I'm not what you would call a pastry chef, but I'll try this...

Freshly baked Madeleins are probably as close to perfection as you can get in the baking world...not too sweet, not too cakey, just right! 
You can usually find Madeleins in bulk and individually wrapped at Costco, or sometimes Super Target carries them in their bakery, but these delicious taste treat sensations are difficult, if not impossible to find freshly baked.  I even searched the four French Bakeries in the Salt Lake Valley and NOT ONE of them makes Madeleins.
So...since we have a Madelein Pan (purchased at what I would assume was an incredibly ambitious time a few years ago), when I ran across this recipe I was very curious if this would satisfy my urge for freshly baked goodness...

Madeleines

Recipe adapted from "My Paris Kitchen" by David Lebovitz

Yield: 16 individual cakes 

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey

DIRECTIONS
Place the eggs in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed, adding the sugar a little at a time, until all the sugar is incorporated.  Turn the mixer to high and whisk until the eggs have doubled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract. Cover the bowl and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. (Remove and reserve 2 tablespoons of the butter for brushing the pans.) Add the honey and cook, stirring until smooth, about 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, about 30 minutes.
Stir the butter and honey mixture (rewarm to liquefy if necessary) into the batter until smooth. Cover the batter and allow to rest for an additional 30 minutes or up to an hour.
To make the Madeleines, preheat oven to 400°. In 2 madeleine molds, brush 16 indentations with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Using a tablespoon, fill each indentation in the molds three-quarters full with batter. The batter will be quite thick so just 'eyeball' it. Tap the pan on the counter to distribute the batter evenly. Bake until deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 30 seconds, and then tip them out onto a cooling rack.
Eat the Madeleines plain, with coffee or serve with whipped cream and strawberries.

Almost Fall in the Rockies

So, we're having our share of summer storms this year, and as usual there is a lot of thunder, lightening, and rain...gotta love the Rocky Mountains!
In wracking my brain over what to make for dinner, and looking outside to see storm clouds and rain, even though it is in the high 70's I felt the need for comfort food...Shepherd's Pie.
It has been a LONG time since the last time I had attempted this dish, and followed a recipe that was marginal at best (tweaking as I do).  I decided to give it a better try this time.  I used a large soufflé dish, and will probably make it in a lower profile dish next time, but it turned out pretty damn good, if I do say so my damn self...


SHEPHERD’S PIE
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 lbs. potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg yolk
½ cup cream
½ tsp. Mrs. Dash
½ tsp. Italian Herb seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 stick butter, divided
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 tsp. Worcestershire, eyeball it
4 dashes Soy Sauce
½ cup frozen veggies, about ½ bag, to taste
½ cup shredded cheese, whatever you like (Cheddar, Jack, Parm)
Directions:
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine 4 Tbsp. butter, sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.
While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef. Season meat with Mrs. Dash, Herbs, salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add chopped garlic, celery and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a bowl, mix butter and flour together to make a paste. Stir paste, broth, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce into meat and cook for 3-4 min. to cook out the raw flour taste. Stir in frozen veggies.
Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and veggie mixture. Sprinkle cheese over meat, then spoon on potatoes evenly.  Broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.
Serve with a simple green salad for a relatively quick, easy and comforting Fall dinner!  ENJOY!

Mid Summer Already...

Mid Summer already...

Actually, it's mid August.  Damn, where does the time go?
So much has happened since my last post, but one thing that hasn't changed is the fact that I still cook.  Maybe not quite as creatively as I have in the past, but at least we don't starve.
One of my favorite dishes, when done correctly, is Chile Verde.  I have never made it though...until now.  I think it came out pretty well.

Chile Verde
Serves 6 w/leftovers

Preheat Grill to Med/High and preheat oven to 350.

6 lb. bone in Pork Roast
Mix the following in a bowl and dry rub the pork:
-1 Tbs. Lawry's Season Salt
-1 tsp. Lemon Pepper
-1 Tbs. Garlic Powder
-1 Tbs. Cumin
-1 tsp. Oregano
Coat the pork w/Veg. Oil
Grill the pork on all sides until well browned.
Mix the following in a bowl and then add to the bottom of a large dutch oven:
1 lg. sweet onion sliced
5 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
1/2 Lemon - grilled w/Pork
1/2 Lime - grilled w/Pork
3 Bay Leaves
4 oz. 7-Up
2 cans Green Chiles
1 jar Herdez Salsa Verde

Convection Roast on 350 for at least 3 hours, until fork tender and shreds easily.  Remove lemon, lime and bay leaves toward the end of the cooking time.  Just let the juices drain out, no need to squeeze.  Not only are they hot as Hell, the rinds are bitter at that point.