Molten Chocolate Cake With Candied Walnuts

I only learned that February is National Chocolate Month a couple of days ago and I absolutely had to make something with dark chocolate today - despite the fact that we're still working on a small pan of brownies from last weekend. Some whipped cream remained from last week's citrus curd tart and there was plenty of chocolate in my cupboard so I got busy this afternoon.

I've been craving molten chocolate cake for quite a while. I visited my recipe file and sorted through a few different options before I settled on this one, from napavalleyholiday.com and Terlato Wines International.

I've given you the entire original recipe. However, I'm not a huge fan of candied nuts so I didn't use that part of the directions, myself. But this is one easy and luscious dessert - whether or not you add nuts. The recipe is also something that you can prepare ahead and then bake just before you share it with appreciative dinner guests.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Candied Walnuts

Makes 8 servings

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

3 whole eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

cocoa powder (my addition)

Butter 8 six-ounce ceramic ramekins and dust with flour. In a bowl over a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate, set aside and let cool.

In a mixing bowl, use electric mixer to combine eggs and sugar until pale yellow batter holds shape and forms ribbon on beaters.

Blend flour into egg-sugar mixture with the mixer for 3 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, being careful to incorporate everything; mix for 2 more minutes.

Pour about 6 ounces of batter into each ramekin and refrigerate for 1 hour (VOE - I cooked one after an hour of refrigeration and then several more after three hours of refrigeration and the creamy, gooey texture was the same in both cases).

In preheated 475 degree oven, bake ramekins on a cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes, or until they are puffed up and don't jiggle when moved. Remove from oven and serve immediately (VOE - despite the high temperature, these babies cool off quickly so you'll only need to let them rest for about five minutes before serving). Can be served with chocolate sauce or cocoa powder, whipped cream and candied walnuts (see below).

For walnuts:

3 cups walnuts, toasted

1 3/4 cups sugar

pinch of kosher salt

Cook sugar until melted and slightly amber colored. Mix walnuts, sugar and salt together, being sure to coat the nuts and let cool on a non-stick surface such as a slit pad or baker's paper.

PHOTOS BY LISA WATERMAN GRAY

Aldaco's Mexican Cuisine - Blanca Aldaco

I met Blanca Aldaco at Aldaco's Mexican Cuisine, in San Antonio's Historic Sunset Station, during a spring 2008 press trip. Her eyes sparkled and she spoke enthusiastically as she taught each of us how to make the ultimate margarita under her watchful eye. Aldaco then circulated through the dining room as we sat down to dinner, and served us the restaurant's signature avocado margarita.

Ever since Aldaco opened her first restaurant, nearly 21 years ago, she has taken inspiration from childhood experiences in Guadalajara. And Aldaco's has become a San Antonio favorite and a Zagat-rated dining destination.

"We ate with my grandmother and grandfather every Wednesday and Friday," Aldaco says. "She had a cook and it was very formal, with soup, salad, entree, and dessert. On Sundays we went to the club, and you could smell steaks cooking outdoors. When I came to the U.S. I knew how to make a great salsa, and tacos, and I had a great, great palate."

Nowadays, Aldaco spends most of her time at her bustling two-year-old second location, on Stone Oak Parkway.  Here, customers can enjoy steaks grilled outdoors, and billiards plus a Bloody Mary bar on many Saturdays and Sundays. 

Aldaco has added 'lighter' items to both menus. One of the newest dishes, Arrachera a la Brava, combines beef skirt steak with a marinade of lime, fresh jalapeno, garlic and one secret ingredient. The restaurants also offer items for individuals with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

"I want [dining at Aldaco's] to be an experience, rather than just an outing," Aldaco says. "I also want to cultivate friendships."

The Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace

Morning sun illuminated whitewashed cabinets and gleaming stainless steel appliances as our press group of 15 people donned aprons and washed our hands. Dressed in chef whites and standing behind a butcher-block countertop owner, Janice Thomas, a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, gave us prep instructions for the morning. We divided into five small groups that each prepared a dish together, from

Swiss Chard and Black Olive Tart to Roasted Apple, Pecan, Cherry and Black River Blue Salad, Green Beans with Orange and Toasted Maple Pecans,

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Cherry Sauce and

Fresh Blueberry Tart. An hour later, we savored our feast.

The Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace, in Ellison Bay, Door County, Wisconsin, has offered cooking classes since 2003, often with a focus on locally produced foods such as cherries, cheese, and whitefish. Housed in a circa 1879 schoolhouse renovated by Thomas' husband, The Savory Spoon offers cooking classes from June through October. State-of-the-art kitchens feature SubZero/Wolf cooking and refrigeration appliances, plus the finest culinary tools and small appliances. 

“We’re a hands-on cooking school,” Thomas said during my August 2008 visit. “And August is a big month for local foods.” Other classes range from India’s Melting Pot to Truffles Galore and Timpano Delight. The school also hosts private events. The Marketplace offers kitchenwares, cookbooks, artisanal cheeses and cured meats, fresh baguettes/pastries, treats from in-house chocolatier, The Sweet Spot, and specialty foods, from quiche to sticky buns.

When The Savory Spoon is closed, Thomas leads annual culinary trips to France, Italy, and China, with a new Mexican destination added for 2010.

Whether you want to hone your own cooking skills or explore the cuisine of other cultures, check out Door County's The Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace.

Citrus Curd Tart

Two ancient limes and an equally old lemon stared at me accusingly every time I opened the refrigerator fruit drawer. After I learned that I could still safely use them, from a local cooking expert, I began to consider possible flavor combinations.

As those of us living throughout the Kansas City area endure one of the coldest, most snow-filled winters in recent memory, a tropical-tasting dessert sounded like the perfect solution. So I tracked down a lemon curd recipe (unfortunately, I have no idea where it came from, for attribution) - and decided that I could use a combination of lemon and lime instead. I then located a simple recipe for no-bake graham cracker crust, in my Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. Here's the result:

Citrus Curd Tart
Makes 8 servings

Curd:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon & lime juice
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon grated lemon and/or lime peel

In the top of a double boiler, beat eggs and sugar together. Stir in citrus juices, butter and lemon peel. Bring water to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook/stir continuously for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Pour warm curd into another bowl and set aside.

Graham crust:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 18)

Melt butter and stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers, toss to mix well. Spread evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm even crust. Chill about 1 hour or until firm (or, bake in a 375 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or till edge is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.)

Pour curd into chilled (or baked/cooled) crust. Chill overnight. When ready to serve, top with lightly sweetened whipped cream,* and lemon or lime zest. 

*VOE - Although I have a big sweet tooth, the curd + crust seemed too sweet even for my tastes. The whipped cream helps tone down the sweetness a bit. Add only 3 (or 4) tablespoons of confectioners (or granulated) sugar to one cup of whipped cream. Then spoon a big dollop onto your slice and ENJOY!

Jasper Mirabile Jr.'s Applecello

When Jasper Mirabile, Jr., had too many apples and too much cider from Louisburg Cider Mill in Louisburg, Kansas, six years ago, he created Applecello. Then he introduced it to customers of his family's five-decade-old family restaurant in nearby Kansas City, Missouri (which he co-owns with his brother, Leonard) - Jasper's Ristorante.

A veteran maker of homemade limoncello (as well as mozzarella, pasta sauce, salad dressings and more), Jasper combined excess apples and cider with sugar, vodka, and grain alcohol, and then flavored the brew with cloves and cinnamon sticks - and he's been doing it ever since. This year's brew features Louisburg Cider Mill's Honey Crisp apples.  

Customers at the restaurant can't seem to get enough of this luscious stuff. Each fall they consume more than seven gallons of Applecello, in everything from Applecello Martinis to Applecello & Cream. Jasper adds Applecello to fruit-based breads and cakes (including his signature Applecello cake), pours it over fruit salad, and serves it warm, beside apple strudel and vanilla bean gelato. "It reminds me of fall," Jasper says. "It tastes like mulled cider with a little kick to it."

Want to make Applecello yourself? Here's the recipe:

Jasper's Missouri Applecello

Makes 1 1/2 gallons

6 apples, seeded and crushed

8 ounces apple cider

12 cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

6 tablespoons sugar

10 ounces vodka

10 ounces grain alcohol

Tools: 2, 32-ounce Mason jars, 2-quart stockpot, 1 gallon jug with a cork or cap, very fine strainer, 1-ounce glasses

Place all ingredients, except vodka and grain alcohol, in stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and let steep for 15 minutes.

Pour mixture into a sterilized 1-gallon jug and then add vodka and grain alcohol. Place cork or cap on jug and store in a cool, dry, dark room. Let the mixture sit for 14 days.

Strain mixture and place in Mason jars, let sit for 14 more days, and then refrigerate until ready to use. Serve chilled.

Easy Homemade Hash Browns

My husband, Mark, and I. have been empty nesters for about 4 1/2 years. About two years ago, we began a Sunday tradition of sharing a big, homemade breakfast. I most often make French toast or pancakes while Mark fries turkey bacon or sausage, and cooks fried eggs or a two-person omelet. Once in awhile we enjoy biscuits and gravy or a sweet homemade bread.

Last week, Mark said that he wanted to try making hash browns for our Sunday breakfast. I had Yukon gold potatoes on hand but we agreed that russets would probably provide a better texture. So I grabbed the largest russet that I could find during my weekend shopping trip. Then, yesterday, Mark made us a huge pan of easy and delicious hash browns, reminding him of his days as a short-order cook. With toast made from English muffin bread, eggs, and juice, we enjoyed a weekend feast.

If you like hash browns too, give these a try!

Homemade Hashbrowns

Makes 2-3 servings

1 large russet potato, approximately 6 inches long

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Prick potato frequently with a knife, cover with water in a large saucepan. and then bring to a rolling boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove potato from saucepan and cool completely. Peel off skin. Using a hand grater - or the grater blade of a food processor - grate entire potato, put in a large bowl, and set aside.

Using an iron or nonstick skillet, oil lightly to minimize sticking, and set over medium high heat.

Add butter and oil and warm until butter melts. Place grated potato in the skillet and cook potatoes to golden brown. If using an oven-safe skillet, place the hash browns in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Enjoy with ketchup, hot sauce, sour cream or any other favorite condiment.

Breakfast Trail Ride at Tanque Verde Ranch Resort

Our breakfast trail ride at Tanque Verde Ranch Resort, outside of Tucson, began on a gorgeous, warm morning in mid-October. I had slathered loads of sunscreen on my arms, shoulders, neck, and face and retrieved a baseball cap to shield against the desert sun. We met at the stables where, based on my riding experience, the horse handlers paired me with a gentle white/gray horse named Dale. 

above image courtesy of photographer

at Tanque Verde Ranch Resort

Before long, our press group had entered a sea of saguaro cacti, which I thought of as a 'transparent forest.' We rode to a high hilltop, with the gentle Dale navigating rock, sand, cacti, narrow trails and steep inclines as I gently pulled him away from tasty bushes along the way. By the time we reached our breakfast site, everyone was hungry. And what a feast awaited us!

The staff had transported a huge cookstove and grill up the mountain, where regular and blueberry pancakes turned golden brown, with crispy hash browns, chile and cheese-spiked scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and fresh, flaky biscuits on the side. Coffee woke us up and lemonade cooled us off. But, perhaps the most impressive part of this breakfast feast was how they served it - on gingham tablecloths atop picnic tables - plus sturdy plastic plates and real silverware.

The temperature hovered near 90 degrees as we cleared the tables, and looked down on miles of cacti. Then we headed back to the stables, ready for shade but happy for a great start to our day.