Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

I must confess that I am one of those people who watches the Bachelor/Bachelorette. I don’t really like it but some how get sucked in. I really haven’t like a Bachelor since Andrew Firestone and I did like Trista the first Bachelorette. Though Trista’s pink extravaganza wedding on TV did give my husband a slight heart attack as pink is my favorite color. I think he envisioned that I would want that too. I did not. But more power to her and very sweet of Ryan to go along with it.
If you watch the show(and even if you don’t) most of you probably know that things don’t work out on that show. They work out on the show but usually a few weeks(sometimes months) after the show ends they somehow are not together. Some speculate that no one can fall in love that fast. I can’t jump on that bandwagon as I was engaged to be married after 5 weeks of knowing my husband. The difference is though that we didn’t go on group dates with people or see each other once a week. We pretty much spent the majority of our time together. Some speculate it is doomed because now the only people who go on there are the ones who want to launch a career in television and what not. This could have some validity but even actors and actresses need love too.
I think the down fall of the show are the dates themselves. You often will catch the girls going on and on about what a fun time it is with the guy…how it’s always an adventure. Of course it is an adventure, you just got back from skiing in the Swiss Alps. And the Bachelor didn’t plan the dates…ABC did(oh yeah, they paid for it too). He is not the romantic one that set up a table for two in the meadow. In reality you would have to haul all that out yourself. Clean up after your ate. Then take it all back to the car. Then someone would have to go and clean the dishes afterwards. If  guy who planned the date went home and washed them…then that would be romantic.
I think for the program to be successful it should be in an everyday setting. Make them go to work instead of living in a mansion getting to sun tan by the pool all day. Let the other person see how you handle work stress. Actually live somewhere comparable to where you live now(like a two bedroom apartment instead of the 10,000 square foot home they have you in). I want to see them have the kind of dates you have when you are in a long term relationship. You know the ones where you planned to go home and make a romantic dinner but you are just too tired from work. So instead the two of you swing by Taco Bell and end up sitting on the couch(together though) watching 80’s movies on TBS(the kind that have more commercials that actual movie). Real life action. I would pay to see some of these girls(who are always dressed in ball gowns??) putting on used shoes and throwing back beer and neon orange nachos down at the local bowling lanes on $0.99 game night. Let’s put some reality into these reality shows shall we!
Speaking of the real deal…this crumb cake is where it is at. An experiment of sorts as it was a throw it all together and hope it all comes out kind of deal. I have a small addiction to either caramelizing pineapple or bananas and putting them over vanilla ice cream. While watching my bananas bubble away in brown sugar and butter the other day I got to thinking wouldn’t it be yummy to make it into a cake. So I did. You can make them with or without the flambe part and you don’t need the splash of liquor if you aren’t going to set those babies on fire. Though not a true bananas fosters, the flavor is definitely there. Oh and the caramel in the picture is just some Fran’s caramel sauce…no need to make your own when you can buy quality like that.

P.S. This is a good follow up to Three Cheese Hazelnut Pasta.

Banana Fosters Crumb Cake

For the Crumbs:
 5 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped walnuts

For the Bananas:

2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP banana liqueur
2 TBSP dark rum
2 large bananas, sliced in rounds

For the Cake:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½  tsp ground cinnamon
¼  tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
6 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
banana fosters mixture

 
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8 inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

For the Crumb: Put all the ingredients except the nuts in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms clumps and curd and holds together when pressed. Scrape the topping into a bowl, stir r the nits and press a piece of plastic against the surface. Refrigerate until needed.

For the Bananas:

Combine the butter and sugar in a flambé pan or skillet.
Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan.(if not using liqueur, just add bananas)
When the banana slices soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. (again, if not using rum, simply take bananas out at this time)
Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum.
When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place aside to cool until needed.

To make the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add the butter and, with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar with the butter at medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beat for about 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla extract. Don’t be concerned if the batter looks curdled-it will soon smooth out. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, the flour in 3 parts and the buttermilk in 2(begin with the dry ingredients). You will have a thick, cream batter. Add the banana fosters mixture and mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. You don’t really want chunks of bananas, you want them integrated like you would in  banana bread.
Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and smooth the top gently with the spatula. Pull the crumb mix from the refrigerator and, with your fingertips, break it into pieces. There’s no need to try to get even pieces-these are crumbs, they’re supposed to be lumpy and bumpy and every shape and size. Scatter the crumbs over the batter,. Pressing them down ever so slightly.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden and thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool just until it is warm or until it reaches room temperature.

Cake recipe adapted from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin 2006
Banana Fosters recipe adapted from Brennan’s Resturant

I may be 36 now but my mother still seems to think she knows me better than me. Like she always tells me I’m not a Democrat(because they raised me to be republican). She tells me what food I do and do not like(she bases this off of when I was like 5 years old). And she loves to tell what I do not hate.
“Oh you do not hate the 4th of July, you just don’t like the things associated with it.” Nope I pretty much hate the forth of July.
There are a myriad of reasons all of which I will spew off to you. Reason number 1, 4th of July has became just another holiday to drink. Except to make this one better we give drunk people explosives to set off(more on that). Seems wise. Just like Cinco De Mayo, the people of the United States seem to find the need to drink excessively, but they want to do it with the excuse that it is a holiday. Now unlike Cinco De Mayo, most people actually know what the holiday is for(most people think Cinco De Mayo is Mexico’s Independence Day…it is not). However, other than knowing that it is our nations birthday most “Americans” don’t seem to know much about America.
Case in point(and Reason #2). I took a quiz on line that was 10 questions off of the Citizenship test. I got 10 out of 10. At the point when I was taking the quiz only 23% were scoring above 60%. That is just sad as they are not hard questions. Or take a couple weeks ago when I was out with friends and the people next to us were debating about the presidential election. They started talking about the great presidents. They all agreed that Ben Franklin was one of the best. Hmmm. Even more sad was that two of the women I was with also thought he was president at one time. And last but not least I give you my conversation I had on 4th of July this year at the Papa Murphy’s take and bake pizza place.
Worker #1:”Happy 4th of July”
Me:”Thanks, but I am Canadian and don’t celebrate it.”
Worker #1: “You don’t? Is that just you or all Canadians?”
Me: “All of Canada does not celebrate it.”
Worker #2 looking at worker #1 like he is a moron. Which he is.
Worker #1: “What other countries don’t celebrate the 4th of July?”
Worker #2 again stares at worker #1 in disbelief.
I go to answer but worker #2 chimes in.
Worker #2: “Dude, no one else celebrates 4th of July except us.”
Worker#1: “Really, why?”
Worker #2: “Dude, you did graduate from high school, right?”
Worker #1 nods yes.
Me: “Because the 4th of July is The United States Independence Day. There is no need for other countries to celebrate it.”
Worker #1: “Oh, I thought it was like Christmas.”
Me: “No, Jesus doesn’t care about who celebrates America’s independence.”
Worker #2 laughs, Worker #1 looks confused.
I leave.

Reason number 3: Fireworks. Now before you say how can you hate fireworks, I don’t. I really like the professional ones that are tall and bright and shot off by people who shoot fireworks for a living. Fireworks that are shot over a wide open space or over a body of water like they are done here(for the most part). The fireworks that end at eleven o’clock at night. Those fireworks I love.
I have a problem with the bring them home and do it yourself fireworks. The ones that started at 6 pm and went until fucking 5am in my neighborhood. The ones that for a solid 2 hours were lit over my house. I am super cautious about this as not one but TWO teachers I used to work with had their houses burnt down by these fine armature firework shooter offers.
I’m talking about the fireworks set off by the 11 year boy down the street who was out there unsupervised with just a large box of fireworks.
These are the fireworks I hate. Technically they are outlawed in my town. But the surrounding towns allow it. And since it is too hard to catch some one doing it, the police do nothing about it. I understand it, I just hate it.
Give the kiddies some sparkles and be done with it. Don’t light stuff that can catch my house on fire people. Really.

Reason #4. My birthday. That’s right, this is where I get selfish. You see, mine being on the 2nd(and my hubby’s being on the 5th) sucks. Why does it suck? Because it always falls as part of the 4th of July weekend. The weekend where everyone goes out of town. And I, I am left with no one to celebrate with. Now, that I am married, I at least have my hubby to celebrate with but still, a few friends around would be nice.

I am not alone in my 4th of July hating. My husband is a hater. My friend A is a hater(we went bowling on 4th of July instead of any BBQ crap). There are a few of us out there…just not enough in my opinion.
So if you are a 4th of July lover. That is good, but I just hope you aren’t one of the drunk ones who shoots off fireworks and makes your poor neighbors worry. I also hope you know a little bit about the country you are celebrating for.

Enough with the hating. On to my pie. I love cherries and goats cheese together so when I had some Rainier cherries from my side of the road woman I was thinking of things to do with them. I am not a big pie person so I don’t make them all that often so I figured I would step up and make one.

Rainier Cherry and Goats Cheese Pie

1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups whole pitted Rainier cherries(about 2 pounds whole unpitted cherries)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
zest of ½ lemon
6 ounces crumbled goats cheese
whole milk for brushing
Goats Cheese Pie Crust
Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F.
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and zest; set aside.

Roll out larger piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim any excess dough to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out top crust.

Roll out remaining dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round.

Toss toss goats cheese with cherries, then add to shell and cover with top crust . Press edges of crust together, then trim, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang underneath, then crimp decoratively and brush top crust with milk. Cut out 5 (1- by 1/2-inch) teardrop-shaped steam vents 1 inch from center.

Bake pie on preheated baking sheet 30 minutes, then cover edge with a pie shield or foil and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Continue to bake until crust is deep golden and filling is bubbling in center, 50 minutes to 1 hour more. Transfer pie to a rack to cool completely, 3 to 4 hours.

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, June 2008

Goat Cheese Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool
4 ounces soft goat cheese, softened but still cool
2 sticks(8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool

In a mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on medium-low until it forms a dough. Divide dough with one half slightly larger, then form each piece into a ball and flatten each into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

I cringed having to write that but I must admit that once again(don’t let it go to your head mom) my mother was right. As you get older your body rebels against you, but you feel the same on the inside as you did when you were 16. Though hopefully at little more educated and street smart then that 16 year old.
I’ll never forget the first time one of my friends turned 40(no, I’m not there yet but now I am closer to 40 than 30). It just seemed so odd. For J is not old to me at all and yet here I was going to the birthday party of a forty year old. A forty year old. Surreal.
I can still remember my mother’s 40th birthday. It involved a penis cake(which she blushed galore…12 year old me did as well) and my mother getting so drunk that she promised me a pony(I’m still waiting). Certainly if I can remember my mother’s 40th birthday so clearly, no friend of mine could be turning 40, let alone me in a few years.
I’m not a panicker. I had a friend who when she turned 35 literally had to be sedated(she did that at 30 as well). She kept freaking out that her best years were over. Subsequently, she pretty much lives like the best years of her life are over…rather sad. I know I am older, but then again so is everyone else. No one I know can afford Botox so we are all growing old together.
I guess I feel the best years of my life are the ones I am currently living. Making the best of what you got and not worrying about how you used to look can make your life a lot more happier. Holding on to that pair of pants you had when you were a size 6 helps no one, only hurts. Plus, if you ever do fit back into those babies…they will be out of style…toss them. If your life is so bad that all you can do is reminisce about the old days, YOU do have the power to fix it. Enjoy the now, enjoy the you in the now.
Well, I said I wasn’t going to bake a birthday cake and then out of no where the sky opened up and started to dump rain. And dump rain. And thunder. In doing that the temperature this morning was 57! Hello oven!
These are simply just devil’s food cupcakes with some buttercream frosting that has a little raspberry jam in it. Topped with a little chocolate raspberry jam ganache filled raspberry to make it a little more birthday special.
Thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday…it was a happy one indeed.

Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Jam Buttercream and Raspberry Truffle

Devil’s Food Cake
Raspberry Jam Buttercream
Raspberry Truffles

Deeply Dark Devil’s Food Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
11 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour mini cupcake pans.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix to incorporate.
Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake cupcakes for 13-15 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes in pan and remove cupcakes from pan. Let cool on wire rack. When cool, frost with Raspberry Jam Buttercream.

Cake Source: Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Raspberry Jam Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
6-8 cups powdered sugar
½ cup seedless raspberry jam

Place butter and jam in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream butter and jam until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time until you reach desired consistency. If frosting gets too thick you can add a little milk to thin it out.

Raspberry Truffles

2 pints fresh raspberries, cleaned and dried
5 ounce semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
¼ cup seedless raspberry jam

Place chocolate and raspberry jam in a heat proof bowl.
Bring cream to a boil.
Pour cream over chocolate and jam and let sit for about 3 minutes.
Whisk together chocolate mixture. If it is still a little lumpy, put in microwave for a few seconds and whisk again.
Put ganache into a piping bag fitted or even an plastic bag(with a tiny hole cut out). Pipe chocolate ganache into fresh raspberries.
Let sit in fridge for about 15 minutes. Top frosted cupcakes with raspberry truffle. Eat any extras…they are good.

I can’t believe it. For the first time I am missing Tuesdays with Dorie. But don’t get mad, you can’t get mad at me…it’s my birthday tomorrow(not my blogs…but mine) so you have to be nice!
I had every intention of making the Apple Cheddar Scones that Karina of the Floured Apron chose…except that the weather chose not to cooperate. Right about the time I got to feeling better Summer finally decided to show up around these parts(it’s been so cold here people were calling it Junuary). And when Summer came it came hard. We don’t usually get into the high 80’s and low 90’s(we average in the low 70’s for June) and when we do we all tend to melt since very few of us around here have air conditioning. I being one of the air conditionless am not about to turn on the oven…not even to bake me my very own birthday cake(Cold Stone here I come for an ice cream cake).
So into the vault I went to find this chocolate zucchini bread I made a little while back.
I’ll admit it doesn’t really say birthday, but it does say breakfast. And since there are two loaves sitting in the freezer right now, it will probably be my birthday breakfast…if I remember to take it out. I am getting old you know. Although apparently not old enough. I had to laugh as in the couple weeks I have received quite a few comments and emails about the photos(of me) in my blog. How everyone thought I was older than what I am. Is it because I am wise beyond my years? HA! More like I keep my body filled with pastries…plump adds more youth as it fills in the wrinkles. Something to remember.
This is a nice moist bread as it has mascarpone cheese as well as buttermilk in it. I used a super dark chocolate…I want to say 76%. Not positive though. I won some free chocolate at a Seattle Food Blogger get together and was using that. I had a couple to choose from and I don’t remember which one I picked…again with the old age.
How will I be spending my birthday you ask? I always start the day by going to the gym. Nothing says I love you to your body and heart like a nice little cardio workout. And I figure if I can still drag my butt there to do it then I can’t be THAT old. Then a quick lunch with a friend and then out to the Melting Pot for dinner with my beloved hubby. We go the Melting Pot each year. I just love fondue…it’s so fun. I already got my birthday gift…a nice little shopping spree at Williams-Sonoma, so you know I was a happy girl!
P.S. Happy Canada Day for all that applies to!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
3 eggs
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Heat oven to 350°F.
Melt together butter and chocolate over medium heat in a double boiler.
When melted remove from heat.
Mix in mascarpone cheese until it melts in with the chocolate mixture.
Place mixture into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix in sugars, zucchini, eggs and vanilla on low speed until well combined.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl. Then add the buttermilk. Then add the remaining dry ingredients.
Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8×4-inch loaf pans.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes(about 20-25 minutes for mini loaves) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Remove from pans and continue to cool on wire rack.