Download the coupon for details. (http://www.pappasbros.com/filetandlobster/PBSH_FiletLobsterPromo_0510.pdf)

Good through June 12, 2010.

It all started with a sweeth tooth, 1 cup of cake flour and some pears quickly approaching their end time.

I googled “pear cake”

The best result? SmittenKitchen.com’s Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Cake.

I have made some adjustments. I only have a block of milk chocolate in my fridge. I should say, “I ALWAYS have a block of milk chocolate in my fridge. ” (Bittersweet chocolate is not loved around here).

I used cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. In subsequent tries, I followed the original recipe and found that the use of cake flour results in a lighter fluffier cake.

I added an extra egg. I don’t why, I just did. I do recommend that you place the eggs on the counter for a couple of hours to reach room temperature. It does make a difference.

And finally, the recipe calls for a mixer. I don’t have one. I have a Cuisinart CSB-77W Smart Stick Hand Blender. I also don’t have an oven, I have a microwave/convection  oven so I have adjusted the cooking time accordingly.

All these shortcomings on my part made following SmittenKitchen’s recipe in order very stressful: 1.) I couldn’t hold my hand blender while b) trying to brown the butter. As a result, the first time the butter was under-browned, and I ended up mixing in the pear and chocolate pieces into the batter BEFORE I added the not-so-brown butter, and still, it was the best cake I have had in a long time. I would have paid for this cake and that’s saying a lot.

I used anjou pears, yellow and browning- anjous remain firm and whole during baking. If you don’t have ripe or overly ripe anjou pears, put them in a bag with an apple for a day or two. The pears will ripen a bit faster this way. If you live somewhere where pears are out of season, canned pears would probably work. Rinse the syrup off, and roll in a tablespoon of flour  after dicing. But I doubt the cake will be as good as when made with overly ripe anjou pears.

After making this cake a few times in a few different ways, I decided that I preferred this cake with softened butter, mixed into the dry mix until they appear like little bb pellets prior to adding it to the whipped eggs.

Milk Chocolate and Pear Cake

Based on Al Di La’s Torta di Pere – recipe available at SmittenKitchen.com

1 cup cake  flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, at room-temperature (the original recipe calls for 3)
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter – very soft
3/4 cup sugar
3 pears, peeled, in a small dice* (see note below)
3/4 cup milk chocolate chunks

The original recipe calls for buttering a 9-inch springform pan and dust with flour, then set aside. I used Baker’s Joy and a 10 inch round ceramic baking dish.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, then incorporate the softened butter until the “batter” looks like little dough pellets. Set aside.

Using the handblender,  whip the eggs on high speed until pale and very thick.  (About 10-12 minutes- the eggs reach a consistency of egg whites whipped to very soft peaks)

Add the sugar to the eggs and whip a few minutes more.

Just as the egg-sugar mixture is starting to loose volume,  add the flour-butter mixture. Add one third of the flour mixture, fold, another third, fold some more, and then the rest of flour. Add the chocolate chunks and pear. Whisk until just barely combined — no more than a minute from when the flour is first added — and then use a spatula to gently fold the batter into the pan. It is very important not to over-whisk or fold the batter or it will lose volume.

For my convection oven: Bake 350°F until the cake is golden brown and springs back to the touch, about 25 to 35 minutes or a tester comes out clean. The Aha! moment:  I take my cake out when the yummy aroma wafts past my desk….

For regular ovens:Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake until the cake is golden brown and springy, or a tester comes out clean; about 40 to 50 minutes.

Want A Different Pear Cake, try these:

Pear Cake
.

The Arab flavors are so familiar that, when I decided to decipher the Roasted Potatoes from Abdallah’s, I started by re-engineering the chimichurri of my childhood- the flavors I remember eating in the steak houses in Buenos Aires.

The marinade for the potatoes is similar to a thinner lighter Argentinian chimichurri- the use of lemon instead of vinegar adds a sweetness to the acidity.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice from 2 medium lemons

3 tablespoons of Olive Oil

Run these ingredients through a food processor. Toss 2 lbs of cubed butter gold potatoes with mixture. Marinate for about 30 minutes prior to oven roasting.

Place the potatoes and all the marinade in a shallow roasting pan – roast for 30 minutes at 300 degrees and then crisp the tops at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. ( I usually add 2 chicken breast marinaded in the same parsley-lemon for the last 20 minutes. its then a complete meal)

Salt the potatoes to taste after you take them out of the oven.

Best eaten warm but just as good served room temperature. Don’t microwave, the potatoes will become soggy.

What I like about this combination of recipes is that I can slow-roast the meat with little involvement from me. And the final “stir fry” take a couple minutes at most. You can also roast some Lemon Roasted Potatoes.

Purchase the Moroccan spice blend (Ras El Hanout) from Phoenicia or make your own by following this recipe.

Last night’s fare:

Slow-roasted Tri-tip Wrapped in Bacon

based on Roasted Beef Tenderloin Wrapped in Bacon available at Epicurious

1 pound tri-tip piece
8 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled garlic (from about 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 8- to 9-inch-long fresh rosemary branches
4 bacon slices
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Using small sharp knife, cut eight 1-inch-deep slits all over tri-tip. Insert garlic slices into slits.
Rub pepper all over brisket.
Arrange bacon slices on work surface, overlapping slightly and forming rectangle.
Place 1 rosemary branch down center of bacon rectangle, perpendicular to bacon slices.
Place meat atop rosemary branch. Place remaining 2 rosemary branches on top then wrap bacon slices around .
Flip the meat over and place it in a roasting pan, bacon ends down. (Can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Roast at 450°F for 30 minutes than turndown the temperature to 250°F for 2 hours.
Remove from oven. Rest for 15 minutes.
Shred with 2 forks.

I followed this recipe pretty close except the Ras El Hanout and adding the slow roasted meat:

Chickpeas With Baby Spinach

Recipe from nytimes.com

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup frozen chopped onions)

2 garlic cloves, minced (i used 3)

1tspn Ras El Hanout (Moroccan Spice Blend) *

Salt, preferably kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or water

Cayenne to taste

1 6-oz. bag baby spinach

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, Ras El Hanout, tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring for one to two minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has turned a darker color. Add the chickpeas, the stock or water, and the cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until each addition of spinach wilts. Add salt to taste and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for five minutes. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt and cayenne, and serve.

3. Take the shredded brisket and stir into the pot and simmer for a few more minutes.

I shop at HEB in Houston so when I needed some minor medical attention- actually some topical something or other for a bad case of contact dermatitis – I decided to go to the conveniently located Rediclinic.

A couple of weeks ago, I developed a really bad – REALLY BAD – allergic reaction to that triple-antibiotic Neosporin on the back of my hand  to treat a scratch from one of minor demons that reside in our household. The resulting reaction to said Neosporin was severe- the treated area became unbearably itchy and broke out in tiny blisters.

In a moment of Itch-driven madness, I decided to put some Benadryl Anti-histamine Itch Relief Gel. After 2 days of use, the skin on the back of my hand swelled up and started itching so much I thought I was going to die.

I KNOW that I am not allergic to Triclosan. So I went to CVS and found  an Instant Relief First Aid Spray with triclosan and benzocaine.  It immediately tamed the itch, so I was willing to live with teh resulting dryness and peeling until I could get to some medical professional for a prescription.  (I can’t use hydrocortisone cream cause I react to that as well)

I went to the Rediclinic located at the HEB on Fountainview for a quick consult. This is just a simple case of  contact dermatitis- no medical genius required. I  was going to pay cash, no insurance. When I arrived, they asked for ID.

The conversation with the receptionist went thusly:

I said : I don’t have an ID. I don’t drive and I don’t intend to use any form of insurance. Why  do I need ID?

He said:  Without ID I can’t enter you in the system.

I said: I don’t drive . Why do you need an ID?

He said: We’ll accept a passport

I said: Excuse me? You want me to take the bus back to my house to get my passport? I have contact dermatitis.

He said: I need an ID

It’s not like I was asking for vicodin or morphine or looking to defraud my insurance company. But if I had ID and I wanted to get nicer eyelashes, they would have gladly sold me LATISSE^®.
I left.

I’ll continue to use the first aid spray- its actually helping.

HOWEVER I am appalled that i was refused medical treatment because of an ID. I can’t figure out if it was because they are setting up a database so they can sell my info to insurance companies or a result of the whole fascist reaction to illegal immigration . And honestly I don’t care.

I say

rediclinic you suck

You suck and I intend to say so every opportunity I get.

Cumin Corn Chowder

FIRST-
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup frozen onion, chopped
1 cup matchstick carrot
1 celery stalk with leaves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
some cumin (1/2 teaspoon)
some coriander (1/2 teaspoon)
2 cloves garlic mashed but whole so i can fish it out if/when i put it in the blender…
Sweat all these ingredients in the pot on low, stir and cover until the veggies are softened. (about 20 minutes or whenever you decide to go back to it)

AT THE SAME TIME- Roast the corn
3 cups of frozen corn, drizzled with 1 tblspn olive oil

Roasted until  skin looks golden brown and the kitchen smells like roasted corn (about 20-25 mins at 450 in my convection oven)
THEN-
Add the roasted corn to the sweated vegetables in the pot, plus:

2 cups frozen potatoes – cut for hash browns or better yet frozen potatoes o’brien (which has green and red bell pepper)
1 cube chicken stock
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon dry,  or a handful of  fresh, thyme leaves

Add 6 cups of water and simmer for 40-50 minutes. The potatoes will fall apart and thicken up the soup.

From here you can either eat it as a chunky chowder – add 1 cup half and half ( I remove the garlic and celery stalk)

Or blender, strain, then add half and half.

Finish off with sharp cheddar on top or mixed in.
can serve with salsa or chopped green onions.

Try These Corn Chowder recipes:

Baja Corn Chowder

Corn-Potato Chowder with Marjoram

My quiche recipe should probably be renamed “Scrambled Egg Pie” but that too would be a misnomer.

Frozen or pre-fab pie crusts don’t impress me either and I will have to find some substitute but otherwise, this “quiche” is a favorite in my house.

Roasted Corn Quiche

Based on a recipe available at Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
3/4 cups half & half
3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from about 2 ears, or frozen, thawed
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup coarsely chopped mozzarella or pepper jack or mixture

1 deep-dish unbaked pie crust

Roast corn and onions (450 degrees F) on a cookie until golden brown. (About 10 Minutes) Allow to cool a bit. (Quick cool by putting in a dish in the freezer for a few minutes)

Combine eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and melted butter  with a whisk.
Add half and half and butter; whisk just until blended.
Add roasted corn, cheese and onion.
Pour into crust.
Bake 375 deg. F for approximately 25 minutes until filling is slightly puffed and top is golden.
Transfer to rack; cool slightly.
Serve warm.

{* OK- that’s hyperbole. I should say “I don’t eat canned stuff often”. I have lived through Hurricane IKE and ANDREW. In both cases, I stocked up on some canned good, including tuna and more recently, the organic black beans from Central Market. I have always shivered at the IDEA of canned beans but I must say that Central Market’s organic beans were good, very good, in fact, and now part of our pantry.}

Second? Polenta. Or grits for that matter. I love tamales. I love arepas. I love corn in general. So you would think I would like polenta and grits, right? Well, I didn’t. Until I ate the grits at Ousie’s Table in Houston.

If you have never been to Ousie’s, you are missing out some great Southern food. It’s moderately priced and it’s all good.  Their shrimp and grits are to die for! Ousie’s made me a convert.

Since I like grits now, I decided to give polenta another shot. My sister bought De La Estancia organic polenta from Central Market. As a test. It is delicious. Creamy, smooth corn mush. I am a polenta lover.

I thought I loved polenta anyway.  I bought some other brand and discovered the truth- I only like De La Estancia. It’s all we use. A bit expensive but worth every cent. (Amazon.com sells De la Estancia Organic Polenta, 17.6-Ounce Packages Pack of 6 For $24)

Black Bean Tamales, deconstructed.

Loosely based on Food & Wine’s Grilled Steak over Black Beans

Black Beans

Sweat the following in a pot:
1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch squares
1 green bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch squares
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tspn salt
a drizzle of olive oil
thyme
basil
bay leaf

When this sofrito-mirepoix is softened, remove from pot and set aside.

Fry up

3 strips of bacon, chopped

When light golden brown, add the following:

2 15 oz cans of black beans,  drained and rinsed ( I only like Central Market’s Organic Beans)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (again- I like a particular brand – Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range)
1/2 cup of water

and the sofrito-mirepoix mishigas.

simmer for 10 minutes.

Place the black bean stew in a serving plate and cover while you make the polenta in the same pot.

Polenta

1.5 cups corn- pan roasted
2 tblspn butter
1/2 cup half and half
2.5 cups of water
salt to taste
pepper
1 cup of Estancia polenta

Pan roast the corn  first, Add the remianing ingredients and stir until smoothand the polenta pulls away slightly from the sides fo the pot.stir until smooth.

To serve

Spoon the polenta into a serving plate, cover with  the black bean stew

Garnish with any or all of the below:
Pepper jack
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
6 scallions including green tops, sliced thin
salt & pepper

or nothing at all.

Serve hot.

Maybe its the organic polenta, or the corn flour, but this is a moister version of Sopa Paraguay without straying into cornbread territory.

Mix these ingredients into lumpy consistency with pea-sized pellets:

• 1 cup corn flour (this version I used whole grain stone ground corn flour by bob’s red mill and it makes a big difference in texture)
• 1 cup of fine ground Estancia Organic Polenta (the absolute best polenta ever!)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine- softened

Add and stir:

• 2 eggs

Add and stir:

• 1/2 cup cream
• 1.5 cups milk
• 1 tblsp coarse salt
• 1.5 cups frozen corn
• 1 cup fresh cheese  (1/2 queso fresco or ricotta salata or fresh farmer’s cheese & 1/2 queso chihuahua or mozzarella or oaxaca)

Pour into a greased round baking dish. (I use Baker’s Joy) It will look like a soupy mess- don’t despair. This is actually really good.

Bake in convection oven (400 deg. F) for approx 50 minutes.

This is my mother’s recipe as I remember it. It certainly tastes like my mom’s anyway…

Sopa Paraguay

1.5 cups or chopped onions (tahnk you david for pointing out that i left this off the ingredient list!!)
1.5 cups frozen corn
1.5 cups water
1 tblsp coarse salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine- softened
2 eggs
1 cup fresh cheese  (1/2 queso fresco or ricotta salata or fresh farmer’s cheese & 1/2 queso chihuahua or mozzarella or oaxaca)
1 1/2 cups corn meal
1/2 cup milk
1 tblsp cream

Combine the onions and water in a pot, simmer. you can also do this in the microwave- set the onions and water in a bowl and cook for 5 minutes.  Set aside until the water is room temperature.
Combine the corn meal with the  butter and blend with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size butter lumps wrapped in cornmeal.
Add eggs and mix.
Add milk and cream and mix.
Add cheese, and mix (for this particular pan I used a mixture of mozzarella and pepper jack)
Add the onions and water, and mix.
Add frozen corn, and mix. (Yes- frozen- as this cooks the steam from teh ice and butter will give it some lightness- otherwise this bread is as heavy as brick)

The batter looks like a soupy chunky unincorporated mess at this point. Don’t worry. When cooked, alot of the cheese will float to the top, and the interior steam from the frozen corn will lighten the dough.

Pour into a greased and floured 8 or 9 inch round baking dish. (I use Baker’s Joy)

Bake in convection oven (400 deg. F) for approx 50 minutes.