Cupcakes Capone

Misadventures in Cooking, Dining & Exploration

Monday, April 18, 2011

Crab and Corn Chowder

Chowder... I think of grey, damp New England days and wellingtons in rain puddles. Not until I moved North did I really have a grasp on what chowder was or is supposed to be. It's a stew, typically containing seafood, that's thickened with cream.




Although it started out a lovely day in NYC, by the time we left the post office mailing ridiculous amounts of money to the government, it felt cold, damp and in desperate need of some chowder.

This recipe is from Rachel Ray's Comfort Food. It was so simple.. some sautéed celery, bell pepper, bacon and onions. Season with a little old bay. Add 3 cups heavy cream, 2 cups chicken stock. Once simmering, add hash browns, crab and corn.

I made some cheddar corn muffins to crumble up in it.

Woe begone taxes!!! More chowder to warm the soul.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, April 15, 2011

Sleep with the fishes...

It has come to my attention that Cupcakes Malone is caught up in some deadly cupcakery. Soon she could be busted by Steakhouse Sal and Muffins Luciano. So from this day forward, she will be known as.... drum roll please....

Cupcakes Capone!


They'll never catch me now ;)

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Grandma's always here

Warm, ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven can heal scraped knees, turn a frown upside down and immediately transport you to your grandma's kitchen, no matter where you are in your life.






I was feeling very under the weather today and was in need of a warm hug. I opened the pantry and there it was.... like a little golden bag of sunshine: Tollhouse chocolate chips.

Many may quibble over the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I think Tollhouse has it pretty down pat. You can get all fancy with imported chocolate, various types of sugars, and of course, nuts or not to nuts. In my opinion, some things are best left just as is... Simple. Warm. Comforting.

In less than 15 min, sheer happiness is at my fingertips... I'm 7 years old, sitting at my grandmother's house with a plateful of cookies and I'm watching the Smurfs. All is right in the world.

Love you Grandmother





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oh la la! Chocolate eclairs

There's always a dish that intimidates a cook, regardless of how seasoned they are in the kitchen. For me, I fear pork loins, homemade bread and certain pastries, particularly eclairs.





Eclairs are the epitome of a pastry: puffy dough, creamy filing and a decadent chocolate glaze to finish it off. I see them in the bakery and marvel at how pretty, and surely complicated they are to make .... Wrong!!!


The magic behind this classic dessert starts in the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. Any witch, wizard or muggle can whip this sweet delight up in less than an hour. And even more amazing? The dough, pate choux, is the same to make cream puffs and profiteroles! So master this dessert and really you've learned three :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Stoup: chicken and chorizo

What is stoup? Part stew, part soup = stoup. For women that like a dainty soup, but men craving meat and potatoes ... Make a stoup.

I chose a chicken & chorizo stoup, recipe compliments of Rachel Ray's Comfort Foods cookbook (btw I still haven't found a throw away recipe yet). This stoup has chunks of sautéed chicken, zingy chorizo, onions, red pepper, roasted tomatoes, kidney beans and red potatoes - told ya it was a meat and potatoes dish - floating in a salty, yet simple broth.



Once simmered to perfection, ladle into a soup crock, top with crushed tortilla chips and pepper jack cheese, then place in broiler until cheese is melted. Garnish with a little cilantro or a dollop of sour cream.

Such a nice departure from Campbell's soup ;)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, April 11, 2011

Sweet & Salty takes the Cake

Yes, a post has been long overdue, but I'm going to make up for it in two words:

SALTY, SWEET


I thought I was just the weird kid in the lunch room cafeteria that liked dipping Ruffles potato chips in her Jello puddin' cup, sausage in peanut butter and stuffing handfuls of Sno Caps and movie popcorn in her mouth! This action would normally garner odd stares and occasional pointing. Come to find out, I was just satisfying my craving for something a little Salty, Sweet. 

I thought I had died and gone to heaven, when I came across a recipe in Food & Wine: Best of the Best Cookbook (from my entry, So Many Cookbooks!for a Sweet and Salty Cake. We paired it off with a scoop of Dulce de Leche Ice Cream drizzled with the salted Caramel Sauce.