Unusual 2 Tasty

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Spiced Chocolate Macaroons

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Spiced Chocolate Macaroons: From Denny: Do you like spice cookies but crave the addition of chocolate? This cinnamon and chocolate pairing also happens to improve as the cookie ages. What could be better than that? A stale cookie that tastes great! :)

The cookie also contains the background dark note from a hint of cloves like I like to use in my morning stovetop cooked oatmeal. There is nothing like the pairing of cinnamon and cloves to add richness to a dish whether sweet or savory.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Chef Recipe: Chocolate Tart with Caramel and Cream

Romancing The Chocolate: Chef Recipe: Chocolate Tart with Caramel and Cream: From Denny: Everyone who enjoys a chocolate tart every time they can, raise their hands. Yeah, I thought so - sisters of the soul. I sure order it from the La Madeleine restaurant or other local bakery whenever it shows up in the display case. It's like a little piece of heaven in one tiny spot - a rich little chocolate pudding, a dollop of cream and some pie crust, simply divine.

This is a New York chef recipe from the famous restaurant Aureole. Chef Christopher Lee uses Sicilian sea salt to enhance the sweet creamy richness of the indulgent chocolate dessert.

He also includes the unlikely addition of the chocolate malt Ovaltine to the bittersweet baking chocolate.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Valentines Day: Warm Upside-Down Pear Cake With Tangerine Custard Sauce

From Denny: For pear lovers - and lovers - this is an outstanding dessert good enough for any holiday!

Like any upside down cake this one is practically beginner cook and foolproof. The custard requires a more experienced cook and a little time but is well worth the effort.

The cake is a simple one using all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, tangerine zest, a few tablespoons of milk and heavy cream, a couple of eggs, cognac and pecans. Cream, cognac and pecans (all fav ingredients of mine) all play off each other for a wonderful flavor combination.

This tangy tangerine sauce is an unusual and clever pairing with the pears and hearty cake. The sauce combines half and half cream, tangerine juice, tangerine zest, vanilla extract and sugar along with the egg yolks to make it rich and memorable.

Sold? Yeah, me too! If you can't find tangerines, try substituting oranges.

Tip: In fact, every time I enjoy a fresh orange I go ahead and take the time to zest it, placing the zest in the freezer like a treasure mounting up over time. Then, when I need some orange zest for any recipe I'm ready to go.

Our most popular cake. Of course anything choc...

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Romancing The Chocolate: National Chocolate Cake Day Today! 2 Recipes: From Denny: Like anyone had to inform the chocolate hounds that today is a special day. We all know we sure don't pay much attention to any other holiday - excepting Valentine's Day - 'cause only chocolate holidays rule. :)

What are the goals of National Chocolate Cake Day? The Obvious: bake and decorate a wonderful chocolate cake and then enjoy it with a few friends! Now that's what I call a plum assignment.

First off, everyone should have at least one basic good Simple Chocolate Sheet Cake in their bag of magic baking tricks. This will make you a big hit at family or sports gatherings - read that at tailgating too.

People can cut the small or large size they desire. Of course, the cake can end up looking like a bit of a messy disaster that way so usually most cooks choose to pre-cut the pieces. I usually cut mine into long fingers like 1-inch x 3-inches. The dieters (and the diabetics who are supposed to behave but can't) can slice that in half - and the Hungry Jacks can take two. Everyone is happy!

Then try the Mexican Chocolate Fudge Pecan Cake where cinnamon is added to a basic chocolate and buttermilk cake. Chocolate and cinnamon are natural pairings and the result is wonderful.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: New Orleans Zulu King Cake

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: New Orleans Zulu King Cake: From Denny: When you experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans one of the first things you want to enjoy again is the famous King Cake.

Here in Baton Rouge our grocery stores and local bakeries offer literally dozens of varieties from chocolate eclair to cream cheese and blueberry. Those are two of my favorites. :)

The Zulu King Cake has coconut and chocolate chips. Cinnamon, sugar and cream cheese is another popular version.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled

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Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled: From Denny: These chocolate chunk cookies are delightfully decadent as they also include ancho chile pepper that provides some smokey heat. Cinnamon and extra vanilla extract balance the chile heat and intense semi-sweet chocolate.
A variation of this cookie is provided that enjoys using roasted ginger spice in place of the cinnamon.

Check out the interesting variations of your favorite chocolate chunk cookie!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint

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Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint: From Denny: These rich cookies are perfect for the holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas to Valentine's Day to Mardi Gras. Any celebration will do when it comes to chocolate!

Chocolate and peppermint are a great pairing, each complementing the other. What I like about this chocolate recipe is it uses bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate too. The contrast of the very dark and the light white is awesome, balanced by the roasted pistachio nuts. Can it get any better?

Friday, January 27, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Double Chocolate Chunk Mint

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Double Chocolate Chunk Mint: From Denny: Looking for a chocolate cookie with a deep, rich flavor? This recipe combines cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate.

Chunks of tasty walnuts are perfect with intense chocolate. And remember that peppermint extract you bought for the Christmas holidays and haven't managed to use up yet? This is a winner of a recipe to make good use of it. Yeah, had some peppermint extract languishing in the back of my pantry too. I'm just saying... :)

This recipe reminded me of those delicious Hershey's mint miniatures that are almost completely disappeared from the holiday season. And I was craving a chocolate-mint combination and then I happened upon this little gem of a recipe. Enjoy!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip: From Denny: This is basically your standard chocolate chip recipe but with the difference of lots of extra vanilla extract to punch up the intensity. They should probably rename these cookies to Intense Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This recipe is from McCormick, the company we usually think of for spices. Turns out they have quite an extensive recipe collection!

These cookies use light brown sugar along with white sugar. We like dark brown sugar at our house and reduce the white sugar by half. But hey, we are living in Louisiana where we like the molasses taste of dark brown sugar.

We bake and cook a lot with the cane syrup produced here. Steen's cane syrup is a lot like black strap molasses in that it is an intense taste but much sweeter, just perfect for baking or making an awesome barbecue sauce. I find it a bit too strong to pour onto pancakes. Of course, my Cajun husband thinks it's awesome on pancakes and waffles. :)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Tailgating Pancakes: Beer and Bacon Man Cakes

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Tailgating Pancakes: Beer and Bacon Man Cakes: From Denny: More ways to use beer and bacon in delicious recipes, two favorites men love. OK, if it uses dark beer even I'm intrigued. After all, many dark beers - like Boston's own Samuel Adams Cream Stout - have chocolate in the brew.

A favorite recipe from the Betty Crocker site is this one that includes bacon that is baked and candied with brown sugar. Then you crumble the bacon into the Bisquick mix, along with the eggs and beer. The result produces a large and fluffy pancake.

Talk about a cool recipe to use for tailgating. Can you imagine the smell of the bacon and brown sugar wafting through the RV parking lot outside of the stadium? You will have new best friends in no time! :)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Muffuletta Sandwich

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Muffuletta Sandwich: From Denny: Do you love the New Orleans tradition of muffuletta sandwiches? They are popular throughout Louisiana, especially at carnival time. During the parades people are always looking for snacks that are easy to grab off a tray and run back into the crowd to catch those all important beads. :)

This recipe is for an appetizer version where you don't have to worry so much about the high calories, salt and preservatives since it is a smaller portion.

There is even a recipe to show you how to make your own olive salad which can be used for more than just this sandwich, like a dressing on a garden salad or as a spread on French bread. It was originally developed by the Sicilian immigrants that settled in New Orleans about 100 years ago.

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Winner Meatloaf and 3 Sauces

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Winner Meatloaf and 3 Sauces: From Denny: Looking for a healthier recipe for the Mardi Gras season? While the kids are busy jumping off and on to the porch to grab fistfuls of chips and quick sandwiches and then run back to the parades, the adults might enjoy taking a plate of this crowd pleaser.

This recipe is so easy to make it's kid friendly. The versatility of this meatloaf is that it can be topped with something as simple as a warmed can of cream of mushroom soup or any of the three sauce recipes that follow.

One is a tomato sauce with brown sugar and mustard. Another is a sweet and sour taste. The final one is an Asian flavor using hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger and ketchup.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Chocolate Pudding In The Raw

From Denny: There are devoted fans of the raw food diet. While not everyone can partake of this lifestyle there are many recipes anyone can enjoy. This Raw Chocolate Pudding is one of them - and so easy and quick to make!

Who doesn't love the taste pairing of chocolate and coconut? An added bonus is that in place of refined sugar the recipe uses agave nectar which is far superior on the glucose meter for diabetes and others sensitive to sugar.

The raw food diet, and this very simple and quick version of chocolate pudding, may seem unusual but it sure is tasty!

Romancing The Chocolate: Easy Triple Layer Mud Pie

This image was selected as a picture of the we...

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Romancing The Chocolate: Easy Triple Layer Mud Pie: From Denny: This is an easy recipe for those chocolate lovers who are in a hurry to whip up a dessert and then forget about it for a few hours while it chills in the fridge.

Simple pies like this are also perfect for tailgating to those special sports events.

All you need for this simple dessert is part of a can of sweetened condensed milk, 3 squares of semi-sweet chocolate, a prepared chocolate cookie crumb pie crust, a chocolate instant pudding mix, some two percent milk, 1/2 cup chopped nuts and a small tub of frozen whipped topping of your choice.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Nut Biscotti

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Nut Biscotti: From Denny: A wonderful cookie recipe from one of my favorite coffee sites: Gevalia. This cookie pairs well with a French Roast or a Dark Roast coffee choice.

I've been ordering from them since Time began it seems. Gevalia is from Sweden where folks drink a ridiculous amount of coffee. We thought Americans were addicted. These guys make us look like amateurs! :)

When I was up on the site ordering some new items today I noticed they started putting up some recipes. You know me; I've got to collect them for you and me to try.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Social Poets: Merry Christmas to ALL! Christmas News Video Clips

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The Social Poets: Merry Christmas to ALL! Christmas News Video Clips: From Denny: Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Hope you enjoyed a tasty feast and stuffed yourselves silly. Just wait until the New Year for those calorie regrets. Enjoy your day and thank you for all your support this year! :)

Thought I'd put up a few cool Christmas video news clips of people who live the Christmas spirit of goodwill and giving to others.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Dennys Food and Recipes: Awesome Holiday Dessert: Baked Pear Parcels With Lemon Chamomile Sauce

Dennys Food and Recipes: Awesome Holiday Dessert: Baked Pear Parcels With Lemon Chamomile Sauce: From Denny: Pears come in season during the Christmas holidays and are plentiful. But have you thought about what to do with them beyond enjoying them fresh or giving as holiday gifts?

Our local newspaper here in Louisiana included some recipes from USA Pears, so, of course, you know I just had to go explore their site. The site is set up to promote the pear growers' product and awareness of the fruit. Since I've been thinking about setting up my own organic orchards I've been visiting a lot of sites like this one.

While their recipe section is not extensive it has some gems like the following recipe well suited for the holiday table when you want something special to wow the family or your guests. If, you are like me, you like to try new recipes or variations on a popular theme - like baked pears. A nice touch is the lemon chamomile sauce that snuggles up to these pears.

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: Check Out Christmas Posts: Funny, Music, Cartoons, Quotes, Recipes, Poems, Stories

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: Check Out Christmas Posts: Funny, Music, Cartoons, Quotes, Recipes, Poems, Stories: From Denny: Check out so many Christmas themed posts that you will pig out like it is a holiday feast.

I've been blogging for three years now and have found loads of Christmas music of all genres - and still adding. Interesting food to enjoy along with Christmas humor to keep you laughing as well as munching through your busy holidays.

This year I'm adding more Christmas stories and poems, the classics. Every year there are new recipes to try so the holiday food train just keeps on rolling!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Bliss

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Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Bliss: From Denny: A melt-in-your-mouth cookie favorite. A local food writer received it from a friend in Nashville, Tennessee. "And she told two friends - and she told two friends..." :) This cookie has been making the rounds with chocolate foodies.

It's an easy recipe, fast enough to whip up for the holidays. Part of what makes this cookie so delectable is that half of the chocolate chips are melted and added to the batter along with the unmelted ones. It's like what chef Paul Prudhomme practiced with the concept of layering the same taste in a dish.

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Beef: Braised Sirloin Tips

BERLIN, GERMANY - AUGUST 15: Mushroom special...

Mushrooms Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Beef: Braised Sirloin Tips: From Denny: Want a low maintenance meal to throw in the oven during the holiday season while you tend to other things? A hearty casserole is always welcome when the weather turns chilly. You might want relief from dining on turkey. Why not try this easy braised sirloin tips recipe?

Besides, it has brain food: mushrooms. During the holiday season it's easy to get frazzled and it sure is fun to know that mushrooms are available to get our overloaded brains back on target. :)

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Mulate's famous red beans & rice with sausage,...

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Comfort Food From Louisiana: Cajun Red Beans and Rice: From Denny: Red Bean and Rice is a traditional recipe in Louisiana that was the original Wash Day food every Monday, in every household in New Orleans, rich or poor. These beans could simmer on the stove for hours, leaving time for household chores.

Living in Louisiana, sometimes I forget some people don't know how to make this simple delicious dish. It's seems when I am researching up pops something else that I just know you will want to see.

I've been thinking lately of how to get more beans into our diet by adding to traditional recipes and found some awesome recipes from the various bean grower sites that I will be featuring soon on all my food blogs. If you are not yet sold on beans as a healthy and inexpensive food, this dish would be a great introduction.

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Social Poets: Check Out This Video: Worlds Fastest Flying Human

English: Source: I (Matt Hoover) took this pho...

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The Social Poets: Check Out This Video: Worlds Fastest Flying Human: From Denny: Check out this Norwegian wingsuit flyer/paraglider as he leaps off a high cliff and soars a mile or so over the mountains near a river. He finally pulls his chute open to finish the last glide to land easily on the road where a car is waiting to take him home.

What a rush! He looked like a speeding bullet to the camera crew on the ground as he crested the mountain range. He just zoomed on past them, going maybe well over 130 mph? Turns out he was clocked at 250km/hour - which is 155 mph.

Norwegian Espen Fadnes thought this outdoor activity would be a fun experience for the weekend. He has donned his wingsuit and performed this crazy feat so many times he has earned the dubious honor of World's Fastest Flying Human. In fact, last year he jumped off the Swiss Alps in an international competition, taking home the win.

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Mini-Chocolate Chip Dipped Shortbread Sticks

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Mini-Chocolate Chip Dipped Shortbread Sticks: From Denny: Do you like to bake shortbread cookies for the holidays? Here is a new twist - literally - on the idea. When you cut the dough into rectangles you twist them before baking, then dip in chocolate. How pretty is that for a holiday gathering?!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Romancing The Chocolate: From Silver Palate Restaurant Sheila Lukins: Sticky Toffee Date Cake

Romancing The Chocolate: From Silver Palate Restaurant Sheila Lukins: Sticky Toffee Date Cake: From Denny: Dates are loved around the world. In the Middle East they are a traditional part of the culture, offered as a sign of hospitality. Dates are served with strong black coffee and sometimes yogurt to balance the intense sweetness.

We love them in America too, especially here in Louisiana, and we never miss a chance to check out a cake recipe featuring them. One beautiful characteristic of dates is that cakes like this freeze well and can be enjoyed months later.

This recipe is from a long time famous food writer, Sheila Lukins. Read on to find out about her many cookbooks she has authored as she has worked for Parade Magazine and co-founded the restaurant takeout shop at the Silver Palate Restaurant.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Dennys Food and Recipes: Appetizer: Berried Brie

Dennys Food and Recipes: Appetizer: Berried Brie: From Denny: Need a simple appetizer during the holiday season and you don't want to stand over it to practically hatch it? This is so simple you will fall over laughing! It's so easy your children can make it for you.

All you need is a round of brie cheese, some canned cranberry sauce and fresh pecans. Throw it into a slow cooker for a couple of hours over low heat and you have instant magic without a lot of fuss. It will leave you time for wrapping all those gifts and giggling with the kids.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart

Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart: From Denny: This easy tart combines two of my favorite flavors - chocolate and pecans. Louisiana Bergeron pecans are wonderful if you can get them where you live. If not, just look for the freshest ones, even asking your grocer when a new shipment is due.

Pecans exude such a wonderful aroma when roasting in the oven that is hard to resist. Make sure you slightly warm the dessert when you serve it for the holidays. That's how we like it at our house! :)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious and Odd: Close Encounter Planes Fly Over Your Beach Vacation

US Airways Boeing 757 on final approach to St ...

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Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious and Odd: Close Encounter Planes Fly Over Your Beach Vacation: From Denny: Check out just how low these planes are when they come in for a landing over Maho Beach at St. Maarten Princess Juliana International Airport in the Caribbean. People actually go to vacation here just to experience the dangerous jet blasts from the landings.

In the second video you will see people falling down on the sand and get blasted by what looks like a mini sand storm. Be sure to bring your safety glasses with you when you go to experience this new cheap thrill for tourists! :)

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