What's your favorite recipe from 2009?

T

traca

Well-known member
It's a tough call...but I ended up making this Ricotta Pound Cake more times than I can count!

Ricotta Pound Cake

Adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen (W.W. Norton & Co., 2007)

By Gina DePalma

The seal of approval in my house is a moment after the first bite. In my solitude, I have been known to shriek, "Damn! I made that?!" And so it goes with this pound cake. Light and full of flavor, I love it simple and unadorned; topped with a bit of lemon curd and berries; toasted with jam; or, in this case, with a side of minted fruit salad.

Makes one 9-inch cake.

Approximately 10 servings

1 ½ cups cake flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks/6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups fresh whole-milk ricotta*

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Zest from 2 lemons or limes

*Note: Please use a dry ricotta. Locally, I use Precious brand ricotta with excellent results. If your ricotta is not dry, strain it through a cheese cloth for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center.

Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter, dust it with flour, and tap to knock out the excess.

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, ricotta, and sugar on medium speed until smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the extracts & zest.

On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients to combine them, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat the batter for 30 seconds on medium speed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top. Give the pan a few gentle whacks on the counter to remove any air pockets. Bake the cake for 30 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Continue baking until the cake springs back lightly when touched, the sides have begun to pull away from the pan, and a cake inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30-45 minutes more, depending on your oven & ricotta moisture.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully invert on the rack to cool completely. The flavor is best on the next day. Any leftover cake may be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

 
Diana Kennedy's Charro Beans

1/4 pound pork rind (I use salt pork)
1/2 pound pink or pinto beans
1/4 onion, sliced
2 small cloves garlic, sliced
6 cups water

Combine all and cook until done. Taste for salt fifteen minutes before and add a little if needed.

3 thick strips bacon, cut in small strips
2 tablespoons lard or bacon drippings
2 medium tomatoes, diced-I use a can if I can't find good ones
3 chile serranos, finely chopped ( I use jalapenos, but sometimes they don't have much bite)
2 large whole sprigs cilantro, chopped - I use a good half cup packed

Heat lard in skillet, render bacon in it until starting to brown, add remaining ingredients and cook over a fairly high flame 10 minutes or so, until well seasoned. Combine with beans and simmer uncovered on low flame about 15 minutes.

 
Shrimps a la Jacques

Shrimps A La Jacques


The recipe, by Jacques I. Cavazza came from a cookbook written in the 50's by the Officer's Wives' Club at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. It continues to be a family favorite, year after year.

Have 6 large scallop shells ready, or other individual baking dishes.

2 pounds shelled and deveined shrimp
5 egg yolks
2 cups thick white sauce
a glass of good Reisling or other good white wine
garlic butter
1 pound grated gouda cheese (not smoked)

Make the white sauce --3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 3 tablespoons flour and 2 cups of whole milk. Salt (the wine may be salty, so don't salt too much) and white pepper to taste.

Add the egg yolks one at a time to hot sauce, whisking well. When all yolks are combined, whisk in enough wine to your taste -- I use a couple of ounces. Cover the sauce with saran wrap and set aside while preparing the shrimp.

For nice, large shrimp (15 to the pound) I use 5 shrimp for each shell. Boil them in lots of salted water flavored with a bag of Old Bay seasoning. Don't overcook, just 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimps are opaque. Arrange the shrimps on large individual baking shells or ramekins.

Spoon the sauce over the shrimp on the shells. Top with the gouda cheese. Sprinkle with paprika and add a dollop of garlic butter.

Refrigerate the filled shells until just before serving.

Put the shells into the oven for 2 minutes and then under the broiler until the cheese is golden brown and the shrimps are hot and bubbly.

Serve with saffron rice and steamed asparagus with lemon scented olive oil.

 
Pioneer Woman's Onion Straws!

PW’s Onion Straws

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil to 375 degrees.
With tongs (or your fingers), remove a handful of onions from the buttermilk and place into the flour mixture, Stick ‘em in there, roll ‘em around, do whatever you need to do to coat them with the flour. Then remove them and give ‘em a quick tap on the side of the bowl, just to shake off the excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.
Repeat until onions are gone.
Eat before your family sees them.
Repeat with another onion, because they’ll be really mad they didn’t get any.

Lotsa Love,
Pioneer Woman

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/onion-strings-oh-yeah-baby/

 
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