Gnocchi With Wheat Beer Cream

For about six years I was the archivist for the YMCA of Greater New York. This is a recipe found in a back issue of the New Yorker, I don't recall the date of the issue. Someone once said that you should really only have five dishes in your repertoire and you should work on perfecting those. This is one of mine and even though I've made it a dozen times or more, I'm still trying to make it better. One shortcut I always do is substituting non-clarified butter for clarified butter. TO be honest it's really about saving time. Some day I'll get around to clarifying a large batch of butter so I can have some on hand, but I haven't found a technique I like yet.

Gnocchi With Wheat Beer Cream Ingredients

• 1 pound gnocchi
• 1 oz clarified butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• 1-2 oz wheat beer
• 4 oz heavy cream
  
• 1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
• Grated Parmesan
• Dash nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Gnocchi Instructions

• Boil gnocchi in pot of boiling water, after first gnocchi rise to surface---continue for 5 additional minutes
• While gnocchi boils, saute butter
• Add garlic and beer, reduce by half
• Season with nutmeg, parsley, salt, and pepper
• Add gnocchi to sauce and heat through
• Garnish with parsley sprig
• Add grated Parmesan to taste
  

BBQ Tofu with Fried Corn

This is another inspiration from the long-defunct Big E's restaurant. This is a hearty, vegetarian meal that is really tasty. Big E served it with a corn hash. I simplify it with a real basic fried corn recipe also tastes great served on top of grits. Another variation is to cut large fillets out of the tofu, follow the same instructions, and serve it as a sandwich.

BBQ Tofu Ingredients

• 1/4 to 1/2 pound firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• BBQ sauce
  

Breading:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Fried Corn Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon shortening
• 2-3 ears of sweet corn (or 1 1/2 cups frozen kernels)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

BBQ Tofu Instructions

• Dip moist tofu into breading
• Pan fry in vegetable oil until golden brown (2-3 minutes at medium heat)
  
• Drain and place in baking dish and cover with favorite BBQ sauce (I prefer Ken Davis, it has no corn syrup in it)
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
• Serve on top of fried corn
  

Fried Corn Instructions

• Heat shortening in large skillet until it shimmers
• Add corn, salt and pepper---heat through
• Add milk and cream and cook until corn is hot and liquid begins to boil
  

Oatmeal Cookies

This is one of the first recipes I ever made on my own, over twenty years ago, and I still use it regularly. It's from the Better Homes and Garden's 1983 New Junior Cook Book. I prefer oatmeal cookies without the additional weight of raisins, chocolate chips, or other ingredients, but if you like add a cup of your favorite ingredient and the recipe will turn out just fine.

Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup regular sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups quick rolling oats

Cookie Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit
• In a large mixing bowl mix together flour, both kinds of sugar, salt and soda.

• Add shortening, egg, milk, and vanilla.

• Mix in oats and raisins (if you choose).

• Drop teaspoon size mounds onto a greased cookie sheet, or silicone mat.

• Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Cool on a rack.
• Makes about 40 cookies.
  

Red Velvet Cake

The first time I heard of a Red Velvet Cake was at the now defunct restaurant, Big E's. I loved the rich taste, but it was the presentation that appealed to me the most. As one who likes the aesthetics of foods nearly as much as the actual consumption, the red velvet cake is the perfect choice to start this blog with.

The origin of the cake is disputed, some say it was created in the American south, others say it started as a gimmick at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. If anyone has any information, I'd love to hear it.

I find the cake works well for both formal and informal meals. This recipe comes from several I researched on the net as well as a few modifications of my own.

Cake Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 ¾ cup sifted cake flour
• 6 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 1 ½ tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar

White Velvet Icing Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups milk
• 1 7/8 cups granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/8 cups shortening
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Cake Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease and lightly dust with cocoa three nine inch round cake pans.

• In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well together.

• Combine flour, cinnamon, cocoa, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

• Add flour mixture gradually to creamed sugar, alternating with the milk.

• Add food coloring.

• Dissolve soda in vinegar and fold carefully into batter. Stir to combine, but do not over mix.

• Pour into prepared baking pans (I use a dry measuring cup to get equal distribution in all three pans) and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched by finger. Cool pans on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely before frosting.

White Velvet Icing Instructions

• Using a wire whisk, thoroughly combine flour and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly clear. Cool for two hours.

• Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Add butter mixture to flour mixture. Beat until light and fluffy.