pictures from: "espresso cake: the tale of the 37-year-old stand mixer"

espresso cake: the tale of the 37-year-old stand mixer

Like most of my food stories, this one begins on a Sunday. Prior to heading to my dad's for lunch, I was sitting on the couch watching the Food Network (yes, we're all surprised). A lesser-known show called "Cooking for Real" was on, and the host was making an alternate holiday meal of cornish hens. (Side note: The host is Sunny Anderson, who I think is great. Possibly the only female host on the channel that isn't legitimately insane). Aside from the birds, she made a coffee cake (with espresso powder), which I thought looked especially tasty. So tasty, in fact, that I decided I was going to make it.

Now this is slightly odd for three reasons. 1. I don't like coffee. 2. Aside from "break-and-bake" cookies, I haven't baked anything ever (unless you count helping my mom when I was growing up, and I don't, because all I ever really did was lick the spoon after everything was in the oven). 3. I don't own a mixer of any kind.

Item 3 was the real issue. I'll be damned if I'm going to make a batter with a hand whisk. So when I went to my dad's, I picked up my mom's old stand mixer. When I took it out of the closet, I was kind of worried that it might not work. It was at least as old as me, probably older (it was later confirmed to be a wedding gift, so 37), hadn't been used since probably the late '90's, and was caked in dust. But alas, I took it home, cleaned it off, plugged it in and turned it on. To my amazement, it worked. It was pretty loud and it got kind of hot, but it worked. Considering I was already making short ribs and prepping pork chops, I put the mixer away until later in the week.

Fast forward a day to Monday when I made the espresso cake. Since it was 1. my first baking experience, 2. my mixer was ancient, and 3. I fully documented the whole ordeal, getting everything mixed up and into the oven took about 45 minutes. Quite slow, I agree. But, in the end it was worth it. I ended up with two loaves of espresso cake (minus the frosting, I don't see how peanut butter and coffee go together). I kept one for myself and brought the other into the work the next morning. Suffice to say, it didn't last long. Definitely making it again, probably for Christmas.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/mini-espresso-cakes-with-peanut-butter-frosting-recipe/index.html

After making the cake, I went online looking for any info about the mixer. Couldn't find anything except for a Japanese E-bay entry, which I obviously could not read. So I ended up emailing Hamilton Beach with the model number and whatnot. Below is my email and the cold auto-reply.

My email:
Product: Standup Mixer
Model: MHB 29
Series: n/a
Message: As I was searching through my parents' house the other day, I found my mother's old standup mixer. Hamilton Beach, model MHB 29 (200 watts, 120 VAC, 50-60 Hz). It hadn't been used in years, and since I didn't have a mixer at my place, I decided to take it home. Seeing as how I remember my mom using it when I was just a little kid (I'm now 26), I was skeptical that it would still work. However, it still does. I put it to work tonight, as I mixed batter for a coffee cake, and it worked quite well (although, it did get pretty warm after a while). I'm just curious if you have any idea how old this model might be. Not surprisingly, I couldn't find a manual at my parent's house, and I also couldn't find any info online. No problems here, just looking for info. And good job making a rather durable product!

Response:
Thank you for contacting Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc.
Unfortunately, all parts and accessories have been depleted for your model.
We would like to encourage you to visit our website at www.hamiltonbeach.com to view our current line of small household appliances. You will find purchasing information here as well.
Thank you for your patronage and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Thank you for contacting Hamilton Beach Brands and please let us know if there is anything else we can assist you with.
Catherine
Consumer Affairs

pork chops like whoa

Tonight is Wednesday.  So like half of the Wednesdays since July, I cooked pork chops.  That is not an embellishment.  Since Anne Burrell came into my life over the summer, and showed me the way to perfectly prepared pork chops, I have eaten them at least every other week.

Since you're still reading, I assume you're interested. The link to the recipe is below. I cook mine a little differently. Since I hate using the bbq at my place, because of the neighbor situation, I cook mine under the broiler (more on that later). But the brine is pretty much the same, give or take some of the spices (where the hell does one find fennel pollen).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/brined-pork-chops-with-soft-parmigiano-polenta-recipe/index.html

Anyways, while I was at McKinnon's on Sunday, getting some short ribs, I also picked up a pack of bone-in, center cuts. And good God, the cuts at McKinnon's are ridiculous. They're about 1-1/2" to 2" thick and absolutely beautiful. After I got the ribs started, I spent a few minutes prepping my chops. Threw them in the brine and pretty much forgot about them until last night. "Ooh, I got pork chops for tomorrow night!" Needless to say, I was periodically salivating today, anticipating them in all their glory. After work & the gym, I got started.

Back to the broiler: Some people (myself included) have had problems burning the hell out of anything they put under there with the rack at the top position. To prevent that, you might put the rack one rung lower. But then you might as well run whatever your cooking under hot water instead. So, what I've been doing, which seems to work out pretty well, is to set the rack at the second position, then putting an upside down cookie sheet on top of that to get to an in between position. Also, since manufacturer's don't want people burning their houses down, they program the broiler to turn off at a certain temp. To prevent the burner from turning off, I put a little roll of foil at the top of the door to prop it open, giving the heat somewhere to escape.

With everything set up, I put the pork on the rack, inside a roasting dish, and put that on the cookie sheet. Seven minutes on each side under the broiler. That'll give it a great char. After that, I turn the broiler off and put the oven at 350, fully close the door and let it go until the pork reaches 160 (about 10-15 more minutes).

Try it out for yourself. Maybe you'll end up eating pork chops every other week....

short ribs: an exercise in ridiculousness...

It all started the week of Thanksgiving.  I had the week off from work, and not a whole heck of a lot to do.  So, being the person I am, I end up on the couch, flipping between the Discovery Channel and the Food Network, when all of a sudden, Guy Fieri is yelling at me.  "Check out these short ribs!  They are OFF THE HOOK!"  I am thoroughly entranced.  They certainly did look off the hook, and I kind of wanted them.  

But being the week of Thanksgiving, turkey was really the only thing in my immediate future.  No complaints there.  But the short ribs kind of hung on my mind.  It certainly didn't help matters that the Food Network decide to show the same damn holiday special every other day for the following three weeks.  

So yesterday, I said WTF.  In the morning I looked at a bunch of different recipes, took what I thought the best parts of each one were, and made myself a shopping list.  After hitting up Papa Fitz's for lunch, I made a quick stop at Shaw's and then headed up to McKinnon's for the all important meat run.  Two packs of short ribs: check.  The following is an account of what might be the greatest thing to have ever come out of my oven:

8 short ribs

4 strips bacon

1 onion (chopped)

3 carrots (chopped)

3 celery stalks (chopped)

4 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)

rosemary & thyme sprigs

2 tbsp honey

1 bottle beer

2 cups beef stock

1 tbsp crushed red pepper

salt & pepper

EVOO (once around pot)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a heavy dutch oven, combine oil & bacon.  Cook the bacon until fat is rendered and then remove.  Season the short ribs with salt & pepper, and add to the pot in batches.  Crowding = bad.  Six side sear the ribs and set aside.  Add the veggies to the pot and cook until softened.  Add the tomato paste, beer, stock & honey, and stir until combined.  Add the ribs back to the pot, along with the rosemary & thyme.  The liquid should be about 1/2 to 3/4 up the ribs.  Loosely cover the pot and stick it in the oven.  Now go do something for 3 hours.  When you're done, take out your pot-o-heaven.  With a pair of tongs, grab hold of one of the bones, give it a pull, and you'll notice that there is no meat on it.  Absolutely ridic!

I ended up roasting some potatoes, also, which I served the whole thing over.  I assume you could just as well put it over rice or pasta.  Speaking of pasta.....

So, after I was done eating last night, I shredded up the remaining meat, and then took the old hand blender to the stew (or whatever the hell you call it).  Then tonight, I took the blended liquid, the shredded meat, and a half can of crushed tomatoes, put all that in a pot together and simmered that while I cooked some rigatoni.  Definitely a good way to handle the leftovers.  And now I have my lunches taken care of for the week.

first post or: how i decided to start a blog about cooking

Bear with me....

I am not a trained chef and I've never been to culinary school (although I did take one recreational class at Cambridge Culinary, where my wonderful partner and I made an amazing chocolate/hazelnut dome cake).  Hell, I've never even worked at a fast food joint.  However, if you know me at all, you know that I love food.  And if you know me even more, you know that I really love to cook.

So, in an attempt to share my experiences with food, I've decided to start a blog.  I don't know how this is going to work out just yet.  I envision posting recipes, opinionating on Food Network programs, reviewing restaurants, maybe even asking Danny Boome to take me under his wing.  Or, I could just write this one post, and that'll be the end of it.

For tonight, though, I'm just glad I got this started.  Tomorrow, I plan on posting a rather detailed account of this evening's experience with shortribs.  Complete with photos.  And as a teaser, I leave you with these.....