Annie’s Eats

This week I had a serious urge to bake a cheesecake.  Who knows why, since I made one not too long ago - maybe because I wasn’t thrilled with the lemon curd on the last one, and this time I wanted something more chocolatey.  Whatever the reason, I’m glad I gave in to the urge because this cheesecake is awesome!  It wins points right off the bat with the chocolate cookie crumb crust.  That almost guarantees it will be a hit with me :-)  After reading the recipe, I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of layering the batter and chocolate chips (versus just mixing all the chips in the batter and pouring into the crust).  I decided to trust the recipe and layer, and I’m happy I did.  I think the layer of chips really helps concentrate the chocolate flavor in each bite of the cheesecake.  This was an easy recipe and the only thing that presents a challenge is waiting 8 whole hours to taste it

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
6 tbsp. butter, melted
24 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions:
For the crust, crumble the sandwich cookies into a food processor or blender.  Grind into fine crumbs.  In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter.  Mix well with a fork.  Spoon the mixture into a 10-inch springform pan.  Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, pat the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the pan.  Freeze prepared crust 15-30 minutes while preparing cheesecake filling. 

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°.  Blend cream cheese and sugar 3 minutes on medium-high speed.  Turn mixer down to lowest speed; add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add whipping cream and vanilla; beat on medium-high for 3 minutes.  Pour ¾ of the cream cheese filling into crust.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over batter, then pour remaining cream cheese filling over chips. 

Bake cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325°.  Turn off oven; leave cake in oven with door closed for 1 ½ hours.  Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.

Source: Ghirardelli

I have just recently discovered the wonder that is Cook’s Illustrated.  If you are not familiar with it, you should be, ASAP.  It is a wonderful cooking magazine that really defines the term “tried and true” since the recipes are tested with numerous variations, multiple times to find the absolute best recipe for favorite dishes.  It also has incredibly helpful kitchen tips and pointers, as well as product ratings/reviews, and - no advertisements!   Another reason I enjoy it is that it reminds me of Alton Brown in magazine form because it describes some of the science behind cooking and baking, which I just love.  I have tried a few recipes from it and so far they have all been just as wonderful as I would expect they should be considering all the testing that goes into them.  This simple meat sauce was no exception.  I especially love the use of the food processor in this dish, as it simplifies the recipe, making a fairly quick meal that seems like it should take much longer.  The flavor and texture were both great.  I may try adding a bit of garlic powder and dried basil next time, just because I love to play around with those ingredients.  This is a definite keeper!

Simple Italian-Style Meat Sauce
Ingredients:
4 oz. white mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed and broken into rough pieces
1 large slice good quality white sandwich bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons whole milk
salt and pepper
1 lb. 85% lean ground beef
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 ½ cups)
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 tbsp.)
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, ¼ cup liquid reserved
1 tbsp. minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
½ oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about ¼ cup) 

Directions:
Process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about 8 1-second puleses, scraping down side of bowl as needed; transfer to medium bowl.  Add bread, milk, ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper to now-empty food processor and process until paste forms, about 8 1-second pulses.  Add beef and pulse until mixture is well combined, about 6 1-second pulses. 

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are browned and dark bits form on pan bottom, 6 to 12 minutes.  Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant and tomato paste starts to brown, about 1 minute.  Add ¼ cup reserved tomato liquid and 2 tsp. fresh oregano (or full 1 tsp. dried), scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon, until beef loses its raw color, 2-4 minutes, making sure that meat does not brown. 

Stir in crushed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes.  Stir in cheese and remaining 1 tsp. fresh oregano; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated, April 2008

It may seem like an odd name, but it won’t if you head over to Pioneer Woman’s blog and read her funny commentary on making this dish with her little sister.  This was another major hit in our house.  I make a lot of different types of shrimp pasta, but this has easily taken the no. 1 spot in my book.  I think that chopping up the shrimp into small pieces really brings out the flavor of the shrimp because you have some in every bite.  This reminds me a lot of pasta with vodka sauce, but lucky for me it doesn’t have vodka - I’ve been really missing vodka sauce since I got pregnant, and this is a wonderful substitute.  You can use white wine or chicken broth in this dish, which I appreciate.  Ben and I are both just crazy about this dinner.  I made it about a week ago and he’s already been asking for it again!

Penne a la Betsy
Ingredients:
¾ lb. penne pasta
3 tbsp. butter, divided
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. large shrimp
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine (or chicken broth)
1 (8 oz.) can plain tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
basil leaves, to taste (use a bunch!) 

Directions:
Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions. 

Meanwhile, while water heats and pasta cooks, make the sauce.  Melt 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes, until opaque.  Remove to a plate to let cool.  Heat 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in the skillet.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally.  While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the shrimp into small, bite-sized pieces.  Add the wine (or chicken broth) to the pan and allow to reduce for a few minutes.  Chiffonade the basil leaves and set aside.  Stir in tomato sauce.  Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine.  Add shrimp back to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the parsley and basil and mix well. 

Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add the sauce to the pot and stir well to combine.  Serve. 

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Thanks so much to Joelen of Joelen’s Culinary Adventures for starting another great blogging event, Tasty Tools!  I was especially excited to participate when I heard that the featured tool for this month would be graters or microplanes.  My microplane is easily one of my favorite kitchen gadgets.  So far I only have one size of microplane and I find it is best suited for zesting citrus fruits.  I absolutely love how wonderful my kitchen smells as soon as I start going to work with it - the scent of citrus is so wonderful.

I thought the use of the orange zest in the crust of this cheesecake was a brilliant idea.  It really took a normal tasty crust to another level.  I also loved that the crust used shortbread cookies, as it allowed me to use up some of the Girl Scout cookies sitting around that we never eat :)  The filling of this cheesecake is wonderful - smooth, creamy, and light with a brightness from the lime juice.  However, I could have done without the lemon curd on top.  Ben loves it, but I think I just need to accept the fact that I do not enjoy lemon curd, lime curd or any other curd.  I only spread a third of the total amount on top of the cheesecake and I still thought it was too much.  Luckily it scrapes off easily.  I will definitely make this cheesecake again, but next time it will probably be just double citrus cheesecake for me.  Since Meyer lemons are never available in my boring grocery store, I used 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed orange juice.

Triple Citrus Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For the crust:
11 oz. shortbread cookie crumbs
1 tbsp. sugar
zest of 2 oranges
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted 

For the filling:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup Key lime juice 

For the lemon curd:
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. Meyer lemon juice
3 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks
3 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature 

Directions:
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 300°.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. 

To make the crust, in a small bowl stir together the cookie crumbs, sugar, orange zest and butter.  Press the crumbs evenly and 2 inches up the sides of the prepared pan.  Refrigerate until ready to use. 

To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.  Add the sour cream and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.  Slowly the sugar and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the Key lime juice and beat until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Pour the filling into the crust.  Bake until the edges are set and the center jiggles, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. 

Meanwhile, make the lemon curd.  In a nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch.  Slowly whisk in the lemon juice.  Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks, then the cream.  Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture just begins to boil.  Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.  Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until incorporated.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface, and let cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate the curd until cold, at least 4 hours or up to overnight. 

Using a small spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the lemon curd over the chilled cheesecake.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight before serving.

Source: Williams Sonoma

Holy comfort food, Batman!  Okay, so I just recently discovered my new favorite food blog ever, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  I absolutely love it for so many reasons.  The gorgeous, step-by-step photos, the hilarious commentary throughout the posts, and importantly, the fact that it is filled with food I would actually make - and eat!  I think the only other website that can make me laugh out loud this much is I Can Has Cheezburger (another favorite) :)  Even Ben enjoys reading Ree’s blog for her sarcastic and witty spin on a regular ol’ recipe.  Anyway, this pot roast is incredible.  It is so simplistic, yet produces a truly amazing meal.  Not to mention, it makes your house smell incredible while it is cooking.  Ben actually smelled it from outside at our mailbox after work - now that’s some good smells!  Below is my version of the recipe, adapted for my recipe files, but I suggest you read Pioneer Woman’s version because it is way more fun.  (And be forewarned, many more of her recipes will be appearing on this blog in the near future.)

Pot Roast
Ingredients:
2.5-5 lb. chuck roast
kosher salt
black pepper
olive oil
2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
3 carrots, unpeeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
beef stock (approx. 2-3 cups)
rosemary and thyme (fresh preferred, dried is fine)
garlic cloves (about 4-6), halved 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 275°.  Season chuck roast generously with salt.  Sprinkle generously with pepper.  Turn over and repeat on other side.  Set aside. 

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 2-3 tbsp. of olive oil over medium high heat.  Once the oil in the pot is hot, add the onions.  Allow them to brown on one side, then turn and brown on other side.  Once adequately browned, transfer to a plate.  Add the carrots to the pot and toss them around until slightly brown.  Remove to a plate.  Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot.  Add the chuck roast to the pot and allow to sear on one side.  When well browned, flip and brown other side.  Lift up with tongs to brown edges as well.  Remove the roast to a plate. 

Add about 1 cup of beef broth to the pot to deglaze.  Use a whisk to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the dish.  Add the browned meat back to the pot and add in enough liquid to cover the meat halfway (about 2-3 cups).  Add the onions and carrots back to the pot as well.  Add 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, submerging the sprigs in the liquid (or add dried rosemary and thyme to taste).  If desired, add garlic cloves as well. 

Put the lid on the pot and place in the oven.  Roast for 3 hours for a 3 lb. roast, 4 hours for a 4-5 lb. roast.  Do not lift the lid during roasting.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

I feel very honored to have been granted the “You Make My Day” award by three blogs that I love - Chelle of Sugar & Spice, Tara of Smells Like Home, and Nikki of Pennies on a Platter.  You all definitely made my day by passing this honor on to me!  In general, it just really makes my day to know how many people enjoy my blog and the effort I put into it.  Thanks to all my faithful readers.  I appreciate you so much!

I would like to return the favor and give the award right back to all three who gave it to me.  In addition, I will pass it along to some other food bloggers who make my day for two reasons.  One, their deliciously entertaining blogs and two, their sincere and thoughtful comments on my blog.  You make my day!  (And, if you have already received this award, don’t feel the need to find more blogs to pass it on to - just enjoy it!)

1. Chelle of Sugar & Spice
2. Tara of Smells Like Home
3. Nikki of Pennies on a Platter
4. Bellini Valli of More Than Burnt Toast
5. Amber of Amber’s Delectable Delights
6. Renea of Sweet Savory Southern
7. Elly of Elly Says Opa!
8. Katie of Good Things Catered
9. Kayte of Kayte’s Kitchen
10. Bakingblonde of Blonde Ambition in the Kitchen

I can’t believe my younger brother turned 21 this week.  It terrifies me and makes me feel very old at the same time.  Thankfully I still have one brother under 20, but when he hits 21 I just don’t know what I’ll do!  Anyway, I wanted to make Davy (AKA “Bro”) a fun, 21st-themed cake.  I came up with tons of different ideas but finally settled on this one - a nice simple cake, festive, and no alcohol in the cake so the pregnant baker could still taste it :)  Plus, the mini liquor bottles doubled as his gift which was nice.  I was so happy with the way this turned out and Davy loved it. 

Here’s a pic of us when we were little (Davy is sitting on the lawn mower and the other cutie is our brother Steven):

And here’s a pic of both boys now at one of their favorite places, Wrigley Field (Steven is second from the left being weird, Davy is third from the left):

And now, on to the recipes.  The whole cake turned out really well and I liked it so much, I was honestly a little sad to give the whole thing away :)  I especially loved the frosting.  It was soooo delicious, and very easy to make.  I kind of want to make a cake again just to have some more of that frosting.  My only change was to sift the powdered sugar before adding to the frosting.  I always do this when making frosting or icing because it just turns out better.

Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting pans
1 ¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. table salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks plus 3 large egg whites, at room temperature 

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°.  Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.  Grease paper rounds, dust pans with flour, and knock out excess.  Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 ½ cups sugar together in large bowl.  In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and yolks. 

In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds.  With machine running, gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks just form, 30 to 60 seconds (whites should hold peak but mixture should appear moist).  Transfer to bowl and set aside. 

W-O-W.  I truly think this is my favorite thing I have ever created in my kitchen.  I adore bread and have really been enjoying branching out and trying new bread recipes.  I love focaccia when it is served in restaurants and such, so I decided to give this recipe a shot and I am so glad I did.  It was really fairly easy too.  For some reason I was under the impression that focaccia was a difficult bread to make, but not so.  It may be the clarity of Peter Reinhart’s directions which leave little room for error.  This is now the second recipe of his that I have tried and both have turned out with amazing results (see also Heavenly Cinnamon Rolls).  I especially enjoyed the wonderful flavor that the herb oil added to the final product.  This bread is very versatile and we used it as breadsticks, sandwich bread and simply toasted and dipped in marinara sauce as a snack.  I could go on, but I won’t - let me just say if you feel at all compelled to try this, do!  Below is my slightly adapted version of the recipe.  See the link below for a more complete version.

Herbed Focaccia Bread
Ingredients:
5 cups unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
6 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups water, at room temperature
¼ to ½ cup herb oil (recipe below) 

Directions:
Stir together the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the oil and water and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until the ingredients form a wet, sticky ball.  Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough.  The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl.  (You may need to add additional flour to firm up the dough enough to clear the sides of the bowl, but the dough should still be quite soft and sticky.) 

Sprinkle enough flour on the counter to make a bed about 6 inches square.  Using a scraper or spatula dipped in water, transfer the sticky dough to the bed of flour and dust liberally with flour, patting the dough into a rectangle.  Wait 5 minutes for the dough to relax. 

Coat your hands with flour and stretch the dough from each end to twice its size.  Fold it, letter style, over itself to return it to a rectangular shape.  Mist the top of the dough with spray oil, again dust with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. 

Let rest for 30 minutes.  Stretch and fold the dough again; mist with spray oil, dust with flour and cover.  After 30 minutes, repeat this one more time. 

Allow the covered dough to ferment on the counter for 1 hour.  It should swell but not necessarily double in size. 

Line a 17×12” sheet pan with baking parchment and proceed with the shaping and panning (instructions below). 

Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight (or for up to 3 days). 

Remove the pan from the refrigerator 3 hours before baking.  Drizzle additional herb oil over the surface and dimple it in.  (You can use all of it if you want; the dough will absorb it even though it looks like a lot.)  This should allow you to fill the pan completely with the dough a thickness of about ½-inch.  Add any other pre-proof toppings desired.  Again, cover the pan with plastic and proof the dough at room temperature for 3 hours, or until the dough doubles in size, rising to a thickness of nearly 1-inch. 

Preheat the oven to 500° with the oven rack on the middle shelf.  Gently place any pre-bake toppings on the dough. 

Place the pan in the oven.  Lower the oven setting to 450° and bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking the focaccia for 5-10 minutes, or until it begins to turn a light golden brown.  If you are using any during-baking toppings, sprinkle them on at this point and continue baking an additional 5 minutes or so.  The internal temperature of the dough should register 200° (measured in the center), and the cheese, if using, should melt, not burn.Remove the pan from the oven and immediately transfer the focaccia out of the pan onto a cooling rack.  If the parchment is stuck on the bottom, carefully remove it by lifting the corner of the focaccia and peeling it off the bottom with a gentle tug. 

Allow the focaccia to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.  

Shaping Focaccia:
Drizzle ¼ cup of olive oil over the paper and spread it with your hands or a brush to cover the entire surface.  Lightly oil your hands and using a plastic or metal pastry scraper, lift the dough off the counter and transfer it to the sheet pan, maintaining the rectangular shape as much as possible. 

Spoon half of the herb oil over the dough.  Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and spread it simultaneously.  Do not use the flat of your hands – only the fingertips – to avoid tearing or ripping the dough.  Try to keep the thickness as uniform as possible across the surface.  Dimpling allows you to de-gas only part of the dough while preserving gas in the non-dimpled sections.  If the dough becomes too springy, let it rest for about 15 minutes and then continue dimpling.  Don’t worry if you are unable to fill the pan 100 percent, especially the corners.  As the dough relaxes and proofs, it will spread out naturally.  Use more herb oil as needed to ensure that the entire surface is coated in oil. 

Herb Oil:
Warm ½ cup olive oil over low heat in a small saucepan.  Add about 4 tsp. of dried herbs, such as basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, or sage.  Add about ¾ tsp. of kosher salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, and 1-2 finely minced cloves garlic.  You may also add paprika, ground cayenne pepper, fennel seeds or onion powder to taste.  Allow to remain on low heat for about 1-1 ½ hours to allow the oil to become infused with the flavors. Store any leftover herb oil in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Source: adapted from Amber’s Delectable Delights, originally from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

A huge thanks to Chelle of Sugar & Spice for awarding my blog with this honor!  This is especially meaningful to me coming from her, as her blog is one of my favorites.  If she hadn’t just received it herself, I would certainly be bestowing it upon her :)  My blog is a hobby that I started just for fun, but it has become more fun and important to me than I expected it would be.  I am always trying to improve it and I am happy to know that my efforts have been recognized.

I would like to rate the following blogs as Excellent in my opinion:

1. Confections of a Foodie Bride - Wow.  This is what I think practically every time I see a new blog post from Shawnda.  Her creative talents in the kitchen continue to amaze me, and her photography is enviable.  Practically every post makes me want to pack up and go live at her house so she can cook for me.  She is an inspiration!

2. Amber’s Delectable Delights - I love Amber’s blog for many reasons.  First, the fact that she makes food I would actually want to try with ingredients I can actually find in my grocery store.  Also, she shares my love of bread baking and is always challenging herself with (and then sharing) wonderful new bread recipes.  I also love her ability to put her own spin on a recipe, or to start out with one recipe and come up with something all her own using it as an inspiration.

3. Blonde Ambition in the Kitchen - Who doesn’t love a blog full of delicious baked treats?  No one, that’s who!  I love that this blog is nearly devoted to sweet things.  Not only that, but bakingblonde continues tweaking recipes until she gets exactly what she is going for.  That requires patience that I do not have and I admire and appreciate her efforts!

4. Good Things Catered - Katie’s blog is great because of the wide variety of recipes she posts.  Also, she clearly shares a love of Williams Sonoma recipes with yours truly :)  She has made some very impressive things and I always look forward to her posts.