Cooking on Vacation

I've decided that I'm officially broken in terms of cooking for my family.  Last night I made enchiladas & looked at the amount of food & went, "Is this enough? Do I make more?"  I had no clue.  It turns out I made exactly the right amount for us, but it was such a weird sensation.

I also taught N [age 11] how to make scrambled eggs.  He's becoming quite the little chef himself now.  He has no fear to try cooking new stuff.  So maybe he did get something from me after all. Sometimes I wonder what w/all the gaming he's wont to do. 

It's good that the kids are learning things in the kitchen.  Sometimes it gets on my nerves. for example, Elie cracked an egg all over the cupboard & it dripped down the front of the cabinets.  But she's 4  I took a deep breath & wiped it off.  And kept going.  You can't make an omelette w/o breaking a few eggs right...I'll be here all week....hit the tip jar on the way out....

But seriously, Grandma never really had me cook much & she still thinks rosemary is an exotic spice.  So I want my crew to be able to enjoy at least cooking for themselves sometimes!

Oatmeal Raisin Cake for my B'day Boy

Niall's favorite dessert is oatmeal raisin cookies, which makes his b'day cake rather anticlimactic sometimes.  Here's your big cookie honey.  But this year, I was able to find a recipe for making it into an actual cake, which turned out fabulous! I used vanilla buttercream frosting w/it.

Here is the original link for it w/recipe below:

Applesauce-Oatmeal Raisin Cake

Recipe courtesy Elizabeth Alston

Prep Time:

35 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

40 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water test
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup dark raisins
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 13 by 9-inch baking pan

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan over moderately high heat. Stir in the oats. When the liquid returns to a boil, stir in the raisins and salt. Reduce the heat and simmer 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are soft and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in the sugar, applesauce, and oil. Cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease the pan. Put the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Stir to mix well. Stir the eggs into the oat mixture. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until moistened. Spread in the prepared pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cake starts to shrink from the sides of the pan and a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. The cake is good served warm. Or cool completely, cover tightly, and store overnight at room temperature before serving or freezing.

Winter Break

The good news: 3 cooking days left & then a month off.

The bad news: 3 cooking days left & then a month off.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm endlessly cooking for a Girl's Night Out.  I feel like I have adopted a whole troop of girls & I'm sad to think I won't see them for a month.  It is a weird sensation. My job doesn't feel like just a normal job, I don't know how else to describe it.  Not that they all think I'm wonderful & the best thing ever, but so many of them have become 'my girls'.  I treat them how I would want someone to treat my kids when they go out into the word.  And I've developed...a friendship...a mentor-type relationship....a house Mom-thing....with a lot of them.

It will be so weird when those girls begin to graduate. I can't even ponder it yet!

Tennessee Meatloaf: a Parton Family Favorite on the Food Network

Tennessee Meatloaf: a Parton Family Favorite on the Food Network

This is the recipe for the Tennessee Meatloaf I made for the girls.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Mix together beef, crumbs, egg, onion, salt, pepper and 1/2 of tomato sauce. Form into loaf and put into shallow pan. Combine rest of the tomato sauce and all the other ingredients. Pour over loaf. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Baste occasionally.

Thanksgiving & The Bumpus Hounds

On the surface: Tender turkey, moist stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes & green bean casserole with an assortment of pies & cake for dessert.  Huge hit.

The back story: I was afraid I miscalculated the cooking time on the turkeys & dinner would be an hour late. The original dessert I bought, I took out too early & it went moldy.  Thank heavens for BJ's warehouse in Cary!! The mashed potatoes were a Sysco product, because I was worried about getting everything done so I cheated w/frozen. Never again! I thought they were too watery & tasteless, so I added cottage cheese, garlic & black pepper.  Several girls told me how yummy they were.  I was freaking out so bad I made the first batch of stuffing an hour early. I only made one green bean casserole because that's all the cream of mushroom soup I had enough for. Damn clam chowder base was in the same row & I thought I had 4 cans instead of 2.  It ended up being enough so it was fine, but it added to the stress.  Niles & Luca ended up hanging out for a bit because Gina went to get them, stopped at BJ's for the pie & then helped me get everything out on time. So Niall came to get them & bring them home.  By the time dinner went out on time, I would not have been shocked if the Bumpus hounds ran through my kitchen.  Apparently traditional holiday meals are stressful, no matter who you cook them for.

Southern Week

So far this week, I've made fried chicken w/sweet potato fries & Tennessee meatloaf w/mashed potatoes, fried cabbage & green beans.  The food has been a success, so I think they are enjoying it. 

Chili cook off went well, other than no clean up in my kitchen, which made me...a bit testy.  I am looking forward thought to a  much needed break over Thanksgiving.  I need to make granola this week, but haven't been very motivated to do so, between the not cleaning up & the business of my life.  Meatloaf & mashed potatoes are a MAJOR pain in the ass to cook & clean up from. 

Strawberries seem to have finally gone out of season, even from the farmer's market, so I am looking for a fresh fruit to add to the salad bar.  Ordered some raspberries today, so we'll see how those are.  Blueberries are good, but they tend to eat them better when they are mixed w/other fruits.

Tomorrow's dinner is Cajun Pasta & Thursday is Jambalaya....wonder how that will play out....

Suggestion Box

The girls put out a suggestion box for me this week.  The young lady who asked me has been very sweet.  She wants to make sure everyone is being nice to me in their comments.  :)

So far, the most popular suggestion has been Southern Food.  I'm not entirely sure what this means.  I am from the Northern Aggressor States & all....  But next week, they're getting what Gina has told me is her version: Tennessee Meatloaf w/mashed potatoes, Jambalaya, Fried Chicken.....when she brought up collards & ham hocks though I drew the line.  URK.

Since I've still been tired from the strep throat, we ran out of granola & I haven't made more....there may be a riot soon.  And they aren't eating as much fruit. Haven't figured out if there's a connection yet. But I'm guessing there is.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Dinner last night came out well.  I tried a new recipe again.

Chicken breasts
lemon juice
black pepper
minced garlic
butter
paprika
lemon wedges

Marinate chicken in lemon juice, melted butter, garlic, pepper & paprika several hours, ideally overnight.  Bake at 350 about 30 minutes until done.  Serve w/lemon wedges.  It was a big hit.  Also served w/fingerling potatoes, tossed w/olive oil & some granulated garlic & pepper, then baked & some steamed carrots.

Tempura Chicken w/a side of strep throat

Tried out a new product from Sysco Thursday w/the girls.  Tempura chicken w/rice noodles & sweet & sour veggies.  The tempura rocks out.  It is really a good product & I think I'm going to go w/that for Fried days as well.  Definitely tasty & doesn't get soggy like the other tenders do sometimes.  Didn't have to do anything special, just bake them off, cook the noodles & add sweet & sour sauce.  I sauteed some veggies to go w/it.  It was a slow night, which was good, because I got strep throat.  So I was happy that it was a very, very slow night.  Took my first sick day too.  I was in no condition to cook Friday. I slept the whole morning away after going to the doctor.  Brunch was changed to BLT's so Gina could manage more easily alone.  Thank goodness there's no dinners on Friday!

So the job is going well. But is often more than I bargained for.  Mostly in a good way.  Suddenly I'm cooking for a whole shitload of people every day.  It's a good thing. But some days, like today, I'm tired.  I feel like I'm forgetting important family stuff because I'm worried about my job & doing it right.

Let's look at the numbers, shall we....

Monday lunch: 48
Monday dinner: 69

Tuesday lunch: 42
Tuesday dinner: 69

Wednesday lunch: 46
Wednesday dinner: 70

Thursday lunch: 45
Thursday dinner: 58

Friday lunch: 62

All the new girls haven't signed up yet but this is what I have as of today....

Lettuce Chicken Wraps w/Rice

This is one I actually created myself, based on a) loving them personally, b) wanting to make them & c] incorporating several different recipes for them.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
Asian sweet chili sauce, enough to marinade chicken in [found in Asian grocery stores or better grocery stores w/a nice Asian selection.]
Green leaf lettuce leaves
1 onion, thinly sliced
mushrooms, thinly sliced. You want about 3 oz for 1 lb of meat. Shitake mushrooms you'd use about 3 medium. I used button mushrooms, which you'd need more of.
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger [fresh & minced would be ideal, but I used powdered at work]
soy sauce,optional for dipping
sesame oil, for frying

Marinate chicken overnight in Asian chili sauce.

Heat sesame oil in wok, or nonstick skillet.  Add onions and stir until they start to become translucent.  This shouldn't take long at all.  Add chicken, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until chicken begins to brown and is cooked through, about 5 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces.  Add mushrooms, and continue to stir frequently. If mixture becomes too dry or is sticking, add soy sauce or some additional chili sauce, to keep moist & according to your taste preference. 

Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce leaves.  Roll leaves around filling & eat.  You may dip into the chili sauce you haven't used in the marinade or soy sauce as well.

Serve with rice.  [Rice can be put in the lettuce leaf as part of your mixture instead of serving it on the side.]

Tip: With the amount of chicken I have to cook [I did a full case tonight at dinner], I baked the chicken & then diced it.  I find it to be easier & less messy that way with the quantity I'm working with.  If you choose to bake at home, once the chicken is done baking, let cool slightly before you dice & then add to the stir fry once you've got the vegetables almost finished.  This will bring it back up to temp for you.

After dicing, I put the chicken in pans, covered it & put on low in the oven to keep warm. This freed me to focus on the vegetable part.  I stir fried the onions, mushrooms, ginger & garlic on the grill, until they were thoroughly cooked.  Think soft but not mushy.  I served them separately so the girls could put in the amount of each that they wanted. Or if they didn't want mushrooms for example, they weren't stuck picking them out of the chicken.  The rice was also in its own pan & it was about 50/50 on the girls who put the rice in the wrap & the girls who put it on the side.

Rush Week

I survived my first Rush Week.  I almost feel like it was a just barely kinda moment.  There were constant changes to what was going on, 45 completely stressed out girls, a sick assistant one day and to cap it all off, a seal broke on the back of the dishwasher & I did appetizers for Pref Night in 1/2" of standing water. The cupcakes that I made, well, looked like cupcakes that I made.  They were obviously not bakery bought.  And I frosted them about 5 minutes before the girls showed up, due to that whole standing water, no helper issue.  I wanted to sit down & cry at one point. Seriously.  But after having at least 10 girls tell me how much they'd been talking about how they love me and how great I am, I just kept going.  I didn't want to let them down.  Which leads me to the next bit of news.

The girls have doubled the size of the sorority.  Doubled.  I will soon be cooking for almost 90 girls.  OMG!  I am in awe of all they accomplished & absolutely terrified of just how crazy it is going to get this year!  Who's up for guiness size batches of granola making.....

Tomato Soup from Cook's Illustrated, via Charlie

Ingredients

·         1/4cup extra virgin olive oil , plus more for drizzling

·         1medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)

·         3medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

·         pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)

·         1 bay leaf

·         2(28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice

·         1tablespoon brown sugar

·         3large slices good-quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces

·         2cups low sodium vegetable broth

·         1/4cup chopped fresh chives 

I roasted several roma tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil & sprinkled w/granulated garlic, basil & oregano, to add to the flavor. The romas were from our local food co-op so really add something special to it.

Instructions

1.       Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

2.       Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in vegetable broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

This soup is a favorite at the house & the girls requested it again.  I'm serving it for the end of Rush week, because they've all lost their voices, had little to no sleep and are in need of some major comfort food.

 

Sigh

So I already burned my left arm in the VERY same spot I burned my arm on the same type pan last year.  Niall suggested covering that arm in something fireproof.  I think a Kevlar armband would be pretty kick-ass actually.  At least it's the left arm  & doesn't mess w/the Vegas dragon.  Although I'm pretty sure I can't actually ever get a tattoo in that spot as it seems to be a danger zone....

Second Week

Last weekend, the power went out at State from Hurricane Irene.  So Monday we had to go through the fridge & freezer to see what could be salvaged. Luckily, we had made chocolate chip muffins on Friday to have for Monday anyway. Fortunately I guess we were low on most things, due to me learning just how much ahead to order, or not order, as the case may be. The good news is that everything went off ok & we got a big order Monday morning so things went fine.  It just was an incredibly busy day, even more so than usual.

The girls are still crazy for the granola.  It is such an easy & simple thing to do.  This week, we put in cashews & dried cranberries to mix up the flavor a bit.  I may try dried cherries too at some point so they don't get bored with it.  I will have to get some snack size bags though to pass it on in, since putting it in sandwich bags to go is making it disappear rather quickly! Gina made a batch that was x5 on Tuesday & it will be gone today.  The good news is that they are  mostly ignoring the crappy cereals this year & eating the granola.

Next week is rush & then things should settle down into a routine for everyone.

Cucumber Raita

From the Curry & Chili Cookbook by Bay Books

Peel & finely chop 2 Lebanese cucumbers & combine with 1 cup plain yogurt in a bowl. Set aside. Fry 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin & mustard seed in a dry pan for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the toasted spices to the yogurt mixture with 1 teaspoon grated ginger (I used ground ginger & toasted it with the other 2). Mix well to combine. Season well with salt & black pepper. Garnish with a bit of paprika. Serve chilled. Makes about 2 cups.

"One of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry; and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed."~Julia Child, My Life in France

Fresh Bread

My friend Leslie came up with the brilliant idea of making a loaf or two of fresh challah for the girls once a week.  I think starting next week I will do that.  We have Cookie Monday, why not something like Fresh Bread Tuesday?  Any leftovers can be used for Challah French Toast....what could be better?!

Fruit Salad vs Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit is extremely popular.  Hard to keep it on the salad bar in fact.  Depending on what kind it is though, I've noticed that things like melon go faster when mixed with other things.  Strawberries & blueberries go pretty quickly on their own, but again, even faster when mixed together.

I wonder why?!

Today's Food

Homemade tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches.

Citrus chicken w/rice pilaf.

Treif

Yes, a Jewish chef can cook treif.  You may or may not be surprised by the amount of people who give me grief about that.  Touching bbq pork will not immediately result in me bursting into flames.  Sigh. 

And so it begins

Work week downtown for the girls.  We did breakfast Monday for all 50 of them.  It was loud in there.  DANG.  But nice to see everyone back.  Tuesday was lunch, which was supposed to be around 30 but I think most of them stayed.  Never seen such a mess on the salad bar before.  Craziness.  Yesterday there wasn't much going on, since I had no meals to serve, but the girls kept asking if there was food, so I ended up putting pbj stuff out.  This & the sweet/unsweet tea in addition to water is apparently making me very popular.  Hopefully they will remain so easy to please. ;)

Falafel

Just the mix

Test Batch

Finished Product

So the falafel turned out great.  My Persian boss was impressed. And it was a big hit at the dinner party.  I am pleased.

Falafel

Recipe from  Middle Eastern Cooking by Jenny Ridgwell

Serves 4-6

1lb chick-peas, soaked overnight
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
1 medium onion
4 spring onions, very finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander
oil for deep frying

Drain the chick-peas.  to make the chick-peas easier to grind, remove the skins by rubbing with a tea-towel.  Mince the chick-peas or grind in a processor, then add the remaining ingredients and work to a smooth paste.  Leave to rest for 30  minutes.

With wet hands, shape a dessertspoon of the mixture into a patty, 1 1/2 inch round.

Heat the oil & deep-fry the falafel until golden brown.  Drain on kitchen paper.  Serve hot or place inside pita bread with some lettuce, a squeeze of lemon juice & some Tahini sauce.

Tahini Sauce

1/4 pint tahini
3-4 tbs water
juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsely
salt, freshly ground pepper

Mix the tahini to a smooth paste w/the water, then blend in the lemon juice & other ingredients.

Hot dogs, hot dogs & more hot dogs

Minor league baseball is in full swing.  [ba dum bump. I'll be here all week...don't forget to tip your waitress on the way out]  And I am sick to death of hot dogs.  I can't stand the sight of them.  Yesterday, we did 3000 of them.  There were 2 picnics, one for over 2000 people.  It was insane.  We cooked almost 400 hamburgers, 2 cases of Italian sausages, 15 lbs of bbq [NC style], 3 combo samplers [chicken wings & tenders], a spicy shrimp & catfish combo, & made a garden vegetable platter & cheese & veggie platter.  Team meals were chicken parmesan, noodles and garlic bread for the home team & pork loin [4 of them], roasted potatoes & green beans for the visitors.  We kept the hots dogs in the Crescor and then the interns & runners wrapped 1400 to start with & then did more as needed, up until 9pm.  It was controlled chaos from 1-9.  Fortunately, Friday's picnics are only 500 & 200.

Menu Planning

I've begun planning the menu for August already.  I'm pretty excited about the start of the  new school year.  I am hopeful that it will go well & the learning curve won't be too steep, as I take over the reins!

Last week cooking for the girls

The sorority house closes on Thursday.  It's been quite the experience.  I've learned so much & expect to learn so much more.  I spent today organizing the stock room.  I'll have to take some pictures of it. I don't have any from before, but I think things will be easier to find, at least for a bit.  And I got rid of some stuff that was way past its expiration date.  Club soda is supposed to have fizz.  Shocking, I know.  I found 6 gallons of red wine vinegar.  I'm not sure I'll have to order any at all next year! 

Kentucky Derby Pie

Run for the Roses Pie This delicious pie recipe is courtesy of Brad and John Hennegan.
Ingredients Makes one 9-inch pie. 1/2 recipe Pate Brisee 2 large eggs 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey	Directions On a lightly floured work surface, roll pate brisee into a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim to a 1-inch overhang all around. Crimp edge as desired. Cover with plastic wrap; chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the crust are just beginning to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Return crust to oven and continue baking until golden all over, about 5 minutes more. Transfer pie shell to a wire rack; let cool slightly. In a large bowl, mix together eggs and butter. Add sugar and flour; mix until well combined. Stir in pecans, chocolate chips, and bourbon. Pour into prepared pie shell. Transfer pie to oven and bake until filling is set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire rack; let cool before serving. First published May 2008

Copyright 2011 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved. I made this pie for the "Pie theme" night at Cathy & Rich's house last month. Didn't take any pictures.  But it was wonderful. I was very pleased that Erik, who is not a dessert fan, had a piece & took one home!  I'm not a real fan of traditional pecan pie, so I was a bit skeptical.  But it exceeded my expectations. I made bourbon whipped cream to serve on time, which was absolutely divine!

We had an Irish Themed Dinner at our house in honor of St. Patrick's Day & I made a traditional Irish Stew.  It turned out wonderfully & was pretty easy to  make. The hardest part was that I had to cube the lamb roast, but that was pretty straight forward. Even the kids liked it!

Irish Stew The ingredients for Irish Stew are layered in a heavy pot and slow-cooked in the oven, allowing the lamb and potatoes to tenderize and the flavors to deepen and meld. The best part is that you can walk away from the simmering pot and return two hours later to a mouthwatering meal.
Ingredients Serves 4 to 6. 3 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled 2 medium onions, (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise and cut into thin half-moons 2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt Freshly ground pepper 2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme 3 cups homemade lamb stock, or low -sodium store-bought chicken stock 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh curly- or flat-leaf parsley	Directions Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 1 pound of the potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; spread them out in a large (5- to 6-quart) heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven. Layer half the onions on top of the potatoes. Place lamb cubes on top of onions. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; season with pepper. Add the thyme. Place remaining onions on top of lamb. Add the stock and 1 cup water. Place whole potatoes on top of onions. Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Cover with a tight-fitting lid; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Transfer to oven; cook, without stirring, 2 hours. Sprinkle with parsley. First published

Copyright 2011 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

From Annie's Eats

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream 

For the Bailey's ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey's Irish cream 

For the Bailey's buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey's Irish cream 

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey's and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped.  (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.)  Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey's until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.  Frost the cupcakes as desired. 


From Annie's Eats

These were the most complicated cupcakes that I have ever made!  But they were so worth it!

Pre-ganache filling

with ganache filling

the final product!

My new home away from home

New Job!

I am really excited to announce that I am now working at Tri Delta at NC State! I am cooking their dinners M-Th and then lunch on Fridays.  Heidi is the chef.  She does breakfasts and lunches M-Th, plus all the ordering, meal planning, etc.  I am really looking forward to cooking all year round.  I will do this job during the school year and then head back to the Mudcats when that ends.  Yay me!

Baked Cheese Olives

Dinner Club again.  I made oven fries, which were well - received but nothing special.  Big  hit of the night was from Cathy & Rich: baked cheese olives! They were awesome.

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 24 pimento-stuffed green olives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine cheese and butter or margarine. Stir flour and cayenne pepper into the cheese and butter mixture. Blend well. Wrap a tablespoon of dough around each green olive. Arrange the wrapped olives on a cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 110 | Total Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 20mg

We polished this recipe off very quickly. For a large party, I'd recommend doubling it for sure!