Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cup  butter
• 3  cups  sugar
• 3  tablespoons  corn syrup
• 1 1/2  cup  whipping cream

Preparation

Melt butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and corn syrup, and cook, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture turns a deep caramel color. Gradually add cream, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Remove from heat, stir till bubbling stops, and let cool. Chill 2 hours or until thickened and spreading consistency.

Make Ahead: 3 days refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until spreading consistency.

Isobel’s Birthday Cake (Devil’s Food)

Ingredients

• 9 tablespoons SCHARFFEN BERGER Natural Coco Powder
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup strong coffee
• 1/2 cup milk

PREPARATION

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F.

2. Butter two 9″ X 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

3. Sift together the cocoa, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into one bowl.

4. Beat the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy into a second large bowl then add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

5. Mix the coffee and milk together in a third bowl.

6. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add the coffee/milk mixture. Finish by stirring in the other half of the dry ingredients.

7. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

This is a David Lebovitz recipe from the Scharffen Berger website

Linguine with Greens, Bacon, and Tomato

Ingredients

1 lb linguine

4 slices bacon, sliced thinly across

1 head garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large shalot or small onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch greens (chard, kale, etc) thinly sliced, stems included

2 cans chicken broth or 3 cups stock

1 can chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 t crushed red pepper (or to taste)

salt

olive oil

2 lemons, juiced

Parmesan cheese, grated

4 eggs, fried

Directions

Saute bacon over medium heat in a large pan till golden. Add garlic and shalots and saute till fragrant (about 1 minute). Turn heat to high and add greens, saute till wilted.

Add broth, wine, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, till greens are very tender. This will take much less time for spinach, possibly longer for kale.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water to according to package directions. Drain, reserving about 2 cups of the cooking water.

Add pasta to sauce and simmer for another minute, adding reserved water as needed.

Remove from heat, drizzle with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and parmesan cheese.

Serve topped with a fried egg (runny yolk)  and fresh cracked black pepper.

Serves 4 as a meal

Swiss Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

Makes 4 cups – Enough to frost the outside of a cake or 12 cupcakes, double if using for filling as well.

5 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions

1. Combine egg whites, and sugar in the heat proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until sugar has dissolved and whites are 140 degrees use a candy or instant read thermometer), 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Transfer bowl to the electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes.
3. At low speed, add butter to egg whites, and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and salt, and continue mixing until incorporated.

Can be flavored with 8 oz cooled melted chocolate or thick fruit puree, add slowly and monitor consistency to prevent over-thinning

Isobel’s First Birthday Party Menu

Mom’s Deviled Eggs with Bacon

Grilled Chicken Marinated in Garlic, Lemon, Lemon Thyme, Crushed Red Pepper, and Olive Oil

Spice Rubbed Grilled Tri-Tip

Potato Salad

Cold Poached Asparagus with an Herbal Vinagrette

Pea Salad

Cornbread with Maple Butter

Devils Food Cake with Caramel Custard filling and White Chocolate Swiss Buttercream Frosting

MaPo Tofu

Ingredients

15-16 ounces tofu, regular, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 ounces ground pork (optional)

1 lb mixed mushrooms (shitake, button, crimini), cut into cubes

2 T vegetable oil

-1-

1/4 C crushed garlic

1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated

1 bunch of scallions, sliced, reserve greens seperatley

-2-

2 T hot bean sauce

2 T bean sauce

1 T fermented black beans, chopped finely

1 t crushed red pepper

2 t sugar

-3-
1 1/2 t chili oil

1 1/2 C broth (chicken, mushroom, vegetable)

1/4 C shaio sing cooking wine

2 T low sodium soy sauce

3 t szechuan peppercorn, roasted and crushed

-4-

1 T cornstarch dissolved in

1 T water and

1 1/2 t sesame oil

Directions
Cook tofu in simmering salted water to cover for 8-10 minutes, then drain and reserve.

Combine -1-,-2-, -3- and -4- (in 4 separate bowls) and set aside.

Heat wok on high for a minute, add oil, swirl for another minute. Add pork and stir fry till no longer pink.

Add -1- and stir fry another minute.

Add mushrooms and stir fry 5 minutes.

Add -2- and fry 1 minute.

Add -3- and reserved tofu. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add -4- and cook till thickened.

Fold sliced green onion greens into wok and serve over steamed rice.