Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread

Brownie Cake


Brownie layers:

• 2 c. chopped pecans (see Note)

• 1 c. (2 sticks) butter

• 4 (1-oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate

• 2 c. sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 c. flour

• 1 tsp. salt

White Mountain Frosting:

• 3/4 c. sugar

• 1/4 c. white corn syrup

• 1/4 c. water

• 3 egg whites at room temperature

• 1 tsp. vanilla

First, take the 3 eggs for the frosting out of the refrigerator and separate them, putting the whites in the small bowl of the electric mixer. Set these whites aside to come to room temperature while you bake the cake. Discard the yolks or reserve them for another purpose.

Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the chopped pecans in a frying pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 7 minutes. Pour them out of the pan immediately and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, grease two 8-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, grease that, then flour the pans. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chocolate, stirring constantly, until both are fully melted. Pour the chocolate mixture into the large bowl of the electric mixer and add the 2 cups of sugar, beating well. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the teaspoon of vanilla.

Sift the flour and salt together and add to the chocolate mixture, mixing on low speed and scraping the bowl occasionally, until thoroughly combined. Stir in the pecan pieces.

Divide the batter between the pans and bake about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the pans on racks for 15 minutes, then cover the pans with racks, invert and lift away the pans. Gently peel off the parchment paper, reinvert and cool the layers completely.

Prepare the frosting: When the cake is cool, combine the 3/4 cup of sugar, the corn syrup and water in a small pan. Gently stir (don't splash) to dissolve as much sugar as possible, then partially cover the pan, insert a candy thermometer and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. (Meanwhile wash the mixer beaters so they are clean for beating the whites.) Remove the cover from the boiling syrup and continue to boil -- no stirring.

As the syrup boils, beat the egg whites just until they are frothy. Watch the syrup until the thermometer reads 240 to 242 degrees, or until a bit of the syrup dropped into a cup of cold water forms a firm ball that flattens only if you squeeze it.

When the syrup reaches that temperature, beat the egg whites at medium speed while pouring the syrup into the bowl in a somewhat thin stream that you keep away from the beaters. When all the syrup is in, beat at high speed until the frosting is glossy and stands in peaks. Beat in the vanilla, beating until the frosting is fully thick, not oozy. Fill and frost the cooled cake.

Note: This recipe calls for rather a surprising amount of pecans; you could cut that in half and still have a swell brownie. For the White Mountain Frosting, which provides a nice flavor and texture contrast to the dense brownie cake, you'll need a candy thermometer or familiarity with testing sugar syrups. Don't improvise on the directions for making it.


:D

Seasoned cooks know how important it is to read a recipe completely before beginning to cook -- to make sure they understand the directions and have the right equipment and ingredients.

Most cookbook recipes follow certain guidelines. Here are some of them.

Ingredients are listed in the order in which they are used.

Unless otherwise specified, butter is salted, eggs are large, flour is not sifted and vegetables such as onions, garlic and fresh ginger are peeled. It's assumed that vegetables and fruits will be washed before using.

Some recipes list the cup and pound measurement, so "2 cups of sliced peaches" may also be described as "about 1 pound" or "3 to 4 medium." This is helpful when buying ingredients.

When an ingredient is listed as "divided," portions are added to the dish at different times. Often a recipe will say "add salt and pepper to taste." Always taste the dish, then add the salt and pepper and taste again.

When an ingredient is described as "optional," it's up to the cook whether to include it -- the recipe doesn't depend on it.

Check how the ingredients are stated. Is it "1 cup of walnuts, chopped" or "1 cup chopped walnuts"? The first indicates you measure the walnut halves, then chop them. The other means just that -- 1 cup of chopped walnuts. The same would be true for "1 cup pinto beans, cooked" or "1 cup cooked pinto beans." Dried beans double so 1 cup of uncooked beans would give you 2 cups cooked.

When a recipe indicates the number of people it feeds, the number is just a guideline. A soup recipe that feeds six people may actually feed four -- or eight -- depending on everyone's appetite. When a recipe states how much it makes in exact measurements -- such as cups or dozens -- the cook really decides how many people it will serve, doling out smaller or larger portions.

When a recipe gives a range of times for the dish to cook or bake, start checking a few minutes before the shortest time and use the recipe's sensory description, such as "bake until golden brown" as a guideline. If the baking time doesn't coincide with the times in the recipe, invest in an oven thermometer to check your oven's accuracy. Preheat the oven for about 20 minutes before baking anything.

:D

Quote:

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Seasoned cooks know how important it is to read a recipe completely before beginning to cook -- to make sure they have the right equipment and ingredients.

---

>insert sheepish grin here<

I'm NOTORIOUS for that...

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta With Feta



• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 leeks, sliced

• 1 c. chopped broccoli florets

• 1 red bell pepper, cubed

• 4 to 6 slices sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 tsp. dried basil

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• Salt, pepper

• 4 c. cooked hot spaghetti

• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

• 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Set a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add oil. When oil is hot, add leeks. Cook, stirring, 1 minute, or until soft. Add broccoli and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes, or until broccoli is bright green. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add parsley, basil and oregano. Stir well, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until flavors blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with spaghetti. Add Parmesan and feta.

:D


Corn Cakes


• 1 c. cornmeal

• 1/2 c. flour

• 1/2 c. wheat germ

• 1/2 c. instant dry milk powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 c. water

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tbsp. honey

• Kernels from 1 ear corn

In large mixing bowl combine cornmeal, flour, wheat germ, dry milk and salt. Stir in water, oil and honey. Mix well. Stir in corn.

Lightly brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet with oil. Set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

Cook until bubbles appear. Flip and cook other side until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.

:D

Quote:

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Originally posted by jaybird
>insert sheepish grin here<

I'm NOTORIOUS for that...

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:p Me too!!!!!

Half way through a recipe and missing crucial ingredients, that you can't find an adequate substitution for? Or having tons of some obscure spice, forever, then realize you're down to the last 1/2 teaspoonful when the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons? Or stopping in the middle and running to the store (or in my case, calling my mom to run to the store for me)? Or just shoving the half-finished recipe in the frig to cook the next day? Or down the drain? :D I am the worst. Just recently, hmmm, can't remember what I was making, but it was like the KEY ingredient I didn't have here. Like chicken for a chicken dish or potatoes for something. Something fairly important in the recipe! ;)

Fugi, my green beans I planted last Sunday are up 2 inches already! And every seed came up. 6 rows of beans. Yippee.

More apples and peaches and tomatos tomorrow though. :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally posted by jaybird
Half way through a recipe and missing crucial ingredients, that you can't find an adequate substitution for? Or having tons of some obscure spice, forever, then realize you're down to the last 1/2 teaspoonful when the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons? Or stopping in the middle and running to the store (or in my case, calling my mom to run to the store for me)? Or just shoving the half-finished recipe in the frig to cook the next day? Or down the drain? :D I am the worst. Just recently, hmmm, can't remember what I was making, but it was like the KEY ingredient I didn't have here. Like chicken for a chicken dish or potatoes for something. Something fairly important in the recipe! ;)

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:p Bwahahahahahahahahaha

Been there done ALL that more than once ;)

Quote:

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Originally posted by jaybird
Fugi, my green beans I planted last Sunday are up 2 inches already! And every seed came up. 6 rows of beans. Yippee.

More apples and peaches and tomatos tomorrow though. :rolleyes:

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:cool: Kewl Keep them watered

More peaches Sigh cannot grow them up here :)

LMAO! Here's a tip, we'll never open a restaurant together, okay? :D

This small orchard near Freeburg, Brautigaum's. My mil has been friends with the matriarch forever, their kids grew up together. THE best peaches. And we always take my mil when we're out there, they give her all the 'throwaways.' Softs or culls that they can't sell by the end of the day. Perfectly good peaches, just have to work them up right away. Not sellable pretty though. Blackberries are nice too, huge, but like $3.75 a pint - ridiculous. I didn't get any wild ones this year, but I'm checking out at my sil's tomorrow. She has blackberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries...

Wonder if I could overnight you some REAL peaches?