They Say It's My Birthday!!



It's officially the 1-year birthday of 28 Cooks, and I can't tell you how excited I am to have made it this far. I've loved every minute of food blogging - the recipes, the photography, the learning. I've enjoyed the support of other food bloggers, and have made quite a few friends along the way. I've discovered plenty of other food blogs that never seem to stop providing inspiration, good food, and excellent pictures.

Thank you for your support, your encouragement, and your comments. I look forward to the next year, and hope it's just as good, if not better. But for now, let's eat some cake.



Cranberry Cupcakes with Dulce De Leche Frosting
(recipe from December's Gourmet Magazine)
Makes 6 jumbo or 12 regular cupcakes
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 stick (6 tbsp) butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c whole milk
3/4 c dried cranberries
5 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1/2 c dulce de leche

Preheat oven to 350, and line muffin tin with muffin cup liners. In small bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. With mixer at high speed, beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk, alternately, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined. Fold in cranberries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, and place in prepared oven. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in middle of cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven, and place on wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and dulce de leche together until whipped. Frost cooled cupcakes with cream cheese mixture. Enjoy!

Today I received some terrible news that a very good and special friend of mine passed away suddenly, leaving behind 2 beautiful young daughters and a wonderful husband, Bill. The shock and sadness felt over the loss is almost overwhelming.

We met in such a weird way many years ago. We both belonged to a knitting email list and she contacted me after discovering we were about the same age. We emailed constantly and spent hours on IM and the phone talking about almost everything in our lives. After a few years of an online friendship, we finally met when she flew down to see me. The instant we met, we knew we'd be friends for life. We had an instant connection that made if feel as if we'd been friends for a lifetime. She was a constant presence in my life and we helped each other through some of the most significant events in our lives.

We spent the years alternating visits, me flying up to New Hampshire to see her or her flying here to see me. I just emailed her earlier this week about coming down for my birthday in a few weeks, and although she was unable to, we were making plans to visit each other in the near future.

She was beautiful, fun, vivacious, and an incredible mother. She had a way of lighting up a room with her presence, was liked by everyone that met her, and was an amazing person. I will miss her terribly. Please pray for her family and friends as they come to terms with the loss.



I love you, BIFF.

Cooking School, Part I

Wow. Seriously, wow. The cooking school was such a great experience and so much fun! For those who don't know, my father bid at a charity silent auction for a 10-person cooking class to be held at the Giant Cooking School as a gift for my birthday this past December. I must admit, I was a little skeptical about a cooking school held in a grocery store, but as I had hoped, it was much more than expected.


Here's a picture of the 2 chefs that guided our experience, Kathy and Brandi. Both were extremely helpful and easy to talk to, and we had a good time joking around.



You can also see that the kitchen set-up is great for having small or large gatherings, and it was very nicely set up for my friends, family, and I.



We started the evening with some fun nibblies, including these tasty spiced nuts. All recipes from the evening were nicely organized into a take-home packet for each guest so we can recreate them at home. This recipe looked exceptionally easy, mixing a touch of maple syrup, cayenne, rosemary, curry, and salt with raw nuts before baking.



Next up were some tasty seafood appetizers. The tuna was exceptional. It was seared and encrusted with black and white sesame seeds. It was paired with an asian slaw that provided just the right amount of acidity and flavor.



There was also a spicy boiled shrimp served with a raspberry-horseradish sauce. That was truly quite tasty and definitely an appetizer that would be perfect for serving to guests. I must admit I was skeptical about the combination of raspberry and horseradish, but it ended up being a great pairing.



Unfortunately, the pictures of one of my favorite dishes, a Brie and Mushroom Fondue, didn't turn out quite as I had planned. But take my word for it - it was simply fantastic. Using shiitake and crimini mushrooms, combined with dry white wine and about a pound of brie, I'm not sure you can go wrong!

Check back on Friday for the rest of the story!

Merry Christmas To All!!

You know, it's been a great year. Although there were some bumps in the road, I can't help but be grateful for everything and everyone that's been a part of my life this year.

As most of my readers know, I lost a very dear and close friend not too long ago. And although it's been hard and there are still days I can't believe she's gone, losing her has taught me to cherish the loved ones I still have and to take the time to tell them before it's too late. Although she wasn't at my birthday celebration as she had wanted to be, I was surrounded by people that love me and that truly care for me, and that's what I'm most thankful for.

This time of the season, the hustle and bustle of shopping, opening gifts, and attending Christmas parties can sometimes overshadow the true meaning of Christmas. It's crucial that we take a moment, look at all that we've been blessed with, and say thanks to those who help enrich our lives on a daily basis.

For part of my schooling this semester, I spent a few hours volunteering at a soup kitchen as well as a women's emergency shelter. Being there was such a huge dose of reality for me, and it was impossible to not feel grateful for all that I've been blessed with.

This holiday season, I wish you all the best and a season full of love, joy, hope, and peace.

Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Braid

So finals are finally done and thankfully, I'm back in the kitchen. Thanks for all of the birthday wishes last week. And now, the holiday crunch is on. I haven't started any of my Christmas shopping, so I really need to get on the ball.

But with the holiday crunch time comes plenty of holiday parties, which I think is the best part. And when having a party, there is nothing better than having some delicious foods to serve your guests. I think you can file this recipe under "Ace in the Hole" category, as it's super simple to make and throw in the oven, and with the exception of the mushrooms, you can have most ingredients on hand in your kitchen at all times.

The puff pastry did take 40 minutes to thaw, which is perfect time for doing the rest of the prep. The mushroom mixture is really just my 5-Minute Mushroom Sauce, so you know that part is easy. By the time the pastry is ready, the rest of the ingredients are assembled and ready to go. This could also be made in puff pastry shells, adding a small amount of goat cheese and mushroom to each cup. Talk about an elegant finger food!

I think you'll really like this one....



Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Braid
Serves 6-8, appetizer size

2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped (I used a combination of crimini, shiitake, and oyster)
a pinch of salt
1 tsp butter
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 pkg puff pastry sheets
1 (3.5 oz) pkg goat cheese, sliced

Allow puff pastry to thaw at room temperature for 40 minutes. In the meantime, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and salt, cover, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add butter, thyme, and balsamic vinegar, and cook for an additional minute or two. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 400. Unroll thawed pastry sheet and lightly roll to get rid of creases. On each side, cut 1" slits into the first crease mark. (Here's an excellent quick video to watch that explains it much better than I ever could.) On center of pastry, layer goat cheese slices down center. Spoon mushroom mixture on top of cheese, then braid pastry over filling. Place into preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

Bad, bad, bad.

I know. I've been a horrible blogger. But round these parts, it's been a crazy time known as end-of-semester crunch time. I haven't had a minute to stop and think since the last time I posted.

I would like to say thanks for all of the kind words of encouragement and all of the prayers. Being at the funeral was completely surreal and one of the hardest things I've gone through. There are still days I can't believe she's gone, but I'm doing my best to carry on and remember her the way she'd want to be remembered. Please continue to keep her family and friends in your thoughts over the holidays as they all celebrate the first without her lovely presence.

And I know that there has been a lack of food posting on here lately, but I ask for your patience while I finish tying up my loose ends at school. I'm doing my best to make it through to December 10th, which is when all of my projects are due (yes, all 14 of them). I promise to have some lovely holiday recipes fit for entertaining after that - you just gotta hang on.

Now excuse me while I take the next day or two to celebrate December 3rd, a day I've been looking forward to for quite awhile - my 30th birthday!

Cranberry Jalapeno Spread

You can breathe easy now - I'm back. Finals have been handled, the 30th birthday was a grand success (more on that later), and it feels great to be back in the kitchen. And it's not a shade too soon - the holiday is right around the corner!

I wanted to make something different but I really had no idea what I was looking for. I was digging through my refrigerator when I discovered a bag of cranberries I had picked up on a whim a week or two ago. I didn't want to make the traditional cranberry spread, so I thought I'd try something new.

This spread would work in so many ways. The slight sweetness is accented by the little kick of the jalapeno*. It would be perfect on a bagel with cream cheese or spread over goat cheese on a cracker. If you're of the carnivore variety, this would be perfect for basting a pork roast. Heck, it's good enough to eat by itself by the spoonful! It would also make a great gift for a foodie or keep it all for yourself. No matter how you use it, I can guarantee you'll find it to be a perfect little holiday treat.

*On the 28 Cooks' Hot-O-Meter, this ranks a very low 1 out of 5. If you're looking for more of a punch, add another jalapeno.



Cranberry Jalapeno Spread
Makes 2 cups

1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries
1 c brown sugar
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of allspice

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until thick. Remove from heat and cool. Serve and enjoy!

Celebratin'!



Hey ya'll! I'll be taking off the rest of the week as I am celebrating my birthday today! Please enjoy this recipe for some lovely cranberry cupcakes with dulce de leche frosting that was posted for a blog anniversary awhile back.

Have a great rest of the week!

Fleur de Sel Caramels

As I was saying the other day, there are so many excellent food blogs that provide boundless inspiration for me. As I was doing my daily trip around my bloglines, I happened across this post at Everybody Likes Sandwiches. I became instantly obsessed with them, and knew they needed to be made immediately.

As luck would have it, I had just received a jar of Fleur De Sel as part of a gourmet salt sampler for my birthday, which was last week. I've been looking for recipes to use them in, so this was definitely a timely post.

I've never made caramels before, and I must admit it was much easier than I thought. The flavor is amazing, and the salt is the perfect complement to the creamy caramel. These are perfect for gift-giving, or for keeping around the house when you need to satiate a sweet tooth.



Fleur de Sel Caramels
1 c heavy cream
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 tsp fleur de sel
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
1/4 c water

Also needed - parchment paper, 8x8 pan, candy thermometer, glass of water with ice

Line bottom and sides of the 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment. (I used tape to secure the paper down). Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside. Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 4 qt saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel (This took about 5 minutes for me, and my thermometer read about 300 degrees). Carefully stir in cream mixture, which will bubble up rapidly, and simmer, stirring frequently, keeping temperature around 248 degrees. Continue to cook until a drop of caramel firms up to desired texture in the glass of ice water (I like a softer, chewier caramel, and this took about 5 minutes for me). Pour into baking pan and allow to cool for 2 hours. Cut into pieces, and wrap in wax paper.