A Birthday Treat for Lily: Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

We’ve been busy of late. Three weeks ago, my wife and I welcomed another addition to our family — our daughter, Lily. She was born a healthy 8 lbs and 1 oz, and since then has packed on the ounces to weigh nearly 10 lbs. Both mother and daughter have recovered nicely and look fabulous. I’m still shocked by how wonderfully they both are doing, and it isn’t just a lack of sleep leading me to say this.

To celebrate, as we did with the birth of her older brother Jack, I made Lily a cupcake. While Jack’s cupcake is all Meyer lemons, I embraced chocolate for our daughter. But I couldn’t deviate too much. Lily and Jack are siblings… so their cupcakes should have something in common — cream cheese frosting.

OK, I’m rationalizing. The truth is that I love cream cheese frosting, and I pretty much think it kicks most frostings’ butt. In addition, it’s infinitely easier to make than buttercream frosting. Cream together a stick of butter, an 8 oz. box of cream cheese, and a 1lb. box of powdered sugar, and you are 90% done. Cream cheese frosting might not have the fluffiness factor and the mouth smoothness of buttercream, but it has got a richness and flavor that just makes me happy.

To raise it up a level, I also added a personal favorite — coconut. I know we’ve all seen mounds of fresh coconut cupcakes, and I admit I was worried that people would think I was oh-so derivative and helping the cupcake craze jump the shark even faster. But, at the end of the day, I like it. So fashion be damned. This is for my little girl!

Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: 1 dozen
Ingredients:
1 cup (200g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (180g) sugar
¼ cup (30g) cocoa powder
1 stick unsalted butter(115g)
2 oz. (60g) semi-sweet chocolate (melted)
½ cup (175mL) buttermilk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Allow the buttermilk, butter and eggs to warm up to room temperature.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

4. Add sugar, salt and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream for 5 to 6 minutes on high, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom at least twice. When done, the butter should be smooth, light in color and fluffy.

5. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the whole egg while the mixer is on medium speed. Once the egg is fully integrated add the yolk and then scrape again.

6. Add the melted semi-sweet chocolate and mix on medium until integrated.

7. With the mixer on low add the dry sifted ingredients and buttermilk in alternating installments as follows: dry, buttermilk, dry, buttermilk, dry. Scrape down the sides at least once.

8. Scoop out into muffin tins lined with paper cups, and place in oven for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick almost comes out clean. Let cool completely then frost.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields: Approx. 1 quart
Ingredients:
1 lb. powdered sugar (room temperature)
1 stick butter (room temperature)
8 oz. cream cheese (1 block)
2 tsp. coconut extract
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
2 cup fancy shredded coconut (topping)

Directions:
1. Using a hand or stand mixer, add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl. Whip at high speed until fluffy and well integrated, approximately 4 minutes.

2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar and salt. To start, mix on low until most of the powdered sugar is integrated and then mix on high for about 1 minute.

3. Add the coconut and vanilla extracts then whip one last time. Taste to make sure flavor is correct. Add up to one more teaspoon of coconut to get clear coconut flavor correct.

4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps well covered for over a week. If the frosting is stiff, simply let warm up to room temperature or for quicker recovery simply beat for about 30 seconds on high with your mixer.

5. Frost cupcakes and then top with a generous amount of coconut. Coconut adds both flavor and hides any flaws in frosting.

6. Tip: When frosting using just a spatula or palate knife, add all the frosting you are going to need in one dollop. Then place the spatula at an angle and turn the cupcake without lifting your knife. Scrape the excess off your spatula. The key is to add more frosting than you think at the start and not to lift your knife. If you do, you’ll start pulling up cake and it won’t be smooth.

A bit of pulled pork every day helps keep the recession at bay…

Last week I ate pulled pork every day for lunch (toasted potato roll, Mt. Olive bread and butter pickles, mayo, pork). Yes, every day. Yes, all week.

But before you start pointing fingers and calling me an uncreative glutton (jealous much?), know this… there is a recession on, and I was just eating the most awesome, economical leftovers that we had in our fridge. That, and I’m eight-plus months pregnant.

“Pulled pork every day? Really?” you gasp in wonder. “Can it be true? Can it be healthy? Can it really be that good? And can I please, please have some?”

Yes, you can have some. If you make this recipe, there will be plenty to go around — and trust me, you won’t get tired of eating delicious, fork-tender and succulent pulled pork until it is all finger-lickin’ gone.

My husband has made pulled pork before, but it’s never turned out so damn tasty. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always devoured it — it’s just the speed and duration of my consumption of it that changes.) This pork, lovingly coated with sugar, salt and spices, and sunning itself in a warm oven for nine hours… it just comes out happy. And it spreads its happy joyfulness when you fork in each delicious bite. I knew it was the real deal when I saw my husband brandishing two forks, and I saw the long, pink strands of wonderful porkiness just falling off the bone into a fragrant heap of steaming awesomeness. Yes, it’s that good.

The first night I had it, it was scrumptious in warm flour tortillas, dolloped with fresh salsa and sour cream and sprinkled with cheese. But that’s a bit complex to replicate for lunch. So for its remaining time in our fridge, it got tossed down sandwich style… and sometimes just forked right into the maw.

In any case, I’m eager for you to make it, friends, so you can tell me what other wonderful leftover concoctions can be had from delicious pulled pork. (In fact, I saw a recipe recently for pulled pork served on pitas with tsatsiki sauce…. any takers?)

So now I’ve thrown down the gauntlet. Pulled pork is delicious. This pulled pork is fabulous. Won’t you eat it every day too?

And now, the husband’s take…

I’m not sure there is anything better than meat cooked for a long time. Two of my favorite recent recipes are a previous pork shoulder braised in Belgian ale and beef short ribs braised in red wine and beef stock. The flavors created by those intense periods spent at low temperatures makes me think my foot probably good after about 5 hours at between 250F-275F. But, I like my foot so that is just silly… right?

Anyway I digress. This recipe is another Sunday stay-at-home special. In my mind, this is the perfect recipe for just a lazy day. The kind where you don’t get out of your pajamas until mid-afternoon, and that’s only to take a shower and put on another set of pajamas — not that I would ever have a day like that.

The best part is that it isn’t a lot of work. Yes, it is a huge time commitment, but not work. Each step takes about ten to fifteen minutes if you work slowly. As a result, you can spend most of your time doing anything else. Even if you don’t baste the shoulder like I suggest in the recipe, it’s not that big of an issue — so you could even do cook this overnight while you sleep. That way it’s great for a noon tip-off or party. In addition, this makes the ultimate leftovers. While we show it with salsa on a tortilla, you pretty much can do anything with it — for example, great, great sandwiches.

This is also a relatively inexpensive cut of meat. If you buy a typical supermarket shoulder, you can get this for about $15 dollars here in DC. You can easily serve a party of eight or more with it. Or have a tremendous amount of leftovers if you make it for your family. This means awesome packed lunches the rest of the week. So this is your very own recession special.

So with time and a little bit of money, you get a truly awesome result… if I don’t say so myself. Now, what about that foot thing?

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ingredients:
7 lbs. pork shoulder (bone in)
1 cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup salt
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. cayenne

Directions:
1. To make the rub, thoroughly mix together the brown sugar, salt, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes and cayenne.

2. Pat dry the pork shoulder and then liberally apply the rub to all sides. Place in a leak-proof container. Cover and refrigerate for as long as 24 hours, or as little as overnight. It will give up a cup or more of liquid so make sure your container is big enough to prevent spillage.

3. Remove the shoulder from refrigerator, brush off any excess or caked on rub. Move to a clean roasting pan with the fat side up.

4. Heat the oven to 275F. Place in the oven and let roast for 9 to 10 hours. Yes, I’m serious about it taking that long. After about 3 hours, there will be enough fat rendered to allow you to baste the shoulder every 1 to 2 hours. With a large spoon simply pour the rendered fat over the shoulder.

5. You will know it’s ready because the outside of the shoulder is extremely dark, nearly burned looking. The pork should pull easily from the bone and the fat/skin on the top should be nearly crispy.

6. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 30 min. Using a pair of forks or very clean hands pull the pork away from the bone. This should be very easy to do.

7. Serve one of several ways. Here we served it on a tortilla and topped with fresh salsa (recipe below). Another favorite for us is on a toasted potato roll and with a couple sweet pickles. This serves great leftovers.

Simple Fresh Salsa
Ingredients:
1 pint grape tomatoes (diced)
1 cup cilantro (diced)
1 jalapeno (diced very fine)
1 lime (juice)
½ large onion (diced)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt

Directions:
1. Combine the  tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and jalapeno in a bowl and mix thoroughly. You can de-seed the jalapeno if you are heat adverse, or substitute a serrano pepper if you like a little more kick.

2. Add the lime juice and olive oil and mix. Salt to taste.

No, it’s not voodoo: It’s roasted curried leg of lamb

Don’t let the husband fool you. He likes to claim that this recipe was an attempt at some “weather voodoo” — meaning, if he roasted a big hunk of meat on our grill, he would convince the weather gods to raise the mercury a notch or two.

Paw-shaw.

The husband likes to grill. The husband likes meat. The weather has nothing to do with it.

In fact, if anything, he angered the weather gods by roasting a spring lamb on a day when the DC area received three inches of snow — and through his meat-searing antics inspired them to drop a one-inch layer of ice that very evening. So much for weather voodoo — or at least my husband’s credentials as a warlock.

But about that lamb… that is another story.

Lovingly tending that big hunk of meat on that snowy day, my husband coaxed from our grill quite a tender piece of eating. Subtly spiced, rosy pink and moist, for a moment I might have imagined spring — if the cold gust of air from the open door leading to the grill hadn’t snapped me out of it. Now, as a woman about eight months pregnant, I appreciate a good piece of red meat… and I am always hungry. And I warn you one other thing may have clouded my judgment: The delicious cool, creamy and tangy yogurt/sour cream sauce that my husband whipped up to accompany the lamb. Let me advise you: Don’t eat lamb without it.

That said, however, I think that, pregnant or not, yogurt sauce or not, this lamb will satisfy those meat cravings you’ve been fighting. It is so, so good.

So, go ahead, attempt this recipe. Maybe you’ll have better luck altering the weather in your region with a meat sacrifice to the weather gods. And, if not, at least you’ll have a full belly to placate you while you burrow down into your blankets.

And now, the husband’s take…

So, it’s winter. And believe me, I’ve noticed. Here in our nation’s capitol, we saw a historic new president and watched people freeze as they celebrated. Indeed, we’ve seen what I feel is an unusual string of below freezing weather. The Potomac has consistently had a sheen of ice over it. In other words, it has been too cold, too often.

Now, you folks who live in more northern parallels — you are tougher than me. I don’t care. I am already ready for spring and it’s just now February. So, my solution is to find a big hunk of meat and roast it outside. Forget Groundhog Day, this is willing spring through the sheer force of meat. Hasn’t worked yet, but the results are a very delicious roast with lots of spices and the strong red meat flavor of  lamb.

If you are not quite as daring as me (because your grill isn’t three feet from your back door), then you can just as easily do this in the oven. This is another one of my favorite kinds of recipes too because you prep it, forget it and do other things.

Roasted Curried Leg of Lamb
Ingredients:
7 to 5 lbs leg of lamb (bone-in)

Dry ingredients:
1 large onion (chopped)
6 cloves garlic
2 inch piece ginger (chopped)
1 serrano pepper
1 cup cilantro (30 g)
2 limes (juice and zest)

Wet Ingredients:
¼ cup coconut milk
¼ cup olive oil

Spice Mix:
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Add all the dry ingredients and the spice mix into a blender or food processor. Slowly add both the wet ingredients until a paste is formed. You may need to modify the amount of liquid suggested.
2. Coat the leg of lamb in the paste.
3. Preheat oven to 325.
4. Roast for approximately 90 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 135-140F at the thickest point. This is medium and you can safely eat it at cooler temperature, but this is our suggested temperature.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 min.
6. Slice and serve.

Yogurt-Mint Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt (can substitute sour cream)
½ cup mint leaves (chopped)
¼ tsp. salt
juice of ½ lime

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Sorry, Colonel Sanders: The Fricadelle takes it!

Have you seen those commercials for the KFC bowls? You know, the ones where they serve mashed potatoes, corn, fried chicken, gravy and cheese all layered together in a big old bowl. Come on, you’ve seen them. Maybe you’ve puzzled over them like I have. Admit it: You’re strangely drawn to them and yet revolted at the same time. They are a paradox… or a conundrum… or maybe even something unholy.

Why? Because all the ingredients in those bowls sound great. I love mashed potatoes. I love corn. I love fried chicken. I love gravy. I love cheese. In some circumstances, I might even combine all of these things before eating them. But there’s something about those bowls… something not quite right.

Well, folks, I have the answer to those bowls for you: Don’t do it. Skip KFC and their suspicious looking “famous bowls.” Stay home, curl up and make my husband’s fricadelle instead.

What is fricadelle, you ask? It is layered comfort food done right, friends. It is creamy, buttery mashed potatoes, topped with sweet and luxurious caramelized onions, and spotted with delicious, hearty, flavorful meatballs made from scratch. It is absolutely delightful and perfect for consuming on a dreary winter’s day. You like mashed potatoes? You like caramelized onions? You like meatballs? Have no fear — they are enhanced, not made disturbing, by being combined into a delicious, beautiful and hearty fricadelle.

I see what the colonel was trying to do… and he just falls short. I’m sorry to say it of a military man, but it’s true. The fricadelle may have been what he was hoping to achieve, but my husband actually executes it. Every bite of this fricadelle is hearty, rustic, satisfying and most important — delicious. So, stick to fried chicken, my goateed friend: My husband has the mashed potato bowl covered.

And now, the husband’s take…

There is nothing quite like cold weather and rich hearty meals. Especially given the amount of cold we’ve had here even in DC. And quite frankly, I cringe when I see what is going on back in the Midwest — did I see something about wind chills of -50F (-45C) in Montana? Terrifying… I suspect that means you have to eat in. So you might have a little extra time to make the fricadelle.

Fricadelle is just a fancy French word for meatball, or at least that is essentially what Larousse Gastronomique tells me. Typically, it is a mixture of meats (here, we use equal parts pork, veal, and beef) and in Belgium and Germany it has mostly pork.

I have a couple rules about meatballs. They tend to get dry and hard. So you need to take care in what kind of meat you buy and be gentle when you cook and shape the meatballs. Even if you grind your own, it is important to ensure your meat has enough fat. You may want to add a bit of fat back if you use lean parts such as pork shoulder. If you buy ground, I suggest buying beef that is a little on the fattier side — such as 80/20 — to compensate for what will likely be leaner pork and veal.

When handling ground meats, you want to really just mix enough to get a uniform consistency, then shape it using as little pressure as possible. I use my hamburger patty strategy, using barely enough pressure and risking the danger they might fall apart at any moment. Here, I use a large serving spoon to help form them into a football shape.

As for cooking, because they are football shaped, the meatballs tend to have three sides to brown. So I recommend browning only two and then letting the meatballs roast. The goal is to be gentle. Meatballs will easily dry up and get hard. Remember: Just because it’s hearty and rustic doesn’t mean it doesn’t take care to make.

Fricadelle over Potatoes and Caramelized Onions
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
3 large onions (sliced fine)
3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
½ cup milk
3 tbsp. butter
olive oil
salt
pepper

Meatball:
½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground veal
½ lb. ground pork
2 tbsp. coarse ground mustard
2 tbsp. fresh thyme (leaves only)
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary (fine dice, no stems)
1 tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix only enough to bring the mixture together. Make a small patty from the mixture and cook quickly on the stove top. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

2. Using a large serving spoon, press the meatballs together in a roughly egg shape. This is an aesthetic choice, feel free to make simple round balls. Place the meatballs on parchment and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be done a day in advance.

3. Add the olive oil to the pan over high heat. Once it shimmers, add the onions. Salt liberally, then turn down the heat to medium. Continue to cook until the onions are soft and golden (30 to 40 min).

4. While the onions are caramelizing, peel and cut the potatoes into even large cubes. Add to pot of cold water and place over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Drain the potatoes and then return to the heated pan. Using a masher or a food mill, combine the potatoes with milk and butter over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Do not overmix, or you risk making glue. (This is a basic recipe for mashed potatoes if you hadn’t noticed).

5. Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator. Place a large pan over high heat, add a small amount of olive oil. Gently add the meatballs and brown being careful not to over handle. Remove and place on a paper towel to wick away any excess fat.

6. Preheat the oven to 400F.

7. Assemble, in a large oven safe dish, adding the potatoes as the bottom layer. Smooth them out ensure they’re evenly distributed. Next, the onions in a smooth, even layer. Finally, using a spoon, make small nests for the meatballs, pressing them into the onions and mashed potatoes. If all the ingredients are properly cooled, this can be done a day in advance.

8. Place in the oven, and cook for 30 min. or until the interior temperature of the meatball is cooked.

Hurry Hurry Eat Green Curry

I love it when my husband creates a sauce so good, I’m up late thinking of other things to put it on.

So far, I’ve come up with: noodles, eggs, gnocchi… and just straight licking it out off a spoon. Seriously, I was awake past midnight.

But why am I torturing myself? This Thai Green Curry Sauce is so good on lightly fried white fish and rice, I don’t know why I bother. The verdant green sauce and its fresh, herbacious, spicy bite go perfectly with tender white fish and coconut-scented white rice. Frankly, I had no idea that green curry was so delicious.

For those new to green curry, don’t be alarmed by its vibrant green color… this is not a disturbing liquefied salad or some sort of wheat-grass-based health beverage. It is a vibrant, fresh, amazing herby concoction, complete with a hint of hot. In fact, call it pesto, if it makes you more comfortable. I don’t really understand the distinction anyway.

The point is: It’s amazing. My husband plates this dish up beautifully… a perfectly lightly golden-fried fish fillet atop a steaming mound of aromatic rice, all resting on a lake of this gorgeous green curry. What do I do? Wreck it, man. Ram my fork through all the ingredients. I break up the fish in one go. I stir the rice mound to a chaotic pile. And most important, I coat EVERYTHING in green curry. I want a mouthful in every bite. Only decorum keeps me from picking up the plate and licking the remnants off.

Hmmm… Maybe what would really go well with this dish is some bread. Yes, some delicious bread to mop up sauce with. Eureka! I have found it. Now maybe I can get some sleep.

And now for the husband’s take…

Authentic… no. Can’t claim that it is. I’ve made this with Thai basil, bird chilies, galangal (a variant of ginger), and other more rarified ingredients. Those are great when you can get them, but at some point you need to use what you have. So, I’ve tried to keep this version to my more regularly available ingredients. As a result, this sauce has become one of our staples.

It is one of our favorite combinations with white fish. Along with some rice, it is fantastic. I’ve made it with sea bass (as seen above), pompano, halibut, and hake. It’s really fantastic with any of the firmer fleshed white fishes as the sauce brings lots of acidity as well as its own deliciousness. I’ve also used the sauce to entice non-fish eaters into the fold… and had it ordered by my insistent father-in-law when he returned home from a fishing trip.

Luckily, this is also a quick recipe. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and most of the time is spent shoving ingredients into the blender and running back and forth to the fridge. I suspect Rachael Ray’s frightening efficiency in the kitchen would transform this into a 1 minute sauce, but I’m not always well organized when I have this many ingredients. So, while my recipe may lack ‘authenticity,’ it makes up for it with deliciousness and speed.

Green Curry Sauce
Yield: 3 quarts sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk
2 limes (juice & zest)
1 serrano chili (can substitute jalapeño)
3 cups (100g) cilantro
3/4 cup (10g) mint
1/2 cup (8g) basil
2 (75g) shallots
3 (15g) cloves garlic
1 3’’stalk (15g) lemon grass
1 1 1/2′’ piece (35g) ginger
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

Directions:
1. Add the cilantro (stem and leaves) to a blender. Add the leaves of the basil and mint along with the kaffir lime leaves, lime zest, lime juice, and coconut juice.

2. Blend for a moment on highest setting before adding the garlic, shallots, lemon grass and ginger. Set to highest setting until smooth. Add a little bit of water or coconut milk if you want it smoother. If your blender is powerful enough, you can combine all the ingredients at once. You can also use an emersion/hand blender. (However, they’re not as  likely to give you a smooth consistency.)

3. Add the sugar, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt. Blend for a moment. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

4. Keeps well for at least 1 week in the refrigerator. To reheat, place in a pan over very low heat. If you heat too fast, it will cause the sauce to take on a shade of brown .Sauce also will heat well in the microwave for about 90 seconds.

Reminder: We are giving away copies of my wife’s and grandmother’s book. Just participate in our holiday traditions event.

Better Beers for the Party Season

“Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas tree…” or perhaps, “Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree.
..” or hopefully not, “Grandma got run over by a reindeer…”

These are some of the lyrics that will invade our subconscious in the coming days as we navigate holiday parties. We’ll all try to drink, eat and be merry as we rub elbows with friends we’ve may have seen earlier in the day shopping at the supermarket, or that acquaintance, who turns out to be your best friend’s brand new flame, that you’ve not seen since last year’s party, or just a chance to get together with your aunts, uncles, siblings, and parents with the buffer of friends and without the formal requirements of carving a roasted beast.

Whatever the invite list, odds are you are going to be there a while. Someone is going to have the radio or the cable music channel set to “sounds of the season,” while you try to maneuver a drink, a fork, a napkin, and full plate with two hands and try to keep your Christmas sweater from needing a trip to the dry cleaner’s before Tuesday’s office Christmas party.

Now I could make a suggestion about delicious hors d’oeuvres. We have plenty in our recipe index, but I’m actually going to speak to the bigger foul — the beer. Oh, I know some of you people don’t drink or think you don’t like beer. Heck, I didn’t like beer until a couple years ago, and the still wife looks at me funny sometimes. But, people, we can do better than Bud, Bud Light, et al.

One of the best things I learned about beer is that it is more like food then you might think. It’s got its seasons. In the spring, you drink the rich bochs developed by monks as “liquid bread” to sustain them through the fasting of lent. In the summer, you drink pilsners and lagers with their light crisp styles. In the fall, you drink harvest beers and sometimes delicious pumpkin ales. At this time of year, you drink Christmas beers. Now, some of them are bad, and tragically so. Yet there are a few really great ones, brewed with things like dried cherries, honey, cinnamon, thyme, and orange peel. The results are some delicious beers that stand up to cheese plates, fatty finger foods, and  even  some delicious sweets.

So these are my recommendations to replace your big case of Rolling Rock. The one warning is that all of these are rather ‘high test.’ They have more in common with drinking a glass of white wine than your normal beers. So, warn folks who enjoy their beer, or you might find people frisky in the coat closet.

Troeg’s Mad Elf (11% AbV)— This Pennsylvania brewer combines cherries and local honey to create this slightly sweet and medium-bodied beer. It’s got nice carbonation  that keeps it light enough to pair well with a lot of foods. But, in general, it’s a joy to drink.

St. Bernadus’ Christmas Ale (11% AbV) & N’ice Chouffe (10% AbV) — Both are classic Belgium Christmas beers. Brewed with orange peel, they are dark brown, spicy and medium bodied. Lots of good dried fruit flavor in both beers.

Brooklyn Brewery’s Dark Chocolate Stout (10% AbV) — This is on my short list of all-time favorite beers. This beer tastes so rich and full of chocolate, it’s amazing to realize this flavor is created only by the blend of roasted malts. It’s creamy and has good carbonation. This can be served across a chocolate dessert instead of coffee, or surprisingly, against a pungent cheese. I’m a huge fan and it is one of the few beers I’ve ever bought a case of.

Finally, just a reminder that we are giving away copies of my wife’s and grandmother’s book. Just participate in our holiday traditions event.

Share your traditions… Win a book!

Frequent readers and subscribers to our feed will notice we’ve taken a couple of sabbaticals since we began this blog. Occassionally people have mailed asking, “So, what are you up to?” Well, this post is an effort at both making excuses and shameless self-promotion.

Well, during one of these breaks, the wife – the funny and talented one – wrote a book: Cole Family Christmas. The tale is based on a true story told by my 88-year-old grandmother, Hazel Cole Kendle, who was the youngest of the nine Cole children.

Cole Family Christmas tells the story of a very special Christmas my family experienced in 1920 when my great-grandfather was working as a coal miner in Kentucky. That year, he had received a promotion and had a little more money, and so the nine Cole children were able to write to Santa to ask for special gifts from the “Wish Book” (AKA the Sears catalogue). But when a freak snowstorm prevented the gifts from being delivered, my great-grandparents had to scramble to save Christmas. As the Cole children remembered it, though, the results of their efforts were even more inspiring – and more meaningful – than the store-bought gifts they had wished for.

This story was passed down in the family for years, until at last my mother thought it should be memorialized in writing. Originally planned as a small pamphlet to be handed out at our annual family reunion, the project blossomed into a book geared toward families and younger readers. Cole Family Christmas is now a hardcover book, complete with beautiful illustrations, and has received broad distribution. We’ve been lucky not only to be picked up by online sources like Amazon, but also by brick and mortar places like Barnes and Noble.

It has been a thrill for us to see Cole Family Christmas sitting in the children section’s at bookstores. As I hope you can tell, I’m extremely proud of my wife. As a result, I’m going to try to capitalize on my wife’s talent even more than usual.

We are going to have a contest.

As you might be able to tell, traditions around the holidays are a big deal for my family. The one I remember most as a child is the annual cookie decorating contest. Like many families, we’d make dozens of cookies, and then a major competition would begin. Typically, the winner would be picked by the first non-participant to walk in the door — a rule that resulted in a hilarious, and controversial, choice when a teenage girlfriend of my older brother made the choice one year.

What are your traditions? We’d love for you to share them, too! To sweeten the pot, we’ll award the top three favorites with a signed copy of the book. Below are the rules:

Rules:

1. Post on your blog about your family’s food traditions for the holidays. It doesn’t need to be about Christmas.

2. Only one submission per blog.

3. Send an email to myhusbandcooks@gmail.com that includes your name, your blog’s name, a link to the relevant photo, and to the post in which it appears.

4. The best three (3) posts will get an autographed copy of the book.

5. The deadline is December 20, 2008 at 11:59 PM EST.

6. Round up will be posted on December 23, 2008. 

My family will choose the winners as soon as all the posts are up, and we’ll be sending out the books ASAP in hopes of getting you the book before Christmas day — unless you live outside North America, then we’ll do our best to get it there before New Years. I hope you enjoy our little competition and have a Merry Christmas!

“Peet-zah.” Or, Onion Marmalade Flatbread.

It’s disturbing that my 20-month-old son managed to say “pizza” before he finally spit out “mommy.” (A sad, but true story.)

Then again, who could blame him? Pizza is good. Pizza is real, real good.

And this Onion Marmalade Flatbread thing… it’s out-damn-standing. First, it’s a looker. Mounds of fresh green arugula, studded with specks of ruby red tomato, call to you. White, lumpy morsels of tangy goat cheese whisper your name. And a thick, sweet layer of rich brown onion marmalade makes eyes at you from its resting place on a thick, crispy crust.

That was kind of weird.

But can I help it that I have been seduced by this pizza… or flatbread… or whatever it is? It’s delicious. I’m not sure what umami is, but I think this pizza achieves something similarly zen. It’s the perfect combination of savory, sweet, tangy and salty. It’s perfectly delicious — and apparently easy to make. (Though I leave that to the husband.)

In fact, I think it could be made even easier — for us lazy cooks out there — by becoming bruschetta. That’s right: I think you could take all these fabulous pizza toppings and just mound them onto a crusty slice of French bread (that you’ve seasoned and toasted with olive oil of course).

But don’t tell the husband that I told you it needn’t be pizza. He’d think I have a bias against pizza. And so what if I do! After all, who couldn’t resent the word that came out before “mommy”? Jeesh.

And now, the husband’s take…

So, two weeks ago I was going on about the usefulness of onion marmalade. I gave you a burger and a sandwich as evidence of its true power as a pantry item. However, there are many more uses. This recipe is perhaps my favorite… though only barely because I do love the other two so much.

In this dish, you have sweetness and acidity from the marmalade. You have this great tang from the goat cheese. You have the freshness from the tomatoes and the peppery arugula (a.ka. “rocket” to my British friends). Finally, all this goodness rests on a thin, crispy crust that gives a truly satisfying crunch. In the end, sweet, savory, tangy, fresh, crunch… it is great.

Oh, as for flatbread vs. pizza, I don’t think there is a difference, really. My big distinction is that pizza is round and typically has either olive oil or tomato sauce for a base. A flatbread I can roll out quickly and throw whatever I imagine onto it.

Seriously, though, I think of flatbreads as a rhombus-square type shape. All squares are rhombuses, but not all rhombuses are squares. So, all pizzas are flatbreads, but not all flatbreads are pizza. (e.g. Indian naan is a flatbread, but not a pizza). That said, I’m welcome to be persuaded that I’m wrong!

Onion Marmalade Flatbread
Yield: 2 12’’-14’’ flatbreads
Ingredients:
10 grape tomatoes (quartered)
3 cups baby arugula
6 tbsp. onion marmalade
2 tbsp. coarse sea salt
1 recipe pizza dough (bellow)

Directions:
1. After making the dough, preheat the oven to 500F. This can be done on a cookie sheet, however, we use a pizza stone placed at the bottom of the oven.

2. Roll out the dough into two 12’’ by 5’’ rectangles. Place about 3 tbsp. of onion marmalade on each rectangle.

3. Move the dough to the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Add crumbled goat cheese (e.g. chevre) and continue to cook until the edges of the crust become a deep, golden brown. This should take approximately 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and top with arugula, grape tomatoes, and season liberally with coarse sea salt.

5. Wait about 2 minutes then slice and serve.

Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
300 g bread flour (can sub. AP)
200 ml warm water
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. active yeast
vegetable oil spray (e.g. Pam)

Directions:
1. Place the flour, water, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Turn on lowest setting and slowly add the water then extra virgin olive oil.

2. Let the dough come together, and then knead for approximately 5 minutes. The dough should be mostly smooth and glossy when you remove it from the mixer.

3. Shape the dough into a ball. Spray a large bowl and then dough with oil. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place until it doubles in size. This should take about 2 to 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

4. Gently punch down the dough and knead briefly until it comes together. Cut into 2 pieces and form into balls. Let rest for 15 to 30 min. before rolling out as needed.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts: Try them, and be thankful!

I love brussel sprouts. This is as surprising to me as it may be to brussel-sprout haters out there. 

My first encounter with sprouts came under the worst possible circumstances: served as airline cuisine. Slimy, smelly and downright repulsive, they not only fouled my taste buds, they also fouled the air in the cabin. Those brussel sprouts were filthy little heads of cabbage, and I decided they might be the one vegetable that this vegetable lover loathed.

Enter the husband’s cooking (again). Under his excellent watch, foul little brussel sprouts are made delicious. Roasted to toasty golden perfection, they are savory, satisfying little bites of veg. They even have a subtle sweetness akin to popcorn. And much like popcorn, I eat them by the handful.

I admit, I’m all about the sides… and at Thanksgiving, sides are king. I suggest you add a little bit golden green to your groaning sideboard this Thursday in the form of roasted brussel sprouts. Try them. I think even the skeptical will agree: They are, indeed, something to be thankful for!

And now, the husband’s take…

As my wife stated, she’s about the sides. And I can’t blame her. On this day of turkey, you can see why the sides are bigger players then on most days. As a result, I’m giving you a quick, easy and delicious recipe for the day — roasted brussel sprouts. 

This is one of our family’s staple. We make this about twice a week during the fall and winter. And, as I’ve converted several people myself, I’m convinced this is the way to make even the biggest hater of brussel sprouts reconsider. We tend to think they smell, not like boiling cabbage, but popcorn. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! If you are not in the US, it’s a great holiday to celebrate what you have been so lucky to receive this year. So I wish you Happy Thanksgiving as well! 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients: 
1 lb. brussel sprouts
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt

Directions: 
1. Slice the brussel sprouts in half through the stem. Trim off any rough part of the stems and pull off any bad (brown or with holes) leaves. This can be done hours in advance. 

2. Preheat the oven to 400F and turn on the convection feature. If your oven doesn’t have this feature, then preheat to 425F. 

3. Toss the prepared sprouts in olive oil. 

4. Heat a large, oven-safe pan over hight heat and coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the brussel sprouts to the pan. Work quickly to make sure the cut side is down. This should cause a sizzle.

5. Liberally salt the sprouts. Keep the pan on the stove over high heat until the sprouts begin to brown on the hottest parts of the pan. 

6. Move the pan to the oven. Check about 10 min into the cooking. Flip the sprouts over. They should be very dark brown on the bottom. Cook for another 10 min or until all the sprouts are completely golden. 

Note: If you are doing a very large batch or don’t have an oven safe pan, I recommend using a cookie sheet instead. Simply use two burners of the stove, and place the sheet over medium high heat. Spray the pan with a vegetable oil spray. Add the sprouts cut side down and then move to the oven. Takes about 20 min per side.

Turkey & Cheddar Panini (with onion marmalade) to the rescue!

Yesterday, we brought you the secret of our house burger… onion marmalade. Today, we bring you the secret of our favorite sandwich… it is, er, onion marmalade.

Pictured above is the sandwich that makes us happy. Especially on those nights. (You know the ones I mean.) Everyone has them. Especially after you’ve had kids. Those are the nights when you know you need to make dinner. But you look at each other, look at your little ones, and realize that – shock! horror! – you don’t actually  want to cook. Even I have those nights… nights when the wife might grudgingly enter the kitchen, rather than give in to ordering or going out. Those nights are when we turn to this sandwich.

It couldn’t be more simple. A few slices of turkey, some good sharp cheddar, a slice of bacon, and delicious onion marmalade. Place the sandwich in the panini press, and 10 min later… voila!… hot delicious turkey and cheddar panini with onion marmalade. Plus, you don’t have to deal with the guilt of putting out the cardboard pizza box with the garbage, reminding your neighbors that, “No, your kids are not eating 100% organic, locally grown, micro-biotic tofu and sprouts.”

A few little tips. First, the cheese is important. In addition to being tangy and tasty, it’s a binding agent. There are two very thin layers that hold the sandwich together and keep the marmalade from bleeding through the bread. You don’t need a lot of cheese; spread it out and keep it thin. Also, don’t try to slice the sandwich fresh from the heat of the press. If you do, the cheese will still be molten and it will cause the sandwich to shift around. Wait 2 minutes before slicing.

Second, to me, the joy of a panini is the crunch as much as the flavor. After many trials, we know that if you add too much turkey, it becomes just a hot sandwich – not a panini. No more than three thin slices of turkey from the local deli seem to yield the best results.

Finally, the wife wanted me to say that the bacon is 100% optional. If you have no interest in breaking out the pan, you can have something just as delicious without it.

Turkey and Cheddar Panini with Onion Marmalade
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
8 slices bread
1/2 lb. thin sliced turkey
6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
4-6 slices bacon
1/4 cup onion marmalade

Directions:
1. Heat the panini press. Fry the bacon and let drain.

2. Slice the cheese thin and place enough to nearly cover the bottom slice of bread.

3. Break the bacon in bite-sized pieces and stack on the cheese. (Small slices ensure the bacon will remain in the sandwich, and not get yanked out in one big bite!)

4. Add the turkey next, then about a tablespoon of the onion marmalade.

5. Finish off by adding another thin layer of cheese and the top piece of bread.

6. Toast until golden brown. Let cool for 2 to 3 min to allow the cheese to firm before slicing.