Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 5

For my final post of favorite foods of the year, I'm going to feature a favorite drink. For our anniversary (which ended up being the same day as my graduation from grad school) Marshall and I took an Odyssey Potomac River Lunch Cruise. The cruise had a full bar (unfortunately not included in the lunch price) and I had a very potent but delicious apple martini. Here is the recipe. Try one tonight at your New Year's Eve party!

Candy Apple Martini

1 1/2 ounce Apple Vodka
1 ounce Apple Pucker
1/2 ounce Buttershots (butterscotch schnapps)
1/4 ounce Grenadine
Apple Slice or Maraschino Cherry for Garnish

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 4

I was very fortunate earlier this year to travel to Europe with my sister and best friend. My sister had never been to Europe, and was about to embark on a 3-week total immersion program to learn Dutch, in Belgium. Since my sister did not speak a word of Dutch (or at least she didn't prior to picking up a Dutch dictionary before we left), French or German (the three official languages of Belgium), we started our trip in London, where they do speak English (sort of). On this trip, after London, we went to the Netherlands (Holland), before heading over to Brussels in Belgium.

Now, when most people think of Belgium, they probably think of beer, chocolate and WAFFLES! We were very excited for all three (well, two out of the three). Turns out there are two major differences in the Belgian waffles, by way of types. There are Brussels waffles and Liege waffles. I found a great blog post (and may have already posted this) on the differences.

Having tried both waffles on this trip (both covered in Belgian chocolate, of course!), it was decided that the Liege waffle is preferable. It is denser, and sweeter than the Brussels waffle. While researching recipes, it has come to my attention that making Liege waffles is time consuming, and requires special ingredients and tools. If you are able to find the Belgian Pearl sugar, and a Liege waffle iron, you are in for a treat. If you are able to find these items, here is site that offers an authentic recipe. For those of us that do not have the special equipment, I have found several sites that mention crushing sugar cubes for the pearl sugar. Here is one site that has a simple enough recipe, listed below.

1 package yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water (about 105 degrees F- too hot will kill the yeast)
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Belgian pearl sugar*

1. Mix the yeast, water, sugar and salt in a bowl and let it develop or sit for 15 minutes.
2. Place the flour in a separate large mixing bowl (we use the bowl of our kitchen aid stand mixer) and make a well in the center of the flour.
3. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix until blended on medium speed.
4. Add the eggs (one at a time), melted butter a bit at a time, and the vanilla and cinnamon. Be sure to mix well after each addition to the batter. Keep in mind the batter will be thick and VERY sticky (this is normal).
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and let the dough rest until it doubles in volume inside the bowl.
6. Gently fold in the pearl sugar and let the dough rest for 15 more minutes.
7. While the dough is resting, heat the waffle iron (we use a Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Iron and I recommend Belgian waffle irons because they have the deep pockets).
8. Spoon about a 2" ball of dough into the center of the waffle iron (this should yield a waffle that is about 4" in diameter). I know that sounds small, but these rich waffles pack quite a punch. Waffles will take 3 to 5 minutes to bake (in our waffle iron, they take 3 minutes and 15 seconds on level 3).

Liege Waffle with Belgian Chocolate, Strawberries and Whipped Cream

* Recipe author note on pearl sugar:

It has been our experience that Belgian pearl sugar is difficult to find in the U.S. so we buy C&H sugar cubes (normally for coffee), place about 60 of them in a plastic Ziploc bag and 'crush' them with a meat tenderizer (you could use a rolling pin or heavy sauce pan as well). Then put the sugar through a sifter maintaining only the 'pearls' of sugar for the waffles. You need about 1 cup of pearls. The fine sugar that goes through the sifter can be put in your kitchen sugar jar or used to sweeten the strawberries if you are using them for the topping. I was able to find an online source at L'Epicerie. See the pearl sugar photo to the right so that you know what you are trying to obtain.

The addition of pearl sugar in the batter is what gives these waffles that special caramelized Liege waffle taste. However, that same sugar makes them sort of sticky so be careful not to burn yourself when removing them from the waffle iron.

The pearl sugar also makes clean-up of the waffle iron tricky. As the sugar melts, it runs in the crevices of the waffle iron. So my biggest tip is that after you finish baking your waffles, clean the waffle iron while it is still warm. If it cools completely, the caramel sugar mixture can be nearly impossible to get off the iron.
These waffles freeze extremely well so consider making a double batch. We just let the waffles cool, wrap them individually in Saran wrap, and then place them in a large Ziploc freezer bag. When we want one, we remove it from the freezer and put it in the oven on a baking sheet to heat it up.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 3

As you can tell from the title of this blog, I love to travel, and I love food. Continuing with my favorite foods from the last year, today I am sharing another recipe from Disney, this time from Shutters at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, in Orlando. The Caribbean Pasta with chicken is so delicious! (You can also get the recipe with shrimp instead.) It's creamy, with just a touch of heat, which, after researching the recipe, I discovered comes from fresh jalapeno. If you cannot find orechiette pasta (which is Italian for "little ears"), medium shells would work just as well. (I found this recipe on http://www.allears.net/.) This recipe is for one serving.

1 ounce Red Peppers

1 ounce Green Peppers
1 ounce Diced onions
1/4 ounce Jalapenos
2 ounce Heavy cream
1 ounce White wine
1 ounce Tomatoes
4 ounces Chorizo Sausage
1/4 ounce Cooking oil
1/4  ounce Goat cheese
1 ounce Spinach
4 ounces Cooked Orechiette Pasta
6 pieces Shrimp OR 5 ounces Chicken breast

1. In large pan, bring water to a boil and add 4 ounces of Orechiette Pasta.
2. Cut vegetables (small diced red, green, and jalapenos peppers, and onions) (medium diced tomatoes and Chorizo sausage).
3. In hot sauté pan, add oil, onions, peppers (red, green and jalapenos) and cook until tender.
4. Add Chorizo sausage and any other add-ons you would like to have.
5. Deglaze with white wine.
6. Add heavy cream and add pasta, tomatoes, and spinach.
7. Sprinkle on the goat cheese.

While this recipe did not taste exactly like dish at Shutters (face it, do they ever?), it is a great dish if you are craving something similar. ENJOY!

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about Blue Bayou's Monte Cristo sandwich and Au Gratin Potatoes. Today, I am going to tell you about another awesome recipe featuring potatoes.

The Pioneer Woman has become my favorite person of 2011 (easily trumping Rachael Ray). She blogs, writes cook books and wrote probably one of my (and all of my sisters, it seems) favorite books of the year (From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels). Ree Drummond is the Pioneer Woman, and I think she is awesome. Here is her recipe for Potato-Leek Pizza. It is one of the tastiest pizzas I have had in a long time. Makes me want to make it tonight for dinner. (From The Pioneer Woman Cooks copyright 2009.)

Pizza Dough (I will share my recipe for dough at the end, but any refrigerated dough will work)
Extra Vigin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 leeks, rinsed well to remove grit, and thinly sliced
5 small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced paper thin
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly gound black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Prepare the pizza crust and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
3. Begin by placing the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the bacon until cooked, but not crisp.
4. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
5. Pour off most of the grease. Do not clean the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and turn the heat to medium-low.
6. Add the leeks to the pan and saute over medium-low heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes very thin. You'll need to do this just before you need them, as the potatoes will brown very quickly.
8. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer all over the crust, slightly overlapping the edges.
9. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt, then lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes.
10. Place the leeks on top of the cheese.
11. Sprinkle the fried bacon over the leeks.
12. Then add the crumbled goat cheese, grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
13. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into wedges or squares and serve immediately.

For step by step picture instructions, pick up Ree's book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

I have tried many recipes for pizza dough, and I have finally found my favorite. It is a tweaked version of the one listed in Food Network Magazine. This makes 2, 1 pound dough balls.

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups warm water

1 tablespoon honey

1 packet yeast

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well and add water, honey and yeast. When foamy, add olive oil and knead for 5 minutes. (I do this in a stand mixer with the bread hook attachment.)
2. Add dough to an oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Divide into 2, 1 pound balls of dough.

Here are my tips for making any kind of pizza:

1. Stretch dough to desired size. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt.
2. Parbake in a 500 degree F oven for 2-3 minutes, to start the crust baking (a pizza stone is an invaluable tool for a crisp, yet chewy, crust).
3. Top with desired toppings, and bake for an additional 8-11 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Favorite Foods from 2011-Part 1

When I started this blog, it was supposed to be about travel and food (and everything in between); however, it has been a while since I have posted about food. During the last month alone, I have taken some great trips, and experienced some GREAT food. For the next several days, until New Year's Day, I will share pictures and recipes of some of my favorites from the past year.

Today, I will start with a classic from Blue Bayou at Disneyland: The Monte Cristo Sandwich. (Recipe courtesy of Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs copyright 2004.)

1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2/3 pound ham, cut into 4 slices
2/3 pound turkey, cut into 4 slices
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, cut into 4 slices
3 cups canola oil
Confectioner's sugar
Blackberry preserves

1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping the side of the bowl. Continue to whisk, for 20 minutes, until smooth.
3. On one slice of bread arrange a slice each of ham, turkey and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice sandwich in half diagonally.
4. Heat oil to between 365 and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat for the other 3 sandwiches. Cook the sandwiches one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature in between each batch.
5. Sprinkle sandwiches with confectioner's sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

The potatoes served with the Monte Cristo Sandwich (and all of the Blue Bayou entrees) are to die for! I found this recipe on http://www.talkdisney.com/.

Blue Bayou Au Gratin Potatoes

3 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon butter
4 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Mix onions and potatoes and put into a buttered baking dish. Mix cream, garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.
2. Pour mixture over potatoes and onions, and cover with aluminum foil.
3. Put in a 350 degree F oven, and bake for about 1 hour.
4. When the potatoes are tender, remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake until brown, about 10 minutes more.

I hope you enjoy both of these recipes as much as I did!

2011, The Best Yet

As 2011 slowly winds to a close, I am thinking back on a pretty good year. Here are a few highlights from the past year, and a photo retrospective, month-by-month.

• Several trips including Florida, Europe, Washington DC, New Mexico, Texas, California and Louisiana
• Experiencing Europe with my sister and best friend
• Finishing graduate school and receiving my Master's degree
• Meeting my nephew and spending time with our ever-growing family
• Spending time with old friends and new
• Planning the next chapter of our life with Marshall

I hope this past year was wonderful for each of you as well! Here's to an even more eventful, fun and prosperous 2012!

Always,
Lonnie

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