Category Archives: Challenge Recipes

[56] Chocolate Sheet Cake

Cover of The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

Finally, the last of the recipes from Bill’s birthday. Man, that guy had a lot going on that day, didn’t he? And he didn’t really do any of it. Slacker!

Nah, I’m just yanking his chain. Bill actually managed to help me corral our friends into showing up (though not as early as we’d hoped), went to work, and helped with the dishes. Both when he got home and after everyone left (around 1:00 am).

“This cake”:http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/ was a last minute addition to the menu; I think we decided on it the day before. I know we had to make a baking chocolate run, so I couldn’t have decided to make it on the spur of the moment. Also that we bought pecans for the frosting at the same time.… Continue reading →

Bummer

As I mentioned last night, we’re planning to have dinner out and about tonight, so today wasn’t looking good to be a “recipe” day. However, when I realized Bill forgot his sandwich stuff today, I realized today would be a good day to make sandwich bread.

Normally, I make “this”:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amish-White-Bread/Detail.aspx bread when I want to make bread, especially for sandwiches. It’s a touch on the sweet side, but basically works. I’d imagine you could drop the sugar quite a bit and still get great bread.

So, I started contemplating bread when I realized that one of my cookbooks HAS to have a good sandwich bread recipe, right?

Well, maybe. But after asking on Twitter, I got one vote for “nothing good in Joy of Cooking” and one vote for “Make my mother’s bread recipe” (which I didn’t have).… Continue reading →

[55] Stuffed Shitake Mushrooms (Actually Portabellas)

Cover of Simply Organic, by Jesse Ziff Cool

As you are all aware at this point, Bill had a birthday recently. This was one of the many (okay, four) recipes concocted that day, and one of only two I’d planned to make earlier than the day before.

Actually, it’s kind of funny. I’ve mentioned a couple of times on this blog that try to plan out our menu about a week in advance, coinciding with our CSA delivery, and trying to take advantage of what I’ve seen at the farmers’ markets and expect to still be able to get my hands on. This meal plan started as just a day to have these mushrooms and the onions. Then we had to move it a couple of times.

Then I forgot it was Bill’s birthday.… Continue reading →

[54] Greek-Style Cooked Greens

Cover of How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman

For the record, we had this as a side dish to the “beer-glazed beans.”:http://metacookbook.com/archives/101-51-Beer-Glazed-Black-Beans-with-Bacon-and-Tomatoes!.html It’s just that it took me awhile to remember what the side dish/recipe was.

In addition, we very much did not have the 1 – 2 lbs of greens the recipe called for. However, I was not about to let THAT stop me. I’ve been struggling for most of our CSA to figure out how to properly store turnip greens for eating, and I’d found this recipe one week when I thought I had managed it. I was wrong that week, but it meant this was up my sleeve when I did finally get it right.

I really have never had collards or turnip greens or anything like that before this CSA.… Continue reading →

[53] Port-Braised Cipollini Onions

Cover of Simply Organic, by Jesse Ziff Cool

Bill is actually the person who introduced me to this UFO-shaped onion. We were shopping at “Green City Market”:http://www.chicagogreencitymarket.org/ this past winter, and saw some at the “Nichols Family Farm”:http://www.nicholsfarm.com/ booth. Bill was incredibly enthusiastic about cooking some of these guys up. So, many months later, it’s only appropriate that we make a delicious recipe based on these for his birthday.

I will say that the one of the guys at the booth, upon selling me these onions, made a bit of a snerking laugh and said, “Enjoy peeling those.” He’s right. Cipollinis are delicious, but a total pain to peel.

h2. Ingredients

1 c ruby port
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 c vegetable or chicken broth (We used chicken, since we have gobs of it in the freezer.)… Continue reading →