Our Holiday Favorite: Red Velvet Cake

Christmas at the Trimm House would not be complete without our holiday favorite: red velvet cake! This decadent treat can be served at any time of the year – and believe me, my mom and I have made them for many different occasions – but the red velvet cake is the proverbial cherry on top of our Christmas celebrations.

This recipe is the exact same one we have been preparing for every single year since I can remember. It comes from an antique cookbook of my mother's that is a compilation of recipes from women across the state of Alabama. The author of this recipe is a Ms. Ruth Stovall. I've tried different red velvet recipes over the years, but Ms. Stovall's is the hands-down favorite of everyone. It's rich and moist without being too dense but not overly dainty or delicate.

Now, I've made a couple of tweaks to the recipe to suit my own taste. However, just be sure to follow the recipe as closely as possible; otherwise, you may end up with a fragile, crumbly cake. If your cake does fall apart, however, don't sweat it! Just make a red velvet trifle – which just happens to be the most requested dish of mine by my grad school colleagues. Also, we must discuss the topic of pecans. Most Southerners would consider it blasphemous to omit pecans from the frosting. However, I prefer the velvety texture of the cake and simple frosting on their own, so I don't add any nuts unless someone requests them. If you want to add them to the frosting or top the finished cake with chopped pecans, by all means, indulge! It's the holidays!

Red Velvet Cake

2 ½ cups self-rising flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

1 tsp. white vinegar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. butter flavoring*

1 1 oz. bottle red food coloring

*The original recipe calls for an antiquated product known as butter-flavored Wesson oil. Some sources claim that this product is still available in very limited supply, but I have yet to find any. Therefore, I simply add a little butter flavoring to the batter. You can completely omit this ingredient, though, if you desire, but it does add an extra richness to the cake's flavor.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Incorporate wet ingredients in the order listed, and mix thoroughly until batter is evenly blended. Be extra careful with the red food coloring, as it will stain fabrics and some surfaces very easily!

Pour batter into two greased, parchment-lined 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from the pans and applying frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese

2 sticks of butter

2 1 lb. boxes of confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

(Add a cup of chopped pecans if desired)

Allow cream cheese and butter to come to room temperature. Using an electric mixer, cream together softened cream cheese and butter, add vanilla, then gradually add confectioner's sugar until frosting is evenly blended. Apply generously to cake as desired. 

(Have a Sweet Holiday!)

 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, everyone! 

 

 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Rosemary Brown Butter with Kale and Pumpkin Seeds

Sweet potatoes always remind me of autumn, my favorite season. Every year while I was growing up, from October through November and even on into December, my mom always had a plethora of sweet potato pies ready to consume at a moment's notice. While many people tend to immediately associate pumpkin with autumnal cuisine, the sweet potato holds just as much importance for me and other Southerners.

In a previous blog entry, I touted the virtues of store-bought gnocchi, and while I still possess absolutely no qualms about grocery store shortcuts, homemade gnocchi are absolutely divine – and not as difficult to make as you might imagine. If you can make dough and boil water, then you can prepare gnocchi. These gnocchi are especially easy to make and are absolutely restaurant quality! For those of you unfamiliar with this dish, gnocchi are Italian potato-based dumplings that are soft with a slight toothsome quality, and they are incredibly versatile as they pair well with any sort of sauce one would typically apply to pasta.

Now, I can't take full credit for this recipe. It was concocted primarily by Matthew Senkow, but I did help! This is a fantastic dish for autumn as well as late summer and early winter. The combination of sweet potato and ricotta makes for a delightful sweet-savory combination, warmly accented by the richness of the rosemary brown butter and the freshness of the kale. Not to mention, the salty crunch of the pumpkin seeds makes for a touch of autumnal whimsy. This is quite the modern and elegant twist of the typical Southern sweet potatoes and greens!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi in Rosemary Brown Butter with Kale and Pumpkin Seeds

Gnocchi:

Approximately 1 lb. sweet potatoes, roasted and peeled*

12 oz. ricotta

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Dash of nutmeg

2 tsp. salt

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

*You can cook the sweet potato using whatever method you prefer. I prefer to roast mine in the oven at 350 until they are tender, cool them, and then peel them.

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly until they are combined in a uniform dough. Add flour if the mixture is too sticky. Roll the dough into little cylinders, approximately 1/2” in diameter. With a fork, cut the dough cylinders into bite-sized chunks, and mark each dumpling with the fork tines. Set lightly on floured sheet pan until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and gently add the gnocchi a few at a time. Once the gnocchi begin to float to the top of the water (usually about a minute or two later), remove them from the water. Reserve.

Sauce with Kale and Pumpkin Seeds

10 tbs. butter

1 tsp. dried rosemary

½ tsp. salt

1 large bunch of kale

Pepitas (roasted, shelled pumpkin seeds)

Finely chop kale as desired. (I went with a chiffonade cut for this recipe.) In a large pan, melt 8 tbs. butter on medium-high heat until it begins to slightly brown. Regulate the heat so that the butter does not burn. Add rosemary and salt. Add the kale to the butter sauce and stir, allowing it to gently wilt. Add remaining butter and a handful of pumpkin seeds.

Toss the gnocchi with the kale and butter sauce on low heat. Allow the mixture to heat for a couple of minutes, and then serve. 

(Holy gnocchi!)

 

Enjoy!

 

"Street-Style" Chorizo Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce

Last month, I visited friends in Mobile, and they insisted we dine at a tiny Mexican restaurant sitting inconspicuously amongst the sprawling landscape of chain eateries that call Airport Boulevard home. One typically wouldn’t have very high expectations for a Mexican restaurant on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, but I was absolutely blown away by my meal.

This particular restaurant, La Cocina, offers the typical Americanized Mexican fare that can be found at any similar establishment in the United States, but they also offer an “authentico” menu that features more traditional dishes. Being an unabashed chorizo addict, I selected the chorizo “street-style” tacos for my dinner, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Better yet, served alongside them was a spicy tomatillo sauce that packed just enough punch to put the whole dish over the top.

One thing to keep in mind about traditional tacos is that they are actually quite simple in their composition and usually consist of only a few fresh, tasty ingredients. All this jazz with lettuce and cheddar cheese and sour cream is essentially non-existent. My tacos were simply prepared with chorizo, onion, and cilantro atop warm corn tortillas, and in replicating the dish, I’ve kept the recipe simple, because really, why try to improve on perfection?

Before presenting the recipes, I feel that I should make a note about one of the most controversial ingredients in modern cuisine: cilantro. Personally, I don’t mind the stuff. However, some people find it absolutely ghastly and describe it as tasting like soap. While I include cilantro in the two recipes I’m about to present, if you possess a strong distaste for it, just leave it out or substitute fresh flat-leaf parsley instead. It’s really no big deal!

As an additional note, if you’ve never worked with tomatillos before in the kitchen, don’t be intimidated! Just peel off the husks – you may find them a bit sticky, which is normal – and chop them as you would tomatoes. They have a nice, fresh tartness to them with just a smidge of sweetness.

“Street-Style” Chorizo Tacos

10 oz. package of chorizo

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Red onion, chopped

Warm corn tortillas

Bring a skillet to medium-high heat, and cook the chorizo for 10-12 minutes. Once it’s cooked, drain the excess grease, and assemble the tacos as desired. Other suggested toppings are sliced avocado, Cotija cheese or queso fresco, or tomatillo sauce (recipe to follow).

Tomatillo Sauce

4 tomatillos, husked and chopped

¼ cup chopped onion

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 tbs. cilantro, chopped

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. salt

Dash of cumin

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and puree until the mixture becomes uniform. The sauce can be served as a condiment or simply eaten with tortilla chips.

(While you’re at it, cut some corn tortillas into wedges and fry them up to have your own homemade tortilla chips!) 

Enjoy!

Summer Selections: Tyler's Best Burger (Pimento Cheese + Easy Pickled Onions) + Cantaloupe Sorbet

If you asked me what my favorite food in the entire world is, I’d probably have to go with the ubiquitous hamburger. I’m not sure at what point in my life the hamburger finally trumped pizza and sushi, but there’s just so much about it I love: warm and tender bread, hot and juicy meat, and the frequent appearance of cheese, usually in gratuitous amounts. What’s not to like?

I’ve made many hamburgers over the years, and the recipe I’m presenting to you here is what I consider to be my best burger. Feel free to tweak the recipe as you like, but this concoction has never led me astray. As far as toppings are concerned, my hands-down favorite burger ever is topped with pimento cheese (HOMEMADE! NO NEON ORANGE COTTAGE CHEESE!) and some sort of pickle with just a dash of sriracha. This combination of ingredients possesses an equal balance of richness, tanginess, and heat and provides a nice, hearty texture. Because I was feeling particularly adventurous, I decided to make my own pickled onions for this batch of burgers. They are ridiculously easy to prepare, and they will last in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Concerning buns, I personally love a soft brioche bun (which is what I’m using for this batch) or a chewy ciabatta.

The proper cooking method of burgers is immersed in a controversy I’m not willing to enter. I will acknowledge that each cooking method has its own merits, but for me, the charcoal grill is the clear winner. However, to each his own. I will insist, though, that you not press the meat with a spatula while it’s cooking, or the meat’s juices will drain out, and you’ll wind up with a tough hockey puck. 

 (My new mini-grill my mom got me -- I just love it!)

Here are a few tips for making your burger patties – Start with room-temperature meat. It’s easier to mix, and it cooks more evenly than cold meat. Also, don’t be afraid to make big patties. Burgers will inevitably shrink during the cooking process, and you don’t want surprise sliders. Once you have formed the patty, squish it out as much as you can, and make an indentation in the middle with your thumb so that the finished burger won’t be too puffy.

Tyler’s Best Burger

Warmed brioche bun

Grilled burger (Recipe to follow)

Homemade pimento cheese (Recipe can be found here)

Easy pickled onions (Recipe to follow)

Sriracha

Side of fries (Recipe can be found here)

Grilled Burger

1.5-2 lbs. ground chuck

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced*

*Why am I using minced garlic instead of garlic powder, you ask? Well, to tell you the truth, I have always experienced better burgers when using fresh garlic, and I have no idea why. Just trust me on this one.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients by hand until evenly mixed. Form patties to desired size and thickness. Grill burgers to desired doneness (usually around 15-20 minutes for medium-well to well-done).

Easy Pickled Onions

1 medium onion*

¾ cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. sugar

Boiling water

*Usually, the red onion is recommended for pickling. However, I only had yellow onions on hand, but the results were just as delicious.

Bring water to boil in a pot or kettle. Add vinegar, salt, and sugar to a resealable container and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.

Thinly slice onion and place in a strainer in the sink. Slowly pour boiling water over the onions and gently shake away excess water. Place par-blanched onions in the container with vinegar mixture and refrigerate. Onions will be ready to consume in 30 minutes and will last up to 2 weeks.

(Buns.)

Now, onto dessert! If you asked me what summer tastes like (What’s with the hypothetical questions in this entry? I dunno. I talk to myself a lot.), I would probably say cantaloupe. Some might find that selection strange, but as far back as I can remember, we have always had cantaloupe around during the summer, even more so than watermelon. There are few things more refreshing than a bite of cold, juicy melon straight from the refrigerator.

I’ve always found it odd that I don’t encounter more recipes that incorporate melon. So in my perplexity, I concocted this recipe. I adore the end result. This sorbet is cool and refreshing and absolutely bursting with sweet cantaloupe goodness! Also, if you wanted to scoop some in a glass and pour a little sparkling wine over it, you would have a stunning dessert cocktail.  

Cantaloupe Sorbet 

3 cups diced cantaloupe (roughly ½ of a melon)

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbs. vodka*

1 tbs. lemon juice

*You may omit the vodka, but it lends the sorbet a slightly creamier texture as vodka will not freeze. For this recipe, I used Absolut Hibiskus, which added a lovely floral sweetness.

Process cantaloupe in a food processor or blender until completely pureed. Stir in vodka and lemon juice.

In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat, and add the mixture to the cantaloupe mixture. Stir until evenly incorporated, and refrigerate for 3 hours or until sorbet mixture is completely chilled.

Once chilled, pour the mixture into an ice cream freezer and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to store the sorbet in a freezer-proof container with a tight lid.

("I came in like a MEEEEEEELON BALL!" -- I'm sorry. I'm kind of ashamed of that.)

Enjoy!

Paella Pasta with Saffron Cream Sauce

I realize that most of my recipes are created in the spirit of budget cooking, but sometimes, you just feel compelled to splurge and go decadent. This recipe celebrates this sporadic decadence.

I was given a small jar of saffron for Christmas, and I decided it was time to put it to good use. I’ve made paella before, a Spanish rice dish comprised of saffron, seafood, and various meats. It can be a tricky dish to master, though, so I wanted to take a simpler approach. Pasta is virtually fail-proof – not to mention easy and affordable – and it is a proud member of the noble family of starches, so I thought, “Eh, why not?” And my Paella Pasta was born! (And trust me, it’s absolutely delicious.)

For those of you unfamiliar with saffron, it’s an interesting ingredient. For starters, it’s the most expensive spice in the world. (Therefore, if you decided to exclude this particular ingredient when making this recipe, I wouldn’t blame you.) The spice itself is literally the stigma of crocuses, and so it’s incredibly difficult to harvest. However, these tiny red threads pack a powerful punch. Describing the flavor of saffron to someone who is unfamiliar with it can be rather difficult. It’s a flavor that is simultaneously floral and earthy with a warm, rich undercurrent. A few threads go a long way, so that tiny $15-20 jar will likely last you for several recipes. This particular recipe only requires half a teaspoon, and the saffron flavor definitely pops throughout the dish!

Paella Pasta with Saffron Cream Sauce

8 oz. package of pasta, cooked and drained*

2 tbs. olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks

6-8 oz. smoked sausage, sliced

6 oz. shrimp*

*You can use whatever type of pasta you wish for this dish, as long as it’s bite-sized. I used farfalle.

*For this recipe, I used frozen salad shrimp, as it was the cheapest variety I could find, but feel free to use whatever kind you wish.

Bring olive oil to medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add peppers and garlic, and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add smoked sausage, and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add shrimp, and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat, and toss in pasta. Reserve.

Saffron Cream Sauce

2 tbs. butter

2 tbs. flour

2 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. saffron

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan, on medium-high heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour until the mixture forms a paste. Add the salt and pepper and cook for two to three minutes. Whisk in the milk, and add the onion power and saffron, and cook the sauce for 5-10 minutes until it becomes thick.

Pour the sauce over the reserved pasta mixture, and stir until the pasta and other ingredients are evenly coated. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly. Remove from oven, cool, and serve. 

(Spice up your life with exorbitant ingredients! Be fancy!) 

 

(You see that plate? I licked it clean. Yeah...) 

 

Enjoy! 

 

 

Salmon with Bourbon Butter + Brussels Sprouts Hash + Spiked Peach Cobbler

So I realize I haven’t updated the blog in quite a while, and for that, I apologize. Long story short, life happened. Last semester, my workload (and stress load) increased about tenfold. I had every intention of posting a Christmas-themed entry, but I never managed to get around to it, unfortunately. Then, over the holiday break, my apartment flooded, and I had to relocate to another apartment. Now that I’ve gotten settled, though, I’m back in business!

This blog entry is essentially the result of going through my fridge and freezer during the move and realizing that I needed to cook several things before they spoiled or became freezer-burned. My mom gave me several bags of fresh sliced peaches a while back, and this recent cold snap has me in the mood for cobbler. I realize that I posted a recipe for blackberry cobbler a few entries ago, but peach tends to be the Southern standard, so just consider this recipe a fruity revision of sorts – with booze.

I also found a lovely piece of salmon in desperate need of treatment, so I thought I would try my hand at replicating a dish I enjoyed in Atlanta last year at a restaurant called Highland Tap. They have a fantastic grilled salmon in bourbon butter that is quite exquisite, and while my version of the dish isn’t an exact recreation, I feel that it comes pretty close. Salmon and bourbon may seem an odd pairing, but the sweet “woodsiness” (for lack of better terminology) complements the fish very well.

Finally, I’ve had a large sack of potatoes sitting here staring at me for far too long, and I’ve been wracking my brain to try to formulate something out of the ordinary that would implement them. I’ve seen many recipes over the past year or so for Brussels sprouts hash that I’ve wanted to try, and adding potatoes could never hurt, right? All in all, I was pretty pleased with how well my concoction turned out!

Salmon with Bourbon Butter

1 lb. salmon filet, cut into desired portions

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Now, when it comes to salmon preparation, if you have a preferred method, go on and use it. Some people prefer theirs grilled, and other prefer theirs poached or pan-seared. As for me, I’ve found baking to be a pretty foolproof method.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat the salmon portions liberally with salt and pepper. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil. Place them on a prepared baking sheet and allow them to cook for 10-15 minutes or until the salmon is firm and flakes easily.

Bourbon Butter

4 tbs. butter

2 tbs. bourbon

1 tsp. brown sugar*

Salt

Pepper

*Some people like to add a lot of brown sugar to make a glaze. I, personally, loathe sweet-tasting fish, so I don’t add very much sugar. However, if you do want a glaze, feel free to add more.

In a small saucepan, bring the butter, bourbon, and brown sugar to medium heat, and simmer for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

You can either brush or gently spoon the sauce over the prepared salmon or serve it on the side.

Brussels Sprouts Hash

10 or 12 oz. frozen package of Brussels sprouts, thawed and sliced as desired

3 medium-sized potatoes, chopped into chunks

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 strips of bacon, chopped into lardons

2 tbs. olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Add the bacon and olive oil to a large skillet, and bring to medium-high heat. Brown the bacon and remove it from the pan. Reserve. Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook for two or three minutes, or until the onion begins to become translucent. Add the potatoes, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until they start to soften and slightly brown, stirring constantly. Then add the Brussels sprouts, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until they start to soften and slightly brown, continuing to stir constantly. Add salt and pepper as desired. Return bacon to the mixture and cook for an additional minute. Pour the mixture onto a plate prepared with paper towels to drain the excess fat. Serve.  

(Hey, the main ingredients are still healthy! I just... tweaked them... a bit...)

Spiked Peach Cobbler

Crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 sticks cold butter

1 tsp. salt

1 tbs. sugar

Ice water

You'll want to prepare the crust first. In a food processor, add the flour and the butter. Blend together until the butter has fragmented into tiny pieces throughout the flour. Add the salt and sugar. Gradually add ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, and blend until the mixture becomes a workable dough. Remove the dough from the processor and mold into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. (Please note, this recipe yields a lot of dough, and you will probably have leftovers – which is a nice problem to have! You can freeze the remaining dough or use it to make a quiche later on in the week.)

Filling:

1 lb. sliced peaches

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tbs. Amaretto

2 tbs. Bird Dog blackberry-flavored whiskey*

*If you’re worried that the Bird Dog will make the filling taste too much like blackberry, fret not! The flavor compliments the peaches beautifully, and the berry taste is barely detectable after cooking.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the peaches, sugar, Amaretto, and whiskey on medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a simmer. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Pinch off bite-sized pieces of dough and add to the simmering peach mixture for dumplings. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out until it's around 1/8"-1/4" thick. Cut to fit your oven-safe baking vessel. Then, add the peach mixture to the vessel and top with the cut dough. For a pretty brown crust, you will want to pour a bit of melted butter over the top. Bake for around 45 minutes to an hour, or until the crust is golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.

(Just peachy.)

 

Enjoy, and thanks for reading!