Fallen Souffle

5:50pm- Leaving the office, call the hubby and tell him to start boiling a large pot of water.

6:03pm- Arrive home. Kick off your shoes. Pour a glass of red wine. Throw 1 pound angel hair pasta into salted boiling water.

6:08pm- Angel hair is al dente. Drain pasta. In the same pan, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Throw in garlic, usually about 2-3 cloves.

6:09 pm- Add crushed red pepper to taste. Open a large can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes. (can also add capers, olives, anchovie paste to make more of a puttanesca sauce)

6:11pm- Add tomatoes to pan and bring to a bubble. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6:13pm- Add drained pasta and toss to coat.

6:15pm- Serve pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and a hunk of ciabatta bread.

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What is your favorite kind of cake and frosting? I need as many responses as I can. I am tired of the same old almond white cake and chocolate cake, if those are you favorites still let me know but I am looking for new flavors. Even the lurkers can respond…make your voice heard!

Thanks!

BTW- I forgot to mention Fallen Souffle turned a year old on September 25th (atleast I think it was that day) Here is a trip down memory lane. Wow I can’t believe how it has grown!

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For my birthday I decided I wanted a big hunk of cheesecake, what better way to celebrate then a rich and creamy slice of fattening heaven. This was super easy to put together, requires minimal ingredients and is a great base for whatever other flavors you can think of. This recipe also doesn’t require a water bath, I didn’t have a problem with this cracking but if you did just pour some chocolate ganache over it.

The cake was a hit with everyone, especially my father in law. (hence the lack of pictures, instead enjoy a picture of Evan and I in New York)

New York Cheesecake
from Martha’s Everyday Food

4 T. butter, melted
8 graham crackers, broken into pieces (I used one package, I think there were 9 in there)
2 T. light brown sugar
3 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/8 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
5 large eggs, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with Pam or butter. In a food processor (or ziploc bag) crush graham crackers. Add sugar and butter and process or stir until moist crumbs form. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan.

3. In a large bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add one egg at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Pour filling into pans and bake until center is just about to set and the top is slightly brown, 60-70 minutes. Allow to cool about an hour and then refridgerate for atleast 12 hours.

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Evan entered one of his photos into a Shutterfly photo contest, it’s from our honeymoon when we stopped in Grenada and I absolutely love it…so vote for us here!

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It’s true, I turned 25 yesterday. It is the first birthday that really got to me. I am no longer the young, free spirited girl I used to be (Ok I was never really free spirited but play along) now I am a mature, sophisticated woman (stop laughing, keep playing). I did alot of reflection on the past 25 years, I have done alot and been alot of places but am I really the person I want to be? There are things I like and don’t like about myself and I have decided this is the time to do something about the things I don’t like.

I also want to focus on some goals of mine; I feel like I am in a good place in my life, I have a wonderful husband, a house, two great dogs, a great relationship with my family and a job that I take pride in. So now it’s time to take the next step towards self improvement. I recently completed a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I won’t post it right now, I need to sort it and make it look pretty, but is essentially a list of 101 things I want to accomplish in 1001 days (a little over 2 1/2 years), Yesterday was day one so we will see how the list goes.

I had a pretty low key birthday, I didn’t do any housework the entire weekend, I did a little shopping and made a cheesecake (recipe to come) and pretty much relaxed. This is probably the first birthday I have had that was this relaxed but it was nice. Evan and I decided not to exchange birthday or Christmas presents with each other, instead we will save our money and go on a nice trip- hopefully around our anniversary in March Though he did buy me flowers and made an amazing dinner followed by cake at my in-laws. And today a beautiful bouquet was delivered to my office (a perk of working a real job!) from my parents.

So overall, I realized I am quite blessed and have many things to look forward to in the years to come.

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One of our favorite go-to restaurants is a place called Remington Grill, I think it is a regional place but they have a western theme and are about one step up from your typical fast food. They have burgers, BBQ, ribs and all you can eat fries- now you see why I love this place! Anywho, I get the same thing everytime we go there. I literally have not had anything else from there besides a bite of Evan’s burger. It’s called a Jesse James, I think I was first drawn to it because my maiden name is James and my dad always wanted my name to be Jessica but my Mom would not allow me to be called Jesse James. I am sure it was for the best but it would have been awesome in high school when I was running track, or atleast I think so. Ok bake to the point, so this sandwich is a barbecue sandwich but instead of pulled pork it uses chicken, which makes me fee less guilty about eating all of those fries

So in lieu of eating out I decided to try and recreate this sandwich in the crockpot for a weekday meal, and I think it turned out pretty darn good. I used 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts but it was s a tad on the dry side, I would maybe try a mix of chicken breasts and boneless, skinless chicken thighs to add a bit of fattiness. If you don’t want to use the crockpot, boil up the chicken, shred it and douse it in the sauce. Evan approved of the sauce- though I doubt he would approve of my ugly picture of it.

Jen’s version of a Jesse James
2-3 pounds of chicken, boneless and skinless
3/4 cup ketchup
6 T. prepared mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (this is the amount for jarred garlic, you a bit less if using fresh)
3 tablespoons molasses
2 T. steak sauce
1 T. tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
salt and pepper to taste
4 hamburger buns
prepared coleslaw (optional)

Crockpot Method
1. Throw the sauce ingredients into a crockpot with the chicken. Cook in low for 6-8 hours (use one of those crockpot liners, trust me it’s worth it!)

2. Shred the meat, pile it on a bun with some sauce and creamy coleslaw. Yum!

Stovetop Method:
1. Boil the chicken until cooked through. Shred meat and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, combine sauce ingredients and simmer until warmed through. Add shredded chicken and stir until coated.

3. Pile the meat on a bun, top with sauce and creamy coleslaw.

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Tomorrow my office is having shower for three women in our office, two are expecting and one is to be married in a few weeks so we are throwing a joint shower for all of them. (All of the events should take place within a month of each other- the soon to be mothers are due just one day apart!)

So I was appointed to do the cake and ofcourse I took the opportunity to experiment a bit, which is going to bite me in the butt one of these days. This time I made a simple almond white cake but decided to make a traditional French buttercream as opposed to the Wilton buttercream I have been using. The two buttercreams are totally different in texture and flavor and have quite different methods. The French buttercream is so silky and smooth and has a definite butter flavor. The Wilton buttercream is also smooth but much thicker in texture. To really see the different whip up two batches and see (and taste!) the difference.

The French buttercream does not “crust” like the Wilton one so I was worried about using it under fondant. It is usually recommended that the icing be totally smooth as the fondant will show imperfections in the undercoat. I was so scared to put the fondant on, I toiled with the thought for atleast 20 minutes then decided to just go for it! I think the results are just fine. I was still able to achieve a smooth look to the fondant without compromising the buttercream underneath!

I also used the French buttercream as the filling for the cake, I just mixed about 3/4 of a cup with about 1/4 cup strawberry jam (mine was the freezer type non-cooked jam). It tasted wonderful!

I got this recipe from a friend who I used to work with at the bakery. Not only is she a talented baker and cook but an amazing knitter and seamstress!

Dana’s French Buttercream

12 oz sugar
4 egg yolks
8 oz butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Wet sugar in a heavy saucepan, taking care not to get any sugar on the sides of the pan. Put sugar over a med-high heat and bring to 240 degrees (115C).

2. Meanwhile beat egg yolks on med speed until very light and fluffy.

3. When the sugar reaches 240, pour it slowly into the egg mixture while the mixer is at a low speed. Take care to pour the sugar between the wall of the bowl and the whisk.

4. Mix at high speed until the mixture is room temperature.

5. Add butter one small piece at a time until all is mixed.

6. Add vanilla

* you may substitue 2-4 TBL of shortening for butter to make the icing more stable in warm weather.*

This icing will last 3-4 days at room temperature or 2 weeks in the fridge.

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So I have decided to try some new things to perk up the blog and keep some reading material available. Sadly, I don’t have time to cook a complete meal each night so I thought I would write about other food topics during the week. One thing I want to try is highlighting different ingredients each week, this way I am challenged to try new things with normal items.

My new favorite side dish is rice. Yes, simple white rice. I especially like Jasmine rice for it’s texture and flavor. Evan has never been a fan of rice until I cooked it in chicken broth. Now we all know that rice absorbs alot of liquid (the normal ratio is 1 cup of rice to 1 1/2 cups of liquid) and good quality packaged chicken broth can be pricey. So I make a basic chicken broth when we have a whole chicken for dinner. Simply place the bones in a large pot, cover the bones in water, add in whatever veggies you have (onions, carrots, celery, green peppers, herbs etc) some salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and forget about it for an hour or so. Allow broth to cool then strain and store in a spaghetti jar or plastic container. Keep the broth in the fridge until you want to make some rice. I like to use chicken broth because I find I use less butter and salt in the final product.

To make perfect rice everytime, begin by rinsing the rice until the water runs clear. This produces a fluffier rice by removing excess starch. The basic ratio is 1½ cups of water for every 1 cup of rice. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan. Stir in the rice and keep stirring until the water returns to the boil. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Don’t lift the lid during cooking or the steam will be released. When you’re ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork. 1 cup of dry rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice.

I tend to make rice the night before I plan to use it, this way Evan can get a jump start on dinner. I also make more then I plan to use because it is easy to reheat and use in wraps for lunch or a quick stir fry.

Rice also freezes really well. Make a double batch and allow it to cool completely, the best way to do this is to spread it out on a baking sheet after it has been cooked. Once cool to the touch, package it in a ziploc bag and make sure all the air is out. Just remember to take it out the night before to thaw, you can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove with a bit of water.

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I had another none of my lingering cravings on Thursday afternoon, this one for chocolate cake. It probably had something to do with the fact that I was browsing my new addictive site, Cake Central. So after notifying Evan that I felt like making a cake, he informed me that he felt like eating cake. As so it started.

Wouldn’t you know after making a cake from scratch then whipping a sinfully creamy icing I had no desire to eat any of it. I gave Evan a large chunk after his softball game and I just had a bite. Though between him and the reaction from my co-workers I think these recipes are a winner. I do think this cake is better after sitting for a few days. The intense sweetness mellows a bit and it is really enjoyable while still staying super moist.

Dark Chocolate Cake
2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease and flour two 9in pans or one 13×9in pan
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients
4. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes
5. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans
6. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean about 35 minutes
7. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks

Chocolate Decorator’s Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (you could also use a mix if butter and shortening if you need it to hold up better)
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 T. light corn syrup
1 lb. Domino powdered sugar
2-4 T. lowfat milk

1.Place butter in mixer with paddle attachment. Beat for about 2 minutes until very creamy.
2. Melt chocolate in microwave or over double boiler. Stir in corn syrup.
3.Add chocolate mixture to mixer bowl, and process for about a minute, on low speed, until butter and chocolate are mixed well. Speed up mixer to 4 and add powdered sugar slowly. When fully incorporated, stop mixer and scrape bowl. Whip frosting again, and add milk until of desired consistency. You may or may not need to use all of the milk, depending on humidity.

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I love my husband. I really do, not to gush but he is a great guy. I think back to what made me fall in love with him, it’s hard to pinpoint one thing but a big one is that we both have an absolute love for food. Granted we don’t see eye to eye on every kind of food, we do though have a strong love for things like; pizza, ribs, bbq, and beer (damn he is a lucky man)

We also have a love of sports, namely college football. We both go into mourning after the first of the year when we have to wait 8 months for college football to start up again. Now that it’s pigskin season we show our true geekiness by listening to sports radio during the day. Our favorite radio personality is ESPN radio’s Colin Cowherd. We sit in our respective offices, listening and IMing each other about the show. Today Colin is in Austin, Texas for the Texas/Ohio State game (hook em Horns!) and he is commenting on the BBQ and the wings and the sausage and egg breakfast burritoes of the area, meanwhile Evan and I am reminising about our trip to Texas and all of the yummy food we ate. To show why we are a match made in heaven see our conversation from this morning:

Jen: damn i miss that food
Evan: we are sad
Jen: why do you say that
Evan: we talk about food all of the time
Evan: missing food
Evan: lol
Jen: lol
Jen: thats why we get along so well

Ok sorry for the random post, I made an awesome chocolate cake for Evan last night and I will share the recipe a little later on today!

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