Month: January 2017

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Torte
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Chocolate Macadamia Nut Torte

This is adapted from a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, “Pacific Flavors”. It was bought years ago at a wonderful garden/cooking store called Lexington Gardens in Newtown, CT. It was one of my favorite places to visit on my trips back home. I miss those days but I have this cookbook and other gifts to remind me of those wonderful times spent with my mom and dad wandering around the gardens and perusing the cooking items. This is a wonderful rich but not overly sweet dessert. It can be made with toasted Hazelnuts just as easily and I have made it both ways. It can also be made a day in advance and left unrefrigerated. It is wonderful with fresh raspberries or even a glass of port.

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Ingredients

1 cup unsalted Macadamia nuts or Hazelnuts*
2 tbsp candied ginger
5 oz semi-sweet chocolate
10 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup fine unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp grated orange rind
*Toast them in a 325 oven until golden for about 15 minutes, cool before grinding.

Simple Syrup

3 tbs sugar
3 tbs water
3 tbs grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Chocolate Glaze
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 oz semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup unsalted butter

White Glaze
1/2 Cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan (I used a springform pan). Cut a piece of parchment paper and line the bottom. I have also used about a tablespoon of flour and shook the pan until there was a light coating of flour. I found it makes removing the cake easier if you do not have parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375.

Grind nuts in a food processor and mince until they resemble cornmeal, set aside

In a food processor puree the candied ginger until finely ground.

Cut the 5 oz of semi sweet chocolate into small pieces and melt in the microwave.

Place butter and sugar in the food processor and process until well combined. Add eggs and ginger puree. Mix. Add melted chocolate and mix until combined.

Pour into a bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, orange rind and ground nuts. Pour into the cake pan and bake until a knife placed in the center of the cake comes out clean,about 25-30 minutes.

Cool 30 minutes. Remove cake from springform pan. If using a regular cake pan place a plate over the cake and invert the cake onto the plate. Carefully peel off the parchment. Cool to room temperature.

Simple Syrup: Make the simple syrup while the cake is cooling. In a small saucepan combine sugar and water, bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved. cool to room temperature in a small bowl. Add orange liqueur. Brush over the surface of the cake until absorbed. I use a toothpick to prick the cake to help the syrup absorb faster.

Chocolate Glaze: Melt the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl in a microwave. cool until glaze begins to thicken. Pour into the center of the cake and spread to smooth. The cake can be made ahead to this point and left unrefrigerated.

White Glaze: To make the white glaze decoration combine the confectioner’s sugar, water and lemon juice. Stir until creamy. Pour into a pastry bag or a plastic baggie with the tip cut. Drizzle lines across the cake. Take a knife and drag lightly through the white lines.

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Chicken Tamale Pie
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Chicken Tamale Pie

I was trying to come up with something to make with the boneless, skinless chicken thighs I had in the fridge so I started going through some old cookbooks I had not used in a while. I adapted this from an old James McNair recipe in his “Chicken” cookbook. I have quite a few that I have acquired over the years. This is a great weeknight recipe. It warms up well, too. 

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Ingredients

1 can (28 oz.) Italian-style plum tomatoes, with their juices
1 can (16 oz.) cream-style corn
3 – 4 tsp. salt
1 medium-sized onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup olive oil
1 canned adobo chipotle chili (chopped)
1 cup milk
½ cup yellow cornmeal
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pitted ripe olives
5 chicken thighs, cooked and shredded
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Olive oil for drizzling

Directions

Sauté onion until golden. Add tomatoes, corn, salt, olive oil and chili powder in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the milk, cornmeal, and eggs; add to the tomato mixture and cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until thick, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the olives, chicken and about 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture.

Pour mixture into a lightly greased shallow ovenproof dish. Top with the remaining cheeses, drizzle with oil, and bake until the pie is firm and the cheese is crusty, 35 – 45 minutes. Serve piping hot.

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Shrimp Bisque

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Happy New Year everyone!

I served this as the soup course for Christmas Eve but it is so wonderful I will make it again. It uses rice as a thickener and a smaller amount of cream that a lot of recipes. I did make homemade shrimp stock using the shells and added some ready made seafood stock as well. It was wonderful and even good the next day warmed up. I made it earlier in the day and kept it warm in a crock pot until just before serving and added the cream last. This was adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe from June 2011. It serves 6 as soup course.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 1/2 pound medium shrimp (about 45), peeled, deveined, shells reserved
  • 8 cups water or seafood stock (I used Swansons’s)
  • 2 bay leaves, divided
  • 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 1/4 cup long-grain white rice
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

 PREPARATION

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 bay leaf and 8 cups water or seafood stock. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain, discarding solids. DO AHEAD: Shrimp stock can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

    Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to same pot. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very soft, about 20 minutes.

    Remove pot from heat; add brandy. Return pot to heat and stir until almost evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Add rice and tomato paste; stir for 1 minute. Add shrimp stock, remaining bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Simmer uncovered until flavors meld and rice is soft, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 4 shrimp for garnish and stir remaining shrimp into bisque. Remove parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.

    Working in batches, purée bisque in a blender until smooth. Pour through a finemesh strainer set over a clean pot. Discard solids in strainer. Stir in cream and reheat bisque over medium heat. Add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cayenne, if desired.

    Mince reserved shrimp and mix with chives in a small bowl. Place 1 heaping tablespoon shrimp mixture in the center of large, shallow soup bowls. Ladle bisque around garnish and serve.