Crust:
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teas. cinnamon
1/4 teas. ancho chili powder*
1/8 teas. salt
1/2 teas. pure vanilla extract
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Almonds:
1 cup slivered almonds
2 teas. sugar
1 teas. cinnamon
Filling:
1 ancho chili*
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 T Amaretto
Directions:
1) To prepare crust, beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, chile powder, and salt with electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla and cocoa and beat until the mixure forms a smooth paste. Add flour and mix just until incorporated. Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and press into and 8-inch disk. Wrap dough and chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
2) Roll dough out between pieces of plastic wrap into an 11-inch circle. Peel of top layer of plastic and invert carefully into bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Press pastry into the sides of the pan and remove second layer of plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3) Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Prick bottom of pastry shell with fork and bake until dry, about 12-15 minutes. Cool.
4) To prepare almonds, put almonds on baking sheet and toast in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Toss with cinnamon and sugar while still warm. Set aside.
5) To prepare filling, put the ancho chili in a small bowl, cover with very hot water and let steep until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from water, discard seeds and stem, puree chile in blender with 1 T of the water the chile soaked in. Blend until smooth.
6) In small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Lower temperature to simmer and add chocolate pieces - stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add in ancho chile puree and Amaretto.
7) To assemble, spread almonds on the bottom of the cooked tart shell. Pour the chocolate mixture over the almonds and spread to form a smooth layer. Refrigerate until chilled and set, about 3 to 5 hours. About 30 minutes before serving remove tart from refrigerator, transfer to serving plate and cover the tart with a stenciled design or doily and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
*A quick note about the ancho chile. Ancho's are the dried version of poblano peppers; as I had none of these on hand I substituted ground chipotle pepper (which you can find in the spice aisle at your local grocery store) and cayenne pepper for a kick. If you opt for this variation I recommend taste testing to the desired spice level.
Parley
I think it is safe to say this was Audrey's first tart and she was an admirable sous chef! She helped me stir, stir, stir and dump, dump, dump and counted out each and every one of the almonds to be chop, chop, chopped! There was one minor incident with the cocoa, or "ca-cow" as Audrey puts it and well, yeah, she put it everywhere but really what's a little "ca-cow" on the counter, floor, face, Aunt Denn (that's me) when we're having so much fun?
This tart is quite sumptuous and I love the spice profile from the, at least in this case, chipotle and cayenne peppers. Sometime I'll have to attempt it with the ancho chile and see which I prefer...or better yet, since I'm posting this recipe at the behest of our fellow contributor, Mike, perhaps he can borrow Audrey for an afternoon of chocolatey fun and let us know how it turns out!
Finally, to give credit where credit is due, this recipe also comes out of Seasonal Southwest Cooking by Barbara Pool Fenzl.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Coconut Sticky Rice and Mango
Ingredients:
1 cup sticky rice
2 cans light coconut milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 teas. coconut extract
1/2 teas. salt
1 T corn starch
1 T toasted sesame seeds
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
Directions:
1) Cook rice according to package instructions substituting coconut milk for water and adding flaked coconut.
2) Mix the remaining coconut milk with sugar, coconut extract, salt and corn starch over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens.
3) In a medium sized serving bowl pour milk mixture over cooked rice, add sesame seeds and stir to incorporate. Cool for at one hour.
4) Peel and slice mango. Arrange on top of rice and serve.
Parley
Feeling that we did not have enough desserts in the Heskin house yet (rum cake and dark chocolate Mexican torte are clearly not enough for three people) and having a recently earned reputation involving sweet confections from Florida to live up to - as well as given the fact that Suz and I were making Thai Drunken Noodles for dinner and that this particular dish is one of Suz's all time favorite desserts, what better thing to do on a snowy Wednesday night than whip up this tasty Thai indulgence? Especially when it's so easy and so yummy!!
1 cup sticky rice
2 cans light coconut milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 teas. coconut extract
1/2 teas. salt
1 T corn starch
1 T toasted sesame seeds
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
Directions:
1) Cook rice according to package instructions substituting coconut milk for water and adding flaked coconut.
2) Mix the remaining coconut milk with sugar, coconut extract, salt and corn starch over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens.
3) In a medium sized serving bowl pour milk mixture over cooked rice, add sesame seeds and stir to incorporate. Cool for at one hour.
4) Peel and slice mango. Arrange on top of rice and serve.
Parley
Feeling that we did not have enough desserts in the Heskin house yet (rum cake and dark chocolate Mexican torte are clearly not enough for three people) and having a recently earned reputation involving sweet confections from Florida to live up to - as well as given the fact that Suz and I were making Thai Drunken Noodles for dinner and that this particular dish is one of Suz's all time favorite desserts, what better thing to do on a snowy Wednesday night than whip up this tasty Thai indulgence? Especially when it's so easy and so yummy!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Goat Cheese and Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos with Red Bell Pepper Sauce
The Chiles:
8 poblano chiles with stems left intact, roasted and peeled*
4 ounces mild goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Panela cheese (or substitute Monterey Jack)
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped*
1 T chopped shallots
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The Sauce:
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
1 cup chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Carefully slit poblanos down one side and remove the seeds leaving the stems attached.
2) Combine cheeses, shrimp, shallots, bell pepper, cilantro and basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper - mix well.
3) Stuff the chiles with the mixture being careful not to tear the chiles by overfilling.
4) Transfer to a baking sheet and cook about 15-20 minutes.
5) While peppers are cooking, in medium saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté garlic, shallots, and serrano until shallots are tender.
6) Transfer shallot mixture to a blender, add roasted red peppers and chicken stock and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7) Pour sauce back into saucepan and heat through.
8) Ladle sauce onto serving plate and place warm stuffed poblanos on top of sauce. Serve.
*Note: Preparing this recipe I realized that their simply wasn't enough of the cheese mixture to stuff eight large poblano peppers, six peppers seemed to be much more accurate. If you need eight peppers as opposed to six I would suggest making one and a half times the cheese mix or make ten peppers and double the recipe (I'm sure it's possible to squeeze a little extra filling into each pepper)!
**Note 2: For people who do not care for seafood this recipe could be easily adapted to omit the shrimp. Cooked chicken would work extremely well or if you wanted to make it a vegetarian friendly recipe substitute veggie stock for the chicken stock and toss in some butternut squash, nuts, etc...use your imagination!
Parley - The Return of Gourmet Sundays
For the past several years my northern adoptive family, the Heskins, and I have established a little tradition of our own which James has deemed "Gourmet Sundays". It began when Suz and I decided to attempt a different ethnic cuisine each Sunday and has evolved into picking a "theme" (for instance this past Sunday was American Southwest food) and making a variety of dishes that reflect that particular culinary motif. Recently Mike, who is a closet foodie and fabulous cook, has joined in these adventures - if fact, this past Sunday he proceeded to cook and beautifully present not one, not two, not three but seven different tapas dishes which ranged from chicken livers with mint (not my personal favorite but Mica sure did like them) to the scallop recipe (should be on a menu in some posh restaurant) he posted on the blog yesterday, and just about everything in between! James, Suz and I all chose to make recipes out of the Heskin's new cookbook, Seasonal Southwest Cooking, by Barbara Pool Fenzl. James was responsible for the outstanding main course, Chicken Breasts with Red Bell Peppers and Poblano Sauce, while Suz made an excellent accompaniment, Tomato and Cumin Rice, and I made two appetizers, the stuffed peppers described above and a Layered Avocado, Sour Cream, and Red Bell Pepper Mold. Thus far everything out of this particular cookbook has been extremely good! However, I do believe Suz and I garnered a few odd looks when we visited the York Farmer's Market as we literally bought bags of various peppers to do all this Southwest cooking!
8 poblano chiles with stems left intact, roasted and peeled*
4 ounces mild goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Panela cheese (or substitute Monterey Jack)
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped*
1 T chopped shallots
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The Sauce:
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
1 cup chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Carefully slit poblanos down one side and remove the seeds leaving the stems attached.
2) Combine cheeses, shrimp, shallots, bell pepper, cilantro and basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper - mix well.
3) Stuff the chiles with the mixture being careful not to tear the chiles by overfilling.
4) Transfer to a baking sheet and cook about 15-20 minutes.
5) While peppers are cooking, in medium saucepan heat the olive oil and sauté garlic, shallots, and serrano until shallots are tender.
6) Transfer shallot mixture to a blender, add roasted red peppers and chicken stock and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7) Pour sauce back into saucepan and heat through.
8) Ladle sauce onto serving plate and place warm stuffed poblanos on top of sauce. Serve.
*Note: Preparing this recipe I realized that their simply wasn't enough of the cheese mixture to stuff eight large poblano peppers, six peppers seemed to be much more accurate. If you need eight peppers as opposed to six I would suggest making one and a half times the cheese mix or make ten peppers and double the recipe (I'm sure it's possible to squeeze a little extra filling into each pepper)!
**Note 2: For people who do not care for seafood this recipe could be easily adapted to omit the shrimp. Cooked chicken would work extremely well or if you wanted to make it a vegetarian friendly recipe substitute veggie stock for the chicken stock and toss in some butternut squash, nuts, etc...use your imagination!
Parley - The Return of Gourmet Sundays
For the past several years my northern adoptive family, the Heskins, and I have established a little tradition of our own which James has deemed "Gourmet Sundays". It began when Suz and I decided to attempt a different ethnic cuisine each Sunday and has evolved into picking a "theme" (for instance this past Sunday was American Southwest food) and making a variety of dishes that reflect that particular culinary motif. Recently Mike, who is a closet foodie and fabulous cook, has joined in these adventures - if fact, this past Sunday he proceeded to cook and beautifully present not one, not two, not three but seven different tapas dishes which ranged from chicken livers with mint (not my personal favorite but Mica sure did like them) to the scallop recipe (should be on a menu in some posh restaurant) he posted on the blog yesterday, and just about everything in between! James, Suz and I all chose to make recipes out of the Heskin's new cookbook, Seasonal Southwest Cooking, by Barbara Pool Fenzl. James was responsible for the outstanding main course, Chicken Breasts with Red Bell Peppers and Poblano Sauce, while Suz made an excellent accompaniment, Tomato and Cumin Rice, and I made two appetizers, the stuffed peppers described above and a Layered Avocado, Sour Cream, and Red Bell Pepper Mold. Thus far everything out of this particular cookbook has been extremely good! However, I do believe Suz and I garnered a few odd looks when we visited the York Farmer's Market as we literally bought bags of various peppers to do all this Southwest cooking!
Tapas, Part 2. (Scallops in Saffron Sauce)
Ingredients:
5 Fl oz (2/3 Cup) dry white wine
5 Fl oz (2/3 Cup) Fish Stock. (Couldn't find it, so I used clam juice....that's the same, right?)
large pinch of saffron threads. (Used "American Saffron" which is dried safflower petals, and added a little turmeric.)
1 LB sea scallops
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 Fl oz heavy cream (I used light cream.)
squeeze of lemon juice
chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish
crusty bread to serve
How to make it:
Put the wine, clam juice, and saffron in a pan & bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and let simmer gently for 15 minutes. (ish)
Slice the scallops into 3 pieces each. (Thinner so you don't have to cook them long, and the go on the bread better.) Dry them, and season with salt & pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the onion, garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sliced scallops, and cook for another 5 minutes. Don't cook them too much.
Remove the scallops and put them on a plate. Add the broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Let it reduce by half. Reduce the heat, and start adding the cream slowly. I said slowly. Let simmer until the sauce thickens.
Return the scallops to the skillet and let simmer for 1-2 more minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you remember. (.......yeah....not good at remembering stuff.....)
Serve hot, garnish with the parsley, and soak the bread in the juice and top it with scallops. Mmmmmm....scallops........
Tapas, Part 1. (Chick-Peas and Spinach)
Ingredients
10 ounces fresh spinach leaves, rinsed, or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen leaf spinach
19-ounce can (2 cups) chick-peas, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 to 2 lemons, juiced or to taste
1/4 to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
If using fresh spinach: Cook the spinach in a saucepan with the water clinging to its leaves, stirring, until wilted. Drain, squeeze dry, and finely chop. If using frozen spinach, follow package directions, drain, squeeze dry, and finely chop.
In a bowl combine the spinach with the chick peas, pepper, chives, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Serve as is or chilled with toasted bread or as a filling for pita pockets.
Parley
My personal little trick with this one was to totally & completely forget one of the ingredients....yeah, reading isn't my strong suit. Kinda forgot the lemon juice. And I really think that would have helped. But this actually did taste pretty good if you like chick peas. (In fact, I'd say that this tasted about 4,000 times better than spicy chicken livers.)
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Recipe:
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup chopped artichokes in brine
1/2 cup spinach, thawed
1/2 cup parm. cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper
dash of black pepper
Directions:
Very simple in a skillet soften cream cheese, stir in rest of ingredients.
Serve Warm
This is very easy and I haven't ran into anyone who didn't like it. You can serve it with tortilla chips and crackers or grilled garlic bread. Great for breakfast on a bagel too!
This recipe has no story other then I use to make it all the time where I use to work at and it is engraved in my mind.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A White Meal
Honey Roasted Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower*
7-8 pieces chicken of your choice, I suggest skinless thighs w/bones
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c OJ
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp dijon or yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
~~~~~~~~
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt
Melt butter in small saucepan, save pan for later. Add OJ through curry powder. Place chicken in 9x13 pan, pour butter sauce over chicken. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min or until done. While baking, put cold water into saucepan . Add cornstarch. Take chicken out of pan, pour juices back into saucepan. Heat to bubbling to thicken sauce.
Cut cauliflower into florets. Place on baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with chili powder, cumin and salt. Toss with hands. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min, turning once half way through.
Sauce is good on basmati or brown rice.
* Adapted from "SOS" cookbook.
Parley
So I titled this "A White Meal" because tonight when we sat down to white cauliflower, white-ish rice (we had basmati) and chicken,....with milk....we realized everything was mostly white. Luckily the sauce added a skosh of color, but still. Pretty monochromatic. Martha would be disappointed. Anyway....this menu combo caught my eye mostly because of its relative ease ( I like menus that all roast/bake together) and because it had cauliflower. And the book claims that even non-cauliflower connoisseurs find this cauliflower hard to resist. Ugh, I'm tired of typing out cauliflower. Let's rename it to.....I don't know. I knew Jenn would laugh when she discovered that I chose said veggie to make. Voluntarily. You see, normally I really do NOT enjoy it. Raw, its gritty texture and lack of pigment has no appeal to me. But alas, as any good foodie does, I am continually trying to broaden my appreciation for foods, both new and old. Cauliflower (there's that stinkin' word again) is definitely "old" in my book. Heck, it even looks old for some reason. So the verdict? Chicken is good. Next time I might add something with kick to the sauce....cayenne possibly. Cauliflower? YUMMY. Yep. James and I both liked it, deeming it worthy of revisiting.
A small sigh in my world, as I have found another veggie that is yummy. A big chuckle, as even Audrey didn't seem to like the word cauliflower. She called it "Colorado". :)
7-8 pieces chicken of your choice, I suggest skinless thighs w/bones
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c OJ
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp dijon or yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
~~~~~~~~
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt
Melt butter in small saucepan, save pan for later. Add OJ through curry powder. Place chicken in 9x13 pan, pour butter sauce over chicken. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min or until done. While baking, put cold water into saucepan . Add cornstarch. Take chicken out of pan, pour juices back into saucepan. Heat to bubbling to thicken sauce.
Cut cauliflower into florets. Place on baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with chili powder, cumin and salt. Toss with hands. Bake at 375 for 35-40 min, turning once half way through.
Sauce is good on basmati or brown rice.
* Adapted from "SOS" cookbook.
Parley
So I titled this "A White Meal" because tonight when we sat down to white cauliflower, white-ish rice (we had basmati) and chicken,....with milk....we realized everything was mostly white. Luckily the sauce added a skosh of color, but still. Pretty monochromatic. Martha would be disappointed. Anyway....this menu combo caught my eye mostly because of its relative ease ( I like menus that all roast/bake together) and because it had cauliflower. And the book claims that even non-cauliflower connoisseurs find this cauliflower hard to resist. Ugh, I'm tired of typing out cauliflower. Let's rename it to.....I don't know. I knew Jenn would laugh when she discovered that I chose said veggie to make. Voluntarily. You see, normally I really do NOT enjoy it. Raw, its gritty texture and lack of pigment has no appeal to me. But alas, as any good foodie does, I am continually trying to broaden my appreciation for foods, both new and old. Cauliflower (there's that stinkin' word again) is definitely "old" in my book. Heck, it even looks old for some reason. So the verdict? Chicken is good. Next time I might add something with kick to the sauce....cayenne possibly. Cauliflower? YUMMY. Yep. James and I both liked it, deeming it worthy of revisiting.
A small sigh in my world, as I have found another veggie that is yummy. A big chuckle, as even Audrey didn't seem to like the word cauliflower. She called it "Colorado". :)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Golden Pineapple Rum Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (18.25 ounce) package Pillsbury yellow cake mix with pudding or box yellow cake mix and box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rum
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice reserved
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rum
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped pecans, shredded coconut, and pineapple rings evenly over bottom of the pan.
2) In large bowl, combine cake mix (and pudding mix if not using Pillsbury), eggs, 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice (if reserved juice does not equal 1/2 cup add water to achieve total liquid measure), oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts, pineapple, and coconut in pan.
3) Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
4) When cake is finished baking prepare glaze. In sauce pan combine butter, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in 1/2 cup rum.
5) Using a spatula, gently loosen the cake from the sides and center of the pan. Pour part of the hot glaze around the edges and the inner ring of the Bundt pan. Using a chop stick (or other similar device) poke multiple holes in the top (when inverted will be bottom) of cake, pour the remaining glaze all over the top.
6) Keep the cake in the pan until completely cool so that the glaze will be absorbed. This cake is best when prepared a day or two in advance as the flavors improve with age. Do not refrigerate.
Parley
Cake:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (18.25 ounce) package Pillsbury yellow cake mix with pudding or box yellow cake mix and box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup rum
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice reserved
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup rum
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped pecans, shredded coconut, and pineapple rings evenly over bottom of the pan.
2) In large bowl, combine cake mix (and pudding mix if not using Pillsbury), eggs, 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice (if reserved juice does not equal 1/2 cup add water to achieve total liquid measure), oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts, pineapple, and coconut in pan.
3) Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
4) When cake is finished baking prepare glaze. In sauce pan combine butter, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in 1/2 cup rum.
5) Using a spatula, gently loosen the cake from the sides and center of the pan. Pour part of the hot glaze around the edges and the inner ring of the Bundt pan. Using a chop stick (or other similar device) poke multiple holes in the top (when inverted will be bottom) of cake, pour the remaining glaze all over the top.
6) Keep the cake in the pan until completely cool so that the glaze will be absorbed. This cake is best when prepared a day or two in advance as the flavors improve with age. Do not refrigerate.
Parley
To give credit where credit is due this cake was made at the behest of one of the climbers at Vertical Ventures, Jorge. We were standing around munching my latest batch of cookies when the conversation turned to discussing the merits of cookies versus cakes. We mutually concluded that in most situations we prefer cookies as cake is usually just “okay” – that for cake to be truly good something unique has to be done with it or, in Jorge’s words, “just make a rum cake” (leave it to a Puerto Rican to make things better with rum…but I’ll admit, I’m in total agreement)! Now I would never have remembered rum cake existed if it wasn’t for this innocent conversation but as soon as it was mentioned, somewhere from the recesses of my memory arose the tantalizing recollection of eating a super moist, rum literally dripping down my fingers, amazingly flavorful slice of buttery rum cake. I have no idea where I was or who made that cake but the memory of how delicious it tasted was vivid. I determined on the spot that I would make a rum cake of my own the very next day (and of course bring it to the gym as, first, confections of this sort have been forbidden from residing at my house and second, it seemed only right that the person directly responsible for its creation could partake)!
And so the rum cake was made…and consumed…and I have found my personal nemesis in cakes, a cake that appeals to me as few others do, one that I cannot resist and therefore can never make for myself as I do believe I would sit down and eat the entire thing and gladly pay the price…yes, the lushious rum cake!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Audrey's Applesauce
Ingredients:
4-5 apples - peeled, cored and quartered
3/4 cup water
sugar to taste
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork.
Parley (Waste Not Want Not):
I’ll admit I’ve never been a huge apple sauce person – don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it but I rarely open the ‘fridge and say “ohhh, goody…applesauce”! I’m also fairly particular about my apples, I like them to be crisp and crunchy and if they aren’t then I’ll usually pass. Recently someone bought a bag of apples that do not meet my criteria for pleasurable apple consumption, and, as they have sat in a bowl on the counter untouched for most of the week apparently don’t meet anyone else’s. Hating to see food go to waste I considered what to do with said apples. I discarded the idea of anything dessert related as I’ve recently gotten myself in trouble over such escapades but the thought of healthy baking made me think of using apple sauce to replace the fat content in other recipes. Bingo! Why not make my own applesauce and then use it the next time I bake? After searching around a bit for a recipe and tweaking it with a few modifications of my own I came up with the above, what could be easier than throwing five ingredients in a pan and mashing it twenty minutes later? Wait, did I say that I was going to use the applesauce to bake with? Hmmm…what applesauce? It’s practically all gone! One more small thing – the whole time I was making (and eating) the applesauce I kept thinking of Audrey and grinning knowing she’d approve of the “appledos”!
Vegetarian Moussaka
Ingredients Casserole:
1 eggplant, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can lentils, divided, drained, juice reserved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Olive oil or other vegetable oil for roasting
cinnamon
Ingredients Béchamel sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1) Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3a) (work intensive version) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides; remove and set aside on plate. Adding more oil if necessary, brown potato slices; remove from heat.
3b) (easy version) Place sliced eggplant, zucchini and potatoes a large roasting pan, toss with oil and roast at 450 degrees F for 30-50 minutes (until browned and tender).
4) Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Pour in vinegar and reduce. Mash or food-process half the lentils until creamy. Stir in tomatoes, whole and mashed lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano, parsley, a pinch of cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
5) In a 9x13 inch greased casserole dish layer eggplant-zucchini-potato mixture with feta and tomato-onion mixture. Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.
6) Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
7) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine butter, flour and milk. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and add nutmeg and cinnamon. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in the beaten egg.
8) Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.
Caveats:
Let me start by saying that I will be making this again, it came out really, really well and the blend of flavors was, in my opinion, outstanding. However, while my parents enjoyed it they are not used to cinnamon and nutmeg being the primary spices in a savory dish, a fact driven home when I was asked where the flavor was coming from as they couldn't place it and then subsequently told that it would have been "perfect in a tomato based sauce." That said, I might not make Moussaka of any variety for a group of people with a narrow culinary experience, however, for those with a fairly broad spice palette this dish is delectable and would be very well received.
Additionally, for the recipe itself I used the second method of roasting the veggies as opposed to pan sautéing each batch which was both easy and tasty. I could not find canned lentils at Publix so I used non-soak dry lentils cooked in vegetable broth and a combination of the reserved tomato juice combined with cooked lentil broth where called for in the recipe. I do recommend mashing/food processing half the lentils as it causes the tomato mixture to bind together a bit more resulting in nice upright slices when the casserole is sliced and served. I also used more lentils than the recipe calls for in the tomato mix - probably closer to 21 oz. than 14.5oz. Finally, I substituted white pepper for black in the béchamel sauce although I'm sure either would work just fine.
-recipe modified from Allrecipes.com
1 eggplant, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can lentils, divided, drained, juice reserved
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Olive oil or other vegetable oil for roasting
cinnamon
Ingredients Béchamel sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1) Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3a) (work intensive version) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides; remove and set aside on plate. Adding more oil if necessary, brown potato slices; remove from heat.
3b) (easy version) Place sliced eggplant, zucchini and potatoes a large roasting pan, toss with oil and roast at 450 degrees F for 30-50 minutes (until browned and tender).
4) Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Pour in vinegar and reduce. Mash or food-process half the lentils until creamy. Stir in tomatoes, whole and mashed lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano, parsley, a pinch of cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
5) In a 9x13 inch greased casserole dish layer eggplant-zucchini-potato mixture with feta and tomato-onion mixture. Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.
6) Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
7) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine butter, flour and milk. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and add nutmeg and cinnamon. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in the beaten egg.
8) Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.
Caveats:
Let me start by saying that I will be making this again, it came out really, really well and the blend of flavors was, in my opinion, outstanding. However, while my parents enjoyed it they are not used to cinnamon and nutmeg being the primary spices in a savory dish, a fact driven home when I was asked where the flavor was coming from as they couldn't place it and then subsequently told that it would have been "perfect in a tomato based sauce." That said, I might not make Moussaka of any variety for a group of people with a narrow culinary experience, however, for those with a fairly broad spice palette this dish is delectable and would be very well received.
Additionally, for the recipe itself I used the second method of roasting the veggies as opposed to pan sautéing each batch which was both easy and tasty. I could not find canned lentils at Publix so I used non-soak dry lentils cooked in vegetable broth and a combination of the reserved tomato juice combined with cooked lentil broth where called for in the recipe. I do recommend mashing/food processing half the lentils as it causes the tomato mixture to bind together a bit more resulting in nice upright slices when the casserole is sliced and served. I also used more lentils than the recipe calls for in the tomato mix - probably closer to 21 oz. than 14.5oz. Finally, I substituted white pepper for black in the béchamel sauce although I'm sure either would work just fine.
-recipe modified from Allrecipes.com
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Jenn's Easy Almond Cookies and the Story of the Cookie Monster
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 T almond extract
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
cinnamon/sugar mix
Directions:
1) Combine ingredients through almonds and mix thoroughly.
2) Drop by spoonful in cinnamon/sugar mix; roll until coated.
3) Place on greased cookie sheet and press down with fork forming a criss-cross pattern.
4) Cook at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.
Caveats:
First, I want to admit that I kinda made this recipe up and the above measurements may not be exact. I did incorporate some amaretto into the cookie dough but I have no idea how much and don't think it's 100% necessary for the recipe - if you have it on hand use your judgment and give it a whirl, otherwise use almond extract to taste. Second, I used a powdered sugar/cinnamon mix as opposed to a granulated sugar mix to roll the dough in, which worked well...next time though I think I'll see how they come out with granulated sugar. Third, this dough is very soft and sticky until rolled in the cinnamon/sugar mix so just push it off the spoon with your finger and roll until you can easily pick it up and deposit it on the cookie sheet. Finally, these cookies received rave reviews and I actually had a guy climber ask for the recipe...now that's saying something!
The Cookie Monster:
Over the course of the last two weeks I’ll admit, I’ve been a bit bored (and lately a bit sick too) so I’ve turned to baking for solace. My current love affair with the kitchen has yielded in rapid succession six different batches of cookies – from simple Scottish Shortbreads, to my personal all time favorite, the chocolate Korova, to the almond creation detailed above with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, rum balls, and oatmeal cookies rounding out the count (if you toss in the popcorn brittle from yesterday the tally’s actually at seven…I’m moving on to cakes today)!
Unfortunately, it seems there is an issue associated with my feverish cookie baking extravaganza. My cookies have apparently scuttled the various dietary attempts of a number of individuals, a fact related to me on a late night phone call from my sister, who found herself in the unenviable position of trying to mediate in the most adroit way possible between her culinarily crazed sister and my immediate cookie consuming audience…my family. For my labors my sister has dubbed me “the Cookie Monster”, no, not because I eat my cookies in the manner of the much loved Sesame Street character, but because I am a monster to make the cookies and leave them like little Venus Fly Traps around the kitchen, looking all sweet and innocent but waiting to lure in their next diet destroying victim. I have additionally been instructed to, henceforth, hide any cookies I make in my bedroom and take them all with me to the climbing gym when I go (although I may allocate one per day to my parents and sister should I so choose). This arrangement has resulted in my popularity at the gym going up substantially…although I’m quite sure it’s not me everyone’s so excited to see but the contents of the Tupperware I now regularly carry in! Hey, that’s one way to get stronger relative to the rest of my climbing pals – fatten them up with heaps of sweets…cookie monster indeed!
1 box white cake mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 T almond extract
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
cinnamon/sugar mix
Directions:
1) Combine ingredients through almonds and mix thoroughly.
2) Drop by spoonful in cinnamon/sugar mix; roll until coated.
3) Place on greased cookie sheet and press down with fork forming a criss-cross pattern.
4) Cook at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.
Caveats:
First, I want to admit that I kinda made this recipe up and the above measurements may not be exact. I did incorporate some amaretto into the cookie dough but I have no idea how much and don't think it's 100% necessary for the recipe - if you have it on hand use your judgment and give it a whirl, otherwise use almond extract to taste. Second, I used a powdered sugar/cinnamon mix as opposed to a granulated sugar mix to roll the dough in, which worked well...next time though I think I'll see how they come out with granulated sugar. Third, this dough is very soft and sticky until rolled in the cinnamon/sugar mix so just push it off the spoon with your finger and roll until you can easily pick it up and deposit it on the cookie sheet. Finally, these cookies received rave reviews and I actually had a guy climber ask for the recipe...now that's saying something!
The Cookie Monster:
Over the course of the last two weeks I’ll admit, I’ve been a bit bored (and lately a bit sick too) so I’ve turned to baking for solace. My current love affair with the kitchen has yielded in rapid succession six different batches of cookies – from simple Scottish Shortbreads, to my personal all time favorite, the chocolate Korova, to the almond creation detailed above with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, rum balls, and oatmeal cookies rounding out the count (if you toss in the popcorn brittle from yesterday the tally’s actually at seven…I’m moving on to cakes today)!
Unfortunately, it seems there is an issue associated with my feverish cookie baking extravaganza. My cookies have apparently scuttled the various dietary attempts of a number of individuals, a fact related to me on a late night phone call from my sister, who found herself in the unenviable position of trying to mediate in the most adroit way possible between her culinarily crazed sister and my immediate cookie consuming audience…my family. For my labors my sister has dubbed me “the Cookie Monster”, no, not because I eat my cookies in the manner of the much loved Sesame Street character, but because I am a monster to make the cookies and leave them like little Venus Fly Traps around the kitchen, looking all sweet and innocent but waiting to lure in their next diet destroying victim. I have additionally been instructed to, henceforth, hide any cookies I make in my bedroom and take them all with me to the climbing gym when I go (although I may allocate one per day to my parents and sister should I so choose). This arrangement has resulted in my popularity at the gym going up substantially…although I’m quite sure it’s not me everyone’s so excited to see but the contents of the Tupperware I now regularly carry in! Hey, that’s one way to get stronger relative to the rest of my climbing pals – fatten them up with heaps of sweets…cookie monster indeed!
Question
Since Ms. Weller has bravely given me, among others, the power to contribute to this parley, I have a user operating question.
Are my posts, or those of any other contributer, required to include a recipe? Or, for example (totally rhetorical, naturally,....since I never make anything bad), if I make a lasagna or baked oatmeal that is a total flop, can I use this "forum" to vent and complain? In no way am I implying that I recently did either of these things, nor that I plan to. I just would like to go over the rules and regulations of this culinary society in a tad more detail before setting forth.
Regards,
Suz
Are my posts, or those of any other contributer, required to include a recipe? Or, for example (totally rhetorical, naturally,....since I never make anything bad), if I make a lasagna or baked oatmeal that is a total flop, can I use this "forum" to vent and complain? In no way am I implying that I recently did either of these things, nor that I plan to. I just would like to go over the rules and regulations of this culinary society in a tad more detail before setting forth.
Regards,
Suz
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Crusty White Peasant Style Bread
Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. yeast
2 cups water
First Rise:
-Mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula.
-Spray or brush surface w/oil.
-Let rise 18-24 hours at a cool temperature. Half-way though first rise stir dough.
Second Rise:
-Using an oiled spatula, fold dough several times over on itself, don't stir. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise again until double in size.
Cooking:
Twenty minutes prior to baking bread pre-heat oven to 450 and move rack to bottom 1/3 of oven. Oil loaf pan (or dutch oven) until sizzling. Gently invert dough into pan without deflating. Generously sprinkle with water. Tent with well oiled aluminum foil (or lid of dutch oven). Bake 55 minutes then remove foil/lid, reduce heat to 425 and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
The Story:
Those of you who know my parents best can appreciate that they can get in an argument over just about anything...including crusty white peasant style bread it seems. One evening, after listening to them bicker for about thirty minutes over why Mom had requested the recipe and it had not been made weeks later, I grew tired of what seemed to be an irresolvable situation, i.e. Mom was never going to make the bread but they would continue this argument tonight, tomorrow night, a week from now, ad nauseam...Being the peace loving, dutiful daughter that I am (and being tired of this particular "discussion") I piped up with an "I'll make the bread!" statement. This was greeted with almost identical looks from both my parents and a chorus of "You don't have to do that hon...your Mom said she would make it" and "I WILL make it" and thus the argument continued despite my heroic efforts otherwise.
Regardless, I had determined that I would indeed make the offending bread despite an enduring fear of failure over anything that required kneading and had to rise three times over about 36 hours! Then I read the recipe...which called for stirring the bread as opposed to kneading, seriously, who "stirs" bread dough and just what the hell was a Dutch oven? After a brief internet session where I determined I would not be purchasing a Dutch oven for $200, that my heaviest duty loaf pan (indeed my only loaf pan) and aluminum foil would have to suffice I proceeded to combine the ingredients and stir them with a wooden spoon (yes, trust me, kneading would not work here). My resulting concoction had far more in common with some sort of pale ooze, seeping slowly across the bottom of my chosen dough receptacle than those perfectly shaped balls of dough I've seen in cook books! Giving my ooze a rather skeptical look I placed the lot on top of the refrigerator to do its thing. Despite its inauspicious beginning, after following the remaining steps of the recipe, my ooze turned into the most beautiful, crusty, delicious loaf of bread I have ever made (granted, it's the only loaf I've ever made completely from scratch but that's beside the point)! I felt like a little kid again when I finally pulled it from the oven, flipped it onto a cutting board, and burned my fingers in my haste to feast upon my creation!
4 cups flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. yeast
2 cups water
First Rise:
-Mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula.
-Spray or brush surface w/oil.
-Let rise 18-24 hours at a cool temperature. Half-way though first rise stir dough.
Second Rise:
-Using an oiled spatula, fold dough several times over on itself, don't stir. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise again until double in size.
Cooking:
Twenty minutes prior to baking bread pre-heat oven to 450 and move rack to bottom 1/3 of oven. Oil loaf pan (or dutch oven) until sizzling. Gently invert dough into pan without deflating. Generously sprinkle with water. Tent with well oiled aluminum foil (or lid of dutch oven). Bake 55 minutes then remove foil/lid, reduce heat to 425 and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
The Story:
Those of you who know my parents best can appreciate that they can get in an argument over just about anything...including crusty white peasant style bread it seems. One evening, after listening to them bicker for about thirty minutes over why Mom had requested the recipe and it had not been made weeks later, I grew tired of what seemed to be an irresolvable situation, i.e. Mom was never going to make the bread but they would continue this argument tonight, tomorrow night, a week from now, ad nauseam...Being the peace loving, dutiful daughter that I am (and being tired of this particular "discussion") I piped up with an "I'll make the bread!" statement. This was greeted with almost identical looks from both my parents and a chorus of "You don't have to do that hon...your Mom said she would make it" and "I WILL make it" and thus the argument continued despite my heroic efforts otherwise.
Regardless, I had determined that I would indeed make the offending bread despite an enduring fear of failure over anything that required kneading and had to rise three times over about 36 hours! Then I read the recipe...which called for stirring the bread as opposed to kneading, seriously, who "stirs" bread dough and just what the hell was a Dutch oven? After a brief internet session where I determined I would not be purchasing a Dutch oven for $200, that my heaviest duty loaf pan (indeed my only loaf pan) and aluminum foil would have to suffice I proceeded to combine the ingredients and stir them with a wooden spoon (yes, trust me, kneading would not work here). My resulting concoction had far more in common with some sort of pale ooze, seeping slowly across the bottom of my chosen dough receptacle than those perfectly shaped balls of dough I've seen in cook books! Giving my ooze a rather skeptical look I placed the lot on top of the refrigerator to do its thing. Despite its inauspicious beginning, after following the remaining steps of the recipe, my ooze turned into the most beautiful, crusty, delicious loaf of bread I have ever made (granted, it's the only loaf I've ever made completely from scratch but that's beside the point)! I felt like a little kid again when I finally pulled it from the oven, flipped it onto a cutting board, and burned my fingers in my haste to feast upon my creation!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Black Bean Burgers w/ Chipolte Mayo
Ingredients Burgers:
1 16oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green or red pepper, diced
1/2 onion cut into wedges
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 teas. Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs, oats, or crushed crackers
corn kernels if desired
salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients Mayo:
3/4 cup lowfat mayo
1 T chipolte chilis in adobo, finely chopped
1 T fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teas. fresh lime juice
1) If grilling pre-heat outdoor grill to high heat and lightly oil sheet of aluminum foil. If baking pre-heat oven to 375 and lightly oil baking sheet.
2) In med. bowl mash beans w/fork until think and pasty.
3) In food processor (or blender), finely chop pepper, onion and garlic. Stir into mashed beans.
4) In small bowl wisk egg, chili powder, cumin and chili sauce.
5) Stir egg mixture into mashed beans. Mix in crumbs/oats/crackers until mix holds together. Divide into four patties.
6) If grilling, place patties on foil and grill approximately 8 minutes per side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet and bake approximately 10 minutes per side.
7) For chipotle mayo mix all ingredients together in small bowl.
Modifications and why I like this recipe:
Ok, so you all know that I can never follow a recipe exactly! For this one I didn't have enough breadcrumbs so I ground up the left over tortilla chips in the cupboard and used those instead. I also doubled the recipe as these freeze really well. I love this recipe because first, it's a vegetarian option that BOTH my parents will eat; second, it's super versatile and you could put just about anything in these...different beans, chilis, cheese, whatever you've got laying around.
One thing to note - I ended up putting in a bit more "crumbs/oats" than the recipe called for to get it to bind.
1 16oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green or red pepper, diced
1/2 onion cut into wedges
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 teas. Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs, oats, or crushed crackers
corn kernels if desired
salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients Mayo:
3/4 cup lowfat mayo
1 T chipolte chilis in adobo, finely chopped
1 T fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teas. fresh lime juice
1) If grilling pre-heat outdoor grill to high heat and lightly oil sheet of aluminum foil. If baking pre-heat oven to 375 and lightly oil baking sheet.
2) In med. bowl mash beans w/fork until think and pasty.
3) In food processor (or blender), finely chop pepper, onion and garlic. Stir into mashed beans.
4) In small bowl wisk egg, chili powder, cumin and chili sauce.
5) Stir egg mixture into mashed beans. Mix in crumbs/oats/crackers until mix holds together. Divide into four patties.
6) If grilling, place patties on foil and grill approximately 8 minutes per side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet and bake approximately 10 minutes per side.
7) For chipotle mayo mix all ingredients together in small bowl.
Modifications and why I like this recipe:
Ok, so you all know that I can never follow a recipe exactly! For this one I didn't have enough breadcrumbs so I ground up the left over tortilla chips in the cupboard and used those instead. I also doubled the recipe as these freeze really well. I love this recipe because first, it's a vegetarian option that BOTH my parents will eat; second, it's super versatile and you could put just about anything in these...different beans, chilis, cheese, whatever you've got laying around.
One thing to note - I ended up putting in a bit more "crumbs/oats" than the recipe called for to get it to bind.
A Food Blog for Friends!
I'll be the first to admit it...I love food. I love cooking it, eating it, sharing it with friends and yes, even talking, reading and writing about it! Considering that I've thoroughly enjoyed some aspect of the food experience with each of you, I thought it might be fun to start a little food blog where we can share our favorite recipes, new and old, along with why we like them so much (delicious, easy, quick, etc.) and the interesting little stories that sometimes go with them! Besides the great food experiences we can share those kitchen horror stories that occasionally occur too...you know, the ones that at the time have us feeling frizzled, fried and flipped out but later provide a good laugh! Let the fabulous pabulous parley begin!!
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