Jenn's Moist Chocolate Cake

Here's another of Jenn's wonderful cakes:

--1 and 3/4 cups Flour
--3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
--2 cups Sugar
--1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
--1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
--1 tsp Salt
--1 tsp Instant Coffee
--2 Eggs
--1 cup Milk
--1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
--2 tsp Pure Vanilla
--1 cup Boiling Water

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients except the boiling water. Combine the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients. Mix well. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Turn out into cake pan (Jenn says don't use an angel food cake pan because it won't work. She uses a spring ring). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Jenn's 7-Up Cake

My accounting coworkers are a bunch of bakers. The first week Jennifer was hired, she asked everyone in the company for birth dates. For each and every birthday, she brings in a homemade cake of some sort (even to those co-workers who don't deserve cake. Here is what happens every time: First, Jenn places a cake in the kitchen. Then, she sends out an email to the company that a cake is available in honor of So-and-so's Birthday. This email is immediately followed by the thundering sound of hurried footsteps. People run for Jenn's cakes! Finally, Jenn presents the accounting department with a second cake that is just for us. We eat.

Here's one of her recipes:

--3 cups Flour
--3 cups Sugar
--5 Eggs
--1 and 1/2 cups Butter (OR 1 cup Butter plus 1/2 cup Shortening)
--2 tsp Lemon Extract
--3/4 cup Lemon-Lime Soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine flour and sugar. Beat in one egg at a time. Add the butter, then the lemon extract, then lemon-lime soda. Turn the batter out into a cake pan (Jenn says the best is a Bundt cake pan). Bake for 60 to 75 minutes.

Orange Cottage Bread

This recipe comes from The Harlow's Bread & Cracker Cookbook. The book is out of print now but, thanks to the Internet, you can still find a copy. Do so, you won't be disappointed. The author, Joan Harlow, had a wonderful little bakery in Epping, New Hampshire that our family loved to visit. It was a small red-orange painted cape and looked like a little storybook cottage, with its flower beds and bow windows.

4 cups lukewarm water

1 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbl. salt

1 tbl. fennel seed (put in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin to release the flavor)

1 orange, chopped up (include juice and grated rind)

2 tbl. dry yeast

10-12 cups bread flour

whole-egg wash

Put all the ingredients except the flour and the yeast in a large mixing bowl and combine them. Add the proofed yeast, then work in the flour a little at a time until no longer sticky.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead a bit. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled. Punch down and shape into 3 loaves. Put each loaf into a greased bread pan, brushing tops with whole-egg wash. Cover and let rise until almost doubled.

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until done. Cool on rack.

Indian Fry Bread: Low-Fat Version

The August 2009 issue of New Mexico Magazine has a great article on Indian tacos, including this low-fat version of Indian "Fry" Bread which is made without frying.

I've made these a couple of times now and they are an absolutely delicious substitute for flour tortillas. Just fold them up with some cheese, taco meat, tomatoes, lettuce, and salsa inside and you have yourself a meal.

Please check out the whole article (Indian Summer Celebration), which includes frying directions, just in case you want to try the more authentic and higher calorie version of this Southwestern classic.

3 cups unbleached flour

1 - 1/2 tbl. baking powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 - 1/8 cups warm water

Mix ingredients together, knead well for 4 or 5 minutes, adding flour as needed. You should end up with a soft and pliable dough which is no longer sticky. Cover and let rise for 1/2 an hour.

Shape the dough into 8 small balls. Roll out to 1/4" thickness, using your hands or a rolling pin, until each piece is 6" to 8" in diameter. Cook on a hot ungreased griddle for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned.

Tortas

A recent discovery of mine has been THE TORTA. It's a Mexican sandwich, kind of like a burrito on a roll. The meat inside is up to you; it's the other stuff that gives it the unique Mexican identity. I recommend something slow cooked, like roasted pork or perhaps some leftover chicken, shredded and heated up in a pan. One of my favorite breakfast sandwiches ever has chorizo and egg scrambled together and put into a torta.

--Fresh Roll
--Beans (Refried, Black Beans, or Pinto Beans)
--Sliced Fresh Avocado
--A slice of White Cheese (Queso Blanco)
--Pickled Jalapeno
--Lettuce
--Slice of Tomato
--Meat

Toast a roll. On the top bun, place the lettuce, a slice of tomato, sliced avocado and a slice of white cheese. On the bottom bun, spread beans, then lay a couple of slices of pickled jalapeno. Place your meat on top of that, then close the sandwich. Oh, I've also see recipes that include Sliced Onion, Sour Cream, and Mayonnaise. Really, it's your call!

Orange Coconut Curried Chicken

This is quick to make and (finally!) is one of my recipes that actually serves just two, maybe three.

One whole chicken breast, skinned and deboned

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp. garam masala (if you have it)

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. ground ginger (fresh ginger would be nice, too)

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice and grated rind of one orange

3 tbl. orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup grated coconut

1/3 cup plain yogurt

Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch chunks. Brown the chicken, along with the onion and garlic, in a little olive oil. Make sure all the pink is gone.

Add the chicken stock and the spices, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the fresh orange juice and the concentrate. Simmer uncovered until the liquid in the pan has reduced somewhat.

Just before serving, stir in the coconut and yogurt, stirring well. Keep the heat very low and just heat through--do not bring to another boil.

Serve immediately with rice and chutney.

Grandma Elva's Clam Chowder

How my mother loved a good chowder! She was born in New Brunswick, and lived in Maine and Massachusetts before moving out west, so I guess she knew a thing or two about making one. Of course, she probably started out making her earlier versions from freshly shucked clams, but I remember her making do quite nicely with canned clams from our inland grocery store. I don't seem to have my mom's directions written down, but I have watched her make it many times. This version from Allrecipes comes the closest. 4 slices bacon, diced 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 1 1/2 cups water 4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes 1 1/2 teaspoons salt ground black pepper to taste 3 cups half-and-half (half of this can be whole milk) 3 tablespoons butter 2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp; add onions, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and 1/2 of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil. **Now, here is where Grandma Elva added her own particular touch. After the chowder was heated through, she insisted that it should sit on the stove (off the heat) for at least an hour to develop its full flavor. Then she would carefully reheat it (no boiling, very important!) and serve it with oyster crackers. Common crackers, split and buttered, are wonderful, too.

Cheese Fondue

We couldn't have made cheese fondue too many times, but it is so much fun that I guess kids tend to remember it. Ben has asked for it, and I've found a recipe just like the one we used on 101 Cookbooks. You can check out their page for a nice discussion of fondue pots, techniques for dipping, and a list of foods to dip.

We never got too fancy--we just used cut up French bread for dunking.

1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded (or 1/2 lb Gruyere + 1/2 lb Emmental cheese)
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
A splash or two of kirsch (optional--I don't believe that we bothered)

Toss the cheese with the flour. Rub the interior of a medium saucepan with the peeled garlic. Place over medium heat and add the wine. Bring to a simmer and add the cheese mixture, one handful at a time. Stir in the nutmeg.

Stir over low heat until smooth and cheese is melted and bubbling. Add a splash or two of kirsch (opt.). Continue stirring until it starts to bubble just a bit. Transfer the cheese mixture to a fondue pot and you are ready for dipping. Continue to stir frequently.

Grandma Elva's Deviled Eggs

Grandma Elva in a devilish moment

These are simple, classic, and delicious--just the way Grandma used to make them. If you want to try some variations, be sure to visit The Deviled Egg Gourmet.

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. mustard (your choice--when Grandma made these we only had yellow mustard!)

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Paprika for garnish

Optional: A bit of relish

Mash the egg yolks with a fork, then add the rest of the ingredients (except the paprika), mixing until smooth. Taste and add more mustard, if you wish. If you need a softer mixture, add a little more mayo.

Spoon the yolk mixture back into the egg white halves, sprinkle with paprika, and arrange all on a serving plate.

Be sure to keep the eggs chilled at all times until you serve them.