Sweet Mary

Thai Chicken and Rice Soup

Every time I pick up one cook book I have, the Food Network's Making it Easy, I am reminded of how forgetful I can be at times. Why, you ask? Well, because I intended to give Making it Easy as part of a wedding gift about 5 years ago. I remember having the gift with me wrapped all pretty and, somehow, it never made it out of the car. And, then, I never saw the person who got married or made an effort to give her the gift. I know. Shame on me. But, wait, it gets worse. I kept the gifts and use them! Yeah, double, no triple shame on me! Yep, I won't even try to make excuses.  

Although a food blogger and baker/pastry cook of sorts, I truly don't watch the Food Network much, if at all. I'd rather be baking and cooking than watching someone else do it, I guess. And, lately, I am on a deliberate kick to reduce the amount of time spent in front of a television because it's amazing how much more productive and creative you can be in life without it. Having said that, I remember buying this particular book because the bride and groom weren't big cooks and Making It Easy pretty much fulfills its title. There are a lot of really tasty recipes without super long lists of ingredients and they are set out in really simple steps with lots of solid beginning cook tips. So, despite my shame, I have actually really enjoyed having the book!

I latched on to this soup recipe right away because it is tasty and takes so little time to make. It's actually for Thai Shrimp and Rice Soup, but sometimes I use chicken instead. It's a little spicy and I love the lemongrass. On a cold day, it will warm you right up.

 

4 cups chicken broth (low-sodium)

1-2 tsp chile-garlic sauce (also called sri racha)

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced on an angle

1 medium carrot, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced

1 4-inch  piece of lemongrass, thinly sliced (remove the tough outer layers first)

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp sugar

1 lb medium shrimp (no tails, peeled, and deveined) or 2 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breasts (chopped into cubes or small pieces)

2 cups cooked rice (jasmine works best)

freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 tbsp)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Put the broth, chile-garlic sauce, celery, and carrot in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemongrass, fish sauce, and sugar and simmer another 5 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp or cooked chicken and rice. Simmer till shrimp are done. Or, just stir the chicken in.

Take the saucepan off the heat and add the lemon juice and cilantro. Serve.

Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch

I recently asked my "fans" on FaceBook to submit a recipe that they'd like to share here on Sweet Mary. A local food blogger, Wendi from Bon Appetit Hon, responded and sent a recipe for Chocolate Matzoh Crunch (created by David Lebovitz, a very well known pastry chef and author).

Wendi says that this recipe is "cracktastic" because chocolate, caramel, and cracker combine into an irresistible treat. She also said not to let the "crappy" picture fool  you because when she shares this dessert, it gets gobbled up in no time. Consequently, she has no idea how Mr. Lebovitz determined that it will keep for up to a week in an airtight container!

Thanks for sharing, Wendi!

*makes approximately 30 pieces of candy

4-6 unsalted matzohs

1 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

big pinch of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with foil making sure the foil goes up around the edges. Cover the foil with a piece of parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line the bottom of the sheet with matzoh breaking extra pieces to make sure to fill in the spaces.

In a 3 to 4 quart heavy saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add the salt  and vanilla, and pour over matzoh spreading with a heatproof spatula.

Put the pan in the oven and reduce to 350 F. Bake for 15 minutes. As it bakes, it will bubble up but make sure it is not burning every once in a while. If it is burning in spots, remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 F. Then, put the pan back.

Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes and, then, spread with an offset spatula.

If you wish, sprinkle with toasted almonds (or another favorite nut, toasted and coarsely chopped), flaky sea salt, or roasted cocoa nibs. 

Let cool completely, then break into pieces, and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Food Related Events in Baltimore

I know. I've been bombarding you with all kinds of information this week. There are two more food related happenings this coming week in Baltimore. Check them out!

First, there are only two spots left in my Autumn Pie Class at Kaleidoscope in Roland Park. So, if you're waiting till the last minute to register, don't! The class could be full.  Pie class is always fun, so I am really looking forward to it. 

Second, on Monday (11/2) at 8pm at CenterStage, Stoop Storytelling is performing and the theme this time is "Kitchen Confidential: Stories about cooking, eating, and assorted food issues." I will definitely be at this one! Stoop is always a ton of fun!

Cooking for a Cause

Happy Halloween weekend to everyone! I wanted to be sure to mention a worthy event coming up this Monday, November 2nd. March of Dimes of Central Maryland will hold its Signature Chefs Auction at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. Click HERE for more information if you are interested in attending. 

Many of the area's top chefs will be on hand to share their fine cuisine. There will be silent and live auctions and, of course, entertainment. I am by no means a top chef; however, you all know how much I love to bake and help others learn to bake so I did donate a private in-home pie class for up to 4 people to the silent auction.  I have some experience with March of Dimes from a previous job and certainly know what a great organization they are and how many babies they help each year. I think it is going to be a fantastic event for an important cause. 

Baltimore Eats

A big thank you goes to Baltimore Eats today for featuring my recipe for Oatmeal Cookies with Cardamom Glaze on their site.  Check out Baltimore Eats for all kinds of interesting and useful information on the food scene here in Baltimore. And, give those cookies a try! 

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies

Wow, October is almost over and I realized I had yet to break out a pumpkin recipe. That's just not right. Well, these brownies from Martha Stewart did the trick. They are rich, dense, chewy, and they also have a little kick due to the cayenne pepper. 

 

My only issue here was that I didn't get my swirls to swirl despite following the instructions exactly. The chocolate batter was kind of thick, so that could have been the issue. But, hey, I have swirled batters before and achieved the desired effect, so who knows? All I have to say is watch out, these brownies are addictive.

Here are two other fantastic pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups solid pack pumpkin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 F. Butter (or spray with baking spray) a 9-inch square pan. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment, too.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir once in a while until smooth.

Then, whisk the flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Place sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the flour mixture.

Divide the batter between two bowls. Stir the chocolate mixture into one bowl. In the other bowl, stir in the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of the chocolate batter to the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top with a small spatula. Then, add half the pumpkin mix on top of the chocolate batter. Repeat this process one more time to make another layer of chocolate and pumpkin batter. Work fast enough that the batters do not set.

With a small spatula or a knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with nuts.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. The top should be set, but also do a toothpick test to be sure it's done in the middle. The toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on a wired rack and then cut into 16 squares.