Bear Cuisine

Maggie's Birthday: Dessert

Originally, I wasn't going to make dessert; I was going to rely on one of local bakeries. Then I found this recipe in Barefoot Contessa Parties! . I know Ina Garten's recipes are absolutely foolproof and that even a non-sweet baker such as myself could make this cake. I am glad I did and so was everyone who allowed themselves some at Maggie's party. As a bonus ,I now have a completely undeserved reputation for being able to bake  splendid cakes.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

(makes one 8-inch cake)

1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 16-ounce can Hershey's chocolate syrup

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

FOR THE GANACHE

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't over bake! Let cool thoroughly in the pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and swarm, stirring occasionally.

Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and the sides.  Do not refrigerate.

You can make this cake up to a week in advance. Wrap it tightly with plastic and refrigerate. Glaze it the day you serve it.

Maggie's Birthday:Sides

GREEN RICE WITH TOMATOES

• I medium onion, chopped
• 2 poblano peppers,roasted, peeled,seeded and chopped
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups medium- or long-grain rice
• 1 teaspoon salt

Place the onion,peppers, cilantro, scallions, garlic and cumin in a blender and puree with 1 or 2 cups of the stock. heat the olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan or deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat and add the rice. Cook, stirring briskly, for about 5 minutes, until the rice become opaque and is just starting to turn light-golden. Stir in the puree and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the salt and remaining stock. Bring the rice to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, still covered, and let it sit for another 5 or 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

(Susan Spicer. Crescent City Cooking)

PINTO BEANS

• 2 cups dried pinto beans
• 4 bacon slices, chopped
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 2 teaspoons  freshly ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste.

1. Wash, sort and soak beans
2. In at least a 4-quart pressure cooker, heat bacon over medium high heat.
3. After bacon has released some fat, stir in the onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper.
4. Cook until the onion softens.
5. Add water and soaked, drained beans, increase to high heat.
6. Stir in the cilantro, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
7. Close lid and bring pressure to second red ring over high heat. Adjust heat to stabilize pressure at second red ring. Cook for 20 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and allow pressure to release.

I use a Kuhn-Rikon pressure cooker and I absolutely love it. At our high altitudes, it takes a lifetime for beans to cook on the stove. The pressure cooker saves time and fuel (read, money). If you are using this recipe at sea level, you probably won't need to cook the beans as long--10 to 12  minutes should be sufficient.

CALABACITAS

See June 30, 2008 post.

Maggie's Birthday:Appetizers

GOUGERES, MINI QUICHES, SAUSAGE BALLS

I wanted to have enough variety so that peoples' palates wouldn't get bored. The beauty of each of these is that they can be made ahead and frozen. When you're ready to serve them simply reheat.

GOUGERES (CHEESE PUFFS)

(makes about 40)

• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• Pinch of nutmeg
  
• 1 cup all purpose flour
  
• 4 extra-large eggs
  
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
  
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Cook,stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes.The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 1/4 inch high onto the baking sheets. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. [I used a small cookie scoop to make the puffs. It worked quite well.] Brush the top of each puff lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

(Ina Garten. Barefoot in Paris.)

MINI QUICHES

(2 dozen)

• 3/4 cup crushed saltine crackers
  
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
  
• 1 cup chopped green chile
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
• 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
  

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Divide crumbs among mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with no-stick cooking spray. Saute chile for 10 minutes in 2 tablespoons butter. Cool, then divide evenly on top of cracker crumbs. Beat eggs; add milk, salt, pepper and Swiss cheese. Pour by spoonfuls on top on chile in tins. Do not fill to top, as they will run over. Bake until set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake.

(adapted from Paula Dean's The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.)

SAUSAGE BALLS

(approximately 3 dozen)

• 3 cups Bisquick
  
• 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
  
• 1 pound fresh ground sausage
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. If not moist enough, add a little water. Form mixture into 1-inch balls. Bake for 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm. 

(from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.)

SALTED PECANS WITH RED CHILE

• 2 cups whole pecans
  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• Ground red chile, to taste
  

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Toss the nuts with the oil and roast until fragrant, about 25 minutes. Stir a few times so that they toast evenly.

When done, add salt and chile and swish nuts around. Add more salt and chile, if desired.

(The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook)

Maggie's Birthday :Entrees

SLOW COOKED PORK WITH RED CHILE RUB AND CHILE CREMA

This dish couldn't be simpler to make and your house is filled with amazing aromas as it cooks. The anticipation is almost as good as the pork itself. This comes from my friend Jim Whiteker of Casa Verde Graziers. He sells the most flavorful pork at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market. The secret to this dish is to use a well-marbled pork roast, not one of those stringy, dry things that has no flavor and cooks to the texture of shoe leather.

CHILE RUB

• 2 tablespoon red chile
  
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  

Mix together the rub and put it on a 3 to 4 pound pork roast (loin or rib).

Place the roast on the rack in the roaster(one with a cover).

Cover the roast with 3 or 4  chopped onions. 

Mix the remaining rub with water and put the mixture in the bottom of the roaster.

Cook at 200 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until done.

Serve with the onions on the side.

ONIONS TO SERVE WITH THE SLOW COOKED PORK

RED CHILE CHEESE ENCHILADAS

CHEESE ENCHILADAS FOR A CROWD

• 3 cups Red Chile Sauce (see post of 10/13/08)
  
• 16 fresh corn tortillas, about 4 inches in diameter
  
• 1 1/2 pounds cheddar cheese, grated
  
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion or sliced scallions with green tops
  
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  
• 1 1/2 cups diced tomato
  
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9 x 12-inch baking dish or pan.

2. Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the dish and layer half of the tortillas evenly over the sauce. Top the tortillas with a third of the cheese and sprinkle with half the onion. If you prefer a milder onion flavor, use the scallions. Repeat to make a second layer and top with the last cup of sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly (heated through) and lightly browned.

3. To serve, spoon portions onto dinner plates, garnish with finely shredded lettuce and diced tomato, and top with 2 tablespoons of the sour cream. 

(from The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook)

Maggie's Birthday Party

Our friend Maggie McFerran celebrated her 75th birthday this past weekend. Her partner , Sylvia, asked me to cook for the gathering. I had a lot of fun planning the menu with them and putting it all together over the  course of the week and on Saturday when her friends gathered to toast her.

SYLVIA AND MAGGIE

 MAGGIE,YOU LOOK MARVELOUS!

TERRY WHO DID ALL OF THE DECORATING

THE COOK

THE MENU

Appetizers

• Mini Quiches
  
• Gougeres
  
• Sausage Balls
  
• Chile Spiced Pecans
  

Entree

• Chile/pepper coated slow roasted pork
  
• Cheese Enchiladas
  

Sides

• Pinto Beans
  
• Calabacitas
  
• Green Rice
  

Dessert

• Chocolate Ganache Cake
  

WHAT WILL I HAVE NEXT?

Over the next several posts I will be providing the recipes for these offerings.