Pots and Pins

St. Paddy's Day Runner...

We don't normally make a big deal out of St. Patrick's Day...maybe lunch at Kells or JJ Mahoney's or Paddy Coynes...3 of our favorite haunts at any time of the year.  We always have corned beef, cabbage and potatoes at some point during the week of the 17th, usually this way (most excellent!) but this year...well, in a weak moment I agreed to throw a leetle St. Patrick's Day party for my young friends...girls that I've "mentored" for several years now, who will be graduating this spring and going off to college in the fall...girls who know just what buttons to push to get their way...I'm such an easy mark! 

To help get me in the mood I made myself an St. Paddy's Day Runner...scrappy foundation pieced -and now I've got to get on the ball and get the manse all shined up for the festivities!  Oh, I wanted to show you my latest obsession...crystal or glass bottle stoppers... 

Found in antique shops looking so lonely without their bottles...aren't they great?!?  The mister asked, "What do they do?"  Well, they're doing it...they just sit and look pretty...which is what I used to be so good at, until Father Time had his way with me!

Blarney Stone Soup...

Legend has it that those not lucky enough to be born smooth talkers may acquire the gift of eloquence by kissing the Blarney Stone...at Blarney Castle...in Ireland.  A long way to go, at great expense, to learn to speak like a used car salesman, or an attorney in heat, or the mister after a celebratory time with his good friend Jack, who happens to be Irish.  While the mister has not actually kissed the Blarney Stone, he comes from a long line of people who have and Blarney runs deep in his veins...which is why his initials are B.S.  Just the other night the mister was regaling me with a story from his youth - and the Blarney was virtually flowing from his pie-hole!  His walk down memory lane was triggered by a scene from NCIS...and there he went - traipsing at the speed of AARP, describing for me how he once stole a duck from Rock Creek Park in D.C., then took it home to his bathtub where it happily swam for about 15 minutes before his father ordered him to return it to the park.  Fascinating, no?  But wait!  There's more!  While he pranced around the room, arms flailing, he moved closer and closer to the box of Girl Scout Cookies I had hidden in my nightstand (in case of an emergency where a burglar might be hungry).  His voice raised almost to a crescendo as he dipped down, opened the nightstand drawer and removed the cookies...Thin Mints...which everyone knows is any burglars cookie of choice.  Then, as he ended his story, box securely in hand, he exited the room, surely thinking he had mesmerized me with his tales of yesteryear to the point that I didn't notice his theft.  Whatever...I have more in the freezer.

Years ago, for St. Paddy's Day, I created this soup for my kids...I told them about the Blarney Stone and how people were not only smooth talkers but NICE talkers...I dropped real rocks into their soup bowls and read them a little ditty I wrote - here's part of it:

Blarney Stone Soup

With one sip of this soup you will find

That everyone is very kind!

You will say and do the nicest things

All day long your heart will sing!

The Blarney Stone's magic only lasts one day,

But if you try real hard, maybe you'll stay this way! 

They were duly impressed - for about 5 minutes.  The boy loved eating soup with a rock in it, the girl turned up her nose and would have thrown the rock at her brother had I not intervened. 

Of course, I did what all good mothers did, I lied to them about the rocks.  I told them they were "chips off the old block" from Blarney Castle - the boy LOVED his rock and kept it in his room in a special box for years.  The girl was on to me from the get-go.

About those rocks...your basic, garden-variety rock will work just fine, provided you can lie like an Irishman.  Just boil them in water for a bit to remove any mold, dirt or dog pee.  Drop a rock into each soup bowl, and cover with the most delicious Potato-Pea Soup ever.  Serve it up steamy hot with a slice or two of Irish Soda Bread (the Americanized version made with sugar is SO much better!) and you'll have yourself a great meal for St. Paddy's Day or any other "Spring" occasion! 

It's the perfect soup for St. Paddy's Day - it's bright green color comes from peas and fresh parsley.  It's thick with potatoes and then, to make sure the Blarney will be flowing like whiskey in an Irish pub, top it off with a bit of cream...4 dangs, my friends, print this and make it for your wee ones, and may you live to be 100 years old, with an extra year to repent!

Blarney Stone Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, diced

32 oz. chicken broth, plus more for thinning, if desired

2 cups frozen peas

4 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup fresh parsley, rinsed, stems removed, chopped

1 cup Swiss Cheese, shredded

Heavy cream to garnish, optional

Melt butter in large soup pot.  Add onion and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.   Add broth and bring to a boil.  Add remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil and stir until smooth.  Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.  (You can use a regular blender, transfer the soup in batches and blend until smooth.) 

Meanwhile, in a small pan, boil rocks covered in water for 10 minutes.  Remove with tongs and place one rock into each bowl. 

If you want your soup to be thinner, add more stock.  Before serving, taste for seasonings, add more salt and pepper if desired. To serve, pour soup over rock and top with a drizzle of cream.  Serves 6.

"May the grass grow long on the road to Hell for want of use."  ~ Irish Toast 

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One year ago:  Quilt Show Pictures

Two years ago:  Caveman Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake...

To say I'm the Rodney Dangerfield of Cook's would be fair, at least around the manse.  I get NO respect.  Case in point...I was in the middle of making what turned out to be the best cake I've made in eons when the mister and boy walked in and wanted to know what was for dessert.  I explained to them the cake was "rising" - it's a yeast cake - more like bread - but cakey - I'll explain later.  So I tell them that dessert will be late, and they'll have to wait.  My words hung in the air like something escaping from the dog's backside, and then they fell on deaf ears only to be followed by the screeching sounds of the boy's tires burning out of the drive...the mister dispatched him to the store to get him dessert. 

The boy returned with two slices of cake - one for each of them.  Frosting made with lard, cake made with margarine, preservatives, unpronounceable ingredients...shameful...disgusting...so, so rude!   

This is the dessert that was WORTH waiting for.  St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake...doesn't look like much, does it?  A cake made with yeast so the bottom half is bread-like, but sweet.  And the top half, well, it's just a caramelized butter/sugar party.  By the time the cake was done and the house was filled with it's aroma, fresh from the oven, the mister and boy came padding downstairs with their tongues hanging out - ready for round two of dessert.  I felt a bit like the Little Red Hen...if you didn't help make it or in this case, if you couldn't wait AN HOUR for this incredible cake, and you were satisfied with CAKE FROM A GROCERY STORE THEN YOU DESERVE NONE.   But words failed me...and I could not stand one more second of waiting...none of us could...it wasn't even cool enough to touch or to be sprinkled with powdered sugar!  We dug right in...oh momma...5 dangs so loud and clear the ol' Dang Meter 'bout fell on the floor!  After eating a coma-inducing amount, I retired to my chambers, passed out with a smile on my face and dreamed of St. Louis, where the girl was born...and where I should have sniffed out this recipe decades ago (obviously my sniffer was not as finely tuned as it is today)...but it wasn't until yesterday that I even knew St. Louis HAD a cake - let alone a rich gooey butter cake!  When I did my daily check-in at Smitten Kitchen I read about it and since everything I've made from Smitten has been fabulous, I just knew this would be, too.  Click here, go, read, drool, print, make, eat.  Thank the New York Times which is where Smitten found this recipe. Thank  her.  Thank me.  Thank the Good Lord for St. Louis and Goo and Butter and Cake.    

Just look at that!!  Crispy crust so chewy and dense, like the edges of a brownie only better, and the gooey center - lip-lickin' good...buttery goodness that can't decide if it's supposed to melt or stand up and salute...then there's the cake...sweet, creamy, moist...Can I get a Glory, Glory Hallelujah?!  How about an Amen?!      

Chocolate Cherry Mousse In 5 Minutes...

Chocolate/Valentine Recipe #3...Okay, so don't hold me to the five minutes - it may take you all of seven minutes but I promise, in under ten you'll be swooning and licking chocolate so light and creamy smooth from your lips that you'll not even notice the time. 

At the risk of sounding like a chocolate snob, it really does matter what kind you use in this recipe.  I've made this 4 or 5 times now, the first time I used what I had on hand, Hershey's Chocolate (I always keep a supply around for the boy who thinks Hershey's is the ONLY chocolate in the world) and it tasted just fine.  The next time I made this I used Dove Chocolate...1 step above Hershey in my book...and it also tasted fine, and maybe even a bit richer.  But the last few times I've made this I have used Scharffen Berger's 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate...and I'm here to tell you it made all the difference in the world!  It turned an ordinary tasting chocolate mousse into such a decadent dessert I was immediately struck with a "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" kind of feeling!

Just thinking about this mousse makes my heart race - so let's take a minute to slow things down, shall we?  Last Saturday the mister and I finally made it to Thoa's in Seattle, right across from the new Four Seasons on Union...you must put this on your Hit Parade!  Thoa's (pronounced Twah's) is a Vietnamese-meets-Northwest-Fusion kind of place - the food is incredibly fresh and we loved every bite.  We started with soft shell crab spring rolls, ate our way through steak frites followed by the best Pho I've ever had...so we had to do some serious walking after lunch...of course, a visit to Seattle would not be complete without a stop to see Sasquatch...or Market Spice...or the Flying Fish or the purchase of fresh fruit and veggies...we passed by the French, Greek and Russian Bakeries because we were still full from lunch and our last stop was Sur La Table because they carry Scharffen Berger Chocolate and I was planning on making Chocolate Cherry Mousse when we got home.  

The milk/cream is heated on the stove top just until hot, then poured over the chocolate in a blender...and just like that, presto-chango, you've got yourself a fantastic mousse...ready to be topped with a drizzle of cream and chocolate shavings...definitely company worthy...definitely coma worthy...5 dangs my friends...FIVE in FIVE! 

Chocolate Cherry Mousse in 5 Minutes - Me

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons sugar

tiny pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate

3 large egg whites

1 teaspoon Red Stag Black Cherry Whiskey or 1/2 teaspoon cherry flavoring

Topping:

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

chocolate shavings for garnishing, optional

Heat milk, cream, salt and espresso powder in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, mixing well, until very hot but do not allow to boil.  Chop chocolate into small pieces and put in a blender.  When milk mixture is hot, pour over chocolate in blender and let sit for about 10 seconds.  Put lid on blender and blend on low speed until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, then blend on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add egg whites one at a time, blending on medium speed after each addition, then add cherry whiskey/flavoring and blend again for about 30 seconds.  Pour into 4 small serving dishes and allow to sit on the counter for about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make the cream topping.  In the bowl of an electric mixer combine heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on high just until cream begins to thicken a bit.  Spoon cream over chocolate.  Top with chocolate shavings.  If you like your mousse cold, then refrigerate for about 2 hours.  If room temperature is okay with you, then dig in immediately!  Serves 4. 

"Love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket or a holding pattern over Philadelphia."  ~Judith Viorst

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One year ago:  Old Sweater, New Pillow

Two years ago:  A Great Idea Made Even Better

Chocolate Cherry Bread ...

Chocolate/Valentine recipe #2... Are you all familiar with Great Harvest Bread?  Only during February do they produce a wonderfully dense chocolate cherry bread - just in time for Valentine's Day.  Every year I have waited for that bread to be made...I bought a few loaves, one to eat and some to freeze, and tried to recreate it at home - so I could have it at other times of the year - but each attempt has failed - miserably - until now!

This bread has a soft, chewy crumb and in between that softness are chunks of bittersweet chocolate ready to melt in your mouth - with bits of cherries that add their own zing of sweet.  Eat it for breakfast - start your day with a bang!  I know it's hard to believe but this bread, which is so incredibly good at room temperature, can even be more seductive if toasted...the chocolate melts into submission for a bite of instant romance in your mouth.  Wow, if I smoked I'd need one now! 

This makes two loaves, one to keep, one to give away.  Just one word of caution here...because this is so good, and so unique, make sure if you give a loaf or two away that the people you are giving it to are BREAD WORTHY.  Seriously.  This bread is so delicious that I didn't bother sharing it with the mister - after all, he is a not a fan of chocolate so I couldn't bring myself to waste one piece of this on him!  It's dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good folks - yep, 5 dangs worth.    

Here's the skinny - start this bread late in the day.  After the yeast proofs for ten minutes, everything is mixed in the bowl of an electric mixer, first with the paddle and then with the bread hook.  The dough is then set aside to rise for two hours.  After that, you punch it down and put it in the refrigerator for overnight or up to TWO days!  When you're ready to bake it, you shape it, let it rest for an hour and then pop it into the oven.  It couldn't be easier!  Just promise me one thing...you'll use good chocolate...no chocolate chips either, they're formulated NOT to melt and using them would be like taking a hot dog to a banquet.  So promise me...here and now...only the best chocolate for this bread!

Chocolate Cherry Bread - Adapted from T. Susan Chang and a Godiva Chocolate Recipe

1 1/2 cups warm water, divided (or, if not using espresso powder, 1/2 cup warm water and 1 cup warm coffee)

2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided

2 teaspoons dry yeast

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional (see above)

2 teaspoons salt

1 large egg, at room temperature

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

1 (6 oz.) package Mariani Cherries

Egg Glaze

1 large egg

1 teaspoon water

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the warm water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and set the mixture aside for 10 minutes, until foamy.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, place the flour, the remaining 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, the light brown sugar, the cocoa, the espresso powder (if using) and the salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed for 1 minute, until combined. If mixing by hand, use a whisk and combine thoroughly.

Add the remaining 1 cup warm water (or warm coffee, if not using the espresso powder) and the egg to the yeast mixture. Add this to the flour mixture while continuing to mix at low speed. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat the mixture for 2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. At low speed, beat in the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is incorporated into the dough. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. (Alternatively, you can knead by hand. Just make sure the butter is well softened.) Knead the dough at low speed for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 2 minutes longer.

Add the chocolate chunks and cherries and knead just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl (the dough will be quite moist). Cover the dough closely with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours (or until almost doubled in bulk).

After the chocolate dough has risen, punch the dough down and cover again with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

Butter two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the chocolate dough in half. Divide each dough half into 6 equal pieces so that you have 12 equal pieces in all. With lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a smooth, round ball. Place 6 dough balls — two by two, at a diagonal (see above photo) in each prepared pan, pressing them lightly together if necessary. Cover the pans with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until blended. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg glaze over the tops of the loaves.

Bake the loaves for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake the bread for an additional 30 minutes. Cool the bread in the pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Unmold the bread and cool the loaves on the rack completely.  (If you can wait until the bread is completely cooled it will slice much better - the aroma will play tricks on your mind and you'll want to tear into it immediately but be strong!) 

" Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!"  ~Thomas Hood

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One year ago:  Tourist Day In Seattle

Two years ago:  Fascinating (!) Pictures From My Trip

Tomato Aspic...

One of my Christmas gifts from my dear friend Joni (the writer, pageant queen, radio talk-show host, model, gardner, cooking-contest-winner - just to name a FEW of her talents) was the hilarious book, Being Dead Is No Excuse The Official Southern Ladies Guide To Hosting The Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays.  This book is an entertaining look into Southern life and death...geared to educate one on the proper way to have a funeral.  It's filled with helpful hints that everyone can use, and is quick to point out that a "good funeral is good for everyone".  I had no idea about everything that is involved in a Southern funeral...I've never had the pleasure of attending one as of yet - the closest I've come was making a funeral hat for Miss Delcie.  Delcie was my brother's and SIL's nanny/maid to their 5 children when they lived in Fairfax, South Carolina.  Delcie didn't drive so every day Miss Ellie would go and pick her up and bring her back to their plantation to clean and iron and watch cartoons with the kidlets - or something like that.  I met Delcie when I went to visit many years ago and even then Delcie was old.  Delcie announced during my visit that her ex-boyfriend had passed and that he would be "funeralized".  We told her how sorry we were and asked if they were still close and she said, "Oh no!  I'm going to his funeral because I want to make sure he's dead!"  Delcie wanted a "funeral hat" to wear so I made her one...big and black with flowers attached - she was thrilled beyond words.  I would have loved to have gone with her...and if I had known about funeral foods, I would have made something and taken it over to the bereaved's home...the ticket to a funeral - any funeral...is food.

According to the book, the TOP TEN FUNERAL FOODS are:

Tomato Aspic with Homemade Mayonnaise

Fried Chicken

Stuffed Eggs

Virginia's Butter Beans

Can't-die-without-it-Caramel Cake

Homemade Rolls

Banana Nut Bread

Aunt Hebe's Coconut Cake

Methodist Party Potatoes

Tenderloin

I'll be making these "to-die-for" foods in the next coming weeks!  All of those recipes are in the book, along with a ton of others - it's really a cook book with "funeral advice" thrown in, along with some very funny stories.  I highly recommend it.  If you'll notice, the number one food is the Tomato Aspic - no Southerner would dare to die without having Tomato Aspic at their funeral - it would just be un-southern/uncivilized.  So, to my family and friends, when my time comes, somebody PLEASE make sure I have Tomato Aspic at my funeral (even though I'm not Southern, I wouldn't want my funeral foods to be uncivilized!)...you can skip the Homemade Mayonnaise (which is the suggested accompaniment), I prefer to eat my aspic with crackers, celery or shrimp...not that I'd be eating, of course, but I wouldn't want to ask too much in your time of grief. 

As you can see, the top of my aspic (the bottom of the mold) is where the spices ended up...I don't know how to keep them "mixed" - does anyone know?  I should have turned my aspic out onto a bed of greens...and would have if I'd had any...please forgive me.  An aspic is like a jellied cocktail sauce...it's full of flavor - horseradish, lemon, onion, cloves and tomato...and can be sliced easily.  The mister was fairly taken with my aspic...however, not enough to die for.

Tomato Aspic - Adapted From Gayden Metcalfe, Being Dead Is No Excuse

4 cups tomato juice

6 slices lemon (don't worry about seeds, they'll get strained out)

3 slices yellow onion, separated into rings

2 bay leaves

tops of one bunch of celery

several whole cloves

3 tablespoons horseradish

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins recommended)

4 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Put the tomato juice, lemon slices, onion slices, bay leaves, celery tops, and cloves in a heavy pot and simmer for 20 minutes.  While this simmers, mix together the gelatin and vinegar.  (It will be very thick.)  Strain the tomato juice mixture and add the gelatin mixture.  Stir until the gelatin has dissolved.  No lumps allowed!  (I was so worried about lumps that I strained this a second time at this point.)  Add horseradish, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.  Taste and correct seasoning if needed.  Lightly oil a 6-cup mold.  Pour the mixture into the mold and chill until firm, several hours or overnight.  Overnight is best.  Unmold on a bed of greens.  (I forgot the greens!)  If the aspic will not come out of the pan easily, run a knife around the edge or dip the pan into a sink of hot water - just for a second!   

I have to tell you, at first I wasn't "getting" the aspic...the texture kind of threw me...but after a few more tastes, it kind of grew on me and I rather like it...if you don't want to wait until my funeral to try this, I'd suggest making it for game day or your next party...if you've never had this before it will be a conversation starter!  This recipe serves 10 to 12, but for MY funeral, whoever makes the aspic should probably double the recipe, since I'm sure they'll be a crowd, those wanting to make sure I'm really dead, in which case you could use a 10-cup Bundt pan as the mold...just a thought.

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One year ago:  BLT Wraps

Two years ago:  Valentine Quilt

Zwiebelkuchen...

On the 11th Day of Christmas my true love gave to meeeee a slice of Zwiebelkuchen!  Trying singing/saying that 3 times as fast as you can!  And you should - think of it as warm-up exercises for your mouth before you get down to the serious business of eating it.  The mister cannot pronounce it - he can barely say his own name and regularly manages to mangle every word in the English language with more than 3 syllables...but he is smart enough to know when to shut up and eat...if only he would do it more often.  I, being kind and benevolent, tried to help him...Zweeeee-Bell-Kook-In...and he said...SaWeeblahquicket...so I tried again...Zweeeee-Bell-Kook-In...and he said...SpBeamBeeeeQuackEr.  So I gave up and told him he could call this German Pizza and he said...Zwielbelkuchen!  Then I slapped him.  Kidding, I would never slap the mister and risk injury to my eating arm.

This recipe was featured in Pacific Magazine along with a story about how this is the perfect dish to share with friends on a cold winter day...you know, after a day of shushing on the slopes...or ice skating on the pond...or cross-country skiing through the woods...or a day of schlepping through the mall loaded down with shopping bags while praying you can find your car that was parked on the other side of Egypt before the newly formed blisters on your feet burst...yes, this is the perfect meal to come home to.  Do think of it as a German pizza, with a nice chewy yeast crust covered with the most wonderful combination of toppings and DO invite your friends over to share - this is meant to be shared.  Sit, eat, talk and linger over this...it will make your feet stop hurting.  Truly.  

After you look over the recipe you might be thinking there are just too many steps involved...yes, you have to make the dough and let it rise but if you make it in a food processor you'll spend about 3 minutes doing so.   Then while the dough rises you cook the onions and bacon - no big deal there...and whipping up the topping is a cinch. At this point you can either bake it or put it in the refrigerator and bake it when you come down from the Alps/Nordstrom...and I promise you, this is worth the time.  It's different, not your usual run-of-the-mill fare, and it's good, dang good...I liked it so much that I'm giving it 5 dangs...yep, it's that good. 

Zwiebelkuchen - Adapted from Melissa Kronenthal/Pacific Magazine, December 2009

For the dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup lukewarm water

For the topping:

1 lb. bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

2 lbs. yellow onions (about 4 medium-large)

Pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 eggs

Freshly ground nutmeg and black pepper to taste

To make the dough:  In the bowl of a food processor combine all the ingredients and process with the dough blade until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 2 to 3 minutes.  *Remove the dough, shape into a ball and place into a bowl greased with oil.  Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2-hours.  (If you don't have a food processor combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in the oil and warm water.  Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and dust with some of the remaining flour.  Knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Follow the directions above from the asterisk.) 

To make the topping:  While the dough is rising, in a large skillet over medium heat cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until the fat is rendered out and the bacon is crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of bacon grease from the skillet.  Put the onions in the food processor and process until pureed and there are no large bits (if you are not using a food processor you can use a blender or chop the onions into 1/4-inch pieces by hand).  Pour the pureed onions (which will be a bit liquidy) into the bacon grease and add the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  Saute over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until the onions are caramelized, soft and the liquid has evaporated.  You will have an onion "paste" left in the pan.  Remove from heat and cool completely. 

In a medium bowl stir together the sour cream, eggs, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Add freshly ground nutmeg (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) and black pepper to taste (I added about 3/4 teaspoon pepper). 

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet or jellyroll pan (12x17-inches) with parchment paper.  With floured hands, stretch and pat the dough out to cover the entire sheet, pressing it up to form a ridge around the edge.  Spread the cooled onions over the dough.  Sprinkle with the cooked bacon.  Pour the sour cream mixture over the top and spread to distribute evenly.  At this point you can refrigerate the Zwiebelkuchen, just cover with plastic wrap.  When you are ready to bake allow to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

When oven is hot, carefully slide pan onto the center rack and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is firm and the dough is golden.  Let cool slightly, then cut into squares.  Serves 6 to 8. 

"My idea of superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors."  ~ Bette Midler 

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One year ago today:  French Cinnamon Buns

Two years ago today:  Amish Baked Oatmeal

Hoppin' John With Ham Over Cheddar Grits...

If I was on the ball I would have given you this recipe days ago because eating black-eyed peas on New Years Day is said to bring good luck all year long and I'm willing to give anything that promises even the remote chance of luck a try.  I was prepared to beg your forgiveness but the mister said that wasn't necessary...he, being somewhat of a prognosticator of pontifical rhetoric, said eating black-eyed peas ANY day during the first week of the New Year would still bring the promised good luck...so fear not.  (I don't know how he knows this because the last time I checked he was not a card-carrying member of the Soothsayer Society.)  The mister knows a thing or two about luck, after all, he is STILL married to me, has a dog who he lets think he's his personal chew toy, has children (5 at the latest count) who still talk to him, and  last week the mister held in his hand a winning lottery ticket...he won the largest amount he's ever won, too...TWENTY DOLLARS!  Luck could be his middle name.  And now, after eating Hoppin' John for dinner, I'll hardly be able to sleep just wondering what LUCK will be headed our way!

You might be wondering where the name Hoppin' John comes from...if you find out, let me know as I have no clue. This is a two-pot dish...one for the Hoppin' John...onions, smoked ham cubes, black-eyed peas and tomatoes and the other pot is for the Cheddar Grits...smooth, creamy and cheesy...definitely not on my diet but for a chance at luck I was willing to take an hour off from dieting and I suggest you do, too. 

Hoppin' John With Ham Over Cheddar Grits - Adapted From Southern Living Magazine

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups smoked ham, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans (15 oz.) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 can (29 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (4.5 oz.) mild green chiles

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

For Cheddar Grits:

3 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and saute for 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in ham, and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until the ham just begins to take on a little color.  Stir in black-eyed peas, tomatoes and green chiles.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Serve immediately over cheddar grits.

To make cheddar grits:  Bring chicken broth and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Gradually whisk in grits, and return to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occationally, for 5 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in cheese until melted.  Serve immediately.  This dish serves 4 to 6 unlucky people.

Twenty-Ten...Happy New Year!

New Year's resolutions - such a pain...but if I can actually keep just this one resolution I will make the mister and the rest of the family SO much happier and no doubt my friends will be a bit happier too.

It's something that my family has told me over and over I MUST do...they have even told me to practice saying it every day in front of the mirror before I leave the manse...

My New Year's Resolution for 2010 is to say NO.  No to being a slave.  No to letting myself be taken advantage of.  No to people who are perfectly capable of helping themselves.  No to fringe friends and their offspring and their offspring.  No to ridiculous requests for my time and money.  No.  No. No.  Such an easy word to type.  Such an easy word to spell.  Such an easy word to think...but for me, such a HARD word to say!  But I'm going to try...right after I finish making soup and appetizers for 200 for a wedding reception tomorrow night!  January 3rd is my start day...I'm going to say NO.  No. No. NO!  Heck, I'll probably say NO every single day to every single person.  It will be the first word out of my mouth.  Or the second.  Maybe the 3rd but I'll definitely say it...as in No, of course that won't be a problem...No, I'm happy to help...No, I'm sure the mister won't mind...No Problem...No worries...No habla Espanol...Yep, I'm going to say NO in 2010.

Happy New Year to us all.  And God help us/me. 

The Gingerbread Man in 3 Acts...

Our annual Christmas party for the kids was last night (only families with little kids get invited and by the time the youngest is around 10 they are off the list!  Sad for them...but big kids have a tendency to not believe...)and it was by far the best one yet - in my humble opinion.  We went BIG this year and rented costumes...YES!  But not the entire costume - just the HEADS!  (We went big, not huge!)  And this year we had THREE scenery changes!!!  I know, I know - it boggles the mind!  The boy reprised his role as Prop Master and did an excellent job - stopping the play to walk in and remove the thumb tacks holding the beautifully painted scenery sheets - as in bed sheets...we spared no expense.  For you in Seattle we rented our costumes from The Emperor's New Clothes - they have a huge assortment and were delightful to work with; they are located in Woodinville.

 

Since I am a very small part of the production...I just read the story while the "actors" bring it to life...I am preoccupied so I never get to take pictures!  Above are the before shots...the first scenery sheet with the magical oven that the Gingerbread Man pops out of...the "brown and white cow" head and the "old muddy sow's" head...we also had a fox head, of sorts, that the mister was cajoled into wearing.  At first he wanted no part of this - he was just going to be the lighting guy as usual - holding one, or possibly two flashlights - it's very demanding!  But when he learned that the sly old fox eats the Gingerbread Man he was all for it!  Also above is a pic of the sweet/candy laden table - which the kids loved (to the horror of their parents!) and I always get such a kick out of seeing their eyes pop when they see everything!  

The above pic will give you some idea of the fun we had...everyone crammed into our family room sardine style...The Gingerbread Man taunting the Brown and White Cow and then taunting the Muddy Old Sow..."Run!  Run!  As fast as you can!  You can't catch me - I'm the Gingerbread Man!"  After our play Santa stopped by and passed out Gingerbread cookies to all the kids - he also serenaded them with a special song he wrote just for them!  It was such fun for the kids and one kid, in particular, had the most fun ever...and that would be me!