Irish Coffee

Caffeine and Whisky! Woo hoo!

Hot coffee, Irish Cream, Irish whisky, sugar and heavy cream...come on y'all. It can't get much better than that. Unless of course you have a couple, and then you start calling it Caife Gaelach,which just sounds like it's awesome. It originated in Ireland, where there are a variety of claimants for the crown of inventor. But it's generally agreed that nearly frozen American tourists were given a nice friendly jot of Irish Whisky in a cup of coffee to warm them up. Can we give a big hurrah for Irish hospitality?



Unless...and here's the kicker with this lovely little adult beverage - you use cheap ingredients. This is one of those times when there are so few ingredients, that each one needs to be the best you can obtain. I personally like this with a heavy French Roast coffee, homemade Irish cream, brown sugar and a layer of nice heavy cream. One trick to this? Make sure you use sugar in the coffee - otherwise the cream won't float on top. And when adding the cream, pour it carefully over the back of a spoon so it will layer correctly on top of the coffee. If you don't, the cream will just mix into the coffee, and then you've messed it up. The penalty is to drink it yourself and start over. Uh...yeah.

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rate or flag this pageTweet thisBy DixieMockingbird







Caffeine and Whisky! Woo hoo!

Hot coffee, Irish Cream, Irish whisky, sugar and heavy cream...come on y'all. It can't get much better than that. Unless of course you have a couple, and then you start calling it Caife Gaelach,which just sounds like it's awesome. It originated in Ireland, where there are a variety of claimants for the crown of inventor. But it's generally agreed that nearly frozen American tourists were given a nice friendly jot of Irish Whisky in a cup of coffee to warm them up. Can we give a big hurrah for Irish hospitality?



Unless...and here's the kicker with this lovely little adult beverage - you use cheap ingredients. This is one of those times when there are so few ingredients, that each one needs to be the best you can obtain. I personally like this with a heavy French Roast coffee, homemade Irish cream, brown sugar and a layer of nice heavy cream. One trick to this? Make sure you use sugar in the coffee - otherwise the cream won't float on top. And when adding the cream, pour it carefully over the back of a spoon so it will layer correctly on top of the coffee. If you don't, the cream will just mix into the coffee, and then you've messed it up. The penalty is to drink it yourself and start over. Uh...yeah.





Ingredients

Might as well brew a whole pot of coffee. No telling how many times you'll have to do this to get it right.



You'll need:



•1 (1 1/2 ounces) jigger Irish cream liqueur

•1 (1 1/2 ounces) jigger Irish whiskey

•1 cup (6-8 ounces) hot brewed coffee

•1 teaspoon heavy cream

•1 tablespoon heavy cream

•1 dash ground nutmeg

1.In a coffee mug, combine Irish cream and Irish whiskey.

2.Fill mug with coffee. Add sugar and stir well.

3.Carefully, using the back of a spoon as a break, pour cream on top of the coffee.

4.Top with a dash of freshly grated nutmeg.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

The American way to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day!


The Irish of a hundred years ago wouldn't recognize this dish - it's an American adaptation. That doesn't mean it's not delicious - and it consistently hits "Top Ten" lists of comfort foods. But when the Irish arrived on American shores, they were looking to recreate a more traditional, truly Irish dish - Irish Boiled Bacon and Cabbage. Because American bacon was far different from what was known on the Emerald Isle, they turned to a close equivalent. That was corned beef - and therefore Americans came to associate this dish with the Irish.



Now - if you want the best Corned Beef ever - brine it yourself. It really doesn't take much effort, and you'll be amply rewarded for the bit of extra effort with the payoff in flavor. You really will be delighted. If not, of course you can use commercial corned beef. Either way, this dish is hearty and comforting, and the flavors pop - you'll be proud to share this one!

Ingredients


You'll Need:



•3 pounds corned beef brisket, rinsed

•2 bay leaves

•2 teaspoons peppercorns

•4 whole allspice

•2 whole cloves

•8 small red potatoes, halved

•4 large carrots, cut 1" thick pieces

•2 pounds cabbage, cut into wedges

•2 quarts water (more or less, just to cover corned beef)

Directions


1. Preheat oven to 300F.

2.Place the corned beef in a large Dutch oven, and add the bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice berries and cloves. Cover with water.

3.Bring pot to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover the pot, and place it into the preheated oven.

4.Braise until the corned beef is very tender, about 4 hours. Alternately, you can transfer the corned beef brisket and liquid to a slow cooker and cook for about 8 hours.

5.Place the corned beef on a cutting board, and cover tightyly with foil to allow it to rest, and to keep it warm. Place Dutch oven with cooking liquid onto the stovetop. Add cabbage, potaotes and carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

6.Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Thinly slice the corned beef across the grain. Ladle some of the cooking liquid over the corned beef and season with pepper. Serve immediately with the mustard, parsley or horseradish sauce.



Nutritional Information

507.5 Calories, 33.7g Total Fat, 11.0g Saturated Fat, 58.1% Calories from Fat, 166.7g Cholesterol, 1,977.5mg Sodium, 294.9 Calories from Fat, 19.2g Carbohydrate, 5.47g Dietary Fiber, 33.8g Protein

Parsley Sauce


You'll need:



•4 tablespoons unsalted butter, Irish Butter if you can find it!

•4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

•1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the corned beef

•1 1/4 cups milk, heated

•Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

•1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for about three minutes, whisking well to form a smooth paste.

2.Whisk in the cooking liquid from the bacon, stirring constantly. Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly.

3.Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for five minutes, or until thickened.

4.Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley. Serve hot with boiled bacon or corned beef and cabbage.

Nutritional Information

89.7 Calories, 7.1g Total Fat, 4.4g Saturated Fat, 70.3% Calories from Fat, 20.9g Cholesterol, 62.0mg Sodium, 63.1 Calories from Fat, 18.3g Carbohydrate, 0.11g Dietary Fiber, 1.8g Protein


Mustard Sauce


You'll Need:



•3 tablespoons butter



•1 small onion, diced



•2 cloves garlic, minced



•1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard



•1 cup dry white wine, I use a Chardonney



•1 cup corned beef cooking liquid, plus more as needed



•1 1/2 cups half-and-half, plus more as needed



•Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1.In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, and saute the onion and garlic for five to seven minutes, or until onion is translucent.

2.Stir in mustard and wine, and bring to a boil. Whisk in bacon cooking liquid and half and half and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook whisking constantly, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by half.

3.Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper. If you wish to adjust texture, add a touch more half and half. Serve with the Irish Boiled Bacon or Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Nutritional Information

126.1 Calories, 9.6g Total Fat, 5.9g Saturated Fat, 67.0% Calories from Fat, 28.4g Cholesterol, 65.8mg Sodium, 84.5 Calories from Fat, 3.8g Carbohydrate, 0.23g Dietary Fiber, 1.7g Protein

Horseradish Sauce


You'll Need



•1 cup mayonnaise

•1 cup sour cream

•1/3 cup horseradish, grated

•1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

•2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

•1 teaspoon pepper





Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.



Nutritional Information

176.8 Calories, 15.9g Total Fat, 5.2g Saturated Fat, 79.3% Calories from Fat, 20.3g Cholesterol, 1,003.0mg Sodium, 140.2 Calories from Fat, 8.4g Carbohydrate, 0.08g Dietary Fiber, 1.2g Protein

St. Patrick's Day Cake, Guinness Cake or the Car Bomb Cake

You may be familiar with the cocktail known as an Irish Car Bomb - Guinness with Irish Cream and Irish Whisky. This cake is based on the same flavors, but is much easier to deal with the next morning.



While both the cake and the frosting contains alcohol, you'll be surprised at the finished result. The Guinness in the cake batter provides for a moist and tender crumb in the finished product, and the cocoa really shines through. The Irish Cream frosting is the perfect compliment to the cocoa cake - with just the merest hints of caramel and whisky coming out. Matter of fact - you won't want to save this for the once a year St. Patrick's Day thing. Whip this out anytime you want something absolutely delicious and beautiful to look at - and you'll be Bombshell! Pun intended this time...

Ingredients

•1 cup Guinness

•1 cup (2 sticks) butter

•3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

•2 eggs

•2/3 cup sour cream

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•2 cups sugar

•1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

•3/4 teaspoon salt
Directions


1.Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 nine inch cake pans, and line with parchment paper.

2.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer. Once all butter is melted, remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool.

3.In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream together until fully combined. Add the Guinness misture and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

4.In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Pour the Guinness mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together gently with a rubber spatula. Divide the mixture among the prepared pans.

5.Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean and the tops are slightly springy to the touch. Allow cakes to cool in their pans for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

6.Frost with Irish Cream Frosting, and garnish with Chocolate Ganache Glaze (recipes following).

Irish Cream Frosting

You'll Need



•3 cups powdered sugar

•1/2 cup butter, room temperature

•3 tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur (such as Baileys)

1.In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, scraping down sides of bowl until fully incorporated.

2.One tablespoon at a time, beat in Irish Cream Liqueur until the frosting is the desired consistency, spreadable but not too thin.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

You'll Need:



•8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

•2/3 cup heavy cream

•2 tablespoons butter at room temperature

1.Place the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl.

2.In a small saucepan, bring cream to a full boil. Pour cream over the chopped chocolate, and stir in the butter.

3.Stir the mixture until the chocolate and butter are fully melted, and the chocolate is smooth and glossy.

4.Allow to cool until the mixture is just a bit over room temperature. Pour in drizzles over the frosted cake.

Jam Muffins

There isn't anything very much better than freshly made, warm muffins. Unless it's a freshly made, warm muffin with a center of sweet jam. That's what these are - lovely little treats with a hidden surprise inside.



Pick any type of jam you wish for these little beauties - at our house the Precious Darlings love strawberry jam, and it's usually what I have on hand. But you can choose anything you like. Raspberry, blackberry or apricot work wonderfully too - so feel free to choose whatever your own favorite it.



As with any muffins, the trick to these is to not over mix the batter - that will toughen up the muffins and ruin the texture. Stir the dry ingredients in just until they are moistened, but no more. They'll be lumpy - but that's a good thing. And when you pull these out of the oven, make sure you let them rest for a couple of minutes before you pull them from the pan, or the jam will run out all over instead of staying put inside. That's all there is to it!

Ingredients

You'll need:



•2 cups all-purpose flour

•1/2 cup white sugar

•1 tablespoon baking powder

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•3/4 cup buttermilk

•1/3 cup vegetable oil

•1 egg

•6 tablespoons any flavor fruit jam, divided

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

•½ cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional)

Directions


1.Preheat oven to 400F. Grease the bottoms only of a 12 cup muffin pan or line the pan with muffin cups.

2.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

3.In a small mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, egg and four tablespoons of the jam. Blend well. Add dry ingredients all at once, and fold together just until moistened. Batter will be lumpy, but don't over mix or muffins will be tough.

4.Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full - the easiest way to do this is with an ice cream scoop or disher so each muffin is exactly the same size. Drop 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining jam on top of each muffin, pressing jam into batter. Sprinkle tops of the muffins with nuts or coconut if you wish.

5.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm.

Store leftovers tightly covered. If you wish, you can microwave cold muffins for just a few seconds before serving.



 

Green Bean Casserole

My mother didn't make green bean casserole. There - that skeleton is finally out of the closet.

I never had this stuff until I was at least college age, and possibly older, so it wasn't part of the set of memories or beloved dishes that appeared on our holiday tables. I honestly can't remember exactly where I was when I first encountered it, but I do have to say I wasn't enamoured. The onions on top were ok, but tasted artifical (I think the canned ones might be), and while creamy mushroom sauce is usually terrific on anything, the beans had been frozen and the texure was just not lovely.



A few years ago I started experimenting with recipes that typically used canned or prepackaged ingredients, among them the cream of mushroom soup that really is rather indispensible in so many casseroles. I came up with a way to make a really quick and easy mushroom sauce that I started throwing in all kinds of dishes. It just tastes better. Don't get me wrong - I keep the canned soup in my own pantry. But if I have fresh mushrooms, and I usually do, than I much prefer making the quick sauce than popping the top on the canned stuff. And fresh vegetable are always better than frozen or canned ones. The result for this casserole is so much better tasting - so much creamier and satisfying, that the few extra steps are well worth it. Give this version a try - I'm pretty confident you'll decide this one is the new comfort food you want on your table!

Ingredients


You'll Need:



For the Onion Topping:



•1/2 cup very thinly sliced onion

•1/4 cup flour

•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

•1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the Casserole:

•1 pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half

•1 tablespoon vegetable oil

•1/2 cup onion, diced

•8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, chopped

•2 teaspoons kosher salt

•½ teaspoon garlic powder

•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•1 cup chicken broth

•1 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

•¼ cup half and half

•1 cup sour cream

•2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, for garnish

Directions






1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.



2. To make the onions for the topping, combine the onion slices, flour, garlic powder and salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss to coat.



3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Sauté onions until golden, about ten minutes. Remove onions from skillet and set aside.



4. While the onions are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and prepare an ice water bath. Season the water with salt, and add green beans. Cook beans until tender but still crispy, about five minutes. Drain beans and immediately place in ice water bath. Allow green beans to chill fully, then drain and set aside.



5. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add vegetable oil, and sauté onions, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté onions for three minutes.



6. Add the chicken broth and thyme, and bring mixture up to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until nearly all the liquid is gone, about ten minutes.



7. Turn off heat, and add half and half and sour cream. Whisk well to combine. Pour mushroom mixture over green beans.



8. Transfer green bean mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until heated through and beginning to bubble at the edges. Place onions on top of casserole, and cook an additional five minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Beef Stew, Comfort Food Done Righ

I have to admit, most of the time when I make beef stew, it's from a leftover pot roast. It's just good - and a super easy way to produce a second meal from leftovers - especially when you plan on the leftovers. It's hard to get better than that.

Hard - but not impossible. If you want beef stew from scratch, without the intervening pot roast, then I can almost guarantee you'll be spoiled. This stew is just about perfect - rich and hearty, with juicy, succulent pieces of beef and tender vegetables, all cloaked in a phenomenally flavorful gravy. This stew shares some elements with some of the world's finest classic dishes - such as Irish Lamb Stew, Beef and Guinness and Boef Bourgignon - the long slow cooking with a touch of alcohol results in amazing flavors. Sure - the pot roast version is fast and easy - and tastes good. But this way is the ultimate comfort food way.



Serve this stew with just about any type of bread, but crusty Italian or sourdough is fabulous, as are either Cheddar or Buttermilk Biscuits. And with most stews, it gets even better the second day.



Ingredients


You'll need:



•3 pounds cubed beef stew meat, or better, 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into one inch pieces

•1/2 cup flour

•2 teaspoons garlic powder

•2 teaspoons onion powder

•2 teaspoons kosher salt

•2 teaspoons black pepper

•3 tablespoons vegetable oil

•1/2 cup red wine (white will work in a pinch but red is better)

•4 cups beef broth

•1 teaspoon dried rosemary

•1 teaspoon dried parsley

•1 tablespoon tomato paste

•1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

•4 large waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed

•4 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

•4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

•2 large onions, chopped

•2 tablespoons cornstarch

•2 tablespoons cold water

•Optionals - garnish with fresh chopped parsley, or toss in a cup of frozen peas just at the very end so they just heat through - the bright fresh flavors of both just pop.

Directions


1.Place flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl or gallon size baggie and whisk well. Add cubed stew meat or chuck roast pieces and toss to coat.

2.in a large Dutch oven, heat oil. Working in batches so as not to crowd the meat, brown beef on all sides. As each batch is done, set it aside.

3.Once all beef is browned, deglazed the pot with the red wine, stirring to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the beef broth, rosemary, parsley, tomato paste, and worchestershire sauce.

4.Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and allow pot to simmer for one hour.

5.Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions to the pot. Stir well. In a small bowl, make a paste of the cornstarch and water. Add to the pot. Cover and simmer for one hour.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

I start out to make muffins with the best of intentions - meaning to use applesauce in place of oil, and whole wheat flour. But somewhere along the way I begin to channel Julia Child, and before I know it I've not only doubled the sugar, but added stuff like extra berries and more sugar in a topping, and slathered the whole thing in butter.




That's what happend here. I actually had the applesauce sitting on the counter, next to the whole wheat flour. I just couldn't resist the whole 'semi-cupcake' thing - especially when my litte muffin-head Bladen started jumping up and down saying "you make the BEST muffins Mom!". Nobody could resist the attempt to go over the top in the face of that little pixie kid egging you on. I will say though - an entire double batch of 24 presented to the Precious Darlings and two of their friends disappeared within one half hour session at the breakfast table. That's four muffins per kid. Picky kids at that.



That's a good muffin, mon amis.

Ingredients:

You'll Need:



(Makes 12 - recipe doubles easily)



For the Muffin Batter:



•2 eggs

•2/3 cup sugar

•2/3 cup light brown sugar

•½ cup vegetable oil

•1 teaspoons vanilla extract

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•Several grates fresh nutmeg

•1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon baking soda

•1 cup sour cream

•1 1/2 cups blueberries

For the Struesel Topping:



•1/4 cup brown sugar

•1/2 cup all purpose flour

•3 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces

•1 tsps cinnamon

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400F. Either grease and flour a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.

2.In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, then add sugar and beat well. Add oil and vanilla, stirring to combine well.

3.In a seperate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.

4.Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then half the sour cream, mixing after each addition. Mix only as much as necessary - overmixing will mean tough muffins. Repeat with the remainder of the flour mixture and sour cream.

5.Gently fold in blueberries.

6.Make streusel topping my combining flour, butter, sugar and flour in a small bowl. With a pastry cutter or your fingertips, pinch butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

7.Using a disher or ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with a generous tablespoon of the struesel topping.

8.Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. A wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of the muffins should come clean.

9.Allow muffins to cool for a minute on a wire rack - but serve warm!

Homemade Irish Cream

All righty - I couldn't let another St. Patrick's Day come my way without dabbling a bit with Irish Whisky. And while I'm perfectly happy with it neat, I've been dabbling a good bit with desserts lately - so making my own Irish Cream was a natural.



I wish I'd done this years ago.



I love using this stuff in baking - an Irish Cream Cake is a little piece of heaven, as is a Chocolate Guinness Cake with Irish Cream Frosting. But honestly - this little concoction is so unbelievably Bombshell that the very best way to have it is on the rocks. Ok - you may add it to your coffee if you want the best Irish Coffee ever. I will say that you need to be a bit careful with it - depending on how strong you make it, it can deliver quite a kick. So go easy on the whisky at first, especially if you're going to drink it neat or on the rocks. If you are going to mix it further for other applications, knock yourself out with the whisky.



I think I need to make a cake. Oh shoot. I need to make another batch of Irish Cream...

Ingredients


You'll Need:



•2 cups heavy cream

•2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

•2 cups Irish whiskey (more to taste if you wish!)

•2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

•¼ cup chocolate syrup

•2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1.In an electric blender, combine cream, condensed milk, whisky, instant coffee, chocolate syrup, vanilla extract and almond extract.

2.Blend on high for about 30 seconds. Taste - feel free to add more whisky if you like it stronger. Be careful adding it to your morning coffee though - you may not get much done.

3.Store in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, and shake well before serving.

A couple of notes on customizing this luscious stuff:



Go easy on the whisky and almond extract when you first make this. You can always add more of either but you can't take it out once it's in there. The almond is necessary, but can very quickly overwhelm the other flavors.



If you wish, you can melt baking or milk chocolate with the cream in a small saucepan over low heat instead of using chocolate syrup. There are subtle differences in flavor, but it's all delicious. To go really decadent, use a premium brand of chocolate.



If you like a thinner Irish Cream, the use half and half or whole milk instead of the heavy cream. Cream gives a thick result, more like a milkshake in consistency. My own preference is for using half half and half, and half whole milk. The creaminess is still there but the texture is much lighter. If you wish to sip it on the rocks I like this version. If you wish to mix it with coffee, I like the heavier version with cream.



The flavors come together as the Irish Cream sits in the fridge. By the day after you make it, it will be even better.



If you wish to use this as gifts you'll quickly be every body's favorite person.

Sweet Corn Muffins

My boy Bladen is a serious muffin head. A few years ago I was poking around, looking for a way to lessen the sugar in his favorite food. I came across a sweet corn muffin recipe - and it was magic. Now - it completely failed as far as lessening the sugar thing. But the flavor of these little beauties was fantastic. It faintly dawned no me that it was a variation of the heretical cornbread made up north of the Mason Dixon line, but Bladen was so enamored of them that I couldn't bring myself to care. Besides - these were sweet muffins, not made as cornbread, so I felt like I wasn't violating my Southern roots. Too much.



These are just delicious - they are tender, moist and sweet - but with a few kudos to me, not too sweet, although there is definitely sugar in them. Feel free to cut it back a bit if you like. They're less sweet than a standard muffin, and far more so than a typical dinner roll, and all of the kids eat them like crazy. They go great in place of bread with pork or chicken either one, and I often make these with different types of soup - especially lentils or split peas. The sweet cornbready thing goes really well with the hearty dried beans. Hey - for that matter, if you nuke them for a second they're great leftover for breakfast. Give these a shot - you'll like how different they are from typical muffins, and find yourself reaching for this recipe time and again!

Ingredients


• 1/2 cups all-purpose flour



•1 cup sugar

•3/4 cup cornmeal

•1 tablespoon baking powder

•1/2 teaspoon salt

•2 eggs

•1/2 cup shortening

•1 cup milk, divided

Directions


1.Preheat oven to 350F.

2.Grease and flour, or line with paper muffin cups, a 12 cup muffin pan.

3.In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cornmeal and baking powder.

4.In a second bowl combine eggs, shortening and 1/2 cup of milk. Beat well, until fully combined.

5.Add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat well, until fully combined. Add remaining half cup of milk.

6.Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full - an ice cream scoop or disher works best for this since they'll all be exactly the same.

7.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted into the middle of an interior muffin (interior of the muffin pan) tests done by coming out clean. The tops of the muffins should be springy to the touch.

8.Allow muffins to cool for ten minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or room temperature. Wrap extras well and store for up to 2 days.

Irish Bacon and Cabbage

Adapting the Irish National Dish to American Supplies

As St. Patrick's Day rolls around every year, many Americans break out the recipes for corned beef and cabbage. This actually is an American dish (although a delicious one). In Ireland, if there is a national dish, it would either be an Irish Stew such as Irish Lamb Stew or Beef and Guinness, or Bacon and Cabbage.



Bacaon and Cabbage will confuse many American readers - simply because what we think of as bacon is completely different than what is thought of as bacon in Ireland. So if you're going to make this recipe (and you should, it is AWESOME), then be aware that you'll have to do a little hunting to find the real thing.



American bacon is made from pork belly, and it cured, smoked, then cooked until crispy. Irish bacon is made from pork back or loin, is much leaner (although it does still have some fat), and is cured but not smoked. In Ireland, American bacon is called 'streaky bacon'. Americans should think of something closer to Canadian Bacon, American ham, or Italian Pancetta. All three will work as substitutes in in recipes calling for Irish Bacon, but if you can, take the time and effort to find real Irish Bacon. You'll thank me.



Now additionally, there's another cut known as Irish Boiling Bacon, which is made from the shoulder. That's what is used in this recipe. In America, look for a pork butt, or picnic shoulder - the same cuts Southerners use to make pulled pork. That's a good thing - because these are not only easy to find, but relatively inexpensive. Certainly a lot less than bacon of any kind - American, Irish OR Italian. The trick to getting something closer to Irish boiling bacon will be to brine it - exactly like you'd brine chicken or turkey. For more information on brines, including video instruction, check out Basic Brine for Poultry.

Bacon & Cabbage:




•2 to 2 1/2 pounds Irish bacon - or if you're stuck with American supplies:

•2 to 2 1/2 pounds pork butt or shoulder, brined as in Basic Brine

•1 medium head cabbage, cored and quartered



•Serve with either Parsley Sauce or Mustard Sauce (recipes below)

•Serve with simple boiled potatoes, or with Colcannon, boiled turnips or carrots

Directions


1.Place the bacon (brined pork butt) in a large Dutch oven and cover with cold water. Place over medium heat, bringing the pot slowly up to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, and simmer the bacon for about an hour and a half. The general rule of thumb is to simmer for half an hour per pound.



2.Skim the top of the pot occasionally to remove and foam that will come to the top. This is just coagulated protein - but you don't really want it. Once done, the meat will be for tender. That's what you're looking for.

3.About twenty minutes before the meat is due to be done, add the cabbage to the pot. Don't put it in any earlier - you want the cabbage to still be a touch crisp - and overcooked cabbage smells like sulfur. Tastes a bit like it as well - so don't over cook it. You'll turn something lovely into something that tastes and smells a bit like brimstone. That's not Luscious.

4.Pull the bacon out and place it on a platter or carving board to rest. Don't rush this - all meats need to rest before cutting or they'll be dry. So allow you're bacon ten minutes - think of it as the rest time after a good workout. The bacon needs a moment to get it's act together before you slice it.

5.Drain the cabbage while the bacon rests, and place it in a serving bowl. Make sure to reserve some of the cooking liquid to use in making one of the sauces. To serve the bacon, slice it thinly. Serve with potatoes, turnips, colcannon or carrots. The bacon really benefits from an intensely flavored sauce.

6.All done - Happy St. Patrick's Day! Or any other, come to think of it!





Parsley Sauce

•4 tablespoons unsalted butter, Irish Butter if you can find it!

•4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

•1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the bacon

•1 1/4 cups milk, heated

•Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

•1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley



In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for about three minutes, whisking well to form a smooth paste.

•Whisk in the cooking liquid from the bacon, stirring constantly. Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly.

•Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for five minutes, or until thickened.

•Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley. Serve hot with boiled bacon.
Mustard Sauce


•3 tablespoons butter



•1 small onion, diced



•2 cloves garlic, minced



•1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard



•1 cup dry white wine, I use a Chardonney



•1 bacon cooking liquid, plus more as needed



•1 1/2 cups half-and-half, plus more as needed



•Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1.In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, and saute the onion and garlic for five to seven minutes, or until onion is translucent.

2.Stir in mustard and wine, and bring to a boil. Whisk in bacon cooking liquid and half and half and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook whisking constantly, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by half.

3.Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper. If you wish to adjust texture, add a touch more half and half. Serve with the Irish Boiled Bacon.

Irish Lamb Stew

You don't want to save this stew for St. Patrick's Day. There are too many awesome things about it to hold it for a special occasion. Or maybe pull it out for more special occasions - because it's delicious. Rich, hearty and filling, the flavors in this stew just make you want to close your eyes and savor every bite.




There are a couple of things to keep in mind with this stew though. It actually is better after a day or two - so put it together ahead of time and it just gets better and better. If you want, you can certainly prepare it in a slow cooker. Assemble it up to right before you add the vegetables, allow it to cook on low all day, and at the end of the day, add the vegetables and give it another hour on high. Other wise the veggies will become mushy.



If you'd like you can substitue the white wine for either red wine or Guiness. I just happen to like the white wine with the lamb. And of course you'll want to serve it with some fresh buttered Irish Soda Bread!

Ingredients


You'll Need:



•1 pound thick sliced bacon diced

•3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or boneless leg of lamb, well trimmed and cut into one inch cubes

•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

•1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

•1/3 cup all-purpose flour

•3 cloves garlic, minced

•1 large onion, chopped

•1/3 cup water

•2 1/2 cups beef stock

•1 teaspoon sugar

•4 medium carrots, diced

•2 medium onions, diced

•2 large potatoes, peeled and diced

•4-5 sprigs fresh thyme

•2 bay leaves

•3/4 cup white wine

Directions


1.Over medium heat, in a large Dutch oven, cook bacon until brown and crispy. Drain and set aside.

2.In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt and pepper. Add lamb pieces, and coat evenly. Working in batches, brown lamb pieces in bacon fat. Don't add too much to the pan at once - or they'll steam instead of brown. Be patient and add no more than a single layer at once, making sure the pieces don't touch. As they brown, remove the brown pieces from pan and set them aside. Once finished with all pieces, drain any excess fat.There probably won't be any.

3.Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook until onion turns golden. Deglaze pot with water, and add bacon, beef stock, sugar and browned lamb pieces to the onions and garlic.

4.Bring pot to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours.

5.Add remaining ingredients to the pot, cover and simmer for half an hour, or until vegetables are tender. Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper.

Simple Chocolate Frosting

Simple, perfect, chocoate frosting.

I have weired kids. It's my own fault - their entire lives they've been the test subjects for my recipes and experiments. That's great in a way, because they all eat well, understand what it means to cook (and can do it themselves), and try new foods and flavors readily.



On the other hand, they also live under the impression that they're all budding food critics. While my attitude is 'shut up and eat it - I fixed it and it's your supper', they have no problem popping off "it's good Mom, but I think you need a bit more acid in the pan sauce. And the sear on that steak could have been a bit deeper, couldn't it?"



Bear with me - I know this is about chocolate frosting. I do have a point. It's this - all four of my kids like different types of chocolate frosting. The youngest is perfect happy with a stick of butter held together with a bit of cocoa and ten pounds of powdered sugar. The middle one lives for cream cheese frosting of all kinds, but the oldest - he's a problem. He is so particular about cakes and frosting that most of the time he greets a big fat towering piece of layer cake with a pen and paper, in order to list everything I did wrong. He wants sweet - but not cloying so. He wants chocolate, but it should be between milk chocolate and bittersweet. He likes a lot of frosting - but not too much, and never so it competes with the cake.



Ergo - this is Ricky's frosting. It meets all the criteria of the world's youngest and most knowledgeable food critic. It is exactly what it seems - a simple, chocolate frosting. It goes perfectly on lots of chocolate cakes and cupcakes, but our favorite is the Old Fashioned Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. Even if you have normal kids (or adults, my Dad loves this stuff), they'll most likely love this frosting. And if you have a weirdo like mine - this one will take the cake.

Ingredients

You'll Need:



•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

•3/4 cup cocoa

•4 cups powdered sugar

•1/2 cup milk

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter until lightly fluffy.

2.Add cocoa, and beat until well combined.

3.Working a cup at a time, starting and ending with milk or cream, add powdered sugar a half cup at a time. Reserve a couple tablespoons of cream until after the vanilla is added. (You'll do that next).

4.Add the vanilla, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, and make sure everything is well incorporated.

5.Test the consistency. You want it spreadable, not stiff enough to hold it's shape. Use it to frost anything you like - cupcakes, sheet cakes, brownies - you name it!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Making do...with Bombshell results!


Although I won't swear to it, I think this is a Depression Era recipe, and it makes perfect sense if you think about it. When oil, butter and eggs were terribly expensive, home cooks could make use of the ingredients from mayonnaise is made (oil and eggs), and still produce decandent chocolate cakes for their families. The cool thing is that these cakes actually were delicious - and it's hard to find one that is more moist than this. Ask someone who went through the Depression about a mayonnaise cake, and chances are you'll see that dreamy look, along with "my grandmother used to make a cake that was SO good...". That's exactly what this is.



I made just a couple of changes to the very traditional mayonnaise cake, to brighten up and intensify both the chocolate flavor and the faint 'tang' in the background that sets it off so beautifully. The cake also goes together in a snap, and is perfectly paired with a simple chocolate frosting. The result is moist, delicious, not too sweet and perfectly chocolate. They knew what they were doing in the Depression - making do with what they had, and still producing food that was worthy enough of a deep "mmm hmmm!". That's Bombshell in any era!

Ingredients


You'll Need:



· 2 cups flour



· 1/2 cup cocoa



· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda



· 1/4 teaspoon salt



· 1 cup sugar



· 3/4 cup mayonnaise



· 1/2 cup cold coffee



· ½ cup sour cream



· 2 teaspoons vanilla



Frost with vanilla buttercream, cream cheese frosting or chocolate frosting. The favorite frosting in our house is the simple chocolate frosting - not too sweet and a perfect compliment to the moist cake!

Directions


1. Butter and flour two nine inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 325F.

2.In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

3.In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and mayonnaise.

4.Add the coffee, sour cream and vanilla, mixing well.

5.Add the flour/cocoa mixture to the sugar/mayonnaise mixture, and stir until compeltely blended.

6.Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops of the batter with a knife or offset spatula.

7.Bake at 325F for twenty minutes, turning and rotating pans halfway through cooking time. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire cooling racks. Allow to cool completley before frosting with Chocolate Frosting.




 

Tortellini Soup

Although for breakfast and supper, I usually have at least 6-8 people around my table, at lunch time it's often just myself, or at most my Dad and brother join me during their lunchtimes. This leaves me either digging for leftovers, or actually skipping lunch, since cooking for just one is no fun at all. Even worse - when I run out for fast food. That stuff will kill you. Not good.



One of my resolutions lately was to stop skipping meals, and to avoid fast food at (almost) any cost. On the other hand I really don't want to put too much time into lunch, so I've come up with several quick meals that can come together quickly. One of my favorites is soup - with a good homemade chicken broth and a few ingredients, you have an endless variety of flavor profiles. Pick a starch (potatoes, pasta, rice), a protein (chicken, pork, beef, cheese, seafood) and some veggies (onion, garlic, celery, carrot, bell pepper, peas, spinach), and some herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, cilantro) and you're good to go.



In this case I built the soup around store bought cheese tortellini - and the result was fantastic. The broth is key - so if you must use canned or boxed broth, be careful to taste and adjust the seasonings. You may need to increase the herbs to get rid of the 'canned' taste. Or throw in a bouillon cube to enrich it some. This one works for lunch - but it's just as good for supper time. A little garlic bread and some green veggies and the meal is done!

•1 tablespoon olive oil

•½ small onion, diced

•2 cloves garlic, minced

•6 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade

•1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes

•1 teaspoon oregano

•1 teaspoon thyme

•1 teaspoon parsley

•Pinch red pepper flakes

•Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

•10 ounces spinach, rinsed and chopped

•2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

•1 (16 ounce) package prepared cheese tortellini, thawed

Directions


1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Set aside.



2. In the meantime, in a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant and onion becomes slightly translucent.



3. Add broth, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, parsley and red pepper. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Taste, and adjust for kosher salt and black pepper. Add fresh spinach, and simmer for 5 minutes. You can also toss in cubed cooked chicken, or a handful of fresh or frozen peas - just add these with the tortellini and allow them to heat through.



4. Add tortellini to the chicken broth, and simmer another minute, or until just heated through.



5. Serve with fresh Parmesan.



A couple of easy changes - feel free to substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. You can also add small cubed carrot or celery, just saute these other vegetables with the onion and garlic. Also fabulous is leftover sauteed Italian sausage, or meatballs of any kind. This lovely little base soup is very adaptable!

Refried Beans

Refried beans are a staple of both Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisines, and there are many variations on how to prepare them. Tex-Mex cooking uses mainly pinto beans, while further south refried beans may be made with other varieties such as red or black beans. In any case they are delicious.




Sure you can open a can - but this little dish is super simple to prepare and once you taste the 'real' homemade kind, you'll most likely turn your nose up at the prepackaged stuff. Homemade just tastes better. Not only that - but you can tweak the recipe to your heart's content. Traditional refried beans are literally cooked twice - once as they simmer, and a second time fried in lard after they are mashed.



Now - I have no problem with pork of any kind, including lard. But for this dish I just skip that step. There is a slight difference in the taste and 'feel' of the finished dish - but you'll barely notice it. And for me it's not necessarily a fat issue - it's just faster to do it this way. If you wish, feel free to pop some lard or bacon fat in a skillet and fry up the mashed beans. You can add additional onion or jalapeno or chopped tomato at that stage if you like. Since i usually have a table full of kids and brothers waiting to devour what I cook - I cut the final step. Everyone is happy.



Now one note - season the beans as you cook them. There are lots of places out there that will tell you that salting beans at the beginning of cooking will prevent them from getting tender. THAT'S NOT TRUE. If you don't salt at the beginning, the beans will really never taste 'seasoned', and will be salty instead. So season as you go (it's acids like tomatoes that cause beans to stay too hard in cooking).

Ingredients

You'll Need:



•1 onion, peeled and halved

•3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed

•1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped - you can also use serranos for more heat, or pablanos for less heat

•2 tablespoons minced garlic

•1 1/2 tablespoons salt

•1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

•1 bay leaf

•1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional

•1 1/2 quarts water

Optionals:



•1/4 cup lard

•1/2 cup diced onion

•2 Roma tomatoes, diced

•1-2 jalapenos, diced

•1/2 cup cheese - Cheddar, Monterray Jack or cojto cheese

Directions


1. Rinse and pick over dried beans. Place them with the onion, pepper, garlic salt, pepper and bay leaf in the insert of a slow cooker. Alternately, place them in a large, heavy Dutch oven (you'll use very low heat or an oven set at 250F). Add enough water to cover - you may need a bit more or less than the quart and a half. The goal is to keep them covered by about an inch or so during cooking time. Stir to combine.



2. If using a slow cooker, set the cooker to high, and allow beans to cook for about eight hours. You want them tender, but not mushy. You can also use a low oven, or a stove top set to low. If using the stovetop though, don't leave the house!



3. Once the beans are tender, drain off the cooking liquid, but don't toss it out. You'll want it in a minute. With a potato masher, mash the beans, adding just enough cooking liquid to obtain the right consistency. You can use a food processor or blender if you wish, but be careful - the texture can quickly become too soft.



4. You can serve the beans at this point - which is what I normally do. You can also top them with cheese and bake them in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Try Monterray Jack or cojito. If you want to go a step further, toward more traditional refried beans, then combine the beans with about 1/4 cup of lard, 1/2 diced onion, and a couple of diced Roma tomatoes. Add a diced jalapeno or two, and bake in a 350F oven for 45 minutes.