Anderson Cooper and Crack Pie

The winter weather was getting me down. How many chilly, rainy days were there left to count until summer? For several weeks, I had read about Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar's Crack Pie. Even the most mainstream Martha Stewart had visited David Chang for some of that infamous pie and filmed it on her show. Anderson Cooper got his mom hooked on this pie. He tells Kelly Ripa that her diet is wack. Here is my Anderson Cooper tangent: he loves Battlestar Galactica, lives in a renovated firehouse, eats Crack Pie and has silver hair. My list is longer, but listing it would make me look like a crazy. Back to the pie, the pie is primarily made of milk, butter and sugar; very common ingredients on my grocery list. It was sweet, crunchy and caramely. I first made the cookie crust.

I crumbled the cookie and placed it into a pie crust, similar to what you would do to make a graham cracker crust.

Mixed the Crack filling together.

And out came the pie.

Momofuku Crack Pie

Cookie for crust

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar

1 egg

1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Beat the butter and the sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Beat in the egg. Slowly beat in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the oats.

Spread the batter about 1/2″ thick on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. The cookie will be slightly puffed.

Crust

Crumbled cookie for crust

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) light brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Process the cooled cookie until crumbs in a food processor or crumble in plastic bag. Mix in the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Use half of the mixture and press the mixture into a 9″ pie plate to form an even crust along the bottom and sides. This recipe is intended to make two pie crusts. For a thicker crust, use more of the mixture and eat the rest of the buttered crumbs.

Filling

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp milk powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream

6 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour into the pie crust.

Bake the pie for 25 minutes, then turn off the oven. Let the pie rest and firm up slightly in the residual heat for an additional 10-15 minutes. Jiggle the pie slightly–the outer edge should be set, but the middle should be slightly wobbly. Let it cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.

Thomas Keller's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

There is another man in my life. Thomas Keller's recipes have taken over my kitchen. Last night, I tried his Pineapple Upside-Down Cake from "Ad Hoc At Home." It was different than other Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes. Keller went without the cherry and used fresh pineapple; he called the dessert "elegant." He's right, I would serve this at a my candlelit dinner.

Thomas Keller's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients for pan schmear
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dark rum (Captain Morgan)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Kosher salt
1 Gold (extra-sweet) pineapple


Ingredients for cake
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of  a stand mixer with the paddle, combine the butter, honey, rum, sugar, and vanilla, and beat until smooth and well blended. Spread 1/3 cup of the schmear over the bottom of a 9-inch silicone cake pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt. (The remaining schmear can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 1 month; bring to room temperature before using.)

Cut top and bottom from pineapple, and cut away peel. Cut pineapple lengthwise into quarters, and cut off core from each section. Cut each piece crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Beginning at the perimeter of the pan, make an overlapping ring of pineapple slices with the curved side facing out. Make a second ring inside the first one, overlapping the slices in the opposite direction, working toward the center of the pan. Reserve any pineapple for another use.

Sift flour and baking powder together; set aside.

Put butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix on low speed to combine, then beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding second and scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in milk. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating just until combined.

Pour batter into pan and spread over pineapple. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan for even browning and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake, invert onto a serving platter, and serve warm. (Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.) 


source: "Ad Hoc At Home"

Droopy Bars

Most Oregonians are Granola. It's okay, I don't think they'll be offended. Most seem to embrace that lifestyle. In my attempts to sample this lifestyle, I tried Alton Brown's Granola Bar recipe. It's delicious, but the ingredients did not hold up for me and I was left with Droopy Bars. I couldn't cope with the Droopy Bars and sticky mess so roasted them a bit longer to turn them into a crunch cereal. 

Mixing the dry ingredients.

Mixing in the wet ingredients.

Looking beautiful, until I cut them into bars.

Alton Brown's Granola Bars

Ingredients

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups

1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cus

3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup

1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup

6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup

1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar approximately 1/4 cup packed

1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Directions

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

source: Food Network

Low Key 30-Something

We like to keep things low key. It goes without saying that that is the same way we like to celebrate birthdays and holidays. For Matt's birthday, we cracked open some Omaha Steak items that Grandma Kern gifted us for Christmas. Our dinner seemed kind of yellow, so I put together a salad to brighten things up.

Stuffed baked potato (left), sole on top of crab stuffing (right) and homemade ciabatta (back)

Romaine lettuce and tomatoes with homemade green goddess dressing

Parsley Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 low fat cup mayonnaise

1/2 low fat sour cream

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/2 cup italian parsley

juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 clove garlic (chopped)

salt and pepper

Directions

Place mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. 

Add sour cream, pulse until blended. 

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Salsa Verde

We've fallen in love with Anna's Lazy Chilaquiles Verdes (see recipe below). On Valentine's Day weekend, I attempted to make the simple dish a little less simple. I made Laborious and Not So Great Chilaquiles Verdes. Trader Joe's makes an equally as good Salsa Verde without all the work. Traditionally, Salsa Verde is made from boiled tomatillo. I broiled them to gain more flavor. Unfortunately, this boost in flavor was not terribly noticeable in the final product. 

Broiled and halved tomatillos

Laborious and Not So Great Chilaquiles Verdes with a side of beans

Anna's Lazy Chilaquiles Verdes

2 jars Trader Joe's salsa verde (about 3 cups)
1 cup chicken broth
dash olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
salt to taste
20-30 tortilla chips
1/2+ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Diced white onion, cilantro, and sour cream to top. Queso fresco, si quieres.

Shred your cheese and prep the garnish items. Heat the salsa, chicken broth, and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the sauce begins to bubble, add the beaten eggs and stir to cook and incorporate. This will thicken your sauce a bit. Start adding tortilla chips and immerse in the sauce until you have layered to the surface of your sauce. The chips will soften. Sprinkle the cheese over the mixture, then spoon out onto plates. Top with garnish items, as preferred. 4 large servings or 8 side servings.

Since chilaquiles is traditionally a way to use up leftover salsa and tortillas the next morning, people will often add leftover meat as well. Chicken is a popular choice. As a side dish, I served it with roasted cauliflower.

source: Tastes Like More

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb tomatillo (12-18)

8 serrano chilies (stemmed, seeded and chopped)

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1/4 teaspoon sugar

salt

Directions

Turn broiler on high.

Remove paper husks and rinse tomatillos.

Line baking sheet with foil. Cut tomatillos in half and place cut side down on baking sheet. Place under broiler for about 5-10 minutes, until tomatillo skins blacken.

Place all ingredient, except salt, into a blender or food processor and pulse. Salt to taste. Cool in refrigerator. Serve as salsa.

Oui, Oui. C'est French Onion Soup!

We're taking a break from our vacation pictures for a delicious winter, root vegetable soup. For this recipe, the technique is easy, but is requires quite a bit a time. It's a good soup to make if you're watching several movies in a row, cleaning around the house or both. As with many soups and chilis, a bowl of this tastes even better several days later.

No need to shell out for Vidalia, Walla Walla or Red Onions. Inexpensive Yellow Onions work best.

French Onion Soup

Adapted from: Cook's Illustrated

Yields: About 6 servings

Soup Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces

6 large yellow onions, halved and cut pole-to-pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 4 pounds)

salt

2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups beef broth

1/4 red wine

1 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves

2 springs fresh parsley leaves

ground black pepper

Crouton Ingredients:

baguette or crusty bread

fontina cheese

asiago or romano cheese

Soup Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400°F. Generously spray inside a heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven or soup pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Place pot in oven and cook, covered for 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).

Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, about 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour. Cook longer to achieve the golden brown, if necessary.

Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat.

Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly.

Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary (scape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions).

Sit in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes.

Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown.

Stir in wine and balsamic vinegar, stirring frequently, until wine evaporates, about 5 minutes.

Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf and parsley (you will fish out the bay leaf and parsley later). Scape any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.

Increase heat to heat and bring to simmer.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf and parsley, then season with pepper. Salt is necessary, but remember the broth probably had enough salt already.

Crouton Directions:

While soup simmers, arrange baguette or crusty bread slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400°F oven until bread is dry, crisp and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set croutons aside.

To Serve:

Adjust oven rack 4 to 6-inches from broiler and heat broiler.

Set heat-safe soup bowls or crocks on rimmed baking sheet and fill each with about 1 1/2 cup soup.

Top each bowl with two toasted baguette slices (try not to overlap) and divide fontina cheese slices, laying them in a single layer, if possible, on bread.

Sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons grated asiago or romano cheese and broil until well browned and bubbly, 7 to 10 minutes.

If using regular soup bowls, broil the toasts and the cheese only and then place toasts on top of the soup.

Cool 5 minutes and serve.

About 4 pounds of tear inducing root vegetables (AKA yellow onions).

Halved and cut pole-to-pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large Dutch oven or soup pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Place butter in pot.

Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. It looks like a lot of onions, but they will cook down. Place this pot in the oven, cook, covered for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, the onions will be moist and slighted reduced in volume. Stir and scrape the bottom and sides of pot. Return the pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook 1 3/4 hours longer. The onions will become very soft and golden brown. Continue to cook longer to achieve the the golden brown color desired.

Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly.

Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. The dark crust is call fond and the fond is packed with flavor. Scape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.

Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown.

The onions have reached a very dark brown color.

Stir in wine and balsamic vinegar, stirring frequently, until wine evaporates, about 5 minutes.

Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf and parsley. Now is a good time to scrap up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.

.

Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and parsley, then season with pepper to taste.

Broil the baguette or crust bread slices and cheese and then place the toasts on top of the soup. Watch attentively, as it will brown quickly.

Place toasts on top of the soup. Cool 5 minutes and serve.