Chatter and Mash

Chatter and Mash is a foodie blog where Lisa & Christina share what they believe are "good eats" and discuss food pop culture.

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(via Easy Rainbow Pasta Recipe | Quick Dish Recipes)

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(via A pinata cake | a subtle revelry)

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Rubik’s Cheese Cube Adapted from Women’s LifeStyle’s Watermelon Rubik’s Cube

Tipsy Brit’s English Cheddar with Port Wine (pink cheese)

Extra Sharp Cheddar

Swiss Emmentaler Natural Cheese

Pepperjack Cheese

Brie

Jalapeño Garlic Havarti

Dill Havarti

1. For bite-sized cubes, measure 1/2-inch squares. (In retrospect, for a centerpiece cube, I would measure them to be 1 inch!)

2. Cut at least nine equal-sized cubes of each cheese. You’ll have plenty leftover!

3. Build your cube by alternating the cheeses. In true Rubik’s fashion, you’ll be done when there is nine on each side.

4. Serve with contrasting, delicious pumpernickel sliced bread.

(via Behold: The Rubik’s Cheese Cube! | Story by ModCloth)

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Dark Chocolate Sables      from SK Sift together and set aside:

     1 c (125g) flour

     1/3 c (30g) Dutched cocoa powder (I used Bourneville)

     1/4 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, cream until light and fluffy:

     1/2 c (115g) unsalted butter, rm temp

     1/2 to 2/3 c (100-135g) sugar (use less for a bittersweet cookie)

     1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Beat in until combined, scraping down sides:

     1 large egg yolk

     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add sifted dry ingredients, along with:      3.5 oz (100g) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped until almost powdery in a food processor (I don't have a food processor, so my wonderful sous chef abandoned his studies for ten minutes to grate this miserable stuff for me – if you have a processor, USE IT.)       Beat just until the dough comes together, then wrap it in cling film – it will be crumbly but should stick together in a ball or a log when coaxed – and chill in the fridge for 30-45 minutes, or overnight.  (Deb's instructions go on to suggest rolling out and cutting the dough – if you've chilled it longer than 45 minutes, make sure to let it warm up a bit before rolling it out.) If you've rolled your dough into a log and chilled it that way, make sure it's nice and firm, then preheat your oven to 350F/175C and line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Slice the dough into 1/2" rounds and lay them flat on the sheets, about an inch apart.  Sprinkle with coarse turbinado sugar if desired, then bake 10-12 minutes.   Let the cookies cool for a minute or two on the baking sheets before removing to a rack (be gentle – they're more delicate than they look before they've fully cooled).  Deb says the cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks, but they'll never in a million years last long enough for me to test that theory.

(via Linzers in London: 'Paris Is Always a Good Idea' – Dark Chocolate Sables and Some News)

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Crunchy Banana with Cinnamon-Chili-Chocolate Sauce. Pancake Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder, plus 1 tsp

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 large eggs, separated

3 cups whole milk

¾ cup (or 12 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted, (plus 2 tsp unmelted for the griddle)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups seltzer water or club soda

Canola or peanut oil for frying

4 bananas, peeled and halved horizontally

Cinnamon sugar (2 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)

Sauce Ingredients:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup half-and-half or heavy cream

1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder (such as cayenne)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pancake Instructions: 1. Measure and sift all the dry ingredients into a large (preferably stainless steel) mixing bowl: flour, baking powder, sugar, salt. 2. In another bowl, whisk together the yolks, milk, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture. The result should be slightly lumpy, yet combined to form a batter. 3. Whip the egg whites in a medium mixing bowl until they reach medium peaks (soft in the middle). You can either whip them by hand with a whisk, or put them in the bowl of an electric mixer to whip. Be careful, you don’t want to overwhip the egg whites. 4. Gently mix half of the whipped whites into the batter with a large rubber spatula. Then gently fold the remaining half into the batter. Remember: this batter should be slightly lumpy and have large parts of egg whites not fully incorporated; it should look like whitecaps in the ocean with foam on top. (The batter will last a few hours in the fridge without deflating too much.) 5. Heat a griddle — either an electric griddle, a stovetop griddle, or a big flat pan — to 350 to 375°F. Grease the hot griddle with the remaining butter. Drop a cup (approximately 4 tablespoons) of pancake batter on the griddle and cook to set. When you see bubbles start to form on top, lift the pancake halfway up to see if it’s golden brown and crispy on the edges. If ready, flip the pancake. 6. When the pancake is golden brown on both sides, remove with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling, cooking several pancakes at a time. Topping Instructions: 1. Melt the chocolate, corn syrup, half-and-half, butter, vanilla, chili powder, and cinnamon together in a stainless-steel bowl over a pot filled with warm water on low heat. Mix until smooth. Keep warm until ready to serve. 2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt with a whisk. Continue whisking as you slowly pour in the seltzer. Set aside. 3. Fill a Dutch oven halfway with oil. Heat the oil to 350°F, checking the temperature with a cooking thermometer. Roll the banana halves in the batter and place them on a dish. With tongs, dip a banana tip into the oil and hold firm until the oil begins to bubble. Gently drop the banana half into the oil. Fry 2 banana halves at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bananas turn golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to agitate the bananas every 30 seconds so they do not burn on one side. Repeat with the remaining bananas. 4. Place the fried bananas on a paper-towel-lined plate. Slice the bananas on the bias into 1-inch pieces and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. Serve the slices on top of the pancakes with the Cinnamon Chili Chocolate Sauce.

(via Clinton St Baking Banana Pancake Month Recipe 2013)

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Sticky Toffee Pudding      slightly adapted from BBC (mostly to make my life easier, ingredient-wise) Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  In a medium saucepan, bring to the boil:

     200g dried dates,Medjool recommended, stoned and chopped (I used normal dates and it as delish)

     250ml (1c) black tea, not too strong

Cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the dates, then remove from heat and stir in:

     1/2 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, cream:

     85g (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, rm temp

     175g (just over 3/4c) golden caster sugar (I used light brown sugar and thought it worked really well)

Beat in:

     2 eggs, beaten

     175g (scant 1.5c) self-raising flour (I just added 1.5 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to all-purpose)

     1 tsp 'mixed spice' (this is a British thing and I didn't have it. 1 tsp cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg tasted great to me!)

Fold in the dates/tea and pour into a buttered 8x8 pan.  Bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is just firm to touch. While the cake is baking, make your sauce!  I doubled the amounts below and found that I had plenty of sauce – I recommend you double it too because there's nothing worse than having to be stingy with sauce, but I'll put original measurements here in case you want a smaller amount. In a large pan over low heat, bring to a simmer:      100g (1/2c) light brown sugar      100g (7 Tbsp) unsalted butter      142ml (scant 2/3c) double/heavy cream When the sugar has dissolved, keep cooking until the sauce has a rich toffee color (yes, that's really all there is to it!). Serve the warm cake in squares, drowned in toffee sauce and served alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you really want to gild the lily!

(via Linzers in London: Converting the Skeptics: Sticky Toffee Pudding)

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Mushroom & Taleggio Cheese Pie

25g butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 250g mushrooms, thinly sliced (basically one punnet of mushrooms) 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (if you can’t find fresh, freeze dried would also work) 375g fresh puff pastry (a standard roll of puff pastry) 1 small packet of fresh rocket (arugula) 300g Taleggio, sliced 1 egg, beaten

- Heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened. - Reduce the heat; add the garlic and thyme leaves. Season with pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Take off the heat & leave to cool. - Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface into a rectangular shape. Try to make it as long as you can so that you have enough space to spread the filling quite thinly. - Scatter the rocket over 1 half of the pastry, then top with the mushrooms and sliced Taleggio. - Brush the pastry edges with egg and fold the pastry in half over the filling, pressing to seal. - Put on a baking sheet and prick the pastry with a fork. - Set the pie aside to rest while you preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F - Egg wash the pastry and decorate as you fancy. Make a few slashes in the top before putting it in the oven. - Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Serve hot!

(via Miss Moss : Mushroom & Taleggio Cheese Pie)

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(via Clutzy Cooking: Tauntaun Spaghetti Guts)

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Eggvocado Toast Makes 4 Eggvocado Toasts. An original recipe!

Thick, porous bread (I used a multigrain) 1-2 Large Hass Avocados 4-6 Large eggs Butter or margarine Optional: pepper and hot sauce of choice

1. Heat your oven to 400°F, or, use a toaster oven on broil.

2. Cut your avocados in half, and take out the pits. Carefully peel the avocado skin off piece by piece, starting from any edge until it’s completely removed.

3. Place your peeled avocado face-down on a cutting board, carefully slice 1/4 inch off of the bottom, and repeat. If your avocados are large, this will give you four slices from one whole avocado (two halves) with a hole in the center — the perfect well for holding your egg yolk! There will be leftover avocado that won’t be used on the toast, which makes a great snack while you’re prepping.

4. Butter your bread slices, and place them on the baking sheet. A 9″ x 13″ baking sheet will fit 3-4 slices. A toaster oven pan will fit 1-2 slices.

5. Place one avocado slice on each slice of bread. Crack an egg just over the center of the avocado hole so that the yolk rests in the center, while the egg white soaks into the rest of the bread. I used a few extra eggs without the yolk to saturate each slice with extra egg white.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or less if using a toaster oven. Keep a close eye on the egg yolk, as you might want to take it out before it’s completely cooked through.

7.  Serve immediately! The bread will harden if it sits out too long. Garnish with pepper and hot sauce, and enjoy!

(via Toast that’s the Most: Eggvocado Toast | Story by ModCloth)

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(via Octopizza Pie: Gruesome and Delicious)

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TINY CHOCOLATE TERRARIUMS

INGREDIENTS

1 FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE (sEE RECIPE HERE)

EDIBLE MICRO HERBS OR FLOWERS

RAINBOW CHOP CHIPS (USE BROWN ONLY)

1 X A3 SHEET OF ACETATE

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

1 X CIRCLE CUTTER (mINE WAS 5CM WiDE)

MEASURING TAPE

SCISSORS

RULER

CLEAR TAPE

LET’S GET COOKING

STEP ONE Make your chocolate soil bases. Cut circles out of the cooled flourless chocolate cake, arrange on platter. STEP TWO Make the cylindrical vessels out of acetate to house your tiny terrarium. Measure the exterior of the cutter, this will be the length of your cylinder, make the height anything you want. Mark up and cut out your vases rectangles out of the acetate. Create cylinders by sticking the short edges of the rectangle together with clear tape (overlap slightly). Set aside. STEP THREE Start planting! Using a small skewer (or piece of dry spaghetti) pierce the cake, and then insert your micro herbs. Repeat til you are happy with the arrangement. Add a few chocolate rocks by using the brown coloured rainbow choc chips. STEP FOUR Carefully slide your acetate cylinders over your terrarium arrangement. Serve with mini dip paddles.

(via Tiny Chocolate Terrariums)

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Corn and Beer Cheese Chowder This chowder is definitely a great opportunity to use up the last few ears of late-summer corn but keep in mind that it tastes just as delicious using frozen kernels. Bonus: They're super cheap and available year round. If you’re vegetarian, skip the bacon (just use about one tablespoons olive oil to cook the onion mixture). Ingredients Serves: 12 4 strips bacon, cut into pieces, plus more crumbled bacon for serving (optional) 2 large yellow onions, chopped 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and chopped 4 tbsp unsalted butter 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (regular or toasted) 2 cups water 3 medium unpeeled Yukon gold potatoes, cut into small cubes 4 to 5 cups corn kernels 1 to 2 tsp hot sauce 1 cup half-and-half 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for serving (optional) Croutons, for serving (optional) Snipped chives, for serving (optional) 1. Cook the bacon in a large sauce pot over medium heat until crisp, about eight minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon; reserve the drippings in the pot. 2. Add the onions and 1/2 tsp salt to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about five minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and cook until almost soft, about three more minutes. 3. Add the butter to the pot with the vegetables and cook, stirring, until melted. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture resembles a paste and the raw-flour taste cooks out, about three minutes. Stir in the beer, water, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, if using fresh corn, put kernels in large microwave-safe bowl, cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until tender, about two minutes. Skip this step if using frozen corn (it’ll thaw right in the soup). 5. Stir the corn, hot sauce, half-and-half, cheddar cheese, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper into the chowder. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese melts, about five minutes. 6. To serve, ladle chowder into bowls and top with reserved bacon, more shredded cheddar cheese, croutons, and chives if desired. To reheat, microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals until warm, or warm in a saucepan on the stovetop. Keep toppings in resealable plastics bags in the fridge and add just before serving.

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Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

by Karen in Food, Recipes

Ingredients:

·         2 cups of heavy cream

·         6 egg yolks

·         3 heaping teaspoons of loose Earl Grey tea leaves, or about 2 teabags (tea bags vary in size, so check the measurements on the box)

·         4 tablespoons of granulated sugar, plus more for caramelized sugar

·         pinch of kosher or sea salt

Preheat the oven with the rack in the middle to 325 degrees. Wrap the tea leaves in cheese cloth.

Pour the cream into a small pot and heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until scalding– just when the edge starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and steep tea for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks and the sugar and whisk vigorously until thickened. I like to do this in a large spouted bowl because it is easier to later pour into ramekins or tea cups.

Using the back of a spoon, gently squeeze the satchel of tea against the edge of the pot to extract more tea flavor. Let the cream cool a bit, and then slowly pour the cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly until you have a thickened custard.

Line a baking dish with a kitchen towel and place your ramekins or tea cups inside. Here, I had to use a deeper baking dish since my tea cups are taller than a normal ramekin. Pour an even amount of the custard in each cup through a fine-mesh sieve.

Then skim the tops of the custard with a spoon, removing any bubbles.

Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches about halfway up the tea cup. Tent the baking dish with foil and place in the oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the center jiggles slightly when you shake the cup. Mine took an extra 15 minutes in the oven because my cups were pretty deep.

Let the custard cool and then wrap each tea cup tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours up to overnight. When your crème brulees are ready for torching, lightly pat the tops of the brulees with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Moisture can prevent the sugar from hardening.

Evenly sprinkle a small spoonful of sugar across the custard.

And then comes the fun part. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar. Alternatively, you can place them under the broiler, about 4 inches away from the heat, for a couple minutes. Keep an eye on the heat because sugar can burn quickly!

When the sugar cools down it will harden into a glassy caramelized layer of sugar.

Crack the top with a spoon . . . and indulge!

(via Earl Grey Crème Brûlée)

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(via Obvious Winner - ow - Yes, This is a Chicken Flavored Ramen Noodle Soup CAKE)

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Chocolate Banana Birthday Cake with Maple Glazed Walnuts

  Banana Cake Ingredients:

¼ cup / 60ml milk of your choice (nut, seed, rice, goat) 6 Tbsp. / 90ml melted coconut oil or ghee 6 Tbsp. / 90ml pure maple syrup 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 ¼ cups mashed ripe bananas (approximately 5 medium bananas) 2 cups / 280g light spelt flour (or flour of your choice) 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. sea salt 1 cup / 100g walnuts, chopped (optional)

  Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. 2. Lightly oil and dust a 7” round spring form cake pan with flour, shaking out excess. 3. Put the milk, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and bananas in a blender and blend until smooth.
 4. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add banana mixture and combine using as few strokes as possible. Fold in walnuts. 5. Pour batter into cake pan and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (approx. 60 minutes)

  Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

2 cups / 280g light spelt flour (or flour of your choice)
 ½ cup / 50g unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking powder
 1 tsp. baking soda
 ½ tsp. salt 1 cup / 250ml pure maple syrup
 1 ¼ cup / 300ml milk of your choice (nut, seed, rice, goat, …)
 6 Tbsp. / 90ml melted coconut oil or ghee
 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar



  Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. 


2. Lightly oil and dust a 7” round spring form cake pan with flour, shaking out excess.


3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.


4. In a separate bowl combine the maple syrup, milk, olive oil, vanilla and vinegar. Whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk to remove any lumps. 


5. Pour batter into cake pan and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (approx. 60 minutes).

  Maple Glazed Walnuts Ingredients:

1 cup / 100g walnuts 1/4 cup / 60 ml pure maple syrup

  Directions:

1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, lightly toast walnuts until fragrant. Add maple syrup to the pan and toss quickly to coat. Remove from pan to let cool. Enjoy.

  Dark Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup / 250ml milk of your choice


200 grams high-quality extra dark chocolate (I used 85%) 


1 vanilla bean, scraped pinch sea salt

  Directions:

1. Slice vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and place them in a small saucepan. 2. Add cold milk to the saucepan and warm slowly over medium heat. When hot, remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until fully melted, whisk in a pinch of sea salt and glaze cake immediately. If the glaze sets, simply reheat to melt again.

  Chocolate Banana Birthday Cake with Maple Glazed Walnuts – Assembly Directions:

1. Bake cakes together, on the same rack if possible so that they cook evenly. Let cool completely. Slice each cake in half horizontally (I repeat, make sure they totally cool). You may need to slice the very tops off the cakes to make them straight. Discard (eat) the trimmings. 2. While cakes are baking, make the Maple Glazed Walnuts and Chocolate Glaze. 3. Start with one half of the chocolate cake on the bottom, spoon on about 1/4 of the glaze, with the majority being around the edge so that it oozes out when you place the next layer. Place a banana cake layer on top of the chocolate layer and spoon on glaze, repeat until the top layer. Pour the remaining glaze on the top of the cake and top with Maple Glazed Walnuts. Serve.

(via Chocolate Banana Birthday Cake with Maple Glazed Walnuts | My New Roots)

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Lemon & Poppyseed Cake Ingredients:

100 g butter, at room temperature

100 g sugar

3 eggs

150 g almond flour

30 g poppyseed

1 tsp. vanilla

juice and zest of 1 lemon

120 g AP flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

200 ml whipping cream (33%)

2 tbsps. icing sugar

cowberries

Directions: 1. Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. 2. Add zest, juice and vanilla and mix well. 3. Sift AP flour with baking powder and salt. Add almond flour and poppyseed. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Mix well. 4. Grease your baking form. Pout in the batter, spread a bit. Bake the cake for 40 minutes in a preheated to 180 C oven. 5. Cool whipping cream in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Whip it with icing sugar. 6. Completely cool the cake, decorate with cream and cowberries.