Hooch Cake for the New Year

Well, I did it, folks. I set out to try 52 new recipes in the new year, because for the most part, I only cooked variations of macaroni and cheese and my dad's chicken adobo recipe.  Ah... that first blog entry seems so long ago.  I was so much younger then.  Full of hope. Full of fear for the polar vortex.  There was no Mariano's then, you know.  But now there is.  And I've accomplished what I set out to do! Hooray! WE MUST CELEBRATE!!!

This whole thing started because of a new year's resolution and it was one of my favorite things about 2014.  I don't typically like resolutions but that's because this is the first year I was actually able to keep one.  

And so we begin again.  Tomorrow is the day we promise to do better. When we vow to value our minds, bodies and souls as we should.  When we resolve to give up things that without moderation might ruin us -- things like chocolate or whiskey or cake.  And so, on this, the last day of 2014, I present to you this year's final blog post:

Recipe #52: Chocolate Whiskey Cake

Choice of libation: Coffee - since the recipe called for it, I thought it best to make sure it was good.  And.  Also, whiskey, since the recipe called for it, I thought it best to make sure it was good.

Choice of music:  "Reloaded: Greatest Hits" by Tom Jones.  Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. But don't lie to me and tell me you don't enjoy listening to "Delilah" and of course, "It's Not Unusual."

Oh, you're welcome.  I can't tell what I like better about this clip -- the weird disco alien dancers at the top of the video who maybe are also attending some sort of Eastern European wedding, the awkward screaming from audience members who maybe are on their lunch break at a prep school whose students have been deprived of dancing or music...

While there are no pictures of me eating the cake, you can guess that it will look a lot like this.

Ah. Dark chocolate, cocoa powder, whiskey, coffee and rum...

These are a few of my favorite things.

Butter and dust that cake pan with cocoa powder. Because. Calcium and antioxidants.

And you better dust those dark chocolate chips with more chocolate.

So the recipe called for ground cloves which I totally thought I had but I didn't so I used nutmeg in its place and stirred it in with the other dry ingredients.  I think I like nutmeg better than cloves anyway.

#justifyanything

Ah yes, so in that sauce pan is more butter and more chocolate and yes, I AM about to add a whole cup of brown sugar, followed by a whole cup of granulated sugar. 

I mean, at this point, I don't even care if the cake turns out well. I can smell that whiskey and that coffee with the chocolate. If it's an ugly cake I will eat it by myself. 

Here goes.  It's at this point that I realized I should have used a springform pan. Oops.

 

So. Okay. It's not the prettiest.  But I am about to eat a whole bunch of it while sipping more whiskey coffee and watching one of the best movies of all time,The Apartment, which is a new New Year's Eve tradition I am starting right now.  So I'm pretty sure that means I am winning.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVERYBODY! I ABSOLUTELY ADORE YOU!!!

Stolen and adapted from Cowgirl Cuisine by Paula Disbrowe

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup whiskey
1 1/2 sticks  (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (I used nutmeg)
3 large eggs plus one egg white
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I used spiced rum)


Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees . Butter a 10-inch springform pan, dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and place on a baking sheet.
In a saucepan, whisk together the coffee, whiskey, butter and 3/4 cup cocoa powder over low heat. Whisk in the granulated and brown sugars. Let cool. In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. Whisk the eggs, egg white and vanilla into the cooled coffee-chocolate mixture. Whisk in the flour mixture. Fold the cocoa-dusted chocolate chips into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out just slightly moist, about 1 hour. Let cool. Dust with the remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa powder before serving.

Better Than The Worst Pie in London

Remember that episode of Just Shoot Me when David Cross played a Elliot's brother, Donnie who faked a head injury as a child to make his family wait on him hand in foot his whole life?
No?
Oh.  I forget. I may have been one of 9 people who watched that show.
Ahem.

Just Shoot Me was a sitcom that aired in the late 90's and I watched every episode then, even though I'm not sure all of it holds up anymore.  The cast is above, from right to left: the voice of Kristie Alley's baby in Look Who's Talking (I'm sure George Segal is MOST proud of that credit), the chick who played Kit DeLuca in Pretty Woman, the guy who played David Spade in everything, that lady who played Martin's girlfriend then wife on Frasier and that guy who played Mathesar in "Galaxy Quest" (and interestingly enough also Rene in the 2008 televised biopic about Celine Dion).
Anyway.
That little history lesson was just so I could justify using the following clip...

Yes. Chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot pie.  That was Donnie's favorite food and he manipulated his family into making it for him by singing that catchy tune.  Horrible. Politically incorrect.  But catchy.  I won't spoil the episode for you in case this causes you to binge watch Just Shoot Me episodes, but David Cross is hilarious in everything and does not disappoint.  Did you know he's married to Amber Tamblyn from Joan of Arcadia and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants? And Russ Tamblyn?  

And now concludes this chapter of Emjoy Gavino watches too much television.

Recipe #51: Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Choice of libation: Water. In the form of ice. With some diet Coke.  And rum.

Choice of music: The New Basement Tapes. YOU GUYS. It's so good and such a cool idea. Basically, Bob Dylan gave a bunch of his manuscripts to T-Bone Burnett and he put together a collective of musicians and singers to set the words to music.  The whole dang album "Lost on the River" is amazing and features Riahnnon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James, Marcus Mumford and Elvis Costello.  This one is one of my favorites:

So good!

I was really nervous doing this one. I know, I had made a pie crust before.  But that was with Todd who is a brilliant baker and who did most of the work that time.  I mostly supervised and by supervised I mean drank coffee and cheered Todd on.  I used whole wheat flour because that's what we had in our cupboard, but it did make the dough a little tougher to handle.

Two hours later, I started on the filling -- the curry and cumin, garlic and onions scent filled my home and I wasn't complaining.  I maybe should have added ginger. Oh well, next time.

After adding the coconut milk, it seemed the right consistency but I think the instruction to add chicken stock after that was iffy -- it made it too thin and it never thickened up enough for me. Harumph. 

Here's where I got nervous again. Would the dough fall apart? 

Oh, there are no pictures of me beating the whole wheat dough into submission.  

Rolling is hard work.  

Also, I had had two rum and cokes at this point.

This actually looked like it might work! The filling didn't break the dough and it all smelled delicious.

I actually ended up with too much filling so saved the rest of it to make a chili with.

Who's the idiot who keeps forgetting to buy a pastry brush? This guy.

Who is the genius who used a paper towel to dab the egg wash on with? This guy

You can't tell but I am pointing to me.

Not literally.

I'm typing.

Now.  What to do while the pie bakes?  Certainly not worry about it being horrible. 

Oh I know! Let's cruise youtube for forty minutes!

Well, that didn't help.  Though it did curb my appetite a little.

DING! It did look like something edible.  And it must taste good.  

Even the pie itself is drooling.

It was actually quite tasty although in the end it didn't hang together very well. As you can see.  

I'm guessing it's because I may have rolled the dough a little thin. But I did get seconds. 

And half of a third. 

And then the other half later.

stolen and adapted from completelydelicious.com

For the crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

1/2 cup cold coconut milk 

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

For the filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lb  chicken, cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon curry powder

(I added 1 tablespoon cumin)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 15-oz can unsweetened coconut milk

1 cup chicken stock

2 cups  cubed potatoes

1 cup carrots, sliced (I used apples instead)

1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

Additional salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (oops, I forgot this)

To make the crust:

In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. Add the cubed cold butter and pulse 3-4 times to break up into smaller chunks. With the food processor running, add the cold coconut milk or water and continue to process until mixture thickens and starts to come together but is still crumbly. This should take about 10 seconds.

Dump the dough out onto a clean surface and gather into a ball. Cut in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours. Dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or double wrapped in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To make the filling:

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large skillet placed over medium heat. Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook in batches if needed. Cook until edges turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Place remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato paste, curry powder, and flour. Add the coconut milk very gradually while whisking constantly. Add the chicken stock. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 7-10 minutes. (*I actually didn't think it needed all that chicken stock, I would eyeball it so the liquid doesn't get too thin)

Add the cooked chicken, potatoes, and carrots and cook until vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cilantro, and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat to let cool slightly while you prepare the crust.

To assemble the pie:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a floured surface, roll out one of the disks to a rough 13-inch circle. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie dish.

Roll out the second disk of dough into a large circle. Cut into strips for a lattice or keep intact. Pour the filling into the bottom crust and top with lattice or circle of crush. Trim edges of crust to 1 inch overhang, pinch together and tuck into pie dish.

Brush with egg wash and cut vents in the top crust if not using lattice. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, 45-60 minutes. If crust browns too quickly, cover with foil for the remainder of baking time.

Let cool 15 minutes, then serve. If baking the pie ahead of time, reheat in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes: If using coconut milk in the crust, make sure it is well-shaken. It is also thicker than water, so you may need to add up to an additional 1/4 cup. Add 1 tablespoon at a time to avoid over moistening the dough.

Adventures in Salad Dressing (that lesser known Elizabeth Shue film)

Yep. It's about that time of the year when I realize how much cheese I've consumed in the last three weeks...heck, in the last three days and try to make up for it by slowly transitioning to healthy eating. The obvious go-to meal would be a salad. Which sometimes I like.  When I can put a bunch of stuff on the salad that I would eat otherwise. Like bacon. And corn. And BBQ chicken. And creamy dressing.  You get the idea.  And so that's what I did.  And, hey, I did say I was slowly transitioning to healthy eating.  And who better to teach me how to transition, than the queen of health comebacks, herself, OPRAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I decided to look up fun salad dressing recipes and found one on Ms. Winfrey's website including avocado and lemon and thought it might go nicely with some southwestern ingredients, and came up with this delicious lunch I will be eating all week...

Recipe #50: Avocado Ranch Dressing on Healthy-ish BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad

Choice of libation:

I mean...it's 5 o'clock, somewhere?

Choice of music:

This song is called "Everything is Everything" but Gabriel Garzon Montano is EVERYTHING. This Brooklyn native is all chill acoustic groove, and some unexpected jazz intervals, like an updated Bill Withers. Listen to his whole album, Bishoune: Alma del Huila. SO SO GOOD.

Here is the star of our show, and I guess I will be eating it for awhile because the recipe makes A LOT OF IT. I'm not complaining though. But how did I get here, you might ask? So easy!

Pulse the garlic and the avocado together.  I mean, already I would eat this as a dip.

No, I didn't need to show you this picture of me squeezing a lemon into the dressing, but I wanted to point out all that produce in the background.  I'M TRYING OPRAH, I REALLY AM. 

This is a lot of fresh dill, which I'm a big fan of.  With the lemon, it really brightens up the flavour and also makes it a beautiful colour. Yes, again with the unnecessary letter 'u.' CAN'TSTOPWON'TSTOP.

I know it's not a big deal, but I've never made a salad dressing before. 

It's so pretty!  And tastes AMAZING. There's a bite to it because of the garlic, but you still get the sweetness of the avocado and the tartness of the lemon. It's worth celebrating.

Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no

Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no

Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no

Okay, that's enough.

I basically just sauteed chicken breast in olive oil and the barbecue sauce we had in the fridge, but if I hadn't been so hungry I would have tried to make my own. 

Oh well, one homemade condiment is good enough for now.

Every time I make a salad, it ends up being a cobb salad, but at least I know I'll eat it.  

But I would basically eat anything with that dressing on it.
And look, no cheese!  For now.

Healthy-ish BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad

2 cups cooked, diced chicken (sauteed in 2 tbsp olive oil and 4 tbsp BBQ sauce)

2 cups romaine lettuce

6 strips turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

3 roma tomatoes diced, salt and peppered

1 cup black beans

1 cup yellow corn

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toss lettuce with chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, beans and corn

Drizzle some good dressing on

Salt and pepper to taste

Avocado-Ranch Dressing

stolen and adapted from Oprah.com

2 cloves garlic, peeled (I used 4 cloves)

1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

1 cup vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1 tsp. sweet paprika

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup chopped, fresh dill

Pulse the garlic in a blender to get it chopped up. Add the avocado, broth, lemon juice, oil, onion powder, paprika and salt and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula occasionally to make sure you blend everything. Add the dill and pulse just until the dressing turns a brilliant green with flecks of dill throughout. Taste for seasonings. Remember that the salt flavor will be diluted when you add it to the salad, so make sure it's just a tad saltier than you think it should be. Seal tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

Winning Your Office Cookie Exchange: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Here's the thing about December: It's the one month of the year where I actually have no appetite for cookies.  They are EVERYWHERE. People are always giving it as gifts, or displaying it on their coffee tables or hurling it at you from their bikes (true story (people in Renton, WA can be weird)). And so few of them are special, everyone doing the same variation on the sugar cookie or the gingerbread dough they bought on sale at Jewel.  Snoozefest.  This year, for Chad's office cookie exchange, we decided to challenge our tastebuds.

Recipe #49: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Choice of libation: 

Why not be inspired by the source? Hot cocoa mix + dark chocolate syrup + pinch of cinnamon + pinch of chili powder + hot milk = a very good idea. Oh, + rum too, please

Choice of music:  

Caleb Hawley, especially his album "Side 1", ESPECIALLY the songs "Let a Little Love In" and"When My Baby's Gone." Try to pretend he doesn't look like a young Bill Pullman, if that is distracting you.  Very much a Motown throwback sound, with some awesome gospel thrown in.   

I think these are my favorite songs I've heard this year. 

Yes. Even better than "Uptown Funk."

There's ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with this picture. 

Butter and chocolate: the stuff dreams are made of.

And of course we fake a double broiler

Sugar, eggs and vanilla extract, or -- say it with me, folks SPICED RUM are mixed in a separate bowl. End result should be pale and fluffy.  

That's what they called me in high school. 

No. Sigh. They really did just call me "Emma."

This is the part of the recipe that makes this boy a man.  Or something.  Basically it's the spices that elevate this cookie recipe: A crap ton of chile powder, cayenne and cinnamon.  Actually, more than the original recipe called for.  

This was the part when I realized the chocolate chips were supposed to go in separate, instead I melted it in with the other dark chocolate. Oops.  Oh well.  They would just be extra chocolate-y.

Here's where the picture of the cookies I actually made should be. But for some reason I spaced on taking that photo on my phone.  They pretty much looked like these.  Chad brought it to his office party the next day and there wasn't one cookie left, if that tells you anything. They were suuuuper spicy and suuuuper chocolate-y and now they're suuuuper gone.

Stolen and adapted from lifemadesimplebakes.com

6 tbsp. all-purpose flour

⅔ c. sugar

⅓ c. unsweetened baker's chocolate, chopped

1 c. dark chocolate, wafers or chopped chocolate

5 tbsp. butter

2 eggs, room temperature

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon (we used 3 tsp)

¼ tsp. ancho or chipotle chili powder (we used 1 tsp)

½ tsp. cayenne pepper (we used 1 tsp)

½ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. vanilla extract (we used spiced rum)

1 c. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (DO NOT MELT THESE IN WITH THE DARK CHOCOLATE, LIKE I DID)

Preheat to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats, set aside.

Set a medium size bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Add the unsweetened chocolate, dark chocolate and butter. Stir until the the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. 

Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer whip together the sugar, eggs and vanilla on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, and add in the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until combined. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks.

Let the batter stand at room temperature for 10 minutes until it firms up. It will resemble brownie batter.

Using a standard size scoop, place balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops become shiny and cracked. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ina Garten??? More like, INABOUT TO EAT THESE NOODLES

Dear Ina,

Of all the people in the world who could instruct me in Szechuan cuisine, I am turning to you, because your "Noodles of the World" episode was on and I was hungry.  Why are there so many ingredients? And do you know where Jeffrey is right now?

Curiously,

Emjoy

Dear Emjoy,

Please stop asking about Jeffrey.

Cordially,

The Producers of "The Barefoot Contessa"

Recipe #48: Szechuan Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Choice of libation: 

This Goose Island favorite goes really well with spicy meals. Or in place of, really.

Choice of music:

Yes. I am listening to Hall and Oates (and their album, "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" (which is totally the truth Ina Garten lives by)).  I totally forgot about this song until I started watching "Hello Ladies", Stephen Merchant's underrated and now cancelled series on HBO.  

Seriously. THIS IS TOO MANY INGREDIENTS FOR ONE SAUCE. It better taste awesome, Ina.

Fine. It smells delicious.  That's still a lot of ingredients though.

This was an interesting thing I should have already known how to do - boiling and blanching the broccoli so they're not completely raw, but still maintains that beautiful bright green colour.

Bell peppers on sale! Thanks, Mariano's!

Yes, I'm still trying to figure out how Mariano's can sponsor my cooking and eating habit, so I'll mention them as often as possible. Mariano's.

Oh yeah, I roasted some chicken, earlier.

The sauce turned out really well, and I actually wish I had doubled the recipe (since it was so many steps and ingredients) to use as a dip or a dressing.  Garlicy and spicy and the perfect thick texture.

Here's the thing about this recipe -- it's probably best to make it for a party in the summertime, since technically it is supposed to be served room temperature and is kind of a noodle salad.  And makes A CRAP TON of food. So, you know, not for two people to eat throughout the week. That said, I happily ate it every day, sometimes heated up, sometimes cold, and each time it was delicious. While it was a lot of work, I think I might try this one again.

MARIANO'S!

Stolen and adapted from foodnetwork.com

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets and stems discarded

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used crunchy almond butter, no regrets)

1/2 cup good soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup sherry vinegar (I used balsamic)

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon Asian hot chili oil

2 tablespoons dark toasted sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 pound spaghetti

4 scallions, sliced diagonally 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan, skin side up. Rub the tops with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the broccoli florets for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately immerse in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain and set aside.

Place the garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the cayenne pepper in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Add a splash of olive oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with the sauce. Add the scallions, peppers, chicken and broccoli and toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature.