Sass & Veracity

Spiced Cranberry Orange Sauce

Each year for the holidays, I experiment with a new twist on cranberry sauce -- the one item that somehow for many in my family make the meal complete.  I grew up eating cranberry sauce from a can.  You know what I'm talking about, right?  The apply the can opener, and slide the gelatinous ruby red cylinder from the can cranberry sauce -- can markings and all.  Its place of honor after I'd been given the responsibility for it about age nine, was to lay the cylinder on a small plate and artfully slice a few rounds so they'd be easy for those interested in laying a slab on their already loaded plate.  We love to give my mother a hard time about the can markings on the cranberry sauce, but I'm not sure she's always amused.

I can't remember when I gave the can up, but it must have been after I had my first two sons and began to get even more daring in the kitchen trying recipes I'd never thought of before.  With respect to cranberry sauce, this involves: 1) purchasing a bag of fresh cranberries; and 2)  following the directions on the bag.  Tough work if you can handle it.

But over the years, the experimenting began, and although I haven't strayed too far from something I'll call traditional, I have managed to have some fun with orange and nuts.  If I get too crazy, it doesn't get eaten -- the bowl sitting on the table looking a bit too mysterious to those who like no surprises on Turkey Day. 

This year, I ran across a new recipe for cranberry sauce at The Wednesday Chef, a lovely site that I'd not visited before, but spent quite a bit of time sorting through and bookmarking other promising recipes. Her "Cranberry Orange Sauce" has the perfect mix of citrus and spice.

 

Spiced Cranberry Orange Sauce

1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
1/3 c. Cointreau
1/2 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 T orange zest

In a small sauce pan, add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, liqueur, and spices.  Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to medium low, simmering until cranberries pop and the mixture thickens a bit -- 10-15 minutes.  Stir in the orange zest and remove from the heat to cool completely, then refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.

Notes:

• I loved this recipe.  The original calls for 1/2 c. toasted, chopped pecans which I would have also loved, but the nuts in the cranberry sauce sometimes pushes it over the edge for the more picky eater.  I haven't figured out how to sneak in the nuts yet.
• I know you're thinking the Cointreau is an issue.  You can use another orange liqueur, or, add it and burn off the alcohol with a match.  The intense flavor is wonderful and very different than what I've tried with recipes that use only orange juice or zest. 
• If you don't like one of the spices listed, have fun with those you do enjoy.  Cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg...they'd all be excellent in this.
• If you love herbs, then fresh rosemary would also be excellent minced in this.
• This is definitely something I'd make the day before.  It's one less burner being used on my stove on a busy day! 

Blueberry Peach Galette

What do you make when you have fresh peaches on the counter and some blueberries in the fridge?  You make a tart to share with your mother who's coming over to have coffee, talk, and help dig through my dusty crafts box. 

I used to spend quite a bit of time cutting and pasting, gluing and pressing, but time got away from me, and my materials were shoved into a corner in the garage and have been pretty much forgotten the past five or six years.  It's funny how one interest can replace another as time passes, and not just because my attention span is at times not as great as I'd like it to be.  It's more about how technology continues to provide opportunity for diversion and that that opportunity, at least to me, is more intriguing than what used to interest me.

My mother and I spent time playing around with images, using Photoshop, and then drawing by hand while we watched a movie.  At one point, she mentioned that she felt like a third grader since we were parked each at a card table placed side by side in front of the television, markers and pens strewn across both tables. 

Although we didn't exactly finish what we'd started out to accomplish, we enjoyed messing around, and eating the tart which is perfectly simple to put together.  Make sure you allow at least two hours for the dough to chill ahead of time...

Two Berry Muffin Bliss and a Story

It's still not quite 10am here, so grab a cup of coffee and a muffin.  If you're lucky, you have one that's as delicious as mine.  But I'll get to that later...

I finally decided to change my photo in the sidebar.  I started to think that maybe people didn't get it -- that it was never meant to be something serious considering the sarcastic human I am. 

When I started blogging, I didn't begin in Foodland.  I actually just needed to write, so started a blog that has nothing to do with food. *Can you even imagine?*  A good friend and I had made a commitment to begin a diet and exercise program, though, so it seemed like a separate blog (this one) would be perfect to discuss truly scintillating topics such as, "How to make tasty egg white omelets," or "Know your hamburger:  the hidden nutrients in America's favorite sandwich."  Well, not quite, but almost.

It was actually quite a challenge to write here because I was trying to do something that didn't feel like me. Not the cooking -- the writing.  I was used to just letting my opinions fly, and this didn't quite seem the place to do that since most of them have nothing to do with food.  Well, fifty percent, anyway.  Clearly, I've warmed up to the concept since then and have no trouble whatsoever being a complete smart ass when the occasion calls for it, or the weather is just right.

But what about the old photo?  It came about as the result of a post I did last year on having my hair cut after nearly a year had gone by.  It had gotten long and shaggy, and my roots were seriously in need of attention.  After years of having my hair done routinely every seven weeks ( I know.  High maintenance.), I had begun experimenting with dying my own hair, so not only was it long, it was lots of different shades -- grey included.  Finally, I had my hair done, and being the snark I am, decided to dig up some old celeb photos, and mimic them.  I am quite easily entertained.  I guess you had to be there...

So why did one of them end up here? *like this is news?*  That's the semi-practical aspect of the whole thing.  I wanted a small photo that I could use as an avatar here and there, and it was easy to cut the least corny one from the four -- or two, since I'm not Shelly Long, and could never come close to being Grace Kelly.  Plus, my crazy sister used to call her oldest daughter "Betty," even though her daughter's name isn't anything like Betty.  As in, "Come on, Betty.  We're going to be late to softball practice..."  Yes, my sister also has a snark streak a mile wide.  And then we all know about my childhood obsession with Betty Crocker, right?  And how I have that old cookbook my mother received as a blushing bride in the mid-Fifties?  It just seemed too perfect to have that corny photo of me on this blog in much the same way that a ficititious Betty Crocker's face appeared on a cookbook all those years.

   

Make sense?  Great!  Now watch it change.  Frequently.  In the meantime, how about a muffin?

I just happened to find Susan's Dos Berries Muffins at A Slice of Sueshe while making my rounds last week. I found Susan at Ben's What's Cooking? because she, unlike the complete slacker that I am, submitted them to Ben's bi-weekly I love baking event.  They looked so amazing, I was crazed compelled to make a special trip to the store to get berries so I could make them the next morning.  Although I chose blackberries and raspberries for mine because they were on sale, and used Greek yogurt (0% fat) instead of sour cream because my sour cream was (is always) moldy, I think the general idea is that two berries are better than one.  So true.  And the recipe?  Mmmm...totally qualifies as excellent because of my all important "not too sweet" factor.

My son and I enjoyed them warm from the oven with berries still steaming.  They're outstanding plain so you can enjoy the fresh tartness of the berries, or with butter slathered under a drizzle of honey on the second one, because we each had to sample two.

Pure bliss, and many thanks to Susan for the great recipe!  This one is going to the top of my ever expanding muffin list.   

Do you have a muffin recipe you think I'd enjoy?  Let me know!

 

Strawberry Jam Bread Pudding

Here's what I've learned during my brioche a tete saga:  1)  I can actually make a cooking plan and stick to it when a party or special occasion isn't involved; 2)  I can make it completely through the second step; and 3) by the time the third step rolls around, the brioche is still in the fridge, wrapped sloppily in plastic, and waiting for, well, step three.

That would be now.

Did you know this brioche recipe can actually hold up after several days, and still manage to make it into a recipe?  Actually, it all worked out well, because I'd been wanting a bread pudding, and since I am sort of a traditionalist (winter comfort food, cinnamon, raisins...) when it comes to that particular type of comfort food, the idea of making one in the summer with fruit was quite novel.

I know.  I'm the ONLY one.

Others have already thought of interesting ways to add fruit to bread pudding, like peaches and raspberries, or lemon and blueberries, and yes, even fruit cocktail.  Like I said.  Interesting.

But I wanted something very simple with ingredients I had in the fridge.

Toasted Brioche with Lemon Cream and Raspberries

I love "last bite," the very last page in Food & Wine each month, and often look there first, wondering what I'll find.  Most of the time, it's something I can't wait to try myself, and have with great results.  Other times, I'm fascinated, and just keep the page open, wondering if I should give it a try, and whether the work will be worth it, waiting until I'm brave enough, or just forget about it. 

Last month, a "Blackberries with Lemon Cream & Toasted Brioche" was featured, and not being one to jump in my car to purchase a brioche even though there's a French Bakery right down the street that I've never set foot in, I decided that if I was going to find out what this particular "last bite" was really like, I'd have to make my own brioche.

Funny how I just happened to have some of my very own brioche...

If you plan this dessert carefully, most of it is ready to go ahead of time.

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake

Three more days until we leave for Italy.  Only three.  Do you have any idea how crazy I am making sure everything is just so?  Perfectly arranged?  Meticulously organized?  I'm a stark raving madwoman. 

I feel like Martha must.

Or not.  I thought I'd be so smart and schedule posts on some of the Italian food I've been making so my blog wouldn't look forlorn while we were gone.  But have I scheduled those posts?  Um...no.  *looks at calendar on iMac and calculates possibilities...twitching...*
Where does the time go?

*regains composure...* I do have a very nice bittersweet chocolate cheesecake for you though.  Remember that luscious Cherry Gelato a few days ago?  Well, this was its accompaniment -- and what a perfect one it was.  The almond extract and cherries in the gelato played perfectly against the dark chocolate and the crunch of almonds.  In case you miss that line, I will repeat it later.  You know.  Just for effect.

The next day, it went perfectly with the mixed berries we had for breakfast, too. 

The recipe is yet again from the April '08 issue of Gourmet magazine which I've cooked my way through as we've prepared for our vacation. Okay, so maybe I do have some things to write about.  If I stay up until dawn's crack each night, I'll be sufficiently exhausted to actually sleep on the 79-hour flight ahead of us).  Pigs will fly, of course, before that happens.

Evidently, this recipe was inspired by a dessert the author enjoyed in a restaurant in Perugia, Italy.  Although we will have to wave out the window of the Eurostar Alta Velocita as we pass Perugia at about 300 km/h on our way to Florence, I can say that I will remember the tang of this dessert.

 
Notes:

• The original recipe, Torta di Cioccolata al Forno con Vaniglia e Nocciola, can be found here.
• I used whole raw almonds in an equal quantity instead of the hazelnuts called for.
• Make sure you use the whole wheat crackers called for.  It seems a bit odd, but they create an excellent crust with a pleasant crunch instead of the sometimes too sweet crust that cheesecakes can have.
• I used a convection setting, and the cheesecake still needed to be in the oven longer than I expected -- the full 90 minutes.  Usually, the convection setting cut down a bit on the cooking time.  Keep an eye on the center and insert a wooden pick to test for doneness.  The crust will crack and drop -- it's expected to.  I'm not one to fuss over a cracked top on my cheesecake, so no biggie.
• I used a standing mixer in the first step to "whisk in cream cheese" with the melted chocolate and butter for the crust.  Even at room temp, the cream cheese wouldn't exactly "whisk" with a normal kitchen whisk.  I had fun thinking about it, though, while I was lifting my Bertha from her throne in my kitchen.
• When the directions mention to "whisk together eggs and sugar...until mixture has a mousse-like consistency" please know this took at least 5 solid minutes of mixing on medium (KA 4).
• This is an interesting cheesecake.  The combination of the bittersweet chocolate, cream cheese, sour cream and nuts provide an intensely tart taste with crunch.  Nice.  Creamy, too.
• The berries are simply turbinado sprinkled over and let to macerate for about 30 minutes.  Simple.
• I'm thinking cherries left to macerate would be lovely over this and that heavenly Cherry Gelato.

Next time...right?  But wait.  I just saw two new gelato recipes...one for pistachio, and the other for a dark chocolate.

Heavens.

Summer in a Pie: Very Berry!

The local weather widget  on my Mac's dashboard says it's 90 degrees outside right now, but I don't believe it.  Although it does seem to be quite a bit warmer than what the weather guy reported this morning, it's still not that hot.  I'll believe 80.  Maybe.  I can feel a nice breeze -- refreshingly cool, but the sun is scorching!  No complaints, however.  None at all.  Actually I'm sort of amazed that when summer officially began a couple of days ago with the ending of school, the ever-present June Gloom we're accustomed to has disappeared.

That means tonight will be perfect for an outside dinner, after I scrape the hard water deposits off the glass on the patio table.  So much for Martha living here, right?  I'll light some little votive candles, throw a couple of Duraflame logs in the chiminea, and hope the clouds don't return so we can enjoy what promises to be a very warm evening.

This first truly summery night deserves an after dinner treat that I've had my eye on since the June issue of Gourmet surfaced in my mail stack.  I couldn't exactly get past the full page glossy photo and the homey looking aspect of the strawberry pie.  Was that jello?  Oh. My.

And what a perfect way to celebrate the Strawberry Moon Festival, hosted by Cooking in Cleveland, a site that features "homecooking with seasonal, locally grown produce."

Is it cheating that I added blueberries?  I can't resist the way they look with strawberries.  Okay, and their crunch is quite lovely, too. 

I'll let you know how the dinner goes.

Very Berry Pie

First the crust...
1 pkg. shortbread cookies (about 5 ounces)
2 T turbinado
2 T very cold butter

Then the berries...
1-1/2 lbs. fresh strawberries
1/2 c. fresh blueberries
3/4 c. turbinado
1/3 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2-1/4 tsp.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the berries first...

Choose the best strawberries to leave whole.  You'll need as many as it takes to cover the bottom of your pie pan -- about 15.  Hull them and set them aside.  Cut the remaining strawberries into 1/4" dice and put them in a medium bowl with the blueberries.  Gently mix in the sugar and lemon juice and let sit to macerate for at least 30 minutes.

Now make the crust...
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse all the shortbread cookies to fine crumbs.  Then add the sugar and butter, pulsing until the mixture resembles large crumbs that hold together.  Press the mixture into a 9" pie pan, evenly distributing it across the bottom and up the sides.  Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Let cool completely.

Okay, back to the berries...
Position a fine mesh strainer over a large measuring cup and pour the berries into the strainer to drain for about 5 minutes.  Pour some water over the berries until 2 cups of liquid are measured.  Set the berries aside and pour the liquid into a small pan.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let soften for a minute.  Then over medium heat, stir the liquid until the gelatin dissolves and it just begins to simmer, about 8 minutes.

While the juice is heating...
Prepare an ice bath by setting a metal bowl in a larger container of water and ice cubes.  Pour the berries into the metal bowl.  When the juice on the stove reaches a simmer, pour it over the berries and stir gently and frequently until the mixture begins to "mound" as you stir it.  This takes about 30 minutes.

Now for the pie...
Spoon enough of the berry mixture into the pie crust to cover the bottom.  Then arrange the hulled whole strawberries stem side down in the crust.  Mound the remaining berry mixture over and around the whole strawberries making sure the gelatin doesn't run up over the crust.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, then serve with whipped cream mixed with mascarpone, a little sugar, and a dash of vanilla.

Notes:

• This took longer than I though it would, so I rewrote the directions to allow for as little down time as possible.  If you use granulated sugar, the berries may macerate more quickly.  Or, if your berries are more fresh than mine seemed to be, perhaps that could speed up the process.  My berries generated 1 cup of juice after sitting for 30 minutes.  With the addition of 1 cup of water, the liquid was still very sweet. 
• The original recipe and directions can be found here.
• Since we haven't actually gotten to taste the pie yet, I can only say that I suspect this will not look all that perfect after it's cut.  But I'll come back with some photos, just to stick with my customary brand of veracity. 
• On the notion of buying local...I noticed that my berries came from as far away as Stockton, which is in Northern California.  They also came from Salinas, Santa Maria, and Oxnard, which is the closest.  This is certainly not local, but it's also not Chile which is where our berries come from in the off season.  I could rage on right now about the cost of food and gasoline, but won't.  That's why I have another blog. I've been known to blow off steam there.

And the weather?  Feh.  In the time that it took to write this post, not only has the temperature dropped to 85 degrees, but the clouds have formed, and a dense fog is slowly creeping up the hill.  The houses on the ridge with the zillion dollar view of the Pacific are now lost in the fog.

So much for dinner outside unless we want to freeze our rumps off.  At least we'll have a "sunny" pie, though, right?

Update:  The fog did lift, and somehow, it was clear and sunny again.  So did we eat outside?  Nope.  I'm a lazy butt sometimes.  But the pie turned out great!  Outstanding berry flavor that's not too sweet.  And the crust?  Jeez!  It makes the pie!  The only problem is that it doesn't come out of the pan as well as you'd think and does crumble a bit.  It isn't too delicate, it's just stuck.  But pick up the pieces, crunch them a bit, and then sprinkle it over.  You won't want to miss a crumb.  Trust me.

Mexican Bread Pudding with Berries: Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

I've given Rick Bayless a thorough work over and after much consideration can say that he's good. 

Erm...his recipes are good. Very.  But everybody probably already knew this.

I always seem to be the last one to arrive at many of my conclusions because I'm not one to hop on the newest cookbook or latest dish, or cuisine du jour.  I am not saying Rick Bayless is new to Mexican cuisine, nor anyone's latest celebrity chef.  In fact I know he's been at this for quite some time, and is highly regarded for his work.  But I'm a cooking magazine slacker, so hop from one to the other trying this, and sampling that, smiling all the while, often ignoring my cookbooks, and definitely avoiding purchasing more since I barely have shelf space for the ones I own.

But I made an interesting decision recently.

I purchased Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen a couple of months ago, and since that time have delved into and thoroughly enjoyed at least 15 recipes, some of which have been made twice.  I've never focused on one type of cuisine for this length of time before,and it has definitely been an interesting experiment I can't wait to repeat.  So why do this?

Jeez.  I thought you'd never ask.

I live in the most extreme Southwest corner of the U.S., so it's impossible to not think about, crave, and enjoy Mexican food (unless you're like my foodie friend Sally)-- or what is commonly called Mexican food around here:  corn tortillas fried and filled with pork or fish, and lettuce or tomatoes.  Some guacamole.  Or burritos:  huge rolls of just about anything -- even scrambled eggs -- wrapped in a fresh flour tortilla.  Flautas.  Refried beans.  Tostadas.  And no, this would not be food I'd find at Taco Bell, or El Torito.  Perish the thought.

Being the foodie I am, and enjoying much of the Mexican food I've described above when it's made well, I also know that we've created only a version of something quite far from authentic Mexican cuisine.  For years I'd heard Bayless was considered an authority because he'd taken the time to travel and learn, and listen to people who for generations had made the same dishes the same way.   That's what I value about this experience.  His knowledge and information provided makes this type of cuisine so approachable, unfussy, and surprisingly, not always as spicy as people tend to consider Mexican cuisine. 

Of course, it helped to be able to organize yet another dinner party with the usual suspects, featuring Bayless' recipes from his Mexican Kitchen book as well as from Frontera which has a number of excellent recipes as well.  When we have these get togethers, I choose a particular cuisine, think about the featured dishes, choose some sides, a salad, and dessert, then email all the choices to those who will be attending.  They let me know what they're interested in and I send them the recipe.  Each time we do this, we rotate the hosting duties, and invite other friends who may or may not be foodies, just to mix it up a bit.  All in all we have quite a bit of fun and make an enormous mess.

As always with these occasions, taking photographs is quite difficult.  My point and shoot Canon does a nice job when I can think about it, but when there is so much going on, rarely do my photos turn out the way I'd like them to.  I refuse to use a flash, and candle light isn't great for shooting food.  That's why everything turns out looking like it came out of my mother's Betty Crocker cookbook.  Hopefully,  they give a sense of what our dinner parties are all about:  food, learning, friendship, food, wine, and food.

Did I say food?

So I'll do this a bit backwards this time and feature one of the most interesting recipes I've tried from Bayless's cookbook.  It was our dessert: 

Warm Cajeta Pudding with Fresh Berries or Budin de Cajeta con Moras.   Cajeta is a goat milk caramel.  Think intensely rich, and amazingly flavored Dulce de Leche here and you'll have it exactly right.  Goat milk can be purchased in cans or fresh along with cow's milk.  I love goat cheese, but had never tasted goat's milk and did purchase the canned milk for this because in experimenting with Dulche de Leche cake not too long ago, canned milk was used in my experiment, so why not continue with it?  I'll have a confession to make in the end, so stay tuned.

And let's just call this a Mexican Bread Pudding with Berries, shall we?

Cajeta Ingredients

Makes 1-1/2 cups...
1 quart goat's milk, cow's milk, or a mixture of the two
1 c. sugar
1 T. light corn syrup
1/2-inch cinnamon stick (Mexican canela)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 T water
1 T cream sherry, rum, or brandy

Cake Ingredients

3/4 cup cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
6 lg. egg yolks, room temp
4 lg. egg whites, room temp
1.2 c. plus 2 T sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 T hot water

Pudding Ingredients

3/4 c. heavy cream
4 lg. eggs, room temp
1-1/2 c. cajeta
2 c. fresh berries
About 1/2 c. Thick Cream*, creme fraiche, or sour cream (for serving)
Mixed fresh berries (for serving)

Directions for Cajeta:
In a large heavy pot, mix the milk, sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon stick, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Dissolve the baking soda in  1 T water, and after the milk boils, remove from heat, and pour in the soda water.  Stir immediately, because the mixture will bubble up quite vigorously! 

Back over medium heat, continue to cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes thick, and is pale golden in color -- about 25 minutes.  Start stirring regularly at this point until it is a deep golden brown in color and is the consistency of maple syrup -- about 10 minutes.

Pour it into a measuring cut, let cool, then add the cream sherry if desired.  Add enough water to make 1-1/2 cups, if necessary. 

Directions for the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a 17x11-inch jelly roll pan by lightly spraying, then lining with parchment, then spraying again.  Flour the pan.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.  Separate the eggs, pouring all 6 egg yolks into the bowl of an electric mixer, and 4 of the whites into another bowl.  (The two remaining whites can be sealed into a baggie, labeled, and frozen for another use.)

To the egg yolks, add 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla, and the hot water, beating with a whisk attachment at medium speed for 5 minutes.  It will be light in color, and very smooth looking.  In two additions, gently fold in the flour mixture.  Turn out batter into a large bowl.  Wash mixer bowl and whisk extremely well to remove all fat from the egg yolks, rinse and dry.

Pour egg whites into the bowl of your mixer and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Add 1 T of the remaining sugar, beat for 1 minute, then add the final 1 T. of sugar, beating for an additional 1 minute.  The whites should be firm, but not stiff, shiny, not dry.  Gently fold into reserved batter a third at a time.

Carefully spread batter evenly over prepared baking pan.  Place in the center rack of the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Let cool completely to room temperature.

Tear cake into small pieces and spread out on a baking sheet.  At 350 degrees F, bake again, turning at 5 minute intervals, until the pieces are dry and crunchy, approximately 10 minutes.  Let cool.

****To make the pudding, you will only need about 1/3 of the pieces.****

Directions for the pudding:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray an 8x8-inch baking pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and eggs, then add the cajeta and whisk well to combine.

Sprinkle 2 c. of the cake piece over the bottom of the dish and cover with berries.  Then top with the remaining 2 c. of the cake pieces.  Slowly pour the egg mixture over the cake and berries, making sure everything is evenly moistened.  Let stand about 15 minutes to soak, occasionally pressing the bread down gently into the liquid.

Bake until the pudding is bubbling around the edges, and is a deep golden brown, about 40 minutes.  Cool slightly, and serve warm with a dollop of cream and fresh berries.

Notes:  This recipe is beyond worth the number of steps, but it is not challenging if you have read the recipe through a few times, and plan your time wisely.

• I doubled the cajeta because of the crowd I was preparing it for -- about 20.
• The cake already makes enough for two, so I made no adjustment to that.  What I would recommend is to tear and dry only 1/3 of the cake, then save the 2/3 remainder for a trifle, or another dessert that can be layered.  There's no point in tearing and drying out the entire cake and then freezing 2/3 of it in pieces later if you're not doubling the entire recipe.  I do have about 1 c. of the pieces left in my freezer, however.  I think putting it all in my pudding would have made it too dry and I like some of the custard to have a presence in bread pudding.
• I doubled the cajeta recipe (picture 64 ounces of milk here...)and used a mixture of goat's and cow's milk.  This wasn't entirely by design.  I wasn't paying attention AGAIN and used two cans of goat's milk which is condensed...And I didn't realize it until after I'd added a quart of cow's milk to the goat's milk.  Definitely an intensely rich flavor here, folks.
• When making the cajeta, stay with it.  Keep an eye on it and get it to that perfect stage of rich brown yumminess.  The cinnamon stick adds such a truly jaw-dropping flavor to this all I wanted to do was settle down with a spoon and dip and lick.  Seriously.  This is quite the amazing caramel that I will use the next time I make Dulce de Leche cake.  No question about it.
• To ease the prep on this, make the sponge cake the night before and either let it cool over night, then break into pieces to dry the next morning, or do that the night before as well.
• The caramel has to be watched and does take some time to cook down (it took my 64 ounces forever to reduce to 3 cups...) so making the caramel the second day, layering the finished cake & berries, then cooking it goes pretty quickly.  I let my finished bread pudding cool at room temp and then transported it to the hosting fellow dinner foodie's house where it sat on the counter until dessert time.
• I used a mixture of blackberries and raspberries at about a 3 to 1 mix.
• The Thick Creme Bayless describes to serve this dessert is a thick tart cream that is very different from sour cream.  It's not sour at all, and is more like whipped heavy cream with a hint of tartness.  It's delicious.  But creme fraiche would also be tasty since the pudding itself is quite rich.
• A little goes a long way.  Make and serve this for a crowd in thin pieces so you'll have only a bit of guilt and no left overs...

I'll feature more of the recipes from our dinner party later in the week.  But tomorrow, I've got a cheesy bread that is a sinful combination of ooey gooey lusciousness and crunch.

Honey Berry Granita

Remember the snow cones the ice cream truck had for sale?  Hard-packed, brightly colored paper cones of ice that never quite lived up to what I imagined they'd be, and more work than they were worth, requiring biting and gnawing.

No wonder I was so skinny then.

My mother used to make Kool-Aid and pour it into those aqua plastic ice cube trays, twisting them so one or two flavored cubes would pop into a melmac cup, ready to slurp on a warm afternoon.

But even those never quite hit the mark I'd always imagined:  cold, intensely flavored, slushy iciness that is easily enjoyed.  No work.  Just refreshing deliciousness.

Have you ever tried granita? 

This is another one that has me thinking of the all the possibilities.

Fill the bowl of your food processor nearly full with hulled fresh strawberries.  If you have some blackberries that need a home like I did, throw those in, too.  About 4 cups of fruit in all.  Heat 1 cup of water and dissolve 1/4 cup of honey into it.  Run the processor, and slowly pour the honey water into it, keeping an eye on the consistency.  You don't want it to be too watery.  Try a taste, and check the sweetness you'd like.  Less is more for me.  I love the tart sweetness of the berries.  Add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, give the mixture another swirl, taste one more time, adjust flavor if necessary (by adding a few more berries, or more honey water if you've not used it all, or a bit more lemon juice...)

Get a large metal pan.  Aluminum is fine.  Pour the mixture into the pan and place it in the freezer.  Check it in about 20 or 25 minutes to begin scraping the forming ice crystals from the edges of the pan into the center, smoothing it back down each time.  Set a timer so you don't forget to do this every 20 minutes or so, until the pan is full of nicely "fluffed" ice crystals.  You'll be able to tell when it's nearly ready because it will no longer appear wet.  At that point, using a fork, loosen all the crystals so that they are not holding together in clumps.

Pour the granita into a well-sealed container and store in the freezer until ready to enjoy in bowls, cups, glasses, or, maybe even a paper cone...

Healthy, not loaded with sugary syrup...perfect.

And might a splash of tequilla and a squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkle of salt be in order?

Like I said.  Possibilities.

French Toast Paradise Style

One of my favorite things to do on a weekend morning is go to breakfast.  It doesn't matter where.  Just the opportunity to get up and out on a gorgeous day to enjoy good food, company, and then go for a walk afterwards seems decadent at this time of year.  My husband's nearing the end of his busy season, so months of hard work will be slowing down, allowing us to think about getting out and enjoying the weekends once again.

We're fortunate, because there are a number of excellent places to enjoy a good breakfast within a five minute drive of our house, with the much needed walk afterwards including spectacular views of the Pacific Coast, complete with crashing waves, sea gulls, and a few palm trees thrown in for good measure.  As strange as it may seem, we don't often take advantage of our proximity to this, and so have to remind ourselves to join the throngs of tourists who always seem to be present.  Surprisingly, it works quite well, and after indulging ourselves, we promise not to let too much time pass before we do it again.

It will definitely be something to look forward to with today being the last weekend morning that my husband will be going in to work.  And on days like today, that means that having a great breakfast at home is a close second -- a breakfast inspired by Brockton Villa, one restaurant that is very near by.  It sits high above the water on a cliff in what used to be the old summer bungalow of a physician from Brockton, Massachusettes.  It's open and airy and features a massive fireplace in the main room made with huge stones rounded by years of wear from running water and dotted with iridescent abalone shells.  It serves three meals a day and bustles with business all year long.  One of the more popular breakfast dishes served is the Coast Toast.  If you're someone who enjoys French Toast, this would be one of the most rich versions I've tasted. Ironically, I've never eaten Coast Toast at the restaurant because they've graciously shared the recipe for years.

Although I've made Coast Toast many times, I've never quite been able to bring myself to include the 1 qt. of whipping cream the recipe requires.  Yes, I said 1 qt.  What makes this version of French Toast so tasty is that a souffle-like texture is achieved.  The toast is light, fluffy, and melts in your mouth.  As much as you may want to save it for a special occasion, serving it on a sunny weekend day will help to make an ordinary day feel quite special.

To view the original recipe, click the link above and scroll down.  And then consider my version as well.

Paradise Style French Toast

1 loaf good French Bread, sliced thick
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. half-n-half
6 eggs
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. sugar
1 T vanilla
2 T grand mariner

Berries

1 pt. fresh strawberries, halved or quartered
3 T brown sugar
splash of grand mariner

Cream

1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. mascarpone
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T powdered sugar

Combine all  ingredients and using a wire whip, mix well.  Place bread slices in one or more large baking pans and pour mixture over bread.

Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Prepare berries and cream, cover, and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and cover a baking sheet with silicone or parchment.

Heat a griddle or skillet and spray with pan oil.

Cook bread pieces until nicely browned on both sides and remove from skillet to the baking sheet.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 7-8 minutes or until bread is puffy.

Serve with fruit and cream.

Go for a walk and enjoy the morning!

Notes:  It's worth trying the original recipe just once by splitting the ingredients in half.  That way you'll get the idea of the souffle texture the recipe is aiming for. Using French bread that is highly processed and "fluffy" doesn't work well with this recipe.  It becomes entirely too soft and is difficult to work with.  Use an artesian bread with good structure that's a day old, if possible.  With respect to the quantity of eggs and milk, I've played around with it depending on the ingredients I've had at home.  I've used whole milk instead of half-and-half, I've used only half-and-half, more eggs, fewer eggs...it depends primarily on how many people will be eating.  I use about 1 egg per person in the mix.  Ultimately, the batter needs to be rich and thick, but only as much as will soak up into the bread since the excess is discarded.  Orange extract works well with this, but so does Triple Sec and Cointreau.  Experiment with the flavors you enjoy.  Add nuts, or cinnamon, bananas, maple syrup, or whatever strikes your fancy. If you're in the mood to bump up the decadence, then smear on some cream cheese or mascarpone before you top with berries.  Oh. My. Goodness.

Definitely not diet food.