Chocolate Swirl Pound Cake
When I was a child swirled pound cake was an utter mystery to me. I wondered how they were able to get the chocolate batter to make such intricate designs in the finished cake. Now that I am older I understand that the oven does nearly all the swirling because as the cake bakes the batter shifts and swirls naturally. Just like snow flakes, they are all unique. So, maybe the mystery is solved, but I must admit I still get a little...
Pasta with Zinfandel Tomato Sauce and Ricotta
Don’t you just love meals you can make in the snap, but taste like you cooked all day? I work three part-time jobs at the moment (long story) and I also attend culinary school at night, so I understand and adore quick meals that do not taste quick. What makes this pasta sauce so tasty is the addition of a little zinfandel. Now, we are not talking that prissy white zinfandel (and if you like that wine, sorry!), we are talking a...
Banana and Chocolate Mascarpone Crepes
The combination of chocolate and banana is highly underrated. Aside from some frozen bananas dipped in chocolate, and chocolate chip banana bread, the combination is largely overlooked. Well, break out your bananas because we are going to make something that will make chocolate lovers rejoice. The crepes are chocolate but they do not have any sugar in them. Before you say I am mad consider that the crepes are going to be filled...
Mushroom Risotto
When the weather turns cold and the wind begins to howl, nothing warms me up faster than a bowl of creamy risotto. Shockingly, I have never had Risotto until last year! To be honest with you, it was always the last thing I considered ordering because I love pasta so much, but one night at a local Italian place I decided to forgo my usual and try their Mushroom Risotto. It changed my world. From that moment on I knew risotto would...
Apple Carrot Maple Cakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Nothing makes me happier than when I can combine two things I love into one thing I really love! I love apple cake and I love carrot cake. While looking at some apples in the market I noticed carrots on sale also, and inspiration struck! Why not combine the two? Tart apples, sweet carrots, warm spices, moist cake … how can that be anything but good? To increase the yum factor I added a bit of some fabulous dark maple syrup...
Pan Seared Polenta with Chicken and Tomato Sauce
Last year I had the opportunity to attend a mushroom event in Dallas where we were provided a cooking demo by Chef Kent Rathburn of Abacus restaurant. My favorite dish of the event was a polenta cake with mushroom ragu. A few weeks after the event I received the recipe for the polenta with mushroom ragu and have made it a few times to great acclaim. While the mushroom ragu is lovely, I love the polenta part of the recipe best of...
