Peach Raspberry Crisp

Somewhere in my mother's house, hidden in a box under some dust, unfit for internet publication, is a picture of my sister and I dressed up in our bedding, acting the part of Arabian princesses.  We were told to strip our beds and bring the sheets out to my mom to wash.  When she yelled at us 30 minutes later to hurry our butts up, that is what she found.  Luckily she thought it was cute, her idiot daughters, and grabbed the camera to save the moment forever.

My sister and I have a history of being idiotic and silly together.  It shouldn't really come as much of a surprise that when asked to take pictures of me cooking this fabulous peach raspberry crisp, she said yes and soon adopted the personae of a Russian photographer, accent and everything.  Why Russian?  Because that's what came out.  And did I play along?  I crumbled that crisp with as much passion and flying flour I could muster, much to the chagrin of my time-crunched mother who was trying to get a family meal on the table.  It ended in laughs, a minimal amount of flour and oats on the floor, hilarious pictures (unfit for internet publication, of course) and one damn good peach raspberry crisp.

Love to my Russian photographer sister, saintly mother and fresh peaches and raspberries!

Peach Raspberry Crisp

This was inspired from Martha Stewart's new cookbook, Martha's American Food.  My mom pulled it from some magazine.  It started as a blueberry crisp, but mom had raspberries in the fridge and the peaches at the store were delicious and cheap.  A few more subs and this came out.  I couldn't be happier.  I think several fruits could be subbed in (just end up with 6 cups of fruit), as well as different nuts.  The original recipe called for regular sugar, but I switched to brown because I thought it would go better.  This was delicious.  This is a keeper!

Filling:
3 c. peaches, pitted and sliced
3 c. raspberries
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Juice from half of a lemon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Crisp:
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together peaches, raspberries and remaining filling ingredients.  Pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish.  Squeeze lemon over top.

In large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.  Add remaining crisp ingredients  (mixed in a small dish before hand would be best) and incorporate into butter/sugar mixture with your hands.  Pinch and squeeze crisp to get a crumble clump like effect.  Sprinkle crisp evenly over fruit filling and do not pack down.

Bake crisp at 375 for 50-60 minutes (mine was closest to 50, but we used a glass dish).  Crisp should be golden brown on top and juices from filling should be bubbling.  When done baking, let cool on wire rack before servings.

Sweet and Spiced Country Spareribs

Low and slow.  That is how you get here: to fall into pieces at a touch kind of ribs.  Low and slow.  Trust me here.  Don't ask silly questions like "cooking ribs in the oven for six hours?", or "who has that kind of time?", or even more bewildering "who actually plans dinner that far ahead??"

Because the answer is now you.  Follow me here, you cook ribs for 6 hours, in your oven, and you figure it out so you're not eating at 11 o'clock at night.  It's so simple, I promise you.  Because I did it.  And we ate dinner at 7.  Not 11.  Amazing, right?  Here's how it goes down.

In the morning, after sleeping in at least till 10, mix together the spice rub.  Slather and rub it very thickly on ribs.  Wrap in foil.  Ignore for an hour while you eat breakfast and watch TV.  If you feel like it, at some point before noon, preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  If you don't, no biggie.  It only has to get up to 200.  Remember, LOW.

At noon-ish, stick the ribs (which are in foil) in the oven on a wire rack.  Position your oven thermometer so you can actually see it when the oven door is closed.  Close the door, keep it closed.  Check occasionally to make sure your oven is staying around 200 degrees and isn't trying to creep up on you.  Go to the pool party hosted by your apartment complex and drink free pina coladas and beer from a keg hidden in the bushes.  Don't worry that you left the oven on and you're not in the house.  It's only 200 degrees and you're just across the way.  Besides, it's free booze.  You  don't want to be cooped up in your apartment all day, suffering from the smell of pure deliciousness, while the ribs cook for 6 lloonngg hours.  Remember, SLOW.

And these will be on your plate and down your gullet by 7 pm.  There are three key points to remember here: sleeping in, free pina coladas and an 200 degree oven that won't heat up your apartment even if you do keep it on for half the day.  Oh, and low and slow.  Cause it's totally, completely, mouth-wateringly worth it.  Now stop with the silly questions.

Sweet and Spiced Country Spareribs
Adapted from my crush, the Smitten Kitchen

1.  These are delicious.  According to Ben, they sort of smell like Christmas morning (thank you cloves!).  They taste hot and spicy (two different things).  They may cook for 6 hours, but there's about 20 minutes of actual work involved.  30 minutes, tops.  These are in the BGCB.

2.  Deb calls out for spareribs.  Which I thought I had in my freezer, when really I had country spareribs.  Is there a difference?  Apparently, because mine looked different.  Who knew?  The country worked splendidly, the normal spareribs looked like they did Deb proud.  I think you're safe either way here.

3.  In case you didn't notice, tomorrow is Sunday.  Sunday is a good day for ribs.  Just saying...

Spice Rub:
1 c. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. ancho chili powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4-5 lbs. spare ribs
2 tsp. smoked paprika (I used Hungarian)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

In small bowl, mix up the spice rub.  Lay out spareribs on enough foil to create a sealed packet (if needed, slice ribs into more manageable sizes.  I made 2 packets).  Slather on (seriously, nice and thick here) the spice rub all over the ribs.  Rub it in.  Coat it completely.  Fold up foil into packet around ribs.  Let sit 30 minutes or so.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  On rimmed baking sheet, place a wire rack.  Place ribs on top.  Cook in 200 degree oven for 4 hours.  If possible, drop temperature to 175 degrees, and finishing cooking 2 more hours, until it is easily fork tender.  Carefully open packets and set ribs aside to rest.

Pour accumulated juices into medium sauce pan.  Boil until reduce by half.  Add paprika and vinegar and cook until desired consistency is reached.  Deb says you can now put the ribs under a broiler to get a crisp grilled like finish.  We couldn't make it that long.  Generously spoon sauce over ribs.  Devour, making sure to have lots of paper towels nearby...

Vanilla Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberry Sauce

Remember way back when I tried to teach you all something?  Like, way back when, in blog post numero diez, if I remember correctly.  Well, guess what!  I'm actually going to give you another recipe to try it out on.  Because, that's what we are all about here at the BGCB.  Teaching you something and then never mentioning it again for over a year and ninety-nine (because 100 would just be too perfect) post later...

But that just means you've had 14 months of practice under your belt, right?  You have perfected the parchment heart folding technique?  Yes?  Fantastic, because this is what you want to be folding your heart around just as soon as possible, because rhubarb is here now and it's known to be flighty.  Plus, it's hanging out with some bourbon.  And bourbon for breakfast is a happy, happy thought.  

Vanilla Roasted Rhubarb and Strawberry Sauce
Adapted from June 2012's Bon Appetit

Very much BCBG worthy.  Because, one, there is bourbon and two, it's delicious.  Most especially on top of some yummy, floppy German Pancakes, courtesy of none other than the lovely Smitten Kitchen (really, who else)?

1 lb. rhubarb (3-4 stalks)
1/2 lb. strawberries, halved
1/4 c. bourbon
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 4 inch piece vanilla bean

Preheat oven to 425.

Cutting on a sharp diagonal, slice rhubarb into 2 inch pieces.  Combine with strawberries, bourbon and sugar, mixing well until sugar dissolves.  Using a small sharp knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.  Scrape seeds from inside bean and add to rhubarb/strawberry mixture.  (Here BA had you add the actual bean.  I was afraid of eating it and I wanted vanilla sugar, so instead I cut it up in a few pieces and added it to a little sugar.  Soon, I will have vanilla sugar!).

Anyways, lay out 4 parchment paper heats as seen here.  Divide fruit mixture evenly among the four. Fold up hearts into well sealed packets.  Place on rimmed baking sheet (might not be a bad idea to line the baking sheet too, in case of leakage).  Roast 12-14 minutes.  To test doneness, carefully open packet and check rhubarb with fork (needs to be fork tender).  Carefully cut open the packets, being careful to watch for escaping steam.

Serve over pancakes, greek yogurt, ice cream, etc.  With crushed pistachios if you want some crunch!

Asian Sesame Chicken Drumsticks

If you've been reading for awhile, you know I'm a "bring your lunch to work" kind of girl.  A lot of it is because I live alone and almost always have leftovers.  And the fact that I make good food.  Another reason is that I'm cheap.  Guess which reason my family will tell you is the prevailing one?  Personally, I'm sticking with the tasty leftover line.  Because seriously, if you had to decide between these and a weekly dose of taco bell hard tacos, does price really come into the picture?

This recipe has me reconsidering my every day lunches.  I made half a dozen chicken wings on Saturday night, ate 2 immediately because they were dang tasty, and threw the other 4 into a bag in the fridge.  Which gave me a week of solid work lunches.  Chicken on top of salad, chicken on top of sauced egg noodles, chicken with a side of roasted potatoes.  It was one good week.  One good, easy week.  It was almost too easy.

I am so close to becoming one of these people that roasts a whole chicken over the weekend and then eats it all week long.  I think I'm ok with this.  Just imagine the possibilities: chicken salad, chicken soup, chicken tacos!  Seriously, I give it till the fall before there is a whole roasted chicken post up here.  And only that far out because I can't imagine roasting an entire chicken in my oven when it's 95 and humid outside.  Not complaining, just saying...

Asian Sesame Chicken Drumsticks
adapted from theendlessmeal.com

6 chicken drumsticks
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Using a paper towel, pat chicken dry.  Place in large bowl and drizzle with sesame oil.

Thoroughly combine remaining ingredients.  Mix well and sprinkle over chicken.  Toss everything until chicken is well coated.  Move chicken to prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

CinnaMocha Fudge Pops

I did something kind of crazy.  I'm thinking about blaming it on the heat.  Or the fact that these days it doesn't get dark until 9 pm.  Or, you know, the whole "I love chocolate thing".  Or some combination of those three.  Regardless of the reason, I still did something a little, tad-bit crazy.  You see, I went and took this pudding recipe here and, ahem, poured it into some dollar store molds.  Yeah, I made FudgeSicles.  Except, I made the cinna-mocha-latte wonderful kind.

It just felt so right.  Pudding, popsicle molds, mini chocolate chips on top (if chocolate happens to be your thing or something...).  It was happy and summer and reminded me of the homemade pudding-pops of days long gone.  And then I ate one.  And it tasted just close enough to right that I skipped the length of my somewhat clean living room.  (Real world advice: skipping whilst holding a popsicle in your mouth is highly inadvisable.  Even more so when your popsicle molds produce slightly phallic popsicles like mine do.  Ok, the phallic-nature has nothing to do with safety.  It just had to be said.  Because you are thinking it.  And that's ok too, because that was my only thought the entire picture taking process... Anyways, back to the skipping...).  I skipped.  And I vowed to always have popsicles, fudge or any other variety, always in my freezer.  At least while 8 pm still has daylight.

CinnaMocha Fudge Pops
Adapted from a pudding from CL April 2012

The weird mouth-feel that my first go round with these had (in the warm pudding form) worked to our advantage once frozen.  Unfortunately, the freezing also seemed to do something with the espresso.  It lost is.  I would suggest doubling that (reflected below).  Also, 1/2 tablespoon is A LOT of cinnamon.  I'm cool with that.  If you're not, you've been warned...

1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg (large)
2 c. 2% milk
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. instant espresso granules
1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. unsalted butter 

In medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and egg.  Once egg is incorporated, continue to whisk in next 5 ingredients (through salt).  Once combined, put pan over medium high heat stirring consistently, for about 14 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate and whisk together until melted and smooth (and swoon-inducing!)  Whisk in vanilla and butter.  Let cool slightly.

Stand up Popsicle molds.  If you so desire, sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips in the ends, just for shits and giggles.  Pour in slightly cooled pudding.  For even more fun, sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips in.  They will get melted and pushed deeper in by the stick.  ignore your desire to laugh inappropriately at the previous sentence.  Freeze until firm, unmold and enjoy!