Indian Prawn & Chickpea Curry With Curry-Salt Naan For The Fabulous John Wesley Harding

Posted on November 17, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

Only two more days until I see John Wesley Harding play in Brooklyn. Now, seeing JWH in itself is fabulous, but his backing band is The Minus Five (The Decemberists minus Colin Meloy) and the amazing Peter Buck from R.E.M. How cool will this show be?

I have been a fan of John Wesley Harding for a loooooong time. He first got on my radar with his song The Person You Are from his album ‘The Name Above The Title’ back in 1991. I quickly picked up his earlier disks and have bought everything that he has released ever since. I know without listening that I will like all of the songs.

I even got to see John Wesley Harding, whose real name is Wesley Stace, in 1991 when he played outside the Cambridge Galleria Mall in Cambridge, MA. He was very witty, quick with quips and played an outstanding set in the brilliant sunshine. It is a heavenly memory. I cannot wait to see him again.

As though being a prolific and talented songwriter/musician is not enough, Wesley Stace is also an author with a few books published.

I contacted Mr. Stace, via Twitter, to see if he had any recipe requests and he kindly replied and without hesitation chose curry.

So here is a lovely curry recipe for one of my favorite musicians. (You will want to double the quantity of the naan…maan it’s good!)

Indian Prawn & Chickpea Curry With Curry-Salt Naan

Curry ingredients:

2 Tbs oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbs finely chopped ginger
3 tsp garam masala (I substituted 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp cumin seeds)
2 tsp good-quality Indian curry powder
1 tbs tomato paste
2 heaped tbs korma curry paste (I substituted 8 oz of Tikka Masala Curry Sauce and omitted the tomato paste)
400ml can coconut cream
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can chickpeas, drained
300g cooked prawns or shrimp, peeled (tails intact)
a handful of chopped almonds or cashews
Cilantro leaves and steamed basmati rice, to serve

Curry-salt Naan ingredients:

1 tsp garam masala (Indian spice mix)
1 tsp good-quality Indian curry powder
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
4 store-bought naan breads, warmed
20g unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1.Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger, then cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until golden. Add spices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste and curry paste (or the substituted Tikka Masala Curry Sauce), then cook, stirring, for a further 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

3. Add coconut cream and tomato, then simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in chickpeas and prawns, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until warmed through.

4. For the naan, combine spices and sesame seeds with 1 Tbs sea salt in a small bowl. Brush warm naan with melted butter, then sprinkle with the curry salt.

5. Garnish the curry with coriander leaves, then serve with naan and rice.

Recipe from Delicious Magazine






John Wesley Harding’s new album is ‘The Sound Of His Own Voice’. In Wesley Stace’s words, “The songs, in order, are about: being yourself, regret, the previous generation, love, the effect of divorce on children, looking back on a break-up, gentrification, the widening of the class divide, sex, science, exams, dying love and the harmony of the spheres. Roughly.”

That covers a lot of territory.

Every song on ‘The Sound Of His Own Voice’ is brilliant and full of the quirky humor, clever lyrics and toe tapping, infectious melodies one comes to expect from JWH. The Minus Five are the backing band on the album. Truly excellent.

My husband doesn’t usually pay attention to lyrics, but one night while Uncle Dad was playing he says to me, “This song is really creepy”. You’ll have to check that one out for yourself. It’s a great (sad) song, but not the one I want to share.

That would be this one. Sing Your Own Song is the opening track of ‘The Sound Of His Own Voice’. Catchy as ever. Fun. Just be yourself.
John Wesley Harding-Sing Your Own Song

Here is the video, too, because JWH is so freakin’ adorable.

See what I mean? Wesley Stace is just completely and utterly adorable. I love this video. I love the tapping of his right foot. I’m tapping right along.

Check out John Wesley Harding on his Website. You can buy his books and music there.

Come see JWH at The Bell House this Saturday. I believe there are a limited number of tickets still available. Robyn Hitchcock is playing that night, too, at 7 pm. I’d love to catch that show, but my ever patient husband might snap if I made him go to that show as well.

Cheers!

Posted in Bread, Main Courses, Seafood, Vegetable | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Greek Lamb with Yogurt Mint Sauce. Swede And Parsnip Bake With Maple Bacon Crumble.

Posted on November 16, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

I pointed to two hags sitting across the bar and told my friend “That’s us in 10 years”. She said “That’s a mirror”.

:)

Let’s make some delicious lamb. The garlickly meat is terrific with the cool, minty sauce. The turnip-parsnip side dish is a fun combination that gets a flavor elevation from the maple syrup and bacon.

Greek Lamb with Yogurt Mint Sauce

Ingredients:

4 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
½ cup good olive oil
½ cup dry red wine
2 racks of lamb, frenched and cut into 8 chops each (I used lamb steaks)

Ingredients for the Yogurt Mint Sauce:

6 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
7 ounces Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the garlic, rosemary, oregano, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the herbs are finely minced. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine and combine. Place the lamb in a glass or ceramic dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the meat, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

2. When ready to cook, prepare a grill with one layer of hot coals or turn a gas grill to medium-high heat (I used a grill pan on the stove). Remove the lamb from the marinade, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the cold Yogurt Mint Sauce.

Directions for the Yogurt Mint Sauce:

1. Place the green onions, mint, dill, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and purée until it’s a coarse paste. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? Cookbook

Swede And Parsnip Bake With Maple Bacon Crumble

Ingredients:

1 medium swede (rutabaga), about 600g, peeled and cut into chunks
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
25g butter, plus a little extra
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 strips of bacon, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 1/2 cups roughly torn sourdough bread
2 Tbs thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, and add the swede chunks. Boil for 3 mins, then add the parsnips and boil the lot for 20 mins more or until tender. Drain well.

2. Return the vegetables to the pan and mash well with the butter, salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs until well combined.

3. Transfer the mixture to a 6 cup (1.5 liter) baking dish and smooth the surface.

4. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add bacon. Cook for 5 minutes or until crisp.

5. Place olive oil, syrup, bread, thyme and bacon in a bowl and mix well. Spoon over the swede and parsnip mash.

6. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from Donna Hay Magazine





Greek Lamb got me thinking about a book I recently read, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which has a group of Greek/Classics majoring college students as the central characters. It is also set in Vermont, so I felt an immediate connection.

The book is completely engrossing, very sad, dark and bizarre. It is also at times quite humorous. The writing is excellent with thrilling descriptions throughout the novel. I loved the book so much that I reread it after finishing it. I wanted to go through the scenes again, and see how they played out, when I knew more about the characters and what ultimately happened.

Anyhow, I highly recommend reading The Secret History.

Which brings me to today’s musical choice.

The Divine Comedy have a greatest hits compilation album titled ‘The Secret History’. I love every song by The Divine Comedy, so of course I adore every track on this cd. Hard to choose a tune, so I am going to go with the first song, National Express. Makes me want to pull out a top hat and get a bunch of tap shoe shod gals to dance around with me.

“We’re going where the air is free
Tomorrow belongs to me
When you’re sad and feeling blue
With nothing better to do
Don’t just sit there feeling stressed
Take a trip on the National Express”

Oh, I’m feeling happy now.
The Divine Comedy-National Express

So happy, that I have happy feet.

Check out The Divine Comedy on Myspace and the band’s Website. You can buy their music there.

Be happy!

Cheers!

Posted in Lamb, Main Courses, Side Dish, Vegetable | Leave a comment

Gingerbread Cake With Crème Brûlée Filling And Scotch Whisky Icing. AND! Jesus H. Foxx.

Posted on November 15, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

Oh, Scotland. How I love you so.

Whisky, Haggis, Irn Bru, Tunnock’s and all of those incredible bands.

Like Jesus H. Foxx.

This seven piece band out of Edinburgh has totally knocked me over. I just cannot get enough. It seems that every time I put on Jesus H. Foxx I find some new layer in the music. Something that makes each song sound fresh and different. That says quite a lot about this band as I have listened to their album ‘Matter’ about 100 times since buying it about 2 weeks ago.

Where did the band get the name from? Lead singer, he of that gorgeous voice, Michael Hunter says “Jesus fucking fox’ is a little known expression for surprise or incomprehension I think I heard in Boston. The ‘H’ comes from the Blues Brothers film. The second X in “Foxx” was a typo. An aesthetically pleasing typo”.

Works for me.

I love Jesus H. Foxx so much I made a cake for them. Spiced layers of Gingerbread with a Crème Brûlée Filling (!!) and Scotch Whisky Buttercream Icing. The cake is pretty delicious, but I think ‘Matter’ is even more so.

Gingerbread Cake With Crème Brûlée Filling And Scotch Whisky Icing

Cake ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup, plus 3 Tbs sugar, divided
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups dark molasses
2 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbs ground ginger
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray 3 (9 inch) baking pans with non-stick baking spray with flour.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter, 1 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition.

3. In a medium bowl, combine boiling water, molasses and baking soda. Stir well.

4. In another large bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a tester comes clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

6. Spread half of Crème Brûlée Filling over one cake layer, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 Tbs sugar. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar by waving it over the filling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Top with second cake layer and repeat procedure. Top with remaining cake layer.



7. Spread Scotch Whisky Buttercream on top and sides of cake. Store cake in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Crème Brûlée Filling

Crème Brûlée Filling Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
2 tsp whole cloves
1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
6 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300℉.

2. Place a 9 inch glass pie plate into a larger baking dish. Fill baking dish with hot water to a depth of 1/2 inch.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup cream, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Cook over medium-low hear until bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove from heat.

4. In a small bowl, combine gelatin and remaining 1 cup cream. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add to hot cream mixture, stirring to dissolve.

5. In another small bowl, whisk yolks. pour 1 cup hot cream mixture into yolks, whisking constantly. Add yolk mixture to remaining hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl, discarding solids. Pour mixture into prepared pie plate.

6. Bake for 1 hour or until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove pie plate from baking dish, cover and chill for at least 8 hours.

Scotch Whisky Buttercream

Scotch Whisky Buttercream ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 egg whites
2 cups butter, softened
1/4 cup Scotch whisky

Directions:

1. In top of double boiler, whisk sugar and egg whites until combined. Cook over simmering water until mixture reaches 140℉. Do not stir. Immediately pour mixture into the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Beat at high speed for 10 minutes.

2. With mixer runnning, add butter, 2 Tbs at a time, beating well after each addition. Add Scotch whisky, beating until combined.

Recipe from Paula Deen’s Holiday Baking Magazine





Eat cake and listen to Jesus H. Foxx. My idea of the perfect way to kill time.

I cannot get enough of the album ‘Matter’. Dreamy, rhythmic and satisfying. A little bit folk, a little bit adorable. Messy, but oh so neat.

Jesus H. Foxx knows a thing or two about brilliantly layering the vocals in a song.

This song. Good grief it is good. I love the whole cd, but this song…. so freakin’ fantastic. Tip: If you run, put Elegy For The Good Times on your playlist. You’ll fly.

“Oh, oh, oh, oh……..”
Jesus H. Foxx-Elegy For The Good Times

Honestly, don’t you want to jump inside this video and dance around with these guys (and gal)? Fun.

Check out Jesus H. Foxx on Myspace, the band’s Website and Facebook.

Buy the music at Song, By Toad Records

Cheers!

Posted in Cake | 5 Comments

Chicken With Orzo And Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

Posted on November 14, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

I have quite a few treasured friends whom I have never met. We’ve bonded in cyberspace and these “imaginary friends” are a special part of my life.

This cartoon made me laugh.

This chicken dish is definitely not imaginary. The reality is that it is fantastic. I love the goat cheese vinaigrette. Yum.

Chicken With Orzo And Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1⁄2 cup)
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split horizontally
kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the orzo according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup of the olive oil, the parsley, and crushed red pepper; fold in the goat cheese.

3. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the orzo and goat cheese vinaigrette.

Recipe from Real Simple Magazine



I love my Imaginary Friends. I love Mr. Imaginary Friend.
Adrian Bourgeois-Mr. Imaginary Friend

Check out Adrian Bourgeois on his Website. West coast US tour dates are listed and you can buy his music there, too.

Cheers!

Posted in Chicken, Main Courses | 5 Comments

Mexican Steak Tips With Crispy Potatoes

Posted on November 13, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

If you have a split personality I can’t be friends with you. Or you.

Ha!

Here, come on over and have this really good beef dinner with me. All of you.

Mexican Beef With Crispy Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
7 Tbs vegetable oil
3 Tbs minced cilantro
2 green onions, minced
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak tips, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 shallots, sliced thin
Avocado slices, to garnish

Directions:

1. Microwave potatoes and 2 Tbs oil in covered large bowl until edges of potatoes are translucent, 4 to 7 minutes.

2. Whisk 3 Tbs oil, cilantro, green onion, vinegar and garlic together in medium bowl.

3. Pat steak dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs oil in skillet and brown beef on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to plate and tent loosely with foil.

4. Heat remaining 1 Tbs oil in skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Cook potatoes and shallots until golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

5. Drizzle steak with reserved cilantro oil and serve with potatoes and shallots. Garnish with avocado slices.

Serves 4

Recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

Oh, all of these split personalities.

Morrissey. I could make an exception and be friends with him and him.

I love the lyrics in this song.

“I am two people
One you know
but don’t like
The other one
you don’t know
but you don’t want to….

I have two faces
One of which you know
the other one
for your sake
I never would show”

Morrissey-I Am Two People

You can buy Morrissey’s music here. There is A LOT. Enough to suit every personality.

Cheers!

Posted in Beef, Main Courses, Vegetable | 4 Comments

Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes

Posted on November 12, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

If you love the combination of strawberry, chocolate and cute then these are your cupcakes.

The cupcakes are super easy to put together, too. I brought them to an elementary school bake sale last week and they were pretty popular. It was adorable seeing one little boy trying his hardest to sip from the straw.

The homemade strawberry cake is really delicious, but my centers caved in a bit. Not a problem here since it left a handy little well for the ganache. Just beware in case you make the recipe for something other than these Milkshakes. I’d have extra icing on hand just in case.

Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Strawberry cake for the shake (you can use a mix or the doctored mix recipe below)
Chocolate ganache for syrup (recipe below)
Buttercream frosting for the whipped cream (recipe below)
Gumballs for the cherries (I used red skittles. Red M&Ms would also look great.)
Sprinkles
Drinking straws

Directions:

1. Bake cupcakes and cool completely.

2. Make ganache and spoon a little on the top of each cupcake. Let set a few minutes more. The ganache will firm up more and make adding the frosting easier.

3. Use a Wilton 2D tip to pipe icing on top of the cupcake. Top with sprinkles.

4. Cut a drinking straw into segments and insert into the cupcake. Top off with a red gumball or Skittle.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 (18.25-oz) package plain white cake mix
1 (3-oz) package strawberry gelatin
4 Tbs flour
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
4 large eggs

Directions:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350℉. Line cupcake pans with liners.

2. Place ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.

3. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners.

4. Bake the cupcakes about 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Recipe slightly adapted from the Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 Tbs butter

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.

2. Pour over the chocolate and let stand about 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. Let sit about 5 minutes before spooning over cupcakes.


Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup butter. softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1b (3 3/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
1-3 teaspoons milk

Directions:

1. Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla until smooth.

2. Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.

3. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time and beat on high until creamy.

Cupcake idea, ganache and buttercream icing recipe all from the fabulous Bakerella






What is it about Scottish bands? They solidly have my heart locked up.

Woodenbox is no exception.

Twisted Mile is so freakin’ catchy. The trumpet and sax totally make your feet tap, then dance. Folksy, knee slapping goodness this is. I want to crawl inside Ali Downer’s vocals.

“Just close your eyes and imagine all the things you’ve never tried”
Woodenbox-Twisted Mile

Check out Woodenbox on Myspace, Facebook and the band’s Website. You can stream the entire ‘Home And The Wild Hunt’ album, then you can buy it.

Cheers!

Posted in Cupcakes | Leave a comment

Let’s Pause The Music….It’s Cheesy, Yummy Sole Casserole Time.

Posted on November 11, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

I recently read ‘A Visit From The Goon Squad’ by Jennifer Egan. The story is outlined in interlocking chapters that skip backward and forward in time with music being a central theme. The book is simultaneously fascinating, appalling and drenched in tension.

I love books that have an unusual twist such as drawings or odd insertions in the text. Jennifer Egan has provided a few unusual approaches to sharing her story. One is a chapter, from a child’s point of view, that is done in PowerPoint. It’s brilliant. Not only the concept, which I love, but the emotions and observations are incredibly moving. But, and a big But, the thing that sent me over the moon? It includes a fascination with pauses in rock And roll music. So cool. Now THAT is the kind of thought progression that I adore.

Here is the PowerPoint presentation.

In the book, one character brings an old friend a fish that he caught in NY’s East River. It’s a very bizarre chapter.

Here is one way Bennie could prepare his gifted fish.

Fish Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth
2 cups white rice
1 lb broccoli, chopped
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 lb sole or seafood fillets of your choice
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (2.8 oz) can French fried onions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. In a medium bowl combine broth, rice, broccoli, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Mix well. Spoon into a 13×9 inch pan. Top with fish. Sprinkle with paprika.

3. Bake at 350℉ for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through.

4. Top casserole with cheese and onions. Bake for 5 minutes longer.

Serves 6

Recipe from Schwan’s Family Favorites Cookbook








Songs with pauses. There are so many out there.

My interest in song pauses began the first time I heard The Human League’s dance mix version of Don’t You Want Me.

The awesome pauses occur at the 2:15 mark.

Aside from the songs with pauses mentioned in the PowerPoint slides, some others are Bruce Springsteen’s Rosalita, Madrugada’s Only When You’re Gone, The Decemberists’ Mariner’s Revenge Song, Love Shack by The B52s, Hurricanes and Butterflies by Muse, The Beatles’ A Day In The Life and Never Tear Us Apart by INXS to name some off the top of my head.

Here are two more of my absolute favorite songs with pauses.
Trips And Falls-Marginally More Than Mildly Annoying

Oh how I love this song.
The Replacements-Can't Hardly Wait

I first wrote about Trips And falls in this post.

You can check out Trips And Falls on Facebook and Myspace.

The new album ‘People Have To Be Told’ is out on Song, By Toad Records. You can buy it there.

You can buy The Replacements’ music here.

Let me pause to wish you all a fantastic weekend.

Cheers!

Posted in Main Courses, Seafood | Leave a comment

Top Shelf Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on November 10, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

I was at a party last week and the host had set out bowls of chopped, gourmet (for lack of a better term) chocolate bars in different, exciting flavors.

Chocolate Caramel Crunch With Sea Salt was my favorite. Absolutely divine.

That got me thinking. Would these “Top Shelf” chocolate bars be good chopped up in a chocolate chip cookie?

YES is the answer.

I bought four different chocolate bars and used them all to make the ultimate chocolate chip cookies. Almonds, caramelized peanuts, more caramel, sea salt, divine dark chocolate….it was all in there.

The possibilities are endless. Just buy some chocolate bars and chop them into your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe.(The chocolate bars I used are in a photo below).

Mmmmm. Milk or some top shelf liquor to accompany?

Top Shelf Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

8 oz unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
14 oz (approximate) of chopped “Top Shelf” chocolate bars, coarsely chopped.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chopped chocolate. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto parchment lined baking sheets. Note: I used a small ice cream scoop. If there was a big chunk of chocolate on the bottom, I would use my hands to adjust the dough around the chocolate so to minimize the chocolate melting onto the baking sheet.

4. Bake for about 13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and remove to wire racks.

Makes about 4 dozen big, fabulous chocolate chippers








Let’s put on the Queen Of The Minor Key to listen to whilst eating these Top Shelf Cookies.
Eilen Jewell-High Shelf Booze

Here she is in the Warning Signs video.

Check out Eilen Jewell and buy music on her Website.

Cheers!

Posted in Cookies | 4 Comments

Sweet And Sour Pork Stir-fry

Posted on November 9, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

Have you ever heard of Terry Tate?

This is pretty funny stuff. I could use him here at my house to help enforce some of the rules. Could you imagine?

Now let’s tackle this fantastic stir fry.

Sweet And Sour Pork Stir-fry

Ingredients:

6 oz pineapple juice
1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
3 Tbs each rice vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar
2 tablespoons each cornstarch and sherry
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 Tbs oil, divided
1 Tbs each minced fresh ginger and garlic
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
2 cups snow peas
1 bunch green onions, white and green parts separated, cut into inch bias-sliced pieces
1 cup whole cashews
1 cup cubed fresh pineapple

Directions:

1. Make sauce by Whisking together pineapple juice, chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry and cornstarch.

2. Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry pork, seasoned with pepper, in batches until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer pork to a plate.

3. Stir fry ginger and garlic in 1 Tbs oil for 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and carrot. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add snow peas and the white part of the green onions. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add pineapple and the reserved sauce. Simmer to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved pork and simmer until heated through. Garnish with the green onion and cashews. Serve the pork mixture over rice.

Serves 6

Recipe from Cuisine At Home Magazine


The Louche FC

Manchester band full of noisy Jangly guitars and echoey lyrics. Think shoegaze done up with a garage band vibe.

Band Interests:
Chain smoking
Chain reading
Drinking Gin
Nice clean shoes

This song is from the The Louche FC’s new album due out later this month.

Back Bedroom Casualty came out earlier this year. It just narrowly missed my Festive Fifty 2011 list.
The Louche FC-Back Bedroom Casualty

Check out The Louche FC on Facebook and the band’s Myspace Page. You can buy The Louche FC’s music over at SWAYS Records.

Cheers!

Posted in Main Courses, Pork | Leave a comment

Easy Chili With Pork And Beans

Posted on November 8, 2011 by I Sing In The Kitchen

I like left handed gloves. Although, on the other hand, I don’t.

:)

Take off your gloves and whip up some easy chili. Only one thing to chop and then everything is poured into the pot and emerges a wonderful, warming dinner.

We just recently had this chili and my youngest has already requested it for his birthday dinner in two weeks. (“The EXACT recipe, Mum”, he said since he knows how hard it is for me to not be constantly trying something similar and yet new.)

Easy Chili With Pork And Beans

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
12 oz tomato juice
1 can tomato soup
20 oz can of pork and beans (I used Campbell’s out of sheer childhood nostalgia)
1 Tbs chili powder or to taste
Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onion, cilantro, tortilla chips, pickled jalapeño slices

Directions:

1. Cook ground meat with onions.

2. Drain excess grease and add remaining ingredients.

3. Cook on low for one hour or longer.

Serve with toppings.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from Ruth Luurtsema


How about a song that is easy on the ears?

Catchy. You feel like clapping along (Again, you’ll have to take off your gloves).

Soak up that violin. Blast those horns.

“And when I look to the shape of the sky,
I give thanks for this hollow chest of mine,
that I no longer feel, the great weight of ordeals,
that can make this life so unkind

If there’s any love in me, don’t let it show,
oh and if there’s any love in me, don’t let it grow ”
Noah And The Whale-Shape Of My Heart

Check out Noah And The Whale on the band’s Website. I love the Tape Deck.

Noah And The Whale are currently on tour in the US. Be sure to buy their music.

This song is on my Festive Fifty list for 2011.

Cheers!

Posted in Beef, Main Courses | 4 Comments