Tag: Food Network

The Cooking Chronicles: Classic Mac & Cheese

I was hit with a craving for Kraft Dinner on Friday night, but unable to locate a package of the instant macaroni in our pantry, I was forced to artificially subside my longing for the time being. So on Saturday, I suggested to Mack that we try out Dave Lieberman’s from-scratch recipe for Classic Mac and Cheese.

We substituted a few things, including medium instead of sharp cheddar, fresh parmesan for romano, and rotini in place of penne. We also nixed the parsley, much to my food aesthetic dismay. We followed the directions closely, and though the cheese sauce ended up like a thick fondue, our dish turned out pretty well. Of course, there were the usual adjustments that we learned for the next go around, most prominently to use less breadcrumbs, crushed finer than we did, and potentially to add a filler ingredient (like ham, hot dogs, or my vote – grape tomatoes tossed with fresh herbs). More cheese on top wouldn’t hurt either.

Was it better than Kraft Dinner? Yes. Was it worth the time and effort? Yes, and even more so with the aforementioned improvements. Onward with experimentation!

Classic Mac & Cheese

The Cooking Chronicles: Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

Given all my harping about cupcakes, it’s a surprise that I haven’t yet tackled the challenge of making them myself. So tonight, I attempted Ina Garten’s recipe of Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing.

It was certainly the most prep-intensive recipe to date. Between ensuring that the eggs, butter, and sour cream were at room temperature, remembering to brew the coffee, and letting the buttermilk mixture stand, I definitely exceeded the time guidelines listed on the recipe. Moreover, though I dislike using an electric mixer (I’m strangely traditional that way), I thought I’d experiment with my Mum’s KitchenAid mixer this time. It wasn’t as complicated as I had expected, but I did cop out near the end and chose to hand-incorporate the buttermilk and flour mixtures.

I also used Ina’s method of ice-cream scooping the cupcake batter into the baking cups, but boy, do I need a better scoop in the future; I think gravity was a more effective helper than the lift button itself.

As for the icing – it is without a doubt the star of the show. I’m known for eating spoonfuls of peanut butter out of the jar, but with the fluffy sweetness of the peanut butter icing, I’m liable to take the bowl and run. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone with frosting-related needs.

The ‘cakes themselves rose nicely, and frosted with icing and topped with chopped peanuts, look absolutely delectable. I’m not sure if I’d go through with making the cake batter from scratch again, as it was time consuming without much difference in taste when compared with the Betty Crocker/Duncan Hines variety, but the icing gets two big thumbs up from me.

Think anyone will buy my creations for $2.50 a pop?

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

The Cooking Chronicles: Mini Linzer Cookies

My original plan was to replicate Ina Garten’s recipe for Mini Linzer Cookies in time for Valentine’s Day so I could bring the treats to work to share with my colleagues. Due to my difficulty in locating the specialty cookie cutters however, I had to delay my excitement (Call the Kettle Black didn’t have them…tsk, tsk). Luckily, my Mum found a set at Winners, so my cooking project was back in the works.

I only had enough room temperature butter for half of the recipe, which was a shame in the end, as the preparation was fairly time consuming with only a moderate amount of product to show for it. Though the directions were simple enough, between the half hour to chill the dough, the fifteen minutes to chill the cut-out cookies, and the ten minutes to allow the cookies to cool before decorating, the “idle” time dragged the process out quite a bit.

Despite slightly-burnt cookies and a dash too much confectioners sugar, I was ultimately happy with the experiment. They’d make a lovely tea time accompaniment or a gift-worthy treat. I hope my workmates enjoyed them!

Mini Linzer Cookies (with organic strawberry jam)

The Cooking Chronicles: Ricotta Pancakes

Armed with Bisquick, I set out to duplicate an Everyday Italian recipe of Ricotta Pancakes this morning.

The show had advertised them as a fluffier alternative to the usual result from pancake mix, and I did find that the case, but they definitely came out flatter than I was expecting. I should have substituted milk for water, and added about a quarter cup more frozen blueberries. But the best part was – they really weren’t any more difficult to make than regular pancakes, as long as you have the ingredients on hand to start with.

Anyway, pancakes are a great way to begin any day!

Ricotta Pancakes

Mini Frittatas

Although I’ve dabbled in baking here and there, my experience creating appetizers and entrées have been limited. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for fast and easy recipes, particularly from my favorite TV chefs. Yesterday, I decided to replicate a frittata recipe I saw on an episode of Giada De Laurentiis’ Everyday Italian. Below is a picture of the result:


(So few product were captured because I ate the majority of them before the shot was taken…)

In my opinion, the recipe is foolproof, and you can substitute whatever you have on hand for the filling. In this case, I used mushrooms and turkey breast slices, though I admit a little greenery wouldn’t hurt the presentation. Another tip: if you fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full, the frittatas come out perfectly concave. This recipe would make a great appetizer, brunch item, or afterschool snack. I encourage you to try this out and share your favorite filling combinations!