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		<title>Chocolate Cake With Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/03/chocolate-cake-with-espresso-buttercream-and-dark-chocolate-ganache-recipe.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/03/chocolate-cake-with-espresso-buttercream-and-dark-chocolate-ganache-recipe.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:31:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[comfort]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food to share]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=727</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This post should be labeled the very best chocolate cake in the entire world.  Or cake that will change your life.  Or cake that will single-handedly cure seasonal depression and a very crummy day.  And perhaps, cake that will destroy your diet.  I don&#8217;t fall victim to sweets all that often, but serious chocolate is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-728" title="Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/012-300x235.jpg" alt="Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe" width="300" height="235" />This post should be labeled the very best chocolate cake in the entire world.  Or cake that will change your life.  Or cake that will single-handedly cure seasonal depression and a very crummy day.  And perhaps, cake that will destroy your diet.  I don&#8217;t fall victim to sweets all that often, but serious chocolate is a true weakness of mine.  I&#8217;ve been working on a variety of dark chocolate cake and frosting recipes this year, but hadn&#8217;t  found the one to bring me to my knees, yet.  I saw this Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe on the Foodbuzz Top 9 in early February as featured on <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/chocolate-cake-with-espresso-buttercream/">MyBakingAddiction.com</a>.  Chocolate + Coffee + Buttercream + Ganache = my own personal heaven.</p>
<p>I bookmarked the site and made a mental note to make a run to Central Market for the Instant Espresso Powder.  I assume they carry that, though I generally run screaming from anything with the word &#8220;Instant&#8221; in the title.  Anyhow, I keep forgetting the powder, so yesterday, I just decided to figure something from my regular grocery and make it work.  I no longer have an espresso machine, it broke years ago and has yet to be replaced.  The grocery only had instant coffee not instant espresso, but it did have an impressive selection of ground espressos.  From my high school days working in the coffee shop, I know the two things central to espresso &#8211; the grind of the bean and the pressure.  The grind of the bean is central, you want it extremely finely ground.  The pressure can only be duplicated by an espresso machine.  I ran mine through my regular coffee maker, since that&#8217;s what I have.  If you have the means,  I&#8217;d suggest making a regular cup of espresso, then adding 2 tbsp instead of the 4 tbsps of coffee strength espresso I added to the buttercream.</p>
<p>Today is a lucky day for my DFW area readers.  If you would like one of these cakes, leave a comment in the comment section.  I&#8217;ll use a random number generator &#8211; unless there&#8217;s only one or none of you of course, and I&#8217;ll deliver one of these cakes to you just for helping me.  I&#8217;d like to experiment with the ganache.  I have another Chocolate Ganache Cake recipe which calls for a Ganache simply of cream and chocolate, no butter.  In my memory it pours much much more smoothly, and I&#8217;d like to try it on this cake.  However, I&#8217;ve already laid out so many sweets recipes for our family, we&#8217;ll all roll into a sugar coma if I run all the experiments several ways.  So, the only catch is, I&#8217;ll deliver your cake, minus 1 piece (for photographing and tasting) so I can check to see which ganache I prefer.</p>
<p><strong>Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache</strong></p>
<p>(adapted from Oprah.com)</p>
<p>1 and 1/2 c. sugar</p>
<p>1 and 1/3 c. flour</p>
<p>2/3 c. Valrhona unsweetened cocoa</p>
<p>1 tsp baking powder</p>
<p>1 tsp baking soda</p>
<p>3/4 tsp kosher salt</p>
<p>2 large eggs</p>
<p>3/4 c. milk</p>
<p>6 tbsp canola oil</p>
<p>2 tsp pure vanilla extract</p>
<p>3/4 c. very hot water</p>
<p>4 large egg yolks</p>
<p>3/4 c. sugar</p>
<p>2 sticks butter, softened</p>
<p>2 tbsps ground espesso</p>
<p>10 oz water</p>
<p>8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped</p>
<p>4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped</p>
<p>4 tbsp butter, softened</p>
<p>1 c. heavy cream</p>
<p>1 tbsp sugar</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 375.  Grease bottom and sides of a Nonstick Half Sheet Pan (18&#8243; x 13&#8243; x 1&#8243;) &#8211; the original recipe called for a jelly roll pan (15 1/2&#8243; x 10 3/4&#8243; x 1) but I don&#8217;t have one of those, so I&#8217;d imagine you can use either with good results.</p>
<p>In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Turn on lowest setting and mix until combined.</p>
<p>In a medium sized bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Whisk until combined.  Turn stand mixer to medium, then add wet ingredients gradually and mix until well blended, about 5 minutes.  Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake about 20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Let cake cool.</p>
<p>In bowl of stand mixer, use whisk attachment to whisk egg yolks until a full 2-3 shades lighter and ribbony when you lift the whisk, about 5 minutes.  I couldn&#8217;t find a good picture on the Internet of the ribbon stage, so I&#8217;ll update with photos of what mine look like when I make the giveaway cake.  In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 c. of water.  Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until mixture starts to bubble.  Raise heat to high and boil until mixture reaches 238 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.  With stand mixer on medium, pour sugar syrup in a slow stream into egg yolks.  Leave mixer on medium, and beat until outside of the metal bowl feels room temperature and the frosting is fluffy, about 10 minutes.  In a coffee pot, brew 2tbsp of espresso with the 10 oz of water.  Pour into a cup and microwave for an additional minute, to concentrate.  Add butter small amounts at a time until all added.  Add 4 tbsp of brewed espresso to buttercream, and beat until blended.</p>
<p>In a large bowl, combine chocolate and remaining 4 tbsp of butter.  In a small saucepan, bring cream and sugar to a boil.  Stir, then pour cream over chocolate mixture.  Let rest a minute, then stir occasionally until ganache is smooth.</p>
<p>Invert cake onto a large wooden cutting board.   Use a ruler to divide evenly into thirds, and slice accordingly.  On your cake plate, cover edges with strips of waxed paper, then place bottom cake layer on waxed paper so no plate is showing.  Frost first layer with half of buttercream, add next layer**, then frost with remaining buttercream.  Add third layer, then gently and slowly pour ganache over the top of the cake, as evenly as you can around the sides and top of cake.  Refrigerate about 20 minutes, or until ganache is firm, then gently slide the waxed paper pieces out to reveal a clean cake plate.</p>
<p>Note  ** I had a little trouble on my first cake with the layers slipping and sliding around.  If you have the time and the patience, I&#8217;d advise frosting the first layer, placing the second layer, then refrigerating cake for 10-20 minutes before frosting that layer, then again refrigerate 10-20 minutes before pouring ganache.  If you do it this way, just be sure not to start your ganache until you&#8217;ve refrigerated the second layer so you it will still be liquid enough for pouring.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>
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		<title>Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Recipe</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/03/southern-style-biscuits-stand-mixer-recipe.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/03/southern-style-biscuits-stand-mixer-recipe.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:36:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[bread]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breakfast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheap meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comfort]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=706</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve altered my Flaky Southern Style Biscuits Recipe to include a Stand Mixer Recipe as well as some method adjustments.  The first recipe uses a rolling pin and kneads the dough by hand.  I think it&#8217;s personal preference, but I have really loved my results with the stand mixer and find hand patting [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-707" title="Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Recipe" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/010-300x238.jpg" alt="Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Recipe" width="300" height="238" />I&#8217;ve altered my <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/08/flaky-style-southern-biscuits.html">Flaky Southern Style Biscuits Recipe</a> to include a Stand Mixer Recipe as well as some method adjustments.  The first recipe uses a rolling pin and kneads the dough by hand.  I think it&#8217;s personal preference, but I have really loved my results with the stand mixer and find hand patting the dough to give me the greatest rise.  Check out how fluffy those biscuits are!  I&#8217;ve also added my homemade <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/faqs">buttermilk recipe</a> to my new FAQ page.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you find yourself sitting around coveting a fabulous stand mixer, biscuits and cakes and frostings dancing through your head, <a href="http://www.doughmesstic.net/2010/03/05/its-good-to-have-friends/">DoughMessTic</a> has a contest running through midnight this Tuesday where you can win one!  Hope over there, make a comment in the comment section noting you were sent there by dinnerandconversation.  If the random number generator picks your comment number, you can with a Stand Mixer in a color of your very own choosing!  While you&#8217;re at it, you can become a fan of DoughMessTic on Facebook and my site!  Just search for doughmesstic or dinnerandconversation.com in your facebook, then click Become a Fan of!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The very very very best way to make Southern Style Biscuits requires <a href="http://www.southernconnoisseur.com/whlifl5lb.html">White Lily Flour</a>.  Really.  All other flours yield a biscuit though delicious, lacking a delicacy and levity unparalleled.  If you&#8217;re in Dallas, you can pick up your White Lily Flour at Central Market.  And if you&#8217;re lucky enough  to be in Austin, you can pick it up at almost any HEB.  Otherwise I hope you live in the southeast or you&#8217;ll be paying exorbitantly to ship 5 lb. bags of flour from either the site above or another you google.  Quality ingredients are worth the shipping.  Just ask me about my shipments of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heinz-Pickle-Genuine-Dill-46-Ounce/dp/B001SAOE5I/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_text_b">Heinz Genuine Dill Pickles</a>.  At the end of the day, my pickles cost over $10 a jar.  That&#8217;s almost enough to make me hide them from my children.  But who am I kidding, I can&#8217;t blame them for their highly refined palates ; )  And at least I&#8217;m no longer buying them from the Piggly Wiggly, who gracefully managed to pack them so that at least 1/3 of my shipment broke every time.  Sigh.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Recipe</strong> (makes about 14 biscuits)</p>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<p>4 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour (Get thee some White Lily Flour)<br />
4 1/2 tsps baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 1/2 tsps salt<br />
1/2 cup very cold butter, cut into pieces<br />
1 1/2 to 1 and 3/4 c.  cold buttermilk<br />
8 tbsps butter, really softened<br />
1 tbsp butter, melted</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 450° . Line a large baking sheet with parchment  paper. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add cold butter 1 tbsp at a time to mixer. Mix until it resembles coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of  butter.  Add buttermilk, pouring slowly until mixture just starts to look moist.  The key here is to *not* let the dough look wet.  Dough should be soft and moist; only add remaining buttermilk, if you are still seeing dry flour.  If dough looks wet, add more flour.  If you are using regular All Purpose flour, I find I need the higher amounts of buttermilk.  When using White Lily, be prepared to stop at the low end of the amounts given.  When just mixed, remove paddle attachment and switch to dough hook.  Turn on lowest setting for 2 and 1/2 minutes.  At this point your dough should have formed a ball around the hook and pulled away from the sides.  Like this.  <img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-709" title="Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Dough Hook" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/003-300x228.jpg" alt="Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Dough Hook" width="300" height="228" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Move dough onto a lightly floured work surface (I find it works much better to use regular old All Purpose flour for this step, oddly enough, save your White Lily for the base recipe).  Pat  dough into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle. With short side nearest you,  spread top two-thirds of dough with 1/3 of the soft butter, leaving top third, furthest from you, unbuttered. Fold dough into thirds by  pulling top third down over center and then pulling bottom third over  middle. Turn dough so short side faces you.  Pat into a 9-by-12-inch  rectangle. In same manner, spread again with second third of soft butter  and fold letter style. Turn once more in the same manner. Pat into a  9-by-12-inch rectangle; spread with  remaining soft butter and fold up. Work quickly and gently  so as not to overwork dough. Pat dough into rectangle 3/4-inch thick  on floured surface. Cut into rounds using the top edge of a wine glass.  Push glass down, then turn to cut dough.  Place on biscuits on parchment, 1 inch apart.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-715 alignnone" title="Southern Style Biscuits Cut and Placed on Parchement" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/0091-300x170.jpg" alt="Southern Style Biscuits Cut and Placed on Parchement" width="300" height="170" />Lightly brush tops with melted  butter. Bake in center of hot oven about   17 minutes, until lightly golden brown  and firm.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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		<title>Chicken and Monterey Jack Stuffed Fried Avocados</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/chicken-and-monterey-jack-stuffed-fried-avocados.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/chicken-and-monterey-jack-stuffed-fried-avocados.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:12:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mexican]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chicken]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[frying]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=693</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Earlier this week I tackled the Fried Stuffed Avocados I&#8217;ve been wanting to try all winter.  Several unfortunate batches of avocados have gone bad while patiently waiting for me to get my act together to no avail.  This recipe takes a little  bit of prep, and does involve frying which is sort of an ordeal, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-694" title="Chicken and Monterey Jack Stuffed Fried Avocados" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/0012-300x225.jpg" alt="Chicken and Monterey Jack Stuffed Fried Avocados" width="300" height="225" />Earlier this week I tackled the Fried Stuffed Avocados I&#8217;ve been wanting to try all winter.  Several unfortunate batches of avocados have gone bad while patiently waiting for me to get my act together to no avail.  This recipe takes a little  bit of prep, and does involve frying which is sort of an ordeal, but the presentation is quite impressive.  To balance out your efforts, the chicken was so tasty, I worked an additional dinner of chicken nachos from it, then finished off the remainder snacking it straight from the bowl!</p>
<p>The inspiration for this recipe came from my mamas group back in Austin.  I&#8217;d sent a request to the group looking for new ideas in the form of, &#8220;If you could order anything from any restaurant tonight, what would you pick?&#8221;  The answers were inspiring and unbelievably international.  Stuffed Fried Avocados were recommended by a couple friends, it seems they are the newest food fad in South Texas. They are found stuffed with a variety of fillings from shellfish to chicken to beef.  Mine are stuffed with a spiced chicken and Monterey Jack cheese.  The chicken is very easily spiced with a <a href="http://www.cutterscross.com/dyn/showpage.php?id=15">Cutters Cross</a> Tex Mex Dry Rub Seasoning.  I received my first batch of these spices as a gift five years ago, and highly recommend you get a set of your own.  I was so pleased with the way this chicken turned out I sent a set to my sister, Amelia, because I just had to share.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re feeling slightly less adventurous, but want to try out the flavor combo, try serving the chicken topping on a bed of avocado wedges.  A foodie friend Shizuoka Gourmet had posted an article on <a href="http://shizuokagourmet.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/avocados-hard-no-worries-deep-fry-it/">fried avocado</a> back in January.  You could skip the relleno batter and just fry the straight avocado then serve the shredded chicken and cheese on top.</p>
<p><strong>Chicken and Monterey Jack Stuffed Fried Avocados</strong> (serves 3)</p>
<p>3 ripe avocados &#8211; they work best if they are just slightly on the firm side &#8211; ripe but not squishy</p>
<p>flour for dusting</p>
<p>3/4 c. flour</p>
<p>2 egg yolks</p>
<p>3/4 c. beer</p>
<p>2 tbsp canola oil</p>
<p>1 and 1/2 tbsp kosher salt</p>
<p>2 egg whites</p>
<p>3 large chicken split breasts</p>
<p>2 tsp <a href="http://www.cutterscross.com/custom/prodpage.php?action=catview&amp;cat=1&amp;pageid=products">Cutters Cross Tex Mex Dry Rub</a></p>
<p>1 tsp kosher salt</p>
<p>Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded</p>
<p>Two hours before you want to eat, halve the avocados and remove seeds.  Use a spoon to scoop out a little of the flesh making a larger hollow for stuffing.  Peel skin from outside, then dust in flour.  Wrap each half in Saran wrap and place in freezer.  In a large bowl, add flour followed by egg yolks, beer, canola oil, and salt.  Whisk together to combine.  Let batter rest for about an hour and a half.</p>
<p>In a large saucepan, cover chicken breasts with water and add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour and fifteen minutes.  Remove chicken from broth using tongs.  Remove skin and bones and discard.  Shred chicken using two forks into a clean bowl.  Return shredded chicken to broth and simmer another 30 minutes.  At this point, turn high heat on sauce pan containing frying oil.  After the 30 minutes has elapsed, strain chicken from broth, then season with Tex Mex Dry Rub and salt.  Set aside.</p>
<p>About 15 minutes before you want to eat, whisk egg whites to stiff peaks.  Delicately fold egg whites into batter.  Remove avocados from freezer, unwrap and use a slotted spoon to gently dip in batter then place in heated oil.  Fry until lightly browned, then stuff with spiced chicken and top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.  Serve immediately.</p>
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		<title>Butterscotch Pudding Recipe</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/butterscotch-pudding-recipe.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/butterscotch-pudding-recipe.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:53:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food to share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[make and store recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=533</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Awhile back, my sisters and I dined at the Lark Creek Steak Restaurant.  It happened to be Allison&#8217;s birthday, so our over enthusiastic waiter brought us each a butterscotch pudding for dessert.  We all enjoyed it, and I decided to attempt a version for Thanksgiving.  One of my favorite things about eating out is trying [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-638" title="Butterscotch Pudding Recipe" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/018-300x271.jpg" alt="Butterscotch Pudding Recipe" width="300" height="271" />Awhile back, my sisters and I dined at the <a href="http://www.larkcreek.com/larkcreek_steak/index.html">Lark Creek Steak</a> Restaurant.  It happened to be Allison&#8217;s birthday, so our over enthusiastic waiter brought us each a butterscotch pudding for dessert.  We all enjoyed it, and I decided to attempt a version for Thanksgiving.  One of my favorite things about eating out is trying something at a restaurant, then endeavoring to make it at home.  The two rules I try to follow when attempting this are to A) Never wait more than a month to try the recreation or you will forget the flavor and B) It&#8217;s much easier if you had others taste what your choice to discuss and tweak your efforts!</p>
<p>My Internet research on Butterscotch Pudding led me to a recipe by <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/">David Lebovitz</a>, whom I saw speak this fall.  <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/02/a_butterscotch.html">His</a> recipe calls for cassonade sugar.  It seems that cassonade is a french version of very slightly refined raw sugar, while Rapadura is the evaporated, pressed juice from sugar cane.  I&#8217;ve trolled hundreds of sites in both french and english trying to figure out the difference between the two, and that was about as much info as I could come up with on the two.  SMIL brought me a brick of Rapadura from Brazil this fall, and I tried out this recipe using it.  Thanks, SMIL!  I love trying out new ingredients!</p>
<p>The Rapadura originally comes in a brick, which you&#8217;re then supposed to heat in a 200 degree oven where it melts, then you can break it up into small pieces and run it through a cuisinart to granulate it.  Here&#8217;s a pic of mine melted.</p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-636" title="Rapadura Melting in the Oven" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/004-300x185.jpg" alt="Rapadura Melting in the Oven" width="300" height="185" /></p>
<p>Mine didn&#8217;t turn into crystals in the Cuisinart, instead it turned into a big sticky mess so I just kept it in broken toffee like chunks.  I just popped a bit back into the cuisinart tonight to find it&#8217;s less sticky now, though I still think the chunk application will work better for me.  Here&#8217;s a pic after processing.</p>
<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-637" title="Rapadura Crystals" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/0011-300x280.jpg" alt="Rapadura Crystals" width="300" height="280" />The flavor was perfect for the recipe.  If you don&#8217;t have either of these sugars on hand, try a panela, jaggery, or a demerara sugar from a specialty foods store, or just regular old dark brown sugar.</p>
<p><strong>Butterscotch Pudding </strong>(adapted from <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/02/a_butterscotch.html">David Lebovitz&#8217;s recipe</a>)</p>
<p>serves 8 small or 5 large servings</p>
<p>4 tbsp butter</p>
<p>1 and 3/4 c. stacked, broken pieces of Rapadura, (mine are large leaving lots of empty space in measuring cup, if you&#8217;re using crystals or dark brown sugar, only use 1 c.)</p>
<p>3 tbsp cornstarch</p>
<p>2 and 1/2 c. 2% milk</p>
<p>2 eggs</p>
<p>2 tsp Jack Daniels</p>
<p>1 tsp pure vanilla extract</p>
<p>In a sauce pan, melt butter on low heat, add rapadura and stir occasionally with a wooden spatula, heating until sugar melts and is a bubbling mixture.  Remove from heat.</p>
<p>Mix cornstarch and 1/4 c. milk with a whisk until smooth.  Add eggs and continue to whisk.</p>
<p>Add remaining milk  1/4 c. at a time to melted rapadura, whisking continuously, integrating without hardening the sugar mixture by adding too much cold liquid at once.  Follow with the cornstarch mixture.</p>
<p>Return pan to medium high heat and bring to a boil, whisking continuously.  Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook another minute, whisking continuously.  Remove from heat when thickened to a ketchup consistency.  Quickly whisk in Jack Daniels and vanilla, then pour into ramekins.</p>
<p>Refrigerate for at least four hours, then top with whipped cream and chocolate chips.</p>
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		<title>Turkey Scallopini with Homemade Turkey Broth</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/turkey-scallopini-with-homemade-turkey-broth.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/turkey-scallopini-with-homemade-turkey-broth.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:58:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[citrus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[easy meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leftovers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pasta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sauce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turkey]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Awhile back my dear friend Emily sent me an email saying, &#8220;Do you have any recipes that call for a massive amount of turkey broth?  I am not kidding, I have a TON.&#8221;  Which was hilarious and awesome.  Anyway, she brought me 2 frozen quarts to our eggnog taste off.  (Yes the taste off was super fun.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-628" title="Turkey Scallopini with Homemade Turkey Broth" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/001-300x259.jpg" alt="Turkey Scallopini with Homemade Turkey Broth" width="300" height="259" />Awhile back my dear friend Emily sent me an email saying, &#8220;Do you have any recipes that call for a massive amount of <span>turkey</span> <span>broth</span>?  I am not kidding, I have a TON.&#8221;  Which was hilarious and awesome.  Anyway, she brought me 2 frozen quarts to our eggnog taste off.  (Yes the taste off was super fun.  Emily&#8217;s family recipe was great.  For future reference, drinking more than 1 glass of eggnog in a row takes some serious skill and dedication.)  Last night I broke out one of the quarts to use in my Turkey Scallopini.  I&#8217;ve blogged a version this recipe before with <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/06/chicken-scallopini-in-a-traveling-kitchen.html">chicken breasts</a>, but the way I really prefer it uses turkey cutlets.  My sister has had a long standing battle with turkey cutlets, namely that they&#8217;re nowhere to be found.  I find them frequently at the Tom Thumb on Lovers and at Central Market, and freakishly all Albertson&#8217;s seem to carry them.  I don&#8217;t really shop at the Albertson&#8217;s near my house, because I only like beautiful grocery stores, or at least attractive.</p>
<p>Yes. I&#8217;m a grocery store snob, and I know it.  And if I could get my food budget under control, we&#8217;d have an entirely different life.  Of course, where would the fun be in that?  Food is meant to be delicious and attractive, so it&#8217;s really hard for me to get inspired wandering a grocery store that&#8217;s run down and old.  Anyway, if you find the turkey cutlets where ever you shop, this is a great recipe and a super crowd pleaser.  And I&#8217;m still not sure how Emily wound up with *massive* amounts of turkey broth, but next year after your Thanksgiving turkey, if you don&#8217;t make <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/03/10.html">turkey soup</a>, at least make broth and keep it in your freezer!  This recipe tastes great with chicken broth as well, just in case Emily didn&#8217;t stock your freezer!</p>
<p><strong>Turkey Scallopini</strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">4 turkey cutlets</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">kosher salt</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">fresh ground pepper</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">shallow bowl of flour</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">olive oil</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">3 and 3/4 c. turkey broth</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">juice from 3 lemons</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">4 heaping tablespoons capers</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">3 tbsp butter</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">3 tbsp chopped parsley</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1/2 package capellini</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Season cutlets with salt and pepper.  Dip in the flour on each side, shaking off excess.  Heat a huge skillet (I think mine is 16 inches) on medium high heat.  If you don&#8217;t have a huge skillet, you can cook them two at a time.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and heat until fragrant.  Brown cutlets on both sides, then remove to a plate.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Add broth to skillet and deglaze the pan, stirring in the brown bits.  Cook for about five minutes, then add lemon juice and capers.  Cook another 2 minutes, then add butter a tablespoon at a time, stirring in with a wooden spatula.  Add cutlets back to sauce and continue to cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.  Sprinkle in the parsley, then stir and gently spoon sauce over the cutlets &#8211; heat 1 more minute and serve on top of cooked capellini.</p>
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		<title>Hamburger Soup Recipe &#8211; Really Quick and Easy Dinner</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/hamburger-soup-recipe-really-quick-and-easy-dinner.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/hamburger-soup-recipe-really-quick-and-easy-dinner.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:27:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Freezes Well]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheap meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comfort]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[easy meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leftovers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soup]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=618</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I write frequently about really involved recipes as the cooking *process* is the part in which I&#8217;m really interested.  That said, I do have a few meals I&#8217;ve acquired over time that are super fast and easy, as well as really yummy.  I learned this one from my mother (thanks Mommy!), and I think it&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-619" title="Hamburger Soup Recipe" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/011-300x238.jpg" alt="Hamburger Soup Recipe" width="300" height="238" />I write frequently about really involved recipes as the cooking *process* is the part in which I&#8217;m really interested.  That said, I do have a few meals I&#8217;ve acquired over time that are super fast and easy, as well as really yummy.  I learned this one from my mother (thanks Mommy!), and I think it&#8217;s great addition to any family&#8217;s repertoire.  My family loves it, it&#8217;s inexpensive, and most of the ingredients are often found on hand.  Growing up, my mother made this using <a href="http://www.rethinksoup.com/details.aspx?code=697&amp;mv=9">Campbell&#8217;s Beef Consommé</a> which is a beef broth condensed soup with tomato and gelatin added.   I think it adds superior flavor over beef stock, but I&#8217;ve made it both ways, depending on what was on hand, with good results.  I&#8217;ve also added the really really thin strips of egg noodles, which is a much more filling dish, but somewhere in the Atkins era, we started skipping those and never added them back.  If you&#8217;re a noodle fan, I&#8217;d recommend cooking them separately then adding the cooked noodles to the soup.  Let simmer five minutes with the added noodles then serve.</p>
<p><strong>Hamburger Soup Recipe</strong></p>
<p>2.5 lbs ground chuck</p>
<p>1 yellow onion, diced</p>
<p>2 cans stewed tomatoes (14.5oz)</p>
<p>4 cans Campbell&#8217;s Beef Consomme (10oz)</p>
<p>1 can water</p>
<p>12 turns fresh ground pepper</p>
<p>In a large stock pot, brown ground beef on medium high heat.  When you can see no more pink, use a spatula to push beef to one half of the pot, then add the diced onion to the other.  Spread out your onion and stir each half every thirty seconds.  Continue until onion is soft and beef is very brown.  Use spatula to push beef and onions to one side, then tip pot to drain fat to the other side.  Remove fat with a spoon and discard.  Add tomatoes, consomme, water, and pepper to pan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer 25 minutes, then serve and enjoy!</p>
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		<title>Pork Tamales Recipe</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/pork-tamales-recipe.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:54:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[cheap meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pork]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=602</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been wanting to try my own homemade tamales for ages.  A couple of things scared me off initially.  One, I don&#8217;t have a single friend who makes his/her own tamales (speak up if I&#8217;m wrong).  Two, Lard.  Three, I&#8217;d heard they&#8217;re complicated and  labor intensive.  And Four, I didn&#8217;t own a large enough steamer [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-614" title="Pork Tamales Recipe" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/023-300x201.jpg" alt="Pork Tamales Recipe" width="300" height="201" />I&#8217;ve been wanting to try my own homemade tamales for ages.  A couple of things scared me off initially.  One, I don&#8217;t have a single friend who makes his/her own tamales (speak up if I&#8217;m wrong).  Two, Lard.  Three, I&#8217;d heard they&#8217;re complicated and  labor intensive.  And Four, I didn&#8217;t own a large enough steamer to get this process going.  I love a challenge, so I&#8217;ve been determined to try these despite these concerns, and make them my own.</p>
<p>To address the first issue, I decided to read recipes where ever I could find them.  On the corn husks package (which p.s. is frightening, what in the world would I do with 25-30 DOZEN tamales?), on the lard package, on the masa package, and from my all time favorite resource, <a href="http://google.com">Google</a>.  All the recipes I came across seemed fairly similar.  I knew I wanted pork filled tamales, so I built my recipe using the techniques and methods from my <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/03/shredded-beef-chimichangas.html">chimichanga meat</a>, <a href="http://">enchilada sauce</a>, and a hybrid of the things that are required to create a tamale: dough, husks, and a filling.   As for issue number two, I never remember lard in my kitchen growing up.  I think of it as some sort of frightening, old-fashioned, and quite unhealthy ingredient.  That said, I&#8217;m also scared of crisco and very skeptical of the Spectrum Palm Oil Shortening substitute one can find at the Whole Foods.  I&#8217;m going to give it a shot, but I figured I&#8217;d try the original on my first batch.  I&#8217;ll let you know my results.  As for the quantity used, it&#8217;s about a tablespoon per tamale, so I&#8217;m not going to sweat it too much.</p>
<p>Three, complicated -yes and time-consuming &#8211; yes.  This one is legit.  An assembly line, might make this more do-able, but unlikely tamales are ever going to appear on a 30 minute meals show.  As for issue Four, Williams-Sonoma had a crazy sale on the <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/1451038/?cm_src=hero">All-Clad Multi-pot</a> I&#8217;ve been craving for ages.  So I&#8217;m now a proud owner of a very large steamer.  And a 12 quart soup pot.  Just imagine how happy that makes me.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, these tamales were insanely delicious.  For a first time out of the box creation, Cory and I were ecstatic with the results.  I encourage you to try them if you&#8217;re feeling ambitious.  And if you&#8217;re not, arrange a tamale making party with friends so you can all take some home at the end of assembly.  Or come to my house for my upcoming spring tamale event.  However you get them, do.  They are so worth the work and the calories.  Yum.</p>
<p><strong>Tamale Dough &#8211; </strong>(makes about 6 dinner size tamales, serves 3)</p>
<p>1 c. maseca instant masa</p>
<p>1/2 tsp baking powder</p>
<p>1/4 tsp kosher salt</p>
<p>1 c. chicken broth, lukewarm</p>
<p>1/3 c. lard</p>
<p>In a bowl, combine masa, baking powder and salt.  Add in chicken broth, then stir with a spatula to combine.  In a stand mixer, beat lard until creamy, then add masa mixture.  Continue to beat dough until surface bounces back like a sponge, without sticking to your fingers. Refrigerate dough for one hour before assembly.</p>
<p><strong>Pork Tamale Filling </strong>(makes a ton, probably enough to make 30 dinner size tamales &#8211; but freezable I&#8217;ve never seen a smaller pork roast, I guess you could cut it in half before hand, I&#8217;ve not tried that yet)</p>
<p>2.5 lb pork loin roast</p>
<p>kosher salt</p>
<p>fresh ground pepper</p>
<p>paprika</p>
<p>1 tbsp olive oil</p>
<p>Rinse pork loin and pat dry.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika on all sides.  Heat a heavy stock pot with olive oil on medium high, then brown pork loin on all sides.  Cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours.  Check with a fork to see if pork shreds easily.  If not, continue cooking and test again in half an hour.  When able to very easily shred, remove pork to a bowl and shred using two forks.  Reserve broth for sauce use.</p>
<p><strong>Tamale Sauce </strong>(also makes a ton &#8211; enough for ~30 tamales, also freezable)</p>
<p>4 c. water</p>
<p>5-6 large ancho chiles</p>
<p>1 tbsp olive oil</p>
<p>1/2 yellow onion, diced</p>
<p>3 cloves garlic, minced</p>
<p>1 tsp oregano</p>
<p>1/2 tsp kosher salt</p>
<p>3 ladles pork broth</p>
<p>10 oz can tomato puree</p>
<p>kosher salt</p>
<p>fresh ground pepper</p>
<p>Bring water to a boil.  Add chiles and remove from heat, soaking for an hour.  Cut off stems and rinse chiles under water to remove seeds.  Place chilies in a food processor, then add 1 and 1/2 cups of the soaking water.  Turn on and run until you have a fine puree.</p>
<p>In a skillet on medium heat, warm olive oil.  Add onion and saute 8 minutes.  Add garlic,  oregano, and salt, saute another minute.  Add 3 ladles of broth from cooking the pork.  Cook 1 minute, then pour into a blender to puree.</p>
<p>Return the pureed garlic and onion mixture to skillet.  Add ancho puree, tomato puree and sprinkle surface liberally with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Simmer for 5 minutes then check seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.  Reserve one and a half cups of sauce for serving and dipping.  Then add shredded pork to remainder.  Stir, then cook another 10 minutes.</p>
<p><strong>Tamale Assembly and Preparation</strong></p>
<p>6 corn husks</p>
<p>water</p>
<p>Soak corn husks in warm water for about 2 hours.  Rinse.  Spread 75% of the husk surface with a thin layer of tamale dough.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of tamale filling in a vertical line.  You want this to be centered in the tamale with just the edges free of filling.  Roll long edges in to center.  Use right side to squish tamale dough around filling creating a tube with left side of dough, then fold both edges of husk over to form a packet.  Fold bottom edge up, then top.  Place seam side down in a steamer basket.  Repeat.</p>
<p>Cover tamales with a wet dishtowel.  Steam over 2 inches of boiling water, with a tightly fitting lid for an hour and 10 minutes.  Check after 45 minutes to make sure you still have enough water, then check again at one hour.  To check tamales, remove one and gently unfold.  Dough should not stick to husk and should be a very moist, but not wet,  cornbread-like consistency.  Serve two per person, with additional sauce for dipping if desired.  Enjoy!</p>
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		<title>Turkey Chili with Black Beans</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/02/turkey-chili-with-black-beans.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:32:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[cheap meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comfort]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[easy meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food to share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leftovers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legumes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[make and store recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turkey]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Turkey Chili is new to my repertoire this year, but it has been extremely well received by both family and guests.  I like that this one serves equally well as leftovers both in taste and presentation.  Plus the bonus of it being a one pan, one dish meal.
Chili, like tortilla soup, seems to be a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-605" title="Turkey Chili with Black Beans" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/020-300x245.jpg" alt="Turkey Chili with Black Beans" width="300" height="245" />Turkey Chili is new to my repertoire this year, but it has been extremely well received by both family and guests.  I like that this one serves equally well as leftovers both in taste and presentation.  Plus the bonus of it being a one pan, one dish meal.</p>
<p>Chili, like <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/04/tortilla-soup.html">tortilla soup,</a> seems to be a dish that means different things to different people.  I started to enter a contest earlier this year where part of the instructions required a smooth consistency of meat to gravy, containing no identifiable vegetables at all.  And some people think of chili only being a dish served so spicy it demands several beers in rapid succession to keep your taste buds from being destroyed.  This turkey chili with black beans recipe is not very spicy &#8211; you can adjust the amounts of cayenne and chili powder to increase the intensity to your desire.  You also could add half of a minced jalapeno in with the garlic, similar to the method I use in my <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/04/tortilla-soup.html">tortilla soup</a>.  I prefer to spice mine at serving with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.  Enjoy experimenting!</p>
<p><strong>Turkey Chili with Black Beans</strong></p>
<p>2 tbsp olive oil</p>
<p>2.5 lbs ground turkey</p>
<p>1 large white onion, finely chopped</p>
<p>1 red bell pepper, finely chopped</p>
<p>4 cloves garlic</p>
<p>5 tomatoes on the vine, chopped</p>
<p>1 and 1/2 tsp kosher salt</p>
<p>1 and 1/2 tbsp chili powder</p>
<p>1/4 tsp cayenne</p>
<p>12 turns fresh ground pepper</p>
<p>1 and 1/2 tsp ground cumin</p>
<p>4 c. chicken stock</p>
<p>1 can black beans, rinsed and drained</p>
<p>Toppings: shredded cheddar jack cheese, diced onion, and crushed red pepper</p>
<p>Heat a heavy bottomed stock pot on medium heat.   Add olive oil and saute onion and bell pepper 8 minutes.  Add ground turkey, increase heat to high and brown thoroughly.  Add garlic, cook another minute.  Add tomatoes, spices and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.  Add black beans, simmer another 30 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!</p>
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		<title>2010 National Soup Swap Day and Salmon Tips and Techniques Questions Answered</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/01/2010-national-soup-swap-day-and-salmon-tips-and-techniques-questions-answered.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/01/2010-national-soup-swap-day-and-salmon-tips-and-techniques-questions-answered.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[easy meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food to share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[salmon]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=592</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m closing in on one year in food blogging.  This time last year, I had my soup swap, and came to grips with my love of two things:  cooking and the Internet.  My husband was at his wits end with my permanent connection to my laptop, likely fearing my increasingly unhealthy addiction to CNN and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-596" title="Salmon Tips and Techniques Questions Answered" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/0031-300x210.jpg" alt="Salmon Tips and Techniques Questions Answered" width="300" height="210" />I&#8217;m closing in on one year in food blogging.  This time last year, I had my soup swap, and came to grips with my love of two things:  cooking and the Internet.  My husband was at his wits end with my permanent connection to my laptop, likely fearing my increasingly unhealthy addiction to CNN and TMZ.  He challenged me to use my Internet time in a more worthwhile basis, and heaven knows, I don&#8217;t like to be called out.  So, I decided to build the world&#8217;s best food blog.  No, not really, not even close.  I just decided, what the heck?  It&#8217;s a hobby, and it&#8217;s weird and techie and dorky enough to adapt into the &#8220;No really, I&#8217;m unique and different and amusing, please don&#8217;t put me in a box&#8221; persona to which I&#8217;ve adapted.  Plus I have to admit, it&#8217;s frighteningly convenient to have a recipe craving in a grocery store and be able to pull up my own website on my iPhone  and grab my ingredients list.</p>
<p>Recently I&#8217;ve been asked by a couple of long time readers, &#8220;So Lane, are you cooking less or just posting less?&#8221;  I&#8217;ll admit.  In the beginning it was easy, since I&#8217;d never written about anything I&#8217;d made before.  116 posts later, sometimes, I have to make things again.  And really, there&#8217;s only so much food we can eat around here.  So the answer is, I&#8217;m cooking more than ever, but some of it is repeats, and some of it frankly doesn&#8217;t feel (or look!) good enough to write about.  And after reviewing my analytics, I&#8217;m shocked and awed by the number of you dear readers that come back day after day.  The support is beyond my wildest dreams.  Thank you for joining me and welcome to my heart.  If you&#8217;re craving something, please send me a note!  I&#8217;m available at lane@dinnerandconversation.com and love to research, plan, and create an item on request.  Just don&#8217;t ask for fennel.  I&#8217;m anti-fennel.</p>
<p>This week I hosted my annual soup swap.  I invite a bunch of people, encourage them to whip out 6 quarts of homemade soup, then bribe them with wine and snacks, and ask them to swap soups with my friends.  I&#8217;ve had great participation over the years, and the experience fills our freezers with soup-love.  I made my <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/04/tortilla-soup.html">tortilla soup</a> and my <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/11/lemony-chicken-with-rice-soup.html">lemon chili chicken with rice soup</a>.  My sister keeps telling me I need to get more creative in my naming schemes for menu items.  Perhaps she&#8217;s just more creative and that&#8217;s why I can adjust programming code to my liking and she can create a snappy name for a new product.  Or perhaps, it&#8217;s just something I should work on for 2010.</p>
<p>The head picture is the salmon we had for dinner.  Salmon remains on of my most Frequently Asked Questions.  How is it so crunchy, what type to buy, how should I cook it, what to serve with it, etc?  I don&#8217;t usually win accolades for easy recipes, but the absolute EASIEST way to cook salmon is on a Lean Mean Grilling Machine, yep the George Foreman variety.  Who would have guessed?  Over time I&#8217;ve frequently received questions about how I make my salmon crispy.  I used to attribute it to the Lean Mean, but I don&#8217;t have it anymore.  In retrospect, I think the benefit comes from the amount of salmon touching the pan surface and the weight of the top griddle.  So tonight for an experiment, I skipped the grill pan and used my non-stick oval fish skillet.  Everywhere the skin touched, I had crispy salmon.  (Cooked at about 2.5 or one half of the way between medium and medium high on my stove top.)  So here&#8217;s how I think it will be best.  If you have a bacon press, use that to weigh down your salmon when you&#8217;re cooking skin side up.  If not and you have a brick, you can wrap it in aluminum foil and weigh down your salmon that way.  Or just use a heavy skillet on top of the fish.  However you do it, just ensure the salmon is touching the skillet in the most area possible.  Also with fish, always buy fresh and cook same day of purchase if you can.  And with any fish with skin on one side, start skin side down, cook until fish is opaque 1/3 of the way through, then flip.  Cook until opaque 1/3 of the way through on opposite side, then flip back to skin side down.  Happy fishing!</p>
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		<title>Fish Tacos Recipe (Spicy tilapia and vinaigrette coleslaw topper)</title>
		<link>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/01/fish-tacos-recipe-spicy-tilapia-a-vinaigrette-coleslaw-topper.html</link>
		<comments>http://dinnerandconversation.com/2010/01/fish-tacos-recipe-spicy-tilapia-a-vinaigrette-coleslaw-topper.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:39:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>lane</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mexican]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cabbage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheap meals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seafood]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://dinnerandconversation.com/?p=579</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fish tacos were a bizarre and astonishing menu item when I first moved to Austin back in the mid 90&#8217;s.  I certainly never saw them on the menu in the midwest, and frankly, they took a long time for me to warm up to.  SMIL loves this restaurant Z&#8217;Tejas.  Like ridiculously beyond over-enthusaistically loves this [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-580" title="Fish Tacos Recipe (Spicy Tilapia with a Coleslaw Vinaigrette Topper)" src="http://dinnerandconversation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/002-300x211.jpg" alt="Fish Tacos Recipe (Spicy Tilapia with a Coleslaw Vinaigrette Topper)" width="300" height="211" />Fish tacos were a bizarre and astonishing menu item when I first moved to Austin back in the mid 90&#8217;s.  I certainly never saw them on the menu in the midwest, and frankly, they took a long time for me to warm up to.  <a href="http://dinnerandconversation.com/2009/07/naked-grilled-wild-sockeye-salmon-eggplant-zucchini-onions-asparugus-and-portabellas.html">SMIL</a> loves this restaurant <a href="http://www.ztejas.com/index.html">Z&#8217;Tejas</a>.  Like ridiculously beyond over-enthusaistically loves this restaurant.  We didn&#8217;t eat out much growing up, so when I started dating my husband our freshman year in college, it was a new and exciting experience that his parents lived in town, and ate out frequently, plus well they also had that house on the lake.  Sigh.  Anyhow, it became a joke between Cory and I that almost whenever we ate with his parents, which was often, they picked Z&#8217;Tejas.  At the time, I had not yet cultivated my love for spicy foods and and was just branching out from my previously mostly bland diet.  I&#8217;m not sure if Z&#8217;Tejas has an item on the menu not containing chilies, chipotle, or other such southwestern exotics.  Heck, even the cornbread has jalapenos.  So I would cringe (mostly silently) and everyone would suggest choices with the exuberism of one who&#8217;d just won the multi-lottery at his most desperate moment.</p>
<p>Anyhow, I&#8217;ve been thinking of making fish tacos often recently.  ( I previously integrated them into my diet circa 2001.)  Friday night at a party, someone who works with my sister mentioned Z&#8217;Tejas and their fish tacos, and I knew it was fate.  I just *had* to make fish tacos, and I can&#8217;t make fish tacos without thinking of SMIL.  Now, mine are a bit different than Z&#8217;Tejas, but here&#8217;s what I see as integral to a fish taco:  1)  White fish 2) Cabbage 3) Spice and 4) a tortilla.  I used to drizzle a habanero sauce on mine on top of dry cabbage.  Over time, I&#8217;ve realized I like my spice *in* my fish and my cabbage to exhibit a saucy-sour component to balance.  Most places seem to serve cream sauces as the side, but in general, I&#8217;m just a vinaigrette gal.  So here&#8217;s mine.  Don&#8217;t get carried away with your ground red pepper, it sneaks up on you and can make your fish crazy hot.  Feel free to change up your fish, just choose a mild white fish and you&#8217;re good to go.</p>
<p><strong>Fish Tacos </strong>(serves 3)</p>
<p>3 tilapia fillets</p>
<p>sea salt, finely ground</p>
<p>ground red peper</p>
<p>fresh ground black pepper</p>
<p>paprika</p>
<p>garlic salt</p>
<p>grapeseed oil</p>
<p>Heat a skillet (I use an oval non-stick fish pan I picked up somewhere along the way) over medium high heat.  Rinse and dry fillets with a paper towel.  Sprinkle first with sea salt, then red pepper, black pepper, paprika, followed by garlic salt on each side.  You want to cover the surface, but very gently as this is a mild and delicate fish.  Pour about a tablespoon of the grapeseed oil in the skillet, then use a wooden spatula to spread over the entire surface.  Place fillets in skillet and cook until edges turn opaque and center is opaque 1/3 of the way through.  Flip using a wide spatula, then cook on opposite side until opaque throughout.  Depending on thickness, total cook time will be around 5-7 minutes.</p>
<p><strong>Vinaigrette Coleslaw</strong></p>
<p>1/2 head green cabbage</p>
<p>1/2 head purple cabbage</p>
<p>1 large white onion</p>
<p>1/2 c. sugar</p>
<p>1 c. apple cider vinegar</p>
<p>1 tsp dry mustard</p>
<p>1 tsp celery seed</p>
<p>1 tsp salt</p>
<p>3/4 c. grapeseed oil</p>
<p>Chop cabbage and onion into a large bowl.  In a saucepan, bring ingredients to a boil.  Cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat.  Pour vinaigrette over vegetables, then chill in the fridge.  This will make a large amount.  You can easily half it or serve it with other meals.  It will keep 1 week to 10 days in the fridge.</p>
<p>Serve fish in a warmed whole wheat tortilla and top with coleslaw.  Enjoy!</p>
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