Ina Garten "Rubs" Out Bobby Flay in Second Round......

Yesterday afternoon while thumbing through magazines, cookbooks and assorted recipes,  I began to agonize over what to serve for dinner tonight. I kept waiting for that "AHA" moment to occur, but alas it was not meant to be. You see, tonight I was having friends for dinner, and wanted to treat them (and us......of course!) to something special.  I had narrowed the field to two contenders..........pork loin and sirloin strip steaks, but didn't have a clue how I wanted to prepare them. Suddenly I remembered a fantastic steak house rub that Bobby Flay published in an old issue of Gourment, and having used it twice before with fantastic results, I declared his recipe the winner.  The rest of the meal..........Maytag blue cheese souffle, honey and brown sugar kissed baby carrots, garlic toast, and tossed salad just fell into place. And, for dessert, we'd enjoy a luscious chocolate and caramel cheesecake with Grand Marnier ganache. This morning with the menu firmly in place, I set about to gather up the numerous ingredients for Bobby's rub, when suddenly my copy of Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten called out to me in earnest.  It was sitting on the center island in the kitchen behind the computer, and definitely wanted my attention.  So I opened the book, and as if I were being guided, it automatically brought me to to page 121........... the recipe for Beef Bourguignon, one of my classic favorites.  Now call me superstitious, but the weather outside today is gloomy, damp, cold and calls for more rain this evening. This would mean grilling in less than favorable conditions, asking my guests to keep an eye on the souffles in the oven and a lack of total control over the meal which I insist upon.  (I'm anal)  Or............it could mean that the sirloin strips would be a lovely substitute for the beef chuck and that the entire sumptuous entree could be prepared inside and without any assistance. Well I hate to say this..............but sorry Bobby, you've been eliminated. Ina wins..... And it did rain tonight, and the sirloin was melt in your mouth tender and I'm so glad that I didn't have to get all "wet" and bothered over it. The bourguignon was superb as always, and I'll publish the recipe later for those of you who don't have a copy of Ina's wonderful book. The recipe for our decadent dessert follows below:

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake** with Grand Marnier Ganache

Ingredients:

1 Crumb-Crust Recipe* (Recipe below cheesecake ingredients) 

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

8 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate ( I used Ghiradelli 60%)

1/2 cup sour cream

3 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

4 large eggs - room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

Crumb Crust Recipe*

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups (5 0z) finely ground dark chocolate wafers. I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a buttered 24 centimeter springform pan. (I used a 9" pan) Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

Preparation:

  

Preheat oven to 350' F.  Cook sugar in a dry heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork, until melted and pale golden.  Cook caramel without stirring or swirling the pan, until deep golden. Remove from heat and carefully add heavy cream (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate until smooth. Stir in sour cream. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy, then beat in chocolate mixture on low speed. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. (I used a cookie sheet) Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan/ cookie sheet( to catch drips) in middle of oven 55 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken. Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in springform pan on a rack. (Cake will continue to set as it cools.) chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Pour ganache over chilled cake and rotate pan quickly to cover surface up to 1/2" from the sides, keeply ganache "inside" well area. Return cake to refrigerator to chill ganache completely, about 1 hour . When ready to serve, remove side of pan and transfer cake to a serving plate. Bring to room temperature before serving. ** Original recipe is from Gourmet Magazine - November - 1999.

"Cookie Doctor" Grand Marnier Ganache

Ingredients:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine ( I used Ghiradelli)

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Grand Marnier

Heat cream in a heavy bottom sauce pan till slightly boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in chocolate. Stir slowly and continuously until chocolate and cream blend together. Add the Grand Marnier and stir to incorporate thoroughly.  Let cool until proper consistency. Stir again before spreading.

Press Release: My Inspiration...."Geraldine The Cookie Maven".....Revealed... First "Signature" Cake Unveiled

For Immediate Release "Lights, Cameras.......Action"......... My "inspiration", Geraldine the self professed "cookie maven" who knighted me "The Cookie Doctor", has agreed to go public.  And she has requested that I name a "piece" in her honor.  Well, needless to say, I immediately agreed that this request should be honored ASAP, but then wasn't quite sure what piece I should grace with her name.  At first, I thought it only befitting that I choose one of my "signature" cookies for this honor.  But suddenly it dawned on me that the wonderful coffee cake I was actually making as we spoke, would indeed be the perfect choice. (People always call when I start my mixer!) This cake has "royalty" written all over it.  It is a lovely, rich sour cream coffee cake that highlights cranberry and orange, is enrobed with strawberry preserves and delicately crowned with almond icing. It also shares some of the same ingredients that comprise one of my favorite cookies, so this honor is very fitting indeed.  Well folks, without further ado....... I am honored to present to you my First "Signature" Piece....."Geraldine"

                           "Geraldine"

A Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Coffee Cake

For the Cake:

• 3/4 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons of pure almond extract
• zest of one large orange
• 3 Cups of all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups of sour cream
• 1-16 ounce can of whole cranberries

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup of Dickinson's Strawberry perserves
• 2 teaspoons of pure almond extract

For the Icing:

• 1 cup of confectioner's sugar 
  
• 4 teaspoons of water
• 2 teaspoons of pure almond extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350'. Butter and flour a 10 inch bundt or tube pan. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at at a time, and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add extract and zest, mix to incorporate.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture with half of the sour cream and mix well.  Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and sour cream and mix until incorporated.  Do NOT overmix.  Dough will be somewhat sponge like in consistency. Spread approximately 1/3 of the batter into the pan and top with 1/3 of the cranberry sauce.  Be careful to spread cranberry sauce into middle of the pan, avoiding contact with sides and center of pan. It might make cake removal difficult. Repeat twice more. Bake cake for 65-70 minutes, or until cake tested inserted into center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, heat preserves in pyrex measuring cup in microwave oven until bubbling, approximately 2-1/2 minutes on high.  Add almond extract and mix thoroughly.  Set aside.  

When cake is done, cool in pan for 20 minutes. Reheat strawberry almond glaze till very hot and viscous. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper or freezer wrap.  Remove cake from pan and place on wire rack. Place on top of covered baking sheet. Brush on hot glaze and cover cake completely. Use all of the glaze to ensure cake is thoroughly enrobbed.  Let cake cool 5-6 hours. 

Combine icing ingredients, mix until desired consistency and drizzle over cake in a decorative fashion. Let cake rest at least 1 hour before serving.