Spider Cupcakes for Halloween

My son wanted to bring cupcakes to school on Halloween.  He checked out a book, that had all sorts of holiday treats, from the school library.  He zeroed in on a spider web with a licorice spider.  We agreed that the spider looked cool but the kids wouldn't like the flavor.  Instead we used a 1/3 length of Tootsie Roll and Chocolate Twizzlers to fashion a spider.  

I went to Michael's in search of a Halloween Cupcake Papers and found Martha Stewart papers on sale.  When I got home I was psyched because they are foil lined!  That means the batter doesn't bleed through like the cheap papers.

I knew cutting the candy would be time consuming, so I did it in the afternoon, while the cupcakes baked.  I always use the Martha Stewart ~ One Bowl Chocolate Cake, found on this site. 

After dinner my son and I did all the decorating.  I spread the Orange Cream Cheese Butter Cream.  I showed him how to make the webs by drawing 3 hollow circles, then dragging a toothpick from the center to the outside so he worked on that part.  It was my turn again and I placed the spider in place.  It took about an hour and a half.  We had a great time, just chatting and hanging out together, something we both enjoy.

I love delivering treats to school in a white bakery style box with a window.  When we were done decorating, we filled the box so it was all ready for the next morning.

After school he told me I was a big hit!  He even had enough to take some to his previous teachers.

Skinny Cado

If you like avacado, you may want to switch from the smaller nubby Haas variety to the larger and slightly more expensive Florida Avacado.  It turns out, the Florida Avacdo has 1/3 less fat for the same size portion.  I feel it has a slightly milder flavor.   They are larger than the Haas Avacado, so you get more to work with, per piece of fruit.

I love to serve sliced Avacado when we have fajita night or if I am serving a dinner salad as a meal.  Also, when ripe, it is slightly firm so it holds up well.  I normally slice out exactly the wedges I plan to eat, leaving the seed in place to keep the fruit from oxidizing.  If you are serving it on a buffet, you can squeeze and lightly toss with either lemon or lime juice, to keep the color bright.  For storage, when I have only used a few wedges, I wrap it with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the flesh to reduce or slow oxidation.  I try to eat it within a the first few days of opening it. 

I find that eating Avacado (in moderation) when serving lighter fare, keeps me from returning to the kitchen a few hours later.  The fat is considered a healthy variety because it is monosaturated, similar to why Olive Oil is considered a good choice over vegetable oil.

Pictured, I ate these 4 slices on a Oven Roasted Turkey sandwich on Wheat Bread.  I used about 1 tsp of Mayonnaise and a small sprinkle of Kosher Salt directly on the Avacado.  It was delicious!!

Homemade Caramel

This recipe come from a dessert found in Gourmet March 1997.  The dessert is wonderful but I have been wanting to double the Caramel to have on hand for other uses.  My son has wanted me to buy prepackaged Apples with Caramel ($1 each) for his school lunch so I decided to make my own.

This is such a delicious caramel recipe that I hope you give it a try!  It's wildly fun to make.  It definitely falls into the category of "I can't believe I just made this!!"

For the purpose of just making caramel, this recipe is doubled and can easily be cut in half.  Do all the measuring first because you will not have time once you get going.

• Measure 2/3 Cup Sugar directly into a thick bottom saucepan.  I use All-Clad.

• Measure 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup into a 1 Cup Measuring Cup and have a rubber spatula set out.    

• Measure 1 1/3 Cups Heavy Cream into a 2 Cup Measuring Cup.  

• In a small dish, combine 2 tsp Corn Starch with 2 Tbl Water.  

• Have at the ready a Candy Thermometer, a bottle of good quality Vanilla, and a measuring spoon.

First, place the pan with Sugar over moderate heat and stir with a fork until it melts.  This will take about 5-7 minutes.  At first, it will appear lumpy but as it melts it will get smooth.  Caution: IT IS VERY HOT!

Continue to cook without stirring and swirl the pan until it turns a golden brown color.  





Add Corn Syrup, scraping with the rubber spatula to get it all.  Boil over moderate heat, stirring with a wire whip until well combined.  This will take some effort.  Don't give up even though it looks like a lump of golden brown candy in the corn syrup.  Again, as it melts, it will combine to a smooth consistency.

Place candy thermometer in the saucepan.  Add Heavy Cream to caramel.  It will steam, so use a mitt for pouring.   Boil, stirring occasionally,  and cook until the thermometer reads 210 degrees.

Stir Corn Starch mixture into the caramel.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring with a wire whip, the entire time.  Remove from heat.  When caramel stops bubbling, add 1 tsp Vanilla.  As the caramel cools it will firm up but still remain runny.

Dip Apple Wedges into Caramel for a snack or dessert, top Apple Pie Ala Mode, serve warm on a Sundae Bar, or just ladle over Vanilla Ice Cream.  Either way, it's delicious and you won't believe you made it!!

Sticky Garlicy Ginger Wings

Just in time for football season!  I just love wings during a football game!!  What I like about these most is they are made in the oven so they can be cooking with very little fuss and served at halftime.  My family enjoys the combination of garlic and ginger so I thought, why not put them together for a zesty and sticky honey glaze with an Asian twist and the results were great!

Have you noticed how sometimes you get wings that are not fall off the bone tender?  I created this recipe to ensure they would be fall off the bone delicious.  Many wings are fried and though I love hot wings done that way, it produces a ton of work since they are cooked in small batches AND makes an incredible mess.  Get the picture?  More work for Cinderella. 


First, in a Tupperware marinade container, make the marinade.  If you don't have one, use a 1 Gallon zip lock bag.  Combine the following:  4 Tbl Tempura Dipping Sauce, 2 Tbl Rice Vinegar, 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil, 1 Tbl Spicy Stir Fry Sauce, 1 Heaping Tbl Corn Starch, 1/8 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, 3 Tbl Honey, 1 Tbl Sherry, 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds, 3 Pressed Garlic Cloves, 1 Tbl Fresh Grated Ginger.

Next, Rinse and using a boning knife, cut up 18 Wings.  BTW, these cost about $11. I threw away the first joint but you can leave it attached or you can save it to make stock.  Split the remaining wing into 2 drummettes as you can see pictured.  Place the cut wings in the marinade as you go.  Cover the container (or zip the bag). Turn over about every 20 minutes over a period of an hour.  I made a Napa Cabbage salad while these were marinading and it all went well together.  That recipe will be in a separate posting.

During the last 10 minutes, Preheat oven to 375.  Using heavy duty foil, line a sheet pan.  NOTE: Do not throw away the marinade.  Remove the wings and place in a singe layer on the sheet pan and place in oven.

Pour marinade into a sauce pan.  Add an additional 2 Tbl Honey and 2 Tbl Canola Oil and over medium heat, boil just around the edges.  While wings are baking, baste them about every 20 minutes with this sauce.  After 1 hour, don't baste anymore, reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Get a platter ready and thinly slice Scallions for a garnish.  Remove from the oven and place on a warm platter.  Garish and serve at halftime!  Hopefully your team is up.

Deep Dish Pizza

My deep dish pan was a gift from friends who came for a weekend stay more than 15 years ago.  I was told that when making deep dish pizza, I am to layer it in the opposite way of a regular pizza.  Toppings, Cheese, Sauce, so that is what I have always done.  This pan makes a large pizza that can easily serve 5-6 people

I have played around with how long I mix dough.  I finally just went for it, and mixed with my dough hook for 30 minutes.  The texture was especially tender.  You can see that it rose nicely and stayed that way through the baking process. 

Recipe to come soon.

Mushrooms Marsala with Fresh Pasta

This idea goes back a few years ago when I entered some sort of dish into a cooking competition.  That dish inspired me to make this dish.  The thought has been swimming around in my head and I am just getting around to making it for today's lunch.
Last week, I made pasta sheets for my Roasted Eggplant Lasagne and when I was done, I rolled the extra dough into sheets.  I have mushrooms in the refrigerator and thought it would be tasty to make Mushrooms Marsala and arrange the mushrooms on cooked squares of pasta to create a loose stack.  To top it off, I'll add a light dusting of Fresh Parsley and Parmesan Cheese.
This is my recipe for Mushrooms Marsala.  Get a large pot of water on high for cooking the pasta.  If you are using dried lasagne sheets, cook them before cutting them into squares.  Of course, you can always serve this over a dried pasta shape of your choice.  And better yet, if you make pasta, then my all means make some.
First, wipe clean and slice thinly, 1 Pint of Bella Mushrooms.  In a small bowl, stir 2 Tbl Corn Starch with 1/4 Cup Beef Broth.  NOTE: For vegetarian, use Vegetable Broth.  Measure out 1/2 Cup Marsala Wine.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 Tbl Olive Oil and 1 Tbl Butter.  Add mushrooms and saute them quickly.  Deglaze the pan by stirring in the 1/2 Cup Marsala Wine and continue cooking for about 2 minutes.  It should bubble and appear to make a glaze.  Add the corn starch mixture.  Add beef broth until you have used a total of 1/2 of the can, you can add more if needed but do so slowly.  Season with S&P.  Continue to let the sauce cook, allowing it to bubble gently for another 4-5 minutes.  Turn off heat and add 1 Tbl Butter and swirl the pan after it has melted.  Cook the pasta either now, if fresh, or while you are making the sauce.

Layer the pasta and Mushroom Marsala Sauce on a warm plate and top with Parmesan Cheese and Finely minced Fresh Parsley.
I edited the sauce to result in a thicker sauce than what is pictured.  I liked the flavor but the sauce was slightly thinner than what I was going for. 

Roasted Eggplant Lasagne

I created this recipe in my head at least a few weeks ago and finally made it for dinner last night.  We all thought it was delicious!!  I used the Feta Cheese Filling I had in my freezer (recipe on this site).  But you can season a mixture of ricotta and mozzarella cheese for a short cut.  I already had some Marinara made as well, so that made life easier for me. I made my own pasta sheets while the Eggplant was roasting but you can use the no-bake sheets available at the grocery. NOTE:  I made and photographed a triple layer lasagne and I could've made it 4 layers.   Next time I will.  This recipe is for 4 layers.

If you are making your own marinara, make that first.  You will need about 3-4 cups total when using fresh pasta.  For dried pasta, you will need to add a bit of water to the lasagne so the pasta doesn't dry out the lasagne. 

Preheat oven to 300 for convection, otherwise 325.  Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper for simple cleanup.  Next, Peel and Cut to 1/4" slices, 3 Medium Eggplants.  Brush each side generously with Olive Oil.  Season with S&P and place in oven.  After 20 minutes, flip the eggplant over and if it looks dry, brush with additional olive oil.  Rotate the pans and cook for the remaining 20 minutes, 40 minutes in all.  Remove from the oven when golden brown. 

While eggplant is roasting, get everything set up.  If you are making pasta sheets, get them done and cut.  Mix 8 oz Ricotta Cheese with 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese.  Add 1 Egg Yolk, 2 tsp Dried Oregano (for Fresh 1 Tbl), 2 Tbls Fresh Parsley, 1 tsp Basil (for Fresh 2 Tbl), 1 tsp Kosher Salt, 1/2 tsp Pepper.  Stir gently until just combined. 

Preheat Oven to 375.

Butter a deep 9" X 12" Lasagne Dish.  Add a few Tbl of Marinara to the bottom of the dish and using the back of the spoon, spread around.

Add first layer of pasta.  Using about 1/3 cup of marinara, lightly coat the pasta.  Add 1/3 of the cheese mixture in small mounds, it doesn't have to be perfect, and spread with an offset spatula.  Layer with Roasted Eggplant.  Top with 1/3 Cup Marinara.  That is layer 1.  Repeat 2 more times.

For the final layer, top with pasta.  Generously top with marinara covering the pasta and add 1 1/2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese.  Drizzle with Olive Oil and sprinkle with Dried Oregano.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes until bubbly and deep golden brown.  Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.  Everyone will begin to gather in the kitchen and claim to be hungry, but let it rest for at least 10 minutes, regardless of their whining.

For serving, add marinara to the plate.  Place a square of lasagne on top of the marinara.  Serve at once with Crusty Bread and Olive Oil and an Italian Red Wine.  Buon Appetito!!

Homemade Mozzarella

My sister, D, gave her daughter a cheese making kit a few years ago and they have been making Mozzarella Cheese from scratch since.  I finally bought a kit and am going to give it a go.  I am really excited and hope you are, too! 
First step is to find "Pasteurized Milk" since I can't use Ultra-Pasteurized Milk." I found the grocery about a mile from my house sells pasteurized whole milk, so I bought it yesterday.

Yeah!  This morning I made the cheese.  First I had to watch a video a number of times because there are critical steps of stirring, timing, and temperature to be mindful of.  The kit I have is from Ricki Carroll, about $25 online.  It will turn 40 gallons of milk into cheese.  Each gallon makes about 16-20 ounces of finished cheese, though that is a rough estimate without weighing it.  If you venture into this, you will find that you work with One Gallon of Whole Milk at a time.

Pictured is the finished product ready to eat.  Next time I know to pull the cheese more times than I did to make it more elastic and therefore more stringy.  I also learned to have an ice bath ready so once the cheese is formed to my liking, I have it ready.  My first two balls were still warm and flattened as they cooled on a plate.  I decided to eat one of those "mistakes" first.  All in all, it took me longer than the 30 minutes but next time will be faster.  And all and all, it is delicious!!

Fried Calamari

Recently, my husband went to an Asian store near New Orleans.  He picked up the ingredients for a Japanese dinner.  We brought out our rice cooker purchased specifically for Nishiki Rice.  He rolled some California Rolls and we cooked potstickers (which they sell frozen) and taste nothing like the ones I make from scratch.  While he was at the store, he asked about buying squid.  They carry Frozen Squid, 3 to the package, for about $10.  He brought them home, watched some videos over the past few days, and yesterday he prepped them.  He gave one to me for making fried calamari.

Over the years, I have said to get good at making something, you have to prepare it at least three times.  I was out on a limb, venturing into this, so I'd say for a first time go, I'd give myself a B- but we both learned a lot.

He wanted to make calamari salad, so he cooked 2 of the squid, cleaned, but with the skin on.  After two minutes in a rolling boil, he cooled them in an ice bath.  The skin came off easily and the calamari was quite tender, more so than mine.  

For mine, he did the cleaning.  There's the whole bit about removing the head; though he removed the ink sac (for lack of a better word), we didn't extract the ink for use, though you can.  Then it was skinned and the teeth removed from the tentacles.  Pictured is his handy work after the fact.

I read not to cook them more than 2 minutes or they will be tough.  I think for frying, it's more like 45-60 seconds.  That means the oil really needs to be at  360-375 for "flash frying" purposes.  Next time I will measure the temperature because they were not as tender as I would like.  Also, based on the size of the tentacles, we need smaller squid.

While I heated oil for frying, I prepped Panko Bread Crumbs by crushing them further using my meat tenderizer.  To them I added, Parsley, Paprika, S&P.  Working in small batches, I pressed the calamari rings into the crumbs and then placed them in the hot oil and cooked until golden brown.  I added additional salt as I pulled each batch out.

I think they should be eaten as they are cooked.  I put them on a cooling rack lined sheet pan in the oven heated to 250...wrong thing to do.  Just eat them while hot with zesty marinara for dipping.

Be sure to dispose of the oil right away, in fact, I encourage you to make these on a night the trash is going out.  All in all, I look forward to trying this again.

Butterflied (or Butterfly) Potatoes

I am grilling Rib Eye Steaks tonight.  I plan to slice them since they are thick.  I am cooking what my mother used to call "Butterflied Potatoes".  These can be made with any variety of potato that lends itself well to roasting in the oven.  Here is the recipe for Butterflied Potatoes.

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut 4 Large Red Potatoes in half.  Place cut side down and without going all the way through to the bottom, slice each one at 1/4" intervals.

Place the potatoes in a glass dish and drizzle each with 1 tsp Olive Oil.  Sprinkle with S&P to taste.  Add 2 Tbl butter to dish.  Place in hot oven for 40-50 minutes depending on how big your potatoes are.  Every 10 minutes or so, baste each potato with the olive oil/butter mixture.  This will open up the slices of potatoes, like a butterfly.  This dish never fails to take me back to my childhood days, when Sunday dinner was served at 1pm.