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...