Don't call it Derby Pie

This year, I'm trying to make new things, and I've found that an easy way to accomplish this is to make the "celebration" foods for other cultures - latkes for Hannukah, Kings Cake and gumbo for Mardi Gras, etc.  I failed in my hot-cross-buns for Lent quest, but I did make something that might be called Derby Pie if it wasn't trademarked, for the Kentucky Derby on Sunday.

Without much of a reference point for what Derby Pie should be, I managed to uncover the facts that real, TM Derby Pie doesn't have corn syrup, does have walnuts and chocolate chips.  So I skipped the abundance of pecan and corn syrup recipes and found one in the New York times that was easy as, well, pie.

Parbake a pie shell at 350 until it's not shiny anymore.  Combine half a stick of melted butter, 2 eggs, and a splash of vanilla.  Stir in half a cup of flour and 2 cups of brown sugar, then add 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts (I toasted mine while the crust baked) and 3/4 cup chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 until browned and not jiggly.  The Times say s 30 minutes, but mine was pretty much sauce at that point.

It is sweet in the way only a good Southern dessert can be, but I find myself going back for another bit or bite more often than I'd expect.

I heart brown sugar

Came across a reference to these on the internets somewhere, and wanted to add them to my list of things to make someday...

Ganache-Filled Brown Sugar Bars

INGREDIENTS

1. 1/2 cup heavy cream
2. 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3. 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6. 1 2/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
7. 2 large eggs, at room temperature
8. 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat cream, pour over finely chopped chocolate, stir until melted. (ok, they say to do it in the food processor, but that seems excessive to me.)
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter, parchment, butter flour a 10 x 15" pan
3. Beat the butter and brown sugar, then add eggs 1 at a time, then add vanilla. Stir in flour & salt in 3 additions - it will be stiff.  Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, toothpick will come out clean.
4. Cut cake in half crosswise, cover one half with ganache, top with other half.  Refrigerate until ganache is set - 2 hours.  Cut into bars.

FoodTV

When did I become such a raving fan of Tyler Florence?  At this point, I think I like Tyler's Ultimate better than Barefoot Contessa.  Every menu just sounds amazing.

Just wanted the Pork Chop episode, and I want!  Pork chops stuffed with proscuitto and fontina, roasted with grapes and served with polenta (which may or may not be suitable for human consumption).  Yum.

But dessert.  His dessert was a blue cheese souffle with figs and honey.  But then I realized that I could make Humboldt Fog souffle.  I have to remember to make this...  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/blue-cheese-souffle-with-fresh-figs-and-honey-recipe/index.html

(of course, then he says something stupid like "you can get great tomatoes year 'round" while carving up some beautiful August heirloom tomatoes.  Sure.  I'll just run out and pick some of those up at Safeway.)

Contemplating a birthday weekend...

So I'm trying to plan the perfect foodie birthday weekend, without going too far overboard, or doing too much backtracking.

Friday dinner is a done deal - Redd in Yountville.  I picked it because I wanted to do the tasting menu, but the more that I look at the spring menu, the more I think I just want to order from the menu, so I can try the pork belly and the duck and not have to decide whether or not I want to eat seafood! I also picked Redd because the pastry chef just won the Beard Award, so I'm very much looking forward to desserts.

It's Saturday that's the dilemma.  I'm planning on (finally) trying Mission Street Food for dinner.  That leaves a whole day to meander towards the Mission, and I'd like to keep within the casual/street food theme.  I'm thinking about an east bay exploration: turnovers from Acme, fried chicken sandwiches at BakeSale Betty, a few chocolates from Chocolatier Blue...    These are all places that I've never tried, which I think is a good choice.  Then maybe across the bay, see the Theibaud exhibit at a little gallery in North Beach, some other meandering before dinner.  

I'll have to contemplate, but that's starting to shape up into a nice plan.

Wolfgang Puck's Tortilla Soup

So, something reminded me that I had queso fresco and tortillas left over from last weeks adventure in enchiladas, so I immediately thought of my favorite tortilla soup, which I'm slightly embarrassed to admit is a Wolfgang Puck recipe.  But I used to walk up to the Cellar at Macy's and get this soup for lunch when I was having a bad day, so I find it somewhat comforting.  

2 ears of fresh corn, husks removed (I used the better part of a bag of white corn
4 or 5 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 small onion (about 2 ounces), peeled, trimmed, and quartered
1 small jalapeño pepper, trimmed and seeded (or a chipotle in adobo)
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
2 large ripe tomatoes (1 pound), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste

(if it's not summer, you can replace the tomatoes and paste with a large can of whole tomatoes)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 quarts homemade Chicken Stock (see separate recipe) or store-bought, heated
Kosher salt and feshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
2 corn tortillas (slivered, tossed with oil and baked until crispy)
1 ripe avocado
1 large chicken breast, cooked, boned, and skinned
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Scrape the kernels off the corn cobs and set corn & cobs aside.
Coarsely chop the garlic, onion, jalapeño pepper, and corn kernels (use a food processor to make it easy).
Heat the oil in a large pot. Cook the tortillas over low heat until slightly crisp. Add chopped vegetables and stir to coat with the oil.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and 2 teaspoons of cumin.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the stock and corn cobs.  Simmer to reduce by a third.  Remove the cobs and puree the soup - it should be very thick from the tortillas. Top with the garnishes of your choice.