Sunday, May 13, 2012

Blog on the go?

Let's see how this works! With all the apps I have on my phone I have no excuse to blog, right?

This past semester I used the dough concept for a group project. For our class presentation I slaved away over these chocolate chip cookies for our class of 100 people. The biggest issue was trying to prevent my sous chef from eating the product! Just seeing this picture reminds me how much I love chocolate chip cookies... I think I may need to make another batch in the near future :)

Friday, September 23, 2011

World's worst blogger??!

So I will admit, I have been a complete failure at managing the blog!  Although I do have an excuse:  about three weeks ago my wonderful boyfriend asked me to marry him!!!!  Anyway, I kind of jumped head on into wedding mode and abandoned my blog responsibilities.  But I am back and focused on getting this thing back on the right track.  I already have a couple of recipe posts in the hopper waiting patiently for their turn.  Until then, I am going to share one of my favorite food mags: Everyday Food.

October 2011 issue

I was so excited to get my October issue in the mail yesterday.  I packed it in my school bag so I could check out what kind of recipes this issue has to offer.  I love to cook in the fall because I LOVE LOVE LOVE soups, slow cooker meals and holiday meal planning.  With four different types of chili recipes, I already know there are going to be plenty of recipes for me to try.  Another reason I love this magazine: the recipes come with nutritional facts.  Although I may not always consult them, it's a nice feature.  Especially as I try to get into wedding shape!

Here are some recipes I am looking forward to trying out and (hopefully) sharing with you:
Cauliflower Risotto
Braised Chicken with Butternut Squash and cranberries
Zucchini, Tomato and Lamb Lasagna
Lesley's Green Chili

Promise to have a recipe update real soon!! 

Monday, August 22, 2011

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Typically for family gatherings I am in charge of dessert.  Shocker, I know.  I received a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for this past Christmas and have been itching for a chance to break it out again.  I decided Fourth of July was the perfect holiday.  Ice cream is almost a requirement for summer gatherings in Texas.  (In my book at least).  Next decision: What flavor?  My wonderful boyfriend requested Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream, which I thought would be both kid and adult friendly. 

(Note to Readers:  I have a huge confession, which I consider almost a sin in the baking world. I NOT a fan of the chocolate/peanut butter combo.  Except for the Girl Scout cookie, Tagalongs.)

I did a quick recipe search for peanut butter ice cream and found this one on the Food Network website.  When searching for an ice cream I do have certain recipe requirements I think are essential: egg yolks, heavy cream and whole milk.  I think dessert should be an indulgence and I want every ounce of fat a recipe calls for!  And if necessary I will make the required changes.

The final product was a huge success!  I thought the texture was very creamy and had excellent peanut butter flavor.  I used mini Reece's peanut butter cups, which tasted great, but I should have chopped them a little smaller.  To prepare the pb cups, I unwrapped them and froze them so they would be easier to chop.  Next time I think I will use a food processor to chop the candy.  All in all it was a great outcome for an untested recipe.


Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream







Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

2 c. Heavy Cream
2 c. Whole Milk
1 t.  Vanilla Extract
9 Egg Yolks
3/4 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Creamy Peanut Butter

Scald the cream and the milk in a saucepan.
Whisk together yolks and sugar.  Temper the mixture with the scalding liquid and return to heat.
Whisk in the peanut butter until smooth.
Chill completely in an ice bath before freezing in an ice cream freezer.
You can keep the ice cream base in the refrigerator up to 7 days.
Fold in peanut butter cups after freezing the ice cream.  I like to transfer the ice cream to my storage container and fold in the candy during the transfer process.  Although I'm sure your instruction manual will give the manufacturer's recommendation on how to add-in candies or other items.  

Thursday, August 18, 2011

So what's this Blog all about??

I'll try and keep this entry short(ish) and to the point.  We'll start with a little bit about myself: I am a trained pastry chef who recently left my industry job.  But I still love to bake and cook.  While attending pastry school I did very little on the culinary side, so I consider myself a amateur cook.  Although I would like to go back and take some other cooking classes one day when I have time.  Originally my blog was going to be focused on baking, hence the title dough bakeshop.  Recently I have found myself focusing a little less on the sweet at home and more on the savory so I decided to retool the concept.  So that's where The Savory Kitchen comes in.  Instead of creating a new name I decided to merge the two concepts while still keeping their individuality, which I guess is evident in the crazy title image.  Maybe it can be a small look at how my crazy mind works. 

My goal for this blog is to post once a week.  It will usually feature something I made during the week, or may come from something I made in the past that I saved specifically for the purpose of this blog.  I am still a student (for the third time!) so my life can get a little hectic.  Even so, I love the idea of sharing what I do in the kitchen with other people because it's the best way to both learn and discover new things!  Plus, not getting to work in a commercial kitchen everyday I need an outlet for my kitchen creativity.  I hope you will join me in my newest endeavor.

xoxo,
meg