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Share in the real-life stories of two Betty Crocker editors. Each week, Andi and Heidi will tell you all about their personal food experiences: what they love to cook, their kitchen disasters, their biggest food challenges, and how they feed their families and friends. And they’ll help you find ways to bring creativity and inspiration to your kitchen every day.
 
 

November 2007 - Posts

  • I found this interesting little tidbit in an old issue of Real Simple magazine: The 100-plus pleats on a chef’s toque “represent the number of ways a skilled cook should know how to prepare an egg.” Now you know.

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  • Yes Danny N. – I do have a "dream job". Developing thousands of recipes every year for cookbooks and magazines is a lot of work but it is a lot of fun too. After I taste them in our test kitchens and decide they are delicious enough to publish, I type them in the Betty Crocker Kitchens style. For example, when I want to use garlic, I would type: 1 clove garlic vs. 1 garlic clove.  Both are correct but we editors choose one way to write every ingredient and every technique in order to keep our style consistent.

     

    When I'm not sure if an ingredient is spelled correctly, I pull out my copy of the Food Lover's Companion (4th edition), by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst. It's kind of a food dictionary and encyclopedia – all in one. According to this book, an ancho chile is a dried poblano chile – the sweetest of all the dried chilies. A chipotle chile is a dried, smoked jalapeno chile, which much hotter than an ancho chile. (Danny, I hope that answers your question from your comments on Tuesday.)

     

    This book would be a great holiday gift for any food lover!

     

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  • Today is crazy-busy but here are a few photos from Thanksgiving, as promised:

     

    Potato Gratin Fresh Herb-Topped Rolls
    Potato Gratin Fresh Herb-Topped Rolls
    Pumpkin-Caramel Cheesecake Shawn's Deep-Fried Turkey
    Pumpkin-Caramel Cheesecake Shawn's Deep-Fried Turkey

     

     

    1 comment(s)
  • In my job it’s important to keep up with food trends. There are lots of ways to do this including watching the food network shows, reading recipe magazines and food sections in newspapers, dining at restaurants to see what the chefs are up to and of course, walking up and down the supermarket isles to see what's new on their shelves.

    Our readers tell us that they want traditional recipes with a new twist, and so I use trend information to update favorite recipes. This week in the Test Kitchens, we are working on recipes that use chicken and ground beef. How does Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Salad sound for a late summer dinner recipe? Or, Ground Beef Fajitas? 

     

     Heidi and Andi in kitchen

    Heidi and I in the Betty Crocker test kitchens, tasting some of the new recipes.

     

    Kathy in kitchens
    Kathy E. prepares the recipes for us to taste.

    4 comment(s)
  • I'm happy to report that my Thanksgiving meal with the neighbors was a success. Shawn deep-fried the turkey in his backyard and the results were truly magnificent. Amy's mashed potatoes were literally swimming in butter--in a good way and, while my rolls weren't perfect looking, they tasted pretty darn good. For some reason I'm not able to post photos from home, so you'll have to wait until Wednesday for visual proof.

    I made the cheesecake and it, too turned out scrumptious. It wasn't as hard as I'd imagined. The water bath made me super nervous. I was worried that I hadn't wrapped the foil high enough around the sides of the spring form pan to keep the water out. My fear grew when I removed the foil from the pan and water pooled out. In the end, everything was okay and the crust remained crunchy. I skipped the part about sugaring the almonds and served the cheesecake garnished just with the brown sugar whipped cream. I didn’t hear any complaints.

    And you? What was your most successful Thanksgiving dish?
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  • I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling stuffed just thinking about all the food I’m going to eat in the next few days. In addition to hosting Thanksgiving, my neighbors Amy and Shawn are planning a Pie Party on Friday. They’re encouraging everyone who attends to bring their leftover desserts. Talk about a sugar rush.

    I’m toying with the idea of making the Pumpkin-Caramel Cheesecake featured on the cover of this year’s Betty Crocker Thanksgiving magazine. I was lucky enough to get a taste of this cheesecake when the recipe was first developed and it is absolutely out of this world—and I don’t actually like the taste of pumpkin all that much. I bought all the ingredients last night and I just ran down to the kitchen to borrow a 9-inch springform pan since I don’t own one. I’ve never made a cheesecake that requires a water bath, but having had a bite of this, I think it’ll be worth the extra effort. Plus, it’s not like mine is going to be on the cover of a magazine, so if it doesn’t have to look perfect. I’ll let you know how it goes.

    Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

     

    Pumpkin-Caramel Cheesecake
    Prep Time: 20 Minutes
    Start to Finish: 10 Hours 50 Minutes
    16 servings

     

    Crust  
    1 1/2 cups finely crushed gingersnap cookies (30 cookies)

    1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

    Filling  

    3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

    1/2 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)

    1 cup sugar

    1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

    1/2 cup caramel topping

    3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

    3 eggs

    Garnish
    1/2 cup sliced almonds
    1/3 cup granulated sugar

    Topping  

    1 cup whipping cream

    2 tablespoons brown sugar

    1 teaspoon vanilla

    1. Heat oven to 350°F. Wrap foil around outside of bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan to catch drips. Spray bottom of pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, stir crust ingredients until well mixed. Press mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set.

    2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and creamy. Beat in 1/2 cup butter until creamy. Do not overbeat. On low speed, gradually beat in sugar. Add pumpkin; beat until blended. Beat in caramel topping and flour. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended.

    3. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Pour filling into partially baked crust. Place springform in large roasting pan; pour hot water into roasting pan until one-fourth full. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.

    4. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook almonds over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown; sprinkle 1/3 cup granulated sugar over almonds. Continue cooking and stirring 2 to 3 minutes longer or until sugar is melted and almonds are coated. Spread almond mixture on sheet of foil sprayed with cooking spray. Cool 2 to 3 minutes; break apart.

    5. In chilled medium bowl, beat topping ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Serve slices of cheesecake topped with whipped cream and almonds.


    High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Before heating oven, place small baking pan filled with 1 to 2 cups of water on oven rack below center rack to help prevent cheesecake from cracking. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake cheesecake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.

     

    1 comment(s)

  • Last week, I came down with a bad cold--the kind that really slows you down. In fact, I stayed home from work one day since I didn't have enough energy to get dressed, much less drive to work. As I lay in bed, (I wasn't hungry at all, mind you) I thought about food because that's what I do. I would have loved to have had someone drop off a steaming pot of chicken noodle soup at my front door but I knew that wasn't going to happen. So, at around 2:00 pm in the afternoon, I finally got out of bed to heat up a can of Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup, which really hit the spot.

     

    Here is a traditional scratch Chicken Noodle Soup recipe that you could make for someone who is sick. Believe me, they will really appreciate your efforts. Here's another idea--make this soup on Friday, using what's left of your turkey carcass and meat (instead of the whole chicken the recipe calls for).

     

     

    1 comment(s)
  • So, do you have a plan for Thanksgiving yet? I’m going to be spending the day with my neighbors Amy and Shawn. This is the agenda:

    Morning: Kick off the day with Shawn's infamous Breakfast Pizza and mimosas. Amy and Shawn are strict about the dress code for this event. Pajamas are required (since they are across the street—I don’t even have to swap my slippers for shoes).

    Afternoon: Nap

    Early Evening: The Meal. Shawn is deep-frying the turkey. He’s also making the stuffing and green beans. Amy is making her famous mashed potatoes and two (two!) kinds of pies. I volunteered to make this and Fresh Herb-Topped Rolls. The rolls are from the 2006 Betty Crocker Thanksgiving magazine. Since the magazine is no longer available, I’ve included the recipe at the end of this post. If you’re looking to make a side that’s impressive but deceptively easy, you definitely should give these rolls a try.

    Late     Evening: Spend the rest of the night enjoying cocktails, movies and each other’s company. A.C. and Luke are scheduled to make an appearance. Lastly, munch on leftovers, provided there are any!


    Fresh Herb-Topped Rolls
    Prep Time: 15 Minutes
    Start to Finish: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
    12 rolls

     

    1 tablespoon cornmeal
    1 loaf (1 lb) frozen honey-wheat or white bread dough, thawed as directed on package
    36 fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
    1 egg
    1 tablespoon water

    1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide thawed dough into 12 equal portions.

    2. Shape each portion of dough into a ball. Place rolls on cookie sheet. Spray sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over rolls. Cover with towel. Let rise in warm place 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.

    3. Meanwhile, place rinsed parsley leaves on paper towels; pat dry. With kitchen scissors, cut stems from leaves.

    4. In custard cup, beat egg and water with fork. Brush mixture over top of each roll. Dip parsley leaves into egg mixture; place 3 leaves on top of each roll. Brush remaining egg mixture over parsley-topped rolls.

    5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

    High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

    Tips:
    * Any fresh flat-leaf herb, such as dill weed, sage or marjoram, can be substituted for the Italian parsley.
    * Place the parsley leaves close together on the rolls; they'll shrink during baking, increasing the space between them.

     

     

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  • I always thought Pad Thai was one of those exotic dishes best left to restaurants. Not so much anymore since I dared myself to make the Pad Thai in the Betty Crocker Cookbook (10th edition). Upon reading the recipe it is very easy to be scared off by the list of ingredients. There are 18—count ‘em—18 in all (if it makes you feel any better, water is listed twice). Do not let this intimidate you. You can do this.

    *     The stir-fry rice noodles are a snap to make. They’re really not that much different from regular pasta, they’re just quicker.

    *     Step 2 just involves mixing eight ingredients in a bowl (a word of advice: whatever you do, DO NOT smell the fish sauce! I cannot stress this enough. If you do, you will be tempted to leave it out of the recipe and you really, really shouldn’t, no matter what your nose tells you).

    *     It’s a good idea to have the garlic, shallot, eggs, shrimp (I prefer to use chicken), peanuts, bean sprouts and green onions cut up and/or measured out before you start heating the vegetable oil in your wok or skillet. That way you can just toss them in as directed. The fancy French term for this is mise en place. The Boy Scout version is “Be prepared.”

    *The recipe says it serves four, but when I make it for my friends A.C. and Luke, the three of us easily polish off the whole thing. If you’re serving four, you may want to add pot stickers or cream cheese puffs to your menu (purchased, of course—let’s face it: Some foods really are best off left to the pros).

    Try it (I dare ya) and let me know how you like it.
    Have a good weekend!



    Pad Thai with Shrimp
    Prep: 35 Minutes
    Cook: 5 Minutes
    4 servings

    4 cups water
    1 package (6 to 8 oz) linguine-style stir-fry rice noodles (rice stick noodles)**
    1/3 cup fresh lime juice
    1/3 cup water
    3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
    3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
    3 tablespoons soy sauce
    1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
    3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
    3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    1 medium shallot, finely chopped, or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
    2 eggs, beaten
    12 oz frozen cooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed OR 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
    1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
    3 cups fresh bean sprouts
    4 medium green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
    1/4 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves

    1. In 3-quart saucepan, heat 4 cups water to boiling. Remove from heat; add noodles (push noodles into water with back of spoon to cover completely with water if necessary). Soak noodles 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are soft but firm. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water.

    2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir lime juice, 1/3 cup water, the brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil until well mixed; set aside.

    3. In nonstick wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and shallot in oil about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until starting to brown. Add eggs. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring gently and constantly, until scrambled but still moist.

    4. Stir in noodles and lime juice mixture. Increase heat to high. Cook about 1 minute, tossing constantly with 2 wooden spoons, until sauce begins to thicken. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, tossing with 2 wooden spoons, until noodles are tender. Place on serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro. Garnish with additional chopped dry-roasted peanuts and green onions if desired.      

    ** Thin or thick rice stick noodles can be substituted for the linguine-style stir-fry rice noodles.

     


     

     

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  • The petits fours I brought to French class last night were delicious. After eating thee of these bite-size layer cakes with butter crème filling and frosting, I looked at the nutrition facts only to discover that each one had 130 calories and 7 grams of fat. C'est la vie!

    Audrey with her petits fours. 

     

    2 comment(s)

  • Stuck with a bumper crop of zucchini or squash? Check this out these hilarious Vegetable Silhouettes.

     

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  • My friend Audrey and I have been taking French classes for more years than I care to admit, since we still can't speak French. One class tradition is that we celebrate our birthdays with a sweet treat. This can be challenging because we meet right after work on Wednesday nights. Anything that I bring to class has to sit in the trunk of my car all day or I have to haul it into my office.

     

    Last November, I discovered the perfect treat for Audrey's birthday – Carrot Cake Petits Fours from The Swiss Colony catalog. What could be more French than a petit four? For her birthday this year, I've decided to order the Harvest Petits Fours with their adorable frosting garnishes of apples, carrots, pumpkins and gingerbread boys. They look delicious – I'll let you know how they taste after our class tonight.

     

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  • I attended the wedding of a former roommate in NYC a couple of weekends ago. The event was unbelievably elegant, from the ceremony at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine and my friend’s Prada wedding dress, to the luncheon reception at Riverbank State Park. We were greeted at the reception with tray after tray of hors d’oeuvre. My personal favorite? The mac and cheese croquettes. I couldn’t help but think that back home in Minnesota, we'd stick a Popsicle stick in them, call them "Mac and Cheese on a Stick" and serve them at the State Fair. Did I mention the bride is originally from Wisconsin? You can take a girl out of the Midwest….

     

     

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  • At 3:13 this afternoon, I got an email with the subject line: "Warm and gooey brownies in the kitchen." Not one to turn away a brownie, I went down to the kitchens to get one. I wasn’t back at my desk more than 10 minutes before I received another email. This one said "Cheesecake now!"

    This is my job, folks. Seriously.

     

    1 comment(s)

  • My refrigerator drawer was bursting with apples after a visit to an orchard in Bayfield, Wisconsin. I wanted to use some of the apples in a dessert last weekend and remembered my favorite recipe from French class, La Tarte Normande, which is basically an apple pie with custard.

     

    Because the recipe from class is written in French and would be hard to share with you, I decided to try the Tarte Normande aux Pommes from the classic Julia Child cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1. instead.

     

    Please forgive me Julia, but I'd like to recommend some changes: I would use a 10-inch tart pan because the custard would run over in an 8-inch one. Don't toss the apples with the sugar and cinnamon because the nice uniform, apple slices will break up into small pieces and then the arrangement in the crust won't be as pretty. And finally, sprinkling powdered on sugar on top doesn't enhance the appearance whatsoever and I would eliminate that step.

     

    My French class recipe calls for flaming the top with Calvados (apple brandy) which I tried to do with Julia's recipe, but it didn't work. After dosing the top of the tart with 1, and then 2 tablespoons of brandy, I still couldn’t get the top to flame. The next time I make this I'd heat some apple jelly, brush it over the top and drink the Calvados, for Pete's sake.

     

    2 comment(s)
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