Northern Virginia Magazine » recipe

Childhood Christmas Memories … Grammy’s Chocolate Cake

The Editorial Desk — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:00:13 +0000

What are your best childhood memories of the holidays?

My favorite memory of Christmas is going over to my grandmother’s house on Christmas day, where she would always save me the job of spreading her fresh, sugary frosting over top of her homemade chocolate cake. She would have everything waiting for me: a two-layer cake sitting on a crystal platter, and a big bowl of just-whipped cream cheese icing with a big knife for me to spread it with.

I would start spreading, my eyes bright and wide as I drooled over the thought of biting into that familiar, chocolately, comforting Christmas taste of cake. Once my grandmother got distracted by other things, I would sneak a big lick of a knife in between dips and spreads, and then keep lathering it on as if not even the slightest bit of that vat of icing was previewed by my six-year-old mouth.

It’s been years since I’ve had my grandmother’s cake. She’s stopped baking, but she passed over her famous recipe for the cake I crave so badly every year that I may just finally have to start baking it myself.

Image: Analia Valeria Urani/Shutterstock

Chrystal’s Chocolate Cake

-3 eggs

-1 1/3 cup sugar

-1/2 cup solid shortening (Crisco)

-2 cups flour

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1 teaspoon salt

-5 tablespoons Hershey’s dry cocoa

-1 cup milk

-1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the first three ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla. All together now, alternatively add the flour and milk mixtures into the egg/sugar/shortening mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Image: Jut/Shutterstock

Cream Cheese Frosting

-8 ounce package cream cheese

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-3/4 cup powdered sugar

-1 tablespoon milk

Mix together in a large bowl using an electric beater.

Let your cake cool, and when ready, spread the icing (and, of course, sneak a few big licks).

Thanks to Grammy for sharing the recipe!

Enjoy!

-Julia Harbo

Egg Nog Bread Pudding

The Editorial Desk — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:30:05 +0000

Egg nog: the famous holiday drink that you either love or hate. Personally, I love it. The heavy sweet and nutmegy flavor is a must-have for me every year. And because it has such a distinct, powerful taste, it works amazingly as a front-stage ingredient in other recipes.

Today I’m bringing you a special recipe from the kitchen at Wildfire: Egg Nog Bread Pudding. This holiday dessert special is luscious and rich, served with an espresso cup of freshly made egg nog. It’s a spoonful of holiday cheer times two!

Egg Nog Bread Pudding
(Serves 12)

-1 cup brown sugar
-1 cup granulated sugar
-4 eggs
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-pinch of nutmeg
-1 quart egg nog
-2 cups whipping cream
-1 loaf (1 pound, 12 ounces) challah bread, cut ¾-inch thick

Mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, egg nog and cream in a mixing bowl to make a custard. Cut bread slices into 16 cubes per slice. Gently fold bread into custard. Let stand 20 minutes. Place the mixture into a 9×13-inch pan. Smooth the top and cover with plastic wrap and foil.

Place bread pudding pan into a bain marie (water bath) and bake at 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes until done and temperature is 190 degrees.

Let rest for 15 minutes, then cut into 12 squares. Serve at room temperature.

Thanks, Wildfire, for sharing the recipe!

You can find this egg nog bread pudding on Wildfire’s dessert menu — theirs is served with warm caramel sauce and whipped cream and a small cup of freshly made egg nog, as pictured.

Wildfire is located on the 3rd floor of Tysons Galleria in McLean. Call 703-442-9110 for reservations.

-Julia Harbo

Wintry Recipe — French Onion Soup

The Editorial Desk — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:15:19 +0000

With this weekend’s drop in temperature, it finally felt like we were stepping into winter. The nip in the air was appropriate with all the post-Thanksgiving Christmas decorations and lights that now line the streets. Of course, we’re back to too-warm-for-December weather now, but it’s bound to drop again soon.

So, on an appropriately cold evening, I was in the mood for some body warming food, as we should be, here in NoVA, in December. As I browsed my usual web spot TasteSpotting (an amazing compilation of food photos linked to their recipes) I was lured into a picture of the most beautiful cup of French Onion Soup and thought, that’s it.

I love soup, but I’ve never been a big maker of soup myself. For some reason, I’ve always written off French Onion Soup as being too complicated, too sophisticated for me to make. Could I actually be in charge of cooking onions with beef broth and perfectly crusted thick cuts of gruyere cheese over some beautiful, oven-baked ceramic bowl?

As it turned out, yes. Despite my beyond-my-abilities admiration for French onion soup, this recipe was surprisingly simple to make. And very rewarding.

Here’s the recipe I followed, too easily (adapted from SweetSugarBean):

French Onion Soup for two

-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-3 medium-sized onions, about 6 cups, thinly sliced
-salt, pepper
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
-1 cup white wine
-4 cups beef broth (chicken or veggie is fine, too)
-1 tablespoon soy sauce
-1 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh
-crusty sourdough or French bread
-one whole block of gruyere cheese, grated, about 2 cups (asiago or parmesan reggiano works, too)

With my French onion soup, I took the crouton route by cutting sourdough bread into thick two-inch chunks, sprinkling them with cheese and olive oil, and baking in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees until crispy. I put these aside and added them to my soup before baking in the oven. If you don’t like the crouton method, simply cut the sourdough into slices and lay across the top of your soup bowls before topping with cheese and baking in the oven.

In a large pot, melt your butter and add the onions. Cook your onions with the garlic for about 20 minutes, allowing them to caramelize. Add your salt and pepper to season. Once your onions are looking nice and golden, add the mustard and white wine, bringing to a boil and stirring for about 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat and lastly, add the soy sauce, beef broth and thyme.

Pour your soup into oven-proof bowls and add your bread or croutons. Grate your cheese and thickly and generously cover the top of your soup bowl. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes or until top layer of cheese is nice and crusted.

Let cool for a few minutes (I didn’t have the patience and had a very badly burned tongue afterwards…) and dig in. Enjoy with extra bread to dip in.

And, of course, if you want some French Onion inspiration before venturing into making it yourself, you can always turn to your NoVA restaurants here.

-Julia Harbo

Thanksgiving Variation: Stuffed Turkey Burger

The Editorial Desk — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:30:30 +0000

It’s fair to say that plenty of people in America are counting down the hours and minutes until the year’s ultimate meal, Thanksgiving. Some say it’s better than Christmas — better than their birthdays, even.

Since we’re days away from the big feast (10, to be exact) I’d like to share a special recipe with you today, on behalf of Wildfire in McLean. It’s called Stuffed Turkey Burger, a whimsical play on your average T-day turkey. The ground turkey burger topped with cranberry chutney, stuffing, mustard mayo and served on an onion bun is on Wildfire’s menu, but you can make it at home, too. Wow your family/significant other/friends/roommates.

Stuffed Turkey Burger

For the stuffing (makes 8 cups):
-4 oz. butter
-3 cups water
-8–10 oz. box of traditional stuffing mix (or use your own recipe)

Combine butter and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in stuffing and mix until combined. Cool and refrigerate until ready to make the burgers.

For the Cranberry Relish (makes 6 cups):
-4 oz. Spanish onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
-1 cup cold water
-¾ cup dark brown sugar
-½ cup granulated sugar
-¾ cup cider vinegar
-2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch dice
-½ t. kosher salt
-1 t. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
-½ t. ground allspice
-½ t. curry powder
-zest of one orange
-¾ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
-1 lb. fresh or frozen cranberries
-2½ oz. dried currants

Simmer the onions, water and sugars for 30 minutes in a medium saucepan. Stir in vinegar, apples, spices and orange zest. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Stir in orange juice, cranberries and currants and boil for approximately 10 minutes. Transfer to a stainless steel pan and cool in fridge. Transfer to a plastic container.

To make the burgers:

Divide the ground turkey into two evenly sized (4 oz.) patties. Scoop about 3 oz. stuffing and flatten on a plate or wax paper. Lay one patty down and place flattened stuffing on top. Place other patty over the stuffing and pinch the edges together so it’s “sealed.”

Spray Pam or other non-stick coating on each side of the stuffed burger. Season each side of the burger with salt and pepper. Broil the burger over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes on each side. Place on buttered and toasted onion bun. Add your choice of mustard mayonnaise and one heaping tablespoon of cranberry relish. Top with other half of bun and dig in!

Thanks, Wildfire, for sharing your delicious recipe!

Wildfire is located at 1714 U-International Drive on the 3rd floor of Tysons Galleria in McLean. Call 703-442-9110 for more information.

-Julia Harbo

How Do You Like Them Apples?

The Editorial Desk — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:30:44 +0000

Image: Raffalo/Shutterstock

No, really…that isn’t a disparaging phrase, it’s an honest question.

You can bite them, slice them, peel them, cook them, coat them in caramel, dip them in peanut butter…oh, yes, the list is endless.

The sun is shining (hopefully), the sky is blue, the air is getting crisp but not too cold, grocery stores are more stocked with apples than they’ve ever been, and all the local farmers markets and orchards are up and running. So go out there and get yourself some apples!

This week’s recipe:

Cinnamon Apple Butter

Apple butter seems to be one of these trendy foods—more sophisticated than your average peanut butter, yet way far beyond apple sauce. But like peanut butter, there’s actually no butter component in apple butter either—no dairy at all.

Apple “butter” gets its name from the buttery texture that the apples get when cooked down with sugar. Despite its current trendiness, the history of apple butter goes back to the original Pennsylvania Dutch who needed to preserve their food during the winter and did so with the abundance of autumn apples.

Similar to jam or any other fruit preserve, it’s great on toast, bagels, added to yogurt or oatmeal, even on ham or pork sandwiches! (porkchops and apple butter!?)

(Adapted from Epicurious.com)

Image: ecliptic blue/Shutterstock

-10 large apples of your choice, peeled, cored, and diced
-1 cup apple cider
-2 cups sugar
-2 teaspoons cinnamon
-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine apples and cider in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. After initial boil, reduce the heat and boil gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by half.

Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and continue to boil for about 25 minutes, until the mixture is very thick.

Remove from heat and ladle into glass jars for storage.

Enjoy!

Northern Virginia Apple Orchards (in alphabetical order):

Crooked Run Orchard (37883 East Main St., Purcellville; 540-338-6642)
Hartland Orchard (3064 Hartland Lane, Markham; 540-364-2316)
High Places Orchards (121 Winesap Lane, Flint Hill; 540-635-5537)
Hill High Farms (933 Barley Lane, Winchester; 540-667-7377)
Hollin Farms (11324 Pearlstone Lane, Delaplane; 540-592-3574)
Great Country Farms (18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont; 20135)
Graves Mountain (Graves Mountain Lodge, Route 670, Syria; 540-923-4231)
Mackintosh Fruit Farm (1608 Russell Road, Berryville; 540-955-2161)
Marker-Miller Orchards Farm (3035 Cedar Creek Grade, Winchester; 540-662-1980)
Nichols Farm (1832 Chapel Road, Middletown; 540-869-1258)
Richard’s Fruit Market (6410 Middle Road, Middletown; 540-869-1455)
Rinker Orchards (1156 Marlboro Road, Stephens City; 540-869-1499)
Stribling Orchard (11587 Poverty Hollow Lane, Markham; 540-364-3040)
Virginia Farm Market (1881 North Frederick Pike, Winchester; 540-665-8000)

-Julia Harbo

Easy Potatoesy Sweet Potato Fries

The Editorial Desk — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:00:08 +0000

Just for fun-- my pumpkin and prosciutto pizza from Rustico. Doesn't it look good? Yeah, it was.

This weekend, craving something yet more fally (in addition to my homemade pumpkin hummus and butternut squash salad and pumpkin pizza from Rustico– I know, yeah, I went gourd crazy!) I decided to go out on a ~~limb~~ root and made some homemade sweet potato fries.

I can’t help but get giddy when I see this (in my opinion superior) variety of french fries on any menu, and as much as I love ordering them, I decided to buy one sweet potato from the grocery store (for about 85 cents) and roast some s.p. fries of my own.

Gut Checkers, this was the easiest, most rewarding culinary creation in my own kitchen! You must try these.

I decided, instead of deep frying in oil, to bake my sweet potato fries for two reasons: one, it’s healthier than deep frying; two, I don’t have a deep frier and didn’t want to waste half a bottle of oil with my impulsive decision to make DIY fries.

So, I preheated my oven and got to chopping up my sweet potato. I love the skins on my fries, so I rinsed the potato and then cut it into halves, then fourths, and ultimately long french-fry-shaped strips. If you prefer a skinless fry, simply forget about rinsing and just peel the potato.

Once you have you potato strips, throw them on a baking sheet and pour about 1/8 cup of olive oil (the amount can vary according to the size of your potato(es) and personal liking) over the raw fries. Using your hand, toss them around so the oil spreads evenly to each and piece. Now for the fun part: spices.

Giving my spice rack a good twirl, I shook a fair amount of hot chili powder, cinnamon, and a few dashes of cumin over the potatoes and then mixed ‘em up one last time. (I waited till they were done to add salt.)

I baked the fries at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, checking and mixing them (and, of course, sampling one) around every 10 or so minutes. When they tasted nice and tender I took them out of the oven and sprinkled some sea salt on top.

Here’s what they looked like:

YUM.

The hardest part about this recipe was waiting for them to cool. I definitely waited about three minutes less than I should have and burnt the roof of my mouth, but whatever–it was so worth it.

These fries are crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, with the perfect contrast of sweetness, heat from the chili powder, and the sprinkle of salt.

I’m not knocking paying for these glorious things at any of our great NoVA dining options (luckily there are plenty), but if you’re in the need to save some money or just need to have sweet potato fries ASAP and can’t wait to get to a restaurant, then these are for you.

-Julia Harbo

How Do You Like Them Apples?

The Editorial Desk — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:30:02 +0000

Image: Raffalo/Shutterstock

No, really…that isn’t a disparaging phrase, it’s an honest question.

You can bite them, slice them, peel them, cook them, coat them in caramel, dip them in peanut butter…oh, yes, the list is endless.

I’m not that extreme of an apple purist, but I do love apples, and all the things you can do with them. And what better time to enjoy apples than in the fall? That’s why I’m putting together a blog chain that will glorify the apple and all the things you can do with them, with one apple recipe per week.

This week’s recipe:

Benjamin likes them apples.

I decided to put my words to practice and went apple picking this past weekend. I went with my sister and 16-month old nephew and got some deliciously fresh and crisp Fuji apples. Trying to think of what to do with a bag of 15+ apples, we decided to make something traditionally fally (and yummy) and went with apple crisp.

Traditional Apple Crisp

From SparkRecipes

5-6 medium sized apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter

Mix the apples and cinnamon and place in a 9-inch greased baking dish. For the topping, mix together the remaining ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over the apples. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the apples are soft and the topping is golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Northern Virginia Apple Orchards (in alphabetical order):

-Julia Harbo

How Do You Like Them Apples?

The Editorial Desk — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:15:06 +0000

Image: Raffalo/Shutterstock

So, how do you like them apples?

No, really…that isn’t a disparaging phrase, it’s an honest question.

You can bite them, slice them, peel them, cook them, coat them in caramel, dip them in peanut butter…oh, yes, the list is endless.

This week’s recipe:

In celebration of Yom Kippur, today’s recipe will be a classic Jewish recipe, of course, using apples: haroset. Haroset is typically served during the Passover Seder, but you can make it for Yom Kippur, too, to enjoy as stomachs are growling from fasting all day.

I am not Jewish and didn’t grow up trying much more than my Jewish classmate’s matzoh in the cafeteria during Passover or a cup of matzoh-ball soup in one of New Jersey’s many diners. So when I joined my boyfriend’s family for my first Seder a few years ago, I was skeptical of the gefilte fish and stuck to the haroset, becoming obsessed with its sweet and crunchy deliciousness.

The following year, I decided to make it myself and was surprised by how easy it was. It’s great to have a classic haroset recipe as you’re celebrating your Jewish holiday; and even if you’re not celebrating Yom Kippur this week, I urge you to try haroset for sheer enjoyment.

Traditional Apple-Walnut Haroset

From epicurious.com

Makes about four cups

3 medium Gala of Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1 ½ cups of walnut halves, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
½ cup sweet red wine such as Manischewitz
1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of packed brown sugar

In a large bowl, combine and stir together all ingredients. Store at room temperature or refrigerated until ready to enjoy.

Northern Virginia Apple Orchards (in alphabetical order):

-Julia Harbo

Killer Fish Tacos, Dude!

The Editorial Desk — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:00:07 +0000

The other night I had the pleasure of enjoying a fantastic meal of fish tacos at my boyfriend’s parent’s house. Fish tacos have recently become one of my favorite meals; every time I have them I am reminded of how good they are, with so many fresh flavors and textures. Plus, enjoying some fish tacos makes me feel like a cool Californian surfer, like this dude:

Here’s my recipe for ridiculously delicious and easy fish tacos. Most fish tacos are made with mahi-mahi, but I use tilapia because I like the mild taste and it’s generally less expensive. I use a bean-corn-tomato dip recipe as the topping for the tacos, and it compliments them amazingly. Finally, they’re topped with a killer sauce my boyfriend whipped up to give the tacos an ultimate zesty kick. These fish tacos are Wapahh! good:

(Serves four)

For the converted dip-topping:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn
1 large tomato, diced
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper (if you want an extra kick)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together thoroughly. Put aside, either in refrigerator or leave out at room temperature.

For the sauce:

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1/2 lime
A couple leaves of cilantro, finely chopped

In a small bowl, whip together mayonnaise and vinegar with a spoon. Add the honey and the lime, and lastly, the cilantro. Put aside.

For the taco essentials:

4-12 small soft corn tortillas (depending on how many tacos you plan on eating)
3 tilapia filets
Salt and pepper, to season
About 1 tablespoon of olive oil, for pan frying

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Season the filets with salt and pepper on both sides and throw in the pan when hot. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked all the way through. Don’t worry about keeping the filets intact as you serve them in medium-sized chunks anyway. When finished, put the fish into a bowl with a spoon for easy serving.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave or in the oven.

To assemble, spoon some fish onto your open tortilla, followed by a generous serving of the dip-topping, and finally, the sauce. I like to finish it off with a sprinkle of green chile hot sauce. Roll the tortilla together and dig in! Expect it to get messy and have extra napkins handy (or just lick your fingers like I do).

For more fish taco options, check out this Northern Virginia-based blog recipe or visit some of the fish taco-serving joints in the NoVA area, such as Taqueria Poblano‘s Baja Fish Tacos with beer-battered and fried mahi-mahi.

Enjoy, dudes!

-Julia Harbo

How Do You Like Them Apples?

The Editorial Desk — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:00:41 +0000

Image: Raffalo/Shutterstock

So, how do you like them apples? No, really…that isn’t a disparaging phrase, it’s an honest question.

You can bite them, slice them, peel them, cook them, coat them in caramel, dip them in peanut butter…oh, yes, the list is endless.

My personal favorite way to eat an apple is plain, fresh and raw—there’s nothing better than first crunchy bite through the tough and bitter skin, making way to the sweet, juicy, slightly yellow inside. Some people eat the entire apple raw, core and seeds included (I know, but you’ll grow an apple tree in your belly!). I’m not that extreme of an apple purist, but I do love apples and all the things you can do with them. And what better time to enjoy apples than in the fall? That’s why I’m putting together a chain of posts that will glorify the apple and all the things you can do with them, with one apple recipe per week.

This week’s recipe:

The Best Tuna Salad

This tuna salad is full of flavor and contrasts textures so wonderfully with the crunchy apple, celery and onion. Enjoy it as an amazing sandwich on toasted bread, in a salad, or just plain—because it’s that good.

-2 cans of chunk light tuna in water, drained
-2 tablespoons of light mayonnaise (reduce or use fat-free Greek yogurt for lower fat content)
-1 ½ cups of chopped red apples
-1 cup chopped celery
-¾ cup diced white onion
-Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the drained tuna in a large bowl with all ingredients except the mayonnaise. Add the mayonnaise last so you can do it in small increments and keep the consistency to your liking. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate.

Northern Virginia Apple Orchards (in alphabetical order):

-Julia Harbo