Oscelot’s Neighborhood

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 5 ounces each), butterflied
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups sweet Marsala wine
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (of 1 lemon)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Method

Orange Sherbet

Ingredients

• 7 ounces sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 2 to 3 pounds oranges
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups very cold whole milk

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine all of the ingredients except the milk and process until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the milk. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 1 hour.
2. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. You may serve now or transfer to a lidded container and place in freezer until firm, approximately 3 hours.

Originally found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/orange-sherbet-recipe/index.html

Espresso Nib Cookies

Recipe by Alice Medrich, from her book Bittersweet

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped.
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground coffee beans
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cacao nibs
• 1/3 cup walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee beans, and vanilla until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour mixture and, finally, the nibs. Cover the dough and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, or up to 4 days.
4. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper.
5. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of batter 1 1/2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets. Bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking, until the cookies are puffed and dry on the surface but still soft and gooey within, 7 to 9 minutes. Carefully slide the cookies, still on the parchment, onto racks. Let cool completely. (The cookies can be stored, airtight, at room temperature for 2 days, or frozen for longer storage.)

Originally found at http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/espressonibcookies.htm

Your yard is the first thing people see when they come to your home.  Don’t you want it to look trendy and give your guests a good first impression?  The following are some tips for making your landscaping and yard look stylish and up-to-date.  First of all, we know that being environmentally friendly is very fashionable these days.   Therefore you should keep this in mind whenever you are planning new landscape or caring for existing landscape.  Avoid cutting down healthy trees unnecessarily.  Trees will help to shade your yard and home, making it cooler in the summertime and reducing the need to run your air conditioning.  Many of the commercial plants that are popular today are non-native species.  Non-native species require a lot of extra care including special soil, irrigation, and pesticides and fertilizers to thrive.  It is possible to have a gorgeously landscaped yard and to only use native plant species to achieve this.  Native plants are lower maintenance and don’t require the use of man-made fertilizers and pesticides which pollute the soil and water supply.  Whenever possible, use native plant species over foreign ones.
 
Another recent trend is to include water features in landscaping.  While it’s stylish to have a fountain or pond in your yard, people are still keeping the environment in mind and the styles today are much smaller than the ones of the past.  People are also opting to add functional water features such as an outdoor shower if they have a swimming pool.  With the right tiles and design, an outdoor shower can be useful as well as an attractive addition to your yard.  
A third trend is gardening.  More and more people are making space in their yards for a vegetable garden.  Many people feel that food is safer when they grow it themselves and it will save you money on your grocery bills.  Some people are choosing to plant vegetables that have colorful, attractive plants so they can be a source of both food and beauty.

A fourth hot idea is to bring your living room outside.  We don’t mean this literally but more and more people are spending more of their time outside in their yards relaxing.  People view their yards as an extension of their houses.  Companies are responding to the demand with increasing numbers of products that can withstand the rigors of the great outdoors.  Furniture, fireplaces and even televisions are trendy new items for your patio that will make you feel as comfortable on your patio as you are in your living room while allowing you to enjoy the fresh air and outdoors.
Fifth, more and more people are including summer kitchens in their backyards.  This goes way beyond your standard little backyard barbecue grill.  People are building space for elaborate grills, refrigerators and icemakers and then concealing these appliances with cabinetry.  With a little creativity and planning you can follow some or all of these suggestions and create a yard for your home that is functional and stylish and won’t negatively impact the environment.      
               

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2-2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas
• 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Use a non-stick 9×5x3-inch loaf pan. If you don’t have a non-stick pan, spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Beat butter in large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add both sugars and beat well. Add eggs, egg whites and vanilla and beat until well-blended.
5. Add mashed banana, beat for 30 seconds on high speed.
6. Add all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add this mixture to the banana mixture, alternatively with cream. (If using, add walnuts and raisins, mix well.)
7. Pour batter evenly unto the prepared loaf pan. Baked until browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean; about 60-75 min. Cool completely and serve.

Tip#1: Put ripe bananas in the freezer and thaw before baking. This way bananas don’t over ripe and the cold temperature makes banana turn brownish. This adds color to your bread.

Tip#2: Let the loaf cool and cut into slices. Wrap them in plastic wrap to let the flavor develop and serve the next day.

Tip#3: 3 large eggs (instead of the whites) also works fine.

Tip#4: Try adding chocolate chips.

Originally found at http://neonamber.wordpress.com/2009/01/11/nanas-banana-bread/

The Home is Your Mirror

It is a common belief that the manner how you arrange your home depicts what kind of a person you are.  It’s just like saying that the home is the mirror of your personality.  Whatever you put in your home and how you arrange your home exudes the kind of your personality to other people.  If you just leave things behind instead of keeping them after use and you don’t arrange them properly, it creates a bad impression on your character.

If you are fond of clutters, it merely describes your being disorganized.  If your home is filled with a lot of objects and graphics on sex, you may be exhibiting a great passion for sex not unless you are an artist.

Psychologists reveal that most of psychological disorders emanate from the 4 corners of the home.  If the house is filled with joy, there is tendency for the members to have solidarity, while on the opposite side a member of the family can go wayward psychologically.

When you enter a home with several religious images and oversize statues, you would normally think that the owners are spiritually inclined.  Same is true with a home which has different kinds of musical instruments and objects.  Visitors will assume that the occupants are music lovers and maybe one of the members is a musician.

The Art of Feng Shui

But what if a home is filled with weird objects starting from the entrance up to the exit, that according to the owners are symbols of prosperity?  Then, the home owners are Feng Shui enthusiasts.  They are believers of this Chinese art of arranging the interior and exterior of the house to attract wealth and prosperity.

You will see some colorful lucky charms nicely arranged in the area signifying their intent to draw positive energy and discard the negative one.  Even the arrangement of the home has a strong inclination to this oriental belief that has a long historical records dating back thousands of years ago in mainland China.

They believe that the frontal direction of homes must be identical to the dates of birth of the couple.  Feng Shui has a great emphasis on the manner of how to arrange the furniture.  Believers never place a cooking stove in front of a water tap because they say that the energies of both objects are clashing with each other being fire and water.

Is it a Myth or an Art?

They also believe that the more circular objects are placed inside the home, the more money and prosperity will flow in.  That is why it is recommended that the dining and receiving tables must be round or oval.  They also believe that big mirrors installed either inside or outside facing a door deflects the positive energy that comes in to the house.

More emphasis is given to 2 doors facing each other.  They believe that if this is the case, there will be a competition between the occupants of the rooms.  But many people dismiss the principles involved in the arrangement of homes based on this art and merely regard it as a myth or superstition.

Whatever is the principle that makes up this kind of home arrangement, the best element to draw prosperity in the home is thru family solidarity.  But of course, arrange your home nicely that attracts your own eyes.

Vanilla Ice Cream

About 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• A pinch of salt
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 cup heavy cream
• A few drops of vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk with the tip of a paring knife. Add the bean pod to the milk.

2. Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Rinse the vanilla bean and put it back into the custard and cream to continue steeping. Chill thoroughly, then remove the vanilla bean and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Originally found at http://www.davidlebovitz.com/recipes/vanilla_icecream.html

Making ice cream without an ice cream machine: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Flour Tortillas

Yield: 18 tortillas

• 4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• 6 Tbs vegetable shortening (preferably a non-hydrogenated type, such as Spectrum)

Method

In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil.

In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together with a whisk. Mix in the shortening with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in enough boiling water (about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups) that the dough holds together; you will want to begin by stirring with a spoon, since the water is scorching hot, but you should finish by working the dough with your hands.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, 2-5 minutes. Do not overwork it. Form the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Set a well-seasoned 9" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut it into 6 wedges. Cut each wedge into 3 smaller wedges, for a total of 18 wedges. Use a rolling pin to roll out a wedge into a very thin circle—as thin as you can make it, like a sheet of fabric—roughly 7 ½ to 8 inches in diameter. When the skillet is hot but not smoking, cook the tortilla until slightly puffed, about 20-30 seconds. Flip, then cook for 20-30 seconds more, or until flecked with golden or brown (whichever you prefer) spots. Place on a cooling rack. Repeat the process with the other 17 wedges. Allow each tortilla to cool completely before stacking them.

Originally found at http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/07/on-independence-day-and-tyranny-of-bad.html

Cola Cake with Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting

From Jane and Michael Stern's Two for the Road

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 16 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup cola with fizz (Pepsi or Coke)
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking pan.
2. Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl.
3. In another bowl combine the melted butter, Coke and cocoa and pour into the flour and sugar.
4. Sir until well blended.
5. Add the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla.
6. Stir in the marshmallows.
7. Pour into the pan and bake for 40 minutes.

For the peanut butter frosting, cream together 6 tablespoons of butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cups of smooth peanut butter, 2/3 cup chopped peanuts and a ¼ cup milk. When the cake has cooled a little, slather the icing on top, and then broil for a few seconds until the frosting starts to bubble. Remove and cool completely.