Flourless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/753

Ingredients

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.

Place two-thirds (8 ounces) of the chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate, if desired). Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 ounces chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice): 440 calories (300 from fat), 34g total fat, 19g saturated fat, 155mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 40g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 32g sugar), 7g protein

Thinking about escargot

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/easy-garlic-escargots/detail.aspx

eliminates need for special dish by incorporating mushrooms!

Pretzel Jello "Salad"

2 C crushed pretzels
3/4 C butter, melted
3 T sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 C sugar
8 oz thawed cool-whip
1 pkg strawberry Jell-o (6 oz)
2 C boiling water
2 pkg (10 oz) strawberries

Mix crushed pretzels, butter and 3 T sugar together and press into 9 x 13 pan - bake at 400 for 8 minutes, cool.

Mix softened cream cheese and 1 C sugar, fold in cool whip, then spread over pretzel layer.

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, add frozen strawberries, chill until syrupy then pour over cream cheese layer and refrigerate.

Cut into squares and then serve.

Rice Cooker

Long Grain - 1 C rice; 1.5 C water

Ina Garten's Shortbread Cookies

The Barefoot Contessa's Shortbread Cookies

• 3/4 lb unsalted butter at room temperature


• 1 C sugar, plus extra for sprinkling


• 1 t pure vanilla extract


• 3.5 C AP Flour


• 1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350

Fit electric mixer with paddle - mix butter and 1 C sugar until just combined, add vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto flour dusted surface and shape into a flat disk - wrap in plastice and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2" thick and cut into 3" x 1" shapes, place cookies on ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until edges begin to brown - allow to cool to room temperature.

Japanese Cooking Terms & Techniques

My notes from Harumi Kurihara's cookbook, Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking.

mijingiri - finely minced into tiny cube shapes
sengiri - julienned, or into strips
hangetsugiri - cut into half moons
koguchigiri - cut into fine slices - for round ingredients like spring onions
nanamegiri - cut on the diagonal
Ichogiri - round pieces cut into quarters
Usugiri - finely sliced

Drop lid - Traditionally made out of wood, they are placed in a pan, directly on top of food as it cooks. It is a technique frequently used in Japanese cooking to ensure the even distribution of flavor. You can make one from amuminum foil or greaseproof paper with a hole in the middle - make a disk slightly smaller than the inside of the pan.

Onion Confit

Shamelessly stolen from Tom Colicchio with slight adjustments to volume

4 large Vidalia onions, sliced thin (Tom says to use Vidalia, I respectfully disagree - Vidalia really aren't designed to be cooked. I use ye olde 3lb bag of yellow onions and they come out sweet as candy and, IMO, far tastier than the time I actually used the Vidalia.)
2 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium, then add onions and reduce heat to medium low. Stir frequently and add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook until onions are soft, but not carmelized - about 30 minutes. Then add:

1 C chicken stock
2 T white wine vinegar

Continue stirring frequently until pan is mostly dry - about 30 minutes. If using dried herbs, add them during this last half hour, add fresh herbs after you are done cooking and toss to combine.

Can be refrigerated for 1 week.