Red Velvet Cake - gourmet cake makin' with Nikki

Red Velvet Cake with Caramel Pastry Cream and Frangelico Ganache

So Nikki's roommate's birthday was coming up and she needed a secret kitchen to make a delicious cake! I made dinner while she made the yummy cake. I didn't really help except for making the Frangelico Ganache with was AMAZING...but this cake was pretty labor and time intensive. She used beets in the cake (probably for the red coloring traditionally) which I thought would be weird but was actually quite amazing. The cake came out more chocolately than red, but it was a great first attempt and it tasted AMAZING!

Tasting the Caramel Pastry Cream....yummy!

Cream went inside the cake...

A close up look at the tasty creation.

I didn't get a slice but from licking the bowl, spoons, and cake crumbs, it was GREAT. You can recreate this by following these recipes:

Red Velvet Cake with Beets
(yields one 9" round layer)

3/4 c. pureed beets
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 eggs
3/4 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. dutch cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c lemon juice

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together all the dry ingredients and set aside. Blend the wet ingredients until uniform.
- Add the dry ingredients tot he wet mixture and stir until combined.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool before icing.

Caramel Pastry Cream
(makes about 2.5 cups)
6 oz. sugar (why they measure in ounces i have no idea)
1/4 cup water
2 cups milk
1 1/4 ounce of cornstarch (again, not sure what's up with the measurements)
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1/2 ounce unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine 5 oz. of the sugar and the water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, brush down the sides of the pan with water, and boil for 8 - 10 minutes, or until caramelized. The sugar will be fragrant and a deep amber color when it is caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and dip the bottom into a an ice water bath for a second or two (Nikki did this for longer and the whole thing crystalized it was hilarious) Return the pan to a low heat and stir until smooth. Increase the heat to medium and heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the egg and yolks. Continue
whisking while adding the hot caramel mixture in a thin stream. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until it thickens and just comes to a boil. Immediately strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in the butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate.

Frangelico Ganache

16 oz. high-quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
6 Tbsp. Frangelico hazelnut liqueur

In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil and immediately turn off heat. Add chocolate to the cream, stirring constantly until chcolate ganache is smooth. Add Frangelico liqueur and allow ganache to cool.

Hope you enjoy!

Foodie Phone Sex - The Ron and Don Show - MyNorthwest.com

I used to work with Rachel Belle at Kiro...and this is just too hilarious not to share.

Foodie Phone Sex - The Ron and Don Show - MyNorthwest.com

Kombucha feature!

Check out my friend's process of makin' kombucha! ooo and ahhh at her pretty pictures!
crab & bee: BUCH!

My first roasted chicken

I have so much to share but very little time to write. I'm not sure how to resolve this. I'm learning new things, trying new things, and spending more than I should in my food budget. That's why I've decided that I am going to try to focus on cooking more frugally. I've discovered that since I live walking distance to a grocery store, getting groceries isn't much of a pain. I've also discovered that QFC's manager special items are a GREAT way to get some normally pricier items for a steal! Such as this awesome pre marinted porkloin for only $2.75! For the whole thing! It was going to expire in a couple days but that was fine with me because I cooked it up that night. Crazy amazing.

I was in the mood to roast a chicken (about 2 months ago...) so I roasted my first chicken (also 2 months ago).

I was inspired by my friend Nikki who made one for me. It seemed pretty simple and fairly fast. The whole chicken was only 99 cents a pound and it was organic! lol. I just prepared it the same way I prepare turkeys..just with different seasonings. I used make a thyme rosemary butter spread I stuffed under the skin and cut up some veggies and potatoes I had around the house and just seasoned those with salt and pepper. I think it baked for maybe an hour to an hour and a half? It was really easy to prepare and bake.

The chicken was great. The skin was nice and crispy and the meat was incredibly tender. I shared this with a friend, and was stoked there was so much more leftover! I used the chicken for salads, sanwhiches, quesadillas, it was great. :)

What Happened to Madame K's?!?!?!

One day, I was walking along Ballard Avenue coming upon Madame K's Pizza Bistro. Normally, the wafting scents of garlic, bread, and cheezy goodness would always cause me to look over and smile at the lingerie draped chairs. My favorite part was the sign that hung on the front door that said, "NO CELL PHONES AT THE DINNER TABLE". Hallelujah! Sometimes, I would pause and peak in to see servers in sassy leggings and a multitude of feather boas hanging from a clothes rack, and think to myself: "Why haven't I been here yet?"

So one day, I stopped in with a couple friends, unknowing that I would be completely swept off my feet. The place, it turns out, was formally a brothel (hence the lingerie and feather boas) back in the day. The place had so much character and history to it, I instantly loved it before I even opened the menu. As soon as I started reading the menu, I knew I was in for a treat. I've learned that some of my favorite places have quirky menus, and they always end up being delicious. We ordered the "Choke Your Artie Dip", some chicken garlic pizza or some sort, and I ordered the Artichoke Lasagna...sensational wouldn't justify how much of an impact this lasagna had on me. I've never had anything like it before. They say that the "Big O" occurs when eating it, and I would say that would be a great justification for it.

So needless to say, I was instantly in love. Great service, great food, great character, great atmosphere. The place was PERFECT for me. It reminded me of a place that would be straight out of New Orleans. Small and quirky. I didn't feel like I was in Seattle anymore, I actually felt like I was transported to a different part of time and the country.

Back to my walk...one day when I was walking by, what smells I normally enjoyed, one day were not there. I turned to look at Madame K's and felt my jaw literally drop. It was empty. Nothing but a For Lease sign. I immediately searched for a "We've moved to..." sign but was sadly disappointed. Nothing. not a trace. Nothing was left but the burgundy walls.

I vowed to find out what happened to the place...and several months later, here I am. Turns out, because I was so busy trying to hang onto summer, I missed the announcement that my beloved Madame K's was closing Oct. 28, 2010.

I discovered Madame K's far too late in the game (September 2010). I was lucky enough to try their AMAZING Artichoke Lasagna, but unfortunately unlucky enough to have missed out of their famous Chocolate Orgasm. :( Check their amazing menu.

So WHY did Madame K's close? She sold it. Just flat out sold it. :( Why? Her "heart just wasn't in it"...She did make a comment about how the Ballard community had changed since she started the business 10 years ago. Even though I wasn't around 10 years ago, I would have to say I see her point. I've noticed in just the past year all my favorite stores in Ballard have closed down. Mr. Spot's Chai House and the blown glass workshop that was next to it to be more specific.

One slightly positive thing came of this entry though, I learned there is a Lazy K's pizzeria, where the owner is spending her energy. But it's all the way in Carnation...maybe one day I'll be able to try it. Although I think its western/cowboy themed...not as appealing.

Holiday Fun - On my own and with my mom!

Well it's definitely that time of the year...I start to build my winter coat (somehow it came on early this year once I finished my half marathon and stopped major physical activity everyday).

I've been slacking in writing mostly because my camera has been out of commission so you'll have to forgive me for the not so great quality pictures in this post. But here we go!

I recently hosted my very first very own holiday party. This year has been particularly special to me, as I have moved out on my own for the very first time, and not dating anyone (which put a damper when I needed help with things like Christmas lights or carrying the 5 bags of groceries into my house). Most of my guy friends are either too far away now to hang out with me or unavailable for other reasons. My party was simple and small...although fitting 12 people into my 500 square foot apartment was interesting! But we all had a great time and even had a white elephant exchange.

Ironically, almost everyone ended up with a gift that related to their personality. I got an aphrodisiac cookbook called "Intercourses"....which will come in handy SOMEDAY when I have a boyfriend. :)


As far as the hor d'oeuvres, I decided to cheat a little. By using different pastry doughs, I created a few different dishes, just with different fillings. Above is smoked salmon wrapped with some whipped cream cheese, dill and thyme. I also made my signature shrimp bites on french bread. I also stuffed some crescent rolls with smoked salmon and cream cheese. There was also some stuffed crescent rolls with sauteed mushrooms, garlic, spinach, and onions. I also cut up some pastry sheets and rolled them with some feta and roasted walnuts. And of course there was a veggie platter with hummus and ranch. My friend made some chocolate cookies with peppermint kisses in the middle. I'm mad I didn't take a picture but I know one of my friends did...I'll upload it later when i get my hands on it. I baked some pastry shells and filled them with whip cream, and topped it with blueberries and raspberries and a mint to garnish for dessert as well. Over all these only took me a couple hours to make, and were relatively easy.

Everything but the pastry dough was homemade! Well and minus the hummus and veggies. :) I also made some mulled wine, (not pictured) and it turned out fantastic! I looked at a few recipies and decided to create my own. Some were pretty basic while others were pretty complex. Last year my roomate made the mulled wine so I have no idea what she put in it. But essentially my recipie was as follows:

Merry Mulled Wine (serves up to 10)
- 5 bottles of 2 Buck Chuck (Cabernet Sauvignon)
- A few sprigs of rosemary (3-4 stems about 4-5 inches long)
- 10-12 cloves
- 7 cinnamon sticks
- 4 oranges (freshly squeezed for juice)
- 3 medium apples sliced (anything but Fuji and Granny Smith works - I can't remember what I used)
- 1 cup of honey

And all I did was heat up the honey in a big pot so it became less viscous and started adding the wine and seasonings and fruit. I heated it up for about an hour and a half before i served it. It was pretty tasty! Orange zest would make a nice garnish but since I had too many things going on. I had to make sure everyone got their holiday mugs and party favors! :)

Overall I thought it was a success. And then I went home and that's where my mom showed me what real cookin' is all about. With my help of course.


My mom worked on the roast beef and I prepared scalloped potatoes with a bechamel sauce and raisins.



And 3 hours later....we were feasting!!

Rib eye Roast anyone?

The potatoe medley with rasins and a bechamel sauce.

This salmon dish is SOO delish. It combines the best sweet and tart levels...I'm not sure whats in it...we baked the salmon with some teriyaki sauce and then my mom sauteed some asian greens/chives of some sorts and a mushroom sauce and spritzed it with lime juice. I can't really describe the taste. Except that it is delish. Maybe I'll write about it sometime.

My mom was on a mushroom kick...here's another side dish with some friendly fungi with mini onions.

And of course some sauteed garlic green beans/snow peas and almonds.

The end result:


Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm baaaaccckkkk...sorta

Sorry I've been on hiatus...I have many things to write about...my problem is that once the weather got nice here I spent all my time outdoors and I've had one crazy summer. Now that it's winter I'm finding myself stuck indoors. Soo...look forward to more entries to come this week...I'll have to think about what I want to write about next...but I just wanted to let you know I'm still alive!