The Sweet and The Savory

Cheeeeese Cake Makes Me Smile :)

2009-04-27T00:00:00.011-07:00

The Daring Bakers' April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

http://thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/abbeys-infamous-cheesecake

Cheese cake and choose a flavor. Hmmm...I had never made a cheese cake before and I didn't want to deviate too far from the recipe on my first try.

My sister and my great niece were headed to AZ for a visit this month and I had decided that after I picked them up from the airport I would take them to "The Farm" at South Mountain.

http://www.thefarmatsouthmountain.com/index.php

The Farm has beautiful gardens and my desire was to three fold. 1. To provide a good meal. 2. To provide my niece with some run around time as she had been on a plane for almost four hours 3. To prove to my sister that vegetation does grow in desert.

The Farm boast great Pecan trees and thus my flavor was born. I made Pecan paste to use in my crust and used a Praline Liqueur for the flavor in the filling.

The filling was creamy and silky. I kept the lemon juice and vanilla in the filling. When I saw the specs of vanilla in the filling I knew I was in for a treat. The lemon juice brightened all the flavors. And, I found the most amazing blackberries at my local market to use as a topping.

Nuts, cheese and fruit. You know you have a winner when your youngest taster over the course of two days eats three big pieces. Thanks Mya for your discerning 4 year old taste buds.

The Daring Bakers Bake with Pasta

2009-03-30T08:01:00.013-07:00

While searching out a recipe, I came about a food blog that had a couple of years of entries posted related to a monthly baking challenge with the Daring Bakers. Lovely pastries, cakes, cookies, quick breads etc. The Daring Bakers community comments were very supporting and kind. I knew I wanted to be a part of their community. I immediately searched out how to sign up and sent off my email request.

Thus, I post my first Daring Bakers challenge. And, to my surprise Lasagna!!!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

An important element in the challenge, was to hand roll the pasta. My grandparents were from northern Italy and while my father remembers his grandmother rolling out the dough with a broomstick, by the time I made pasta with my grandmother we used a machine that hooked to the table. For the challenge, I used a piece of wood closet rod and stretched and rolled my way to success.

My first time at making a bechamel sauce. I used a basic basil marinara sauce for the ragu.

The finished Lasagna was delicate and light and so Yummy!!!

Sláinte mhaith!

2009-03-17T16:01:00.004-07:00

Usually my father and uncle would toast with this cheer...many years have past since I last heard them pour a drink and toast to "Good Health." My uncle pasted and my father misses his friend and remembers often the good times they had while building bathrooms to earn an extra dollar or visiting at the bar.

My mother's parents were from Ireland and while growing up the celebration of Ireland and being Irish was never forgotten. St. Patty's Day was celebrated with Corn Beef and Cabbage and bread - Irish Bread and Brown Bread, music and always a jig. Grandma Collin's was a fantastic cook and baker.

Today I celebrate my family's Irish heritage with a loaf of Mary Collin's Irish Bread.

Mary Collin’s Irish/Brown Bread

4 cups flour (for brown bread - about a cup of brand bud cereal soaked in buttermilk, plus flour whole-wheat or white to equal 4 cups total)

2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Raisins (not in brown bread)
1 egg
Melt stick of butter
¼ Cup sugar

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (until sticky not too dry)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine dry ingredients.

Add in wet ingredients.

Dough should be sticky but not wet.

Place dough in well seasoned cast iron skillet and place in oven for about 50 minutes.

Fat Tuesday!!!

2009-02-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

OMG! Over the past week I had been searching the food blogs and posts for a Paczki recipe. Not just any old recipe, but one that would take me back home, to Detroit. I know, you thought I was going to say Poland. But, my father worked in Hamtramck, a Polish community just outside of Detroit, where Paczki marked the beginning of Lent. Long lines around great old world bakeries where Polish was spoken while you waited and loud sighs would ring out as the counter clerk yelled out "we are out of prune for the next 20 minutes..." That's right 20 minutes. Fresh warm Paczki to purchase by the dozen!

What is a Paczki? Not a boxed jelly doughnut that local grocery store in Arizona passes off as my beloved Paczki rather a fried doughy cloud of yummyness filled with jam or custard or just dusted with powdered sugar.

And, thanks to cynthy123 at http://boards.epicurious.com/profile.jspa?userID=12675114 for posting her Cioc's recipe! I was transported. Transported to Detroit and memories of my Dad bringing home the Lenten treats and beyond. They turned out fabulously!!!

I made a couple of tweaks...I used about a tablespoon of the sugar in my milk to get the yeast "really bubbling." And, I used a tablespoon of Rum instead of the vanilla thanks to the advice of a Detroit bakery.

I had read on many of the posts to knead the dough until it blistered. The dough was light and tasted great before it was fried. I cut them into 2 oz circles with a biscuit cutter.

I kept the oil temperature at about 370 degrees F and fried three at a time. This worked out well. The outside was a perfect brown and the inside was tender and light.

I used a pastry bag filled with a high quality fruit spread to fill the Paczki after they were fried. Next year, I plan on making lemon custard to use. This past fall we planted two varieties of lemons - a Meyer and a Eureka and the trees are full of blossoms.

Thanks again cynthy123! And, Stout and Eleanore thank you too because they are in for a long hike tomorrow...

The Dish

2009-02-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

Family, food and friends...