Edible Sundays fo sho!

11:11 am

Ok - so i had this really great idea in my last post! That idea was to link my weight loss to my flog. I should have known i was not a good idea at all because two things happened after that attempt at transparency 1) I stopped flogging and 2) I gained weight.

So, a day at a time, I am going back to my Edible Sundays routine. I promise to share successes and disappointments with you!  

In 12 minutes I will take a chocolate cake from the oven so I can make a Chocolate Mocha Mouse Cake with chocolate curls. Super labor intensive but worth every effort!

Last night levi came home with a pressure cooker that I have been wanting for a long time. So tonight I will be making a Beef Bourguignon! But first I have to take the cake out and meet with my friend Chip for and hour  - which I love to do!!

Ya Gotta Ricotta

May 30, 2011

Weight = 176.8

Weeks loss = 3.2 lbs
Exercise since last flog = zip, zilch & nada

On the menu = Fresh made Ricotta

Artichoke Mushroom Ricotta Raviolis

Marinara

Dutch Apple Pie

Wheat Bread

Dutch Apple Pie

Ricotta Cookies

Aromatic Meatballs

Lemon Ricotta Tuile (FAIL)

Our Plus One = Vard McGuire

On Friday after work I came home and straightened the house a bit and then went to a meeting. It was 9pm when the meeting ended and my lunch wore off about 3 hours earlier and I was hungry enough to eat paper! I always go though this process of trying to determine what do I want to eat and what can I eat. I decided to go to the new Whole Foods at Trolly Square and window shop for my tummy.

This amazingly handsome man, hispanic with long hair and beanie offered me a slice of the pear that he was arranging. OMG! Wow so good! Sweet. Juicy. Tart. And it had that perfect pear aroma. I bought four. I meandered my way to the meats. What the hell! This store ages their own meat! There it is - behind glass just hanging there in its perfectly climate controlled environment taunting me. $19.99 per pound for ribeye! Whoa! Well this is Whole Foods and it is organic. "Can I get one ribeye". Another incredibly handsome young man (there must be a gay manager doing the hiring) wrapped it up and handed it to me with a smile. EEK! $15.46! [voices in my head] "DO IT!"

I be lovin' me some meats and over the years have spent a few paychecks in pursuit of kick-ass carne. When I got home I made a simple salad. I sprinkled salt and pepper on the steak and cooked it about 7 minuted on each side in butter.

When i took my first bite I knew for certain that I could never be a vegetarian. This was the BEST ribeye I have EVER had. It was worth 1546 pennies! So go there for some AMAZING beef!

I woke on sunday morning with an hankering for italian. I decided to make fresh ricotta. When you go to the store to buy ricotta It has a lot of goop I do not want to eat in it. Plus it is so easy to make you will never buy it again.

Fresh Ricotta

1 gallon whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

6 tablespoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a large non-reactive pot heat the milk and cream on medium heat until it reaches 185 degrees. Stir it often. DO NOT BOIL!

Remove from heat. Add salt and stir for 30 seconds.

Add vinegar and stir for 30 seconds.

Set aside for two hours.

Line a colander with about 6 layers of moist cheese cloth in a large bowl or in the sink. Be sure the cloth goes over the edges.

Then with a slotted spoon gently remove the curds from the pot and into the colander. Discard the whey. Place the cloth over the curds and let the curds sit for 30 minutes gently pressing them down occasionally to remove the remaining whey.

Ta Da! Ricotta! It will store in the fridge for about 3 days. You can freeze it but it looses some of the freshness.

Simple Marinara

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes

1 6oz can tomatoes paste

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 cup red wine

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

Heat oil and add garlic and onion. Cook until translucent.

Add remaining ingredients. Simmer covered on the low for at least two hours stirring occasionally so it does not burn. I simmered mine for 8 hours while i cooked all my other stuff. mmmmmmmm!

Mushroom Artichoke Raviolis

Pasta

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon black pepper, finely ground (optional)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons water

Filling

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

1/4 cup Olive oil

1 cup shredded portabello mushroom

1/2 cup fresh artichoke hearts, cooked and finely chopped

1/2 red wine

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup fresh ricotta

Pasta

Place all ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook and let her rip for about 5 minutes on a low setting. A firm ball of dough should magically appear. Wrap it up in plastic wrap and leave in fridge for at least an hour.

Filling

While your dough is chillin lets make your fillin.

Over medium heat, heat olive oil and add garlic and shallots.

Then add mushroom, artichoke, wine, salt and pepper. Let this simmer uncovered over low heat until all the liquid is gone and you are left with a smooth paste. Let cool in a bowl.

When it is cool add your fresh ricotta. and mix well. Place in fridge until you are ready to fill your ravs.

Assembly

1 egg

1/4 cup water

Boil a large pot of salted water.

Cut you dough into four sections.

Roll out the sheets of pasta with a pasta maker. I roll to the number 6.

Lightly run the sheet through some flour. Lay the sheet over the rav maker. Gently place a small amount of the rav filling into the divots.

Mix egg and water well in a bowl. With a paint brush, apply the egg mixture in the edges of the ravs.

Roll out another sheet of pasta like the one before and place it over the filled form.

Then work the air out by gently pressing with your thumbs from one end to the other.

Then use a wood rolling pin and roll over the form to serrate the edges of the ravs.

Gently pull the ravs off the form and place on a floured cookie sheet.

When you are ready to eat pull all the ravs off the sheet on put them on a plate. Bring the plate over to the boiling water and dump the entire lot in the boiling water. Cooked ravs (with no air pockets) will float when they are ready. I like to cook about two-three more minutes after they float.

Use your favorite sauce (like the marinara on the stove).

Dutch Apple Pie With Apricot Crumble

Filling

4 Granny Smith Apples, Cored, peeled and 1/2 inch slices

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup butter, melted

Juice of half a lemon

Topping

3 cups old fashion rolled oats

2 tablespoons flour

1 firm apricot, diced tiny

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat of=ven to 350 degrees

Crust

Marie Calendars! (I have tried to make one this good . . . can't be done.)

Filling - put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it up real good.

Topping - put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it up real good.

Put the filling in the crust.

Put the topping on the filling - don't be stingy!

Bake for one hours on a cookie sheet.

Amish Honey Wheat Bread - This is a Food.com Recipe

Ricotta Cookie - I had a lot of ricotta left over and wondered if there ever existed in the history of the universe a ricotta cookie . . .yup! It kicked ass! i only used powder sugar!

Aromatic Meatballs (Originally Aromatic Balls)

1 pound ground pork

4 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon caraway seed

1 teaspoon coriander seed

1 teaspoon cardamom pods

1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix pork, parsley and salt.

Place all herbs in an ovenproof dish and back for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Crush in a motar an pestal or a spice grinder.

Add to Ground pork.

Make small meatballs and place in a greased pan.

Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ricotta Tuile (FAIL)

It sure sounded like a good idea! Ricotta, lemon zest, parmisan, tomato paste, madera wine and bake it till it crunches. Well it never crunched and the lemon with the wine was gross! Everyone agreed! I will try it again though.

Southern Comfort

Southern Comfort

May 24, 2011
Weight = 178!
Exercise since last flog = zip, zilch & nada

Okay . . . so, this flog is about sharing my love of food and losing weight. My plan was to eat right and exercise Monday through Saturday and on Sundays let my proverbial angel hair down and pig out! Well, I gained 8 pounds in one week! Was it the Chicky Dumps or the coconut cake or the fact that I need to get off my perfectly baked loaf and go to the gym or at least walk the dogs.

As you can see I have added some “get real” data at the top left. I will honestly complete this so I can reach my target weight if 155.

Now for the food . . .

Levi and I were craving southern food. In my world this means fried chicken, collard greens and mash potatoes . . . Levi droolingly agreed. He also ask me to make Grandma Kitty’s potato rolls and I really wanted to make my “Chocolate Damn Cake”.

I think making food for your honey or family is just fine but I really like to invite one or two unbiased folks who are not afraid to share their opinion and to be sure we don’t have any leftovers! Our plus one this week is our good friend “Steve”. Steve is a kick-ass in-your-face handyman extraordinaire. He’s 46 years old, probably 6’4” and 250 pounds. He has spent the majority of his life on the street supporting a crack habit, a habit that he kicked nearly a year ago.

I have seen a transformation take place in this man that proves that God is real. He has gone from a paranoid, agitated, loud and frankly scary man to this gentle man who is incredibly talented at fixing anything – I mean anything – from foundations to roofs. He cares deeply for the people who are homeless or just in need. He is a real miracle and harbinger of hope.

Okay . . . so, I did NOT plan this but Steve also happens to have skin the color of fine powdered chocolate. He even grew up in Memphis on southern food. Levi asked me if I planned to invite Steve, (one of three black people in the state of Utah) because of my southern menu. I said I didn’t and that it was an innocent co-inka-dink. I don’t think he believes me.

Serrano Fried Chicken

Brine
2 tbls ground sage
1 tbls garlic powder
¾ cup kosher salt
¾ cup sugar
1 gallon water

4 legs, 4 wings, 4 thighs, 4 breasts cut in half lengthways (or whatever combo you like)

Egg Dip
4 eggs
¼ cup water
1 cup Louisiana/Tabasco hot sauce

Flour Dredge
3 cups flour
2 tbls baking powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Day before –
Boil sage, garlic, salt and sugar in about 4 cups of water. Stir until the mixture is dissolved. Pour this into the remaining water. Place your chicken in a large stock pot and pour all your brine in too. Add more water if necessary to cover chicken. Place in fridge overnight. Remove pot from fridge 2 hours before you are ready to fry your chicken – this warms the chicken a lowers the cooking time.

Heat oil to 350°

In separate bowls mix your dip and your dredge. Drain your chicken (tehe). Dip chicken in egg dip then in flour dredge (tip: use one hand for wet and one hand for dry this way you will not end up with doughy loaf hands). Fry 4- 6 pieces of chicken until golden brown- about 10-15 minutes until the juice runs clear when cut. Don’t overcrowd the chicken when frying. Keep warm in 200° oven uncovered.

Red Potato Mash with Black Pepper Gravy
(Really? You want a recipe for mash potatoes and gravy?)

Southern Collard Greens
1 pound collard greens trimmed and washed
¾ cup salt pork – ¼ inch squares.
1 cup chopped onion
1tbs red chili flake
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup white vinegar
2tbs pepper sauce like Louisiana or Tabasco

Trimming collard greens (or any vegetable trimming) is a meditative task that reminds me of my grandma’s kitchen. Cut out the woody stems of all collard leafs and place in a sink with cool water. Discard/mulch the stems and any yellow leafs. Collard greens are often muddy so I wash once, drain, then refill the sink and let the greens crisp up in the water (. Drain

Fry salt pork in a large pot over medium heat until it is golden in color. Remove and set aside. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add Red chili flakes and collard greens and chicken stock. Let simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Then add vinegar and hot sauce and cook for 5 minutes more.

I serve it in a small bowl so you get the heavenly juices with the greens. Top with salt pork.



Potato Rolls
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water (105 to 115 F)
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast.
In small mixing bowl combine warm water, potatoes, butter, sugar and salt.
Add to dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
Beat with electric mixer for 30 seconds on low, scraping side of bowl.
Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
Stir in remaining flour with a dough hook (or knead by hand), as needed (with most bread recipes the actual amount of flour required depends on humidity, etc. so add slowly until dough pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball).
Cover in oiled bowl and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°
Punch dough down. Turn out on lightly floured surface.
Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. Shape dough into 24 rolls. I divide by cutting dough piece in half and then each of those pieces in half--continuing until I have 24 pieces, kinda helps to get a more uniform size.

Place rolls in prepared pan.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size (about 40 minutes).
Bake at 400°F for 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Damn Cake (the reason it is called this is because my friend Eileen yells “DAMN!” after every bite)

Filling
5 tablespoons yummy cocoa powder
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup sugar
1 pinch salt
½ teaspoon instant espresso (if not available, can use instant coffee)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake
2 cups sugar
1 ¾ cups flour
¾ cup baking cocoa (I use kick-ass bulk chocolate from Caputo’s Market)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup boiling water

Frosting
1 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbls cold espresso
Half of the filling above

Filling
Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix until combined.
Place mixture in a medium saucepan.
Stir in just enough milk to create a smooth paste.
Gradually mix in remaining milk.
Cook over medium heat and stir slowly and constantly until mixture thickens and starts to boil. Let it boil another 30 seconds or so, gently stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and gently stir in vanilla.
Pour pudding into a large bowl and refrigerate until cool about an hour.

Cake
Preheat oven to 350°
Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans or one 13x9 inch pan.
In large mixer bowl, stir together dry ingredients.

Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in boiling water by hand (batter will be thin)
Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round 9-inch pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (Do not use 8-inch pans or the batter will overflow.).

Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire racks. Let cool completely.

Frosting
Whip butter in mixer until smooth and creamy.
Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
With mixer on high add half of the filling one spoon at a time making sure it is combined before adding the next spoon.

Then slowly add the espresso and vanilla. This frosting can be thin which is good for dirty frosting the cake. If you want it thicker just refrigerate for a while and re-whip. But don’t let it get too cold because it is impossible to frost with and then you will have to wait for it to get warmer.

Assembly
When everything is cool, spread the filling between the layers of your cake.

I like to “dirty frost” my cake – this means putting a thin coat of frosting all over the cake not worrying about crumbs poking through. Refrigerate for an hour or so. Then complete the frosting. This makes for a crumb-free frost job! If you can, set the cake in the fridge for a couple hours before you cut onto it.

Sometimes I reserve some frosting and filling and do some piping on the top of edge the cake and then fill it with the chocolate filling.

Feel free to email/call/comment!

Robins Nest

On October 9, 1987 I was clean from alcohol and drugs for about 90 days. I was wearing this new found reality like new suit. I remember feeling so freaking indestructible! I was playing pool with my former using/drinking buddies in our old bar. I was enthusiastically telling my friends about God and how they needed that in their lives. One of them (the super cute one) said “what are you some sort of Christian now?”. I was hurt and angry about this assessment from my friend so I did the thing that made most sense; I ordered two shots of tequila and drank them down!

Then I thought, logically “WTF I might as well get some drugs” So, I called my besty druggie friend Robin from the pay phone in the bar. She said “Nope. I know you are trying to get sober and I can’t do that”. Okay this is weird because Robin NEVER said no to me. So I offered her half of whatever I paid for. Still “No”. “No” to free drugs?! Robin and I worked and “played” together since I was 17 years old. I must have really been a mess for her to want me to be sober so bad.

Thanks to Robin My sobriety date is October 10, 1987! She saved my life I am certain of that!

Zippy-ity-doo-da 24 years into the future (today, lol) and my dear girl Robin is dying from cancer. I just spent 5 days with her in her nest in Bloomington, Minnesota. I got to meet Noe (Tio), Georgy, Angelica Maria, Micky and her girlfriend and her beloved Ignacia. So much love! For the past 20 years Robin has had this family as her own. All the drugs of the past have been replaced with family drenched in love. So proud of her!

Ignacia cooked a wonderful meal the day of Georgys 7 year birthday party. She cooked corn on the cob, carnitas, chicken, beans, rice, and awesome salad with fresh berries, pork con chili, and chips! Maria made a kick ass dinosaur cake!

When I got home Levi and I went to Caputo’s and I bought 1 fresh black truffle ($399.00 per pound= $7.89 for one) and some supposedly spicy Italian sausage. So I cooked the sausage and made this pasta from heaven:

Pasta from Heaven for Two

1 cube butter, browned (1/4 cup)

1 Tbls finely chopped Shallot

1 fresh truffle finely grated

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Spaghetti for two (al denti).

Boil spaghetti in salted water until cooked al denti (still firm – not soft).

Melt butter with the shallots in a small pan on low heat. Once melted the butter will foam up a bit, then subside. Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan. Add half of the grated truffle. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and place on a cool surface to help stop the butter from cooking further and perhaps burning.

It's pretty easy to overcook browned butter and go from brown to burnt. If the butter starts to blacken, I suggest dumping it and starting over. (something I've had to do on occasion).

Place the spaghetti on a plate and sprinkle with parmesan and the remaining truffle. Then spoon the butter over the pasta-don’t be stingy! The flavors a subtle and light but ooooo my gosh! Yum!

Levi and I usually do this pasta with browned butter & chili flakes or fresh chopped parsley. And sometimes . . . I cook my spaghetti in water with about a ј cup of dried oregano to give it that earthy aroma! Crazy, I know!

Thank you Robin! I love you! Now fly away home!

Motherly Munchies

Okay. . . I have started, and then deleted the writing this flog 4 times. I seem to get a little twitchy when Mother's or Father's Day comes along. I feel like don't have a lot of experience with the mom thing and therefore I shouldn't write about. (I am resisting the urge to start over again).

I have been fortunate to have two women show me the love of a mother, my grandmother Rose and my aunt Donna.

When I was a young boy and my parents were in the throes of their alcoholism, my Grandma would come to our house and cook for me and my two older sisters, clean the kitchen, change the sheets on my bed, and give us money to go buy "something special". She was so consistent, always there, a lighthouse. I have so many fond memories being in her kitchen helping snap green beans, make cookies, setting the table. My Grandma gave my kitchen a heart.

Donna gave me courage. Courage to try something new. Courage to travel to distant lands. Courage to try again if I fail. Every summer, from the age of eight, my aunt and uncle, Alvin, and I would travel the United States and Canada. About 5pm we stopped for the night during a trip through British Columbia, Canada. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the jagged granite mountains and the rushing rivers of ice-cold water. While I was exploring, flipping rocks to see what bugs were hiding beneath when I cam across a shard of granite about the same size as me. I loved it and wanted to keep it. I ran back to the motor home to get Donna to show her. She said "if you can get that thing back to the motor home you can keep it". It took a while but I did it! In fact, it is still with me. Donna instilled self-worth into me . . . the very thing that saved my life when it hung in the balance.

To honor the mothers (and demi-mothers) in our lives, Levi and I decided to have his parents and grandmother over for a Mother's Day dinner. Once they accepted I ran to the kitchen and scribbled thoughts for the food on the menu planner Levi gave to me this past Christmas.

This is what we came up with:

Prime Rib Roast

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Shallot oil

Scalloped Potatoes

Coconut Vanilla Cake

Prime Rib Roast with fresh Horseradish

4-5 lb Prime Rib Roast with plenty of fat

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

8 cloves garlic peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

2 T salt

2 T Pepper

2 cups beef stock

1 cup white wine (optional. Use

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish - finely grated

3 T. mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

The night before cut 4 cloves of garlic in half. Poke 8 evenly spaced holes with a knife into the roast and stuff a piece of garlic into the hole. Cover the meat and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Using a mace or small processor combine rosemary, remaining garlic, olive oil, 1 T. salt, and pepper. Blend until you have a smooth herb paste. Set aside.

The next day, remove the roast from fridge and uncover; let sit out at room temperature for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours (this is an important step to relax the meat fibers, it will make for a more tender juicy roast, the length of counter-time will depend on the size of your roast).

Preheat oven to 450

Use remaining salt to rub all over the roast. Place on roasting rack fat side up. Rub the herb paste all over the top of the roast.

Bake for 20 minutes in the 450 oven. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature is 130/rare - 140/medium rare - 145/medium. Take out oven and cover loosely with foil for 20 minutes.

While the roast is resting place the roasting pan on the stovetop. Over a medium heat add wine (or broth to emulsify all the good yummy bits. Then add 2 cups of beef stock. simmer for 5 minutes. At this point you have Au Jus. If you prefer gravy, mix water and flour in a bowl until there are no lumps. Then whisk it into the Au Jus. Stir until it thickens.

In another bowl mix the horseradish, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. I serve this in tiny bowl for each person but you can do what you like.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

4 cups fresh (not frozen) prepared brussel sprouts

1/4 Olive oil

1 half shallot

1 T salt

Pepper to taste

In a small pan heat olive oil over medium heat.

Peel and finely chop half a shallot (about 3 T). Cook the shallots in the olive oil until golden brown. set aside and let cool for a few minutes.

Prep sprouts by cutting off bottom stem an peeling of any loose or icky leaves. Slice in half. Rinse with water. Pat dry.

Place sprouts, cooled shallot olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a lightly oiled small casserole pan.

Bake 1 hour @ 350.

Scalloped Potatoes

I used this Scalloped Potatoes recipe from Food.com. I love it, and it is super easy!

Coconut Vanilla Cake

So here I tweaked this cake recipe. It's an awesome cake but I really wanted coconut!!!

Cake Batter

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups self rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, very soft

8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups toasted coconut

Coconut Custard

2 cups Milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup coconut

3 egg yolks

2 T. Cornstarch

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place 4 cups coconut on cookie sheet and bake until golden brown. You may want to mix it a couple of times during the baking to make it more even. Let cool.

To make custard:

bring milk, sugar and coconut to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes stirring a couple of times.

Remove from stove and let cool about 15 minutes.

Stain out coconut returning milk to pan.

Whisk in yolks and cornstarch.

Over medium heat bring to a gentle boil stirring constantly. If you boil too much it will scramble the yolks and you'll have to start over. Should be thick like gravy.

Pour custard into large metal bowl a let cool in the fridge.

For the cake:

grease and lightly flour three 9 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.

Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine the flours and add in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.

Divide batter among the cake pans.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

To make the icing:

place the butter in a large mixing bowl.

Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.

Beat until smooth and creamy.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (you may very well not need all of the sugar).

When cake has cooled, put cooled custard between the layers, then ice top and sides of cake.

Then take your yummy golden coconut and press it into the sides of the frosted cake with your hand.

With a pastry bag and a medium star tip pipe a scallop ribbon on the top edge of the cake.

Pour remaining custard on the top of the cake gently pushing it with a spoon to meet the scalloped ribbon.

Cover cake and place in fridge for one hour (I push bamboo skewers that I snap in half into the corners of the cake and one in the middle to keep the plasic wrap off the cake)

What a nice evening we had. The food was all very good and we were able to hand of ALL the leftover (except the cake) to Levi's Mom and Dad! Happy Mothers Day indeed!

Ham Hock Hell

May 4, 2011

Sorry for the delay in getting this little morsel posted on Edible Sundays. This past weekend I went to Palo Cedro, California to visit my aunt Donna. Donna raised me from the age of 8 to 14 with a year break in the middle due to me being so dang naughty! It was a nice to hang out with Donna and Sharon, her attendant.

One of the things that shaped me into the man I am today was living with Donna and Alvin and the motor home traveling we did. We were either in the 30 foot Pace Arrow or the little Toyota Scat which looked a bit like a turtle with a disability. Remember, this was 1973 and I was just removed from my father’s home because of neglect. I had never experienced such peace and beauty in my life. To this day traveling is a priority in my life.

Donna was never a person who enjoyed cooking. She was a “hope it’s edible and if it’s not - eat it anyway” type of cook. They had a rule that I had to eat what was on my plate which is just fine as long as it tasted ok. Well . . . Donna made Ham Hock & Beans. I had never had them before and it smelled great. Donna filled my bowl. We held hands and said a silent grace. Jammed my spoon into the glistening beans and shoved into my mouth like a starving dog. “eeeeewwwwww . . . It’s SWEET!”. I nearly vomited all over our table. But the rule was I had to finish my plate. Ever since I have nurtured a hated for all things sweet that shouldn’t be! So, I promise, I will never make Duck a l’orange, Fish with a freakin’ fruit compote on top, suggest mint jelly on lamb, and never EVER use balsamic vinegar. Though, I will share all my kick-ass desserts (which should be sweet!).

I decided that I was going to make Donna and Sharon Dinner on Saturday night. I went to the Holiday Market and got all the fixings for Chicken & Dumplings, Apple Berry Pie, Fresh Baked Bread . . . wait . . . wait . . . wait, Donna has been using her gas oven as storage since she had a water heater nearly burn off her face in 1969. Funny how she developed an fear of fire. And, I’m sorry, but a toaster oven is not a proper place to bake a pie. Sara Lee cheese cake . . . here I come.

This was the best Chicken & Dumpling I have ever had; savory chicken stock with just the right balance of dumplings to chicken ratio. I had two bowls and secretly wanted to take the leftovers into the spare room closet and eat it with my hands in the dark. The dumplings had this sinfully rich-salty-slip across your tongue texture. Whew I’m drooling again.

Here my recipe:

Chicky Dumps

1 Whole Chicken (Rinsed no Giblets)
6 stalks of celery
1 onion, quartered
4 carrots
4 tbls sage
1 clove garlic
1 tbls salt
Pepper to taste
4 to 6 chicken bouillon cubes
3 tbls flour
2/3 cup Bisquick
2/3 cup milk

Place rinsed chicken, 2 stalks celery broken in half, 2 carrots broken in half, onion skin and all, garlic, sage, salt pepper in a large stock pot an fill with water about 1 ½ inches over the chicken. Bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 3-4 hours over low heat. I prefer 4 hours - it makes a rich-er yummy-er broth.

Place a colander in a large bowl and carefully pour the entire contents of the stock pot into the colander reserving all the stock. Set the colander goodies aside and let it cool. Return the stock to the pot. Add 4 bouillon cubes, 4 chopped celery stalks, and 2 chopped carrots. Pull all the meat from the goodies in the colander. Now if you have “cooked-carcass” issues have a friend do this for you! Rough chop the meat and add it to the stock. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Mix the Bisquick and milk in a bowl. The dough will be sticky. Bring your soup to a boil again. With two soup spoons, scoop out round balls of dough and drop them into the boiling soup. Mix the flour with ¼ cup water and pour it into the pot. This will thicken it up a bit. Let the pot of heaven cook over medium heat uncovered for 10. Resist stirring because the dumplings are fragile and will fall apart.

That’s it! Step away from the computer and EAT!

Delicious beginnings

Yesterday I was google-ing around looking for some personal experiences and advise about home-curing meats when I came across this wonderful blog by Matt. I was in heaven vicariously experiencing his meaty forays curing. As usually happens, one click leads to another, and another. My heart was soon filled with more desire than knowledge.

The though dawned on me " I wonder if anyone would read about my Edible Sundays"? You see, about three years ago I decided to quit smoking. I started smoking when I was six years old (Not kidding!) and quit when I was 43. Like a lot of old smokies that quit, I gained some weight, 35 pounds.

Now I don't mind being old, I don't mind being gay I don't mind being fat or even short. But I DO NOT want to be all those things at once! Since the only thing I have any say so over was my weight I decided to loose a few. My plan was to eat well Monday through Saturday. Sundays I can eat whatever I want - hence Edible Sundays. Oh I do love Sundays.

This blog or flog (food log) will share experiences in my kitchen. I will share my cravings, my research, my desires, my successes and my failures. I will share my recipes. And my beloved may even take some photos for me to share with you.

I hope that my relentless urge to express myself culinarily (is that a word . . .not!) will be a pleasure for you. And please, being that I have never written a thing in my life, be kind.