My Limits to Multitasking

This morning I baked a cake. After lunch, I started the Cherry Garcia cookie dough and put it in the fridge to get firm. Between the cookies and making dinner, I took AJ to see the doctor. Tonight's menu included bacon wrapped pork medallions with apple cider sauce, green bean casserole, and mashed cauliflower surprise. Invariably, when I do too many things I forget something. That's why there aren't any photographs.

While the cookie dough was chilling out, I decided to take AJ to the hospital. He's had a cough for 2 weeks and this will be his second visit to the doctor. It was 3:30 p.m. At this time we'd have to take whoever is available. We got to the hospital, he saw the doctor, and he left the pharmacy with a mister, another course of Ropect, and mysterious instructions to stay out of the sun.

We get home around 5 p.m.  AJ takes Gigi for a walk. I take the ironed clothes from Boong to put away, which interrupts Andy's Scrabble game on Facebook. Do we eat in or go out, he asks. Eat in, I say and I go downstairs. I mentally shift into overdrive. I used to do this so well at 36 but 56 is another story.

Preheat the Sharp Healslo convection oven to 180 degrees Celsius and set timer for 12 minutes. Saute' the bacon but not crisply. Trim and cut the pork tenderloin into eighths. Wrap the bacon around the medallions and pin them with toothpicks. Season with white pepper and fry medallions. Line baking trays with baking parchment and take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator. Heat apple cider and chicken bouillion in 10 inch skillet on medium high heat. Add red wine vinegar and one whole cinnamon stick to the sauce. Turn medallions. Put 12 scoops of cookie dough on each tray and return extra dough to refrigerator. Turn medallions again. Preheating cycle over; pop cookies in oven.

Wash bowls and utensils in sink. Stop to turn medallions. Apple cider mixture is reduced to one cup. Supposed to put in a granny smith apple but forgot to peel, core, and chop it. Put apple back in fridge. Cookies are done. Transfer to racks to cool. Stop to take out medallions and put on plate to drain on paper toweling. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Continue putting cookies on rack to cool. Put cookie trays on unused burner to cool. AJ comes back in and goes upstairs to shower.

Remember the green beans and cauliflower. Move cookie trays to counter. Fill a dutch pot one-third full of water and set on burner to boil. Wash cauliflower and separate cauliflower florets. Snap ends off green beans. Cut green beans into 1 1/2 inch lengths. Chop onions. Decide to add minced garlic and stir-fry the green beans instead of making the casserole. Water is boiling; add cauliflower and forget them.

Wash skillet for frying medallions to clear the sink and stove area. All the brown bits go down the drain to collect in the sink drainer at the bottom. Consult recipe for pork medallions that are now cozily tented under aluminum foil. Pour off any fat in the skillet and add 1 tablespoon butter. Too late. Add any juices from the plate the pork is resting on. The paper towel has soaked up the juices. Don't have any apple brandy, shallots, or fresh thyme either. Sigh.

On the principle that garlic makes up for a lot of omissions, I chop up 6 cloves of garlic instead and throw that in the sauce. Sauce now thick and a deep ruby red. Haven't tasted it yet. Remember the cookie dough in the fridge. Preheat convection oven again. Remember to check cauliflower. Not tender enough. Cookie trays cool to touch. Take out remaining cookie dough and scoop 7 cookies out of the bottom of the bowl onto one tray. Put tray in oven. Lick spatula. Yum.

Check cauliflower and decide it is tender enough. Drain. Set up food processor and throw in cauliflower. Drop in a tablespoon butter and dump in about 4 tablespoons milk, salt, and pepper. Process until it looks like mashed potatoes, only greener. Oven beeps; cookies are done. Remove cookies from oven and transfer to rack to cool. Add salt and pepper generously to the apple-cider reduction and put the medallions in the sauce to heat up. Exhale. The guys meander downstairs; somehow they know, without being called, that dinner is ready.

The pork was tender and the bacon crisp. The sauce was interesting; sweet, sour, salty, and slightly peppery. The green beans were crunchy, the mashed cauliflower smooth and creamy. We also finished some leftover tabouleh.

Afterwards, the guys did the washing up.

I went upstairs to write this blog.

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Midweek Meal: Skillet Chicken with Rigatoni, Broccoli, Tomatoes

Thursday night and I'm looking for an easy dinner recipe. How about a one pot meal? This one is adapted from America's Test Kitchen's Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti and Asiago Cheese. I didn't have sun-dried tomato so I substituted fresh tomatoes, seeded and sliced into strips. No ziti so I used rigatoni. Andy wasn't too enamored of the rigatoni and I'm inclined to agree with him. Next time I'll use penne if ziti isn't available. I didn't have any heavy cream either so I used milk. No Asiago so I used a mixture of cheddar and Gouda. In other words, I used whatever was on hand in my pantry and refrigerator!


Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares

table salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)

1 medium onion , minced (about 1 cup)

3 medium cloves garlic , minced (I love garlic so I added twice the amount)

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 ounces ziti or penne (2 /12 cups)

2 3/4 cups water

1 2/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

12 ounces broccoli florets (4 cups)

1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes , rinsed and chopped coarse

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 ounce grated asiago cheese or parmesan cheese(1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the ziti, 2 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 3/4 cup water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Uncover and return heat to high. Stir in the cream, Asiago, and reserved chicken broth.Simmer uncovered until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through, 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing more Asiago cheese at the table, if desired.

Midweek Treat: Skillet Pizza

Thanks again to America's Test Kitchen for this mah-velous recipe! Andy and AJ loved it and it was so easy to make, even after a long day of teaching.


Toppings
4 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped, and tough core removed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup thinly sliced and shredded pepper ham (my addition)
Black pepper (my addition)

Dough (makes 2 disks)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup beer or water
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

To make the topping: Toss the tomatoes in a large bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and let it drain for 15 minutes. Combine cheeses and basil in a medium bowl, then refrigerate while preparing the dough.

To make the dough: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a food processor. While the motor is running, slowly pour the beer or water and the oil down the side of the tube so it mixes into the dough. [Note: If a dough ball doesn't form, pour in more water or beer a tablespoon at a time while the machine is running. When the dough starts to form a ball and pull away from the sides, stop pouring water. This step is crucial to getting a nice soft dough ball. ] Process until the dough looks like a shaggy ball and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 1-3 minutes. [Note: You may need to stop the machine to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure proper mixing.] With floured hands, form dough into a tight ball and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 10 minutes. (Dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen for up to 1 week.)

To make the pizza: Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a 9 inch disk. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick skillet until just smoking. Transfer the disk to the skillet and cook, poking any bubbles that form with a fork, being careful not to scratch the non-stick surface. The bottom should be golden brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Flip dough and sprinkle half the cheese, tomatoes, and ham and black pepper (if using) on top. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the second side is brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer pizza to a plate and slice into wedges. Wipe the skillet, and repeat with the second disk.

I'm going to make this again, and, besides-- I can think up so many other ideas for toppings:

• Minced onion
• Minced sweet peppers
• Sliced Italian sausage, cooked and drained
• Cooked ham cubes
• Shredded or cubed cooked/smoked chicken breast
• Pepperoni
  
• Salami
  

Cake Monday: Jamaica Spice Cake

This recipe was originally the White Spice Pound Cake in The Cake Bible. I didn't have any brandy on hand but I did have Jamaican rum (for medicinal purposes!). So that went into the cake instead. The crust is slightly crunchy and with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top it actually "melts in the mouth," as the author of The Cake Bible likes to say. Now I know what she means! The cake has a fine crumb and it's light in texture. It tastes very much like gingerbread and the spicy smell reminds me of Jamaican Easter Bun. The secret ingredient to this ersatz-gingerbread seems to be a teaspoon and a half of cocoa powder--and I won't need the molasses. However, the cloves overpowered the cinnamon so I would reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon next time. This recipe is a keeper!

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Cake and Frittata and How a Yellow Cake Morphed into a White Cake

For Mimi's anniversary, I planned to bake a Downy Yellow Butter Cake with Buttercream Frosting , but it all went awry. Yesterday I made the yellow cake--and forgot the sugar! I had batter spatter all over the kitchen. When you leave out the sugar you get a gooey goopy mess. The yellow cake needs 6 egg yolks so I started all over again but I wasn't happy with the cake texture--too dry. The coffee buttercream frosting was, alas, too sweet--four cups of powdered sugar. Too much and entirely unnecessary, to my mind. I also had the problem of what to do with a dozen egg whites in the refrigerator. Time for a change of plan!

I decided to make another cake, a White Velvet Butter Cake which is an inversion of the yellow cake. Instead of 6 egg yolks, it uses 4 egg whites. And, instead of the coffee cake I planned to make, I made a White Spice Pound Cake. That one called for four large egg whites.

The Vanilla Buttercream frosting for the Velvet Cake also uses an alarming three cups of powdered sugar and one whole cup of butter. As I watched, the frosting turned from yellow to white in all of three minutes. It's so beautifully light and airy. I love it! I decorated the top with six chocolate-covered strawberries, Mimi's favorite dessert.

All cake recipes came from The Cake Bible which I've found is a reliable resource. I plan to try all of the recipes--but with far simpler cake decorations. I'm deeply envious when I look at the cakes with their perfect fondants. Eye candy. The author unfortunately doesn't give step by step decorating instructions--I guess that would be another book. It's a pity there aren't more pictures in the Bible but the written instructions are excellent--and she shares her secrets for perfect cakes!

*****

For lunch today, I made a spaghetti frittata with 6 egg whites and one whole egg thrown in "for color." Usually, it's 4 whole eggs, lightly beaten. To beaten eggs, add 1 cup cooked spaghetti, 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. In another bowl, add 6 slices chopped pancetta or diced ham, 1 cup frozen peas, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

In a 10 inch skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Saute 6 cloves minced garlic (less, if you don't appreciate garlic). Add half the egg mixture. Top with pancetta mixture. Cover with remaining egg mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered until the edges are set. Cover the top with a large plate and invert. Slide the frittata back into the pan and cook until the top/bottom is browned.

There are times when I should follow the recipe and there are times when I should follow my instincts. I should have followed my instincts here and not let the frittata brown for all 8 minutes recommended in the recipe. The egg whites cooked a lot quicker than whole eggs, I discovered. Still, the frittata was full of flavor with the tang of cheese and little explosions of peas. Delicious.

*****

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Cake Monday: 7 Up Pound Cake

Last weekend I experimented with a Cola Cake that turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. So, you ask, why try another soda pop cake? Well, the original recipe for the 7 Up Cake came from the folks at America's Test Kitchen, and the cakes they make are practically (almost always) fool-proof. Nevertheless, I had misgivings about this cake. It calls for 2 1/2 cups sugar, 2 1/4 cups melted butter, and 3 1/4 cups cake flour. Heavy. Well, it is a pound cake after all..!

Everything went in the food processor--except the flour. I forgot the 7 Up! When I remembered it, I was adding the flour. I poured in half a cup between batches of flour and whisked it in. Didn't seem to hurt the cake at all.

I tried a ring shape, just to be interesting. The batter for this recipe fills one 12-cup Bundt cake pan so I divided it between one 6 cup loaf pan (8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2) and a 6 cup Savarin ring mold. The cake in the mold was baked in 70 minutes whereas the loaf took the full 90 minutes.

The glaze hardened like cement the minute I added the sugar! I stirred and stirred but it wasn't a pourable consistency. The glaze instructions were uncharacteristically cryptic for ATK. All it said was add the sugar to the citrus juices and stir. So I tried heating the glaze and thinning it with a teaspoon of milk. I ended up making two batches of glaze. I think the glaze looks uneven and I should have dusted off the crumbs off the cake first. I also definitely need practice pouring a glaze. I know it isn't Christmas, but doesn't the plate look pretty though?!


And what about the taste? Well, surprisingly, the 7 Up Cake has a lemon-lime flavor that's tart rather than sweet. The juice and zest cut the sugar both in the cake and in the glaze. I couldn't taste the 7 Up. I wonder what flavored carbonated water is supposed to do to a cake?! The science teachers at school say the soda provides leavening, making the cake lighter in texture. Indeed, the crumb was fine and the cake was delicious. This recipe's worth repeating.

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The New York Cheesecake

Last Sunday I was getting over a three week Christmas break. So I baked. I baked a New York Cheesecake, a Cola Cake, a Nutella Swirl Cake, and Chocolate Bread. That baking afternoon is a whole 'nother story. What I want to write about here is the cheesecake. That cheesecake is my favorite thing to bake, and I wanted to make one for my class.


This is Thailand so I had to make some adjustments, mostly dictated by price and availability, and use local ingredients. I used Digestive Biscuits instead of Graham Cracker Crumbs. I got this idea from America's Test Kitchen to use a measuring cup to tamp down the crumbs. I used a Chinese soup spoon instead. Works great!

Getting ready to cream the sugar with the cream cheese. I found it's important to scrape down the sides of the bowl during the mixing, because four packages of cream cheese go into this recipe. Unfortunately, the top of the cheesecake cracked while the cake was cooling and I knew an emergency rescue was in order: a strawberry topping.

I love the garnet color of this fresh strawberry topping! I bought Chiang Mai strawberries as they have a wonderful red center. The sauce turns deep red and doesn't need any food coloring at all. This wasn't photoshopped either, I swear!

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Cake Monday: Nutella Swirl Pound Cake

First day of school and it's a Monday too! I tried this cake recipe from La Cuisine d'Helene Recipes only because someone gave us a jar of Nutella for Christmas. Unlike a marble cake, which has chocolate and vanilla batters, Nutella is a paste and remained a paste, even after baking. I had never tasted Nutella before and I find it sweet with a strong chocolate flavor; I couldn't taste the hazelnuts.

I followed the recipe directions and filled a 9x5 inch loaf pan with one-third of the batter. Then I spread about half the jar on top. I decided not to go all the way to the edge. Then another topping of batter and another layer of Nutella. A batter layer finished off the top.

To my consternation, after half an hour in the oven, the cake started to rise above the edge of the pan. The pan was too small. It didn't spill over but it meant that the cake was underbaked in the center after 55 minutes. I tented the cake with a piece of aluminum foil and let it bake the full hour and 15 minutes. The cake ended up dry and flaky and slightly oily on the top and dense on the inside. The oil in the Nutella seemed to have saved the cake from being too dry.

If I baked this cake again, I'd try it in a 6 cup Bundt cake pan. IF someone gives me another jar of Nutella.

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Absolutely Heavenly Mexican Wedding Cakes

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Truly Scrumptious Cherry Garcia Cookies

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