Dessert Edition: Because some days you need to just skip dinner

Admittedly, when I have a party...dessert is my afterthought. I am much more concerned with party foods, dips, fanciful appetizers, and all the other savory deliciousness that keeps me from being a size 2. However, I have also learned to accept that other people aren't a size 2 because of dessert. For those guests, I always seem to come up with ridiculously simple dessert that looks droolerific. (Sound it out) My most recent party was to celebrate my college graduation, and this was the dessert creation I threw together. It contains alcohol, which translates into, keep reading!

What you see above is a Raspberry Pound Cake Trifle. It tasted even better than it looked, and if you'll remember, I am not a sweet tooth kinda gal. The making of the pound cake is really the only time consuming part of this creation, but I think it is worth it. You could always substitute a store bought pound cake if you're in a hurry, just don't tell me about it...or anyone else. As long as I am not invited, guests probably won't notice the difference. Either way, it will be wonderful, and with a store bought pound cake you'll have a finished product in just a few minutes. Even Rachel Ray would be mesmerized at the time it doesn't take to make.

You will want to assemble this no more than an hour before you serve it so it doesn't get soggy. So get all the layers prepared before layering. First, cut your homemade (just believe the lie) pound cake into cubes. Next you want to mix two small containers of mascarpone cheese, which you'll find near the deli, with some whipped cream. I prefer to make my own whipped cream, but if you buy something like Cool Whip, it will work just fine. I recommend using about 16 oz. of whipped cream for about 8 oz. of the cheese, but whatever your taste buds think is right. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese with a spatula, and add in just a few drops of almond extract to really make that layer of flavor complete. All you need for the rest of the trifle is fresh raspberries, Chambord (raspberry liqueur), sliced almonds, and some melted chocolate to drizzle over the top, because why not.
Now to put it together....

Put half of the pound cake cubes into the base of your trifle dish (or cake stand lid, turned upside down) and brush it with the Chambord. This is the part that gives the dessert a 21 years old and older disclaimer. Leave it out if children are eating it. Or you could make individual desserts for the guests who do not want the alcohol. Next, spread half of the mascarpone/whipped cream mixture on top of the cake, being careful not to make a mess on the sides of the dish...since that is what makes it beautiful! Then scatter a good amount of fresh raspberries, some sliced almonds, then repeat the layers. I use fewer raspberries for the top to make it more budget friendly, and because it actually looks better with just a few neatly placed around the edges. Then use some melted chocolate to drizzle over the top. I just used melted milk chocolate chips and made a pastry bag out of a sandwich bag. Even if you have a pastry bag, for this it's just easier to clean up if you use the cheat. Sprinkle on some more sliced almonds and you have done it!


For the people who just want to know what you need for this masterpiece, here you go:

1 pound cake, cubed
4-8 oz. mascarpone cheese (depends on your taste)
1 tsp. almond extract
16-24 oz. whipped cream
2 containers fresh raspberries
2-3 oz. sliced almonds (check the bulk aisle!)
3-4 oz. milk chocolate chips, melted
4-6 oz. Chambord raspberry liqueur


Enjoy! Oh, and invite me to the party...

Chef Becki

BACON. Now that I have your attention.... Pasta Carbonara

Nothing warms up a cold evening like a comforting plate of pasta, and with the inclusion of bacon--you can hardly go wrong. Carbonara is basically all good things in one place.

Let's start with the pasta, the simplest yet maybe the most important part. We have all heard about every possible way to cook pasta, putting oil in the water so it doesn't stick together, how much salt in the water, are whole wheat noodles the way to go... the controversy continues. I am no expert on the matter, but I did learn to cook pasta in Italy, and it was very simple. Oil and water don't mix, so it's honestly a really useless thing to add to your pasta water. Salt is, on the other hand, a necessity. I cannot give a measurement because it is really something you have learn with your own taste. Of course, I would tell you to use Kosher Salt, but that's something I use for everything anyway. I compromise on the health issue, and choose to use whole grain pasta. It is very satisfying, and doesn't taste like the cardboard box like whole wheat pasta does. Again, though, this is personal preference... but I am always right on these things...

So boil some water, salt it (more than you would typically think is a safe way to look at it), and add your pasta. I use spaghetti for Carbonara, it is a classic and perfect choice for the sauce. The best way to keep your long noodles from sticking is to stir them AS SOON AS you put them into the boiling water. Stir them well and often, and don't over cook them! Taste a noodle at about 6 minutes. It should still have a bit of a bite to it, and it will continue cooking after you drain it, and after you add it to the sauce--don't doubt me. IMPORTANT: When you drain your pasta reserve about a cup of the water for the sauce. It is very helpful in making a successful Carbonara sauce rather than scrambled eggs.

The fun part--the sauce. Cut up some bacon and begin cooking it in a hot, dry pan. A whole lb. of bacon will make at least 4 servings so you can adjust that for whatever you need. While the bacon is cooking, whisk together about 6 eggs and a cup of cream... salt and pepper this mixture and set aside. When the bacon is about crispy, remove about 1/3 of the bacon bits and reserve for the fancy finish. Add in a few cloves of garlic, just pressed open with your knife. You can either leave them in, or remove them at the end, depending on your love of garlic. Cook the garlic for a minute or two, just until you really start to smell it. Add in your cooked pasta at this point, and a little bit of the pasta water (Usually about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup will do). Add in the whisked egg/cream mixture, cook about a minute and take off the heat. Continue to cook, off the heat, and stir constantly so the eggs do not scramble. Throw in a handful of parmesan cheese, some parsley (if you'd like some color and freshness), and serve. Top with some of the remaining bacon bits, and paremesan. That's it! EAT!

Italian Beef. Trust me, it's worth the ten minutes it takes to make it.

Italian Beef. Need I say more? Well, I suppose I do if you want to be able to make it for yourself. Here goes...
I really cannot think of something more flavorful that requires so little effort. We'll start with the ingredients. Since this is a crock pot meal, you can get everything together, throw it in, and wait for the smell to make you salivate like a drive past Dunkin' Donuts in the morning.
The Meat.
This is also a great dish because you have the luxury of using whatever kind of roast you have, or whatever is on sale. I love things with that kind of flexibility! Whether its a Rump Roast, or Bottom Round Roast, you will still have great results.
The Peppers.The other ingredients are few and simple. A jar of Pepperoncino peppers... (yes, the kind that come with that Papa John's Pizza you shouldn't have had for dinner!:) They sell them where the pickles and olives are in the store, and you can either get a jar of them whole or already sliced. I use the sliced ones because the joy of this meal is compounded by its simplicity. Some people just dump the whole peppers into the crock pot, but then it makes it difficult to eat the sandwich unless the peppers aren't eaten. And that is a very sad thing.

So, we've got meat that has been seasoned well with salt and pepper (3-5 lbs is good, leftovers freeze well if you are lucky enough to have any), a jar of peppers, about 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, (just smash them, peel them and throw them in) and a crock pot. I have thrown in a couple of sliced onions before and that is good as well. Use some beef stock for the cooking liquid and make sure you check it periodically to make sure it doesn't get dry. I usually use about 12-16oz. You can even add water if you need to so the meat can continue to cook in the liquid. Otherwise, this is all you really need. Time is the best ingredient for these sandwiches, so it is best on low for anywhere from 8-10 hours. If you are in a hurry, put it on high and it will take about 5-6 hours, although it is better if you can cook it low and slow.

The Bread. Don't forget the importance of the roll! The most important thing when choosing your bread is that it be freshly baked (pretty much every grocery store bakes fresh rolls every day for their in-house bakery) and that when they are heated in the oven the outside gets nice and crunchy and the inside stays soft. Heat them up whole for just a minute or two, slice the rolls open, spoon in some juice from the crock pot, then fill them with the tender meat that will have fallen apart on its own. Mozzarella cheese can be put on them and throw the sandwiches back in the oven to melt it. Honestly, its great either way. Just enough spice and so very delicious. Enjoy. :)

Let's Start Simple

Quiche. What could be better on a cool fall morning than a freshly baked quiche? Not much, that's for sure. Unless you say a freshly brewed cup of coffee, but that's a given.

I have come across a surprising amount of people who have either had a bad quiche
experience, or just are afraid to make it themselves. It is just not as difficult as it seems,
believe me. Not to mention how versatile they can be once you master the basic idea.
So my first tip is to not be afraid. Honestly, this is easier to make than trying to not break an over easy egg for most people.

When I taught Culinary School, one of the biggest habits I tried to impress on my students was to ALWAYS read through the recipe first. For some reason, they prefered to learn the hard way most of the time, rather than just listening to their super smart teacher. . . but I will tell you the same thing. Read the recipe all the way through before you do anything else. Well, you can have the coffee first, but nothing else!

It will probably force the habit on you to read all the way through since I don't generally stick to the typical recipe format. I feel like specific measurements can give the completely wrong impression that you are trying to completely recreate my dish, instead of making YOUR OWN dish. The goal here is just to be a guideline. I love to encourage people to make new things, and try to learn to get a feel for ingredients and food itself, not just recipes and measurements. Be patient with yourself, taste things, change things, try things, that is the fun part of cooking. This quiche is a great place to start.

Refrigerated Pie Crust. Yes, I think it's ok to use a store bought crust for this one. Besides, who wants to make pie dough in the morning? I know I certainly don't. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, Place the pie dough in a pie plate (I know, complicated, right?!)
Make sure you stretch the dough up along the edges all the way, it shrinks when you bake it and you want it to be all the way up the side of the pie plate so the eggs don't run underneath the crust. The main enemy of quiche (and people who think they don't like quiche) is texture, so keep in mind that you want to do whatever you can to keep the crust crisp rather than soggy. Bake only the crust for about 5 minutes or until it starts to turn golden. This will help it stay crisp after you fill it and bake it completely.

While the oven heats and the crust pre-bakes, get started on the filling. What do you like? Put that in as the filling! Seriously, though you can be pretty creative with the flavor combinations in your quiche. In the one pictured above I put sauteed mushrooms, red peppers, spinach and bacon with some monterey jack cheese. But you really can put whatever you like. Ham and swiss is a popular quiche filling, or any vegetables you like. Just be sure you cook the vegetables first, if you put them in raw, the water in the veggies will cook out and give you a soggy runny quiche. Also be careful with your seasonings, most cheeses are pretty salty, so go easier on that and pepper and herbs are a nice addition.

On the partially cooked crust, place your filling (i.e. ham, veggies, bacon, sausage, etc.) top that with shredded cheese of your choice and you are practically done! Whisk up some eggs (usually about 5-6 for a 9" pie crust) and add in some cream. Again, measurements aren't exact here, but use your judgment. If you want the quiche to be firmer or more dense, you will want to use less cream than if you want it to be light and creamier. I usually use about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cream. salt and pepper the egg mixture and pour it over the filling. If you are shy of filling up the pie plate, just whisk another egg and pour it in. Make sure you haven't filled it so much you can't get it to the oven without spilling eggs all over the floor. Although, I guess you are the one who will have to clean it up, so go for it!

Bake it until you can shake it and the center is set. (doesn't jiggle) Usually about 25-35 min. depending on your oven and size of the quiche. You will be amazed at how simple and delicious this thing is when you take it out. Let it rest a few minutes so it doesn't fall apart when you cut into it.


** You can also roll out two pie crusts together and use a 13" by 9" pan if you are serving more people. Just up the amount of veggies, meats, and egg and cream mixture. It is so simple. You can even cook the filling the day before so that in the morning all you have to do is throw it together. It will be our little secret.

Let me know how it turns out! :)

~Chef Becki