Build a Better Burger

I think I just ate the best homemade burger I have ever had. I love to make burgers at home, eat them at friends houses, eat them at family's houses, anywhere really, but usually they are just that...burgers at home that taste generically homemade. You know what I mean, the ground beef topped with cheddar cheese with mayo and mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, and maybe pickles if you're lucky. I have tried to fancy up the "at home burger" with different spreads and cheeses, however they never turn out quite like the greasy, juicy, and unique burgers I love from dives, or my favorite restaurants. Tonight, I think Brian and I designed a burger that will be added to the menu of my imaginary restaurant. Yep, I dream of what my restaurant would be like all the time and what delicious dishes I would serve. It varies all the time, quite drastically, but that is the beauty of it all being made up in my head. Anyway, back to the burger. Today at Central Market (after enjoying a fish taco from "The Grill" outside) I purchased some more Hatch green chiles and other veggies for my soon to be famous Hatch Chile Salsa. I also got some of Central Market's freshly made hamburger buns and 90% lean ground beef. I usually don't purchase ground beef leaner than 85% for a burger, but today the 90% lean was on sale for $2.49 per lb, so I went with that. Ok, so you know the drill for the salsa so I won't bore you with that, but are you curious what else made this burger so distinctively awesome? Goat Cheese...yep, believe it! Creamy, tangy goodness that was covered in sweet caramelized onions that complemented the smokey, spicy salsa that dressed our medium rare salt and peppered patties that sat between a freshly toasted bun. Are you drooling yet? It was awesome...

Delicious Hatch Chile Salsa...

Ok. So the enchiladas turned out delicious, however they were more the consistency of a casserole. The corn tortillas got a little mushy. I am definitely going to have to do some more research in order to perfect the texture of future enchiladas. I do want to supply you with the Hatch chile salsa recipe though because it was terrific! First, I thought a brief description might be in order for these tremendous Hatch chiles just in case you aren't familiar with this extreme goodness. Hatch is a village in New Mexico that is known as the "Chile Capital of the World". They produce this famous green chile that is harvested once a year and used in all types of delicious dishes. You cannot duplicate this flavor with any other type of chile...I will be stocking up on these peppers next week, roasting and freezing them for the big chili cook-off we have every fall during football season. Watch out...I am here to win this season.

Hatch Chile Salsa Verde (Straight from the Bischoff's)

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked
• 1 white onion, sliced thin
• 2 tbls olive oil, seperated
• 4 garlic cloves, (roast one whole head)
• 2 Hatch Chiles, roasted and seeded
• lime juice, to taste (about 1/4 lime)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Cut the top off of a small head of garlic and place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Pour 1 tbls olive oil over exposed head of garlic and sprinkle with salt. Fold the foil into a pouch like shape and place in the oven. Roast the garlic in the oven for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees F until the cloves are soft and golden brown. You can remove the cloves by either squeezing the skin or piercing each clove with a fork. Meanwhile, on a grill, roast tomatillos and hatch chiles until skin is black and charred all over. Immediately place in a plastic bag for about 3 minutes. Remove the tomatillos and hatch chiles and begin removing the charred skin and seeds. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan and caramelize the onion over medium heat. Transfer all vegetables and any juices to a food processor. Add the cumin, lime, and salt to taste. Pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Hatch Chiles...YUM

I just ate my way through Central Market. That has to be the best grocery store ever created. I am so unbelievably happy and full when I leave that incredible store. Earlier this summer Brian and I discovered "The Grill" at Central Market. I don't know if it is only on the weekends, but they set up a grill out by the Cafe and serve up hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, mahi mahi tacos (this is what I always get...they are so ridiculously good), brats, and sausage. Today they were having the Hatch Chile Festival so the cheeseburger Brian got had a roasted Hatch chile and caramelized onions nestled on top of the patty. I had my traditional mahi mahi taco in one of their homemade four tortillas with coleslaw and remoulade sauce. (p.s. I have tried to re-create this perfect taco, but have been unsuccessful...try try try again.) Bonus...our lunch today totaled $9.00 for the 2 of us...beat that! (Don't worry if you missed the big evet this weekend, so do yourself a favor and schedule your lunch at the grill next weekend and stock up on some Hatch chiles right after.) Anyway, I love chiles and spicy foods, so I happily made my way through the store sampling everything they had to offer from Hatch crab cakes to Hatch flour tortillas to Hatch pesto and even Hatch baked brie. If heat is not your thing...the chiles come in mild or hot so you can choose whichever you like. Tonight we are making Hatch chile enchiladas! I'll be roasting up some tomatillos, garlic, onion and of course...Hatch chiles for a salsa to go over the enchiladas. We've decided to have beef enchiladas, but chicken would be great too. I'll post the recipe later...gotta make sure it's delicious first...

Celebration Dinner

Weekend cooking...I love the weekends because there is usually so much more time spend cooking. I definitely make more elaborate dishes during the 2 days I have off, partly because Brian is willing to lend his helping hands in the kitchen. This weekend it was all about celebrating our 3rd year anniversary (which is actually the 19th, but we chose to celebrate this weekend). We tried to re-create the incredible meal we had at Fearing's a few weeks ago because fortunately for me, Dean posts his recipes online! Fabulous - we can actually have Buffalo Tenderloin with Maple and Black Pepper on Jalapeno Grits at home! We opted not to make the squash taquito, not because it was not amazing, but because I was just flat out too lazy I guess. We went to Central Market on Friday and purchased Bison (yes, bison, or you can call it buffalo)...but please try it, it is so tender and full of flavor. It is similar to beef, but a lot healthier. We marinated it in a spicy maple and black pepper combination and let it sit for about 8 hours. I also made Dean's jalapeno grits but I added some aged white cheddar at the very end. This was a great dinner, only made better by the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. Yep, we splurged because A-we were celebrating and B-we decided not to do gifts, so we upped the wine selection. (My friend Jessica would be so happy we celebrated with this wine...she loves Caymus wine so much she named her precious lab after it). Anyway, it was the perfect pairing.

The one tradition we have so far is the dessert we share on our anniversary. When we got married, we decided to have a traditional wedding cake on all the layers except the top tier. That was ours to do whatever we wanted, so we decided to make it carrot cake. Brian and I absolutely love carrot cake and it was so delightful to cut into that comforting orange cake on our wedding day to shove in each others mouth. (I know, I know. You aren't supposed to cut into the top tier until your 1st anniversary, but have you met me? Not always so traditional. Don't worry, my mom was still able to save and freeze our top tier for us to enjoy the next year.) After we chose the carrot cake for our wedding, I had the idea that we would enjoy that cake every year on our anniversary, and so far so good, we aren't sick of it yet. So...I have been on the hunt for a great carrot cake recipe. Last year, I made one from Emeril which I decided to stick with again this year. The cake is super moist and the icing is a delicious classic buttercream with toasted pecans. Usually I am blessed to get to use my Nana's (that's my grandmother) East Texas Pecans. She has a huge pecan tree in her backyard that my mom and I help harvest every year and sell several pecans by the pound, but we also have a lot shelled and keep for ourselves. This is for the benefit of my Nana's famous pecan pie and for me to use in all of my own baking concoctions. I won't go on and on about how wonderful the carrot cake is, but it looks great don't you think?

Gigi's Carrot Cake

Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients for cake

1 tablespoon butter (I use Pam for baking)

3 sticks, unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups freshly grated carrots

1 cup, chopped toasted pecans

Ingredients for icing

(I iced my cake differently for elegance, but feel free to use the idea below for a more homemade rustic look)

8 ounces cream cheese

1 stick unsalted butter

1 (1 pound) box confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup, chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.

Sandwiches are underestimated

I am a sandwich lover. I have enjoyed sandwiches my whole life. I love them because they are always satisfying when you are hungry and they can be as easy or as complex as you want them to be. I grew up eating Subway as my mom rarely cooked. I still go to Subway every now and then trying to re-create my perfect sandwich, but their bread just doesn't seem so freshly baked anymore and I wish they would slice the meat fresh. Growing up, I loved Subway because of all the toppings (including my favorite one of all - black olives, which most deli's don't carry these days). My new love for a great deli sandwich is the Great Outdoors. Luckily, there is one right by my office, so every now and then I will pick that up for dinner when I end up working late. With all that said, I appreciate a well made sandwich. So last night for dinner, I created a Club Sandwich for us to enjoy. I used a delicious homemade spicy mayo, but I am saving the art of homemade mayo, aioli and remoulade for another day.  I think sandwiches are a perfect canvas to coat with tons of fresh veggies, homemade spreads, gourmet meats and fine cheeses, although sometimes the best ones are the simplest. The biggest mistake I find that people make with homemade sandwiches is in the assembly. Do not underestimate the importance of the layers people. It is crucial in order to prevent your sandwich from being soggy and to ensure your textures and flavors are working together. I listed the recipe of what we had last night, but please don't stop here...try adding avocado, black olives, pickles, any spread you like, different cheeses...I could go on all day, but I have to go fix lunch.

Club Sandwiches (makes 2 sandwiches)

Ingredients

6 slices fresh sourdough bread

Softened butter

6 slices smoked turkey breast, thinly sliced

6 slices honey ham, thinly sliced

2 slices swiss cheese

2 slices medium cheddar cheese

2 tbls mayo (I used a spicy homemade mayo, but use whatever you love)

2 tbls mustard

4 slices fresh tomato

2 small handfuls of shredded lettuce

5-6 slices bacon, cooked and drained

Directions

I started off with 6 slices of fresh Sourdough bread and toasted 2 in the oven (this would be the center slice to each sandwich). I then spread one side of each of the remaining 4 slices with butter and placed in a non-stick skillet to brown up the buttered side. Next, I cooked about 5 slices of thick cut bacon until crispy and drained off the fat. With the 4 slices of bread from the skillet, I spread about a tablespoon of the spicy mayo on 2 of them and spread the remaining 2 with mustard. Now you are ready for assembly...pay close attention. On the 2 slices with mayo, next add a little bit of lettuce on top of the mayo, followed by 2 slices of tomato, a slice of swiss cheese and 3 thin slices of honey ham. Now add the toasted center piece of sourdough bread followed by some crispy bacon, 3 thin slices of turkey and a slice of cheddar cheese. Add the remaining slice of sourdough with the mustard on top of the slice of cheddar. I of course cut each sandwich into the classic 4 triangles. I just served this with some super sweet pineapple we got at the Farmer's Market on Sunday. Enjoy!

Weekend Cooking

What did you cook this weekend?  My list includes, deep dish pizza (inspired by my trip to Chicago of course, I have been talking about it so much, Brian insisted we make some, so...we did), homemade mayo, mahi mahi tacos, and remoulade sauce for the tacos. I should first start out by saying that I was only going to be fully dedicated to making all of these items if Brian was planning to assist, and he was totally on board. Saturday morning we got up and went to breakfast at a wonderful new restaurant by our house, Zinsky's. It's off Preston and Royal, so if you are in the area, check it out. Wonderful breakfast, lunch, and dinner options made fresh. So then we wandered over to Molto Formaggio to get the perfect cheeses for our pizza. We had several samples of exceptional cheese and decided to go with Buffalo Mozzarella (next time for deep dish we will use shredded mozzarella), Pecorino Locatelli, and Trugole. I did not list these cheeses in the recipe below, but they were great alternatives to the basic cheeses normally used on pizza. Next stops, the Farmer's Market and then Central Market. (I had to knock it all out in one swoop or I would loose Brian). When we got home, we had to start making the dough. I was using a new recipe for pizza dough, and as we were combining everything I could tell something was off. The dough was way too sticky. We added some flour, but I just wasn't confident with it. I set it aside in a bowl just in case it decided to rise and we started over. The dough is such a huge part of a pizza that we could not afford for it to be off. Round 2, we began with a trusted recipe which I have listed below. This dough is not near as flaky as the one I had in Chicago, but it is a great dough for a basic homemade pizza, very soft center but gets crispy around the edges. Next, I began the sauce. I bought 2 lbs of fresh tomatoes from the Farmer's Market because Brian and I wanted to try a really fresh sauce. I have always just bought canned tomatoes (San Marzano whenever I can find them) for my homemade tomato sauces, but the fresh were absolutely wonderful!  I was slightly concerned that we should have purchased Roma Tomatoes, but I had tasted these regular round tomatoes from one of the vendors and thought how perfect they would be in the sauce. I started boiling some water and got an ice bath ready for the tomatoes. I scored each one so they would peel a little bit easier and plopped them into the boiling water. Each one only needs about 30 seconds in the boiling water, then out they come and directly into the ice bath they go. Once they are cool enough to touch, peel the skin off and cut each tomato in half and remove all the seeds. The rest of the sauce recipe is below and feel free to substitute the fresh tomatoes with a 28 oz can. Brian spent the last part of the afternoon chopping all the veggies for our toppings. Once our dough had proofed, we were ready for roll out and begin the assembly. We were planning on making one pizza in our cast iron skillet, but we ended up with some extra dough, so I created another pizza in an 8 inch round cake pan. We still had leftover scraps so you could probably get about 2 10-12 inch pizzas out of it. We made the main pizza with Italian Sausage, mushrooms, fresh tomato, green pepper, onion, black olives, and basil. On the second one we added spinach, but didn't have any sausage because we had used it all on the other. Pizza toppings are endless and you can make the most unique and wonderful combinations. We didn't reach too far out of the box with ours, but next time, I might. We finally got the pizzas in the oven and counted down all 40 minutes waiting to sink our teeth through the warm veggies, through the gooey cheese and through the crispy crust of our homemade pizza. The wine helped pass the time. When the pizzas came out of the oven, the aroma spilled into the the entire house and we both started drooling. They looked amazing. They tasted even more amazing. I was even able to recover the first dough...so I wrapped it loosely several times in seran wrap and put in in a freezer ziplock bag and stuck in in the freezer so that we can have another Deep Dish Pizza Party soon. 

Pizza Dough

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 package of active dry yeast

1 tbls honey

3 1/2 cups bread flour

2 tbls olive oil

2 tsp kosher salt

corn meal

Directions
In a bowl, mix together the warm water, yeast and honey. Whisk slightly. Let sit for about 5 - 10 minutes until yeast has dissolved. 

Next attach the mixing paddle to your mixer (Kitchen Aid if you have one). Pour in flour, olive oil and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix on low for about one minute. Remove the paddle and attach the dough hook. With the dough hook attached, put the mixer on low to medium for about 10 minutes. It might not take this long, but the dough should be very smooth and elastic. 

Place the ball of dough in a bowl that you have lightly coated with olive oil. Turn the dough in the oil so that it is fully coated. Place plastic wrap around top of dough in the bowl. Place the dough in a warm place about 1 to 2 hours. The dough should double in size.

When you are ready to assemble your pizza, divide your dough into 2 even sections. With a rolling pin, roll out each ball of dough slightly bigger than each of your pans. Sprinkle corn meal on one side of the rolled out dough and place on top of one of the pans. Gently lift one of the sides to allow the dough to reach the bottom of the pan while also pressing the dough into the sides of the pan. There should not be any air bubbles in the dough or any space between the pan and the dough. The dough should come up about 2 inches to the sides of the pan.

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbls olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped (I used yellow)

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk of celery, finely chopped

1 tbls chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbls chopped fresh basil

1 tbls chopped fresh oregano

2 bay leaves

2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

2 tsp tomato paste

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet and add onion, carrot, celery, and parsley. Stir to coat. Turn heat to low and cover skillet. Let cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are extremely soft and tender. 

Remove the lid and turn up heat to medium. Add the minced garlic and let cook until slightly fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, and let simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 

When sauce has finished cooking, place the mixture in a blender or food processor and process until everything is combined. There should be no large chunks of carrot or celery, but do not over process. 

Pizza 

(dough and sauce are enough for about 2 pizzas, the other toppings are estimated per pizza)

Ingredients

Dough assembled in pans, see above

2 1/2 cups pizza sauce, divided, see above

2 cups shredded mozzarella 

(we used buffalo mozzarella instead, but will use shredded next time)

1/2 cup Romano

1/2 cup Parmesan

2 - 3 links Italian sausage

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

Handful black olives, chopped

1/2 cup white button mushrooms, sliced and cooked down to release juices

1/2 cup spinach, chopped

tomato, sliced thin

2 tbls basil

Preheat oven to 425 Degrees F.

Begin by placing a layer of mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the crust. Add the tomato sauce and toppings of your choice. Add remaining cheeses and place in the oven for about 30 - 40 minutes until golden and crispy. 

Serve immediately.

Kitchen of the Week

I'm always looking at pictures of kitchens. I love them. This week I have discovered a fabulous one on the Southern Living website.

Who wants this kitchen? Ok, take a number because I want this kitchen! I am already envisioning myself cooking and baking away in this kitchen...I wish I could see the whole thing just to make sure there is a gas stove somewhere closeby, but there are so many things done right in just this one corner that I am not too worried. First, love the paint color! Brian and I spent weeks trying to find a color like this for our current kitchen, we tried several samples (including banana, lemon, cream, butterscotch - of course these were not the actual names, but more of what they reminded me of when they were on the wall - great for cooking/baking - yuck for paint). So we gave up on finding the right yellowish color and we ended up with Sweet Georgia Brown from Home Depot...great color, but oh how I envy the one here. I feel so cozy looking at it. I want to make my coffee in that pot and stare out the window imagining what I am going to create for breakfast. I think maybe a nice veggie frittata... Second, love the white cabinets and how some have a glass pane with the glorious paint color on the shelves (for displaying all the wonderful serving pieces we all have stored away in a dark place) and how some are solid (to hide all the clutter). These cabinets are the perfect way to have the best of both worlds! Third, love all the stainless steel appliances, especially the refrigerator. Definitely want the double sided fridge with the freezer drawer at the bottom. Fourth, love the perfect little window that overlooks a huge backyard with lots of trees (totally guessing, but it seems fitting). Fifth, love the quaint little breakfast nook with chairs to compliment the other decor. I know you have to agree...this is a great kitchen.

Decadence

We spent the weekend celebrating Brian's birthday by wining and dining ourselves until we are now sick of food...(Well, not really...I don't think that would ever happen to us, but if it were to happen to someone, it would be after a weekend like this.) Last night we both agreed that we had the absolute best meal of our life in Dallas. We went to Fearing's Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton. We started our meal with the crispy barbecued oysters over creamed spinach. These oysters were perfectly fried and accompanied by the creamy spinach and slightly sweet barbecue sauce. For the meal, I had Fearing's incredible maple-black peppercorn soaked buffalo tenderloin that came with jalapeno grits and a butternut squash taquito. (to die for) I knew going into this dinner that is was going to be good, great even, but the flavors of everything we had popped distinctly and yet blended with one another so amazingly, that this dinner forced me to close my eyes and re-open them to make sure I was not dreaming. Yes, it was that good! We refused dessert because we had a homemade German Chocolate Cake waiting for us at home. (I had slaved away all day in the kitchen creating the masterpiece, so Brian was forced to eat it.) I have been making tiered cakes for several years now. It all started with a bake-off in college. I dedicated two full days to making an Italian Cream Cake because back then I had no idea what I was doing. I'll save that story for another blogging day...

Anyway, so yesterday I made a German Chocolate Cake because that is what Brian requested.

In all my history of making layered cakes (which is actually quite extensive because they are one of my favorite desserts to make), this one ranks among the best. Not to brag, but the flavor and texture was spot on, and the icing so divine. It's buttery with crunchy pecans and flaky coconut, I could eat it by itself. (Shhh, I let Dutch lick the spatula and he loved it too! Yes, of course after I was finished icing the cake.)

I was even able to create all my layers equal. If you are a baker (or not), you know how difficult it is to have 3 perfectly even layers. Most of the time one is slightly thicker or thiner than another, but no one can usually tell once you get the icing going. Well, yesterday, I almost got out a ruler because the layers were so identical, I was truly amazed. And bonus...the cakes totally fell out of the pans without me even throwing a fit like I sometimes do. (Also, another blogging day...) The baker in me was shining through yesterday, maybe I should switch careers. Just kidding, I get it, don't get ahead of yourself Kasey. Ok, I know you are waiting for the recipe, so here it is, make this one soon! Pure decadance.

German Chocolate Cake

(from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)

Ingredients

4 oz Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate, broken into squares
1/2 cup water
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cans evaporated milk
6 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour 3 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line bottoms with wax paper.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate with the water, stirring to melt the chocolate, and blend well. Set aside and cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, the baking soda, and the salt.

Set aside.
In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks, about 1 minute.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg yolks, beating until well combined.
Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with he buttermilk, beating after each addition, until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on the high speed of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter.
Divide batter among the prepared pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake, as this cake has a different, lighter texture than most.
Let cake cool in pans for 10 minutes.
Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
In a large saucepan, beat together the evaporated milk and the egg yolks.
Stir in the sugar, the butter , and the vanilla extract.
Stir over medium heat about 15-18 minutes or until thickened and bubbly and golden in color. Remove from heat.
Stir in the coconut and pecans.
Transfer to a large bowl and cool until room temperature and of good spreading consistency (about 2 hours.)
When cake has cooled, spread frosting between layers and over top of cake.