Culinary Goods

Stef blogged these, but without a nice picture, I don’t think people will be too motivated to make them. Let me just say, this is the BEST biscuit recipe I have found. I am done looking—they are amazing. First, you do need a cast iron skillet to bake them in, if that’s at all possible. It gives them very good flavor. Because they contain yeast, they are like a cross between a roll and a biscuit. Can it get any better? Anyway, here is Stef’s original post, which I put my changes below in bold: Stef’s mother-in-law Carol got the recipe from southernliving.com.   Angel Biscuits 1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)  1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast This is 2 1/4 tsp. 1 teaspoon sugar  5 cups all-purpose flour  3 tablespoons sugar I just do 1 Tbs. and it’s completely fine   5 teaspoons baking powder  1 1/2 teaspoons table salt  1 teaspoon baking soda  1/2 cup cold butter, cubed  1/2 cup shortening, cubed  2 cups buttermi...

First, I know you probably thought I was lost or dead or both, but I’ve just been insanely busy. I will post more in May, guaranteed. Anyway, this dessert might not look impressive, but this 3.5 inch Lodge skillet is a receptacle of joy. Keep in mind, my favorite treat is chocolate chip cookies. I argued with my pastry chef friend for years about how my favorite dessert could indeed be a dessert that is not the “best” dessert. In other words, even though these aren’t the best dessert I make, they are still my favorite. Therefore, it is now dubbed my favorite treat instead of dessert for the sake of argument, and I give it a 9 because I just love chocolate chip cookies that much. I have  a classic chocolate chip oatmeal cookie recipe from my childhood that I use, and they turn out splendid each time. Some general tips: We bought 3.5 inch skillets from amazon. They also have a 5 inch skillet, but I like this size I got. It is about equivalent to 2-2 1/2 cookies, and with ice crea...

This was yum and gets an 8. I will probably add some lemon extract or some lemon zest to the whipped cream on top next time, but it was still good. The recipe came from halfbakedharvest.com. I didn't add the candied lemons to the top, but did add whipped cream and more of the fudge sauce. Tart Shell 9 graham crackers (or 2 cups graham cracker crumbs) 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted I used 5 TBS Filling 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/3 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped I used Ghirardelli 2 tablespoons butter 4 teaspoons vanilla, divided 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs zest of 2 lemons, juice from 1 whipped cream, for topping (optional) Candied Lemons 2/3 cup sugar 1 lemon, sliced thin Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chocolate-fudge-swirled-lemon-ricotta-tart/

These were good and get a 7. I got the recipe from Buzzfeed.com. I served them with honey mustard. 3/4 cup flour 3 eggs 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup panko bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 Tbsp. garlic powder 1/2 Tbsp. lemon zest Salt and pepper to taste 1 1/4-lb package of chicken tenders Olive oil cooking spray (or another preferred oil) Here's the link for the instructions:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/jodyduits/this-recipe-for-garlic-parmesan-chicken-tenders-will-be-bett#.dh6QmqeLB

So I changed this recipe quite a bit. With the changes, I give the recipe a 6. It had good flavor, but needed more veggies. The recipe came from domesticsuperhero.com. Like always, my changes are in bold. 1 pound linguine 2 TBS olive oil, divided 2 large eggs, lightly beaten I left these out 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes I left this out 1 zucchini, cut in half vertically, then sliced in half circles 8 ounces mushroom, chopped  I left these out 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 TBS brown sugar I used 1 TBS 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce 1.5 TBS Sriracha hot sauce (this is A LOT of spice, tone it down if you don't like spicy)   I left this out 2 inches fresh ginger, grated 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped 4 green onions, chopped I used 1/2 sweet onion instead 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped I used 1 TBS peanut butter instead 1 can coconut milk 3/4 tsp. curry powder Here's the link to the instructions:  http://domesticsuperhero.com/2015/05/26/one-pot-...

This was yum and gets an 8 (Melly gave it an 8.5). You're supposed to let the chocolate cool to room temperature before you add the eggs, but the recipe says you can put it in the fridge to speed up the process. This is a bad idea, because my chocolate was really hard and it was near impossible to whisk in the eggs. Despite it being not quite as light as I would like, it was still good. The recipe came from carlsbadcravings.com. Oreo Crust 20 Oreos with filling 1/4 cup butter, melted Chocolate Mousse 1 pound semi-sweet (or your favorite combo) chocolate, broken into pieces I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups heavy cream, divided 1 tablespoon sugar 2 whole pasteurized eggs 4 pasteurized egg whites Peanut Butter Whipped Cream 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/2  cup  smooth peanut butter 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish 3 oz. semi-sweet baker’s chocolate I just used more Ghirard...

I know I haven’t posted in forever, but I’m slammed with work right now. I will post a whole lot more starting in May. However, I have made up for it by posting this fantastic recipe. Now, keep in mind I have already blogged chocolate mousse pie, but this one had coconut in the cream, so it’s different! And I need to post something!! It gets a 9.5 Chocolate Mousse Pie with Coconut Cream Chocolate Mousse: 1 lb. Semi sweet chocolate (this is about 2 generous cups, and I used intensely bittersweet Callebaut callets, in other words, it was 95% dark chocolate and a teens bit of milk chocolate) 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 2 cups whipping cream 4 egg whites 2 tsp. vanilla Soften chocolate in top of double boiler, over simmering water. Let cool to lukewarm. Add 2 whole eggs and mix well. Add yolks and mix until thoroughly blended. Whip cream with confectioner's sugar until soft peaks form. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry, this means it will form a stiff peak, but barely. Don’t let it clu...

This had really good flavor, but wasn't all that satisfying. This gets a 6 and the recipe came from gimmesomeoven.com. I served it with sourdough bread.  2 cups vegetable stock 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 carrot, peeled and diced 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced 1 medium (uncooked) butternut squash,  peeled, seeded and diced 1 sprig fresh sage 1 white onion, diced 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or more to taste 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg 1/2 cup canned coconut milk I used a whole can (optional garnishes: extra coconut milk and cayenne) Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/

I honestly don't know why I post pictures sometimes because I feel that they make the food look disgusting, when this was actually awesomely good. I wish I had taken the picture before I smothered the falafel with the tzatziki, because it's a really pretty green color. Anyway, this gets an 8 (and yes, Jared gave this an 8) and the recipe came from gimmesomeoven.com.  6 cloves garlic, peeled I misread this and used only one clove, but it was still good 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves, tightly-packed I just used one bunch 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, tightly-packed   I just used one bunch 1/2 cup diced white or red onion I used white onion 1/3 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 4-5 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or another high-heat...

This had good flavor, but wasn't very filling. I got the recipe from my Fine Cooking magazine and it gets a 6 (Jared gave it a 5). I served it wth brown rice. 3 Tbs. canola oil 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh ginger 1 Tbs. curry powder 1 tsp. garam masala 1/8 tsp. cayenne 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes Kosher salt 7 oz. (7 packed cups) baby spinach 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup Greek yogurt Here's the link to the instructions:  http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/spinach-chickpea-curry.aspx

It always make me laugh when I compare my pictures with the ones in the original recipe. A photographer, I am not. This sad-looking soup was actually pretty good and was nice and healthy. I may add some turkey bacon next time to give it a little kick, but it was still fine without it. The recipe came from gimmesomeoven.com and it gets a 6. 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped 2 red bell peppers, cored and chopped 2 carrots, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced 4 cups good-quality vegetable stock 4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 bay leaf 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne optional toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled corn tortilla chips, diced avocados, sour cream and/or shredded cheese (dairy-free, if making this soup vegan) Here's a link to the instructions:  http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-black-bean-soup-recipe/ ...

First of all, I run out of patience when I'm frosting cupcakes, so they always end up looking like this. That's something I need to work on. Secondly, the oranges on top were supposed to be candied, but it's Monday night and I am tired. Thirdly, these had good flavor, though I am probably biased because I love orange-flavored desserts. Also, I didn't have vanilla beans on hand, so these would be even lovelier with those, I'm sure. They get a 7 and the recipe came from annieseats.com. Yield: about 24-28 cupcakes INGREDIENTS For the cupcakes: 1 cup (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups sugar I used 1 1/3 C.  2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise I sadly left these out  2 tbsp. finely grated orange zest 4 large eggs 1½ cups heavy cream (or whole milk) I used whole milk ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tbsp. vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt For the candied or...

My mother-in-law is from the South and made biscuits and gravy as part of our Easter brunch. These were easily the best biscuits and gravy I'd ever had and they get a 9. She got the recipe from southernliving.com. 1/2 cup   warm water (100° to 110°)  1  (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast  1 teaspoon   sugar  5 cups   all-purpose flour  3 tablespoons   sugar  5 teaspoons   baking powder  1 1/2 teaspoons   table salt  1 teaspoon   baking soda  1/2 cup   cold butter, cubed  1/2 cup   shortening, cubed  2 cups   buttermilk  PARCHMENT PAPER  1/4 cup   butter, melted and divided Here's the link to the directions: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/angel-biscuits-6

This is the recipe my mother-in-law used for the biscuits and gravy she made on Easter. It's really simple, but it tasted so good with the biscuits. The recipe came from foodnetwork.com (Ree Drummond's recipe). 1 pound breakfast sausage, hot or mild 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 to 4 cups whole milk, more to taste 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, more to taste Biscuits, warmed, for serving Here's the link to the directions:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sausage-gravy.html