Brie Toasts with Chardonnay-Soaked Golden Raisins

This is quite possibly the most decadent, amazing appetizer I've every made and if I could afford the calories I'd eat it every day.  For.  Ev.  Er.   

It's crunchy and sweet and savory and creamy and delicious.  

This came from cheese aficionado, Laura Werlin's book, Cheese Essentials which, if you love cheese like I do, absolutely needs to be in your cookbook library.  It is the bible for all things fromage!

When we went to the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen a few years ago, her grilled cheese and wine pairing seminar was at the top of my wish list.  Like a lot of my other wishes (to look like Gisele, to love my workouts, and to have amazingly sharp wit) it didn't come to fruition.   But everywhere we went that weekend, that was the ONE seminar those lucky enough to attend said was the hands-down best.

After making this I can see why she got all that love.

If you're like me and hate Chardonnay or like my husband and hate raisins, it won't matter here.  Once you combine those two with sugar and vanilla and let them bathe together for 24 hours you won't be able to resist.  

Did I mention how much I loved this?  

Here's the recipe:

Brie Toasts with Chardonnay-Soaked Golden Raisins

Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup Chardonnay (preferably aged in oak....which is the majority of domestic Chards)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 vanilla bean, split in half vertically

1 cup golden raisins

12 ounces Fromager d'Affinois cheese sliced into 24 pieces (or use any double-creme brie, which is what I used)

24 slices baguette cut 1/4 inch thick

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

In a medium-size saucepan, combine the water, wine, and sugar.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean into the liquid and add the remaining bean.  Add the raisins.  Let steep uncovered for at least 1 hour at room temperature.  Refrigerate overnight.

Drain the raisins, reserving the liquid.  Discard the vanilla bean.  Put the liquid back in the saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce to about 1/3 cup, or until the syrup turns a deep golden color, 10 to 15 minutes.  Watch carefully so the syrup doesn't burn.  If it starts to foam, remove from heat immediately.  The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools and have a texture similar to light maple syrup.  Cool completely. 

Preheat the oven to 400 deg.   (I set mine to broil and set the top rack to the lower third of the oven and broiled.  If you do this, DON'T LEAVE them unattended.  Watch very closely.)

Brush butter onto both sides of the bread slices.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool completely.

To assemble:  Put a slice of cheese on each toast.  Sprinkle with a few raisins and drizzle syrup over the top.

If you have any raisins and syrup left over, combine them and refrigerate in an airtight container.  They will keep for 2 weeks.

Caramelized Bacon

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday.  Ours was filled with family, great food and some seriously beautiful weather.  So nice, in fact, that we ate Thanksgiving day dinner outside in the pool house.  Fabulous!  

The 'rents arrived on Tuesday afternoon from Florida so we could have dinner at my dad's favorite Birmingham restaurant, Hot and Hot Fish Club.  His favorite thing is to sit at the chef's counter and watch the genius happen!  

So in order to not go into a food coma then entire week, we opted for only appetizers on Wednesday.  OK, they weren't exactly light appetizers......bacon was involved.  Oh boy was bacon involved.

Not only bacon, but brown sugar and pecans and maple syrup and a little cayenne pepper.  These are pure strips of heaven.  They're crispy, salty, and sweet with just a touch of heat at the end.  These definitely deserve a spot on the hors d'oeuvre table at your holiday party.  Make sure to not under bake them.  They need to be nice and crispy.

Here's the recipe:

Caramelized Bacon

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

Ingredients:
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup chopped or whole pecans
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 pound thick-sliced applewood-smoked bacon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleaning) and place a wire baking rack on top.

Combine the brown sugar and pecans in a food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground.  Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and pulse to combine.  Add the maple syrup and pulse again to moisten the crumbs.

Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise and line up the pieces on the baking rack without touching  With a small spoon, evenly spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is very browned but not burnt.  If it's underbaked, the bacon won't crisp as it cools.  While it hot, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool.  Serve at room temperature.

Warm Black Bean Dip

The NFL kicks off tonight.  While college football will always be my favorite, football is football and I have to admit that I may enjoy a Fall Sunday afternoon just as much as a Fall Saturday afternoon.  Tonight's season opener just happens to feature my (former) favorite Cowboys vs. my (forever) least favorite Giants.  (The latter just might be in direct correlation to the former since they're bitter rivals.)  And I say "former" because I rescinded my fandom early last season after Tony "Oh No" Romo did this against the Jets.   Plus the last time we saw him play the Giants, he was primarily face down in the dirt getting sacked a career-high SIX TIMES!  

The good news is that I've been awake for no apparent reason since 1:00am this morning which means I'll most likely be passed out on the couch by about 6:30 tonight and won't have to witness another beatdown.   But if you're planning on watching and need a something delicious to munch on, I suggest you try out this Black Bean Dip.

I found the recipe over at One Perfect Bite and tested it out to see if it was gameday worthy a few weeks ago.  It is.  I'll warn you, however, it's a tad spicy, which is never a problem around here but if you like things a little on the milder side, forgo a little of the chipotles or the additional adobo.  I served this with tortilla chips, but next time I think I'll use the large Frito's because they're sturdier than the tortilla chips.  But you use whatever floats your boat!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + more for baking dish 

2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into medium dice 

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use 

1 large yellow onion, finely diced 

3 large cloves garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon chili powder 

2 (15.5-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained well 

2 canned chipotles in adobo, minced (about 1 tablespoon), plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from can 

1 to 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 

1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (if frozen, thaw first) 

1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated sharp cheddar cheese 

1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) grated Monterey Jack cheese 

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Freshly ground black pepper 

Tortilla chips for serving 

 Directions: 

1) Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 1-1/2 qt. baking dish with oil and line a baking sheet with foil. Set the tomatoes in a colander over the sink and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. 

2) Heat oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, sprinkle with reserved 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add half of black beans, chipotles and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Cook until liquid reduces by about half, 2 to 3 minutes. 

3) Transfer bean mixture to a food processor, add vinegar (I used only 1 tablespoon), and process until smooth. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a large bowl. Add rest of beans, tomatoes, corn, half of each of cheeses, and 1/2 cup of cilantro. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

4) Transfer to baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch drips) until cheese melts and browns around edges, about 15 minutes (longer if refrigerated). Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve with warm tortilla chips for dipping. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

And if I wake up tomorrow morning and find out Romo blew another one, I'll just put this little video on repeat and remember I still have my Buckeyes!  

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 4.....Nuts (Two Ways!)

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Today's offering is a twofer!!  (If I was on top of things I would have posted this on Tuesday.  Get it?  Twofer Tuesday?  Never mind.)  I love putting nuts out for guests to crunch on during cocktails while I'm putting the finishing touches on dinner.  Or if I'm having a larger party, I'll make a few different types and sit them around the house or right beside the bartender.  Everyone loves nuts.  Well not my friend, Jenny, or my niece, Charlotte, or....ok, maybe everyone doesn't love nuts....but they should.  Especially these Chipotle and Rosemary nuts.  They're a great combination of slightly sweet and a hint spicy.  And then there's the earthy rosemary.  Really yummy.  

Curried Nuts

While the first recipe required a little more effort, these curried nuts are easy-peasy and equally delicious.  Hubs is not a big fan of curry and even he thought these were pretty good.  I used a madras curry powder, but if you have your own favorite mixture, use that instead.

Both of these mixtures are flexible, so use whatever type of nuts you like best.  Hubs would be happy if I just used cashews in both of them, but he needs to expand his horizons occasionally!

These would also be great scooped into a pretty cellophane bag with a festive ribbon and given as part of your Christmas cookie platter or even as a fabulous hostess gift!

Here's the recipes:

Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Nuts

Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
Vegetable oil
3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 ounces)
2 cups whole walnut halves (7 ounces)
2 cups whole pecan halves (7 ounces)
1/2 cup whole almonds (3 ounces)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons ground chipotle powder
4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil. Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan. Toss to coat the nuts evenly. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.

Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary.

Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Curried Nuts

from the book, Finger Foods

Ingredients
4 cups mixed nuts
1 egg white
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300 deg. F.  Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.

Whisk the egg white until frothy in a large bowl.  Add in the nuts, curry powder, cumin and salt.  Toss together and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, then allow to cool.  (I tasted mine when they were still warm from the oven and found they needed a little more salt.  Use your own taste buds!)

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 2.....Baked Pizza Dip

I found this Pizza Dip in my mom's recipe file that I forced her to hand over to me this summer!  After I made it the first time, I knew it had huge potential....it just needed to be updated a tad.  She did have to come clean and admit that she had pilfered the recipe from a former tennis acquaintance that now lives in Texas. Since mom couldn't remember her name, I can only surmise that she must have regularly lost to said tennis acquaintance??  Just sayin.

Fortunately, even though I inherited my mother's hatred of losing, I also inherited her ability to spot a good thing when I see one!   This recipe is a total winner.   And it truly is pizza disguised as a dip.  It's cheesy, creamy and just a hint spicy.  The first time I made it I served it with fresh bread slices, but like pizza, it's best with a crispy crust!  So, the next time I toasted my own crostini and while they were still hot from the oven, I rubbed them with fresh garlic.  Perfect.

Here's the recipe:

Baked Pizza Dip

(from my mother's obviously superior tennis friend from Texas!)

Ingredients:
1 8oz pkg. of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 log or tube of pepperoni, chopped (I tried this with slices of pepperoni and it makes it too hard to "dip" so I tried chopping up one of those tubes of pepperoni and it works much better.  Just make sure you remove the paper wrapping!!)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I prefer Rao's Arrabbiata Sauce)
Fresh Mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese and sour cream.  Add oregano, basil, pepper flakes and garlic powder and blend.  Spread mixture in the bottom of pie plate.  Top mixture with marinara.  Top with chopped pepperoni and chopped scallions.  Cover with slices of fresh mozzarella.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until mixture starts to bubble around the edges.  I like to finish mine under the broiler to brown the cheese.  Serve with garlic crostini.

Cocktail Party Week.....Day 1....Crostini 6 Ways

It's that time of year.  Party time.  There are the office parties, neighborhood parties, your kid's playgroup parties, tennis parties, the dreaded impromptu-drop-in-visitors-that-turn-into-a-party party, etc., etc.  So everyday this week, I'm going to give you my favorite, most delicious go-to party dishes.  

I'm going to start with crostini because the possibilities are endless, they're filling and are a consistent crowd pleaser.  And even better, most of the time you've got all the ingredients already on hand.

Refried Beans and Pepper Jack Cheese

Mix canned refried beans with canned chopped green chili's.  Spread on crostini and top with shredded pepper jack cheese.  Pop under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and browned and top with chopped fresh cilantro.

BBQ Chicken and Pickle Relish

Shred rotisserie chicken and toss with your favorite BBQ sauce.  Heat and then spread on crostini and top with pickle relish.  I prefer sweet relish but hubs likes dill relish.  Whatever floats your boat!

Mascarpone Cheese with Chopped Grapes and Bacon

Spread mascarpone cheese on top of crostini and top with chopped grapes and and bacon.  (This is one of my favorites....the salty bacon is fabulous with the sweet grapes)

Tuna with Wasabi Mayonnaise

Finely chop sashimi-grade tuna and marinate in toasted sesame oil.  Mix wasabi paste with mayonnaise to suite your taste.  Spread wasabi mayo onto crostini and top with chopped tuna.  (I kept looking at this after I  made it and knew it needed a finishing touch but damn if I wasn't brain dead.  As I started to type this I thought that toasted sesame seeds would be perfect here.  Duh!)

Chopped Grapes and Prosciutto

Sprinkle chopped grapes on top of crostini and wrap with a slice of prosciutto.  (Does it get any easier than that?)

Smoked Salmon with Dill Cream Cheese

Combine chopped fresh dill with softened cream cheese.  Spread onto crostini and top with a slice of smoked salmon.  (I usually garnish these with a sprig of fresh dill but this time I was an idiot and forgot to save any.  Typical!)

So there you have it.   I got these ideas from the Food Network website and there are tons more where these came from.  I like to make my own crostini because it's simple and much cheaper.  Slice a baguette loaf in slightly diagonal slices.  Brush on a thin layer of olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop them under the broiler until toasted.  That being said, most grocery stores now sell pre-made toasts in their bakery department.

Up tomorrow:  Baked Pizza Dip

Pumpkin, Cheddar and Sage Biscuits

It's going to be a beautiful weekend here.  Temperatures are supposed to dip down into the high 60's during the day and 40's overnight for the next few days....before heading back up into the 80's next week.  So we actually get a peak into Fall.

What says autumn better than pumpkin and sage?  I ran across this little gem of a recipe in a new (or new to me anyway) magazine, Alabama.  Really reached deep into the creative juices for that title, eh?  While I'm not sure Alabama needs yet another magazine devoted to itself, this one isn't bad.  I mean I did get a new recipe, right?

These are flaky and moist and even with strong flavors like pumpkin and sage, they're still subtle.

I made mini-biscuits so I could serve them as an appetizer, but they would also be perfect full sized served as a side to some squash soup or just about anything, for that matter!  Plus, minus the baking time, these come together in about 15 minutes.

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin, Cheddar and Sage Biscuits

Alabama Magazine, Sept/Oct 2011

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup smoked aged cheddar (I don't like smoked cheese so I used aged white cheddar)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 deg. F.  Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks.  Stir in cheddar and pumpkin.  Mixture will look very dry at first; stir until it comes together.  Knead dough 2-3 times on a lightly floured surface; roll out to 1 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut dough with a 2-inch circle cutter and place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Someone else is a little excited about the cooler temperatures!  He can finally control the neighborhood from the front yard.

Baked Camembert with Walnut Crumble and Ginger Marmalade

Who doesn't love a gooey, oozing baked brie.....especially encased in a buttery puff pastry?  OK, I'm sure there's someone out there that doesn't, but they're not members of my family of frankly, friends of mine!  In fact, when I serve baked brie to my crew, all of those lessons in boxing out during my high school basketball days come in damn handy.  You've got to throw some serious elbows to get my father out of the way so you're able to get remotely close to getting your fair share!

So imagine my shock when I read this recipe in Melissa Clark's fabulous book "In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite."  Oh and if you don't read her column, "A Good Appetite" in the New York Times, you're really missing out.  She has such a wonderful, engaging way of turning a simple recipe into a great story.....and a simple story into a great recipe!  Anyhoo....in this recipe, she writes that during a party at her home, she happened to overhear a few snarky comments regarding her perceived lack of sophistication at serving baked brie.  She also observed those same people gobbling it up.

Because she wasn't willing to forego a guilty pleasure, she decided she needed to maybe kick it up a notch, so to speak, so she went with the slightly more pungent Camembert.  She also added the ginger marmalade for some subtle sweetness and warm spice and the toasted walnuts for texture.  It totally works.  One of the other advantages of using camembert is that it comes in those handy 4" rounds so it's easy to wrap in the pastry.  Unless you're serving a big crowd (or my dad) and can use a whole large round of brie, the wedges tend to ooze a little too much and aren't quite as pretty once wrapped in the pastry.

That being said, I think the next time I'll try this with good ole trailer park brie!  I really prefer the more mild flavor and besides my friends and family aren't all that sophisticated anyway!  But if you need to impress at your next cocktail party serve this......but make sure you mention that it's Camembert.  I guess.

Here's the recipe:

Baked Camembert with Walnut Crumble and Ginger Marmalade

Adapted from In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 square of puff pastry, rolled out big enough to wrap around cheese
1 Camembert cheese wheel
1/8 cup ginger or bitter orange marmalade
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F and line a baking sheet with foil.  In a medium bowl, using your fingers to combine the walnuts, flour, butter, brown sugar, and salt.  Gently rub the mixture together until it forms large crumbs.

On a floured surface, roll out into a round about 1/4 inch thick.  Place the cheese in the center of the dough round.  Spread the top with the marmalade, then cover with the walnut streusel.  Fold the dough over the cheese.  Brush with the egg.

Set the packet into a gratin dish and place on the prepared sheet pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. (Some of the cheese may bubble out.)  Serve warm with slices of baguette or crackers.