Showing posts with label Cooking Club 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking Club 2009. Show all posts

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Cooking Club: December 2009

Theme: Cookie Exchange

Sarah (Host): Homemade Eggnog, Cranberry Margaritas, Assorted breads and salami
Susan: Creamy Cauliflower Soup, Snickerdoodles
Linda: Ox Tail Soup
Betty: Frosted Chocolate Cookies
Chris: Sugar Surprise Cookies
Jodi: Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Summer: Eggnog Cookies
Shauna: Chocolate Peppermint Gooey Cookies
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Cranberry Margaritas on the rocks

Frosted Chocolate Cookies

Chris' Surprise Cookies

Snickerdoodles
Chocolate Peppermint Gooey Cookies
Eggnog Cookies

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

We were bad this time. No one brought recipes, so there are none to share. Enjoy the photos.


Monday, November 30, 2009

Thanksgiving Feast!

Cooking Club: November 2009

Thanksgiving Sides and Desserts

Pictured: Pumpkin Bombe
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Teresa (Host): Turkey and gravy
Linda: Green Bean Casserole
Ashlin: Turkey Meatloaf Burgers
Jodi: Sweet Potatoes
Lori: Chopped Apple Salad and Maple Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie
Shauna: Cauliflower Gratin with Endive
Susan: Broccoli Casserole
Summer: Pumpkin Pie Martinis
Laura: Pumpkin Ice Cream Bombe
Sarah: Cranberry Relish, Apple Pie
Dana: Pumpkin Cheesecake

Side Note: For some reason my camera captured a dreary orange glow in all the photos.
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Dish: Cauliflower Gratin with Endive
This was pretty good. It was very expensive to make and hard to find all the ingredients. This recipe comes from Martha Stewart and sometimes it hit or miss with her stuff.
Recipe: Click Here

Dish: Not your Mama's Green Bean Casserole
Fresh, gourmet take on the traditional green bean casserole. Fresh green beans are mixed with a homemade mushroom sauce and topped with a buttery bread crumb and onion mixture.
Recipe: Click here


Dish: Maple Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie
This was a delicious pie and had a yummy combination of flavors. It wasn't as sweet as the other pies, which wasn't a bad thing. But, we thought it could use another 1/4 cup of brown sugar. It was topped with a tasty dollop of bourbon whipped cream.


Turkey Meatloaf Burgers with Cranberry Sauce and White Cheddar
This is a great use for all that left over turkey. Everyone gobbled these up! Served hot with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and you have a great post Thanksgiving meal.
Recipe: Click Here

Dish: Apple Pie
It's not Thanksgiving without it. This one was tart and went well with the sweet pumpkin desserts.

Dish: Special Cranberry Relish
"You love it or you hate it". This is a savory take on cranberry sauce. It's a highly requested recipe of Susan Stamberg's from NPR. It combines cranberries, onions, sour cream and horseradish. Judging from the ingredients, you would think it was awful, but a majority of the cooking club really enjoyed this paired with the turkey. If you're adventurous and want to try something unique, this is the recipe.
Recipe: Click Here
Broccoli Casserole
This recipe combines Gorgonzola, heavy cream and bread crumbs. Don't be scared off by the Gorgonzola, it makes the casserole rich and creamy and it isn't pungent tasting like you would think.

Pumpkin Pie Martinis
Before my changes these could have been called booze martinis, because that was about all you could taste. The vodka was a bit strong, so I cut the amount in half and added a drop more heavy cream. And the secret ingredient that balanced out the flavors and made it taste more like pumpkin pie? A small scoop of pumpkin ice cream.
Recipe: Click Here

Turkey and Gravy
This turkey was moist and delicious. All it needed was a good rubbing of butter and herbs and some basting along the way.

Chopped Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts,
Blue Cheese and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Long name, awesome salad. I had thirds. I don't usually think of salad at Thanksgiving, but this one is tasty enough to add to anyone's Turkey day menu! Delish.
Recipe: Click Here

Dish: Sweet Potato Casserole
These sweet potatoes aren't the typical pureed, bland sweet potatoes that show up on Thanksgiving. Chunks of sweet potato are mixed with butter, marshmallows and brown sugar and baked to bubbly perfection. "These are dangerous and bad, but Thanksgiving only comes once a year."

Recipe

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Pumpkin Cheesecake
Super creamy and perfectly sweet and spicy, just like pumpkin dessert should be!
A ginger snap crust would be delicious with this too.




Pumpkin Bombe
This pumpkin ice cream cake was sooo good! A mix of vanilla ice cream, pumpkin puree and lots of yummy spices are housed in a graham cracker crust, topped with walnuts for decoration and chilled to perfection.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Cooking Club: September 2009

Chinese

Jodi: Lemon Chicken / Charshu Pork
Linda: Grandma's Chop Suey / Sake
Ashlin: Ham Foo Yung
Betty: Ginger Pork Stir-Fry / Fortune Cookies
Summer: Crispy Honey Shrimp
Shauna: Wine
Lori: Ham and Shrimp Fried Rice / Sake
Susan: Egg Drop Soup with Shrimp and Chicken
Sheryl: Pot Stickers
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Grandma's Chop Suey
This was really good and was accompanied by crunchy chow mein noodles. It had a really great flavor and many different textures. Yum.
Crispy Honey Shrimp with Candied Walnuts
These are just like the ones at Asian Star. I didn't have any left, that's a good sign.
Egg Drop Soup
This egg drop soup was loaded with peas, mushrooms, carrots, shrimp and chicken. No soggy eggs and broth here!

Pot Stickers
Crispy pot stickers with a delicious dipping sauce and sauteed asparagus for color. They were sooo good.

Ham and Shrimp Fried Rice.
It took a few tries to perfect this, but it was worth it!

Charshu Pork
Served with two dipping sauces
Crispy Lemon Chicken
The lemon sauce was served on the side and this dish was the perfect balance of salty, sweet and tangy.

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry
Crispy vegetables, tender pork and a hint of ginger. Delicious!
Ham Egg Foo Yung
Drizzled with a bit a gravy, I went back for seconds.
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The Ladies behind the Dishes
Here is the gorgeous new mommy Ashlin with her adorable baby Ava-Lin. She was so much fun to hold and very awake and alert for being just over a month old.
Here are some pics of everyone welcoming Ava to her first cooking club.
Cooking Club is such a Riot! We always have a good time.

Here is our lovely host Betty (left) with the always smiling Jodi.
Linda and Susan

Ashlin and Sheryl (Our newest member who passed the test with her pot stickers!)
Betty has a gorgeous patio. It was the perfect setting to enjoy some amazing Chinese cuisine.
Yesterday, we all discovered that Betty is a fabulous artist! She took us down to her studio to show us all of her wonderful pieces. If you would like to own an original Michaut piece, I'm sure Betty would love to show you her work!
Recipes:

Honey Walnut Shrimp
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
1 cup water
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
4 egg whites
2/3 cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canned sweetened condensed milk
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions
Stir together the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the walnuts. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and place walnuts on a cookie sheet to dry.

Whip egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. Stir in the mochiko until it has a pasty consistency. Heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dip shrimp into the mochiko batter, and then fry in the hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
In a medium serving bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey and sweetened condensed milk. Add shrimp and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the candied walnuts.



Shrimp and Ham Fried Rice

Ingredients:
4 ounces frozen uncooked shrimp, unshelled
Marinade:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons water
Other:
4 ounces cooked ham
1 medium onion
2 green onions
2 eggs (more if desired)
1/2 cup peas
4 cups cold cooked rice
4 to 5 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

Preparation:
Run the frozen shrimp under warm running water, pat dry with paper towels, shell and devein. Chop into small pieces. Add the marinade ingredients and marinate for 15 minutes.
Dice the ham, onion, and green onion.

Beat the eggs lightly with chopsticks, add a dash of salt, and mix.* Set aside. 
Heat the wok and then add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil is ready, pour 1/2 of the egg mixture into the wok and cook over medium heat, turning over once. Cook the other half the same way. Cut the egg into thin strips, and save for later.

Add 2 tablespoons oil, or as needed. When oil is hot, stir-fry the onion and shrimp on high heat for a few moments, remove and set aside. Do the same for the green peas, and then the diced ham.
Add 1 - 2 tablespoons oil, turn the heat down to medium and stir-fry the rice. Add a bit of soy and oyster sauce if desired. Add the other ingredients except the egg and green onion and combine thoroughly. Serve the fried rice with the strips of egg on top and the green onion as garnish.** 

*You can also add a bit of oyster sauce if desired
**Alternately, you can mix the green onion and egg in with the other ingredients.
Source: About.com

Egg Foo Young
Ingredients
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
8 eggs, well beaten

Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, heat sesame oil and lightly fry the onions, celery and sprouts. Stir in cornstarch and add shrimp, soy sauce and salt. Stir until well blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.


Return the pan to the heat, and add the beaten eggs. Fry the eggs while stirring gently. Return the vegetable and shrimp mixture to the pan while the eggs are still liquid. Finish frying until eggs are fully cooked.

* You can substitute ham for shrimp.

Ginger Pork Stir-Fry
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 inch piece fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1/4 pound thinly sliced lean pork
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas
1/2 cup water chestnuts
1 cup bok choy, diced medium
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine


Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry ginger in hot oil until fragrant, then add pork, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, sugar and garlic. Add snap peas, water chestnuts and bok choy. Toss with sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Stir in the sesame oil, green onion, and rice wine. Simmer until the pork is tender.


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Up Next: Halloween Cooking Club!
October 18th @ 5:00 / Linda and Ashlin will host
Theme: Halloween Colors / Your dish has to be orange,purple, black or green!
Oh, and feel free to be festive. Costumes welcome.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Cooking Club: August 2009

Pregnancy Cravings /
In honor of our mommy-2-be, Ashlin


Jodi (Host) / Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Linda / Baked Potato Skins and Kamikaze Shots
Ashlin / Relish Tray
Shauna / Pasta Salad
Betty / Shrimp Tacos
Susan / Wings
Teresa / Red Velvet Cake
Chris / Pot Stickers
Summer / I brought my fun self
New Members
Julie / Wine
Sheryl / Wine


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The Spread


The view from Jodi's backyard. Not too shabby

The mommy-2-be



Susan frying up some chicken wings
The picture says it all
Myself, plating the wings
Asian Pot Stickers

Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The secret?...take out. ;)


Jodi, the lovely host and Shauna

Crispy potato skins topped with bacon

Kamikaze Shots

Us enjoying the lime flavored tubes of joy

Relish tray with hearts of palm. Very good


The banger sisters

Some extra nibbles. Lemon cake with a crispy lemon glaze and bits of lemon zest and...

chips with a yummy Parmesan dip.


Italian Pasta Salad with Salami
We all put in a guess of when Ashlin would have her baby. Winner gets the pot.
To end the fabulous meal, a piece of Teresa's delicious Red Velvet Cake. Yum. I think everyone had seconds!

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