The Birth of the Mini Cake

Here's how a new product begins:
  First, I (Lillian) recently had a terrible cupcake. I'm told there are a lot of great cupcakes shops in the world, but this was not from one of them (no, I won't tell you where I got it). The cake was dry and if it had been actually flavorless that would have been better. Instead it had a strange, what-is-that taste (turns out it was supposed to be peanut butter). Then the frosting was greasy and nauseating. Maybe that's a little redundant because frosting that makes you think of grease is inherently stomach-turning, right? Second, standing at work I often gaze over at the covers of cooking magazines and right now there is a beautiful pumpkin cake on the cover of Fine Cooking. Third, though we have plans for a lot of non-bacon products, currently we're selling sweets in a butcher shop so we're taking that combination to its tippy-top. We've been wanting to have a cake available for the Bacon Lover's Birthday, so we developed a Pumpkin Cake with Bacon Pecan Brittle and Browned Butter and Cream Cheese frosting. Fourth goes like this: But Johnny, can't we make them small and cute? I like things that are cute.
  So he did make them small and cute. And the cake turned out so insanely moist and I'm a sucker from cream cheese frosting and the middle bacon brittle layer provides the perfect crunch factor and that's how Mini Cakes are born. Available to start on the weekends and by special order for $4.95. Larger sizes coming soon.

Testing the for the perfect height of a Mini Cake

A Tale of Pork Ribs - From the Freezer Abyss

After mixing batch after batch of caramel and chocolate in our test kitchen, well....we got a little sugared out. Just a little. So we took a break from the sweets and decided to play around with dinner. I've been craving a good pulled pork sandwich ever since I went to Roy's BBQ the other day. First things first - the bun. I love good barbecue flavors soaked in a soft squishy bun. I made some tweaks to an already good bun recipe and thought it would be the perfect companion to the pork filling. These buns can really stand on their own. So buttery, so good. Sorry, I can't give you the recipe. These may be going on the menu.

Mmmmm....Butter!

I couldn't wait to eat one before the picture

I love grilling, but I didn't feel like hanging out it in the rain tending the coals. I wanted to do a little experimenting. I salt and peppered both sides of the pork spare ribs, rubbing in some ground cumin as well. I baked them for 20 minutes at 400, drained off the fat then put them in the slow cooker, with 1/2 cup lime juice and adding enough water to cover the meat. I cooked them on high for 5 hours and when they were done, the meat was tender but a little disappointing - not a whole lot of flavor. I mixed up some cilantro lime butter to mix into the meat which made the mediocre pork taste delicious. Next time I'll work on the pork recipe, and if that turns out great this sandwich will be fantastic.

Cilantro Lime Butter

4T butter
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 c lime juice
1/4 c cilantro (chopped)
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t black pepper
zest of 1 lime

• Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Add the garlic and cook until it browns. Pull off the heat and whisk in the remaining ingredients. Combine with the pork.
• With this sandwich I made up a very simple cabbage slaw, tossing shredded cabbage with just oil, vinegar and a little salt and pepper.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

A couple of years ago my sister and her husband invited my wife and me over for dinner. When we walked into their house our noses were bombarded with the smell of deliciousness. Tim was making us meatballs. He graciously gave me the recipe and now I am giving it to you. I made it when we were up in the San Juan Islands this past weekend and we went to our stomachs' limit on this one. The secret to this recipe isn't the jarred sauce (choose whichever you prefer) it's letting the balls of joy simmer away for 3 hours, flavoring the marinara and making everything taste so good. Be cautious when you make this. You can easily eat too much.

Tim's Meatballs
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. hot Italian sausage (casing removed)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 T garlic powder

1 diced yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary & thyme

• Mix the first five ingredients together by hand. Be careful not to overwork the meat.
• Form the mix into balls about the size of a small egg.
• Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large-bottomed pan (one that can also accommodate the sauce later) on medium low heat.
• Lightly brown each side of the meatballs. If your pan isn't big enough to fit all the balls with a little space around them, do this in two batches.
• After all the meatballs are browned, transfer them to a platter to rest.

• Saute the onion in the same pan (with the oil & meat juices).
• When the onions are translucent, add the garlic.
• When the onion & garlic are sauteed, pour in 2 jars of a simple tomato sauce and 1 can of crushed tomatoes.
• Put the meatballs back into the sauce along with the fresh herbs.
• Bring the sauce to a boil then turn down to low.
• Simmer the sauce for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking on the bottom and burning.
• Serve with spaghetti and plenty of garlic bread for sopping up the sauce. So good.

The Jucy Lucy Burger

Ever since I heard of the Jucy Lucy (when "Man vs Food" visited the Twin Cities) I've needed to try my own version. Stuffing the cheese inside of the burger, keeping it warm and gooey with every bite, makes the Jucy Lucy unbeatable. When you buy the meat, splurge for the more expensive, higher quality ground beef. It makes a huge difference. You can use any cheese inside with a perfect friend on top. The combinations are endless; blue cheese & bacon, swiss & mushrooms, pepperjack & roasted peppers...all inside of these homemade hamburger buns. Here's the first couple attempts at my version. I'll definitely be trying more.

Jucy Lucy Burger
(Big thanks to WasabiBratwurst for the perfect seasoning ratio)
For the Classic Cheddar Lucy...
1-1/2 lbs ground beef
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper
4 thick slices cheddar

For the Feta Lucy...
1-1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 t dried oregano
1/2 t garlic granules
4 T feta

Mix the meat and spices with your hands. Divide the meat mixture into 3 oz balls, two balls per burger. Each recipe makes about 4 burgers. If you don't have a scale, eyeball to the size of a large meatball.

Flatten each ball into thin patties that are a little larger than the bun. Sandwich the cheese in the middle of the patty and seal by pinching the edge with your fingers making a meat flying saucer. Make sure to seal it well. The last thing you want is all your cheese goodness to leak out all over your grill. You'll get a better seal by using a piece of wax paper to finish this step.

Rub each side of the patty with a dab of vegetable oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill and barbecue the burgers over medium high direct heat for about 7 minutes. Flip and grill for an additional 5 minutes.

Put them on your hamburger bun with all the fixins you like. I enjoy burgers with minimal toppings, so I had my cheddar Lucy with mayo & avocado and the feta Lucy with sliced tomatoes. Delicious!

Hot Wings

     There's just something about eating a plate of hot wings that makes me feel good. Maybe it's the spicy tangy-ness in the mouth or the dipping into ranch dressing to cool it off...or maybe it's the licking of the fingers in between servings. Whatever it is, I keep craving more when they're gone.



Hot Wing Rub
(you could just toss them with salt and pepper, but try this rub to give them an extra kick)

1 t garlic powder
1 t cayenne
1/2 t ground mustard
3/4 t white pepper
3/4 t black pepper
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
1 T paprika
1 T kosher salt

2 lbs chicken wings (drummettes separate from wingettes)
1/3 c melted butter
1/2 c hot sauce (Use your favorite. I love Cholula in general, but I prefer Frank's for these wings.)

• Toss the wings with the rub.
• Chose your cooking method - oven or barbecue. Each has its own benefits. The oven method produces a crispier skin while the barbecue adds a touch of smokiness. I like both ways.
  
• If you choose to cook the wings in the oven: heat to 425. Place the wings on a lined sheet pan, skin side down, and bake for 30 minutes. Flip to skin side up and finish cooking for 20 - 30 minutes. The skin should be nice and crispy.
• If you choose to barbecue: grill skin side down, using indirect heat for 30 minutes. Flip to skin side up and grill for an additional 20 - 30 minutes.
• When finished cooking, put the wings in a bowl and add the hot sauce & melted butter. Toss to coat.
• Put them on a platter for you and your friends or just eat right out of the bowl. They're good on their own but best dipped in homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing. Make sure to have plenty of paper towels.

Tacos Al Pastor & the Testing of the Barrel Barbecue

Despite the 80-degree days leading up to Barrel-Test-Day, it rained (hard) when we were all set to grill. With the addition of a friend's sun umbrella we went ahead with the test and we were very pleased with the results. I'll add more air vents and a smoke stack (for flare) before the next test. Thank you Washington State Unemployment Insurance for this wonderful barbecue.

Tacos Al Pastor
(it's enough for a big party, about 15 people, so if you're not serving a hoard cut this recipe in half at least)

marinade:

1 onion, roughly chopped
1 c fresh lime juice
1/2 c white vinegar
1/4 c ground ancho chilies
1/4 c chili powder
1 rounded T kosher salt
1 T dried oregano
1 T cumin
2 large chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 T adobo sauce

6 pounds pork loin cut into 1/2 inch chops

• Grind all the marinade ingredients together in a food processor.
• Put the meat into 2 ziplock bags and divide the marinade between them. Squeeze the meat and marinade around to coat.
• Let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
• Barbecue on your Barrel (or other BBQ, but charcoal will make a difference in the authenticity of the flavor) using direct heat until nicely charred on both sides - about 5 minutes per side.
• Have your friend chop the meat into small, taco-sized pieces.
• Serve with corn tortillas, cilantro pesto, a sprinkle of cojita cheese, and diced white onion that has been mixed with fresh cilantro. Good sides are spanish rice and pinto beans.
  

Bread with Butter-Fried Garlic

I love a crispy loaf of bread slathered with garlic and butter. Whenever I make a pot of spaghetti with meatballs I always have plenty of this garlic bread to soak up the sauce. The best part is the bottom half of the loaf that has crispified in the butter that pools in the bottom of the foil.

Garlic Bread
1 stick butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 loaf bread (I like to use a really good baguette)

• Put the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a low simmer and let it bubble until the garlic turns light brown.
• Cut the loaf of bread lengthwise. Spoon the garlic butter over the bread making sure you get the crispy garlic pieces evenly distributed to please everyone.
• Put the halves back together and wrap in foil, sealing well to prevent any butter leakage (make sure the seam is on top)
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• Cut the bread up and eat. Delicious!
  

Hamburger Buns

When I eat a burger, I like the bun to be able to stand on it's own next to the meat. I don't enjoy biting into a tasteless, squishy pillow, which unfortunately includes most burger buns in the grocery isle, so I've been making my own at home. I've tried out a couple recipes lately and I'm really happy with this one. It's not too crusty, like an artisan style roll, and not too soft. It's just right.

Hamburger Buns

4 cups bread flour

2 T Sugar

3 T powdered milk

2 t salt

1 t instant dry yeast

1 cup water

1 egg

3 T softened butter

• Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand up mixer and mix with the dough hook attachment for 2 minutes.
• Add the egg and half of the water. Mix until the dry ingredients start to incorporate into the wet. Add the rest of the water and softened butter and mix on low speed until the wet ingredients pick up all the dry bits on the bottom of the bowl, about 3 more minutes.
• Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes (the gluten is now moderately developed).
• Put a towel over the bowl and let it sit in a warm room (70) for an hour for the dough to rest.
• Divide the dough into 3.5 ounce portions. If you don't have a scale, eyeball a size larger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball.
• Form the dough into balls then flatten into 4 inch discs with the heel of your hand. It's okay to lightly flour your work surface, but avoid incorporating additional flour into the dough.
• Place the flattened dough balls on a lined sheetpan. Cover loosely with plastic to avoid a skin to form and put in a warm place (80 - 85) to rise for an hour.
• Bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes. When done baking, immediately brush tops of the hot rolls with melted butter.
• When cool, slice in half and eat. Store the extra in the freezer.