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Monday, March 12, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Chef Cookies: Cinnnamon-Espresso Chocolate Chip Vegan Style



Romancing The Chocolate: Chef Cookies: Cinnnamon-Espresso Chocolate Chip Vegan Style: From Denny:  Raise your hand if you love the combination of coffee, chocolate and cinnamon.  Yeah, I thought so; me too.   This easy recipe is from Chef Chloe Coscarelli, a winner of the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars."
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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Almond Nuggets with Chocolate Drizzle




Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Almond Nuggets with Chocolate Drizzle: From Denny:  Chocolate and almonds are the ideal combination for a cookie.  This is basically a sugar cookie with sliced almonds that makes for a stiff dough.

It is a simple exercise of dropping the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet - so that makes it easy even for beginner bakers.  The chocolate comes in when you ice the cookie with bittersweet chocolate that has been melted together with real butter and almond extract.

What's amusing is how the recipe creator actually thinks these mere 24 cookies will last long enough to make it into a covered container.  Bring your friends! :)
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Friday, March 9, 2012

The Healing Waters: Why Losing Weight Is Difficult: Carb-Heavy Breakfast


obesity in U.S.


The Healing Waters: Why Losing Weight Is Difficult: Carb-Heavy Breakfast: From Denny:  Currently, there is a 36 percent national obesity rate.  For decades now, food manufacturers have outrageously manipulated the food supply by adding so many preservatives and excess sugars into products it has caused a national health epidemic.

Consumers are overwhelmed trying to find healthy food that is safe to consume and feed our families.
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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Beautiful and Easy: Decadent Chocolate Mousse Pie


Photo provided by Spice IslandsFor a delicious chocolaty dessert to celebrate Valentine's Day, try Decadent Chocolate Mousse Pie. It combines a chocolate crumb crust with semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream -- a combination sure to appeal to most palates.


Romancing The Chocolate: Beautiful and Easy: Decadent Chocolate Mousse Pie: From Denny: I love searching through the recipe databases of various companies promoting their food products. You never know what gems you will find to inspire you to try something new or tweak a family favorite.

The recipe database at Spice Islands is a real treasure trove of goodies - and I've only started on the dessert section! Color me into the Well Impressed Corner. :)
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Valentines Day Cookies: Reverse Chocolate Chip


PHOTO: Beth Leonard's reverse chocolate chip cookies are shown here.


Romancing The Chocolate: Valentines Day Cookies: Reverse Chocolate Chip: From Denny: In the mood for a chocolate batter cookie with white chocolate chips? This version also sports an unusual ingredient: the heady spice coriander. Add in the exotic flavorful macadamia nuts and this cookie is a huge hit. You can always substitute your favorite nut like almonds or walnuts.


When I found this recipe on the ABC Recipe site, they referenced it to "Stew Leonard's." Of course, I asked the obvious question, "Who is that?"

I live in south Louisiana so had never heard of the Connecticut grocery store chain. So, I googled them and found a wonderful site worth the visit. They started out as a dairy farm in Norwalk, Connecticut and branched out from there over the decades into a full blown grocery chain. Check out this wonderful chocolate recipe.
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Monday, February 13, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Valentines Day: Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Pie


Pie


Romancing The Chocolate: Valentines Day: Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Pie: From Denny: Pies are always an easy idea for holidays as they take less time and fuss than individual portion recipes.

This is a light taste of chocolate and butterscotch. If you want to intensify those flavors, step up the chocolate chips to 3/4 cup, instead of 1/2 cup. You could even drizzle the finished chilled pie with extra chocolate syrup to add that decadence factor.

As to intensifying the butterscotch flavor, why not add a few microwave melted caramel candies to the mix? Or you could add more butterscotch chips instead of taking the time to melt caramels.

Most people prefer a light taste to dishes. At our house we often like spicy dishes and strongly flavored desserts. So, if it's supposed to taste like chocolate and caramel, we want it to be obvious.

I really think this cook was showcasing the mascarpone cheese above the other flavors, so a different name would have been a better idea since the chocolate and butterscotch flavors tend to be background in this pie. The choice is yours: simple and creamy cheese with a light taste of chocolate and butterscotch - or kick it up a notch to just a bit more!
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Sunday, February 12, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Celebrate Valentines Day With Fiery Chocolate Fondue




Romancing The Chocolate: Celebrate Valentines Day With Fiery Chocolate Fondue: From Denny: Chocolate fondue is the favorite of Valentine's Day menus. This recipe is extra special with the addition of some Tabasco hot sauce to kick it up a notch - the romance, that is. :)

It's also a ridiculously easy recipe, with only a few ingredients, sure to be a crowd pleaser at a party - or just for two.
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Saturday, February 11, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Chefs Recipe 4 Valentines Day: Warm Chocolate Cheesecake


Chocolate cheesecake with strawberry sauce and...
Image via Wikipedia


Romancing The Chocolate: Chefs Recipe 4 Valentines Day: Warm Chocolate Cheesecake: From Denny: Looking for an easy to make chocolate cheesecake? Chef Sara Moulton is always coming up with great ideas that are simple to make.

Usually, we serve cheesecake chilled. Have you ever thought of eating your cheesecake while still warm from the oven? Sara likes this recipe to enjoy that warm creamy chocolate delight.


Sara bakes these chocolate cheesecakes in small ramekins. She didn't offer up a photo but check out the awesome one I found of another version of chocolate cheesecake at flickr, decked out in blackberries.
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Friday, February 10, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Unusual Tabasco Chocolate Cherry


The Bing cherry owes its development to the Ch...


Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Unusual Tabasco Chocolate Cherry: From Denny: Enjoy a little pepper heat with your chocolate? Then these unusual cookies from the Tabasco hot sauce company are for you.

Chocolate and cherries are another winning combination enjoyed during the Valentine's Day celebration season. Tabasco just decided to kick it up a notch.

This recipe calls for making huge cookies that are shaped into football ovals and then decorated with icing to resemble the pigskin laces. Instead you can shape them into hearts, piping icing with a heart inside a heart for decoration.
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Sunday, February 5, 2012

Dennys Funny Quotes: 34 Funny Friday Quotes, Friday Music Video

Gaga's choreography from "Bad Romance&quo...
Image via Wikipedia
Dennys Funny Quotes: 34 Funny Friday Quotes, Friday Music Video: From Denny: Need a little weekend inspiration? Bored in your corporate cubicle? Your mind wandering far, far away from work because your body can't wait to leave?

These funny, and sometimes downright wicked, quotes should get you through the last remaining hours before the weekend officially starts.

Check out the silly Friday song by Rebecca Black. So far it's been viewed over 21 million times. Now that's a lot of bored folks out in the virtual work world with too much time on their hands.
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Saturday, February 4, 2012

The Healing Waters: Super Bowl Party: 3 Healthy Chips, 5 Healthy Dips


Deutsch: Tortilla-Chips, salsa, und guacamole ...


The Healing Waters: Super Bowl Party: 3 Healthy Chips, 5 Healthy Dips: From Denny: These unusual chips and dips are packed with flavor and spice sensations, both familiar and exotic that will make you the hit of the party. The food director of Prevention Magazine, Lori Powell, created some winners here.

We love creative uses of spices at our house. What is really a winner is that munching all night long on these combinations and a glass of wine or beer will keep you under 1,000 calories - and that's if you stuff yourself silly. Considering most hamburgers come in at 1,200 calories at most restaurants, well, this is good news.
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Friday, February 3, 2012

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Quick Mardi Gras King Cake


Quick Mardi Gras King Cake


Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Quick Mardi Gras King Cake: From Denny: This version of the sweet yeast bread known as King Cake only requires an hour in the fridge to chill and rest the dough. Then it rises for another hour or so while you work on putting together the yummy filling.

The traditional three colors of icing are green, purple and gold. Make sure you wait for the baked cake to cool off before inserting a small hole in the bottom of the cake to place the miniature plastic baby.

It's considered good luck for the following year to receive the baby in your slice of King Cake. You also get to pay for the next King Cake. Hey, with fame comes social responsibility! :)
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Thursday, February 2, 2012

The Social Poets: Groundhog Day: How Many Talented Psychic Rodents In America?




The Social Poets: Groundhog Day: How Many Talented Psychic Rodents In America?: This is the stuffed, ok, taxidermied groundhog, known as Potomac Phil that hails from Washington, D.C. He gets wheeled out to the Dupont Circle Ground Hog Day celebration to determine whether he sees his shadow or not. Not sure who the human political hack is for him to make the announcement. But hey, the new burgeoning club played polka music to honor him.

His fans are hoping to raise enough money to replace him with a live groundhog next year. Until then, Potomac Phil continues to trash talk his beltway imitator Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania.

And what is Punxsutawney Phil's response to this stuffed upstart? "Ah, Potomac Phil is Newt Gingrich's first cousin, all trash talk and no money. I'm the real deal since 1887."
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Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Spiced Chocolate Macaroons


Chop Chocolate So It Will Melt Quickly


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.
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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.
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

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

Pear Parade

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.

Romancing The Chocolate: National Chocolate Cake Day Today! 2 Recipes

Our most popular cake. Of course anything choc...
Image via Wikipedia
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.
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Monday, January 30, 2012

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


king cake 1


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.
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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled

Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Image via Wikipedia
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!
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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint


Various types of chocolate.
Image via Wikipedia


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?
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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!
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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. :)
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

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


Beer and Bacon Mancakes


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


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


Mardi Gras 2008


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.
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Monday, January 23, 2012

Chocolate Pudding In The Raw


Chop Chocolate So It Will Melt Quickly


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!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Romancing The Chocolate: Easy Triple Layer Mud Pie

This image was selected as a picture of the we...
Image via Wikipedia
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.
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