Chocolate Mousse

Three Letters. OMG.

The chocolate, butter and coffee, about to be melted

Our home made whipped cream!

The mousse inside a little hollowed out strawberry cup

The mousse in a glass with some shaved white chocolate

First, in a bowl whip with a whisk
- 1 cup of cold heavy cream

Whip it until it forms soft peaks, then refrigerate it.

Combine
- 4/12 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon of strong coffee
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, diced

Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. DON'T BURN IT (of course!). Make sure you are watching the chocolate and are constantly stirring it. It can make or break this dessert. Once the chocolate is melted, set it aside to cool. If it gets too cool, it will harden. To make sure this doesn't happen, touch a bit of the chocolate to your lip. It should be only a tiny bit warmer than your body temp when it's cooled fully.

While the chocolate is cooling seperate 3 eggs. Keep both parts of the egg (this is where I made my mistake, I didn't know I needed the yolks so I threw them away. I ended up having to crack 6 eggs!).

Combine the egg whites. Like the whipped cream, whip them untill they form soft peaks, then add
- 1 tablespoon of sugar

Set the whipped egg whites aside. Once the chocolate has reached a proper temperature, stir in the 3 egg yolks. Gently stir in about 1/3 of the whipped cream. Fold in about 1/2 of the whipped egg whites until incorporated. The fold in the remaining egg whites and the remaining whipped cream until fully incorporated.

Enjoy!


- Fun, flavor and maybe a little mess!

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

This weekend I went to San Fransisco, CA to visit my brother, Greg. He is a (correct me if I'm wrong in the comments) co-founder of the Hayes Valley, San Fransisco restraunt Straw. Straw is a warm and homey carnival themed restraunt with some seriously tour de force dishes. A review can be founf in my next post. Now on to this recipe! I made this Spicy Sweet Potato Soup for Greg and his girlfriend, Tamar. It's perfectly spicy and also is a bit smokey from the peanut butter added.

The finished soup

In a bowl, combine
- 1/2 of a cup of sour cream
- The zest of one lime

Put the sour cream aside. In a medium pot melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Then add
- 1 sliced medium onion
- 2 cloves of sliced garlic

Cook the onion and garlic for around 5 minutes (or until softened). The add
- 2 large sweet potatos, peeled and cubed
- 4 cups of vegetable stock
- 1/2 of a teaspoon of ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root, grated
- 1/4 of a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (I like to use Cayanne powder instead)

Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Pour the contents of the pot into a blender and carefully blend the soup until it's smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot.

Whisk into the soup
- 1/4 of a cup of smooth peanut butter

Bring the soup to a boil once again. Reduce heat, bring it to a simmmer and cover it for 15 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve it with basil, cilantro, and the lime infused sour cream. Enjoy!


- Fun, Flavor and maybe a little mess!

Cold Avocado Soup

This deliciously rich soup is a perfect summer dish and is great for avocado lovers (me being one of them!). Originally this recipe is from foodnetwork.com, but I made some adjustments to it.

To start, peel
- 3 avocados

Slice them and remove their cores. Then, in a food processor, process
- The sliced avocados
- 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
- 1/4 of a cup of minced scallions
- 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of cilantro
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Transfer the soup to a serving bowl or a soup tureen. Before serving add
- 1 cup of whole milk

You can garnish the soup with some cilantro and cayenne!

Enjoy!

- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Tomorrow's Recipes

Tomorrow's Recipes will be:

Cold Avocado Soup and Spanish Meatballs with Almond Sauce

Long Grain and Wild Rice Salad

I served this dish when my Grandma Shirley came over for dinner. It was a hit! The salad has an amazing smokey flavor, but also has a sweet side with the dried cranberries.

First, pour into a pot:
- 4 cups of chicken (or vegetable) broth
- 1 cup of wild rice
- 1 cup of long grain rice

Bring the contents to a boil, then reduce the boil to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook the rice until all of the chicken broth has been absorbed (about 40 minutes). Then, remove from heat and cool the rice completely.

Whisk together
- 1/4 of a cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of sugar

Set the dressing aside.

In a large bowl, combine
- The cooled, cooked rice
- 4 stalks of sliced celery (optional)
- 8 sliced scallions
- 2 cups of thawed frozen peas
- 3/4 of a cup of dried cranberries
- 1/2 of a cup of sliced almonds
- The dressing you made

Chill everything completely before serving. Serves 8 to 10 people. Enjoy!


- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Baked Ziti with Chicken and Smoked Mozzarella

In an exciting turn of events (I couldn't find the recipe for Vanilla Pound Cake) I present to you a fabulous and hearty recipe for Baked Ziti with Chicken, Broccoli, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Smoked Mozzarella Cheese. This is a perfect dinner for a party or just a quiet night at home. Also, it incorporates many food groups (Meats and Oils, Vegetables, Grains and Dairy).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a food processor until coarsely ground (bread crumb texture):
- 4 slices of white bread
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter

Set the bread crumbs you just made aside. Begin preparing the filling by bringing 4 quarts of water to a boil. Then stir in
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 bunch of chopped broccoli

Boil the broccoli until it is bright green (around 1 minute) and remove it from the pot with a slotted spoon. Place it on a baking sheet to cool.

Return the water in the pot to a boil and add
- 12 oz. of ziti pasta

Cook the ziti until it is al dente then toss it with
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil


Set the ziti aside. In another pot, add
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 minced medium onion

Cook the onion until it is brown (about 8 minutes)

Then stir in
- 8 minced garlic cloves (or 8 teaspoons of pre-minced garlic)
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme

Cook for about 30 more seconds, then add
- 1/4 of a cup of flour

Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture is golden (or about 1 minute)

Slowly (and carefully) add
- 1 cup of white wine

Keep cooking until the liquid has evaporated, then add
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of heavy cream

Bring to a simmer, whisking often, then add
- 1 1/2 pounds of chopped chicken breasts or thighs (tofu can be a vegetarian replacement)

Cook, stirring occasionally until done (about 4 minutes). Next, remove the pot from heat andstir in
- 3 ounces of shredded smoked mozzarella (around 1 cup)
- 1 cup (an 8 ounce jar) of drained, oil packed sun dried tomatoes (sliced)

The add the al dente ziti and the cooked broccoli to the pot and mix well. Then transfer everything into a 9x13 baking dish. Top the ziti and sauce with the bread crumbs you made earlier. Bake the ziti in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. The Baked Ziti should be bubbling and the bread crumbs should be slightly browned. You can serve this dish immediately. Enjoy!



- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Recipe Tonight: Vanilla Pound Cake

This cake can be used for ANYTHING including fun Strawberry Tarts or Lemon Poppyseed Cakes!



- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Shrimp with Lime and Ginger Marinade

This super easy marinade is perfect for summer barbecues. It's also great for a yummy lunch (the reason I made it).

In a bowl, combine:
- 3/4 of a cup of fresh or packaged lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of minced ginger
- 2 minced garlic cloves (or 2 teaspoons of pre-minced garlic)
- 2 finely chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 of a teaspoon of salt
- 1/8 of a teaspoon of ground black pepper flakes
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of orange marmalade

Whisk the mixture with a fork, then add
- 1/3 of a cup of olive oil

Again, whisk the mixture.

Then thaw 12 frozen shrimp in cold water. When the shrimp are thawed, put them in a Ziplock bag with about a fourth of the marinade. Let the shrimp marinate for around 20 minutes or so.

While the shrimp are marinating, drizzle a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Once the shrimp is ready, pour the contents of the Ziplock bag onto the pan and turn the stove on. Sauté the shrimp on both sides until they are pink and firm (you can check by poking one of them with your finger)

This recipe serves 3 people (4 shrimp per person) but there is going to be plenty of marinade left to make more. Enjoy!




- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Spinach and Brown Rice Salad with Lime Dressing

This salad is INCREDIBLE!

Place in a large saucepan:

- one cup of brown rice
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 1/2 of a teaspoon of salt

Bring all of these ingredients to a boil, then turn down the water to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until done.

In a large bowl mix together:

- 8 ounces of finely chopped baby spinach leaves
- one finely chopped small red onion
- 3/4 of a cup of toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 of a teaspoon of dried basil
- 1/4 of a teaspoon of ground pepper
- 1/2 of a cup of kalamata olives



Toss the salad, then add some of the Lime Vinagrette from the recipe below.

Lime Vinagrette:

Combine these ingredients, put them in a jar, then shake it well!

- 1 crushed garlic clove
- 1/2 of a cup of olive oil
- 1/4 of a cup of fresh lime juice
- the zest of a whole lime

The Salad without dressing before it's tossed

Enjoy!

The Salad is tossed

Delicious!

- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Unbleached Flour

Today during an exiting cooking class, while making Pound Cake (recipe coming soon) Candi taught us an important fact. Bleached flour is very unhealthy and slightly toxic. It's as if you literally are putting bleach in your birthday cake and breads! The flour may look whiter but what does it matter? It's not like you can see how white your flour once it's in a baked good. Really, Unbleached flour is the healthier and safer choice. There really is no difference except that Unbleached flour is a bit less white, and a bit less toxic!

New Recipe Coming Soon!


- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Flawless Tabouli Salad

I made this easy dish on my very first cooking class. My family loved it and yours will too.

1. Place in a large bowl:
- 1 cup of bulgur wheat

2. Then, on top of the bulgur wheat pour:
- 1 1/2 cups of boiling water
- 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (store brand works too)
- 1/4 of a cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt

3. Stir the mixture and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

4. The water should have mostly evaporated. Once it has been, add:
- 1 cup of minced scallions (about 1 bunch should do)
- 1 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves (really for all the ingredients, the fresher the better)
- 1 cup of chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 or 2 diced medium cucumbers
- 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

5. Mix well

This recipe serves about eight people as a side dish. Again, this recipe is from Candi Talley, my cooking teacher. Thanks Candi! Enjoy the Tabouli!



- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Contact Me!

You can now contact me with ideas, recipes, comments, contest sumbissions
and more at funflavorandmess@gmail.com

New Recipe Coming tonight!

A new surprise recipe is being posted tonight!

Pumpkin Bars

These are great for the fall... around Halloween! But really, it doesn't matter when you make them, they're delicious any time of year!

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.

2. Combine:
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 2 cups of granulated sugar

3. Mix well

4. Add:
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups of canned pumpkin
- 1 cup of oil (canola is fine)

5. Stir together until all the ingredients are incorporated and combined.

6. Add:
- 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts (this is optional but it does make the recipe a whole lot better)

7. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9X11 pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. Frost the bars with cream cheese frosting (recipe below). When I made them, I cut them into bars and put little pumpkin shaped candies on each one. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1. Beat together:
- 3 ounces of cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 teaspoon of milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 of a cup of confectioners sugar

2. Spread on your Pumpkin Bars!


P.S. These bars freeze well!

Yummy!

This recipe is from my beloved cooking teacher, Candi Talley. Give her some credit, folks!

- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Time

Hello Again! I just wanted to inform you that my time is off so it will say I posted something 3 hours before it was really posted. Real time: 4:13


- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!

Welcome!

Hi, my name is Ian! Welcome to my cooking blog. About a year back, I began a cooking class with a friend of mine. This has sparked my interest in cooking and has inspired me to cook more often and collect recipes, the recipes you will see on this blog today. Here's how it all goes down:
Every other day I will post a new recipe. I still have to get the camera up and running so there won't be many pictures but that is sure to change.
On Friday I will post a single ingredient, The Weekend Ingredient. You will have until Monday to send me a recipe incorporating that ingredient (kind of like Iron Chef). What ever recipe I vote as the best will win recipe of the week for the whole week, and will be posted on the blog. The first recipe is coming today!


- Flavor, Fun and maybe a little mess!