Uncategorized « DinnerCakes

How about Banana Pudding instead?

December 14th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Um… things aren’t going so well!

Baking with a rowdy puppy underfoot is… challenging.

Also I made an impulse buy at the grocery store and have been stuffing my face with Nilla wafers/making banana pudding. It’s not the most picturesque, but it’s pretty delicious! Why have I never bought Nilla wafers before?

I adapted the recipe a little bit because I’m uncomfortable with what they called for with the egg whites. I know some people are a little more liberal with their egg whites(coughEdwincough), but no salmonella for me!

Quickie Banana Pudding
adapted from Nabisco

1/2 cup granulated sugar + more for sprinkling
1/3 cup flour
dash salt
3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Nilla Wafers
3-4 bananas, sliced

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using a double boiler (or stack pots if you don’t have one), combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, egg yolks and milk. Stir constantly and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Spread a thin layer of custard in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Add a layer of Nilla wafers, then a layer of banana slices, then pour over more custard. Repeat these alternating layers about three times, finishing with custard each time. Sprinkle top with more granulated sugar.

Bake 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly, serve with Cool Whip.

Comments Off on How about Banana Pudding instead?

Thinking…

December 14th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Thinking I’m going to post a step-by-step Christmas cookie today – either apricot thumbprints or rugelach. Stayed tuned!

Comments Off on Thinking…

Serving Sizes, Never Enough

December 11th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

For me, one of the most affecting scenes from Supersize Me was the comparison of food and drink sizes “then and now” (I had to look away during the surgery scenes. that was a bit too affecting. I will never be a doctor). For those that never saw the movie, Morgan Spurlock compared the sizes of drinks, burgers and other restaurant offerings from now and several years ago. The contrast was both startling and eye opening.

Pizza Comparison

Have you ever wondered how serving sizes are determined? Mental Floss answers that question today along with providing a great summary of some analysis conducted by Divine Caroline on how how serving sizes have changed over the years. From the article:

Well, nationwide food consumption surveys do, but also the NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute). So if you’re wondering why a serving of ice cream is usually only a ½-cup (on their Web site the NHLBI says no more than the size of half a baseball), it’s because that’s what they’ve determined is the right amount to stay healthy. Meanwhile, we all know how many baseballs Baskin Robbins scoops into their hot fudge sundaes–enough to fill a small bathtub, right?

I know I’ve never been satisfied with a measly half cup of ice cream (have you seen those really really small ice cream containers sold at the grocery store now? who buys those?). What’s amazing is how dramatic the serving size growth has been. Every comparison given has an increase of at least 50%; most have more than doubled. The photos really drive the point home. Check it out, and think about that next time you’re at your local Cold Stone or getting a caffeine fix. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence; but the key is moderation.

Comments Off on Serving Sizes, Never Enough

Smore Cupcake. Wow.

December 11th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

Amazing, or just a bit too much?.

1 Comment »

Almost there…

December 10th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

I am, or should be, studying… we’ll catch up soon!

Comments Off on Almost there…

The Culinary World of Coolio

December 9th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

So apparently Coolio is a food aficionado as well as rap star and has released a cook book entitled Cookin’ With Coolio. Check out his interview and be amused.

Cookin' With Coolio

4 Comments »

Soccer Ball Soup

December 8th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

This week I have final exams in my graduate program. I’ll be a little… well… insane? So please excuse the lack of Ghost Baker here on DC!

No Christmas decorating has been done yet either, but as you can see above, I have been streaming nonstop Christmas music. It helps keep things in perspective!

So what do I eat for dinner when I’m completely crunched for time? Soccer ball soup. This soup was introduced to me by my husband’s side of the family. It’s simple, but it’s great. And it’s a way you can control what’s in your soup a little bit (just look at how much sodium is in canned soup at the grocery store, and you might rethink it as a healthy meal alternative!).

Soccer Ball Soup
(serves one – just double the ingredients to serve two, and so on)

1 can low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup acini di pepe pasta balls (or pastinis)
black pepper

Heat broth and pasta in a medium saucepan over low/medium heat, stirring occasionally. When pasta has doubled in size, it’s done (usually about 10 minutes). Be careful not to burn the soup, it should not boil. Top with fresh ground pepper.

Serve and enjoy!

3 Comments »

No Southwest Subbing – Vegetarian Tostada With Not So Refried Beans

December 7th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

I’m not a huge fan of the term “meat substitute.” Whenever I hear it, images of tofurkey and tofu burgers pop into my head; as if that is the embodiment of vegetarian cuisine (for the record I have never had tofurkey nor a tofu burger and I am in no rush to change this). I associate those images with a desire to mimic dishes in a vegetarian way, inherently placing the original dish as the benchmark; the brass ring to aspire to.

Vegetables. Are awesome (yeah, I said it). Fruit. Is awesome. Pasta, bread, beans… you get the idea. And they’re all awesome for their own unique qualities. There. Rant done.

I really enjoyed the tostada I had while on my southwest trip. I’d never heard even heard of them before but I knew I wanted more. This sucker had a “meat substitute,” but I have no idea what it was (some restaurants have gotten really good at that stuff), so I figured screw it. Let’s do it anyway. I’m really happy with how this turned out.

These refried beans are not fried, but just cooked for a really long time. Sorry, I’m not frying beans in lard. You can find fried tortillas at any mega mart.

Vegetarian Tostada With Not So Refried Beans

8 fried tortillas
guacamole
8 ounces (approximate) iceberg lettuce; shredded
Mexican cheese mix (cheddar, colby, montery, etc. just buy a pack from the store)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cooked beans (1 can)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 onion; chopped
1 jalapeño; diced
3 garlic cloves; minced
1 tomato; diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Simmer your beans in a pot of water for 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain and mash with a potato masher or large spoon. Set aside

Cook the onion with the oil and salt in a medium pot until translucent. Add the jalapeño, garlic, spices and cook for another two minutes. Add the tomato, beans and half a cup of water. Simmer for 20 minutes. If too watery, just cook longer (kinda hard to overcook refried beans). Set aside.

Spread a few spoonfuls of the refried beans onto the fried tortilla followed by guacamole, lettuce and cheese. Enjoy!

3 Comments »

Want Cookies?

December 5th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Two good friends have opened up a cookie shop, Palmetto Pastries, featuring iced sugar cookies for the holidays! Click here to find out more!

These are thick and delicate sugar cookies that are iced with our almond flavored icing. We only use royal icing to pipe phrases and special designs on the cookies, ensuring that you won’t bite into a hard layer of icing over a soft delicious cookie.

Don’t miss out! They are accepting orders now through December 18th to ensure quality and efficient delivery.

Please tell them to send me some free cookies as well so that I can really give a stellar review 🙂