Chai Tea Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Had a thought today while drinking my favorite cold weather drink, a Chai Tea Latte. I love the fall. I love the bold fall spices like cinnamon, cloves, pepper, ginger, etc. That's probably why I have a fascination with Chai Tea in the fall and winter time. So, since it was fall, and I had all the stuff to make a traditional pumpkin pie, why not try to mix it up a bit and try to infuse some chai flavor to the pie. Couldn't really figure out how to do it until I remembered an old Creme Brulee recipe I got out of a Julia Child/Jacques Pepin cookbook. They infused Vanilla flavor into the milk. So, being that the pie recipe I used called for Evap. milk, I tried that. Recipe follows.

Chai Tea Infused Pumpkin Pie
(Partial Credit to Libby's--I know you think I could find something better!)

3/4 cup sugar
2 lrg eggs
4 chai tea bags
1 15 oz. can 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 12 oz. can Evaporated milk
1 unbaked Pie shell - 9 inch

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put the Evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan and bring a simmer. (Be careful not to burn). Put 4 Chai tea bags into the milk and turn to lowest heat. Leave on for about 5-10 minutes. Then turn off heat and allow to cool. In a bowl combine sugar, eggs, and pumpkin. Mix well. Then, if you milk is still a bit warm temper. (add a little to the pumpkin mix at a time as not to scramble the eggs!). Put into the unbaked pie shell and bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce to 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.






----

So, liked the pie. Maybe a little more spice next time, if I'm brave. I would like the black pepper to shine through a bit more. Definitely a work in progress, but it was potential.

Vino

So, this really isn't a food post, but just wanted to do a shout out on the wine that got me started on my love of wine. Had some the other night for dinner with hamburgers of all things and it rocked!

Brioche Bread Pudding

No egg scare here! Today I made/ate something I put 14 eggs in total into! It was a recipe for Brioche Bread Pudding. The Brioche recipe is from Ina Garten and called for 6 eggs. It made two loaves and my family didn't seem to want to devour it like most of my breads I make, so it was getting a little stale. In fact, I think it was just begging to be soaked in loving goodness, i.e. eggs, sugar, Frangelico, cream, whole milk, and vanilla! LOL. Very RICH recipe, but here it is:

Brioche Bread Pudding Bon Appétit | February 1999
Spruce, Chicago IL

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

1 1-pound brioche or egg bread loaf, crusts trimmed and reserved, bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 large eggs
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or amaretto
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract


Place bread cubes in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.


Whisk eggs, whipping cream, milk, sugar, Frangelico, vanilla extract and almond extract in large bowl to blend. Pour over bread cubes. Let stand 30 minutes, occasionally pressing bread into custard mixture. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)


Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange reserved bread crusts on baking sheet and bake until dry, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer crusts to food processor and grind until fine crumbs form. Sprinkle 1 cup crust crumbs over top of pudding. Bake until pudding is set in center, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm.


Extra stuff--

--I served it with Frangelico whipped cream
--Didn't have almond extract, so I left it out
--Liked the crunchy top, but next time I might add some sort of nut
--This recipe would be great with Bananas, or apples!

Flourless Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake

I have been baking desserts since it seems like forever. Being from the Dutch culture, it is my honest opinion that they are obsessed with their desserts. I knew how to make a pie before I could make breakfast! Each time we get together, we all bring desserts. It used to only be pies--but we've finally evolved!

So, I was going to the in-laws and wanted to bring something and was told I could bring a dessert. That got the wheels spinning. First I thought about what was in season and would taste good with a steak dinner. Nothing fruity really appealed to me, so I went the good ol' chocolate route! Nate has been obsessed with Nutella lately. He loves to come home from school and have a Nutella sandwich. My favorite two websites in the world are www.foodnetwork.com and www.epicurious.com. Went to my two standbys and typed in "Flourless Chocolate Cake" and the following recipe popped up.

Flourless Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake
(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flourless-Chocolate-Hazelnut-Cake-241088)

Ingredients
12 ounces 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 large eggs
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur, divided
1 cup finely ground hazelnuts (ground in processor; about 5 ounces)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Chopped toasted hazelnuts

Preparations:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth.


(This is the best Chocolate!)


(Nice consistency!)

Remove bowl from over water.

Whisk eggs, golden brown sugar, and 1/4 cup Frangelico in large bowl to blend. Add chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in ground hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Place in oven and tent springform pan loosely with foil. Bake until cake is set in center and top is dry to touch, about 1 1/2 hours (top of cake will remain shiny). Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil from top and outside of pan. Cool cake in pan on rack. Chill cake until cold, about 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.


This is the cake after baking. Really shiny on top. Foil pulled away.

Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup Frangelico in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Cut cake into wedges. Transfer to plates. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts.

SO--Notes on the whole experience--

Great Cake--probably the best I've ever had!

Probably will toast the 1 cup of Hazelnuts before I grind them to put into the cake next time I make it.

Decorated with some Ganache and then sprinkled the top with the toasted hazelnuts.

Here is the finished product:

Amazing Meal in Cambria, CA

From time to time, Jeremy and I do get the chance to go out. It was our 13th Anniversary, and we were at Cambria, California. I must confess, I am a die hard foodie. I obsess over finding great places to eat. We have just started to explore San Francisco and have found Fleur De Lys (http://www.fleurdelyssf.com/). Greatest two meals of my life--and introduced me to the wonderment that is Beef Cheeks! (Who would have ever thought to crust pretzels on beef cheeks--amazing is all I can say! Hubert Keller, who appeared on Top Chef Masters is a genius! His flavors balance perfectly and when you leave you know you have just eaten a meal that you will never forget.)

Enough about Fleur De Lys--as obviously you can see my obsession with food. Wanted to go somewhere in Cambria where we would enjoy ourselves and ogle over the food. Did lots to research before we went trying to figure out what in Cambria would tickle our fancy and satisfy our quest for a great meal. Came across a place called Black Cat Bistro (http://www.blackcatbistro.com/). OMG! AMAZING! the third best meal I've had in my life. Its a small place, only seating about 45 people, so its cozy and you get lots of personal attention. Our waiter that night was the sous chef's husband. Great knowledge of the menu and answered all our questions.

I started with a La Vien Rose cocktail with Vodka, Rose Water, Champagne and rose petals sprinkled on top. We ordered our appetizers. Jer had Cayucos Ocean Rose Abalone and I had Rabbit on top of a corn cake--which is NO longer on the menu! (SAD!--would have went back just for that!) It is a rule, that Jer and I have to discuss and agree on what we order so we can get tastes of EVERYHING! This was the first time either of us had Abalone and it was so good--buttery and very tender. This was the first time I had had rabbit. It was served with a Mole sauce and lime infused creme fraiche. I looked like the consistency of pulled pork, so it must have been slow roasted. Had a hint of ginger to lighten the taste and was piled high on a corn cake. My mouth waters just thinking about it!



I would also like to mention the appreciation I had for each suggested pairing with each menu choice. Not only was there a wine pairing suggestion, but also a beer suggestion. I love wine, but I also LOVE a good beer. For the Entree, I had the Rare Seared Yellowfin Tuna, served with butter braised Jasmine Rice, Ginger Wasabi Sauce, Vietnamese Slaw, Peanuts and Shitakes topped with Crispy Shallots. The balance of flavors was perfection. The tuna was seared perfectly. I loved it! Jeremy had Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast with a dried cherry risotto, cherry port glaze, braised baby bok choy, and thyme. This was a heartier dish, but very good. Jer won't eat cheese, but he ate his plate clean, even the risotto!



We were stuffed at this point, but decided to go all in and get dessert. I tried to get Jer to share a plate with me, but that didnt happen! LOL. I tried the Meyer Lemon Goat Cheesecake with Strawberries and Strawberry Glaze and Jer had the N.C.T.--which stand for the New Chocolate Thing. The waiter compared this to a Twix Bar and this did not dissappoint!

Loved the meal, loved the place! We will be back. Presentation was spot on! Service was amazing. I want to sit at the bar next time just so I can watch the kitchen! This is a must visit place!

Bon Appetit!

Asian Experiment

This all started when I went to the local market and was looking in the pork section at the meat counter. I had made a stuffed pork loin a few weeks back for a dinner I was making for Jeremy's bosses. I saw a center-cut pork loin and bought it cause it looked like a great piece of meat. It sat in a fridge for a few day and I contemplated how I wanted to cook it. I really didn't feel like going and making some recipe that I had to buy a million ingredients I didn't have in my pantry, so I started thinking. I love Wasabi and Ginger. I almost always have those at home. So this is what I came up with. A few recipes were borrowed or tweaked and other things, like the stuffing, were made up. Jer must have tasted 5 spoonfuls of the stuffing before I got it right.

Here it is:

Wasabi Panko Stuffed Center Cut Pork Loin

For the stuffing:
2 cups panko bread crumbs
peanut oil
wasabi paste
fresh ginger
soy sauce
cilantro
garlic

In a large frying pan, add 2tbs of peanut oil, sautee the garlic and ginger until softened and aromatic. Add the bread crumbs, toast. Then add the soy sauce, wasabi paste, and cilatro to taste. I added about 2TBS of wasabi, 2TBS of soy sauce and 1/3 cup Cilatro. Mix and check for taste.

For the loin:
Cut off any excess fat. Then proceed to butterfly the loin. (helpful video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eCpL6cj7Rw) Pound the meat to flatten and make even more even thickness. Stuff with stuffing and roll. Tie up with kitchen string.

Roast at 350 degrees until meat temperature reaches 160 degrees as read by a meat thermometer. This took about 1 hour.

Sauce:

In a sauce pan, add peanut oil and heat. Then add 1 TBS grated ginger. Sautee until aromatic. Then, add 1/3 cup low sodium chicken stock, 2 TBS dry sherry or sake if you have it, 1 TBS low sodium soy sauce, 2 tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. Wasabi Paste. Bring to a boil. Taste. The soy sauce and Wasabi can make the sauce seem salty, so add water to dull down the flavor if necessary. Add green onion to finish. Sauce will be a little runny, so in a small bowl I add 1/4 cup water and 2-3 TBS. Corn starch and add it to the sauce to thicken. Sauce can be made ahead of time and heated up before serving.

Fried Wasabi Ginger Rice Cake
2 cups cooked white rice (I like CalRose)
1 TBS grated Ginger
1 TBS chili flakes (I like using the chilis at the bottom of asain chili oil)
3 TBS Shallots
2 TBS Garlic, finely chopped
1 Egg

Mix all ingredients together. Form patties and fry in vegetable Oil at Medium High Heat until crisp and light brown in color. Be careful not to burn them! You can make the patties early and keep them in the fridge before frying. You will want to fry them up right before serving to keep the crispness of the patty.

Sugar Snap Peas (Courtesy of For the Love of Cooking)
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
Vegetable Oil
2 TBS Soy Sauce
1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
1-2 Tbs Water
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
Toasted Sesame Seeds for sprinkling

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, vinegar, water, sugar, garlic and sesame oil. Heat a sautee pan with 2 TBS Veg. Oil until heated well. Sautee the peas for just a minute of so--you want them to be crisp. Then add the sauce and toss to coat. Pull off the stove. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Bon Appetit.

Phabulous Pho!

So I've had Ming Tsai's cookbook Blue Ginger for a while now. Got some Thai Basil from Clovis Farmers Market and thought I would try my best to make Pho, as we have had it at Mr. Papayas in Fresno and also Pho and Rolls in Lemoore. Here is Ming's Recipe with a few of my tweaks:

Accompaniments:
Mung Bean Sprouts
Hoison
Thai Basil Leaves
Serrano Chilies
Lime Wedges
Sriracha

Soup:
2 TBS Canola Oil
1 TB finely chopped Ginger
2 Serrano Chilies
4 Leeks, white parts only, julienned
1 large carrot, julienned
salt and pepper
1 TBS Soy Sauce
8 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp. Anise Extract
1-8 oz. piece Beef Tenderloin, thinly sliced
1 8 oz. package rice stick noodles--soaked in warm water for 20 minutes until tender
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

in a stockpot, heat the oil and add the ginger and chilies. Saute until softened. Then, add the leeks and carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Soy Sauce and Stock. Cook down. I cooked for about 30 minutes, but the recipe says 15 is all it needs. Add the beef until cooked through. I added the noodles to the serving bowls because some in my family do not like a lot of noodles, but you can add them to the soup. Serve immediately.

Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle sesame oil if desired on top of soup. The key to Pho is good broth as well as all the great stuff you put in it. I like mine not too spicy, so the Hoison cuts the spice as well as the bean sprouts and basil. Play around with different combos to find what works for you. There are more than I have listed.

This is a great winter meal and oh so easy to make!

Bon Appetit!