Molton Chocolate Baby Cakes

I really cannot bake and therefore don't make a lot of desserts beyond ice cream and berries with angle food cake. However, I wanted to make something special for Joey and Danny Boome charmed me into it. If you have not seen his show, Rescue Chef, on the Food Network, you really should check it out. Besides his infectious charm, Danny actually has some really great recipes and this is one of them. I followed this almost exactly and they turned out perfectly. I was very impressed with my efforts on this particular recipe and even more so with Danny's recipe itself.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup brandy or cognac
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup (1 stick plus 1/2 stick) butter, plus some for buttering the baking cups
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons flour
• 6 teaspoons cocoa powder, for coating the baking cups

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the brandy and orange juice to a simmer. Add the cherries, simmer 1 minute and turn off the heat. Soak the cherries in the warm mixture until they plump up, about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Set a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Place the chocolate and the butter into the bowl and let it sit over the heat until the chocolate begins to melt. Stir to combine and continue to heat until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the heat.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the whole eggs, yolks and sugar until the mixture turns light and thick.
5. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Beat in the flour until just combined. Do not over-mix the batter.
6. Butter 6 (4-ounce) ramekins. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Divide the batter among the ramekins.
7. Drain the cherries andput a few cherries into the center of each ramekin. Use a spoon to push the batter over the cherries to cover them.
8. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes. The outside of the desserts will be set, but the centers will be soft.
9. To serve, invert each mold on a plate and let sit for 10 seconds. Slowly lift one side of the mold and the cake will fall out. (If the cakes won't easily come out, just servethem right in the cups.)

Notes

These little desserts are easy to make ahead. Refrigerate them in the baking cups and when you're ready to bake, bring them up to room temperature and bake as above. I tried this and it worked like a charm. What a time saver!

Dealing With Leftovers

One of the most challenging things of cooking for two is how to deal with the leftovers. I imagine it's a challenge for almost any sized family, but for us there are always plenty of leftovers. In the past I would either just put them in a large container or cover the dish with foil and into the fridge they would go. Of course I never ever wanted to dig them out to make a leftover meal so they usually sat there lonely never to be eaten. I always meant to, but I was just too lazy. Honestly, it is a hassle to pull out all those container and dishes, unwrap them and put them back. Okay, now that I said that it's not really that much of a hassle. Let's go back to lazy.

Needless to say a lot of good food went to waste. That's really a shame since so much work and love went into making them in the first place. When I met Joey all that changed. My little Teddy is very frugal on the food front. Not that we skimp or go without, we just do not waste anything! One of the first things he taught me was to package up my leftovers during after dinner clean up in individual serving sizes using that ever practical GladWare. These not only make things more practical for reheating but they stack much more nicely in the refrigerator. After each meal I neatly pack them up and every morning take one to work. So easy, so convenient and so yummy! Not to mention we are really saving a ton of money by eating our own food and not going out. It's also much more healthy for us.

I have never been one to pack up a lunch in the morning, but having these pre-made lunches really makes it a cinch. Whether it's a fancy meal or just tuna casserole I always know Joey and I have our lunches for the week. Oh, and it's also great for soups! Just pop them in the freezer for easy travel.

Katana-Ya San Francisco

About once a month Joey and I have what we call, "Movie Day." We see three or four movies (sometimes five) and then go out to dinner. In the past we really never knew where we would go and would end up someplace close to our house until we discovered Katana-Ya. This little gem of a restaurant is right near the movie complex and serves the best ramen I have had outside of Japan.

Now ramen holds a very special place for me in my Japanese experience. The first Japanese movie I ever saw was Tampopo, the first "noodle western" which was all about ramen. The first Japanese meal I had outside of sushi was ramen with Daisuke in Japan Town.

When I first moved to Japan I was certain my two semesters of Japanese would be enough to get me by. However, while I could easily say, "Makudonorudo wa doko desu ka? (Where is McDonald's?)" The only response I ever heard was, "Taka taka taka taka." No matter what the question, the response was, "Taka taka taka taka." To give credit to the Japanese, not once did I hear an annoyed, "Taka taka taka taka" a slow, "Ta ka ta ka ta ka ta ka" or a loud, "TAKA TAKA TAKA TAKA." Just always, "Taka taka taka taka."

I got my first job in a building with a food court in the basement. Naturally, I had a lunch break and the first time I went down there I had no idea what I was going to eat. Every restaurant had plastic food neatly displayed in their windows, but nothing looked familiar. The I saw it - RAMEN! Oh, I was an expert at ramen! I saw Tampopo, right? What was even better is that they had English on the food and I quickly found, "Ramen Set" which consisted of ramen, fried rice and fried chicken. I knew all I needed to do is add an "o" to set and say "kudasai (please)" and I would be on my way to a happy meal. I bravely went into the ramen shop and said, "Ramen setto kudasai." The waitress said, "Taka taka taka taka?" Oh dear, this is a question. So I said it with an annoyed tone, "Ramen setto kudasai." She said, "Taka taka taka taka?" I tried saying it slowly, "Ra men set to ku da sai." She replied, "Taka taka taka taka?" What was I doing wrong? So I then said loudly, "RAMEN SETTO KUDASAI." Guess what? She politely asked, "Taka taka taka taka?" This happened every time I ordered ramen until I finally made Daisuke go with me and asked him what she was saying. OH! "Do you want miso or shoyuu broth?" All I had to say was, "Miso kudasai." YAY! Success! For the next six months, ramen was the only thing I ate.

Now one would think I would be sick of ramen, but honestly no. During my entire stay in Japan ramen was one thing I could count on. When it was freezing cold in winter I could stop by the ramen shop and warm up. When it was hot I could order reimen (cold raman) and feel refreshed. Ramen was part of my life and I really thought I would have to give it up and then I found Katana-Ya.

Katana-Ya is a small little place downtown. It can't sit no more than 30 people and there is always a wait. A wait that is well worth it. Joey and I always start with a bit of non-filtered sake. It's rather sweet and refreshing and gives us a feeling only sake gives. They have many types of ramen, but my favorite is the Butter Corn Ramen. Honestly it is simply delicious. Of course I always get miso broth. For sides we get karage (fried chicken) and fried rice. Both are out of this world. Finally, I can get my Ramen Setto right here in San Francisco!!!

Katana-Ya really is as close as I can get to Osaka. The food is fantastic and while not a place to bring a date or for a special occasion, it's an amazing destination for the best ramen you will find in San Francisco. It certainly is our destination after Movie Day. I guess ramen is still playing a big part of my life.

Creamy Broccoli Slaw

I have a new Food Network crush and it's on Ellie Krieger. Joey and I had watched her before, but rediscovered her while we were on our cleanse and were torturing ourselves by watching Food Network. We actually wanted to find some healthier ways of eating and her show seemed to fit the bill. Her show, Healthy Appetite, has become one of our favorites. Ellie not only gives you recipes that are easy and very tasty, but explains to you why they are healthy. This slaw was one of the first things we saw and we have been wanting to try it for several weeks. What I love about this is that it uses the broccoli stalks that one would usually throw away. Since it uses yogurt and very little mayonnaise it's very figure friendly. Combine that with the delicious crunch of sunflower seads and you have a hit! I followed the recipe fairly closely, but I couldn't find Greek yogurt so I strained mine. Please check the notes below if you have the same problem.

By the way, isn't Ellie just the cutest thing ever?! Just wait until you watch her show.

Ingredients

• 1 cup lowfat Greek yogurt, or strained yogurt
• 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds broccoli stalks (from about 2 1/2 pounds broccoli bunches)
• 1 large or 2 medium carrots

Instructions

1. If using regular yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with paper towel or coffee filter and set the strainer over a bowl. Let the yogurt drain and thicken for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place sunflower seeds and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a rimmed baking sheet and shake to combine. Toast seeds until aromatic, about 10 minutes. Cool and reserve.
3. Combine yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Whisk to incorporate and reserve.
4. Peel tough outer layer of broccoli stalks and trim off 1/4 inch from bottoms of stalks (should be about 3/4 of a pound tender broccoli stalks remaining).
5. Shred stalks in food processor, then shred carrots. Combine shredded broccoli and carrots with dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

Notes

I didn't have cheese cloth to strain the yogurt so I used a coffee filter. It worked quite well. I honestly cannot find plain Greek yogurt near me, so this is the best method. I would give it more than 20 minutes, though.

When I first mixed the wet ingredients I thought, "Wow, that is too much" and quickly grated more carrots. I really didn't need to.

The sunflower seeds really add a nice, tasty crunch. Try to get unsalted and roast them. If you can't then don't roast them.

Seafood Doria

There are so many things I miss about Japan, but one of the biggest is the food. Not the usual Japanese food that most people think about like sushi and tempura. Honestly, I don't even think I had that very often in Japan and besides I can get that here in San Francisco. No, the things I miss are everyday foods that are hard to find here: okonomiyaki, takoyaki, tonkatsu, and doria. Now the first three things I have managed to figure out to make myself, but I could never find a doria recipe. What is Doria, you may ask? Well, it's a yummy rice dish with béchamel sauce, cheese, shrimp, scallops, and mushrooms. Okay, how yummy does that sound?!!!

So, I have been obsessing about Doria for awhile now, but could never find a recipe. I honestly searched and searched and searched. I finally found one on Google Books so I had to buy the cookbook, Let's Cook Japanese Food! by Amy Kaneko. This is a great cookbook for those of you that have lived in Japan and miss those every day foods we just can't get where we are now.

I have modified the recipe a bit, but not much. Below are my instructions. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Béchamel (White) Sauce

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
• A pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of white pepper to taste

Body

• 1/2 pound shrimp - peeled, devained and cut in bit-size pieces
• 1/4 pound scallops - cut in bite-size pieces
• 1/2 - 2/3 cups white wine
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped white mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 or 2 small cloves)
• Pinch of white pepper
• 2 cups cooked white rice at room temperature (leftover rice is fine and dandy)

Topping

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (or other mild white cheese)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish
3. Combine cut shrimp and scallops with white wine and let stand at room temperature for at least ten minutes
4. Make béchamel Sauce ....
5. Melt 4 Tablespoons butter over meduim heat in a medium saucepan.
6. When butter is foaming, add the flour in small increments and stir constantly to create a smooth paste - about 3 minutes. (Add flour slowly and do not allow it to color)
7. Slowly add the milkd to the flour mixture, stirring constantly. (We don't want lumps!)
8. Cook sauce, stirring constantly until it thinkly coats the back of a spoon - about 5 - 7 minutes.
9. Stir in salt and 1/4 cup cheese
10. Add nutmeg
11. Remove from heat and keep warm
12. In large skillet melt 1 Tablespoon butter over medium heat
13. Add onion and cook until translucent - 4 - 5 minutes
14. Add mushrooms and cook until soft
15. Add the shrimp, scallop and wine to the onions and mushrooms
16. Add garlic, salt, white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until shrimp and scallops are cooked through - about 5 minutes
17. Remove from heat and drain liquid from the pan into a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
18. Add rice to shrimp mixture and combine
19. Add enough of the white sauce to the measuring cup to measure about 2 cups total (a bit more won't hurt
20. Place rice and shrimp-scallop mixture into prepared baking dish
21. Pour sauce evenly of the rice and shrimp-scallop mixture
22. Sprinkle evenly with 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese
23. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown - about 10 - 12 minutes
24. Sprinkle parsley on top of dish and serve hot.

Happy Easter!

Tzatziki

Joey likes to snack during the day, but finding something healthy had been a bit of a challenge, until we got our Weight Watchers TAKEOUT-TONIGHT! cookbook. Of the many recipes I have made from this book the Tzatziki is one of our all-time favorites. This is super low fat (2 points) and is fantastic with pita bread, carrots or other vegetables.

One thing about tzatziki, it gets more flavorful over time. For those are you that are garlic lovers, DO NOT over do it. I learned this from experience. The garlic really gets stronger over time. This dish is really best made a couple of days before. Given that and the fact that you need to strain the yogurt overnight, make sure you make this in advance. I promise it's worth it.

Ingredients

• 1 (32-ounce) container plain non-fat yogurt strained overnight (see notes)
• 1 English cucumber, grated and squeezed dry (or two medium regular - seeded, peeled and squeezed dry)
• 2 cloves garlic minced (no more than 3 - TRUST ME)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped dill
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about one small lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Strain the yogurt overnight in the refrigerator (see notes)
2. Grate cucumber
3. Mince garlic
4. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
5. Refrigerate overnight

Notes

To strain the yogurt place a cheese cloth in a strainer and place the strainer in a bowl. Pour in the yogurt and cover with the cheese cloth. Refrigerate overnight. The next day the yogurt will have a consitancy of cream cheese. Speaking of, this is an excellent and healthy alternative to cream cheese!





English cucumbers can be found in the produce department and are wrapped in plastic (see photo). These cucumbers have a very thin skin and do not require peeling at all. They also don't have many seeds so you get a lot of cucumber meat. I like using them for this recipe not only for the flavor but for the beautiful color they add to the dish.





I am strangely frugal about cheesecloth. I have no idea why. So, what I do is use the same cheesecloth I used for the yogurt to squeeze the cucumbers try. Why not use it for all it's worth?