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Thursday, March 7, 2013
Rooster's Is Bringing Mustaches Back
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Tunnel of Fudge Cake — No Ifs Ands or Bundts About It
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| Amy & Tunnel of Fudge birthday cake, with fiancee Trevor. |
The Tunnel of Fudge Cake proves the point that sometimes maybe the judges aren't always right. In 1966, the Pillsbury Bake-Off winner was Golden Gate Snack Bread, flavored with cheese spread and onion soup mix. The Tunnel of Fudge Cake, made by Ella Rita Helfrich, took second place. But the cake with the molten fudgy center captured America's interest, and brought the bundt pan from obscurity to booming sales almost overnight.
"The cake made a diminutive Houston mother of five a celebrity, changed the fortunes of a small company in Minneapolis, and made a little-known European pan a mainstay of nearly every American kitchen," wrote Amy Sutherland in "Cook-Off: Recipe Fever in America."
In fact, most households have a harvest-gold or avocado-green Bundt pan from that era still tucked away in a cupboard.
Bundt pans are known for their decorative fluting, the center tube that conducts heat and the very dense, moist cake that results.
Helfrich submitted 30 different recipes to get into the 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off, according to Sutherland's "Cook-Off." Helfrich tried stirring Pillsbury's dry-frosting mixes into cake and brownie batters. Her final creation used a Double Dutch Fudge Buttercream frosting mix. To bake it, she used the specialty tube pan that her kids had given her for Christmas.
She received the second grand prize of $5,000 from masters of ceremonies Pat Boone and former Miss America Marilyn Van Derbur.
Soon after the contest, the Tunnel of Fudge recipe spread across America. It was easy to make, yet the impressive appearance and lava-like middle gave it an elegant cachet. Grocery stores couldn't keep the frosting mix in stock. Nordic Ware began making Bundt pans around the clock, seven days a week, to meet the demand. In 1970, Nordic Ware and Pillsbury collaborated on a line of Bundt cake mixes.
They were very popular through most of the '70s and part of the '80s, until people lost interest in baking, according to a spokesperson from Nordic Ware.
Dry frosting mixes also waned in popularity and were replaced with ready-made frosting. With Double Dutch Fudge Buttercream frosting no longer on the market, today it's impossible to make the original Tunnel of Fudge cake recipe. But Pillsbury and Nordic Ware have a substitute recipe that uses powdered sugar, cocoa powder and a little more butter. Nordic Ware also sells a Tunnel of Fudge cake mix (www.nordicware.com).
For me, the hardest part of this recipe is getting the cake out of the pan intact. You need to grease and flour the pan generously, even if you have a nonstick pan as I do. I've tried lining the pan with aluminum foil to keep the cake from sticking, but you lose some of the detailed fluting from the pan. Make sure to let the cake cool at least an hour before turning it out onto a serving plate. If there are cracks or holes, use the glaze to glue the pieces back together and cover them.
Don't bake the cake too long, or the fudgy center will bake and become just another cake. To insure a fudgy center, I pour about 2/3 of the batter into the pan, and then arrange a ring of chocolate chips top of the batter. Then I pour the rest of the batter on top and bake. This isn't something in the original Bake-Off recipe, but it works for me!
TUNNEL OF FUDGE CAKE
Cake:
1 3/4 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (for Utah's altitude, add 3 more tablespoons)
3/4 cup cocoa
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips
Glaze:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
For cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl beat margarine and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add powdered sugar; blend well. By hand, stir in remaining cake ingredients until well blended. Spoon 2/3 of the batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Arrange about 1 cup of chocolate chips on in a ring on top of the batter. Top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cake will have a soft middle. Cool upright in pan on cooling rack 1 hour or more before inverting onto serving plate.
For glaze: In small bowl, combine glaze ingredients and microwave about 1 minute. Stir until well blended. Spoon over top of cake, allowing some to run down
sides. Store tightly covered.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
High West Distillery Enters James Beard Semi-Finals
The James Beard Foundation named Park City's High West Distillery and Saloon a semifinalist and one of just 25 bars in the country for the Outstanding Bar Program category for the second straight year. The Foundation also nominated James Dumas, High West's Executive Chef, as one of only 22 people nominated for Best Chef: Southwest. High West was Utah's first distillery to open since 1870.
"We're once again both thrilled and humbled to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation," High West proprietor David Perkins said. We bring to our restaurant the same passion, joy and craftsmanship that we do to our distillery and the whiskies we make."The Beard Awards are a culinary equivalent to the Pulitzer Prizes, representing the highest honor that a North American chef, bar or restaurant can attain. They are named for James Beard, a cookbook author and teacher who championed American cuisine. Final nominees for the Beard Awards will be announced May 6 at a ceremony in New York City. The nominees will be announced live on Twitter (@beardfoundation).
High West's Beard nomination is the latest in a list of significant accolades for the restaurant and distillery, which opened just five years ago. Whiskey Advocate Magazine named High West its 2011 Whiskey Pioneer of the Year, readers of Salt Lake City Weekly voted High West the Best Park City Restaurant in 2011 and 2012, and the distillery and its products have been featured in publications ranging from Wine Spectator and the Wall Street Journal, to Huffington Post, Delta Sky Magazine and the Boston Globe.
Located at exactly 7,000 feet above sea level in historic Old Town Park City, High West is the world's only ski-in gastro-distillery. High West's passion is crafting unique and exceptional whiskeys and marrying them with outstanding food. For more information, visit highwest.com.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Utah Blogger is a Reynolds Real Mom Finalist — Vote Now
After searching across the country for moms to share their tips for making meal time easier, Reynolds announced the ten finalists competing to become a Reynolds Real Mom for the year. One of them is Karen Petersen of Farmington, the author of www.365daysofcrockpot.com and the popular cookbook, "365 Days of Slow Cooking."
Starting today, the moms will compete on the Reynolds Wrap Facebook page, showcasing their best tips and tricks for cooking and baking.
Reynolds will feature a tip from each mom every Wednesday through March 27. Fans are asked to vote and help choose five of the ten finalists to become an official Reynolds spokesperson for 2013. So yes, Karen could use your vote!
Besides Petersen, other finalists are:
Trisha Furrow-Haas, Theodore, Ala.
Tiffany Merritt, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Katie Goodman, Erie, Colo.
Utokia Langley, Bowie, Md.
Emily Lyon, Yuba City, Calif.
Whitney Gainer & Ashley Turner, Colleyville and Justin, Texas
Rachel Matthews, Corpus Christi, Texas
Maria Long, Henrico, Va.
Jennifer Mercurio, Kissimmee, Fla.
“We know the kitchen is the center of where moms connect with their families,” said Ken Lane, Vice President of Marketing, Reynolds Consumer Products. “To make cooking and baking easier, Reynolds provides the tools necessary to help moms – from prep work to cleanup and everything in between. The Reynolds Real Moms will highlight how to simplify mealtime with creative ideas, tips and techniques using our products.”
Visitors to the page will learn everything from how to create foil packets to how to line a pan with parchment paper to make clean up a cinch.
The five winners will be featured in Reynolds advertising, attend media events and will continue to provide recipes and tips in the kitchen online.
The ten finalists were chosen after a nationwide search to find real moms to share how to make cooking and baking simpler or easier every day. The brand invited these women to be finalists based on their creativity and passion to become a Reynolds Real Mom.
For more information about the Reynolds Real Moms contest, please visit www.Facebook.com/ReynoldsKitchens.
Rovali's in Ogden Offering Express Lunch
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| Rovali's new express menu boards |
Rovali's on Ogden's Historic 25th Street is now offering an express lunch menu with quick-serve items such as pizza by the slice, calzones, salads, lunch combos, awesome sandwiches including our brand new pizza sub, take-out and curb side pickup.
Rovali’s Ristorante Express Lunch idea was created to give downtown business people another option when they have only 30 minutes or less for lunch. And for the budget conscious; we have our pizza by the slice for as little as $2.75 or lunch combo that includes a half sandwich, bag of chips, soft drink, cup of soup or side salad all for $9.99! We also have our call-ahead ordering if you want to dine in. If you haven’t tried our espresso bar or homemade desserts; you are in for a real treat! Our Express Lunch is offered Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rovali’s Ristorante Italiano is located at 174 25th Street Ogden, Utah (online at rovalis.com).
"We think this will be a great option for people who don't really have much of a lunch break, but still want to have a quality meal, " said owner Alex Montanez . "We say, why settle for fast food when you can have great homemade food fast?"
Rovali's Ristorante, located at 174 25th Street, is a family-owned and operated restaurant that has been in business for nearly 7 years and on 25th Street for three years.
Mandarin In Top 25 Chinese Restaurants in America
Are the throngs of people lined up at the doors of the Mandarin in Bountiful every weekend on to something? Apparently so.
Mandarin Restaurant in Bountiful was featured as one of the top 25 Chinese Restaurants in America by Travel and Leisure magazine. Considering there are at least 41,000 Chinese restaurants scattered across the United States, that's pretty darn good.
"We’ve been working hard for 36 years and are thrilled about the recognition," said Angel Skedros Manfredini, pastry chef and part owner of the Mandarin, who emailed me with the news.
The Mandarin has been a popular Bountiful mainstay for years, ever since owner Greg Skedros opened its doors. Yes, it's owned by a Greek family; but the chefs are Chinese.
The Mandarin was doing "local, seasonal" ingredients long before it became trendy. Back in 2006, I did a story for the Deseret News on some of the high-end restaurants that were buying from local farmers and ranchers. Angel told me that the Mandarin bought its green beans, zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers from Bangerter Farms in Bountiful every summer, and that the customers could definitely tell the difference. Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Daily Dish: Mega Mushroom Soup
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| Making Rosemary Potato Corn Chowder on Good Things Utah. |
I've posted the Rosemary Potato & Corn Chowder on this blog before, but not the Mega Mushroom Soup. I got the SOS call yesterday that GTU had a last-minute cancellation and needed someone to fill in. I picked the Rosemary Corn Chowder because I'm comfortable with it, since I've done it in a few other classes and demos. I've really wanted to demo my French Onion Soup recipe, but I wouldn't have time to slice the onions and caramelize them in the five minute segment allotted on TV. However, I think it would be perfect for my 45-minute cooking demo at the Standard-Examiner's Home Show on March 1, 11 a.m., at the Weber County Fairgrounds.
Here's the Mega Mushroom Soup recipe. The major expense is the package of mixed dried mushrooms (you can usually find them in the produce area of your supermarket). They are around $5 for a one-ounce package. Don't waste your money on dried cremini mushrooms — they are almost the same, flavor-wise, as plain white button mushrooms. I happen to think that porcini mushrooms give off a stronger, more earthy flavor. If you can happen to have a variety of fresh mushrooms, add them t o the mix!
MEGA MUSHROOM SOUP
Prep time: 30 minutes
Makes about 6 1¼ - cup servings
This soup's deep, earthy flavor comes from dried, fresh, and canned mushrooms. You can puree it for a smooth texture, or leave some of the mushrooms chunky.
1 (1-oz.) pkg. dried mixed wild mushrooms
2 cans beef (or vegetable) broth
2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
2 (8-oz.) pkgs fresh sliced cremini or button mushrooms
1 medium onion, sliced or chopped
(or 1½ cups frozen chopped onions)
1½ cups cream or half-and-half
1 small can sliced mushrooms, stems & pieces
1 tsp. dried rosemary
½ tsp. dried thyme
1. Place dried mushrooms in a microwaveable 3-C. bowl. Pour 1 can of broth over the mushrooms.
2. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, or until stock is boiling. Remove from microwave and allow mushrooms to steep in the broth for about 10 minutes.
3. While mushrooms are steeping, melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan on low heat while you slice or chop onion.
4. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add fresh mushrooms and onion. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring so that the vegetables don't burn.
5. Pour reconstituted mushroom/broth mixture, rosemary, thyme, cooked mushroom/onion mixture and canned mushrooms in blender, making sure to scrape the pan for any browned bits. Puree until smooth.
6. Pour back into saucepan and stir in remaining can of beef broth and cream. Allow to cook until heated through.
Options: For a chunky texture, only puree the reconstituted mushrooms and half of the mushroom/onion mixture. Also, if fresh wild mushrooms are available, they make a nice addition.
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