The Perfect Chocolate Cake

I’ve really been getting into this Julia/Julie thing. I refuse to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking or any other cookbook. So, I have been on a mission to decide what I could do. I decided on making the perfect chocolate cake.

You see, most chocolate cakes seem a little dry. So I want to make a perfect chocolate cake. To get started, I picked a recipe entitled “The Perfect Chocolate Cake”. This is a chocolate cake with whipped cream filling and a chocolate frosting. I baked it and it turned out to be ‘perfect’. The cake was moist with a wonderful chocolate flavor. To be sure I was on track; I served it to some friends of mine. To my utter surprise, my friend Roger licked the plate. And I thought I can’t improve on plate licking. As it turns out the recipe was first published by Southern Living magazine in September 1977. It has been more of their more requested cake recipes. I guess that proves that a true classic never goes out of style.

I didn’t manage to get a picture of Roger. But it would have been quite a picture. You will have to be content with a picture of the cake and a recipe. I hope you bake the cake and enjoy it as much as my friends. Who knows, it could become your plate licking cake too.

If you have a ‘perfect’ chocolate cake recipe, please let us know.

Perfect Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Cake
1 cup cocoa
2 cups boiling water
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2½ cups sugar
4 eggs
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons vanilla flavoring
Whipped Cream Filling (recipes follows)
Perfect Chocolate Frosting (recipes follows)

Directions:

1. Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

2. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beating at low speed of electric mixer, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. Do not overbeat.

4. Line three 9-inch greased cake pans with wax paper; grease and flour wax paper. Pour batter into cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans, peel off wax paper, and cool layers completely on wire racks.

5. Spread Whipped Cream Filling between layers; spread Perfect Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whipped Cream Filling
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
¼ cup sifted powdered sugar

Beat whipping cream and vanilla until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Chill.

Perfect Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
1 package (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
½ cup half and half
¾ cup butter
2 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar

 Directions:
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Remove from heat; add powdered sugar, mixing well.

2. Set saucepan in ice, and beat at low speed of an electric mixer until frosting holds its shape and loses its gloss. Add a few more drops of half and half if needed to make spreading consistency.

Winter Salads – No Tomatoes Needed

I like salads even in the winter when the temperature dips below the freezing point. But iceberg lettuce and cardboard tomatoes just don’t do it for me. Okay, maybe I’m something of a salad snob. I used to always put tomatoes on my salads. One day I complained to a friend about the cost and flavor of winter tomatoes. Her remark was “well, why do you use them?” I answered back “It’s a salad, so you must use tomatoes”. She immediately wanted to know where that rule came from.

Well, needless to say, her comment got me to thinking about my salad making philosophy. I finally decided she was right and a salad could be made without tomatoes. Making a salad without tomatoes has just unleashed my creativity. I now make a salad according to what is in season. During the winter I choose things that are readily available in the winter. The good thing about this is that foods normally taste better when eaten during their growing season. Varying ingredients gives me a little more variety.

Here are my basic rules for a winter salad. Start with a nice lettuce, like romaine or spring greens (I know this probably breaks the winter thing, but oh well). Check your local supermarket and be a little adventurous. I like to use apples, Cheddar cheese and maybe dried cranberries. And if I am in the mood, I may add a few toasted walnuts.

Winter Salad

Per Person
Use about 1 to 1½ cups lettuce
1 Tablespoon grated or crumbled cheese (Blue, Cheddar, Parmesan)
1/4 of a fresh fruit (apple, pear, orange, grapefruit, avocado)
1 Tablespoon chopped nuts
1 Tablespoon dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins)

Season the salad with a little salt and pepper and add your favorite salad dressing. I think you can get the point of my salad. Be as creative as you desire. You are only limited by your imagination.

Potato Gnocchi - Italy

The second dumpling we are going to explore is the potato gnocchi from Italy. “Gnocchi” (pronounced “NYOH-kee”) is an Italian word that means “lump” or “knot”, which probably refers to their shape. This type of gnocchi is very simple and usually has only four ingredients: potato, flour, eggs, and salt. (Some resources use the whole egg and some use only the yolk, so you decide.) It is believed that gnocchi has been prepared for thousands of years, since the time of the Roman Empire. Consequently, gnocchi may be the ancestor for many of the other types of dumplings. There are many variations of gnocchi – you can make it with potatoes, bread crumbs, semolina or vegetables and serve it in various sauces, butter, or cheese. Take a trip to Italy and enjoy potato gnocchi!

Helpful Hints! (‘Cause we all need them every once in a while)
To make the best possible dough for gnocchi it is important to use potatoes that have a lower moisture content, russet. If you don’t have russets, something like Yukon Gold will also work. This recipe calls for 1 ¼ cup of flour. You may need to use more or less depending on the moisture content of your potatoes.

Potato Gnocchi

Serves 4 to 6 (about 10 gnocchi)

Ingredients:
2 pounds russet potatoes
½ teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks, beaten
1¼ cup all-purpose flour

Preparing the Dough:

1. Peel the potatoes so there are no visible discolorations. Cut each one into chunks. Place potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning.
2. Add potatoes to the saucepan and cover with water. Cover. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until they are fork tender.
3. Drain the water; put the pan back on the stove. Leave the heat on for another 2 minutes to dry the potatoes out. Turn off the heat, add the salt and mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher until smooth. 4. Put the potatoes in a large bowl, and allow them to cool for 15 minutes.
5. Pour the beaten egg yolks over the cooled potatoes and mix well. Then sprinkle 1 cup of flour on top.
6. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently mix the ingredients together until combined.
7. Using your hands, knead dough until it holds together. It may be a little sticky. If it’s too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time, as needed.
8. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll each portion into a 10 inch long “rope”.
9. Cut the rope into 1 inch pieces.
10. On each piece, use or fingertip to make a small indentation in the center of each gnocchi. This helps it to retain any sauce you may serve with it.

 Cooking the Gnocchi
1. Bring another pot of water to a gentle boil.
2. Add one quarter of the gnocchi at a time to the boiling water. When the gnocchi floats to the top they are done. Use a slotted spoon to collect them and transfer to a plate.
3. Continue cooking the gnocchi in batches until they are all cooked.
4. Serve immediately with sauce or see the sautéed variation below.

Making Ahead
If you’d like to make gnocchi ahead of time, toss the cooked gnocchi with olive oil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You can also freeze uncooked gnocchi in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Transfer to an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to eat them, cook them the same as the unfrozen gnocchi.

Sautéed Gnocchi
1. Once the gnocchi has been cooked, you can sauté it in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté one quarter of the gnocchi at a time for about 2 minutes or until they develop a golden-brown crust. Sauce Time! We have three different types of sauces for your gnocchi. Pick your favorite or try them all! (We did)!

Pesto Alfredo

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/8 cup grated Romano cheese
1½ Tablespoon basil pesto
½ Tablespoon pine nuts
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil – this happens quickly. Add pesto and pine nuts and cook for 1 minute. Watch carefully, the pesto will burn.
2. Pour the cream into the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cheese, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Serve over cooked gnocchi.

Garlic Cream

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup butter
3 to 4 Tablespoons flour

Directions:
1. Chop the onion and thinly slice the garlic.

2. Add the butter to a large sauté pan, cook the onion over medium heat until browned. Add the garlic.

3. Stir in the flour a little at a time until smooth and let it brown slightly. Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly. Heat this until it’s thickened. Pour over gnocchi and serve.

Marinara Sauce

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 can (28 ounce) whole or diced tomatoes (not drained)
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté the onion until it’s translucent. Add the garlic and let it cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Simmer the ingredients together for 20 minutes. Toss with gnocchi and enjoy!

Chocolate – Eat Up, for Health Benefits, Of Course

Chocolate, we love it. And now, it’s good for you! We love it and it’s healthy, too. I never thought those two statements would ever be seen together. Before you rush out to empty the stores of chocolate, let’s take a deeper look.

Theobroma cacao, the botanical name for chocolate means “food of the gods”. We enjoy chocolate in many forms, hot chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, cakes, candies and everything in between. Chocolate can be used in savory and sweet foods. The web is brimming with chocolate recipes to delight the tastebuds. Cook books have been devoted entirely to the subject of chocolate.

Although Americans love chocolate, we are not the number one consumer – that title belongs to Belgium, consuming about 10.74 kg per person. Americans consume about 5.58 kg of chocolate per person, ranking 10th in consumption.

If you consume chocolate for the health benefits and that is why we choose it, right? Here are a few things you may want to know. The health benefits of chocolate come from a group of compounds referred to as flavonoids. These compounds act as antioxidants and may help lower LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and increase blood flow to the brain. To get the maximum health benefits, eat dark chocolate. It contains a higher level of cocoa and therefore a higher level of antioxidants.

Before overindulging, chocolate does contain fat and sugar. A one ounce portion should provide the health benefits without increasing the waistline. If you want to indulge in chocolate on Valentine’s Day or any day, give the recipe for chocolate fondue a try. It makes two servings – one for you and maybe one to share.

Chocolate Fondue

Serves 2.

Ingredients:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Assorted fruit (strawberries, fresh pineapple, pears, apricots, banana)

Directions:
1. Place chocolate, cream and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium. Stirring every 20 seconds, until melted. Add vanilla and stir.

2. To serve, use skewers to dip fruit into warm chocolate.

Note: If desired, substitute 1 tablespoon of coffee for 1 tablespoon of cream. Chocolate will harden upon cooling. If you have leftover chocolate, add dried cranberries and almonds. Drop on wax paper and allow to harden.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

I like biscuits, fresh, hot from the oven and dripping with butter. Now doesn’t that picture just make you want to go and bake up a batch.

For a long time I believed that I could not make biscuits. I made them. They were just terrible biscuits. What I have learned is that with science, patience and practice, I, too, could make biscuits. Part of my learning how to make biscuits was to understand the scientific role of each ingredient. Once I accomplished that I was able to make a better biscuit.

Let’s start with the ingredients. Once you understand the function of each ingredient, you will be better able to manipulate the recipe and make the type of biscuit you prefer.

Flour – to make good biscuit you need what is referred to as soft wheat flour. Soft wheat flour is used by Southerners to make biscuits and has less protein than other types of flour. Flour with less protein yields a biscuit that is more tender and flaky. White Lily (http://www.whitelily.com/) is a good brand, but there are also others. If you don’t have soft wheat flour, try using ½ all-purpose and ½ cake flour.

Fat – yes, some people consider it a bad word, but it does have a vital function in biscuits and other baked products. Fat prevents the development of too much protein (gluten). The development of too much gluten will toughen the biscuit. To make a tender and flaky biscuit, a solid fat is needed. Our grandmothers most likely used lard to make biscuits. Most cooks today use shortening or butter. Some recipes use 1/3 cup of fat to 2 cups of flour. I find that ½ cup of fat works best. It yields a more tender and flaky biscuit.

Leavening is what causes a biscuit to rise. Biscuits normally use baking powder and/or baking soda. Baking powder is composed of an acid and baking soda and reacts with a liquid. Baking soda is an alkaline and is used with an acid, like buttermilk.

Milk – usually buttermilk is the milk of choice for making biscuits. Buttermilk provides the acid for the baking soda and gives the biscuits a slightly tangy flavor.

Mixing Biscuits
Biscuits are made by what is referred to as the biscuit method. Dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) are combined. Fat is cut in with a pastry blender or two knives. This should be done as quickly as possible to prevent the fat from melting. Liquid is added to make a dough.

Biscuit dough is kneaded slightly, about 5 to 6 times. Overkneading the dough will cause the formation of too much gluten and make biscuits tough. Roll out dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter. Press straight down without twisting. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they touch. Reform dough and continue cutting. Biscuits from the reformed will not be as tender and flaky as the first.

Baking Biscuits
Preheat the oven to 400 to 425F for about 12 to 15 minutes. Some recipes state that the oven should be preheated to 500F. I tried that and got raw tops and burnt bottoms. For your dining pleasure, a biscuit recipe is included. Please give it a try and let me know how works. If you have any biscuit secrets, please add them to the comments section.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Yield: 10 – 12 biscuits.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening or butter
½ cup buttermilk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening or butter with a pastry blender. Mixture should resemble a coarse meal or the size of peas. Add buttermilk; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 3 or 4 times. Roll or pat dough to ½-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Around the World in Dumplings

I have long contended that human beings are more alike than they are different. And food is a perfect way to examine our connections. Since starting this blog, I have been trying to decide what I could do each month that would be fun and interesting. And since I teach, maybe a little educational.

I like the idea of exploring the culture of others. Culture should not only be preserved, but shared. We can all grow and learn from each other. The world is becoming more interconnected and all of us need to become global citizens and gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for how the rest of the world lives. Food is one way to explore culture.

I am going to begin this journey with dumplings. Why? Because I like dumplings; they’re cute, homey and comfortable. There are many kinds of dumplings. There are Asian dumplings. The Italians have gnocchi, a potato or ricotta cheese dumpling. The Germans have spaetzle. And finally don’t forget good ole fashioned chicken and dumplings. I will be using this blog to talk about dumplings. On the third Monday of each month, I will present a new dumpling.

All dumplings are some variation of cooked dough. They can be made from flour, potato, or matzoh meal. They can be dropped or rolled (gnocchi) or filled (Asian dumplings). They can be sweet (apple) or savory (chicken and dumplings). They can be a part of a stew or soup, a side dish. They can even be served for dessert.

I am going to start with Chinese dumplings. I have long wanted to learn to make Chinese dumplings. My graduate student, Liz, taught me to make them. Thanks Liz for sharing your culture.

Chinese Dumplings

1 pound lean ground meat (pork, beef, turkey or chicken)
¼ cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
¼ cup shiitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1Tablespoon white wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 Tablespoons sesame oil
Dash white pepper
Skin: 40 won ton wrappers

1. Soak shiitake mushrooms in very hot water for 5 minutes. Then squeeze out the excess moisture and minced mushrooms.
2. In a large bowl, mix mushrooms, meat, green onions, ginger, garlic, wine, cornstarch, pepper, sugar, salt, sesame oil, and the white pepper.

Folding the dumplings:
1. With your finger spread water to wash around the edge of the wrapper. Place a small spoonful of filling in the middle. (Be careful not to put too much; it'll leek out during the folding process.)
2. Pinch the edge of the wrapper and make a fold like you see in Step 2. (If you're a beginner at folding, place the wrapper on a flat surface while you work. Otherwise, keep it in your hand.)
3. Make 2 more identical folds in the same direction, until you end up with 3 folds, as shown in Step 3. 4. Bring the folded side together with the no-folds side, and press to seal. Repeat the process with the remaining won ton wrappers.

Note: Either won ton wrappers or gyoza wrappers can be used to make dumplings.  

Cooking procedures:
1. Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot.
2. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides.
3. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. 4. Add ½ cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. 5. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

Chinese Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons red wine or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili oil
2 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar or brown sugar, or to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger

Directions:
Combine all ingredients. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 hour to give flavors a chance to blend.

Improvisational Cooking

I have been hearing several new terms lately, no-recipe recipe, cooking without a book and lastly, improvisational cooking. The January issue of Southern Living magazine even has recipes that everyone should know ‘by heart’. There is a cookbook titled, The Improvisational Cook and one titled How to Cook without a Book. If it helps any, I purchased How to Cook Without a Book and I actually like it.

I got to thinking about what these terms really mean. All these terms are really nothing new. Our grandmothers did it all the time. As a matter of fact, most of them did not own a cookbook. All they knew was to cook ‘by heart’. It now seems that some people believe that if there is no recipe, they can’t cook. Why not, your grandmother did it and she had less sophisticated ingredients and equipment than you have. Here is my rule of thumb. You only need a recipe if you are making pastries or cakes or baked products. These are formulations and the ingredients are there for a reason. That is, they have a function that affects the overall quality of the final product. For dishes like soups, pot roasts, mashed potatoes, you don't need a recipe. A recipe is really someone’s idea of what a dish should taste like. What you want to put in your dish is entirely up to you.

I am really into this improvisational cooking. Preparing dinner at 6:00pm when I am tired and hungry is no time to hunt for a recipe. So, here is how I do it.

1. Stock the pantry for cooking, not for a recipe. When you run out of an ingredient, purchase it soon. A well stocked pantry allows you to cook a meal without last minute trips to the grocery store.
2. Stop measuring ingredients. Learn to cook by taste and feel of the dish. You are not trying to make the most superb dish; you are trying to get dinner on the table quickly.
3. Trust your instincts.
4. Practice. We get better at things that we practice. Cooking is no different.
5. Read recipes. That may sound dumb. I read a lot of recipes. However, I mostly read for ideas, not for exact recipes. Reading recipes helps you to understand what ingredients go together and in what proportions.

I am taking the liberty of including one of my favorite no recipe dishes. Please feel free to make changes.

No Recipe Sweet Potatoes

1. Bake enough sweet potatoes to make about 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. If you like, bake extra, they freeze extremely well. I like to bake my sweet potatoes because I think they taste better.

2. Take about 2 cups of mashed potatoes and add the following ingredients, about 2 tablespoons butter, 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and ¼ cup light coconut milk. Mix ingredients and serve. Sweet potatoes can also be made ahead and refrigerated. Reheat when ready to serve.

 3. This recipe makes about 4 – ½ cup servings.

As you can tell, this is not an exact recipe. If you don’t have an ingredient or you don’t like an ingredient, leave it out and keep on cooking. Other options for sweet potatoes are canned crushed pineapple, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and maple syrup in place of the brown sugar. I even have a friend who will sometimes use an overripe banana.