his birthday he has enjoyed a lovingly crafted German chocolate cake, made from a recipe that has been in his family for generations. Setting myself up for failure, you say? Not me, the Fearless Cook, she of the brave heart and foodie soul!

Failure, indeed.

I did not, unfortunately, capture each step of the process on film. But just picture...Butter - smeared on skin. Flour - in eyes and hair. 2nd degree burns. Egg yolk-and-evaporated-milk boiling over.

It wasn't pretty.

$45 and four hours later, I had what - in looks alone - amounted to a German chocolate cake. I have to give myself props for making what, by all accounts, was a very visually appealing cake. But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.


Since on the second day of Spring here in balmy Chicago, we found ourselves in the throes of a late-season bllizzard, imagine my chagrin as I realized I would have to schlep the cake (wrapped with the utmost care in aluminum foil) through the slush to the bar where all our friends were gathering for the birthday celebration (have I ever done a post that DID NOT include me schlepping through the snow for something?).

Ah, Springtime in the city:


At any rate, our friends were justifiably impressed (and shocked, as I've stated many times I don't bake) that I spent all day completing a from-scratch cake. But then they began to eat it.

Oh, there were polite utterances that it was tasty, but behold the evidence to the contrary:


People didn't finish it.

And then there was Ross' reaction.

First, [gasp of delight at seeing the cake's deceptively beguiling exterior] "Did you know that German chocolate cake is my favorite?!?"

Then, [a few bites in], "You should really try my mom's cake." [Me: horrified and humiliated.] "It's a miracle of life."


A MIRACLE OF LIFE, people. And my cake came in a distant, DISTANT second.

The main problem was its texture. It was dense, and on the dry side. It just lacked that crucial fluffiness. More like a German Chocolate muffin than a cake. (Could this be from overmixing? I don't know.) The taste was fine. Not too sweet, still chocolately. But honestly, I have been eating the Duncan Hines box mix German Chocolate cake my entire life, and I can assure you it is MUCH tastier than my version.

To say I was crestfallen is putting it mildly. Ross assured me that he enjoyed it, and that the effort wasn't wasted, but only three vodka & sodas (and 2 pitchers of Goose Island, half a pizza, and some late-night pierogis) could take the edge off my pain.


OK, I might be taking some creative license here, but I WAS disappointed, and I decided that in the future, I'd stick to what I do best: throwing in a pinch of this, a splash of that, and creating savory meals that usually come out just as I'd hoped. In fact, I'm going to cook Ross a Fearless birthday meal tonight - with, hopefully, better results.

Somewhere out there, I'm sure there's a Fearless Baker, blogging about how she ruined what was meant to be an epic chicken marsala. Don't beat yourself up, Fearless Baker!


And as a bonus, just 'cause I love my blans, here's a healthy, easy lunch (or simple dinner) recipe:

About a cup of cooked brown rice, or rice medley
1 cup of raw baby spinach leaves
1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can chunk light tuna, drained (or whatever tuna you like - you could also use leftover chicken, salmon, or anything else)
Pat of butter
salt and pepper



Just cook the rice, and when it's absorbed all the liquid, stir in the spinach leaves, chickpeas, tuna, salt/pepper, and butter, and let the heat from the rice warm up the other ingredients. It's a protein-rich, yummy, light lunch.



Thanks for reading! Look for the fearless birthday post, part 2, coming soon.

Mac it Work

Cooking for guys is always rewarding - they're invariably appreciative, and usually start reminiscing about mom's classic meals and the comforts of home.

But cooking for guys who like Project Runway? It's nothing less than a dream come true.

Anyone who knows me knows of my obsession with Tim Gunn. Behold:


The purpose of this dinner at the outset was to celebrate the birthdays of Justin and Blake (Happy 25th, again), and the creation of Zac's blog, Vibe Out (welcome to the blogosphere, again). It turned into just a regular old eat-and-chat, which is completely fine with me. Then Project Runway came on, and we were sucked into the reality-design-show vortex.

Since I was cooking for a group of guys (their gender and age group on the whole subsisting on Bagel Bites and cold pizza), I decided to do a comfort food theme: Herb-roasted chicken, insane mac 'n' cheese, and roasted tomatoes over bitter greens (I'm on a bitter greens kick).

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN:
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
2 T. chopped sage
2 T. chopped parsley
2 T. thyme leaves
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper

TOMATOES:
10 ripe plum tomatoes
1 T. chopped garlic
1 more T. chopped parsley
1 more T. chopped sage
1 more T. olive oil

GREENS & DRESSING
4-5 c. bitter greens (baby arugula/lettuce mix is what I used)
1/4 c. olive oil
juice of two lemons
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper
6-8 oz. pancetta

MAC & CHEESE
1 wedge fontina (about 1/3 lb.), finely grated
1 wedge cheddar (about 1/3 lb.), finely grated
1 1/4 lb. cavatappi pasta
2/3 stick butter
5-6 T. flour
4 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
bread crumbs (I used Challah bread put in the food processor)

FEARLESS FACTOR: About a 7. Cooking for guys is usually a less stressful endeavor, but these guys (Zac in particular) know good food, and do a pretty good job of cooking themselves. They have also known about my blog for months, so their expectations were high. I didn't want to disappoint them!

Read on to see how it all turned out...

STEP ONE:

Chop the herbs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.



STEP TWO:

Place the raw chicken in a baking dish. Separate the skin from the meat enough to put some herbs under there, but leave it attached at the edges so it locks in all the juices. Salt and pepper the meat (under the skin), and pour on about 1 tsp. of olive oil. Slide about 1 T. of the chopped herb mixture under the skin. Repeat for each chicken breast. They should end up looking like this:


After it's baked, it will look like this:


STEP THREE:

Boil salted water and cook the pasta until it's al dente. In a large skillet, melt the butter, and whisk in the flour, making a roux. I'm not great at taking pictures of making the roux because it's such a hands-on part of the meal, so I downloaded some pics from the internet and have it pictured step-by-step below.

Step 3A:
Melt the butter.

Step 3B:
Add the flour to the melted butter, whisking it in (no need to don a chef's uniform for this, but if it floats your boat, go ahead).

Here's a closer view of adding the flour:

Step 3C:
Add the milk, whisking it in to remove lumps.

Step 3D:
It should thicken and look something like this:

Once the roux is thick (but not as thick as the above photo), stir in the cheeses (I did this process in two batches, which is helpful especiallf if you don't have a giant pan), and whisk them until they melt and the mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

STEP FOUR:

Drain the pasta, and pour the hot noodles into a 9 X 13" glass baking dish. Pour the roux-and-cheese mixture over the top, smoothing it out so all the noodles are coated and covered. Top the entire thing with the bread crumbs. (I toasted the bread crumbs in a pan with about 1 T. butter beforehand, but that's optional.) Bake it at 350 for about 35 minutes, until it's bubbly at the edges and the bread crumbs are browned.




This is what it should look like after it's baked:


STEP 5:

Slice the tomatoes down the middle and place them in a roasting dish. In a saute pan, heat about 1 T. olive oil and saute the garlic until it's fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rest of the chopped herbs, cooking for about 1 more minute, then pour the mixture over the tomatoes. Bake for about 35 minutes.

They should look like this after they've been cooked:


STEP 6:

In a skillet, cook the pancetta until it's crisp, and drain the fat. In a bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients together, pour over the greens, and toss to coat.




STEP 7:
Plate it all up! Place a chicken breast on each plate, scoop out some mac 'n' cheese, and place the roasted tomatoes on top of a pile of greens, topping with a little of the pancetta. Mmmm!

Here's Jess':


THE JUDGES' VERDICTS:

ZAC: That's the best macaroni and cheese I've had in a long time. I really like the tomatoes with the chicken: together, in one singluar bite.
BLAKE: I love the salad dressing with the pancetta. And I like how the mac 'n' cheese is salty AND sweet.
[ME:] That's because I used Challah bread for the bread crumbs, and it's really sweet.
ZAC: I'm glad I know that. Really.
JUSTIN: I wasn't sure about the sin on the chicken, but I think it made it really tender and juicy. I was scared, but it was actually good.
BLAKE: My mom always says that's why she leaves the skin on, but I think is the first time I've see that method actually work.
JESS: You made similar chicken the other night, and it's better this time. What did you do differently?
[ME:] I cooked it on a lower temperature. Last time I cooked it on 375, this time I cooked it at 350.
JESS: It's really good, but I'd like some bread crumbs mixed in with the mac 'n' cheese, not just on top. I think it would add a nice crunchy element.
ZAC: Yeah, more bread crumbs would've been good.
JESS: Your weakness may be salads, but in the category of "cooked salads," which you may have invented, I think you could do some really great stuff.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: I give myself an 8.5. I'm a bit of a mac 'n' cheese aficionado (it's my favorite food, bar none), and this is by far the best mac 'n' cheese I've ever made. The chicken was really good, too. I agree that it was better than last time. The one thing I regret is roasting the tomatoes: I should've broiled them. I wanted a little caramelization; I wanted them to shrink down, and they more or less just got hot. The pancetta was nice, but next time I'd mix it in with the dressing and toss it with the salad. An element of bright freshness in the salad would've helped too: crunchy fresh carrots, peppers, or cucumber.

And as for Project Runway (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU TIVO'D IT!!!), the finalists are:


Sadly, Chris was Auf'ed. Chris, if you're reading, come on over and let mama cook you some mac 'n' cheese. It'll cheer you right up.

Sigh. But that means I only have to wait 6 days for the Fashion Week finale!

Thanks so much to my wonderful judges!

And thanks for not being as hard on me as THOSE judges!

Thanks for reading! Till next time's fearless adventure...

Dinner and Taxes

I think it was Benjamin Franklin who said, "There are only two things in life which we can take as inevitable: death and taxes."

Far be it from me to rewrite history, but last night wasn't about mortality at all - although it did involve filling out some forms starting with "W" and "I".



For the past few weeks, I have been experiencing what I'm told is a common phenomenon during tax season: 3 AM panic attacks consisting of creepy swirling financial documents and a barrage of ghostly numbers circling above my pillow. I confessed this to my friend Jocelyn, who chirped, "Filling out your tax forms? I'll help you!" Of course I had to offer her dinner in return, so that's exactly what we did last night: my taxes, over dinner.

I decided for some reason to do a brunch-for-dinner thing (a morning theme inspired, perhaps, by the dawning of a new age: the age of me actually accepting adulthood and all its financial burdens). I made a quiche-like prosciutto and aspragus casserole with roasted new potatoes over bitter greens.

FEARLESS FACTOR: As for the dinner, I'd say a 6. As for the taxes, an 11. I've made many a casserole, but none quite like this: bread and egg based, with some cheese and other stuff thrown in. I figured I could handle it, but I had no idea if Jocelyn had any interest in eating breakfast at 8:30 at night.

INGREDIENTS:

12 eggs (cholesterol-watchers, don't worry: this made a large casserole - about 8 servings, so that evens out to about 1.25 eggs per person)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 c. milk
5-6 1/2" slices Challah bread
1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pack prosciutto (I used about 6 slices)
1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper

3 c. baby arugula or other greens
About 10-12 new (small, thin-skinned) potatoes tossed in about 1 T. olive oil
1 T. chopped garlic
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
3 T. olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 tsp. sugar
1-2 T. red wine or other vinegar
salt and pepper

STEP ONE:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Halve the potatoes. In a large skillet, heat about 1 T. olive oil and the garlic. Throw in the potatoes and the thyme and toss around until they're evenly coated, adding some salt and pepper. When the garlic and thyme are fragrant, transfer to a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 for about 45-60 minutes, until they're tender and beginning to brown at the edges.



STEP TWO:

Slice the Challah bread and place it into a 9 X 13" glass baking dish (spray it with nonstick spray first, or butter it to prevent sticking). Grate the cheeses.





STEP THREE:

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk, and combine them with the grated cheese. Add a little salt and pepper.



STEP FOUR:

In a dry skillet, cook the prosciutto until it's crisp. Remove it and chop it into small pieces. When it's cool, add it to the egg mixture.





STEP FIVE:

Place the asparagus pieces and the tomato halves on top of the Challah bread layer and pour the egg mixture over the top, spreading it so it covers everything evenly. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until the eggs are set and the top is getting lightly golden.





STEP SIX:

In a small bowl, whisk together the 3 T. olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper. Pour over the greens in a large bowl and toss to coat lightly.



STEP SEVEN:

Cut the casserole into 8 pieces. Plate each serving with the greens on the side, piling a few potato halves on top of the greens. Bon appetit!



JUDGES' VERDICTS:

JOCELYN: This has great flavor. It was really fluffly, not too dense or too mushy. I like how the bread just sort of soaked up everything. Awesome. Let me illustrate with a photograph:


JESS: loved it, eggs were majorly fluffy. I didn't think the asparagus would go, but because it was really soft, it blended in really well. Definitely not something you can have thirds of, very filling. But it was really good.

MY VOTE ON MY DISH: I give it 6.5 stars. I agree with Jess that it was very filling, but not in a "heavy way" if that makes sense. I'm glad I didn't skimp on the amount of asparagus I used - I, too, worried that it wouldn't blend nicely, but it was good. My favorite part was the tomatoes. Next time I'd add more. This would be great to host as an actual brunch dish, with mimosas and maybe a little something sweet, like yogurt and fruit.

As for the taxes, Jocelyn had a lot of faith in me - she was positive that I could've done it on my own, but let me assure you, even the simplest math is my kryptonite (which is why I hate to bake - measuring is just math thinly disguised as dessert). Without her, the IRS would have me in handcuffs, I'm sure of it.

Jocelyn did an AMAZING job helping me - and I'll get my glorious refund in 10 days! Yay, Jocelyn!



Thanks to my wonderful guests, and thanks for reading! Till next time...