Latest Obsession

A few weekends ago I was thumbing through my Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook when I came across a cookie recipe that intrigued me.

There are two camps of folks in this world – those that like coconut and those that cannot stand it. I happen to be someone that LOVES coconut. I love the smell, the flavor, the texture and I think visually it is an awesome ingredient. I probably like it most of all because it reminds me of somewhere tropical – like Hawaii!

I make the above disclaimer because these cookies have coconut in them so that might turn some of you off from giving this easy little recipe a whirl.

They are called Jam Thumbprint Cookies. The recipe will make 32 cookies depending on the size you prefer. I also like the recipe because you can create a variation of flavors by using different jams. Thus far, I have used strawberry, raspberry and a strawberry-mango. Each jam flavor brings a different complexity to the cookie.

I had the opportunity to use homemade jam (thank you, Rick Kerfoot) over store bought and I noticed a difference, but either way they are still super delicious.

I am off to the store this weekend to get more coconut because we are down to our last few cookies and I am afraid I will not win that arm wrestling challenge!

¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter – at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

Jam of your choice (she suggests raspberry and/or apricot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixtures to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 ¼ inch balls. Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop ¼ teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve. 

And finally.....ENJOY! 

Finally a W (not for me)!

Sarah and Ryan were generous to offer up their home for the AACC’s sixth challenge…CHILI!

Who does not love a huge bowl of chili? Maybe someone who is not a fan of beans and gets indigestion easily, but other than those sad sack….everyone does.

I will admit the very traditional chili I was raised on is not the recipe I used for this round. While on a couples weekend last December, Tara and Brandi introduced me to their version of chili and I feel in love. From that moment on, I make what I call “Jenna’s Next Generation Chili.” Going into this challenge, I was confident my chili was updated enough to win without being “too creative.” Seems to be a hit or miss with this group.

Luckily, this time, I remembered to photograph each entry and I even managed to keep my notes to do the winner justice. I owe “Ninja” an apology for the sad blog entry I gave them for their ravioli win. Promise to make it up to you guys.

So let’s get started….in addition to the usual crew, Tori joined us as a guest judge. She helped Geoff dish up the samples so it seems that we were all a little thrown off as to whose chili was whose this time (except for our own, of course).

Chili entry #1 – dark brown in color, no beans, little heat on the back side – nice flavor, but looked a little bit like dog food out of the can (sorry Tim). I am probably in trouble now, but it did…..LOOK! 

Entry #2 – a non-traditional white chili with corn, sweet onion, hint of cheese, white beans and lots of red bell pepper. Strange in appearance, but surprisingly good. I, of course, knew this was AJ’s, but I did not really expect to like it as much as I did. I knew he used chunk of sirloin and they were cooked perfectly.

Entry #3 – this one had corn bread on top of it (reminded me of my meatloaf with the mashed potatoes in the middle) and came straight out of the oven! I have never seen chili baked before – it was fascinating. I thought I tasted Italian sausage, but later found out it was turkey and sirloin. There was a hint of sweetness to the dish and it was a can of tomato soup – surprised again.

Entry #4 – this was mine. Ground turkey, corn, green bell pepper, rotell, beans, light in color, but packed some heat. Jenna B. picked up on the slight sweet/sugar flavor which I think everyone decided was brown sugar, but it was actually 1 envelop of hot chocolate mix. Sneaky, right? Mine also included ½ a can of beer – nobody else had beer in theirs.

Entry #5 – this bowl had large chunks of beef and had an“earthy” flavor to it. I, personally, tasted a lot of fresh herbs – especially sage. It had a great flavor – not too hot, but not sweet either.

Entry #6 – this chili smelled like teen spirit – oops, I mean, beef jerky. I think at one point we were all convinced there was beef jerky in the dish. Lots of garlic and green bell peppers. There was sweetness to it, but it was not over-powering. A good ratio of beef to beans/veggies.

And last, but not least, entry #7 – this definitely tasted like it had a tomato base to it. It had ground beef and kidney beans – this may have been the only one with kidney beans. I happen to like kidney beans, but some people (like AJ) don’t. Weird. This was a very traditional chili. Reminded me a lot of the one I grew up on.

After tasting, tasting and then tasting some more – we voted. Thankfully, by the grace of God, AJ got the win. While his chili was far from the normal chili we all grew up on we all loved it. The ingredient everybody found most shocking that he used was the jar of alfredo sauce. It does sound gross, but it was delicious.

One other interesting note was Jenna B. used elk meat in her chili. I have never had elk meat, but it was delicious in her dish. And Tim did not include beans because he was trying to recreate “Steak n’ Shake.” I had never heard of it, but I guess that’s because it’s a mid-west thing. AJ and Julie knew exactly what it was…..see…you learn something new everyday.

All in all it was another AACC success and the trophy is sitting proudly in our dining room for all to enjoy. Next up? The AACC’s take on Chopped. Should be entertaining. J

Lesson Learned

After finishing my first 1/2 marathon, I decided I would NEVER feel the urge to complete a full marathon. I was reminded of this when completing the ravioli challenge. Unless, I invest in the attachment for my KitchenAid that makes the process a whole lot easier, I will never make homemade pasta from scratch.

I will admit, I was not very prepared for this challenge. It was the Sunday following my arrival home from Hawaii. Of course, I am not complaining about going to Hawaii, but being the competitor that I am, did not, necessarily feel completely confident going into this challenge.

Please keep in mind it has been a few weeks since we all congregated at Jenna and Geoff's house for the meeting and since then we have celebrated Christmas and New Year's so my memory may be a bit foggy.

As a group our assignment was to make homemade ravioli and the filling for the pasta. As usual each entry brought its own unique flavor to the table.

But before I rehash the competition part, I have to give Jenna credit for her beautifully decorated home and her gorgeous Pinterest inspired cheese tray. Loved it!

With the exception of Tim and Nick/Jaime (whom I have decided to start referring to as Ninja -- stands for Nick 'n' Jaime) most of us created ravioli with similar ingredients in the filling. Well...I take that back. I would have to include Jenna M. in there, too because she used 1) goat cheese and 2) a lot more stuff -- almost creating a pesto textured filling. Again, please forgive me....it has been almost a month. And, yes, I fail as a blogger this month.

While the filling was different for each ravioli, I believe all of us pretty much used the same items to created our pasta. Ninja and Jenna M. were all able to use some kind of equipment to help them knead or roll out their pasta. Julie, Tim, AJ and I on the other hand used nothing more than our hands and a rolling pin. This is the part where I have to give Tim huge props because his filling to pasta ratio (I think) far exceeded anybody else's. I thought his pasta was delicious and not too doughy -- like mine. I tried and was even sore from the process of kneading and rolling, but my ravioli was very think and chewy. :(

Ninja's raviolis were the most beautiful. They had perfect shape and form. I was impressed. For a moment I thought maybe, just maybe, they bought them because of how precise each one appeared. They definitely looked professional. I know Ninja went through quite an extensive process to created their ravioli and filling, but again with a month worth of time passing...all I can remember is Jaime talking about the pine nuts and olive oil. For some reason, I am also remembering Ninja's ravioli filling also incorporated chicken into it. None of the raviolis in the picture below was Ninja's entry -- I, unfortunately, failed to capture it.

Well....because my memory is failing me to go into anymore detail....without further adieu....our winners of the homemade ravioli challenge were........

NINJA or also know as Nick and Jaime. Their effort truly paid off and they kicked all of our behinds. Job well you two! You brought your A game and taught is all a lesson in pasta making. Sorry for not updating the blog sooner and going into more detail about your delicious dish!  

After congratulating the happy couple, we all enjoyed a festive cookie exchange and a few more glasses of wine. My cookies are in the picture below. These are my Grandma Smith's famous sour cream sugar cookies. They have become quite popular with all my friends. They are time consuming to make, but totally worth it. In fact, they get better with age!

A new tradition was also born during this AACC challenge -- as you can see below our trophy has been adorned with a new piece of wardrobe thanks to Jenna M's father's wife, who loves to crochet. The new layer of creativity rests on the winner of the challenge to add their own personal accessory to the trophy. I am anxious to see what Ninja comes up with for our next meeting! 

Until we meet again.....

Soup de Jour

Our little club continues to get more popular and attracted not only a new judge, but a new competitor, too! The AACC group would like to take this opportunity to welcome Sarah and Ryan Grogger to the group. I, for one, think these two are a fantastic addition to the group and I hope they come back next month.

This month's challenge was a homemade soup and not just the soup, but if the recipe called for stock or broth, you had to make that from scratch, too! We trust everyone followed the rules because each chef was able to recall how they made their stock and what ingredients were included so I suppose there is not reason to question anything.

There was a wide variety again with this challenge. Only Nick and AJ made similar soups - both made a broccoli and cheddar soup although each tasted very different from the other. Julie made a tomato based zucchini soup, Sarah made her famous chicken tortilla soup, Tim brought his French onion soup, Jenna created a crab tomato bisque and I, being the ultra-creative one and being conscious of the fall season, made a pumpkin soup.

Jaime was kind enough to act as our "Chairman" for the event and she did a superb job, but we look forward to her competing again next month. She was kind enough to dish up all the soups and warn us of how HOT they all were.

All of the soups were delicious. Well, at least, I thought all of the soups were better than average and all deserved at least one vote. Although the rest of my AACC colleagues apparently did not share the same sentiment towards my soup. I was the only one that did not receive a single vote. Jerks.

Anyway, as mentioned before although Nick and AJ made the same soup each has a very distinct flavor. AJ used pancetta which brought out a nice salty flavor to balance the bitterness of the broccoli. Although, if you are not a super fan of salt, which sometimes I am not, it could have been a bit too salty for someone. Nick said he used plain bacon in his soup, but all of us agreed it tasted as though it had a splash of clam juice hidden in there somewhere. For whatever reason his pork definitely tasted like fish....strange, I know.

Sarah's chicken tortilla had a nice little spice kick to it. Nothing over powering, but on the back end of the bite you had a hint of heat. Her chicken was very tender and the shredded tortillas in it created a bean flavor which balanced the slight heat. It was very good. I was very impressed in our newest chef's ability. She did tell me earlier in the week she was going to win so I figured she would have a strong showing.

Julie's zucchini soup was good. Reminded me of Italian minestrone minus the noodles. The only problem, well I should say, the only criticism I had about the soup is the chunks of zucchini were massive. You could have easily used a knife and fork to cut it up, but it had great flavor.

Jenna's crab tomato bisque was very nicely executed. As usual, Jenna brings a lot of technical skills to the table. She is much fancier than the rest of us. She even garnished the soup with an asparagus puree which brought coolness to the soup that was nice.

Speaking of fancy, AJ and I had recently lunched at T. Cook's at Royal Palms and both had the lobster tomato bisque and for that reason, neither of us voted for Jenna. While Jenna's had great flavor, we could not help but compare it to the mouth watering, large chunks of lobster goodness that we both very quickly sucked down.

My pumpkin soup was very rustic and straight-forward. I did nothing more than roast the pumpkins scoop out the flesh (minus the seeds) and dump into a pot with the stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Then I dumped the liquid into my food processor and added heavy whipping cream, salt, nutmeg and pure maple syrup. Very simple and very good (again, I sure thought so).

Tim made his mother's famous (so we were told) French onion soup complete with the bread and cheese broiled crouton on top. This was the soup I voted for...it was good. For me, the gooey cheese on top made all the difference. The onions were perfectly tender and the bread perfectly crunchy. He did go a little heavy on the Worcestershire but I could overlook it due to everything else.

After all the tasting and discussing the voting commenced. And the winner was (again).....JENNA M. Yes, Jenna took the trophy home for a second time. She won by one vote. It was a valiant effort and she deserved it (I guess).

After we gave her a round of applause and I handed the trophy over, we moved onto the pallet challenge. AJ provided the ingredients for the contest. The ingredients he used sound elementary, but everyone had a difficult time getting them right. I must admit, I was surprised a few did not nail every single one, but in the end, Jenna won that, too.

So now that I have relived the loss for the second time, I am annoyed and am signing off. Goodbye.

And, oh yeah...
…..congrats again Jenna.

I would like some Salmon with my Dill

After a trip to Costco, we came home with a beautiful piece of fresh salmon. I had been craving fish lately. Needed a break from chicken and ground turkey....badly.

To be totally honest the fish dish was driven more by the fact we bought a bottle of my favorite Pinot Gris from Oregon. King Estate is one of my favorite bottles -- thanks again to Susie Paul for introducing me to it. So with white wine goes fish!


We whipped up some wild rice and grilled asparagus to go with the main dish. Just before plating, AJ got this great idea to make a dill dipping sauce for the salmon.

He used sour cream, fresh dill, a squirt of lemon with a little zest and minced cucumber and presto...we had a nice dipping sauce not only for the fish, but the asparagus was fun to eat with it, too.

It was a delicious little Sunday evening dinner.

Pumpkin + Chocolate = Yummy

I recently received my November issue of Sunset magazine and tucked in the back was an article about the magic chocolate and pumpkin make together. Each recipe sounded delicious, but I honed in on the cupcakes and served them as dessert for our AACC Soup Challenge.

These did not disappoint....absolutely mouth-watering and so simple to make. I will warn you, the cupcake is sort of dense and the icing is somewhat rich, but just a lovely way to end your evening.

I skipped the whipped cream and chocolate pastilles, but I really do not feel it affected the taste of the cupcake in anyway. If you are interested....click here for the recipe http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-pumpkin-cupcakes-50400000117178/

Enjoy! Because I know for certain you will!

Meatloaf Master (That's Me......Jenna B)

And so the fateful day finally arrived on Thursday, October 13. Jenna and Geoff were kind enough to host and host did they ever (I think the above photo gives you an idea)!

This round we had 7 entries.....yeah, our little club is getting popular. The great thing about having that many entries is the variety it brings.

Before I even had time to start researching the ultimate meatloaf, my mother called me with a recipe she had come across in the newspaper. She read it to me and I decided I had to make it. The surprise "element" sold me. More on that to come shortly....

AJ and I both prepared our dishes the night before and cooked them just before heading to the Burke residence. AJ used a traditional loaf pan and I used a 9X9 square pan.

As you can imagine, upon arrival to our hosts' home, we are all begging for a few minutes of oven time to reheat our delicious dishes.

Most of the other contestants also used a loaf pan except for Nick, who managed to cook his loaf using wax paper, foil and a cookie sheet. It sort of lacked any kind of form definition, but he made up for it in his plating for sure. Each contestant had a few minutes in the kitchen to cut up and plate their meatloaf to attempt to keep each entry as secretive as possible. Thankfully, in addition to the 7 competitors we had 5 new tasters which really helped to balance the voting.

We sampled each entry one and a time and chatted about what we were tasting and what we liked. Nick and Jaime went 1 and 2 and both packed super flavor and drew on Mexican influence. Jaime's looked traditional, but had some serious kick and included Mexican Mozzarella and a salsa-like sauce.

Nick's tasted like a enchilada casserole. As mentioned before his plating was very creative (see below). He used a hard shelled tostada as the based, layered with refried beans, his slice of meatloaf and then topped with a fantastic homemade guac sauce. As much as I loved the creativity, it was spicy! I am also a wimp though when it comes to heat....not temperature....after all I do live in Arizona....but spice.

I must admit at this point I was beginning to freak out a little. My meatloaf was next and I was afraid compared to the flavor and spice of the previous two -- mine would taste bland and boring. However, I also had the surprise ingredient in mine which you could only see once plated.....mashed potatoes with ricotta. Upon one bite Geoff's brother-in-law said it reminded him of his grandmother's meatloaf and my confidence was immediately restored. Nothing beats comfort food that reminds you of your youth. I also have to pat myself on the back for using lighter/healthier meats....ground turkey and hot Italian chicken sausage. The sausage gave it a nice kick and the Romano/ricotta/mozzarella helped to keep it moist (I hate that word).

Up next was AJ's meatloaf and it was also extremely flavorful and very "meaty." He used a combination of ground chuck and ground pork, but had also included about a quarter of a pound of sauteed panchetta. Very traditional and very good. I would also like to point out he did not follow a recipe.

Jenna's had a nice sweetness to it because of the veggies she included in the meat. I would probably have to say hers was a hybrid of sorts....if you were not keen on "meatloaf" this would easily surprise you because of the amount of mushrooms, onions, green pepper and spinach in this dish. The meat primarily created some texture to the dish and did not take over in flavor. Her loaf looked more like a log roll (I should have taken a better picture of hers....forgive me). I did, however, take a picture of the beautiful green beans she prepared as a complimentary side for dinner.....

Julie's meatloaf followed and it legitimately tasted like an Italian meatball. Had I been blindfolded....I would have guessed a meatball. Very good and the tomato based sauce was delicious. AJ says it was the "best meatloaf she has ever made." Since she has been cooking for him for 28 years now....I think that says a lot.

And last, but not least, Tim's meatloaf. I feel like the only thing I need to say is that it was wrapped in bacon. I would have put money on AJ voting for this one based on that alone since I truly believe he loves bacon more than me....you know....his wife. But whatever. Tim's was delicious....a little burned on the bottom but good. This seems to be a trend with Tim. If he reads this (which I know he does not).....sorry!

That was a lot of meatloaf..............

It was now voting time and if you could nor tell my the title of this entry......I WON! I did not even vote for myself and I WON! So it was time for the Other Jenna to hand it over......and she did with dignity and honor. I quickly snatched and it and grabbed my phone to call my mom.

After a small celebration on my part.....

We moved onto the blind folded pallet test....Julie was kind enough to supply the group with the ingredients and once again it was not an easy test! She started us with a perogi (which was tough and only AJ got this one) next came shrimp cocktail sauce followed a beef tamale and finishing with a piece of Giradelli's dark chocolate infused with orange. I guessed Rochelle but it did not matter because I only got 3 out of the 4.

AJ won. I feel as though I need to point this out and give him a lot of credit because he has officially been our runner up to ALL 3 challenges now and he is starting to doubt himself especially because he is married to a WINNER! :)

Honestly though the real winners were Homer and Trixie who had to endure all the smells coming from the kitchen all night.....poor doggies!

Thankfully, the 3rd white dog (Payson) was not there otherwise, I would have really felt bad!

 

After a heated debated about the next focus of the AACC challenge, we finally decided on a homemade soup. And when I say homemade, you have to make your own stock if it calls for it! That is intense! Game on. It was a great evening of conversation, eating and winning (well for me). We grabbed a few more of the yummy mini cupcakes and headed home! Thanks again for hosting Jenna and Geoff. 

HAPPY (early) HALLOWEEN!

And for those of you who requested the Mash-in-the-Middle Meatloaf here it is:

1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pound s ground turkey, beef or chicken

(I used 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 hot Italian chicken sausage - make sure to squeeze out of casing)

1 cup breadcrumbs (Italian-seasoned are best)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 Romano cheese, grated

3 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed

1/2 pounds ricotta cheese (15-ounce container)

1 cup mozzarella or provolone cheese, shredded

• Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent
• Place uncooked ground meat in bowl. Add breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, eggs, chicken broth and Romano cheese. Mix thoroughly. Add onions and garlic once cooled
• in another bowl, combined mashed potatoes and ricotta
• Grease 8-inch by 10-inch oblong or 9-inch by 9-inc square casserole. Spoon half the meat mixture over the bottom of the dish. Spread mashed potatoes mixture over this, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges so the potatoes can spread. Sprinkle mozzarella, provolone or cheese of choice over potato mixture. Cover with remaining meat mixture and press down edges so that potato mixture doesn't seep out during baking. Top with a sprinkling of shredded cheese if desired.
• Bake at 350 degrees for on hour or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving to allow mashed potatoes to firm up.

Recipe by Jan D'Atri from the AZ Republic