Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

This was my first try with one of the cakes in a new book I got for my birthday. "All Cakes Considered" a very cool book. My families first response to my choice was Banana's and Chocolate, yuk. They have since tasting it changed their minds completely. I am very impressed with the details of the recipes, and I have to say this is my best scratch cake yet. By the way in the picture I cheated and used some already prepared frosting I had with chocolate chips in it.

You'll need

10-inch tube pan

For the Cake

2/3 cup shortening (I used butter)

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups ripe bananas, mashed (3 bananas)

1/3 cup butter milk (or 1/3 cup whole milk with 1 tsp lemon juice)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the Frosting

two 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cream or sweetened condensed milk

To make the cake

1. Center a rack and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the pan.
2. With the mixer on medium speed, cream the shortening, then gradually add the sugar, mixing well.
3. In a separate bowl, dry whisk the cake flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture, beating until blended.
4. Add the mashed bananas and half the buttermilk and mix just until moistened, then increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes more.
5. Add the rest of the buttermilk and the eggs, and beat for 2 more minutes.
6. If you're going for the walnuts. add them to the batter and mix on low speed until just blended.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the cake tests done.
8. Cool for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a cake rack and cool completely.
9. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl fitted into a saucepan with simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. allow to cool.
10. With the mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, then gradually add half of the confectioners' sugar, blending well. Beat in 2 tablespoons of cream. Beat in the remaining sugar and cream and set aside.
11. Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture and beat until smooth. allow to cool slightly, then spread on the cooled cake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Dorothy made Pumpkin Cheesecake today for her ladies tennis match. Sorry no picture it got away to soon.

Serving Size  : 12   Preparation Time :0:30 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method 

Crust

1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter melted                        

Cheesecake

24 Ounces Cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

16 ounces pumpkin

2 eggs

2/3 cups evaporated milk

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping

2 cups sour cream - room temp

1/3 cup  sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350° Combine crust and pat into 9 inch springform pan, going up 1 inch of sides. Bake for 6 minutes, do not brown. Cool.Beat cream cheese, sugars, and eggs. Add pumpkin  and milk, and remaining ingredients. Pour into crust and bake for  55-60 minutes. Combine topping and spread over cheesecake, return to  oven for 5 minutes. Cool  and remove sides from pan. Chill for  several hours or overnight.                        - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -    

Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breast

Petti di pollo ripieni cotti alla brace (fancy word for stuffed chicken).

1 head of garlic, cloves seperated

1 small bunch fresh rosemary sprigs

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + more if needed

4 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper (from jar ok)

4 (8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375. Combine garlic cloves and 2 short rosemary sprigs in a small oven safe frying pan; cover with oil. Bake until garlic cloves are tender and lightly golden about 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile stir together Mozzarella cheese, ricotta, roasted pepper and basil in a medium bowl. Using a small sharp knife and working with 1 chicken breast at a time, cut a 2 inch pocket into 1 side of the chicken breast. Divide cheese mixture among chicken pockets. Press edges to seal. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush grill pan with oil and heat over medium-high (4) heat. Grill chicken until golden on both sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a baking dish and bake until coooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Let chicken stand 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving dish. Remove the garlic oil from the oven. Garnish chicken with baked garlic cloves, and baked and fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve with garlic oil for drizzling.

(from La Cucina Italiana, Oct 2009)

Nacho Dip

This is basically a bean dip, we make for putting over Tortilla chips and cheese and calling it Nachos for dinner. I have also made it in a bowl and taken it for potlucks with a great deal of success.

Ingredients

1 lbs Hamburger meat

1 Sweet Onion

4-6 cloves of Garlic

2 cans refried beans

1 jar of your favorite Salsa (mild to Hot based on your taste)

1 package of Taco seasoning

1/2 cup green onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Process

1) Using a large frying pan, saute at medium high heat the hamburger, and onion, until the onions are translucent and the hamburger is browned through.

2) Sprinkle in the garlic over the sauteed hamburger

3) Add the refried beans, salsa and taco seasoning (as much or as little as you like, I use about half the packet) to the pan.

4) Simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes

5) Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, green onions and cilantro to the pan.

If making for nachos simply heat a bowl of Tortilla chips sprinkled with cheese in a bowl. Then pour the nacho dip of the chips.

For the potluck dip pour into a bowl and sprinkle on remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Serve hot.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is by far one of my favorite dishes despite its simple, albeit timely cooking instructions.

4-6 lbs Pork shoulder
any favorite barbecue rub.
cole slaw
hamburger buns
hickory chips or applewood chips.
barbecue sauce

Instructions and times: Total time 12-24 hrs to marinate, and 10-14 hours to cook.

1) Apply the rub to a defrosted pork shoulder be liberal and then place in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.

2) Add wood chips to water and let soak while you get the grill heated.

3) Start the barbecue (gas grill in my case) at 220-240 degrees I take one side of the grill out to provide a place just above the flames for the pie tin I fill with chips that have been soaked for 30 minutes. You can add apple juice to the chip tray to enhance the apple wood smoke.

4) Add the pork to the grill with the fat cap on the top, and be prepared you will not be done grilling for 9-12 hours. You will need to watch the smoke tray and make sure that it does not flame up and add more chips if necessary. Keep your temperature in range.

5) After 9 hours take the temp you are looking 180 degrees. When its done remove the pork from the grill and wrap it in aluminum foil for 45-60 minutes. You are now ready to do the pulled part. Using two forks and/or your fingers (careful its hot) pull the pork meat apart. It should be falling apart anyway. Remove any fatty parts that don't look appetizing. I have a 100lb malamute that has stood guard over the barbecue for the entire 9 hours who is rewarded with these as well as the bone.

6) To make the sandwich I add about 1 cup of the pork to a small sauce pan with about 2-3 tablespoons of my favorite barbecue sauce and heat them. On a hamburger bun add coleslaw then the pork from the sauce pan. You should have enough for about 6-8 sandwiches and it keeps in the fridge for many other uses. We like burritos, tacos and nachos with the pulled pork.

Banana Muffins

This is my families favorite muffin recipe but its the topping they are so fond of not so much the muffin.

Yeild : 10 Muffins

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

Muffins

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups (3 medium) mashed ripe bananas
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pecans (Optional)

Instructions
1) Prepare struesel: Combine sugar an four until blended. Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or a fork.

2) Beat sugar, oil and eggs until light colored and foamy with a whisk or an electric mixer. Add mashed banana and beat well. The banana will be incorporated but have a few chunks.

3) In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add pecans (if you wish). Add to banana mixture and stir with a large spatula until just moistened DO NOT OVER MIX.

4) Spoon into greased muffin cups, level with top of pan. Here you can add 1/2 teaspoon of jelly/jam or chocolate chips (another option I have toyed with). Place 1 tablespoon of streusel on each. Place in preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and tops are dry and springy to the touch. Cool in muffin tin about 5-10 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Fondente al cioccolato

(Costanza's Chocolate Cake)

Preparation and Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients : 10 servings

• 5 eggs (separated)
  
• 125g (4 oz) powdered sugar and some for decorations
• 125g (4 oz) butter at room temperature
• 170g (6 oz) milk
• 1 tablespoonful of cake flour or potato flour or corn starch
• 250g (8oz) bittersweet chocolate
• raspberries or strawberry's and whipped cream to decorate

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees (180c)
2. Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl setting over boiling water. Stir occasionally until it is completely melted
3. Using an electric mixer, beat up the egg yolks with the sugar until completely mixed, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the flour (corn starch) and beat for a minute more
5. In another bowl use the electric mixer to whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm
6. When the chocolate is melted, add the butter which has been cut into pieces and remove from the heat immediately when they are mixed after about 2 minutes.
7. Pour in the cold milk, a little bit at a time and stir well.
8. Now add this mixture to the egg yolk mixture and combine them together.
9. Fold in the egg whites very gently, but be sure it is completely mixed.
   
10. Butter and dust a 10 inch (25cm) cake tin with flour.
11. Pour in the mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F (180C).
12. When the cake is cold, dust with icing sugar and if you like decorate with fresh raspberries.

Crostini di fegatini (Chicken liver crostini)

These recipes are compliments of Costanza Belloni-Filippe of Villa Il Paradisino, Florence, Italy

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients for 6 servings

300gm (.75lbs) chicken/duck or rabbit livers

2 big red onions

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp capers in vinegar

2 cloves garlic

2 anchovy fillets

3 sage leaves

2 bay leaves

1/3 cup Marsala wine or cognac

500gm (1 lb) of country bread (cut about 1 cm 1/2 inch thick)

salt

Clean and cut the onion into rings. Clean, wash and chop the livers. In a sauce pan saute the livers and the onions with the olive oil, the bay leaves and the sage, until they are very brown. They need to start sticking (about 15 minutes). Add the garlic and the wine and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring continuously; they should cook without adding wate4r so reduce the heat if they dry out too much.

Remove from the heat and put the livers into an electric mixer, together with capers, anchovies, and chop until very fine. At the end, if you like more liquid add 2 tbsp more of olive oil, or a little bit of marsala, or a tbsp of milted butter in a little bit of water.

Slice the bread and spread some of the mixture on each slice.

Torta salata ai porri (leeks savoury flan)

These recipes are compliments of Costanza Belloni-Filippe of Villa Il Paradisino, Florence, Italy

Preparation time : 1hr

Dough
½ cup flour
¼ cup water
2 tbsp oil.
Salt
Ingredients
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 leeks
50 ml milk
1 egg
¼ cup parmesan
1 cup stracchino cheese like cream cheese
4 oz of emmental or mozzarella cheese
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper

The filling
Finely chop the leeks into rings and fry gently in olive oil, add salt, pepper and grated nutmeg and then cover the pan and cook till soft, adding little by little milk and then water. (about 45 minutes)

In the mean time make the dough

On the table put the flour and pour in the middle oil, water, and salt and work with your hands to form a ball. Set aside in the fridge to cool.

When the leeks are ready, leave to cool and then add ½ of the parmesan and 1 egg.

Then divide the dough in two parts and roll out very thin almost transparent on of the circles of dough. Put into a buttered flan pan. Pour in the leeks mixture, then the cheeses in pieces and sprinkle on top with parmesan.

Cover the top with the other half of the dough rolled very thin. Make sure there are some holes and sprinkle with olive oil on the top.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 centigrade (375F).