Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Happy Father's Day!

I know it's a little late in the day, but I wanted to wish a very Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! I would like to send a special wish to my very own dad, who has been a constant source of strength, encouragement and inspiration to me throughout the years.


I am also very blessed to have a wonderful father-in-law, too, who has been there for me and helped out when we've needed an extra hand around the house during our whole renovation period.


My dad has always been a huge fan of camping and all things outdoors, so cast iron skillets are always high on his list of 'favorite kitchen items.' Recently, my parents renovated their kitchen, and that renovation included a new, glass-top stove. Imagine my dad's dismay when he realized that every movement of his beloved cast-iron skillet risked scratching their brand new stovetop. He knew that he would not be able to use his cast-iron skillet for everyday cooking anymore.


While planning thier last trip to Chicago, my parents asked if I would want them to bring the skillet. As much as I'm sure he hated to say goodbye to his skillet, I was giddy at the thought of finally having my first piece of cast iron! And what better way to celebrate a well-seasoned cast iron skillet than to make a super-sticky, super caramelly pineapple upside down cake.


Using fresh pineapple and making it in a cast iron skillet gives this cake a taste far superior than the others I have made in the past. The best part is that this skillet is so well-seasoned that even the stickest of sugar refused to stick. Cleanup was a breeze!

Even though I didn't have cardamom as called for in the original recipe, the allspice/cinnamon combination I substituted with was delicious. It was a bit like a spice cake with a sweet, fruity, caramel topping.

Only after I baked the cake did I realize that I baked mine in an 11 1/4" cast iron skillet, not 10 inches like it calls for in the recipe. Thankfully, I checked my cake early, and I'm glad I did, because it finished 15 minutes or so earlier than the recipe called for since the batter spread thinner in the larger skillet.

It was absolutely delicious! I can't wait to make this again, and even the hubby said this was my best pineapple upside down cake, yet!

Woohoo!

Hope all the daddies out there had a fabulous Father's Day!! You deserve it!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Adapted Slightly From Epicurious

Ingredients
For topping:
1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cored
3/4 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon dark rum
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tablespoons dark rum for sprinkling over cake

Special equipment:
a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make topping:
Cut pineapple crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Arrange pineapple on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, overlapping pieces slightly.

Make batter:
Sift together flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and rum. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in pineapple juice, then add remaining flour mixture, beating just until blended. (Batter may appear slightly curdled.)

Spoon batter over pineapple topping and spread evenly. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Sprinkle rum over the cake and let it absorb. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet.

Serve cake just warm or at room temperature. (With a scoop of vanilla ice cream!)

Resolutions (and Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake!)

Now that we’ve eased our way somewhat into 2011, I have a confession to make: I am not huge on making resolutions for the new year. It’s not that I don’t like to set personal goals for myself, I actually do that quite often, but I like to set them on my schedule, not just because we’re supposed to.

When I make an arbitrary goal ‘just because that’s what everyone else does for the new year’ I have very little incentive to stick with it, which inevitably sets myself up for failure. Also, based on previous resolutions from years past, another problem with my goal-setting process is that I set one large, intimidating goal instead of small, attainable goals.

So this year, instead of making on lofty resolution, I’m going to try to make smaller, attainable ones. Hopefully by sharing them here, I’ll feel slightly more accountable to myself.

For my health, I promise to…

- get moving at least three times a week, either by walking/running on the treadmill, using my exercise band, using my exercise ball, or playing with the dog

- incorporate at least 80% of the food color ‘rainbow’ into my daily diet, focusing on the three groups typically missing – red, yellow/white and blue/purple.

- focus on better choices when out to eat – get a salad instead of fries, even if it costs 99-cents extra.

- buy healthier snacks instead of chips and cookies to have available when hunger hits.

- eat when I’m hungry, not when bored. If I think I’m hungry, drink 8 oz of water or green tea first, wait, and then eat.

- not deprive myself of sweets and goodies I truly crave versus mindlessly eating junk food just because it’s there. For the most part, I want to have everything in moderation, including sweets, fats, salt and alcohol! (Though I’m sure there will still be the occasional over-indulgence!)

For my blog, I promise to:

- work on improve my photography skills – even if that only means trying to take pictures during daylight hours to reduce my reliance on a flash.

- try fondant on a cake at least once (if I’m really ambitious, homemade marshmallow fondant!)

- practice my decorating skills on sugar cookies with royal icing

- attempt a giveaway of some sort. I may not have a lot of readers or followers, but I appreciate the ones that I have and would like to give something back!


I figure I’ll start with the easiest one first – not depriving myself of the things I love, just having them in moderation. Let me tell you, this cheesecake was difficult to stop eating. It was was creamy and smooth, and the sweet/sour of the cherry filling provided just the right amount of tartness to compliment the chocolate and cheesecake filling. The filling itself isn’t overly-sweet, which is good, because the chocolate ganache topping is so decadent. Be sure to make this cheesecake the day before you want to eat it. We liked it well enough on the day it was made, but we all agreed that 24 hours later, the cheesecake was even better. The best thing about cheesecakes as desserts is that you can freeze the uneaten portion to save for a later date. Then I don’t feel obligated to eat it just because it might go bad sitting in the fridge.

I have yet to figure out how to get a good photograph of a cheesecake. They are so darn difficult to cut cleanly!

Oh well, still tastes great even if it isn’t all that pretty.


Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake
From Pillsbury

Prep Time: 35 Minutes
Start to Finish: 5 Hours 50 Minutes

Crust
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling
4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling (I used the one with extra fruit)

Glaze
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

Heat oven to 325°F. In medium bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press in bottom and 1 inch up sides of ungreased 10-inch springform pan. Wrap springform pan in three layers of heavy-duty foil.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sugar and almond extract until smooth. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream; blend well.

Spoon 3 1/2 cups cream cheese mixture into crust-lined pan, spreading evenly. Carefully spoon 1 cup pie filling evenly over cream cheese layer (reserve remaining pie filling for topping). Spoon remaining cream cheese mixture evenly over pie filling.

Bake in water bath for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is mostly set but still slightly wiggles. Cool in oven with door closed for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool on cooling rack 1 hour.

In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup whipping cream to boiling over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted.

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on paper-lined cookie sheet. Spread glaze over cooled cheesecake, allowing some to flow down side. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with remaining pie filling.

Linked to:

Feeding my “Swagoonchy” Craving (Recipe: Caramel Apple Crisp)

Happy New Year Everyone!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful time ringing in the new year!

Even though the holidays are over, the cold is still hanging around, most likely will until April. This is when I start wishing for the warmer weather, and that someone would shovel our sidewalk and driveway for us. It's days like this where I just feel like I need something that is, for lack of a better word, “swagoonchy.” For everyone that’s not inside my head, that would be sweet, warm, gooey, and crunchy. This caramel apple crisp satisfied this craving, and I’m sure if you were just craving something simple and delicious for dessert, this would work as well.

The combination of caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and apples resembles an apple pie, but this is so much easier to make. And the ramekins help with portion control (because I’d be the one finishing an entire pan of this stuff). There is a little prep-work involved in the recipe, but I made this on a work night, so I know it can be done, even on a tight schedule.


Caramel Apple Crisp
2 Apples
8-10 caramel chews
2-3 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
3 Tbsp Oatmeal
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325.

In a small pot, combine milk and caramels over low heat until caramels have melted and mixed with the milk. (Alternatively, you could also do this in the microwave, at full power for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until combined.)

In another bowl, slice the apples, fairly thin. Pour in the caramel/milk mixture and stir to coat.

In a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter. Mix until well combined.

Put apple mixture into ramekins, and top with the oatmeal/butter mixture.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until toasted on top and bubbly.

Nuttier than a Fruitcake!

I really do understand why people think of fruitcakes as doorstops. This one is no exception. It is not a light cake - literally and calorically. This cake must have weighed 5 pounds, and it cost a small fortune to send one of them halfway across the country. But you know what? This one is worth picking up from in front of the door and actually enjoying. This is by far the BEST fruitcake I have ever come across, with dried fruit, warm holiday spices and the fact it requires being bathed in bourbon anywhere from several days to several weeks before serving. It packs a punch.

My dad loves fruitcake and rations his so that he can enjoy it throughout the year. My mom, who rarely eats it is now eating small pieces of my dad’s rations, and he's getting sad that he's ahead of schedule with his fruitcake consumption. This is going to be a yearly favorite in my family. And I’ll make sure to make my family extra this year so that they don’t have to worry about their rations.

We're lucky enough to have a Trader Joe's nearby, and between there and our local grocery store, we can find all the dried fruits for this recipe at a relatively low cost, including the candied ginger, which I've heard can be pretty pricey in other stores.

There are a lot of ingredients to this cake as well, which can make it a little intimidating. But this one is worth it. The ingredients for the most part are interchangeable. Don’t like currants? Try dried pineapple, or any other dried fruit your heart desires. If you can’t find any of the dried fruit listed in the recipe, you can easily adjust the amounts of the ones you do have to compensate for the missing ingredient. Change out the alcohol for vanilla rum, or dark rum. Use walnuts or hazelnuts instead of pecans, or omit the nuts completely, if you prefer.

And the best part is you can make it weeks before the holidays! I baked mine on November 21, over a month before Christmas. My one big loaf and seven mini loaves have just been hanging out in my kitchen, getting basted every few days with brandy since being baked. If you do not have a 10-inch loaf pan, you can make two standard-sizes loaves filled 2/3 of the way full, one 10-inch bundt, or six mini loaves – perfect for gift-giving!

Even the biggest fruitcake haters should give this recipe a try. The cake might change your mind, and if nothing else, the alcohol in this cake will definitely fill your holidays with a little more cheer.

Curious about what I’ve made already? Check out:
White Trash
Quick Mix Spritz Cookies
Peppermint Icicle Candy
Spiced Pecans and Praline Candy
Fresh Orange Spritz Cookies



Free Range Fruitake
From Alton Brown via FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup currants
1/2 cup sun dried cranberries
1/2 cup sun dried blueberries
1/2 cup sun dried cherries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
Zest of one lemon, chopped coarsely
Zest of one orange, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
1 cup gold rum (I used brandy instead)
1 cup sugar
5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
1 cup unfiltered apple juice
4 whole cloves, ground (between 1/4 and 1/2 tsp)
6 allspice berries, ground (about ¾ tsp allspice)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted pecans, broken
Brandy for basting and/or spritzing

Directions
Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and both zests. Add rum (I used brandy) and macerate overnight, or microwave for 5 minutes to re-hydrate fruit.

Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. (Batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.)

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly bring batter together with a large wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated, then fold in nuts. Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour (40 minutes for mini loaves). I also erred on the side of caution and used Pam for baking to grease my pans. The recipe doesn’t mention greasing the pans, but I figured it’s better safe than sorry.. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again. My large loaf took about an hour and twenty minutes to bake all the way, and I used a wooden skewer to test for doneness, since a toothpick doesn’t reach all the way to the middle of the cake, which is the part that would be undercooked and gummy.

Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack or trivet. Baste or spritz top with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.

When cake is completely cooled, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container. Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with brandy. The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks. If you decide to give the cake as a gift, be sure to tell the recipient that they are very lucky indeed.  

Oatmeal Craisin Cookie Bars

Another week of softball and another week of goodies. This week I was not sure what I was going to make. Thankfully one of my coworkers mentioned that he enjoyed oatmeal craisin cookies. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a homemade oatmeal cookie and I realized that I had all the ingredients readily available in my pantry, so I decided that would be what I’d make. Because these treats commute by car, train, and foot to get to the office, I decided to make them into cookie bars, instead of individual cookies. The cookie bars travel well in my 9 x 13 pan carrier, and I don’t have to worry about the cookie crumblies in the bottom of a bag if I used a ziplock instead.

I’m apparently becoming known as “the baker” on my morning train. Every week I board the train with my cupcake carrier or my 9 x 13 pan, and the regulars always ask two questions: 1) What did I make and 2) Did I bring enough to share with everyone. I told them I made Oatmeal Craisin Cookie Bars and before I could say another word, the engineer of the train popped out from behind the door of his engine room, looked back and said “COOKIES?!” It was so sudden and unexpected that it startled us as first. Then we all broke out into laughter - apparently the only other thing that gets a reaction from the conductor besides people running past the train gates are cookies. Yes, cookies will elicit that type of response from just about anyone.

While I did not have enough to share with them this week, I promised them, all of them, that in the near future that I will bring a treat especially for them.

I got this recipe off of AllRecipes.com, and adapted it based on the comments it has received. I’m still somewhat skeptical of the original 10-12 minute baking time in the recipe. I pulled the pan out of the oven at 12 minutes, and let the still-incredibly loose bars cool in the pan. I tried cutting them after cooling, and they were still soft and wet, on the verge of gummy, instead of chewy. I turned my oven back on and put them in for another ten minutes, part of that time while the oven was still preheating.

This time it worked. I was worried they would get too dark, but they finally set up once I added more bake time. The bars will still be quite soft once they are removed from the oven, but they will not be jiggly. And they will set up into wonderfully chewy bars once they get to room temperature.

I didn’t have self-rising flour, so I used an AP flour/baking powder/salt replacement in this recipe.

I’m glad I made something that had oats and craisins and will stand up to the upper-90 degree temperatures we’re expecting tonight for our game.

Oatmeal Craisin Cookie Bars
Adapted From AllRecipes

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 c AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup craisins
Directions
Put craisins in a bowl with about 1/2 – 3/4 c water. Cook on high for 5 minutes. When finished, let sit for another 10 or so while assembling rest of the bars.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar, until smooth. Beat in the egg then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt: stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in the quick oats and raisins. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20-22 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool in pan before cutting into bars.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

When I saw bananas for 33 cents a pound at the store recently, I went a little hog wild. Banana breads are such a wonderful way to use overly-ripe bananas, and I make them as muffins so I can freeze the batch and pull out a couple at a time. I get to enjoy these for a long time, whereas the bananas would have been rotten by now. I also jazzed up some of the muffins by added some shredded coconut to the batter. These muffins freeze really well, and I love popping one in the microwave for about 20 seconds and getting a warm muffins that is still moist and delicious, with a very obvious banana flavor. These would be great just plain, no chocolate, no coconut, or even subbing in some walnuts if you prefer.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted From KAF Baker's Companion

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and allspice.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, vanilla, mashed bananas and milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just blended.

Evenly divide the batter between a 12 cup muffin tin coated with nonstick spray. After 6 tins are filled, and maybe a few minis, add a bit of coconut to the rest of the batter and scoop into remaining cups. Bake until a toothpick placed in the center comes out mostly clean - about 16-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins. Plus a few Minis as well.

Festive 4th of July Cake

Happy Independence Day!

Want something easy and festive for the 4th of July? I made this last year for A good friend’s Independence Day party; heaven forbid I go to anything empty-handed. I was actually staying at my parents house for the weekend, and I didn’t want to make a huge mess in their kitchen, so this cake is a simple yellow boxed cake mix and a can of frosting (I didn't even hide the can for the picture!). I feel a little ashamed for admitting that. I don’t enjoy many of the vanilla canned frostings because they are way too sweet and taste artificial, but I will say that the fruit on top definitely made up for that. The acidity of the blueberries and strawberries cut through a lot of the sweetness and provided a nice balance of flavors.

You could easily make up your own scratch cake/frosting mix but, in a pinch, the other stuff works fine. And how cute is that? I really enjoyed decorating it, and being able to bring something celebratory.

Have a wonderful and safe Independence Day!

Red, White and Blue Strawberry Bouquet

I had a lot of fun making my own version of an edible arrangement. With some strawberries, skewers, candy melts and colored sugars, you can make your own festive fruit bouquet. After washing your strawberries, dry them thoroughly (I like to leave the green leaves on, though). I also let them sit out for a little bit to make sure the surface is as dry as can be.

Following the directions on the candy melts, melt them in the microwave. Dip your strawberries, and let the excess drop back off into the bowl. Sprinkle sugar on, if desired, or leave plain. I used white candy melts for a red-white-blue themed bouquet, but chocolate would be just as delicious! Wait until they are dried to skewer the berries. I put a little bit of styrofoam (can use floral foam as well) in the bottom of the pot, then arranged my skewered strawberries in bouquet form.
I covered this with plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few hours before serving, but I would be careful about that, mine started to sweat once they started warming up. Luckily we ate them fast enough for it not to be a problem, but that is something to watch out for.

This dessert is easy, delicious, and can be made to suit any occasion. It doesn’t hurt that it looks impressive as well!

Fondue Night!

Typically my husband and I try to make meals that come together quickly because we are always starving by the time dinner rolls around on weeknights. The weekends, however, are a different story. I love taking an afternoon and putting together a nice meal that we wouldn’t have time to make and eat on a work night. We make these our date nights - A nice dinner, a bottle of wine and a movie from our Netflix queue. Even with the extra time on weekends, there are occasions that I like dinner preparation to be easy, but still special enough for our date night. I have found the perfect solution: Fondue.

For me, ‘fondue’ used to evoke images of VW buses and slug bugs, bell bottoms, shag carpets and lava lamps. I thought it was a novelty of the 70’s that had no real place on more contemporary tables. While most of these things are now distant memories of the past (well, minus the lava lamp, our guest room has my pink one as a night light…), fondue is fortunately making a modern comeback – just look at the success of The Melting Pot . After my first trip there for dinner, I now understand why fondue is making a return.

We are a part of a fast-paced culture where time is money, and as a result, we are becoming increasingly more focused on convenience foods and and less on the importance of sitting down as a family for a meal. Fondue transforms dinner into the social event I think it deserves to be, instead of just sitting at the table just long enough to stuff your face full of whatever is in front of you and then continuing on with life. I now associate ‘fondue’ with intimacy, family and relaxation because, while the food is important, the meal is more about slowing down and enjoying your company. If you really want to have fun with it, there are also cute little fondue traditions. One tradition says that a woman who drops food in the pot has to kiss the person next to her (sometimes all the men at the table). And since I am not a big fan of that one, I like the other tradition which dictates that the person who loses food in the pot buys a round of drinks or the next pot of fondue. That's more my speed.

As much as I love The Melting Pot, I still have a hard time justifying the cost of their meals. First, you are going there and paying a premium to cook your own food. Second, for about the cost of a two person dinner, you could easily invest in a little fondue pot and make your own in the comfort of your home for a fraction of the price. Let’s do a little comparison, shall we?

From the menu of my local Melting Pot, the least expensive entrée selection is 16 dollars a person. 32 dollars doesn’t sound too bad for diner, but don’t forget drinks, tax and tip! So for us, our overall dinner cost would be about 40 dollars. That’s being optimistic, because we would each almost certainly have a seven-dollar glass of wine as well. If you were to look at Bed Bath and Beyond, you would see that they have a good selection of at-home fondue pots, even some under 60 dollars. And you know you have some of those 20% off coupons sitting around that come all the time in the mail. So, for about eight dollars more than just your bare-bones dining experience at the Melting pot, you can have your own fondue, anytime. I particularly love our electric fondue pot because it takes a lot of guesswork out of the process and I can switch from broth to chocolate because it has a temperature dial.

Finally, the last big benefit of at-home-fondue is that you have the liberty customize your meal based on your likes, and aren’t limited to the options on a menu. The word “fondue” comes from the French word ‘fonder’ meaning “to melt” and originally referred to a cheese dish mixed with wine and eaten with bread. It has progressed to oil and broth bases used to cook entrees such as meats, seafood, and veggies, and now has even made its way into the dessert world with chocolate fondue for dipping fruits, marshmallows, pound cake or brownies. There's something for everyone.

Of all the options, I choose a broth-based cooking method versus oil, simply because I feel I can make the broth more flavorful and it’s healthier than essentially deep-frying everything. The menu is relatively simple, and easy to put together. Last time I even prepared everything but the veggies the night before. I also love mixing lots of dipping sauces, the last meal included sweet and sour, asian and honey mustard sauces.

I do have to caution that if you’re starving, fondue is not a quick fix. Dinner can take up to two hours. Imagine the look on my poor husband’s face when he told me he was hungry and I pulled out only two forks. He looked devastated. By the end of the night, he had convinced me to use all six forks in the pot: 2 for meat, 2 for potatoes and 2 for mushrooms.

If you do have a fondue pot collecting dust in your closet, I suggest you to give it a try. It's a long recipe, but easy. This is one of our favorite date nights, and I look forward to having friends over to share in my fondue love.

Fondue Broth
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Garlic clove, crushed
1 Onion, finely chopped (I had one large scallion and 1/4 leftover onion which I subbed for this)
8 cups Water
Beef bouillon cubes or concentrate
1 Celery stalk, finely chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Bay leaf
1 cup Red wine

1. In a large pot, warm the oil and cook the garlic and onion until soft.
2. Add the water, bring to a boil and add enough beef bouillon cubes for 2 L (8 cups) of broth.
3. Lower the heat and add the vegetables, spices and wine.
4. Cook on low heat for about 3 hours. Add more water as needed.
5. Filter the broth and refrigerate.
6. Prior to serving, remove the fat that has hardened on the surface.
7. Warm up the broth on the stove top.
8. Pour into your fondue pot and adjust the heat.

What to dip in your broth?
On average, you plan to have 1/3 lb of meat per person. I usually have several veggies on hand as well. Here is a standard list of options, but feel free to experiment!

Marinated Beef or pork tenderloin (see marinade recipe below)
Chicken Breast
Loin of Lamb
Regular sirloin
Button or Portabello Mushrooms cut into bite-sized pieces
Par-cooked Potatoes
Sausage
Shrimp
Lobster

Dipping Sauces

Honey Mustard Dip
1 cup Honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients and let chill for a day if possible.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at room temperature.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Combine all ingredients and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Serve warm or at room temperature. This sauce may be prepared a few days in advance and warmed before serving.

Asian Dipping Sauce
4 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3 Green Chilis
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Water, cold

Combine soy sauce, lemon juice, chilis, garlic and sesame oil in saucepan over low heat. In small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until thoroughly blended. Add cornstarch mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil until thickened. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Beef marinade
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Minced Ginger
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Water
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb beef tenderloin, sliced thin or cut into bite-sized chunks.

Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients
12 oz. of semisweet chocolate chips (dark or milk chocolate may be substituted)
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. milk
2 TBSP liqueur (may be omitted) such as coffee, chocolate, mint or fruit flavored liquors. Rum and brandy also work well.
Combine all of the ingredients in a fondue pot, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Spear and immerse assorted dipping items.

Dessert Dippers
Pineapple
Strawberries
Bananas
Pound Cake

Red Wine Poached Pears with Mascarpone Filling

Mascarpone was always something I heard Giada or Michael Chiarello talking about on their shows. I love the way they say it "MAH-scar-PO-nay" - I always just said "MAR-scah-PONE" - how is that?

All that aside, somehow I got it into my head that I wanted to make a dessert using the cheese. And pears are healthy, right? I know that this is a pretty classic dessert and, thanks to Google, Michael Chiarello's version of this dish. The reviews were out of this world, but nearly all of them mentioned that the original recipe makes way too much filling. So, I kept the recipe as-is, but I did halve the filling. I'm glad I did, because I still had quite a bit leftover. I don't know what breed of giant pears he was using to develop a recipe with that much filling. This recipe also interested me because it gave me the chance to work with whole vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks, something I haven't done in a long time. And then I realized there is a reason I haven't worked with vanilla beans in a long time - they EXPENSIVE! But I also forgot what an amazing flavor those little wrinkly beans have when compared to extracts. Sometimes you just have to use the real deal, and this is one of those recipes.

The process itself is pretty straightforward, and came together pretty quickly. I made the pears the night before I planned to serve them, as a lot of the reviews mentioned that they are ten times better after they essentially marinate in the red wine sauce overnight. Our home smelled amazing while the pears poached in their wine bath. I do have to give this high marks for the 'wow' factor as well - the pears turned such a beautiful ruby red after soaking overnight. If I was any better at plating or food styling, they would have been magazine cover-worthy. That is, until I filled them.

The recipe says to use a piping bag or tightly wrapped wax paper to fill the pears. I had a ziplock bag and I had cheese filling everywhere by the time I was done. And I mean everywhere - counterops, plates, hands. I had the slippery pear in one hand and the limp ziplock baggie in another. I would try to fill the pear, and the bag would fold over on itself, causing all the filling to ooze out of the pear from every direction.

As my own little touch, I made little chocolate leaves dusted with a little silver luster dust to make them even a little more appealing to the eye, since it looked like they spewed mascarpone filling everywhere. And who can say no to chocolate?

Red Wine Poached Pears with Mascarpone Filling
Recipe adapted from Michael Chiarello
Serves: 6
Ingredients
6 firm Bartlett pears (I only had 5 but kept everything else the same)
1 bottle red wine
1 vanilla bean, whole
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
2 cups sugar
1 (8 ounce) container mascarpone cheese, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch cinnamon
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoons butter

Directions
Peel pears and leave stem intact. In a large saucepan, bring wine and an equal amount of cold water to a simmer. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and add to wine and water mixture. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and sugar, to taste. Add pears to liquid and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Cool pears in wine mixture to room temperature. You can refrigerate them in the poaching liquid until you're ready to fill them. I refrigerated them overnight. I actually recommend it, as the coloring get richer the longer they sit in the wine sauce.

Remove stems from pears and set stems aside. Leaving the pear whole, core with an apple corer. I don’t have an apple corer, so I just used a paring knife and inserted it into the pear 4-5 times, making a square or pentagonal hole versus the pretty round one you’d get with the corer.

Whisk together mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, pinch cinnamon and powdered sugar until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag, or if you do not have one, use wax paper tightly wrapped into a cone with the corner snipped off. Note: Let the wine sauce drain adequately from your pears. Some of mine were a little wet inside when I filled them which loosened up the mascarpone filling and left a little cheese puddle underneath each pear. After filling cored pears, finish by putting the stems gently into the mascarpone filling on top of the pears.

Bring sauce up to a simmer and reduce by half. Add butter to reduced sauce and stir until combined. Spoon generously over pears. Cool to room temperature before serving.