I've Moved.  Please Visit Me at My Website.

 

www.TheManicCheater.com

 

See You There!

It's Time to Move On

 

 

After 7 months of playing around, 5,000+ visitors, great successes, heartbreaking failures and many lessons learned, I have decided to end this blog.

 

BUT, dry your eyes...I have decided to end this chapter and start a new one.

 

I'm excited to announce the launch of my own website:

 

 

TheManicCheater.com

 



 

My website has a little more focus with more direction and purpose behind it than my first internet-based endeavour.  It contains folders that include both a continuation of my blogging as well as a collection of my successful recipes.

 

The MANIC BLOG will read like this blog and will see the addition of a rating system to recipes that I have executed.  It will contain tips, anecdotes, outside stories and shared insights and will also chronicle the tweaks and cheats I employ along the way--all with with the same attitude, humor and snark as my blogspot pages.

 

The CrOOK BOOK is an aptly named collection of stolen recipes that have been tweaked to my liking and executed with successful results. These recipes are worthy of being shared with and followed by others.  This portion of the website will only house my own recipes that are derived from other sources and will not highlight any changes, tweaks or cheats as highlighted in the blog portion.  It will consist of my recipes that stand on their own.

 

Please always share your comments, suggestions, praise and criticism with me directly through the site.  And share it with people via Facebook,  Twitter and other social formats to help me expand my venture and as I grow my name, skill, and appreciation of tweaking in the kitchen.

 

Thanks for your help in my getting here.

   -Mark Patrick Spiecher (The Manic Cheater)

 



100th POST!

Classic White Tier Cake

w/ Almond Decorator Icing

 

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

 

In honor of my 100th post I made myself a celebratory cake.  I love me some white cake but I didn't want to screw this post up so I didn't really tweak anything except for the fact that I made it a mini-tier cake!  I did however add some really cool flare to the cake in the form of color and piping to mark the occasion as well.

 

Ingredients
Cake:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 x 9 x 2 buttered and lined with parchment paper

Icing:

1 stick butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract almond extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons milk or water
+ 1/2 cup powdered sugar
+ blue food coloring
 

Preheat oven to 350°

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl for 5 minutes.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a third bowl, combine egg whites, milk and vanilla.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and ½ the milk mixture, then flour, then milk, then flour.  Mind the sides while you beat and scrape them down.  Pour your batter into your plined an, smooth the top with a spatula and throw in your oven for about 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Remove your cooled cake from the pan and place on a platter and chill in your fridge for 20-30 minutes.  Remove chilled cake and trim the sides so you have cake with a sharp knife so you have flat even lines.  Measure out one large and one small square and slice the cake to make two different sized cakes. There will be scraps and, if you are anything like me, you will rip through those suckers and end up with a sore tummy.  With as much precision as you can muster, slice a sliver of the top of each piece to ensure you have a flat-top. 

In a bowl, beat butter and shortening with a hand mixer on Medium speed until fluffy.  Beat in almond and salt.  Lower your mixer speed to Low and beat in sugar, 1 cup at a time scraping down the sided as you go along.  Add half your milk and turn speed up to High until it is nice and fluffy.  Gradually add as much more milk as you need for the icing to be a spreadable consistency

Ice the larger cake with your icing, keeping it nice and smooth, especially on the top surface.  Lay your smaller cake upon your larger cake and ice smoothly.

**It is not necessary to use all of the icing here as I made extra to be a little fancy.  I separated 1/4 of the icing from the batch.  I added 1 drop of blue food coloring to the larger of the 2 batches to make a subtle blue hue and added 5 drops in the smaller plus your extra sugar for a thicker consistency.  I iced the cake with the lighter blue and put the darker, smaller batch in a pastry bag with a decorator tip and added piping.

Notes:
This dessert was fun and meaningful and also a nice transition piece to something forthcoming...

(kinda) Tweaks:
I made it a tier cake!
I added piping.
I used my stand-by icing and made it almond flavored--was amazing.

Questions???  theManicCheater@gmail.com

Happy Holidays

It's Food Day!

 

 

YES, IT'S A REAL THING. Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy,
affordable, and sustainable food.

 

How do you plan on celebrating?

 

Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Orecchiette

    w/ Sausage & Broccoli Rabe a la Joy of Cooking

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

Months back, my friend Layth gave me a most thoughtful gift.  After speaking at length about the love of cooking and recipes and such, he gave me a copy of "Joy of Cooking", which is like the Bible of cooking.  I say this without the slightest hint at hyperbole, it is one the top 5 most thoughtful gifts I've received to date. 

To call this book a "cook book" would be an insult. And not just because it is probably the first book I've ever read the introductory pages to (including notes from Julia Child, co-author Ethan Becker and Acknowledgments).  The book opens with some history of the authors, the book and how the recipes have been updated (for today's standards) and re-tested and goes much further to speak about things like nutrition (and it's slanted importance over time), safety, table setting and parties, just to name a few.  In short, it has everything...including my fleeting attention.  I have trouble putting this sucker down sometimes.

I struggled picking the first recipe out of here that I wanted to try for the blog and would end up reading and flagging, reading and flagging.  Over and over I would do this on multiple dates where I ended up not deciding and doing one of my stand-by recipes.  What am I an idiot? 

So here it was, Sunday and I didn't want to just make my sauce, so I cracked open the book and picked a pasta.  One of my favorites: Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 lb orecchiette
1 lb Italian sausage hot/spicy turkey sausage removed from casings
3 4 or 5 large cloves garlic diced
1/4 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large bunch broccoli rabe trimmed and chopped
salt
pepper
romano for sprinkling

Boil water and cook pasta as directed.  While your pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet and add sausage.  Brown your sausage and carefully salt and pepper to taste* and add your garlic and red pepper.  Mix in your broccoli rabe and cover.  Allow to cook for 10 minutes or so.

Add your cooked pasted to your pan and mix it up some.  Plate and top with some romano cheese.

Notes:

I have to admit, mine came out a little salty this first time.  I had never used the brand of turkey sausage I bought today and it was saltier to begin with then I had expected).  It wasn't the end of the world. 
I LOVE this dish and eat it all the time and am unsure why I have never made it as it is SO easy.

Tweaks:
I added more garlic and more crushed red pepper.  I like it hot!

Healthy Tweak:
I used turkey sausage instead of "regular" sausage or, as it is wonderfully used at one of our fav places, Bottino, boar sausage.  It's a little less fattening and a little lower in cholesterol.

Any suggestions?  e-mail me: theManicCheater@gmail.com

Fried Ravioli

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

I'm not feeling 100% today and I decided that I wanted to make some food that A) is easy to make and B) can be handled without passing any germs onto my bf.  Neither of us can be sick right now due to work (it's one of those crucial times for both of us) so I have to take precautions to contain anything even dancing on the precipice of illness.

So what better way to guarantee bacteria and germs are warded off?  Deep frying.  It kills everything. 

I chose to make a favorite dish that I have never made before: "Fried Ravs", as we used to say in our restaurants.  So easy that I should make these all the time.

Ingredients:

oil (canola, vegetable, etc...NOT olive oil)

1 cup buttermilk *see my cheat

2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs  **I don't have anby so I "made" some.
24 store-bought cheese ravioli

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

1 jar store bought marinara heated (no need for forgiveness, ma, I have some leftover home-made)

Either fill you deep fryer with new or reserved oil (I've mentioned before that I keep oils as long as they are re-usable: oil for fish for example should be used for fried chicken) or enough in a deep skillet to be 2" deep.  Heat it until it is 325°

While he oil heats, put the buttermilk mixture in one bowl and the breadcrumbs in another.  Dip each ravioli in the buttermilk and toss in the breadcrumbs to cover.  Make sure to allow your buttermilk to drip off, otherwise it will make your breadcrumbs clump and will make it harder to coat the ravioli as you go along.  Place your ravioli on a baking sheet.

When the oil is heated, fry the ravioli in batches (turning occasionally if using a pan) until they are golden.  Allow the oil to drip off when you remove your basket (for a deep fryer) or use a slotted spoon if using a pan and lie the ravioli on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.  Sprinkle with some grated cheese and serve with warm marinara and crunchy bread or my Prosciutto Bruschetta.

Notes: 

So easy and so good.

So unhealthy, even if I had used my home-made whole wheat breadcrumbs, but did I mention how good they are?

Does anyone else find it weird that I live in NYC and don;t have a cooling rack or room for a lot of pots but I have a deep fryer??

**I only had plain breadcrumbs from my clams francaise recipe, so I made them into Italian by adding 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 pinches of oregano.

Cheats:

*1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon lemon yields buttermilk substitute after it has had a chance to curdle (about 15mins).

I am not feeling well and I still haven't bought a new grater, so I did not freshly grate the parmesan.


Have recipes for me?  Send to : theManicCheater@gmail.com

Orange Soda Cupcakes

Verdict: Success
Neighbor-worthy

While joking around with neighbors about my brother's affinity for orange soda, I learned that my neighbor Grace is also a fan of flavored "pop", as my Rochester/Western NY readers would refer to it.  Referring to soda as "pop" not only annoys me to the core but it may be one of the top 10 reasons I moved to NYC.

In one of the many cook books I have bought in the last number of months, I came across a recipe for orange soda-flavored cupcakes and took that conversation as a sign of what my next kitchen endeavour should be.  The neighbors in question, GeFaan and Grace, are good buddies of mine and have been integral to my blog as recipients of many kitchen attempts.  They are 2 of neighbors who find little packages outside their doors when a recipe is deemed "neighbor-worthty".  This one ended up outside their door as one of the last treats they will get still warm from the oven as they are moving :(.  No worries, my kitchen will still send its love along with mine as we will be in touch.  Nonetheless, they will be missed and the floor will not be the same without them.  Enjoy guys.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/3 cup butter softened

1 cup orange soda(pop)

2 eggs

powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners (or use the foil wrapped ones on a cookie sheet.)

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix the ingredients with a hand mixer (Low speed for 30 seconds, then Medium for 2 minutes.  Divide your batter amongst your cups and throw in the oven for 20-23 minutes.  Cool and top with powdered sugar.  Eat or pack for friends.

Notes:

Mmmm.  I hate orange soda but these are frickin' yummy.

Recipes?  Gimme.  Holiday recipes?  Halloween, Thanksgiving and Santa's Birthday are coming up... TheManicCheater@gmail.com

Baked Clams Francaise

 

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

The bf and I are so fond of this dish at one of our fave restaurants by our apartment (Moran's) but really have no idea how or why it is so good.  His mother makes the most incredible clams oreganata at Christmas every year that can't be topped--EXCEPT by these.  Thank goodness she doesn't do the internet otherwise she'd kill over that statement. 

This recipe was a complete guess as it isn't even listed as francaise dish at the restaurant but it has this wonderful lemon sauce incorporated in it that remains on the plate and begs for bread dipping.   So I am trying to incorporate this recipe for baked clams oreganata and tweaking it some--by using a stand-by francais sauce that I make--to try to come close to what we had just a few nights ago.  (It's that good that I'm already ready for it again).

Ingredients:
1 dozen little neck clams scrubbed
1 cup PLAIN breadcrumbs  (I used Italian breadcrumbs once and it ended coming out so salty we had to order out.)
2 cloves garlic cloves smashed and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cups chicken stock
+ 1/2 to 3/4 cups francais sauce (recipe below)

Francais Sauce:
1 tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper (plus more if necessary)
zest of one lemon
juice of two lemons (and 2 thinly sliced rings of lemon)
1/2 palmful fresh parsley leaves chopped
2 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-5 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat your oven to 450° or turn your grill in High if you want to start there and go into your kitchen for the final step.

Do your francaise sauce first...Season some flour with the salt and pepper and set aside.  Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over High heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and whisk until the butter has melted.  Lower the heat to Medium.  Add the garlic, pepper flakes and the rest of your olive oil.  Add the flour and whisk for about a minute.  Add the wine and the stock and cook for another minute.  Add your zest and lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Remove from the heat and throw in the rest of the butter and whisk 'till it has melted. If the mixture hasn't thickened at this point, throw in a teaspoon of flour and whisk.  When you get the desire thickness add your parsley and your lemon rings and set aside.

Clams...Place the clams on your grill if you live in the suburbs or on a cookie sheet if in a city.  (City dwellers: put the sheet in the oven.)  Cook 'em till they start popping open.  Remove from heat and crank your broiler on and pry them open with something less than sharp--you can cut yourself doing this or shucking oysters and it's a downer.  Also look for chips on the ends, the little pieces can cut like glass. Tear off the top half of the clam shell and throw out.  Remove the clam from the shell and replace it in the reserved half shell. 

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, oregano, pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.  Add the olive oil and mix well.  Add the measured francaise sauce until pretty wet. Pack each clam full of your breadcrumb mixture and pack down tightly.  Put the clams on the a cookie sheet, add a 1/2 cup of water to the pan and place it on the top rack in your oven.  Cook the clams until the crumbs start to pass golden and darken a little but KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT, you don't want them to burn.

Add the remaining francais sauce to a large plate and arrange your clams on top of the sauce.  Eat and dip some bread in the sauce when done....If you did this right, the plate should be completely dry after the meal.

Notes:
I like trying to duplicate recipes which is why I ran with this. The francaise approach can be skipped if you want to go simple.  Just skip that step and replace with the original chicken stock.

Tweaks:
The addition of the francaise sauce instead of the stock and practically altering the nature of the recipe is a pretty big tweak.
I dropped the chicken stock in the clam prep in favor of the francaise sauce.
I love me some Kosher salt but I keep forgetting to buy it so I used "regular".

Cheats:
I did not buy fresh oregano.  I already had to buy too much parsley for the recipe...I wasn't going to waste more money on another bushel for a pinch ingredient.

Injury:
I cut the my finger with a clam shard.  Just a little nick bled for about an hr.


Send me recipes and leave me comments please.  theManicCheater@gmail.com.   

Croque Monsieur w/ Healthy Tweaking

Verdict: (Read to see*)

Neighbor-worthy?*

Have you ever made a meal based on a recipe you found online?  Probably.  Ever try to repeat it only to fail locating it again?  I was there today.  The internet can be a bitch.  All the information in the world at your fingertips and the thing you want to find eludes you.

A while back I found a recipe that I followed for Croque Monsieur that was incredible.  Truth be told, it may not have been the recipe nor my skill (this was before I really dedicated myself to my kitchen, mind you) that made it so good.  It's engulfed in cheese.  You could cover a shoe in cheese and it'll still be tasty. 

I could not find that exact recipe so I tried this one and voilà (see what I did there?  French)....

BUT-here's the challenge and risk....can I tweak this to make it a little less fattening and more heart healthy without ruining the joy of this indulgent eat.....?

Ingredients(for a bunch):

2 tablespoons butter fake butter

3 4 tablespoons flour

2 cups hot milk (I used 1%)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

pinch nutmeg

3 cups gruyere grated (dear god do I want to use it, but in the name of the blog...) low-fat swiss chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

16 8 slices of white bread with crusts cut off

dijon mustard

8 oz baked Virginia low sodium ham

Pre-heat oven to 400°

Melt fake butter in a saucepan over Low heat and add all of your flour.  Stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.  Pour in your milk slowly and continue to stir while it cooks until it is thick.  Take the mixture off the heat and mix in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and 1/2 cup of the swiss and all of the parmesan and leave on side.

Lay out your bread on a baking sheet and throw in oven for 5 minutes.  Turn slices over and cook for another 2 minutes.  Brush the toast with some mustard, add a slice or 2 of the ham and sprinkle with 1/2 of the remaining swiss.  Top with another piece of toast.  Douse the sandwich with the cheese

mixture and sprinkle with the rest of the swiss.  Bake the cheese-covered sandwiches for 5 more minutes.  Finish it up by turning the broiler on for 3-5 minutes--Keep an eye on it--DON'T BURN IT. 

Eat it.

*Notes:
This was indeed a success and worth sharing with neighbors.  The tweaks I made were in favor of healthy (heart healthy and waist-conscious) choices and to test how far I could push the envelop without completely abandoning taste.  This is (obviously) not as good as the "real" gruyere heavy recipe, but it was damn tasty!

Tweak:
I didn't make a million sandwiches.   (1,000,000=8)

Healthy Tweaks:
I used fake butter
I substituted low-fat swiss cheese slices, diced up, instead of gruyere
I found low-sodium ham...well, lowER sodium than what I typically would've used.

Cheat:
I did not use freshly grated parmesan.  My grater broke and I am too cheap to go buy a new one yet.  Oh, and I woulda been too lazy to do it after work anyhow.

Any cholesterol, fat heavy recipes I can play with?  Send 'em to me.  theManicCheater@gmail.com.

Bacon Wrapped (Blue Cheese Stuffed) Dates
 

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

I have mentioned it before and will prove it time and time again: I am an impatient man.  (Kitchen-wise) this has been proven with burns, cuts, broken plates and last minute take-out orders (or empty tummies).  One thing that really gets to me that I needs to work on is that when I come up with an idea, I want to do it right away!

Sometimes I will think up a great thing to make and I get home and my bf wants to go out.  I hate shelving an idea but I love to go out too so I don't get all that mad.  BUT there are times I get so worked up about trying something that my world is shattered if something comes in the way of me making my meal

Equally perturbing is when I overdo my planned meal with too many sides or just too much fancy.  This happened recently with a meal I planned that had too many moving parts and required me shelving things, quite literally, for a few days. It really should be something I do more often as you can spread the fancy and the joy, in this case.  The delayed piece in question is my Bacon Wrapped Dates that ANYONE can make and everyone should.

Ingredients:

center-cut bacon cut in half 

dates

crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 375° 

Cut dates in half.  Stuff date halves with cheese (it's pretty easy as there is a preexisting little pocket there). Put 'em back together, wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Place 'em on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for 30-35 minutes flipping them over to the other side half way through.

That's it....eat those suckers 'n smile.

Notes:  So easy.  So good. 

Simple and good recipes to share?  Share 'em: theManicCheater@gmail.com 

Write-in Recipe
Chicken Broccoli Crepes

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

My friend Jen gave me this recipe way back when I first started the blog.  I was intimidated by it and put it off.  Why? For some reason, I cannot do simple things in the kitchen.  I screwed up Steak-ems once and I still can't make rice correctly!  (I know.)

Now, I'm not saying this recipe is easy necessarily.  I put it off because I was scared of a step in it that should be easy....getting the crepe up from the pan and flipping it without ruining it.  I'm not joking.  I have no idea why, but I can't get flat things up (yes, yes...obvious penis joke).  Every time I make an omelette I end up making scrambled eggs 'cause I can't fold it over properly.  Even my pancakes come out weird lately.  I'm getting better in the kitchen in some aspects and regressing in others.

This did end up coming out quite good.  I did tweak some spots that resulted in a meal more suited for me and my bf but I think it is safe to say that it would turn out perfectly fine without my tweaks. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter fake butter

1 + 1/4 cup Bisquick (plus more for thickening)

1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons BACON SALT (Yay!)

1/4 1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 + 3/4 cups milk

2 eggs

2 cups seasoned cooked chicken chopped

1 jar (2oz) diced pimento drained

2 tablespoons snipped chives scallion (I have no idea what "snipped" is, so I finely sliced 'em)

1 lb broccoli cooked and drained (or thawed and nuked)

+ 1 jalapeño chopped (remove the seeds if a heat-phobe)

Crepes

Beat 1 cup bisquick, eggs and 3/4 cups milk in a small bowl until smooth.  Spray a small skillet with vegetable spray (like PAM) and heat on Medium-high heat.  Pour the mixture into the skillet until the pan bottom is covered with a thin covering (barely covering it-you're not making pancakes).  Cook until golden.  Loosen edges with spatula and flip to other side and cook.  Stack your crepes with damp paper towels in between each one as they are finished.

Mix & Meal

Heat the fake butter in a small sauce pan over Medium-high heat until melted.  Add the bisquick, salt and pepper.  Stir until bubbly and add the remaining milk long with salt.  Stir until boiling and allow to bubble for a minute or so.  Add chicken, pepper and  most of your scallion (save some) and lower heat to Medium-low and add a small palmful of bisquick to thicken up your sauce.

Lay out 4 crepes and line the centers with a line of broccoli.  Roll up your crepe and plate 2 per plate, seam down.  Cover the crepe with your sauce and top with some scallion pieces for color.

Notes:
I am glad I did some of the tweaks on this one as I like my creams a little thicker than most and ALWAYS like more spice toi things.
This recipe was a messy one but it was worth it.

Tweaks:

(Just like Jen) I didn't use the pimento part of the original recipe.

I added jalapeño which was a great idea!

I think chives and scallions are the same thing, but the word "chives" makes me think of sour cream and bacon covered baked potatoes (which I love but sounds Fridays or Applebees-y to me).

Healthy Tweaks:

I used fake butter

Cheats:

I used frozen broccoli-thawed, drained and nuked.

We're in fall now...send me some comfort foods: theManicCheater@gmail.com



Gift of Grub 

Bacon Flavored Salt

Sometimes a Small Gift Has a Big Impact

MY COWORKER DAN GOT ME THE COOLEST GIFT FOR MY BIRTHDAY RECENTLY-BACON FLAVORED SALT! What could be better than that?

Combining two of my favorite things?  Can't top it.  The only problem is that my birthday (which was a few weeks ago and, I should add, also my bf's bday) isn't always the best of days and I tend to be a little, well, salty.  So I guess the gift from Dan was probably the most appropriate gift ever.  Anyhoo, I didn't bring it home and add it to the pile of cards 'casue I'm an even bigger bitch on my birthday than on a regular day.  It just sat on my desk....and it still does.

It is still there and not because I'm still grumpy and a sad bday boy, but because I'm gross and weird. I have been eating it right out of the jar*!  It's not even a lunchtime thing, just anytime thing.  I LOVE salt and I love bacon (as you may recall from this post) and I just love this. 

Dan got it from The Filling Station in Chelsea Market.  I love this place and I love the flavored salt they sell there.  Every true foodie should check this place out!


*This should not be that surprising for family members who witnessed me licking the inside of microwave popcorn bags growing up.  So gross.

Food Fight
(Cupcakes)

Chocolate Blueberry w/ Blueberry Frosting

vs

Chocolate Grape w/ Grape Frosting

  

 

          

                      

    

Verdict: Success*

Neighbor-worthy*

This post is a perfect follow-up to my last "yay me" post.  The idea was great, the fun was there, but I needed to amend a piece afterward into making a success (for one little piece that ended up a lil too much), essentially taking me down a peg.

I've been challenging my "cheater" mentality a lot lately with making things from scratch-it's part of my growth.  I used to be a "cheater" that was all about cutting the corner and saving time but this weekend was definitely an exception.  To be honest, I've been super lonely lately 'cause my partner has been traveling and I miss him to the Nth degree.  His job is so important to him and he is the hardest worker with the most dedicated worth ethic of any one I know. I accept his absent hrs whilst putting 100% support behind him and try to apply the same dedication and focus he possesses into my own side projects.  Making cupcakes obviously pales in comparison but he has always said "If you're going to do something, DO something".  So ONE of the things to put my all into is this blog...

I have a lot of plates spinning (a common thing for any successful Type A(DD) personality), and have been trying to turn everything up a few degrees (see what I did there?) while keeping them in constant motion.  So, this weekend I thought I would challenge myself to, well, myself.  I did dueling recipes and one did most certainly come ahead of the other.  One also fell short (or actually way, way past of) what I had hoped for but has an obvious solution that is noted in green for you.

For the post, I infused different flavors into "regular" chocolate cupcakes and doing the same to my first attempt at making Decorator Icing.  These are my own takes on recipes but you will even note "tweaks" to myself.  Who won in their quest to mate best with Chocolate, Grape or Blueberry.....?

Ingredients:

Cupcakes (2dozen):

2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup hot water**

2/3 cups unsweetened baking cocoa

3/4 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

+ **from Grape Kool-Aid (made with 2 packets) for Grape Cupcakes

+ **plus 1 handful/2 oz blueberries crushed with a fork for Blueberry Cupcakes

Decorator Icing:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/4 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt (plus 1/8 teaspoon for Grape)

4 cups powdered sugar

2-4 tablesppons milk

+ 1 packet Grape Kool-Aid *1/4 packet Grape Kool-Aid for Grape)

+ plus 1 handful/2 oz blueberries crushed with a fork for Blueberry.

Pre-heat oven to 350° and place your baking cups into your cupcake pan.

For cupcakes, mix flour, baking soda, powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Mix in your water mixture (BB or G) with the cocoa in another bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat your shortening with a hand mixer on Medium speed for 30 secs and gradually add sugar a little bit at a time.  Beat for 2 minutes when all sugar has been added (remember to scrape the bowl as you go along).  From here, add the eggs one at a time while beating still.  Add your vanilla and lower your speed to Low and add your flour and cocoa mixture alternatively (flour, cocoa, flour, cocoa, flour) until blended.  Add your batter to your cups equally and bake for 22 minutes.

For icing, beat butter and shortening in a bowl with a hand mixer on Medium speed.  Add vanilla and salt.  Lower speed to Low and add powdered sugar little by little.  Add your milk slowly, while beating, and eye texture before putting in too much.  Add in your Kool-Aid or Blueberries and mix with a spoon.

Allow cakes to cool and prepare to ice.  prepare your pastry bag with a decorative (I have no idea what it is called: the jagged looking one that isn't too big).  Stuff your bag with your icing and squeeze out in a circular motion upon your cupcakes.  Add a berry for the Blueberry cupcakes.

Notes:

Ok, these were both good but I think anything each pales vs my last entry.  That's okay though.  Not my best but pretty good. 

The Blueberry Cupcakes were the victor here.

**My mistake was that I overdid the grape flavor with the icing.  It came out WAY too sweet so, as marked in green, I cut it by 2/3rd for my instructions for others.

I still have some room for improvement in my decorative art which I am totally looking forward to.  I have many tips to look forward to play with.

Tweaks:

*I changed my own initial aim and reduced the amount of Kool-Aid in the recipe.

(Further notes: Did you know there is no caffeine in Kool-Aid??? Thank goodness the sugar you need to add doesn't negate that!)

Desserts?  (I'm going through a phase.)  Send them to me: theManicCheater@gmail.com

Personal Note:

Oh My Goodness, I Could Have a Growing Issue with My Ego

DO I ONLY COOK TO RECEIVE PRAISE? I've always been a little self proud, don't get me wrong,  but I have to admit I've noticed a new layer of ick that I think I have to kick (or curb a little)...

I've been having so much fun over the last few months and have been seeing true improvement in my kitchen.  At the same time I've been getting a lot of pats on the back......and damn, it feels really good.  So good, that I think it is driving me to get better at cooking/baking.  That's not bad, quite good actually, but...

My bf has been out of town for work on an extended stay and I have been alone a lot and have not cooked once!  I'm a little scared that with no one to prove anything to nor show off for, I feel no reason to cook.  I LOVE cooking.  LOVE it.  But I really like to win in the kitchen.  I hope the love lasts and out shadows the growing chip on my shoulder.

Please know that I am writing this post with a smirk 'cause I'm (mostly) joking.  I'm just a little scared of the self esteem issue taking over my motivation and forgetting to have fun.  (I ain't no Tinkerbell--that's not a gay joke.  Glad to be gay, just don't want to need applause to go on!!  :-D)

Slider Cupcakes(!)

 

 

 

 

Verdict: Success

(Most Definitely) Neighbor-worthy

 

As I had mentioned in my last post, I had a private event that I was invited to provide some of my treats for last week.  I ended up having a ball searching for something fun that I would successfully "WOW" a group with.  I found one and boy did I ever.  It was easily the most time consuming, effort-heavy recipe I have ever stolen and was 100% worth it as they came out great and had the most impressive presentation of any dessert I've ever made by a mile. (Seriously, look at this pic of them plated.)

 

I scoured the internet, my cook books, my stockpiled magazines and newspaper clippings (not like on 'Hoarders', just a nice and OCDy organized and lined-up collection in my cupboard) and even bought some new baking cook books for something that would stand out and impress. I found an Andre the Giant (RIP) sized handful of cupcake recipes that I am still dying to try but settled on two that I would make.  The first I selected was the following recipe for Slider Cupcakes that are a baked creation made to look (alarmingly) like little burgers.

 

*This one takes time (like 4-5 hours total).

 

(Maybe "gotta get")Tools:

1 1/2" round cutter

scissors

small (24) cupcake pan and (72) liners

toothpicks

brush

 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes/"buns":

2 1/3 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter at room temperature (I USED REAL BUTTER THIS TIME!)

1 1/12 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cups milk

 

Brownies/"burgers":

Use a box mix (requires eggs and veggie oil)

 

"Cheese":

60 orange juicy fruit candies I have no idea what that means so I assumed Starburst.

 

"Ketchup":

16 rolls of Strawberry Fruit by the Foot"  1 box Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups *SEE NOTES FOR THIS

 

"Lettuce":

1 1/2 cup flaked coconut

4-6  6-8 drops green food coloring

 

1 cup chocolate frosting I just bought one of those tubes (it just works as a glue)

2 tablespoons honey

water

sesame seeds

 

Pre-heat oven to 350° and line a mini-cupcake tray with liners.

 

Night One (IT'S A BITCH): Unwrap your Starburst and lie them  (10 at a time) on a microwavable plate sprayed with a vegetable spray (like PAM).  Nuke 'em for 10 seconds and flatten them one by one with the bottom of anything flat you can find.  Cut the flattened out pieces into 1 1/2 to 2"squares with scissors and lie them out on parchment paper.  Make 60. Next, roll out your Fruit Roll-Ups and cut out oblong or roundish pieces that are a little smaller than the "cheese".  Make about 60.

 

In a bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt and mix it up.  In another bowl, beat the butter with a hand mixer set at Medium speed until smooth and slowly add sugar a little at a time beating well between each pour.  Keep going for a couple of minutes and then add the eggs, on at a time.  Beat in vanilla.  Lower speed to Low and add some of the flour followed by half the milk, more flour, rest of milk and rest of flour (so, flour, milk, flour, milk, flour).  Beat until blended.  It will make a kinda-thick batter.  Fill your cupcake lines 2/3rds full with batter and bake about 18 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes and remove cupcakes and set aside.  Repeat pour and bake steps two more times.  Cover cupcakes with foil.  They will be fine the next day (as will the fruit snacks even uncovered).

 

Day Two: Make the brownie batter as directed on box.  Pour into a greased 10x15 pan with a 1" lip.  Bake as directed.  Allow to cool and cut out as many rounds as you can.  I got about 54.

 

Throw your coconut in a bowl and add the food coloring and mix up (don't overdo it, make it the color of real lettuce) and set aside.

 

Cut your yellow cupcakes in half and add a dab of frosting to both sides of a brownie round. Place on bottom "bun" and top the "burger" with a slice of "cheese" so the frosting dab holds it in place.  The "ketchup" is pretty sticky, so no need for frosting on the bottom-just add it on top of the cheese.  Dab some frosting on top of the "ketchup" and add a pinch of "lettuce".

 

In a small bowl, combine a couple of tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of honey and mix.  Add one last dab of frosting to the bottom of the remaining "bun" and, using a brush, gloss the top "bun" with the wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Place that upon your lettuce and thrown a toothpick through the layers and plate.

 

Notes:

• This treat took SO long to make and yielded about 54 AMAZING "sliders".  It was SO worth it as they were beautiful and tasted great.
• I had to order all orange Starburst online. They took a few days to arrive but an hour to unwrap! 
• *Fruit by the Foot only comes in obnoxious, super swirly colors/flavors ('cause kids must need something flashy to catch their attention or they won't beg mom to buy them).  Needless to say, I couldn't use them for the "ketchup".  As a solution I went for Fruit Roll-Ups.  It worked but, thanks to marketing geniuses, I had to side-step the swirly kinds they offer and visit multiple stores to find plain Strawberry.  I found them but they had shapes and faces and wing-dings and shit on them. So I had to cut around the symbols.
• I ended up with extra cupcakes as I was at the mercy of the number of brownie rounds I could make.  It works perfectly if you screw up cutting them up.

I've never been more proud of my(apron)self.  I did not make this up but I did make it great!

 

Do you have suggestions of something fun you want me to try to make?  Challenges?  These kinds of treats are referred to as "tasty fakes" in 'The Simpsons" universe.  Send 'em to me: theManicCheater@gmail.com.

 

 

And PLEASE, send me some comments.  I'd love to start getting more from you.  I'm getting great traffic but want more and comments help drive it.  Thanks so much!  -Mark Patrick



My First Public Event

 

 

A few weeks ago a friend and blog reader (can I say blog fan without sounding full of myself?) asked me if I wanted to participate in a fundraiser where I would be raffled off.  I should clarify, my services would be raffled off.  Gosh-either way that makes me sound like a gigolo but I digress....

 

So, I was invited to participate in an event supporting Assemblywoman Grace Meng who is campaigning for Congress and I contributed my baked goods.  I made two desserts that I had never done before and planned for a couple of weeks before the big day.  It may not sound responsible to try something I'd never made (or eaten) for someone else's planned event, but I am starting to grow some solid confidence in the baking arena and went ahead with making Slider Cupcakes (cupcakes that look like mini-burgers) and Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes. The desserts were a success and a hit amongst the guests.  The sliders themselves stood out due to the "how fun" nature of them.  (The recipes will be posted at another date.)

 

The gathering for Grace Meng, who (along with her charming husband) was a joy to get to meet, was held at The Vault at Pfaffs which I must say is one of my new favorite places in the city  only a single visit.  I will most definitely be going back and telling all my friends and business associates about this classy, inviting watering hole.  With a great feel inside, friendly staff and a cool history (check out the website ), I recommend you all check it out when in the N Y C.  A special shout out has to go to Michael Matzo at "The Vault" (who actually plated my stuff--quite beautifully, I must say).  I'm embarrassed that I don't know if he is a GM, owner, partner or even there to work off a bar tab.  Regardless, he was helpful and pleasant and you could just tell was putting his all into making sure the experience at the establishment was an enjoyable one for people attending this event and the patrons of the updated "trysting place of the most careless, witty, and jovial spirits of New York".

 

I really enjoyed this whole new page in my kitchen endeavors.  From the moment I started brainstorming through walking out knowing I actually got bid on at the auction!

 

**Thanks GieFaan for thinking of me and giving me the opportunity to take another step forward with myself.

 

 

 



Stay Tuned:

What will this mess in my kitchen turn into....? You'll have to wait 'n see.  We will also have to judge whether it comes out with cheers or lamentation.  

 

This is for my first public and I am both excited and nervous.  Making a recipe for time for an "event" is not the smartest thing, but I gotta put myself out there....so here goes....

Just the Tip:

Put an Indentation in Burger Patties Prior to Grilling

PUTTING A DENT IN YOUR BURGER PATTIES BEFORE YOU THROW IT ON YOUR GRILL, GRIDDLER OR PAN WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER COOK I hate when I do a fabulous or even "plain old" burger and the middle just doesn't cook.  I hate it even more when it is at a restaurant and even more when I get it delivered 'cause you can't just send it back like at a diner.

Giving your patty a slight indentation in the center ensures better results.

Have a tip for me?  Send it my way theManicCheater@gmail.com

Cran-Apple Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops w/ Sauteed Apples

 

 

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

While looking for something new, I stumbled upon this recipe for "Apple-Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples".  I love stuffing foods and I wanted to tweak this to my liking as I wanted to try something new (both cooking and eating) and, 'cause I am not overly sold on sweet entrees, I thought I would curb some the sweetness involved in the original by using goat cheese. 

(Selection of a good side can also be a good way to counter a sweet or savory intensive entree recipe. As this recipe is quite sweet, I chose a salty, bitter brussel sprout side.)

Ingredients:

2 tart apples

1 cup fresh spinach finely chopped

1/3 cup dried cranberries craisons (I had 'em in my cabinet already) chopped

4 tablespoons apple juice divided

4 boneless pork loin chops (1" thick)

salt

pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter fake butter

+ 2 garlic cloves diced

+ 4 oz goat cheese at room temperature

Peel and chop 1 apple.  Leaving the peel on, thinly slice the second one (like a thick potato chip).  In a bowl, mix apple, spinach, craisons and a 1 tablespoon of the apple juice.  Separate in half and mix half with the goat cheese in another bowl.

Season your pork chops with salt and pepper and butterfly it (slice side-to-side to make a pocket).  Open the chop (like a book) and line the seam with the goat cheese mixture and close it.  Continue to stuff the chop with the non-cheese mixture. 

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on your range at Medium-high heat.  Add your chops and cook until well browned (7 or 8 minutes each side).  Remove chops from pan. Add your (fake) butter to the skillet and add your sliced apples along with the rest of your apple juice.  Cook until the apples are soft and top your chops with it.

Notes:

I think this (original recipe) was a grown-up spin on Pork Chops and Applesauce.  I took it a step or two away from that.

This recipe (the use of apple and spinach) offers a good source of antioxidants that help fighting cancer.

Tweak:

I added the goat cheese to the dish along with garlic to take some of the edge off the sweetness of the recipe I lifted.

I used craisons for the recipe as opposed to cranberries as I had them in my cabinet already and didn't want to waste money unnecessarily.

Healthy Tweak:

I swapped butter for my stand-by 'fake butter".

Got something I can stuff???    Let me know: theManicCheater@gmail.com