The Epiphany: Homemade King Cake

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Today is the Feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night or King’s Day in many corners of the world, including this one. For me, it is the day that you can finally eat king cake. As with many a New Orleanian, my childhood memories of king cake were McKenzie’s or disappointment. While McKenzie’s are still available (in a manner of speaking) from Tastee Donuts, they just aren’t the same. But the classic McKenzie’s style of no icing, no filling is still my go to. Last year, I undertook making my own king cake, and will undoubtedly do so again this year. The process is really easy (if not a bit time intensive), the proof in that is that I’ve been able to pull it off multiple times with success. If I can do it, you can bet your ass you can.

I started with this recipe posted over on Chef’s Lagniappe and through some tweaking by Cupcake (through her excellent baking knowledge) and myself (through totally screwing things up by accident) we came up with what turned out to be a nice light, fluffy king cake. So without further ramblings, here’s the recipe (which was, in fact, posted last year):

Ingredients for king cake:
1/2 cup warm water
5 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup warm milk
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
4 oz unsalted butter plus an additional 2 tablespoons of butter plus extra for greasing the bowl and baking sheet
A few tablespoons of cinnamon and sugar
Marischino cherries (optional)

Ingredients for way too much icing and decorations:
1 lb powdered sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
Milk, enough to make a glaze
Purple, Green and Gold sugar
nonpareils (the rainbow sprinkles–optional)

Directions:
1. Combine the warm water, yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a bowl and set in a warm place until the yeast begins to bubble (around 10 minutes, but may wildly vary–yeast is tempermental).

The wee yeasties (that's a science joke!)

It is always good to see that the yeast is alive and kicking. Sometimes the store-bought stuff is DOA.

2. Combine the yeast mixture, both flours, the remaining sugar, nutmeg, salt and lemon zest in a mixer. Add in the warm milk, the eggs and yolks, plus the 4 ounces of butter (melted). Beat that bad boy with a dough hook on medium until the mixture is smooth.

3. Once the dough is smooth, throw some flour on the counter and knead the dough. Add flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky. Keep on kneading until the dough is nice and stretchy.

4. Transfer dough to a greased bowl. You can use any number of things to grease a bowl when baking, melted butter, Pam, olive oil, etc. Cupcake says it is best to pick something that matches what is in the recipe already to keep a consistent flavor profile (unless you are deliberately trying to introduce another flavor). Flip the dough so the top of the dough is greased. Cover the dough and set aside until doubled (hour and a half/two hours or so).

Dough Man Rising

This is a great magic trick, cover the dough mixture and in about 90 minute it doubles in size!

5. Push the dough down, then transferred back to a lightly floured countertop. Separate the dough into three strands for braiding.

6. Once you get the three strands separated out, create a cinnamon/sugar mixture (50/50 is about what we went with). With your mixture made, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Brush the butter on the first strand and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. No need to go overboard, just enough to give a little extra sweetness and flavor to the bread. Repeat for the remaining two strands and braid the three together. NOTE: If you would like to add a filling to your king cake, we would add it as you braid.

The Dusted Strands

I have no reason to add this other than I'm proud of it.

7. Place your undoubtedly beautiful braid on a buttered baking sheet, and make it into an oval. Pinch the ends together to seal closed. Cover the braided oval and let rise for another 45 minutes. Depending upon how long it takes your oven to pre-heat to 350, you’ll want to start that sometime during this step.

8. If you want to add in the McKenzie cherry piece to your king cake, you’ll want to add the cherry pieces into the dough just before dropping it into the oven.

Embedded Cherries

9. Bake until golden brown. This could range anywhere from 25 minutes to 45 minutes depending upon the oven. Once golden brown, set aside to cool.

10. While the king cake is cooling, make the icing. If you’re going for a traditional McKenzie’s like we do, you’ll be able to significantly reduce the amount of icing you make. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. As you’re mixing, mix in just enough milk to get a glaze. Like pornography, you’ll know it when you see it.

11. Once your king cake has cooled, glaze and decorate with alternating purple, green and gold sugar sprinkles. If you added the cherries, use the nonpareils around the cherries. We use just enough glaze to act as a “glue” to keep the sprinkles attached to the king cake. If you lean more towards the icing king cakes, go hog wild.  As you can see below, my skills at aesthetically decorating a king cake are pretty abysmal.  Of course, pretty has no impact on taste.  Just ask the praline.

Ugly, but awesome king cake

Spot at the Bar: New Amsterdam Gin

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Photo from New Amsterdam Gin

I was first introduced to New Amsterdam Gin at a Tales of the Cocktail event hosted at MiLa. The gin hadn’t particularly made it onto my radar, but we had been to plenty of special dinners at MiLa and have always been pleased, so we figured we’d give it a shot.

As far as gin’s go, New Amsterdam falls into that catch-all category of New American (or New Style) gins, which basically means it isn’t a London Dry, Genever or Plymouth gin. That New Amsterdam is unlike most any other gin you’ve had is obvious from the get go. While not all gins are dominated by juniper flavors, New Amsterdam basically forsakes it all together. The result? A citrus focused gin that boasts the ability to be enjoyed straight. While few outside the frat houses would typically have the desire or fortitude to take a slug of warm gin, new Amsterdam’s smooth candied orange flavor actually make this an accomplish-able feat for most people (of course, not that you should). Best of all is New Amsterdam’s low price, we were able to pick up a liter bottle from the Rouse’s for a mere $19.99.

This isn’t to say that New Amsterdam is the kind of gin you go looking for to use in classic gin based cocktails. It isn’t. But it is a great change of pace to vodka in many citrus driven cocktails and as an easy re-introduction for those who have sworn off gin entirely. I’ve found it the New Amsterdam to bring in rave reviews for cosmopolitans and, in most instances so far, preferred by vodka drinkers instead of their normal vodka cosmo. At such a cheap price, its basically a no-brainer.

My New Amsterdam Cosmopolitan
1.5 ounces New Amsterdam Gin
.75 ounces Cointreau
.25 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
1 ounce cranberry juice (I prefer to use the tarter 100% cranberry juice, if you prefer a sweeter drink go with the cranberry cocktail)

Shake over ice, strain into a chilled glass. Orange peel for garnish. Enjoy!

What’s Cooking: “Garlic” Bread Pudding (sans garlic)

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Silly snafus must run in my family.  And this impromptu weeknight dessert showcases that perfectly.  Here’s the story.  My parents invited us over for dinner last night.  When we got there, they had a yummy dinner in the works and asked me to make some garlic bread.  They handed over a baguette and all the fixings, but when I started working on the baguette, it was completely stale and dried out (snafu #1).  To give you an idea of how bad it was, my dad decided he could snack on some of the dried pieces with a bit of cheese but I think he almost broke a tooth (which I guess could be snafu #2?).  Earlier in the night my mom had confessed that she didn’t have anything for dessert, so I decided I could turn that dried out bread into bread pudding!

So I scavenged around in her kitchen and pulled out some milk, eggs, triple sec, vanilla, sugar, caramels leftover from Thanksgiving, and whiskey.  I chopped the bread into small cubes (which, by the way, is way easier with a serrated knife).  Then I whisked together 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla, 1/2 cup of sugar, and a splash of triple sec.  Spread the bread cubes out in a buttered baking dish and pour the liquid over.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350.

While we were eating dinner, we realized that it wouldn’t really be bread pudding without a sauce, so then I remembered the caramels.  $1.25 suggested a whiskey caramel sauce, so I got to work.  I have no clue how many caramels we had, so you’ll have to improvise…when they were peeled it was a big handful, does that help?  I melted the caramels down in a double boiler with a splash of milk.  Once they melted, we added probably about 1/3 cup of whiskey.  You’ll probably want to add it a little bit at a time depending on how many caramels you have.  BTW, we had WAY too much sauce (snafu #3?), but give me some credit, I was winging it and my original goal was garlic bread!

You’re probably wondering what my big snafu was, considering I just told you about my creative solution to the stale bread.  Well, snafu #4 (or wherever we are in the counting) came when I got the bright idea to blog about the whole thing.  You already know I tend to have more “technical difficulties” than most.  Last night I took that to a whole new level when I tried to use the Word Press App on my iPhone and ended up posting a couple of pictures of the bread pudding LIVE to the blog, without any explanation or anything.  Just some random bready pictures for your viewing pleasure.  If you happened to get that post, sorry bout that!  $1.25 rescued me this morning and pulled them down.  Now they’re in their rightful place in the post where they belong, surrounded by words and explanations like they deserve.  See, this bread pudding was just a big cluster…from start to finish.

But, speaking of the bread pudding, it was really good!  I’m very proud of myself for swooping in to resuscitate the baguette to give it a new purpose in life.  And for the record, I think everyone enjoyed it more than they would have enjoyed the garlic bread.  Just goes to show what a little flexibility and creativity can offer in the kitchen…oh and it helps to have a well stocked pantry.  Garlic bread turned bread pudding!

Pizzicare: New York in the City

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As you walk in, you’re sure to be struck by the subway tiles, the seemingly miles of pies and slices that are all visible behind the clean glass, all while a flurry of activity zips off near the pizza oven. You get the slight tug that you’ve just walked off of a wide New York City avenue, but the cleanliness and beats from the brass band at the neighboring wine bar will remind you this is no NYC joint. Pizzicare (peet-zee-cah-ray) is the most recent venture of Jeff Baron and Bart Bell, both of Crescent Pie and Sausage Company and Huevos (now relegated to pop-up status), Pizzicare has a special focus on putting out high quality pizza pies and slices at a reasonable price. So far, they’ve delivered in a big way.

Endless choices for your slice (photo courtesy of Pizzicare)

Pizzicare’s quest for high quality ingredients takes it to a pretty familiar spot, as it sources a good bit of its meatiest toppings from Crescent Pie and Sausage. The remaining meats you’ll find on your slice are from Boar’s Head. Pizzicare even has a daily veggie pie that is topped with whatever the community gardening program, NOLA Green Roots, pulls from its gardens that day. You certainly can’t get any fresher than that! The result is a pizza that is very tasty, but doesn’t weigh you down for the rest of the night.

Pizzicare’s design lends it to a quick and efficient takeout and delivery business. For those looking for a quick lunch, Pizzicare is a great choice. Swing in, pick a slice or two to heat up and you’re on your way. Can’t pull yourself from the office or couch? They’ll deliver for you. Of course, this doesn’t mean that dine in isn’t a viable option. Pizzicare’s high takeout and delivery business means you’re likely to have the restaurant to yourself, which makes it an easy place to bring the kids. For the adults looking to dine-in, if you like a beer or some wine with your pizza you’ll need to BYOB for the time being. One thing that some people may find a turn off for dining in is the music from the neighboring Therapy Wine Bar can invade the space a bit at times, but so far the music has always been great!

While the traditional mark of New York style pizza is cheese, or if you’re feeling adventurous, some pepperoni, Pizzicare’s topping heavy specialty pizzas have proved too much of a pull for us to bow to some NYC “tradition.” Of course, given the generous helping of toppings on a thin crust slice, eating your pizza may take a bit more work than you’re used to. In the end, I promise you it is well worth it. Another mark Pizzicare hits perfectly are the ‘breadsticks.’ Pizzicare’s garlic knots and pepperoni sticks are a rather addicting way to get your temporary carb, meat and sauce fix while waiting on your pie to come fresh out of the oven. More than once we’ve found ourselves trying to soak up every last bit of the garlic and parmesan sprinkle topping with the sticks, or if we’ve exhausted that supply, the crispy pizza crust. Even with all that gushing about the food, one of the nicest surprises out of Pizzicare is the bill. Most every offering on the menu is priced a bit cheaper than whatever may be considered comparable at the other pizza places around town. High quality and great taste at a cheaper price? Sounds like a winner to me.

Half fried chicken and broccoli rabe, half Crescent Sausage pie (photo courtesy Pizzicare)

It will be really nice to watch Pizzicare grow, because much of that will signal the rebirth of the Tulane corridor. More selfishly, Pizzicare’s success will mean more offerings and convenience. As the business gets settled, the menu will expand (as it did yesterday with the addition of sandwiches) and the delivery zone will increase as will the number of drivers. Personally, I’m most looking forward to them opening on Sundays so I can flip on the Saints game and have some excellent pizza to soak up my Saturday night without leaving my house.

In all Pizzicare is a welcome addition to the neighborhood and is sure to make its mark on the city’s booming pizza scene in no time.

Pizzicare
3001 Tulane Ave
504-301-4823
Monday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Delivery, takeout, dine-in
BYOB, takes all forms of payment

What’s Cooking: Cheesy Stuffed Shells

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We’ve had a bit of a hiatus around here recently, but the good news is that even though the blog has been quiet, our kitchen has been busy!  So I’m finally putting down the pots and pans and picking up the computer to bring you recaps of all the yummy things we’ve been working on over the past few weeks.  First up is this quick and easy stuffed shells recipe.

$1.25 and I came into an abundance of meaty spaghetti sauce not too long ago and when we got tired of same old same old spaghetti, I decided to re-purpose it in the stuffed shells.  So, for starters, you need some sauce.  You absolutely can use store-bought non-meaty sauce, though, so no stressing if you don’t have any “laying around.”

Here’s what you’ll need:

15 oz whole milk ricotta

1 egg, beaten

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning, salt and pepper

1 package of shell pasta, cooked for about 1/2 of the recommended cooking time

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

While the pasta cooks, mix together the ricotta, egg, garlic, cream cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and the parmesan cheese.  Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a square baking dish.

Drain the shells well and then gently stuff them with the filling.  By undercooking them, they’ll be a little more resilient to breakage, but you still have to be careful.  Line up the stuffed shells in your baking dish.  You will probably have some pasta left over, but it’s good to have extra in case any of the shells break in the process.

Pour more sauce over the shells.  Top the stuffed shells with sauce and then cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes until the sauce bubbles.  Then uncover and bake until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.  Enjoy!  They are perfect for a cold night when you need something warm and hearty.

The Dante’s Pop-Up Love Triangle

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I’m sure by now, you are all aware of Noodle and Pie, the pop-up by the Dante’s Kitchen (it goes up in Coulis). If you’d like to read a bit more about it, the folks at Gourmet and Gourmand wrote about it last month. Pretty straight forward, a restaurant in town runs a pop-up, big deal. Where is the intrigue? Well things get a little interesting. While most folks at Dante’s are resting on Tuesday nights (Dante’s is closed then), another place pops-up in their kitchen. So Dante’s runs a pop-up at Coulis on Mondays and hosts a pop-up on Tuesdays. Got it?

Neil McClure, General Manager of Dante’s, is the driving force behind McClure’s Barbeque. McClure’s opened last night for the first time, and while we were unable to attend, our friends that scooped us on this story called it “the best BBQ in NOLA!!!” Yes she did use three exclamation points. In addition to being the best BBQ in town, we were also informed that McClure’s sports the best macaroni and cheese ever served in a restaurant. That’s some big billing right there.

McClure’s plans appear to be testing out the food on Tuesday nights, but eventually transition to serving lunch at Dante’s Mondays through Fridays. Currently, McClure’s is serving things family style, so you’ll get a taste of everything. Of course, much like the Tuesday night dinners, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this fall to the wayside once enough feedback has been generated to see what works and what doesn’t.

If anybody happens to check it out, please drop us a line to let us know what you think.

Weekend Round Up: Thursday Delight

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Friday will be off for us over here, but we’ll still have our regularly scheduled post over on GoNOLA. There is a good bit of stuff going on this weekend and so we wanted to make sure you could get in on some of these great things:

1. Hell Yes Fest! Already started last night, but there is still plenty more to enjoy. If you’re a big fan of live comedy and really want to see some of the nation’s best groups, this is your chance. $50 gets you an all access pass for the weekend, whereas one-off spots should only run you about $10.

2. Boudin and Beer: Part one of Emeril’s fancy weekend kicks off Friday night at 8:00, Boudin and Beer is exactly what is sounds like. A one night celebration of awesome sausage from chefs Emeril Lagasse, Donald Link and Mario Batali and more than 20 other local chefs and great beer from Abita. Tickets are $75 with all proceeds going to Emeril’s foundation. If you’re a literary type the boys over at Blackened Out are giving out two free tickets for the best Boudin Haiku, that’s 5, 7, 5 kids.

3. Carnivale du Vin 2011: Part two of Emeril’s fancy weekend kicks off Saturday at 6:00. There’s going to be plenty of food and drink, plus a live charity auction. However, the individual tickets will set you back a cool grand. That’s a bit rich for our blood, but I bet you the event is going to be a pretty amazing culinary star-gazing event.

4. The Food Co-Op is going to be throwing its grand opening party from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on Saturday. There will be an all day with music, games, and suppliers of some of your favorite local foods on hand to formally ring in the new store.

5. Party for the Troops: The Hotel Monteleone will be hosting a huge tailgate party for the Saints/Falcons game this Sunday at 8:00 am. Chef Tory McPhail, Chris Lusk from Café Adelaide, Chef Alon Shaya from Domenica will be a few of the chefs on hand cooking up tailgate foods for you using the Big Green Egg. All profits and proceeds from the event will be donated to ensure turkeys and trees are provided for as many families as possible during the holiday season. For such a good cause, you should come early and eat often!

Enjoy your weekend!