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These are some of the most delicious chocolate cupcakes ever. There’s Guinness in the chocolate cupcake batter, a ganache of dark, bittersweet chocolate and Bailey’s that lies in wait in the midst of the cake like a hidden treasure, and the whole thing is topped with butter cream frosting laced with more Bailey’s. Mmmm….mmm…mmmm! These could be a new go to dessert for a less formal meal.
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This Sunday Ken made our Sunday pizza with a delicious garlic crust with which he experimented with its thinnest and thickness. He made an amazing super thin crust that had was not the least bit dry and also a standard crust pizza with a stuffed crust.
Continue reading "Thin Crust Pizza & Stuffed Crust Pizza - Homemade" »
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Sometime ago a tradition began in our household … Sunday pizza. Not that I don’t enjoy a good roast beef or a roasted chicken with potatoes and gravy (both aromas instantly take me back to my childhood and to my grandmother’s kitchen), but a hot pizza and a cold malted beverage have become a pleasant, very low key way to unwind after a busy morning and at the end of a full weekend.
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Hot and juicy meets rich and tangy.
Beef burger topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and 1000 island dressing --- that’s the Ruben Burger.
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My husband, Ken is the first ever ‘guest’ blogger… his fabulous, soon to be famous ribs, which was requested and ravenously eaten by our son (and gathered extended family, too) on the occasion of his 14th birthday, are today’s feature!
~Enjoy!
Ribs, post cook, pre-broil (It’s difficult to keep your fingers out of them while they rest)
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Another unique look inside my refrigerator … though actually this is the second refrigerator aka “the beer refrigerator” or the “party refrigerator.” This fridge is about 87 years old (at least it seems that way….). The exterior is covered in wine and beer labels, which may in fact be what’s actually holding it together. Nevertheless, it is the coldest refrigerator ever, keeping beer icy cold and party food fresh; and more than anything else giving us extra cold space.
Continue reading "Blogging My Refrigerator Birthday Edition" »
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Crab cakes have such versitility as a meal or appetizer. Likewise, the seasoning and 'sauces' can be tweaked to taste.
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The bok choy at the grocery looked splendid – bright white stalk and deep green leaves. It beckoned as I passed, calling to be stir fried or sauted; it proceeded to jump into my cart. Okay, not quite that dramatically, but it sure looked good and thus made it into this week’s menu.
Continue reading "Bok Choy and Shrimp with Teriyaki Sauce (with photos)" »
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mushrooms prior to plating
This particular appetizer/tapas recipe is from the Bon Appetit Cookbook with variations of my own according to our own tastes. It’s savory combination of olives and rosemary are a delight.
Continue reading "Stuffed Mushrooms with Bacon and Olives with photos" »
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One mushroom and leek in Phyllo and one Muenster cheese in phyllo
The alternate title to this particular favorite is “a little pocket of heaven.”
Continue reading "Mushroom and Leeks in Phyllo (appetizer or tapas)" »
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Here are a dozen and a half highlights of 2009:
Organic carrots – cleaned 5lbs at a time. In 2009, our kids discovered vegetables beginning with carrots.
Stock – This year we were quite intentional about regularly making stock and using as the flavor base not only for soup, but also for rice, couscous and even to saute vegetables in a low fat way.
Tortilla soup with homemade tortilla chips – Soup became the staple of the year as we developed favorite flavor profiles.
Ribs – Ken perfected BBQ ribs this year with a savory rub and a long and low process of cooking.
Pizza – He also perfected both crust and topping combinations to the extent that it’s a rarity that we eat carry out pizza.
Salmon Chowder – This soup used both our kitchen made stock and utilized seafood which we had made a commitment to eat more of in 2009.
Roladen – A favorite, reminiscent of our days in Munich. Also one of the most Googled recipes of 2009.
Ice Cream Cake – The temperature on July 8, Madeleine’s birthday, was 104 degrees and thus we decided to have an ice cream cake for her. What a fun new way to celebrate. I’d like to try to make one.
Ox Tail Soup – Another of the most Googled recipes of 2009, however, it was probably one of my biggest culinary disappointments of the year. I had wanted to try ox tail for a very long time and when I came to find out that my maternal grandmother, one of my earliest cooking teachers, made it that desire increased. Well, the soup/stew wasn’t what I expected. Maybe I’ll try again in the new year.
Charlie Trotter – Eating at the Kitchen Table and meeting Charlie himself was an amazing way to celebrate Ken’s dissertation defense and inaugurate the final steps toward his PhD (which he received in May).
Meatballs – One of the funniest food episodes this year is when I made meatballs, and I kept making them, and making them, and rolling them, and preparing them, and making them… 442 in total.
Hot and Spicy Chicken Wings – Mine are the best in the Valley, no, in the world.
Olive Burger – Hungry for an olive burger like the one at the Keyhole Bar in the UP, I tried to re-create one. My version was quite delicious, but still it just wasn’t quite it. Unplanned, our summer vacation included a 2000 mile (each way) road trip to the UP and the Key Hole Bar where I ate the real thing.
The Perfect Steak – Ken’s grilling mastery is off the charts: delicious, juicy, and what beautiful grill marks on the steaks. Likewise, he’s grilled fish, ribs, ratones, and vegetables.
Grilled Cheese – This was Madeleine’s first grilled cheese that she made “all by herself.” Another Madison House Chef is launched.
Blueberry Muffins – 2009 was a year of baking and sharing baked goods. Baking is still one of my favorite ways to relax.
Pork Picnic – We tried and successfully accomplished Pulled Pork!
Bok Choy – This was our new vegetable of the year. While I’d eaten it many times before, I had not ever cooked with it, but now it’s in the regular rotation of vegetable sides.
Looking to 2010 I’m hopeful to do more baking, to explore more vegetables and create new ways to eat them, and to eat at another world class restaurant (maybe in Spain, the UK, or Finland). I look forward to learning to make homemade sausage, finding a great paella recipe, and continuing to catalogue these recipes (and share them) via this Madison House Chef blog.
Happy New Year, 2010 – Enjoy!
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