Braised Lamb

From Sunday Supper SFC

Olive oil

1 bunch spring onions

3 stalks celery

2 TBS fresh rosemary 3 1/2 # lamb shanks

s&p to taste

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3/4 # fresh garbanzo beans or 1 1/2 3 fava beans

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

6 oz pea shoots.

Pour just enough olive oil to barely coat the bottom of a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the onion,celery and rosemary and saute until softened,stirring 5 to 8 minutes.

Season the shanks then, place them in the pot ; add the wine,stock and oregano. Bring to a simmer,cover and cook on low heat until the meat is tender ad falling of the bone, turning , about 2 hours.

Remove the shanks from the pot and cool enough to touch, remove all meat from the bone, skim the sauce of fat solids. Return the meat to sauce and add garlic, add the pea shoots( previously Blanched about 3 minutes) or alternate greens. Serve in shallow bowls over rice, Mashed potatoes, polenta or bread and salad.

Coterie note: Ask butcher to break the shank, this helps cook evenly .

Butterscotch and Apple Bread Pudding

Roasted Apples
3 Firm Granny Smith about 1 1/2 pounds
1 TBS Lemon juice
3 TBS Granulated sugar
2 TBS unsalted butter cut into thin slices
Roast Apples at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Bread Pudding
2 TBS soft butter for coating baking dish
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp anise seeds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 cups crust free cubed French bread
Roasted Apples
3 TBS powdered sugar

For the bread pudding preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 9 inch pan. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and yolk and set aside. Pour the milk and cream and spices and Grand Mariner over the bread and let it absorb. Add eggs and apples, fold into the bread and cream.
Bake 50 minutes to an hour

Butterscotch Sauce
1 1/4 cups golden brown sugar
4 ounces butter 1 stick at room temp
1/2 cup + plus TBS of heavy cream
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 TBS Grand Mariner or Orange Juice
2 TBS juice from leftover from roasted apples

My little elves cookies

Cookie Time Part Duex

Sugar Cookies

2 cups salted butter(room temp)

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

4 TBL Whipping Cream or whole milk

4 tsp Pure vanilla extract

2 tsp almond extract

6 cups unsifted AP flour

1 TBL baking powder

Combine butter and sugar and mix only till incorporated.

In a small bowl mix egg, milk/cream, and extract. Add this wet mixture to the butter and eggs. Mix just until the eggs are broken, the mixture will curdle but thats okay.

In a another bowl mix the flour and baking powder,then add to the wet ingredients and mix until a dough forms.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the baking pan with Silpat or parchment paper. This dough does not need to be chilled it is ready to go. Roll out in powdered sugar, cut into desired shapes and bake until golden brown 8-10 minutes and decorate with desired frosting

Cookie Time

My Kids love to bake and the following are two of he favorite cookie doughs. They also had help from their cousins Bryanna and Durrell. They are my favorite because they aren't delicate doughs and can take the handling of children ans taste great.

Tangy Gingerbread 

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup butter, at room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium. sift flour,baking powder,cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside. In a mixer,beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and molasses, and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time , and mix until incorporated and a dough is formed. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick and cut with desired cookie cutters. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet and bake until set,about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

I'm Back

OMG..I couldn't remember my password !! How smart am I ? The holiday period is almost over and I have been cooking,drinking and socializing up a storm! Life is good just need a new - - - in 2010.  Christmas Eve My family and I went to a potluck xmas eve at my soon to be sister- in laws and my brothers. Mucho familia and food our contribution to the potluck was a Bruschetta Cheese Ball with blue corn tortilla chips. Some Homemade Tamales , Mini Cherry Cheese Cakes

and gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies. Whoo give the cook a drink.

Easy Mini Cherry Cheese Cakes

2 pkg (8 oz each) Cream Cheese,softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

12 Nilla Wafers

1 can cheery comstock pie filling

Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Mini Cupcake pan by lining with mini cup cake holders, place vanilla wafers round sound down so that the flat part of the cookie is facing up. 

Beat Cream Cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add Eggs; beat until just blended.

Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over wafers.

Bake 20 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool refrigerate at least 2 hours . Top with Cherry comstock

Eating about Town

Today I went to Korean BBQ and Tofu House on Castro Valley Blvd. It has been opened for 4 months. I haven't be intentional about going there just because another Asian restaurant is not what Castro Valley needs. All we have is Asian restaurants, diners, and fast food, oh and a good deli and Aroma Indian cuisine. I had the beef and tofu bi bi bap which was okay for me kinda bland I was trying all the condiments with it just to try and get some flavor. I also tried the seafood pancake and same thing a little bland but improved with the addition of some of the condiments. Over all didn't hate it or love it and probably won't be back just because why pay money for ambivalent food? Glad I didn't rush to get there..Doggie bags for real!! Perfect snack for my dogs.


Black and White Bakery for dessert..hello red velvet cake come to momma!!Cream cheese frosting herllo..the perfect combo. Got a couple of extra pieces to share for David and Tracy. my brother is getting married in August. Tata ta tumm. In Hayward on mission. I have also heard about the spicy cornbread from here..will have to check it out at the farmers market..layters