Piece, Love & Chocolate

The last time I was in Boulder I checked out this sweet store, Piece Love & Chocolate. I could really go for some chocolate. And the hot sipping cocoa that I enjoyed while I was there.

My Dream Cookie

I love cookies and cakes and all things sugar. And when I dream of cookies....I dream of this lovely giant from Mary's Mountain Cookies in Fort Collins, Colorado! I stumbled into her shop this Valentine's Day looking for something sweet. And I found just that! It is a cross between a comforting chocolate chip cookie topped with all the fun of going camping. My dream come true!

Check out my new flickr!

In efforts to consolidate all of my pastry documentation. I started a flickr! Check it out here.

Packaging for Caramels

This was how I decided to package the caramels to send out! I think the next batch will be Earl Grey Caramels! Yum!

Caramels

I am on job hunt, sending out resumes and cover letters weekly. I was wondering what might accompany my graphic designer/pastry artist resume well and I decided on caramels! So I made a few....hundred. We've been eating caramels for weeks over here!

Surprise!

Together Cooking has been a little slow at getting posts up these past few months! But we're trying to get back into the swing of things. To celebrate we'll start with this cake. It was an order I received for a Surprise/Birthday Party last weekend. I layered chocolate guinness cake with vanilla buttercream and finished with chocolate buttercream. From what I've heard it went over very well! I am currently in Rochester, New York and available for any sweet commission your heart might desire by email (annemariedenton@gmail.com).

Moxie Cupcakes

I am currently in my last two weeks of school at The Culinary Institute of America and I'm trying to check off places that I'd like to go in the area and haven't yet. Yesterday I spent the day in New Paltz, New York. I started at Taco Shack for lunch, which was not as impressive as I would have liked but then headed to Cafeteria Cafe to enjoy a hot chai latte and to do a little job searching. I was very happy to sit on one of the gold embroidered couches and sip my chai. Cafeteria Cafe was a really cool cafe. I can't believe that this was my first time there! My final destination was Moxie Cupcake. I ordered the one of the right, a peanut butter cake with chocolate chips and a peanut butter buttercream. And my adventure partner for the day ordered a chocolate cupcake filled with caramel and topped with salted caramel buttercream. Both cupcakes were heavenly and so was the atmosphere. We arrived, ordered our cupcakes and cuddled up in the cozy dining room and almost forgot to offer each other a bite before we finished our cupcakes. The best part of both of the cupcakes was their moist texture. It makes me want to start tweaking my cupcake recipe. Good job Moxie! I will see you soon!

Parisian HOME COOKING

The Red Queen has been SO busy taking care of her kingdom there has only been time for work, preparing and eating meals. So my gift to you is this MAGNIFICENT cookbook by Michael Roberts. Many many years ago, the RQ happened upon this book quite by chance one afternoon at the bookstore. My favorite part of the story is how this gem was snatched up for only $5! The wealth of gourmet recipes are easy for the home chef to prepare; a truly fabulous resource! You'll have to take The RQ's word for it! Last night, she and P< ate up chicken roasted in the oven with a lovely garlic sauce...scrumptious! Check it out on-line or at your local bookstore. And as always, ENJOY!

Dinner in "a snap" - Chicken Scarpariello

Chicken Scarpariello is a fabulous dish which is easy to prepare and delicious! Several years ago a friend introduced this dish to me and it has been a staple in The RQ's kitchen ever since as well as a favorite of Little Brother.

Shopping List-
2 boneless chicken breasts, flour to dredge w/ salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
red pepper flakes to taste
3 Tblsp. parsley
3-4 Tblsp. butter
1/3 cup white wine
juice of one lemon
3 Tblsp. capers
Freshly grated Italian Cheese

Cut breasts into cube size pieces. Dredge in flour, salt, pepper. Fry over med-hi heat in 1 Tblsp. oil in skillet on stove (non-stick preferrable) till nicely browned all sides. Remove chicken to heatproof bowl and cover. Add butter to skillet, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute 30 seconds. Deglaze w wine. Return chicken to pan, add capers cover and simmer on med-hi for 5 min. Sprinkle with parsley and freshly grated Italian cheese of choice. ENJOY!

Eggs & Hash Browns for Dinner

This post is for my darling friend Anne and her lovely daughter Grace!

As observed, this meal fits in an iron* skillet! After preparing stovetop it is finished in the oven! The combination was inspired by Cindy Petters from Hidden Pond Farm in the Finger Lake region. You can peek at an article about Cindy in Where Women Cook on page 40 or buy the fall edition.

Using an oven safe skillet brown thinly sliced small red potatoes in olive oil on med-hi heat. Be sure the potatoes are nearly cooked before moving to the next step. Sprinkle with paprika, salt & pepper. Make as many spaces as needed to melt a pat of butter and drop an egg. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Remove & sprinkle with favorite cheese (coarsely grated), green onions, and parsley. P< enjoys bacon so The RQ added a few yummy slices of Hickory Smoked. This dish can be tweaked in many ways. Just peek in the fridge and in the garden for fresh ingredients and ENJOY!

* An iron cast skillet is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment for the cook!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Roasted brussels sprouts, root veggies, marinated 'shrooms, popovers, cranberry sauce,  Spinach-Artichoke stuffing, and turkey roulade made a scrumptious feast for this year's Thanksgiving meal. Plenty of vegan dishes for CC and turkey for our meat lovers! We hope ALL of you enjoyed a leisurely & festive day with family and friends enjoying delicious eats and good company!

Seared Scallops & Chestnut Soup

Really, all it takes is a little butter in a skillet on the stove and The RQ is a happy woman! Sea scallops are a favorite and cook in just a few minutes! A sprinkle of Hungarian paprika and they're ready to eat! In this dish I followed Rachel Allen's recipe adding slices of Clementine oranges, brussels sprouts and bacon; a positively lovely combination.

As for the soup, chestnuts are in season so, why not! Prepare the nuts (4 cups) by first cutting a healthy "X" on the flat side of the nut. Roast the nuts in their shells in a 250F oven for 5-10 minutes . They pick up just enough moisture to easily peel the shell and skin and not burn your fingers;-) Be sure to leave the nuts in the oven while working in small batches to peel & skin. Dice/chop veggies & saute: yellow onions, carrots, & parsnips. Add chestnuts and sprinkle with cayenne & salt to taste. Deglaze with a little cream sherry then add chicken stock (6 cups). Adding a bunch of fresh thyme while cooking the soup lends a wonderful aroma and flavor emphasizing the earthiness of this hearty soup. Remove the thyme and puree with an immersion blender. When plating, add a dollop of heavy cream and sprig of fresh thyme to each bowl. For The RQ, this soup was surprisingly delicious!

Dinner in "a snap" - Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi, a tried and true favorite. Butter with a healthy sprinkle of red pepper flakes and smashed garlic is my preferred way to saute shrimp. A bit of white wine to deglaze the skillet is a lovely touch. Lemon juice is also nice if you prefer not to have the wine. You can also choose to use both! Boil up some linguine or fettucini, al dente and presto, dinner is ready. For your side veggie, simply add red pepper flakes and garlic to melted butter or olive to quickly saute your chopped chard. Your favorite sharp Italian cheese and freshly chopped parsley, salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste, and dinner is served.

Shopping List

shrimp, uncooked, fresh or frozen
parsley/basil, fresh
swiss chard
lemon
white wine, cooking/drinking (1/3 cup)
butter/olive oil (4 Tblsp/shrimp+desired amount to toss with pasta)
red pepper flakes (1 tsp)
Sharp Italian grating cheese: Asiago, Fontinella, Parmesan, Romano
black pepper
salt

Dinner in "a snap" - New England Clam Chowder

The key to this rich chowder is PanaPesca's frozen clam meat. The RQ's latest find, rather P<'s find because he did the shopping;-)! As you can see from the photos the clam meat was scrumptious!

New England Clam Chowder
(recipe & shopping list)

PanaPesca Baby Clam Meat in their Natural Juices, frozen (1 pound - 300-500 pieces)
Clam Juice (32 oz)
Cream Sherry (1/3 cup)
Heavy Cream (6-8 oz)
Butter 4 Tblsp (for sauteing the veggies)
Flour (3 Tblsp)
Yellow Onion
Leeks
Gold Potatoes
Red Pepper
Thyme (dried/fresh)
Red Pepper Flakes
Fresh Parsely

Melt butter in a dutch oven over med-hi heat. Add flour stirring constantly until the color reaches a medium-dark brown; making a roux*. The RQ does not make this roux as deep in color/flavor as in the etouffee dish. Next add chopped/diced veggies, red pepper flakes and dried thyme (if using fresh thyme add after liquids are added to the pot); be sure to keep veggies moving so they don't stick. Then deglaze with sherry. Gradually stir in 8 oz of the clam juice to incorporate the liquid into the roux. Add remaining juice and clams with their juices. Cover the pot and continue heating the soup over med-hi heat another 10-15 minutes. Remove lid, add cream and fresh parsley. Salt to taste. Enjoy!

*If you feel roux is too thick add more butter till desired consistency is reached.

Italian Sausage Soup

It all began with an invitation to join friends at a local establishment, The American Hotel, known for their soups! The Kale Soup that night was delicious! I was determined to duplicate it!

I began by using local Italian sausage from Aberdeen Hill Farm in Gorham, New York~yum! 

I browned the sausage, onions, and garlic creating a rich base for deglazing.

Then I added beautiful purple potatoes from our Sunday Farmer's Market (for you CC)!
All the veggies are from our local farmers!

The result of my first try was a yummy sausage soup, but not the delicious green, kale soup my friends all enjoyed! This is a work in progress and one of the many reasons The RQ loves to spend time in the kitchen! Local readers, don't wait for The RQ to solve this mystery. Head on down to the American Hotel and ENJOY a hot bowl of soup!