Devil’s Food White-Out Cupcakes

 These cupcakes were some of the richest, chocolatiest cupcakes ever. Not only are these devil’s food cupcakes, but the cake is flecked with chunks of bittersweet chocolate. I opted to turn Dorie Greenspan’s layer cake recipe into cupcakes since I know my limit. I am a bit too much of an amateur baker to make a layer cake quite as beautiful as the one that graces the cover of Dorie’s cookbook. Plus, cupcakes are a lot easier for me to transport to work on the train.

My only real issue with this recipe was the frosting, which didn’t come out quite a fluffy as I would’ve liked. Okay, it was fluffy-ish but it faded once I started putting it on the cupcakes. But it was still really tasty.  I would definitely make these cupcakes again, perhaps with a different frosting recipe.

This cake is the cover recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours . This  recipe was selected by fellow Bostonian Stephanie at Confessions of a City Eater. She has the recipe posted on her blog.

The Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I’d never read any books by Henry James and decided to read The Turn of the Screw  since it was part of the LOST Book Club, which contains books that were featured on the TV program LOST. LOST is one of my favorite shows.  The Turn of the Screwwas shown in the background of a season 2 episode. In the episode, the Dharma Orientation film was hidden on a shelf behind a copy of The Turn of the Screw.

The unnamed narrator of The Turn of the Screw tells the tale of a governess at a house called Bly. This governess watches over two orphaned children who are under the guardianship of their absent uncle. The governess begins to suspect that the house is haunted.

Was there a ’secret’ at Bly — a mystery of Udolpho or an insane, an unmentionble relative kept in unsuspected confinement? I can’t say how long I turned it over, or how long, in a confusion of curiosity and dread, I remained where I had had my collision; I only recall that when I re-entered the house darkness had quite closed in.

The book was extremely verbose and dense. This is not a light, quick read at all.  It read much like other Victorian novels with a young woman moving into an immense house with a mystery. It raises lots of questions that are never truly answered. A lot is left for the reader to decide for themselves what is going on. As proof of this, some think the book is a ghost story and others think that is a look at a woman slowly slipping into insanity. I still haven’t decided which way my thinking goes. I will have to think about it some more. Being that this book is such a mystery wrapped in an enigma, I can see why the creators of LOST are fond of it and gave it cameo appearance in their show.

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Sunday Salon: The Big 200 & My Fave 100

This is officially my 200th post on this blog. I started this blog late last summer as a way to keep track of my reading and cooking experiences. I’ve joined several online cooking groups as part of this blog and enjoy the challenge of trying my hand at new recipes. Some have been more successful than others. I also love discovering new books by reading other book blogs.

I especially love it when I get to combine my loves for cooking and reading by reading a book & cooking a dish inspired by it.  I have to make an effort to do this more often.

As a nod to all things “hundred”, here’s my 100 all-time favorite reads (in alpha order by title):

1. After the Quake by Haruki Murakami
2. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
3. All Souls: A Family Story from Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald
4. All the Names by Jose Saramago
5. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
6. Animal Farm by George Orwell
7. Bird by Bird  by Anne Lamott
8. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
9. Blindness by Jose Saramago
10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
11. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
12. Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond
13. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
14. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
15. Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber
16. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
17. Dance, Dance, Danceby Haruki Murakami
18. Day by Elie Wiesel
19. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
20. Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
21. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
22. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
23. Emma by Jane Austen
24. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
25. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
26. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
27. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
28. Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie McDonald
29. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
30. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
31. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
32. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
33. Ghostwritten by David Mitchell
34. The Giver by Lois Lowry
35. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
36. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
37. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
38. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
39. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
40. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
41. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
42. The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami
43. If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
44. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
45. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
46. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
47. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
48. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
49. The Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke
50. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
51. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
52. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
53. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
54. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
55. Love and Longing in Bombay by Vikram Chandra
56. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
57. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
58. Middlemarch by George Eliot
59. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
60. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
61. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
62. My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki
63. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
64. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
65. Night by Elie Weisel
66. 1984 by George Orwell
67. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
68. Number 9 Dream by David Mitchell
69. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
70. The Omnivore’s Dilemna by Michael Pollan
71. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
72. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
73. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
74. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
75. The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka
76. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
77. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
78. Snake Charmer by Sanjay Nigam
79. The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Towards Perfection by Michael Ruhlman
80. The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
81. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
82. The Stand by Stephen King
83. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
84. Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl
85. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
86. Tess of the D’ubervilles by Thomas Hardy
87. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
88. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
89. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
90. To Kill a Mockingbrid by Harper Lee
91. Transplanted Man by Sanjay Nigam
92. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
93. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
94. Watership Down by Richard Adams
95. We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
96. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
97. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
98. The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
99. Wonder When You’ll Miss Me by Amanda Davis
100. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

Are any of these amongst your favorite reads?

Hands of My Father

Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love by Myron Uhlberg

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Myron Uhlberg’s memoir Hands of My Fathertells of his experiences growing up in Brooklyn, NY in  the 1930’s  and 1940’s.  But, this is not a typical coming of age memoir….both of Uhlberg’s parents were completely deaf. Uhlberg could hear and starting at a very early age that he had to act as a translator between his parents and the hearing world.

My second language was spoken English. I have no memory of learning this language, or at what age, but somehow I did.  And with the acquisition of spoken language, a big part of my childhood ended before it began. As the hearing child of a deaf father, I was expected to perform the daily alchemy of transmuting the silent visual movements of my father’s hands into the sound of speech and meaning for the hearing, and then to perform the magic all over again for him, in reverse, transmuting invisible sound into visible sign.

I found the memoir to be a compassionate  and moving  account of the author’s relationship with his father and the clash Uhlberg felt between an obligation to assist his parents and his desire to have a carefree childhood.  A young Myron learned early about the discrimination the hearing world had against the deaf.  Most people either ignored the deaf or assumed that they were stupid. Myron’s love for his parents and younger brother shines out from the pages of the memoir in a way that isn’t too over the top or cheesy.  There are numerous family photos scattered throughout the book and help draw the reader closer to the family.

I received a free copy of Hands of My Father from GoodReads.com. Myron Uhlberg has authored several children’s books.
View all my reviews.

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Balls

fried chicken cheese balls– sounds healthy, right???

I cooked up these puppies recently after seeing them on the Food Network. My husband loves buffalo chicken wings so I just had to make these. They were really easy since they start with store bought rotisserie chicken.

These were perfect little comfort food bites but they were on the heavy side and quickly made you feel full after just 2 or 3.  Even so, they were quite good and I will be making them again sometime for a game night or other casual entertaining.

(recipe from Food Network)

Ingredients

• 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank’s Red Hot)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups sharp Cheddar
• 1/4 cup freshly sliced scallions
• 1 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Blue Cheese Dip:

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup packed blue cheese, broken up
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

Directions

1. Have oil heated to 350 degrees F.
2. Pick the meat from the chicken and discard the skin. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the hot sauce, pepper, cheese, and scallions, and toss to combine. Roll the chicken into 2-ounce balls, about the size of a golf ball.
3. Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Roll each ball in the flour, then the egg and then the bread crumbs. Set aside.
4. When the oil is hot fry the chicken balls in batches. Cook for about 2 minutes per batch. Remove the chicken to paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil.
5. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the chicken alongside the dipping sauce.

Mardi Gras Party Style

Mardi Gras is upon us next Tuesday.  Do you have your beads ready?  Here is some festive Mardi Gras gear that I’ve found around the web.

Click the images for more info on each item.

Mardi Gras Earrings from Exit31 at Etsy in festive Mardi Gras tones of gold, purple, and green.

 A chic, super-marked down violet cowl-neck sweater dress from Banana Republic for only $34.99 (originally $130)

Mardi Gras King Cake Blended Creme Soaps from Soapalayasoaps @ Etsy. SO cute!  and only $8.50.

 

Printable/Festive set of winetags, invitations, cupcake picks and more at the low low price of $5. These are from paperandcakes at Etsy.

NOLA Street Tiles plaque that you can get with a ribbon to hang or without. $15!! This is from neworleanstiles on Etsy.

 Take advantage of Xmas markdowns. Pottery Barn has mini-ornaments in green and purple for 50% off the original price. Fill a vase with these glass baubles for a look remniscent of Mardi Gras beads.

Gold Mercury Glass Votive candle holders for only $2.40 each. These would look festive scattered around your Mardi Gras dinner table.

Mardi Gras Harlequin Plate $28.00

Floating Islands

The first time I ever heard of Floating Islands was several years ago at a French restaurant where they were on the dessert menu. We asked the waiter what the hell floating islands were and he explained. We didn’t order them and opted for another dessert instead. And now…this past week’s Tuesdays with Dorie selection was Floating Islands. Shari of Whisk selected this recipe and has it posted on her blog.

 

Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for Floating Islands features creme anglais, with poached meringue puffs, and caramel drizzle.  My creme anglais came together without a hitch, although I did put a big note on the fridge warning MrMango not to eat it since it was going to be used for something. If that man sees anything pudding or custard like in the fridge he gobbles it right up. The poached meringue puffs were a bit trickier for me.  I’ve baked meringue on top of a pie or as part of baked Alaska, but poaching it… never before.

Verdict: I didn’t love the meringue. It needed a little something else. It was a bit too eggy. The creme anglais was great.

This week, I will be baking up some Devil’s Food White-Out Cake. Stay tuned for details!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Caramel Bars

Valentines day means sweets for my sweetie. I baked up some oatmeal chocolate chip caramel bars and cut them into heart shapes.  These cookie bars feature oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough with a layer of caramel. They got rave reviews from my mister along with his co-workers, with whom he shared the cookie hearts.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 a 12 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup quick oats
• jarred caramel sauce/ice cream topping

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Grease bottom and sides of 8×8 inch square pan
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt
4. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg beating well.
5. Stir in hot water, vanilla and flour mixture
6. Add pecans, chocolate chips and oats; mix well.
7. Reserving 1/4 – 1/3 of the dough, spread dough in layer on bottom of prepared pan.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
9. If caramel sauce is not spreadable, microwave it enough so that it is soft.
10. Spread a layer of caramel sauce over the top of the baked cookies.
11. Drop reserved dough by teaspoonfuls on top of the caramel.
12. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until top cookie layer is golden.
13. Cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into individual servings.

My Feast of Love

I decided to cook my meal inspired by the Diana Abu-Jaber’s memoir The Language of Baklava on Valentines Day. My sweetie loves Middle Eastern food and what better night to cook up one of his favorite cuisines.

For my feast, I served:

• hummus
• tabbouleh
• garlic & lemon marinated olives
• chopped salad of tomatoes, cukes, red bell peppers, and red onions with lemon juice and EVOO
• mjeddrah/muccedere  (rice)
• spice rubbed lamb rack
• mango almond baklava

(Recipes after the jump!)

The Language of Baklava

The Language of Baklava: A Memoir by Diana Abu-Jaber
rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Several years ago, I read two novels by Diana Abu-Jaber: Arabian Jazz and Crescent. I really enjoyed both books and found them unique from other novels that were out at the time since they focused on the Arab-American experience.  Both books were big hits in the book clubs that I read them in. My friend Amanda still cites Crescent as one of her all-time favorite book club books. In her memoir, The Language of Baklava, Abu-Jaber share her memories of food and family and growing up between cultures.  Abu-Jaber’s father is from Jordan and her mother grew up in America and is of western European stock.

I found the book really interesting from a personal perspective since I am an American of European descent and my husband is from Pakistan. We are definitely a food-centric household. Many of our memories are built around food and we both love to cook.  Our future children may face multiple culture clashes… food-related, tradition-related and definitely religion-related.  Will my kid’s reject the Pakistani food in favor of burgers and fries? Will they have a healthy mix of the foods their mom & dad grew up with?  Will they be embarrassed if they are sent to school with pakoras and kabob sandwiches for lunch?? Will they be unable to resist the lure of bacon and eat dirty, dirty pig?  I’ve steered clear of pork products since I’ve been in a relationship with my husband, but will our kids do the same when they aren’t under the watchful eye of their father.  We plan on raising our kids in America but taking them on many visits to Pakistan so they can learn the language, the traditions, and get to know their family that still lives there.

 Abu-Jaber’s memoir  was funny and insightful as to what it felt like to grow up in such an environment. Her observations about the influence on members of both sides of her family on her life were humourous and heart-felt.

In one chapter, Abu-Jabershares memories of making apple strudel with her Aunt and talking about marriage and children.

 ’Marry, don’t marry,’ Auntie Aya says as we unfold layers of dough to make an apple strudel.

‘Just don’t have your babies unless it’s absolutely necessary.’

‘How do I know if it’s necessary?’

She stops and stares ahead, her hands gloved in flour. ‘Ask yourself, Do I want a baby or do I want to make a cake? The answer will come to you like bells ringing.’ She flickers her fingers in the air by her ear. ‘For me, almost always, the answer was cake.’

The book is riddled with lots of words of wisdom and big bites of humor.   I loved Abu-Jaber’s writing and wit.  It is obvious she loves her family and the food they congregated over. I tore through this book like a tear through a plate of delicious food. Abu-Jaber made my mouth water in parts and definitely made me want to cook up some Middle Eastern food.

Abu-Jaber has recipes interspersed throughout the chapters. These recipes are related to the memories relayed in the chapter. Some of the recipes are for Jordanian food and others for more American fare.

In the chapter Mixed Grill in the Snow, Diana and her family journey to their relatives’ house for a New Years Eve party.

The adults sit away from the children in the dining room, which frees us to eat as wantonly and barbarically as possible. Ed illustrates how he can fill his entire mouth with roasted zucchini. The juices stain our lips, and we slump and make loud caveman grunts as we chew. We use pieces of bread to push the meat and fire-scorched vegetables from the skewers onto a big communal platter-or right into our mouths.

 This chapter seriously tempted me to drag out our grill and make some kafta kabobs. But… it was a bit too cold and slushy out for that.  Instead I opted to cook an indoor meal of spice-rubbed rack of lamb and mjeddrah/muccedere (rice pilaf), followed up by baklava, of course. You will soon be able to behold my feast as the posts and recipes for what I cooked up are coming soon!

Language of Baklava was the monthly selection for the foodie book club, Cook the Books. Stop by and check out what others think of the book, what they’ve cooked up, and what the next book will be. 

View all my reviews.