The Champagne Bubble

My best friend growing up (and still today) is originally from San Antonio, Texas, which means that being a dinner guest at their home was always a treat.  A large majority of my Lone Star State dishes are inspired by her family recipes and King Ranch Chicken reigns supreme.

This is one of the most popular casseroles in the south (alternatively named “Mexican Chicken” by some).  The original recipe was thought to be originated by a ranch-hand on Texas’ famous King Ranch - but apparently that’s not the case.  Regardless of where it started, I’m glad it made it out of that home and onto to my kitchen table.

*Note: the recipe I used is “from-scratch” and adapted from the Homesick Texan’s blog, but I believe the popular version using canned soup is just as good if not better.

The Base:

1 1/2 pounds of chicken, without skin and bones
4 teaspoons of lime juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 an onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 10oz. can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained (or you can use a can of regular diced tomatoes and a 4 oz. can of diced green chiles, or if tomatoes are in season, can use two cups of diced fresh tomatoes with 1/4 cup of diced green chiles, such as a jalapeno)
4 teaspoons ancho chile powder (or chili powder)
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of half and half
1/3 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

Season the chicken with the lime juice, 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder and a dash of salt. In a skillet heated on medium, cook the chicken in the olive oil on each side for about 10-14 minutes.  

When chicken is done, shred it with two forks and set aside. Season with salt and pepper and a little more lime juice.

Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium, and add the onions, red bell pepper and poblano pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until the peppers and onions are soft.  Then, add the garlic, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of ancho chile powder, and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the chicken broth and cook on low until mixture is thickened, a few minutes. Stir in the half-and-half and Ro-Tel cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Uncover the pot, and add the sour cream, 2 teaspoons of lime juice and 1/4 cup of cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat.

Putting it Together:

3 cups of grated pepper jack and cheddar
12 corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat up the tortillas (see my enchilada recipe below for how to heat tortillas in an oiled skillet).  Then, ladle 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of a baking dish.  Layer half the tortillas along the bottom of the pan (on top of the sauce).  Add half the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the remaining cilantro and 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese.  

Repeat the layering, leaving the cheese layer on top.  Cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling. 

The Film Pairing:

This is a good man meal - or as my mother would say, it’s a fat pill.  Naturally, the movie pairing has to be somewhat rugged…and frankly, I usually don’t enjoy “guy” films, but I always make an exception for this one:

The Man From Snowy River (1982)

Wild horses, roughneck cowboys and a beautiful leading lady provide all the makings of a classic western.  Wrangle in that special someone, whip up some KRC, push play on this film and you might just find yourself #winning.   

For Thanksgiving, we had the usual pumpkin and pecan pies, but I wanted to add something new to our family menu this year.  I love rum cake and my father likes pineapple upside-down cake (and because this is the season of giving) we met in the middle and I combined the two.

If you’re not a pineapple fan, you can easily leave it out and it will still be just as delicious, if not more so.  Frankly, I prefer this cake without the pineapple, but I’m such a good daughter…

And I’m going to assume everyone likes rum.

The Cake:

1 can pineapple rings

A few maraschino cherries

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup cold milk

1/2 cup gold rum

4 ounce package of instant vanilla pudding

Grease and flour a bundt pan and set the oven for 325 degrees.  Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly across the bottom of the bundt pan and lay the pineapple rings around the center evenly.  Put a cherry in each of the pineapple holes.

In a large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth.  Pour the batter over the pineapples in the bundt pan and bake at 325 for an hour.  When you remove the cake from the oven, cool it before turning it over onto a platter.  

The Glaze

1 stick butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup gold rum (although I always add a little more…)

This is to be done when the cake has been baked and cooled.  In a saucepan melt the butter until completely liquid.  Add the water and sugar until it comes to a rolling boil and continue to boil for five minutes.  Remove the pan from the stove and add the rum. 

Make sure the cake is on the platter from which you will serve it on and poke the cake with a fork, making holes that will allow the glaze to soak in.  Pour the glaze evenly over the cake.  Allow the cake to soak in the rum mixture for at least 3-4 hours before serving so it is nice and moist.

The Film Pairing:

When I see this cake, Bing Crosby’s Hawaiian-themed “Mele Kalikimaka” comes right to mind, along with Clark Griswold’s fantasy about the glistening new pool he would buy with his Christmas bonus…

Christmas Vacation (1989)

I could literally watch this movie every night between now and Christmas day if I had to. In fact, it’s hard to believe that I had never seen it until a couple of years ago - how did I miss out on this for so long?!  

“And WHY is the carpet all wet, Todd?”

“I don’t KNOW, Margo.”

Tis’ the season, Bublettes!

The first time I ever tasted a buffalo wing, I was a freshman in college and my friends dragged me to a downtown bar to watch the big Sunday game.  I quickly realized that no matter how un-ladylike it may seem, there’s nothing quite like wings, beer and football on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Wings aren’t necessarily something I whip up at home for a weekday meal or dinner-staple, but they sure beat the pants off of any kind I’ve ever ordered in a restaurant.  And not to worry, they are somewhat easy to make.    

Today I had friends over and made my first batch of the season complete with oven-baked fries and Pumpkin Ale.  

Cheers to a beautiful fall and may the best men win out there on the field!

The Wings

1 package fresh chicken wings

1 bottle Frank’s Hot Buffalo Sauce

1 stick butter

Celery and Carrots for garnish

Olive Oil as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Set the oven to 375.  Wash and dry the individual chicken wings.  Toss them in olive oil until each wing is fully coated, then arrange on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  You can also choose to fry the wings - but why shorten your life-span if you don’t have to?  Baked tastes just as good!  Bake for 45 minutes, but watch them.  They may need longer or shorter depending on the oven.

Next, heat a large skillet and melt the butter until completely liquidized.  Add half of the bottle of Frank’s (or more if you like a lot of sauce) and stir together until smoothly combined.  If you like a sweeter wing, you can add a little maple syrup.

After removing the wings from the oven, put them in a large bowl and toss with the sauce.

The Film Pairing:

I could suggest Rudy or Remember the Titans or something of that nature - but this time I recommend the big game of the day.  NFL or College Football alike, there’s nothing like watching it live and rooting for your team.

Here’s who I will be cheering on this season (and always)

So Tigers, fight for Ol’ Mizzou! 

This is the hottest summer I can remember in years.  I have temporarily relocated to a public transporation-centered city and I long for the days of my nice air-conditioned vehicle, not feeling like I need a wardrobe change three times a day and not having to always carry liters of water around with me….but I digress.

I couldn’t be more ready for fall and cooler temperatures, so I thought I would give it a (way early) kick-start in the kitchen!  Roasting a chicken reminds me of all the autumn evenings I came home to the wonderful aroma of herbs, lemon and olive oil filling the neighborhood.  

This is my mother’s recipe and truly, it is much easier than one might think when contemplating how to prepare a whole chicken.

The Chicken:

1 whole chicken

4 lemons 

Olive Oil to taste

1 bundle Rosemary (chopped)

1 bundle Sage (chopped)

4 cloves garlic (chopped)

Handful of Fingerling Potatoes

1 large Yellow Onion (rough chopped)

Pat the chicken dry after washing it and removing the insides.  Then, place it in a large baking dish and preheat the oven to 450.  

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary and sage and add a generous portion of olive oil and the juice from all four lemons.  Next, stick the lemon halves around the chicken and put three or four of them inside the cavity of the bird.  

Now, take the herbs from the bowl and coat the chicken.  When you have used all the herbs, pour the juice over the chicken and into the dish.  

Next, slice the potatoes in half and arrange them in the baking dish with the chopped onion.  Drizzle the bird generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake it at 450 for an hour.  If it’s a large chicken, you may need an hour an a half - keep an eye on it.

When it is cooked fully, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.  The skin will be brown and crispy and the inside will be full of juice and flavor.

The Film Pairing:

A roasted chicken is a timeless classic - and although there is no mention of food whatsoever in this movie, it too is certainly one that time will not forget.

Valley of the Dolls (1967)

The eye-liner in this film is phenomenal - as is the wardrobe.  A little racy, even by today’s standards, but the original author, Jacqueline Susann, wanted to write a novel based on the lives of Broadway / Hollywood’s best talent.  Of course, she changed the names to protect the not-so-innocent.

Neely O’Hara, Anne Welles and Jennifer North take their audience on a wild ride full of pills, booze and men…and I couldn’t take my eyes of it for a minute.    

I don’t care much for raw tomatoes, but when accompanied by olive oil, mozzarella and basil, I can easily make an exception.

On Sunday evening, I hosted a small Italian dinner party and served Caprese as my first-course.  As a rule, June evenings are so brutally hot that people barely want to eat anything.  The mozzerella and tomatoes are filling, cold and leave people feeling refreshed on sultry summer nights. It was a perfect start to a wonderful evening with friends and family. 

Mangiare!

The Salad:

3 large tomatoes on the vine

1 large package fresh mozzerella

8-10 leaves fresh basil

Olive oil to taste

Balsamic vinegar to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice chilled tomatoes in thin rings and arrange them nicely on a big platter.

Next, slice the mozzarella into medium thick slices and layer them evenly below the tomato slices on the platter.

After your platter is prepared visually to your liking, rinse and dry the basil and rough chop it.  Then, sprinkle the herb evenly across the tomato and mozzarella.

(Look at that gorgeous basil!  It filled my kitchen with the most beautiful aroma…)

Finally, drizzle a fair amount of olive oil and half that amount of balsamic vinegar over the Caprese.  Season with salt and pepper.

The Film Pairing:

To Catch a Thief (1955)

When I nibble Caprese, I often think about the European coastline and wonder why I’m not there cutting fresh basil out of my garden…but I digress.

I realize that the names Grace Kelly and Cary Grant are alone enough to entice you to watch this film, but the scenery isn’t too bad either.  Grant plays a thief trying to - you guessed it - catch a thief.  And Kelly stuns from her wardrobe to her classic ability to be a true leading lady.  

Hitchock takes a slight break from his usual terrifying suspense to take on a bit of a lighter project with this film.

As you know, Joplin, Missouri was tragically affected by a tornado that ripped through town nearly two weeks ago.  What you may not know, however, is that Joplin is my home town.  Joplin has my heart.

Sunday, the day of the storm, it was unusually muggy. Tornado sirens are so common in our part of the country, we go to the basement “just in case,” but never expect much to happen. That day, we were wrong.  

The sky turned a black like I’d never seen before.  Day felt like night.  We saw the image of a MASSIVE tornado on one of the local news stations, and at that moment, the power went out.  This was serious.  We sat, impatiently, and waited for it to pass.  My ears started to pop and we heard a tremendous wind storm.  It was truly terrifying.

When the storm was over, and we went outside - our neighborhood looked completely normal aside from minor debris.  We would soon learn that we were very few of the lucky families who’s lives and property were spared. 

Growing up, my friends and cousins would gather at the pool during the summer and order “North Joplin Specials.”  We drank them, our parents drank them as kids growing up in Joplin and my kids will likely do the same whether they live in Joplin or not…

On that terrible Sunday afternoon, North, South, East or West, Joplin faced grave devastation.  Some areas of town were demolished, and some were fine - but our town came together just like I knew we would.  During the past several days, neighbors have helped neighbors, enemies have worked together, families have become closer, and friends have provided an amazing support system for one another.  

I am officially re-naming this special concoction: The JOPLIN Special.  I am so proud of my town and of people from around the state and around the country who have made recovery a reality for those who lost everything.  

The Kid-Friendly Cocktail:

2 parts orange juice

1 part Sprite 

A dash of Rose’s grenadine 

Fill a highball glass with ice and pour the orange juice first.  This isn’t rocket science, but it’s close…

Next, add a splash of Sprite.  No other lemon-lime soda with do, so don’t even try it!

Finally, pour a fair amount of grenadine in and stir.

*Note: it has to be Rose’s grenadine.  No negotiations.

The Charity Pairing:

North, South, East, West, we come together to grieve, renew spirits and rebuild.  

To make a donation, either financially or through supplies or services, please visit www.rebuildjoplin.org

Yesterday, I went to a graduation party and left with a huge bag of leftover shrimp cocktail.  I had no choice but to make pasta, right?  I like to think so…

I firmly believe that there are at least three ingredients that can make any dish delectable: olive oil, garlic and lemon.  Add butter, shrimp, white wine and some pasta and voila!You have shrimp scampi.

If only everything were this easy… 

The Shrimp Scampi:

1 lb shrimp (cleaned, de-veined)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 large cloves garlic (chopped)

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsely

Salt / pepper to taste

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet at medium heat.  Put the garlic in the skillet and cook until fragrant (but don’t let it brown.)  Add the white wine and let simmer for a minute or two.  

If your shrimp is fresh (not boiled) add the shrimp with the wine.  If you’re using leftover, boiled shrimp, add it in at the last minute for just enough time to let it warm.

Above all else, don’t over-cook the shrimp.  This is a fatal mistake.

Boil your pasta according to the package directions (I use angel hair.)  Toss with the shrimp and serve immediately with a salad and a fresh french baguette.  Sprinkle parsley over the pasta for garnish. 

The Film Pairing:

Like I’ve said before, Hitchcock films have a grand ability to terrify me.  Not in the grotesque way that most scary movies do today - but instead, he uses dramatic suspense to scare his audience.  It works. 

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Hitchcock’s usuals include films like Vertigo, The Birds, and North by Northwest. These are classics that we all know and love, however, some of his early works are just as wonderful.  

While browsing Hulu, I stumbled across The Lady Vanishes.  It was late at night and I needed something mindless I could turn on while I fell asleep.  Needless to say, I didn’t close my eyes once!  It was fascinating.  With Hitchcock, I should have known… 

When a young socialite travels Europe, she meets an elderly woman on the train who disappears with no explanation.  Her trip is spent trying to find old Mrs. Froy and uncover the mystery behind the vanishing lady.

When I was living in Dallas, a co-worker introduced me to a little morsel of sugary magic; otherwise known as the cakeball.  I had never seen or heard of such a thing, but I welcomed that delightful confection with open arms (and an open mouth.)  

Cakeballs are perfect for times when you’re entertaining for a shower or cocktail party and an actual piece of cake or a cupcake becomes too difficult to enjoy while keeping your manners intact.  And just think…if you’re a dieter, it’s a little bit of a cheat - but not enough to really count!

I made vanilla cakeballs with chocolate coating.  Some are topped with sprinkles and some are topped with toasted coconut.

There are a trillion different varieties for this recipe - so get creative!  My personal favorite are the red velvet cakes with white chocolate coating and the carrot cake with cream cheese icing…

The Cake:

Your favorite homemade recipe for cake or a boxed mix

1 batch of homemade icing, or 1 can of pre-made icing

Frankly, homemade cake and icing is always going to taste better - but boxed mix tastes good too.  Simply use the recipe you have time for.  You can find my recipe for vanilla cake and icing here.  

Prepare the cake recipe and bake it according to the directions.  Let the cake completely cool before moving to the next step.

Once cooled, crumble the cake into tiny pieces by hand or with a mixer.  I prefer by hand because I believe it to be more thorough.  Next, add the icing to the crumbles and mix well until the cake becomes moist and dough-like.

Get a cookie sheet and line it with wax paper.  Roll the cake into little balls by hand (to the size you desire) and place on the wax paper.  I think the best size is one that can be eaten in almost one bite, but not quite.

Place the cookie sheet in the fridge and let the balls harden for about two hours.  This make them easier to dip in the chocolate when the time comes.

The Coating:

1 package chocolate almond bark; or

Melted dark/milk chocolate bars

The almond bark easily melts in the microwave - and I usually use it when I’m in a time crunch.  Melting chocolate with a double-boiler is more time consuming (but if you have the time, it’s a great taste.)  

Melt half the bar of bark at a time and put it in a small bowl on regular power for one minute.  

Remove the cakeballs from the fridge and use a fork or toothpick to dip each in the chocolate individually.  Rather than submerse the cake in the chocolate, I hold the cake over the bowl of chocolate and spoon it over until the cake is covered.  Then, simply place back on the wax paper.  Immediately garnish the top with toasted coconut or sprinkles (or whatever.)  The chocolate dries very quickly.

Place back in the fridge for about 20 minutes and let the cakeballs set up properly.  You may serve, freeze or keep at room temperature for 3-4 days.

The Film Pairing:

As mentioned, cakeballs are great for entertaining because of the ability one has to eat without performing a balancing act.  Delicately biting into a cupcake is simply impossible.  

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Holly Golightly has been the inspiration behind several of my parties.  Her objective seems to be simple: eat, drink, go from zero to ninety in a matter of bourbons, and when things get uncontrollable - just sneak out the bathroom window.

While this film will be perpetually coined as girly, it’s truly moving and filled with an abundance of implicit story lines that make it relatable to members of both sexes.  

“I don’t think I’ve ever drunk champagne before breakfast before.  With breakfast, on several occasions, but never before, before.” Paul Varjack, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

To celebrate the Royal Wedding, I had a few friends over for a traditional english tea.  My friend, Melissa, insisted that we have homemade scones, to which I much obliged.  She chose blueberry lemon (which were absolutely out of this world!) but you can take the base of this recipe and make any kind you fancy.

Kate Middleton looked almost as good as these treats tasted - and that’s really saying something!  What a breathtaking bride and handsome Prince.  Even though we are in the thick of finals and don’t have eight hours to spare to watch the wedding live at 5a and then re-watching it…we managed.

The Scones:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar (extra for dusting)

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/3 cup heavy cream (plus more for brushing tops)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter until the butter is the size of little peas.  Carefully stir in the blueberries and the lemon zest.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cream.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the cream mixture.  Stir it lightly with a fork for just enough time that the dough begins to form.  

On a lightly floured surface, knead and punch the dough just a few times to mix it completely.  Pat the dough into a 6-inch square about 1 1/4 inches thick and use a floured pizza cutter to cut.  Cut square in half on the diagonal to form eight triangles.  

Transfer the triangles onto a non-stick baking tray and brush the tops with cream.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake until lightly golden (about 20-22 minutes).

The Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of one lemon

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  When the scones have cooled for a few minutes, pour the glaze over each scone.  

You can serve immediately - but they keep well.  They also double nicely for strawberry shortcakes!

The Film Pairing:

If you’re like me, you’ve watched Kate and Wills walk down the aisle more than once and it’s time to switch things up a little.  

The Glass Slipper (1955)

The Royal Wedding was nothing less than a true fairytale.  The carriage ride, the kiss and the roars of people congratulating the new prince and princess.  I immediately thought - Cinderella.

Although the picture doesn’t depict it, The Glass Slipper is a bright, technicolor film gleaming with gorgeous dresses and delicious cakes.  It doesn’t follow the exact same storyline as Cinderella, but it’s essentially about the life of a common girl in Europe who dreams of the royal Prince and finally has her chance to meet him and fall in love.

…well girls, there’s always Prince Harry. 

As a child, my birthday fell around Easter from time to time and on those years I had bunny cake.  Bunny cake, traditionally, is a moist white cake with coconut and white creme icing.  Coconut is one of my favorite tastes/scents and baking with it is no exception.

This week, I owed a friend a huge favor and his request was simple: homemade cupcakes.  With the holiday approaching, I thought I would give my favorite bunny cake a little twist by making cupcakes with toasted coconut, Peeps and robin’s eggs as garnish.

Happy Easter!  

The Cake:

1 stick butter

3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined.  Add the extracts and mix. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk.  Start with the dry and end with the dry - continuing to add until the batter is smooth.

After lining a cupcake pan with pastel papers, fill the cups to the top with batter.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is springy upon touch.  

The Icing:

2 1/2 sticks butter

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 tablespoon milk

Beat the butter (at room temperature) until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until well-mixed.  Add the salt and extracts and beat at medium speed for about one minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and stir with a spoon until smooth.  

The Finishings:

2 cups shredded coconut

1 12-pack of Peeps

1 bag Robin’s Eggs 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the coconut on a cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes, depending on how dark you want the flakes.  I like to toast long enough for a few brown flakes, but for the majority to remain white.

After the cakes have cooled to room temperature, ice them.  Add an extra dollop of icing on top so your garnish (either eggs or Peep) will stick well.  Top with either the eggs or a Peep, then sprinkle the sides with the toasted coconut.

The Film Pairing:

Easter is all about renewal, flower beds and soaking in the sunshine - which is no foreign concept to Alice.  

As a youth, I watched this movie almost every day and had a little Alice dress I would wear around town.

I remember always getting so hungry when she ate the little cakes in the Rabbit’s house that said “Eat Me”.  I was too young to make my own cake, and it wasn’t necessarily a part of our family’s daily diet.  In short, that’s where the bunny cakes come in..

So open the windows, sing along with Alice, welcome spring and EAT CAKE!