kitchen kulprit.

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Tomato and Sausage Risotto


Serves 4.

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1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping it off (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

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In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer; keep warm over low heat. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan (I used a large skillet and it was fine), heat oil over medium heat.





Add sausage and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a wodden spoon, until sausage is mostly cooked and has an opaque color, and onion has softened. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.





Add about 2 cups of the tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid. I didn't).





Remove pan from heat. Add spinach to your liking. Stir in Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if so required :).








Finally, of course, enjoy! I will probably make this again in the future with seafood or a vegetarian version. Thanks for reading, and as usual, feel free to leave comments or suggestions!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake


This cake is FREAKIN INTENSE. Serve it in really thin slices. And keep a glass of something handy. Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16

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2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream, and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.








Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Note: These cakes are very, very soft. Work with them after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)





To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.





To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

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Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.





Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.



Whisk in the half-and-half and remove from heat, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

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Wage war on this monstrosity you have created...known simply as cake. Fare thee well, brave soul.

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This time around, I decided to get adventurous and venture out into foreign cuisine. I wanted to make something a little bit more complicated than what I'd been making, so I stuck with French and started rifling through recipes I couldn't pronounce 'til I came across this bad boy. 6 pounds of meat, an entire bottle of wine, and about 5 hours of cooking...after all the prep work is done. And then on top of that, I get to type out the recipe, which is an endeavor in itself. But this is my job, my duty to you all. I shall persevere.

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Boeuf à la Bourguignonne


6 pounds boneless beef chuck or other stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 750ml bottle of red wine
Salt
Pepper
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 onions, halved (This means one slice down the middle! DO NOT dice them up, it will make the end very difficult)
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 cup concentrated (1 quart simmered down to 1 cup) beef broth
1 pint pearl onions
1 3/4 cup beef broth (not concentrated)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 ounces mushrooms, preferably cremini, quartered through the stem unless very small
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into strips 1 inch long, and 1/4 inch wide and thick

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Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Spread the meat, carrots and onions in a roasting pan just big enough to hold everything in a single layer. Roast, turning the meat and vegetables with tongs every 5 to 10 minutes, for about 40 minutes, or until well browned. If the meat has released liquid on the bottom of the pan, continue roasting until the juices caramelize into a crust. If the crust forms before the meat has browned, add one cup of unconcentrated beef broth, so that it will not burn.






When the meat is browned and the juices have caramelized on the bottom of the pan (don't confuse the clear fat floating on top with caramelized juices), remove the pan from the oven and use tongs to transfer the meat and vegetables to a large pot. Spoon out the clear liquid fat from the roasting pan and place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with 2 cups of the wine, stirring for about 5 minutes or until the caramelized juices have fully dissolved in the wine.


If you are braising the stew in the oven, turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Otherwise, turn it off.


Pour the deglazed juices over the meat and vegetables. Tie up the parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to make your bouquet garni. Tuck the bouquet in the center, and add the remaining wine and the concentrated broth. The meat should be fully covered. If it isn't, add more wine or broth (if you have it), or water (if you don't).





Bring the stew to a gentle simmer on the stove and maintain it for at least 10 minutes, even if you will be cooking it in the oven. Then cover, and continue to cook at a gentle simmer. You want a bubble or two to break on the surface about every second. Check every ten minutes or so, and adjust the burner heat to maintain the gentle simmer. Continue to cook the stew for 3 hours, or as many as 5, until a cube of meat poked through with a skewer just falls off without clinging. Strain the stew into a saucepan, discarding the carrots and onions. Gently simmer the braising liquid over medium heat, skimming off any fat that floats to the top. Simmer down to about 1 1/2 cups.





About 30 minutes before the stew is ready, prepare the pearl onions. Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil and add the onions. Boil for one minute, then drain and rinse. In a large saute pan, add the onions, 3/4 cup unconcentrated beef broth, and butter. Bring to a simmer over high heat, turn the heat down to medium, and partially cover the pan. Simmer, quickly moving the pan back and forth every 5 minutes or so for about 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes more. Set the onions and mushrooms aside in a small bowl. Cook the bacon gently in a pan over medium heat for about 12 minutes, or until lightly crispy. Add the onions, mushrooms, and bacon to the stew and serve.