Oh KitchenAid, Oh KitchenAid....

There was a time, long ago and far away........when a hand-held mixer was all I used for my baking. For about 10 years, in fact, early on in married life. Somehow, I managed to produce desserts for dinner parties; freezers-full of Christmas cookies; and even sheet cakes and frostings for my sons' birthday parties. I've been using a stand mixer for twenty years now, but it wasn't until less than 10 years ago, that the stand mixer became my 6-Quart Kitchen Aid Pro. You know how some people can't wait to buy a new car? It was that way with me when my new toy found its way into my culinary garage. I think I slept at the counter when I brought it home. I aquired the smaller, Artisan--Pistachio Green--when I needed to borrow the Pro for cafe' use. It's interesting, I think, what we get used to, and oddly enough, even though I feel that my two KitchenAid mixers are indispensable appliances in my present kitchen, I still find myself reaching for the hand mixer--almost like a phantom appendage.

What's for dinner?

"As a child, my family's menu consisted of two choices: Take it, or leave it." -- Buddy Hackett

So true....but not the negative sentence that quote might imply. Mom was a great cook, as I've mentioned, and the Italian heritage didn't hurt either. Who could complain when arriving home after a harrowing several hours ice skating on an outdoor rink to be welcomed with a delicious bowl of homemade Pasta e Fagioli or Minestrone? Every Sunday before church, mind you, the pot of "gravy" (Italian tomato sauce) would be put to a simmer on the stovetop....laden with homemade meatballs and bracciola. We'd stop at the bakery on the way home for our crusty, semolina bread and enjoy our family dinner at 2:00. The typical time for Sunday meals.

Now, though Mom's homemade cannelloni and manicotti (made with homemade crepes; rather than macaroni shells) are legendary to those who passed through our doors.....we did have a few less than popular dishes....but we had to eat them anyway, as per the Buddy Hackett rule. One comes to mind: Kidney stew. That one has never made it to my own kitchen as an adult.....but even with that meal, mom had a way with the gravy....thick and flavorful....so that it made sopping it up with great bread a delicious treat. Don't even mention Wonder Bread to my dad--he'd call it, "Like gum....a waste of food."

Just because Mom was a great cook and most of our meals were homemade, she wasn't opposed to trying new trends, such as Chicken Pot Pies or TV Dinners. What a treat that was for me! All the food was separated into little compartments--nothing touching the other food--and what about that little dessert treat! Oh, we knew it didn't taste as good as Mom's food, but the novelty was special for us, and she'd always want to make us happy. Mom would make her famous Stained-Glass Window cake using Jell-O and Cool Whip, for company dinners ("Doesn't it look pretty?"), but alongside would be a meticulously prepared cake from scratch....and then some.

No, we surely didn't suffer in the meals department when it came to my mother. She'll always be the gold standard for kitchen excellence in my book.

Pirates' Day

At around this time last year, I was preparing the cafe' for the annual Pirates' Day celebration in Barnegat. The township closes off a portion of the main drag and people gather from miles around--drawing up to 10,000 residents and vacationers--to enjoy the fun and games, street vendors, and local merchants. We had a special menu--printed on a parchment scroll background of course, and some of my desserts included: "Doubloon Macaroons," "Walk the Plank Coconut Cake," and "Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle o' Rum Raisin Rice Pudding." Lots of fun......everyone dresses as, well pirates....or wenches, in my case. This pic was taken with my "girls," as I called them--servers extraordinaire--and Giovanni, the silent type, whose job specs involved holding the blackboard with the daily specials.......or on this day, The Hook. Argh.

Mmmmmmm, cake.

Need I say more?

Seven-Minute Frosting....Happy Birthday Eric

Twenty-eight years ago today, my first son was born. It is sometimes incomprehensible to look at this adult man and place him with the same, tiny newborn I held in my arms all of those years ago. Both he and his brother are the lights of my life, and have made their dad and me very proud parents. Here's looking at you, Eeej.....we'll stick the candles in this cake later.

Seven-Minute Frosting

This recipe makes more than enough to fill and frost a two-layer cake. I like to use my stand mixer along with the hand-held that you'll need in the first part of this recipe; I place the ingredients in the stand-mixer's bowl, so that the transition is easier, and use my whisk attachment.

I love the old-fashioned, free-formed look to this frosting. Once frosted, this cake just screams, "Cut this cake!" And.....I guarantee, it'll be difficult to keep your fingers out of it.

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large egg whites

6 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a heatproof metal bowl, add the sugar, egg whites, water, and cream of tartar. Set this pan over simmering water, and mix on high speed using a handheld mixer; beating until mixture holds stiff peaks; about 5 to 7 minutes. (The weather can influence egg whites--if there's a lot of moisture in the air, you might have trouble getting this to beat correctly).

If continuing to use a hand-held mixer; remove mixing bowl from over heat, and place on kitchen towel to prevent bowl from slipping. Continue to beat the mixture until it's completely cool--about 2-4 minutes more. Beat in vanilla.

This frosting is best made the same day you plan to serve it, as it does weep.

Note: The cake used here is my recipe for "Grandma's Chocolate Cake." I spread 2 tablespoons of seedless raspberry jam on the layer before adding the frosting. Any flavor jam works nicely.

The Egg and I

Before I begin this eggciting post, a nod to "you know who" with many thanks for your too generous words.....and yes, I really did grow up in the 60's.

Ok...back to the topic at hand: Eggs. What can I say about an egg? Why am I even posting about eggs? Your guess is as good as mine, but suffice it to say, I was watching Sabrina again (more times than I'd like to admit), and the scene where she's in Paris, at the Cordon Bleu, being taught how to crack an egg always brings a smile. "Today, we will learn the correct way how to crack an egg. Voila! An egg. Now an egg is not a stone, it is a living thing. So when we crack it, we must not torment it. We must be merciful and execute it quickly.....like with the guillotine. It is done with one hand....kindly watch the wrist. Voila! One, two, three, CRACK! You see? It is all in the wrist. Now everybody take an egg. One, two, three, CRACK! New egg." (All said with a thick French accent).

The incredible, edible egg. There was a time when I felt it necessary to remove the "chalaza," those icky, stringy strands found in raw eggs. They just, well, were nasty looking. It took me a long time to get over it. Probably around the time that baking and cooking became an integral part of my life........and certainly, when I worked at the cafe', it wouldn't have been prudent to take the time and remove all of those ropes from all of those cracked-open eggs. And apparently the fresher the egg, the more prominent the chalaza. Who knew? How to tell if an egg still in its shell is raw or cooked? Give it a spin. If it whirls around like a top, it's cooked. If it looks like a weeble-wobble, it's raw.

This whole egg topic brought to mind another old movie, The Egg and I starring Fred MacMurray (Bob) and Claudette Colbert (Betty), and introduced Ma and Pa Kettle to audiences. (Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride, respectively). It was adapted from the memoirs of author Betty MacDonald and apparently caused a lawsuit or two....which I won't get into here. Bob informs Betty--on their wedding night--that he's purchased a chicken farm. Betty is none too enthused about their prospective new 'digs,' and when glamorous neighbor (Harriet Putnam) sets her sights on Bob, Betty is just, well, fed up with the muck and mire. All-in-all, a cute movie, guaranteed to scramble you up in all the fun. (Don't say it....I know).

Savory, not Sweet Talk

Do you remember back a bit--August 11 to be exact--when I posted about Penzey's Spices? Well, the pork tenderloin shown here, is one of those times when Penzey's has "just the right" seasoning for the dish. Their Southwest, is a blend of salt, ancho pepper, onion, garlic, black pepper, Mexican oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin, chipotle, and cilantro. Great on chicken, fish, and pork, I took two tenderloins; mixed about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl along with a tablespoon of soy sauce, a splash of lime juice, and a generous tablespoon of Penzey's Southwest blend. Whisk together and pour over the tenderloins. (I like to marinate in a zip-lock bag, since the marinade stays nice and close to whatever I'm marinating). Refrigerate for at least an hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees; place pork on a baking sheet; pour marinade all around; add a sprig or two of fresh rosemary. Cook until desired degree of "doneness," turning once or twice to brown nicely on all sides. Remove pork from pan, and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing; pouring juices on top.

I served this with delicious pan roasted potatoes. Again.....a little olive oil, a pat of butter, freshly chopped garlic, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover, and cook on medium-low heat until tender; turning frequently.

Ode to "Anonymous"

Firstly....thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog, and for thinking that mine has great potential to be one of the best. That's quite complimentary, and I thoroughly appreciate your words. As to the perceived slips in grammar........believe me, I understand! Those who know me (hmmmmmm, and maybe you do.......) understand how critically important it is to be Katharine Gibbs, aka, Giblet correct. But ya know what? Sometimes it's more fun to just relax the reins a bit.......and I do slip in the occasional play-on-words.....and won't point it out as I caved in to do on my profile.
Thank you again; I hope you keep reading my posts whoever.........wait, whomever.........wait, whoever..........oh, fudge. No matter who you are.